According to most opinions on 7 Adar (Friday) will be the Yahrzeit of our teacher Moses - Moshe Rabeinu.
Many Jewish Burial Societies [Chevra Kadisha] have their annual meeting that day, including fasting and special prayers.
Halachot related to Moshe Rabeinu:
When babies start talking one should teach them the verse "תּוֹרָה צִוָּה-לָנוּ, משֶׁה. מוֹרָשָׁה, קְהִלַּת יַעֲקב" and Shma Yisrael...", after ensuring that they are clean while being taught.
Moshe Rabeinu went up to Har-Sinai to get the 2nd set of tablets on a Thursday and came down on a Monday, which is why these 2 days are auspicious for praying - and we therefore add the long "Vehu Rachum" prayer before Tachanun on these 2 days.
There's a limit as to how long one may mourn a deceased - but even for a great Torah scholar one may not mourn longer than 30 days, as nobody can be greater than our teacher Moshe for whom it is stated "and they mourned Moshe for 30 days".
Sources: Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 58:2, KSA 165:10, 22:9, 215:1
- Danny
Wednesday, 5 Adar-I 5771
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Halocho #743 - Yahrzeit of our teacher Moses; Moshe Rabeinu
Monday, January 11, 2010
Halocho # 490 - Davening in transit
Even while travelling one has to pray at the correct times.
Men need to put on Tallit and Tefillin even when praying in transit.
When travelling by foot, one should stand still for the first 2 verses of Shma, if possible. (Shma Yisrael and Baruch Shem)
When travelling in a vehicle one should stop, alight and stand for the Amida. If one is in a hurry, then one should do so at least for the first 3 and last 3 Brachot.
If alighting is not an option, one can daven the Amida while seated.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 68:8
- Danny
Monday, 25 Tevet 5770
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Halocho #344 - Do bed sheets need Tzitzit?
Parshat Shlach ends with the third paragraph of Shma which talks about the Mitzva of Tzitzit.
Wearing Tzitzit is supposed to remind one of all 613 Mitzvoth - as it says "...make Tzitzit, and see them and thereby remember all the Mitzvoth of Hashem and do them".
Once a boy is toilet-trained he should wear a Tallit Katan - a 4-cornered garment with Tzitzit from the time he wakes up until he goes to sleep. This is besides the Tallit worn in shul.
Women are exempt from the Mitzva of Tzitzit, as it's a time-bound Mitzva; it only applies during the day.
When putting on Tzitzit in the morning, the Bracha cannot be made until it is light enough outside to recognize a casual acquaintance from 4 Amos (2 meters) away. This is about an hour before sunrise in Israel.
Men must put Tzitzit on all 4-cornered garments they wear, including ponchos. Bed sheets do not need Tzitzit.
Tzitzit may be worn even when going into a bathroom, however the Tallit used for Davening should not be taken into the bathroom.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 9:9-10
- Danny Tuesday, 17 Sivan 5769
Please daven for a complete recovery for Miryam bat Esther and her baby boy - a preemie - Tinok ben Miryam
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Halocho #152 - Don't hang your Mezuzah
A Mezuzah is rolled-up from the left, so that a person opening it would see the word "Shma".
A Mezuzah is not allowed to hang; it should preferably be put into a tube which is nailed - top and bottom - to the doorpost. At the very least it should be glued along it's entire length to the doorpost.
Care must be taken to ensure that the Mezuzah is not affixed upside-down. A Mezuzah has the 3 letters Shin-Daled-Yud (spelling one of Hashem's names) on the outside. If this is visible then the Mezuzah is the right way up.
A Mezuzah has 14 letters written upside-down along its upper edge. If these are on the bottom and right-way-up then the Mezuzah is upside down. Most Mezuzot are rolled tightly, so these letters are not visible.
These 14 letters are written behind the words "Hashem Elokeinu Hashem" of the first inside line, and are the letters following the letter they are behind; Kaf is behind the Yud, Vav is behind the Hey, etc. This is the way Mezuzot have always been written.
Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:6
- Danny Thursday, 20 Av 5768
Please daven for a little girl undergoing chemotherapy- TAMAR bat NAAMA -תמר בת נעמה
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Halocho #150 - Which side does the Mezuzah go on?
The 2 chapters written in a Mezuzah are the first two chapters of the Kriat Shma. The first chapter - Shma Yisrael (Devarim 6:5-9) - was in last week's Torah Reading. The second chapter - Vehaya (Devarim 11:13-21) - is in this week's Torah Reading. When entering a house or a room, the Mezuzah needs to be affixed on the right-hand doorpost. (On the way out you'll find it on the left-hand side.) When there's a door between 2 homes, then the door-hinges are the deciding factor. The room with the hinges - the room where the door opens into - is the "inside", and the Mezuzah is put on the right-hand side when entering into that room. The same would apply to any two inter-leading rooms that are equidistant from the front door. A Mezuzah that is on the wrong doorpost needs to be taken down and affixed - with a Bracha - to the right side. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 11:3-4 Other aspects of Mezuzah were discussed in Halocho a Day #57 - http://halocho.blogspot.com/2008/02/halocho-57-mezuza-checking.html - Danny Tuesday, 18 Av 5768
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Halocho #103 - Who should wear Tzitzis?
This week's Parsha - Shlach - ends with the third paragraph of Shma which talk about the Mitzva of Tzitzis. Wearing Tzitzis is supposed to remind one of all 613 Mitzvos - as it says in this week’s Parsha "...make Tzitzis, and see them and thereby remember all the Mitzvos of Hashem and do them". Once a boy is toilet-trained he should wear a Tallis Katan - a 4-cornered garment with Tzitzis from the time he wakes up until he goes to sleep. This is besides the Tallis worn in shul. Women are exempt from the Mitzva of Tzitzis, as it's a time-bound Mitzva; it only applies during the day. When putting on Tzitzis in the morning, the Bracha cannot be made until it is light enough outside to recognize a casual acquaintance from 4 Amos (2 meters) away. This is about an hour before sunrise in Israel. Men must put Tzitzis on all 4-cornered garments they wear, including ponchos. Bed sheets do not need Tzitzis. Tzitzis may be worn even when going into a bathroom, however the Tallis used for davening should not be taken into the bathroom. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 9:9-10 - Danny
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Halocho #46 - Yahrzeit of our teacher Moses; Moshe Rabeinu
Today, 7 Adar, is the 3,279th Yahrzeit of our teacher Moses - Moshe Rabeinu (according to most opinions) and is a Ta'anis Tzadikim. (Many Jewish Burial Societies [Chevra Kadisha] have their annual meeting today, including fasting and special prayers.) Halachot related to Moshe Rabeinu: When babies start talking one should teach them the verse "Torah Tziva Lanu Moshe..."* and Shma Yisrael...", after ensuring that they are clean while being taught. Moshe Rabeinu went up to Har-Sinai to get the 2nd set of tablets on a Thursday and came down on a Monday, which is why these 2 days are auspicious for praying - and we therefore add the long "Vehu Rachum" prayer before Tachanun on these 2 days. There's a limit as to how long one may mourn a deceased - but even for a great Torah scholar one may not mourn longer than 30 days, as nobody can be greater than our teacher Moshe for whom it is stated "and they mourned for Moshe for 30 days" Sources: Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 58:2, KSA 165:10, 23:9, 215:1 *תורה צוה לנו משה, מורשה קהלת יעקב
