Today's Halachos are dedicated by a daily reader L'Zecher Nishmas R' Moshe ben R' Menachem Z"L. May his Neshama continue to have an Aliya in Shomayim and may he be a Meilitz Yosher for his entire Mishpacha and all of Klal Yisroel.
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) If while davening Shemona Esrei, one finds his/her mind wandering, he/she should stop until the foreign thoughts pass and then resume the davening with concentration.
In order to get the mind back to the task at hand (i.e. talking to Hashem), one should focus on thoughts that humble the heart and bring it to center on serving Hashem... (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 98:1)
A Segulah (spiritual remedy) for clearing the mind before starting to daven is to pass the right hand three times over the forehead, and each time say the Posuk (Tehillim 51:12, in the chapter of Teshuva) "Lev Tahor Bra Li Elokim, V'Ruach Nachon Chadesh B'Kirbi, Create me a clean heart, Hashem; and renew a steadfast spirit within me.".
Likewise, if an unclean or otherwise foreign thought enters the mind during Shemona Esrei (or any other part of davening where talking out is prohibited), the right hand should be passed over the forehead three times and the abovementioned Posuk "thought" in the mind with each passing of the hand. (as actually saying it then would be a Hefsek). (Mishna Berura Siman 98:2 quoting the Elya Rabbah in the name of the Shl"a HaKadosh)
2) Being as this is a Segulah based on kabalistic sources and ideas (right hand representing Rachamim etc.) it applies equally to lefties and righties. (Shu"t Be'er Moshe Vol. 2 Siman 3:7b)
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:
I have not had a chance to look it up but I wonder does it say that [one should learn Halachos daily] means specifically two halachos rather than the class of halachos.
I did not want to ask as either way the practice of two halachos per email should of course continue - I was just wondering regarding the interpretation.
Answer:
Though the word Shone can mean "learn",the Sefarim translate the word "Shone" Halachos as "two" and also the word Halachos is plural , otherwise it should say " Kol Halomed Halacha B'Chol Yom".
Also, The Medrash (Tanchuma Parshas Beshalach Siman 20) does explicitly say " Shone Adam Shtei Halachos B'Chol Yom- one should study TWO halachos daily"
*******************
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:
Wouldn't it be more grammatically correct to say "hatzneya leches lifnei Elokecha" instead of "hatzneya leches im Elokecha"? One is modest before G-d, in G-d's presence -- what does it mean to be modest "with G-d"?
The Midrash (BaMidbar Rabbah 1:3) tells us that before there was an Ohel Moed G-d spoke to Moshe from a burning bush in Midyan, G-d spoke to Moshe in Egypt, G-d spoke to Moshe from Har Sinai. However, now that there was an Ohel Moed G-d spoke only privately from that tent to fulfill the ideal of "hatzneya leches".
A number of points can be learned from this Chazal:
1) The source for the concept of tzniyus is rooted in the idea of imitating G-d. Just as we learn elsewhere mah hu rachum af atah..., we must act with kindness and mercy because G-d acts in this manner, so too "hatzneya leches im Elokecha", act with modesty not just before G-d, but along with G-d, meaning imitate the tzanu'a behavior which G-d has demonstrated. G-d does not call a news conference and make sure it is carried on all the major networks to say what he wants to; G-d speaks from the privacy of the Ohel Moed to those who are invited to listen.
2) Tzniyus means privacy. Even speaking anthropomorphically, I don't think the Midrash means that G-d wore a skirt below the knees and a blouse down to the wrists. Modesty and privacy are not the same thing. A person's dress can meet all the technical details that halacha requires but he/she can be a very loud and flashy person.
3) The Midrash continues that the paradigm of tzniyus was Moshe, about whom it is written, "kol kvuda bas melech pnima". Moshe was literally raised by a "melech", as he was adopted by Pharoah's daughter, but many of the meforshim explain the appelation of "bas melech" to refer to Moshe's relationship with Torah or he was the melech and the Torah itself is the "bas melech". In any event, this is clear: Moshe Rabeinu obviously did not shun taking a public leadership role as a result of his tzniyus. Tzniyus should not be an excuse to deny worthy men or women a public position.
What exactly is tzniyus? Chazal tell us that Torah requires tzniyus (Sukkah 49). Maharal (Nesiv haTzniyus ch 1.) explains that this is so because Torah has a "madreiga pnimis", a "madreiga nisteres." Torah has depth. Every parsha and sugya is like the top of an iceberg that protrudes above the sea, providing just a hint of the vastness which lies below. A person who embodies tzniyus is a person of depth, a person who is defined not by their clothes or hat or by a sound-bite, but a person whose character remains hidden behind a concealing veil and not on public display. Just when you think you have the person buttonholed, you discover that there is a deeper more pnimiyus aspect to the person's whole personality that you had previously overlooked or not seen. That's a person who is tzanu'a.
If we deconstruct the way tzniyus is taught and emphasized in our society, it pretty much turns this entire idea on its head. Rather than emphasize depth and inner-meaning, the emphasis is placed on externals: skirt length, sleeve length, hat size/color, etc. Don't get me wrong -- these details are important and halachically crucial. But these details are just the superficial siman of what defines tzniyus. What is missing is the stress on tzniyus as pnimiyus. We need to cultivate depth of character, not just a superficial commitment to a particular mode of dress.
Submitted by H.G.; Taken from divreichaim.blogspot.com
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
