Daily Dvar Halacha

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Rav Eliyahu Reingold, Rosh Kollel in the Yeshiva of Greater Washington, spent many years learning in the Telshe Yeshiva and Kollel where he was recognized as one of their foremost talmidim. He taught in the Telshe Mechina before coming to the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. He is a noted Baal Halacha and Baal Mussar, serving as a well-respected posek for the Yeshiva and community. Besides his responsibility in leading the Kollel, he delivers a high level shiur to advanced students, and provides many halacha shiurim throughout the year. His heartfelt weekly mussar shmuess in an inspiration to all.

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1416 - Tenaim in Asiyas Hamitzvos - (Klal 68 Siman 9) - Mitzvos Tzrichos Kavana - 4

We are continuing in siman 9, which discusses the concept of mitzvos tzrichos kavana. We will clarify the idea that doing mitzvos without kavana may be considered not performing a mitzvah, as we learned yesterday.

There is a sefer which discusses the many mitzvos people do throughout the day for which they do not have kavana. As we learned, a person only receives reward for a mitzvah if they have kavana to perform the action for the sake of performing a mitzvah. The Biur Halacha takes it a step further, and writes that if we hold that one is not yotzei without the proper kavana, there are issurim which may arise. For example, if one wears a four-cornered garment, they are chayav to put tzitzis on it. If they wear the tzitzis without kavana, and we understand that they have not fulfilled the mitzvah of tzitzis, it comes out they are wearing a four-cornered garment without tzitzis. As another example, if one eats in the sukkah without having kavana, they have nullified a mitzvah deoraysa of sitting in the sukkah, so it comes out that they have essentially eaten outside of the sukkah.

We will discuss some other examples of situations where one does not perform the mitzvah without having kavana:
When taking care of one’s parents, with the proper kavana one fulfills:
Kibbud av v’eim;
Ve’ahavta lereiacha kamocha (because the child is taking care of their parents the same way they would want to be taken care of);
If the father is a talmid chochom, bo sidbak;
Ish imo v’aviv tira’u;
If the parents are old, mipnei seivah takum;
Possibly almanah ve’yason lo sa’anun, which Rashi points out is not limited to widows and orphans, but to any underprivileged people;
Ona’as devarim.
When a person honors shabbos, they fulfill the mitzvah derabanan of vekarasa lashabbos oneg and the mitzvah deoraysa of lo sasur.
The Arizal holds that when one answers kaddish and kedusha, they fulfill the mitzvah deoraysa of venikdashti besoch bnei yisroel.

These are just some of the many mitzvos which we perform throughout our day, where, without proper kavana to fulfill them, one does not receive the sechar for fulfilling them.