Halocho #736 - Bat/Bar Mitzvas in a Jewish leap year

This year is a Jewish leap year; the 12th month (starting on Shabbat) will be Adar-I (or "Adar-Alef" or "Adar-Rishon") and the 13th month will be Adar-II (or "Adar-Bet" or "Adar-Sheni").

Girls and boys born in Adar (12 and 13 years ago) do not become Bat/Bar Mitzva until Adar II.

Girls born in either Adar-I or Adar-II this year will become Bat Mitzva in Adar, in 12 years time.

In 13 years time will again be a leap year, so boys born in either Adar-I or Adar-II this year will be Bar Mitzva on their "real" birthday.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 15:2

- Danny
Monday, 26 Shvat 5771

Halocho #690 - Is a Bar Mitzva meal a Se'udat Mitzva?

It's a Mitzva to celebrate a Bar Mitzva with a meal.

If the meal is not on the boy's 13th Hebrew birthday, then the Bar Mitzva boy has to give a Torah-related sermon for it to be considered a Se'udat Mitzva.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 61:8

- Danny
Monday, 8 Kislev 5771

Please pray for Moshe Ben David

Halocho #689 - The Bracha on a Bar Mitzva

A boy becomes Bar Mitzva at age 13 and is then considered a full adult. It is customary to call him up to the Torah as soon as possible after his 13th birthday.

After he had been called up to the Torah and said the final Bracha, his father then makes a Bracha:

ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם אשר פטרני מעונשו של זה

Blessed are You, Hashem, our Gcd, King of the universe, Who has freed me from the punishement due this boy.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 61:8

- Danny
Sunday, 7 Kislev 5771

Halocho #510 - When does the younger boy become Bar Mitzva first?

Thirteen years ago - 1997 - תשנ"ז was a leap year - with an Adar-1 and an Adar-2

Boys born in both these months become Bar Mitzva next month - in Adar.

As a result, a boy born on the first day of Adar-2 5757 will become Bar Mitzva this Sunday, 29 days before the boy who was born 2 days before him on 29 Adar-1 5757.

A boy who was born on 30 Adar-1 should consult a competent Rabbinic authority how to proceed, as there's a dispute if he becomes Bar Mitzva on Rosh Chodesh Adar or Rosh Chodesh Nissan.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 221, Lu'ach Dvar B'Itoh (30 Adar-1)

- Danny

Monday, 24 Shvat 5770

Halocho # 460 - Who should light the Chanukah Menorah?

Since both men and women were included in the miracle of Chanukah, they both need to light the Chanukah Menorah.

At least one person per household must light.

The custom is for everybody to light, including children under Bar Mitzva. However, married couples share one Chanukah Menorah that either the husband or wife lights.

Even blind people should light, if they live by themselves.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 139:16

- Danny
Monday, 13 Kislev 5770

Halocho #346 - Can a husband separate Challa?

In Parshat Shlach (the Torah Reading this week in Israel, next week in the Diaspora) we learn about the Mitzva of separating Challa from dough made from any of the 5 types of grain: wheat, barley, oats, spelt or rye.

Challa should be separated before the dough is baked; one may not eat the dough before separating Challa.

If Challa was not separated before the dough is baked, then the baked goods are forbidden to be eaten until Challa is separated from them.

The Mitzva of separating Challa rightfully belongs to the housewife.

However, if waiting for the housewife would cause the dough to spoil, then anybody above Bar/Bat Mitzva may separate Challa.

The piece of Challa that was separated should be burnt.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 35

Since nowadays we don't have fires readily available, my Rabbi suggested we freeze the Challa (in a well marked container that nobody should eat from it) and whenever there's a bonfire (Lag B'Omer and Erev Pessach) we should burn the accumulated Challa.

Shabbat Shalom,

- Danny Thursday, 19 Sivan 5769

Please daven for a complete recovery for Tamar bat Naama - תמר בת נעמה

Halocho #261 - You must come to Minyan

Members of a (small) Jewish community may force each other to come to shul (synagogue) daily so as to ensure there is always a Minyan - a quorum of 10 over-Bar-Mitzvah males - for thrice-daily prayers.

If needed, they may impose fines on those who don't come.

Making a Minyan takes precedence over Torah learning; there's a time to learn and a time to pray.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 12:15

- Danny Monday, 8 Shvat 5769

Please daven for a complete recovery for Tamar bat Naama - תמר בת נעמה

Halocho #123 - who needs to fast on Sunday?

Nearly everybody above Bar/Bat Mitzva needs to fast on this coming Sunday.

Pregnant and nursing mothers are exempt from fasting.

Anybody who isn't healthy shouldn't fast. When in doubt, consult your LOR (Local Orthodox Rabbi).

Children are not allowed to fast.

Those who are not fasting should limit their food intake to the bare minimum; only bread and water if possible.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 121:9

- Danny

Wednesday, 13 Tamuz 5768

Please daven for a little girl - TAMAR bat NAAMA - תמר בת נעמה - who is undergoing chemotherapy

Halocho #120 - Can children make Kiddush?

The 4th of the 10 commandments is to remember the Shabbat to sanctify it. This is done by marking the start of Shabbat with Kiddush and its end with Havdala. Women also have to make Kiddush, or hear it from somebody over the age of Bar-Mitzva. If one doesn't know how to make Kiddush and an under-Bar-Mitzva is making Kiddush then one has to say along word for word. The person making Kiddush must drink a mouthful of the Kiddush wine immediately after those present say Amen after Kiddush. It's a Mitzva for all present to drink some of the Kiddush wine. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 77:4, 9 Shabbat Shalom, - Danny Erev Shabbat Balak, 8 Tamuz 5768

Please daven for a little girl - TAMAR bat NAAMA - תמר בת נעמה - who is undergoing chemotherapy

Halocho #105 - Who gets to separate Challa?

In this weeks Parsha we learn about the Mitzva of separating Challa from dough made from any of the 5 types of grain: wheat, barley, oats, spelt or rye. Challa should be separated before the dough is baked. If this was not done then the baked goods are forbidden to be eaten until Challa is separated from them. The Mitzva of separating Challa rightfully belongs to the housewife. However, if waiting for the housewife would cause the dough to spoil, then anybody above Bar/Bat Mitzva take Challa. The piece of Challa that was separated should be burnt. Since nowadays we don't have fires readily available, my Rabbi suggested we freeze the Challa (in a well marked container that nobody should eat from it) and whenever there's a bonfire (Lag B'Omer and Erev Pessach) we should burn the accumulated Challa. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 35 Shabbat Shalom - Danny

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Please daven for a little girl

TAMAR bat NAAMA - תמר בת נעמה

who is undergoing chemotherapy

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Halocho #66 - Why are we happy in Adar?

One increases joy when Adar begins because Adar and (next month) Nissan historically have been full of miracles, including the redemption from Egypt and (nearly a millennium later) the miracle of Purim. Boys and girls born this week will become Bar/Bat Mitzva three weeks before their friends born last week, since 2020 and 2021 have only a single Adar. As we learnt in Halocho #41, girls born 12 years ago during Adar will become Bat Mitzva this month; Adar-2. Since 13 years ago was also a leap year, boys born 13 years ago become Bar Mitzva this year during whichever Adar they were born in. Source: KSA: 141:1, 15:2

Halocho #41 - When is the "real" Adar?

One increases joy when Adar begins. Adar is a good time to deal with court cases involving non-Jews. (I have not been able to establish if during a leap year the above is valid for Adar 1 (being the "real" Adar; the 12th month) or it only refers to the Adar closest to our joyous month of redemption (Nissan), viz. Adar 2.) Since 13 years ago was also a leap year, boys born 13 years ago become Bar Mitzva this year during whichever Adar they were born in. Girls born 12 years ago during Adar will not become Bat Mitzva until next month – Adar 2. If a person dies during a non-leap year in Adar then on leap years the Yahrzeit fast should be observed on Adar 1, and Kaddish should be said in both Adar 1 and Adar 2. However in Adar 2 he doesn’t have the usual preference given to a Yahrzeit, and in places where only one person at a time says Kaddish, then all other mourners get to say a Kaddish, and if there are any left, he does too. Source: KSA: 141:1, 15:2 and 221:3

משנכנס אדר מרבים בשמחה, וישראל שיש לו דין ודברים עם אינו יהודי ישפוט עמו בחודש זה. גדול, היינו שעברו לו שלש עשרה שנה ונכנס לשנת י"ד, (וסומכין על החזקה דמסתמא הביא ב' שערות) כגון שנולד בראש חודש ניסן, אינו נעשה גדול עד ראש חודש ניסן דהיינו בתחלת הלילה של ראש חדש ניסן לאחר י"ג שנים נעשה גדול, מי שנולד בחודש אדר, כשהיתה שנה פשוטה, וכשנעשה גדול השנה מעוברת, אינו נעשה גדול עד אדר שני, אבל אם נולד בשנה מעוברת באדר ראשון, נעשה גדול גם כן באדר ראשון. ואם כשנולד היתה שנה מעוברת, וכשנעשה גדול היא שנה פשוטה, בין שנולד באדר ראשון, בין שנולד באדר שני, נעשה גדול ביום זה באדר של עתה. ונמצא, כי לפעמים נער שנולד קודם לחבירו, יתאחר יותר להיות גדול, מחבירו שנולד אחריו, כגון שנולדו בשנה מעוברת, זה בכ' לאדר ראשון וזה בי' לאדר שני והשנה אשר נעשים גדולים, היא שנה פשוטה. אם מת בשנה מעוברת באדר ראשון או באדר שני, אזי בשנה פשוטה מתענה כן באדר, ובשנה מעוברת מתענה בזה האדר שמת, אם בראשון בראשון, ואם בשני בשני. מת בשנה פשוטה, אזי בשנה מעוברת יתענה באדר ראשון, וגם באדר שני יאמר קדיש אך אל יסיג גבול אחרים.