A berachah after drinking

Hi,

We are supposed to recite a berachah acharonah blessing after eating, as a way to express gratitude to Gd. That gratitude is most clearly expressed when it is closely tied to the meal. Therefore, one who eats may recite the closing berachah acharonah blessing only until the food has passed through the initial stages of digestion, a period we normally define as 72 minutes.

It is difficulty to define a parallel period for beverages. Therefore, one who is drinking a beverage outside of the context of a meal should make sure to sip some of the beverage every few minutes, and to recite the berachah acharonah no more than a few minutes after concluding the drink.

Note: Wine is in a unique category, and one may recite its berachah acharonah for up to 72 minutes after drinking.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:153)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

What if I missed hearing shofar in Elul?

Hi,

In the event that a community does not blow shofar after Shacharit in the month of Elul, they can make it up at minchah, before sunset.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 4:21:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The start of Elul: Psalm 27

Hi,

We customarily recite Psalm 27, “l’Dovid HaShem Ori,” at the end of Shacharit in the morning and at the end of Maariv in the evening, from the first day of Elul through Sh’mini Atzeret.

There are many reasons to recite this psalm in particular, but the general reason is that this chapter of Tehillim discusses Divine acceptance of our repentance.

(Mishneh Berurah 581:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Berachah on vegetable soup

Hi,

One who cooks vegetable soup, and who views the vegetables as the main part of the soup (rather than as flavouring for the water), should recite borei pri ha'adamah as the opening blessing, and should not recite any shehakol for the liquid or for other things, like meat, that are mixed in as minority items.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:151:9)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Water and wine

Hi,

One who drinks wine as well as water (or any other beverage) recites the closing berachah acharonah blessing appropriate for the wine, and that includes the water automatically.

This assumes that the water was present when the opening berachah was recited on the wine, or that the wine was a central component of one's meal. If the wine was only incidental, and the water was not present when the opening berachah was recited for the wine, then one recites a separate berachah acharonah for the water.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 208:16; Mishneh Berurah 208:72)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The blessing to recite for medicine

Hi,

One who enters to let blood says, "May it be Your will, Gd, my Master, that this be a cure for me, for You heal at no cost." After he lets blood, he should say, "Blessed is the Healer of the sick."

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 230:4)

And so in every healing endeavour he should say this, and not think that any particular entity will heal him, only the Creator. Via this prayer he will place his trust in Gd, and ask that this should heal him.

(Mishneh Berurah 230:6)

Therefore, when one takes medication as well - even many times in a day – and for every medical action (i.e. putting in eye drops, smearing on a paste, or giving an injection), or for every surgical action, however minor, we must turn to Gd with this prayer, for Gd, and only Gd, is the true healer. Also before any exercise of any kind that one performs at the instruction of a doctor because of his illness, one must turn to Gd with this prayer. Even for something which seems to be minor, such as when a mother places a bandage on a child's small cut, she should be careful to recite with him this y'hi ratzon, for a cut can develop infection despite the bandage and [yet] some heal without anything at all – it is all in the hands of Heaven. And my mentor Rabbi Neuvirth said to me, "This is obvious." Further, with this she will take the opportunity to teach her child that it is not the bandage that heals, but it is Gd, and there is no other.

(Rabbi Dr. Avraham Sofer Abraham, Nishmat Avraham Orach Chaim 230:1)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Getting out of the rain in a synagogue

Hi,

One may not enter a synagogue [meaning the room in which people actually pray] in order to escape the sun or to escape rain.

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 151:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Who enters first?

Hi,

When two people approach a doorway together, does halachah care who enters first?

There are several halachic reasons to have someone else enter a doorway first, including honour of the Torah, honour of kohanim, and chesed for those in need. The following is a partial list of priorities, with the highest priority listed first:

• A person in need of assistance;
• A Torah scholar;
• One who is actively engaged in performing a mitzvah, such as collecting tzedakah for the needy;
• A kohen who is not a Torah scholar;
• One who is holding a Sefer Torah, tefillin, or a text containing Torah.

The Torah scholar, individual involved in a mitzvah and kohen may forgive their honour, requesting that another person proceed first.

(Gittin 59b; Kiddushin 32a, 33a; Maharil Likutim 80; Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 167:14; Taz Yoreh Deah 361:2; R' Akiva Eiger to Yoreh Deah 265:1; Chashukei Chemed to Succah 5b; Teshuvos v'Hanhagos 1:538; Meir Oz 25:2:7)

Have a great day,

Mordechai

Berachah on walnuts, bananas, etc.

Hi,

Ideally, one should recite berachot (blessings) on whole foods rather than partial foods, as a way to beautify the berachah. However, one who has a fruit that is inside a shell or peel, and who suspects that the fruit might be wormy, moldy, or otherwise inedible, should first open the fruit and check inside, and only afterward recite the berachah.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:151:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Reciting a berachah acharonah for someone else

Hi,

Where two people ate food that requires the same closing berachah acharonah, one of them may recite this berachah on behalf of the other, with the other listening and responding 'Amen'. This is true even where their respective foods required a different opening berachah rishonah, such as where one ate cherries and the other ate lettuce.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:151:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Decided to eat bread mid-meal

Hi,

[I believe there are multiple views on the following:]

One who is eating meat, and who then decides to have bread, should first recite the closing berachah acharonah for the meat, before washing for the bread. This is because he ate the meat independent of his meal, and so the birkat hamazon concluding the meal would not cover the meat eaten before the meal.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:151:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

When should a mezuman use a cup of wine?

Hi,

There is an ancient practice of having the leader of a mezuman conclude the birkat hamazon blessing after meals with a blessing upon a cup of wine [or grape juice] (kos shel berachah). This is not considered obligatory; indeed, today some consider it less than appropriate because our mezuman is not a true mezuman. The original form of mezuman involved the leader reciting birkat hamazon on behalf of the listeners, and we have each individual recite birkat hamazon independently.

Some particularly have the leader of the mezuman recite the concluding blessing upon a cup on Shabbat or Yom Tov. Since this is a way to beautify the mitzvah, it is most appropriate for a beautiful day - Shabbat and Yom Tov.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:150:6)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Washing out the cup under the chuppah

Hi,

Normally, a cup used to hold wine [or grape juice] for a special mitzvah [kos shel berachah] must be washed out, as a pre-requisite for the mitzvah. However, under the chuppah at a wedding it is common to use the same cup for both the initial kiddushin stage and then again for the sheva berachot of nisuin, adding wine in between. It may not be necessary to wash out the cup in between, because wine is intentionally left in the cup after the first berachah, for use with the second berachah, and so it has not lost the identity associated with the initial washing.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:150:5)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Holding the cup during birkat hamazon

Hi,

When a mezuman is conducted for the birkat hamazon blessing after meals, and the leader concludes with a blessing upon a cup of wine, the leader should hold the cup from the start through the end, until reciting the blessing upon the cup of wine.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:150:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Handing over the cup

Hi,

Often, the leader of a ritual mezuman for the birkat hamazon blessing after eating will conclude birkat hamazon with a blessing upon a cup of wine. In such a case, there is a popular practice of having someone hand the leader the full cup of wine. The idea behind this may be to share the performance of the mitzvah with others.

It would seem that this should be done for other cups used with mitzvot [kos shel berachah], but the practice is not widespread.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:150:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Drinking from the cup at a bris

Hi,

After a brit milah (circumcision), a berachah is recited upon a cup of wine, followed by a second berachah, and then a prayer is recited on behalf of the baby, including the naming. Some are careful to drink from the cup before the additional prayer, but this is not necessary; that prayer is not an interruption in the eyes of Jewish law.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:150:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Answering 'Amen' while reciting birkat hamazon

Hi,

One who leads a mezuman recites (at least) the closing line of each blessing of the birkat hamazon blessing after meals aloud, for people to respond 'Amen'.

One who is in the middle of one of the blessings should not answer 'Amen'. However, one may respond 'Amen' at a break-point between the blessings.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:148)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Filling up with a small amount of bread

Hi,

We have noted that one does not recite the birkat hamazon blessing after eating unless he has eaten a minimum of an olive-sized amount of bread. This is true even if one is now entirely full.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:145)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

The Tenth of Av

Hi, 

Although the prohibitions of Tisha b’Av end with Tisha b’Av, the practices of the Nine Days – refraining from meat and wine, not bathing for pleasure, not laundering or wearing fresh clean clothing and not attending celebrations – continue until midday the next day. 

This is because we are taught that the Beit haMikdash (Temple) burned until midday on the Tenth of Av. 

[Note that there is an exception to this rule: When Tisha b'Av occurs on a Saturday night and Sunday, Havdalah after Tisha b'Av is done with wine/grape juice.] 

(Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 558:1; Mishneh Berurah 558:3) 

המצפה לישועה, 
Mordechai

The Tisha b'Av Demeanor

Hi,

On the fast of Tishah b'Av (observed this Monday night and Tuesday), one should not greet others in the normal manner of "Good morning, Hello, How are you." If one is greeted by a person who does not know better, one should respond politely but in a manner which indicates that the day is a day of mourning, and teach his interlocutor about the mournful fast if possible.

One also does not give gifts on this day.

We also minimize our comfort and dignity on the fast of Tisha b'Av, just as a mourner cares little for his own comfort or dignity when in his most intense grief. Therefore, there is a practice of minimizing one's comfort while sleeping. Those who ordinarily sleep with a pillow will sleep without a pillow that night; some people sleep on the floor.

(Code of Jewish Law Orach Chaim 554:20, 555:2; Mishneh Berurah 554:41)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai

How much bread?

Hi,

In order for one's hamotzi on bread to cover the blessings for other food he eats in that meal, one must eat at least an olive-sized amount of bread, and during a span of only a few minutes. Other foods do not combine with the bread to reach that threshold.

The same standard applies in terms of birkat hamazon - other foods do not combine with the bread to trigger an obligation to recite birkat hamazon.

(Rivivot Ephraim 1:144)

המצפה לישועה,
Mordechai