Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 19
February 27, 2006

Mitzvah 20: Resting on Shabbat

Mitzvah 20 – It is a positive commandment to rest from work on Shabbat.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “but on the seventh day you shall rest” (Ex. 23:12) By this commandment we are also ordered and enjoined about our domestic animals, that they should rest from work. To tell a non-Jew to do some work is forbidden by the Sages. ( it is in the category of Shevut) It is in force everywhere and at every time for both men and women.
One of the drives that all human beings must deal with is the drive for power. We need to feel that we are in control of our lives. We like to feel that the world is not random, and we are being buffeted by a thousand winds that blow, but that we have made ourselves strong, we have build strong houses, we have stored up food and supplies. We have made fur coats and down blankets to keep us warm and waterproof jackets to keep the rain off of our backs and heads. We do all of this with money, the fruit of our labor. Sometimes we actually make something we need, but usually we purchase it from others with the money we have earned. Judaism is very clear that work is an important value and earning a living is an important part of life. Money is neither good or bad in Judaism. It is a fact of our lives (Judaism says a lot about how we make money and how we spend money, but not about the morality of having it) Judaism does insist, however, that the drive to have money not take over our lives. We control the drives, the drive does not control us. We control our drive for power with Shabbat.
Ancient Romans thought that the Jews were the laziest people they had ever met. In the pagan world, the more you worked, the more money you made and the more power you had. Power was a gift from the gods. It showed that the gods favored you. The very idea of taking one day out of seven off from work was absurd to the pagan mind. Jews understood that the quest for money and things could consume a life and make it shallow and empty, so we set this Shabbat time apart to remember that there are some very important things that are not found in what we make and what we earn.
Shabbat rest is about having time with our family without the distractions of a job that must be done. Shabbat rest is about having fun without having to worry about how we will pay for it. Shabbat rest is about being a part of nature and not just rushing by on our way to the next important meeting. To be sure, there are laws about rest. Some seem to make a lot of sense; you should not carry money, ride in a car, cook food, write or do laundry. These are everyday activities and not in keeping with the holiness of Shabbat. But taking a long hike, carrying a handkerchief outside or watching TV seem to be activities that don’t require breaking a sweat. Why are they forbidden?
The Torah tells us that we must not do “melachah” on Shabbat, but it never defines what “melachah” is. The only way the Sages had to determine what “melachah” is all about was to notice that the commandment to refrain from it was written just before they began to construct the Mishkan, the portable sanctuary in the wilderness. The Sages determined that there were 39 different activities that were involved with building the Mishkan, so they declared these 39 activities forbidden. Over the centuries, other activities, that were connected with these 39 also became forbidden as Shevut, not part of the command but close enough to be included in the prohibition of work. A third category, involves things that we don’t do because they may lead to a prohibited activity. For example, we don’t carry a pen on Shabbat because we may forget ourselves and stop to write something down.
Resting on Shabbat is an art form. It is not just a series of laws. We have to find our own way to balance the holiness of the day and the prohibition against work One can not take on the “mountain” of laws of Shabbat overnight. We grow in our observance of Shabbat as we discover how it makes our lives better. Herman Wolk, the famous playwright notes that after Shabbat is over, and he returns to the daily panic of a Broadway play, that, after his Shabbat rest, he is able to step back from the pressure, and often makes his best contributions on Saturday night.
Shabbat is not just about making one day in seven holy, it is also about making the other six days more productive and richer.
Next week: Mitzvah 21: Rejoicing on the Festivals.

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 18
February 20, 2006

Mitzvah 19: Declaring the Shabbat Holy

Mitzvah 19 – It is a positive commandment to declare Shabbat holy with words.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy” (Ex. 20:8) and the Sages add, “Hallow it with words, on its arrival, with Kiddush and at its departure with Havdalah. It is a law of the Sages to recite the Kiddush over wine or over bread; and it is likewise a law of the Sages to recite Havdalah at its departure over wine or some other acceptable beverage. It is forbidden to taste anything before Kiddush or Havdalah. The Prophets declared two additional Mitzvot, namely “delight and honor”. One honors Shabbat by washing face and hands in warm water and wearing clean clothing. He makes it a delight by eating enjoyable food and drink. It is a duty to have three meals on Shabbat and the more one spends for Shabbat the more praiseworthy he is. (within ones means however) Whoever makes Shabbat a delight will be given a boundless heritage, and will be granted his heart’s wishes; and he will be saved from the servitude of foreign powers. It is also a mitzvah to arrange the table for a meal after the departure of Shabbat, even through no more than an olive’s amount is necessary for the meal to “escort the Shabbat queen on her way. Rambam wrote that it is also part of the positive commandment, of remembering the day, to remember Shabbat every day. Therefore when one mentions the days of the week, he is to say “the first day after Shabbat, The second day after Shabbat” and so on. So also in other matters, if he chances to get something good, he should designate it for Shabbat, saying explicitly, “this is for Shabbat.” It is in force everywhere and at every time for both men and women.

There is almost no end to the possibilities of ways to honor Shabbat. Shabbat is not only one of the Ten Commandments, but it is designated by G-d as holy from the first chapters of the Torah, literally from the creation of the world. It is also a taste of what the world with be like in the messianic era. It is so important that the entire week should revolve around it. In fact, the weekdays do not have Hebrew names, as we see above, the days are just numbered. Only the seventh day has a name, “Shabbat”.
Next week we will list the rules of Shabbat, today is for the joy of Shabbat. The Mitzvah is to make the 25 hours of the day, as joyful and festive as possible. One begins and ends Shabbat with wine. Kiddush is recited at the beginning, declaring that the day that is beginning is holy. And ending with Havdalah, marking the end of holy time and the beginning of secular time. Abraham Joshua Heschel declares that all week long we work and live in a world of space. On Shabbat, we transfer our lives into the realm of time. Holy time is time spent in joy and celebration. That is why we dress our best for Shabbat, eat the best foods, and visit with friends. We put our work aside and get back to a less complicated world where we can do the things we enjoy; reading, playing, praying and sleeping.
It is not enough to feel this joy in our hearts, we need to speak of our plans aloud. We need to declare that we could be doing something else but we choose to spend our time enjoying the sacred time.
To fully enjoy Shabbat there are three meals, dinner Friday night, Lunch on Saturday morning and a Seudah Shelishit, a third meal late Saturday afternoon. After Shabbat, there is a Melavah Malka, a meal to escort the Shabbat Queen on her way. This is done after Havdalah.
In fact, when it comes to making Shabbat a “delight” the format is one of a wedding ceremony. Just as one is supposed to be happy and joyful when attending a wedding, so to are we supposed to be happy and joyful on Shabbat. But Shabbat is not just “any” wedding, it is a royal wedding, Shabbat is a queen who will wed the royal groom, the people of Israel. L’cha Dodi is the wedding march and the Psalm for Shabbat, Psalm 92, is the ceremony. Just as a wedding has wine and a festive meal, so too Shabbat begins with wine and a festive meal. As a guest at this ceremony, our duty is to make the bride and groom happy, and that comes from being joyful ourselves. Honor and joy are the primary hallmark of Shabbat and our first responsibility as we begin and end our weekly celebration
Next week: Mitzvah 20: Resting on Shabbat

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 17
February 13, 2006

Mitzvah 18: Respect for Synagogues

Mitzvah 18 – It is a positive commandment to be in reverent awe of the sanctuary.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “You shall keep my Sabbaths and venerate my sanctuary.” (Lev. 19:30) Synagogues and houses of Torah study are called “little sanctuaries” (see Ezekiel 11:16) We have to avoid in them any frivolous laughter or levity, or any idle talk. No business calculations are to be reckoned there, nor are they to be slept in. Their holiness is very severe. It is in force everywhere and at every time for both men and women.

In the United States, we are not very experienced in what it means to have a place that is designated as holy. We seem to think that one location is essentially no different from any other location. We might even think that in places that are “special” to us, it is still OK to act in them as if they were any other place. We do not have a sense of a spiritual location where everyday behavior is no appropriate.
Still, a synagogue or a Beit Midrash, a place of Torah Study, is considered a place that is unlike any other place. When we are talking to a friend, when we are in synagogue the conversation is just different. Even when we are talking to our spouse, our conversation is on a deeper level when we talk in the place where we pray. We have a sense that somehow, this space is different, it is not just another coffee shop or lounge. Somehow we shy away from the ribald jokes and speech and sense that, here, even the humor is different.
Everyone does not agree with this assessment, of course. There are many who disparage the synagogue and do what they can to show their contempt for the sacred space. They tell off color jokes, ignore those who pray around them. Make inappropriate comments about the congregation, its officers and its spiritual leaders. This Mitzvah is addressed to them and informs them that such actions are not only inappropriate but a violation of the holiness of that location.
Most people, however, do not act either in an overly pious manner in shul, nor do they publicly disparage the synagogue. Most people don’t know what it means to be in a holy space. They don’t dress as if it is holy space, they don’t act as if it is holy space, nor do they speak as if they are in holy space. They just don’t know what to do and they are uncomfortable and feel out of place. Some who feel this way leave the synagogue and never return, convinced that there is nothing for them within the walls. Therefore it is important that we who value this holy space take the time and effort to make such people feel at home in the synagogue. The help them understand what they can do to feel at home in the synagogue and to discover for themselves the holiness that is here. It is also important that we treat everyone in the synagogue with the respect and concern that we show for the humashim and siddurim. How can we expect G-d to be concerned for us and for our lives, if we do not show concern for the people around us who are praying as well.
The essence of this Mitzvah is not so that the synagogue and clergy will merit the proper respect, the issue is that we feel the holiness of the place and to have that holiness infuse our lives when we are there, so we will share the inherent holiness that is there. Synagogue is not the place for gossip, rumors, slander, business discussions or conversations that belong in the street. We need to foster a reverential atmosphere in synagogue, so that everyone who prays can feel included.
Next week: Mitzvah 19: Declaring the Shabbat Holy

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 16
February 5, 2006

Mitzvah 17: Respect for the Aged and for Scholars

Mitzvah 17 – It is a positive commandment to rise up before an aged person, and to honor a Torah scholar, getting up before him.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “You shall rise up before sevah, a man of hoary head, and honor the presence of zaken, an old man.” (Lev. 19:32) The term “sevah” means someone of very advanced age, even if he is not a man of wisdom. One is duty-bound to stand before him – even a wise scholar who is very young; but he is not obligated to stand up to his full height before him (the old man) but only enough to honor him. The term “zaken” means “one who has acquired wisdom. Even if he is very young, one is to stand up to his full height before him, from the time he comes close to the time he has left his presence. One is likewise duty bound to give honor to his Torah teacher even if he has not learned most of his knowledge from him. If the teacher is willing to overlook this honor, it may be left aside. But it is a great wrong to disparage or disgrace Torah scholars, or to hate them. Whoever disgraces them shall have no share in the world to come. It applies everywhere and at all times, for both men and women.

In our modern times it seems a bit quaint to talk about honor due to the elderly or the scholar. Consider, however, the people we do choose to honor. We show honor to politicians, sports heroes, and financially successful businessmen and women. I certainly do not say that these people do not deserve our respect. But this mitzvah is about more than just respect.
Judaism is a faith that values wisdom. That is the ultimate value in the Jewish point of view. The wisest figures therefore are the elderly, who have a lifetime of practical wisdom, and Torah scholars who have worked hard to acquire the wisdom of our ancestors.
It the case of the elderly, the mark of civilization, according to Judaism, is the way we treat those who have served their community and are not in advanced old age. They need our love and support. They are often compared to a Torah Scroll that is worn from use and can no longer be repaired. We are to keep that scroll safe and to treat it with respect. So too those who have taught us valuable lessons of life. Perhaps this is why Jewish families are so concerned about their elderly parents and grandparents. Even during the Holocaust, many died because they refused to leave elderly parents alone and vulnerable. The Talmud had little good to say about those who abandoned their elderly parents in their old age. They were quick to remind everyone that we should honor the aged because someday we ourselves would grow old and deserve that respect.
Torah Scholars deserve respect because they represent the line of tradition from Moses to our own times. They are our advocates before G-d and the fair judges that we can rely on for proper justice. Today, we don’t pay scholars very much in comparison to other jobs, but we certainly owe them the honor that comes from years of concentrated study. This honor is the best way that we can convince our children that they too can merit this honor if they would only study hard at the sides of these great men and women. In past centuries, this study was only open to men, but, thankfully, we live in a time where both men and women can aspire to the honor of Torah Scholarship. A humble sage can defer the honor of having people stand in his presence, but the rest of us need to make sure that scholars are a well respected guild in our community.
Next week: Mitzvah 18: Respect for Synagogues

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 15
January 25, 2006

Mitzvah 16: The Mitzvah being attached to Torah Scholars and their disciples.

Mitzvah 16 – It is a positive commandment to be attached to Torah Scholars and their disciples.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “And to Him shall you cling” (Deut. 10:20) which the sages explain to mean “Whoever adheres to Torah scholars, it is as though he were attached to the Shechina (the presence of G-d)” Therefore a person should marry a daughter of a Torah scholar, and he should give his daughter in marriage to a Torah Scholar. He should eat with him, and have him benefit from his wealth. He should wallow in the dust of the feet of Torah scholars and drink in their words thirstily. It applies everywhere and at all times, for both men and women.

Before we begin to understand this Mitzvah, we need to understand who is a Torah Scholar. In its simplest form, it means someone who has studied Torah, the Five Books of Moses. This is a kind of study that is open to everyone all the time. It only requires that we pick up a Torah Commentary and study the words of those who have come before us. The Hafetz Hayim, however, refers to “Torah Scholars” in the widest sense, that is someone who is well versed in the Bible, Talmud, Legal codes and Midrash. A Torah scholar in this sense is not “just” a rabbi, but one who’s scholarship is also well known and admired. This is the kind of scholar that deserves our support. Such a person has given his or her life to understanding the words that G-d has shared with us and the interpretation of those words as understood by sages in every generation. These scholars provide our best link to the past and help to keep Judaism alive, fresh and an important part of our life.
Little wonder, then, that we should want to have such a scholar in our family. That we should want to raise our children to be such scholars, to have them marry a such a scholar and to have such scholars in our social circles. (this is the implication of “wallowing in the dust of their feet”) We should make every effort to listen to what they teach us and even if we don’t always understand their lessons, if we drink in their words, understanding will inevitably come.
This is not a mitzvah created by the Sages of antiquity to garner support for their profession. I don’t think they saw it as self serving at all. It is a mitzvah that grows out of the understanding that not everyone can be a scholar and that the world does need others to provide the necessities of life. This mitzvah allows everyone, however, to benefit from the work of scholars and helps to bring greater understanding and light to our world. It is a great mitzvah for both men and women to be a scholar, but if that is not possible, to at least bring scholars into their family and to treasure their learning.
Next week: Mitzvah 17: Respect for the Aged and for Scholars

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 14
January 16, 2006
Mitzvah 15: The Mitzvah of writing a Torah Scroll

Mitzvah 15 – It is a positive commandment that everyone in Jewry should write a Torah scroll for himself.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “Now therefore write this song” (Deut. 31:19) which the sages explain to mean “Write a Torah that contains this song.” One should not write a Torah in separate sections. If he writes it with his own hand it is as if he received the Torah at Sinai. If this is not possible, he should hire someone to do it for him or buy a Torah scroll. If he inherits a Torah Scroll, he still needs to write one for himself. However if he corrects one letter it is as if he wrote the whole scroll. Rabbenu Asher (who wrote the law code, the Tur) wrote that this applied to earlier generations when they would write a Torah Scroll and study from it. Today…It is a Mitzvah for everyone who has the means to buy humashim (printed bibles), Mishna, Talmud and their commentaries so that he and his children may study from them. For the religious duty of writing a scroll is to study from it so one will know the Mitzvot and the laws thoroughly. Therefore these are the volumes a person should write or have printed. Whoever has it in his power to do both, to write a scroll and to buy printed Humashim should follow both interpretations of this commandment if he has the means. It applies everywhere and at all times, for men but not for women.

This Mitzvah is pretty straight forward but I have just a few comments on it. First of all, since the writing of a Torah scroll involves skills that are no longer a real part of our lives, the writing of these scrolls has been given over to a trained Sofer (scribe). These Sofrim (scribes) can produce a Torah scroll in about a year. They are commissioned by those who want to fulfill this mitzvah, who pay them for their labor. They also, usually, leave the last few lines unfinished. They outline the letters but do not fill them in, so that when they are done, there can be a “Siyyum” a ceremony for finishing a Sefer Torah. This Siyyum involves the person who commissioned the work to actually fill in some of the letters and to let others fill in letters so that everyone can say that “I wrote a Sefer Torah” since filling in one letter is the same as writing the entire scroll.
When an organization or synagogue commissions the Torah, they will raise money for the organization by having members or the organization and others in the community to sponsor the writing of a Parsha, paragraph, chapter, book, sentence or letter. In this way, everyone has a hand in writing this scroll. On can fulfill this Mitzvah when one participates in a Siyyum ceremony.
It is also important to buy a Humash, and other copies of Rabbinic texts for our homes so that we can study from them. Every Jewish home should have a printed Torah, Talmud, and law codes so that they can use them as reference books to understand their faith. Many online E-mails (like this one), websites, blogs and podcasts are designed to help us read and understand these important Jewish Texts. If we don’t have them in our homes we will never read them and will not come to value our heritage and our faith. This is more than just supporting the Jewish publishers of these texts, it is crucial to our growing in our understanding and commitment to Judaism.
The Hafetz Hayim may have lived in a time when women did not participate in this Mitzvah, indeed, women in his day never really studied Torah at all. In our day, however, women are equally commanded to study and they are equally commanded to write and purchase a Sefer Torah as described above.
Next week: Mitzvah 16: The importance of Torah Scholars

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 13
January 9, 2006
Mitzvah 14: : The Obligation to Learn and Teach Torah

Mitzvah 14
It is a positive commandment to learn Torah and teach it.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “and you shall teach them diligently to your children.” (Deut. 6:7) It is our duty that the words of Torah should be sharp in our mouths and we should not stammer over them. No matter if a person is rich or poor, young or old, suffering, poverty stricken or sustained by charity, we are duty bound to set a fixed time to study Torah every day until the day of our death. It is a religious duty for a father to sit and teach is son and the son takes precedence over others. The father also has a duty to study with his grandson. Children should begin to study when they begin to speak. If the father can not teach his son, he has the responsibility to hire a teacher for his son. A woman is free of the obligation of Torah study but she should make sure that her sons are not ignorant. The study of Torah is equal in importance to all the Mitzvot, since learning leads to action. It applies everywhere and at all times.

It is hard to overstate the fact that learning Torah is the single most important Mitzvah a Jew can do. As the Hafetz Hayim says, “learning leads to action”. The entire purpose of learning Torah for all Jews is so that we may know what our Creator requires of us.
First of all, let us be clear by what we mean by “Torah”. Torah is not just the Five Books of Moses, but the entire library of Jewish Law. It begins with the Five Books of Moses, but also includes the other books of the Bible, the Talmud, Codes and Midrash. There is no end to what we can study and this is why study is a life long endeavor. It is not for any one social class or age group. Study is for all Jews all the time.
While the Hafetz Hayim excludes women from the obligation to study Torah, he does this because it is a positive Mitzvah that is time bound. Women, in general, are free from Mitzvot that are positive and time bound since they have other duties that may make their participation impossible. Conservative Judaism finds these exemptions less then compelling today and has declared that women too have the obligation to study Torah in its widest sense and also are obligated to teach it to their children, both sons and daughters. Judaism is just too important to be the realm of just men/boys in our modern age. I am not away of any level of study that is closed to women in Conservative Judaism.
Parents thus have an obligation to teach their children. The rule is that if one can only afford one teacher, either for the parent or for the child, the parents must hire a teacher for themselves, and they, in turn, should teach their children. If for any reason a parent did not fulfill this obligation and did not teach Torah to his or her children, then, beginning at age 13, the child must arrange for their own education. There is no excuse for not learning. Even if one has to beg from door to door, one must study. It is said that the greatest of the Sages, Hillel the Elder, when he was a student, was so poor he could not pay the entrance fee to the school. He then climbed on the roof and put his ear to the skylight to hear the lesson being taught below. Once he almost died up there when it snowed and he was buried while listening to the lesson. One of the teachers, concerned about the poor lighting, looked up, saw the figure of a man on the skylight and ran to the roof to save Hillel. I should also note that from that time on, they abolished the entrance fee. To this day, in order to study, most institutions will do all they can to make it affordable for all who are in need. Rabbi Eleizer, a brilliant mind, was disinherited because he wanted to study. He studied anyway. Rabbi Akiva was illiterate until he was over 40 years old, but went to school with his son and became one of the greatest sages.
It is encumbent upon all Jews, to set a time every day to study Torah. There are no exceptions or excuses allowed. (For the record, reading this E-mail counts for today’s study, now find something to study tomorrow!)
Next week: Mitzvah 15: The Mitzvah of writing a Torah Scroll

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 12
January 2, 2006
Mitzvah 13: Birkat HaMazon

Mitzvah 13
It is a positive commandment to say the blessing of Birkat HaMazon after eating bread.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “and you shall eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord your G-d.” (Deut. 8:10) According to the Torah one does not have to say the blessing unless he has eaten his fill. But the Sages enacted the law to say that even if he has eaten an olive’s amount of bread he is duty-bound to say afterwards the Birkat HaMazon. We infer this by the logic (kal v’Homer) that if a person says a blessing when he is full, how much more should he bless G-d when he is hungry. It is in force everywhere and at every time, for men. For women, there is disagreement if they have the obligation to recite the Birkat HaMazon or not.

In Judaism, there is a blessing for everything, and as we see from the passage in Deuteronomy, we have to bless G-d when we have eaten our fill. This passage has been interpreted to mean that we should recite the Birkat HaMazon. It is not just recited at the end of a meal, but anytime that we eat more than just a few crumbs of bread.
Bread is the key to understanding how our Sages looked at food. There are blessings for almost every kind of food. For fruits, vegetables, nuts and most drinks. As we eat each food, we are supposed to say the proper blessing. The Sages understood, however, that bread was different. Bread is the key food that makes up most meals. Therefore it was determined that if one was eating bread and said HaMotzi, than that would also cover any other foods that were being consumed and of the three different blessings after the meal, the Birkat HaMazon was the only one required. In short, the eating of bread defines the meal and thus it trumps all the other foods that may also be served.
Birkat HaMazon consists of three blessings. “who sustains all life”; “for the land and for nourishment”; who in His mercy rebuilds Jerusalem”; and “our Father, our King, our Creator and our Redeemer…”. These four make up the core of the blessing. Other prayers have been added to acknowledge holidays and other special occasions. There is a special introduction to the blessing if there are three or more present at the meal. We also make an addition when there are ten present at the meal. The Birkat HaMazon should be recited at the table where you eat the meal. If you end your meal at a different table than where you started, if possible, you should return to the first table for the blessing. Since the table is considered an alter, there are some who will remove knives from the table (instruments of violence) before reciting the blessings.
While the Hafetz Hayim notes that there is a dispute as to whether or not women are obligated to recite the Birkat HaMazon, in reality the dispute is over whether or not this obligation is from the Torah or is it an enactment of the sages (Midioraita or Miderabbanan) almost everyone agrees today that women are obligated to say Birkat HaMazon. The issue over the source of that obligation determines the ability for a woman to lead the recitation of the Birkat HaMazon, especially the introductory passages when three or ten are present. If the obligation is from the Torah, than a woman can lead others in the Birkat HaMazon. If her obligation is from the Sages, than a woman could not lead men in the prayer who certainly have a different, higher obligation. Egalitarian Conservative Jews consider women equally obligated for Birkat HaMazon and women, in fact, do lead the prayer when a quorum of three or ten are present.
Next week: Mitzvah 14: The Obligation to Learn and Teach Torah

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 11
December 19, 2005
Mitzvah 12: Affixing a Mezuzah on the Door

Mitzvah 12
It is a positive commandment to affix a mezuzah at the entrance to a home.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “And you shall write them upon the doorposts of your house and on your gates” (Deut. 6:9). In the mezuzah, on a small piece of rolled up parchment, two sections of Scripture are written, these are the first two paragraphs of the Shema. Each person has a duty to take care of a mezuzah so that every time he or she enters or leaves the house he will encounter the unity of G-d and remember the love of G-d as written on the parchment. This awareness will awaken the person from their slumber and from their errors in the vapid empty matters of the present; and he will realize that nothing endures forever and ever except the knowledge of the Divine Rock – the foundation of the world. Thus that person will return at once to good sense and walk in the straightforward path of decency. It is in force everywhere and at every time, for both men and women.

The first thing we notice is that the mezuzah is NOT an amulet. It is not a good luck charm or some other kind of instrument that protects a home or the family that lives inside. These are pagan notions and not part of the Jewish understanding of the way the world works. In keeping with standard rabbinic practice, it is a “sign” or a “reminder” of our obligations as Jews and it points to the importance of G-d in our lives.
First some technical points: The essence of the Mezuzah is the handwritten parchment inside. The outside case can be as beautiful or plain as one desires (although you gets points for “hiddur mitzvah” or “beautifying a mitzvah” when you choose a nice case) just as long as the parchment inside is “kosher”. It should bear the seal of the rabbinic authority that is certifying the scroll. It does not matter if the mezuzah is place on the inside or the outside of the actual door as long as it is installed on the doorpost, that is, the upright part of the door that supports the lintel. It should be on the right hand side as one enters the room and it should be attached on the upper 1/3 of the doorpost. There is a blessing that is recited when a mezuzah is attached but if one is attaching many mezuzot at one time, one blessing is enough for the entire operation. A mezuzah should be affixed to every door that has doorposts over 3 feet high in the house with the exception of closet doors and the bathroom door.
The Rabbis argued over whether it should be attached vertically or horizontally, so the compromise is that we attach it at a 45-degree angle with the top pointing into the room.
This may sound like heresy but notice also that the Hafetz Hayim says that one needs to “see” the mezuzah, not touch it or kiss it. There is no mitzvah to kiss a mezuzah.
A spiritual note: Doorways are always a place of mystery. One world ends and another begins. As we make that transition, having words of Torah at our right hand is a great comfort and helps us to know that wherever we go, we are never far from our Creator.
It is not often easy to know which side is “the right side as one enters the room” especially for a hallway or a room with multiple entrances. When in doubt, a Rabbi should be consulted. Only once did I see a mezuzah on the left side of a door between the outside and inside of a building. It was on a supermarket in Israel, the door was an automatic exit door and entering from that doorway was difficult to impossible. It was “exit only” so it went on the right side as one exited the store. The entrance only door had the mezuzah in its customary place.
Next week: Mitzvah 13: Birkat HaMazon

Halacha L’Moshe MiSinai
Volume 2: Number 10
December 12, 2005
Mitzvah 11: Reciting the Shema Twice a Day

Mitzvah 11
It is a positive commandment to recite the Shema morning and evening.
Hafetz Hayim: Scripture states, “and you shall speak of them… when you lie down and when you rise up” (Deut. 6:7). This means at the time you lie down and the time you rise up. Reciting the Shema consists of three sections of Scripture: Deut 6:4-9; Deut. 11:13-21 and Numbers 15:37-41. The first section is about love of G-d and the study of Torah, which is the peg upon which everything depends. The second section is the acceptance of the yoke of the other commandments while in the third section, there is the mention of the Tzitzit, the command to remember all the commandments and the religious duty to remember the Exodus. It is in force everywhere and at every time, for men but not for women.

While the Hafetz Hayim is correct in his understanding of why we recite the Shema, it is not really very helpful in explaining why these three sections are recited. We have an entire Torah of verse, why are these three so important. We know that they were not randomly selected since they are listed out of order, implying that there must be a reason not only for their selection, but also as to why they are in the order in which they are.
The first paragraph is about love. If you look it up, however, you will see that it does not say that we “Should” love the Lord our G-d” rather it is the command that we must “Love G-d”. How is it possible to command someone to love another? Well, we do it every day when we love our parents. We don’t get to choose our parents; we just have to love them (and there is a whole lot of mental illness when we try to love parents who are not worthy of that love). This “parental” kind of love of G-d is the result of G-d being our creator (the same source of our love for our parents.) The theme of this paragraph, therefore, is Creation.
The second paragraph, talks about reward and punishment for the commandments, but the only reference to which commandments are rewarded is the phrase, “which I command you this day”. What day is referred to? The day the commandments were given at Sinai. Thus we need to do all the commandments given at Sinai. This is a very difficult passage since the punishments listed are all communal punishments for the sins of an individual. Some Reform Congregations thus leave this passage out, but if we look at it from an Ecological point of view, that when one person pollutes this world, the entire planet suffers, we may understand what the point of the paragraph is all about. Because it deals with the events at Mt. Sinai, we say it refers to Revelation.
The third paragraph, as noted by the Hafetz Hayim, is about the Exodus from Egypt. This is the biggest event in Jewish History. We say that it refers to redemption.
According the Tradition, G-d creates the world; G-d reveals to Humanity the Torah and thru the Torah, Humanity redeems the world. Thus the three paragraphs about Creation, Revelation and Redemption, are also about the relationship between G-d, Humanity and the World. If each triad is charted as a triangle, than if you intersect the two triangles, you get the Star of David. (This was first explained by Franz Rozenweig in the 1800’s in his book “Star of Redemption”)
In short, these six concepts are the core of what Judaism is all about. Saying the Shema is similar to saying “This is what I believe about the world” and is an appropriate “pledge of allegiance” to the Jewish People and to Judaism. This is why this prayer is so very important and why it is recited twice a day.

I have some questions from last week’s lesson on Tallit and Tzitzit:
J. Weiss writes: I met someone a few weeks ago who told me that he came to Sinai one Shabbat morning to see what our shul is like. He follows this custom that you mentioned, (about not wearing a Tallit until one is married) and he told me that the ushers at Sinai insisted he wear a Tallit despite his personal practice. Is this a custom that would be kept by individuals/families or is it more community wide?
I respond: The usher was in error. Alas sometimes we all get too involved with the rules. No, a person with the custom of not wearing a Tallit until married does not have to wear a Tallit to shul unless he is called to the bima. On the bima, he should wear a Tallit. It should also be understood that such a man would also be wearing a Tallit katan. If he does not wear a Tallit katan, than he is in violation of the mitzvah of Tzitzit

I wrote last week: Scripture makes this commandment the equal of all the other commandments when it says; “you shall see it and remember all the commandments of G-d”. It is in force everywhere and at every time, for men but not for women.

Marjut Herzog writes: I have read that historically women wore tefillin, but historically did women also have the option of placing Tzitzit on their robes/dresses? Is it possible to take this mitzvah on by wearing the Tallit katan so that even though I cannot come to the synagogue and pray easily (with a small child) I can fulfill this mitzvah at home (while I am doing the spiritual duties of raising a child and keeping a home also supposedly equal to men’s Mitzvot). I really think this may be a lovely way to feel more connected – have other women considered this – I am not so thrilled with that last sentence because it sounds like man is putting word’s into Hashem’s commandment…
I respond: I have not seen anywhere that women put fringes on the corner of their garments. There is an article on mens and womens garments in Yigdal Yadin’s book on Massada. There is no reason in Jewish law that prevents a woman from wearing the Tallit Katan but I have not ever seen it done. If it is meaningful to you, than by all means you should give it a try. As for the men vs. women at the end of each Mitzvah, This is a reflection of the Rabbinic law that states women are excused from most Mitzvot that are positive and time bound. That is all positive commandments that must be performed at a set time. (There are exceptions, however, like candle lighting) “Excused” does not mean “prohibited”, so if you wish, the Mitzvah is open to you and to other women.

Finally, an item sent to me by R.diCapua that I will share with you without comment because, honestly, it is interesting but not relevant to the Mitzvot. I should note that the dye from the Murex snail is traditionally the source of the blue that was used in making Tzitzit in ancient times. There is a movement today to bring the dye back into use and you can see Tzitzit today with a blue thread (I myself wear them on weekdays)
A recent article by two Belgian scientists has revealed a fascinating “coincidence.” J. Wouters and A. Verhecken studied the characteristics of the different dye molecules obtained from the Murex trunculus snail. One of the measurements was the absorption spectrum of the molecule. Light is made up of many colors (the spectrum) measured in units of nanometers (nm). Our eyes perceive color in a complex fashion based on the various combinations of colors of light that strike it. For example, gold absorbs blue light and reflects the rest. When our eye sees all the colors of the spectrum with blue taken out, it perceives the color as gold. Ultimately, however, the color we see is determined entirely by what colors something absorbs and what is reflected. The tekhelet molecule (indigotin) gets its color from a strong absorption peak centered at 613 nanometers!
Next week: Mitzvah 12: Affixing a Mezuzah on the Door