Jerusalem – R’ Yosef: Say ‘Shnayim Mikra’ Vigilantly or Face Divine Retribution

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    Jerusalem – While it is brought down in the Gemara that anyone who reviews the weekly parsha, twice in Hebrew and once in Aramaic, will merit a long life, in a shiur given the day before Simchas Torah, HaRav Ovadia Yosef repeatedly warned his audience that anyone who is lax about the custom of Shnayim Mikra V’Echad Targum would be punished.

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    “Every Jew is obligated to review the weekly parsha, twice in Hebrew and once in the Aramaic Targum. I have been told that there are some Roshei Yeshiva who don’t follow this custom. They look at one passuk, maybe the Targum a little, but they don’t know what to do.”

    According to a report by Israeli Hebrew news site Kikar, The Rav explained that the proper way to fulfill this custom is the read the parsha, in Hebrew, in its entirety and then to start again from the beginning and re-read the entire parsha, followed by a third review in the Targum. R’ Yosef stressed that nowhere does it say that the custom of Shnayim Mikra requires each passuk indivudally, twice in Hebrew and a third time in Aramaic, before moving on to the next passuk.

    “It is a huge segula to do Shnayim Mikra V’Echad Targum,” said R’ Yosef. “Someone who hasn’t done this until now should start from Bereishis. If it is too difficult, let him read the whole parsha once, let him say the words of the parsha with the Baal Koreh as he layns on Shabbos morning and then let him read the Targum on his own. But anyone who does not say Shnayim Mikra V’echad Targum will surely face punishment.”


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    21 Comments
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    12 years ago

    That sounds like a threat. Just what we need so we can motivate people to do the mitzvos.

    12 years ago

    It’s not a custom, it’s a clear halachic obligation on every Jew and has an entire siman in shulchan oruch dedicated to it.

    12 years ago

    The targum doesn’t have to be the aramaic.
    I personally do Rashi instead.

    Proud-2-B-Orthodox
    Proud-2-B-Orthodox
    12 years ago

    “According to a report by Israeli Hebrew news site Kikar, The Rav explained that the proper way to fulfill this…”

    This is not exactly a secret or a “chiddush”. This is how the “Mishna Berurah” says to do it as well.

    einer
    einer
    12 years ago

    Nowhere does it say? I’m surprised if rav Yosef said that, although there r shitos like that but al pi ariza”l u should repeat every pasuk and say the targum before going to the next one

    marfern1
    marfern1
    12 years ago

    Actually the MB says you can do it by Parsha rather than by Sidra. I think that makes more sense.

    FredE
    FredE
    12 years ago

    If, when I reach 120, this is the biggest complaint I get I will be in good shape…

    12 years ago

    I am shocked to see that “R’ Yosef stressed that nowhere does it say that the custom of Shnayim Mikra requires each passuk indivudally”
    its writen in Mugen Avruem (285) in the name of the Ariza”l to do so, also the baal hatanya in his shulchen urech quoted the ariza”l to do each passuk indivudally. also harav vosner shlit”a in Shavet Halavi (part 7 chapter 33) brings down that the chufetz chaim zt”l himself used to do so and thats the right way to do it, also its brought down in the name of baal shem tov zt”l that he heard from heaven to do so etc.
    of course if its hard to do so, it can be done by saying the whole parsha twice, but to say that “nowhere does it say to do so” is very interesting,

    AlbertEinstein
    AlbertEinstein
    12 years ago

    “The Rav explained that the proper way to fulfill this custom is the read the parsha, in Hebrew, in its entirety and then to start again from the beginning and re-read the entire parsha, followed by a third review in the Targum. R’ Yosef stressed that nowhere does it say that the custom of Shnayim Mikra requires each passuk indivudally, twice in Hebrew and a third time in Aramaic, before moving on to the next passuk.”

    The Mishnah Berurah in O”C 285:1, Se’if Kattan 2 lists several options for SMV”T. One that he DOES list is to say each passuk individually twice in Hebrew and a third time in Aramaic, before moving on to the next passuk.”

    He does NOT list the option of “reading the parsha, in Hebrew, in its entirety and then to start again from the beginning and re-read the entire parsha, followed by a third review in the Targum”

    Regarding the options he DOES list, he says “ude’avid kmar avid, ude’avid kmar avid.”

    I was told by a posek that practically any method of SMV”T is valid.

    12 years ago

    Being honest in business and not stealing from the government – Who cares
    Not speaking lashon hora- so outdated
    Being dan l’kaf zchus others – yea right
    Having the correct tilt on my borse, while I shukel away and do shnaim mikra – now there’s my free pass into olam haba.

    Reb Yid
    Reb Yid
    12 years ago

    Let’s not confuse parsha with sedra. It doesn’t sound like he said to read the whole sedra, maybe he meant parsha by parsha.

    RebKlemson
    RebKlemson
    12 years ago

    I guess I’m in big trouble

    12 years ago

    What if a person doesn’t speak/ understand Lashon Hakodesh and Aramaic?

    Reason
    Reason
    12 years ago

    Please go to the website and watch the video, this report totally misrepresents what he said.
    He was saying that some people have a problem that when they read the passuk twice and than the targum, they get caught up in the merfarshim on the page and than never get to the next passuk, so as an eitzah tovah he says read the whole parsha twice and then all the targumim, in order not to get stuck. He said “no where does it say that you HAVE to do it 2 and 1 each passuk,” not that “no one says to.”
    Second, about getting punished, someone asked him about reading chok lisrael everyday, and to that he says thats not an halacha, its just a maaseh hasidut, but shnayim mikra is a hovah and just like any mitzvah you will get punished if you donrt follow it.

    DRSLZ
    DRSLZ
    12 years ago

    1) It is inconceivable that HaRav HaGaon Ovadia Yosef would not know the sources. He has an encyclopedic mind, as anyone who has even glanced at any of his teshuvas in the Yabia Omer and elsewhere will realize.

    2) Post #11 is incorrect. One of the valid options is to study Rashi instead of reading the Targum (this is clearly written in that siman, as I recall), although if one wishes to be a “ba’al nefesh,” it is recommended to do both.