Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour
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Episodes
Passover- May One Allow a Non-Jew Into His Home With Hames on Pesah?
April 21, 2024 13:00 - 4.01 MBThe Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 440) addresses the question of whether one may allow a non-Jew to enter his home on Pesah with Hames. Does the Torah prohibition against owning Hames require one to prevent a non-Jew from bringing his own Hames into the Jew's home during Pesah? The Shulhan Aruch notes the Halachic principle "Shelecha I Ata Ro'eh Abal Atah Ro'eh Shel Aherim" – the prohibition against having Hames in one's possession during Pesah applies only to a Jew's own Hames. There is no prohib...
Passover- The Proper Way to Eat Masa at the Seder
April 19, 2024 13:00 - 1.32 MBThe Terumat Ha'deshen (Rav Yisrael Isserlin, 1390-1460), in a famous responsum (139), writes that there is a Misva Min Ha'mubhar (especially high standard of performing the Misva) to swallow the Ke'zayit of Masa at the Seder all at once. Meaning, one chews the Masa as he puts it in his mouth without swallowing, and only after the entire Ke'zayit is in his mouth, he swallows all of it at the same time. The Terumat Ha'deshen bases this view on a comment of the Mordechi. There is a debate among ...
Passover- The Custom to Eat an Egg at the Seder
April 18, 2024 13:00 - 1.13 MBThe work Yalkut Yosef (English edition, p. 262) records a custom to eat a boiled egg immediately after Kiddush at the Seder, in commemoration of the Korban Hagiga, a sacrifice which was brought along with the Korban Pesah in the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash. This is not, however, the custom we follow. We eat the egg just before the meal, after we complete Maggid and eat the Masa, Marror and Korech. This way, we avoid the Halachic issues concerning the quantity we are allowed to eat and the rec...
Passover- Within How Much Time Must One Drink Each of the Four Cups of Wine?
April 17, 2024 13:00 - 1.36 MBHalacha requires drinking four cups of wine at the Seder, and each cup must contain at least a Rebi'it – approximately 3.2 ounces – of wine. Preferably, one should drink the entire cup, but one fulfills his obligation even if he drinks less, as long as he drinks at least the majority of the cup (Shulhan Aruch Orah Haim 472:8). The question arises, in what time-frame must one drink this amount in order to be considered to have drunk a cup of wine? Within how much time one must drink the Rebi'i...
Passover- Halachot of Kadesh and the Four Cups
April 16, 2024 13:00 - 1.94 MBIt is preferable to use red wine for the four cups of wine on Pesah night. According to the custom of the Sepharadim, red wine is preferred even over higher-quality white wine. Although some communities have the practice not to recite the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" on wine that is Mebushal (meaning, it had been heated), our custom is to recite the Beracha even on Mebushal wine. One who finds it difficult to drink wine may use grape juice for the four cups at the Seder. This is certainly...
May One Use Measuring Devices on Yom Tob?
April 15, 2024 13:00 - 440 KBIf a person cooks rice on Yom Tob, may he use a measuring cup so he can prepare a specific amount of rice? Halacha certainly allows one to cook on Yom Tob, but the question arises as to whether measuring is permissible as part of the process of food preparation. The Sages forbade precise measuring on Yom Tob, but not making rough measurements. Therefore, it would be forbidden to use a measuring cup for the purpose of arriving at a precise amount. One may, however, use a measuring cup in order...
Ereb Pesah – Ta’anit Bechorot for Women, Halachot of the Siyum
April 14, 2024 13:00 - 1.3 MBAccording to the accepted custom, women are not required to observe the Ta'anit Bechorot (Fast of the Firstborn) on Ereb Pesah, or participate in a Siyum to absolve themselves from the fast. Nevertheless, there are some firstborn women who have the practice of refraining from eating until they receive some cake from the Siyum made in the synagogue for the male firstborn (which some people sarcastically call "the magic cake"). Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) writes that although ...
Passover-How Much Massa Must One Eat at the Seder?
April 12, 2024 13:00 - 1.36 MBThere is a Misva to eat Massa at three points during the Seder: "Mosi -Massa," "Korech" and the Afikoman. For Mosi-Massa, the Shulhan Aruch states that one should eat two Kezaitim. The Mishna Berura explains that eating a second Kezayit solves a Halachic dilemma with regard to the Beracha "Al Achilat Massa." This Beracha is recited while holding the top, whole Massa and the middle, broken Massa, and there is a question whether it refers to the top Massa or the middle one. Therefore, one shoul...
Reciting Birkat Ha’ilanot as Early as Possible in the Month of Nissan
April 11, 2024 13:00 - 488 KBRav Pinhas Zevihi (contemporary) writes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that one must make a point of reciting Birkat Ha'ilanot – the Beracha over the blossoming of fruit trees – as early as he can during the month of Nissan. Once Rosh Hodesh Nissan arrives, one should endeavor to find two blossoming fruit trees and recite the Beracha without delay. Rav Zevihi emphasizes that one should not delay the recitation of Birkat Ha'ilanot even for the sake of reciting it together wit...
Passover- Halachot of Maggid at the Seder
April 10, 2024 13:00 - 1.08 MBReciting the Maggid section of the Haggada at the Seder fulfills the Torah obligation to tell the story of Yetzi'at Mitzrayim (the Exodus), as the Torah writes, "Ve'higadeta Le'vincha Ba'yom Ha'hu" ("You shall tell your children on that day" – Shemot 13:8). The importance of this Mitzva is expressed in a passage in the Zohar which comments that anyone who tells the story of Yetzi'at Mitzrayim on the night of Pesach with sincere joy will one day rejoice together with the Shechina (Divine Prese...
Passover – The Spiritual Lights That Come Down at the Seder
April 09, 2024 13:00 - 1.54 MBThe Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that on the night of the Seder, a great spiritual light descends from the heavens as a result of the Misvot that we perform. Although we always bring down spiritual light through our performance of Misvot, the Arizal explained that the lights come down on the night of the Seder in a special way. Normally, the lights of "Katnut" ("youth") descend first, before the lights of "Gadlut" ("adulthood"). (More specifically, there is first "Katn...
Passover – The Status of Food Prepared in a Hametz Pot
April 08, 2024 13:00 - 768 KBHacham Ovadia Yosef, in his Yehaveh Da'at (1:11), addresses the case of jelly that was prepared before Pesah with only kosher-for-Pesah ingredients, but in pots that had been used with Hametz and were not koshered for Pesah. Assuming the pot was perfectly clean when it was used for preparing the jelly, may the jelly be eaten on Pesah, as it does not contain any Hametz, or is it forbidden on Pesah because it absorbed the taste of Hametz from the walls of the utensils in which it had been cooke...
Passover- May Grape Juice be Used For the Four Cups of Wine at the Seder?
April 05, 2024 13:00 - 1.44 MBMany people ask whether grape juice may be used instead of wine for the Misva of "Arba Kosot" – drinking four cups of wine at the Seder. This is, indeed, an important question with which the Halachic authorities have grappled, both in regard to this Misva as well as in regard to the Misva of Kiddush. When it comes to Kiddush, the Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) ruled that wine which is Mebushal – meaning, it has been brought to a boil – may not be used. The Shulhan Aruch...
Passover- Koshering Silverware, Oversize Pots, and Meat and Dairy Utensils Together
April 04, 2024 13:00 - 782 KBMetal pots with an enamel covering may be koshered for Pesah; the enamel has no effect on the pot's status as far as koshering is concerned. If somebody purchased before Pesah a used utensil from a gentile, and it therefore requires both koshering and Tebila (immersion in a Mikveh), it should first undergo koshering so the taste of non-kosher food is purged, and then be immersed in a Mikveh. If one is koshering silverware for Pesah, he may place all the silverware in a bag with holes and then...
Passover- If a Small Piece of Hametz Fell Into Non-Hametz Food Before Pesah
April 03, 2024 13:00 - 1.85 MBGenerally speaking, when a piece of forbidden food falls into permissible food, we apply the rule of "Battel Be'shishim," which means that we consider the forbidden food "nullified" if it constitutes one-sixtieth or less of the mixture. If the proportion of permissible food to forbidden food is 60:1, or more, we may consider the forbidden food null and void, such that the entire mixture becomes permissible for consumption. When it comes to Pesah, however, this is not the case. The Shulhan Aru...
Passover- Kitniyot: Beans and Legumes
April 02, 2024 13:00 - 1.35 MBAshkenazim have the custom not to eat "Kitniyot"-various beans and legumes on Pesah. The earliest authority to record this custom is the SaMaK, (Sefer Misvot Katan by Rabbi Yishak of Corbeil, 13th century) who lived 750 years ago. The reason he gives is that these foods can be confused with Hames grains, such as wheat. Just as wheat can be ground into flour, so too corn and lentils can also be dried and made into flour. Interestingly, he also includes mustard seed in the list of "Kitniyot." E...
Passover- Cosmetics and Perfumes
April 01, 2024 13:00 - 710 KBThe Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 442) rules that if a product contains Hametz, but is inedible such that even a dog would not eat it, one may have such a product in his home on Pesah. This Halacha is relevant to many products which we have that often contain Hametz, such as shoe polish, ink and makeup. Such products occasionally contain Hametz, but since there are wholly inedible, even for animals, one may have them in his possession and use them during Pesah. As long as a product was inedible fo...
Passover – Brooms, Can Openers, Cookbooks
March 31, 2024 13:00 - 564 KBStrictly speaking, one may keep in his home and use during Pesah the same broom he had used throughout the year to sweep the floors in the kitchen and other rooms. Although the broom likely has small particles of Hametz caught among the bristles, these particles are not significant and do not make the broom forbidden for use during Pesah. Nevertheless, as new brooms are easily available and inexpensive, it is customary to buy a new broom for Pesah. If one has a can opener which he knows for c...
Recommended Modes of Conduct as Part of the Teshuva Process
March 29, 2024 13:00 - 1.06 MBIn the second chapter of Hilchot Teshuva (Halacha 4), the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) describes the way a person should conduct himself as part of the process of repentance (listen to audio for precise citation). A penitent sinner should accustom himself to cry and pray to God for forgiveness, donate money to charity to the greatest possible extent, and distance himself from the matter regarding which he had committed the sin. Additionally, under certain circumstan...
Performing Teshuva Each Day; Repenting for Negative Character Traits
March 28, 2024 13:00 - 960 KBThe Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) begins the seventh chapter of Hilchot Teshuva (listen to audio for precise citation) by emphasizing the importance and value of Teshuva (repentance). Having established in the previous chapter the philosophical basis of the doctrine of free will, that God does not interfere with man's decision to act properly or sinfully, Maimonides now writes that one must exercise his free will by repenting from his misdeeds. A person has the abili...
The Prohibitions of Misleading or Insulting Another Person
March 27, 2024 13:00 - 840 KBThe Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Ki-Tese (12), discusses a number of prohibitions regarding the way one speaks to others. First, he addresses the prohibition of "Genebat Da'at" (literally, "stealing one's mind"), or misleading another person. The Torah forbids misleading another person even if the misleading information will not cause a financial loss, but will leave the other person feeling indebted. The Ben Ish Hai gives the example of an extending an in...
The Importance of Forgiveness, and the Dangers of Anger
March 26, 2024 13:00 - 1.36 MBThe 17th of Shevat (which is today Feb 2 2018), marks the Yahrtzeit of Rabbi Haim Palachi of Izmir, Turkey (1788-1869), and today's Halacha will therefore discuss a passage from his famous work, Kaf Ha'haim (1:4; listen to audio recording for precise citation). Rav Haim Palachi speaks of the importance of granting forgiveness to those have caused one humiliation, calling this quality "the cure for everything." If a person is patient and tolerant with people and does not grow angry at them for...
Maintaining Peace in One’s Financial Dealings
March 25, 2024 13:00 - 592 KBIt is ironic, and unfortunate, that money causes more conflicts and disputes than anything else in the world. More fights erupt among people over money than over any other matter. Our Rabbis teach us that material blessings are dependent upon peaceful relations, and yet, specifically when it comes to one's business and other financial dealings, he is more likely than in any other context to fight and quarrel. It seems that the Satan, knowing the particular importance of "Shalom" (peace) for P...
Purim- Customs and Practices for the Day of Purim
March 24, 2024 13:00 - 1.23 MBThere is no obligation to recite Hallel on Purim. One reason for this is that the reading of the Megila, which tells the story of the miraculous events, takes the place of Hallel. Therefore, if one cannot hear the Megila, there are Poskim who hold that he should recite the complete Hallel. This should be done without a Beracha, as there is a difference of opinion on the matter. After the Shir Shel Yom (Psalm of the Day), the Mizmor (Tehilim 22) "Al Ayelet HaShachar" is added. Esther was refer...
Purim – Sending a Beverage as Mishlo’ah Manot
March 22, 2024 13:00 - 842 KB** Go to www.iTorah.com and click on ‘Matanot La’evyonim’ to fulfill the misva of giving to the needy on Purim, and have Rabbi Eli Mansour distribute the funds for you. ** The obligation of Mishlo’ah Manot on Purim requires sending at least two food items to at least one person. Does one fulfill the obligation if one of the two food items he sends is a beverage? For example, if a person sends his friend a cake and a bottle of wine, does he fulfill the Misva of Mishlo’ah Manot with this packag...
Purim- Prioritizing Matanot La’ebyonim Over the Other Misvot of Purim
March 21, 2024 13:00 - 1.09 MBThe observance of Purim entails several different Misvot, including the Megila reading, the Purim meal, Matanot La'ebyonim (gifts to the needy) and Mishlo'ah Manot (sending food packages to others). The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), in Hilchot Megila (2:17), writes explicitly that the obligation of Matanot La'ebyonim takes priority over the other obligations of Purim (listen to audio for precise citation). He emphasizes that it is preferable to spend less on Mishlo'...
Purim – Being Happy with One's Share
March 20, 2024 13:00 - 1.63 MBThe Talmud (Masechet Hulin 139) relates that the Sage Rav Matna was once asked the question of where we might find an allusion to Haman in the Torah. Rav Matna replied by citing God's rhetorical question to Adam immediately after he partook of the forbidden tree: "Ha'min Ha'etz Asher Siviticha Le'vilti Achol Mimena Achalta" ("Have you eaten from the tree from which I commanded you not to eat?" – Bereshit 3:11). The word "Ha'min" has the same letters as the word "Haman," and this verse thus se...
What is the Best Method for the “Zecher La’mahasit Ha’shekel” Donation?
March 19, 2024 13:00 - 806 KB***Rabbi Eli Mansour can fulfill your obligation of Matanot Laevyonim and Mahasit HaShekel on your behalf. Simply go to www.iTorah.com and click the banners on the home page. Fill in the form, click submit, and you will have fulfilled the misva.** Today's Halacha: It is customary during the month of Adar to make a charitable donation to commemorate the "Mahasit Ha’shekel," the annual half-shekel tax that every Jew would give during the times of the Bet Ha’mikdash to fund the expenses of the T...
Purim- Does One Fulfill the Misva of Mishloah Manot by Giving an Anonymous Package?
March 18, 2024 13:00 - 564 KBIf a person delivers to his friend an anonymous food package on Purim – meaning, he places it by the door without any card, note or other indication of where it is from – does he fulfill the Misva of Mishloah Manot? Does the Misva require that the recipient know who gave him the food package, or does it require simply giving a food package to his fellow? This question hinges on the reason underlying the obligation of Mishloah Manot. There are two possible reasons for this Misva. The first is ...
The Observance of 7 Adar During a Leap Year; Observing a Yahrtzeit During a Leap Year
March 17, 2024 13:00 - 1000 KBThe day of 7 Adar is the day of Moshe Rabbenu's death, and many have the custom to observe a fast on this day. Others have the custom of learning special material in the synagogue on the night of 7 Adar in commemoration of Moshe Rabbenu's passing. In truth, the precise date of Moshe's passing is subject to debate. The Midrashic text Yalkut Shimoni (Yehoshua, chapter 5) cites the view of Rabbi Eliezer who held that Moshe passed away on 7 Shebat, and not 7 Adar. Of course, the accepted view is ...
Purim- Some Halachot When Taanit Esther Is Observed On Thursday Prior To Purim That Falls Out On Saturday Night
March 15, 2024 13:00 - 774 KBThe day before Purim is generally observed as a fast day to which we refer as "Ta'anit Ester"; if Purim falls on Saturday night, we observe the fast on the Thursday before Purim. (When Purim falls on Saturday night, "Yehi Shem" is recited in place of "Tzidkatecha" during Mincha on the Shabbat before Purim, as Chacham Ovadia Yosef rules in Chazon Ovadia – Laws of Purim, p. 47.) On Ta'anit Ester, as on all public fast days, we recite the special Torah reading of "Vayechal" during both Shacharit...
Purim – The Procedure for the Prayers and Habdala When Purim Falls on Mosa’eh Shabbat
March 14, 2024 13:00 - 432 KBWhen Purim falls on Mosa’eh Shabbat (as it does this year), we recite Arbit at the end of Shabbat as usual, with "Shuba," "Viyhi Noam" and "Yosheb Be’seter Elyon." After "Yosheb Be’seter," however, rather than proceeding with "Ve’Ata Kadosh," we recite the Beracha of "Boreh Me’oreh Ha’esh" over a flame. We may not derive benefit from light on Mosa’eh Shabbat until we recite the Beracha over a flame, and we must therefore recite this Beracha before reading the Megila. After reciting the Berach...
Purim: When Purim Falls on Mosa’eh Shabbat
March 13, 2024 13:00 - 1.04 MBWhen Purim falls on Mosa’eh Shabbat (as it does this year), one must ensure not to make any preparations for Purim on Shabbat. Thus, for example, even in places with an Erub, one may not bring the Megila to the synagogue to prepare for the Megila reading. Similarly, one may not prepare Mishloah Manot packages on Shabbat, and the Gabbai may not prepare the Torah scrolls on Shabbat for the Purim reading. It is permissible, however, to review the Megila on Shabbat, even if one is preparing to re...
Purim on Mosa’eh Shabbat – Hearing the Megila Before the Time of Rabbenu Tam
March 12, 2024 13:00 - 862 KBIn a year when Purim falls on Mosa’eh Shabbat, an interesting question arises concerning those who normally observe Shabbat until the time when it ends according to the view of Rabbenu Tam – seventy-two minutes after sundown. If the congregation ends Shabbat in accordance with the more widely-accepted view, forty-two minutes after sundown, and they read the Megila at that point, do those who normally wait until the time of Rabbenu Tam fulfill their obligation? According to their position, it ...
Using Baby Wipes on Shabbat
March 11, 2024 13:00 - 640 KBThe Shabbat prohibition of Sehita – squeezing – forbids extracting liquids from objects in which they are absorbed. Squeezing olives for oil, and grapes for juice, constitutes a Torah prohibition on Shabbat, whereas squeezing other fruits, such as berries and pomegranates, is forbidden on the level of Rabbinic enactment. In light of this prohibition, the question arises concerning the use of baby wipes to clean infants on Shabbat. The wipes are doused with liquid that is extracted when they a...
Making Seltzer on Shabbat
March 08, 2024 13:00 - 498 KBMany people today have in their home non-electrical apparatuses for preparing seltzer. One fills a bottle with water from the tap, and then attaches it to the spout on the machine. He then presses a button that thrusts carbon dioxide into the water to make it carbonated. A cartridge situated in the back of the machine allows one to prepare approximately 60 liters or so of seltzer. Rav Yehoshua Neubert (contemporary), in his Shemirat Shabbat Ke'hilchatah (vol. 1, p. 114), writes that it is ent...
Is It Permissible To Prepare Tehina On Shabbat
March 07, 2024 13:00 - 780 KBMay one prepare Tehina on Shabbat from a paste, or does this violate the prohibition of "Lash" – making dough? "Lash" is one of the 39 forbidden tasks forbidden by the Torah on Shabbat. The principal here is the restriction of forming a dough-like substance from a solid and liquid. So it would be forbidden on to add water to flour on Shabbat to make dough, and certainly to knead the batter after adding the water. Now Tehina is prepared by adding water and some other ingredients, such as lemon...
Opening Nuts & Peapods on Shabbat
March 06, 2024 13:00In ancient times, people would eat "Melilot"-stalks of wheat-which had to be opened to expose the edible kernel inside. It is a problem to eat such things on Shabbat, since separating the chaff from the kernel constitutes the Melacha of "Mefarek" which is a Tolada of "Dash" (threshing). However, Shulhan Aruch (319:6) permits eating such stalks if the separating is done B'shinui-in an unusual manner. For example, he suggests using the tips of the fingers to break it open. Otherwise it would be...
Cutting Vegetables for a Salad on Shabbat
March 05, 2024 13:00 - 1.07 MBOne of the thirty-nine Melachot (categories of forbidden activity) that apply on Shabbat is the prohibition of "Tohen," grinding. In light of this prohibition, the question arises as to whether one may cut vegetables into small pieces for a salad on Shabbat. For example, many people prepare "Israeli salad" by cutting fine pieces of cucumbers and tomatoes. Would this be permissible on Shabbat, or does this violate the prohibition of "Tohen"? The Shulhan Aruch writes, "It is forbidden to cut ve...
How to Squeeze Fruits and Vegetables on Shabbat
March 04, 2024 13:00 - 770 KBIt is prohibited to squeeze fruits on Shabbat to extract the juice. Whereas in previous generations only certain types of fruit were used for juice, such as grapes, olives, pomegranates and berries, nowadays most fruits, and even vegetables, are juiced, and therefore one must refrain from squeezing any fruit. However, Maran, in Siman 320:4, rules that one may squeeze a fruit over a solid food, because that is considered a food, not a liquid juice. The Poskim disagree as to how much juice must...
May One Slice Fruits on Shabbat?
March 03, 2024 13:00 - 1.4 MBOne of thirty-nine Melachot (categories of activity) that are forbidden on Shabbat is "Dash," which means threshing, or extracting kernels of wheat from the chaff. In its broader application, this prohibition forbids extracting any food from the place within which it is embedded ("Mefarek Toleda De'Dash"). This also includes "Sehita," squeezing an object to extract liquids absorbed within it. With regard to grapes and olives, squeezing is forbidden on Shabbat on the level of Torah prohibition...
The Use of a Baby Monitor on Shabbat
March 02, 2024 13:00 - 7.05 MBMany parents of infants place a monitor near the baby's crib and a speaker in another room so they will hear if the baby wakes up. The question was posed to Hacham Ovadia Yosef as to whether parents may set up the monitor before Shabbat, such that on Shabbat they will hear the baby's cries in the speaker in their room when the baby wakes up. Hacham Ovadia penned a lengthy essay on the topic, in his work Halichot Olam, addressing the more general issue of the status of microphones on Shabbat. ...
Fulfilling the Misva of Kiddush on Shabbat Morning Without Eating; Using the Cup of Wine at a Berit for Kiddush
March 01, 2024 13:00 - 1.08 MBThe work Ta'alumot Leb (vol. 3, 19:4) discusses the situation of a Berit Mila that takes place in the synagogue on Shabbat morning. It is customary at a Berit Mila for the Rabbi to recite the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" and the special Beracha for the Berit over a cup of wine. On Shabbat morning, however, one may not eat or drink anything before reciting or hearing Kiddush, and the custom on Shabbat is to conduct a Berit immediately after the prayer service. How, then, can the Rabbi drin...
Determining the Yartzeit of Somebody Who Passed Away During Adar Rishon
February 29, 2024 13:00 - 420 KBA leap year in the Jewish calendar is a year containing two months of Adar, to which we refer as "Adar Rishon" ("the first Adar") and "Adar Sheni" ("the second Adar"). If a person passes away, Heaven forbid, during the month of Adar Rishon in a leap year, then his Yartzeit (anniversary of his death) is observed on non-leap years on the corresponding day in the month of Adar. The exception to this rule, as Rav David Yosef (son of Hacham Ovadia Yosef) writes in his work Torat Ha'mo'adim (laws o...
How to Determine the First Yartzeit During a Leap Year
February 28, 2024 13:00 - 496 KBGenerally speaking, a Yartzeit – the anniversary of a family member's passing, on which several practices are observed in memory of the deceased – takes place on the calendar date on which the deceased family member had passed away. Thus, for example, if a person died, Heaven forbid, on the first day of the month of Tevet, his family members observe the Yartzeit every year thereafter on the first of Tevet. An exception to this rule is a case where the first year after the family member's pass...
Is Adar Rishon an Auspicious Month Like Adar Sheni?
February 27, 2024 13:00 - 1.12 MBThere is a well-known Halacha of "Mi'she'nichnas Adar Marbim Be'simha" – "When Adar arrives, we increase our joy." Adar is an especially auspicious month for the Jewish people, and thus if a Jew is embroiled in a court case against a gentile, he should try, if possible, to schedule the trial for the month of Adar. As this month is endowed with special Mazal ("luck" or good fortune), a person stands a better chance of emerging victorious in a legal battle during Adar. In a leap year, when we h...
Scheduling a Bar Misva During a Leap Year for a Boy Born in Adar
February 26, 2024 13:00 - 530 KBIf a boy was born in Adar during a regular, twelve-month year, and the year of his Bar Misva is a leap year, when there are two months of Adar, he becomes Bar Misva in Adar Sheni. Halacha views Adar Sheni as the actual month of Adar, and it is therefore in Adar Sheni when a boy born in Adar thirteen years earlier becomes a Bar Misva. The Shulhan Aruch (55:10) famously addresses an intriguing case involving twins born during a leap year who become Misva during a regular twelve-month year. The ...
"Purim Katan" – the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Days of Adar Rishon
February 25, 2024 13:00 - 598 KBThe Mishna in Masechet Megila (6b) establishes that in a leap year, which contains an extra month of Adar, the festival of Purim (which is normally celebrated in Adar) is observed during Adar Sheni (the "second Adar"). This means that all the Misvot associated with Purim – reading the Megila, sending Mishlo'ah Manot, giving money to the poor, and the festive meal – apply specifically on the fourteenth of Adar Sheni during a leap year. Nevertheless, it is customary to observe the fourteenth an...
Birkat Kohanim – The Unconditional Blessing
February 23, 2024 13:00 - 8.17 MBA friend recently shared me a remarkable passage from the Torah commentary of Rav Eliezer of Worms (Germany, 1176-1238), known as the "Ba'al Ha'Roke'ah," who was a disciple of Rabbenu Yehuda Ha'ahasid (author of Sefer Ha'hasidim, 1150-1217), and a teacher of the Ramban (Rav Moshe Nahmanides, Spain, 1194-1270). (The Hida, in Shem Ha'gedolim, tells that the teachings transmitted by Rabbenu Yehuda Ha'hasid to Rav Eliezer of Worms originate from Shimon Ha'pakuli, one of the Tanna'im.) Commenting ...
Reciting Birkat Kohanim More Than Once a Day; If a Kohen Arrives in the Synagogue at the Time of Birkat Kohanim
February 22, 2024 13:00 - 1.08 MBThe Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 128; listen to audio recording for precise citation) rules that if a Kohen finishes the morning prayers in one synagogue and later happens to find himself in another synagogue, he may participate in Birkat Kohanim a second time. Even though he had already recited Birkat Kohanim at the Minyan where he prayed, he may recite the blessing again in the second synagogue. The Mishna Berura (commentary by Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) explains that performing a Mis...