עשרת ימי תשובה תש"ע Chizuk Thought of the Day for Aseres Yemei Teshuva:
The Aseres Yemei Teshuva, and particularly Erev Yom Kippur, is the ideal time to apologize, beg forgiveness and ask for Mechila from anyone that we may have slighted in any way throughout the previous year (or longer).
Sins that require Mechila from another human being will not be wiped away with Teshuva alone, until forgiveness is sought. If one asks you for Mechila, you should find it in your heart to forgive them.
The Poskim say that if the one who wronged you does not come to you to ask for Mechila, then you (the victim) should go to him/her and present yourself to him/her in such a way to encourage them to ask you for forgiveness (Mateh Ephraim, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch and others based on Gemara in Yoma 87a). The Seforim compare this to us and Hashem. In the Yemei HaTeshuva Hashem comes down from Shamayim and makes it easy for us to ask - and receive- His divine forgiveness, as it says in the Posuk "Dirshu Hashem B’HiMatzo- Seek out Hashem when He is near".
To see archives of Halachos of Chodesh Elul/Yamim Noraim/Hilchos Teshuva (written last year) Please Click Here
***
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSOR:
Fly on EL AL for the Fewest Points of Any Credit Card!
A percentage of every purchase made on your HAS Advantage Visa credit card is donated to charities in Israel . Earn 1 point for every $1 spent. Benefit from a rewards program designed with you in mind. Enjoy bonus tickets to Israel , 1% cash back, double points at select merchants and kosher supermarkets, discounts in Israel , merchandise and more.
Call 1-866-647-7235 or click here to learn more and receive $25 after your first purchase!
SPECIAL BONUS 2,500 POINTS FOR HALACHA FOR TODAY READERS! For More Details please CLICK HERE
***
Please consider sponsoring a day or more of Halacha For Today, or simply making a donation of $1,$5,$10,$18, $36,$54... Any amount you can give is appreciated and will help further spread Torah!
1)We will now discuss some common practical situations where Yichud applies.
When parents go away from the home and hire a female babysitter to watch over the children there are a few problems that can arise.
If she is watching over a boy above the age of 9, there is a prohibition of Yichud, and thus a shomer would be necessary.
If it is during the day time hours, one additional child [boy between 6 and 9 or girl between 5 and 9 as we discussed a little while back] is sufficient.
If it is during the night time hours when the children are going to sleep, 2 additional children must be present as Shomrim.
2) If no other children are present to be Shomrim, and the babysitter is watching a boy above the age of 9, there are some other things that can be done to remove the Yichud problem:
1) The door to the home can be left open. This only works during the hours that people are still out and about, and won’t work late at night. (i.e. this won’t work if the parents will be gone overnight)
2) A key to the home (or the necessary combinations) can be given to a neighbor [one who is an acceptable shomer] and they be told that they can enter the home at any time. (i.e. even if they knock before entering, they will enter before waiting for a response to their knocking). Some Poskim even suggest that the neighbor actually enter the house once or twice, so the babysitter will see that it is a serious deterrent.
Halachos for Shabbos Kodesh
1) If the babysitter is a boy, and he is watching over a girl above the age of 3, there is a problem of Yichud.
Therefore, additional children will be required to be in the home in order to serve as Shomrim.
If no other children are present to be shomrim, the other methods we mentioned (door open to the street or key given to a neighbor with access to enter any time) must be utilized in order for it to be acceptable.
2) Another way to avoid Yichud is for the boy to bring along another boy (or another 2 boys for night time hours, when we worry that one of the boys will fall asleep) to watch the children along with him.
This is the preferred method, according to many Poksim.
************
PLEASE SUPPORT OUR NEW SPONSOR:
CLICK ON IMAGE ABOVE OR HERE TO BE DIRECTED TO THEIR WEBSITE.
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER:
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers. Taken from the Q & A pages on the Halacha For Todaywebsite.
Although the answers I give to questions are taken directly from the Sifrei HaPoskim, and aren’t my own, they are still for study purposes only, NOT for Psak Halacha.
You state (in the archives of last year, Halachos for sep. 24 2008) that it is best not to read (i.e. English translations) during the actual davening.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a good understanding of Hebrew, and use an interlinear machzor so I can read the Hebrew and quickly scan the English with my eyes for "important tefillos," including Neilah.
Is this wrong?
Answer:
I would say that interlinear translations, which exist in Hebrew (Yesod Malchus) and English (most recently from Artscroll, and for a while already from Metsudos) is not really an explanation as much as it is a simple definition of each word, which when strung together give you an easier grasp of the flow of the Tefilos as you daven and enhances your davening and doesnt detract from it and is OK (and even recommended) to use.
What I was referring to was reading lengthy Pirushim (explanations) of the texts, which is best done before davening.
Though it would probably be best anyway to look over and understand the tefilos before the actual davening, even in such a siddur or Machzor.
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
