Midrasz do Powtórzonego Prawa 6:7

And the Lord said unto Abram: “Get thee out of thy country” (Gen. 12:1). May it please our master to teach us whether an Israelite is permitted to take upon himself the yoke of the heavenly kingdom (i.e., to recite the Shema) while traveling? R. Idi and R. Huna said in the name of R. Judah, and R. Yosé said in the name of R. Samuel: An Israelite is forbidden to take upon himself the yoke of the heavenly kingdom while traveling. He is required to stand still, directing his heart heavenward in trepidation and fear, in trembling and reverence, while proclaiming the oneness of God: Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One (Deut. 6:4). He must speak each word with heartfelt sincerity, and then (add the benediction) “Blessed be His name, whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.”¹Cf. Y. Berakhot 13b, Buber Tanhuma, Lekh Lekha 1. However, when he commences the portion “And thou shalt love the Lord thy God,” he may either walk or stand or sit, as he desires, for it is written: When thou sittest in thy house, when thou goest on thy way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up (Deut. 6:7).

R. Joshua b. Levi said: "Whoever studies the Torah with his grandson is considered by Scripture as if he had received it from Mt. Sinai, for it is said (Deut. 4, 9) But thou shalt make them known unto thy sons and unto thy sons' sons; and immediately follows the day thou stoodest before the Lord thy God, at Horeb." R. Chiya b. Abba found R. Joshua b. Levi, who had covered his head with a sheet while carrying an infant to the house of study. He said to the latter: "Why so in a hurry [that thou hast not even covered thy head with a suitable cover]?" The latter answered him: "Is it then of little value that the passage says: But thou shalt make them known unto thy sons, and immediately follows the day thou stoodest before the Lord thy God at Horeb?" Since that time, Rabba b. R. Huna never tasted anything until he brought his child into the house of learning. R. Chiya b. Abba never tasted anything until he had recited with his children the old lesson and added something new. R. Saphra, in the name of R. Joshua b. Chanania, said: "What does the passage (Deut. 6, 7) And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children mean. Do not read Vshi'nantam (diligently), but read Vshilashtam (you should divide it in three); i.e., always shall a man divide his years in thirds, a third to read the Scripture, another third to study the Mishnah, and one-third to devote to the discussion of the Talmud." How does a man know how long he is going to live? We must therefore say that the foregoing refers to the days.

Our Rabbis were taught that the Scripture consists of four thousand, eight hundred and eighty-eight passages. Psalms contain eight passages more than Scriptures; Chronicles has eight less. Our Rabbis taught (Deut. 4, 7) V'shinantam (And thou shall teach them diligently), this means that the Torah shall be so clear in your mouth, so that when one will ask you a thing you should not stammer but answer him directly; (Ib. b) as it is said (Pr. 7, 4) Say unto wisdom thou art my sister, etc.; and there is a preceding passage, Bind them around thy fingers, inscribe them upon the tables of thy heart; and there is another passage (Ps. 127, 4) Like arrows in the hand of a mighty man so are the children of youth. Again there is another passage (Ib. 45, 6) Thy sharpened arrows, and again there is another passage (Ps. 127, 5) Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be put to shame, when they speak with their enemies in the gate. Said R. Chiya b. Abba: "Even a father and his son, a teacher and his disciple who study the Torah in one place become enemies to each otlier [as a result of Halachik discussion]. However, they do not leave the place until they are reconciled again, as it is said (Num. 21, 14) Vaheb in Suffa. Do not read Suffa, but Soffa (at the end)."

(Ib. b) We are taught: The sages made a fence to their words [to protect their ordinances], lest a man coming from the field in the evening, would say: "I will go home, eat a little, drink a little, and sleep a while and then I will read Sh'm'a and pray the evening service." In the meantime he will fall asleep and sleep through the whole night without having read the Sh'm'a or prayed. But [in order to prevent this they say:] "A man coming from the field in the evening shall enter the synagogue, and if he be accustomed to read the Scripture, let him do so; or if he be able to study traditional law, let him do that. After this, he should read the Sh'm'a and pray; then he can eat his meal and recite the Aftermeal Benediction. He who transgresses the words of the wise, deserves the penalty of death." Why docs the Baraitha use the expression here that "He who transgresses the words of the wise is worthy of the penalty of death," and not use it in any other place? If you wish, you may say, because here the force of sleep puts him beyond his own control [and if he is not strongly warned against it, he may transgress the command even though he really desires to fulfill it]; and if you please, you may say, because it is the intention [of the Baraitha] to reverse the opinion of those who say that the evening service is only optional it tells us, therefore, [by its warning,] that it is obligatory. The master said [above]: "He reads the Sh'm'a and prays (the evening service)" This is in support of [the view of] R. Jochanan, who was accustomed to say: "Who is sure to have a share in the world to come? He. who, immediately after the benediction of Geula, says the prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions at the evening service." R. Joshua b. Levi said: "The Eighteen Benedictions were ordained to be said in the middle." On what do they base their difference of opinion? If you please, you may say on a Biblical passage, and if you please, you may say on common sense. As to reason, R. Joshua holds that the redemption (of Egypt) commenced on the evening (towards the fifteenth of Nisan) although the real redemption did not take place until the morning, [therefore the Ge-ula which indicates the redemption should be said immediately before the Eighteen Benedictions in the evening also]; but R. Joshua b. Levi holds that as long as the real redemption did not take place until the morning then the redemption of the evening matters little. As to the Biblical passage they differ in the interpretation of the passage. (Deu. 6, 7.) And when thou lieth down, and when thou riseth up, (referred to Sh'm'a) . R. Jochanan holds: "We compare Lying down [at evening] to arising [in the morning] for the reason that just as the reading of the Sh'm'a in the morning comes before the prayer, so, in the evening, the reading of the Sh'm'a comes first also, and then the prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions." R. Joshua holds: "We compare the reading of the Sh'm'a when lying down to the reading of the Sh'm'a when arising, for the reason that just as in the morning the Sh'm'a is read close upon rising so is the Sh'm'a of the evening read just before lying down." The following objection was raised by Mar b. Rabina: "We have learned (in a Mishnah) 'In the evening, he says two benedictions before the Sh'm'a and two after the Sh'm'a.' If the Eighteen Benedictions should be said immediately after Ge-ula, then the Benedictions of Hash-ki-benu, prevents his having the Ge-ula, (the first one after Sh'm'a) closely after the Eighteen Benedictions?" Since the Rabbis ordained that Hash-ki-benu is to be said [between Ge-ula and the Eighteen Benedictions] then it is considered as one long benediction; for if we do not say so, then in the morning how can we say the Eighteen Benedictions immediately after the Ge-ula? Has not R. Jochanan said: "He should first say, O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise (Ps. 51, 17), and then proceed with the Eighteen Benedictions; and at the conclusion he should say. May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before Thee, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer, (Ib. 19, 15)." But since the Rabbis ordained that the passage [O Lord, open my mouth, etc. ] be said, it is considered one long prayer (part of the eighteen benedictions), so in this instance also, since the Rabbis ordained that the Hash-ki-benu be said between Ge-ula and the Eighteen Benedictions, it is considered a part of Ge-ula

(Ib. b) We are taught: The sages made a fence to their words [to protect their ordinances], lest a man coming from the field in the evening, would say: "I will go home, eat a little, drink a little, and sleep a while and then I will read Sh'm'a and pray the evening service." In the meantime he will fall asleep and sleep through the whole night without having read the Sh'm'a or prayed. But [in order to prevent this they say:] "A man coming from the field in the evening shall enter the synagogue, and if he be accustomed to read the Scripture, let him do so ; or if he be able to study traditional law, let him do that. After this, he should read the Sh'm'a and pray ; then he can eat his meal and recite the Aftermeal Benediction. He who transgresses the words of the wise, deserves the penalty of death." Why docs the Baraitha use the expression here that "He who transgresses the words of the wise is worthy of the penalty of death," and not use it in any other place? If you wish, you may say, because here the force of sleep puts him beyond his own control [and if he is not strongly warned against it, he may transgress the command even though he really desires to fulfill it] ; and if you please, you may say, because it is the intention [of the Baraitha] to reverse the opinion of those who say that the evening service is only optional it tells us, therefore, [by its warning,] that it is obligatory. The master said [above] : "He reads the Sh'm'a and prays (the evening service)" This is in support of [the view of] R. Jochanan, who was accustomed to say: "Who is sure to have a share in the world to come? He. who, immediately after the benediction of Geula, says the prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions at the evening service." R. Joshua b. Levi said : "The Eighteen Benedictions were ordained to be said in the middle." On what do they base their difference of opinion? If you please, you may say on a Biblical passage, and if you please, you may say on common sense. As to reason, R. Joshua holds that the redemption (of Egypt) commenced on the evening (towards the fifteenth of Nisan) although the real redemption did not take place until the morning, [therefore the Ge-ula which indicates the redemption should be said immediately before the Eighteen Benedictions in the evening also] ; but R. Joshua b. Levi holds that as long as the real redemption did not take place until the morning then the redemption of the evening matters little. As to the Biblical passage they differ in the interpretation of the passage. (Deu. 6:7) And when thou lieth down, and when thou riseth up, (referred to Sh'm'a) . R. Jochanan holds: "We compare Lying down [at evening] to arising [in the morning] for the reason that just as the reading of the Sh'm'a in the morning comes before the prayer, so, in the evening, the reading of the Sh'm'a comes first also, and then the prayer of the Eighteen Benedictions." R. Joshua holds: "We compare the reading of the Sh'm'a when lying down to the reading of the Sh'm'a when arising, for the reason that just as in the morning the Sh'm'a is read close upon rising so is the Sh'm'a of the evening read just before lying down." The following objection was raised by Mar b. Rabina: "We have learned (in a Mishnah) 'In the evening, he says two benedictions before the Sh'm'a and two after the Sh'm'a.' If the Eighteen Benedictions should be said immediately after Ge-ula, then the Benedictions of Hash-ki-benu, prevents his having the Ge-ula, (the first one after Sh'm'a) closely after the Eighteen Benedictions?" Since the Rabbis ordained that Hash-ki-benu is to be said [between Ge-ula and the Eighteen Benedictions] then it is considered as one long benediction ; for if we do not say so, then in the morning how can we say the Eighteen Benedictions immediately after the Ge-ula? Has not R. Jochanan said : "He should first say, O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall declare thy praise (Ps. 51:17), and then proceed with the Eighteen Benedictions; and at the conclusion he should say. May the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before Thee, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer, (Ib. 19, 15)." But since the Rabbis ordained that the passage [O Lord, open my mouth, etc. ] be said, it is considered one long prayer (part of the eighteen benedictions), so in this instance also, since the Rabbis ordained that the Hash-ki-benu be said between Ge-ula and the Eighteen Benedictions, it is considered a part of Ge-ula

Another interpretation (of Prov. 6:22): WHEN YOU WALK, IT WILL GUIDE YOU, < i.e., > when someone labors at Torah during his life.³Cf. Avot 6:9; Sifra to Lev. 18:1 (pereq 13); Sifre to Deut. 6:7 (34); Sot. 21a; also Gen. R. 35:3 (but not in the Theodor/Albeck edition); M.Pss. 1:11; 119:7, 10 (2), 49 (41); 140:1. (Ibid., cont.:) IN YOUR LYING DOWN, IT WILL WATCH OVER (rt.: ShMR) YOU, [because it keeps (rt.: ShMR) him] from worm and maggot. (Ibid., cont.:) AND WHEN YOU AWAKEN, IT WILL CONVERSE WITH YOU. In the future life, when everyone shall stand in judgment, it is one's advocate⁴Gk.: synegoros. and pleads his cause.

Whence do you learn that this word love refers only to studying (the Oral Law). Observe what is written after this: And these words which I command thee this day shall be upon thy heart (ibid., v. 6). What words are alluded to here? The words of the Oral Law (Talmud), which are upon the heart. And Scripture says immediately thereafter: And thou shalt teach it to thy children. It is the Oral Law (Talmud) that must be taught.

(Lev. 22:27:) “When a bull or a sheep or a goat […].” This text is related (to Micah 6:3), “My people, what have I done to you and how have I wearied you; testify against Me.”⁵¹PRK 9:5; Lev. R. 27:6; Numb. R. 10:1. R. Aha said, “Testify against Me (i.e., prove me wrong by keeping the commandments), and receive a reward. And do not testify (against your neighbor falsely), and receive a settlement of accounts.” R. Samuel bar Nahman said, “On three occasions the Holy One, blessed be He, came to dispute with Israel, when the nations of the world rejoiced: At that time, when He said to them (in Is. 1:18), ‘Please come and let us dispute together,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that they were rejoicing, He reversed [the punishment] for the better. He said (ibid.), ‘though your sins be as scarlet, they shall become as white as snow […].’ When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said, ‘Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse Himself with His children (and not to dispute with them seriously).’ In the second [occasion], when He said to them (in Micah 6:2), ‘[Hear, O mountains, the claim of the Lord …] for the Lord has a claim with His people, and He will dispute with Israel,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that, He reversed [the punishment] for the better and said (in Micah 6:5), ‘My people, please remember what King Balak of Moab plotted and what Balaam answered him….’⁵²Cf. PR 48:1. When the nations of the world heard this, they were astonished and said, ‘Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? He has only come to amuse Himself with His children.’ The third [occasion] when He said (in Hos. 12:3), ‘The Lord has a claim with Judah,’ they rejoiced and said, ‘Now He will finish them off.’ When the Holy One, blessed be He, saw that, He reversed [the punishment] for the better and said (in Hos. 12:4) ‘In the womb he grabbed his brother by the heel […].’” [The situation] is similar to a woman who complained to the judge about her son and brought him for trial. Everyone came to see. They said, one to another, “See that this woman has brought her son to be killed in the case.” When the woman saw this and heard what they said, she reversed [her mind] to speak with different words. When she came before the judge, he said to her, “What has your son done to you?” She said to him, “When he was in my womb, he kicked me.” He said to her, “Has he done anything else to you?” She said, “No.” He said to her, “There is no legal offense at all.” Everyone was astonished and said, “Is this an answer; is this a rebuke? She only came to amuse herself with her son.” So they left with embarrassment on their faces. So too did the Holy One, blessed be He, go back and reverse His rebuke to love, and the nations of the world left confounded. (Micah 6:3:) “And how have I wearied you?” R. Berekhyah said, “[The situation] is similar to a king who sent his proclamation⁵³Gk.: prostagma. to a province. What did the people of the province do? When they received it, they uncovered their heads, and read it in fear, in awe and in trembling. So did the Holy One, blessed be He, say to Israel, ‘The reading of the Shema is My proclamation. I did not burden you and I did not tell you that you were to read it either standing upon your feet or with your heads uncovered, but (according to Deut. 6:7) “when you are sitting in your house, when you are walking on the road, when you are lying down, and when you are getting up.”’” Another interpretation (of Micah 6:3), “and how have I wearied you”: R. Judah bar Simon said, “The Holy One, blessed be He, said, ‘I have delivered ten [kinds of] beasts to you (for food).⁵⁴See also PR 16:1; Numb. R. 20:5; 21:16. Three are in your possession, and seven are not in your possession. Now these are those which are in your possession (according to Deut. 14:4), “the bull, the sheep, and the goat.” And these are those which are not in your possession (according to Deut. 14:5), “The deer, the gazelle, the roebuck, the wild goat, the ibex, the antelope, and the mountain sheep.” I did not burden you, nor did I tell you to go up into the mountains or tire yourselves out in the fields in order to bring Me a sacrifice from those [which are not in your possession]. Rather [your sacrifices come] from those which are in your possession, which grew up at your feeding trough. This is what is stated (in Lev. 22:27), “A bull or a sheep or a goat.”’”

Rabbi Yoḥanan of Tzippori interpreted the verse regarding mounds [teluliyot] of dirt. One who is foolish, what does he say? Who can completely remove this? One who is wise, what does he say? I will remove two containers during the day and two containers at night, and the same tomorrow, until I clear it all. So too, one who is foolish says: Who can study the entire Torah? Nezikin⁴⁷Bava Kama, Bava Metzia, and Bava Batra are each ten chapters long and are considered one integrated tractate (see Bava Kama 102a). is thirty chapters, Kelim is thirty chapters. The wise man says: I will study two halakhot today and two tomorrow, until I learn it all.
Rabbi Yannai said: “Wisdom is lofty to a fool” (Proverbs 24:7) – this is analogous to a perforated loaf that is suspended in the air in a room. The fool says: Who can take this down? The wise man says: Did another not suspend it? I will bring two sticks and attach one to another until I take it down.⁴⁸If one stick is not enough to enable me to reach the loaf, I will tie two sticks together. So too, the fool says: Who can learn all the Torah that is in the heart of my teacher? The wise man says: Did he not learn it from another? I will study two halakhot today and two tomorrow, until I learn all the Torah of this Sage.
Rabbi Levi said: [This is analogous] to a perforated basket whose owner hired workers to fill it with water. The fool says: What am I accomplishing? I fill it from here and it flows out from there. The wise man says: Do I not collect my wage? Do I not collect a wage from my employer for each and every barrel? So too, the fool says: I study Torah and forget it; what am I accomplishing? The wise man says: Does the Holy One blessed be He not give me reward for my effort? As Rabbi Levi said:⁴⁹The text should state: “Another matter: Rabbi Levi said” (Etz Yosef). Even matters that you see as dots [kotzim] in the Torah, they are heaps upon heaps [tilei tilim]; they have the capability to destroy the world and to render it a mound [tel], just as it says: “It shall be an eternal mound” (Deuteronomy 13:17). It is written: “Hear Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is one [eḥad]” (Deuteronomy 6:4); if you transform the dalet into a resh you will destroy the world.⁵⁰The word one [eḥad] will become other [aḥer], turning this affirmation of faith into a declaration of heresy. This occurs by merely erasing one small dot of the dalet, thereby turning it into a resh. “For you shall not prostrate yourself to another [aḥer] god” (Exodus 34:14) – if you replace the resh with a dalet you will destroy the world.⁵¹The verse would then state: You shall not prostrate yourself to the one [eḥad] God, which is a heretical statement. It is written: “They shall not profane [yeḥalelu] My holy name” (Leviticus 22:2); if you replace the ḥet with a heh, you will destroy the world.⁵²Profane [yeḥalelu] would become praise [yehalelu]. It is written: “I will wait [veḥikiti] for the Lord” (Isaiah 8:17); if you replace the ḥet with a heh, you will destroy the world.⁵³Wait [veḥikiti] would become strike [vehikeiti]. It is written: “Let all who breathe [tehalel] praise the Lord” (Psalms 150:6); if you replace the heh with a ḥet, you will destroy the world.⁵⁴Praise [tehalel] would become profane [teḥalel]. It is written: “They have denied the Lord” (Jeremiah 5:12); if you replace the bet with a kaf, you will destroy the world.⁵⁵“The Lord [baHashem]” would become: Like the Lord [kaHashem], which implies that the Lord also denies truths. It is written: “They have betrayed the Lord for they have begotten foreign children” (Hosea 5:7); if you replace the bet with a kaf, you will destroy the world.⁵⁶“The Lord [baHashem]” will become: Like the Lord [kaHashem], implying that the Lord betrays others. It is written: “There is no one as holy as the Lord, as there is none like You [biltekha]” (I Samuel 2:2) – Rabbi Abbahu bar Kahana said: Everything wears out but You do not wear out, “as there is none like you,” there is none to outlast you [levalotekha].

(Micah 6:3): AND HOW HAVE I WEARIED YOU? …. [R. Berekhyah said:] < The situation > is similar to a king who sent his proclamation⁶²Gk.: prostagma. to a province. What did the people of the province do? When they received it, they [stood upon their feet,] uncovered their heads, and read it in fear, in awe, and in trembling. The Holy One said to Israel: The reading of the Shema is my proclamation. I did not burden you, and I did not tell you that you were to read it either standing upon your feet or with your heads uncovered, but (according to Deut. 6:7) WHEN YOU ARE SITTING IN YOUR HOUSE, WHEN YOU ARE WALKING ON THE ROAD, WHEN YOU ARE LYING DOWN, AND WHEN YOU ARE GETTING UP.

In the case of the sacrifices, also it is so. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: ‘The Ox is pursued by the lion, the goat is pursued by the leopard, the lamb by the wolf; do not offer unto Me from those that pursue but from those that are pursued.’ Hence if is written, “When a bullock, or a sheep, or a goat, is brought forth …It may be accepted for an offering” (Lev. 22:27).

(Devarim 6:7) "And you shall teach them to your sons": They shall be (well ) ordered in your mouth, so that if one questions you concerning them, you will not stammer in them, but answer him forthwith, as it is written (Proverbs 7:4) "Tell wisdom 'You are my sister,' and call understanding your acquaintance," and (Ibid. 3) "Bind them on your fingers; write them on the tablet of your heart," and (Psalms 45:6) "Your 'arrows' (of learning) are sharp." What is your reward for this? (Ibid.) "Peoples will fall under you, (your arrows piercing) the heart of the foes of the King," and (Ibid. 127:4) "As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are the children (i.e., the learning) of youth," and (Ibid. 5) "Happy the man who has filled his quiver with them. They will not be shamed when they speak with the foes (of the L-rd) in the gate (of learning)."