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Let's say someone is a Torah reader. The weekly Torah portion is Va'etchanan, which contains the first pargraph of Kri'at Shema.

He arrives in shul exactly at the time when he must start to read the Torah for the congregation. He knows that at his reading pace, he will reach the section starting with the verses of Shema Yisra'el (Deut. 6) very close to the ending time of Kri'at Shema.

Can he fulfill the mitzvah of having read the morning Shema while he is reading the Torah portion for the congregation assuming he has the proper kavana (intent) to do this? Is there a rule that one cannot fulfill two mizvot simultaneously, and would this rule apply, or not apply, here?

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    If he's cutting it that close, he should really just read it to himself during a Mi SheBeirakh.
    – Double AA ♦
    Aug 22, 2016 at 17:42
  • @DoubleAA If he were a Ba'al Kri'a as me, he would be the one doing Mi Sheberach too, so that's not possible. (I won't go into my shul's practices, but some of the gabbaim who stand next to me can't read Hebrew that well, hence I'm doing the Mi Sheberach. I know that an inability to read Hebrew well makes a poor gabbai choice. Decision isn't mine, though, and I've registered a complaint more than once. Shomer peta'im, maybe?)
    – DanF
    Aug 22, 2016 at 18:08
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    More like Shomer petayim. The Alef is silent. The Chirik is on the Yud.
    – Double AA ♦
    Aug 22, 2016 at 18:13

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Mishna Berakhot 2:1

היה קורא בתורה, והגיע זמן המקרא--אם כיוון את ליבו, יצא; ואם לאו, לא יצא.‏
If he was reading in the Torah and it came time to read [Shema]: if he intended, he fulfilled his obligation, and if not, he did not. (my translation)

Rambam (Shema 2:1) and ShA (OC 60:5) rule this way as well. So "assuming he has the proper kavana (intent) to do this" then he fulfills his obligation.

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  • this answer is perhaps not suffisant if you explain not the full understanding of Kiven LIBO according to the halacha
    – kouty
    Aug 22, 2016 at 17:46
  • @kouty The questioner said to assume he has proper intent. That would probably include intent to fulfill the mitzva, to accept the yoke of heaven, knowing the meaning of the words, etc.
    – Double AA ♦
    Aug 22, 2016 at 17:48
  • I believe he also needs to mention going out of Egypt on time as well, since he is only reciting the Shma and V'ahavta. (He is missing the V'haya and VaYomer portions. It is the Vayomer that contains a reference to Yetzias Mitzrayim.)
    – David Kenner
    Aug 22, 2016 at 18:23
  • @DavidKenner mentioning going out to Egipt follows the timing of KS?
    – kouty
    Aug 22, 2016 at 19:13
  • @DavidKenner If I'm not mistaken, one has fulfilled the mitzvah of Kri'at Shema by reciting just the 1st paragraph. I had heard that one of the reasons for reciting just the 1st paragraph during Birkot Hashachar was to fulfill the mitzvah in case one will not reach the later part prior to Sof Z'man.
    – DanF
    Aug 22, 2016 at 19:24

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