Monday
August 16 2010
6 Elul 5770; 24 Days to Rosh Hashana 5771
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1)One should not sleep on his stomach nor on his back, rather on his side.
In the beginning of the night he should sleep on his left side and at the end of the night on his right side. (Rambam Hilchos Dei'os Perek 4 Halacha 5)
One of the reasons given for this is that the liver is on the right side and the stomach is on the left side, and thus when one sleeps on the left side, the liver's heat will warm the stomach and will help the digestive system. (Sefer Aleh L'Terufah quoted in Sefer HaLikutim back of the Shabsi Frankel edition of the Rambam. See also Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Siman 71:5)
Another reason for the prohibition of sleeping on the back or on the stomach is to prevent embarrassing situations and/or nocturnal emissions while sleeping. (See Rashi to Brachos 13b Dibur Hamaschil Layit Aman. See also Pele Yoetz, "Yemin" and Shu"t Az Nidberu Vol. 6 Siman 50 regarding if these positions apply only to when going to sleep or to any time one lays down. See also Mishna Berura Siman 239:6 where he refers to sleeping on the back or stomach as an "Issur Gadol, a big sin")
Lastly, there are kabalistic reasons for not sleeping on the back and the stomach. (See Kaf HaChaim Siman 238:11)
2) This Halacha applies equally to men and women (as even though the second reason cited does not apply to women, the first and third reason do. Though for women it isn't considered a big sin if they do not follow this Halacha)
This Halacha also applies equally to right handed people and left handed people.
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The days from Rosh Chodesh Elul until after Hoshana Rabba are days of Hashem's Rachamim (mercy), Selicha (forgiveness) and Ratzon (goodwill). They are an extremely opportune time for Jews to find it within themselves to repent and atone for the sins that were transgressed in the past year and to accept upon themselves to live better lives, according to Halacha- the will of Hashem, in the year ahead.
Hashem is always waiting for his children to repent, but in Elul He is even closer to us and Teshuva is a lot easier.
It is never too late to jump on the bandwagon and start our journey of return to our Father in heaven, and hopefully, together, bring about the final redemption with Mashiach Tzidkeinu.
For archives of Halachos of Chodesh Elul and the Yamim Noraim CLICK HERE
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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 will be doing an activity with girls in day camp in which girls get blindfolded and taste foods. Before I put the food in their mouth, I will tell them to make the appropriate bracha.
Do they have to make a bracha on the following foods, and if yes, which bracha: salt, oil, cocoa, flour.
Which brachos should I tell them to make on: strawberry jam, honey, bamba (snack), klik (choc. balls with some crispy cookie or wafer-like substance inside), lasso (licorice)?
Answer:
The best thing to do would be for them to make the appropriate brachos on different foods first and have in mind to exempt whatever else you "serve" them.
However, since you asked, I will answer:
Salt: If enjoyed a bit, SheHakol, otherwise since it isnt a food that is eaten, even when one is extremely hungry no Bracha. (See Mishna Berura Siman 204:5)
Oil: If it's olive oil, and it isn't dangerous to drink it would be Borei Pri HaEitz. Other oil is SheHakol. (See Shulchan Aruch Siman 202: 4 and 8)
Cocoa: SheHakol
Flour: It is no better than raw dough which according to most Poskim is SheHakol ( Some may rule Mezonos. A Rav should be consulted for halacha L'Ma'aseh)
Strawberry jam: SheHakol
Honey: SheHakol
Bamba:SheHakol
(according to some opinions, HaAdama)
Klik (choc. balls with some crispy cookie or wafer-like substance inside): Probably Mezonos, as the wafer is there for taste and not just for texture. A Rav should be consulted for halacha L'ma'aseh.
Lasso (licorice): Although it contains flour, it is only there as a binder to hold it together, and is not there to add to the taste or nutrition value, thus it isn't significant, according to most contemporary Poskim, and a Shehakol is recited. (There are some Poskim that rule to say Mezonos on certain licorices, so for halacha L'ma'aseh a Rav should be consulted)
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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:
Mashal #1) The Hole In The Boat
A man was called to the beach to paint a boat. He brought his paint and brushes and began to paint the boat a bright, new red, as he was hired to do. As he painted the boat, he noticed that the paint was seeping through the bottom of the boat. He realized that there was a leak, and he decided to mend it. When the painting was done, he collected his money for the job and went away.
The following day the owner of the boat came to the painter and presented him with a large check. The painter was surprised. "You have already paid me for painting the boat," he said.
"But this is not for the paint job. It is for mending the leak in the boat."
"That was so small a thing that I even did not want to charge you for it. Surely you are not paying me this huge amount for so small a thing?"
"My dear friend, you do not understand. Let me tell you what happened."
"When I asked you to paint the boat I had forgotten to mention to you about the leak. When the boat was nice and dry, my children took the boat and went fishing. When I found that they had gone out in the boat, I was frantic for I remembered that the boat had a leak! Imagine my relief and happiness when I saw them coming back safe and sound. I examined the boat and saw that you had repaired the leak. Now you see what you have done? You have saved the lives of my children! I haven't enough money to repay you for your 'little' good deed..."
Mashal #2) A Piece of String
A wealthy merchant bought a wonderful candelabra for his home. It was a masterpiece, made of pure crystal and studded with precious stones. It cost a real fortune.
Because of the candelabra's massive size, the ceiling in the merchant's dining room could not support its weight. In order to hang this beautiful candelabrum, a hole was bored in the ceiling, through which a rope was run and fastened to a beam in the attic.
Everybody who came to the house admired the wonderful candelabra, and the merchant and his family were very proud of it.
One day a poor boy came begging for old clothes. He was told to go up to the attic, where their old clothes were stored, and to help himself to some. He went up to the attic, and collected a neat bundle of clothes. After packing them into his bag, he searched for a piece of string with which to tie it. He saw a rope wound around a nail and decided to help himself to a piece. So he took out his pocketknife and cut the rope.
Crash! There was a terrific smash, and the next moment the whole family rushed to the attic crying: "You idiot! Look what you have done! You have ruined us!"
The poor boy could not understand what all the excitement was about. He said: "What do you mean, ruined you? All I did was to take a small piece of rope. Surely this did not ruin you?"
"You poor fish," replied the merchant. "Yes, all you did was to take a piece of rope. But it so happened that my precious candelabra hung by it. Now you have broken it beyond repair!"
These two stories, my friends, have one moral: Very often, by doing what seems to us a "small" good deed we never know what wonderful thing we have really done. And conversely, in committing what seems to us a "small" transgression, we are causing a terrible catastrophe. Both good deeds and bad deeds cause a "chain reaction." One good deed brings another good deed in its succession, and one transgression brings another. Each of them, no matter how seemingly small, may create or destroy worlds. Don't you think these two stories are worth remembering?
Submitted By H.; written by Nissan Mindel at www.Chabad.org
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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)
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