תלמוד בבלי
תלמוד בבלי

Musar על ברכות 28:17

Shemirat HaLashon

I have come, further, to awaken ourselves to what is written in the Gemara (Berachoth 14b): "Ulla said: 'If one recites the Shema without tefillin, it is as if he testifies falsely against himself.'" (For he says (Devarim 6;8): "And you shall tie them [the tefillin]," and he has not tied them.) And even though he intends to do so afterwards, this does not avail, since he does not tie them immediately. And, ostensibly, this is the din, too, with (Ibid. 5): "And you shall love the L-rd your G-d." He should see to it [at that time] to plant the love of the L-rd in his heart. And this is as the Chovoth Halevavoth writes in the Gate of the Love of the L-rd, Chapter III, that one should reflect upon the greatness of the Creator and His exaltedness, [His sustaining all the world], and, conversely, upon his own smallness and insignificance and the like. And then he should recognize the great good of the Blessed One to him in the continuation of His benefactions to him from the day of his birth, not according to his deeds, and hiding his sins from men and extending [his life]. And if it is difficult for him to do all this while reading the Shema, he should see to it in any event to reflect upon it at least once a day. Should it be that just because it is a constant mitzvah that is not dependent upon time that it should not be fulfilled even once a day? And it is good that he think about it after praying, before going home to eat, for it is similar to the other mitzvoth incumbent upon a man, like tefillin, or 'taking' the lulav and its species on Succoth, where one does not eat before he fulfills them.
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