Study Megillah folio 17B with parallel Hebrew-English text, traditional commentary, and modern study tools. Free access to Babylonian Talmud online.
Text Excerpt
״והיו״, בהויתן יהו. ורבנן, מאי טעמא? אמר קרא: ״שמע״, בכל לשון שאתה שומע.
“And these words…should be” (Deuteronomy 6:6), teaching that these words, the words of the Shema, always “should be” as they are, i.e., in the Hebrew language. The Talmud asks: And as for the rabbis, what is the reason for their opinion? The verse states: “Hear, O Israel” (Deuteronomy 6:4), which could also be translated, “Understand, O Israel,” indicating that you may recite these words in any language that you hear, i.e., understand.
ורבי נמי, הא כתיב: ״שמע״? ההוא מיבעי ליה: השמע לאזניך מה שאתה מוציא מפיך. ורבנן — סברי כמאן דאמר הקורא את שמע ולא השמיע לאזנו יצא.
The Talmud asks: And according to R' Yehuda HaNasi as well, isn’t it indeed written, “hear”? What does he learn from this word, if not that the Shema may be recited in any language? The Talmud answers: This word is necessary to teach something else: Make heard to your ears what your mouth is saying, i.e., the Shema must be recited audibly, not merely thought in one’s heart. The Talmud asks: And how do the rabbis know this? The Talmud explains: They hold like the one who said that if one recites the Shema but does not make it audible to his ears, he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligation.
ורבנן נמי, הכתיב ״והיו״? ההוא מיבעי ליה שלא יקרא למפרע. ורבי, שלא יקרא למפרע מנא ליה? מ״דברים״ ״הדברים״. ורבנן — ״דברים״ ״הדברים״ לא משמע להו.
The Talmud asks: And according to the rabbis as well, isn’t it indeed written, “And these words should be”? What do they learn from this, if not that the Shema must be recited in Hebrew? The Talmud answers: That word is necessary to teach that one must not recite the words of the Shema out of order, but they “should be” as they are, in the proper order. The Talmud asks: And from where does R' Yehuda HaNasi learn that one must not recite the Shema out of order? The Talmud answers: He derives it from the fact that the verse does not say just: Words, but “the words,” referring to specific words, which teaches that they must be recited in their proper order without any variation. The Talmud asks: And what do the rabbis learn from the phrase “the words”? The difference between words and “the words” is inconsequential according to them.