The morning Shema recitation is followed by the section of "Emet Ve’yasib." The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Shemot (7), notes that the fifteen words from "Ve’yasib" through "Ve’yafe" all begin with the letter "Vav." He writes that these fifteen words have Kabbalistic significance, and one must therefore ensure to pronounce all these words properly with particular care. The Ben Ish Hai adds that the letter "Heh" with which the next word – "Ha’dabar" – begins also belongs to this framework of the fifteen words from "Ve’yasib" through "Ve’yafe." Therefore, one must ensure not to pause at any point from the words "Emet Ve’yasib" through the word "Ha’dabar."
If a person hears Kaddish as he recites this section, he should interrupt his recitation in order to respond to Kaddish. However, the Ben Ish Hai rules, in such a case one should then return to the word "Va’yesib" so that he recites all these words in succession without any interruption.
Some people have the custom to count on their fingers the fifteen words from "Ve’yasib" through "Ve’yafeh," in order to make sure that they do not omit any words.
The Ben Ish Hai further comments that after one recites the words, "Ve’nehemadim La’ad," he should kiss the Sisit strings, pass them over his eyes, and then drop them. One should not hold the Sisit strings in his hand after he recites "Ve’nehemadim La’ad."
