Tuesday, October 10, 2006

Daf Yomi - Sukkah 38 - Shomea Keoneh

The Gemora states that originally when Hallel was recited and one did not know how to recite it himself, someone else would recite each possuk and the person who couldn’t say the Hallel would answer Hallelu-kah.

The Gemora speculates as to what the halacha would be if one would listen to the Hallel being recited and he would not respond, would he still fulfill the mitzva? The Gemora concludes that he would.

The Reshash asks from an explicit Mishna in Rosh Hashana that rules in an instance that someone is walking in back of a Shul and hears the Megillah being read, if he has intention to fulfill the mitzva, he fulfills the mitzva. It is evident that one does not have to recite anything and nonetheless he fulfills the mitzva. This is based on the principle that one who hears is as if he has recited. Why is our Gemora pondering this issue?

The Darkei Moshe 167 quotes the Ohr Zorua who rules that when one hears another reciting a brocha and he wants to be yotzei with that brocha, he must answer Amen to the brocha. The Darkei Moshe concludes that there is no basis for this ruling in Gemora or Shulchan Aruch. What is the explanation for the opinion of the Ohr Zorua?

Rav Elyashiv explains that since the Sages instituted that the listener to a brocha should respond with answering Amen, if he doesn’t, it is as if he is not listening to the brocha and he cannot join that person’s brocha.

Perhaps this is the issue in our Gemora. If one doesn’t respond by answering Hallelu-kah, he cannot join the one who is reciting the Hallel and therefore he cannot be regarded as reciting the Hallel himself.

The conclusion of the Gemora is that one who listens to the hallel is as if he himself is reciting it and therefore even if he doesn’t respond with Hallelu-kah, he is fulfilling his obligation. This also explains why the halacha is not in accordance with the Ohr Zorua. Even if one doesn’t answer Amen, by listening to the brocha, it is as if he is reciting it himself.

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