Dose of Halacha

Question: We live on the third floor in a block of flats. Where should we light our menora ? Answer: The Gemara (Shabbos 21b) teaches that one should light the menora outside the entrance to one’s home. However, one who lives in an attic should place their menora in the window facing the street. The Beis Yosef (OC 671:8) explains that if one placed the menora downstairs at the entrance to the house, it would not be clear that it belongs to those living in the attic. The Mishna Berura (671:38; Shaar HaTziyun 671:42) writes that those who live in houses nowadays should ideally light in a window facing the street. Only if the window is higher than twenty amos from the ground, is it preferable to place at the entrance to the house. However, the Pri Megadim (Mishbetzos Zahav OC 671:5) disagrees, arguing that as we light indoors, it does not matter if the window is twenty amos up from the ground outside. R' Shmuel Wosner (Shevet Halevi 4:65; 7:84) adds that even when one lig...

Question: Our shul has commissioned a new sefer Torah . Can I fulfil the mitzva to write a sefer Torah by sponsoring one parsha ? Answer: Rambam (Sefer Hamitzvos Asei 18; Sefer Torah 7:1) writes that there is a mitzva mideoraisa to write a sefer Torah . The Rosh (Sefer Torah 1) writes that nowadays when people learn from sefarim rather than from sifrei Torah , the mitzva applies to chumashim, mishna and gemara . The Tur (YD 270:2) and Shulchan Aruch (YD 270:2) both pasken this way, but there is a machlokes as to whether this replaces the mitzva of writing a sefer Torah or not. However, there is a machlokes as to how to understand the Rosh. The Prisha (YD 270:8) and Shach (YD 270:5) write that the mitzva no longer applies to writing sifrei Torah . As we no longer learn from them, it would be inappropriate for everyone to needlessly write one. Nonetheless, the Beis Yosef (YD 270:2) and the Taz (YD 270:4) write that writing other sefarim is one way to fulfil the mitzva , b...

Question: My tallis falls off sometimes, especially when I am putting on my tefillin . Do I need to recite the beracha again? Answer: The Beis Yosef (OC 8:17) writes that there is a machlokes among the rishonim as to whether one recites a new beracha upon replacing a fallen tallis . In the Shulchan Aruch (OC 8:15), he writes that one does recite a new beracha . The Machatzis Hashekel (OC 8:20) and R’ Sholom Mordechai Schwadron (Maharsham 4:148) suggest that if one was wearing a tallis katan , then one should not recite a second beracha as the first beracha would apply to one’s tallis katan, too . However, the Mishna Berura (8:39) writes that it makes no difference whether one is wearing a tallis katan or not. R’ Moshe Stern (Baer Moshe 6:9) quotes R’ Meir Arik (Imrei Yosher 2:9) who writes that if one feels their tallis fall off and intends to put it back on, one does not recite another beracha as there was never any hesech hadaas (distraction from the mitzva ). R’...