Dose of Halacha

Question: Does one need to wear Shabbos clothes on chol hamoed ? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 529:1) writes that one should wear nicer clothes on Yom Tov than one does even on Shabbos. The Mishna Berura (529:12) explains that this is because of the special mitzva to be happy on yom tov (See Rambam, Yom Tov 6:17). There is also a mitzva to treat yom tov with both oneg (joy) and kavod (honour), though there is a machlokes among the poskim as to whether one needs to treat chol hamoed with the same oneg and kavod. The Shulchan Aruch Harav (OC 529:5) writes that these don’t apply on chol hamoed. The Mishna Berura (530:1) quotes the Magen Avraham (OC 530:1), however, who writes that one needs t o treat chol hamoed with kavod and notes that the Maharil would wear his Shabbos clothes on chol hamoed . Thus, the Chayei Adam (106:1) writes that one must wear one’s Shabbos clothes on chol hamoed. Nonetheless, the Mishna Berura ( Shaar Hatziyun 530:4) notes that while...

Question: May one eat matza balls ( kneidlach ) or crackers before Pesach? Answer: The Gemara Yerushalmi (Pesachim 10:1) teaches that one must not eat matza on erev Pesach. Rambam (Chametz Umatza 6:12) explains that this makes it clear that the matza one eats on seder night is eaten for the mitzva . The Rema (OC 471:2) writes that this prohibition applies all day though there is a machlokes as to whether this starts the preceding night or from amud hashachar¸ daybreak (See Magen Avraham 471:6, Chok Yaakov 471:7). The Mishna Berura (471:12) adds that some have the minhag not to eat matza from Rosh Chodesh Nissan. R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe OC 1:155) notes that some abstain for thirty days before Pesach as according to one view in the Gemara (Pesachim 6a) this is when our Pesach preparations begin. Tosafos ( Pesachim 99b ) writes that this only applies to matza that one can use to fulfil the mitzva (See Biur Hagra OC 444:1 ). Thus, the Baer Heitev (OC 471:5) writes th...

Question: Our family are going away for Shabbos and will have a Minyan. Can we take a sefer Torah with us even though we’ll only lein from it twice? Answer:  The Shulchan Aruch (OC 135:14; 584:3) writes that one must not take a sefer Torah to prison for prisoners to hear leining even on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur unless it is for an important individual. The Mishna Berura (135:47) explains that this would not be kavod for the sefer Torah . Nonetheless, the Mishna Berura writes that this halacha specifically applies to an individual. One can take a sefer Torah to a prison or hospital if there is a minyan there. The Kaf Hachaim (OC 135:74) quotes the Zohar who takes a strict stance on this halacha though writes that if a minyan accompanies the sefer Torah, then it may be moved. The Rema (OC 135:14) writes that one who transports a sefer Torah should prepare a place for it in advance, though the Mishna Berura (135:49) and Kaf Hachaim (OC 135:83) write that it is sufficie...

Question: We forgot to check our eggs while baking a cake, and found a blood spot in the mixture. We removed the blood and baked the cake. Can we eat it? Do we need to kasher our dish? Answer: The Gemara (Chulin 64b) writes that one mustn’t eat an egg with a blood spot as we are concerned that it is the beginning of an embryo. The Rema (YD 66:8) writes that as the majority of eggs don’t have blood spots, one doesn’t need to check them. Nonetheless, he writes, it is the minhag to check them. One may eat them if they weren’t checked, however (Aruch Hashulchan YD 66:32). As modern commercial eggs are produced through artificially stimulated hormones, they cannot develop into chickens. Thus, the poskim write that any blood found in them isn’t proper blood. While the Shach (YD 66:14) allows one to eat such eggs even with blood spots, R’ Moshe Feinstein (Igros Moshe YD 1:36; OC 3:61) writes that we should still abide by this minhag and throw out any eggs with blood spots particu...