Torah and Jewish Idea > Torah and Jewish Idea

Shema question

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muman613:

--- Quote from: Tag-MehirTzedek on October 14, 2013, 06:47:04 PM --- Yes, you must say it. The Shema and Tzitzit are different Misswoth and one MUST say the Shma at its proper time. Also we say the Shema at night and according to most opinions their is no Misswah of Tzitzit at night.
  + techically Sissit are required only when one has a 4 cornered garment on.

 The question does remain if not having Tefillin on which is more obligated. The bottom line- Best to say the Shema with Tefillin and the Tallit on at its proper time, if these are not on and the time to say the Shema is passing or other situations arises (like you dont have the Tefillin on you) you still must say the Shema and later put on Tefillin. And you can put on Sissit later on as well.

--- End quote ---

Where is it written that one must wear Tzit-Tzits when saying Shema? I have not found such a law or custom. Indeed one must say Shema, and if wearing a 4 corner garment one must affix tzit-tzits. But there is no law that one must wear tzit-tzits in order to say Shema. Is that your understanding?

Tag-MehirTzedek:

--- Quote from: muman613 on October 14, 2013, 06:51:33 PM ---Where is it written that one must wear Tzit-Tzits when saying Shema? I have not found such a law or custom. Indeed one must say Shema, and if wearing a 4 corner garment one must affix tzit-tzits. But there is no law that one must wear tzit-tzits in order to say Shema. Is that your understanding?

--- End quote ---

 Read what I wrote. Read it again.

muman613:

--- Quote from: Tag-MehirTzedek on October 14, 2013, 07:14:49 PM --- Read what I wrote. Read it again.

--- End quote ---

I read it but I am not sure where you answer the question about whether it is a violation of 'false witness' to say Shema without tzit-tzits.

You just say that it is recommended to wear Tefillin and Tzit-tzits when saying it...

My question to you is do you believe it is a violation of 'false witness' to say Shema without donning tallit?

Israel Chai:
http://www.geocities.ws/orthodox_conversion_to_judaism/Tefillin_Tzitzit_Mezuzah.html

(I can't copy from the page but it states this under the title tzitzit)

I originally saw this as a note in my siddur I was using at a shul.

Tefillin is also mentionned here: http://www.torahmitzion.org/eng/resources/show.asp?id=765

(BT Brachot 14b) compares one who recites kriat shema without tefillin to one who offers a zevach (offering) without nesachim. According to the Gemara, both resemble one who bears false witness.

We can understand how this applies to tefillin. After all, the first paragraph of shema includes the words, “bind them as a sign”. One who recites these words without tefillin is, in effect, bearing false witness about himself. But why is this comparison extended to a zevach and nesachim?

Kriat shema is an acceptance of the yoke of Heaven. Laying tefillin - which represent the mind and heart’s subjugation to Hashem’s Will - is the act which bears witness to this acceptance. Thus, one who recites kriat shema without tefillin bears false witness about himself.

A person offers a zevach in order to get closer to Hashem. However, when the person refrains from adding an “earthly” or “pragmatic” aspect to the korban, his expressed desire for closeness is not real, because there is nothing to testify to its truth. But by adding to the korban an element which comes from the ground, the one bringing the korban indicates that he is even willing to subjugate his materialism in order to achieve this closeness. In other words, this is a true testimonial.

This is also presented here: https://sites.google.com/site/kolchaimtorahrecordings/prayer/001---schachris/002/001

From the Rav's Shulchan Aruch

1. Anyone reciting Shema without wearing tzitzit bears false witness against himself.
Since one must be zealous to perform a precept at the earliest possible opportunity, therefore, immediately after washing the hands, when his hands are clean and it is permissible to recite a blessing, one should put on tzitzit.

2. One is prohibited to cover himself with a garment which requires but lacks tzitzit.
If one should put on such a garment, he violates the positive biblical commandment (Deuteronomy 22:12) of tzitzit, for putting on a garment without tzitzit.

3. It is proper to look at the fringes when wrapping and saying the blessing for the tallit.
For it is written (numbers 15:39) "And you shall look upon it and remember all the commandments of the Lord and do them.".
Seeing brings to remembrance, and remembrance to performance.


Chabad says: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/115023/jewish/Deed-and-Thought.htm

Let us take, for example, the mitzvah of tefillin.

The section in the Torah which ordains the mitzvah of tefillin is the speech of the mitzvah.

The kavanah is the thought The commandment itself is the deed. That is why our sages said, "He who recites the Shema without tefillin bears false witness against himself." For how can the thought (the kavanah) vest itself in the speech? What will the thought and speech dwell upon if not on the actual deed? If, again, he recites the Shema with tefillin, the speech becomes a garment unto the thought, and the deed becomes a garment unto the speech.

Thus despite the inestimable importance of kavanah, the very act of the mitzvah has an objective, independent value and validity of its own. It may not be suspended, therefore, even when the proper kavanah is lacking.


I really don't want to disrespect G-d. I only know that one prayer, and when I can go to shul on shabbat I follow along in English with the others... what do I do?? I also would appreciate if you can give me a source that shows legitimate versions of every other prayer, but it's terrifying me already to be saying something I don't do (and I can't afford tefillin, and actually someone offered it to me, but I was terrified because nobody's ever done something like that to me unless it was a trap, so I refused and now I'm not sure if I should regret that too). I will go buy a prayer shirt as soon as my student loans come in, but until then, I had the bright idea of just saying the first (Shema Israel... Echad) part and the last part (Ani...), but now I'm double worried that it will be a double desecration, so I'm just saying the first line, which is making me sad because that's the most Jewish thing I do on the weekdays...

I don't mind bearing false witness against myself (I think) because I know I'm not doing what I should, but I want to and G-d willing I will soon and for the remainder of my days. I just don't want to do bad while thinking I'm doing good... especially since now I saw this, it isn't a sin in ignorance, except I'm not really sure, so I don't know if I should make teshuva...

muman613:
LKZ,

I am expressing my opinion here as I have really found no mention that this quote from the Talmud section Brachot 14b is the psak din (answer to the halachic question). It must be understood that the entire Talmud is a large corpus of disagreements and arguments between the sages of Israel. Taking one quote of one Rabbi and saying it is binding on the entire Israel is not, in my opinion, the way to understand the issue.

We have, over the years, consolidated what the Jewish people must and must not do into volumes known as Mishna Bruah and Shulchan Aruch, and of course we refer to Rambams Mishne Torah. I started reading the pages which surround Brachot 14b and it seems that there were a lot of opinions concerning what can and cannot be done and when it can be done by people saying Shema.

The sages of the Talmudic period often would wear their tefillin all day, they would only take it off to use the bathroom.... It is prohibited to even pass gas while wearing them. Today it is difficult to always wear them and many of us only wear them for a couple of minutes while saying Shema. I have had difficulty at times finding time to don tefillin. Tzit-tzits are very very easy... I have worn them every day for almost six years, and say the blessing before wearing them. If I were anyone reading my writing who didn't have a couple of pair of tallit katan (small tallit) with tzit-tzits (they only cost about $20 a piece at my local Judaica store) I would immediately go out and order them...

So I don't know the answer to the question. But I would not let fear of bearing false witness prevent anyone from saying Shema. Once you start saying it you will feel the desire to get a pair of tefillin... My pair was initially bought by a friend I met on the Internet (he prevented me from buying some questionable tefillin online).... I paid about $300 for my tefillin (if I remember properly)...

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