Answers to Research Quest by: Melissa Srolovits and Lindsay Spitz

 

We learned in the Mishna on Daf Yud Gimmel (13A) that one who is reading the Torah and gets up to Shema requires fulfills his obligation if he has Kavanah (intent) of the heart. This Mishnah leads us to ask many questions.

1.     Must one have Kavanah while saying Shema in order to fulfill one’s obligation?

2.     If one needs Kavanah during Shema, what type of Kavanah is required?

3.     Is Kavanah only a requirement for Shema or does one require Kavanah by other mitzvoth as well.

1. First lets read the pertinent Mishna and Gemara.

Click here to read the Mishna. Remember we are focusing on the first line. Then click on the same page to read the Gemara on this.

·        ·        Summarize the Mishna and Gemara in your own words.

Mishnah- one a guys reading the torah and the time has come when your supposed to say shema in the torah if he has kavanah while saying it he has fulfilled his obligation. Rav Meir says in between chapters can you stop if it’s a respected person? Yes for a respected person. In the middle of chapters can you stop for a person you fear? Yes you can. Rav yehudah says in the middle of the chapter can you stop to say hello to a feared person? Yes only to people you respect. And in between the chapters can you say hello to someone you honor?  Yes to anyone (not only someone you honor). This is between the first bracha and the second. Between the second and shema. Between shema and vehaya. Between vehaya and vayomer. Between vayomer and emet veyaziv. Rabbi yehudah says between vayomer and emet veyzaiv you cant stop. Rav yehoshua Ben karcha says why does the parsha of shema come before vayomer? So at first you’ll accept the yoke of heaven and then accept the yoke of the mitzvah’s. Why does vehaya come before vayomer? Because vehaya relevant to day and night but vayomer is only relevant to day.

Gemorah- do we derive from this that mitzvoth do in fact need kavanah? What is kavanah from the heart? To read. But you know that your reading if your reading something! He wasn’t reading- he was reading to correct.

2. When does one need intent for Shema?

To answer this question click here for the text of the Rambam our most famous Halachic authority from the eleventh century.

·        ·        Summarize the first halacha in the Rambam.

 

To help you with the Hebrew click here for an English translation of this Rambam.

If someone is reading shema and does not have kavanah from the heart he does not fulfill his obligation. But if he does not have kavanah in the rest of the paragraphs he does fulfill the mitzvah. Even if he is checking for mistakes while he is reading as long as he has kavanah for the first verse.

3. Read the explanation of this Rambam by Rabbi Yitzchak Etshalom from the above link and answer the following questions.

·        ·        What is the easiest and straightest reading of the Mishna?

You must read the words and have intent of fulfilling the mitzvah

·        Why does the Gemara pounce on this reading?

That since he’s already reading it all he has to do is have some kavanah too.

·        ·        What does the Gemara’s answer KOREH L'HAGIAH mean according to Rashi, R. Hai Ga’on and Tosfot?

Rashi-if he’s reading to correct he doesn’t have intent even if you read the words correctly but don’t realize you’re reading you don’t fulfill the mitzvah

Tosphot- your still reading it(disagrees with rashi) hes not reading the words properly with the right pronunciation hes only reading to check.

R. Hai Ga’on- you have to have intent that you’re reading

·        ·        Explain the 3 different types of intent listed by Rabbi Etshalom.

a.      intent to accept G-ds rule

b.     intent in your heart

c.     intent to read

·        ·        What unique type of KAVANAT HALEV is required by Shema and not by other mitzvot?

In shema you must have the intent that you are reading! And must have proper motivation for having that intention.

1.     4.     Based on all of this what should we do?

Click here to see what the Shulchan Arukh, our most basic halachic code, says we should do.

·        ·        Summarize the first Halakha in your own words.

Fulfillment of this mitzvah requires intent especially in the first verse. When saying the first verse one must recite it outloud. Specific actions must occur at specific times (kissing your tifilin and tzitzit at the appropriate time). Every word must be read exactly the way it is written with the appropriate pronunciation.

5.     5.     Click here to read the Mishna Berura a modern Halachic code written by the Chofetz Chaim.

Read 60:4.

·        ·        According to the Mishna Berura (MB), what are the 2 types of KAVANAHs?

1.intent to fulfill ones obligation.

2.kevanah from the heart that one is doing the mitzvah

·        ·        What Kavanah does everyone agree is not required?

Intent is not required unless it’s the first verse of shema or the amida.

·        ·        What type of Kavanah is required?

Proper intent is required in all mitzvot

·        ·        Give 2 practical examples from the Mishna Berura where one would not fulfill the mitzvah because he/she has no KAVANAH.

1.     if someone is blowing the shofar to practice they don’t fulfill the mitvah

2.     if  one is saying grace after the meal in order to teach their children the proper way to say it they don’t fulfill the mitzvah

·        ·        According to 60:5, what additional KAVANAH is required only when saying Shema? Why?

One must have sincere concentration and understand the words they are saying because in the first verse you must accept the yoke of G-d and by doing that you must understand the words you are saying.

6.     6.     Click here to read the Kitzur Shulchan Arukh, a popular abbreviated modern Halachic code.

·        ·        According to the Kitzur, what type of intent must one have while reading the Shema?

To prepare to read shema one must have in mind that he is going to read shema when one is reciting the shema  you should concentrate on the meaning.

Click here to get to the home page of WebShas an index to much of the Talmud.

·        ·        Where would you find information about Shema? Copy down the exact URL where information on Shema appears.

more about shema

·        ·        List 4 different sources from the Talmud about mental focus during Shema.

1.     Closing/Covering the Eyes during the first Verse: Berachot 13b

2.    Mental Focus involved in the first Verse, specifically in the word "Echad": Berachot 13b

3.    Reciting Shema while Reading/Editing a Torah Scroll: Berachot 13a; Rosh HaShanah 28b

4.    How much of Shema requires Mental Focus: Berachot 13b, 16a

7.     7.     Now that we have clarified the requirement of KAVANAH by Shema, we will try to apply it to other mitzvoth as well.

·        ·        Which Gemara in Rosh Hashana did many of the above sources quote? (Write the daf)

-Reciting Shema while Reading/Editing a Torah Scroll: Berachot 13a; Rosh HaShanah 28b

Click on this link and search for the insights on the pertinent page from Rosh Hashana.

·        ·        Copy the exact URL for the insights on Rosh Hashana about Kavanah in mitzvot. (It appears one page after the daf copied above.)

Rosh Hashanah article

·        ·        What is the case of Rav Zeira quoted in this Gemara?

While blowing the shofar he must have kavanah in order to fulfill the mitzvah

·        ·        How do the ROSH and BEHAG hold based on this Gemara?

They hold like Rav Zeira- that one must have kavanah in order to fulfill the mitzvah.

·        ·        How does the MAHARITZ GE'AS (cited by the TUR OC 569), RABEINU CHANANEL here and the BA'AL HA'ME'OR rule?

They all rule like rava, that mitzvoth do not need kavanah

·        ·        How does RAV SHERIRA GA'ON and the RAN here (cited by the DARCHEI MOSHE 475:6) rule?

One should have kavanah in order to fulfill the mitzvah but if one forgets to have kavanah he still fulfills the mitzvah.

·        ·        According to the SHULCHAN ARUKH if one did a mitzvah without KAVANAH what should one do?

If one did a mitzvah without kavanah one must go back and repeat the mitzvah with kavanah.

·        ·        Explain the case of Mis’asek. What does the BI'UR HALACHAH say about him?

If one is doing a mitzvah without the knowledge of doing so one must repeat the mitzvah with a beracha in order to fulfill the mitzvah. (one does not fulfill the mitzvah if he is doing a mitzvah without knowing so).

 

To Review:

Answer the following 3 questions:

1.     Must one have Kavanah while saying Shema in order to fulfill one’s obligation?

In order to fulfill the mitzvah one must have kavanah for the first paragraph but not the rest of shema.

2.     If one needs Kavanah during Shema, what type of Kavanah is required?

One must have kavanah from the heart in order to fulfill the mitzvah.

3.     Is Kavanah only a requirement for Shema or does one require Kavanah by other mitzvoth as well.

          Kavanah is only a requirement in shema not in other mitzvoth.