Shalom Aleichem at Kiddush Levanah

Hi,

As part of Kiddush Levanah, we appeal to Gd to frustrate our enemies and inspire fear in them. We then turn to each other and say, "Shalom Aleichem," "May you experience peace," to indicate our unity with those around us.

(Mishneh Berurah 426:16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Aleinu after Kiddush Levanah

Hi,

Some suggest that the reason we recite Aleinu after performing Kiddush Levanah is to make it clear to onlookers that we are only using our sighting of the new moon as a means to pray to Gd, and that this is not meant to be moon-worship, Gd-forbid.

As we have noted, this is also why some turn away from the moon once they begin the berachah of Kiddush Levanah.

(Biur Halachah to Orach Chaim 426 ומברך)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Standing for Kiddush Levanah

Hi,

Because Kiddush Levanah is a time when we are considered to be greeting Gd as we witness the way the celestial bodies obey His commands, we recite it while standing.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2; Biur Halachah 426 ומברך)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Looking at the moon during Kiddush Levanah

Hi,

There is some debate as to whether one should look at the moon, and how much to do so, after beginning Kiddush Levanah. The concern seems to be for the appearance of moon-worship.

Certainly, one looks at the moon before beginning the berachah. After that, though, some continue to look, and others specifically look away. Consult your local rabbi to determine the custom of your community.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2; Mishneh Berurah 426:13)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah on Shabbos and Yom Tov

Hi,

We do not perform kiddush levanah on Friday night or on Yom Tov. Some attribute this to mystical considerations, others to legal considerations.

If the last opportunity for kiddush levanah is that night, one should recite kiddush levanah that night.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2; Mishneh Berurah 426:12; Shaar haTziyyun 426:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah for Mourners

Hi,

There is some debate as to what a mourner within shivah should do if his shivah will end after the 10th of the month, and he has yet to perform Kiddush Levanah. One should consult his rabbi to determine proper practice.

(Mishneh Berurah 426:11; Biur Halachah 426:Kodem; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 426:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah after a fast

Hi,

One should not recite Kiddush Levanah immediately after fasting, since this is a time of sadness as well as hunger. However, one may do so after he has had a chance to eat. After Tishah b'Av, one must don shoes as well as eat before performing Kiddush Levanah.

After Yom Kippur one may recite Kiddush Levanah immediately, because of the joy of concluding the Divine judgment positively.

(Mishneh Berurah 426:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah before Yom Kippur

Hi,

Some say that one should not recite Kiddush Levanah during the Aseret Yemei Teshuvah, the days between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, because those are days of fear and worry regarding the outcome of one's Judgment, and Kiddush Levanah is to be recited in joy.

Others disagree, because we want to accumulate mitzvot and because we are concerned that clouds might cause a person to miss Kiddush Levanah altogether because of the long delay.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2; Magen Avraham 426:5; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 426:8; Mishneh Berurah 426:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah during the Nine Days

Hi,

We don't perform Kiddush Levanah during the nine day national mourning period leading up to Tishah b'Av, because of the sadness of those days.

Others disagree, because we want to accumulate mitzvot and because we are concerned that clouds might cause a person to miss Kiddush Levanah altogether because of the long delay.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 426:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah on Saturday night, Part II

Hi,

Although we have said that one should recite Kiddush Levanah on Motzaei Shabbat (Saturday night), one should not wait if there is a distinct possibility that the sky will be cloudy that night, and between then and the last night to recite Kiddush Levanah.

The normal standard is to wait for Motzaei Shabbat if four possible Kiddush Levanah nights would still remain afterward.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah on Saturday night

Hi,

We prefer to perform Kiddush Levanah on Motzaei Shabbat (Saturday night). This time when we recognize Divine Creation is considered a moment of meeting with Gd, and so it is appropriate to perform it a time when we are clean and dressed nicely.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Blind people and kiddush levanah

Hi,

Blind people perform kiddush levanah when the moon is visible to others; they cannot see the moon, but the substance of the berachah is about the moon's renewal rather than its visibility.

(Mishneh Berurah 426:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah on a cloudy night

Hi,

If the moon is concealed by a thick cloud, one may not recite Kiddush Levanah. However, if the cloud layer is thin, such that the moon is clearly visible through it, one may recite Kiddush Levanah.

One who begins the berachah when the moon is clearly visible may complete it even if clouds then pass before the moon.

(Mishneh Berurah 426:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

How early at night may one recite Kiddush Levanah?

Hi,

Kiddush Levanah is to be recited at night; therefore, we do not say it during "bein hashemashot," during twilight.

There is some dispute as to how long twilight extends. One approach is to wait until at least 36 minutes after sunset, while others wait until the time we mark the end of Shabbat.

(Mishneh Berurah 426:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush Levanah

Hi,

When one sees the moon in its new state, one recites a special blessing, colloqiually termed “Kiddush Levanah.” The purpose is to recognize Divine creation, at the time of its renewal.

I hope to define "new state," and other elements of this mitzvah, in future posts.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 426:1; Mishneh Berurah 426:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The location for Shema

Hi,

One must be careful to recite the Shema in a proper environment. If there is a foul-smelling trash can or a dirty diaper nearby, one may not recite Shema.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 79)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What if I already said Shema? Part II

Hi,

Yesterday we noted that one who is in the room when others are reciting Shema should recite the first line with them, lest he appear to disagree with it (by his silence).

However: If one is praying, and at a point in prayer when interruption is prohibited, then he should simply say the words of the prayer he is in, but with the tune used for the opening line of Shema, so that his recitation will blend into theirs.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 65:2; Mishneh Berurah 65:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What if I already said Shema?

Hi,

One who has already recited Shema, but then enters a synagogue in which people are reciting Shema, must recite the first verse with them lest he appear to disagree with what they are saying.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 65:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Signaling during Shema

Hi,

One who is in the middle of reciting the first paragraph of Shema may not signal to others, such as with his eyes, lips or fingers, let alone speak to others.

This is a time when a person is declaring his acceptance of Gd's reign, and signalling to other people at that time would indicate that the Shema and its statements of faith are of secondary importance to him.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 63:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reciting Shema while traveling

Hi,

One who is traveling and wishes to recite Shema must halt for the first sentence and the "Baruch Shem" line, in order to build up his concentration.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 63:3; Mishneh Berurah 63:9-10)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Standing or sitting for Shema

Hi,

One may stand or sit while reciting Shema, but one may not recite Shema while lying on his back or stomach, because that would be disrespectful. One who is ill should try, at least, to turn on his side to the extent possible.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 63:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Touching tefillin and tzitzit while reciting Shema

Hi,

One who is wearing tefillin while reciting Shema should touch the arm and head tefillin when reciting the verses that mention them. Similarly, one who is wearing tzitzit should touch the tzitzit when reciting the verses that mention them.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 61:25)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reciting Shema audibly

Hi,

We have mentioned that one should carefully enunciate each syllable of Shema, matching the way the Shema is written in the Torah. Ideally, this means that one should enunciate the Shema audibly. [It should be audible to himself, but it should not disturb others.]

The minimum is that one's mouth must form the words; even if he does not hear himself, he fulfills his obligation.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 62:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Enunciation of Shema

Hi,

It is important to realize that the mitzvah of reading Shema is to recite the verses of Shema, as they appear in the Torah. Therefore, the ideal is to take great care to separate each word and enunciate clearly. This is especially important with words which tend to run together. Some are even careful to read the verses with the notes (trope) used to read the weekly Torah portion, although this is not obligatory.

Of course, one who is not capable of reciting these words in the Hebrew should still recite them in English until he manages to learn the Hebrew.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 61:14-24)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Baruch Shem Kevod

Hi,

After the first line of Shema, we add the line "Baruch Shem K'vod Malchuto l'Olam va'Ed," "Blessed be the Name of the honor of His reign, forever."

This verse does not appear in the Torah's presentation of Shema; tradition teaches that Yaakov [Jacob] authored this line. When Yaakov was on his deathbed, his children confirmed their faith to him, saying, "Hear, Israel [Yaakov's other name], HaShem is our Gd, HaShem is One." Yaakov then responded, "Blessed be the Name..."

We say this line silently when we recite Shema; since the line does not appear in the Torah, we mark its uniqueness by saying it in this special way.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 61:13; Mishneh Berurah 61:29)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Repeating the word "Shema"

Hi,

One should not recite the word "Shema," or the entire first verse, twice; that would create the appearance of worshipping multiple gods.

If, however, one realizes that he was not concentrating when he first said it, he may repeat it silently. If no one else is around, he may even repeat the words aloud.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 61:9; Mishneh Berurah 61:22)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The first line of Shema

Hi,

We traditionally recite the first line of Shema aloud, in order to awaken our concentration. We also place our right hands over our eyes, to prevent us from seeing anything else and becoming distracted.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 61:4-5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai