Halocho #2382 - The week of Chol Hamo'ed; Chol or Mo'ed?

The intermediary days of Pessach and Succoth are known as Chol Hamo'ed. Some types of work are permitted, others are forbidden.

In order to ensure that one does the laundry before the Mo'ed (Jewish Holiday), doing laundry is forbidden on Chol Hamo'ed, except in extenuating circumstances:

• If it was impossible to launder before the Mo'ed (e.g. one was locked up in jail) then one may launder on Chol Hamo'ed.
• Baby clothes that continuously get soiled and need to be changed many times a day may be laundered on Chol Hamo'ed.

When laundering on Chol Hamo'ed one must ensure it's done in private.

All medical procedures are allowed on Chol Hamo'ed.

If one has the opportunity to borrow money and there's reason to believe that after Yom Tov the money will no longer be available, then one may borrow the money on Chol Hamo'ed (even if it means writing an IOU), even if it's for a post-Yom Tov business deal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 104:13, 14, 16

אָסוּר לְכַבֵּס שׁוּם דָּבָר, אֲפִלּוּ לְצֹרֶךְ הַמּוֹעֵד, אֶלָּא אִם לֹא הָיָה אֶפְשָׁר לוֹ בְּשׁוּם אֹפֶן לְכַבֵּס קֹדֶם יוֹם טוֹב. וְכֵן מִטְפָּחוֹת שֶׁמְלַפְּפִין בָּהֶן אֶת הַתִּינוֹקוֹת (חִתּוּלִים), כֵּיוָן שֶׁמַּשְׁתִּינִין תָּדִיר וּצְרִיכִין לָהֶם הַרְבֵּה, מֻתָּר לְכַבְּסָן, וְיִזָהֲרוּ לְכַבְּסָן בְּצִנְעָא.

כָּל דָּבָר שֶׁהוּא לְצֹרֶךְ רְפוּאָה, מֻתָּר לַעֲשׂוֹת, בֵּין לְאָדָם בֵּין לִבְהֵמָה.

מִי שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְמָעוֹת אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ הַמּוֹעֵד, אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא חוֹשֵׁשׁ פֶּן לֹא יִמְצָא לִלְווֹת לְאַחַר הַמּוֹעֵד, וְהַמַּלְוֶה אֵינוֹ רוֹצֶה לְהַלְווֹת לוֹ בְּלִי שְׁטָר, מֻתָּר לוֹ לִכְתֹּב אֶת הַשְּׁטָר.

- Danny Schoemann

Monday, 22 Adar-2 5784

Please daven for the full recovery of the seriously wounded soldier

מֹשֶׁה אַהֲרֹן בֶּן לֵאָה בֵּיילָא

לרפואה שלמה

Halocho #1012 - Looking after your health and possessions – Bal Tashchis

The Torah gave permission to doctors to heal. Therefore someone who is not feeling well may not rely on a miracle, but must go see a doctor and follow his instructions.

One who ignores medical advice is not only endangering their life but is also considered to be arrogant; one should use the top expert in the field.

That said, a person needs to realize that the actual cure comes from The One Above and should pray that their doctor be a successful messenger to heal them.

The same way it’s a Mitzva to preserve one's health , so too it’s a Mitzva to look after one's possessions; not to lose, break or waste them.

One who breaks vessels, tears clothes, wastes edible food, wastes money or throws away objects that other people could use has done the Aveira of לֹא-תַשְׁחִית as it says in דְּבָרִים כ:יט:

כִּי-תָצוּר אֶל-עִיר יָמִים רַבִּים לְהִלָּחֵם עָלֶיהָ לְתָפְשָׂהּ, לֹא-תַשְׁחִית אֶת-עֵצָהּ לִנְדֹּחַ עָלָיו גַּרְזֶן--כִּי מִמֶּנּוּ תֹאכֵל, וְאֹתוֹ לֹא תִכְרֹת, כִּי הָאָדָם עֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה, לָבֹא מִפָּנֶיךָ בַּמָּצוֹר

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 192:3, 190:3

- Danny
Wednesday, 13 Tevet 5773

Halocho #670 - The Bracha on medicine

Before taking medicine - or doing any medical procedure -  one should say:

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלקֵינוּ וֵאֱלקֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ,

שֶׁיִּהְיֶה לִי עֵסֶק זֶה לִרְפוּאָה

כִּי רוֹפֵא חִנָּם אַתָּה

"May it be your will, Hashem,

 that this procedure should cure me,

for You are a Doctor who does not charge."

If the medicine tastes good, one should then say the relevant Bracha (usually Shehakol) before taking the medicine.

After taking medicine - or doing any medical procedure - one says:

בָּרוּךְ רוֹפֵא חוֹלִים

"Blessed is the One who heals the ill."

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 61:4
- Danny
Monday, 10 Marchesvan 5771



Halocho #667 - Is price gouging allowed when selling medicine?

When selling medicines, one is not allowed to charge more than the fair market value of the medication.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 192:10

- Danny
Wednesday, 5 Marchesvan 5771

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 #554 - May one put colored medication on wounds?

The Torah explicitly forbids tattooing; coloring the skin permanently.

Both puncturing the skin and filling the holes with ink as well as putting ink on the skin and then injecting it are forbidden.

However, one may put colored medication on wounds even if it will cause a permanent discoloring, since the wound will leave a scar making it obvious that it's not a tattoo.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 169:1

- Danny
Sunday, 11 Iyar 5770, 27th 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 #296 - The week of Chol Hamo'ed; Chol or Mo'ed?

The intermediary days of Pessach and Succoth are known as Chol Hamo'ed. Some types of work are permitted, others are forbidden.

In order to ensure that one does the laundry before the Mo'ed (Jewish Holiday), doing laundry is forbidden on Chol Hamo'ed, except in extenuating circumstances:

- If it was impossible to launder before the Mo'ed (e.g. one was locked up in jail) then one may launder on Chol Hamo'ed

- Baby clothes that continuously get soiled and need to be changed many times a day may be laundered on Chol Hamo'ed

When laundering on Chol Hamo'ed one must ensure it's done in private.

All medical procedures are allowed on Chol Hamo'ed.

If one has the opportunity to borrow money and there's reason to believe that after Yom Tov the money will no longer be available, then one may borrow the money on Chol Hamo'ed (even if it means writing an IOU), even if it's for a post Yom Tov business deal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 104:13, 14, 16

- Danny Tuesday, 28 Adar 5769

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

Halocho #169 - The week of Chol Hamo'ed; Chol or Mo'ed?

The intermediary days of Pessach and Succoth are known as Chol Hamo'ed. Some types of work are permitted, others are forbidden.

In order to ensure that one does the laundry before the Mo'ed (Jewish Holiday), doing laundry is forbidden on Chol Hamo'ed, except in extenuating circumstances:

- If it was impossible to launder before the Mo'ed (e.g. one was locked up in jail) then one may launder on Chol Hamo'ed

- Baby clothes that continuously get soiled and need to be changed many times a day may be laundered on Chol Hamo'ed

When laundering on Chol Hamo'ed one must ensure it's done in private.

All medical procedures are allowed on Chol Hamo'ed.

If one has the opportunity to borrow money and there's reason to believe that after Yom Tov the money will no longer be available, then one may borrow the money on Chol Hamo'ed (even if it means writing an IOU), even if it's for a post Yom Tov business deal.

Source: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 104:13, 14, 16

For more on Chol Hamo'ed see Halocho #91 - http://halocho.blogspot.com/2008/04/halocho-91-chol-hamoed-chol-or-moed.html

K'tiva V'chatima Tova; wishing you a year full of happiness,

- Danny Thursday, 11 Elul 5768

Halocho #45 - Tattoos

The Torah explicitly forbids tattooing; coloring the skin permanently. Both puncturing the skin and filling the holes with ink and putting ink on the skin and then injecting it are forbidden. However, one may put colored medication on wounds even if it will cause a permanent discoloring, since the wound will anyway leave a scar making it obvious that it's not a tattoo. Source: KSA 169:1

סימן קסט – איסור כתובת קעקע וקרחה על מת

סעיף א - כתיב בתורה וכתובת קעקע לא תתנו בכם, מהו כתובת קעקע, כתב המחוקה ושקוע שאינו נמחק לעולם, זהו השורט על בשרו וממלא מקום השריטה בכחול או בדיו או בשאר צבעונים הרושמים. וכן אם צובע תחלה בצבע ואחר כך שורט במקום הצבע עובר בלאו, ומכל מקום מותר ליתן אפר ושאר דברים על המכה לרפואה, אף על פי שישאר הרושם כי גם ממכתו ישאר רושם, ומוכיח עליו שלא עשה משום כתובת קעקע. סעיף ב - כתיב ושרט לנפש לא תתנו בבשרכם, וכתיב לא תתגודדו ולא תשימו קרחה בין עיניכם למת, וגדידה ושריטה אחת הן, ואסורין בין בפני המת בין שלא בפני המת, ואפילו להכות בידו על בשרו עד שדם יוצא אסור, ואפילו על צער אחר אסור. סעיף ג - קרחה הוא שתולש משער ראשו על מת, ואפילו בשערה אחת איכא איסורא, וגם הנשים מוזהרות בבל יקרחו ומכל שכן בבל ישרטו.

Halocho #12: One may not harm 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). 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: KSA 191:1