Brachot 13 – Remembering Egypt

The “Shema” consists of three parts, and the third one talks about tzitzit, which are not worn at night. However, it also mentions going out of Egypt, and for this reason Ben Zoma maitains that one should say it, even in the evening recitation of Shema, because the Torah required to “remember Exodus all the days of your life.” “Days” means just that, days, but “all days” includes nights. However, the Sages say that it is not necessary to mentions Exodus at night. How do they explain the word “all?” – To include the Messianic era. Ben Zoma then questioned the Sages, “But the Exodus troubles will be forgotten in the Messianic time!?” The Sages answered him, “Not forgotten entirely, but only relegated to the second place, in view of the new miracles that will happen then.”

If one happened to be reading the “Shema” - “Listen, Israel” in the Torah, at exactly the moment when the time to read this as a prayer arrived, does it count for him as prayer, or will he have to read it again? – That depends. If he had in mind, it counts, and if not, it does not. Does this mean in general that one has to be conscious  of his doing a mitzvah, and only then it counts? – Not necessarily. Perhaps “having it in mind” does not mean “to fulfill his prayer obligation” but simply means that he is  conscious  that he is saying the words. How can one not be  conscious  if he is talking? – If he is reading the letters to verify the spelling in the Torah scroll.

Art: Otto Herschel - Rabbi Reading The Torah