1)From thirty days before Pesach, it is proper to be careful when eating Chometz to be aware of the upcoming Yom Tov and make sure not to take the Chometz any place where it may be difficult to find and get rid of properly before Pesach.
During this thirty day period it is customary to begin cleaning all the rooms of the house where Chometz may have entered during the past year, as well as start all the preparations for the upcoming Chag HaPesach. (See Meiri to Avodah Zarah 5b Dibur Hamaschil Mah SheAmru)
2)If there are small children in the home, the entire home is considered " a place where Chometz enters" as children often take chometz into places where they aren't meant to, and indeed many very small children often "hide" their chometz snacks in the most uncanny places, thus necessitating a real good cleaning up to find everything.
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:
My 10 year old daughter has unruly hair. Is it permissible to put anything in her hair to tame it a bit on Shabbos - e.g., oil, gel, spray?
Answer:
If you style it first and then afterwards spray a little hairspray, it is permitted according to many Poskim, as the spray is then only maintaining the hair's shape. Spraying first, however, and then styling it is prohibited. (See Biur Halacha Sim an 303:27 Dibur Hamaschil Lachuf)
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 inspirational thought to help us all improve our lives and grow in our service of our Father in heaven, HaKadosh Baruch Hu.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME. THANK YOU AND TIZKEH L'MITZVOS!
אל תתיאש מן הרחמים
Chizuk Corner
NEW WEEKLY "DAVENING CORNER" FEATURE!
INTRODUCTION:
This NEW segment was compiled by daily readers of "Halacha For Today", Moshe Weiss, S. Weiss, and E. Willner of Brooklyn, NY.
Approximately 250 years ago, the Yesod VeShoresh HaAvoda, a disciple of the Baal Shem Tov, wrote a will wherein he discussed the importance of davening correctly. He wrote that Eliyahu HaNavi attributes the length of the exile to the fact that we, as a nation, are not careful to enunciate the words of our tefillos properly.
He explains that our prayers, which offer praise to HaShem, when not pronounced correctly, are not complete and never really leave our mouths properly. The words of our davening are exact, and are intended to be pronounced accurately. Just as when speaking to a human being we are careful to use proper diction, so, too, and how much more important it is, to say the words the sages intended us to use carefully and properly.
Further, often the words that are mispronounced, sometimes entirely change the meaning of what we are saying. Punctuation, as well, can change the meaning of our words and phrases, so that putting a pause, or comma, in the wrong place can also change the meaning of the tefillah.
For the next few weeks, we will be giving an example of commonly mispronounced words or phrases. We will then give you a week to try to incorporate this correction into your davening.
GENERAL RULE: Emphasis (shown here by bold and italics) is usually on the last syllable. Look for a vertical line in (most) siddurim if the emphasis is on a different syllable.
WEEK ONE:
Modeh (fem. = modah) ani lefanecha, melech chai vekayam, shehechezarta bi nishmasi bechemlah. (Pause) Rabah emunasechah.
Translation: You have returned my soul within me with compassion. (Pause) Abundant is your faithfulness!
These last two words form an independent phrase. If you attach Rabah to the previous phrase, then you have the last word alone which doesn't mean anything by itself. So the full meaning is: I thank you HaShem for returning my soul with compassion. Why did you do it? Because your faith in me is great that I will spend my day productively doing the right thing and sanctifying Your name.
For questions and comments on this segment please contact mw@mosheweiss.com
Important Numbers
