Podcasts about Pasuk

For a 10% discount on Rabbi David Sutton's new book A Daily Dose of Perek Shira click the link below https://www.artscroll.com/Books/9781422644584.html Yesterday, we quoted a pasuk brought by Rabbi Avraham ben HaRambam from Hoshea 12, 7: ואתה באלקיך תשוב, חסד ומשפט שמר, וקוה אל אלקיך תמיד / As for you, return to Hashem, observe kindness and justice, and always hope to your God." That was his source showing that we have a command from God to constantly hope to Him and never to despair. Today I'd like to share the context of this pasuk with you. In pasuk 3 of that chapter it says, ריב לה' עם יהודה / Hashem has a contention with Yehudah (the Jewish people), ולפק ד על יעקב /and will visit upon Yaakov. What is Hashem's complaint? It says in the next pasuk: בבטן עקב את אחיו / In the womb he seized his brother's heel. ובאונו שרה את אלקים / And with his strength, he struggled with an angel. Rashi explains: Hashem is describing all that He did so Yaakov would become the chosen one. He seized the heel, he fought the angel, he prevailed. Basically, Hashem is saying: " Look how much I've done for you, from the beginning of your existence, Jewish people." Then in pasuk 6 it says, וה' אלקי הצבאות ה' זכרו / Hashem, the God of Legions, Hashem is His remembrance. Rashi explains: כאשר הייתי מאז כן אני עתה / Just as I was then, so am I now. אם הייתם הולכים עמי בתמימות כיעקב אביכם / If you would act with Me with simplicity like Yaakov Avinu (your father), הייתי נוהג עמכם כאשר נהגתי עמו /I would treat you as I treated him. Rabbi Yehudah HaChassid, in Sefer Gematriot , letter 152, connects יעקב איש תם to תמים תהיה. Yaakov is called איש תם, Ish Tam meaning " simple" or " pure " — and תמים תהיה Tamim Tihyeh means go with God in simplicity. Rashi on Devarim 18:13 says on תמים תהיה: התהלך עמו בתמימות ותצפה לו – Go with God with simplicity and l ook forward to Him. In other words. do not turn to fortune-tellers or sorcerers etc… Rather, כל מה שיבוא עליך קבל בתמימות/ Accept whatever happens to you with simplicity. ואז תהיה עמו ולחלקו /Then you will be with Him and part of His portion. (That's why the famous Meshech Chochmah says that when a person has bitachon , he fulfills the mitzvah of dveikut / cleaving to God.) So what is Hashem telling us through Hoshea HaNavi? Again, the words of Rashi: אם הייתם הולכים עמי בתמימות כיעקב אביכם/ If you went with Me with simplicity like Yaakov Avinu, I would act with you like I did with him. The Sefer Ikvot Moshe on Parashat Vayishlach, by Rav Moshe Akiva Tikutchinski, Mashgiach of Slabodka in Bnei Brak, writes: This shows that every Jew is capable and asked to go with the same Temimut/ simplicity and trust as Yaakov Avinu. And if we reach that level of connection, God will act with us like that. In the famous Mizmor in Tehillim perek 20 it says: יענך ה' ביום צרה, ישגבך שם אלקי יעקב /May Hashem answer you in a time of trouble; may the Name of the God of Yaakov lift you up. The Midrash says on that pasuk says it doesn't say אלקי Elokei Avraham or Elokei Yitzhak — only Elokei Yaakov. David Hamelech is saying: מי שענה ליעקב אביכם, הוא יענה אתכם – the One who answered Yaakov, will answer you. Furthermore, in Bereshit 35:3, it says about Yaakov לאל העונה אותי ביום צרתי / the God who answers me on my day of trouble. With that introduction, we come back to: ואתה באלקיך תשוב, חסד ומשפט שמר, וקוה אל אלקיך תמיד As for you, return to your God, observe kindness and justice, and always hope to your God." Rashi explains: What does it mean to hope to Him? בהבטחתו ובמשענתו /count on His guarantee and the ability to lean on Him. שהוא מבטיחך, אתה יכול לסמוך /He guarantees you; you can rely on His guarantee. And what should you do? לקוות לישועתו תמיד /constantly look forward to His salvation. This is all Rashi's explanation of God's words. But the very next pasuk (7) says : כנען בידו מאזני מרמה לעשק אהב – Instead, you are a Canaan/traitor who holds dishonest scales and loves to cheat. Rashi explains: Instead of relying on Hashem, you rely on shenanigans and crooked business. And you say about your wealth, אך עשר תי / I have become wealthy. ולא עבודת הקב״ה / I don't need to serve God. It wasn't God, it was me. Pasuk 8: ויאמר אפרים אך עשרתי מצאתי און לי – Ephraim says: I have become wealthy , I have found power for myself . כל יגיעי לא ימצאו לי עוון אשר חטא / I've worked hard and no one can find any sin in me. I'm clean. The Radak says this is the opposite of Kaveh el Hashem Hashem/ hoping to Hashem: They do not hope in Hashem. They do not admit that it is He who gives the power to succeed. Instead they say: כחי ועוצם ידי עשה לי את החיל הזה / My strength and my hand made this wealth. And they forget: ה' אלקיך, שנתן לו כח / that Hashem gave him the strength. They say: עשרתי מעצמי / I made myself wealthy. These are the two opposite paths. Either the person lives with the program of קוה אל אלקיך תמיד – constantly hoping to Hashem, or they take the אך עשרתי / I made myself rich approach.. Let's choose the path of קוה אל אלקיך תמיד Hope to Hashem constantly

Who Does He Protect?

The Torah tells us in this week's parashah, Chukat, that the nation of Kena'an waged war against Bnei Yisrael. Rashi explains that they weren't actually Kena'anim, but Amalekim who disguised themselves as Kena'anim. Their goal was that when the Jews would pray to Hashem to save them from Kena'an, their prayers would go unanswered—because in reality, the attackers were Amalek. The next pasuk says that the Jews made a neder: if Hashem would help them succeed in the war, they would donate all the spoils to Him. And indeed, the next pasuk states: וַיִּשְׁמַע ה׳ בְּקוֹל יִשְׂרָאֵל וַיִּתֵּן אֶת־הַכְּנַעֲנִי וַיַּחֲרֵם אֶתְהֶם וְאֶת־עָרֵיהֶם וַיִּקְרָא שֵׁם־הַמָּקוֹם חָרְמָה Hashem heard their voice, gave them victory, and they fulfilled their promise by dedicating everything to Him. We find a similar idea with Yaakov Avinu when he fled from Esav. He made vows to Hashem in the merit of being protected. Although in general Chazal discourage making nederim, they allow it in times of distress. The Gemara in Masechet Eruvin (64a) learns from the vow the Jews made regarding their war against Amalek the tremendous power of using one's money for mitzvot in order to receive Hashem's extra mercy. The Gemara explains that if a convert passes away without any heirs, his possessions become ownerless. If someone acquires them and suddenly becomes wealthy, that wealth is at risk due to ayin hara. But if he uses part of it for a mitzvah, like buying a sefer Torah, the mitzvah protects the rest of the wealth. Another opinion says this also applies to someone who marries a woman who brings a large dowry into the marriage; he should use part of that money for mitzvot to guard it. A third opinion adds that even someone who profits handsomely from a business deal should invest part of the earnings in mitzvot to protect the rest from ayin hara. A final opinion mentions a sofer who writes tefillin. Rashi explains that even buying tefillin helps guard the wealth. However, the Maharsha explains differently: even a sofer who doesn't make much must use part of his earnings for mitzvot. Why? Although he may not have ayin hara on him, he might think his parnasah is coming from his skill and beautiful handwriting, forgetting that Hashem is the One giving him success. That attitude— כֹּחִי וְעֹצֶם יָדִי עָשָׂה לִי אֶת הַחַיִל הַזֶּה —can itself be a danger. To counter that, he must give some of his earnings to Hashem to express true recognition that He is providing. The Maharsha explains this is why the Gemara uses the case of Bnei Yisrael's war with Amalek as a proof rather than Yaakov's flight from Esav. In war, they could have believed it was their own strength that brought the victory. But they showed they knew it came from Hashem by pledging everything to Him. And this is why the Pasuk uses the words אם נתן תתן regarding the Jewish people's vow. Meaning אם נתן -if it will look like things are happening on their own in the natural way of the world, then please Hashem, תתן - we want to recognize that you are the One giving us the victory. The Me'iri writes similarly: people with yirat shamayim constantly reflect that their success comes only from Hashem. That awareness makes them enthusiastic to use what they have in Hashem's service. May we always remember that all we have and achieve is from Hashem, and may our recognition fill us with sincere hakarat ha-tov that drives us to give back with open hearts. Shabbat Shalom.

Am I Answered?

Why Was He Answered?

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We continue with another beautiful teaching from Rabbenu Yonah on Mishleh Chapter 3, Pasuk 25. He writes these powerful words: One should rely on Hashem in all times of difficulty and darkness, knowing the truth that Hashem is rav l'hoshia—abundant in salvation—as we say every single day in our Amidah. Mikol tzarah/from all difficulties v'yeshuato ke'heref ayin/His salvation comes in the blink of an eye. Therefore, we must rely on Hashem's salvation even if a sword is on a person's throat. Rabbenu Yonah quotes a pasuk in Iyov: Hen yikteleni, lo ayachel/Even if he were to kill me, I would still hope toward Him." Where does this concept come from—that even if a sword is at your throat, you shouldn't give up hope? It's from a well known Gemara in Masechet Brachot: Chizkiyah HaMelech was ill. Yishayah the prophet came to him and said, " Command your household—you are dying and will not live; you are dying in this world and will not live in the next." Why? Because Chizkiyah chose not to have children, having foreseen with ruach hakodesh that his children would be wicked. The prophet rebuked him for this, saying, " That is not your concern. You must do what you are obligated to do, and Hashem will do what He must." Chizkiyah responded to the prophet, " Let me marry your daughter—perhaps through my merit and yours, we will have righteous children." But the prophet replied, " You're a dead man. I won't give you my daughter." Chizkiyah answered, " Prophet, please leave. I have a tradition from my grandfather's household that even if a sword is on one's neck, one should not give up hope." Who is this grandfather he's referring to? Rashi explains that it refers to David HaMelech. In Divrei Hayamim א , 21:16 , David HaMelech counted the people, and Hashem decreed punishment on them. David lifted his eyes and saw an angel of Hashem standing between heaven and earth, v'charbo shlufa b'yado/a drawn sword in his hand, netuya al Yerushalayim/stretched out over Jerusalem. And what did David Hamelech do? He prayed. Even though the sword was over him, he prayed. That is the source Chizkiyah HaMelech referred to, as he was descended from David HaMelech. But the Vilna Gaon, in his commentary in Sefer Kol Eliyahu , is troubled. He points out that the text doesn't say the sword was literally on David's neck—only that it was stretched over Yerushalayim. So metaphorically, yes—but do we have a source that a sword was truly on someone's neck? The Vilna Gaon refers us to Melachim א , 22: 30–33, and also Divrei Hayamim ב , 18:31–32. There, Yehoshafat was at war. He disguised himself and was in hiding, and the king of Aram sent assassins specifically to find and kill him—like a targeted assassination. They found him and were about to kill him. And the pasuk says: Vayizak Yehoshafat—Yehoshafat cried out—v'Hashem azro—and Hashem helped him—vayesitem Elokim mei'meno—God diverted them away from him. Miraculously, they disappeared. The Yalkut Shimoni comments on this episode, saying: melamed shelo yechaser ki'im hatzat harosh—all that was missing was the removal of his head. It was that close. According to the Vilna Gaon, this is the source Chizkiyah drew on. His ancestor Yehoshafat had a sword on his neck and didn't give up—and was saved.He was one step away. The Chomat Anach, from the Chida on Divrei Hayamim , brings down this same concept, similar to the Vilna Gaon. He explains that normally the term " Hashem " refers to midat harachamim (the attribute of mercy), while " Elokim " refers to midat hadin (the attribute of judgment). In that pasuk, both names are used, indicating that according to strict judgment, Yehoshafat should have died—but through his prayers, the judgment was transformed into mercy. This is our tradition—a tradition passed down through generations. Rabbenu Yonah concludes this piece by quotinga pasuk in Tehillim 62:9: Bitchu vo b'chol eit—"Rely on Hashem at all times." What does "at all times" mean? He explains: Gam b'eit shehatzarah krova—even when the trouble is very close, v'lo yeda adam derech l'hinatzel mimena—and a person has no idea how to escape, how he will get out of it—still, trust in Hashem. I once heard a beautiful story from Rav Yaakov Hillel related to this idea. It says, "Even if a sharp sword is on your neck." Why emphasize " sharp "? There was a Rabbi Antebi from Damascus. During a blood libel, he was imprisoned and subjected to psychological torture. They brought him to a guillotine, and the sword came falling down toward him. But it was meant as psychological warfare—the blade was dull. He said, a sword has two sides: sharp and dull. That, he explained, is what Chizkiyah HaMelech meant. If the sword is blunt there is still what to fear. But afilu cherev chada—even if it's a sharp sword—do not give up hope.

Can I See It?

What Makes a Difference?

What Am I Proud Of?

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. Before the war started, we were in the middle of our study of Rabbenu Yonah in Mishlei , Chapter 3, Pasuk 26. We were discussing that whenever someone is being hit , he should not focus on the stick, but on the One who is holding the stick. He quoted a pasuk in Yeshayah (10:20): " Nish'an al Hashem, kedosh Yisrael be'emet/They relied on Hashem, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. We discussed the concept of Bitachon gamur bli safek/complete trust without doubt. Now he quotes a source that ultimately Hashem is in charge of all " hitters ." As it says in a pasuk in Mishleh : " פלגי מים לב מלך ביד ה׳ י Palgei mayim/like flowing waters and streams, the heart of a king is in the hands of G-d. " על כל אשר יחפץ יטנו/ G-d can turn and tilt him in whichever way He desires . What does that mean? The consensus of the commentaries is that although human beings have freedom of choice —we make choices, and of course, Hashem can decide whether or not our choices will materialize—human beings still have choices. But when it comes to a king, it's very different. In the words of the Chida in his sefer Kiseh David , the tenth derush for Shabbat Zachor: " HaMelech en lo bechirah"—a king does not have free choice. "Rak libo b'yad Hashem"—his heart is in the hands of G-d. "El kol asher yachpotz yatenu"—he will turn and tilt as G-d desires. This applies specifically to a king —a full controller. The Sefer Chassidim in Siman תמא brings an example from Rechavam, who listened to the counsel of the younger advisers instead of his elders, and it ended up backfiring. The pasuk clearly says there, " hayta sibah me'et Hashem"—it was caused by G-d. G-d made it happen. So when we see kings making decisions, we must realize—they are literally puppets. The Sefer Chassidim also quotes another pasuk in Malachim א , Chapter 22:20, where G-d says, " מי יפתה את אחאב, הרי —who will seduce Achav ? G-d was speaking to His angels. An angel agreed and said, "I will. " It was the spirit of a certain person who had been killed. He said, " I will go down." The Sefer Chassidim explains: שהמלאך מטה המחשבה להרהר אחר אותו דבר The angel tilts the thoughts, —to cause to think the thought שגוזר הקב"ה that G-d has decreed. So the brain is hijacked by the angel. It may look like the king is making a decision—but he is not. In the words of the Midrash Mishleh , Parashah 21: " עולה למלוכה לבו נתון בידו של הקב"ה. when a man rises to become a king, his heart is placed in the hands of G-d. If the world is merits, G-d causes him to issue good decrees; if not, bad ones. וכל גזירה שיוצאה מפיו אינה יוצאה לכתחלה אלא מלפני הקב"ה. any decree that leaves the king's mouth, does not go out unless G-d permits it. That's how controlled the king's words and decisions are. Rabbenu Yonah on Mishlei explains the reason behind this: Since שהרבים תלוין במלך, / The masses depend on the king —and G-d gave him the power to bring life or death, to do good or bad, שומר ה׳ את לבו שלא יטה רק לעשות גזרת ה׳ Hashem guards his heart so he will only be inclined to do G-d's will. Obviously, this is timely with what's going on with Trump, Khamenei, Netanyahu, and others. We must realize: it all falls under this principle of Lev Melech b'Yad Hashem.

What Was He Afraid Of?

Who Can Accept?

How Important Are All The Details?

How Many Yeshuos?

What Brings Simcha?

Welcome to Daily Bitachon. We continue where we left off in the previous lesson on the concept of bitachon gamur b'lo safek/to have reliance on Hashem without a doubt —based on a pasuk in Yeshayah : V'nish'an al Hashem k'dosh Yisrael/They will rely on Hashem, the Holy One of Israel, b'emet, in truth . The Sefer Ikarim says there in Ma'amar 4 Perek 49 that this bitachon gamur b'lo safek strengthens a person and doesn't weaken him. He quotes a pasuk in Tehillim, and follows that up with another two pesukim to prove his point. The first one is a pasuk in Yeshayah, Perek 40 Pasuk 30-31 וְיִעֲפ֥וּ נְעָרִ֖ים וְיִגָ֑עוּ וּבַחוּרִ֖ים כָּשׁ֥וֹל יִכָּשֵֽׁלוּ׃ Youths may grow wear and tire And young men can constantly tumble. It's possible that, as strong and vibrant as the young are, they will become weary and tired.But, וְקוֹיֵ֤ יְהֹוָה֙ יַחֲלִ֣יפוּ כֹ֔חַ יַעֲל֥וּ אֵ֖בֶר כַּנְּשָׁרִ֑ים יָר֙וּצוּ֙ וְלֹ֣א יִיגָ֔עוּ יֵלְכ֖וּ וְלֹ֥א יִיעָֽפוּ׃ But those who hope in Hashem will have renewed strength, they will grow wings like eagles. They will run and not grow tired. They will walk and not grow weary. Sefer Ikarim explains this to mean that because this man hopes in Hashem, his hope gives him strength. His hope doesn't weaken him, even though he hasn't yet received what he wants. Rather, since his hope is the kind that feels guaranteed—he knows it's going to happen, he knows the sun is coming up in the morning—that gives him more strength. It's a snowball effect. Hope causes strength, and the strength causes more hope. And it goes in a cycle. He says that's what David HaMelech meant when he said kaveh el Hashem—hope to Hashem, chazak v'ya'ametz libecha v'kaveh el Hashem—strengthen your heart and be courageous, and again hope to Hashem. Most of us understand this to mean —and there's truth to it—that you hoped to Hashem and weren't answered, so what do you do? You have to go and work on yourself again to build up hope again. The Sefer Ikarim is not learning it that way. He's saying the first kaveh el Hashem already did something. You hoped to Hashem, and even though you weren't answered, you didn't walk away weak. That hope to Hashem made you stronger, because you were hoping in a way where you felt it was going to happen. And his words are: התקוה סבת החוזק והחוזק סבת התקוה / The hope causes strength, and strength causes even more hope. It's interesting to consider the context of these pesukim in Yeshayahu, which is actually the Haftara of Parashat Lech Lecha. Hashem is asking, " Why are you saying Nistrah darki me'Hashem? Why are you saying Hashem is hiding? That He's not looking at you? That He doesn't know what's going on? He says Hashem is the One who created the world: lo yi'af v'lo yiga—He doesn't get tired, He doesn't get weary. And then it says: Noten laya'ef koach—the One who gives strength to the weary, . This is an extremely relevant point, because every single morning, we say the beracha : Hanoten laya'ef koach, and this pasuk is the source for the that beracha! What a tremendous chiddush! Each morning, you can have in mind that hanoten laya'ef k'oach means kovei Hashem yachlifu ko'ach Hope to Hashem and have renewed strength Where does the ko'ach come from? The ko'ach comes from the fact that we hope in Hashem. Someone who hopes in Hashem gets more strength and more energy. What an unbelievable concept—the snowball effect of hope. But it can not be a hope that's doubtful, or a "maybe hope ," or an "I hope so" kind of hope. It has to be a guaranteed hope. The D'rashot HaRan, in D'rush 6, cites this pasuk as well, about relying on Hashem in truth. He adds that certain people do things in a doubtful way, like: im lo yo'il, lo yazik—if it won't help, at least it won't hurt. And I've heard people say, " I'll go through with it, sure…whatever. I'll give money to charity—it won't help, but it won't hurt." Im lo yo'il, lo yazik—if it doesn't help, at least it won't hurt is not the attitude we're supposed to have in our bitachon. It can't be like a vitamin B12 shot—Is it dangerous? No. It may not help, but won't hurt. Or like a vaccine—maybe it'll hurt. You want to do things that you know for sure are going to help, not just a "maybe." That is the kind of bitachon that will strengthen us.

What Makes Me Wait?

Who Is Saved?

Who Does Hashem Focus On?

Delivered on Shavuos 5785, recorded afterwards

Delivered on Shavuos 5785, recorded afterwards

Who Was He Talking To?

Why Did He Have To Run? 

Why Did He Wait?

Why Did They Rush?

How Did They Respond?

Do Malachim Have Bechirah?

Why Did He Say Zechus?

How Did They Respond?

What Did They Do?

What Is The Message?

In the Haggadah, the Pasuk V'nitz'ak el Hashem Elokei Avoteinu refers to the Jewish people crying out to Hashem in prayer, a moment that occurred following the death of the King of Egypt. Immediately after this, the Pasuk states, Vayishma Hashem Et Kolenu —"And Hashem heard their voices," leading to their redemption. What is the connection between the king's death and the Jewish people's cries to Hashem? The Rashbatz offers an explanation: for many years, the Jewish people had anticipated that the death of the harsh king would ease their suffering. However, when a new king arose and the oppression became even more severe, they recognized that their only hope lay in Hashem's salvation. It was at that moment of realizing that only Hashem could help them, that their prayers became earnest, and they were answered. This serves as a valuable lesson. Often, when people face challenges, they devise multiple plans in their minds to address the situation. Even as they pray, they may subconsciously rely on these plans, leading to less sincere prayers. It is crucial to recognize that no matter how many potential solutions seem available, without Hashem's intervention, none are truly meaningful. It's easy to beg Hashem for help when there are no other apparent options, but the true test comes when multiple avenues appear open to us. If, in such moments, we can pray with the same sincerity as though no alternatives exist, our prayers hold greater value. This reflects true emunah — the realization that Hashem alone controls our fate. The effort lies in the mind; we must internalize the belief that Hashem, and only Hashem, has ultimate authority over all things. A man named Jack shared an interesting story that illustrates this concept. Just before Rosh Hashanah, he received an unexpected request from his mother. She asked him to arrange for his father to be a sandak (the person who holds the baby during a Berit Milah) for a third time that year, as she had heard that performing certain actions in pairs could be a bad omen. (Note: although the Gemara suggests that performing actions in pairs might expose one to negative influences, contemporary halachic authorities no longer consider this a concern.) Jack found himself at a loss. Being chosen as a sandak is an extraordinary honor, one that is rarely given. Great Torah sages would travel great distances for the privilege of this mitzvah. Halachic authorities even rule that the sandak holds greater honor than the mohel or the father of the newborn, granting him precedence for an aliyah on the day of the Berit Milah. The Zohar HaKadosh compares the act of performing a Berit Milah to bringing a korban to Hashem, with the sandak's lap serving as the altar upon which the korban is offered. The Maharil draws a comparison between the sandak and the kohen offering the ketoret in the Beit HaMikdash, while the Migdal Oz advises striving to perform the mitzvah of being a sandak, even at great personal expense. Some even suggest that being a sandak can be a segulah for wealth. Understanding the rarity and importance of this honor, Jack realized that finding an opportunity for his father to serve as a sandak, especially on such short notice, would be incredibly difficult. After hanging up with his mother, Jack turned to Hashem in prayer, saying, "I don't know how to make this happen, but I know that only You can help me. Please grant me success." That evening, Jack attended a simcha where he was unexpectedly approached by an old acquaintance. This man asked Jack if he knew anyone who would be willing to serve as a sandak at a Berit Milah the next day for a Baal Teshuvah. Jack, astonished, immediately responded that his father would be honored to take the role. The next day, Jack drove his father to the Berit Milah, fulfilling his mother's request. This story illustrates the power of sincere prayer. While prayer is always effective, it is especially potent when we approach it with the understanding that only Hashem can grant our requests. Such prayer carries immense spiritual value. May we all strive to pray with full emunah, trusting completely in Hashem's control over our lives.

What Does Reliance Accomplish?

What Did He Ask?

Is It Balanced?

Why did They Drive Away Guests?

How Did They Come?

What Did He Make For Them?

When Did They Wash Their Feet?

The Gemara states that the list Haman's ten sons should be read in one breath. The common practice is to also read the word "Aseret" (ten), which sums up the list, in the same breath as the names. The reason for this custom is to emphasize that all ten sons died simultaneously, even though they were hung one after the other. The custom is to also read the words that proceed their names, "V'et Hamesh M'ot Ish"-(and five hundred men) in the same breath, as well. The reason is that these men comprised Haman's sons' army; each son was captain over fifty men. The Shulhan Aruch (siman 690) records this Halacha with the words, "V'sarich Lomar…"- (And it MUST be read…). The Poskim debate whether Maran's language indicates that this Halacha is critical to fulfilling the obligation. That is, if one did not read the names in this manner, B'diavad-after the fact, does he have to go back and read again? In any event, Maran, in his Bet Yosef, cites the opinion of Tosafot that this Halacha is L'Hathila, but if one did not do so, he has fulfilled the Misva after the fact. From this, it can be derived that Maran's intention in the Shulhan Aruch is also only L'Hathila. This is clearly the Rema's opinion, as well. ------ Maran, in Siman 690, records another Halacha that if the reader made mistakes in pronunciation, it is not necessary to be meticulous to correct him. The Megillah does not have the status of a "Sefer"-a holy book, but of an "Iggeret"-a letter. Maran does not distinguish between levels of severity of mistakes. Thus, it seems that even if the mistake changes the meaning of the word, it Is not necessary to correct the reader. However, Maran continues and presents a "Yesh Omrim"-an additional opinion, that this leniency only applies to mistakes that do not change the meaning of the word. This is based on the incident, recorded in the Talmud Yerushalmi, in which the sages did not correct the reader who made a minor mistake in pronouncing the word "Yehudim" (Jews). This implies that the leniency only applies to mistakes that do not change the meaning. Interestingly, Hacham Ovadia rules in accordance with the "Yesh," additional opinion, that any mistake that changes the meaning of the word is critical, and the reader must go back. -------- The Bet Yosef (Siman 690) cites the incredible opinion of Rabbenu Avraham ibn Ezra (1089-1167, Spain). He holds that the Megillah was originally written without "Sof Pasuk"-periods, i.e. end of sentence punctuation. Since it was given as an "Iggeret"- a letter, it was not formally broken up into verses. Only later, Ezra HaSofer added sentence punctuation to the Megillah. Therefore, the Ibn Ezra holds that the Megillah should be read in one long flow, without stopping at the end of the Pesukim-verses. Many authorities question this opinion. Rav Shlomo Alkabes (1500-1576, Tsfat), in his Manot Levi commentary on the Megillah, argues that if the punctuation added by Ezra was not to be applied when reading the Megillah, for what purpose did he add it? On the contrary, the fact that Ezra added periods indicates that they are important and must be followed. This is how Hacham Ovadia rules. The accepted practice is to allow the reader to take a breath in between each Pasuk. SUMMARY If the reader did not read the list of Haman's sons in one breath, he does not have to go back and read it again. Reading mistakes that do not change the meaning of the word are not critical, but mistakes that do change the meaning are critical, and the reader must go back and read correctly. The reader should conform to the end of verse punctuation, and he can take a breath in between each verse.

Shiur given by Rabbi Bezalel Rudinsky on Dvar Halacha Krias Shema. Shiur recorded in Yeshivas Ohr Reuven, Monsey, NY.