Supporting one's parents

Hi,

Money spent in support of one's parents qualifies as tzedakah, assuming the parents lack the means to support themselves.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 251:3, and see Tzedakah uMishpat 3:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Family first

Hi,

One's first philanthropic obligation is to one's own family. Therefore, communal funds should not be used to support needy people if they have relatives who are able to aid them.

(Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 257:8)

[I can't think that this rule would apply where the wealthy relatives refused to assist - but the Shulchan Aruch does not discuss that case.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Switching beneficiaries

Hi,

One who regularly supports a particular needy person should not switch his support to someone else, unless there is a compelling obligation to support the second party, such as where he is a relative or where he stands out for his righteousness.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3:6 and footnotes 17-18)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Putting all of one's tzedakah eggs in one basket

Hi,

One should not give all of his tzedakah to a single needy person, unless doing so would enable him to provide all of this person's needs, to the standard of living to which he is accustomed.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3:5, and footnote 16)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wedding Tzedakah

Hi,

Giving a couple the means to have a wedding qualifies as tzedakah. However, the couple should be careful not to spend more than is considered 'normal' for the wedding.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3:1, and see footnotes there)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

One who has a steady income

Hi,

One who has a steady income which provides for his living expenses is not permitted to accept tzedakah funds, even if he does not possess a year's living expenses [the poverty line discussed in a previous post] at any one time.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 2:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The halachic poverty line

Hi,

The Talmud states that one who has 200 zuz should not accept tzedakah. This figure is based on the assumption that 200 zuz, with the added help of matnot aniyim (the tithes and gifts separated from Israeli produce for the needy) and of the classic year-round kupah and tamchui distributions, would suffice for a year's normal expenses for one person (and a spouse, according to some commentators).

Therefore, in communities without matnot aniyim and without kupah and tamchui, and with different currencies, one would need to calculate the amount needed for a year's normal expenses, and this would be the key figure. One who possesses less than that sum would be justified in accepting tzedakah.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 2:2-5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

New topic: Receiving tzedakah

Hi,

One who is able to reduce his expenses and so get by without receiving tzedakah is responsible to do so. However, one whose health is endangered by his refusal to receive tzedakah is considered liable for his life.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 2:1 and footnote 1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Netilat yadayim if one was awake all night

Hi,

One who was awake all night should still wash netilat yadayim in the morning before prayer, but should not recite a blessing unless he used the washroom before this ritual washing.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:30)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Drying and netilat yadayim

Hi,

One need not dry one's hands after washing in the morning, but some are careful to do so, and they will not even recite the blessing of al netilat yadayim until after drying their hands. The strict view maintains that the problems remedied by washing are not dispelled until after drying.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:24 and footnote 82)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Netilat Yadayim in snow in the morning

Hi,

One may dip his hands in a snowbank for the ritual netilat yadayim upon rising in the morning, but one should dip them in three times, each time in a separate location.

This qualifies for the blessing of al netilat yadayim.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:19)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When there is no water for netilat yadayim

Hi,

One who rises in the morning and has no water for the ritual netilat yadayim washing should wipe his hands on a surface which will remove dirt, and alter the blessing to al nekiyut yadayim.

Later, when water is available, one should wash properly, without a new blessing.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:14, 17)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

How much to wash in the morning

Hi,

Ideally, the ritual washing conducted upon rising in the morning should involve the skin all the way to the wrist. One who lacks sufficient water should wash to the point where the fingers join the hand.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:12)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Washing with a cast

Hi,

When washing ritually upon rising, one must make sure that the water can reach all parts of one's hand. However, one whose entire hand is covered in a cast need wash only the other hand.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:11)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The size of a washing cup

Hi,

The washing cup used for ritual washing - whether when rising in the morning or for bread - must be able to hold at least a reviit - a little less than four ounces - of liquid.

(Mishneh Berurah 159:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Using a faucet to wash one's hands ritually

Hi,

For the ritual washing performed in the morning or before eating bread, the water must be poured on to the hands by human action. Opening a tap from a barrel or urn is considered human action. There is debate regarding a faucet from a water pipe, though, because the water must be poured from a keli [vessel], and it is not clear that the faucet suffices.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:8 and footnotes there)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Immersing one's hands in the morning

Hi,

One who doesn't have the option of pouring water on his hands in the morning for their ritual washing may immerse his hands in a bowl of water and then daven, but must then wash ritually afterward.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 4:12 and Ishei Yisrael 2:7)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The order for ritual handwashing in the morning

Hi,

The order of  ritual handwashing each morning is this: Pick up the cup of water and put it into the left hand, then pour water on the right hand. Switch hands, and pour on the left. Repeat the set three times. This is a ritual washing; unlike the washing done before eating bread, there is no rational explanation for the triple-washing here.

Some add a fourth wash, to remove the water used for the first three.

(Ishei Yisrael 2:5 and footnotes there)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Ritual washing for children

Hi,

Traditionally, washing one's hands ritually upon rising has been viewed as a matter of safety, and not only fulfillment of the Torah's instructions. Therefore, it applies even for children who are under the age of obligation in the Torah's instructions.

(Mishneh Berurah 4:10 and Ishei Yisrael 2:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Washing immediately upon rising

Hi,

One should wash ritually immediately upon rising, while at one's bed. However, one who cannot keep water beside his bed may rely upon views that say that one may wash anywhere in one's room.

(Mishneh Berurah 1:2, and see Ishei Yisrael 2:footnote 18)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Saying "Modeh ani" with dirty hands

Hi,

We are supposed to wash our hands ritually, with a cup, each morning, as we have discussed elsewhere. Even prayer is prohibited before this washing. However, one may recite the opening sentence of "Modeh ani", because it does not include the Name of Gd.

(Mishneh Berurah 1:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Berachah on croutons

Hi,

What berachah do I recite before eating a salad that contains croutons?

Regarding croutons baked from the start for use in a salad, one could contend that the appropriate berachah would be mezonos, because croutons do not function in the normal role of bread in a meal. Such croutons would be similar to the dry cracker which early halachic authorities term pas haba'ah b'kisnin. In that case, one would recite a mezonos for the croutons, separate from the berachah for the salad.

In reality, though, croutons are recycled from old bread; this was true historically, and sources in commercial food preparation say that it remains so in restaurants today. Therefore, toasted croutons retain their original bread berachah of hamotzi. [Note, though, that one who will eat less than an egg-sized volume of bread (croutons or otherwise) should not recite al netilas yadayim when washing.]

There is some debate regarding the status of deep fried croutons; one should endeavour to eat these croutons as part of a bread-based meal.

(Aruch ksn; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 158:2, 168:7, 10; Mishneh Berurah 168:56; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 168:23)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

After Barchu

Hi,

If someone has not yet said the Yishtabach berachah concluding psukei d'zimra, and he answers Barchu and automatically begins the berachah (yotzeir or) that follows Barchu, he cannot then go back and say Yishtabach.

(Ishei Yisrael 16:35)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Answering Barchu while in Pesukei d'Zimra

Hi,

One who is in the pesukei d'zimra portion of the morning service should respond to the chazan's Barchu, unless he is in the part of Baruch she'Amar after the second 'Baruch atah' or in Yishtabach after 'Baruch atah'.

(Mishneh Berurah 51:8; Ishei Yisrael 16:32)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Responding 'Amen' after Barchu

Hi,

Some halachic authorities contend that the community should respond 'Amen' after the chazan says 'Baruch HaShem hamevorach l'olam va'ed', while others say it is not necessary.

(Mishneh Berurah 57:4)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai

Bowing for Barchu

Hi,

Our practice is to bow when saying the word 'Barchu', straightening up when saying the Name of HaShem.

(Ishei Yisrael 16:28, and footnote 83)

חג אורים שמח,
Mordechai