SECTION 62 Laws Relating to One who Recited the Shema Imprecisely or Inaudibly. (1โ€“3)

ืกื™ืžืŸ ืกื‘ ื“ึผึดื™ืŸ ืžึดื™ ืฉืึถืœึผึนื ื“ึผึดืงึฐื“ึผึตืง ื‘ึผึดืงึฐืจึดื™ืึทืช ืฉืึฐืžึทืข ืื•ึน ืœึนื ื”ึดืฉืึฐืžึดื™ืขึท ืœึฐืึธื–ึฐื ื•ึน ื•ึผื‘ื•ึน ื’' ืกึฐืขึดื™ืคึดื™ื:

1 Though one should pronounce the letters [of the Shema] precisely, if he recited them without such precision, he has [after the fact] fulfilled his obligation.1

ื ืึทืฃ ืขึทืœ ืคึผึดื™ ืฉืึถืฆึผึธืจึดื™ืšึฐ ืœึฐื“ึทืงึฐื“ึผึตืง ื‘ึผึฐืื•ึนืชึดื™ึผื•ึนืชึถื™ื”ึธ,ื ืงึธืจึธื ื•ึฐืœึนื ื“ึผึดืงึฐื“ึผึตืง ื‘ึผึธื”ึถืŸ โ€“ ื™ึธืฆึธื:ื‘,1

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2 The Shema may be recited in any language. [Our Sages interpret2 the word] Shema โ€” โ€œhearโ€ [as implying that the passage may be recited] โ€œin any language that you hearโ€ [i.e., that you understand]. [When reciting the Shema in another language,] one should vigilantly avoid unfaithful translations in that language and should pronounce its letters precisely, as he would in the Holy Tongue.3

[This leniency is granted] provided he understands the language [in which he recites the Shema]. The same applies to Shemoneh Esreh and the Grace after Meals.4 However, with regard to Kiddush, the blessings recited over the performance of mitzvos, and Hallel, one fulfills his obligation even if he does not understand the language [in which he is reciting these prayers].5

ื‘ ื™ึธื›ื•ึนืœ ืœึดืงึฐืจื•ึนืชึธื”ึผ ื‘ึผึฐื›ึธืœ ืœึธืฉืื•ึนืŸ, ืฉืึถื ึผึถืึฑืžึทืจ:ื’,2 "ืฉืึฐืžึทืข" โ€“ ื‘ึผึฐื›ึธืœ ืœึฐืฉืื•ึนืŸ ืฉืึถืึทืชึผึธื” ืฉืื•ึนืžึตืขึท.ื“ ื•ึฐื™ึดื–ึผึธื”ึตืจ ืžึดื“ึผึดื‘ึฐืจึตื™ ืฉืึดื‘ึผื•ึผืฉื ืฉืึถื‘ึผึฐืื•ึนืชื•ึน ืœึธืฉืื•ึนืŸ, ื•ึดื™ื“ึทืงึฐื“ึผึตืง ื‘ึผึฐืื•ึนืชึดื™ึผื•ึนืชึธื™ื• ื›ึผึฐืžื•ึน ื‘ึผึดืœึฐืฉืื•ึนืŸ ื”ึทืงึผึนื“ึถืฉื.ื”,3 ื•ึฐื”ื•ึผื ืฉืึถืžึผึตื‘ึดื™ืŸ ื”ึทืœึธืฉืื•ึนืŸ.ื• ื•ึฐื”ื•ึผื ื”ึทื“ึผึดื™ืŸ ืœึดืชึฐืคึดืœึผึธื”ื– ื•ึผื‘ึดืจึฐื›ึผึทืช ื”ึทืžึผึธื–ื•ึนืŸ.ื—,4 ืึฒื‘ึธืœ ืงึดื“ึผื•ึผืฉืื˜ ื•ึผื‘ึดืจึฐื›ื•ึนืช ื”ึทืžึผึดืฆึฐื•ื•ึนืชื™ ื•ึฐื”ึทืœึผึตืœ โ€“ ื™ื•ึนืฆึตื ืึฒืคึดืœึผื•ึผ ืึตื™ื ื•ึน ืžึตื‘ึดื™ืŸ ื”ึทืœึผึธืฉืื•ึนืŸ:5

3 One should make [the words] he utters audible to himself. [This, too, is implied by the word] Shema โ€” โ€œhear,โ€ [which is interpreted,]1 โ€œMake [your words] heard by your [own] ears.โ€ If one did not make [his words] audible, he has [after the fact] fulfilled his obligation, provided he enunciated the words with his lips. If, however, he read [the Shema] in his heart [alone, without enunciating the words], he has not fulfilled his obligation, for โ€œthought is not equivalent to speech.โ€6

However, one should think over [these words] if an unavoidable predicament prevents him from enunciating them โ€” if, for example, he cannot speak [words of Torah] because the place he is in is unclean,7 but not entirely filthy.8 Although he does not fulfill his obligation unless he actually says the words, he should nevertheless think them over in his heart. Gโ€‘d will see into his heart and reward him for his thoughts. As the Midrash comments9 on the verse,10 โ€œLend Your ear to my words, O Gโ€‘d; understand my meditations;โ€ King David was saying: โ€œMaster of the Universe! When I can speak, โ€˜lend Your ear to my wordsโ€™; when I cannot speak, โ€˜understand my meditations.โ€™โ€ The last word (hagigi) refers to thought, for if it were to refer to speech, [a request to] โ€œunderstandโ€ would be inappropriate even if addressed to a mortal listener. Since, however, the subject at hand is in the realm of thought, the term โ€œunderstandโ€ is used. This is also apparent from the verse,11 โ€œWhen I meditate a fire burns; [so, too,] when I spoke with my tongue.โ€ This implies that speech is one thing and thought, another.

ื’ ืฆึธืจึดื™ืšึฐ ืœึฐื”ึทืฉืึฐืžึดื™ืขึท ืœึฐืึธื–ึฐื ึธื™ื• ืžึทื” ืฉึผืึถืžึผื•ึนืฆึดื™ื ืžึดืคึผึดื™ื•, ืฉืึถื ึผึถืึฑืžึทืจ: "ืฉืึฐืžึทืข"1 โ€“ ื”ึทืฉืึฐืžึทืข ืœึฐืึธื–ึฐื ึถื™ืšึธ.ื™ื ื•ึฐืึดื ืœึนื ื”ึดืฉืึฐืžึดื™ืขึท ืœึฐืึธื–ึฐื ึธื™ื• โ€“ ื™ึธืฆึธื,ื™ื‘ ื•ึผื‘ึดืœึฐื‘ึทื“ ืฉืึถื™ึผื•ึนืฆึดื™ื ื‘ึผึดืฉื‚ึฐืคึธืชึธื™ื•. ืึฒื‘ึธืœ ืึดื ืงึฐืจึธืึธื”ึผ ื‘ึผึฐืœึดื‘ึผื•ึน โ€“ ืœึนื ื™ึธืฆึธื, ืฉืึถื”ึดืจึฐื”ื•ึผืจ ืึตื™ื ื•ึน ื›ึผึฐื“ึดื‘ึผื•ึผืจ.ื™ื’,6

ื•ึผืžึดื›ึผึธืœ ืžึธืงื•ึนื ืึดื ื”ื•ึผื ืึธื ื•ึผืก ืฉืึถืึตื™ื ื•ึน ื™ึธื›ื•ึนืœ ืœึฐื”ื•ึนืฆึดื™ื ื‘ึผึดืฉื‚ึฐืคึธืชึธื™ื•, ื›ึผึฐื’ื•ึนืŸื™ื“ ืฉืึถืึตื™ืŸ ื”ึทืžึผึธืงื•ึนื ื ึธืงึดื™7 ื‘ึผึฐืขึดื ึฐื™ึธืŸ ืฉืึถืึตื™ื ื•ึน ื™ึธื›ื•ึนืœ ืœึฐื”ื•ึนืฆึดื™ื ื‘ึผึดืฉื‚ึฐืคึธืชึธื™ื•, ื“ึผึฐื”ึทื™ึฐื ื•ึผ ืฉืึถืึตื™ืŸ ื”ึทืžึผึธืงื•ึนื ืžึฐื˜ึปื ึผึธืฃ ืœึฐื’ึทืžึฐืจึตื™8 โ€“ ื™ึตืฉื ืœื•ึน ืœึฐื”ึทืจึฐื”ึตืจ.ื˜ื• ื•ึฐืึทืฃ ืขึทืœ ืคึผึดื™ ืฉืึถืึตื™ื ื•ึน ื™ื•ึนืฆึตื ื™ึฐื“ึตื™ ื—ื•ึนื‘ึธื” ืึถืœึผึธื ื‘ึผึทืึฒืžึดื™ืจึธื” โ€“ ื™ึตืฉื ืœื•ึน ืœึฐื”ึทืจึฐื”ึตืจ ื‘ึผึฐืœึดื‘ึผื•ึน,ื˜ื– ื•ึทื”' ื™ึดืจึฐืึถื” ืœึฐื‘ึธื‘ื•ึน ื•ึฐื™ึดืชึผึตืŸ ืœื•ึน ืฉื‚ึฐื›ึทืจ ื”ึทืžึผึทื—ึฒืฉืึธื‘ึธื”. ื“ึผึฐืึฒืžึฐืจึดื™ื ึทืŸ ื”ึธื›ึตื™ ื‘ึผึทืžึผึดื“ึฐืจึธืฉื:ื™ื–, 9 "ืึฒืžึธืจึทื™ ื”ึทืึฒื–ึดื™ื ึธื” ื”'",ื™ื—, 10 ืึธืžึทืจ ื“ึผึธื•ึดื“: ืจึดื‘ึผื•ึนื ื•ึน ืฉืึถืœ ืขื•ึนืœึธื ื‘ึผึฐืฉืึธืขึธื” ืฉืึถืึฒื ึดื™ ื™ึธื›ื•ึนืœ ืœึฐื“ึทื‘ึผึตืจ โ€“ "ืึฒืžึธืจึทื™ ื”ึทืึฒื–ึดื™ื ึธื”", ื•ึผื‘ึฐืฉืึธืขึธื” ืฉืึถืึตื™ื ึดื™ ื™ึธื›ื•ึนืœ ืœึฐื“ึทื‘ึผึตืจ โ€“ "ื‘ึผึดื™ื ึธื” ื”ึฒื’ึดื™ื’ึดื™". ื•ึท"ื”ึฒื’ึดื™ื’ึดื™" ืจึธืฆึธื” ืœื•ึนืžึทืจ ื”ึฒืžึผึทื—ึฐืฉืึธื‘ึธื”, ืฉืึถืึดื ื”ึธื™ึธื” ืจื•ึนืฆึถื” ืœื•ึนืžึทืจ ื“ึผึดื‘ึผื•ึผืจ โ€“ ืึฒืคึดืœึผื•ึผ ืœึฐื‘ึธืฉื‚ึธืจ ื•ึธื“ึธื ืึตื™ืŸ ืœื•ึนืžึทืจ "ื‘ึผึดื™ื ึธื”" ื‘ึผึฐื“ึธื‘ึธืจ ืฉืึถืฉึผืื•ึนืžึตืขึท, ืึถืœึผึธื ืžึดืชึผื•ึนืšึฐ ืฉืึถืึตื™ื ื•ึน ืึถืœึผึธื ื‘ึผึฐืžึทื—ึฒืฉืึธื‘ึธื” ืึธืžึทืจ ืœึฐืฉืื•ึนืŸ "ื‘ึผึดื™ื ึธื”". ื•ึฐื›ึตืŸ ื ึดืจึฐืึถื” ืžึตื”ึทืคึผึธืกื•ึผืง ืฉืึถืื•ึนืžึตืจื™ื˜, 11 "ื‘ึผึทื”ึฒื’ึดื™ื’ึดื™ ืชึดื‘ึฐืขึทืจ ืึตืฉื ื“ึผึดื‘ึผึทืจึฐืชึผึดื™ ื‘ึผึดืœึฐืฉืื•ึนื ึดื™", ื“ึผึฐืžึทืฉืึฐืžึธืข ืฉืึถื”ึทื“ึผึดื‘ึผื•ึผืจ ื“ึผึธื‘ึธืจ ืึถื—ึธื“ ื•ึฐื”ึทืžึผึทื—ึฒืฉืึธื‘ึธื” ื“ึผึธื‘ึธืจ ืึทื—ึตืจ: