Is there any value in saying Shnayim Mikrah just on random weeks?
Question:
Is there value in saying Shnayim Mikrah on random weeks, and one knows he will not make up the others before Simchas Torah?
This is obviously aside from the value of Talmud Torah itself. I’m asking specifically is there value within the perspective of the chiyuv/takanah of Shnayim Mikrah. In other words, is it an “all or nothing”, as in either one is mashlim everything before Se’udas Shabbos/Mincha Shabbos/Tuesday/Simchas Torah, or they were not “yotze” Shnayim Mikra? Or if one sees one will be able to complete this week’s parsha, he should still do it, even though he didn’t do last week’s, or last month’s, etc.
Essentially, if someone came to the realization that when they don’t manage to do Shanyim Mikra one week, and one week can accumulate to many weeks, they never wind up making up what they missed. So is there really any value if one week they COULD manage to do a whole parsha, did they fulfill the takana – or is it just Talmud Torah (in which case they can appropriate their time to learning something else they feel more important than just saying pesukim in Chumash)?
The question stems from what is seemingly the implication from the Alter Rebbe that there is an inyan of shleimus – before Simchas Torah etc. (or perhaps if one goes like the opinion of Seuda or Mincha or Tuesday, there is a value in every week itself…). Would appreciate if you have any information that can shed any light on this matter.
Thank you!
Answer:
Although a person listens to the entire Torah being read each Shabbos, he is nonetheless obligated to review the Torah portion (Shnayim Mikrah) of that week each week on his own, reading it twice in the original and once in the Aramaic translation.
One is obligated to complete that week’s Shnayim Mikrah portion with the community. The Implication is that he should not read the Shnayim Mikrah for one week in another week.
The optimum manner of fulfilling the mitzvah is to complete Shnayim Mikrah by Shabbos morning. If one did not complete it at this time he must complete it after eating, until the time of Minchah. From that time onward, the time for Shnayim Mikrah has passed, since the community already began reading another Torah portion.
Other authorities maintain that, after the fact, one may complete Shnayim Mikrah until the end of Tuesday or (an even more lenient approach) until Simchas Torah, for then the entire congregation completes the entire Torah.
It is desirable to give weight to their words. Therefore, one who transgressed and did not complete Shnayim Mikrah at the appropriate time should complete its study before the conclusion of Tuesday. If he did not complete his review then, he should complete his review before Simchas Torah.
The above is based on the Alter Rebbe’s Shulchan Aruch Siman 285.
The question is if reviewing Shnayim Mikrah throughout the year is part of one chiyuv as to complete the Torah every year, or it’s a separate chiyuv every week (in order to be fluent in reading the Parsha) and the obligation is to complete the parsha every week., Obviously, in the first place, we need to consider the opinion that it is an annual obligation (and thus may be finished on Simchas Torah, as above) and therefore in the event where one did manage to do all the parshiyos it should be completed before the year’s end. However, if this is not possible then it is still an obligation according to the mainstream opinion mentioned first to finish every week.
It is also worthy to mention there are many brachos and s’gulos that are associated with reviewing Shnayim Mikra every week (including parnasah, long life, extra yiras shomayim, and proper concentration during davening).
Sources:
בהקדמה שכמה טעמים ואופנים בגדר הענין. וגם כשאינו יכול לקיים במילואה יש בזה עכ״פ חלק מהענין. ותלוי בהטעמים בראשונים ובאחרונים בגדר חיוב קריאת שמו״ת. ואם הטעם בכדי שיהא בקי בתורה – הרי לכה״פ יהא בקי בחלק זה. וראה כעי״ז בשאלה כיו״ב בס׳ קריאת שמו״ת מילואים ח. וש״נ בארוכה ובהרחבה.
וכפי הנת׳ בפנים באופן הראשון, משמע שכן למד בשו”ת תרומת הדשן א, כג, מדברי רבנו שמחה המובא בהגהות מיימוניות “דעיקר החיוב, דאצריכו רבנן להשלים פרשיות עם הציבור, היינו שכל אחד מישראל יקרא לעצמו כל התורה מראש ועד סוף בכל שנה, כמו שעושים הציבור”. ומאידך, הביא התרומת הדשן שם כי לפי פירוש רבנו חננאל המובא שם, משמע שעיקר התקנה לקרוא שמו”ת היתה כדי שיהא רגיל במה שהציבור קוראים.
והנה, להשיטה שעבר זמנו אינו יכול להשלים – שהוא העיקר, לא מסתבר כלל, שכשהפסיד פרשה אחת אין צריך להמשיך בקריאת כל פרשה עד שמח”ת, וכאילו נאמר שכבר בטל ה”תמימות”). ומזה נראה לענ”ד שנכון להמשיך גם אם לא יסיים התורה. (וכ״ז בנוסף להסגולות שהובאו בספרים, שיתכן ששייכים גם בחסר גדרי המצוה. ואכ״מ). וכ״כ מד״ע בפסק״ת מהדו״ח רפה, ח.
[ולהעיר מהשקו״ט בקטן שהגדיל בשבת וקרא בערב שבת. ולאידך, בלא קרא בשבת מחמת קטנותו אם חייב להשלים אחרי שבת בגדלותו].
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