Halocho #996 - Ask for rain tonight!

Since Mussaf on Shmini Atzeret we have been praising Hashem for the wonderful gift of rain, by adding מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּשֶׁם  "He makes the wind blow and He causes the rain to fall"  into אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר - the second Bracha of the Amida.

In Israel only, starting from 7th Cheshvan we started adding a prayer for rain - וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה - in the 9th Bracha of the weekday Amida - בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ. (Sefardim started saying בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ  instead of בַּרְכֵנוּ as the 9th Bracha.)

Starting tonight - Tuesday night - we start praying for rain on weekdays, in the 9th Bracha of the Amida - בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ - all over the world.

If you forgot to add וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה - "and bless us with dew and rain", then:

• If you remember before you finish בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ then you insert it and continue from there.
  
• If you already said "Baruch Ata Hashem" of the בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ then you insert it into שְׁמַע קוֹלֵנוּ before כִּי אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ.
  
• If you forget to say it in שְׁמַע קוֹלֵנוּ  then you need to go back to the 9th Bracha - בָּרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ .
  
• If you don't remember until you finished the Amida (defined as saying יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי ) then you have to restart the entire Amida.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 19:5

- Danny
Jerusalem, Tuesday 20 Kislev 5773

Halocho #630 - When do Selichot start?

This morning - Rosh Chodesh Elul - we started blowing the Shofar.

Starting tomorrow - Thursday - Sefardim say Selichot before Shacharit and continue doing so the entire month of Elul until Erev Yom Kippour.

This year Selichot - for Ashkenazim - start on Sunday (26 Elul / 5 September), 4 days before Rosh Hashana.

Selichot should be said before Shacharit, towards the end of the night. The end of the night is an "Et Ratzon"; an auspicious time when Hashem is more receptive to listening to ones prayers.

When arising for Selichot one should wash ones hands even if it's still night, and make the Bracha "Al Netilat Yadayim".

One should say the 2 Brachot of Birkat haTorah before saying Selichot.

After Selichot one should wash ones hands again (if the first washing was pre-dawn), but one does not repeat the Bracha.

One should preferably stand during Selichot; during the "Kel Melech Yoshev", 13 Middot and the Viddui one must stand.

The Chazzan for Selichot should preferably be a Torah Scholar, well liked and if possible married with children and over 30 years of age. However, any Jew can be a Chazzan as long as the community approves. The same applies to the Chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippour as well as the person blowing the Shofar.

Selichot are not said on Shabbat.

Source: Shulchan Aruch 581, 1

Ktiva Vechatima Tova; may all your prayers be answered,

Chodesh Tov

- Danny
Wednesday, 2nd day Rosh Chodesh Elul 5770

Halocho #558 - Haircuts tomorrow

Lag B'Omer - the 33rd day of the Omer - will be on Sunday.

One may have haircuts on Friday (tomorrow) already, in honor of Shabbat.

All other customs of mourning are to be observed until the morning of Lag B'Omer.

Those who have the custom to mourn from Rosh Chodesh Iyar, resume the mourning customs after Lag B'Omer.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 120:6, 7

Note: Many Sefradim only stop the mourning on the 34th day of the Omer.

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 15 Iyar 5770 - 30th day of the Omer

Halocho #553 - Which Haftara do we read this week?

This Shabbat we read a double Parsha; אַחֲרֵי מוֹת and קְדוֹשִׁים.

When there is a double Parsha, we usually read the Haftara of the second Parsha, except for Acharei-Mot with Kedoshim

This week we will read the Haftara of אַחֲרֵי מוֹת which is from Amos Ch. 9:7 - הֲלוֹא כִבְנֵי כֻשִׁיִּים

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 79:6

Sefardim read the Haftara of Kedoshim this week.
Source: Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 128

- Danny
Thursday, 8 Iyar 5770, 23rd day of the Omer

Please daven for the complete recovery of little Rivka bat Yael who fell from a great height, and also for Asher ben Gohar

Halocho #410 - When do we start saying Selichot?

This year Selichot start on Sunday (24 Elul, 13 September), a week before Rosh Hashana. Selichot should be said before Shacharit, towards the end of the night. The end of the night is an "Et Ratzon"; an auspicious time when Hashem is more receptive to listening to ones prayers. When arising for Selichot one should wash ones hands even if it's still night, and make the Bracha "Al Netilat Yadayim". One should say the 2 Brachot of Birkat haTorah before saying Selichot. After Selichot one should wash ones hands again (if the first washing was pre-dawn), but one does not repeat the Bracha. One should preferably stand during Selichot; during the "kEl Melech Yoshev", 13 Middos and the Viddui one must stand. The Chazzan for Selichot should preferably be a Torah Scholar, well liked and if possible married with children and over 30 years of age. However, any Jew can be a Chazzan as long as the community approves. The same applies to the Chazzan for Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippour as well as the person blowing the Shofar. Selichot are not said on Shabbat. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 128:5, 6, 7 [Sefardim say Selichot the entire month of Elul.] Ktiva Vechatima Tova; may all your prayers be answered, Shabbat Shalom, - Danny Thursday, 21 Elul 5769

Please daven for little Leiba Shmuel ben Sara who is undergoing an operation today.

Halocho #324 - Lag B'Omer is day 33 of the Omer

We mourn for 33 days between Pessach and Shavu'ot in memory of the 33 days during which Rabbi Akiva's students perished. There are various customs as to which 33 days are kept as mourning-days. Everybody agrees that on the day of Lag B'Omer - the 33rd day of the Omer - there is no mourning, as a reminder that they stopped dying on the 33rd day. Those who have the custom to mourn from Rosh Chodesh Iyar, resume the mourning customs after Lag B'Omer. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 120:6, 7 Note: Many Sefradim only stop the mourning on the 34th day of the Omer. - Danny Tuesday, 18 Iyar 5769, 33rd day of the Omer

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