The Torah system encompasses many different subject areas. Definitions within one area often appear in other areas within the system. Like in nature, when we carefully follow one thread, it is often intertwined and will lead us to related expressions within the system.

שמות כה – (ל) וְנָתַתָּ֧ עַֽל־הַשֻּׁלְחָ֛ן לֶ֥חֶם פָּנִ֖ים לְפָנַ֥י תָּמִֽיד׃

Shemot 25 – (30) And you shall place on the table showbread before Me at all times.

The Torah describes to showbread in the Beit HaMikdash as “Before Me always”. The definition of “always” as it relates to time and continuity is discussed in the Talmud.

תלמוד בבלי - מנחות צט:

מתני': שני שולחנות היו באולם מבפנים על פתח הבית אחד של שייש ואחד של זהב על של שייש נותנים לחם הפנים בכניסתו ועל של זהב ביציאתו. שמעלין בקודש ולא מורידין ואחד של זהב מבפנים שעליו לחם הפנים תמיד. וארבעה כהנים נכנסין שנים בידם שני סדרים ושנים בידם שני בזיכין וארבעה מקדימין לפניהם שנים ליטול שני סדרים ושנים ליטול שני בזיכין. המכניסים עומדים בצפון ופניהם לדרום והמוציאין עומדים בדרום ופניהם בצפון אלו מושכין ואלו מניחין וטפחו של זה כנגד טפחו של זה שנאמר {שמות כ"ה:ל'} לפני תמיד. ר' יוסי אומר אפי' אלו נוטלין ואלו מניחין אף היא היתה תמיד.

Talmud Bavli – Menachot 99b

MISHNA: And there was one Table of gold within the Sanctuary, upon which the shewbread is always found. The mishna describes the manner in which it is ensured that the shewbread is constantly on the Table: And four priests enter, two with the two arrangements of the new shewbread in their hands and two with the two bowls of frankincense in their hands. And four priests precede them, entering the Sanctuary before them, two to take the two arrangements of the old shewbread from the Table, and two to take the two bowls of frankincense. Those bringing the new shewbread into the Sanctuary stand in the north and their faces are to the south, and those removing the old shewbread stand in the south and their faces are to the north. These priests draw the old shewbread from the Table and those priests place the new shewbread on the Table, and for each handbreadth of this old shewbread that is removed from the Table a handbreadth of that new shewbread is placed upon the Table, so that the Table is never without loaves upon it, as it is stated: “And you shall set upon the Table shewbread before Me always” (Exodus 25:30). Rabbi Yosei says: Even if these priests were to remove the shewbread from the Table entirely, and only afterward those priests were to place the new shewbread upon the Table, this too would fulfill the requirement that the shewbread always be on the Table. It is unnecessary to ensure the uninterrupted presence of the shewbread upon the Table, as long as it does not remain a single night without shewbread upon it.

The Mishna describes the process of replacing the showbread daily. According to the procedure, a set of Kohanim would prepare to remove the showbread while another set of Kohanim would prepare to place the new showbread. Within a handbreadth of one another, they would remove and replace the showbread in a manner as close to simultaneously as possible, pursuing the constancy described in our verse, “Before Me always” (25:30). Rabbi Yose states that even if one removes the showbread, and there were a gap before the new showbread is placed, this would not violate the concept of constancy. The Gemara elaborates on this.

תלמוד בבלי - מנחות צט:

גמ': תניא רבי יוסי אומר אפי' סילק את הישנה שחרית וסידר את החדשה ערבית אין בכך כלום אלא מה אני מקיים לפני תמיד שלא ילין שלחן בלא לחם.

Talmud Bavli – Menachot 99b

GEMARA: The mishna teaches that according to Rabbi Yosei, even if the priest first removes the old shewbread entirely, and only then places the new shewbread upon the Table, this fulfills the requirement that the shewbread always be on the Table. Moreover, it is taught in a baraita that Rabbi Yosei says: Even if the priest removed the old shewbread on the morning of Shabbat, and arranged the new shewbread toward evening, there is nothing wrong with that. Rather, how do I realize the meaning of the verse: “And you shall set upon the Table shewbread before Me always” (Exodus 25:30)? This means that the Table should not be left overnight without bread upon it. The baraita teaches that according to Rabbi Yosei, even if the old shewbread remained on the Table for a short while in the morning, and the new shewbread was placed on the Table toward evening, and even though it did not reside constantly on the Table, this fulfills the requirement that the shewbread should always be on the Table.

In the Gemara’s analysis, Rabbi Yose clarifies that merely having the showbread on the table during the day, even momentarily, and then placing new showbread at night would be sufficient. Only leaving the table empty overnight would violate the principle of constancy. It is interesting that Rabbi Yose defines the criteria of constancy this way. Despite the procedure described in the Mishna, he understood that “always” could not be defined literally. Even the method prescribed would not achieve literal constancy. Thus he opts for an abstract halakhic definition. Apparently, there is a default definition of constancy which applies the showbread. This definition is maintained by having the bread on the table during the day and during the night, even briefly. Only when there is an absence throughout an entire period is the definition of constancy broken. The procedure described in the Mishna is in pursuit of the ideal, but less can fulfill the minimum requirement.

תלמוד בבלי - מנחות צט:

א"ר אמי מדבריו של ר' יוסי נלמוד אפילו לא שנה אדם אלא פרק אחד שחרית ופרק אחד ערבית קיים מצות {יהושע א':ח'} לא ימוש (את) ספר התורה הזה מפיך.

Talmud Bavli – Menachot 99b

Rabbi Ami says: From Rabbi Yosei’s statement we may learn that even if a person learned only one chapter of the Mishna in the morning and one chapter of the Mishna in the evening, he has thereby fulfilled the mitzva of: “This Torah scroll shall not depart from your mouth, and you shall contemplate in it day and night, that you may take heed to do according to all that is written in it, for then you shall make your ways prosperous, and then you shall have good success” (Joshua 1:8).

Rabbi Ami extends the halakhic definition of constancy provided by Rabbi Yose regarding the showbread to the area of learning Torah. We are exhorted by God to be constantly involved in Torah. While literal constant involvement is an ideal to be pursued, studying day and night can fulfill the basic obligation. As the Rambam writes using our same verse from Yehoshua:

רמב"ם תלמוד תורה א

(ח) כל איש מישראל חייב בתלמוד תורה, בין עני בין עשיר, בין שלם בגופו בין בעל ייסורין, בין בחור בין שהיה זקן גדול שתשש כוחו. אפילו עני המחזר על הפתחים, ואפילו בעל אשה ובנים, חייב לקבוע לו זמן לתלמוד תורה ביום ובלילה, שנאמר "והגית בו יומם ולילה" (יהושע א':ח'):

Rambam – Laws of Torah Study – Chapter 1

(8) Every Jewish man is obligated to study Torah, whether he is poor or rich, whether his body is healthy and whole or afflicted by difficulties, whether he is young or an old man whose strength has diminished. Even if he is a poor man who derives his livelihood from charity and begs from door to door, even if he is a husband and [a father of] children, he must establish a fixed time for Torah study during the day and at night, as [Joshua 1:8] commands: "You shall think about it day and night."

The Talmud continues in its analysis with a statement from Rabbi Yohanan:

תלמוד בבלי - מנחות צט:

אמר רבי יוחנן משום ר"ש בן יוחי אפי' לא קרא אדם אלא קרית שמע שחרית וערבית קיים לא ימוש ודבר זה אסור לאומרו בפני עמי הארץ ורבא אמר מצוה לאומרו בפני עמי הארץ.

Talmud Bavli – Menachot 99b

Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: Even if a person recited only the recitation of Shema in the morning and in the evening, he has fulfilled the mitzva of: “This Torah scroll shall not depart from your mouth.” And it is prohibited to state this matter in the presence of ignoramuses [amei ha’aretz], as they are likely to get the impression that there is no need to study Torah beyond this. And Rava says: On the contrary, it is a mitzva to state this matter in the presence of ignoramuses, as they will realize that if merely reciting the Shema leads to such a great reward, all the more so how great is the reward of those who study Torah all day and night.

Rabbi Yohanan in the Talmud goes further, and based on Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai, says that one can fulfill the obligation of being constantly involved in Torah by merely reciting the Shema in the morning and at night. The activity of reciting Shema is an act of accepting the yoke of heaven through the medium of learning Torah. Thus it fulfills this requirement of constancy in learning.

Rabbi Yohanan states that it is prohibited to tell those who are uneducated about this minimal requirement. He believes this will lead to the neglect of Torah study. Rava disagrees and states that this minimal requirement should definitely be taught to those who are uneducated.

There is a natural tension in education about setting minimum requirements and pass/fail grading. Sometimes an established minimum can result in lower expectations and therefore lower performance. On the other hand, if the minimum is more easily achieved, as in a pass/fail course, the student is free to pursue higher learning within the course, unfettered by concern for their grade.

Both Rabbi Yohanan and Rava agree about the minimal requirement. They instead disagree within an educational framework about teaching this idea. Rabbi Yohanan holds the potential detriment of this idea will outweigh the benefit. If someone is looking for an excuse to disengage from Torah, this idea could cause serious harm. Rava seems to hold that the benefit of this idea outweighs the detriment. If merely reciting the Shema twice a day maintains the definition of constant involvement with Torah, that will inspire those who are looking for more Torah in their lives to aspire to even greater engagement.

References

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/682956/jewish/Mishneh-Torah.htm

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

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