Dose of Halacha

Question: My 12 year old son has just come back from a holiday in Israel. Should he bentch gomel ? Answer: The Magen Avraham (OC 219:1) quotes the Maharam of Mintz (14) who writes that children don’t recite the beracha of hagomel. As children do not get punished for their sins, it wouldn’t make sense for them to say the words, ‘ hagomel lechayavim tovos, who bestows good things upon the guilty’. Nor can he just omit those words, as we mustn’t tamper with the text of the berachos . The Mishna Berura (219:3) adds that we don’t even train children to recite this beracha for chinuch (See Shevet Halevi 3:163:2). The Shaarei Teshuva (OC 219:1), however, quotes the Mahari Bason (Lachmei Todah 5) and others who allowed children to recite the beracha. Likewise, R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 4:63) challenges the reasons for children not to. Nonetheless, the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 219:6) and Kaf Hachaim (OC 219:2) write that common practice is for children not to recite hag...

Question: I read that one must not eat before counting the omer . Does it make a difference whether I daven maariv early or late? Answer: The Rema (OC 489:4) states that once it is time to count the omer one must refrain from eating until they have counted. There is a machlokes as to when exactly this restriction begins. The Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 489:17) writes that one must not eat from a half-hour before shekia , while the Mishna Berura (489:23) allows eating until a half-hour before nacht (see Shaar Hatzion 489:29). Similarly, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 235:2) advises that one should not start eating half an hour before the time to daven maariv , as they may become preoccupied and forget to recite the shema . However, the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 232:16) notes that someone who regularly davens maariv in shul is permitted to eat beforehand because they are unlikely to forget to recite the shema . Likewise, the Mishna Berura (235:18) states that one who wants to eat may do so i...

Question: While I’m washing my children’s clothes on chol hamoed , can I throw some of my own clothes into the washing machine? Answer: The Gemara (Moed Katan 14a) writes that in order to ensure that people would prepare properly for yom tov, chazal instituted that it is forbidden to wash clothes on chol hamoed. Thus, the Shulchan Aruch (OC 534:1) writes that under regular circumstances one mustn’t wash one’s clothes on chol hamoed . The Rema, however, writes that one may wash young children’s clothes if they constantly dirty them. The Mishna Berura (534:11) explains that one can only wash children’s clothes that they’ll need for that yom tov. R’ Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer 7:48:1), R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 1:354) and R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 66:63) write that as the reason for this prohibition is to ensure that people are well prepared for yom tov , it doesn’t make a difference how one washes their clothes. Thus, one can’t wash adult’s cl...

Question: I see that some organisations are offering people to sell their chametz online. Is this ideal? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 448:3) writes that one may sell their chametz to a non-Jewish person for the duration of Pesach. R’ Shlomo Yosef Zevin (Hamoadim Behalacha, quoted by R’ Ribiat, Halachos of Pesach, p172) describes the history of selling chametz . While individuals used to sell their own chametz , they were fraught with complications and errors. Especially as most times the chametz never leaves the house, the forms of acquisition are most complicated (See Magen Avraham OC 448:4). As a result, communities began selling their chametz through their local rav and Beis Din. The Aruch Hashulchan (OC 448:27) explains that nowadays the rav acts as an agent for anyone who has appointed him to sell their chametz . While it is possible to appoint an agent verbally (Shulchan Aruch EH 141:26; CM 182:1), Rambam (Mechira 5:12) writes that it is customary to perform a kin...

Question: I have a hard time digesting so much matza on seder night. Am I allowed to eat the softer ‘ sefardi matza’? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 460:5) writes that one must ensure not to bake one’s matza as thick as a tefach. The Rema (OC 460:4) writes that one should bake them thin ( rekikin ) which don’t leaven quickly. Similarly, the Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 460:10) writes that one shouldn’t make matzos too thick as the inside won’t bake as well as the outside of the matza. While one may bake a matza less than a tefach thick, it is ideal to make it thin. The Chasam Sofer (OC 121) likewise writes that thick matza does not bake as well as thin matza . While these poskim don’t define what is considered thin, the Baer Heitev (460:8) quotes the Beis Hillel (YD 97) who explains that the custom was to bake matza thinner than regular bread, and to make them the thickness of a finger. Thu s, the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 4 86:2) writes about matza that is soft and bendy like a ...