The Legacy and Teachings of Rabbi Yosef Karo

The Life of Rabbi Yosef Karo

...and our custom is to say "Baruch She'amar" after "Hashem King" and "The heavens declare", and on Shabbat after "Hallel HaGadol". It seems from the words of his brother that one does not say "The heavens declare" on weekdays, and this is also derived from the teachings in the *Zohar*, Parashat Terumah, pages 136-137... *Beit Yosef* on *Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim, Siman 50, commentary on the words "at the time"

...Moreover, since this law is not clarified in our Talmud, who would be brave enough to go against the teachings of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, who is so strict about the prohibition of placing *tefillin* during *Chol HaMoed*... *Beit Yosef* on *Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim, Siman 31, commentary on the words "and on weekdays"

...The *Tosafot* wrote that Rabbi Yitzchak says there is a *Pesikta* regarding the actions of Rabbi Yishmael ben Elisha that when Jews enter synagogues and say "Amen, Yehe Sheme Rabbah" aloud, they abolish harsh decrees, thus it seems one must respond aloud, as also noted in the *Zohar*, which also explains why it was established in Aramaic. The text states in Parashat Terumah: "Come and see, holiness is not like other holiness..." From this, we need to contemplate how one should focus during *Kaddish* and how much effort should be made to answer it, as evidenced further in the *Zohar* from this very chapter... *Beit Yosef* on *Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim, Siman 56, commentary on the words "regarding this"

...However, in the *Zohar*, it is written that an individual does not say the *Kedushah* of the *Yotzer* and even the *Kedushah* of "And come to Zion", which is in the holy tongue, cannot be said by an individual, as stated in Parashat Terumah... Although the world has the custom to say the *Kedushah* of the *Yotzer* individually, it seems fitting, since this is not explicitly stated in the Talmud, to follow the words of the *Zohar*, as I have written in Siman 31 regarding the law of placing *tefillin* during *Chol HaMoed*... *Beit Yosef* on *Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim, Siman 59, commentary on the words "and he wrote"

...Additionally, it is mentioned in the *Zohar*, Parashat Vayeshev, regarding the verse "And the man said, let us journey from here", and there are mentions there regarding washing hands in the morning that innovations do not appear in the legal authorities. Rabbi Shimon opened... Further discussion is found in the *Zohar* in Parashat Miketz regarding the verse "And Joseph recognized his brothers..." It is puzzling that in the portion "And they shall take for me a gift", concerning the verse "And you shall make a table", it is written in the *Zohar* that "what is it..." These two statements seem to contradict each other, and it is possible there is a distinction between washing for morning prayers and for eating. Since morning hands are impure from the *Sitra Achra*, one should wash them first using the left hand with the right to avoid the appearance of the right side assisting the unholy side; therefore, one should prefer to wash using the right hand first. This is explained in the portion of Vayeshev: but in washing for eating, since one's hands are pure and one only washes for added sanctity, one needs to wash the left hand first with the right hand for the reason stated in Parashat Terumah, where it says that one who washes with water in hand...

Beit Yosef on *Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim, Siman 4, commentary on the words "and it is understood"

The Secrets of the Torah in the Teachings of the *Beit Yosef*

I have seen that Ashkenazim have the custom to wash their hands during *Birkat Kohanim* even though they have already washed their hands in the morning, and I have heard that this was also done in Spain, where the Levites would pour water on their hands. I did not know where this practice originated for Levites to wash their hands until Hashem granted me insight, and I found it explicitly stated in the Midrash *Zohar*, Parashat Naso, where it is written: A priest who desires to uplift his hands must add sanctity upon sanctity, as he must sanctify his hands through the sanctified water, since it is written "And you shall sanctify the Levites"—these are the sanctified ones... From here, every priest who raises his hands must seek to add sanctity through the sanctified water and not wash his hands with water in the hands of another who is not sanctified. It is also written there that with humility, the priest must sanctify himself at the beginning; thus is the proper practice.

*Beit Yosef* on *Shulchan Aruch*, Orach Chaim, Siman 128, commentary on the words "and our teacher"