Below are a number of cases, taken from the Talmud Bavli, Rosh Hashanah 28a-29a, where the Rabbis considered the relationship between the performance of a commandment and one's intention when performing the act.
First- Read each case with a partner or partners, then ask each other:
1) What is the performance task that the rabbis think fulfills the obligation in the case?
2) What is the intention, if any, required while performing that task?
3) What possible problems might the rabbis be concerned about addressing?
Once you have read through each case together, and considered these questions, we will come together and consider where else (commandments or otherwise) action and intention might be important in other areas of life.
כפאו ואכל מצה יצא
כפאו מאן
אילימא כפאו שד
והתניא:עתים חלים עתים שוטה כשהוא חלים הרי הוא כפקח לכל דבריו כשהוא שוטה הרי הוא כשוטה לכל דבריו
אמר רב אשי
שכפאוהו פרסיים
Case 1- Eating Matzah Against Their Will
If a person was forced to eat matzah, he is Yotzei.
Who forced him?
(Answer 1): A demon.
(Rejection of 1) A Baraita taught: regarding those who are sometimes well, and sometimes temporarily of unsound mind: if he is well he is considered fully capable of being held to his word; when he is of unsound mind he is considered as incapable of being held to his word for those periods!
(Answer 2): Rav Ashi says: He was forced by Persians [to eat the Matzah]
אמר רבא זאת אומרת
התוקע לשיר יצא
[...]
מהו דתימא: התם אכול מצה אמר רחמנא והא אכל בל הכא (ויקרא כג, כד) ״זכרון תרועה״ כתיב
והאי מתעסק בעלמא הוא קמ"ל
Case 2- Playing a Shofar as a Musical Instrument
Rava said: This [Case 1] shows that if one blows a Shofar for its music, one can also thereby fulfill the mitzvah.
[...]
One might have thought that whereas the matzah consumption is the same in each case, a Shofar blown without intent for the mitzvah is not the Loud Blasts required by the verse (see next source).
(כד) דַּבֵּ֛ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל לֵאמֹ֑ר בַּחֹ֨דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֜י בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֗דֶשׁ יִהְיֶ֤ה לָכֶם֙ שַׁבָּת֔וֹן זִכְר֥וֹן תְּרוּעָ֖ה מִקְרָא־קֹֽדֶשׁ׃
(24) Speak to the Israelite people thus: In the seventh month, on the first day of the month, you shall observe complete rest, a sacred occasion commemorated with loud blasts.
אהיה קורא בתורה והגיע זמן המקרא אם כוון לבו יצא ואם לאו לא יצא
מאי לאו כוון לבו לצאת
לא לקרות
לקרות -הא קא קרי
בקורא להגיה
Case 3: Reading and Reading
We find that someone who reads [the Shema] in the Torah portion, and does so when the time to recite the Shema begins, has only fulfilled their obligation to recite the Shema if he sets his intention in his heart to do so. Otherwise, he has not fulfilled his obligation.
What does it mean to set his intention in his heart?
Is that not reading the Shema?
No- He could be reading it for the purpose of checking it, which would only be a mumble (and not fulfill the obligation).
היה עובר אחורי בית הכנסת או שהיה ביתו סמוך לבית הכנסת ושמע קול שופר או קול מגילה
אם כוון לבו יצא ואם לאו לא יצא
מאי לאו אם כוון לבו לצאת
לא לשמוע
לשמוע והא שמע
סבור -חמור בעלמא הוא
Case 4- Hearing a Shofar or Megillah Reading in Passing
If someone was passing by a Shul and heard the Shofar or Megillah, then he has fulfilled his obligation only if he had Kavanah, presumably to fulfill his obligation [to hear Shofar or Megilah]!?
It means that he had Kavanah to hear it.
But did he not indeed hear it, regardless?
Answer: He might have thought that it was a donkey braying.
אמר ליה ר' זירא לשמעיה
איכוון ותקע לי
אלמא קסבר
משמיע בעי כוונה
Case 5- Servants Blowing For You
R. Zeira told his assistant to have Kavanah when blowing Shofar for him.
We see that he holds that the one blowing must have Kavanah
Questions for Group Discussion:
Other than particular commandments, what other situations might intention and action not both be required?
Where might they both be required?
Where might one matter more than the other?
What criteria might we use to tell the difference between these situations?
נתכוון שומע ולא נתכוון משמיע נתכוון משמיע ולא נתכוון שומע לא יצא עד שיתכוון שומע ומשמיע
קתני משמיע דומיא דשומע מה שומע שומע לעצמו אף משמיע משמיע לעצמו
וקתני
לא יצא
תנאי היא דתניא
שומע שומע לעצמו ומשמיע משמיע לפי דרכו
אמר רבי יוסי
בד"א בשליח צבור אבל ביחיד לא יצא עד שיתכוין שומע ומשמיע
A Conclusion of Sorts: The Case of the Shofar Blast
We find that both the Shofar-blower and the listener- must have Kavanah.
The implication is that if the listener had Kavanah but not the blower, he is not fulfilled his obligation - which must refer to the blower not having himself in mind and not having fulfilled his obligation (just like the other case mentioned there, namely, of the listener, who also did not have Kavanah that he himself should have fulfilled his obligation).
But if he did have himself in mind, they have fulfilled his obligation even though he had nobody else in mind!
It is a Debate among the Tanaim:
1. (Tana Kama): The one blowing does not need any specific Kavanah for anyone.
2. (R. Yosi): That is only true for a Shali'ach Tzibur, otherwise both blower and listener must have Kavanah.