With dappim TB Rosh Hashana 28-29 the third chapter of our massekhet ends with a discussion whether kavvanah is absolutely necessary in the performance of a mitzvah. Abraham Joshua Heschel describes kavvanah thusly:
“What is meant by the term “kavvanah” in its verbal form the original meaning seems to be: to
straighten, to place in a straight line, to direct. From this it came to mean
to direct the mind, to pay attention, to do a thing with an intention. The noun
kavvanah denotes meaning, purpose,
motive, and attention.
“To have kavvanah
means according to a classical formation, ‘to direct the heart to the Father in
heaven…’
“Kavvanah in
this sense is not the awareness of being commanded but the awareness of Him who
commands; not of a yoke we carry but of the Will we remember; the awareness of
God rather than the awareness of duty. Such awareness is more than an attitude
of the mind; it is an act of valuation or appreciation
of being commanded, a living in a covenant, have the opportunity to act in
agreement with God.”[1]
Obviously to have kavvanah
when observing the commandments is the ideal; however, the Gemara discusses
whether kavvanah is necessary at all.
“It is related that the following ruling was sent from Eretz Yisrael to
Shmuel’s father:
If one was forcibly compelled to eat matza on Passover, he
has fulfilled his obligation. The Gemara clarifies the matter: Who
compelled him to eat the matza?... Rav
Ashi said: We are dealing with a case where the Persians compelled
him to eat. Rava said: That is
to say that one who sounds a shofar for the music, having
no intent (kavvanah-gg) to fulfill
the mitzva, fulfills his obligation, since the critical issue is hearing
the blast and not the intent of the blower...
“(One may make a distinction between eating matza and the shofar blasts based on
Scripture. Eating matza is a mitzvah
from the Torah-gg) But here, with regard to a shofar, it is
written: “A memorial of blasts” (Leviticus 23:24), which might have been
understood as requiring conscious intent, and this one was merely acting
unawares, without having any intent whatsoever of performing the mitzva.
Therefore, Rava teaches us
that the absence of intent does not invalidate fulfillment of the mitzva, even
in the case of shofar. The Gemara concludes: Apparently, Rava maintains that the fulfillment
of mitzvot does not require intent. That is to say, if one performs a
mitzva, he fulfills his obligation even if he has no intention of doing so. ” (Sefaria.org
translation)
The Gemara challenges unsuccessfully Rava’s position
so we’re left with the understanding that a person gets credit for observing a
mitzvah even unintentionally or unthinkingly. Nevertheless, the Rishonim disagree amongst themselves
whether person needs kavvanah are not.
Tosefot and Rebbainu Yonah poskin like
Rava; consequently the observance of mitzvot do not need kavvanah. The Rosh and Ba’al Halakhot Gedolot poskin like Rabbi
Zeira who holds that the observance of mitzvot need kavvanah. Most of the poskim
differentiate between mitzvot de-oraita,
(Torah in origin) which need kavvanah and
mitzvot derabanan (rabbinic in origin)
which don’t. The Vilna Gaon rules that both mitzvot
de-oraita and mitzvot derabanan
need kavvanah. Nevertheless if one
did not have kavvanah when observing
a mitzvah, and repeats the observance a second time with kavvanah he should not recite the blessing lest the Rava’s position
is correct. (Magan Avraham) See Shulkhan Arukh, Orekh Hayim, 60:4.
[1] Between
God and Man: An interpretation of Judaism from the writings of Abraham J. Heschel,
edited by Fritz Rothchild, page 165.
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