Today's Halachos are dedicated by a daily reader L'Zecher Nishmas her mother Chana bas R' Yisroel (HaCohen), whose Yahrtzeit is TODAY. May her Neshama continue to rise higher and higher in Gan Eden
1) One who has sons and/or sons in law that are learning Torah full time and are on a fixed meager income from their Kollel, may give them additional money for their living expenses from Ma'aser. In fact, Rav Moshe Sternbuch Shlita writes (Kuntres Am HaTorah from 1982 Edition 2 Choveres 2) that they take precedence over everyone else.
However, if the father/father in law had committed himself at the onset of the marriage to give his children a certain amount of money per week or month, he may not give it from Ma'aser, unless he stipulated this from the beginning, otherwise it will be like paying your bills from Ma'aser, which is forbidden. (Shu:t Chasam Sofer Yoreh Deah Siman 231. See also Shu"t Tzitz Eliezer Vol. 9 Siman 1) 2) Money given to a Kollel couple to purchase a luxury item may not be given from Ma'aser (Sh"t Teshuvos V'Hanhagos Vol. 1 Siman 576)
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER:
(Reader Submitted Questions of interest (on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topics) and my Answers taken from the Q & A page on the Halacha For Todaywebsite. For study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha. Questions can be sent to Halacha For Today)
Reader's Question:
Shalom u'Vracha, (By the way it's very true - whenever I'm standing for Ashrei before mincha I usually do not get into the same mindset as I would if I sit.)
These past few halachos raised lots of questions in my mind that I haven't ever really addressed:
1) -- in the minyan that I daven at on Shabbos, they go VERY fast, so I almost never end up finishing shmoneh esrei before kaddish - if they're up to kedusha, I once heard that I'm supposed to pause wherever I am and listen (I think because of shomea k'oneh?) to the kedusha and then return to what I was saying? This person also said that if they get up to kaddish but I've already said the yihiyu l'ratzon after the bracha of sim shalom (ie during elokay nitzor), that I should respond to kedusha? Also, is any of this the same with regular kaddish?
2 )Usually the minyan I daven at gets up to kriyas hatorah when I'm either right before shmone esrei or in the middle of shma/brachos before shima... that being said - if I'm up to just the brachos of kriyas shma should I pause and wait till after torah reading to continue? and if i've already said shima should I not be pausing because of the idea of a hefsek between geulah and geulah?
3 ) -- with regard to sitting/standing - where did that all come from? why do we sit at certain parts and stand at other parts of psukei d'zimra? i understand that some things have more chashivus but still it's just weird why we specifically would stand for one thing over another - is there anywhere that i can find something that would go through each of the parts where we sit and stand and explain its significance?
My Answer:
1) Yes, if you are in the midst of Shemona esrei and hear kedusha or "Amen Yehei Sheimei Rabbah" in Kaddish you should stop, listen and continue where you stopped when you are done. Yes, it is because of "Shomea K'Oneh" that you do this.
After you say "Yihyu L'Ratzon" you may indeed answer Kaddish and Kedusha.
2) Before or during the Birchos Krias Shema, you should stop and listen to Krias HaTorah. After Shema, before Shemona Esrei, you may also stop and listen. After the Bracha of Ga'al Yisroel you must start Shemona esrei right away to be masmich Geulah to Tefilah, so you may not stop there to listen. The Chazon Ish and Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach maintained that one may not stop his/her Shemona Esrei in the middle to listen to Krias HaTorah as it will be too long a hefsek. If one did so, they are Yotzei Krias haTorah, but it should not be done. Other Poskim do indeed allow one to stop in middle of Shemona esrei and listen and resume when it's over (Shu"t Az Nidberu Vol. 14 Siman 29)
3) Everything that is stated in Shulchan Aruch, and the later Poskim has a source and a reason. Some of the reasons we understand (like Shemona Esrei needs to be said standing as we are "standing" before the king, and Ashrei sitting because we need to get our mindset ready. Karbanos we stand because the Avodah in the Bais Hamikdash was done standing. Tachanun we "lay" to show how we throw ourselves down on the floor in front of Hashem and so on.) Others may have kabalistic reasons (like standing by VaYevarech David) which most of us cannot understand or comprehend.
Our holy sages, the Chazal tell us
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא, שנאמר הליכות עולם לו, אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות - one who studies [at least two] Halachos daily is assured a portion in Olam Haba - the world to come. (:מגילה כ"ח )
Important Numbers
