Especially during the summer, we need to be careful about the time for reciting the morning Shma. Since it’s so easy to miss the time, the Alter Rebbe paskens that one should say the Shma ¾ of an hour before the actual time limit! * Is this stringency only for the Shma or for any time-bound mitzva or custom? To what extent can we rely on the accuracy of our clocks? What did the Rebbe add in a yechidus with a bachur and why, because of this paragraph in the Shulchan Aruch, were decrees against the Jews in Russia postponed? * On this and more in the following article.
In Parshas Balak (BaMidbar 23:23) Bilam’s prophecy is recorded, in which he refers to the Jewish people as, “they are a nation which rises like a lion.” Rashi explains, “When they get up in the morning they [rise up] powerfully like a lion to grab mitzvos, to don a tallis, to recite the Shma and to put on t’fillin.”
In the holy Zohar it says shocking things about someone who does not recite the Shma on time; specifically that he is shunned by Heaven all that day. Ramak and other commentaries on Zohar explain that since he missed the RaMaCH (248) words of the Shma, the RaMaCH turns into CheReM (excommunication).
The Alter Rebbe paskens that the latest one can recite the morning Shma is three hours after Neitz HaChama (sunrise). He adds that one should be exceedingly careful about it (actually, he mainly warns about how we should conduct ourselves and parenthetically lets us know that the latest one can recite the Shma is three hours after the neitz HaChama).
This is what the Alter Rebbe writes in his Siddur:
“The time for reciting the morning Shma is the first quarter of the day and one should be exceedingly careful especially in the summer not to miss the time… And since the time pieces are not all accurate… and one should not cut it so close – therefore, be careful to finish reciting the Shma by the end of the seventh hour in the summer when the end of the allotted time is ‘three quarters of an hour later.”
One could argue that only in the days of the Alter Rebbe the clocks or “time pieces” weren’t precise; today however, when most time pieces are accurate, it is not necessary to say the Shma earlier as an extra precaution. However, the Alter Rebbe gives another reason for his p’sak, namely, that since this is a biblical mitzvah, it is not proper to cut it so close or as we would put it, “go down to the wire.” This applies even now and so we should say the Shma three quarters of an hour before the end of the z’man.
The gaon Rabbi Yaakov Landau a”h said, “Once, on Erev Pesach, the Rebbe [Rashab] urged me to finish eating chametz three quarters of an hour before the z’man, quoting his father as saying: Just as the Alter Rebbe writes in his Siddur about finishing the recitation of Shma three quarters of an hour before the z’man, so too with matters that are rabbinic in nature.”
From here we see that our Rebbeim were particular about any obligation whose timing is based on a reckoning of hours in the day (in other words, not at the beginning or end of the day and not precisely in the middle either) and even in Rabbinic matters, that one should fulfill them three quarters of an hour before the time. And although the Alter Rebbe writes explicitly that “in a Safek Shel Torah we should not cut it so close,” which makes it sound like we need not be concerned about this regarding a Safek D’Rabbanan, nevertheless, the Rebbeim were more stringent even with Rabbinic laws.
One could maintain that the Rebbeim were stringent in Rabbinic matters only for themselves and their household and this was not intended for everybody else. However, obviously one who is stringent in Rabbinic matters too does not lose out, especially given the fact that Chassidim are mehader to do as the Rebbeim do.
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To summarize thus far: according to the Alter Rebbe, “we need to be careful to finish reciting the Shma” three quarters of an hour before the final time. From our Rebbeim it seems there is reason to be stringent even with Rabbinic mitzvos whose required time is within a certain number of hours into the day.
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We should mention that which the Alter Rebbe states in the laws of Netilas Yadayim, in a case where he is compelled to take a side in a dispute and he says, “It is proper to act according to reasoning X, because since it is something that is not a bother, why shouldn’t we remove ourselves from machlokes.” And the Alter Rebbe concludes with the following advice, “It is proper to make such a commitment conditional and to say that you are not committing to this by way of obligation but as a voluntary matter, so that if, on occasion, you are not able to do so … readily, you won’t need to be stringent, and it is fitting, with any stringency you commit to, to do so conditionally.” So when we want to commit to this hiddur brought in the Alter Rebbe’s Siddur, it is good to do so conditionally.
The Rebbe would say that when you commit to a stringency or hiddur, do so “bli neder” (without a vow), and then your actions will be desirable and perfect.
I also remember hearing from Rabbi Sholom Dovber Cohen, rosh yeshiva of Tomchei T’mimim in Nachalat Har Chabad, that in his youth (5728/1968) he had yechidus before his birthday and the Rebbe told him to make a good resolution. The way it worked back then was that after yechidus a Chassid was able to submit notes of the yechidus and the Rebbe would review it. Then the notes were returned to the one who submitted them, and this way he knew that he properly understood what the Rebbe said. Rabbi Cohen wrote the horaa about a hachlata in his notes. When the Rebbe edited it he added “bli neder.” This teaches us that we should make good resolutions conditional on their not being vows.
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We will conclude with some inyanei Moshiach and Geula as they relate to the recitation of the Shma and the approach of the Alter Rebbe.
On Yud-Tes Kislev 5663/1903, the Rebbe Rashab said a maamer for a select group of outstanding individuals on the topic of “Understanding the known question: If the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov are true, and we would not be able to fight the war against the sitra achra without it, why weren’t they revealed earlier?” He explains there “that 1000 years up Above are considered like one day … Accordingly, from the year 500 of the 6th millennium begins the morning of this millennium … and it’s a mitzva, as it says in Shulchan Aruch, to taste from each dish that was cooked for Shabbos … And in general, the seventh millennium is called ‘the day that is completely Shabbos’ … Therefore, once the 500th year of the sixth millennium began it was a z’chus and mitzva to taste of the Shabbos foods, and therefore, the Baal Shem Tov was sent to the world to reveal P’nimius HaTorah. Whatever secrets of the Torah will be revealed by tzaddikim until the coming of Moshiach is called ‘merely a taste,’ and the main meal will be in the future, but prior to that time [5500] souls in bodies did not have the capacity to taste of the Tree of Life.”
He goes on to say that the keitz is in 5666/1906. The calculation goes as follows: At the beginning of the day of the sixth millennium the Jewish people will awaken and rise up, with dawn (the beginning of the day) corresponding to the year 5500 [as mentioned before, the 500 first years are considered like the night of the sixth millennium] and the time of sunrise is the year 5550/1790 [because from dawn until sunrise there is one and a fifth hours … [which is] a tenth of the day which is one tenth of 500].
If we continue to explain the calculation of the years, fifty years are one tenth of 500. Indeed, that is when the light of the Alter Rebbe began to shine in greater force “and therefore, they rose from the slumber of galus, several thousand more souls than in the time of the Baal Shem Tov (which was dawn) … and from that point was brought down in great force the revelation of (Divine) intellect until three hours into the day which is the year 5625/1865. Throughout these years (5550-5625) – which correspond to the first three hours of the day – our Rebbeim spread Chassidus and aroused the Jewish people from the slumber of galus. Then, from the year 5626, the Tzemach Tzedek passed away and the revelation of intellect retreated, which is the (end) time of Krias Shma and then the fourth hour began, which is the time for t’filla. This continued until 5666 and eight months which is the fourth hour, the time for t’filla … therefore the Geula will be … at this time specifically which is the time for t’filla.”
However, he adds and clarifies that “it is known that the avoda of t’filla is specifically with external bittul and the bowing of the physical body and that is the main thing, specifically in a manner of hodaa/submission … and therefore at this time began the birth pangs of Moshiach and great suffering, as is known, in order to implant in the heart of man this aspect of hodaa/submission.”
However, we need to understand why this period of suffering did not begin immediately at the time of t’filla, i.e. from 5626, and why does it last until 5650 when the “birth pangs of Moshiach” were not so strong. He explains, based on the aforementioned view of the Alter Rebbe regarding the times for Krias Shma and t’filla and he says, “there is another reason for this, as Hashem did this in His great mercies to extend the time for Krias Shma according to the view of poskim who count the hours starting from sunrise so it comes out that there is an additional thirty minutes. According to the computation of the years, that would be 25 years. Therefore, that earlier period was extended another 25 years until 5650, which is the end of the z’man Krias Shma starting from sunrise.”
He then adds, “We actually saw how starting from the year 5650 the expulsion from the cities of Russia (and the establishment of the Pale of Settlement) began, along with the great difficulties in making a living. The yoke of galus began to be felt in a much greater way in every city of our country as a result of which, they were awakened from their slumber, the slumber of exile.”
What we understand from all this, is that with Hashem’s kindness the birth pangs of Moshiach were pushed off until 5651/1891 because of the legal ruling of the Alter Rebbe and those who follow him, as it is from then that the fourth hour begins, the time for t’filla and hodaa/submission.
In our time, when it is already “midday of the sixth or three hours after midday, very close to the beginning of Shabbos,” then, like the Rebbe says, “there is no reason to wait any longer since we have already completed all aspects of avoda and have already done t’shuva, and the matter depends solely on the coming of Moshiach himself.” The Rebbe adds, “This that the Sages said that it depends solely on t’shuva was in the past, but now (after they have already done t’shuva) it depends solely on the coming of Moshiach himself. All that is needed is that Moshiach should actually come so that “one can point with his finger and say ‘this is Moshiach Tzidkeinu.’”