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Siman - Berachos Daf 12

Rabbi Avraham Goldhar
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  • Aseres HaDibros before Krias Shema

Chazal sought to establish the practice of reading the Aseres HaDibros before reciting Krias Shema in the morning in the provinces as is done in the Beis HaMikdash, but soon abolished it because they feared the minim (heretics)  would attempt to convince the ignorant that the rest of the Torah is false.

  • Parshas Balak in Krias Shema

Chazal wanted to include Parshas Balak in Krias Shema because it includes a reference to lying down and getting up in the passuk of "כרע שכב כארי וכלביא מי יקמנו" - "He crouched and lay down like a lion and like a lion cub, who can stand him up?"

They refrained from doing so because of tircha d’tzibbura, the burden it would impose on the congregation due to its length.

  • Five reasons Parshas Tzitzis was included in the Shema

The parsha of tzitzis was included in Krias Shema for the following five reasons:

a)מצות ציצית – The mitzva of tzitzis

b)יציאת מצרים – The Exodus from Mitzrayim

c)עול מצות – The yoke of mitzvos

d)דעת מינים והרהור עברה - The need to beware of heretical opinions and sinful thoughts

e)הרהור עבודה זרה - Idolatrous thoughts