11 Jul MASSEI: KRIYAS SHEMA

We recite kriyas
Shema at least four
times a day: (1) before
the korbanos, (2) at
Shacharis, (3) at
Maariv, and (4) at
kriyas Shema She’al
HaMittah. It is of
utmost importance to
say the Shema with
kavanah.
Shulchan Aruch (61)
writes, “Say the
Shema with kavanah,
awe, and trembling.
Each day say it as if it
were the very first
time, and don’t read it like someone who read
it many times before, and it is no longer
precious to him. People have a custom of
reciting the first pasuk loudly to arouse
concentration. The custom is to place the hand
over the eyes when saying the first pasuk, so
you won’t look at anything that will disrupt
your concentration. You must draw out the
letter Ches of Echad until you make Hakadosh
Baruch Hu king in heaven and on earth. Draw
out the Daled of Echad until you think that
Hakadosh Baruch Hu is one in his world and
rules over the four corners of the world.”
This week’s parashah hints at the Shema
when it discusses the six cities of refuge, the
arei miklat. There are six primary cities of
refuge and forty-two additional cities. As it
states, “The cities that you shall give to the
Levi’im, the six cities of refuge. In addition,
add another forty-two cities [of refuge].”
The Ohev Yisrael writes, “The Torah is
nitzchis (eternal), and therefore, there needs to
be a way that the mitzvah of arei miklat is
applicable in our times as well. The explanation
is, that if someone committed aveiros, he has,
in a sense, murdered his soul. This is what he
should do for his rectification: When he recites
the first six words of Shema he should accept
the yoke of Heaven with love, with mesirus
nefesh, with truth, and with dedication. Those
are his six cities of refuge. After that, he should
add another forty-two cities, which is V’ahavta
that contains forty-two words.”
This is a beautiful thought. The arei miklat
was where a person who murdered by accident
escaped, and he was protected there from the
dead person’s close kin who might want to
take revenge on him. Those who sinned also
have a place of refuge – the Shema. Their sins
are like murdering themselves by accident,
and they escape to the Shema.
Kriyas Shema She’al HaMittah, in particular,
is a place of refuge because the holy sefarim
say that this Shema rectifies severe sins.
The Gemara (Brachos 5.) says, “One should
always rouse his yetzer tov to fight with the
yetzer hara. If he succeeds, it is good.

Otherwise, he should study Torah. If that is
sufficient (to win over the yetzer hara) it is
good. If not, he should read the Shema. If that
also doesn’t work, he should remember the
day he will die.”

We see from this Chazal that one of the ways
to win over the yetzer hara is by reciting the
Shema. That is our arei miklat, to be protected
from all kinds (spiritual and worldly) of harm
and damages.