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A Tallis-Tefillin Mix-Up

Question: I opened my tallis bag and accidentally removed my tefillin before my tallis . Should I have put the tefillin on first, or still put on the tallis first? Answer: The Gemara (Yoma 33a) teaches that the kohen must remove the ashes from the inner mizbeach before clearing out the ash from the menora . The principle derived from this, ein ma’avirin al hamitzvos , means that one should not skip a mitzva ; the kohen must address each mitzva in the order he encounters it. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 25:1) advises that one should take care not to place the tefillin bag closer to the opening of the bag than the tallis . Normally, one puts on the tallis first, but if the tefillin are encountered first, one would need to put them on first, following the same principle. The Biur Halacha (25:1) notes that the Pri Megadim (Mishbetzos Zahav OC 25:5) implies that this rule is mideoraisa , while the Kaf Hachaim (OC 25:9) and others hold that it is miderabanan . The Magen Avraham ...
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Wife Help with Tefillin

Question: I have broken my right arm and shoulder and cannot put tefillin on myself. Can my wife help me put them on? Answer: The Gemara (Avoda Zara 39a; Bechoros 30b) records a case in which a woman married to a talmid chacham tied tefillin for her sick husband. Tosafos (Gittin 24a) discusses a machlokes regarding whether women may perform preparatory acts for mitzvos from which they are exempt, such as tying tzitzis or binding the lulav . Rabbeinu Tam rules that since women are not obligated in tzitzis or lulav , they should not tie the strings of the tzitzis or assemble the lulav . The Shulchan Aruch (OC 14:1), however, rules that women may tie tzitzis , although the Rema adds that it is preferable for men to do so. The Hagahos Maimonis (Tzitzis 1:12) explains Rabbeinu Tam’s position regarding the Gemara’s story in two ways. One approach is that the woman did not actually tie the tefillin but merely assisted her husband. Alternatively, since the tying itself is not t...
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House Without a Mezuza

Question: I have been invited to stay overnight with relatives who are not religious and who do not have mezuzos affixed to their home. May I stay there overnight? Answer: The Sefer Hachinuch (423) writes that one who is obligated in mezuza and does not affix one transgresses a mitzva . The mitzva remains in force for as long as one lives in the house (see Minchas Chinuch). The Pri Megadim (Eshel Avraham OC 38:15), followed by the Pischei Teshuva (YD 285:1) and Aruch Hashulchan (YD 285:5), maintains that although one must affix a mezuza immediately upon discovering its absence, where this is temporarily impossible and no alternative dwelling is available, one may remain in the house. According to this approach, the issur relates to failing to affix a mezuza , not to the act of dwelling itself. However, the Avnei Nezer (YD 381), citing Sefer Haeshkol, rejects this premise. He argues that a mezuza must be affixed immediately upon completion of the house, prior to residence, ...
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Mezuza Upon Buying a Rental

Question: We have rented our house for the past five years and are now able to buy it. Should we remove the mezuzos and reaffix them? Answer: There is a machlokes among the rishonim as to whether the obligation upon a renter to affix a mezuza is mideoraisa or miderabannan . The Sefer Hachinuch (423) and the Nimukei Yosef (Mezuza 6b) maintain that the obligation is mideoraisa , subject to a thirty-day exemption, and this also appears to be the implication of Rashi (Menachos 44a). Tosafos (Avoda Zara 21a), the Rosh (Chulin 8:26) and the Mordechai (Hilchos Ketanos 950), however, hold that the obligation is miderabannan . The Sdei Chemed (Mem 112) notes that this is the majority view. The Pischei Teshuva (YD 286:18; Nachlas Zvi 286:22; 291:2) raises the question of whether one who initially rented a house and later purchased it must recite a new beracha . R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 2:552) suggests that, due to the principle of taaseh, velo min ha’asuy , that a mit...
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Chazzan Saying Kedusha Aloud

Question: When the chazzan recites kedusha during chazaras hashatz, should he say the pesukim together with the tzibbur , or only after they have finished? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 104:7) rules that one who is still davening shemoneh esrei when the chazzan reaches kedusha should pause and listen quietly, fulfilling their obligation through shomea ke’oneh . The Mishna Berura (104:27) likewise emphasises that someone davening must remain silent during kaddish so that they can hear the chazzan say yehei shemei rabba . The Taz (OC 125:2) and R’ Akiva Eiger (OC 125:1) write that the tzibbur should recite the pesukim together with the chazzan , who says them aloud. However, if the chazzan recites the pesukim  with the  tzibbur , those relying on shomea ke’oneh may simply not hear him. The Mishna Berura (Biur Halacha 125:2) notes that the chazzan should not recite a davar shebikedusha entirely on his own, and therefore raises the possibility of beginning s...
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Wearing Tzitzis Without a Vest

Question: I often struggle to wear tzitzis over a vest, especially in the summer when it gets too hot. I’ve seen undershirt tzitzis that button up on the side. Can I wear these instead of a vest? Answer: The Rosh (Moed Katan 3:43) writes that underwear, such as vests, are not considered proper garments ( begadim ) for fulfilling the mitzvah of tzitzis . R’ Moshe Sternbuch (Teshuvos Vehanhagos 1:25) therefore rules that if one wears tzitzis specifically as an undershirt, they may not be obligated in tzitzis , and one should try to avoid doing so. R’ Ephraim Greenblatt (Rivevos Ephraim 4:15:1) similarly writes that it is ideal not to wear tzitzis directly on the body, as this does not show proper kavod for the mitzva (see Piskei Teshuvos 8:n196). Nonetheless, R’ Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (Halichos Shlomo, Tefilla 3:11; n19) maintained that wearing tzitzis on one’s body is not considered a disgrace to the mitzva, noting that using one’s tzitzis to wipe one’s glasses would, howev...
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Black Stripes on the Tallis

Question: I am buying my first tallis . The shopkeeper told me that as an Ashkenazi, I should choose one with black stripes. What is the reason for this? Answer: Rambam (Tzitzis 2:8) and Rashi (Menachos 41b) write that the tzitzis should be the same colour as the tallis . For example, if the tallis were red, the tzitzis would also be red. The Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 9:9) explains, based on the Torah’s wording, that the tzitzis should match the corner of the garment in both colour and material. This implies that not only the material but also the colour of the tzitzis should be similar to that of the tallis . Tosafos (Menachos 41b), however, disagrees. They explain that there is certainly no Torah requirement for this practice, although it may be connected to the idea of ‘zeh eli ve’anveihu’ beautifying the mitzva . Similarly, the Rashba (3:280) holds that there is no such obligation. The Shulchan Aruch Harav and Magen Avraham (9:6), quoting the Bach (OC 9:3), writes that th...
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