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Berachos 16

1) HABIT TOOK HIM

OPINIONS: A Tana taught before Rebbi Yochanan that if one was reciting the Shema and he erred and forgot what he was reading, but he remembers reciting the verse, "Lema'an Yirbu...," then he need not return to an earlier point in Shema. We assume that "his habit took him" (and he did not skip anything). What does this mean?

(a) RASHI (DH Sirchei Nakat) explains that from "Lema'an Yirbu" until the end of the Shema, the words flow easily. Therefore, if one knows he has passed "Lema'an Yirbu" but he does not remember saying the words between "Lema'an Yirbu" and the point at which he is now holding, we assume that habit took him and he said all the words between "Lema'an Yirbu" and the point at which he is now holding. He does not have to go back to "Lema'an Yirbu."

(b) The RASHBA argues with Rashi's explanation. He asks that according to Rashi, if one is in the middle of reading one of the first two paragraphs of the Shema and he does not know if he said the verses above the point at which he is holding, he must go back to the beginning of the paragraph since those paragraphs do not flow easily. But that cannot be, says the Rashba. Certainly a person is equally, if not more, familiar with the first two paragraphs of the Shema.

The Rashba concludes that if one is in the middle of reading *any* of the three paragraphs of the Shema and does not know if he said the words above the point at which he is holding, he does *not* have to go back to the beginning of that paragraph, because we say that he probably recited it correctly.

This is not the subject of our Gemara. The Gemara here is returning to the case where one has just said the verse, "u'Chesavtam Al Mezuzos Beisecha uvi'She'arecha," but he does not know whether he just said the last verse of the *first* paragraph or the last verse of the *second* paragraph. Normally, he would have to go back to the beginning of the second paragraph. But if he knows that he just said, out of habit, the words "Lema'an Yirbu" after the verse "u'Chesavtam," then we assume that he was up to the last verse of the *second* paragraph and he may continue from there. (The ME'IRI and RITVA agree with the Rashba's explanation.)

(c) In defense of Rashi's explanation, it could be suggested that Rashi means something else entirely. If a person has no idea where he is holding but he remembers having said the verse "Lema'an Yirbu" at some point, we assume that he *finished* the entire Shema by habit and he may continue from "Emes v'Yatziv." This is also implicit in a careful reading of Rashi's words. (Y. Shaw) (If he does not remember saying "Lema'an Yirbu," his lips may have stopped moving simply because they were not sure which "uvi'She'arecha" they were up to.)

HALACHAH: The SHULCHAN ARUCH (OC 64:4) rules like the Rashba.

16b

QUESTION: When Rebbi Yochanan completed his Shemoneh Esrei, he added his own prayer in order to arouse Hashem's mercy. "May it be Your will, Hashem... that You don Your mercy and cover Yourself with Your strength...." If Rebbi Yochanan was praying for mercy, why did he daven for *strength* ("Oz")? Isn't strength usually used for bringing about justice ("Din"), the opposite of mercy? ANSWERS:

(a) The TZELACH explains that the phrase "and cover Yourself with Your strength" really means "and cover Your strength." Rebbi Yochanan prayed that Hashem should cover His strength, i.e. His attribute of strict justice, and conduct Himself only with mercy.

(b) Rebbi Yochanan prayed that Hashem should activate His strength and use it to *suppress* His attribute of strict justice, as the Mishnah in Avos (4:1) says, "Who is the strong one? He who conquers his inclination." Rebbi Yochanan prayed that Hashem should use His strength to conquer His inclination to use strict justice and to expose His attribute of mercy. (M. Kornfeld)