All right, rabotai (gentlemen), I’ll read some halachot (laws) here. We are in siman (section) Mem-Vav in Aruch Hashulchan, in halachah Bet. It’s Bet, but it’s Tet in the Aruch Hashulchan.
“Vehineh bizman haShas (the Talmud) hayu omerim kol birchot hashachar (morning blessings) ish al mekomo.” In the olden days, everybody would say the birchot hashachar in his own place, “mipnei shehayu kedoshim (holy)”—because they were holy—and they were careful that, even while sleeping, their hands wouldn’t touch covered parts of the body. They were careful that their hands didn’t touch anything while they were sleeping, any parts of the body that were mechuseh, covered.
“Aval achshav, i efshar levarech kol echad al mekomo.” Today it’s impossible for each person to say the blessings in his own place, “she’ein yadeinu neki’ot.” The hands are not clean. Although it’s possible to clean them on a wall, or on something else as soon as you get up, nevertheless, there are some amei ha’aretz (unlearned people) who don’t know that they can wipe their hands on a wall or something like that, and they don’t know berachot (blessings) at all. Therefore, the custom is to arrange them in the beit keneset—shul—and they answer amen after the person saying them, thereby fulfilling their obligation.
That used to be the custom of the Ashkenazim. They go to the beit keneset, one person says the birchot hashachar for everybody, and they answer amen. “Ve’anachnu kol echad mevarech berachot elu babayit achar netilat yadayim (washing the hands), vegam acharei neki’ut keshetzarich lechach.” We each say these blessings at home after washing our hands, and after cleaning ourselves when necessary. “Ve’i efshar lanu levarech kol echad al mekomo mipnei kamah te’amim.” We can’t each say the blessings in our own place for several reasons.
So what does he say? We say the blessing at home after netilat yadayim, and after cleaning ourselves. They used to say it al mekomo—in its place. What that means is that when they heard the rooster, they would say, “Hanoten lasechvi (Who gives the rooster understanding)”; when they opened their eyes, they would say, “Poke’ach ivrim (Who opens the eyes of the blind).” They said the blessings as each thing happened because their hands were clean. But today, since our hands aren’t clean, although we could wash or wipe them against the wall, people don’t know that. So everybody comes to shul and we say the blessings there.
The question is, we don’t say them in shul today; each person says them on his own. And we don’t say them as each thing happens. We say them all together, right? We don’t say them in real time.
Look at Mem-Vav in the Mishnah Berurah. Maran, in Mem-Vav, has this as halachah Bet. It says: “Achshav mipnei she’ein hayadayim neki’ot vegam mipnei amei ha’aratzot she’einam yod’im otam, nahagu lesaderam bebeit hakeneset ve’onim amen achareihem veyotze’im yedei chovatam.” Today, because the hands are not clean and because there are unlearned people who don’t know the blessings, the custom is to arrange them in shul. People answer amen and fulfill their obligation.
The Mishnah Berurah asks, “Ve’im mutar gam lehamtin bivbirkat netilat yadayim lesader bebeit hakeneset.” Some people also wait to say the blessing for netilat yadayim in shul. They wash at home, then say the blessing for netilat yadayim in shul with the other berachot (blessings). That’s not our custom, though. They put it in its proper place.
“Ve’onim amen. Uvediavad afilu lo anu amen yotze’im.” You don’t really have to answer amen if you have kavanah (intention) to fulfill the obligation. Bediavad—after the fact. Lechatchilah, ideally, you should answer amen. Although it isn’t necessary if the person saying the blessing has kavanah to be motzi (fulfills another's obligation) you, and you have kavanah to be yotzei, to fulfill the obligation, that’s enough. “Yedei chovatam, va’afilu levaki motzi.” He can even be motzi a baki (knowledgeable person), provided the person understands the berachah. That’s what the Bi’ur Halachah says.
What do we have here? Torat Chacham Baruch. What does Chacham Baruch say? He doesn’t say anything about this. Our custom is to say the birchot hashachar on our own. We don’t say them in shul like the Ashkenazim, where each person answers amen to the other person’s blessings. If you go to the Ashkenazim, that’s what they do. They start the tefillah (prayer) with the birchot hashachar. Maran is telling you that this custom began because of the unlearned people. At least they get to answer amen.
But if a person isn’t an am ha’aretz and his hands are clean, why don’t we say the blessings as we go? He wakes up, has the items beside his bed, and says them. Why doesn’t he say “Malbish Arumim (Who clothes the naked)” then? First of all, a lot of these things don’t even apply. You don’t hear a rooster. The belt—you have to wait until you put on your belt. Technically, it’s a minhag, a custom.
Look at Maran in halachah Daled. Where is halachah Daled in the Aruch Hashulchan? It’s in Yod. “Uvemenachot tanya (And it was taught in Menachot), chayav adam levarech shalosh berachot bechol yom (A person must recite three blessings every day): shelo asani oved kochavim (Who did not make me an idolater), shelo asani aved (Who did not make me a slave), shelo asani ishah (Who did not make me a woman).” “Umipnei she’ishah peturah miTalmud Torah (Torah study) umimitzvat aseh shehazman grama.” Therefore, you say “shelo asani ishah” because you have more mitzvot—commandments—than a woman does.
“Ve’afilu ger bizman hakadmon, hayah yachol levarech shtei berachot elu: shelo asani aved veshelo asani ishah.” Even a convert in earlier times could say those two blessings. I guess he can’t say “shelo asani goy,” because he was a non-Jew, but the ger (convert) can say “shelo asani aved” and “shelo asani ishah.” “Aval harishonah eino yachol levarech sheharei hayah chen.” He can’t say the first one, since that was what he was. “Veyesh cholkim gam al shtei haberachot.” Some disagree about those two blessings as well, “sheharei lo na’asah bivriyato Yisrael.” He wasn’t created a Yisrael; “ela shebivchirato asah chen”—he chose to do so. So perhaps he shouldn’t say those two blessings. Why shouldn’t he say “shelo asani aved” or “shelo asani ishah”? I don’t know what he means here. “Sheharei lo na’asah bivriyato Yisrael”—he wasn’t created a Jew, but he chose to be one.
“Veyesh meyashvim zeh, venitkenu berachot elu bilshon shelilah.” Some explain this by saying the blessings were established in the negative. Why do we say them in the negative—“shelo”? Why not say “she’asani Yisrael (Who made me a Jew)” or “she’asani ben chorin (Who made me free)”? “Lehorot shekulam tzrichim la’olam.” This shows that all of them are needed in the world: you need enslaved people, non-Jews, and women in the world. If you said “she’asani” this, it would imply that you don’t want the others to exist. Rather, one has a better share.
“Ve’ilu hayah mevarech she’asani Yisrael, hayah mashma she’asiyat ha’acherot eino asiyah klal.” If he said, “Who made me a Jew,” it would imply that the creation of the others isn’t creation at all, and that creation applies only to a Jew, not to a non-Jew.
There’s another answer: “Ve’od, keivan sheno’ach lo la’adam shelo nivra.” The Gemara says, “No’ach lo la’adam shelo nivra”—it would have been better for a person not to have been created. If it’s better not to be created, how could you say, “Who made me a Jew”? You can’t say “she’asani” in the positive. Now that you’ve been created, you say, “At least You didn’t make me a non-Jew.”
Open Maran, rabotai. Maran writes: “Tzarich levarech bechol yom shelo asani oved kochavim, shelo asani aved, shelo asani ishah.” The Rema says, “Ve’afilu ger hayah yachol levarech kach, aval lo yomar shelo asani akum, sheharei hayah akum matchilah.” Even a convert could say this, but he should not say “shelo asani akum,” since he was originally an akum.
Before we get to the women, look at the Mishnah Berurah. Regarding “shelo asani,” it says that one should not say “she’asani Yisrael”; that would be a shibush (mistake). Some say that if he says “she’asani Yisrael,” he can no longer say “shelo asani aved” or “shelo asani ishah,” because he has said it in the positive; I guess it includes everything. It also says that if he first said “shelo asani ishah,” some say he can no longer say “shelo asani akum” or “shelo asani aved,” because a woman is superior to both of them. If you said “shelo asani ishah” first, you’re finished—you’re exempt from the other two. “Umimeila bichlal matayim maneh”—of course, that’s the better one. “Ki bichlal matayim maneh”—in 200 there’s 100.
Similarly, if he said “shelo asani aved,” he can’t then say “shelo asani goy,” because an eved (slave) is better than a non-Jew. So you go in order: non-Jew, then the better one, eved, and then the better one still, ishah. “Ki eved adif migoy, dechayav bemiktzat mitzvot.” An eved is obligated in at least some mitzvot. But many later authorities disagree with this, and Eliyahu Rabbah and Derech haChayim agreed with the opposing view.
What we need here, rabotai, is the Hebrew Yalkut Yosef, Mem-Vav, so we can see the halachot for Sephardim and get the bottom line. They haven’t made the English one for this yet. Why did they change the girsa (reading), though? Why does it say “akum” and not at least have the girsa “shelo asani goy”? That’s the girsa.
“Yachol levarech”—the explanation is that he should say “she’asani ger.” Aha. When it says, “Ve’afilu ger hayah yachol levarech kach,” the explanation is that he should say, “Who made me a convert,” since creation can be described that way, as it says, “Ve’et hanefesh asher asu veCharan.” “Veyesh cholkim,” and their reason is—ah, that’s the pshat (plain meaning). Now I understand what the Aruch Hashulchan was saying. Some say that he should say “she’asani ger,” but he can’t say “she’asani,” because Hashem didn’t make him a convert; he made himself a convert through his free will.
“Veyesh cholkim bazeh, veta’amam delo shayach lomar she’asani, dehagiur lo haytah kach im mitzad bechirah tovah shebachar bedat ha’emet.” Some disagree, because it doesn’t make sense to say “Who made me,” since the conversion came about through the good choice he made to choose the true religion. He chose to come; it wasn’t “Who made me,” he did it himself.
“Ulechulei alma yachol levarech shelo asani eved veshelo asani ishah.” Everyone agrees that he can say the blessings for not having been made an eved or an ishah. “Ve’af al gav de’akum zil tefei me’eved,” even though a non-Jew is lower than an eved, “afilu hachi im hayah nolad eved, pen lo hayah meshachrero rabo, vehayah nish’ar eved.” If he had been born an eved, perhaps his master wouldn’t have freed him, and he would have remained an eved. So he should thank God that he wasn’t born an eved. He could have been born one.
He does? Who—any convert? That’s a question. Maybe he says it because other people are in that situation. “Mah she’ein ken atah shehagiur talui birtzon atzmo”—but now conversion depends on the person’s own will. I’m saying he can say all these blessings because he’s a full Jew.
“Vechen suma (blind person), dekayma lan dehu chayav bechol hamitzvot.” There it is, David: we hold that he is obligated in all the mitzvot. A suma says “shelo asani ishah.” The reason we say “shelo asani ishah” is that we have mitzvot; a suma is obligated in mitzvot, so he’s equal to everyone else.
“Vetumtum (a person of indeterminate sex) ve’androginos (an androgynous person), dechayavim misafek bechol hamitzvot, lo yomru shelo asani ishah.” They’re obligated in all the mitzvot because of a safek (a doubt), so they don’t say “shelo asani ishah.”
Chacham Yoel, what if I ask you about “me’uberet shenitgayerah”—a pregnant woman who converted, like that time? So therefore, maybe he could say, “shelo asani goy.” But he did it of his own will. You’re right. But what caused the case of “me’uberet shenitgayerah” to happen? His decision? “Shenitgayerah”—she converted. She did it. He says “she’asani”—you didn’t make me; I did it myself. That’s free will.
Let’s see Chacham David. This is a great book, rabotai, to read for this siman. He says, “Behilchot hashachar.” The Kitzur is good too. We did the one hundred blessings.
“BeMasechet Menachot, tzarich levarech berachot eilu beseder zeh davka”—these blessings must be said in this specific order. First, he says, “shelo asani goy,” because a non-Jew isn’t obligated in mitzvot at all. Then eved: “she’af al pi shehu chayav bemitzvot ke’ishah.” Although he is obligated in mitzvot like a woman, whether an eved ivri or an eved kena’ani, “ma’alato pechutah min ha’ishah”—his status is lower than a woman’s. Then he says, “shelo asani ishah,” because she isn’t obligated in all the mitzvot.
“Uvediavad, im hikdim shelo asani ishah”—if he said “shelo asani ishah” first, then seemingly he might not say the other blessings afterward. “Rashai levarech le’achar mikan”—he is permitted to say them afterward. He doesn’t insist on the order. Similarly, if he said “shelo asani eved” before “shelo asani goy,” he is permitted to say the other blessing. That’s good, because sometimes you get mixed up. If you get mixed up, it doesn’t matter; you can still say the other two blessings.
What do women say instead? Maran writes, “Hanashim mevarechot she’asani kirtzono”—women say, “He made me as is.” They say it without mentioning Hashem’s name. But the other birchot hashachar, women say with shem umalchut, just like men: “shelo asani goy,” “she’asani goyah”; “shelo asani eved,” “shelo asani shifchah (enslaved woman).”
“Hager eino mevarech shelo asani goy, afilu nitgayerah imo keshehaytah me’uberet.” A convert doesn’t say “shelo asani goy,” even if his mother converted while she was pregnant with him. Technically, he was born Jewish, but “kol shelo haytah horato veleidato bikdushah”—it’s got to be born Jewish. The blessing is about the beginning of a person’s creation, and that creation wasn’t Jewish.
“Umi shehu shavuy bidei hagoyim”—someone held captive by non-Jews, let’s say he’s in jail and they’re holding him prisoner—still says “shelo asani eved” with Hashem’s name and kingship. It’s not about avdut (servitude); it’s about the mitzvot. He is still obligated in mitzvot while he’s in captivity. An eved, however, isn’t obligated in mitzvot.
Basically, these three blessings thank God for the mitzvot. That’s an unbelievable concept. It’s not “shelo asani goy” because a non-Jew is a lowlife or anything like that. It’s because he doesn’t have the mitzvot. Even the president of the United States—you say “shelo asani goy.” It’s not about some criminal or a person doing something wrong. Take the most sophisticated non-Jew you’ve ever met. He wears a tuxedo every day and says, “Good morning, sir. Good afternoon. Nice to meet you.” Derech eretz—everything. He’s a good guy. Even if he keeps the seven mitzvot of the Bnei Noach (Noahides) perfectly, you still say “shelo asani goy.” Why? Because I have 606 more mitzvot than he does. It has to do with the mitzvot, not the person’s personality. It’s the same with an eved: he doesn’t have all the mitzvot. A woman doesn’t have all the mitzvot.
Let’s keep this upstairs. Our custom is to do it as we said. We got far, rabotai. Now let’s go to the next halachah. You should know that the Ashkenazim put these blessings at the beginning. They say “Hanoten lasechvi vinah lehavchin bein yom uvein lailah (Who gives the rooster understanding to distinguish day from night),” then “shelo asani goy.” Our custom is to put these three blessings at the end, right before “ma’avir chevlei sheinah (removes the bonds of sleep).” They put that at the end. Actually, sorry—they say it right at the beginning. The Ashkenazim put it there; our custom is to put it at the end.
Let’s move on, rabotai. Look at halachah Heh in Maran: “Im kadam uverach zokef kefufim kodem sheberach matir asurim, lo yevarechenah.” If he said “zokef kefufim” before “matir asurim (Who releases the bound),” he should not say it. The order is “matir asurim,” and then “zokef kefufim (Who straightens the bent).”
Look at halachah Yud-Bet in the Aruch Hashulchan: “Kol haberachot ha’elu, im hikdim sheniyah lerishonah, mevarech rishonah achar kach.” If you went out of order, you go back. “Veyesh omrim devishnei verachot ein ken”—some say that in two blessings this isn’t the case. If he said “shelo asani ishah” before “shelo asani eved,” he shouldn’t say “shelo asani eved” afterward, because a woman is superior. But we said that, in practice, we saw in Cham David that even if you switched those around, you say all three blessings.
Here’s the other case: “Vechen im kadam uverach zokef kefufim.” What does “zokef kefufim” mean? You could stand. If he said “zokef kefufim” before “matir asurim,” he should not say the latter, because “matir asurim” is when you’re sitting on your bed. You can move your hand; you have mobility. “Zokef kefufim” means you’re already out of bed. Once you’ve said “zokef kefufim,” you’re done with “matir asurim.” “Umita’am zeh kolel aleha gam asurim.” “Zokef kefufim” is when you’re standing on your feet. Since you’ve said a blessing for standing, you’re finished with “matir asurim.”
Some say that you don’t have to worry about it and should say the blessing afterward anyway. In any case, we are lenient in a doubt about blessings. Even though that’s not our custom—you’ve already done it all. You’re right. Maran says, “Im kadam uverach zokef kefufim kodem matir asurim, lo yevarechenah.” Maran says no. That’s it.
“Tov, kemo shene’emar, shekeivan shenatan hoda’ah shenizkaf.” Since you already gave thanks for standing—even though we aren’t saying the blessings in real time—you gave thanks for that. So what are you thanking God for something less for? You’ve already said “zokef kefufim.” “Bichlal matayim maneh”—one hundred is included in two hundred.
But what about the question with ishah, goy, and eved? We still say all those blessings even though they went out of order. The question is that in those blessings we say ishah, the lesser one, so if we say ishah, the eved is included. Correct, and Cham David said we don’t worry about that.
“Zeh bichlal, dematir asurim nitchayev miyad kesheyoshev. Veyesh cholkim bazeh.” The Mishnah Berurah says, “Im besha’ah she’amar Baruch Atah Hashem, haytah kavanato lomar zokef kefufim, yesayem zokef kefufim, af al gav delo hayah yachol levarech matir asurim.” If you catch yourself after saying “Baruch Atah Hashem,” intending to say “zokef kefufim,” don’t change it to “matir asurim.” Say “zokef kefufim”; you’re committed to it.
“Vechol sheken bishe’ar berachot shelo yakpid al haseder, ela yesayem kemo shebesha’ah shehizkir Hashem.” Whatever you intended when you said Hashem’s name, say that and finish it. If, when he got to the blessing of “Poke’ach ivrim,” he intended to finish that blessing, but mistakenly finished “Malbish Arumim,” and within the time it takes to say a short phrase remembered and finished “Poke’ach ivrim,” some say he fulfilled the blessing of “Poke’ach ivrim,” because that corrected his first ending.
So what did the person do? He said “Malbish Arumim,” and, within the time it takes to say a short phrase, said “Poke’ach ivrim.” So it also counts as the blessing of “Poke’ach ivrim,” because he corrected it. Some are in doubt about this. But if, when he said “Baruch Atah Hashem Elokeinu Melech Ha’olam,” he also intended to finish “Malbish Arumim,” and then finished “Malbish Arumim,” and within that short time said “Poke’ach ivrim,” everyone agrees that “Malbish Arumim” counts, and he repeats the blessing of “Poke’ach ivrim,” because he intended it and said it. The order matters. The same law applies to all the birchot hashachar.
Let’s see what Chacham David holds. On “matir asurim,” he says, “Tzarich lezeh lehagdim birkat matir asurim levirkat zokef kefufim. Ve’im hikdim uverach birkat zokef kefufim, lo yevarech od birkat matir asurim.” That’s it; you don’t say it. After the fact? No. We are lenient in a doubt about blessings.
That’s very interesting, but he didn’t say that about the other case. Seemingly, why, in the case of “shelo asani eved” and “shelo asani ishah,” does he say you can say the other one, even though one seemingly includes the other?
Next halachah, rabotai. This is a very, very, very big halachah in the Shulchan Aruch. Look at halachah Zayin, Vav: “Yesh nohagim levarech Hanoten laya’ef ko’ach (Who gives strength to the weary), ve’ein divreihem nir’in.” Maran says not to say “Hanoten laya’ef ko’ach.” That’s Maran’s opinion. So what do we do? We follow Rabbenu ha-Ari, who came along and said that one should say the blessing of “Hanoten laya’ef ko’ach.” Is that based on the Gemara? It’s not the Gemara. Maran says the custom is not to do it, but we don’t follow that; we follow Rabbenu ha-Ari. That’s the case of the ha-Arizal over Maran. We don’t say that we are lenient in a doubt about blessings.
Chacham David says: “Af al pi sheda’at Maran she’ein levarech birkat Hanoten laya’ef ko’ach, mikol makom pashat haminhag bechol tefutzot Yisrael levarech beshem umalchut (Divine name and kingship), vechen da’at Rabbenu ha-Ari, mekubalim, ve’ein lachosh livrachah levatalah, shebimkom sheyesh minhag, ein omerim safek berachot.” Although Maran’s view is that one should not say the blessing of “Hanoten laya’ef ko’ach,” the custom throughout the Jewish communities is to say it with Hashem’s name and kingship. That is also the view of Rabbenu ha-Ari and the Kabbalists. There’s no need to worry that it’s a blessing in vain, because where there is a custom, we don’t say that we are lenient in a doubt about blessings.
So that’s how we fulfill the obligation—not because the ha-Arizal said it, but because it’s the custom. Wherever it came from, that’s the custom now. It’s not because of the ha-Arizal. We might say it’s the Ben Ish Chai, the ha-Arizal—it is the ha-Arizal, I don’t care what it is. That’s it. He said, “No, the custom is like that, and it’s also the ha-Arizal.”
Next, rabotai, look at halachah Zayin: “Yesh nohagim levarech berachot acherot nosafot al elu.” Some people say extra blessings: “she’asani sefaradi,” “shelo asani ashkenazi.” They say extra blessings, and that’s a mistake. You shouldn’t say extra blessings. There are people in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem) who mention additional blessings, “magbi’ah shefalim, somech noflim.” The custom in Yerushalayim is not to add them.
Look at the next one, rabotai: “Kol haberachot ha’elu, im lo nitchayev be’achat mehem, kegon shelo shama kol tarnegol”—if he didn’t hear a rooster, which none of us heard this morning—“o shelo halach, o lo lavash, o lo chagar.” If he didn’t walk, get dressed, or put on his belt, “omer otah berachah belo hazkarat Hashem.” Maran says not to say Hashem’s name in that blessing. Maran held that you say these blessings because you had benefit.
The Mishnah Berurah—Chacham David—cites Tehilah Le-David, letter Bet: “De’virkat Elohai neshamah, birkat ha-ma’avir, ein levarech im hayah ni’or kol ha-laylah.” He says not to say those blessings if you stayed up all night; your neshamah didn’t come back to you. “Pri Megadim katav, ve-yir’eh de-yishma shetei berachot me’acher.” The Pri Megadim says it seems he should hear the two blessings from someone else. If he slept for sixty breaths, which is a small amount, then he says those blessings.
“Lo nitchayev, afilu ba-midbar she’eino shome’a kol tarnegol mevarech.” Even someone in the desert who doesn’t hear a rooster says the blessing. Some say—what? “Kol haberachot ha’elu im lo nitchayev.” But there are those who say otherwise. The Rema says that even if he wasn’t obligated in them, he says them. The blessing isn’t specifically about himself; rather, we bless God for creating the needs of the world. That is the custom. We’re speaking about the way of the world. This is a disagreement between Maran and the Rema, and we follow the Rema here.
Look at Chacham David. He says, “Minhag Yisrael levarech kol berachot, afilu be’emet shelo nitchayev bahem.” The Jewish custom is to say all the blessings, even when one genuinely wasn’t obligated in them. This is another case where we don’t follow Maran. Two in a row: we say “Hanoten laya’ef ko’ach” against Maran, and we say the blessings even if we didn’t hear a rooster or put on shoes, against Maran. A kelal gadol (general principle): where there is a minhag, we don’t say that we are lenient in a doubt about blessings.
Look at Maran. Stop here for a second. This is Tet. Tet is a big one. Chacham David writes: “Yesh omrim shehasuma eino rashai levarech birkat Poke’ach ivrim. Yesh cholkim. Velachen nir’eh she’im ratzah suma levarech birkat Poke’ach ivrim, ein limchot beyado, sheyesh lo al mah lismoch.” Some say that a blind person may not say the blessing of “Poke’ach ivrim”; others disagree. Therefore, if a blind person wants to say it, we shouldn’t stop him, because he has something to rely on. But if he asks, we tell him that we are lenient in a doubt about blessings.
A deaf person can say “Hanoten lasechvi vinah.” A deaf person has understanding, I guess. Maybe there’s a havah amina (initial assumption) that he doesn’t have understanding.
Although, according to the Kabbalists, one shouldn’t say “she’asah li kol tzorki” with Hashem’s name and kingship on Yom Kippurim (Day of Atonement) and Tishah be-Av (Ninth of Av), because on Yom Kippur and Tishah be-Av you don’t wear leather shoes. Chacham Ovadia went back and forth on this. Some prohibit it, but the halachah seems to be that this blessing should be said with Hashem’s name and kingship even on Yom Kippur. He says the best thing to do is, after Motza'ei Kippur (after Yom Kippur), put on leather shoes so you’re definitely covered. That’s how we rule in practice: we say “she’asah li kol tzorki (Who provided all my needs).” Chacham Ovadia himself would put on leather shoes after Motza'ei Kippur, so that his blessing of “she’asah li kol tzorki” would take effect.
“Aveilut bar minan” (mourning, God forbid): Ba’al Tishbi says that during the seven days of mourning, even though the mourner is prohibited from wearing shoes, he says “she’asah li kol tzorki.” If he didn’t say the birchot hashachar, he can say them later that same day. The birchot hashachar go from one morning to the next. Otherwise, you’d have to say the blessings on the Torah every night before you learn.
“Im lo berach birchot ha-shachar be-shacharit, rashai levarech birchot ha-shachar be-meshech kol sha’ot ha-yom.” If he didn’t say the birchot hashachar in the morning, he can say them throughout the day, until sheki'at ha-chamah (sunset). The exceptions are “Elohai neshamah” and the blessing on the Torah. If you prayed Shacharit, you’re stuck: you can’t say “Elohai neshamah” or the blessing on the Torah. What’s interesting is that he gives you only until sunset to say the birchot hashachar. Once sunset comes, you’ve lost them, although before that they continue until the next morning. That’s because you fulfilled the obligation with “Ahavat Olam.”
“Ha-mashkim lakum kodem amud ha-shachar (dawn)”—this is a famous case. A person plans to get up before dawn and wants to learn Torah. If it’s after chatzot (midnight), he says all the birchot hashachar when he gets up. You can say them as soon as you get up after chatzot (midnight) if you plan to stay awake the whole night. Before midnight, you don’t say them.
“Ve’im kam mi-mitato be’od laylah”—if he gets up in the middle of the night, planning to go back to sleep, he doesn’t say the birchot hashachar. If he gets up to say Tikkun Chatzot (midnight lamentations), and wants to learn but is going back to sleep, some authorities say that he should say the blessings “Elohai neshamah” and “ha-ma’avir” without the closing formula. When he gets up in the morning, he says “Elohai neshamah” with the rest of the birchot hashachar.
However, according to the Kabbalists, he says all the birchot hashachar after midnight and doesn’t say them again in the morning. That’s the Sephardic custom. So you wake up, say all the birchot hashachar, and go back to sleep. That’s it; you’re done. When you wake up, you wash your hands, and that’s it. No, you can’t say them again; they were covered. Say them without a blessing? You already said the blessing. That’s it. You don’t say the birchot hashachar again in the morning. That’s the Sephardic custom.
If you sleep during the day, there are no birchot hashachar. If you stay up all night, as we do on Shavu’ot (Festival of Weeks) and Hoshana Rabbah (Great Supplication), say the birchot hashachar after midnight. But don’t say the blessing on the Torah until after alot ha-shachar (dawn). You have to wait for alot ha-shachar (dawn).
So what do you do if you wake up after midnight to say Tikkun Chatzot, say the blessing on the Torah, and go back to sleep? You said it has to be after dawn—should you say it again? You don’t have to say the birchot—You woke up; you have to say the blessing on the Torah. You might have to say it again after dawn. It’s a disagreement between the Ben Ish Chai and—so what do we do? I’ll see right now.
“Im lo berach birchot hashachar kodem tefilat Shacharit, rasha’i levarecham achar hatefilah.” If he didn’t say the birchot hashachar before Shacharit, he may say them afterward, except for “Elohai neshamah,” as we said. That’s that.
You don’t have to stand while saying the birchot hashachar; you can say them sitting down. Remember, a person who is an onen (pre-burial mourner) at the time of the birchot hashachar says them after the aninut (pre-burial mourning). No problem with that. Hold on until we get to your case. We’ll see what he’s supposed to do here. If he didn’t say the birchot hashachar before Shacharit, he may say them afterward. He can’t say “Elohai neshamah,” because he already said “Mechayei HaMetim.”
All right, those are the halachot for today. We’ll stop here. “Baruch Hashem le’olam amen ve’amen (Blessed is Hashem forever, amen and amen).” We’ll continue with halachah Tet tomorrow.
At the end, a participant asks whether everyone says that Maran says not to say the blessing. The reply is that someone had just mentioned the Ben Ish Chai and the ha-Arizal’s intentions. “But that’s from the ha-Arizal. It’s not in the Gemara. It’s amazing that Maran says not even to say it.”