Translating a berachah

Hi,

One may not recite a berachah's translation in between the berachah and the moment one begins eating; the translation would constitute an unacceptable interruption.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:49)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A prayer before eating bread

Hi,

One may not add prayers after washing for bread and before the "HaMotzi", even if those prayers relate to the meal itself. At best this is an interruption between washing and HaMotzi, and at worst, if the prayer is intended to be a regular service, it is also a violation of "Bal Tosif", the prohibition against adding regular prayer.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:48)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Merging synagogues

Hi,

One may not close an active synagogue in order to merge it with another synagogue, for several reasons. Among these is the concern that people who live near the now-closed synagogue will no longer walk to davening on Shabbat.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:46)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Snow in the mikvah

Hi,

If a community lacks rain and needs to melt snow to create a mikvah, they should use natural snow and not artificial snow.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:42)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Bimah in the middle, revisited

Hi,

As we have already seen, the Shulchan Aruch says that the bimah should be in the middle of the shul. According to the Rambam, this is to ensure that people in all parts of the shul will be able to hear the Torah read.

Others have suggested a second reason for centering the bimah – to mirror the mizbeiach in the Beit haMikdash. This would apply even in a smaller room, but the argument is less clear as a legal basis.

This practice should be followed wherever possible, and certain in a large room and wherever there is any concern for people's ability to hear the Torah read.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:41-42)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Donation plaques

Hi,

When a Sefer Torah is donated to a shul, and a plaque is attached with particular names, those plaques may not be removed. Even if the Torah is given entirely as a gift, it is understood that the gift is conditioned upon the presence of those plaques.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:39)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Selling a sefer torah

Hi,

There is a view that one who writes (or funds the writing of) a Torah and then gives it away has not fulfilled his obligation to write a Torah. Therefore, it is assumed, by default, that people who 'donate' a Torah to a shul for its use only mean to lend it to the shul, and are not actually giving it to the shul.

Therefore, a shul may not sell a Torah which was donated to the shul; the Torah is not truly theirs.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:39)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Announcements in shul

Hi,

If it is known that some people in shul might learn from and adhere to a halachic announcement, such as to be silent during shofar blowing, then the announcement should be made even if some who are present will ignore it and so violate the law knowingly.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:36)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Aliyah without a berachah

Hi,

There may be no public Torah reading without a berachah; each aliyah is required to have a berachah. Shuls which read the "tochachah" [portions of Parshat Bechukotai and Ki Tavo which predict horrible punishments for the Jewish people when they sin] without a berachah are mistaken, and should change their practice.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:35)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A kohen who married a divorcee

Hi,

If a kohen marries a divorcee, he no longer receives the first aliyah to the Torah, but he may receive other aliyot despite his sin.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:33)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Duchening with a prosthetic foot

Hi,

A Kohen who has a prosthetic foot may perform nesiat kappayim (duchening, blessing the community). Ideally he should remove his shoes, but if this is not possible, or if his lack of biological feet is obvious when he wears socks, then he should wear shoes which do not have laces.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:32)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The Chazan's nusach

Hi,

A chazan is supposed to use his private amidah to prepare for the public repetition. Therefore, a chazan must use the same nusach in his private amidah as in the public recitation, even if that is different from the nusach he normally uses when davening privately.

For more on chazzanim and public-private nusach, please click here.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:29)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Where does the Chazan stand for the amidah?

Hi,

The "amud" where the Chazan stands for the amidah should be centered along the wall toward which the shul davens and where the Aron is located, close to the Aron. However, this is not a hard and fast requirement, such that one could not daven in a shul that was arranged differently.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:28)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

How important is Minyan?

Hi,

Davening with a minyan is not merely a better form of prayer than individual prayer; davening with a minyan is an obligation. The Shulchan Aruch (90:16) rules that one who is on the road need travel only up to 18 minutes (the length of a mil) to arrive at the site for a minyan, but that is if one is on the road, and travelling to minyan would be difficult. One who was at home would be required to travel further, although it is not clear how much further.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:27)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Where we stand while reciting the Amidah

Hi,

Ideally, one should recite the amidah in a low area, but this is not a requirement. It must not be elevated more than 3 tefach (about 11 inches), though.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:26)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush before Shacharit

Hi,

One who is ill, such that he needs to eat bread before davening on Shabbat morning, must recite kiddush before eating bread. The same rule applies if he eats "pat haba'ah b'kisnin", grain-based products which are treated like bread when eaten as the foundation of a meal.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:26)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Noachide prayer

Hi,

Non-Jews, like Jews, are obligated to pray to Gd in times of physical or financial distress.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:25)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tefillin script

Hi,

One who davens with nusach Ashkenaz may wear tefillin written according to the rules of the Ari (even though the Ari's followers daven with nusach Sfard). This is not considered inconsistent conduct.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:24)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Changing from Nusach Sfard to Nusach Ashkenaz

Hi,

One whose ancestral family davened with the "nusach sfard" edition of chassidim for generations, but whose parents raised him to daven with the "nusach ashkenaz" edition because of the local community, may continue to daven with nusach ashkenaz. The original edition of these chassidim was nusach ashkenaz.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:24)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

The Tenth of Av

Hi,

Although the prohibitions of Tisha b’Av end with Tisha b’Av, the practices of the Nine Days – refraining from meat and wine, not bathing for pleasure, not laundering or wearing fresh clean clothing and not attending celebrations – continue until midday the next day.

This is because we are taught that the Beit haMikdash (Temple) burned until midday on the Tenth of Av.

[Note that there is an exception to this rule: As we have discussed, when Tisha b'Av occurs on a Saturday night and Sunday, Havdalah after Tisha b'Av is done with wine/grape juice.]

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 558:1; Mishneh Berurah 558:3)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Pre-Fast reminders

Hi,

A few reminders before the fast:

At sunset on Monday afternoon, the fast and the prohibitions against bathing or annointing one's skin for pleasure and the prohibition against marital relations begin. We do not wear leather shoes.

We sit on the floor or a low stool until midday on Tuesday; midday is the midpoint between sunrise and sunset, and calculating it depends upon your location.

We do not wash ourselves on Tisha b'Av; if our hands are dirty, we use a little bit of water on the dirty spot to clean that dirt off. Upon rising from sleep, and after using the bathroom, we wash up to the knuckle where the fingers meet the hand.

May this be the last year when we need to observe Tisha b'Av,
Mordechai

Laws of Tisha b'Av

Hi,

For laws of Tisha b'Av from previous years' posts, click here. Note that particular fasting times have not been updated to reflect this year's schedule.

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

A different nusach, Part II

Hi,

Following up on yesterday's email:

When one davens in a shul which has a nusach that differs from his own, one may continue to use his personal nusach for parts that are recited quietly and do not require a minyan.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:23)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

A different nusach

Hi,

If one davens with a minyan in which the standard nusach is different from his own, then for all parts of the davening which require a minyan, whether recited aloud or recited quietly, one should use the nusach of the minyan.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:23)

Note: In Orach Chaim 2:104 Rav Moshe stated that one should use the nusach of the minyan for everything other than the silent amidah.

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Chazzanim who repeat words

Hi,

If chazzanim repeat words in the course of a berachah, but they do not actually jumble the order of the words, this does not constitute an interruption.

If chazzanim jumble the words (as in וקוראי עונג שבת וקדשתו שבת), then if the new order changes the meaning of the sentence so that it indicates something different, the chazzan must return to the start of the berachah. If the new order is consistent with the original meaning of the sentence, the chazzan did interrupt, but he need not return to the beginning of the berachah. If the new order renders the words meaningless, then if the change was intentional, then he must return to the beginning of the berachah.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:22)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Changing communal minhag

Hi,

If a community has the customs of a certain ethnic group (Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Yemenite, etc) which constitute the majority of its population, and then the population shifts such that other ethnic groups join, they should not change the original communal customs. Only if no members remain from that original ethnic group may they alter the communal custom.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:21)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

Counting a child as the tenth for a minyan

Hi,

[Note: This topic is somewhat controversial.]

In a case of great need, such as where there will absolutely be no minyan otherwise, one may rely on the minority view which accepts a minor male as the tenth for a minyan, ideally if the male is already twelve, and he should sit beside a Torah which is placed on a table.

There are two caveats:

1. This may be used for things which require a minyan rabbinically, but not for things which require a minyan biblically. Therefore, the chazan should wait while the rest of the minyan davens shemoneh esreih, and then start his once they have finished. This prevents the biblical issue of berachah l'vatalah (reciting a berachah in vain); only kedushah and kaddish and the berachot for kriat haTorah remain, which are rabbinic.

2. The sefer torah should not be held by the child, since then the minyan could not sit down.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 2:18)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai