✦ ❖ ✦
DAAT · LEVEL 1 — INTRODUCTION
Siman רפ"ה · 7 Seifim
Reading the parashah twice in Hebrew + once in targum — to discover and understand
סימן רפ"ה
לִקְרוֹת הַפָּרָשָׁה שְׁנַיִם מִקְרָא וְאֶחָד תַּרְגּוּם
🌱 Introduction Level · Beginners
✦ ❖ ✦
First approach to Siman רפ"ה: complete Hebrew text of the Mechaber, fluent English explanation, pedagogical breakdown of the halakhic concepts, modern practical cases and synthesis.
Topic: Reading the parashah twice in Hebrew + once in targum
Source: Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayim Siman רפ"ה (7 seifim)
Compilation: Rav Yossef Haim Samama
DAAT · daattorah.com
📑 Study plan
1. The text of the Shulchan Arukh — the 7 seifim of the Mechaber
2. The general context: why this siman, what is the question?
3. Key halakhic concepts of this siman
4. The seifim in detail — one by one
5. The Mishnah Berurah — first entries
6. The position of the Rama — Ashkenazi vs Sephardic differences
7. Modern practical cases
8. Practical synthesis and rules to remember
9. Comprehension questions
1. The text of the Shulchan Arukh
Siman רפ"ה contains 7 seifim of the Mechaber (Rabbi Yosef Karo) codifying the laws relating to reading the parashah twice in Hebrew + once in targum.
Seif א — The weekly chiyuv of Shnayim Mikra ve-Echad Targum
לקרות הפרשה שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום. ובו ז סעיפים:
אע"פ שאדם שומע כל התורה כולה כל שבת בצבור חייב לקרות לעצמו בכל שבוע פרשת אותו שבוע שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום אפילו עטרות ודיבון:
Translation: "Even though a person hears the entire Torah every Shabbos in shul, he is obligated to read for himself, each week, the parashah of that week twice the mikra (Hebrew text) and once the targum, even [for pesukim like] 'Atarot ve-Divon' [Bamidbar 32:3 — pesukim of proper names with no apparent content]."
The fundamental chiyuv (Berachos 8a): "Rabbi Ami said: A person should always complete his parashiyos with the tzibbur — twice mikra and once targum, even 'Atarot ve-Divon'". The reward: "anyone who completes his parashiyos with the tzibbur — his days and years are lengthened". Talmudic source: Berachos 8a-b.
Why even Atarot ve-Divon? These pesukim contain only names of cities conquered by the tribes of Reuven and Gad — no law, no narrative. The Gemara specifies: even these pesukim, where seemingly "there is nothing to understand", must be read. This teaches that the entire Torah, even the apparently "dry" passages, contains light to receive.
Seif ב — Rashi can replace Onkelos
אם למד הפרשה בפירוש רש"י חשוב כמו תרגום וירא שמים יקרא תרגום וגם פרש"י:
Translation: "If he studied the parashah with the perush of Rashi, it is considered like targum. And a yarei shamayim will read both: Targum [Onkelos] and Rashi."
The yesod: the purpose of targum is to understand the Hebrew text — not merely to recite Onkelos. Rashi, in clarifying Hebrew, fulfills the same explanatory function. The yarei shamayim who wants to be yotzei all opinions does both.
Onkelos vs Rashi: Onkelos is a translation in Aramaic (so accessible in the Talmudic era when Aramaic was the spoken language); Rashi is a perush that illuminates the meaning. The halacha admits functional equivalence: what counts is grasping the meaning of the pasuk.
Seif ג — From Sunday onward it is "with the tzibbur"
מיום ראשון ואילך חשיב עם הצבור:
Translation: "From Sunday onward [until Shabbos], it is considered [as being done] with the tzibbur."
Time window: the mitzvah is to complete the parashah "with the tzibbur" (im ha-tzibbur). The siman clarifies that Sunday, when one begins reading the new parashah at Mincha of Shabbos, marks the start of the window. Before Sunday → too early. After Mussaf of the following Shabbos → too late (lechatchilah).
Seif ד — Hierarchy of times: before the meal, before Mincha, before Wednesday, before Simchas Torah
מצוה מן המובחר שישלים אותה קודם שיאכל בשבת ואם לא השלים קודם אכילה ישלים אחר אכילה עד המנחה וי"א עד רביעי בשבת וי"א עד שמיני עצרת (דהיינו בשמחת תורה שאז משלימים הצבור):
Translation: "The mitzvah min ha-muvchar is that he complete [the parashah] before he eats on Shabbos. If he did not finish before the meal, he should finish after the meal until Mincha. And some say: until Wednesday. And others say: until Shemini Atzeres (i.e. on Simchas Torah, when the tzibbur completes [the cycle])."
Four levels of priority:
- Ideal (mitzvah min ha-muvchar): before the Shabbos morning meal (after Shacharis).
- Bedi'avad 1: until Mincha of Shabbos.
- Bedi'avad 2: until Wednesday (before the middle of the following week).
- Bedi'avad 3 (ultimate limit): until Simchas Torah, when the entire yearly cycle is completed.
Seif ה — Reading shnayim mikra during the public Torah reading
יכול לקרות הפרשה שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום בשעת קריאת התורה (וע"ל סי' קמ"ו):
Translation: "He may read the parashah — twice mikra and once targum — during the krias ha-Torah [in shul, while silently following the baal koreh]. See also Siman 146."
Parallel reading: listen to the baal koreh read the parashah aloud (= 1st mikra reading) + silently reread to oneself (= 2nd mikra reading) + read Onkelos (= once targum). This is an efficient way to fulfill the mitzvah without extra time. See Siman 146 for precise conditions (not being in full "obligatory listening" to the baal koreh to the point of missing a portion).
Seif ו — Melamdei tinokos (teachers of children) are exempt
מלמדי תינוקות אין צריכים לחזור ולקרות הפרשה בשבת:
Translation: "Melamdei tinokos are not obligated to reread the parashah on Shabbos."
Why? The melamed who teaches the parashah to children all week — already reads it twice (at minimum) in class + the targum/perush. He has therefore already fulfilled the mitzvah during his teaching. It is a halacha of "yatza yedei chovaso b'lo kavana meforeshes" — fulfilling one's obligation incidentally through actual performance.
Seif ז — No shnayim mikra for the Yom Tov parashah, and the minhag of haftaros
אין צריך לקרות פרשת יו"ט: הגה וכן אין צריך לקרות ההפטרות (מרדכי ה"ק) ומכל מקום נהגו לקרות ההפטרה ובשבת של חתונה יקרא ההפטר' של שבת ולא שוש אשיש (פסקי מהרא"י סי' ק"א):
Translation: "He is not obligated to read the parashah of Yom Tov [in shnayim mikra]. Rama: And similarly he is not obligated to read the haftaros (Mordechai). Nevertheless, the minhag is to read the haftarah. And for the Shabbos on which there is a wedding [Chasan Bereishis / Chasan Torah, or Shabbos chasan], one reads the haftarah of the parashah and not 'Sos Asis' (Piskei Maharai §101)."
Three lessons:
- Not for Yom Tov: the mitzvah is to read the weekly parashah; the special Yom Tov reading (which alters the cycle) is not part of the obligation.
- Haftaros — minhag but not obligation: The Mordechai says there is no obligation, but the minhag has strengthened the habit — to read at least the haftarah once.
- Shabbos of wedding: one replaces the usual haftarah "Sos Asis" with the weekly haftarah — so as not to privilege the chasan over the general minhag.
Complete text: these 7 seifim constitute the entire codification of the Mechaber for this topic. Each specifies a case, a condition, or an exception.
2. General context
What does this siman deal with?
Our siman codifies a weekly individual chiyuv that complements the public Torah reading: shnayim mikra ve-echad targum (twice the Hebrew text + once the targum). It is the most personal mitzvah in the Shabbos sequence — performed alone, at one's own pace, without minyan, without a sefer Torah.
Talmudic source (Berachos 8a-b): "Rabbi Ami said: A person should always complete his parashiyos with the tzibbur — twice mikra and once targum, even 'Atarot ve-Divon'. And anyone who completes his parashiyos with the tzibbur — his days and years are lengthened."
Place in Hilchos Shabbos
Siman רפ"ה closes the Torah/Haftarah/Shnayim Mikra sequence:
- Siman 282 — public Torah reading (7 aliyos)
- Siman 283 — a single sefer Torah on Shabbos
- Siman 284 — the haftarah and its berachos
- Siman 285 — shnayim mikra: the personal reading of the parashah
The structural idea: the public Torah sanctifies the community; shnayim mikra sanctifies the individual — they are the two faces of the same weekly mitzvah.
3. Key halakhic concepts
1. שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום (Shnayim Mikra ve-Echad Targum): weekly chiyuv to read the parashah to oneself twice in Hebrew + once in Aramaic (Targum Onkelos). Source: Berachos 8a.
2. להשלים פרשיותיו עם הצבור: "To complete one's parashiyos with the tzibbur". The mitzvah is not only to read, but to follow the pace of the tzibbur — each parashah in its week.
3. תרגום (Onkelos): canonical Aramaic translation of the Torah by Onkelos the convert (1st-2nd century). Printed alongside the Hebrew text in all quality Chumashim. The purpose: to understand.
4. פירוש רש"י can replace Onkelos: according to the Mechaber (seif ב), if one studies Rashi, it is equivalent to targum. The yarei shamayim does both.
5. עטרות ודיבון: names of cities (Bamidbar 32:3). The Gemara specifies: even these pesukim, without visible content, must be read — proof that the entire Torah, even apparently "dry", must be studied.
6. Time windows: 4 levels of priority (before Shabbos meal → before Mincha → before Wednesday → before Simchas Torah). The goal is not to miss the yearly cycle.
4. The seifim in detail — one by one
Overview of the 7 seifim:
| Seif | Case | Halacha |
|---|---|---|
| א | Weekly chiyuv | 2 mikra + 1 targum, even Atarot ve-Divon |
| ב | Does Rashi replace Onkelos? | Yes; yarei shamayim does both |
| ג | When to begin? | Sunday (start of new reading week) |
| ד | When to finish? | Before meal / Mincha / Wednesday / Simchas Torah |
| ה | During krias ha-Torah? | Yes (see Siman 146) |
| ו | Melamdei tinokos | Exempt (already fulfilled while teaching) |
| ז | Yom Tov parashah + haftarah | Not obligatory; minhag for the haftarah |
5. Mishnah Berurah — first entries
The Mishnah Berurah of Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan (Chofetz Chaim) has 20 entries on this siman. Here are the first ones — to better understand the meaning of the seifim:
משנה ברורה (א) — (א) לקרות לעצמו בכל שבוע - היינו שלא יקדים לקרות קודם אותו שבוע וגם לא יאחר דצריך להשלים פרשיותיו עם הצבור וכל המשלים פרשיותיו עם הצבור מאריכין לו ימיו ושנותיו [גמרא]:
משנה ברורה (ב) — (ב) שנים מקרא - אבל לא יקרא אחד מקרא ואחד תרגום ויכוין לשמוע מהש"ץ אלא צריך לקרות ב"פ מקרא חוץ ממה ששמע מהש"ץ אם לא שקרא אז ג"כ בפיו וע' במ"א סק"ח שכ' בשם לחם חמודות דבדיעבד יוצא פ"א במה ששמע מהש"ץ ויש אחרונים שמחמירין אפי' דיעבד. ובענין הקריאה יש דעות בזה בין אחרוני' י"א שיקרא כל פסוק ב"פ ותרגום עליו וי"א שיקרא כל פרשה ב"פ ואח"כ התרגום היינו שיקרא כל פרשה פתוחה או סתומה ב"פ ואח"כ התרגום ובמ"א ובש…
משנה ברורה (ג) — (ג) ודיבן - ר"ל אע"פ שאין בו תרגום וה"ה ראובן ושמעון וכי"ב צריך לקרותו ג"פ ויש מחמירין דבעטרות ודיבן שיש בו תרגום ירושלמי צריך לקרות שם התרגום:
For the full text of the 20 entries, consult Sefaria: Mishnah Berurah 285.
6. The position of the Rama
Where the Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles) adds a הגהה (gloss), he generally clarifies the Ashkenazi nuances vis-à-vis the Sephardic Mechaber. Carefully check the Hebrew text above to identify the passages introduced by הגה.
The Rama's sole addition (seif ז):
- No chiyuv to read the haftaros in shnayim mikra (Mordechai); but the minhag has become to read them at least once.
- On Shabbos chasan, read the haftarah of the parashah and not "Sos Asis" — exception to the Sephardic minhag which may differ (Piskei Maharai §101).
Sefardim follow the Mechaber strictly, without the clarification on Sos Asis; Ashkenazim follow the Rama. Chabad follows the version of the Shulchan Arukh HaRav which details the reading methods.
7. Modern practical cases
| Situation | Practical halacha |
|---|---|
| Standard reading method | Read each section (parashah pesucha or setumah) 2× mikra then 1× targum. Alternatively: pasuk by pasuk (mikra mikra targum). Both are valid; minhag depending on communities. |
| Friday afternoon | Ideal time: one is under the aura of Shabbos without yet having Mincha. Many finish at that moment. |
| Audio listening (MP3/streaming) | Machlokes among Acharonim; majority requires active reading with one's own mouth. Audio alone is insufficient for the mikra; for the targum it is more lenient. |
| Sefer Chumash without Onkelos | Bedi'avad read Rashi in vernacular (per Mechaber seif ב) or use an app with Onkelos. |
| Combined parashah (mechuberes) | Read both parashiyos — like the public reading. |
| Shemini Atzeres / Simchas Torah | Last chance to make up any parashiyos missed during the year (per the 3rd opinion in seif ד). |
| School teacher who teaches | Exempt (seif ו) — already fulfilled in class. |
| Travel / hospital / impossibility | Do what one can; ideally read at least once entirely and complete as soon as possible. |
Reading methods (3 recognized approaches):
- Pasuk by pasuk (Beis Yosef, Magen Avraham): mikra-mikra-targum, mikra-mikra-targum, etc.
- By section (Vilna Gaon): each parashah pesucha/setumah 2× mikra, then all the targum of that section.
- All at once: the entire parashah 2× mikra, then all the targum (less recommended).
8. Practical synthesis of the Siman
The 7 key lessons of Siman רפ"ה:
- Weekly individual chiyuv: even if one hears everything in shul, one must read personally. Source: Berachos 8a; reward: lengthening of days and years.
- Rashi is equivalent to targum (Mechaber seif ב). The yarei shamayim does both.
- Even Atarot ve-Divon: every word of the Torah must be read — no "sorting" possible.
- Window: ideal before the Shabbos meal, otherwise before Mincha, otherwise Wednesday, ultimately before Simchas Torah.
- During public reading: one can do shnayim mikra by following along (siman 146).
- Melamdei tinokos exempt — already fulfilled while teaching.
- Yom Tov parashah not obligatory; haftarah not obligatory but minhag to read it.
9. Comprehension questions
Check your understanding:
- What is the Talmudic source for the chiyuv of shnayim mikra ve-echad targum? What is the promised reward?
- Why does the Gemara specify "even Atarot ve-Divon"? What lesson to draw?
- If I do not have access to Onkelos, can I get by with Rashi? And a yarei shamayim, what does he do?
- From what day of the week is the reading considered "with the tzibbur"? Why?
- What are the 4 time windows for completing the reading, from most ideal to latest?
- Can I fulfill the mitzvah during the public reading in shul? How?
- Why is a melamed tinokos exempt? And what does the Rama say about the haftaros?
Going deeper
If you want to delve deeper into this siman:
📖Join the chavrusa
- 📚 Level 2 — Lamdan: for pilpul, the שיטות ראשונים, the חקירות יסודיות, and the Acharonic nuances
- ✨ Level 3 — Synthesis: for review and fast memorization with mnemonics
- 📜 Level 4 — Daat HaRav: the shitah of the Alter Rebbe (Shulchan Arukh HaRav siman רפ"ה)