Two Dimensions Of Shema

The Gemorah in Pesachim (56a) says that after the shevatim said shema Yisroel to prove their allegiance toward Hashem, Yaakov responded with baruch shem.  Because of this we recite it after saying shema in our daily recitation.  The question is how we view this additional line added into shema, does it now become an extension of the possuk shema yisroel and therefore should have  all the stringencies that the law prescribes for the first verse, or is it viewed as a separate line with its own rules?  In many instances we find that the Mishna Berura rules that its part of shema.  See 61:11, 63:11, 65:10 in regard to interrupting to talk to someone, intent and if one must recite it with the congregation. In all these cases the Mishna Berura equates baruch shem with the possuk of shema yisroel.  From all those instances it seems that he rules that baruch shem is part of the verse of shema yisroel.  However, in 61:13 in buir halacha he rules that if one forgets to say baruch shem one must not repeat shema.  Here it seems that baruch shem isn’t considered part of the verse of shema yisroel, opposite from the aforementioned sources?  Rav Asher Weiss explains that there are two parts to shema.  There is the mitzvah of reciting shema and then there is the kabalos ol that must be accepted in shema.  Baruch shem isn’t part of the mitzvah of saying shema, its not at all in the Torah.  However, it is part of the kabalos ol.  Therefore, regarding the stringencies that affect intent, the baruch shem is just as important as shema.  However, if one forgot it since its not part of the basic recitation of shema one doesn’t need to go back to repeat it.

The following paragraphs (in different type set) are stolen from the blog Mevakesh Lev in the piece entitled "Baruch Sheim."

The Brisker Rav was exceedingly exacting in the way he said Krias Shema. It would take him a very long time. (Parenthetically, the Gemara says that the reward for reciting Shema carefully is that Gehinom will be cooled off for him. This is a tremendous schar. Nevertheless, apparently not all Gedolei Yisrael held of the extreme extent to which the Briskers take this inyan. One time, Rav Meir Soloveitchik was in the presence of the Chazon Ish when he (Rav Meir) was saying Shema. He said it in Brisker form, taking an extremely long time to say every word with the utmost of precision. Afterwards, the Chazon Ish told him, “Be careful you don’t catch a cold.”)

Baruch sheim, though, was not given the same attention to exactitude. Given his pace throughout the rest of Shema, the amount of time from when he finished the word echad until he began v’ahavtah was much quicker. When asked about this, the Rav answered as follows.

The halacha that one must be medakdeik in Krias Shema is not because of the act of kabalas ol malchus Shamayim, but a requirement as far as reading pesukim is concerned. The proof of this is the source of precision reading. It is derived from the word v’limadetem, which Chazal darshen to mean that your limud should be tahm, complete. The enunciation should be unadulterated. Where does the word v’limadetem appear in Krias Shema? In the second paragraph. Most Rishonim hold that the second paragraph is only required mi’d’Rabannan, so the derasha cannot be referring only to Krias Shema. Rather, it is a halacha that applies to mikrah, reading pesukim.

Rav Moshe Feinstein was once observed doing shnayim mikrah, and it was apparent that he was saying the words with the same degree of precision as when he would say Krias Shema. So we see that he too held that the halacha of precision reading is not a requirement unique to Shema, but that it is a requirement insofar as reading pesukim is concerned.

Baruch Sheim, despite being an integral part of kabalas ol malchus Shamayim, is not a pasuk, and therefore does not require the same level of precision.

There is another time we find the saying of baruch shem.  In the mikdash they wouldn’t respond to a blessing by answering amen, they would respond with baruch shem (see Taanis 16b.)  Are these two mentioning's of baruch shem, the response in the mikdash and our recitation in shema two independent dinim, or do  they share one yesod hadin?  Rav Solevetchik explains that the מחייב of baruch shem is the mentioning of the חלות שם הוי"ה.  In the mikdash it was always considered a חלות שם הוי"ה since that was the way it should been pronounced.  Even after the death of Shimon Hatzaddik when they stopped pronouncing it that way (see Yoma 39b) it still was considered a חלות שם הוי"ה. Similarly, the verse of shema yisroel is considered to be mentioning the שם הוי"ה (see Gra siman 5 Orach Chayim.)  That’s what is the trigger for saying baruch shem.  (The Gemarah in Pesachim is thus read to be analyzing if inserting this praise into the krias shema itself would constitute an interruption of the recitation.  The conclusion is since Yaakov said it, therefore we may incorporate it into shema and not only is it praise permitted to add into the shema, but it becomes part of the kabbalos ol.)

The Rambam at the beginning of the book of Ahava cites the verse of מה אהבתי תורתך כל היום היא שיחתי.  Rav Solevetchik said that in the opinion of the Rambam, shema has two parts too it, it is a mitzvah to read the words twice a day, in the morning and evening but there is an additional aspect of the kabalos ol, that fulfillment extends throughout the entire day, it is כל היום bookended at the beginning and the end of the day with krias shema.

The nature of this additional aspect of kabalos ol needs to be explained.  We already said Hashem eched, what are we adding?  And why is it said quietly?  When the Rizhonir was a young boy he asked the Alter Rebbe how can we say ואהבת את ה' אלקיך if we already said Hashem eched and acknowledged our existence as meaningless?  (Of course, this is to show the greatness of the Rizhonor that at a young boy he was asking such questions while older people like myself are asking if our favorite football team will make the playoffs and other such intelligent questions.)  The Alter Rebbe gave him a six hour explanation about יחודא עילאה  and יחודא תתאה and answered his question.  Obviously, this explanation is beyond the scope of this elucidation, but we can at least glean shema yisroel is the level of ultimate yechud with Hashem.  However, this doesn’t give any “room” for a person to live.  We must take it down a notch in order to maintain a living relationship with Hashem and we acknowledge this lacking in our ability to recognize yichud Hashem in its optimal form quietly.