Dose of Halacha

Question: I have always said shehecheyanu when lighting my Yom Tov candles. What should I do when my husband says shehecheyanu when reciting kiddush ? Answer: Rambam (Shabbos 29:23) paskens that one should say shehecheyanu every night of Yom Tov except for the seventh (and eighth) night of Pesach. R’ Yaakov Emden ( She’elas Yaavetz 107) writes that while many ladies are accustomed to saying shehecheyanu when lighting, the Gemara (Sukka 47b) writes that this beracha should ideally be said when reciting kiddush. He notes that his own wife said the beracha then and as it can be said at any time over Yom Tov there is no need to prevent women from doing so. Nonetheless, it isn’t the ideal time, and it is best to wait for kiddush to say / hear it. Thus, while the Mateh Ephraim (581:54, 599:9, 619:4) writes that women should say shehecheyanu when lighting candles, the Mishna Berura (263:23), Aruch Hashulchan (OC 263:12) and R’ Yehoshua Neuwirth (Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa...

Question: I got a leaflet through my door advertising tefillin and mezuza checks, saying that one must check them during Elul. Do I need to check them every year? Answer: Rambam (Tefillin, Mezuza and Sefer Torah 2:11) writes that providing one’s tefillin come from a reputable sofer one can safely assume that they are kosher and they do not need to be checked even many years later. Similarly, the Tur (OC 39) and the Shulchan Aruch (OC 39:10) write that a good pair of tefillin does not need checking providing that they are worn regularly. Otherwise, they should be checked twice in seven years as we are concerned that they may have gotten mouldy (Magen Avraham OC 39:15; Aruch Hashulchan OC 39:6). The Magen Avraham (39:14) and Mishna Berura (39:26) write that as sweat can permeate the tefillin and ruin them, they should be checked periodically. Similarly, the Aruch Hashulchan (ibid.) writes that they should be checked regularly as the ink in his day would crack easily (See Ch...

Question: What beracha does one make before and after eating a regular cholent made of potatoes, meat, beans and barley? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 208:2) writes that when a cooked dish contains one of the five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, oats and rye) the correct beracha is mezonos even if the grain is not the main ingredient providing that it wasn’t added to bind the ingredients together. Thus, the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 208:18) writes that one should recite mezonos on dishes such as noodles mixed with potatoes even if there are more potatoes than noodles in the mix. However, the Aruch Hashulchan (OC 212:2) writes that it depends how big the pieces in the mixture are. Thus, if the meat and potatoes are cut into small pieces in a manner that a typical spoonful may contain pieces of each, one would just recite mezonos. If the potato and meat pieces are bigger, though, such that the pieces would typically be removed and eaten alone, then it is no longer considered to...

Question: I usually hear kiddush in shul after davening on Shabbos morning. Do I need to repeat kiddush before lunch? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 273:5) writes that while one is only yotzei making kiddush if it is followed by the seuda , it is sufficient just to eat a little bit of bread or drink some wine. The Magen Avraham (OC 273:10) explains that this is at least a kezayis . The Magen Avraham (OC 273:11) and Mishna Berura (273:25) write that a kezayis of cake will suffice and is preferable to drinking wine. Thus, the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (77:17) even writes that one making kiddush over cake should use two pieces of cake as lechem mishne , just as one would for any other seuda on Shabbos (See Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa 55:4). The Vilna Gaon (Maaseh Rav 122) and R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 4:63), however, hold that as one doesn’t fulfil one’s obligation to have Shabbos lunch without bread, one needs to recite kiddush again before the meal. Nonetheless,...