BSD

Brochos – 15a-b

Mar Cheshvan 30, 5787.  11/11/2026

Short notes on some of the topics.

1- We encountered a rather complicated גמרא, and suggested a sheet to allow one to be able to follow. The topic is saying קריאת שמע very quietly that he himself cannot hear it.

הַקּוֹרֵא אֶת שְׁמַע וְלֹא הִשְׁמִיעַ לְאָזְנוֹ, יָצָא. רִבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר: לֹא יָצָא.

Here is the bottom line: AR OC 62, 3.

2 – Our גמרא discusses מצוות and their ברכות. Even if the מצווה is דאורייתא , the ברכה requirement is דרבנן. [A big topic is whether there are exceptions to this general rule].

In general, if one performs a מצווה and does not say a ברכה, for whatever reason, he is יוצא.

Like eating מצה without saying על אכילת מצה.

Now, this rule applies also to the מצווה of שחיטה as you can see below. YD 19.

This הלכה is quite obvious since the general rule is that the ברכה is not מעכב.

So why would the Shulchan Aruch need to tell us here in הלכות שחיטה?

As the highlighted ט״ז shows, the answer ties back to the story we began discussing (once again) about that mysterious figure, אלדד הדני, who appeared in North Africa over 1,100 years ago.

See the links in last week’s Shiur Points.

One of the הלכות Eldad taught was that if someone performs שחיטה without a ברכה, the meat is פיגול, meaning טריף.

See here from the מרדכי at the beginning of מסכת חולין.

As we see from the מרדכי’s comments, this הלכה runs contrary our מסורה and we do not follow it at all.

This is why the שלחן ערוך needed to say:

3 – Now, how does this connect to our גמרא?

In the משנה it says that one must verbalize קריאת שמע. ‘Saying’ it במחשבה is insufficient.

There is, however, a מחלוקת about a קריאת שמע said so quietly that it could not be heard, and as mentioned above, the הלכה is that one is indeed יוצא.

The Gemara goes on to quote several Mishnayos and Beraisos about a deaf person who separated תרומה, a mitzvah that requires a ברכה. Since he cannot hear and therefore his  ברכה is problematic, the question is whether his act is valid and the תרומה he separated takes effect.

4 – In the year תקכ”ט –  1768 someone asked the נודע ביהודה, the Rov of Prague , a question.

How could the הלכות of אלדד הדני say that שחיטה without a ברכה causes the שחיטה to be invalid, meaning that the animal is טריף?

The הלכה is that a mute who can’t speak can shecht as long as there is an adult  watching him shecht the animal. Now if he can’t speak, he cannot make a bracha, so how can the שחיטה be kosher?

 

The נודע ביהודה responds: “I don’t know why you are asking me about the הלכות of אלדד הדני, when in fact all the פוסקים have dismissed them and do not take them seriously.”

As for the question itself, his answer is quite simple.

When the Mishnah says a mute person may perform שחיטה even though he cannot make a ברכה, that is because saying it is simply beyond his ability. Someone who is able to make the ברכה and chooses not to, however, shows himself to be a מומר לאותו דבר, someone suspect regarding that very matter, הלכות שחיטה. That is why, according to the הלכות of אלדד הדני, both he and his שחיטה would be disqualified.

5 – In conclusion, we discussed the following case:

The Mishnah also says that one should read קריאת שמע pronouncing the words very clearly.

Suppose someone is a Lubavitcher who was brought up to daven in נוסח האר״י with our type of הברה, the Lubavitch way of pronouncing the words: “Boruch,” not “Burich.”

He walks into a shul and is told that he may not daven at the עמוד unless he pronounces the words the way they do. Is he permitted to daven there using a different pronunciation?

6 –

We spoke about the famous חתם סופר, the Rav of Pressburg. He often quoted two of his teachers. One was Reb Pinchas Horowitz, a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch, author of the famous ספרים – הפלאה and פנים יפות. The other was the great מקובל Reb Noson Adler.

We quoted a ספר relating that Reb Noson Adler of Frankfurt, who davened with the local Yekkish pronunciation, wanted to learn the Sephardic pronunciation. He invited Rabbi Chaim, the Rav of Izmir, to Frankfurt and studied with him for three years, until he could pronounce the words exactly as the ספרדים do. From then on, even when he davened at the עמוד, while the rest of the congregation did not pronounce the words that way, he davened with the Sephardic pronunciation!

BSD

Brochos – 15a

Mar Cheshvan 23, 5787.  11/04/2026

Short notes on some of the topics.

1 – Regarding the saying קריאת שמע in the morning without תפילין we spoke about the letter from the Previous Rebbe to Reb Nissan Nemenov ע”ה, that one should say קריאת שמע only with תפילין.

R Nissan Nemnov ע”ה

אגרות קודש של הרבי הקודם (הריי“ץ), חלק י, אגרת ג’שב (3302)

However, the Rebbe spoke about this at length in 1952 that the מנהג of Chassidim is to say it without תפילין.

The Rebbe continues to discuss if there is a need of wearing תפילין when saying קריאת שמע after Davening – throughout the day and even during קריאת שמע of מעריב!

2- Our גמרא mentions the washing of hands prior to Davening. For sake of clarity we classified this as follows:

There are 3 types of נטילת ידים, listed by the order of the day.

a – נטילת ידים after sleeping the night. (some say, it applies to sleeping during the day as well). OC Siman 4.

The purpose is to remove the רוח רעה that remains only on the hands upon waking.

We spoke about the fascinating story of the Ger Tzedek Reb Avrohom ben Avrohom that his קידוש השם caused for some to believe that this טומאה has been lessened and degraded!

Grave of Avrohom ben Avrohom – Graf Potocki

See this previous shiur and here.

b- The second one is the idea that hands are generally unclean due to touching the body or other unsanitary objects. Thus, before Davening, one must ensure that his hands are clean.

Preferably with water and water that is unavailable, a dry towel works as well.

However, one needs to walk up to .6 miles to find water.

c –  Prior to Davening writes the רשב”א, we copy the עבודה of the כהן who washed his hands from the כיור.

3 – We mentioned the topic of washing ones… before Davening. See משנה ברורה OC 86, 18.

Some say that there is actually a מנין של מקונחים somewhere……

4 – As an introduction the next week’s shiur, we spoke about the famous אלדד הדני who made his appearance in the 9th century, and to be be from שבט דן.

the river Sambatyon

His numerous הלכות are quoted in the ראשונים who not necessarily accepted them.

See here, here and in English, more.

To be continued.

1- New topic of moving a ladder on Yom Tov to a bird coop (for the purpose of taking a dove to be consumed on Yom Tov) using a small ladder as opposed to an “attic ladder” which is longer and heavier.

Beis Shamai prohibiting and Beis Hillel permitting. The issue here is that moving any type of  ladder on Yom Tov gives the appearance of a person on the way to repair a roof which of of course prohibited. The simple explanation to Beis Hillel’s ruling is that a ‘coop ladder’ is not used for roof repairs.

The Gemara questions if Beis Shamai would permit the use of this ladder in an area where no one is around – like a closed off courtyard.

2- Gemara discusses the concept of Mar’is Ha’ayin – Anything prohibited by the Rabanan because of Mar’is ha’Ayin is prohibited even in the innermost chambers. The example cited is hanging wet clothes out to dry in the sun where one can mistakenly think that they were washed on Shabbos. .

3- Story of the children of Reb Chiya that while on a business trip were asked to rule in regard to a ladder on Yom Tov. Upon their return their father tells them that their ruling was incorrect.

We mentioned that the Gemara in Brochos mentioned that they forgot some of their learning due to their immersion in the world of business!!!

4-  Having concluded the lengthy Gemara (2a-9a) that extended from the first Mishna (Beitza Shenolda Byom Tov) we spoke about Reb Yisroel Iserlin, known as the Terumas Hadeshen,  the great rabbi who is the source of many Halachos and Minhagim we observe today.

One of his students, author of the Leket Yosher,  Reb Joseph (Joselein) writes that 3 times a year his teacher, Reb Yisroel, would invite his student to his meal where he would pose a Torah riddle.

Here is one riddle:

If a chicken flew over a tree on Yom Tov and caused an apple to fall off, that apple would be prohibited to eat. But, if at the same this chicken laid an egg, then both the apple and the egg would be permitted!

 

How is that possible?

 

The answer, in short-  If this chicken shook a tree during ‘bein hash’moshos’ (sofek yom, sofek lai’lo) the apple cannot be eaten because perhaps it was already Yom Tov. Now, as we learned on Daf 7a, (Fertilized) Chickens never not lay eggs during daylight hours.

 

Thus, if simultaneously with the fall of the apple the chicken laid an egg…. it must have been still day (not night) . Therefore we can be certain that the apple too fell off the tree NOT on Yom Tov.

 

We mentioned that some took exception to this idea. “Something like ‘bein hash’moshos’ that all scholars have established as a ‘sofek’ cannot resolved by a chicken laying an egg…….”

 

BSD

Brochos – 14b (2)

Marcheshvan 16, 5787 –  10/27/2026

Short Shiur notes.

Topic of ציצית.

1 – The Mishna, at the beginning of the פרק , states a reason for the order of the 3 parts of קריאת שמע.

שמע ישראל = קבלת עול מלכות שמים

והיה אם שמוע = עול מצוות – תלמוד תורה – All day

וידבר…ועשו להם ציצית =Tzitzis is a Mitzvah that applies only during the day

2- As Tosfos point out, the משנה follows the opinion of רבי שמעון that ציצית is not a 24 hour type of מצווה since לילה לאו זמן ציצית.

See the other opinion in מנחות צג, ב.

Thus, it is a מצוות עשה שאין הזמן גרמא and such is the הלכה.

3 – We discussed as to what is the meaning לילה לאו זמן ציצית.

Is it the time- meaning that whatever one wears at night it is a time of פטור.

Or it means that clothing that one wears at night, like pajamas that have 4 square corners, is פטור even if one wears them at night.

This is a famous מחלוקת.

פטור ציצית בלילה: וראיתם אותו פרט לכסות לילה.

שיטת הרמב”ם: תלוי בזמן שלובשים. לכן בין כסות יום ובין כסות לילה חייב ביום, ופטור בלילה.

שיטת הרא”ש: שתלוי בבגד. לכן כסות יום חייב גם בלילה, וכסות לילה פטור גם ביום.

See here. A”R OC 8, 2

ב י”א^ז שלא מיעט הכתוב אלא כסות שאינו בראיה בשעת לבישה ולכן כל מה שלובש בלילה אפילו הוא כסות המיוחד ליום פטור אבל כל מה שלובש ביום אפילו הוא כסות המיוחד ללילה חייב להטיל בו ציצית קודם שילבשנו מפני שישנו בראיה בשעת לבישה.

וי”א^ח שלא מיעט הכתוב אלא כסות המיוחד ללילה שאותו כסות הוא פטור אפילו אם לובשו ביום כיון שמתחלה לא נעשה אלא ללובשו בעת שאינו ראוי לראיה אבל כסות המיוחד ליום או המיוחד ליום ולילה חייב בציצית אף אם לובשו בלילה ויברך עליו כיון שנעשה ללובשו בעת שראוי לראיה

ומאחר שלא נתברר לנו הלכה כדברי מי^ט יש להחמיר באיסורי תורה כחומרות ב’ הסברות דהיינו להטיל ציצית בכסות המיוחד ליום או ליום ולילה אף אם לובשו בלילה^י וכן יטיל ציצית אפילו לכסות המיוחד ללילה אם לובשו ביום

אבל לענין הברכה כיון דספק ברכות להקל לכן לא יברך רק כשלובש ביום כסות המיוחד ליום או כסות המיוחד ליום ולילה^יא:

4 – We discussed that in general there is an underlying  מחלוקת if the מצווה of ציצית is on the garment. חובת טלית. Meaning that if one owns a 4 cornered garment he must affix ציצית whether he wears it or not. So if one owns 50 garments and it’s in storage, he needs to affix ציצית on all of them.

The other opinion, and such is the הלכה , that the מצווה of ציצית is חובת גברא, meaning the obligation is only on the one who wears it. So one can own many 4  cornered garment but he needs to affix ציצת only on the one he actually wears.

5 – Mentioned the uniqueness the מצווה of ציצית is that there is no prohibition to put on a בגד of four corners that has no ציצית.

Rather, there is a positive מצווה that when does put on such a garment, he then becomes obligated to affix the ציצית strings.

This idea has practical applications. The example we discussed:  if one is in Shul on Shabbos and one of his ציצית teras off. Under certain circumstance, (such as sitting without a טלית is embarrassing )  he may continue Davening with this Tallis that is פסול!

The reason being is that one cannot tie ציצית on Shabbos. So there is no איסור to continue to wear such a טלית.

6 – We spoke about the topic of saying קריאת שמע without תפילין.

Will discuss more and write on this topic next week אי”ה.

 

BSD

Brochos – 14b

Mar Cheshvan 9, 5787.  10/20/2026

Some Shiur notes.

1- Discussed קריאת שמע that contains only 245 words and the suggestions to add 3 more words, to equal 248.

Either by saying קל מלך נאמן before ק”ש, or by the חזן repeating ה’ אלוקיכם אמת.

בית יוסף על אמירת קל מלך נאמן.

2- With the latter suggestion, we encounter 2 issues:

A- What happens when saying ק”ש when Davening ביחידות with no חזן.

See here from the Alter Rebbe 61. Very sharp words!

B – What should women that have 252 אברים do?

We discussed the מנחת אלעזר’s  take on this. (2, 28). See here.

3 – We discussed an interesting question last week.

The idea of 248 אברים is from the משנה in מסכת אהלות. – Chapter 1, 8 where all 248 are enumerated.

These 248 are אברים that contain a bone. Ones without a bone are not counted.

So when we say רמ”ח אברים, we refer to אברים that contain a bone.

Now the heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines and liver have no bones.

Thus, when we make a מי שברך לחולה requesting a רפואה for this particular חולה for all his רמ”ח אברים, we omit all the above:heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines and liver!!

Why not say כל אברים to include everything?

Found so far one place that tackles this question, but none that attempt to answer it.

מגד ירחים א, ע 321.

4 – Mentioned the two Chassidim that usually Davened slowly except when they were the חזן in the presence of the Rebbe.

When the Rebbe would say עושה שלום, Rabbi Mentlick OH would simply start חזרת הש”ץ regardless of where he was up to….

Reb Zalman Duchman would לכתחילה say the ברכות of שמונה עשרה like תיקון ליל שבועות….and even then, he barely finished on time – just as the Rebbe would be finishing שמונה עשרה….

5 – Our גמרא discusses the מנהג of ארץ ישראל not to say the 3rd פרשה of ציצית at מעריב.

6 – Stopping in middle of ברכות קריאת שמע. If one pauses for a period of the time that it takes him to say the entire ברכות he may need start from the beginning. See detail in Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch OC 65.

Story of the fellow that ran into 770 looking for cash so that his car would not be towed. One of the מתפללים offred to run home to fetch the amount of cash needed – and he ran out of שול wearing his טלית ותפילין!

Since he performed this great מצווה during קריאת שמע, upon returning there was a discussion whether he should continue from the place he left off or start from the beginning.

7 -Topic of  doing business with non-kosher food:

The heter to sell non-kosher food applies only when it comes to a person by chance, b’nizdamnu (נזדמנו).

One example is a hunter who sets traps for kosher animals and finds a non-kosher animal caught in one. That is נזדמנו.

Another is the treifos (טריפות) that inevitably turn up in a kosher slaughterhouse.

Related to this is the well-known ruling of the Taz, based on our Gemara, concerning the frum furriers of his day.

אמת.  לא יתחיל. ט”ז יו”ד קיז, ד.

8- Story of the two חזנים. One Davening Nusach ספרד in an אשכנז Shul, the other one was Davening נוסח אשכנז in a נוסח ספרד Shul.

One was forced to omit (in קדיש ) the words וְיַצְמַח פּוּרְקָנֵהּ וִיקָרֵב מְשִׁיחֵהּ, so he paused and thought about the words and it’s meaning.

The other was forced to say the words וְיַצְמַח פּוּרְקָנֵהּ וִיקָרֵב מְשִׁיחֵהּ, so he reluctantly said it, while thinking Moshiach should …. ח”ו…..

——————————

Hebrew notes

 

אהלות א, ח. רק עם עצם. ועי״ש שקו״ט במפרשים הפשט בנקביו. אם הפירוש הוא ב׳ וגיד הרי אין בהם עצם.

[ובנגעים ו, ז לענין טומאת צרעת, נמנו גם אברים שאין בהם אבר]

כתובות מו, א אבר שהנשמה תלי׳ בו, פרש״י כגון לב.

צ״ע על המי שברך שאומרים רמ״ח אברים, מה עם אברים כמו הלב וכדומה שאין בהם עצם?

מגד ירחים א, ע 321.

 

כי נשמה באפו. ז”ח צ, ד.

רמ״ח אברים. באשה? רנ”ב. ובמנחת אלעזר (ב כח) דן אם נשים חייבים בזה.  ומסיק שענין הרמ”ח מקורו בזהר ומכוון לרמ”ח בז”א ולא באדם, ולכן עדיף שגם אשה תאמר את זה.

 

BSD

Brochos – 14a

Mar Cheshvan 2, 5787.  10/14/2026

Short notes on a few topics discussed.

1 – The גמרא talks about if just tasting food, but not swallowing it, is considered eating or drinking?

A – In regards to tasting food on a fast day.

Prohibited on all public fast days. But may be permitted on fast days that one takes upon himself.

B – In regards to reciting a ברכה.

See here (OC 210) that some allow tasting and swallowing as well if his intention is only to taste!

2 – We discussed when tasting, although it may not be considered eating, there is the aspect of הנאה. So why not make a ברכה on just the  הנאה (of tasting)  just as we recite a ברכה on בשמים?

On this topic we mentioned the famous מגן אברהם that discusses smoking tobacco .

Smoking in  general is a topic that has been discussed for ages by the אחרונים.

Is it considered eating?

Or is it only tasting since one inhales and exhales. Much like eating and spitting it right out i.e. tasting, as above?

Or is it a הנאה similar to smelling בשמים or reciting שהחיינו when meeting a  friend that one has not seen for 30 days?

3 – Reb Akiva Eiger has an interesting footnote to our גמרא related to ‘tasting’.  He directs one to check out a מדרש about a story in תנ”ך.

The story with שאול המלך and his son יהונתן.

Here is synopsis created by AI:

In 1 Samuel 14, Israel is pinned down by the Philistines. Saul waits near Gibeah with about 600 men, and the Israelites have almost no weapons.

Jonathan’s raid. Without telling his father, Jonathan and his armor-bearer climb toward a Philistine outpost. Jonathan says God can save “by many or by few,” and they set a sign. If the Philistines tell them to come up, God has given the outpost into their hands. The Philistines call out mockingly, “Come up to us,” so the two climb the cliff and kill about twenty men. An earthquake follows, and panic spreads through the Philistine camp.

The rout. Saul’s lookouts see the Philistine army dissolving, and a roll call shows Jonathan is missing. Saul begins to consult God through the priest Ahijah but breaks off as the uproar grows. Israel attacks, and the Philistines turn their swords on one another. Hebrews who had sided with the Philistines switch back, and Israelites who had been hiding in the hills join the chase.

Saul’s oath. Saul puts the army under a curse: no one may eat until evening, “until I am avenged on my enemies.” The troops grow exhausted. Jonathan hasn’t heard the oath, so he eats some honey in the forest and is refreshed. When told about the curse, he says his father has troubled the land, since a fed army would have won a bigger victory. That evening the famished soldiers slaughter captured animals and eat the meat with the blood, which is forbidden. Saul sets up a stone for proper slaughter and builds his first altar to God.

The lots. Saul wants to pursue the Philistines through the night, but God gives no answer. Saul concludes someone has sinned and swears the guilty one will die, even if it is Jonathan. Lots are cast, and they fall on Jonathan, who admits he tasted the honey. Saul is ready to execute him, but the people refuse: “Shall Jonathan die, who has brought about this great salvation in Israel?” They ransom him, and the pursuit is called off.

How did they ‘redeem’ יהונתן?

The above-mentioned מדרש offer 2 opinions.

1- The has שאול המלך revoke his oath.

2- יהונתן was redeemed since he only tasted  the honey! As per our גמרא.

4 – Spoke about the wording in the above story when it describes the honey that יהונתן tasted.

honey in the forest. What is honey doing in a forest?

This expression is the source of Reb Eliezer’s opinion that hives of bees are considered like קרקע. Thus removing honey, produced by bees, from the honeycombs is like picking an apple from its tree (forest). Thus on Shabbos, such harvesting is from the 39 מלאכות!

Mishna Shviis and Uktzin.

(י) כַּוֶּרֶת דְּבוֹרִים, רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, הֲרֵי הִיא כַּקַּרְקַע, וְכוֹתְבִין עָלֶיהָ פְּרוֹזְבּוֹל, וְאֵינָהּ מְקַבֶּלֶת טֻמְאָה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, וְהָרוֹדֶה מִמֶּנָּה בַשַּׁבָּת, חַיָּב חַטָּאת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, אֵינָהּ כַּקַּרְקַע, וְאֵין כּוֹתְבִים עָלֶיהָ פְּרוֹזְבּוּל, וּמְקַבֶּלֶת טֻמְאָה בִּמְקוֹמָהּ, וְהָרוֹדֶה מִמֶּנָּה בַשַּׁבָּת, פָּטוּר.

Stay tuned for the other topics we discussed which we will bl”n write up next week:

• The process of the נשמה re-enetering the body in the morning.
• 245 words  in שמע.
• The need for 3 more words to equal 248. ה’ אלוקיכם אמת or א-ל מלך נאמן.
• When saying a מי שברך לחולה why are the heart and other organs not mentioned?
• Do women repeat ה’ אלוקיכם אמת? Minchas Elozor.

BSD

Brochos 12b (2)

Elul 5, 5786.  08/18/2026

Short notes on one topic.

1- The גמרא  states that one should not pause in the middle of a פרשה. Meaning that once you start saying a פרשה, you must finish it.

 גְּמִירִי: כָּל פָּרָשָׁה דְּפַסְקַהּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, פָּסְקִינַן; דְּלָא פַסְקַהּ מֹשֶׁה רַבֵּינוּ, לֹא פָסְקִינַן.

Any portion that משה רבינו, divided, we too divide and read separately. However, a portion that Moses, our teacher, did not divide, we do not divide and read separately.

 The issues discussed:

A -What is a פרשה?

Generally, it means the פרשיות or paragraphs in the תורה, (not the 53 סדרות) of which there are 669 in the חומש.

Image of an עמוד showing 3 פרשיות created by פתוחות וסתומות.

That would mean that an entire פרשה must be said. So saying a single פסוק is surely not proper!

B- Does it apply to נביאים? What about כתובים?

C- Why is this הלכה not mentioned in the רמב”ם and also not in the שלחן ערוך!

See below from the מגן אברהם.

D – In practice, there are many instances during davening where we recite not only parts of a parsha but even fragments of a פסוק. Examples include:

A few examples:

• ה‘ מלך. ה‘ מלך. ה‘ ימלוך לעולם ועד . The only full פסוק here is  ה‘ ימלוך לעולם ועד.
• ה’ אלקיכם אמת
• נֹצֵר^[2] חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֺן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה [לֹא יְנַקֶּה פֹּקֵד עֲוֺן אָבוֹת עַל בָּנִים וְעַל בְּנֵי בָנִים עַל שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל רִבֵּעִים.]
• Every time we say only ‘half’ of הלל.
• שש זכירות.
• Kiddush – יום השישי.
• הגדה של פסח- we begin in the middle of a Pasuk! וְאָמַרְתָּ לְבִנְךָ עֲבָדִים הָיִינוּ לְפַרְעֹה בְּמִצְרָיִם- וַיֹּצִיאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה מִמִּצְרַיִם בְּיָד חֲזָקָה.

E – Ditto for קריאת התורה when every ראש חודש and many time on Shabbos, we pause in middle of a פרשה.

E- The מגן אברהם suggests that when said as a תחינה ובקשה, this rule does not apply.

 

F – There is much more on this perplexing topic.

 

G – Regarding this subject, we noted a fascinating footnote written by the Rebbe.

We discussed the well-known booklet קונטרס compiled by the Rebbe in 1954 on the occasion of the Tanya’s second printing in the United States (edition #48).

In the foreword to this קונטרס– which has been included at the back of every edition of Sefer HaTanya printed since 1954 – the Rebbe highlights a noteworthy pattern:

• When the Alter Rebbe cites only a partial verse (פסוק), he adds a ‘וגו׳.
• Conversely, when quoting a partial passage from a מאמר חז״ל, he adds a ‘וכו׳.

The Rebbe explains that this distinction stems from our Gemara, which raises a concern regarding reciting or quoting only a portion of a פסוק. Therefore, when one omits the remainder of a פסוק, adding וגומר) וגו׳) indicates that the verse ought to be completed.

H –  We discussed the Rebbe’s vision to publish a תניא styled like a גמרא, featuring cross-references, a concise פירוש, and a compilation of explanations on תניא from the Chabad Rebbes.

Although this initiative was not originally brought to fruition, the recently published תניא השלם represents an effort to fulfill the Rebbe’s vision.

See here. Here.

BSD

Brochos – 13b (3)

Tishrei 11, 5787.  09/22/2026

A few brief notes from last week and this week’s Shiur.

1 – We mentioned that our גמרא is the basis for a fundamental idea in Tanya.

עד כאן מצות כוונה, מכאן ואילך מצות קריאה

Discussed briefly the 6 פרקים spanning from 35-40 where the Alter Rebbe explains how the שכינה comes to dwell in the physical world through practical mitzvot.

Now, chapters 35–37 emphasizes the importance of the  מעשה part of תורה ומצוות and chapters 38–40 emphasizes the importance thought and intention כוונה ומחשבה.

Having established in chapter 35-37 the importance of מעשה בפועל, at the beginning of chapter 38, the Alter Rebbe quotes our גמרא where it says that with מצות  that need to be verbalized, כוונה is not  מעכב. The exception is with the first פסוק in קריאת שמע and the first ברכה in  שמונה עשרה. Thus, we see that מעשה בפועל is the more important part of any מצוה.

כוונה ומחשבה

The Alter Rebbe continues to explains that although just the מעשה המצוה fulfills one’s obligation, however, the כוונה  is the mitzvah’s נשמה of the מצוה, without which it is like a body without life.

1b – We discussed what position one should recite the שמע – the meaning of פרקדן – face up or down – and the story of רבה בר בר חנה with one of the מתי מדבר see ב”ב עד and the little people known as כפתורים.

Cappadocia, Turkey

2 – We discussed the תוספות about being מפסיק in middle of קריאת שמע to answer אמן or Kaddish.

3 – Being מפסיק In the middle of הלל and מגילה.

Mentioned the 3 types of הלל.

1- The original הלל  said during שחיטת קרבן פסח. This was recited only בציבור.

2 – הלל said on 21 days a year which is one on the שבע מצוות דרבנן. [Since it can be said ביחידות as well, it is called הלל ביחיד].

3 – Another type of הלל ביחיד is the one that is said only partly – meaning that we skip 2 portions in the middle. This type is said on ראש חודש and חול המועד פסח.

Now, this type 3  הלל is a wide topic on how exactly to describe it and whether one says a ברכה  on it.

The opinions vary from ‘no obligation to say it all all’ to a very strong מנהג.

The ברכה issue is also much discussed.

4. We discussed a fascinating רבינו בחיי: Why are משניות written so cryptically? Why wasn’t the תורה given to משה רבינו with a full set of משניות (with the ברטנורא)?

ולא נתן רשות למשה לכתבה כי יהיה בזה גלוי מסתורים ויהיו שאר האומות שלא קבלו התורה ולא רצו בה שוים עם ישראל

5. חסורי מחסרי – והכי קתני – why didn’t the גמרא simply correct the text of the משנה to avoid future confusion and misunderstanding?

See here.

We mentioned the תפארת ישראל –  in order to assist in the memorization, משניות were repeated in a particular song. The words of every Mishna fit to a particular tune, thereby easing the memorization.

6. Trivia:

When do you say הלל nine days in a row?

When do you say הלל ten days in a row?

(Hint: הלל in Tehillim is יום כ”ד)

To be continued.

Gut Yom Tov to all.

BSD

Brochos – 13b (2)

Tishrei 4, 5787.  09/15/2026

Short notes

1- כל המאריך באחד –

יאריך במחשבתו

We discussed the Alter Rebbe who writes that this means not the verbal stretching of the word  אחד, but rather to lengthen the contemplation of the meaning of אחד.

2 – Saying שמע  while walking is fine, since the הלכה is like בית הלל. However, when saying the first פסוק, one must stop.

Why? Tosfos says that it’s hard to concentrate when in motion. The רא”ש says that saying שמע while walking shows a lack of respect. ארעי.

Someone asked about sitting in a moving car.

AI image וד”ל

Here is the answer:

ואם רצה לקרות כל הג’ פרשיות כשהוא מהלך הרשות בידו מלבד פסוק ראשון^כב שצריכין לעמוד מהילוכו^כג (או לישב^כד) ולקרותו כדי לכוין היטב והוא הדין אם היה רוכב על גבי בהמה צריך להעמידה שאינו יכול לכוין כל כך שהוא טרוד בהליכתה אבל אם יושב בעגלה א“צ להעמידה^כה:

However, that may apply only to a passenger in the car.

What about the driver? Doesn’t driving require more concentration than walking?

If yes, the driver would need to stop the car to say the first פסוק.

3 – Our גמרא mentions בר קפרא. The son of קפרא.

We spoke about who קפרא was and what was בר קפרא’s name.

אלעזר or  שמעון?

From the תוספתא (and in מדרש) in the beginning of ביצה it would seem that he is indeed:

“רבי אלעזר בנו של רבי אלעזר הקפר אומר”

and

“…הֵשִׁיב רַבִּי [א]לְעָזָר בְּנוֹ שֶׁלְּרַבִּי [א]לִיעֶזֶר הַקַּפָּר  ”

See here. Here

גמר חתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה.

 

BSD

Brochos – 13b

Elul 27, 5786.  09/8/2026

Brief points.

1 – We mentioned last week the קדושה of לשון הקודש and the interesting idea from the חתם סופר.

Why is it, he asks, that within a short period of 70 years in גלות בבל , half of כלל ישראל forgot to speak לשון הקודש that when they returned to ארץ ישראל they needed to relearn it?

His answer is that קדושה of לשון הקודש is only retained by those who are at a level of personal קדושה.

 שפלא גדול הוא בגלות בבל בזמן שבעים שנה נשתכח לשון הקודש’ והי’ העם חציים מדבר כשדית ואשדודי’. יען כי לא שמרו עצמם בקדושה.

He continues that when יוסף הצדיק needed to prove to the שבטים that he is their brother he says ‘’it’s me speaking לשון הקודש’ – which is proof that he still kept his קדושה.

כי פי המדבר אליכם, פירש”י כי פי המדבר בלשון הקודש,

ולזה נתן להם יוסף אות על דרכו הטוב במה שלשון הקודש מורגל ושגור בפיו:

2 – Discussed the רש”י that gives an example of a מצווה דאורייתא that can be said in any language  – קריאת התורה.

Tosfos take issue with this (on our Daf and in מגילה יז, ב) since קריאת התורה was established by משה רבינו or עזרא הסופר. (see מגן אברהם below).

They suggest פרשת זכור.

Mentioned that the בית יוסף in his version of his ש”ס Tosfos added also the words פרשת פרה!  See מגן אברהם there.

Chalitza in english:

3 – We discussed at length different opinions of what exactly are the פסוקים that comprise the מצווה of קריאת שמע מדאורייתא.

Additionally, which of these פסוקים one must have כוונה.

Here is a brief chart. To be continued.

כוונה בקריאת שמע

4 – We spoke about the Alter Rebbe’s mention of our גמרא in Tanya chapter 38.

Discussed the topics of chapters 35-37 (on the importance of מצוות מעשיות)  and the flip side (the importance of כוונה) in chapters 38-40.

כתיבה וחתימה טובה לשנה טובה ומתוקה

————————————————

 

 

 

 

הלכות קריאת ספר תורה קלה סדר קריאת התורה  מג”א