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When do we make shehecheyanu on performing mitzvos for the first time? The shiur develops the principle that shehecheyanu requires both novelty and tangible hana'ah, not just spiritual benefit. This explains why shehecheyanu applies to shechita (creating kosher food) but not tefillin or tzitzis.
Rabbi Zweig presents a detailed analysis of when one makes the blessing of shehecheyanu on performing mitzvos for the first time, focusing on a challenging passage in Gemara (גמרא) Brachos (37a). The shiur begins with Rashi (רש"י)'s interpretation of a complex sugya about karpas - a cooked dish where pieces are chopped to the size of a k'zayis. The Gemara derives that one makes hamotzi on this dish, teaching that even on pieces smaller than k'zayis, one can make the blessing as long as the combined amount equals a k'zayis, because the original bread maintains its status as lechem. The analysis then shifts to examining when shehecheyanu is required on mitzvos. The Gemara in Menachos discusses a case where an Israelite brings a mincha offering, and both he and the kohen eating it make shehecheyanu. Rabbi Zweig addresses several difficulties: Why does the braisa connect the Israelite's obligation with the kohen's eating? What defines 'the first time' doing something? The Tosfos raises the fundamental question of timing - mishmaros (priestly rotations) occur at regular intervals, making shehecheyanu appropriate, but what about truly first-time mitzvos?
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Brachos 37a
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Should one learn Torah full-time trusting in Divine providence, or combine learning with work? The shiur distinguishes between Rabbi Shimon ben Yochai's approach of complete separation from worldly concerns versus Rabbi Shmuel's view that proper work itself becomes part of Torah. The key insight: true emunah means learning without demanding sustenance from either Hashem or community, unlike having a 'contract' expecting payment for learning.
