Birchot HaTorah: Difference between revisions

# Women are also obligated in making the Birchot HaTorah. <ref> S”A 47:14, Magen Avraham 47:17 explains that it’s because women have to learn the Halachot relevant to them. Minchat [[Chinuch]] 430:5 says that women can make these [[Brachot]] because it’s a praise of Hashem for giving us the Torah. The Gra 47:18 argues that women shouldn’t have to make the [[Brachot]] because they’re exempt from Torah learning. However he allows women to make the [[Brachot]] like any other mitzvah from which women are exempt, Ashkenazic custom is to allow them to make a bracha. </ref>

# Writing Torah even without reading, if one understands what he’s writing, is considered learning for which you have to make Birchot HaTorah. <ref> S”A 47:3 based on Avudraham pg 32. Magen Avraham 47:1 adds that one has to understand what he’s writing to be considered learning, but just copying over text isn’t learning. This is also the opinion of Buir Heitev 47:2 </ref>

# According to Ashkenazim, because of a dispute one should not think Torah before making Birchot HaTorah, however it’s permissible to do a Mitzvah even though it’ll cause one to thing about the laws of the Mitzvah. <ref>Mishna Brurah 47:7 because of the Gra who argues on Shulchan Aruch. </ref> However, according to Sephardim thinking words of Torah don't require Birchot HaTorah and so it's permissible to think Torah before Birchat HaTorah. <ref> S”A 47:4 based on [[Shabbat]] 151a, Agur 2, and Tosfot 20b s.v. VeRav Chisda. This is also the opinion of Yalkut Yosef (vol 3 pg 81) that it's permissible to think Torah before Birchat HaTorah. </ref>