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Translation:Shulchan Aruch/Orach Chaim/47

From Wikisource
Translation:Shulchan Aruch
by Yosef Karo, translated from Hebrew by Wikisource
Orach Chaim 47: Laws of Blessing the Torah
732496Translation:Shulchan AruchOrach Chaim 47: Laws of Blessing the TorahWikisourceYosef Karo

47: Laws of Blessing the Torah.

1 One should be very particular about the blessing for the Torah.

2 One must recite the blessings over Scripture, over Mishna or over Gemara. Gloss: Or over the Midrash [Tur].

3 One who writes words of Torah, even if he does not read them out, must recite the blessings.

4 One who merely thinks about matters of Torah need not recite the blessings. Gloss: And this is also the law that someone can decide an issue of law without giving reasoning to his words. [Ran, first chapter of Shabbat and chapter "All images", wrote that it's like thinking].

5 The blessings for the Torah are: "...Who has sanctified us by His commandments and has commanded us concerning matters of Torah," "And please make sweet, etc.," and "...Who has chosen us...."

6 - One says "and make sweet" with a "vav". Gloss: And some say without a "vav" and that is our custom (Rambam, Chapter 7 of Hilchot Tefilla; and Rashba in the name of the Maor; and Abudirham). But it is better to say it with a "vav".

7 The blessing "An everlasting love" exempts a person from the blessing of the Torah if he learned Torah immediately afterwards without interruption.

8 And there is a doubt whether reading the Shema immediately without interruption is sufficient, and therefore one should be careful to recite the blessing of the Torah before "ahavat olam".

9 Some say that if one makes an interruption between reciting the blessing of the Torah and his learning, it doesn't matter. And the correct conduct is not to make any interruption between them. And so the custom is to recite the portion of the Priestly Blessing straight after the Blessing of the Torah.

10 If one interrupted his learning and engaged in his activities, since his intention is to return to his studies, it does not constitute an interruption; and the law is the same regarding sleeping and washing and bathroom, that they do not constitute an interruption.

11 A routine sleep in the day in one's bed does constitute an interruption. And some say that it does not constitute an interruption, and that is our custom.

12 Even if one studies at night, the night follows the previous day, and he is not required to repeat the blessing as long as he has not slept.

13 One who rises early before daylight to study recites the blessing of the Torah and he does not need to repeat the blessing when he goes to synagogue. One who rises early before daylight recites the full order of the blessings except for the blessing "Who has given to the cockerel/heart understanding..." and the scriptural section of the daily sacrifice [see above, Chapter 1, paragraph 6], that one should wait until daylight before saying these. Gloss: And ideally, one should perform hand-washing before reciting the blessings to study. And if one does not have any water, he can study and recite the blessings without washing, as is the case with the other blessings which are recited before washing as stated above, Chapter 46 [Agur].

14 Women recite the blessing of the Torah.