Dose of Halacha

Question:  I will be away for a couple of days in Elul without a minyan . Do I need to blow the shofar for myself? Answer: The Tur (OC 581) provides two reasons for the minhag of blowing the shofar throughout the month of Elul. According to Pirkei Derebbi Eliezer (46), the shofar was sounded in the camp when Moshe ascended Har Sinai on Rosh Chodesh Elul to receive the second set of luchos . Chazal instituted the blowing of the shofar on Rosh Chodesh to commemorate this event. The Tur adds that the practice continues throughout Elul to inspire us toward teshuva (see Rambam, Teshuva 3:4) and to confuse the Satan . R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 1:394; 8:523:4) cites R’ Avraham Yitzchak Kook (Mitzvas Ra’ayah 581:1) who offers an additional reason. Just as we are required to begin studying the halachos of Yom Tov thirty days in advance (Pesachim 6a), we similarly begin practicing shofar blowing thirty days before Rosh Hashanah. Given these reasons, R’ Greenbl...

Q uestion: I see some people with a silver atara on their tallis . Is it preferable to wear one? Answer: The Magen Avraham (OC 8:6) quotes the Shela who writes that some have the minhag to affix a piece of silk onto the top side of the tallis to mark it as the top, thereby ensuring that the same two tzitzis will always remain at the front. This is akin to the kerashim in the mishkan which were marked so that they always stayed on the same side. Thus many chassidim are particular to wear a silver atara , especially on Shabbos (See Minchas Yitzchak 8:117; Minhag Yisrael Torah 8:5). However, the Magen Avraham, Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 8:9) and Mishna Berura (8:9; Baer Heitev 10:12) note that the Arizal was not particular about this. The Ben Ish Chai (Rav Pealim 2:20) explains that there is no inherent difference between the front two and back two tzitzis. Likewise, the Levush (Levush Hatecheiles OC 10:10) writes that as a headscarf itself would not need tzitzis (Shulchan...

Question: I know that one isn’t supposed to draw the sun or moon. Does that prohibition also extend to taking pictures of a sunset? Answer: The Gemara (Rosh Hashana 24b) asks how Rabban Gamliel could have had diagrams of the moon in various phases as the halacha is that one mustn’t create pictures of the sun and moon, etc. as they were worshipped by the pagans. The Gemara concludes that he had special dispensation to do so as he needed them to question witnesses who had reported seeing the new moon and for teaching others. Thus, the Shulchan Aruch (YD 141:4) writes that one mustn’t draw any such pictures unless they are for educational purposes (See Igros Moshe YD 3:33; Minchas Yitzchak 10:72; Shevet Halevi 7:134:8). While the Shulchan Aruch writes that one mustn’t even keep such pictures in one’s home, the Chochmas Adam (85:5) and Darkei Teshuva (YD 141:34) write that this only applies to three dimensional images. R’ Yitzchak Yaakov Weiss (Minchas Yitzchak 10:72) writes that...

Question: I tasted some chicken to see if it was too hot before feeding it to my baby. Am I now meaty? Answer: The Tur (YD 89:1) writes that there are two different reasons for why we have to wait between eating a meat meal and a milky one. Rambam (Maachalos Asuros 9:28) writes that we are concerned that there is some pieces of meat left stuck between one’s teeth. After a few hours, such food isn’t considered to be meat. Rashi (Chullin 105a), however, writes that the taste of the meat could linger on for a few hours. Thus, if one just bit into a piece of meat for a child but didn’t swallow it, then according to Rashi one wouldn’t have to wait, though according to Rambam one would. Likewise, if one found meat stuck between their teeth after six hours, Rambam wouldn’t require you to remove it, though Rashi would. The Tur writes, however, that we need to follow the stringencies of both positions. Thus, the Shulchan Aruch (YD 89:1) writes that one who chewed on a piece of meat m...