Pirkei T’fillah: Birkhot ha-Torah

‫בּ��כוֹת ה�שּׁ�ח�ר‬ #54334

birkhot ha-Torah

In   (the Morning Blessings) there is a series of  called   (Torah blessings).

Sometimes it is found after   and other times it is between   and  . The difference comes from the Talmud, which originally assigned these  to be said in response to actions. When they were added to the , the order was determined by the group who added them.

Rabbi Moses Isserles was the author of the Mappah, an Ashkenazic commentary on the Shulhan Arukh. His order was first  , then  , and finally  . He teaches that first we awaken the body, then the soul, and finally the intellect.

1

In the Talmud (Brakhot 11b) there is an argument about which blessing should be said at this spot in the service.

What  is said before the study of the Torah?

Rav Yehudah said in the name of Samuel: “Blessed are you…Who has made us holy with Your mitzvot, and made it a mitzvah for us to study the Torah.”

Rav Yohanan used to conclude his blessing for the Torah this way: “Make pleasant, therefore, we beg of You, Oh Eternal our God, the words of Your Torah in our mouth and in the mouth of Your people the familiesof-Israel…Blessed are You, O Eternal, who teaches Torah to Your people Israel.”

Rav Hamnuna said: “Blessed are You…who has chosen us from all the nations and given us Your Torah. Blessed are You, Eternal, Who gives the Torah.”

Rav Hamnuna said: “This is the finest of . Therefore let us say all of them.”

Today, all three of these  form the first part of  . They are followed by three texts to study. Because we have said  over studying, they would be empty  if we did not follow them with an action.

We study a piece of Bible (Numbers 6:24-6), a piece of Mishnah (Mishnah Peah 1.1), and a piece of Gemara (Shabbat 127a). This is based on Kiddushin 30a that says “One should divide one’s study time into one-third Bible, one-third Mishnah, and one-third Gemara.

2

   .1

Praised are You, Adonai

   .2

Our God, Ruler of the Cosmos

   .3

Who made us holy with the mitzvot

 .4

and made it a mitzvah for us

.   .5

to occupy ourselves with words of Torah.

  - .6

Please, sweeten, Our God,

  -  .7

the words of Your Torah in our mouths and in the mouths of Your people, the House of Israel.

    .8

May we and our descendents,

   .9

and the descendents of Your people, the House of Israel,

    .10  .11

all of us,

  .12

know Your Name,

.   .13

and study Your Torah for its own sake.

 .14

Praised are You, Adonai,

.     .15

The One-Who-Teaches-Torah to God’s people, Israel.

 .16

Praised are You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the Cosmos,

 .17

Who chose us from all peoples,

  .18  .19

and gave us the Torah.

Praised are You, Adonai,

 .20

The Giver of the Torah.

 .21

Kol Haneshamah (Reconstructionist Siddur) and Mishkan T’fillah (Reform Siddur) do not include lines 16–20 in  .

3

ROOT ANALYSIS

Can you see the three letters  in these words?

Sometimes the  drops out.







commandment =  and commanded us =  with His (God’s) commandments = 



Practice these words and phrases and circle all the words that contain the root .

   





.1



.2





.3





.4

-    - 

.5

     

.6

     

.7

      

.8

      

.9

  

 

 









4





TRANSLATION Review the vocabulary and make your best guess at the meaning of this .













          .  



____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

Take your best guess at the meaning of this text.

Your teacher will help you with your translation.

word parts

words

the = 

Adonai/Eternal = 

us/our/we = 

God = 

in/with = 

that/which/who = 

and = 

commandment = 

to = 

busy oneself = 

5

The Fox

Our Rabbis taught: Once the wicked Government of Rome issued a law forbidding the Jews to study and practice the Torah. Pappus ben Yehudah came and found Rabbi Akiva publicly gatherings Jews together and teaching the Torah. He said to him: “Akiva, are you not afraid of the government?” Akiva replied: “I will explain to you with a story.”

A fox was once walking alongside of a river. He saw fishes going in swarms from one place to another. He said to them: “From what are you fleeing?” They replied: “From the nets cast for us by people.” He said to them: “Would you like to come up on to the dry land so that you and I can live together in the way that my ancestors lived with your ancestors?” They replied: “Are you the one that they call the cleverest of animals?

You are not clever but foolish. If we are afraid in the element in which we live, how much more in the element in which we would die!”

So it is with us. This is the story of the Jews, if we are at risk when we sit and study the Torah, of which it is written, “FOR IT IS YOUR LIFE AND THE LENGTH OF YOUR DAYS” (Deut. 30.20). If we go and neglect the Torah how much worse off we shall be!

Soon afterwards Rabbi Akiva was arrested for studying Torah and thrown into prison.

(Brakhot 61b)

Questions

1. Why does Akiva continue to publicly Torah when the Romans forbid it?

2. What lesson does the story of the fishes teach?

3. How can knowing this story help us say   and commit to study Torah every day?

6

 

These are the texts over which   are said.

Numbers 6.24-26

.   .1

May Adonai bless you and guard you.

May Adonai light up God’s face to you and be gracious to you.

.     .2     .3

May Adonai turn God’s face to you

.   .4

and give you peace.

Mishnah Peah 1.1

:     .5

These are the things that have no set measure.

 .6

The corner of the fields (that are left for the poor), and the first fruit offering and the pilgrimage (to Jerusalem)

  .7 .    .8

acts of kindness and Torah study.

Shabbat 127a

  .9

These are the things

     .10

that a person eats their fruit in this world But whose reward remains for that person in the world to come.

     .11 :  .12

These are them:

   .13

Honoring father and mother.

,  .14

Acts of loving kindness.

,     .15

Being early to the house of study morning and evening.

,  .16

Welcoming guests.

Visiting the sick.

,  .17

And escorting the bride

,  .18

and attending to the dead

, , .19

and deep involvement in prayer.

,  .20 ,     .21

and bringing peace between people and their neighbors.

,   .22

and between husband and wife.

.    .23

And Talmud Torah is equal to them all.

Lines 5–8 appear only in Siddur Sim Shalom (Conservative Siddur). Lines 9–23 appear in both Siddur Sim Shalom and Mishkan T’fillah (Reform Siddur). Siddur Sim Shalom (Conservative Siddur) adds line 22.

7

ROOT ANALYSIS

Can you see  in these words?





word/thing =



he spoke =



words/things =







Practice these phrases and circle all the words that contain the root .

    

.1

   

.2

   - 

.3

      

.4

      

.5

      

.6

      

.7



  -     

.8

       

.9

8

TRANSLATION Review the vocabulary and make your best guess at the meaning of this piece of Talmud.

 Take your best guess at the meaning of this text.

Your teacher will help you with your translation.









       .      

____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________________

word parts

words

that/which/who = 

lasting = 

these = 

their = 

to him = 

eats = 

in the = 

them = 

this =  fund/reward = 

the =  with = 

9

How Fast Can You Fly? Attached to each plane is a banner. Practice and then recite the phrases on each banner. You will need a friend to check your progress and a timer to check your time. Then switch places.

Time

      

      

  ,  

    

  , 

  ,  , 

    

    10

Match these Phrases Match these phrases by writing the number of the Hebrew phrase next to its English translation.

  .1

Welcoming guests.

     .2

and attending to the dead

     .3

and deep involvement in prayer.

:  .4

And Talmud Torah is equal to them all.

   .5

that a person eats their fruit in this world But whose reward remains for that person in this world to come

,  .6   ,   .7

These are the things

,  .8

Visiting the sick.

Being early to the house of study morning and evening.

,  .9

and bringing peace between people and their neighbors.

,  .10

Honoring father and mother.

, , .11

And escorting the bride.

,  .12 ,     .13

These are them:

.    .14

Acts of loving kindness.

11

A Portion in the World to Come This is the story of a poor man who had a daughter who wanted to get married. The daughter was beautiful and a good student wanted to marry her. Unfortunately the poor man could not afford a dowry and the boy’s parents were in no position to help either. The poor man prayed, but it did no good. He went to his rabbi, Rabbi Meir, and asked for help in finding the 2,000 roubles the couple would need for a wedding and to make a life for themselves.

Rabbi Meir told the poor man that he, too, was poor, but he reached into his pocket, and pulled out a single rouble. Rabbi Meir said, “This is all I have, but I am sure it will help you find what you need. The poor man took the rouble and left. On his way home he met the richest man in town. The poor man said to him, “I’ll offer you one rouble for your portion in the world to come.” The rich man who valued every rouble said, “Sure.”

Then the rich man’s life fell apart. His wife wanted to leave him. His daughter’s fiancé wanted to call off the wedding. People were hesitant to do business with him. Everyone was scared of a man who had no portion in the world to come. He tried to buy back his portion in the world to come. He offered five, ten, and twenty-five roubles to the poor man who continued to say, “No.” The two men met with Rabbi Meir and asked him for a solution. The rabbi thought and thought. Then he told the rich man that he would have to pay the poor man 2,000 roubles. The rich man agreed and did so. Then Rabbi Meir said, “Now you’ve finally begun to earn a portion in the world to come.” (Retold from a story told by Shlomo Carlebach)

Questions

1. What is a “portion in the world to come”?

2. Can you buy a portion in the world to come?

3. What did Rabbi Meir mean when he said, “Now you’ve finally begun to earn a portion in the world to come”?

4. How can knowing this story help you point your heart when you study this piece of Talmud in a service?

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