Reciting Shehechiyanu for someone else

Hi,

If multiple people purchase new garments, each should recite Shehechiyanu individually, rather than have one recite it on behalf of the rest.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:23:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Checking one's tallit

Hi,

Normally, one is required to check the strings of his tallit daily (other than Shabbat). However, one who would miss davening with a minyan may skip the check and rely on the check he did yesterday [assuming nothing has happened that might cause him to doubt that the tallit is still fine].

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:22)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Berachah on a shul tallit

Hi,

The Mishneh Berurah says to recite a berachah upon putting on a tallit owned by one's shul, but that is not the general practice for one who ascends to the Torah. Reasons not to recite the berachah include:

1) The fact that one generally does not wrap himself in such a tallit (ituf);

2) The fact that one dons the tallit only for the sake of the honour of the community, and not for one's own sake;

3) Concern that the tallit may not be strung properly.

One approach to avoid requiring a berachah is to declare beforehand that one abandons any share he owns in the tallit as a member of the synagogue. Thus it is a borrowed tallit, and one does not recite a berachah on a borrowed tallit.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:21)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Shehechiyanu in Mourning

Hi,

One who is in mourning does recite Shehechiyanu for occasions which are not of his creation, like Chanukah and Purim. However, he should not recite Shehechiyanu for situations of his own creation, like purchasing a new fruit or new garment.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Netilat Yadayim: Wet hands and dry hands

Hi,

I was washing netilas yadayim for bread, and after one pour, my wet hand touched my dry hand. Do I need to start again?

The goal of washing netilas yadayim for bread is to remove a low level of ambient impurity from one's hands. After ascertaining that there is no dirt on one's hands, one pours a first round of water, which purifies her hands, but renders the water remaining on her hands impure. Then one pours a second round of water, which purifies the water on her hands. [Some pour a third round, for reasons beyond the scope of this paragraph.]

Because the first round of washing leaves the water on the wet hand impure, touching the wet hand to the dry hand renders the dry hand impure, and netilas yadayim cannot remove that impurity. Therefore, one should dry both hands, and then start washing again.

However: If the first pour on the wet hand contained at least four ounces of water, then one need not dry and re-start; that quantity of water does not become impure.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 162:2, 4; Mishneh Berurah 162:18-21,32-37)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

After checking a mezuzah

Hi,

One who removes his mezuzah for checking does not recite a new berachah upon putting it back up, assuming no problem was found with the mezuzah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:19)

[Note: If the mezuzah remains off for more than a few hours, we do require a new berachah, but the precise duration to trigger a berachah is unclear to me. I did see that http://www.torah.org/advanced/weekly-halacha/5763/kiseitzei.html addresses this question.]

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Covering an urn for Shabbos

Hi,

May I cover my urn on Shabbos, to keep the water inside warm?

The sages of the Talmud were concerned that one who would try to keep food hot on Shabbos might become disappointed in its heat, and turn up the flame without remembering that it is Shabbos. Therefore, they created two decrees:

• One may not wrap a vessel containing food or water on Shabbos, if this would preserve or increase the current level of heat;
• One may not wrap a vessel containing food or water before Shabbos, if this would increase the level of heat.

Therefore, one may not wrap an electric urn in entirety before or on Shabbos; the water's heat increases on Shabbos, via the cumulative effect of the urn and its wrapping. However, one may wrap the urn if he leaves part of the urn exposed to the air, and this includes draping a cover in a way that it will not be flush with the walls of the urn.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 253:1, 257:8; Chayei Adam 2:2:5; Mishneh Berurah 253:49; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 257:2, 4, 10)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

The age to start wearing tzitzit

Hi,

One should train a child in each mitzvah when he is intellectually ready; there is no fixed age. Local custom is to start at the age of 3, and so that is when one should attempt to train the child in this mitzvah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:18)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Drying during asher yatzar

Hi,

Normally, one is not permitted to engage in a task while reciting a berachah (blessing), because this would be distracting and because this would reflect a lack of respect for the berachah. However, one may dry his hands while reciting the "Asher yatzar" berachah that follows use of the washroom, since drying is part of the mitzvah that one is performing, and not a separate, potentially disrespectful task.

[I must admit that I am confused as to what 'mitzvah' is involved here. - MT]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:17)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Wash up!

Hi,

One is obligated to keep his body clean, both as preparation for prayer and in general in honour of his Creator.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:14)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Netilat yadayim for one who slept wearing gloves

Hi,

One who sleeps wearing gloves still must perform the ritual netilat yadayim washing upon rising; one of the reasons for washing is the fact that we were asleep, and that reason does apply in this case. There is debate, though, as far as whether one should recite a blessing upon this washing.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:13:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A shared shehakol

Hi,

If one person is about to eat or drink an item requiring a blessing of Shehakol, and the other is about to eat or drink a different type of item that also requires a blessing of Shehakol, one may recite the Shehakol on behalf of the other, even though the foods are of different kinds.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:13:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Washing ritually after touching shoelaces

Hi,

We wash ritually (netilat yadayim) after touching shoes, but it is not necessary to wash after touching  shoelaces.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:10:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Washing ritually after cutting one's nails

Hi,

We wash ritually (netilat yadayim) after cutting our nails, and even after removing just some of the nails.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:10:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Food and medicine in a bathroom

Hi,

One may not bring food into a bathroom,due to the impurity that is present. However, one may keep medicine in a bathroom, because it is in a closed container and because it is not viewed as food in Jewish law.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:8:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Hand-washing and Haircuts

Hi,

One should wash his hands ritually after having a haircut. This may be done in the barbershop, or after leaving.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:7:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Saying "Shalom" in a bathroom

Hi,

Because "Shalom" is a Name of Gd, it should not be mentioned in an unclean place, or a place where people are found unclothed. However, one may call someone whose name is Shalom; in this context, it is not a Name of Gd.

(Rabbi Ephraim Greenblatt, Rivivot Ephraim 1:7:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

"Shalom aleichem" without a yarmulka

Hi,

One is not supposed to say "Shalom aleichem" without a yarmulka, because the word "Shalom" in the greeting is a reference to Gd ("Gd be with you").

However, many authorities permit a person to greet someone who lacks a yarmulka with "Shalom aleichem", despite the concern that this person will then respond in kind. One reason to permit it is to prevent strife when he fails to offer a greeting; another is because people who say "Shalom aleichem" tend not to think of "Shalom" as a Name of Gd in that context.

(Rabbi Ephraim Greenblatt, Rivivot Ephraim 1:7:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Handwashing after the bed and the washroom

Hi,

We wash our hands ritually after sleeping, but not after lying in bed without sleeping. We wash our hands ritually after being in the washroom, but not if one only introduced his hands.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Putting the Ten Commandments on the Aron Kodesh

Hi,

We are taught not to publish the Aseret haDibrot (Ten Commandments) in a standalone compilation or space, lest people view them as more important than the rest of the Torah. However, the practice of putting the first couple of words of each commandment on a plaque or parochet (curtain) on the Aron Kodesh (Ark) is permitted, since that doesn't include the entire text of the Commandments.

(Rabbi Ephraim Greenblatt, Rivivot Ephraim 1:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Donor Intent for Tzedakah

Hi,

It is assumed that non-earmarked donations to a general tzedakah fund are meant to be used locally. However, if it is known that the fund's donors generally give to non-local recipients as well, and the donor did not specify otherwise, then the donation may be used for non-local recipients in accordance with the fund's standard practice.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3:20)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tzedakah: Ladies First

Hi,

Women precede men among tzedakah recipients, to avoid creating a need for them to solicit tzedakah door-to-door.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 251:8)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tzedakah Triage

Hi,

Providing food for the needy precedes providing clothing for the needy.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3:18, and see footnotes there)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Tzedakah for those who rely on it in Israel

Hi,

When setting priorities for tzedakah, one should give precedence to the needy of Israel before the needy of other places. However, halachic authorities contend that one who is able to support himself outside of Israel, and then moves to Israel knowing that he will need to rely on tzedakah there, does not have precedence over others.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3:14 and footnote 38)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Neighbours first

Hi,

As is commonly known, the needy of one's city precede the needy of other communities, in terms of priority for use of one's tzedakah money. Even within one's city, though, one's neighbours precede the rest of the community.

(Tzedakah uMishpat 3, footnote 34)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Supporting one's adult children

Hi,

Money given to support one's children, who have already passed the standard age of independence, is considered tzedakah.

(Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 251:3, and see Tzedakah uMishpat 3:9 and the footnotes there)

Have a great day,
Mordechai