Strength of Mesorah

~ Quick Thoughts ~
Strength of Mesorah
By: Daniel Listhaus

            The third mishna in meseches Berachos relates the machlokes (dispute) between Beis Shaimi and Beis Hillel regarding the proper way to recite shema. Beis Shema maintain that the evening shema should be recited while reclining and the morning shema while standing; whereas Beis Hillel maintain that both the morning and evening shema could be recited however one wants (in fact, it is brought down in halacha that if one finds himself say, sitting, in the morning when he gets up to kryias shema he should not purposely stand up to stay shema because it would appear that he is trying to specifically hold like Beis Shammai).

 The mishna relates that Rebbe Tarfon said that one time he was travelling in the evening and he stopped to recline to recite shema like the opinion of Beis Shammai and as a result he put himself into a sakana (dangerous situation) with robbers. They said to Rebbe Tarfon, "You deserved to forfeit your life since you did not act in accordance with the words of Beis Hillel."

 This story is quite difficult to understand. Perhaps one could have argued back to Rebbe Tarfon that he should have known better than to worry about the details of how to recite shema while travelling at night, but why respond so harshly that he deserves to forfeit his life because he did not act in accordance with Beis Hillel?

   Furthermore, if one stops to think about the machlokes, one is technically yotzei both opinions by holding like Beis Shammai since Beis Hillel allows shema to be recited in any way? So how was Rebbe Tarfon not acting in accordance with Beis Hillel?

    We see from here the importance of keeping mesorah (tradition). Mesorah is not just guidance to how to act in halacha and hashkafa, it is so much more. Our mesorah becomes the reality of how to act in halacha and hashkafa. When Rebbe Tarfon stopped to recline to say kriyas shema instead of saying it on the go, he was effectively stating that he was holding like Beis Shammai and specifically not like Beis Hillel. However, as we know, we pasken like Beis Hillel and Beis Hillel is the mesorah we  follow. This was the cause of the harsh response and warning of the seriousness of stepping aside from the mesorah. If this is true when it comes to the small detail of how one should be posed while recited shema for someone who seemingly was just being chosheish (concerned) for an additional opinion, then how much more so must we be cautious not to deviate from our mesorah and the leaders of klal Yisroel who we pasken in accordance with.

    May Hashem help us with the upcoming yom tov of shavuos to re-receive the Torah and reconnect to our mesorah. 

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