Interruptions During Birchos Kerias Shema

Rabbi Nosson Neustadt

Courtesy of Ohr Olam Mishnah Berurah

It is forbidden to interrupt one’s recitation of Birchos Kerias Shema, or of Kerias Shema itself,1 by speaking2 in any language.3 The Mishnah in Berachos (13a) sets forth an exception to this rule: when reciting these passages one may, in order to avoid animosity,4 greet another person who will otherwise become insulted, and similarly return greetings that the other person extended, under the circumstances that will be set forth below. These permissions are codified in the Shulchan Aruch.5 The Poskim write that nowadays, however, it is not the practice to greet other people during davening. The other person will therefore not become offended should he not be taken notice of, and instead greeted after davening. These leniencies of interrupting Kerias Shema or its berachos to greet another person thus do not practically apply.6 Nevertheless, this principle of the permission to extend or return greetings may be applied to other types of interruptions that can arise while one is reciting Kerias Shema or its berachos.7 We will now focus on the specific types of interruptions that are permitted, and forbidden, during this time.

Now, the Mishnah and Shulchan Aruch set forth that the part of tefillah made of Kerias Shema and its berachos is comprised of distinct sections, called perakim. The criteria for interrupting when in the middle of a section, termed be’emtza haperek, is more severe than interrupting when between one section and another, termed bein haperakim.

The sections of Kerias Shema and its berachos include:

  1. The first berachah of Birchos Kerias Shema (Yotzer Ohr in Shacharis, and Hama’ariv Aravim in Ma’ariv). This section begins from the time that one hears Barchu.8
  2. The second berachah of Birchos Kerias Shema (which concludes Habocher B’amo Yisrael Be’ahavah).
  3. The passage of Shema.9
  4. The passage of Vehayah Im Shamo’a.
  5. The passage of Vayomer.
  6. The berachah following Kerias Shema (Emes Veyatziv in Shacharis and Emes Ve’emunah in Ma’ariv).

As a rule, one who is in the middle of any of these is considered as holding be’emtza haperek, and one who completed a section but did not yet begin the next one is considered as holding bein haperakim.

There are, however, two exceptions to this rule.

  1. One who recited the first verse of Shema and has not yet said Baruch Shem may not interrupt at this point for any reason other than a situation of danger.10
  2. The section of Vayomer closes with the words Ani Hashem Elokeichem. That said, one may not interrupt or even pause11 between this point and saying the word “Emes,” of Emes Veyatziv. Although this point is technically bein haperakim, the words Ani Hashem Elokeichem must be recited juxtaposed to the word Emes, and may not be interrupted.12 Rather, one who must interrupt for something that is a permitted interruption be’emtza haperek should say the word Emes and interrupt then.13

One may also not needlessly interrupt immediately before beginning Birchos Kerias Shema or upon its conclusion, albeit for different reasons. The pause between the end of Kaddish following Pesukei Dezimrah and the beginning of Barchu is also considered bein haperakim.14 And, although Birchos Kerias Shema concludes with the berachah of Ga’al Yisrael, one may not interrupt at this point, for this berachah of Geulah (Redemption) must be juxtaposed to Tefillah, that is, the Shemoneh Esrei.15

1 Interrupting in the middle of Kerias Shema is forbidden even when it is being recited without its accompanying berachos, provided it is being recited to discharge one’s obligation (Beiur Halachah 66:5, s.v. Ve’eilu).

2 Writing, though, is permitted (Ishei Yisrael 19, footnote 1, citing R’ Chaim Kanievsky). Cf. Salmas Chaim, Orach Chaim 46 (Machon Keren Re’eim ed.).

3 Mishnah Berurah (Introduction to Chapter 66).

4 See Mishnah Berurah 66:2.

5 66:1.

6 Mishnah Berurah 66:2.

7 See Tur 66:3, and Mishnah Berurah ad loc. 19 and 26.

8 Mishnah Berurah 54:13.

9 One davening alone says Kel Melech Ne’eman before reciting the first verse of Shema (Rema 61:3). It appears that one is still considered to be in bein haperakim while reciting this phrase (R’ Chaim Kanievsky, cited in Ishei Yisrael 19, footnote 9*).

10 Shulchan Aruch 66:1, with Mishnah Berurah 11-12.

11 Shulchan Aruch 66:5, with Mishnah Berurah 29.

12 This juxtaposition is in the manner of Yirmiyah Hanavi, who said (Yirmiyah 10:10) וַה' אֱלֹהִים אֱמֶת – “But Hashem, God, is true” (Mishnah Berurah 66:28).

13 Shulchan Aruch 66:5.

14 Rema 54:3, with Mishnah Berurah 13.

15 Shulchan Aruch 66:8.