Q&A: Engaged in a Commandment
Engaged in a Commandment
Question
- A good final sealing, Rabbi. A question: regarding the principle that one who is engaged in a commandment is exempt from another commandment, in the Talmud in Sukkah and Berakhot, on the topic of one who marries a widow or a virgin, concerning the exemption from reciting the Shema — with a virgin, he is preoccupied with the commandment, and Maimonides explains that this is because perhaps he will not find signs of virginity, which seemingly is not a commandment but rather his own personal concern. I would say that it is within the sphere of the commandment, even though the preoccupation itself is not a commandment. But even with mourning, which is a commandment, the Talmud says that it is optional — see Rashi — because one is not obligated to feel anguish. So I was left needing further clarification. I would be happy if the Rabbi could shed light on the matter for me. Happy holiday.
Answer
There it is explicitly speaking about preoccupation caused by a commandment. That is, not that the preoccupation itself is a commandment, but that the commandment causes him to be preoccupied. In the case of the Shema, the preoccupation also causes him not to be able to fulfill the commandment properly.
In my article on the tenth root I discussed preparation for a commandment. There too we see that the rule that one who is engaged in a commandment is exempt from another commandment is also said regarding someone engaged in preparing for a commandment. I compared this to exemption due to preoccupation caused by a commandment. What pushes aside the commandment is not only the actual fulfillment of the commandment itself, but also involvement in it in a broader sense.
Discussion on Answer
The mourning interferes with concentration during the Shema. That is exactly what I wrote.
And what if the mourning there also stems from the commandment, no?