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Thought for the Day: Using אהבה רבה for ברכת התורה

A Jew is not allowed to learn Torah (according to the Vilna Gaon, this includes thinking about divrei Torah) before making ברכת התורה. You aren't allowed to eat an apple before making bracha, you aren't allowed to wave a lulav before making a bracha, you aren't allowed to learn Torah before making a bracha. Simple. Straightforward.

Until you are in a position where you can't make ברכת התורה. How could that happen? A common case comes up every Shavuos -- you want to learn Torah, but you stayed up all night. For how long is ברכת התורה effective? Certainly from the time you say it until you go to sleep. (Not drifting off for a few minutes, but in bed asleep.) Some poskim, though, hold that Chazal established ברכת התורה to be said daily; something like the morning brachos. Another way you could be in this position: you can't remember if you said ברכת התורה. Usually in case of doubt, we just don't say the bracha. That is because brachos are by Rabbinic decree, and that decree includes the provision that in case of doubt, skip it. The problem here is that ברכת התורה might be a Torah obligation. Might be... so maybe it should be said in case of doubt, but maybe not. What a pickle.

The Shulchan Aruch (47:7) comes to our rescue: The bracha of אהבה רבה can be used to fulfil the obligation of ברכת התורה... Perfect! Wait... there's more:... if you learn immediately afterward without an interruption.

Two problems: (1) without interruption? קריאת שמע and שמונה עשרה come right after אהבה רבה! How can you learn now? (2) Speaking of קריאת שמע... that's learning, right? The Shulchan Aruch specifically says that even if you miss saying קריאת שמע in time, at least you still have credit for Torah leaning. So what exactly is the case of the Shulchan Aruch.

As we all know the Shulchan Aruch was written by R' Yosef Caro, who is also the author of the Beis Yosef on the Tur. And we all know that the Shulchan Aruch basically just brings the conclusions reached by the Beis Yosef on how the halacha comes out. What I had not appreciated till now is that if you want to understand why the Shulchan Aruch says something, you really, really need to go back to the Beis Yosef.

On this issue, the Beis Yosef actually has a quite lengthy discussion, which I have summarized in a previous TftD. Bottom line the Beis Yosef concludes that you actually are not required to learn immediately after ברכת התורה.

However, אהבה רבה is a horse of a different color precisely because is not usually used for ברכת התורה! In fact, when we have the Beis HaMikdash, אהבה רבה can sometime come after קריאת שמע. The only way, therefore, to tie the bracha of אהבה רבה to the mitzvah of learning Torah is to learn at the first opportunity. (Which is called "without interruption; see the previously referenced TftD.) Why doesn't קריאת שמע work for that? Two reason: (1) that would only be Written Torah, but ברכת התורה is also on the Oral Torah. (2) That קריאת שמע is just before Shmone Esrei, which gives it the the status of prayer/supplication.
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