A Friday afternoon onein

Hi,

The following halachah is a bit more complex than the pieces I usually cite, but I bring it here because I find it particularly interesting:

One whose parent passes away is an 'onein', and exempt from many mitzvot, until burial. However, on Shabbat the period of being an onein is waived for many purposes.

Therefore, one whose parent passes away on Friday afternoon ר"ל will not daven minchah. However, should the burial not take place before Shabbos then he will daven normally on Shabbos.

If the onein had the opportunity to daven minchah before the parent passed away, and knew that the parent was in danger of dying, then he should daven a second, make-up amidah after maariv that evening, because missing minchah was partially a product of his personal decision.

On the other hand, if the death was sudden, then the onein is entirely exempt from minchah and he does not daven a second amidah after maariv.

(Rav Moshe Feinstein, Igrot Moshe Orach Chaim 5:24:11)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

More on aninut

Hi,

An onen waiting to bury an immediate relative does not bathe for pleasure or shave, or engage in general joyous activity.

(Code of Jewish Law Yoreh Deah 341:5)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

An onen's footwear

Hi,

An onen may wear leather shoes; the practice of removing one's leather shoes in mourning does not begin until after the burial.

(Code of Jewish Law Yoreh Deah 340:5)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Aninut and sexual relations

Hi,

A man or woman who is an onen, waiting to bury an immediate relative, may not engage in sexual relations.

(Code of Jewish Law Yoreh Deah 341:1)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

An onen's requirements

Hi,

An onen, a person whose immediate relative awaits burial, is exempt from the commandments of the Torah, but obligated in the prohibitions. This means that he must eat kosher food, for example, but he does not recite blessings before eating that food.

(Code of Jewish Law, Yoreh Deah 341:1)

Have a good day,
Mordechai

Aninut

Hi,

I have been told that some readers are having trouble viewing this email in Microsoft Outlook; please let me know if you are among them, and how you have corrected the problem. Thanks.

One who has lost an immediate relative, requiring mourning, enters into a state called aninut between the death and the burial. The living relative is called an onen.

An onen is not allowed to eat meat or drink wine, other than on Shabbat and Yom Tov, and does not eat at a table normally used for eating.

(Code of Jewish Law Yoreh Deah 341:1)

Have a good day,
Mordechai