[Avodah] Rambam Hilchot Qriyat Shema

[Zev Sero via Avodah]

On 10/06/17 17:07, Ben Waxman via Avodah wrote:
> On 6/9/2017 9:07 PM, Zev Sero wrote:
>> I don't understand the question.  The Rambam always gives reasons and 
>> sources, and this chapter is a perfect example.  He's spent the 
>> previous three halachos giving the source for the mitzvah, the reasons 
>> for the selection of these three parshios, the reason we say the third 
>> parsha at night and the source for that reason, and now in halacha 
>> four he adds the final detail, and its reason and source. 

> Yes, for a mitzva he cites part of the pasuk. Here he not only cites the 
> Midrash but quotes it at length, using much more verbiage than in other 
> places.
> 
> I have been doing my own Rambam Yomi and what I have seen is that he 
> often says something like "al pi shemoah" or "Moshe tikkein" or "pashat 
> haminhag" to explain why we do certain things. But quoting a Midrash? 
> This one stands out.

He has to give the source, explain why we do this, and he uses as few 
words as he needs to.  He says mesorah hi beyadeinu; what else could he 
say?  How could he express that any more concisely?

BTW he cites medrash all the time; that's where halachos come from, 
after all.  But here he doesn't mention any medrash, just this mesorah.


-- 
Zev Sero                May 2017, with its *nine* days of Chanukah,
zev at sero.name           be a brilliant year for us all