13
votes
Accepted
Why does the Reform Siddur cut out most of Krias Shema?
Rabbi Richard Sarason, a faculty member at Hebrew Union College (the Reform seminary), talks about the history of these passages in an article about the newest siddur, Mishkan T'filah. He writes (...
- 56.4k
11
votes
Accepted
Reason for Sepharadi Qeri'at Shema' Custom
Covering One’s Eyes During the Recitation of Shema cites the following explanation as give by Rabbi Eli J Mansour
According to Kabbalistic teaching, one should cover his eyes during
Shema while ...
- 42.9k
11
votes
Accepted
Line break before למען ירבו ימיכם
The issue is discussed in detail by R' Hamburger in Volume 4 of his priceless series, Shorshei Minhag Ashkenaz, and a bit shorther, but in English in the kitzur edition. His main point is that in ...
- 7,434
11
votes
Accepted
What constitutes the Shema?
Because the literature surrounding the Shema is quite vast, I will bring only general essentials below.
Text of the Shema, referenced below:
Deut. 6
שְׁמַע יִשרָאֵל יי אֱלהֵינוּ יי אֶחָד:
...
- 479
10
votes
Accepted
Fulfilling Kri'at Shema by reading it as a Torah reader
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 ...
- 97.3k
10
votes
Accepted
What is the Hebrew text for this prayer?
אֱלֹהֵינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם יַחֵד שִׁמְךָ וְקַיֵּם מַלְכוּתְךָ תָּמִיד וּמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
Eloheinu shebashamayim yached shim'cha v'kayem malchut'cha tamid um'loch aleinu l'olam va'ed.
Our ...
- 18.5k
8
votes
Can saying Sh'ma once satisfy two different Sh'ma obligations?
No it cannot. In fact, one cannot even recite shema twice in the period between alot hashachar and hanetz hachamah to count for the evening and morning readings.
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 58:5:
...
- 41.8k
7
votes
Why do the siddurim ask us to gather all 4 tzitzis before saying Shema?
As already source by Noach miFrankfurt in his answer, the German Minhag and likely original minhag Ashkenaz, was only to hold the front corners. This is also the practice of the Vilna Gaon (as ...
- 9,388
7
votes
Accepted
Reciting Shema in English
Berachot 13a
ת"ר ק"ש ככתבה דברי רבי וחכ"א בכל לשון מ"ט דרבי אמר קרא והיו בהוייתן
יהו ורבנן מאי טעמייהו אמר קרא שמע בכל לשון שאתה שומע ולרבי נמי הא כתיב
שמע ההוא מבעי ליה השמע לאזניך מה שאתה ...
- 49.1k
7
votes
Are there five or six reasons why Parshas Tzitzis was added to Shema?
This passage also appears in Yalkut Shimoni, and in that version there are indeed only five things. Number 4, "opinions of heretics" in your translation, does not appear. The supporting verse cited in ...
- 49.1k
6
votes
Why do the siddurim ask us to gather all 4 tzitzis before saying Shema?
According to Tefilloh Sefas Yisroel (p. 33), while the halacha (or more accurately, minhag) as brought in Shulchan Aruch and numerous other sources is to hold the two front tzitzit, it is brought in ...
- 12.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Megillah 4.6 -- Why can't the blind recite the Shema with their benedictions (according to R. Judah)?
The context of that Mishna is discussing who is fit to lead the congregation in prayers, and in particular that line is part of a dispute if a blind person can lead the prayer of Shema and its ...
- 97.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Accidentally saying "El Melekh Neeman" when in a tzibbur
The original minhag ashkenaz was to say kel melech neeman in all situations, when davening with a minyan and by oneself. (found in Rokeach, Agur, Tur, Siddur Shlomo Worms Maharik and other Ashkenazi ...
- 106
6
votes
Accepted
12 halachic hours – why no more halachic consequences?
The argument does indeed apply across the board.
Perhaps you see it discussed most about the last time for reciting Shema since that's the only time during the day with potential biblical ...
- 97.3k
6
votes
Accepted
If one is in doubt whether they had already recited maariv should they say the blessings of shema with the shema or not?
If he is unsure if he recited Shema, he should recite it with its blessings (OC 67).
If one is unsure if one had recited the Amida, one should recite it and intend that it should be a voluntary ...
- 97.3k
6
votes
Accepted
Women and the 248 words in Shema
In his book Shorashe Minhag Ashkenaz (vol. 2 pg. 58), R. Hamburger brings that the Minhat Elazar was asked this question and he replied (ME vol. 2 §28) that since the idea is Zoharic it follows that ...
- 11.9k
6
votes
Why does Rashi explain where yoke of Mitzvos is discussed in Parshas Tzitzis?
In the parallel passage in Yalkut Shimoni (which I cited here), no verses are given for the three that are obvious. In fact, R. Refael Nota Nosson Rabinowitz (Dikdukei Sofrim) presents this comment of ...
- 49.1k
6
votes
Should you recite amen after Ahava Rabbah?
The Shulchan Aruch 59:4 says not to answer amen after Ahava Rabbah/Olam.
The Rema to 61:3 says that the custom is people finish Ahava Rabbah before the Shatz, so they can answer Amen.
The Mishnah ...
- 19.6k
6
votes
ולא תתורו: kadma veazla or azla-geresh?
All the Tiberian manuscripts (and here, here, here, and here) and the majority of the other (Ashkenazi/Sephardi) old manuscripts* have a maqef, followed by the Venice Mikraot Gedolot and other ...
- 9,777
6
votes
Accepted
Being יוצא with the chazzan saying - ה' אלוקיכם אמת, if I am not up to Kerias Shema yet
It would seem that both questions can be answered at once.
The Shaare Teshuva on that Halacha that listening to the 3 words from the Chazzan may be done even if you are in middle of krias shema ...
- 10.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Sh’ma time on a long travel
As the OU writes "always say the prayer service based on the day and time where you are at the moment you are ready to pray"
To calculate the right times, you can use tools such as The Chai ...
- 47.9k
5
votes
Why are identical words pronounced differently at certain locations of the Shema?
The two passages are from Deuteronomy 6:7 and 11:19, respectively:
וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשָׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃
...
- 47.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Why doesn't saying the sh'ma satisfy torah-reading requirements?
Your question is asked by no less than the P'ri M'gadim (OH Eshel Avraham: 135)!
According to the Amora Sh'muel, as quoted by R. Yehudah, in Berakhot (21a), the recitation of Sh'ma is merely rabbinic....
- 35.4k
5
votes
Are glasses a barrier before erva for "Sh'ma"?
Berachot 25b
אמר רבא צואה בעששית מותר לקרות ק"ש כנגדה ערוה בעששית אסור לקרות ק"ש כנגדה צואה בעששית מותר לקרות ק"ש כנגדה דצואה בכסוי תליא מילתא והא מיכסיא ערוה בעששית אסור לקרות קריאת שמע כנגדה (...
- 22.7k
5
votes
Reciting Shema in English
Mishna Sotah 7:1
אֵלּוּ נֶאֱמָרִין בְּכָל לָשׁוֹן, פָּרָשַׁת סוֹטָה, וּוִדּוּי מַעֲשֵׂר, קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע, וּתְפִלָּה, וּבִרְכַּת הַמָּזוֹן, וּשְׁבוּעַת הָעֵדוּת, וּשְׁבוּעַת הַפִּקָּדוֹן:
The ...
- 97.3k
5
votes
Reciting Shema in English
There is a beginner's guide to Shema on the aish.com website where it says:
The important thing is to understand and concentrate on the meaning of
the words. If you don't understand Hebrew, you ...
- 47.2k
5
votes
Can saying Sh'ma once satisfy two different Sh'ma obligations?
The Aruch Hashulchan in 58:8 quotes the Bet Yosef (Seif 8) that if you read Sh'ma after dawn to fulfill your nighttime obligation, you may not read it again until after sunrise to fulfill your daytime ...
- 42.8k
5
votes
What constitutes the Shema?
Maimonides, Hilchot Keriat Shema 1:1-2:
The Shema is read twice every day,—in the evening and in the morning, as it is said, "and when thou liest down and when thou risest up" (Deuteronomy 6:7), ...
- 41.8k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible