Bathing on Shabbat

Hi,

One may not bathe in a tub on Shabbat, even in cold water. The sole exception is immersion in a mikvah for purification or as a special measure of piety.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:87)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teaching music during the Omer

Hi,

One may teach music for his livelihood during the Omer, unless he gains pleasure from listening to the music.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:87)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The memorial mark for the Temple [zecher l'churban]

Hi,

We leave an unfinished space of one cubit by one cubit (21.6 inches by 21.6 inches, per Rav Moshe Feinstein) on the wall of a house, to commemorate the loss of the Beit haMikdash (Temple).

Halachic authorities have frowned on the practice of painting that spot black, since this 'finishes' it, but the practice may be justified, particularly as black is recognized as a color of mourning.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:86)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wallpaper during the Nine Days

Hi,

Although there is no prohibition against putting up wallpaper in the mourning period leading up to Tisha b'Av, one should not do it during shavua shechal bo, the week of Tisha b'Av itself.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:82)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Building a bookcase during the Nine Days

Hi,

One may build a bookcase during the Nine Days leading up to Tisha b'Av, but it should not be brought into one's home if it is nice enough that it brings joy. [Even where it does not induce great joy, Rav Moshe seems uncomfortable with the idea of bringing it into one's home unless this is necessary.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:82)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Interruptions between consecutive blessings

Hi,

Certain blessings were created to be recited consecutively, and so the first blessing begins with the standard 'Baruch atah' introduction and the rest do not. Examples of this include the blessings of the Amidah and Birchat haMazon, as well as the blessings leading up to Shema. [This is called 'berachah has'muchah lachavertah'.]

One is not supposed to recite blessings without the 'Baruch atah' introduction, unless they have a preceding blessing which begins 'Baruch atah'.

Nonetheless: If one responds 'Amen' to a blessing in between two consecutive blessings, he should continue to recite the second blessing and not be concerned about losing the 'Baruch atah' introduction which began the first one.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:81)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shehechiyanu on a new car

Hi,

One recites Shehechiyanu upon purchasing a new vehicle, even if it is to be used for a work.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:80 - so it appears, although I must admit that I don't understand the flow of his paragraph here)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Polishing shoes during the Nine Days

Hi,

One may polish shoes for Shabbat during the Nine Days if one generally wears Shabbat clothes for Shabbat during the Nine Days.

One may blacken shoes during the Nine Days.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:80)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Buying mitzvah items during the Nine Days

Hi,

One may purchase tefillin during the Nine Days, as these are purchased for their mitzvah.

One may not purchase a Tallit, because it is a garment and it is important enough to warrant a Shehechiyanu.

One may purchase a Tallit Katan (tzitzit) if the garment is not significant to him [I believe the definition of significance is in terms of the joy it brings the wearer].

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:80)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Buying new clothing during the Nine Days leading up to Tisha b'Av

Hi,

One may buy appropriate footwear (ie non-leather shoes) for Tishah b'Av during the "Nine Days" period of mourning leading up to Tishah b'Av, if one was not able to purchase it beforehand.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:80)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Mending garments during the Nine Days

Hi,

During the nine days of mourning between Rosh Chodesh Av and Tishah b'Av one may not have a professional tailor mend a ruined garment to make it usable. However, one may fix it as an amateur to make it wearable.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:79)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Dental appointments on Chol haMoed

Hi,

One may go to the dentist on Chol haMoed only to treat a problem which involves some pain; routine maintenance is considered the dentist's work, and should not be scheduled for Chol haMoed.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:78)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Fixing items on Chol haMoed

Hi,

One may fix prescription eyeglasses, and sunglasses which serve a medical purpose, on Chol haMoed. One may not fix sunglasses which are worn purely for enjoyment.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:78)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reciting a berachah if a tallis falls off

Hi,

If I remove my tallis temporarily, am I required to recite a berachah when I put it back on?

One who removes his tallis and plans to put it back on immediately (some suggest within 30 minutes; others offer a period of hours) should not recite a new berachah, even if he goes to the washroom in the interim. Ideally, one should have these intermissions in mind at the time of his original berachah.

One whose tallis falls off entirely should recite a new berachah, although some suggest this may not be required if one's tallis falls off incessantly. If one's tallis falls off during Shemoneh Esreih, he should put it back on without a berachah. After Shemoneh Esreih he should recite the berachah and shift the tzitzis strings as though putting it on again.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 8:14-15; Kaf haChaim 8:52-56; Mishneh Berurah 8:38; Biur Halachah 8 "Im pashat"; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 8:20-22; Chelkas Yaakov Orach Chaim 236; Mishneh Halachos 15:7; Yabia Omer 8: Orach Chaim 2; Tzitz Eliezer 17:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Attending a funeral on the added day of Yom Tov

Hi,

A non-Israeli who is in Israel on the added day of Yom Tov may attend a funeral of a great person. [We distinguish because there are sufficient people to take care of the needs of a normal person, but for great people all are obligated to be involved.] One may even carry the casket.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:77)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Burial on the added day of Yom Tov

Hi,

The Talmud permits burial on the added day of Yom Tov under certain circumstances. However, today we have refrigeration techniques to preserve the body. Also, there is also great concern for unsanctioned violation of Yom Tov in preparing for the funeral. Therefore, one may not bury on the added day of Yom Tov in our times.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:76)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Israelis working for non-Israelis on the second day of Yom Tov

Hi,

An added day of Yom Tov is observed outside of Israel, but not in Israel.

If a Jew who lives outside of Israel owns a factory in Israel, Israelis may work in that factory on the added day of Yom Tov, which is not Yom Tov for them.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:71)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Pre-emptive life-saving on Shabbat

Hi,

On Shabbat, one who is not currently in danger, but who can reasonably expect he will be in danger later on Shabbat, may not act now to prevent that danger. The exception to this is where one might not actually be able to save himself once he is in the dangerous situation.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:69)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kiddush with a paper cup, expanded

Hi,

[Adding to an earlier post, here]

May I recite kiddush or havdalah using a disposable cup?

Three halachic considerations are relevant here:
• We require that the cup be "chai", which means that it must be whole. Some authorities rule that a disposable cup is inherently flawed; others argue that we only require that the cup be complete.
• We require that the cup be a "kli", an implement meeting certain halachic criteria, and some contend that a disposable cup does not meet those standards.
• We try to perform mitzvos in a beautiful manner. Disposable items, by definition, are inexpensive, and they are often unattractive.

Because of these considerations, we avoid using a disposable cup for these mitzvos. However, one who has no other option may rely on the authorities who accept disposables.

(Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:39; Minchat Yitzchak 10:23; Tzitz Eliezer 12:23; Shemirat Shabbat k'Hilchatah 47:11; Beer Moshe 5:55; Contemporary Halachic Problems II 12; Rivivot Ephraim 1:150:2; Az Nidbiru 6:49; Yalkut Yosef 271:42)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Meals on the first afternoon of Yom Tov

Hi,

We are taught not to eat meals in the later afternoon before Shabbat or Yom Tov, lest we ruin our appetite for the Shabbat/Yom Tov meal that night. One who is hungry may eat a meal in the later afternoon [before sunset] of Shabbat/Yom Tov preceding Yom Tov/Shabbat, because those are mitzvah meals themselves. However, one should not time his meal for then, intentionally.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:68)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Expanding the list of Kitniyot

Hi,

The practice of avoiding certain non-Chametz foods - such as rice and beans - on Pesach, termed "kitniyot", is a product of custom. Therefore, we do not add items to the list, even if including them seems logical to us.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:63)

[Of course, others disagree...]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Chametz Creams on Pesach

Hi,

One may use a topical cream containing inedible alcohol on Pesach, assuming it was prepared before Pesach. The equation of smearing topical ointments with drinking is limited to oil, and the alcohol is inedible in this cream.

One who is in great pain, and who has no cream, may buy the cream from a non-Jew who prepares it on Pesach.

[Note: This is separate from the halachic discussion about smearing ointment on Shabbat and Yom Tov.]

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:62)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Eggs for Pesach

Hi,

All eggs should be washed before Pesach, even if their surfaces are clean of apparent material. However, there is no concern for absorption from any detergent materials used by farmers in their own egg-washing process.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:61)

Have an easy and meaningful fast,
Mordechai

Checking eggs in the United States

Hi,

Because our chicken eggs are not fertilized by roosters, we could permit someone who found a blood spot to simply remove the spot and eat the rest. However, because no major loss is involved, and because we are customarily stricter than truly necessary regarding eggs and blood spots, one should not eat the rest.

Nonetheless, a mixture of eggs in which such an egg was included will not be prohibited, and a vessel in which it was cooked should only be kept for 24 hours without use, but need not be kashered.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:61)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kashering aluminum

Hi,

Some contend that aluminum utensils may include other materials which cannot be kashered with the 'hagalah' method used normally for metals. However, since we wait 24 hours before kashering so that the need to kasher is rabbinic, and since these utensils may not absorb at all, there is no concern. One may employ hagalah.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:58)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Leaving chametz in trash cans before Pesach

Hi,

One may not leave chametz in his trash cans into Pesach, even if those cans are left at the curb, because the chametz remains in his domain and under his control. One is obligated to destroy it.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:57)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Vitamins on Shabbat

Hi,

One may take vitamins which are only intended to preserve one's strength or to insulate one from illness, or which give energy boosts, on Shabbat; these are not viewed as medicine.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 3:54)

Have a great day,
Mordechai