Todays email is dedicated by a daily reader, A.K., L'Zecher Nishmas Yossef ben Mazal Z"L May his Neshama continue to rise to greater heights in Gan eden.
Your donation of $5, $10, $18, $36, $54 or ANY AMOUNT will make a BIG difference in keeping HALACHA FOR TODAY going and helping us reach more and more Jews around the globe!
To dedicate the learning of a day of HALACHA FOR TODAY, or to make a much appreciated donation to please CLICK BUTTON BELOW.
Thank you and Tizkeh L'Mitzvos!
If you are just joining us today, please see ARCHIVES so you can review the previous Halachos on this and other topics.
1) When a man puts on his Talis in the morning, the Talis should initially cover his face, until his mouth. Those that throw the majority of the Talis over themselves and have it reach down way beyond their mouth are not doing a proper Atifa, wrapping. (Mishna Berura Siman 8:4. See also Shulchan Aruch HaRav Siman 8:5 and Aruch HaShulchan Siman 8:5)
During this procedure, part of the Talis must be on the back. If the entire Talis is draped over the neck like a shawl, the obligation has not been satisfied. (See Be'er Heitev Siman 8:3 quoting the Mogen Avraham. Unfortunately, I often observe people not being careful with this. Additionally,in certain communities the Talesim are small and worn as shawls around the neck only throughout the davening. This is not proper.)
2) The four strings of Tzitzis should then be taken and thrown over his left shoulder and remain that way for the amount of time it takes to walk four Amos (approximately 8 feet) (Mishna Berura ibid.)
The primary reason for the Tzitzis being placed on the left shoulder is Al Pi Kabala, and thus even left handed men should follow the above procedure. (See Shu"t Be'er Moshe Vol. 2 Siman 3:3)
Another reason given for this is that Tzitzis serves to combat the Yetzer Hara as it says in the Parsha of Tzitzis (Bamidbar 15:39) "V'Lo Sasuru Acharei Levavchem, you shall not err after your heart" and thus the Tzitzis are flung over the shoulder on the side of the heart. According to this reason as well, left handed men follow the same procedure. (See Shu"t Radvaz Vol. 3 Siman 571. See also Ben Ish Chai Parshas Bereishis 5, Kitzur Shnei Luchos HaBris (Shla HaKadosh) Hilchos Tzitzis and Sefer HaChinuch Mitzvah 386. See also Talmud Menachos 44a and Avoda Zara 17a)
After waiting the proper amount of time, the Tzitzis should be placed in their appropriate place (two in the front on the right and left side and two in the back on the right and left side) (Mishna Berura ibid.)
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 Today website.
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.
Questions can be emailed to HalachaForToday@Yahoo.com
Reader's Question:
Is it forbidden to learn during Chazaras HaShatz (The Chazzan's repetition of Shemona Esrei)?
Answer:
Yes, it is forbidden to learn Torah (this includes intense studying as well as just glancing at a Sefer or a Torah pamphlet which is on the table in Shul) during Chazaras HaShatz.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky shlita is known to tell people that doing so is a "Mitzvah Haba B'Aveira". I once heard from a Rav that the reason that so many people suddenly want to learn during Chazaras HaShatz is because at that time we are "Aino Metzuveh V'Oseh", we are not commanded to learn then thus the Yetzer Hara pushes us to learn then.
See Mishna Berura Siman 124:17 that one who learns during Chazaras HaShatz, even if he manages to hear and answer all the Amens properly himself, still may not do so as it causes others to copy him and they will not listen properly and thus he will be a Choti U'Machti.
The Shulchan Aruch HaRav Siman 124:6 writes that people who learn or say other Tachanunim (such as tehilim) during Chazaras HaShatz should be chastised for doing so as what they are doing is not proper.
See also Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Vol. 4 Siman 19 that this is all the more so when actually in a small minyan where there may not be 9 people answering Amen.
*******************
If you are using FireFox, ThunderBird or similar browsers and are experiencing difficulty reading anything in this email, please try opening this email again using internet explorer..
CHIZUK CORNER
As a Zechus for the Refuah Shelaima of one of the Gedolei HaDor, the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Stein Shlita, R' Chaim Yaakov ben Chasya Miriam, B'soch Sha'ar Cholei Yisroel, we will B'Ezras Hashem post here each day a short Chizuk thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
קוה אל ד', חזק ויאמץ לבך, וקוה אל ד'
Chizuk For Today:
The following is an excerpt from an email I recently received from a reader of Halacha For Today, a Ba'alas Teshuva who strives every moment of her life to improve and become closer to Hakadosh Baruch Hu. I am sharing her words with her permission, as I feel that we can all be inspired by the sentiments she expresse:
...Every time I go out of one email to go into the other,
Yahoo puts up a box on the right that says: "Trending".... and lists usually ten names I think of movie stars or other famous people, and occasionally an event or a place will show up among them.
Just now, as I glanced at the list and thought how very far that Gashmius world that they all live in is from the world we Torah Jews inhabit. And therefore there's no wonder my non religious friends don't understand me or what I'm doing.
My "Trending" list would include: Rashi, The Chasam Sofer, Rav Hirsch, Rav Zalman Sorotzkin, Rav Eliyahu M'Vilna, Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv, the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Yisroel Salanter, etc.
My non religious friends would have the same reaction to my list as I have to her world's list.... I don't know a single name on it!
How lucky I am! How wonderful it is to be so divested from that world!
Hodu Lashem Ki Tov Ki L'Olam Chasdo!!!
HaShem has really blessed me with a total disregard for celebrities such as movie stars, their escapades, and their lack of good behavior. And this was even when I was a kid. Amazing that I was one of the few girls in my school who DIDN'T read pulp movie and fan magazines! I never understood the concept of idolizing these stars...
...Once again I reiterate: Hodu LaShem Ki Tov Ki L'Olam Chasdo! We are so blessed!!
May we all be zoche to minimize our interest in the superficial Gashmius world and strive to put our efforts into belonging to the world of Hashem and His holy Torah.
Do YOU have something meaningful to submit for this section? Please email to HalachaForToday@Yahoo.com
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. (Talmud Niddah 73a)
Please visit my website www.HalachaForToday.com for archives, Kosher links, Questions and Answers,and other features. Halachos are for study purposes only, and should not be relied upon for final Psak. See Halacha L'Maaseh Disclaimer Here. I welcome all questions on any topic, anytime! Help spread the word of Hashem!
Please Tell your friends about this list and have them sign up too!
Important Numbers
