Danny,

Thank you for your compliments. A great deal of effort went into the Siyum on the part of the Kollel, and we were blessed with amazing Siyata di'Shmaya in return.

As for your question, it seems clear that Shnayim Mikra is not a biblical obligation but rather an early Takanah d'Rabanan, a Rabbinic edict. Thus it is indeed a Mitzvah, but a Mitzvah d'Rabanan and not a Mitzvah d'Oraisa. It is similar to the Takanah to read from the Torah publicly on Shabbos and Monday and Thursday in the Beis ha'Knesses, which was instituted by the early Nevi'im (Bava Kama 82a); in fact, Shnayim Mikra may even be part of that very Rabbinic institution (as is indicated by the TERUMAS HADESHEN #23).

As for the reason behind the Takanah, I found a number of suggestions listed in the wonderful work "MA'ARECHES HA'SHABBOS - V'EILEH SHEMOS," an entire volume dedicated to a discussion of the rules of Shnayim Mikra and authored by a neighbor of mine, Rav Mordechai Goldish (02-652-4907).

(a) The most obvious reason for reading Shnayim Mikra is in order to familiarize every Jew with the words of the Torah and their meaning (as translated by the Targum), as RAV YEHONASAN MI'LUNIL here explains. It is not enough to hear it in Shul; one must also read it for himself.

(b) The MATEH MOSHE (#464) explains that the three ways of reviewing the Torah (Shnayim Mikra v'Echad Targum) correspond to the three ways that the Torah was originally taught to Klal Yisrael: First, by Har Sinai, where the Torah was given to Moshe. Second, by the Ohel Moed when Moshe explained the laws one by one to the people. Third, in Eretz Moav, where we find that once again Moshe "explained the Torah" (Devarim 1:5). This third time, Moshe explained it to them in seventy languages (as Rashi there learns from the word "Ba'er"), so the third time that we say over the Torah we say its Targum, which at one point was the vernacular.

(c) The RA'AVAN (#88) suggests that perhaps it is not necessary for every person to read the Torah Shnayim Mikra v'Echad Targum. Rather, the Gemara here is referring to a person who missed the public reading of the Torah on Shabbos.

Since it was customary for a Chazan to read from the Torah while the person who is called to the Torah reads along with him, the one who missed the public reading must make up for what he missed by reading the words of the Torah twice. In addition, it was customary for a person to read the Targum out loud during the public Torah reading (as it done today in some Yemenite communities). For this reason, the person who missed the public reading must read the Targum for himself as well. This is why the word "Yashlim," "make up," is used here.

However, this opinion is not accepted by any of the other commentaries nor is it cited by the Poskim.

Best wishes,

Mordecai Kornfeld

Kollel Iyun Hadaf