Quick thoughts: Prerequisite Yoke

~ Quick Thoughts ~
Prerequisite Yoke
By: Daniel Listhaus

            The mishna in Berachos (2:2) quotes Rebbe Yehoshua ben Karcha who said that the reason we recite the paragraph of of 'Shema' before the paragraph of 'Vehaya im shamo'ah" is because one must first accept upon oneself the "Yoke of Hashem's Kingship" and only after that the "Yoke of mitzvos". 

               Of course children begin doing miztvos at a much earlier age than before they are capable of understanding what it means to accept the Yoke of Hashem's Kingship, however as we recite twice a day in Shema, we must keep in mind that accepting Hashem's Kingship is really primary and a prerequisite to keeping the mitzvos. After all, how can one truly keep commandments before accepting upon himself that the One giving the commandments is a Being he must adhere to? 

              May Hashem help us instill within ourselves the acceptance of Hashem as our King and with that may we be zocheh to a lifetime of fulfilling mitzvos with the proper prerequisite in place of kabalas ol malchus sha'mayim, 

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