Birchot HaTorah: Difference between revisions

==What Type of Learning Requires Birchot HaTorah?==

# One has to make Birchot HaTorah for any learning including Torah, Midrash, Mishna, and Gemara.<ref> [[Brachot]] 11b, Shulchan Aruch 47:2, Yalkut Yosef 47:2 </ref>

# Writing Torah even without reading, if one understands what one is writing, is considered learning for which one has to make Birchot HaTorah.<ref> Shulchan Aruch 47:3 based on Avudraham (Birchot Hashachar beginning). Magen Avraham 47:1 adds that one has to understand what one is writing in order for it to be considered learning, but just copying over text is not learning. This is also the opinion of Biur Heitev 47:2. </ref>

# Hearing a speech of Divrei Torah from a person or an electronic device requires the brachot.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 47:5. Halichot Shlomo Tefillah 6:5 writes that certainly listening to a shiur requires birchot hatorah but listening to a recorded shiur might not. He explains that the mechanism of listening to a shiur being considered learning isn't based on [[Shomea Koneh]]. Rather it is based on the fact that it is original model of how learning Torah should be. That is, learning Torah involves a speaker and a listener and both are learning. See Tosfot Brachot 20b who seems to apply Shomea Koneh to Talmud Torah. See further the Machzik Bracha 47:4 who says that listening to a shiur requires birchot hatorah because of Shomea Koneh and has to answer why the Rosh, Tur and Shulchan Aruch O.C. 141 hold that Shomea Koneh doesn't work for Kriyat Hatorah. His answer is that the particular takana of kriyat hatorah excluded using Shomea Koneh. Dirshu 47:10 quotes Rav Chaim Kanievsky (Dirshu Gilyon 3) that listening to a shiur even on a recording requires birchat hatorah. His proof is Tosfot Brachot 20b that even if there's not someone speaking who is a person those listening are considered learning.</ref>

# Looking into a Sefer Kodesh and only reading with one’s eyes, even without saying the words, requires brachot.<ref> Yalkut Yosef 47:6 </ref>

# Telling someone a halacha without giving a reason is a dispute of the poskim, one should be strict to say Birchot HaTorah beforehand.<ref> Rama on Shulchan Aruch 47:4 based on Ran (Shabbat 4b s.v. Makom, Avoda Zara 19b s.v. Tana) allows this because it is just like thoughts of Torah. However Yalkut Yosef 47:7 rules that because of a double doubt one should be strict to make brachot. </ref>

# Reciting Pesukim in a manner of prayer and not learning is permissible for Ashkenazim prior to reciting Birchot HaTorah and more or less prohibited for Sephardim.<Ref>Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 46:9). See Chikrei Lev 9, Yosef Ometz 66, Yabia Omer 4 OC 7, Or LeTzion 2:4:4, and Yabia Omer 9 OC 108:29 for a discussion regarding whether or not Shulchan Aruch thinks it's permissible according to the letter of the law and is just being strict or he actually holds it is prohibited. Rav Ovadia and Rav Ben Tzion agree that MeIkar HaDin, Shulchan Aruch thinks it's permissible and the custom is just to be strict, so they allow one to answer Kedushah and the 13 Middot, respectively, if one is caught in a minyan that is reciting them and has not yet recited Birchot HaTorah. Magen Avot Orac Chaim 6 fn 6 notes how although some people did seem to take the lenient approach in Morocco, one cannot call it a Minhag because they were just following how it was printed in the siddur and also some people would recite the Berachot at home, anyway.</ref> See [[Chodesh_Elul#Order_of_Selichot|Chodesh_Elul, Order_of_Selichot]].

# One who hears a bracha may answer [[Amen]] before having recited these berachot themself. One also may answer Kedushah before reciting these brachot, even though the responses are themselves biblical verses.<ref> Sh"t Rivivot Ephraim 1:39:1 </ref>

# According to many poskim one may perform mitzvot without reciting birchot hatorah.<ref>Gra 47:10 writes that one may perform mitzvot without reciting Birchot Hatorah since thinking about them isn't done with the intention to learn. Mishna Brurah 47:7 follows the Gra. However, the Bikkurei Yakov 644:1 writes that before shaking the lulav one should recite birchot hatorah. (See Agur siman 1 cited by Bet Yosef 47:11 who writes that observing halacha in the bathroom prevents one from having an interruption for one's brachot hatorah since that is like learning. That implies observing halacha and certainly mitzvot is like learning. But the Biur Hagra 47 s.v. vhu hadin writes that the Agur is incorrect because observing mitzvot isn't learning. Also, see Biur Halacha 588:2 s.v. shma who suggests that thinking about mitzvot is like learning Torah with respect to learning in the bathroom.)</ref>

==When to Recite Birchot HaTorah==