$1, $5, $10, $18, $36 or any amount you can give to help us spread "Halacha For Today" to even more people around the world, will be greatly appreciated. PayPal Donations to Halacha For Today Tizkeh L’Miztvos!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
1) "Kaparos" money (which many people use on Erev Yom Kippur in place of a chicken) may not be taken from Ma’aser.(Shl"a Maseches Yoma Amud haTeshuva Dibur HaMaschil B’Erev Yom Kippur)
The "Machtzis HaShekel" given [in Shul] each year in Chodesh Adar, before Purim may not be given from Ma’aser. (Shu"t Bais Dino Shel Shlomo Yoreh Deah Siman 1. See also Sefer Tzedaka U’mishpat Perek 6 footnote 37)
Today’s days that there is no set amount which must be given for "Kimcha D’Pischa" (obligatory contribution that each community member must contribute to a "fund" which provides Pesach necessities to the poor people in the city) it is no different than any Tzedaka, and may thus be given from Ma’aser. (Psak of Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal quoted in Ma’adanei Shlomo Inyanei Pesach. Others argue on this Psak. See Shu"t Shevet HaKehasi Vol. 1 Siman 137 at length.)
2) Ma’aser money may be used for expenses related to fixing a community Eiruv, if one is doing so on his/her own accord. However, if the community association is obligating all residents to pay into a fund for the maintenence of the Eiruv, it may not be paid from Ma’aser money. (Psak of Rav menashe Klein Shlita. See also Sefer Tzedaka U’Mishpat Perek 6:10)
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:
The Olam on the bus [where we review your Halachos on the way to work] wanted to know the mekor of the minhag to take the 3 steps back before [beginning] Shemona Esrai and why we should begin those 3 steps with the right foot?
Also the Olam asked if a lefty actually has a weaker foot as implied by the halacha that after the shemona Esrai lefty takes his first step backward with the right foot?
Also if you are sitting in your seat for the Shmona Esrei due to the bus moving around, do you still move your feet back 3 steps and forward since you are not moving at all (this is obviously different than the case of the wheelchair that you brought down since in that case your body is moving backward and forward)
Thank you as always, we have such a geshmak with these halachos. Someone actually told us this morning that he takes our bus just so that he can hear the divrei halacha!!
My Answer:
1) The Mishna Berura quotes the Elya Rabba that there is no need to take the 3 steps back before taking the three steps forward but he says that the prevalent Minhag is indeed to take the 3 steps backwards The Steipler’s Minhag was like the Elya Rabba not to take the three steps backward, and simply to move up three steps and begin Shemona Esrei (Orchos Rabeinu Vol. 1 Siman 193)
The Poskim say that it is correct to take these three steps (both backwards and forwards) beginning with the right foot, unlike after finishing Shemona Esrei when the left foot goes first. See Mishna Berura Siman 123:13. The reason for the weak foot first after Shemona Esrei, is so it shouldnt seem like we are eager to leave the presence of the Shechina. So when we are ready to start Shemona esrei and stand before the Shechina, we do indeed do this with our stronger foot first, which apparently gets there quicker ,thus the difference for righties and lefties whose feet are not of the same strength either halachically.
2) Regarding the three steps back on the bus, if it isnt possible to do this while standing, and isnt possible to somehow move your whole body backwards, then indeed you should move your feet backwards to sort of be yotzei the inyan of "3 steps". The Gemara Yoma 53b says that one who doesnt take three steps back is better off not davening at all, so we try to do whatever is possible to at least mimick these three steps when they can’t be done in a normal way.
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
