| Kavanah: What is It and Why Should I Have It? |
Mishnah – Rosh Hashanah 3:7Regarding a person who blows into a hole, into a cistern, or into a clay foundation, if he or she heard the sound of the shofar – he or she has fulfilled his or her obligation, but if he or she heard an indistinct sound – he or she did not fulfil it. And similarly, regarding a person who passed behind a synagogue, or [regarding a person] whose house was close to the synagogue, and he or she heard the sound of the shofar or the reading of the Megillah, if he or she directed his mind – he or she fulfilled it, but if not - he or she did not fulfil it, and though this one heard and that one heard, this one directed his or her mind and that one did not direct his or her mind. Mishnah – Rosh Hashanah 4:8We do not cross the shabbat boundary because of the shofar, nor do we remove rubble, climb a tree, ride an animal, or sail on water. Nor do we cut it - neither with an implement that involves [an infringement of] shevut nor with something that involves [an infringement of] a negative mitzvah. But if he or she wants to fill it with water or wine he or she may do so. We do not prevent children from sounding it, but indeed we supervise them until they have mastered it. One practising has not fulfilled his or her obligation nor has one listening to another practising. Mishnah – Megillah 2:2If one read it intermittently or when drowsy, he or she has carried out his obligation; if he or she were copying it, expounding it, or correcting it, and he or she had it in mind to fulfil the obligation, then he or she has done so, but if not, then he or she has not fulfilled it. If it were written with paint, or with red dye, or with resin, or with copperas, on paper or on partially prepared hide, he or has not fulfilled the obligation, unless it is written in Hebrew on parchment and with ink. Mishnah – Brachot 2:1If one was reading in the Torah [the section of the shema] when the time for its recital arrived, if he or she had the intention, then he or she has fulfilled the obligation. In the breaks one may give greeting out of respect and return greeting; in the middle [of a section] one may give greeting out of fear and return it, [according to] the words of Rabbi Meir. Rabbi Yehudah says: in the middle one may give greeting out of fear and return it out of respect, in the breaks one may give greeting out of respect and return greeting to anyone. Compiled by David Goldman
|




