Halocho #1017 – Who else get 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 and gets to speak first at functions. At meals the Cohen 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 one's errands nor do other mundane tasks, unless the Cohen has agreed to relinquish his Cohen status for this purpose.
One must stand up for a Torah Scholar even if he's young. 

One must stand up for people over seventy even if they're not Torah Scholars, so long as they're not wicked. Even non-Jews over 70 deserve some show of respect. 

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 144:2, 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,
Wednesday, 20 Tevet 5773

Halocho #484 - Honoring the elderly

One must stand up for a Torah Scholar even if he's young.

One must stand up for people over seventy years old even if they're not Torah Scholars, so long as they're not wicked.

Even non-Jews over 70 deserve some show of respect.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 144: 2

- Danny
Sunday, 17 Tevet 5770

Halocho #156 - What's a Prozbul?

In Halocho #154 we learnt that when Shmita ends, so does the ability to request payment of certain loans.

However, if loans are handed over to a Bet Din (Jewish court of law) to collect, they may be collected even after Shmita.

Hillel Hazaken (the founder of Bet Hillel, 2,000 years ago) institutionalized handing over ones debts to a Bet Din, using a document called a Prozbul. (Prozbul is a Greek word.)

With a Prozbul one may collect debts even after Shmita ends.

A Prozbul is written and signed in the presence of 3 Torah-learning Jews. A Prozbul needs to be written before Shmita ends to be affective.

Money (or items) loaned after the Prozbul is written are not covered by the Prozbul.

Make sure to calenderize a Prozbul-writing session with your local Orthodox Rabbinate sometime before Rosh Hashana. The last time to write a Prozbul (for this Shmita cycle) is on September 29, 2008.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 180:15

- Danny Tuesday, 25 Av 5768

Please daven for ESTHER DEVORA bat MINDEL RUTH - אסתר דבורה בת מינדל רות

Halocho #33 – Cohen gets preferential treatment

A Talmid Chacham 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 SA 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.

Halocho #32 - Honoring the elderly

One must stand up for a Torah Scholar even if he's young. One must stand up for people over seventy even if they're not Torah Scholars, so long as they're not wicked. Even non-Jews over 70 deserve some show of respect. Source: KSA 144: 2