meta: {"file": "/data/tomer/Sefaria-Export/txt/Halakhah/Ben Ish Hai/English/merged.txt"}
text: Ben Ish Hai
  בן איש חי
  merged
  
  This file contains merged sections from the following text versions:
  -Ben Ish Chai  by Yosef Chayim, translated by Wikisource
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  -Sefaria Community Translation
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  Ben Ish Hai
  
  Introduction
  
  Praised be the Creator and Glorified be the Designer, Who has caused us to inherit a hidden and precious thing of desire, wonderful wisdom, "For the Jews there was Light;"1<i class="footnote">Ester 8:16</i> light is Torah, to labor in it and to heed to it.
  Rabbi Shimon gave this introduction, saying (Zohar Vol. 3, daf 166b): "<i>Ayelet ahavim ve'ya'alat chen, dadeiha yeravukha bekhol 'et; be'ahavatah tishgeh tamid</i>/A lovely ewe and a graceful she-ibex, let her teats satisfy you at all times; with her love be involved (to the [partial] neglect of other matters) always. (Prov. 5:19)" Oraita! Oraita! (Torah! Torah!) the light of all the worlds! How many seas and rivers and wells and springs spread out from you to in all directions! From you is everything, by you the upper and lower [worlds] are sustained. His upper light goes out from you. Oraita! Oraita! what shall I say of you, <i>ayelet ahavim ve'ya`alat chen</i>, above and below are your mercies, whoever merits to acquire from you in the proper fashion. Oraita! Oraita! The delights of those who master you! Who can reveal and tell your secret and hidden things!
  Master of Universe, let it be Your will to give strength and power to me and to all Yisrael, and let us enter in without shame before you and before the <i>Matronita `Ila'ah</i> (Higher Divine Presence), of which it is said, "<i>em-habanim smechah</i>/as joyful as a mother of children"2<i class="footnote">Ps. 113</i>. And let us not be in shame before the <i>Barta DiMalka</i> (Lower Divine Presence), of which it is said, "<i>kol kevudah bat melekh penimah</i>/all honor [shall be] for the King's daughter (His entourage) who is within (i.e. humble)," and of which it is said, "<i>Rabot banot `asu chayil, ve'at `alit `al kulanah</i>/Many women have acquired riches, but you surpass them all" (Prov. 31).
  And being that the holy way of the genius who wrote <i>Halakhot Gedolot</i> is very pleasant to me, who opened the preface with <i>Birkot Hatorah</i>/Blessings recited before learning Torah, I too, the humble one, shall also proceed in this straight way, and give thanks first in reciting the Birkot Hatorah:
  Blessed are You Hashem, Our God King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with his commandments and commanded us regarding <i>divrei</i>/words/matters of Torah. Now please make sweet, Hashem our God, the dirvei of Your Torah in our mouths, and in the mouths of Your people Yisrael. And be we and our offspring and the offspring of our offspring, all us us knowers of Your name and learning Your Torah for its own sake. Blessed are You Hashem, Who teaches Torah to His people Yisrael.
  Blessed are You Hashem, our God King of the Universe, Who has chosen us from all the nations, and given us His Torah. Blessed are You Hashem, Who gives the Torah.
  <i>Ki Hashem yiten chokhmah, mipiv da`at utevunah</i>/For Hashem gives wisdom; out of His mouth [comes] knowledge and understanding.3<i class="footnote">Prov. 2:6</i> <i>Gal einai ve'abitah nifle'ot mitorarekha</i>/Open my eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of Your Torah.4<i class="footnote">Ps. 119</i> <i>Tov atah umeitiv ; lamdeini chukeikha</i>/Good and benevolent are You; teach me Your statutes.5<i class="footnote">Ps. 119</i> <i>Baruch atah Adonai, lamdeini chukeikha</i>/Blessed are You Hashem; teach me Your statutes.6<i class="footnote">Ps. 119</i>
  Oraita Oraita! how beloved are your words, what a tree having roots, and having bark, and having brains, and having branches, and having foliage, and having flowers, and having buds; and also your words have simple meanings of the scripture, comparative meanings, clues, which hint wisdom, gematrias, hidden hints. Concealed hints, one on another, <i>kasher</i> (valid) and <i>pasul</i> (invalid), <i>tameh</i> (impure) and <i>tahor</i> (pure), <i>assur</i> (forbidden) and <i>mutar</i> (permitted), <i>chayav</i> (obligated) and <i>zakai</i> (entitled), and from thenceforth spread out branches to all sides, wide as the sea; you have no end or finish.
  Oraita Oraita! This love and glow of flame of the heart for you! May it be the [Divine] will that you be engraved in on our hearts returning to you holy Torah. And your glory upon us holy Torah, your knowledge on us holy Torah, and our minds on you holy Torah, be not lifted from you, and do not part from us, not in this world and not in the coming world.
  Blessed is our God who has created us for His glory, and separated us from those who err, and given us the Torah of truth, and planted eternal life among us, "<i>Mah ashiv laShem kol tagmuluhi `alai</i>/How can I return to Hashem all his benevolences toward me?"7<i class="footnote">Ps. 116</i>, Who has permitted me in His great mercies and great compassions, to serve in the "courtyards of the Temple of Hashem," in the place that our holy forefathers served, <i>nishmatam eden</i>/their souls in Paradise, in the permanent dwelling each and every Shabbat, when the children of Yisrael assemble there, to expound to them holy scriptures, which they read on their Shabbatot each parashah in its time, as its arrangement and order is given; <i>zot chuqat hatorah</i>/This is the statute of the Torah. Also including <i>drashahs</i> of the Haftarah readings, though my original [work] was review of the Torah, and as Hashem Yitbarakh graced me in His great compassion, to some produce <i>chidushim</i>/novel words by the way of <i>peshat</i> [basic explanation of the scripture] or <i>derash</i> [mystical explanation] or the crown of <i>remez</i>, I recorded the chidushim for reminder. And already in the year 5624 I printed from my chidushim with the help of Heaven a book small in quantity, on the Pentateuch, and I named it <i>Aderet Eliyahu</i> (the cape of Eliyahu8<i class="footnote">II Kings 2</i>), and behold, from that time until now, praise to El Yitbarakh, the chidushei Torah increased from what Hashem bestowed to me, and because we have heard an admonition from the mouth of scribes and from the mouth of <i>sefarim</i>/holy books that a man is obligated to print his sefarim in his lifetime, I awakened myself to bring to the printhouse chidushei Torah in the way of drash and remez on the Pentateuch, because I reasoned that it is proper to advance this before other chidushei Torah, because it is food for every man, and it is a staple for every soul, and benefits the masses a bit more, but because the printing expenses were great, and I have not the financial means, I was forced to bring to print at this time only a little of my produce, one quarter of what I have by the grace of `El Eylon, and if Hashem Yitbarakh desires He will help me bring what remains with me in a separate book, because that which remains has a great quantity, and furthermore has also the chidushei Torah that I darshened on the verses of the Haftarot of the whole year; I have not brought one of the here, because due to their great quantity they are fit to be a large sefer by themselves, if Hashem helps.
  Nonetheless I interlaced settled <i>halakhot</i>/laws of conduct throughout this collection, from all kinds of halakhot that are brought in the Shulchan Arukh "Orach Chayim" and "Yoreh De`ah," because I was already accustomed to publicly lecture also one these each and every Shabbat, because I immersed myself in the sefarim and enlightened my eyes with the words of our Sages of blessed memory, and I knew that the ancient way of our Rabbis the Rishonim [or "our early Rabbis"] z"l who would lecture to the people every Shabbat, that they would not make a constant [study] only on <i>aggada</i>/homily in the Midrashim and <i>peshatim</i>, but rather they also lectured them halakhot to let them know the statutes of God and His Torahs/instructions, to know the way they should go, and the things they should do, because likewise we find in the Gemara in Sanhedrin (daf 38), "Said Rabbi Yochanan, 'When Rabbi Meir would lecture on his piece, he would say one-third legal decisions, one-third aggada, one-third parables,'" see there. And likewise we find in our Rabbis z"l in Mekhilta, they bring the words of Rabbeinu Maharam Alshich z"l, at the beginning of <i>parashat</i>/the Torah portion Vayakhel, that Moshe Rabbeinu the servant of Hashem taught the children of Yisrael that they should gather on Shabbatot, to lecture to them the laws of Shabbat and His Torahs, see there. And likewise they said the same in the Gemara, "Moshe ordained for Yisrael, to teach the laws of Pesach at Pesach [time], laws of Atzeret at Atzeret [time], laws of the [Sukkot] Festival at Sukkot [time], and such is the report from several devotees in the Gemara, that their custom was to teach halakhot each and every Shabbat, and truthfully logical reasoning also requires this, to teach halakhot to the people, to know what Yisrael should do in the mitzvot of Hashem, and see Pri Chadash in Yoreh De`ah hilkhot Tol`ayim [laws regarding prohibition of eating worms], siman 84, that he wrote, verbatim, "And it is necessary to inspire and teach these matters to the people more that teaching them peshatim," end of quote.
  Actually it is a known thing that to lecture on halakhot alone, the heart of the masses is not drawn after this, rather it is necessary to make the derash the root and most of it words of agadda and <i>mussar</i>/ethical teaching, and the lecturer should also mention in the middle the decided halakhot, through the tie that that he ties in the lecture that he says on the text, in order to draw the hearts of the people to these things in <i>chokhmah</i>/wisdom and <i>da`at</i>/knowledge, and this was the intention of our master the Tanna Rabbi Meir a"h, who wuold lecture a third in halakhot, a third in aggadot and a third in <i>mashalim</i>/allegories in order to draw the heart of the masses to hear the halakhot via two thirds of aggada and mashalim, and it seems to me the mashalim were in the manner of mussar, and so will you find in Shabbat daf 30: The question was asked of Rabbi Tanchum, "What does it mean to extinguish a lamp for a sick person on Shabbat?" And he opened with this introduction and said first some long words of aggada, and afterwards at the end of his words he gave them a short answer on the legal question mentioned, and Rashi z"l explains there, so were they accustomed to give an introduction with aggada first, in order to draw the hearts of the audience to hear the halakhah.
  And likewise we find in the Gemara of Sotah daf 40: Rabbi Abbahu and Rabbi Chiya bar Abba happened uppon that place. Rabbi Chiya bar Abba spoke about halakhic decisions, and Rabbi Abbahu told aggada. Everybody abandoned Rabbi Chiya bar Abba, and came before Rabbi Abbahu. Rabbi Chiya was downcast. Rabbi Abahu said to him, "I will tell you a parable what this is like. To two men who come to a city, one selling gems and jewels, and one selling tinsel. Who do they jump to? Not to the one who sells tinsel!" See there. Hence the world chases after homiletics and peshatim, therefore you must proceed wisely according to the minds of people, namely to make most of the lecture in aggada and explanation of the scripture, and the lesser part words of halakhah absorbed into it in the middle or in the end, and this is the proper way.
  Therefore I, the young one, after the year 5630, it came to my heart to mention in the lecture on the parashah that I am publicly speaking each Shabbat, some halakhot from matters mentioned in the Orach Chayim and Yoreh De`ah, and I would tie the beginnings of the halakhot with the lecture on the Torah, and after the halakhot I would end the lecture with verses of the Haftarah. However it was not possible to finish all the halakhot that I decided to teach on every Shabbat in one year, rather they needed a length of two years, as they are organized in the eyes of the reader in the second part of this book, and every two years they are to be repeated, and therefore I made the halakhot with their ties in separate parts, Part One and Part Two, and brought them to the printhouse to join them with the lectures that are in this book, so that the eyes of the Tzadikim should see straight [ways]9<i class="footnote">Ps. 17:2</i>, and also in the halakhot I mentioned I omitted for now several halakhot from the first part and the second part, due to the expense of printing, and if Hashem helps, in the halakhot part too there will be a later edition, and they will come in a separate book.
  And behold since I named my book on Talmud discourses " Ben Yehoyada" -- which I have not yet printed but only on two tractates -- and Hashem Yitbarakh allow me to print all of it for good life and peace -- I chose to call this book "Ben Ish Chai". And Hashem Yitbarakh help me to print the rest of the books which He has graced me in His great compassion and great kindness. And the name of the man who donated money for printed expenses shall be displayed at the end of this introduction in a certain form on his good name. Hashem Yitbarakh make his days and life long, long good and sweet life, Amen so let it be [His] will.
  And from now on, behold I reveal my mind and will with all my heart and soul, that my whole intention in this collection, and also in all the collections that Hashem Yitbarakh allowed me to assemble in the Written Torah and in Oral Torah, it is all for the unification of Kudsha Brikh Hu and his Shekhinah, and in awe and love and in fear and love, to unify the name of Hashem, Y"H with W"H, in complete unity, in the name of all Yisrael, and all my reasoning and thought and speech that is not according to the His will Yitbarakh, let them be null and anulled, so that all my desire in this collection, and the other collections that I do in chidushei Torah wit the help of heaven, and also any mitzvah that I do, it be in order to unify Kudsha Brikh Hu and his Shekhinah, and to rest of spirit before Him Yitbarakh specifically, without any outward turning, and Hashem Yitbarakh in His compasion help me to learn and teach Torah for its own sake, Amen so may it be [His] will.
  And since my proclamation is steadfast, in truth and in faith, before Hashem Yitbarakh, and in the eyes of all Yisrael10<i class="footnote">לעיני כל ישראל, the last words of the Torah, Deut. 34:12</i> a declaration great and strong, valid and lasting, I will prolong my prayer before Hashem, Please Hashem save us [from affliction], Please Hashem make us successful [in our deeds]11<i class="footnote">Ps. 118</i>, and establish the fallen Sukkah of David, and let the Redeemer come to Tziyon, righteous [in deeds] and victorious is he12<i class="footnote">Zech. 9:9</i>, and let our eyes see the coming of our Righteous Mashiach, and the rebuilding of our Holy Temple, soon in our days, and let the pleasantness of Hashem our God be on us, and the work of our hands, establish for us (w/o mishap to us), and the work of our hands, establish it13<i class="footnote">Ps. 90</i>, and let the great name of Y-H be magnified and sanctified speedily and soon, Amen so let it be [His] will.
  These are the words of the youth who awaits the salvation of Hashem, and who trusts in His great compassions and His great mercies; may he illuminate my eyes with His Torah, the Torah of Chaim/Life:
  The junior, Yosef Chaim, son of His Honor Our Great Teacher Rabbi Eliyahu, son of His Honor Our Great Teacher Rabbi Moshe Chaim, Sefardi Tahor14<i class="footnote">Meaning, having none in his lineage who converted in the Spanish Inquisitions</i>.
  
  
  Drashot
  
  Bereshit
  
  
  
  Noach
  
  
  
  Lech Lecha
  
  
  
  Vayera
  
  
  
  Chayei Sara
  
  
  
  Toldot
  
  
  
  Vayetzei
  
  
  
  Vayishlach
  
  
  
  Vayeshev
  
  
  
  Miketz
  
  
  
  Vayigash
  
  
  
  Vayechi
  
  
  
  Shemot
  
  
  
  Vaera
  
  
  
  Bo
  
  
  
  Beshalach
  
  
  
  Yitro
  
  
  
  Mishpatim
  
  
  
  Terumah
  
  
  
  Tetzaveh
  
  
  
  Ki Tisa
  
  
  
  Vayakhel
  
  
  
  Pekudei
  
  
  
  Vayikra
  
  
  
  Tzav
  
  
  
  Shmini
  
  
  
  Tazria
  
  
  
  Metzora
  
  
  
  Achrei Mot
  
  
  
  Kedoshim
  
  
  
  Emor
  
  
  
  Behar
  
  
  
  Bechukotai
  
  
  
  Bamidbar
  
  
  
  Nasso
  
  
  
  Beha'alotcha
  
  
  
  Sh'lach
  
  
  
  Korach
  
  
  
  Chukat
  
  
  
  Balak
  
  
  
  Pinchas
  
  
  
  Matot
  
  
  
  Masei
  
  
  
  Devarim
  
  
  
  Vaetchanan
  
  
  
  Eikev
  
  
  
  Re'eh
  
  
  
  Shoftim
  
  
  
  Ki Teitzei
  
  
  
  Ki Tavo
  
  Acontecio que entraras en la tierra que hashem tu Di.s te ha de heredar, y la heredaras, y habitaras en ella segun el rebe del Ari, en el secreto de ese dia, el señor sera uno. HASHEM, que aparece en el libro de genesis, aparece al final del libro del genesis.
  
  Nitzavim
  
  
  
  Vayeilech
  
  
  
  Ha'Azinu
  
  
  
  V'Zot HaBerachah
  
  
  
  Halachot 1st Year
  
  Bereshit
  
  Introduction
  
  "And Hashem-Elohim made for Adam and his wife honorable garments from [animal] hides, and dressed them." Behold it is known, what Rabbeinu the Arizal wrote regarding the garments of Adam haRishon. Before the <i>chet</i> ["sin," lit. missing-the-mark], there were <i>ketonet ohr</i>/garments of light from the Chashmal and when he sinned he lost those clothings of Chashmal which are 378 lights, gematria of chashmal, and He made him a different clothing from klipat nogah which are the <i>ketonet `or</i>/garments of hide, as mentioned in Etz Chayim Shaar 106 Amud 4, q.v., also the Arizal wrote in Sha`ar Hakavanotregarding the the intentions in the [morning blessing] "<i>malbish `arumim</i>/Who dresses the bare," that the clothing of a man is from <i>kedushah</i>/holiness, and through transgressions that one does he causes the klipot to have a grip on the garments, and behold the garments have an <i>ohr hamakif</i> ["surrounding light;" aura] outside them as known, because there is an inner light inside included which is included in the body, and the clothings surrounds the body and over the clothing are the orot hamakifim and they stand outside the garments, and for each and every garment there is an aspect of ohr makif according to its value, and there is nothing that pushes off the klipot as much as ohr makif, since the klipot have no ability to feed from and take grip on the ohr hamakif, and therefore it stands outside and he has no fear of the klipot etc., see there.  
  And behold by this is understood the jealousy of the <i>nachash</i>/serpent who was jealous of Adam Harishon before the chet and provoked him to make him stumble, because he was jealous of his ketonet ohr since he saw he had a great ohr makif around him according to the value of the ketonet ohr, and he had no grip on the ohr makif, in the <i>sod</i>/secret, and the nachash was <i>`arum</i>/bare as it says, and therefore he provoked him to make him stumble and he caused that the ketonet ohr be removed from him and for `or to be instead of ohr, as it is written, "<i>Vaya`as Hashem Elohim le'adam ve'ishto kotnot `ohr vayalbishem</i>/And Hashem Elohim made for Adam and for his wife garments of skins, and clothed them," and they said in the Holy Zohar that serpent skin clung to him, and with this I explained the remez of the scripture in the word "<i>vayalbishem</i>," reading it as "<i>vai levusham</i>/Woe for their clothing!", it was the serpent skin; it was "<i>vai</i>" because it clung to them, which was all due to the chet, and it seems to me, bsd, the the difference between "<i>ohr</i>" and "<i>`or</i>" is a gematria of 69, gematria of <i>yagon</i>/grief, and it is known that grief is from the side of the <i>sitra achra</i> as is known is the intention in <i>vehaser mimenu yagon ve'anachah</i>[1]<i class="footnote"> from <i>hashiva shofteinu</i> in the `<i>Amidah</i> prayer</i> which is the force of impurity aliased <i>yagon</i> and the force of impurity aliased <i>anachah</i>, as mentioned in the siddur of the Rashash z"l, and therefore we find that <i>evyon</i>/impoverished and <i>yagon</i> are the same gematria, because someone who becomes evyon of mitzvot, yagon clings to him, as the two letters aleft-vet become gimel, and then the letters of evyon become the letters of yagon, but in the future when the <i>tikkun</i>/perfection is completed the yagon will be removed completely and then the count of yagon will be missing from the letter `ayin of `or/skin, and what will remain is aleph, and then there will be the reunion of ohr/light as the crown returns to its old place: What follows from the above is that the <i>chitzonim</i>  ["outside;" forces that are outside of kedushah] have no grip on the ohr hamakif, which is why the serpent was jealous of Adam Harishon because of his ohr hamakif which he was bare of since he had no grip on it, behold from this is understood bsd the reason that the mitzvah of tzitzit is effective in remembering the mitzvot of Hashem as it is written, "<i>u're'item oto u'zechartem et kol mitzvot Hashem</i>/and you shall see it and remember all the mitzvot of Hashem"[2]<i class="footnote">Num. 15</i>. The reason is the tzitzit are aspect of ohr makif as Rabeinu the Arizal wrote, and therefore it has power to repel the klipot and since it repels the klipot therefore it aids memory, for it is known what Rabeinu z"l wrote in the Kavanot regarding the secret of the garments that a man wears, that it is necessary to be careful to not put on two garments simultaneously, and doing so breeds forgetfulness, and the secret of the thing is that each garment has an aspect of ohr hamakif, and nothings repels the klipot like the ohr hamakif, since they are unable to feed from them and grip them, and therefore one who joins two garments and dons them together does not leave a space for the ohr hamakif to enter between the two garments to surround each garment, and thereby the klipot are not repelled from there, and it is known that forgetfulness does not happen except because of the klipot, because memory is from the side of kedushah in the sod of "<i>ein shikhechah lifnei kise kevodekha</i>/nothing is forgotten before Your throne of glory,"[3]<i class="footnote">Berakhot 32b and Yamim Nora'im prayers</i> end quote, q.v.. And from this it is understood the beautiful reason why the tzitzit because it is the aspect of ohr makif therefore it has power to push off the klipot and thereby forgetfulness is repelled and memory dominates, by one's seeing and remembering the mitzvot of Hashem, because by seeing it, via the contemplations related to it the illumination of the ohr hamakif is stimulated which is the sod of the tzitzit. And therefore tzitzit is gematria "<i>beit ya`akov</i>", of which we say "<i>beit ya`akov lekhu ve nelekhah be'ohr Hashem</i>/House of Ya`akov go and let us walk in the light of Hashem"[4]<i class="footnote">Isa. 2:5, recited in morning prayers</i>, because the grip of the ohr hamakif which is the sod of tzitzit is only for Yisrael who are the Beit Ya`akov, and on this we say "<i>va'esa etchem `al kanfei nesharim</i>/And I shall lift you up on wings of eagles..."[5]<i class="footnote">Ex. 19:4</i> but when the tikkun is finished "<i>...ve'avi etchem elai</i>/and I shall bring you to Me," i.e. you will perceive everthying, even regarding the tallit; [also] <i>elai</i> is spelled <i>el-yud</i> (to the yud) which is the sod of chokhmah.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Before saying the berachah/blessing and wrapping [yourself in the tzitzit] direct your thoughts to fulfill the positive commandment to wear tzitzit that are fringed according to halakhah, as it says "And they shall make for themselves fringes on the wings of their garments.," which is a positive time bound commandment. And by means of this kavanah/intention there will be power in his preparation in the berachah to raise the mayin nukvin and to draw down the mochin as Rabbeinu haRashash wrote in Nahar Shalom, and therefore it is good to say with his mouth before the berakhah "Leshem yichud kudsha brikh hu ushekhinteh/For the unification of the Holy Blessed One and His Shekhinah" etc. "Hareini muchan lilvosh tzitzit metzuyetzet kehalakhah kemo shetzivanu Hashem Eloheinu 'Ve'asu lehem tzitzit `al kanfei bigdeihem kedei la`asot nachat ruach leyotzreinu/I declare myself ready to don tzitzit fringed according to halakhah as Hashem Eloheinu commanded us 'And they shall make for themselves fringes on the wings of their garments'" in order to bring satisfaction to our Designer etc. And also he needs to have kavanah at the time of wrapping in them that Hakadosh Barukh Hu commanded us to wrap in them in order that we remember all His mitvot, to perform them, and the Acharonim z"l have written that whoever does not do so, of him is said, "va'tehi yir'atam oti mitzvat anashim melumdah/Their fear of Me was like commandments of men done by rote."
  
  
  
  One should say the berachah "lehit`atef betzitzit" with a shva under the beit, not a patach [i.e. betzitzit and not batzitzit], and it is necessary to direct intention during the berachah over the tallit gadol/large tallit to exempt the tallit katan/small tallit that is on him that he did not remove during the night, because there is a svara/rationale that one might need to say a berakhah on the tallit katan in the morning, but because of safek berakhot lehakel [if doubtful of a berakhah, be lenient] we do not say it. And I wrote in my holy sefer Mekabtziel that if one makes that kavanah then it applies to the other, and it is not necessary to handle the tallit katan at the time of the berakhah also according to the opinion of Maran z"l, and therefore since forgetfulness happens with people and they wander and do not have kavanah sometimes, therefore it is proper to accustom oneself to add the nusach/phrasing "leshem yichud kusha brikh hu u'shekhinteh.." mentioned above, as well as these words, "Hareinu muhcan levarekh `al `atifat hatalit ketikun chazal/I declare myself ready to say the berakhah on wrapping in a tallit as our Sages ordained," and "hareini mechavin liftor bavrakhah zu gam hatalit katan she`alai/I declare that I intend to exempt with this berakhah also the tallit katan that is on me."
  
  
  
  Before saying the berakhah one should see and check the strings of the tzitzit that they should have no missing part that disqualifies, and also separate the tzitzit by hand so that they not be tangled. And only on Shabbat he should not distangle them but only check them. Also further one should be careful to check each day and look at the strings at the top at the foundation at the hole, because if even one is severed there they are is disqualified. And in a pressing time, when he is late to come or the tzibur/congregation is waiting for him to do petichat haheichal/opening the ark or to read the Torah he can rely on a chazakah and not check that time. And likewise one who is traveling and unable to repair, the Acharonim have written that one could rely on a chazakah and not check.
  
  
  
  Also one should be careful to check the tallit katan beforehand, and in this also his wife should help him in the mitzvah, that she should be careful to check the tallit katan when she summons the clothes for her husband to change them, and she should be careful likewise the separate the strings because due to washing they will certainly be tangled, and then she will get reward for the mitzvah to save her husband from a prohibition, because sometimes a man is panicked to don clothes and does not check. But nonetheless he should not rely on his wife, but check and afterwards say the berakhah.
  
  
  
  The order of wrapping in the tallit gadol is as follows. After finishing the berekhah wrap only your head with it, and not like those who are overwise and wrap their entire bodies initially, because we only have the words of Rabeinu the Arizal. And after you have wrapped your head let the four wings go down the shoulders towards your front, two to the right and two to the left. Then first grab the two on the right and cast them behind you to the left, so that they be wrapped around your neck over your left shoulder to the back, while the two left ones remain hanging in front of you, and wait the short time length of walking four amot or slightly less, then follow by sending the left ones also behind you to the left, so that now all four corners are hanging behind you together on the left, and wait the time of walking four amot and then let the tallit that is wrapped around your neck go down over all your body. And now you will be wrapped in it, your head and body together. Such is the way it is detailed in Sefer Hakavanot, drush hatzitzit perek 1, and as the Rav El"Y [? ] z"l beautifully explained on daf 107 amud 4, and likewise explicitly stated in the siddur of Rabeinu haRashash z"l. And what he wrote that one should wait between throwing the two right ones and the two left ones, a time length of walking 4 amot, is not explained explicitly in the words of Rabeinu z"l and in the words of the Rashash z"l, but because it is explained there that it is necessary to do kavanot in that part by itself, and kavanot in the other part by itself, thus the throwing of the first two while the two left ones are still hanging in front has a matter to it by itself. And we do not make these kavanot, therefore it suffices for us to wait the time of walking four amot, in order to fulfill the precept of this matter, and as written "`eder `eder levado/each flock by itself... and put a space between one flock and the other."
  
  
  
  The tallit gadol and tallit katan, in either case say the berakhah standing. And the custom of Rabeinu the Arizal is that he also wrap his head first with the tallit katan, and afterwards let it down on his body, and therefore he would say a berakhah of "lehit`atef" for the tallit katan. And whoever does this, it is good, however whoever does not wrap his head but immediately lets it down over his body and dons it, should say the berakhah `al mitzvat tzitzi" and not say "lehit`atef.
  
  
  
  One who dons a new tallit should say the berekhah "shehechiyanu" after the berakhah of "lehit`atef," but for a tallit katan we do not say "shehechiyanu" because the common way is not to make it of valuable material so that he rejoice in it, but if one makes it from a valuable material that he rejoices in, he should say shehechiyanu.
  
  
  
  One need not bother to make some sign on the tallit to always place one side of the tallit on his head and not the other way, as some are accustomed to do and make a sign, because it is explicit in the words of the Arizal that we need not bother, and therefore one can don it as it comes to him.
  
  
  
  One should be careful to never remove the tallit katan from him at any time, neither during sleep, neither during marital relations, but only when he enters the bathhouse remove it, or when he enters the toilet room and he has no outer garment on him covering the tallit katan, then he should cover and conceal the tzitzit on it so they not hang openly.
  
  
  
  If he removed the tallit gadol in order to enter the toilet room or for some other business with the intention of putting it back on immediately, he need not say the blessing over it again. Even though Maran z"l reasons that one should recite it, we maintain "safek berakhot lehakel/if in doubt, do not recite a berakhah," and even against the reasoning of Maran z"l. This too is the rule with the tallit katan if he removed in to go in to immerse [in a mikvah], he should not say a berakhah when he dons it when he goes out, due to safek berakhot lehakel, and even though it is explicitly stated in Sefer Hakavanot of Rabeinu the Arizal that his practice was to say the berakhah on the tallit katan after immersion, and we do not say that safek berakhot takes precedence over Rabeinu the Arizal, anyhow it could be said that Rabeinu the Arizal is different, because he would linger in the immersion and do many kavanot, so that some hesech da`at/diversion of mind is made. However if he removes it in order to enter the bath where he will stay long, it is preferable to say the berakhah as the Arizal did. This is what I brought up in my holy book Mekabtzi`el. But if he changes his clothes and dons a different tallit katan, even if he dons it immediately after removing the first one, he should say the berakhah on the new one, an this too is the rule with a tallit gadol if he removes the one that is on him and dons a different tallit gadol, he should say the berakhah on the second one. And in my holy book Rav Pe`alim I wrote a responsa bs"d, regarding someone whose practice it is to don tzitzit and tefilin each day in his house, in order to enter the synagogue in tzitzit and tefilin, but because he walks in pathways where many people pass back and forth, those of the Brit and those who are not of the Brit, he does not don the tallit gadol that he has in the synagogue, because it is visible to people, but instead he has a very thin tallit that large enough to be a tallit gadol but is not very big, and he dons in his house under his coat, and because it is very fine and also because it is not long it is not visible to people who apss by, and when he enters the synagogue he leaves this one on him under his coat, and dons the tallit gadol that he has, and I brought up bs"d that he can say the berakhah in the synagogue on the second tallit, even though the first one is on him that he said a blessing over in his house, because there is a gap between [going from] his house to the synagogue, and also there is a hesech da`at since he says verses by the mezuzah, and furthermore it takes him much time to walk the path, and there in the synagogue he dons a different tallit that is full-sized, wrapping his head and body, while the tallit that is on him rests on his shoulder and legs, and also I found other reasons regarding this why he should say the berakhah, so one should not have any doubt on this regarding safek berakhot.
  
  Noach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  There are three kinds of tallit. The first is of lamb and sheep's wool. On this kind of tallit, one should also make the tzitzit of this kind of wool, and this is the Torah obligation according to all opinions, and according to everyone, wearing this fulfills the positive mitzvah of the Torah: 
  The second kind of tallit is from cotton or silk, and regarding this there is a disagreement in which some say the obligation is from the Torah and some say the obligation is from the Rabbis, and also for those who say that it is a rabbinic obligation one can bless upon it as one would for rabbinic mitzvot, and regarding the tzitzit even though according to our teacher and his people you can affix tzitzit of lamb's wool onto other kinds of garments, nonetheless, if the tallit is made of a good kind of wool upon which one could affix tzitzit of the same kind of material (i.e. cotton), since according to the Maharam meRotenburg and his people, we don't dismiss wool tzitzit that are on a different kind of garment, and therefore in order to fulfill the obligation according to the aforementioned disagreement, one should affix tzitzit of the same material as the garment. However, all of this is specifically in a case in which the tallit is cotton and then one affixes cotton tzitzit, but if the tallit is silk, it is hard to find silk tzitzit that were made correctly. Since I've heard of one particular person who brought silk... because with silk, the throwing and pulling must be for the sake of the mitzvah, because the throwing and pulling of silk is like spinning wool... therefore it is hard to find proper silk tzitzit...and even though... it seems that this opinion is not in accordance with that particular
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  A garment that does not have four corners is exempt from the requirement to affix fringes. And if the garment has five corners or more must [have fringes affixed]. However, [for a garment with more than four corners, do not affix fringes to all the corners, but just to four corners. And one must be careful to affix the fringes onto the four corners that are farthest away from each other, because those that are farthest from each other meet the definition of "corners" more so than corners that are closer to each other. And if one affixed [fringes to] more than four corners, they will have transgressed [the negative commandment of] not adding [to the commandments of the Torah] when adorning such a garment. Nevertheless, one should be careful to distance themselves from a garment like this and not wear a garment that has more than four corners, even if one affixes fringes to only four of the corners, as certain authorities disagree and exempt such a garment [with more than four corners] from the requirement to affix fringes.
  
  Lech Lecha
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayera
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chayei Sara
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Toldot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayetzei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayishlach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayeshev
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chanukah
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We eat dairy foods on Channukah in memory of the miracle that occured through the milk that Judith fed to the enemy, who was one of the Grecian kings, as is recounted in the book 'Hemdat Yamim'. This miracle occured some years before the chief miracle of Channukah, but since the enemy was also a Grecian king, and he also wanted to make the Jews abandon their religion, we also commemorate this miracle during the days of Channukah. This is similar to the tradition of eating seeds on Purim to commemorate the miracle that occured to Daniel and his companions, peace be upon them. It seems to me, with God's help, that there is a hint in the word <i>chalav</i>, milk, that refers to the three mitzvot that the Greeks wanted to abolish, and over which the Jews were ready to sacrifice themselves: The first letter, <i>chet</i>, refers to the first letter of <i>Chodesh</i>, the calendar. The letter <i>bet</i> refers to the second letter of Shabbat. And the letter <i>lamed</i> refers to the third letter of <i>Milah</i>, the covenant of circumcision that they were forced to abandon.
  
  Miketz
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayigash
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayechi
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Shemot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vaera
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Bo
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Beshalach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Yitro
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishpatim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Terumah
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tetzaveh
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ki Tisa
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayakhel
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pekudei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  We do not eat, drink or speak after reading the Bedtime Shema; if one has read it and [still] cannot sleep, we have written above (seif 11) that one should make an effort to keep himself in place and ponder on Torah issues so that he will enter sleep from [a place of thoughts of] Torah matters, and he will satiate himself with the words of Torah, who gives life to those who act [by] her, and one who finds her finds life.
  
  Vayikra
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tzav
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Before the night of the fourteenth it is necessary to visit all the rooms and houses in the courtyard, and also a woman should thoroughly inspect all the all the clothes, in their pockets; perhaps they put chametz in them, and even if there is a doubt she needs to check and see. And then at the beginning of the night of the fourteenth we check for chametz with the light of the candle after the stars come out, immediately and right away. And he should do netilat yadayim before saying the berakhah on the bedikah, as mentioned by the acharonim z"l.
  
  
  
  It is necessary to check with the light of a candle made of wax, and he should not bring two that are large or stuck together, for it would be like an avukah/torch, and we do not check with the light of a torch. And the lamps that we do not check with were given a mnemonic, חשש"א/chashasha, meaning simply, chelev/suet, shuman/oil, avukah/torch; and see [the book] מל"ח. And the candles that presently come from European cities are made from suet, so we do not check with them. 
  
  Shmini
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tazria Metzora
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Achrei Mot Kedoshim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Emor
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Behar Bechukotai
  
  Introduction
  
  Ben Bag Bag said: Turn it over, turn it over, for everything is in it. (Avot, Ch. 5, 26)  We will see, with the help of heaven:  [Regarding] the separation of the sparks of holiness, there are two parts - the first that "turns over" the sparks of holiness from "muddy matter" to pure matter, this is called clarifying the external.  The second that "turns over" the sparks from pure matter to spirituality, and this is called clarifying the internal. And this is the matter because the sparks of holiness are contained in the inanimate objects, plants, and animals; the meat of domestic animals, wild animals, and chicken are all "muddy matter".  And if a man eats meat and raises up the spark in the meat that is "muddy matter"to the man that is "pure matter", or if he eats plants, or if he eats something that is mixed with dust it is considered inanimate and the dust has sparks of holiness. 
  And then it is required to elevate the spark of holiness from the man to the spiritual, that is the place of holiness above the highest worlds...And behold, this is "turning" form "pure matter" to the "spiritual".  And the completion of these two parts of clarifying, they are the essence of external, and the essence of internal...it is not possible to complete except only through the study of Torah.  Because the words of Torah have external, the plain (pshat), and the internal, the secret (sod).  And that is why it says "turn it over, turn it over", there are two types of "small jugs": the first is from "muddy matter" to "pure matter" that is called "clarifying the external" and the second is from "pure matter" to "spiritual", this is called "clarifying the internal". 
  Since it is all in the Torah it is "imprisoned" there, that is to say, the "external" and the "internal" and therefore it is the completion of the two clarifications, the "external" and the "internal", and regarding this, even though the clarification was made through eating, the clarification was not complete.  Because the clarification of the "external" from "muddy matter" to "pure matter" is not possible only through eating and therefore our Sages of blessed memory, warned us to study words of Torah at the table during the week.  And the study of the "petach Eliyahu [prayer]", he should be remembered for good, is a great segulah to clarify the sparks of holiness.  And the usual way [of having books on the table] is good for him but sometimes he is busy, or he is eating on his roof during the summer and it is not possible to learn by the light of a candle.
  
  
  
  
  
  Bamidbar
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The blessing of שהחיינו that is recited in the night kiddush must be recited on both nights of the festival, and over here in our city - Baghdad - the women are accustomed to recite שהחיינו by the candle lighting of every holiday that it is recited by kiddush, too.
  
  Nasso
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Beha'alotcha
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sh'lach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Korach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chukat
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Balak
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pinchas
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Matot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Masei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Devarim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vaetchanan
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Eikev
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Re'eh
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Shoftim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ki Teitzei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ki Tavo
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nitzavim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayeilech
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ha'Azinu
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  V'Zot HaBerachah
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Halachot 2nd Year
  
  Bereshit
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Noach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Lech Lecha
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayera
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chayei Sara
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  One has to be very careful in the prayer of Minchah of the holy Shabbat, for it has [the potential for] many ascents upwards. And even though there are siddurim in which it is written "And who is like Your nation Israel?"--the main idea is that one must say "like Your nation, like Israel" [and not "like Your nation Israel"], and just as [the author] wrote in Shalmei Chagigah in the name of Rabbi Ya'akov Tzemach in Nagid UMitzvah, and so it is in the siddur of our master, Rabbi Shalom Shar'abi of blessed memory, which is found among us. And from the language of Sha'ar HaKavvanot [by Rabbi Chayyim Vital], which mentions "like Your nation Israel"--from this [citation] there is no proof in general. And I said, with the help of Heaven, that the language of "like Israel" is more correct, for in II Samuel 7[:23], it says "like Israel," and, in [I] Chronicles 17[:21], it says, "Israel," and therefore what our master Rabbi Ya'akov Tzemach of blessed memory well wrote is correct, that we must say "like Israel"--on account of this being a verse from Prophets. And like this, we have found the pronouncing of 'Migdol yeshu'ot malko'  (II Samuel 22:51) in Birkat HaMazon, for on Shabbat, we say "Migdol," just as it is written in Prophets (II Samuel 22:51), and, on a profane day, "Magdil," just as it is written in Scriptures (Psalm 18:21).
  
  Toldot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayetzei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayishlach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayeshev
  
  
  
  
  
  Miketz
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayigash
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayechi
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Shemot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vaera
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Bo
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Beshalach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Yitro
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Mishpatim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Terumah
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tetzaveh
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ki Tisa
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayakhel
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pekudei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vayikra
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tzav
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Shmini
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Tazria
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Metzora
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Achrei Mot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Kedoshim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Emor
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Behar Bechukotai
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Nasso
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Beha'alotcha
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Sh'lach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Korach
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Chukat
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Balak
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Pinchas
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Matot
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Masei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Vaetchanan
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Eikev
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Re'eh
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Shoftim
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ki Teitzei
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Ki Tavo
  
  Introduction
  
  
  
  
  
  