Dose of Halacha

Question: I find it difficult to wait until after shul to hear kiddush. Can I eat before davening ? Answer: Rambam (Shabbos 29:10) and Shulchan Aruch (OC 289:1) write that one is not allowed to eat anything before kiddush . Ra’avad disagrees, as one has already recited kiddush the previous night (See Magen Avraham OC 289:1). Some chassidim (See Igros Kodesh 10 p326) rely on this Ra’avad, and eat a light breakfast before shacharis to better enable them to daven. R’ Ben Zion Abba Shaul, (Ohr Letzion 2:7:8) however, writes that it would be preferable to stay home and daven rather than eat before going to shul . While one mustn’t eat a meal before davening , the Shulchan Aruch allows one to have a drink of water as one isn’t obligated to make kiddush until after davening . The Kaf Hachaim (OC 289:16) extends this to tea and coffee, etc. R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 2:26) writes, however, that one who must eat for health reasons before shacharis , must recite kiddush ...

Question: Do I need to tovel my new toaster? Answer: There is a machlokes as to whether electrical items require tevila altogether. R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 1:450) quotes a view (see Chelkas Yaakov 1:126) that when electrical items are plugged in, they are considered mechubar lekarka, attached to the ground, and therefore exempt from tevila,  though he disagrees (see too Minchas Yitzchak 2:72 and Shevet Halevi YD 2:57:3). Although the bread is fully baked before it goes into the toaster, the Aruch Hashulchan (YD 120:35) writes that as such kelim come into contact with food, they require tevila with a  beracha . R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe YD 3:24), however, writes that as the bread is fully baked before it goes in, the toaster may be used without tevila. Elsewhere, (YD 1:57-58) he writes that while (other) electrical items require tevila, it is sufficient to tovel just the parts that come into contact with food. The electric parts – even ...

Question: Is it okay to make kiddush on whisky or beer? Answer: Certainly on Friday night, when  kiddush  is d’oraisa , one must make kiddush on wine (or grape juice). If one has no wine, one must recite  kiddush  over his challa (Shulchan Aruch OC 272:9). On Shabbos morning, when  kiddush  is d’rabannan , the rules are relaxed somewhat: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 289:2) writes that when one  doesn't  have wine one may use Chamar Medinah, popular beverages . This includes whisky and other liquors (See Igros Moshe OC 2:75). While the Shulchan Aruch (OC 272:9) includes beer in this category, the Mishna Berura (272:24) writes that this only applies where beer is commonly drunk (See Machazeh Eliyahu 34 regarding tea and coffee). Even when wine is available, many have the custom to recite  kiddush  on a shot of whisky. While some Poskim (Mateh Ephraim 625:99, Minchas Yitzchak 10:22) defend this practice, others (see Aruch Ha...

Question: How can I pay my babysitter for working on Shabbos? Answer:  The Mishna Berura (306:16) writes that chazal forbade one from getting paid for services performed on Shabbos as they were worried that people would inadvertently do business on Shabbos. As paying one will cause them to transgress, one is forbidden to pay another, too (ibid 306:21). R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 28:68) writes that one who received money would never be allowed to benefit from it. Quoting R’ Chaim Soloveitchik, he writes (28:n110) that if one worked on Shabbos intending to get paid, that work is forbidden, too. Ideally, one should ask their babysitter to do some work for them during the week, and pay them for that work and their Shabbos babysitting as a single unit, rather than per hour (Shulchan Aruch OC 306:4). R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach held that this extra work must be something for which one would normally pay another to do (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 28:66, n...

Question: May one play Scrabble on Shabbos? Answer: There are a few potential issues with playing Scrabble on Shabbos. The first is whether forming the letters into words is considered kesiva, writing (and mechika, erasing, when breaking up words). The Levush (340:4) writes that one mustn’t open or close a book on Shabbos if there are words stamped on the edges of its pages. Doing so will form or erase the words, which may be forbidden midoraisa! Likewise, putting letters together to form a word in a game is forbidden. The Machtzis Hashekel (340:6) extends this prohibition to picture jigsaws, as one mustn’t create or ruin a picture. The Taz (OC 340:2) disagrees, comparing opening and closing a book to opening and closing a door which isn’t considered building or destroying. While we don’t Pasken like the Levush, the Mishna Berura (340:17) writes that one should avoid such books if possible. R’ Tzvi Pesach Frank (Har Tzvi – Tel Harim, Koseiv 4) argues that the Levush onl...

Question:  I see different people lighting their menora at different times. What is the optimum time? Answer:  The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) writes that the proper time for lighting the Chanuka light is at shekia, the setting of the sun. There is a considerable range of opinions regarding exactly what this means. According to Rambam (Chanuka 4:5) this means the beginning of shekia . Thus, the Vilna Gaon (Biur Hagra OC 672:1) writes that one should light at sunset while the Rema (Darkei Moshe OC 672:4) writes that the Maharil would light just after sunset. Other poskim however, write that the Gemara refers to the end of the process of the sun setting, tzeis hakochavim . The Mordechai (Shabbos 455) writes that one should wait until tzeis to light as candles are more noticeable during the night. The Tur and Shulchan Aruch (OC 672:1) rule like the Mordechai (See Rosh, Shabbos 2:3; Tosafos, Menachos 20b; Bach OC 672:1; Magen Avraham OC 672:1). The Mishna Berura (672:1;...