Birchot haTorah on Shavuot

Hi,

If I stay up all night on Shavuos, do I recite Birchos haTorah for the first day of Shavuos?

We are required to recite Birchos haTorah (blessings before Torah study, found in the Hebrew/English Artscroll Siddur on page 16) before studying Torah. Reciting them in the morning fulfills the requirement for the entire day, but sleeping at night prevents one day's berachos from counting for the next day.

There is some debate regarding the need for a berachah after staying up all night. On the one hand, one has not halted the effect of his previous day's berachos by sleeping. On the other hand, it possible to contend that Birchos haTorah are a daily requirement. Therefore, one who stays up all night should hear Birchos haTorah recited by someone else, after alos hashachar (first light). One who does not have the option of hearing Birchos haTorah from someone else should view the berachah of Ahavah Rabbah before the morning Shema as Birchos haTorah, keeping that in mind while reciting the words of Ahavah Rabbah.

One who naps in bed for more than 30 minutes on Erev Shavuos, and then stays up all night, may recite Birchos haTorah in the morning after alos hashachar.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 47:12; Magen Avraham 47:12; Kaf haChaim Orach Chaim 494:12; Mishneh Berurah 47:28; Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 47:23-24; Ishei Yisrael 6:27)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

When a Levi refuses

Hi,

Where a Levi refuses to come up for his aliyah, and there is no other Levi, the protocol is unclear. Some say that the community should call up the Kohen for a second aliyah; others contend that the Kohen may not be called until the Levi leaves the room.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:104:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Refusing an aliyah

Hi,

If someone is called to the Torah and he refuses the aliyah, they should try to persuade him to take the aliyah. If he still refuses, they may call another person; the sin of refusal is his own.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:104:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

An aliyah for a kohen who isn't davening

Hi,

If a kohen is not davening with the minyan in which he is present, such as where he has already davened and now he remains in the room to learn Torah, there is no obligation to call him for the first aliyah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:103)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

An interruption during an aliyah

Hi,

If the oleh (person who ascends to the Torah for an aliyah) recites the opening berachah, and then speaks before the reading begins, then he must recite a new opening berachah.

If the baal keriah (person reading the aliyah aloud) speaks after the opening berachah and before beginning the reading, there is no need for a new opening berachah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:102)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A Hagbah Error

Hi,

If someone is called to the Torah to lift it for the hagbah rite, but he incorrectly begins to recite the "Barchu" that precedes an aliyah, he should simply say "Baruch shem k'vod malchuto l'olam va'ed," and then proceed with hagbah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:101)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Missed "Barchu"

Hi,

Normally, one who is called up for an aliyah to the Torah calls the congregation to bless G-d, saying "Barchu et HaShem hamevorach," and then, after the congregation responds, he continues with the berachah for the aliyah (asher bachar banu). If he forgets to begin with Barchu, then once he says HaShem's Name in the berachah for the aliyah, he does not go back to say Barchu.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:101)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A make-up prayer

Hi,

One who misses an amidah due to error or due to circumstances beyond his control is permitted to recite a second amidah for the next prayer, and count that as a make-up. However, one may not do so at a later prayer; it may only be done at the immediately ensuing prayer.

Perhaps the limit on making up a missed prayer stems from the fact that the amidah is considered to be parallel to the daily offerings brought in the Beit haMikdash. Those offerings may not be made up on the following day; therefore, the amidah cannot be made up on the following day.

It is true that one who misses minchah is able to make it up at maariv, but this may be because portions of the daytime offering are placed on the altar that night, at the time of maariv. [I am not sure, though, how this will fit with making up maariv on the next morning.]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:100:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Dairy for Shavuot

Hi,

Why do we customarily eat dairy on Shavuot?

Numerous reasons are suggested, including:

• To ensure that we will have two distinct cooked foods, like the egg and zroa of the seder plate, since we will have a dairy meal for the custom, and a meat meal for the general mitzvah of eating meat on Yom Tov. Also, this will provide two loaves of bread, parallel to the shtei halechem -  two loaves of bread brought as a korban on Shavuos. (Rama Orach Chaim 494:3, and see Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 1:160)
• After the Torah was given, the Jews would have needed many steps to make a meat meal, both in preparing the meat and in preparing new utensils. Therefore, they made a dairy meal, which required fewer steps. (Mishneh Berurah 494:12)
• Shir haShirim 4:11, "Honey and milk are beneath your tongue", is explained to refer to Torah. (Mishneh Berurah 494:13; and see Devarim Rabbah 7:3)

According to Rama (Yoreh Deah 97:1), some people actually make their bread dairy for the dairy meal of Shavuos. Even though we are normally prohibited from making dairy bread [lest one eat it with meat], this is not a concern at the dairy meal of Shavuos, since a limited quantity is prepared, and for a limited time.

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Davening after staying up all night on Shavuot

Hi,

I learned Torah throughout Shavuos night; do I say Elokai Neshamah in the morning?

The berachah of Elokai Neshamah is recited each morning to thank G-d for restoring our souls to our bodies, after we have slept. Scholars debate whether this is a berachah about our personal experience, or a global berachah thanking G-d for doing this on behalf of humanity. Some of the language in the berachah is personal, while some of it is global.

If the berachah is global, then we should recite it each morning regardless of whether we have slept. If the berachah is personal, then we should recite it only after sleeping. Estimates of how much sleep would trigger this berachah vary; one commonly cited number is 30 minutes.

One who has not slept for 30 minutes should hear the berachah from someone who has slept. If no such person is available, one may recite the berachah and rely upon the view that it is global rather than personal.

(Shitah Mekubetzet Berachos 60b; Tur Orach Chaim 46; Levush Orach Chaim 46:8; Rama Orach Chaim 46:8; Pri Megadim Orach Chaim 46:Eishel Avraham 2; Birkei Yosef 46:12; Shaarei Teshuvah Orach Chaim 46:7; Biur Halachah Orach Chaim 4 David;  Aruch haShulchan Orach Chaim 46:13; Or l'Tzion 1:7; Piskei Teshuvos Orach Chaim 46:15)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

If tachanun was incorrectly skipped

Hi,

If the chazan at Shacharit mistakenly skips tachanun and says kaddish, then the congregation should recite tachanun after the kaddish, and continue straight into ashrei. The full kaddish that follows uva l'tzion will suffice for the missing half-kaddish that should have followed tachanun.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:97)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Three steps back for the chazan?

Hi,

Normally, one concludes the amidah by taking three steps backward. A chazan does not do this after concluding the repetition of the amidah, though; the chazan's three steps backward at the end of the kaddish shalem [whole kaddish] count for him.

If the minyan switches chazanim before the kaddish shalem, then the chazan who recited the amidah should take three steps backward.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:96)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

For Pesach Sheni

Hi,

In honour of Pesach Sheni, which is observed this Wednesday, the 14th of Iyar:

The korban pesach celebrates our nation’s formation, the origins of our national connection to G-d, and our belief in Divine supervision of, and intervention in, the world. This message of the korban pesach is so spiritually critical for the Jewish nation that G-d gives every Jew two opportunities to participate. One who misses the first Pesach on the 14th of Nisan is able to bring the korban one month later, on the 14th of Iyar (Mitzvah #380). The korban is brought on the 14th of Iyar and eaten on the night of the 15th of Iyar; the celebration is called Pesach Sheni.

Like the korban pesach brought in Nisan, the korban brought on the 14th of Iyar is eaten with matzah and marror (#381), and other rules are likewise retained: nothing of the korban may be left over until morning (#382), and one may not break any bones from the korban (#383). However, only the laws of the original korban pesach that pertain directly to the korban are applied to Pesach Sheni; one may own chametz on Pesach Sheni (although one may not eat it with the korban), one may perform melachah on that day, and there is no seven-day celebration. Also, Hallel is not recited when eating the korban of Pesach Sheni.

There is some debate regarding whether we are instructed to recite the story of leaving Egypt when eating the korban pesach of Pesach Sheni. This mitzvah might be linked specifically to the night of the 15th of Nisan, which was the night before leaving Egypt. (Sfat Emet to Pesachim 95a)

It is often noted that when the Koreich paragraph in our Haggadah describes the practice of combining the korban pesach with matzah and marror, it quotes the verse of Pesach Sheni (Bamidbar 9:11) instead of the verse of the first Pesach. (Shemot 12:8) Various ideas are suggested to explain this; according to the popular approach of the Belzer Rebbe, by using this verse we express our wish that Mashiach should come before the 14th of Iyar, and that we should be able to bring Pesach Sheni. (For more regarding this question, see Pesachim 120a; Chatam Sofer Orach Chaim 140; Avnei Nezer Orach Chaim 383:8; Meishiv Davar 1:32; Minchat Chinuch 380; Seder haAruch 108 note 11 and 151:12-14.)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

If the chazan forgets Birkat Kohanim

Hi,

If the chazan forgets Birkat Kohanim and begins "Sim Shalom", he still returns to Birkat Kohanim when he realizes the mistake, unless he actually completes the berachah of "Sim Shalom". After that, it is too late to go back.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:95)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Interrupting during Birkat Kohanim

Hi,

It appears that one who is in a minyan where Birkat Kohanim is taking place should not respond 'Amen' to a berachah overheard from an individual's private prayer, or from another minyan. This is most relevant at the Kotel, of course.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:95)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Duchening in loafers

Hi,

We say that a kohen is not supposed to perform birchat kohanim (duchening) in shoes, because we are concerned that he might need to tie or fix a lace, and his hands are supposed to be clean for this ritual. That might lead one to suggest that a kohen could perform birchat kohanim in loafers, which lack laces, but the "no shoes" rule is implemented across the board, and so loafers are not permitted.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:94:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

A kohen with a bandage

Hi,

A kohen may perform birkat kohanim (the blessing of the nation via the kohanim) with a bandage on his hand; this does not disqualify the handwashing preceding the ritual. [Rivivot Ephraim does not discuss whether the bandage would be considered a distraction for the congregation; apparently, he does not believe this is an issue.]

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:94:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Raising one's hands as the kohanim do

Hi,

A non-kohen may separate the fingers of his hands as kohanim do when they perform birkat kohanim, but he should not hold them up over his head as though giving the berachah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:93:2)

חג עצמאות שמח,
Mordechai

"Baruch Hu uVaruch Shmo" during Birchat Kohanim

Hi,

Many Ashkenazim do not respond "Baruch Hu uVaruch Shmo ברוך הוא וברוך שמו" when hearing the Name of Gd during Birchat Kohanim, lest that disrupt the concentration of others. Those who do recite this response should do so quietly.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:93:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Birchat Kohanim without a minyan

Hi,

If a minyan is davening, and after the chazan began the repetition of the amidah one of them left the room, the chazan completes the repetition, but they should not perform birchat kohanim. Birchat kohanim is actually a separate ritual, which is embedded in the amidah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:92)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Davening with a dirty diaper nearby

Hi,

May I daven in a room with a baby whose diaper is dirty?

We communicate with G-d when we daven, and Devarim 23:14 states that a space in which excrement is found is unfit for the presence of G-d. Therefore, one may not daven in a space containing excrement or smelling like it, or in a room containing a child's potty.

If the offending material is covered, then one may daven in that room, so long as one remains four amot (about seven feet) from a place in which one could smell it. If the material is covered so well that no smell emerges at all, then one may daven in the room without any concerns.

Three other leniencies are relevant:

• If a baby is under the age of 3 months, then one may daven in the same room as its exposed dirty diaper.
• One who wishes to daven in a room with a baby is not obligated to check the baby's diaper first.
• One may daven in a room containing used cloth diapers which have been laundered.

(Berachos 25b; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 76, 77, 79, 81-83; Ishei Yisrael 51:4, 51:5, 51:7, 52:1-2; Rivivos Ephraim 1:70; v'Zos haBerachah Chapter 16)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Saying the wrong Modim

Hi,

If, during the repetition of the amidah, the chazan says the community's modim d'rabbanan instead of the modim that he is supposed to say, he should not go back and say the appropriate modim.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:91:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai