Sefarim by Rabbi Chaim Cohen: Mekor Chaim ↗ בס״ד

  1. Accidentally Broke One’s Fast

    Question: I forgot it was a taanis and made myself a cup of tea. What’s the halacha now that I’ve broken the taanis ? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 568:1) writes that if one accidentally ate on a taanis tzibbur, communal…

  2. Beracha on Seeing a Friend

    Question: I haven’t seen some of my close friends for a few months due to lockdown. Should we say a beracha when we meet or does the fact that we have spoken over the phone and via Zoom mean that we don’t need to? Answer: T…

  3. Who Should Light Instead?

    Question: A few weeks ago my wife was in hospital over Shabbos and I lit the candles. My teenage daughter asked if she should have lit instead. Who should have lit under these circumstances? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 26…

  4. Fresh Challa

    Question: I like to bake fresh challa for Shabbos though it’s never enough to separate challa with a beracha . Should I rather bake a big batch for a few weeks so that I can take challa ? Answer: The Gemara (Bava Kama 82a)…

  5. Cutting Tzitzis with Scissors

    Question: Is it true that one mustn’t use regular scissors to cut tzitzis ? Answer: The Torah (Devarim 27:5) prohibits use of metal implements in hewing out stones for building the mizbe’ach . The Mishna (Middos 3:4) teaches…

  6. Looking at the Havdala Candle

    Question: I watched a Rabbi sing havdala online and noticed that he looked at his hands before saying the beracha over the candle. Don’t we usually recite the beracha before performing the mitzva or benefitting from anythin…

  7. Watching Havdala Online

    Question: I ran out of grape juice on Shabbos and so don’t have enough for havdala. Can I be yotze by watching someone saying it live online? Answer: The Mishna (Rosh Hashana 3:7) teaches that one who blew a shofar into a…