Halocho #2158 - Rachel Imeinu's Yahrzeit

Yesterday, 11 Marchesvan, was the Yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu who died after giving birth to Binyamin. 

When a son is born, both the mother and father should say the Bracha of הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב - "...Who is Good, and bestows Good."

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ... מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב

If a mother dies during childbirth, then the father says the Bracha of שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ; "... Who has kept us alive, sustained us and permitted us to reach this occasion" on the birth, and the Bracha of דַּיָן הָאֱמֶת - "... the True Judge" on the bad news.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ... מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם 

שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ וְקִיְּמָנוּ וְהִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְמַן הַזֶּה

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ... מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, דַּיָן הָאֱמֶת 

If a father dies before his child is born then the mother says the Bracha of שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ on the birth. 

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 59:5ת 6

- Danny
Sunday 12 Marcheshvan 5779

יָלְדָה אִשְׁתּוֹ זָכָר, מְבָרֵךְ הַטּוֹב וְהַמֵּטִיב, וְגַם הָאִשָּׁה תְּבָרֵךְ כֵּן

וְאִם מֵתָה הָאִשָּׁה בְּלִדְתָּה, מְבָרֵךְ שֶׁהֱחֱיָנוּ, דְּהָא לֵיכָּא הֲטָבָה לְאַחֲרִינֵי.  וְכֵן אִם מֵת הָאָב קֹדֶם שֶׁיְלָדַתּוּ, הִיא מְבָרֶכֶת שֶׁהֱחֱיָנוּ

מֵת אָבִיו אוֹ אֶחָד מִשְּׁאָר קְרוֹבָיו, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ אֵינוֹ קְרוֹבוֹ אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא אָדָם כָּשֵׁר, וּמִכָּל שֶׁכֵּן תַּלְמִיד חָכָם שֶׁהוּא מִצְטַעֵר עָלָיו, מְבָרֵךְ בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' ... מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם, דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת

וְעַל שְׁאָר אָדָם שֶׁאֵינוֹ מִצְטַעֵר כָּל כָּךְ, אוֹמֵר בָּרוּךְ דַיַּן הָאֱמֶת בְּלֹא שֵׁם וּמַלְכוּת

Halocho #799 - Bracha on entering a cemetery

When entering a Jewish cemetery - or seeing Jewish graves, one says a Bracha.

This Bracha is  only said if one has not seen Jewish graves in the past 30 days.

The Bracha is:

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה', אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם

אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶתְכֶם בַּדִין, וְזָן וְכִלְכֵּל אֶתְכֶם בַּדִין

וְהֵמִית אֶתְכֶם בַּדִין, וְיוֹדֵעַ מִסְפַּר כֻּלְּכֶם בַּדִין

וְהוּא עָתִיד לְהַחֲיוֹתכֶם וְלַקַיֵם אֶתְכֶם בַּדִין

 בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' מְחַיֵה הַמֵּתִים

"Blessed are you Hashem, Our Gcd, King of the universe,
Who fashioned you with justice, nourished and sustained you with justice,
took your lives with justice, and knows the sum total of you all with justice,
and He will restore and resuscitate you with judgment.
Blessed are you Hashem, Who resuscitates the dead.

One then continues with:

אַתָּה גִּבּוֹר לְעוֹלָם, אֲד-נָי. מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים אַתָּה, רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ. מְכַלְכֵּל חַיִּים בְּחֶסֶד, מְחַיֵּה מֵתִים בְּרַחֲמִים רַבִּים, סוֹמֵךְ נוֹפְלִים, וְרוֹפֵא חוֹלִים, וּמַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים, וּמְקַיֵּם אֱמוּנָתוֹ לִישֵׁנֵי עָפָר. מִי כָמוֹךָ בַעַל גְּבוּרוֹת, וּמִי דוֹמֶה לָּךְ, מֶלֶךְ מֵמִית וּמְחַיֶּה וּמַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעָה. וְנֶאֱמָן אַתָּה לְהַחֲיוֹת מֵתִים

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 60:11

- Danny
Monday, 5 Sivan 5771 - 20th day of the Omer

Halocho #747 - Brit Mila - Stand Up!

The custom is for everybody to stand while a Brit Mila is taking place, except for the Sandek who is holding the baby.

This is learned from the verse וַיַּעֲמד כָּל הָעָם בַּבְּרִית - "and the entire nation stood at the Brit" (Melachim-II 23:4)

It is forbidden to circumcise a baby who is not 100% healthy; delaying a Brit Mila is better than risking a baby's life.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 160:2, 4

- Danny
Tuesday, 11 Adar-I 5771 

Halocho #391 - Comforting mourners

It's a great Mitzva to comfort mourners - we learn (Breishis 25:11) that Hashem comforted Yitzchak Avinu when Avraham Avinu died.

When comforting mourners one should not initiate a conversation. It's up to the mourner to speak first.

If a mourner hints that the comforters should leave, they are not permitted to stay.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 207:1

- Danny Sunday, 26 Av 5769

Halocho #389 - the Bracha on bad news

Upon hearing really bad news one says the Bracha of Dayan Ha'Emet - the True Judge.

בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' אֱלקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם

דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת

This is the Bracha one says when a close relative dies. If the person who died isn't a close friend or relative, one says the abbreviated form:

בָּרוּךְ דַיַּן הָאֱמֶת

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 59:6 - Danny Wednesday, 22 Av 5769

Tamar bat Naama (Bamberger) - תמר בת נעמה passed away yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. Baruch Dayan Ha'Emet.

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

Halocho #246 - Why do we wash Negel Vasser every morning?

Upon awakening one should wash ones hands from a cup, alternating between the right and left hand until each hand is washed 3 times.

Two reasons are given:

- You are starting a new day of serving Hashem; similar to a Cohen who had to wash his hands before serving in the Bet Hamikdash.

- Part of the soul leaves the body when one sleeps, therefore sleeping is considered a mini-death which generates impurity which needs to be washed away.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 2:1, 3

- Danny 

 Monday, 16 Tevet 5769

Please daven for a Refua Shleimah for Edis Malka bat Chaya Zelda

Halocho #200 - Rachel Imeinu's Yahrzeit

Today, 3561 years ago, Rachel Imeinu died after giving birth to Binyamin. When a son is born, both the mother and father should say the Bracha of Hatov-VeHametiv - "...Who is Good, and bestows Good."

ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם

הטוב והמטיב

If the mother died during childbirth, then the father says the Bracha of Shehechiyanu; "... Who has kept us alive, sustained us and permitted us to reach this occasion" on the birth, and the Bracha of Dayan-HaEmeth - "... the True Judge" on the bad news.

ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם

שהחינו וקימנו והגיענו לזמן הזה

ברוך אתה ה' אלקינו מלך העולם

דיין האמת

If the father died before the child was born then the mother says the Bracha of Shehechiyanu on the birth. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 59:5 See Halocho #109 for more details about the Bracha on good news. - Danny Sunday 11 Marcheshvan 5769