Halocho #986 – Cohen gets preferential treatment

A Talmid Chacham (Torah scholar) has preference over a Cohen.

Everybody else needs to give preference to the Cohen; he gets called first to the Torah, gets to speak first at functions, at meals gets served first and leads the Zimun.

In a business partnership a Cohen does not get preferential treatment.

One may not use a Cohen to run ones errands or do other mundane tasks, unless the Cohen has agreed to relinquish his Cohen status for this purpose.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 144:8-9

To clarify: A Cohen always gets called to the Torah first, so as to prevent the unpleasantness of people arguing as to whether a specific person is a Talmid Chacham worthy of displacing the Cohen or not.
- Danny Schoemann
Monday 20 Shevat 5772

Halocho #985 – Honoring other family members

Everybody has to honor the following people:
- One's father's wife and one's mother's husband.

- One's father-in-law and one's mother-in-law.

- One's grandparents, though one's parents' honor has priority.

- One's older brother; even if he's a half-brother.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 143:19-20

- Danny
Sunday, 19 Shvat 5772

סעיף יט - חייב אדם לכבד אשת אביו אף על פי שאינה אמו כל זמן שאביו קיים. וכן חייב לכבד בעל אמו כל זמן שאמו קיימת, ודבר הגון הוא לכבדם גם לאחר מיתת אביו ואמו. סעיף כ - חייב אדם בכבוד אחיו הגדול ממנו בין שהוא אחיו מן האב בין מן האם, וחייב אדם בכבוד חמיו וחמותו (כדמצינו בדוד המלך עליו השלום שחלק כבוד לשאול המלך שהיה חמיו קראו אבי, שאמר לו אבי ראה גם ראה) וחייב בכבוד אבי אביו, אלא שכבוד אביו גדול מכבוד אבי אביו

Halocho #984 – Bathing for Shabbat

It's a Mitzvah to bathe on Friday with warm water; or at least to wash one's face, hands and feet.

It's also a Mitzvah to shampoo ones hair, cut ones nails and have a haircut if needed.

One should not cut finger and toe nails on the same day. One doesn’t cut [finger] nails on Thursday as then they begin growing (and looking unkempt) on Shabbat.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 72:12, 14

Shabbat Shalom,

- Danny
Thursday, 16 Shvat 5772

Halocho #983 - What happens on Tu B'Shvat?

Our Sages have designated the 15th of Shvat - Tu B'Shvat- as the boundary between one year and another, since (in most years) most of the rain of the winter has already fallen by then.

Any new growth of fruit after this day, is the result of the blessing of the new year.

It is customary to pray for a beautiful Kosher Etrog on Tu B'Shvat.
Source: The Book of our Heritage, Vol I, page 346-349

- Danny
Wednesday, 15 Shvat 5771

Halocho #982 - Tomorrow is Tu B'Shvat

Tu B'Shvat starts tonight (Tuesday evening).

Tu B'Shvat - the 15th of the month of Shvat - is the New Year as far as tithing fruits is concerned.

Fruit from trees that blossomed before Tu B'Shvat belong to the previous year's Trumot & Ma'aser quota.

The custom is to eat more fruit than usual on Tu B'Shvat.

One does not say Tachanun on Tu B'Shvat, nor at Mincha the day before.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 22:8, 139:26. Rosh Hashana Mishna 1:1.

- Danny
Tuesday, 14 Shvat 5771

Halocho #981 - Which Bracha comes first?

Wednesday will be Tu B'Shvat and customarily lots of fruit will be served.

Which fruit should you choose as the one to hold in your right hand and make the Bracha on?

- If one has a favorite fruit and it's being offered, it should be used to make the Bracha.
- If one has no preference then one of the "7 species" has preference.
- If there are none of the 7 species, then one should pick a whole fruit, as opposed to a cut one.
- A Boreh Pri Ha'Etz has precedence over Boreh Pri Ha'Adama (e.g. strawberries and bananas).

The 7 species are (in order of Bracha-precedence): Bread from wheat, Cakes from wheat, Wine, Olives, Barley (baked or cooked), Dates, Grapes (in solid form), Figs, Pomegranates

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 55:1 - 3

- Danny
Monday, 13 Shvat 5771

Halocho #980 - Waking one's parents

One may not wake up ones parents even if it is going to cause one a major monetary loss.

However if one's parents are going to suffer a monetary loss and they will be distressed over the loss then one must wake them.

So too one should wake them for in time for prayers or for any other Mitzvah.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 143:4
- Danny
Sunday, 12 Shevat 5772

Halocho #979 - May one feed the birds on Shabbat Shira?

House pets or any other animals that depend on you for their food, must be fed on Shabbat before one starts eating.

Animals that do not rely on humans for their food may not be fed on Shabbat, and one may not even throw them leftovers, with the exception of stray dogs.

One may not feed pigeons as they are capable of fending for themselves.

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch holds that the custom to put out grain for the birds on Shabbat Shira (this week) is incorrect since birds do not rely on humans for their food. He allows one to put out grain for them before Shabbat.
Other Rabbis disagree, and allow the Minhag of feeding birds on this Shabbath.

One may feed silkworms on Shabbat.
Source Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 87:18

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 8 Shvat 5772

Aruch Hashulchan:

יש מתרעמים על המנהג בשבת שירה לזרוק חטין לפני העופות. אבל נראה לי דמנהג ישראל תורה, שהרי אין אנו טורחים בשבילם, אלא בשבילנו, דמרגלא בפי ההמון שהעופות אמרו שירה על הים, ולכן אנו מחזירים להם טובה, ואם כן הכוונה כדי לזכור שמחת... שירת הים ולית לן בה, ויש מי שכתב דכיון דכוונתינו לשם מצוה מותר. 

The Maharal MiPrague:

שהמלמדים יאספו הילדים בחצר בהכ"נ להודיעם על המנהג לפזר חטים בשבת שירה

Halocho #978 - Preparing the weekly Parsha

It's a Mitzvah to review the week's Torah Reading by reading it twice in the original and once with the (Aramaic) Onkelus translation.

One who doesn't understand (or appreciate) Onkelus may read Rashi instead, or even an English translation.

One may start on Sunday already and one should finish before the Torah is read on Shabbat morning.

Source: Kitzur SA 72:11
- Danny
Wednesday, 8 Shevat 5772

Halocho #977 - Treat your parents the Torah way!

Honoring Parents
Honoring parents includes feeding them, clothing and covering them as well as accompanying them.

All the above must be done cheerfully - as the attitude counts more than the actions; one gets punished for being dour around one's parents even if one treats them with delicacies. 

Respecting parents

One may not sit nor stand in one's parents designated place in shul or at home or anywhere else where they may have a designated place.

One may not contradict one's parents.

One may not approve of one's parents in their presence (e.g. I see your point) as this indicates that one would have the ability to say otherwise.

Even if parents insult one in public one may not upset them, though one may take legal action to recuperate any monetary loss they caused.

Source: KSA 142:1, 3
- Danny
Tuesday, 7 Shevat 5772

Halocho #976 - Bikur Cholim - Visiting the sick

It's a Mitzvah to visit sick people irrelevant of the social standing of the visitor or the patient.

Close friends and family may visit immediately, but others should wait until the 4th day, so as not to aggravate his Mazal and give his the "sick" title.

However if a person becomes very ill very suddenly then all may visit immediately.

One may visit numerous times a day - as long as it doesn't bother the patient.

How to behave when doing Bikur Cholim:
When visiting the sick one may not sit on a chair of he's lying on the floor, in deference to the Shechina which is above the sick person's head. If he's in a bed, one may sit on a chair.

The main point of visiting the sick is to find out if one can help him in anyway, so that he feels he has friends who care about him and in order to pray for him.

Source: Kitzur Shuhlchan Aruch 193:1-3

- Danny
6 Shevat 5772

Halocho #975 - Looking after your health and possessions

The same way it’s a Mitzva to preserve one's health and wellbeing – so too it’s a Mitzva to look after one's possessions not to loose, break or waste them.

Anybody who breaks vessels, tears clothes, wastes edible food, wastes money or throws away objects that other people could use has done the Aveira of Lo Sashchit.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 190:3

- Danny
Sunday, 5 Shevat 5772

Halocho #974 - Laws of somebody who doesn’t keep Shabbath

Keeping Shabbath is equivalent to keeping the entire Torah, and transgression it is equivalent to denying the entire Torah.

Somebody who transgresses Shabbath on purpose, in public, (i.e. 10 Jews know about it) is like a non-Jew in many aspects: If he touches wine it becomes forbidden (Yayin Nesech), the foods he cooks or bakes are Bishul Akum.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 72:1-2

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 2 Shevat 5772

סימן עב – גודל קדושת שבת סעיף א שבת קודש היא האות הגדול והברית, שנתן לנו הקדוש ברוך הוא לדעת כי בששת ימים עשה ה' את השמים ואת הארץ וכל אשר בהם ושבת ביום השביעית. והוא יסוד האמונה, ואמרו רבותינו זכרונם לברכה שקולה שבת ככל המצות. כל המשמר את השבת כהלכתו כאלו מקיים כל התורה כולה, וכל המחלל את השבת כאלו כפר בכל התורה כולה. וכן הוא אומר בעזרא ועל הר סיני ירדת ותתן לעמך תורה ומצות, ואת שבת קדשך הודעת להם. סעיף ב וכל המחלל את השבת בפרהסיא הרי הוא כעובד כוכבים לכל דבריו, אם נוגע ביין אוסרו, והפת שהוא אופה הוי כמו פת של עובד כוכבים, וכן התבשיל שהוא מבשל הוי כמו בישולי עובד כוכבים. ופרהסיא הוי בפני עשרה מישראל, ולאו דוקא שעושה בפניהם ממש אלא שיודעין בהעבירה, דהכי מוכח בגמרא ופוסקים גבי, "והא אסתר פרהסיא הוה". וכן כתב הפרי מגדים פירסום הוי עשרה מישראל או שידע שיתפרסם

Halocho #973 - Hallel on Rosh Chodesh

Today (Wednesday) is Rosh-Chodesh Shevat.

Hallel is recited on Rosh Chodesh and Mo'adim during Shacharit between the chazzan's repetition of the Amida and Reading the Torah.

One needs to stand during recitation of Hallel, which preferably should be recited with a minyan. If one comes to shul late, one joins the minyan in their recitation of Hallel, even if it's before one has prayed.

If one already started Psukay D'Zimra and the minyan begins Hallel one joins them, however one doesn’t say the Bracha before and after Hallel, relying instead on Baruch-She'amar and Yishtabach.

This applies only to days like Rosh Chodesh (excluding Tevet) when one says the "half"-Hallel.

One should not interrupt the recitation of Hallel.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 97:4

Chodesh Tov!

- Danny,
Rosh Chodesh Shevat 5772

Halocho #972 - May one fast on Rosh Chodesh?

Tonight - Tuesday night - is Rosh Chodesh Shevat.

It’s a mitzvah to eat a bigger meal on Rosh Chodesh.

One may do work on Rosh Chodesh, but one may not fast nor say eulogies.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 97:2, 3, 6

- Danny
Tuesday, 29 Tevet 5772

סעיף ב מצוה להרבות בסעודה בראש חודש, ואם חל בשבת יעשה תבשיל אחד יותר מבשאר שבתות. סעיף ג ראש חודש מותר בעשיית מלאכה, ונשים נוהגות שלא לעשות בו מלאכה, ומנהג הגון הוא ואין להקל להם. סעיף ו ראש חודש אסור בתענית ובהספד, ואין אומרים בו צדוק הדין

Halocho #971- Erev Rosh Chodesh is Yom Kippour Kattan

Some have the custom of fasting on the eve of Rosh Chodesh (the new Jewish [lunar] month) and adding the Yom Kippour Kattan prayers (during Mincha).

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 97:1

Tomorrow - Tuesday - will be Erev Rosh Chodesh Shevat 

- Danny

Monday, 28 Tevet 5772

סעיף א יש נוהגין להתענות בערב ראש חודש ואומרים סדר יום כפור קטן, שבו מתכפרין כל העונות של כל החדש, דומיא דשעיר ראש חדש וכמו שאנו אומרים במוסף זמן כפרה לכל תולדותם, וכל מקום לפי מנהגו

Halocho #970 Preventing pain to animals

It’s a Mitzvah to help horses that are pulling a wagon and are struggling due to the incline or the rough terrain – even if they don’t belong to Jew.

One should prevent the rider from whipping them unnecessarily to try get them to pull more than they can.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 191:2
- Danny
Sunday, 27 Tevet 5772

Halocho #969 - Prepare for Shabbat

From the Pasuk "זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת" - "remember the day of Shabbat" we learn that it's a Mitzvah to keep Shabbat in mind all week; all special food should be reserved for Shabbat.

On Friday it's a Mitzvah to get up early to go shopping for Shabbat this can even be done before Shacharit if need be (as long as you don't miss your Minyan).

However, items that require preparation should be bought on Thursday already.

Ezra the Scribe (who lived about 2,500 years ago) already instituted doing laundry on Thursday in anticipation of Shabbat.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 72:4

This week is Shabbat Mevorchim of Chodesh Shevat. Rosh Chodesh Shevat will
be on Wednesday

Shabbat Shalom uMevorach

- Danny
Thursday, 24 Tevet 5772

Halocho #968 - One may not harm animals

It’s a Torah prohibition to cause pain to animals – and a Mitzvah to prevent such pain and even cure animals (even if they don’t belong to a Jew).

However, if an animal is causing harm to humans, or can be used to help cure humans, then one may kill it (as humanely as possible) for we see that the Torah allows one to eat meat.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 191:1
- Danny
Wednesday, 23 Tevet 5772

Halocho #967 – Protection from dangerous items

Any life threatening danger needs preventive protection as appropriate. E.g. a well or pit needs a fence or a cover strong enough to ensure nobody falls in.

Similarly one may not own a dangerous dog nor a shaky ladder.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 190:1-2
- Danny
Tuesday, 22 Tevet 5772

Halocho #966 - A fence around your roof

It's a Mitzvah to put a fence around ones roof to prevent people from falling off.

The fence must be at least 10 Tefachim (80 cm - 30") high and must be strong enough that a person can lean on it and not fall.

A roof that is never used does not need a fence.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 190:1
- Danny
Monday, 21 Tevet 5772

Halocho #965 - Learn some Torah every day

After the daily Shacharit (morning prayers) you should have an immutable fixed time to learn some Torah.

Even the potential of earning a lot of money should not void this fixed time.

In an emergency, at the very least you should learn one Pasuk or one Halacha, and remember to catch up on your daily quota when you free up.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 27:1
- Danny
Sunday, 20 Tevet 5772

Halocho #964 - Noise pollution

If one has a neighbor who suffers from headaches caused by noise, one must be considerate and be careful not to make unnecessary noise. E.g.: one may not use a hammer if a neighbor will hear it and suffer.

The same would apply to loud music during siesta time or after they have put their kids to bed.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 184:4
- Danny
Wednesday, 16 Tevet 5772

Halocho #963 - Hitting as an educational tool

One is not allowed to hit one's servants, even as a means to force them to obey.

One may hit one's own children - including adopted children - if done in a way that will educate them to be upright people.

Before hitting, one should first try explaining the issue; if that fails and one must resort to hitting, one must be careful not to be cruel; one may not beat up a kid to vent one's anger.

It is forbidden to forewarn a child that they will be hit later, as this can traumatize the child. If hitting is called for, one either hits or one keeps quiet about it.

It is forbidden to hit children who will hit back - even if they are not yet Bar Mitzva - since one causes them to sin.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 184:2, 143:18: 165:1

- Danny
Sunday, 13 Tevet 5772

Halocho #962 - Why will we fast today?

Today -  Thursday 10 Tevet - we fast to commemorate the beginning of the siege against Jerusalem.

Almost 2,500 years ago the wicked King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege against Jerusalem which culminated in the destruction of the first Bet Hamikdash, a year and a half later.

This is the King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in whose court Daniel (who survived the lion's den) served.

The purpose of the fast is to awaken us to repent; if the Bet Hamikdash has not been rebuilt then we suffer from similar deficiencies that caused it to be destroyed.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 121:3

Trivia: We did not fast on Asara B'Tevet during 2011. :-)

- Danny
Thursday, 10 Tevet 5772