Halocho #2425 - Eating milk, honey and meat on Shavu'ot

The Minhag is to eat food made from milk products on the first day of Shavu'ot, for various reasons. 

One should also eat foods made with honey since the Torah is compared to honey. 

One should also eat meat, since - like every Yom Tov - there's a Mitzva to eat meat on a Chag. 

One needs to plan the meals carefully since one may not eat milk after meat, and one may not eat both together at the same meal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 103:7

בְּיוֹם רִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל שָׁבוּעוֹת, נוֹהֲגִין לֶאֱכוֹל מַאַכְלֵי חָלָב. וְיֵשׁ בָּזֶה כַּמָּה טְעָמִים. וְרֶמֶז, מִנְחָה חֲדָשָׁה לַה' בְּשָׁבֻעוֹתֵיכֶם, רָאשֵׁי תֵּבוֹת, מֵחָלָב. 

וְיֵשׁ לֶאֱכוֹל גַּם מַאַכְלֵי דְּבַשׁ, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַתּוֹרָה נִמְשְׁלָה לָהֶם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, דְּבַשׁ וְחָלָב תַּחַת לְשׁוֹנֵךְ.

וְכֵיוָן שֶׁאוֹכְלִים מַאַכְלֵי חָלָב וּצְרִיכִין גַּם כֵּן לֶאֱכוֹל בָּשָׂר, שֶׁהֲרֵי מִצְוָה לֶאֱכוֹל בָּשָׂר בְּכָל יוֹם טוֹב, צְרִיכִין לִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא יָבֹאוּ לִידֵי אִסּוּר.

- Danny Schoemann

Sunday, 3 Sivan 5784 - 47th day of the Omer

Please daven for the full recovery of the seriously wounded soldier:

מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן בֶּן לֵאָה בֵּילָא לרפואה שלמה 

Halocho #874 - Watering meat on Shabbat

Meat has to Kashered (soaked, salted and rinsed to remove the blood) within 3 days of being slaughtered.


If this is not possible then the meat has to be hosed down every 3 days.


It is forbidden to hose down meat on Shabbat, however one may ask a non-Jew to do so, to prevent the meat from becoming forbidden.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:56

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 25 Menachem Av 5771

Halocho #857 - No more meat leftovers!

From Rosh Chodesh Av (tonight - Sunday evening) until midday on 10th Av (10 August) is the period known as the "9 days".

The custom is to not eat meat and chicken and to not drink wine during the "9 days", except on Shabbat.

Food cooked together with meat should not be eaten - even if one doesn't eat the meat.

Those who need to eat meat (or drink wine) for health reasons, may do so. If possible, even they should refrain (with the Doctor's permission) from the 7th of Av; the day the Romans entered the Bet Hamikdash.

At a Se'udat Mitzva (a Mitzva meal) - a Brit, Pidyon HaBen or Siyum - one may serve meat and wine.

Besides for close family, one may invite up to 10 friends whom one normally invites.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:8

Chodesh Tov

- Danny
Sunday, 29 Tamuz 5771

Halocho #850 - Is all music forbidden in the 3 weeks?

The period between the fast of 17 Tammuz and the fast of 9 B'Av 3 weeks later is known as Bein Hametzarim, or "The 3 Weeks".

Since the destruction of the Bet Hamikdash (Temple) started on 17 Tammuz with the breaching of the walls, and ended 3 weeks later when it was set alight, this period of 3 weeks has been set aside as a time of mourning.

If one plays a musical instrument for a living, one may continue to do so for non-Jews until Rosh Chodesh Av.

Some have the custom of refraining from meat and wine during the entire 3 weeks, except on Shabbat and Mitzva-meals (like at a Brit Mila).

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:1

- Danny
Wednesday, 18 Tamuz 5771

Halocho #832 - Kashering from meat to milk

When needed, one can Kasher utensils that are not Kosher. E.g. if one put a Milky spoon in a hot bowl of Meat it cannot be used until it is Kashered.
Before Pessach one can Kasher certain Chametz utensils to make them Kosher for Pessach.
Kashering must be done under the supervision of somebody who has learned all the intrinsic laws of Kashering, when possible.

When utensils are Kashered, they become Kosher and Parev; neither milky nor meaty.

The custom is to refrain from Kashering Milky utensils to use them subsequently for Meaty, or Meaty utensils to use them for Milky.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:15, 116:18
- Danny
Sunday, 24 Sivan 5771

Halocho #829 - Can one eat almond milk with meat?

If one cooks meat in almond milk, one has to leave some almonds in the dish, so that people do not suspect you of having cooked meat in milk.

As a general rule, one should be careful not to do anything which looks like it's against Halacha, even if one is not doing anything wrong, as it says in Bemidbar 23:22  וִהְיִיתֶם נְקִיִּים מֵה' וּמִיִּשְׂרָאֵל and in Mishlei 3:4 - וּמְצָא חֵן וְשֵׂכֶל טוֹב בְּעֵינֵי אֱ-לקִים וְאָדָם.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:14, 29:20
- Danny
Wednesday, 20 Sivan 5771

Please discuss this Halocho only at the "Discuss Halocho-a-Day" group at http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_118422621575495."

Halocho #829 - Meat after cheese

After eating milky products one needs to wash one's hands or check them carefully, eat something hard (like bread) and rinse one's mouth or drink something and check between one's teeth or brush them. Then - if it's not at the same meal - one can eat meat right away.

The exception is hard cheese that aged for 6 months or became wormy. After eating such cheese, one needs to wait 6 hours before eating meat.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:11

As we learned yesterday, some have the custom to only wait 1 or 3 hours.

There's a debate among Poskim if modern hard cheese that didn't age 6 months is considered like hard cheese. Check with your favorite LOR. 

- Danny
Tuesday, 19 Sivan 5771

Halocho #828 - Eating milk after chewing meat

After eating meat or chicken, one must wait 6 hours before eating milky products.

Even if one only chewed the meat, but did not swallow it, one must still wait.

If, after waiting 6 hours, one finds meat stuck between one's teeth, one has to remove it and rinse one's mouth and eat something solid before eating Milky, though one need not wait  another 6 hours.

If the food did not contain any meat, chicken or gravy, but was simply cooked in a meaty pot - even if the pot wasn't spotlessly clean - then one may eat milk right afterwards.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:9-10

Some have the custom of only waiting 1 hour or 3 hours, and not 6 hours between meat and milk. Everybody should follow their family Minhag.

- Danny
Monday, 18 Sivan 5771

Halocho #827 - Which are the Milky dishes?

One cannot use the same dishes and cutlery for eating meat and milk.

If one has 2 identical sets of dishes, then the custom is to mark the Milky dishes (with ink, a scratch or otherwise) in order to tell them apart.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:8
- Danny
Sunday, 17 Sivan 5771

Halocho #825 - You eat meat, I'll eat milk

Two acquaintances are not allowed to share the same table, if one is eating a meat meal and the other is eating a milky meal.

This applies to friends, family and even casual acquaintances who wouldn't feel comfortable sharing their food.

If there is some sort of separation on the table, then they are allowed to share the table. For example, if they each have their own place mat, or there is something between them on the table that normally is not on the table, E.g.: food (bottle of whiskey) or vessels (vase or extra salt cellars).

They should not share the same cup, pitcher or bottle, since food can get stuck on it and passed from one to the other.

They also should not be sharing the same loaf of bread. The custom is that they do not even share the same salt cellars.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:6, 7
- Danny
Wednesday, 13 Sivan 5771

Halocho #824 - Kosher dog food?

There are 3 prohibitions regarding meat and milk:
- One may not eat them together
- One may not cook them together
- One may not derive any benefit from such a mixture

Some mixtures of meat and milk are forbidden even to be fed to one's pets.

From other mixtures of meat and milk one is allowed to derive benefit. A competent Rabbinic authority needs to be consulted on a case-by-case basis.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:5
- Danny
Tuesday, 12 Sivan 5771

Halocho #822 - When can one eat blood?

Kosher meat and fowl is kashered with coarse salt in order to remove as much blood as possible.

Since liver is full of blood, salting it is ineffective. Liver needs to be roasted over an open flame to remove as much blood as possible.

Blood spots in eggs may not be eaten, and usually the entire egg is discarded if it has a blood spot.

If a fish has fins and scales then it is Kosher, and its blood may be eaten. However, if the blood has separated from the fish and cannot be distinguished from non-fish blood then it's forbidden.

If a bowl of fish-blood has fish-scales floating in it, then it's permitted.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 46:1,2

- Danny
Sunday, 10 Sivan 5771

Halocho #816 - Eating milk, honey and meat on Shavu'ot

The Minhag is to eat food made from milk products on the first day of Shavu'ot, for various reasons.

One should also eat foods made with honey since the Torah is compared to honey.

One should also eat meat, since - like every Yom Tov - there's a Mitzva to eat to meat on a Chag.

One needs to plan the meals carefully since one may not eat milk after meat, and one may not eat both together at the same meal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 103:7

- Danny
Wednesday, 28 Iyar 5771 - 43rd day of the Omer

Halocho #666 - Must medicine be Kosher?

In order to save a life, one may take medicine that is not Kosher. One may also transgress any other Mitzva needed to save one's life, with the exception of murder, adultery and idolatry.

In non-life threatening situations:
- One should not take non-Kosher medicine, if there's a Kosher alternative readily available.
- If only non-Kosher medicine is available, it may be used. However, if it has a pleasant taste, then one should spoil its taste, for example by adding something bitter to it, or wrapping it in tissue paper.
- If the medicine is a mixture of meat and milk, a Rabbi should be consulted, since normally meat and milk mixtures cannot be used as medicine. The same applies to Kil'ay Hakerem; grains and grapes that grew in close proximity.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 192:5, 6, 7
- Danny
Tuesday, 4 Marchesvan 5771

Halocho #626 - Watering meat on Shabbat

Meat has to Kashered (soaked, salted and rinsed to remove the blood) within 3 days of being slaughtered.

If this is not possible then the meat has to be hosed down every 3 days.

It is forbidden to hose down meat on Shabbat, however one may ask a non-Jew to do so, to prevent the meat from becoming forbidden.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 80:56

Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 25 Menachem Av 5770

Halocho #608 - No more meat leftovers!

From Rosh Chodesh Av (tonight - Sunday evening) until midday on 10th Av (21 July) is the period known as the "9 days".

The custom is to not eat meat and chicken and to not drink wine during the "9 days", except on Shabbat.

Food cooked together with meat should not be eaten - even if one doesn't eat the meat.

Those who need to eat meat (or drink wine) for health reasons, may do so. If possible, even they should refrain (with the Doctor's permission) from the 7th of Av; the day the Romans entered the Bet Hamikdash.

At a Se'udat Mitzva (a Mitzva meal) - a Brit, Pidyon HaBen or Siyum - one may serve meat and wine. Besides for close family, one may invite up to 10 friends whom one normally invites.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 122:8

Chodesh Tov

- Danny
Sunday, 29 Tamuz 5770

Please daven for a complete recovery for

Chagai Yitzchak ben Pnina - חגי יצחק בן פנינה

Halocho #568 - Eating milk, honey and meat on Shavu'ot

The Minhag is to eat food made from milk products on the first day of Shavu'ot, for various reasons.

One should also eat foods made with honey since the Torah is compared to honey.

One should also eat meat, since - like every Yom Tov - there's a Mitzva to eat to meat on a Chag.

One needs to plan the meals carefully since one may not eat milk after meat, and one may not eat both together at the same meal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 103:7


Tonight and tomorrow - Friday - is Rosh Chodesh Sivan

Chodesh Tov and Shabbat Shalom

- Danny
Thursday, 29 Iyar 5770 - 44th day of the Omer

Halocho # 475 - Cruelty to animals

It’s a Torah prohibition to cause pain to animals – and a Mitzvah to prevent such pain and even cure animals (even if they don’t belong to a Jew).

One may not tie the legs of animals in such a way that they are in discomfort.

One may not sit a bird to roost on eggs from a different type of bird.

However, if an animal is causing harm to humans, or can be used to help cure humans then one may kill it (as humanely as possible) for we see that the Torah allows one to eat meat.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 191:1, 3

- Danny
Monday, 4 Tevet 5770

Halocho #405 - Should children be given Yom Tov treats?

There's a Mitzvah to relish Jewish Holidays and therefore one must eat two Yom Tov meals; one at night and one during the day. (Se'udat Shlishi - the 3rd meal - is only eaten on Shabbat and is not required on Yom Tov.)

Each meal starts with Kiddush over wine and two Challot (loaves of bread) and should include meat and other delicacies.

It's also a Mitzvah to ensure that others are happy:

- Children should be given treats

- Wives should get new clothes and jewelry according to ones budget

- Men should be served meat and wine

In order to prove that the extra expenses are for Yom Tov and not simply for self-indulgence, one must ensure that the poor and needy are also supplied with their Yom Tov needs; invite some over for the meals and donate generously to reputable charity funds before Yom Tov.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 103:3, 5, 9

Ktiva Vechatima Tova; may you always be on the giving end

- Danny Thursday, 14 Elul 5769

Please daven for a complete recovery of Rafael Moshe Yisrael ben Shulamith Adina

Halocho #378 - When do the "9 days" end?

We will mourn and fast on 9 B'Av (Thursday) since the Bet Hamikdash was burned to the ground. The fire was ignited on 9 B'Av in the afternoon and burned through the 10th of Av. Therefore the restrictions of "the 9 days" continue until after midday on the 10th of Av (Friday). Normally the custom is to refrain from eating meat and wine, saying Shehechiyanu, listening to music, bathing, doing laundry, shaving and haircuts, until after noon on the 10th of Av. However, in honor of Shabbat, one may bathe, do laundry and have haircuts on Friday morning already. One may make a Se'udat Mitzvah (like a Brit) on Friday morning, with meat and wine. Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 124:20-22 Some Poskim allow one to do laundry on Thursday night. Source: Halachos of the 3 weeks by Rav Shimon Eider zt"l - Danny Monday 6 Av 5769

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