More Discussions for this daf
1. Keri'as Shema - biblical or rabbinic? 2. Day and then night 3. Eating in the dark
4. Temimus 5. The posuk beshochbicha uvikumecha 6. Zman Krias Shma
7. earliest time to say Shema in the evening 8. Uva Hashemesh Vetaher 9. When does a poor man eat?
10. Be'arvin 11. What to read 12. The poor man's meal
13. Being Motzi another person with Shema 14. Eating korbanot until chatzot 15. The opposite of Tahor....
16. Sitting during Shema 17. Charts 18. When does Day Begin?
19. Does the Ri agree with the Yerushalmi 20. va'Yehi Erev va'Yehi Voker Yom Echad 21. Berachos 002: Shema
22. Kri'as Shema 23. To keep a person from Aveirah 24. Night or Day?
25. mi'Sha'ah sheha'Kohanim 26. Where do the Kohanim eat Terumah? 27. "reading" ; what about Kohanim?
28. Sof Zeman Shema 29. Second Answer of the Gemara 30. Zemanim
31. Rashi's Shitah for early Ma'ariv 32. Different Shitos in Shema 33. k'Sus ha'Zeh she'Eino Nirdam
34. Sunrise and Sunset 35. Translation of the Word "mi'Chi" 36. Tzeis or Bein ha'Shemashos
37. When do the Poor Eat? 38. The Gemara's Second Answer 39. Ashkenazi Keri'as Shema at Bedtime
40. Sunrise / Sunset 41. Iy Ba'is Eima 42. Which Shi'ur is earlier?
43. Zman Shema 44. When An Ani Eats His Bread 45. Rabeinu Tam in Tosfos
46. Is there a typo in the first Tosfos? 47. Times for Keri'as Shema 48. Tosfos and Rebbi Yehoshua Ben Levi
49. Codewords for Time of Earliest Kerias Shema 50. Me'eimasai 51. Korei vs Kor'in
52. Tzeis ha'Kochavim 53. Latest time 54. Time for saying Shema
55. בערבין 56. מתי אוכלים העניים 57. משעה שהעני אוכל פתו
DAF DISCUSSIONS - BERACHOS 2

Yaakov Astor asked:

Can one person be motzi his chiyuv of Shma by hearing it from another person?

Yaakov Astor, NY, US

The Kollel replies:

One can be Yotzei one's Chiyuv of Sh'ma by hearing it from another man (provided both parties have that in mind). This is based on the principle 'Shomei'a ke'Oneh' (hearing something is like reciting it oneself). It is preferable however, to recite it oneself, if possible.

Kol Tuv,

Eliezer Chrysler

The Kollel adds:

There are those who maintain that Keri'as Shema is indeed an exception to the rule of Shome'a k'Oneh. The VILNA GA'ON takes this position (in SHENOS ELIYAHU, beginning of Berachos), explaining that this is why the Mishnah writes "Me'Eimasai Korin Es Shema", using the plural form (Korin vs. Korei), unlike other Mishnayos that discuss Berachos (e.g. the Mishnah in Berachos 11a) which use the singular form of the verb. Regarding Berachos, one person may be Motzi many others, therefore the Mishnah says, "Korei," but regarding Shema, each and every person must recite the Shema by himself, hence "Korin" Es ha'Shema.

The reasoning behind this position seems to be that Shema is a series of verses from the Torah and not just a Berachah. Verses from the Torah must be learned , and not just recited, and it is impossible for one person to be Motzi someone else in learning .

(This has no bearing on the Yisachar-Zevulun issue, which is obviously an entirely different kind of relationship. Zevulun is not even present while Yisachar is learning; this is not the classic case of being Motzi another Jew at all.)

The idea that Shema is a type of Keri'as ha'Torah and not a type of Berachah is evident in many places in the Gemara, see for example Menachos 99b, "One who says Shema fulfills the verse 'Lo Yamish Sefer ha'Torah ha'Zeh mi'Picha...,' and Berachos 14b, "Shema is Lilmod, v'Haya is Lelamed..." and Berachos 13b, "Ad Kan Mitzvas Keri'a v'Kavanah ..." and Berachos 10b, "One who reads Keri'as Shema in its proper time is greater than one who studies Torah."

When the term "Shome'a k'Oneh" is used regarding Shema, or Torah study, it is used in an entirely different context; it means that if another person hears and understands, he is fulfilling the Mitzvah of thinking Torah. (See Tosfos 20b DH kid'Ashkechan.)

Best wishes,

Mordecai Kornfeld