Question: Should you pronounce Hashem’s name when you recite the Targum during Sh’nayim Mikra V’Echad Targum?
Short Answer: Many poskim rule that you should pronounce Hashem’s name (“Ado...”) when reciting Targum during Sh’nayim Mikra V’Echad Targum.
Explanation:
I. Hashem’s Name
One surely must pronounce Hashem’s name the proper way (i.e., “Ado...”) when reciting the Chumash part of Sh’nayim Mikra V’Echad Targum (“SMVT”). But what about when you recite Hashem’s name when doing Targum? May you – and should you – also recite Hashem’s name the proper way, or should you just say “Hashem”?
Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l (Igros Moshe, Orach Chayim 3:98) writes that if you do not recite Hashem’s name the proper way, you are not yotzei the mitzvah of SMVT. He proves this by citing the ruling of the Gemara (B’rachos 8a-b) that you must say the words “Ataros v’Divon” three times, even though there is no Targum (see Article #7). It is clear from here that each word must be recited, and if you “miss one word,” such as by not properly pronouncing Hashem’s name, you have not fulfilled SMVT.
Rav Nissim Karelitz zt”l (Chut Shani 87:2:5) also writes that you should recite Hashem’s name in the proper way, but he acknowledges that you are still yotzei even if you just pronounce it as “Hashem.”
Rav Shmuel Kamenetsky shlita (Kovetz Halachos, Shabbos 1:19:29) agrees with the above rulings, but leaves it as “tzarich iyun” why it is necessary to say Hashem’s name in its normal pronunciation, as Targum is really just a commentary.
II. Not Sure If You Recited
What should you do if you are not sure whether you recited SMVT for the week? Must you perform it [again]?
The Mishnas Yosef (6:81) rules that you are not obligated to repeat SMVT in a case of doubt, as the entire obligation to recite SMVT in the first place is only Rabbinic (see Article #1). However, he cites Rav Shimon Yitzchak Schlessinger, who noted that since the reward for properly performing SMVT is a long life, it is sensical to repeat it anyway!
Chut Shani (ibid), however, writes that you should start SMVT again from where you surely remember you left off. In other words, you would need to repeat any part about which you are in doubt.
Indeed, the Ohel Yaakov (SMVT, 1:11) cites the Sheivet HaK’hasi who rules that you must repeat SMVT. He cites the Shach (Yoreh Dei’ah 69:10), who rules that if you are unsure whether you salted meat, you must re-salt it, even though it is only a Rabbinic requirement, as it is unlikely that you forgot to perform such an important action. The Chavos Daas extrapolates from here that in all Rabbinic cases where there is a chezkas isur (something is currently in a status of “asur”), and you are unsure whether you performed an act that removes the isur, you must redo that act. Similarly, SMVT, which is a “chezkas isur,” i.e., you start the week having not performed this mitzvah, you must redo any doubtful performance.
III. Aseres HaDibros
We previously discussed the proper way to perform SMVT (see Article #8), including an opinion that holds that you should read Chumash twice for each p’suchah/s’sumah (paragraph break in the Torah) at a time.
But what should be done when you have a p’suchah/s’sumah in the middle of a pasuk? The Aruch HaShulchan (285:5) writes that you should stop in the middle of the pasuk. Even though we generally say that one should not break in spots that Moshe did not establish, here, Moshe did establish such breaks. The Aruch HaShulchan goes even further, that even within the Aseres HaDibros, one should stop mid-pasuk (according to Taam Tachton), such as between “Lo sirtzach” and “Lo sinaf.”
However, the Beis David (111), cited in Piskei T’shuvos (285:4), disagrees and holds that you must read the entire pasuk together in Aseres HaDibros.
IV. Standing For SMVT
Do you need to stand when you recite SMVT? The Piskei T’shuvos (285:3) cites the P’ri M’gadim and Daas Torah who rule that you do not need to stand. However, the Piskei T’shuvos (ibid, fn. 34) cites “minhagei tzadikim” to stand when performing SMVT on Aseres HaDibros.
The Ohel Yaakov (11:15) disagrees. He cites the Avnei Yashfe (6:54:1), who holds that there is no reason to stand for SMVT for Aseres HaDibros, as SMVT is not a public reading. Indeed, the Rama (Orach Chayim 1:5) holds that one may recite Aseres HaDibros privately each day but may not read it as part of a tzibur on a daily basis. This shows that reading something as a tzibur is different from reading it privately as a yachid.
Rabbi Ephraim Glatt, Esq. is Associate Rabbi at the Young Israel of Kew Gardens Hills and a practicing litigation attorney. Questions? Comments? Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
