Important Message Regarding This Lesson
The Daily Mitzvah schedule runs parallel to the daily study of 3 chapters of Maimonides' 14-volume code. There are instances when the Mitzvah is repeated a few days consecutively while the exploration of the same Mitzvah continues in the in-depth track.
Positive Commandment 10 (Digest)
The Shema
"And you shall talk of them ... when you lie down and when you rise up"—Deuteronomy 6:7.
We are commanded to recite the Shema twice daily: morning and night. Women are not obligated in this time-bound mitzvah.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 10th mitzvah is that we are commanded to recite the Shema;) daily, both in the evening and in the morning.
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> The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),;) "And you shall speak of them when you sit in your house [and when you walk on the road, when you lie down and when you rise.]"
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> The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the tractate Berachos. There;) it is explained that reciting Shema is a Biblical requirement.;)
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> The Tosefta;) explains [regarding the mitzvah of prayer]: "Just as the Torah established the time for reciting Shema, so our Sages established a time for prayer." The meaning of this statement is as follows: Although prayer itself is ordained by the Torah, as explained above,;) the set times for prayer are not. The Sages established the times for prayer. This is also the meaning of the statement,;) "The prayers were established to correspond to the tamid sacrifices.";) This means that the Sages established the times of prayer to correspond to the times of the sacrifices.;)
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> Women are not obligated in this mitzvah.
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> Footnotes
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> 1.
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> Deut. 6:4.
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> 2.
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> Deut. 6:7.
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> 3.
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> Berachos 21a.
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> 4.
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> The Rambam brings this to prove that this mitzvah, since it is Biblical in origin , counts among the 613.
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> Berachos, beginning of Ch. 3.
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> 6.
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> P5.
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> 7.
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> Berachos 26a.
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> 8.
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> See P39.
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> 9.
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> These passages prove that not only is the recital of Shema itself ordained by the Torah, but that the times are also ordained by the Torah. This makes reciting Shema a mitzvah she'ha'zman groma — a mitzvah connected with a set time — from which women are exempt. See Yad HaLevi on Sefer Hamitzvos, P10, note 1.
Positive Commandment 5 (Digest)
Prayer
"And you shall serve the L-rd, your G‑d"—Exodus 23:25.
We are commanded numerous times throughout the Torah to serve G‑d. Although this is a general commandment, it does contain a very specific application: prayer, service of the heart as expressed through the mouth.
Unabridged English Text of this Mitzvah »
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> The 5th mitzvah is that we are commanded to serve G‑d (blessed be He). This commandment is repeated many times: And you shall serve G‑d, your L‑rd";;) "And you shall serve Him";;) "And to serve Him.";)
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> Although this commandment is of a general nature,;) as explained in the Fourth Principle,;) [and apparently should not be included in the count of the 613 mitzvos,] nevertheless it has a specific quality, since it is the commandment to pray.
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> [We see that "service" is not just a general command from the following statements:] The Sifri;) says, "The verse, 'And to serve Him' means prayer." The Sages also said, "The verse, 'And to serve Him' means Torah study.
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> In the Mishnah of Rabbi Eliezer, the son of Rabbi Yosi HaG'lili,;) the Sages said, "What is the biblical source to include prayer among the mitzvos? From the verse, 'You shall fear G‑d, your L‑rd, and you shall serve Him.' ";)
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> They also said,;) "Serve Him through His Torah; serve Him in His Temple." This [statement, 'serve Him in His Temple,'] means that one's goal should be to pray in the Temple or in the direction of the Temple, as King Solomon explained.;)
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> Footnotes
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> Ex. 23:25.
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> 2.
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> Deut. 13:5. Some versions of Sefer Hamitzvos include here Deut. 6:13, "And you shall serve Him."
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> Deut. 11:13.
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> I.e., "serving" G‑d includes performance of all the mitzvos, rather than a specific act.
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> In the Introductory section of Sefer Hamitzvos. This Principle states that a mitzvah must be of a specific nature in order to be counted among the 613 mitzvos.
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> Deut 11:13.
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> Also quoted in Migdal Oz, beginning of Hilchos Tefilah.
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> 8.
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> Deut. 10:20.
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> 9.
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> Sifri Medrash Tenaim.
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> 10.
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> Kings I, 8:23,35. Chronicles II, 6:32.