Halacha requires reciting Birkot Ha'Torah in the morning before one learns Torah. Does this apply only if one wants to learn Torah verbally, or even if one is interested in learning silently, such as by reading without saying the words? For example, if a person wakes up in the middle of the night, and he wants to read a Torah book to help him fall back asleep, must he first recite Birkot Ha'Torah? This question arises also if one sits and drinks coffee early in the morning before reciting Birkot Ha'Torah. May he silently read a Torah book while drinking, or must he first recite Birkot Ha'Torah? For that matter, is one allowed upon waking in the morning to think about Torah before he recites Birkot Ha'Torah? The Bet Yosef cites the Agur (Rav Yaakob Landau, 1410-1493) as ruling that Birkot Ha'Torah is required only before learning Torah verbally, but not before learning silently. Just as praying only with one's eyes, without saying the words, does not qualify as prayer, likewise, learning Torah without saying the words does not constitute "learning" as far as the Birkot Ha'Torah requirement is concerned. The Shulhan Aruch rules accordingly. The Vilna Gaon (Rav Eliyahu of Vilna, 1720-1797), however, disagrees. He notes the verse in which G-d commands, "Ve'hagita Bo Yomam Va'layla" (Yehoshua 1:8), that we must study Torah day and night. The word "Hagita," the Gaon asserts, refers to unspoken thoughts, as in the expression, "Hegyon Libi" ("the stirrings of my heart" – Tehillim 19:15 ), and thus the Misva of Torah study is fulfilled even through silent learning. The Nishmat Adam (Rav Abraham Danzig of Vilna, 1748-1820) refuted this proof, pointing to the text of Birkot Ha'Torah, which mentions "words of Torah" ("Dibreh Torah"), implying that this refers specifically to spoken words (as "Dibur" means "speech"). Moreover, the Nishmat Adam cites several instances where the word "Hegyon" clearly refers to speech, and not to silent thought, such as "U'lshoni Tehegeh Sidkecha" (Tehillim 35:28 ), "Pi Sadik Yehegeh Hochma" (Tehillim 37:30 ), and "Lo Yehegu Bi'gronam" (Tehillim 115:7). (The Vilna Gaon would likely respond that "Hegyon" refers to both speech and silent thoughts, and thus both fall under the command of "Ve'hagita" and require Birkot Ha'Torah.) The Nishmat Adam further notes that the Gemara (Berachot 21a) cites as the source of the Birkot Ha'Torah obligation the verse in Debarim (32:3), "Ki Shem Hashem Ekra Habu Godel L'Elokenu" – "When I call the Name of G-d, express praise to our G-d." This verse speaks of reciting a Beracha when one "calls the Name of G-d," suggesting that this applies only to verbally articulating the words of Torah. The majority of Poskim follow the view of the Shulhan Aruch, that Birkot Ha'Torah is not required before silent Torah study. These include the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) and Hacham Ovadia Yosef. (Moreover, there is considerable discussion among later Poskim as to whether the Vilna Gaon truly held the stringent position that even thinking Torah requires Birkot Ha'Torah, or only considered this possibility.) Therefore, one who wishes to silently think about Torah in the middle of the night, or in the morning before reciting Birkot Ha'Torah, may do so.