Dose of Halacha

Question: I don’t have easy access to hand towels at work. Can I dry my hands for hamotzi by using an electric hand-dryer? Answer: The Gemara (Sotah 4b) teaches the importance of drying one’s hands properly after washing them, before eating bread. One who eats bread while his hands are still wet is considered to have eaten tamei bread. Rashi (158:45) explains that the habit of handling bread with wet hands is so bad that it is considered to be tamei (See Mishna Berura 158:45) . The Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 158:17) writes that ideally one should dry one’s hands properly with a towel rather than allowing them to dry by themselves. R’ Binyamin Zilber (Az Nidberu 8:52; 9:64) writes that one can use a hand-dryer, especially as people nowadays use so much water when washing their hands, washing off any tamei water. He argues that the action of moving your hands to the dryer is not considered to be allowing them to dry by themselves. R’ Moshe Stern (Baer Moshe, Kuntres Electric 7...

Question: My brother-in-law bought me a box to place my menora in so I can light outdoors. Is that preferable? Answer: The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) teaches that while the menora was originally lit outside one’s front door, in times of danger one can light it inside on one’s table. Rashi explains that the Persian authorities prohibited lighting outdoors on their festivals. The Ohr Zarua (2:323) writes that he does not understand why, in places where there is no such prohibition or danger, people don’t start lighting outdoors again. Likewise, R’ Yaakov Emden (Sheelas Yaavetz 1:149) and R’ Ovadia Yosef (Yalkut Yosef, Chanuka 671:25) argue that nowadays when this danger no longer applies, it is certainly ideal to light outdoors. If one can easily find a glass box, one should use it (See Az Nidberu 10:26). Other poskim, however, give various reasons for why the practice in chutz la’aretz is to light indoors. The Shibolei Halket (185) explains that once people started lighting indoo...

Question: I heard in a shiur that one must not eat before lighting the menora . My husband does not come home from work until about seven o’clock. Can I not eat at all that night before he lights? Answer: The Magen Avraham (672:5) writes that one should light their menora with their family members present, and ideally before eating. He adds, quoting the Maharshal, that when it is time to light, one should not even sit down to learn Torah, but should perform the mitzva as soon as one can (See Mishna Berura 672:10). The Shulchan Aruch (OC 235:2) writes that one must not begin eating half an hour before the time of maariv . However, the Mishna Berura (235:18) writes that if one asked another person to remind them to daven then one may eat. This even applies if it is already nacht and one could say shema already. R’ Betzalel Stern (Betzel Hachachma 4:58) writes that while women are obligated to light the menorah , they should be allowed to eat while waiting for their husban...

Question: My son came back from Yeshiva claiming that he learned that one may talk in shul while the haftara is being read. Is he right? Answer: Rabbeinu Yerucham (Toldos Adam Vechava 2:3) writes that as the haftara is read for everybody in shul , one must not speak while it is being read. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 146:3) writes that one must not talk until the haftara has finished being read, just like kerias hatorah. The Avudraham suggests a few reasons as to how the haftara got its name. One suggestion is that it was used to exempt ( pattur ) the community from kerias hatorah during times of persecution when they were prohibited to read from the Torah. Alternatively, he writes, quoting Rabbeinu Tam, that one is forbidden to speak at all during kerias hatorah, even in halachic matters. Once the Torah has been wrapped back up and they have begun reading the haftara, they are allowed to open their mouths and speak again ( peter means to open). The Levush (OC 284:1) challen...