Young Israel of Westside Shiurim

1. Beis Shammai says you must say shema st night lying down and in the morning standing bc the lanaguage of the pasuk is “as your lie down and stand up.”

2. Beis Hillel says you say shema in any position bc the pasuk says “when you walk on the road.”

3. Beis Shammai says “walking on the road” is necessary to teach that one is exempt from saying Shema if they’re involved in another mitzvah, even with thoughts of relations on wedding night. Beis Hillel concedes this law is true, but still argues that you see Shema can be said as one walks on the road.

4. A mourner is obligated in all Mitzvos except Tefillin that are referred to as glory.

5. Since Halacha follows Beis Hillel, it is wrong and dangerous at times to follow beis Shammai opinions of lying down for Shema.

6. One is not allowed fo tamper with the structure of brachos. Short ones should remain short and long remains long.

7. The first bracha b4 shema in the morning mentions both light and dark bc one must mention both day and night on both shachris and Maariv.

8. There is a dispute whether the second bracha text is “Ahava Raba” or “Ahavas olam.”

9. One must recite Bircas hatorah b4 learning, but if they forgot and davened already, saying Ahava Raba exempts u from saying birchas hatorah.

10. Dispute what forms of Torah need Bircas hstorah- jsut scripture, expounding scripture, mishna, or even gemara.

11. There are 3 suggestions for birchas hatorah, so we incorporate all 3 parts. 1. לעסוק בדברי תורה

2.והערב נא

3. אשר בחר בנו

12. In times of beis Hamikdash, the kohanim would recite shema earlier then the ideal time as part of the service. They would leave out one of birchas krias shema-

Either יוצר אור bc it was b4 the right time or אהבה רבה bc they did not have enough time.

1. Bruria advises r Meir to daven for sinners to repent, not for them to perish.

2. Avshaloms rebellion is next to war of Gog Umagog to help us see that anything is possible and if avshalom (a son) could rebel, so too gog (slave) could attempt to rebel

3. Dovid sings in 5 separate dimensions of life- 1. For life in the womb 2. Recognition of the celestial spheres 3. Nursing 4. Seeing wicked fall 5. Death

4. Hashem is amazing in they way He forms real life and outlives his creations

5. There are 5 similarities between the soul and Hashem- soul fills the whole body, soul sees but cannot be seen, soul sustains the whole body, soul is pure, and soul lives in inner chambers.

6. Chizkiya the King knew he would have wicked son and therefore chose not to get married. He got sick and was thereby visited by the prophet, Yeshaya. He is informed he will die and lose reward in Olam Habah. He prays and introduces the idea that even when a sharp sword is on a persona theoat, they should despair from Tefillah.

7. Chizkiya prayed in the merit of praying Vasikin (סומך גאולה לתפילה) and for hiding book of cures.

8. 3 good things Chizkiya did were hiding book of cures, destroying the copper snake, and dragging his fathers body to burial. 3 bad things he did were stoping of Gichon waters, sending doors to Sahcheriv, and making leap month on 30th day of Adar.

9. Always better to daven in merit of someone else besides yourself

10. Elisha benefited from Shunamit woman- she made him special attic or special wall. Shmuel chose not to benefit from others.

11. Giving to Torah scholars is like offering Korbanos

12. One should pray in low place and with legs together

13. It is forbidden to eat before praying

14. After 3 hours into the day, one does not fulfill mitzvah of Shema. However, it is a dispute in Gemara if one davens after 3 hours the blessings around Shema are still recited.

15. Beis Shammai says that at night Shema must be said lying and in morning standing while Beis Hillel says position does not matter.

1. If time of דחק, night Shema can be said until sunrise, but the bracha of השכיבנו should be ommited. 

2. The Rabanan agree that krias shema is really the whole night;they were just placing safeguard but encouraging chatzos 

3. The mishna did not use eating Korban Pesach as example of full-night mitzvah. That is like ר אלעזר בן עזריה- the meat must be eaten by midnight. R akiva disagrees and holds the mitzvah can be fulfilled the whole night. 

4. The redemption began at night but culminated in morning when Jews actually left. Roots of dispute are about חיפזון- the time of haste. Haste of Egyptians kicking us out or haste of the Jews leaving. 

5. Hashem requested that we take riches form Egypt so Avraham would not complain. The Jews did not want to take riches bc of the burden. 

7. Hashem said אהיה אשר שהיה- that He would be with Jews in future Galus as well, but Moshe suggested that it wouldn’t be wise to mention future Galus at that point. 

8. Earliest time for shema in morning is dispute 1. Dif between blue and white patches on wool 2. Dif between blue and green 3. Dif between wolf and dog 4. Dif between donkey and wild donkey 5. Recognizing friend 4 Amos away. 

9. Latest time for Shema is either sunrise or the Halachic opinion of 3 hours into the day when Kong’s get up. 

10. Most ideal time for Shema is Vasikin when sun rises. Someone who does this is not harmed 

11. It is commendable to run to see both Jewish and non-Jewish Kings. 

12. רב בריונא smiled all day from joy of vasikin. 

13. ה שפתי תפתח is not interruption between geulah and tefillah- it becomes part of tefillah. 

14. יהיו לרצון is said after shmone esrei even though it could have for before bc Dovid said it after 18 chapters of Tehillim. 

15. The first 2 chapters of tehillim are really one big chapter.

1. Anyone who 1.studies Torah 2.performs kind acts 3. davens with the tzibur is like they redeemed Hashem and His children from the exile. 

2. One is called a bad neighbor if they don't daven in the local shul

3. Although longevity is reserved for Israel, the people of Bavel merited long life bc they came early and stayed late in Shul 

4. "The pious man davens to find"- either 1.wife 2. succeed in Torah 3. good death (903 possible ways to die 4. good burial 5. ease in finding a bathroom 

5. After destruction of Temple, Hashem loves the places of Halacha study.  Because of this, it is preferable to daven where one learns.  

6. Self-sufficiency can be greater than fear of Hashem. 

7. It is recommended to live near one's Rebbe, as long as they listen to Rebbe's words

8. It's forbidden to leave shul while Sefer Torah is being read

9. Reviewing Parsha 2 times with Targum brings long life.  It should not be done before or after that week's Parsha. 

10. Advise passed to children- Be careful to cut main blood artery when slaughtering birds, don't cut meat on hands, respect Torah scholars who forgot their Torah, don't sit on Armemean women's beds. 

11. Don't pass behind shul when tzibur is davening, unless 1. theres another entrance on other side 2. there are other shuls 3.they are running 4. carrying package 5. wearing Tefillin 

12. Persia/ Media is modest and sensitive,  but till go to Gehonim 

13. Two version- 1. After dawn it is technically night but one can read morning Shema bc there are those who are waking up 2. Close to sunrise it is technically day but one can fulfill nighttime shame bc there are those who are still sleeping.

1. Hashem davens and asks that his mercy overcome strict justice, and once the Kohen Gadol r yishmael gave Hashem this exact bracha. 

2. We learn from Moshe and Hashem’s dialogue after the Egel that one should not appease someone while they are angry. 

3. Hashem has a 1,888th an hour when he is upset every day. This occurs during the first few hours of the day when Kings take off crowns to bow to the sun. The rooster’s crown turns white at this moment. 

4. Billam was able to identify this moment and planned to curse the Jews then, but Hashem did not get angry those days that Billam attempted. 

5. Moshe wanted to understand why the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. Hashem responded that full tzadik does not suffer but incomplete tzadik suffers to get away punishment in this world. Half Rasha prospers so he gets his reward in this world and full rasha suffers. 

Another opinion says Hashem told Moshe we cannot understand His ways and Moshe only looks at the knot of tefilin of God that symbolizes the complexities of God’s justice. 

6. There is a dispute whether it was good or bad for Moshe to humbly turn away from looking at the burning bush. 

7.  Avraham was the first to call Hashem an אדון. 

8. Leah was the first to thank Hashem with the name יהודה 

9. ראובן is ראו בן- see contrast between the way עשו and ראובן reacted to losing the birthright. 

10. There is a concept of שמא גרים- a name can be a real embodiment of a persons character. 

11. Internal struggle within ones home is more painful than the wars of גוג ומגוג.

12. Dovid was “happy” to learn that it was Absalom rebellion against him bc he was confident his son would have compassion as opposed to a slave who could rebell. 

13. Should one fight with רשעים? 

Four approaches1. Not with personal matters only with Hashem’s honor. 2. Only if the rasha does not have success. 3. Only if one is a full tzadik 4. If either one is a full tzadik or the rasha does not have success 

14. Helping Torah scholars can be greater than learning 

15. There is value to davening at the time the minyan davens even when davening  alone.

1. We are surrounded by thousands of demons that cramp us and bother our bodies 

2. One can theoretically verify the existence of these demons and even see them but it is dangerous 

3. Our tefillos are better heard in Shul bc it is place of song 

4. Hashems presence is felt in Shul, wherever 10 people gather to daven Hashem comes first, when 3 people sit to judge Hashem comes, 2 people learning Hashem comes to write the novel chiddushim and even one person alone learning has Hashems presence with him. 

5. Hashem wears tefilin and in His tefilin it says pesukim of His love to the Jews. 

6. Hashem asks about people who usually come to Shul and miss a day

7. We learn from Avraham the law that one should have a set place to Daven 

8. One should not run out of Shul but one  should run to Shul and even on Shabbos.

9. Reward for shiur can be the running. Reward for shiur could be the cramped feeling. Reward for learning is the svaros. Reward for shiva call is the silence. Reward for fasting is the Tzedaka. Reward for eulogies is the wailing. Reward for wedding is the nice words 

10. One who davens out of Shul and faces wrong way is called wicked

11. כרום זולת is reference to tefillah or to people who turn colors when they need other people’s help 

12. We learn from eliyahu to be vigilant with Mincha. Maariv and Shachris is important to daven on time. 

13. At a wedding it is important to gladden the bride and groom (get torah given with 5 “sounds” and not just take. (Transgress the 5 “sounds”)

14. For person with fear of Hashem, the whole world is for him.

Today’s daf was very large with so many disparate points of aggada, but I’ll do my best.

1. Krias Shema by the bed is a powerful tool to fighting the Evil inclination and likened to a double edged sword. 

2. There is evidence from Scripture itself that Moshe received תורה שבעל פה from Sinai 

3. Krias Shema/learning Torah has the ability to cure יסורים 

4. When יסורים come, they can be punishment for specific sin, or bc of neglect in Torah study, or possibly out of Hashem’s love. 

5. יסורין של אהבה can be liberating and free us from sense of bondage much like a slave who is freed when losing a limb. 

6. 3 great gifts that are received only through יסורין- Torah, Israel, and Olam Habah. 

7. Burying ones children could be יסורין של אהבה, whereas not having children is generally not considered to be from Hashems love. 

8. Tzara’as can be out of love in Bavel or when the spot is hidden. 

9. R Yochanan is involved both is curing someone’s יסורין and having his own יסורין cured.

10. Rav Huna had יסורין out of punishment for stealing from his sharecropper who stole from him.

11. A person should not work before praying in morning

12. Ones bed should be north to south, not east to west 

13. It is wrong not to wait for someone else finishing their prayers in Shul.

1. Moshe said כ חצות bc he didn’t want to leave room for Egyptian mistakes and mockery if they would miscalculate the time. 

Or the כ was bc Moshe spoke exactly 24 hrs before. 

2. Dovid refers to himself as a חסיד bc he woke up earlier than most Kings or bc he was humble enough to deal with blood of Niddah to permit women to their husbands and would even check his rulings with מפיבשת. 

Dovid was also nervous that he would not merit עולם הבא (dots over לולא) bc sin can take away merits. (So we find with Ya’akov and with the Second beis mikdash)

3. The middle opinion to say shema only until chatzos is bc Chazal were so concerned ppl would fall asleep and miss shema 

4. There is a dispute if at night there is a need to be סומך גאולה לתפילה. Dispute hinges upon whether there was גאולה at night in mitzrayim. Or whether krias Shema should always be closer to “bed.” 

4. השכיבנו is an extension of גאולה and ה׳ שפתי is an extension of תפילה.

5. Saying Asheri 3 times a day brings you to עולם הבא bc it has aleph beis and פותח את ידך. 

6. There is no nun is Ashrei bc of the pasuk נפלה ולא תוסיף קום בתולת ישראל.

7. מיכאל flies in 1, גבריאל in 2, אליהו-4, and מלאך המות 8. 

8. There is an xtra mitzvah to Shema at ones bed unless תלמיד חכם who can recite just a pasuk.

1. R Eliezer holds the latest time for Shema is 4 hours into the night. 

2. The night is divided into 3 watches in his opinion, and he says to say shema by the end of the first watch to emphasize that watches are a reality in our world. 

3. At each watch, Hashem cries for his children who have caused the destruction of the beis handikadh.  

4. Sign for 1st mishmar-donkeys braying

2nd mishmar- dogs barking

3rd mishmar- babies nursing and spouses conversing 

5. One should enter a ruined building bc 1.supsicion of immorality 2. Danger of wall falling 3. Presence of demons

6. There is a tannaic dispute whether the night is divided into 3 or 4 watches 

7. Dovid got up on chatzos. He was aware of chatzos bc of a harp on top of his bed. He may have been awake previously as well, either dozing lightly or enagaged in Torah study.

1. Earliest time for shema is when Kohen eats his terumah (nightfall) 

2. Latest time is end of 1st watch, (r Eliezer) or midnight (rabbis) or dawn (r gamliel) 

3. R gamliel emphasizes his opinion in a story to his children that really one can read shema until dawn and it’s jsut preferable to take care of it by midnight 

4. We start learning about night shema bc either the pasuk starts with the night time shema or the worlds creation begins with night 

5. The kohen who was Previously tamei has a three step processs for purity. He immerses and may eat ma’aser but not terumah. After nightfall he may eat terumah but not kodshim. The next day he brings Korban and eats kodshim. 

6. There are various other opinions regarding the earliest start time for the night Shema. They range from sundown, ppl eating meal Friday night, moments b4 stars emerge, emergence of stars, when poor man eats dinner, and when regular ppl eat dinner. 

7. There is a dispute about the length of bein hashmashos (when we are unsure whether it is day or night) Acc to r Yehudah this is a significant amount of time but acc to r Yosi it is simply the blink of an eye before the stars emerge.