Commento su Pirkei Avoth 2:13

BE CAREFUL WITH KERIAT SHEMA AND PRAYER. The tanna instructs care for these things especially, because they involve accepting the yoke of the kingdom of Heaven. Midrash Shmuel writes that Rabbenu Yonah has the text “be even more careful with keriat shema than with prayer.” He explains that while there is a long four-hour window for the morning prayers, there is only a short window from dawn until sunrise to say keriat shema according to the custom of vatikin⁸³The optimal way of fulfilling the law of reciting keriat shema.; the tanna therefore uses the expression “be careful,” because this requires great care.

Rabbi Shimon says: Be careful in the reciting of Shema: Be careful with the reciting of the Shema more than with prayer. [This is] because the time of [the morning] prayer is large and wide, as it is up to four hours [from daybreak]; but the time of reciting Shema [in the morning] is short and precise - with the sunrise, according to the vatikin (punctilious ones). And this is [the reason] for the expression, "be careful" - as it requires great care.

When a man thinks of himself as lacking [virtue] and low, a lacking will not seem [too] big in his eyes for him to do it. And we have already explained that the matter of "fixed" (keva) is that prayer be heavy upon him and he will consider it as if he were commanded a particular chore and then he can rest from it.

"In the reciting of Shema and with prayer": Because they are the acceptance of the yolk of Heaven and service to Him, may He be blessed, therefore he warned about them more. And in Midrash Shmuel, he wrote that Rabbenu Yonah had the textual variant, "in the reciting of the Shema more than with prayer." And he explained that the reason is that the time of [morning] prayers is long - up until four hours; and the time of reciting the Shema is short - according to the stringent, with the rising of the sun [only]. And that is the [reason] for the expression, "be careful;" as this requires great care.

"Be careful in the reciting of Shema": to recite it at its time. And so [too] with prayer, to pray each and every prayer in its time.

Rabbi Shimon said: Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer, And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God, for it is said: “for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, and renouncing punishment” (Joel 2:13); And be not wicked in your own esteem. Be careful with the reading of Shema and the prayer: the “Shema” and the “prayer” which is known today as the “amidah” or the “shmoneh esreh” are the two central elements to Jewish prayer. The “Shema” consists of Deuteronomy 6:4-9, 11:13-21, and Numbers 15:37-41. It is recited in the morning and in the evening. The “prayer” is recited three times a day on weekdays, four times a day on Shabbat and holidays mentioned in the Torah, and five times on Yom Kippur. It contains praises of God and requests. Rabbi Shimon teaches that a person should be careful to say these things the correct number of times and at the right time of day. And when you pray, do not make your prayer something automatic, but a plea for compassion before God: this statement balances out the previous statement. One must be careful to recite prayers at the correct times but prayer can nevertheless not become automatic. It must be a genuine plea for compassion before God, and not a mere recital of words that someone else composed. This is the great challenge of Jewish prayer: it has strict laws as to what must be said and when, and yet it is supposed to be a spontaneous outpouring from a person’s heart. The idea of spontaneous/fixed prayer and the tension between the two is one of the most unique aspects of Jewish prayer. And be not wicked in your own esteem: do not do something which you yourself know to be wrong, though others do not recognize the truth. Another interpretation is that a person should not regard himself as wicked, for that will lead to despair. A person should look upon himself as half-wicked, half-good; far from perfection but close enough to having his good side outweigh his bad side. In this way he will always be motivated to do one more good deed, to “put himself over the top”. According to Maimonides this teaches that if a man thinks of himself as mean, he will not hesitate to act mean to others. Having a positive image of oneself helps one be a better person.

When you pray, do not make your prayer fixed, rather prayers for mercy and supplication before the Omnipresent, blessed be He: That he say the prayer like a poor man, supplicating and asking for something that he needs - as 'a pauper will speak supplications.' And [he should] not be like a man who requests something but does not need it - as he will not supplicate with a full heart, nor with a broken spirit. And every man needs to request about himself, 'as there is no man in the world who will not sin.' And the prayer should also not be like a burden, and he should not do it like one who repays his debt - as it is stated (the editor said that according to the text of our mishnah, he [cites] the verse from Joel 2:13) (Jonah 4:2), "You are a compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in kindness, renouncing the bad" - as every man needs mercy. And if times [are fortuitous] for him because God, may He be blessed, is slow to anger and forgiving towards him; it is not because of his righteous deeds that God is merciful towards him. And [so,] he needs to supplicate Him lest God renounce his renouncing of the bad - 'lest [that] be caused by sin.' 'And not each and every hour does a miracle occur.'

"fixed": like a person who has something fixed that he is obligated in and says, "When will I unload this obligation from upon me?" And also (another explanation is) "fixed" - like a person for whom it is fixed that he read a chapter and a section which he says only as a recitation and does not say in the language of supplications, as a person who is requesting mercy [would use].

And do not be wicked in your own eyes: That he not be an evildoer in his own eyes, [such] that he not be able to repent. As it comes out that this one gives up on repentance - and if a sin comes to his hand, it is (as if) it is permitted to him, since it comes to his mind that it is light compared to the heavy ones that he has transgressed. And he should also not be righteous in his own eyes, as they said in Tractate Niddah 30b, "The embryo is made to swear in the womb of his mother: Even if the entire world says that you are righteous, be like an evildoer in your own eyes" - and not an actual evildoer, but rather he should be half guilty and half meritorious in his own eyes. [If he] did one [more] commandment, happy is he - as he has determined that he be on the side of merit; ]if he] did one more sin, woe to him - as he has determined himself to be on the side of guilt. And this is that which they said in Vayikra Rabbah (Kiddushin 40a), "A man should always see himself as if he is half meritorious and half guilty, as it is stated (Proverbs 14:16), 'A wise man is afraid and evades evil.'" He wanted to say that even though he has evaded evil, the wise man is afraid because he is evil in his own eyes. And it comes out that he runs after the commandments, so that they determine him to be on the side of merit. And he runs from the sins, so that they not determine him to be on the side of guilt.

"'For He is gracious and merciful'": He wants supplications, and through the supplications, He immediately has mercy.

"And do not be wicked in your own eyes": Do not do something that will cause you to consider yourself wicked today and tomorrow. And Rambam explained, "do not be wicked in your own eyes" - that is to say, don't consider yourself wicked, as from such you would completely go out to the culture of delinquency. And I heard, "do not be wicked" in [the previous] matter that you separate yourself from the community and stand on your own.