The meals of Chanukah

Hi,

Turning one's Chanukah meal into a "mitzvah meal" [seudat mitzvah]:

"We sing songs and praises at the special meals added for Chanukah, and so these meals become 'mitzvah meals'."

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 670:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A prayer for healing

Hi,

Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 230:4

One who enters to let blood says, "May it be Your will, Gd, my Master, that this be a cure for me, for You heal at no cost." After he lets blood, he should say, "Blessed is the Healer of the sick."

Mishneh Berurah 230:6

And so in every healing endeavour he should say this, and not think that any particular entity will heal him, only the Creator. Via this prayer he will place his trust in Gd, and ask that this should heal him.

Rabbi Dr. Avraham Sofer Abraham, Nishmat Avraham Orach Chaim 230:1

Therefore, when one takes medication as well - even many times in a day – and for every medical action (i.e. putting in eye drops, smearing on a paste, or giving an injection), or for every surgical action, however minor, we must turn to Gd with this prayer, for Gd, and only Gd, is the true healer. Also before any exercise of any kind that one performs at the instruction of a doctor because of his illness, one must turn to Gd with this prayer. Even for something which seems to be minor, such as when a mother places a bandage on a child's small cut, she should be careful to recite with him this y'hi ratzon, for a cut can develop infection despite the bandage and [yet] some heal without anything at all – it is all in the hands of Heaven. And my mentor Rabbi Neuvirth said to me, "This is obvious." Further, with this she will take the opportunity to teach her child that it is not the bandage that heals, but it is Gd, and there is no other.

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The Tenth of Av

Hi, 

Although the prohibitions of Tisha b’Av end with Tisha b’Av, the practices of the Nine Days – refraining from meat and wine, not bathing for pleasure, not laundering or wearing fresh clean clothing and not attending celebrations – continue until midday the next day. 

This is because we are taught that the Beit haMikdash (Temple) burned until midday on the Tenth of Av. 

[Note that there is an exception to this rule: As we have discussed, when Tisha b'Av occurs on a Saturday night and Sunday, Havdalah after Tisha b'Av is done with wine/grape juice.] 

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 558:1; Mishneh Berurah 558:3) 

המצפה לישועה, 
Mordechai

Go easy on the fundraising!

Hi,

"Regarding a generous person who gives more than is appropriate for him, or who pains himself to give to the collector to avoid shame, one may not demand and collect tzedakah from him. Gd will punish a collector who shames him and asks of him."

אדם שוע שנותן צדקה יותר מהראוי לו, או שמיצר לעצמו ונותן לגבאי כדי שלא יתבייש, אסור לתובעו ולגבות ממנו צדקה, והגבאי שמכלימו ושואל ממנו, עתיד הקב"ה ליפרע ממנו. 

(Code of Jewish Law, Yoreh Deah 248:7)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Pressing a borrower to pay

Hi,

"One may not press a borrower to pay, if one knows that he does not have the means. Even appearing before him is prohibited, for he will be ashamed when he sees the creditor and he lacks the means to pay."

אסור לנגוש את הלוה לפרוע, כשיודע שאין לו. ואפילו להראות לו, אסור, מפני שהוא נכלם בראותו למלוה ואין ידו משגת לפרוע. 

(Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 97:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Obligations of a city's residents

Hi,

"A city's residents compel each other (even the minority compelling the majority) to build a wall, doors and a bolt for the city, and to build a synagogue, and to acquire a Torah, Prophets and Writings for anyone who wishes to read them, from communal funds."

כופין בני העיר זה את זה, (אפילו מעוט כופין את המרובים) (רבינו ירוחם נל"א ח"ו), לעשות חומה, דלתים ובריח לעיר; ולבנות להם בית הכנסת; ולקנות ספר תורה נביאים וכתובים, כדי שיקרא בהם כל מי שירצה, מן הצבור 

(Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 163:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Davening in a beit midrash or synagogue, and its impact

Hi,

Multiple lessons here:

"An established study hall is of greater sanctity than a synagogue, and there is a greater mitzvah to pray there than in a synagogue, assuming one prays with a minyan.

"Rama: Nonetheless, one should not accustom himself to do this, lest the masses learn from him and cease coming to the synagogue."

בית המדרש קבוע קדוש יותר מבהכ"נ, ומצוה להתפלל בו יותר מב"ה, והוא שיתפלל בי'

הגה: ואפילו הכי לא ירגיל עצמו לעשות כן, שלא ילמדו עמי הארץ ממנו ויתבטלו מב"ה (תשובת הרא"ש כלל ד' והטור).

(Shulchan Aruch and Rama Orach Chaim 90:18)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Responsible borrowing and lending

Hi,

"One may not accept a loan and waste it, to the point that the lender will have nothing from which to collect; one who does so is wicked. 

"A lender who knows that the borrower would do this should not lend to him, rather than lend and need to oppress him, violating Shemot 22:24, 'You shall not be an oppressor,' each time."

אסור ללוה לקחת הלואה ולהוציאה שלא לצורך ולאבדה עד שלא ימצא המלוה ממה לגבות חובו; ואם עושה כן נקרא רשע. וכשהמלוה מכיר את הלוה שהוא בעל מדה זו, מוטב שלא ללוותו ממה שילוהו ויצטרך לנגשו אחר כך ויעבור בכל פעם משום לא תהיה לו כנושה. 

(Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 97:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Implying a falsehood

Hi,

"One may not listen to someone who says, 'Come stand beside my single witness, without testifying, so that my debtor will be afraid, thinking I have two witnesses, and will admit the [genuine] debt.'"

ואפילו אמר לו: בא ועמוד עם עד אחד שיש לי ולא תעיד, רק שיפחד בעל חובי ויסבור שיש לי שני עדים ויודה לי, לא ישמע לו (טור). 

(Rabbi Moshe Isserles, Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 28:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tischadesh! Or not?

Hi,

"The custom is to say, 'May you wear it out and get something new,' to a person who is wearing new clothes.

"Some have written not to do this for new shoes, or for clothes made of animal hide; he would have to kill another animal before he could have a new garment, and it is written, 'His mercy is on all of His creations.' This reason appears quite weak and illogical, but many people are careful not to say this statement for such items."

המנהג לומר למי שלובש בגד חדש: תבלה ותתחדש. ויש מי שכתב שאין לומר כן על מנעלים או בגדים הנעשים מעורות של בהמה דאם כן היו צריכים להמית בהמה אחרת תחלה שיחדש ממנה בגד אחר, וכתיב: ורחמיו על כל מעשיו (תהילים קמה, ט) (מהרי"ו בפסקיו) והנה הטעם חלוש מאד ואינו נראה, מ"מ רבים מקפידים על זה שלא לאמרו.

(Rama, Orach Chaim 223:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Go for compromise

Hi,

"Judges are required to do all in their power to keep litigants from accepting justice according to the Torah's law." [Judges are supposed to encourage litigants to opt for compromise, instead.]

(Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 12:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

48 Ways: #51 - Citing one's source

Hi,

Pirkei Avot 6:5 teaches that Torah is acquired in 48 ways, which it lists for us. The fifty-first (and last) of the 48 is omeir davar b'shem omro, citing the source for one's statements.

Clearly, this is an important practice in scholarship. Also, as noted in Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah 242:24), people are likely to assume that the lessons one relates are from one's rebbe; therefore, one who says something which is not from his rebbe is obligated to mention the source.

Further, though, ensuring proper attribution will improve one's own studies. One who keeps track of what he learns and where he learns it will have a much clearer comprehension of the chain of ideas and debates.

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Half-Shekel Contribution

Hi,

"[Haman promised Achashverosh, in exchange for exterminating the Jews:] 'If it is good with the king, I will pay ten thousand silver coins into the king's coffers.'

"Reish Lakish commented: It was revealed and known before the Creator of the Universe that Haman would give shekalim [coins] against the Jews. Therefore, Gd commanded that we precede his shekalim with our own contribution of shekalim. This is why it is taught in a mishnah: On the first day of Adar announcements are made calling people to contribute their shekalim."

(Talmud, Megilah 13b)


"Some have ruled that one should donate a coin which is half the standard unit of currency, to charity, as a memorial to the half-shekel which was given [in the time of the Temple] in the month of Adar.

"Since the word 'donation' is written three times in that section of the Torah which describes this Mitzvah, one should give three of these coins. One should give it on the eve of Purim, before the minchah prayer, and that is the custom in these lands."

(Rama to Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 694:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Family Dinner

Hi,

"Where a husband wishes to give his wife her appropriate food and have her eat on her own, he may, so long as he eats with her on Friday night.

"Rama: Some disagree, contending that he may not tell her to eat alone unless she accepts this of her own will, and so appears correct to me."

(Shulchan Aruch Even haEzer 70:2)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Preparing the home for Shabbat

Hi,

One should make sure to execute all of the preparations for Shabbat before Shabbat begins, so that he enters the day with the house looking attractive and dignified. This includes making the beds, cleaning the rooms and having the table set nicely.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 262:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Why stand for Kiddush?

Hi,

We stand when reciting kiddush on Friday night, at least for the first paragraph, because that paragraph serves as testimony to Gd's creation of the world and because the initials of the opening words spell out Gd's unpronounced Name, Yud-Hei-Vav and Hei (Yom Hashishi Vayechulu Hashamayim).

Some sit even for the first paragraph. Kiddush is supposed to be established in the location of one's meal, and one establishes a location by sitting down. Either custom is appropriate.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 271:10; Mishneh Berurah 271:45-46)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Don't be repellent

Hi,

"One may not consume food or beverages which disgust a person… and one may not eat with dirty hands or dirty utensils. All of these are included in the biblical imperative, 'Do not make yourselves disgusting.'"

(Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 116:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

More about pranking on Purim

Hi,

"People who grab from each other [on Purim] in a manner of joy do not violate “Do not steal.” This is the practice, but only so long as one does not do anything violating municipal edicts."

(R’ Moshe Isserles, Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 696:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reluctance to kill animals to use their hide for clothing

Hi,

"The custom is to say, “May you wear it out and get something new,” to a person who is wearing new clothes.

"Some have written not to do this for new shoes, or for clothes made of animal hide; he would have to kill another animal before he could have a new garment, and it is written, 'His mercy is on all of His creations.' This reason appears quite weak and illogical, but many people are careful not to say this statement for such items."

(Rama in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 223:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wedding Violence?

Hi,

"Young man who ride out to greet a groom and bride, and who harm each other’s property in a manner of joy and laughter, or who do so in other joyous circumstances, are exempt from liability because that is the practice."

(Rama, Shulchan Aruch, Choshen Mishpat 378:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai