Dose of Halacha

Question: I know that I am supposed to feed my pets before eating. Can I have a snack first? Answer: The Gemara (Berachos 40a) teaches that as one must not eat before feeding one’s animals, asking another to feed their animal does not constitute a hefsek , interruption, after reciting the beracha . Elsewhere (Gittin 62a) the Gemara writes that one must not even taste anything before eating (See Chayei Odom  5:11). The Rif (Berachos 28a) and Rosh (Berachos 6:22) write that one must not even taste, using the term tasting when writing about hefsek. However, the Taz (OC 167:7) and Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 167:9) write that one may have a snack before feeding one’s animals. Rambam (Avadim 9:8) records that the sages would feed their animals before eating their own meal. The Magen Avraham (167:18) quotes the Sefer Chassidim (531) who writes that one may drink before one’s animals. Thus, Rivka offered to feed Eliezer before feeding his camels (See Mishna Berura 167:40).   Th...

Question: I know on seder night we must wait until nacht to begin the seder. Is it important to wait for nacht on the second night of other yamim tovim ? Answer: The Taz (OC 489:10) maintains that as the first day of yom tov has a higher level of kedusha than the second day, one should not begin the second day of yom tov before nacht . Nonetheless, the Mishna Berura (489:23; Shaar Hatzion 789:51) notes that the consensus of poskim is not to pasken this way. The Mishna (Shabbos 113a) teaches that one must not prepare one’s bed on Shabbos for after Shabbos as it is a prohibition of hachana, preparing. This prohibition applies equally to yom tov. The Levush (OC 488:3) writes that one must wait until it is nacht to daven maariv and perform melacha on the second night of yom tov , so as not to perform hachana on the first day for the second. The Mateh Ephraim (599:2) adds that as people wait until maariv starts to perform melacha for the second day, it is imperativ...

Question: We recently bought a pet rabbit. I read that one is supposed to feed one’s animals before eating. Can I feed my children first? Answer :   The Gemara (Berachos 40a; Gittin 62a) writes that one must not eat before feeding one’s animals. Therefore, if one said a beracha hamotzi and realised that they had not fed their animal, it would not be considered a hefsek to ask another to do so before eating. While Rambam (Avadim 9:8) writes that this halacha is midas chasidus, an act of piety (See Chayei Adam 5:11; N ishmas Adam 5:11), other poskim (Shevus Yaakov 3:13; Aruch Hashulchan OC 167:13, Biur Halacha 167:6) maintain that it is a mitzva derabanan while the Magen Avraham (271:12) writes that it is mideoraisa. R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 2:52) writes that one must feed one’s young children before one’s animals. Once one’s children are old enough to take food themselves, however, they should feed the animals first (See Rivevos Ephraim 6:56:2; 92). The ...

Question: If I daven maariv after nacht , should I wait to count the omer or count as soon as it is nacht ? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 489:3) writes that while one can count the omer any time during the night, lechatchila, one should count as soon as it is nacht. Therefore, the Mishna Berura (589:2) writes that it is common practice to count the omer before saying aleinu so as to utilise every opportunity to count the omer as early as possible. The Magen Avraham (489:7) and Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 489:16) write that one may count before maariv even on Motzaei Shabbos when one extends Shabbos into the night. Nonetheless, it is preferable to daven maariv first, following the rule of tadir ve’sheino tadir, tadir kodam, the mitzva that we do most often takes precedence. As the mitzva of sefiras haomer is less frequent than kerias shema , one should recite the shema first. The Mishna Berura (Biur Halacha 489:1) gives two reasons for why the omer was counted la...