Souls Nuts and Bolts ~ Shema sources and commentary

(3) How does one convene? When there are three [people] say, “Let us bless.” When there are three and him say, “Bless.” When there are ten say, “Let us bless our God.” When there are ten and him say, “Bless”. The [law is the] same for ten as for ten myriads. When there are a hundred say, “Let us bless.” When there are a hundred and him say, “Bless.” When there are a thousand say, “Let us bless God, our God, God of Israel.” When there are a thousand and him say, “Bless”. When there are ten thousand say, “Let us bless God, our God, God of Israel, God of the legions, who dwells above the Keruvim [sculpted creatures that stood above the Ark], for the food that we have eaten.” With ten thousand and himself say, "Bless." Like the way he blessed, they respond after him, “Blessed is God, our God, God of Israel, God of the legions, who dwells above the Keruvim, for the food that we have eaten.” Rabbi Yosi the Galilean says, according to the greatness of the assembly they bless, as it says, ‘In assemblies bless God from the fountain of Israel.’ Said Rabbi Akiva, what do we find in the synagogue? The [law is the] same for many as for few; say "Bless God." Rabbi Yishmael says, "Bless God, the blessed."

... Rafram b. Pappa visited the Synagogue of Abi Gibar. He stood up, read in the Scroll and exclaimed, "Bless y'all the Lord"; he then stopped and did not say "Who is to be blessed." They all shouted "Bless y'all the Lord Who is to be blessed," Raba said: You black pot! What have you to do with this controversy? Moreover, everybody acts in accord with the opinion of R. Yishmael.

(1) The appointed [priest] said to them: “Say one blessing” [right before the Shema], and they blessed. They then recited the Ten Commandments, 'Shema', 'Vehaya im Shamoa' and 'Vayomer' [the three paragraphs of the Shema]. They also blessed the people with these three blessings: Emet Veyatsiv [the blessing that follows the Shema in the morning prayer], Avodah [the blessing in Shemoneh Esreh calling for G-D to accept the Temple service], and the Birkat Kohanim [the Priestly Blessing]. On Shabbat, they added a blessing for the watch that was leaving.

(7) I form the light, and create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I am the LORD, that does all these things.

MISHNAH In the morning [the reading of the Shema'] is preceded by two benedictions and followed by one; in the evening it is preceded by two and followed by two, one long and one short. Where [the Rabbis] order to say a long benediction, it is not permissible to say a short one ; [where they order] to say a short benediction, it is not permissible to say a long one. [Where they order] to "seal " a benediction, it is not permissible not to "seal" ; [where they order] not to "seal," it is not permissible to "seal." GEMARA Which benedictions does one say [in the morning]? R. Jacob [[fol. 11b.]] said in the name of R. Osha'ya : "[Blessed].... Who formest light and createst darkness." Surely one ought rather to say : "Who formest light and createst brightness"! As it is written, so we say it. But in the case of the words "I make peace and create evil" (Is. 45:7), do we say them as they are written? It is written "evil," but [in the prayer] we say "all things" ! It is an euphemism. Then in the former instance, let us [in the prayer] also use "brightness" [instead of "darkness"] as an euphemism ! Raba answered: The purpose is to mention the characteristic of day at night and the characteristic of night in the day. It is quite right [about mentioning] the characteristic of night in the day, since we say “Who forms light and creates darkness" ; but where is [the mention of] the characteristic of day at night? Abaye answered : [We say] "You roll away the light from before the darkness, and the darkness from before the lights." Which is the other [blessing to be recited before the morning Shema']? Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel : "With abounding love"; and so R. Eleazar taught his son R. Pedat to say "With abounding love." There is a teaching to the same effect: We do not say "With everlasting love," but "With abounding love." But the Rabbis declare that "With everlasting love" [is to be recited]; for so it is said, "Yea, I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with affection have I drawn thee" (Jer. 31:3).

(29) Be careful, then, to do as the LORD your God has commanded you. Do not turn aside to the right or to the left: (30) follow only the path that the LORD your God has enjoined upon you, so that you may thrive and that it may go well with you, and that you may long endure in the land you are to possess. (1) And this is the Instruction—the laws and the rules—that the LORD your God has commanded [me] to impart to you, to be observed in the land that you are about to cross into and occupy, (2) so that you, your children, and your children’s children may revere the LORD your God and follow, as long as you live, all His laws and commandments that I enjoin upon you, to the end that you may long endure. (3) Obey, O Israel, willingly and faithfully, that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly [in] a land flowing with milk and honey, as the LORD, the God of your fathers, spoke to you. (4) Hear, O Israel! The LORD is our God, the LORD alone. (5) You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. (7) Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. (8) Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; (9) inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates. (10) When the LORD your God brings you into the land that He swore to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to assign to you—great and flourishing cities that you did not build, (11) houses full of all good things that you did not fill, hewn cisterns that you did not hew, vineyards and olive groves that you did not plant—and you eat your fill, (12) take heed that you do not forget the LORD who freed you from the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. (13) Revere only the LORD your God and worship Him alone, and swear only by His name.

(5) And you shall love: Implement His words based on love. One who does based on love is incomparable to one who does based on fear. One who does for his master out of fear, when [the master] overburdens him, [the servant] leaves him and goes on his way.

But if he has been guilty of the profanation of the Name [chilul Hashem], then teshuvah has no power to suspend punishment, nor Yom Kippur to procure atonement, nor suffering to finish it, but all of them together suspend the punishment and only death finishes it, as it is said: And Ad-nai of hosts revealed Himself in my ears; surely this iniquity shall not be expiated by you till you die (Is. 22:14). What constitutes profanation of the Name? — Rav said: If I take meat from the butcher and do not pay him at once. Abaye said: That we have learnt [as profanation of the Name] only in a place where one does not go out to collect payment, but in a place where one does go out to collect, there is no harm in it [not paying at once]. Rabina said: And Mata Mehasia is a place where one goes out collecting payments due. Whenever Abaye bought meat from two partners, he paid money to each of them, afterwards bringing them together and squaring accounts with both. R. Yochanan said: In my case [it is a profanation if] I walk four cubits without [uttering words of] Torah or [wearing] tefillin. Yitzchak, of the School of R. Yannai said: If one's colleagues are ashamed of his reputation that constitutes a profanation of the Name. Rav Nachman bar Yitzchak commented: If people say, May The Master forgive So-and-so. Abaye explained: As it was taught: And you shall love the Lord your God (Deut. 6:5): that the Name of Heaven be beloved because of you. If someone studies Scripture and Mishnah, and attends on the disciples of the wise, is honest in business, and speaks pleasantly to persons, what do people then say concerning him? ‘Happy the father who taught him Torah, happy the teacher who taught him Torah; woe to people who have not studied the Torah; for this man has studied the Torah look how fine his ways are, how righteous his deeds!’ Of him Scripture says: And He said to me: You are My servant, Israel, in, whom I will be glorified.(Isaiah 49:3) But if someone studies Scripture and Mishnah, attends on the disciples of the wise, but is dishonest in business, and discourteous in his relations with people, what do people say about him? ‘Woe to him who studied the Torah, woe to his father who taught him Torah; woe to his teacher who taught him Torah!’ This man studied the Torah: Look, how corrupt are his deeds, how ugly his ways! Of him Scripture says: In that men said of them: These are the people of Ad-nai, and are gone forth out of His land.(Ez. 36:20)

He who beholds a place where miracles have been wrought for Israel says, "Blessed [art Thou, O Lord our God, King of the Universe] Who made miracles for our fathers in this place." [He who beholds] a place from which idolatry has been uprooted says, "Blessed... Who have uprooted idolatry from our land." For shooting stars, earthquakes, thunders, storms and lightnings he says, "Blessed...Whose strength and might fill the world." For mountains, hills, seas, rivers and deserts he says, "Blessed... Who hast made the creation." R. Judah states: He who beholds the ocean says, "Blessed... Who hast made the ocean," but only when he beholds it at intervals. For rain and good tidings he says, "Blessed... Who art good and dispensest good." For bad tidings he says, "Blessed be the true Judge." He who has built a new house or bought new vessels says, "Blessed... Who hast kept us in life, hast preserved us and enabled us to reach this season," One says the benediction for a calamity apart from any attendant good, and for good fortune apart from any attendant evil ; but he who supplicates concerning that which is past utters a vain prayer. If his wife is pregnant and he says, "May it be Your will that my wife bear a son," behold that is a vain prayer. If he were on the way, and hearing a cry of lamentation in the city, exclaims, "May it be Your will that it be not within my house," behold that is a vain prayer. He who enters a town should offer prayer twice, once on entering and once on leaving. Ben 'Azzai says : Four times, twice on entering and twice on leaving. He gives thanks for what is past and supplicates for what is yet to be. A man is in duty bound to utter a benediction for the bad even as he utters one for the good ; as it is said, "And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might" (Deut. vi. 5) — "with all your heart," i.e. with your two impulses, with the good and the evil impulse ; "with all your soul," i.e. even if He take thy soul; "with all your might," i.e. with all your wealth. Another explanation of "with all your might [meodeka]" — with whatever measure [middah] He metes out to you, do you thank Him [modeh].

A person is obligates to bless on what is bad just as s/he blesses on what is good, etc. - what it says "just as s/he blesses on what is good" means to receive what happened with joy and a good disposition, and to conquer one's anger and be good in one's soul when one blesses 'True Judge' which is what one would do in a time that one blesses 'The Good who increases Good'. And what the sages in the majority of their words said 'all that is done by Heaven is done for good' is a rational thing done by those who possess intellect. And the Scripture did not order to do so because there are things that look like good at their beginning yet in their end bring great evil, and therefore it is not proper that the thinking person would be astonished when a great evil comes to him/her since s/he does not know its end. And so the servants of the Holy One forbid to increase in joy and laughter, but [said that one] should have the joy of higher deeds, that is, doing what is just and pursuing justice.[...] And therefore a person should direct her/his thought and pray to God that [s/he would be able to see] everything that comes to one in this world whether good or bad as a reason to achieve the true success. And what was said regarding the impulse to good and the impulse to evil means to [be able to] return into one's heart love for God and belief in God even in the time of transgression and anger, even if all this is from the impulse to evil, as it is said: in all your ways know Him (Prov. 3:6) - even in what is transgressive. And the explanation of "level of issue" is that in all issues that come to you praise Him and thanks Him.

Built a new house and bought new utensils etc. - what is said "for the evil that contains good" means when something bad happens, even if the end is good, one blesses 'Judge of Truth'. And also when something good happens, even if it is possible that the in the end it will be bad, one blesses 'Who is good and increases good'. And an example of the first issue is when rain floods his land, this is a bad thing even though the end is good since the land is enriched, and it is possible that this rain will bring benefit to his field. And an example of the second issue is when he finds money, and another man sees him at the moment he found it, and even though the end might be bad since that man that saw him could denounce him to the authorities, who could oppress him and demand more than what he actually found. And the reason is that when someone finds something there is no doubt about the finding, and so one blesses this beginning, and one does not worry about what can happen in the end, since these [possible different] futures may or may not happen. And the explanation regarding "what has passed" is on what happened and the time is passed, one should not pray on what was already decreed, but one must pray on what has [possible different] futures.

(1) Love, therefore, the LORD your God, and always keep His charge, His laws, His rules, and His commandments. (2) Take thought this day that it was not your children, who neither experienced nor witnessed the lesson of the LORD your God— His majesty, His mighty hand, His outstretched arm; (3) the signs and the deeds that He performed in Egypt against Pharaoh king of Egypt and all his land; ... (10) For the land that you are about to enter and possess is not like the land of Egypt from which you have come. There the grain you sowed had to be watered by your own labors, like a vegetable garden; (11) but the land you are about to cross into and possess, a land of hills and valleys, soaks up its water from the rains of heaven. (12) It is a land which the LORD your God looks after, on which the LORD your God always keeps His eye, from year’s beginning to year’s end. (13) If, then, you obey the commandments that I enjoin upon you this day, loving the LORD your God and serving Him with all your heart and soul, (14) I will grant the rain for your land in season, the early rain and the late. You shall gather in your new grain and wine and oil— (15) I will also provide grass in the fields for your cattle—and thus you shall eat your fill. (16) Take care not to be lured away to serve other gods and bow to them. (17) For the LORD’s anger will flare up against you, and He will shut up the skies so that there will be no rain and the ground will not yield its produce; and you will soon perish from the good land that the LORD is assigning to you. (18) Therefore impress these My words upon your very heart: bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead, (19) and teach them to your children—reciting them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up; (20) and inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates— (21) to the end that you and your children may endure, in the land that the LORD swore to your fathers to assign to them, as long as there is a heaven over the earth. (22) If, then, you faithfully keep all this Instruction that I command you, loving the LORD your God, walking in all His ways, and holding fast to Him, (23) the LORD will dislodge before you all these nations: you will dispossess nations greater and more numerous than you.

(39) ולא תתרו אחרי לבבכם — The verb has the same meaning as in (Numbers 13:25), “and they returned from searching (מתור) the land”. (The translation therefore is: AND YE SHALL NOT SEARCH AFTER YOUR OWN HEART). The heart and the eyes are the “spies” of the body — they act as its agents for sinning: the eye sees, the heart covets and the body commits the sin (cf. Talmud Yer. Berakhot 1:8; Tanchuma).