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Having Kavana for Mitzvot: Difference between revisions
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[[File:Kavanah.jpg|frame|150px|Man praying with Kavanah (sincere intent).]] | [[File:Kavanah.jpg|frame|150px|Man praying with Kavanah (sincere intent).]] | ||
Kavanah is a mindset necessary for the performance of many mitzvot. There's two types of Kavanah (intentions) for mitzvot: | Kavanah is a mindset necessary for the performance of many mitzvot. There's two types of Kavanah (intentions) for mitzvot: | ||
# One is the concentration on the mitzvah to the exclusion of anything else and a sincerity of heart about what one is saying. Preferably, one should have this intention, however, after the fact if one didn't one has fulfilled the mitzvah except by the first pasuk of Shema and the first bracha of [[ | # One is the concentration on the mitzvah to the exclusion of anything else and a sincerity of heart about what one is saying. Preferably, one should have this intention, however, after the fact if one didn't one has fulfilled the mitzvah except by the first pasuk of Shema and the first bracha of [[Shmoneh Esrei]] where this intent is absolutely necessary even after the fact. <ref>Mishna Brurah 60:7 </ref> See the details of this in the section [[#Mitzvot that require special Kavana|Mitzvot that require special Kavana]]. | ||
# The second type of Kavanah is that prior to performing a mitzvah one should think that I am hereby going to fulfill a particular Mitzvah. According to all opinions, it's preferable to have this intent, however, according to the accepted opinion this intent is necessary even after the fact (in most cases). <ref>Mishna Brurah 60:7 </ref>The details of this second Kavanah are discussed below. | # The second type of Kavanah is that prior to performing a mitzvah one should think that I am hereby going to fulfill a particular Mitzvah. According to all opinions, it's preferable to have this intent, however, according to the accepted opinion this intent is necessary even after the fact (in most cases). <ref>Mishna Brurah 60:7 </ref>The details of this second Kavanah are discussed below. | ||
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==Mitzvot that require special Kavana== | ==Mitzvot that require special Kavana== | ||
# Besides Kavana that one has to fulfill the positive Mitzvah to say Shema, one needs to understand what one is saying in the first pasuk of Shema because of the Kabalat Ol Malchut Shamayim (acceptance of yoke of heaven) and Yichud Hashem (knowing the Hashem is one). <Ref> Sh”t Rashba 1:344 writes that even though one needs Kavana by every mitzvah by Shema and [[ | # Besides Kavana that one has to fulfill the positive Mitzvah to say Shema, one needs to understand what one is saying in the first pasuk of Shema because of the Kabalat Ol Malchut Shamayim (acceptance of yoke of heaven) and Yichud Hashem (knowing the Hashem is one). <Ref> Sh”t Rashba 1:344 writes that even though one needs Kavana by every mitzvah by Shema and [[Shmoneh Esrei]] one needs also to think about the words. This is also the opinion of S”A 60:5 </ref> However, in the rest of Shema one only needs Kavana to say the words (not to be Metasek, accidentally doing the action). <Ref> Raah (Brachot 2e) writes that there’s three levels of Kavana; first is not to be Metasek to intend to do the action of the mitzvah such as reading the words of Shema even if his intention is to check that it’s written correctly, then second is Kavana to fulfill every mitzvah, and the third Kavana is to intend every word for Hashem as one is able. This is quoted by Sefer Hashlama, Sefer Meorot, Rav Avraham Alashvili, Shitah Mekubeset, Ritva all found on Brachot 13a, and Avudraham (Siddur Kol Hashana). S”A 60:5 rules that the first Kavana is sufficient for the rest of Shema and the third level of Kavana is needed for the first pasuk of Shema. This is also the opinion of many Achronim including Sh”t Radvaz 4:1094, Magen Avrham 60:4, Pri Chadash 60:5, Eliyah Raba 60:3, Pri Megadim A”A 60:4, Shulchan Aruch HaRav 60:5 and Halacha Brurah 60:17. </ref> | ||
==Sources== | ==Sources== | ||
<references/> | <references/> | ||
