Bais HaVaad on the Parsha, Parshas Vayikra

Bais HaVaad on the Parsha, Parshas Vayikra

No Bless Oblige

Excerpted and adapted from a?shiur?by R' Yehoshua Grunwald Shlita, Dayan Bais HaVaad

March 23, 2023

When we recite the Hagadah, we fulfill the mitzvah?de’Oreisa?of?sipur yetzias?(telling the story of leaving Egypt). Why don’t we make a?bracha?on this mitzvah as we do on others?

The Me’iri (Brachos 12b) cites one view that a?bracha?should in fact be made. The Tashbeitz maintains that “Baruch Hamakom” in the Hagadah serves as the?bracha. (According to his approach, perhaps one should have this intent when reciting it.)

Rabeinu Peretz and the Shibalei Haleket answer that we already fulfilled the mitzvah of?sipur?before the Seder—either in kiddush with the words “zeicher litzias?Mitzrayim” or in Ma’ariv with the?bracha?of “ga’al?Yisrael”—so we may no longer recite a?bracha?on the mitzvah. Although the mitzvah of?sipur?may include reciting the entire Hagadah, perhaps these?Rishonim?understood that to be required only?mideRabanan, while the mitzvah?de’Oreisa?is fulfilled with just a few words.

The Abudraham answers that no?bracha?is recited on mitzvos without a minimum requirement. The Maharal answers that no?bracha?is made on mitzvos fulfilled primarily in the mind, and this one is mainly about thoughts of gratitude to Hashem. The Sfas Emes answers that no?bracha?was instituted for mitzvos?sichliyos?(logical mitzvos)—which this one is, because we would be expected to praise Hashem for taking us out of Mitzrayim even without an explicit command.