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Why does the Rambam (רמב"ם) rule that changing bracha text requires repetition in Hilchos Krias Shema but not in Hilchos Brachos? The shiur distinguishes between brachos with underlying Torah (תורה) obligations (gratitude, permission) where altered text still fulfills the core requirement, versus purely rabbinic brachos where only the prescribed text satisfies the obligation.
This shiur addresses a fundamental contradiction in the Rambam (רמב"ם) regarding the consequences of changing the text of brachos. In Hilchos Krias Shema, the Rambam rules that if one changes the text established by the Sages, one must repeat the bracha. However, in Hilchos Brachos, he appears to rule that changing the text does not invalidate the bracha, as evidenced by Gemara (גמרא) cases where altered brachos were still considered valid. The Kesef Mishneh attempts to reconcile this by suggesting the Rambam means different things in each context, while the Vilna Gaon takes the radical position that the Rambam changed his mind between writing these two sections. Rabbi Zweig proposes an innovative resolution based on a fundamental distinction between two types of brachos. He argues that every bracha has two components: a Torah (תורה)-level obligation (such as asking permission before eating, expressing gratitude, or acknowledging Hashem (ה׳) before performing mitzvos) and a rabbinic requirement to fulfill these obligations through specific bracha formulations instituted by Ezra and the Sages.
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Berachos 11a
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