1)

(a)The Mishnah rules that somebody who is reading the Torah (in the vicinity of the Parshah of Sh'ma) when the time to recite it arrives - is Yotzei the Mitzvah of reading the Sh'ma, provided he had the express intention of doing so ('Im Kivan Libo, Yatza').

(b)Those who hold that Mitzvos do not require Kavanah will explain this ruling to mean - that made a point of enunciating the words carefully.

(c)The Halachah is - that Mitzvos require Kavanah.

2)

(a)According to R. Meir, one may greet and respond (see Tosfos Yom Tov) to anyone ...

1. ... whom one honors/respects, between the paragraphs of the Sh'ma.

2. ... whom one fears, in the middle of a paragraph.

(b)R. Yehudah agrees with R. Meir with regard to greeting. But one may even respond (when one is holding ...

1. ... in the middle of a paragraph) - to someone whom one honors.

2. ... between paragraphs) - to anybody who greets one.

(c)Someone...

1. ... whom one honors/respects incorporates - one's father and one's Rebbe and anyone whose Torah knowledge exceeds one's own.

2. ... of whom one is afraid incorporates - anyone who is likely to kill one.

(d)In those places where greeting is prohibited - the prohibition extends to doing so in Lashon ha'Kodesh.

(e)The Halachah - is like R. Yehudah.

3)

(a)According to the Tana Kama - there are five 'Bein ha'Perakim: between the first and second Berachos, between the second Berachah and 'Sh'ma', between 'Sh'ma' and 've'Hayah im Shamo'a', between ve'Hayah im Shamo'a and 'va'Yomer' & between 'va'Yomer' and 'Emes ve'Yatziv'.

(b)According to R. Yehudah - one is not permitted to interrupt between 'va'Yomer' and 'Emes ve'Yatziv' ...

(c)... based on the Pasuk in Yirmiyah - "va'Hashem Elokim Emes" (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(d)The Halachah - is like R. Yehudah.

4)

(a)The reason R. Yehoshua gives to explain why we recite the Parshah of 'Sh'ma' before that of 'Vehayah im Shamo'a' is - because Ol Malchus Shamayim (the Yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven [in the form of the Pasuk 'Sh'ma Yisrael']) takes precedence over 'Ol Mitzvos' (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(b)When the Mishnah says that we recite 'Vehayah im Shamo'a' before 'Vayomer' because it applies by night as well as by day, it is referring to - the Mitzvah of Talmud Torah ("ve'Limadtem Osam es Beneichem").

5)

(a)R. Yossi learns that someone who reads the Sh'ma without hearing what one said, is not Yotzei - from the Pasuk "Sh'ma Yisrael ... " (which implying that one must hear what one says).

(b)The Tana Kama, who holds that one is Yotzei, learns from "Sh'ma" - that it makes no difference in which language one recites it ("Sh'ma", 'be'Chol Lashon she'Atah Shome'a').

6)

(a)R. Yossi and R. Yehudah argue over whether someone who reads the Sh'ma carelessly - (i.e. he does not make a clear separation when one word begins with the same letter as the previous word ended) is Yotzei or not.

(b)According to R. Yossi). one is Yotzei (Bedi'eved). According to R. Yehudah - one is not (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

(c)The Halachah - is like R. Yossi.

(d)One should also be careful (Lechatchilah) when ...

1. ... reciting the Sh'ma - to distinguish between the Sh'va Na and the Sh'va Nach, to insert a Dagesh (a dot) where it belongs and to omit it where it does not.

2. ... reading the word "Lema'an Tizk'ru" - to stress the 'Zayin', so that it should sound like 'Tiskeru' (which would mean 'to do Mitzvos for reward' instead of 'to remember').

7)

(a)The Tana learns that someone who reads the Sh'ma backwards is not Yotzei - from the word "Vehayu ha'Devarim ha'Eileh", implying that the words of the Sh'ma must remain in the order tha they were written, and not inverted ...

(b)... not the Pesukim and certainly not the words.

(c)If one reads the paragraphs in the wrong - one is Yotzei ...

(d)... since we do not read them in the order that they are written anyway (seeing as "Vayomer" precedes even "Sh'ma" in the Torah [see Tosfos Yom Tov]).

8)

(a)If one made a major mistake and has already gone further, the Mishnah rules - that one goes back to where one made the mistake.

(b)If one knows that one said "u'Chesavtam" (see Tosfos Yom Tov end of DH 'Yachzor ... '), but cannot recall which one - he continues from after the first one ...

(c)... unless he instinctively continued "Lema'an Yirbu Yemeichem", indicating that that was where he was up to.

(d)If one is not sure where he is up to, assuming ...

1. ... he knows which paragraph he is holding - he goes back to the beginning of that paragraph (see Tosfos Yom Tov DH 'Yachzor ... ' b'E.D 've'Kasvu ha'Meforshim').

2. ... he knows that he is between two paragraphs, but does know which one - he goes back to 've'Hayah im Shamo'a'.

(e)According to the Rambam however - he goes back to "ve'Ahavta" (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

9)

(a)The Tana permits laborers to recite the Sh'ma on top of a tree or on top of a Nidbach - (a constructed row of bricks of a building).

(b)We are not concerned that their fear of falling will disturb their concentration - since it is only the first Pasuk of the Sh'ma that requires concenration.

(c)For the Amidah however - he requires that one descends from the tree ...

(d)... since the Amidah is Tefilah - and Tefilah needs concentration (from beginning to end).

10)

(a)The Mishnah exempts a Chasan from reciting the Sh'ma on the first night - because he is worried about the Mitzvah on hand ...

(b)... and the Pasuk in the Sh'ma writes "u've'Lecht'*cha* ba'Derech" (implying that someone whose mind is occupied with a Mitzvah is Patur).

(c)The worry of the Mitzvah refers either to the Chasan's concern that his Kalah is not a Besulah - or to the fear that he will become a K'rus Shafchah (rendering him impotent) on account of his first Be'ilah (see Tosfos Yom Tov DH 'ba'Laylah ... ').

(d)The Tana incorporates the first four nights (until Motza'ei Shabbos [see Tosfos Yom Tov]) in this ruling. After that - he assumes that, even if they have not yet been intimate, the Chasan has already become familiar with his Kalah and the initial fear has dissipated (see Tosfos Yom Tov).

11)

(a)Raban Gamliel - recited the Sh'ma on his wedding night, causing his Talmidim to query him.

(b)He justified what he did, by pointing out that (although he had indeed taught them the above concession) - he had never taught them to deprive him Malchus Shamayim even for a short time (see Tiferes Yisrael), since he was able to concentrate, in spite of the worry of the Mitzvah.

12)

(a)Raban Gamliel's Talmidim have cause to query his actions on the night following his wife's death - because he bathed (see Tosfos Yom Tov) in spite of having taught them that an Aveil is forbidden to do so.

(b)To which he replied - that he was an Ist'nis (of a particularly cold nature, who suffered from the cold), whereas the prohibition of bathing is based on the pleasure that one derives from it.

13)

(a)Following the death of his famous slave Tavi, he caused his Talmidim to query him once again - by mourning for him, even though he had taught them not to mourn over the death of a slave.

(b)He justified doing that - by drawing a distinction between other Avadim and Tavi, who was 'Kasher' (i.e. a Talmid Chacham [see Tiferes Yisrael]).

14)

(a)The Tana Kama permits anyone who so wishes, to emulate the example of Raban Gamiel, and to recite the Sh'ma on his wedding-night, should he so wish. Raban Shimon ben Gamliel - confines that to a Chacham who in general, abstains from worldly matters, but not to anybody else.

(b)The Halachah - is like the Tana Kama.

(c)Our Rebbes have ruled however - that nowadays, when most people do not concentrate anyway, to refrain from reciting the Sh'ma on one's wedding-night, would be tantamount to conceitedness, suggesting that on all other occasions, one recites the Sh'ma with Kavanah, and it is only now that one is unable to do so.