Writing the location in a ketubah

Hi,

Where the ketubah is written in a location other than the place where the chuppah will be held, then the groom's actual kinyan accepting the responsibilities in the ketubah, attended by the witnesses, should take place only on the site of the chuppah. The location written in the ketubah should be the location where the witnesses watch the kinyan, which is where the chuppah is held.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:9:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A pre-dated ketubah?

Hi,

If a chuppah is held after nightfall, the date on the ketubah must be that of the night.

Historically, the ketubah could be pre-dated, because kiddushin was done before the chuppah. Today, though, kiddushin is done under the chuppah, and so there is no way that the ketubah could have any legal force until the chuppah itself.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:9:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Baruch shem kvod

Hi,

One who is reciting Shema, and who recites "Baruch shem kvod..." without concentrating on the meaning of the words, should repeat the line if he realizes it before starting "v'Ahavta." Once he starts "v'Ahavta" he is not required to go back; should he wish to go back, he would go back to the start of Shema.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:5:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kel Melech Ne'eman

Hi,

When should I recite "Kel melech neeman" before Shema?

We are taught that the male body is a system composed of 248 units ("eivarim") [the female body includes an additional four]. The three paragraphs of Shema, with the line "Baruch shem kvod malchuto l'olam va'ed", contain 245 words. By tradition, we add three words to Shema to draw a parallel between our declaration of spiritual faith and our human physique.

When reciting Shema in a minyan, one hears the chazan's repetition of "Hashem Elokeichem emet", and this completes the 248. One who is still reciting Shema at that time should pause in order to hear those three words from the chazan.

The Shulchan Aruch and Rama provide several options for an individual reciting Shema alone to reach 248 words. One option is to recite "Kel melech neeman" before Shema. Another is to repeat "Hashem Elokeichem emet" at the end, lest "Kel melech neeman" constitute an inappropriate interruption between Shema and its preceding berachah. A third option, for Shacharit, is to count the 15 "vavs" which begin the words following Shema as the equivalent of three added words; other options are presented for maariv.

There is significant debate regarding use of "Kel melech neeman" before reciting Shema on one's bed at night; one should follow his custom.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 61:3; Magen Avraham 61:3; Mishneh Halachos 5:17; Piskei Teshuvos 61:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Davening in schools vs shuls

Hi,

[I believe the following responsum was written regarding minors.]

It would be better for elementary school students to daven at a proper pace in their classrooms, even though they would lack a minyan and the time would come from their studies, than for them to daven in a hasty synagogue minyan.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A sinful mourner

Hi,

One who is known to be a violator of Torah should not serve as shaliach tzibbur, leading the davening, even if he is a mourner. However, one should not cause strife within a synagogue over this.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Different customs in writing Sefer Torah, Tefillin and Mezuzah

Hi,

One may use a sefer torah, mezuzah or set of tefillin which was written in accordance with a custom that is not the norm in a particular community. This is not ideal, but since the differences are known only to scribes, this would not be considered a violation of communal custom.

Certainly, we do not rule a particular custom to be 'invalid', where it is one of the traditional types of script.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Kohanim washing their own hands

Hi,

Kohanim may not wash their own hands before birchat kohanim, even if using Leviyyim makes the process more time-consuming.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:127:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Lighting the menorah beside a window

Hi,

Even though it is common to light the menorah indoors today, with the main publicity of the miracle occurring for members of the household, it is still appropriate to light beside a window, bordering the public domain.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:125)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Buying meat during the Nine Days

Hi,

One may purchase meat during the nine day period of mourning leading up to Tisha b'Av. Although we don't eat meat during that time, there would be many permitted reasons for having meat (such as Shabbat or a siyum), and therefore we need not worry that people would suspect the purchaser of eating meat inappropriately during this period.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:112:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Singing on Shabbat Chazon

Hi,

One may sing Shabbat zmirot [songs] on Shabbat Chazon [the Shabbat preceding Tishah b'Av]; it is for the honor of Shabbat, and so it is appropriate even for one who does not normally sing Shabbat zmirot.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:112:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Stepping out of the amidah

Hi,

If someone is reciting shemoneh esreih in the row behind me, may I step back from my own shemoneh esreih?

One may not pass within seven feet in front of a person who is reciting shemoneh esreih, and some extend this to people reciting kaddish. The point is to avoid distraction, as well as to avoid trespassing in the space of the shechinah. This applies even if the person reciting shemoneh esreih started after the rest of the minyan. Some limit the prohibition to the space directly in front of the person, though.

If there is an interceding bench, and the back of the bench is more than three feet high and fifteen inches wide, then some permit one to step back from shemoneh esreih. Even without this interruption, some are lenient in a case of need, particularly if the person who is reciting shemoneh esreih is blocking an aisle.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 102:4-5; Mishneh Berurah 102:2, 15-16; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 122:13; Yabia Omer 5:Orach Chaim 9:4; Tzitz Eliezer 9:8:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

An Israeli planning to return to Israel

Hi, An Israeli who marries a non-Israeli outside of Israel, and plans to return to Israel in two years, is obligated to observe the second day of Yom Tov as a non-Israeli until he returns to Israel. (Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:108) Have a great day, Mordechai

Planning to move to Israel

Hi,

Planning to move to Israel does not mean that one is considered 'Israeli' as far as observing one or two days of Yom Tov while outside of Israel.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:108)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Davening near diapers

Hi,

Cloth diapers which have been laundered are considered clean, such that one may daven beside them without any problem. If they have only been rinsed, though, one should not daven beside them, where possible.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:106:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Benefit from the light of Shabbat

Hi,

Some people look at the Shabbat candles just before reciting Kiddush, and then at the actual cup of wine during Kiddush.

Looking at the Shabbat candles reminds us of the day, and gives us the benefit of the light of Shabbat. The Talmud indicates that there is healing power in the light of the Shabbat candles. We turn our eyes back to the Kiddush cup during Kiddush, though, to avoid distraction from the blessing.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 271:10; Mishneh Berurah 271:48)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Inducing labor

Hi,

Childbirth involves danger. Gd protects women when they give birth, but this unique protection may not be extended to a situation which birth is moved up. Therefore, one should not induce labor in order to hasten birth, unless it is medically necessary.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:105:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Separating pages in a book on Shabbos

Hi,

If pages are joined in a book I am reading on Shabbos, may I separate them?

One may separate pages which had once been apart before becoming stuck together, if three conditions are fulfilled:
1) The adhesion is not over actual letters; and
2) The owner would not have wanted them stuck together; and
3) Separating the pages would not tear them, or peel away a layer of their thickness.

If the pages were not cut by the publisher, then one may not separate them; this would be seen as an act of mending the book.

(Pri Megadim Eishel Avraham 340:18; Biur Halachah 340 v'chayyav, Yesodei Yeshurun 4:97; Shemirat Shabbat k'Hilchatah 28:1, 28:footnote 5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Bedikot and Vaginal suppositories

Hi,

If a woman needs to take medicine via vaginal suppositories, but she also needs to count her seven clean days to end a niddah period, then she should first do her hefsek taharah and first day's checking, then use the suppositories. She may skip her bedikos (internal checks) for Days 2 through 6 in order to avoid interfering with her medicine, but she would need to skip the suppository on Day 7 in order to do the required checking internally.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:105:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Extending the hood of a carriage on Shabbos

Hi,

One may extend the hood of a carriage on Shabbos, if one left it extended one tefach (3.6 inches) before Shabbos.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:105:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The special status of Hoshana Rabbah

Hi,

Tonight is Hoshana Rabbah, the last day of the official Succot holiday (before Shmini Atzeret and Simchat Torah, which are considered a separate holiday for many halachic purposes), and the last day of judgment for the year's rainfall. Many Jews wear Shabbat clothing for that day, to underscore the day's significance.

(Mishneh Berurah 664:9)

Have a great rest of Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Preparing children for bed on Shabbos

Hi,

One may not prepare for after Shabbos, on Shabbos.

However: One may put children into pajamas on Shabbos even if they will not go to sleep until after Shabbos, if there is any good reason - aside from a desire to make things easier after Shabbos - to do it now.

For example, one may change children into pajamas if their clothing is dirty, rather than change them into a fresh outfit and then into pajamas. One may also change children into pajamas if they normally wear pajamas for an hour or two before bed.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:105:3)

Have a great rest of Yom Tov,
Mordechai

Shaving for business during the Omer or The Three Weeks

Hi,

One who needs to shave for business, and who would lose money if he would not shave, may shave during the days of the Omer and during the first part of the "Three Weeks" period of mourning for the Beit haMikdash. However, he may not shave during the week of Tishah b'Av.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:102)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When do I light the menorah?

Hi,

One should light the menorah for Chanukah 10 minutes after sunset, with enough fuel for it to burn for an hour. This will ensure that it remains lit for half an hour after the stars emerge.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:101:6)

[As always, see the disclaimer at the top of this blog...]

Have a great Yom Tov,
Mordechai