Ideals and Yokes
The question I started with was wondering about the first two paragraphs of Shema. (Which is what Arukh haShulchan Yomi is up to.) The first paragraph is an exercise of accepting ol Malkhus Shamayim,...
by Micha Berger · Published September 4, 2020 – ט״ו באלול תש״פ · Last modified October 27, 2025
The question I started with was wondering about the first two paragraphs of Shema. (Which is what Arukh haShulchan Yomi is up to.) The first paragraph is an exercise of accepting ol Malkhus Shamayim,...
Other-Focused O / Other-Focused Orthodoxy / Shema
by Micha Berger · Published August 1, 2020 – י״א באב תש״פ · Last modified October 27, 2025
Also, the titles were added by Rabbi Phillips. I think the second one missed the point. So I changed it here from “PLACING COMMUNITY BEFORE BELIEF IN UNITY” to what you see below. THE...
Reciting Shema on Yom Kippur is unique in that we say the second line, “בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד — Blessed is the name of the Glory of His Rule for all eternity.”...
by Micha Berger · Published March 6, 2019 – כ״ט באדר א׳ תשע״ט · Last modified October 27, 2025
Shoaib asked on Mi Yodeya: In the Shema the word used for the oneness of God is אחָד (ref.). This is startling for a Muslim, as they find in the Quran almost a transliteration...
5- Devarim / Shema / Yahrzeits
by Micha Berger · Published June 17, 2013 – ט׳ בתמוז תשע״ג · Last modified June 17, 2013
My rebbe, Rav Dovid Lifshitz, passed away on 9 Tammuz 5753, 20 years ago today. I am posting a gemara that rebbe would often refer to in his shmuessin. Yuma 86a: At Rabbi Yanai[‘s...
by Micha Berger · Published December 18, 2012 – ה׳ בטבת תשע״ג · Last modified December 18, 2012
צריך שיהיו תפילין עליו בשעת ק”ש ותפלה. A man must have tefillin on at the time of reading Shema and prayer [Shemoneh Esrei]. – Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayim 25:4 בשעת ק”ש ותפלה: ר”ל לכל...
by Micha Berger · Published November 27, 2006 – ו׳ בכסלו תשס״ז · Last modified November 27, 2006
This week’s shiur rounds out our discussion of Shema with the third paragraph. In the first paragraph we accept Hashem as King, and that evolves to the theme of Vehayah im Shomo’ah, accepting the...
by Micha Berger · Published November 9, 2006 – י״ח במרחשוון תשס״ז · Last modified November 9, 2006
We entered Shema last week by following the detailed look at the text started with Birchas Ahavah, Kel Melekh Ne’eman and the rich first sentence of Shema. This week we looked at the second...
by Micha Berger · Published November 3, 2006 – י״ב במרחשוון תשס״ז · Last modified November 3, 2006
In this shiur, we look at the rest of the first paragraph of Shema. Some of the issues discussed are: Why do we say “Barukh sheim“? How can a person choose to fulfill the...
by Micha Berger · Published October 27, 2006 – ה׳ במרחשוון תשס״ז · Last modified October 27, 2006
In this week’s shiur we concluded Birkhas Ahavah and started Shema with the origin of “Kel Melekh Ne’eman” and some thoughts on its first sentence. Some of the topics discussed: Veha’eir eineinu beSorasekha —...
by Micha Berger · Published October 20, 2006 – כ״ח בתשרי תשס״ז · Last modified October 20, 2006
The Tefillah: Beyond the Words shiur resumed this week, picking up where we left off, with birkhas Ahavah.Some of the topics discussed: Two dimensions for discussing a middah: “Ahavah Rabba” and “Ahavas Olam” How...
by Micha Berger · Published August 10, 2006 – ט״ז באב תשס״ו · Last modified August 10, 2006
See the previous discussions of Yotzeir Or here (part I) and here (part II). This week we concluded our discussion of the berakhah of Yotzeir Or, as well as the shiur’s run until after...
by Micha Berger · Published August 8, 2006 – י״ד באב תשס״ו · Last modified August 8, 2006
In this second of three parts on the berakhah of Yotzeir Or we continued our look at the problem of evil. (The shiur was given during the Three Weeks.) The previous shiur focused on...
4- Bamidbar / Clothing / Shema
by Micha Berger · Published June 28, 2005 – כ״א בסיון תשס״ה · Last modified June 28, 2005
There are two descriptions of the mitzvah of tzitzis. First, from parashas Shelach (and Qeri’as Shema): … [T]hey should make for themselves tzitzis on the corners of their garments (bigdeihem) throughout their generations, and...
by Micha Berger · Published February 18, 2005 – ט׳ באדר א׳ תשס״ה · Last modified February 18, 2005
When I was in High School, we would all say Shema together, with trop. Since then, I’ve only seen this practice a few times; amongst a minyan of descendents of students of the Gra...
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