Q. On question above If someone wakes up in the middle of the night and can’t sleep, if he turns on his cell phone and listens to a shiur, does he have to recite the Bracha on the Torah?

A. As mentioned above, one who just thinks in his mind Torah does not have to recite the brocho. However, Poskim rule that if one hears words of Torah said by others, he should say the brocho. The reason being that we have a rule “Shomea K’eone, one that listens is similar to one that says, and that applies to all blessings like Kiddush, Hamotzi, Shofar, etc. Therefore, hearing a shiur or words of Torah, according to many Poskim does require the brocho. The above is the rule and practice when receiving an Aliya to the reading of the Torah. (Machazik Brocho, Nefesh Chayo and others).

Whether, it applies to someone listening to a shiur on the phone, tape or radio, Piskei Teshuvos (47: n. 59) quotes Halichos Shlomo that considered the shaila and maintains that one should recite the brocho. Therefore, one that travels to shul by car in the morning and listens to a Torah tape, should see to recite the brocho before.

Rabbi A. Bartfeld as revised by Horav Shlomo Miller, Horav Dovid Pam, Horav Aharon Miller and Horav Chanoch Ehrentreu Shlit’a