Wednesday
9 Nisan, 5771; 6 Days until Pesach
April 13 , 2011
1) It is best to drink the entire cup, or at least the majority of the cup of each cup of the Arba Kosos. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 472:9 and Mishna Berura S"K 30)
Those who find it difficult to drink wine should rather use a smaller glass that holds a little more than a Revi'is and finish the entire cup rather than using a much larger cup and then not be able to finish all or most of it.
Children [who are of age for Chinuch] need only drink a cheek-full of wine. (See Mishna Berura Siman 472:47)
2) The Arba Kosos must be drunk B'Heseiba, while leaning on the left side. (Shulchan Aruch Siman 472:3)
Even left handed people lean to the left side.
There are two reasons for not leaning to the right side. One reason is that doing so will prevent the person from eating comfortably with his right hand. (Mishna Berura Siman 472 S"K 10)
According to this first reason alone, we may think that a left handed person would need to lean to the right side.
However, there is another [and more important] reason for leaning to the left, because a person's food pipe (esophagus) is to the right and the air canal (trachea) is to the left, and when leaning to the right there is a chance that the cover of the air canal will open and the food may get lodged in the wrong pipe and cause choking Chas V'Shalom. (Mishna Berura ibid.)
If a left handed person leaned to the right, B'dieved he has satisfied his obligation. (Mishna Berura ibid.)
If a right handed person leans to the right, according to some Poskim it is acceptable B'dieved, and according to others even B'dieved he has not satisfied his obligation. (Mishna Berura ibid. See also Kaf HaChaim Siman 472:23 and 48. See also Shu"t Hisorerus Teshuva Vol. 2 Siman 49)
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 was asked by someone the following question[which I am forwarding to you]:
"I go to the beach with a bunch of young married couples. The women go with shorts and tank tops. Some of them cover their hair, I don't.
It makes me feel uncomfortable that they do this. How could one dress like this and thencover their hair. It's a chilul Hashem"
(and I quote..She wants me to ask a Rav). She said...
"I would never dress like this way in the frum communities but I feel for the beach it's appropriate dress."
I don't know what to say.
Answer:
It is forbidden for men and women to go to the beach together.
It is forbidden for men to see women unless all areas of Erva are covered. (This includes knees, elbows, neck line and hair [of a married woman])
The fact that it is on the beach and everyone is in a playful mood makes it all the worse, and there is absolutely no Heter for this.
The Torah commands us to keep our camp holy (V'Haya Machanecha Kadosh!). If we ignore this commandment, only tragedies and misfortune will continue to befall our nation. The way a Jewish man or women dresses, acts, speaks, thinks etc. must be refined and holy.. There is no difference if they are at home, on vacation or on the beach!
Hashem sees everything we do, no matter where we are.
That being said, if they will be doing so anyway in disregard of Halacha, they will be transgressing a sin for each additional Erva that is not covered. Thus, at least covering their hair would make the transgression less severe for a few reasons.
1) The fact that the hair is covered is a "sign" of sorts to the men there that she is off limits.
2) The fact that her hair is covered eliminates the seeing of an extra Erva.
3) Just because one transgresses one sin doesnt mean that another sin should be transgressed.
4) Similar to Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal's Psak about NOT removing a yarmulka when going into a movie theater, a bare head and uncovered body at the beach in front of men is an extreme Chilul Hashem, and as such should be avoided at all costs.
To say that covering the head at a beach is chilul Hashem, is just a rationalization for living life on their own terms, and not on Hashem's terms. (See Parshas Netzavim Perek 29 Pasuk 18 and 19 for a sampling of this attitude and R"L the severity of its punishment)
It is exactly the opposite! If she is worried about Chilul Hashem, she should not be there inthe first place, but if she is, at least minimize the chilul Hashem by dressing appropriately!
Chazal have taught us, and the Gedolim throughout the ages have been telling us that the arrival of Mashiach is being delayed in large part due to the laxity in observance of Hilchos Tznius. I can think of no worse laxity than "couples" mingling at the beach in various forms of undress Rachmana Litzlan.
May Hashem give us all the strength to stand up to the Yetzer Hara and refrain from all transgressions especially those involving the un-holiness of lack of Tznius/ Arayos that continue to cause Mashiach to not arrive.
There is a lot more to write on this topic, but I will leave it at this, feelings that come from my heart which will hopefully go into the hearts of those fellow Jews amongst us who truly do want to improve in this crucial area of Tzniyus.
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 תזכו למצות!
אל תתיאש מן הרחמים
Chizuk Corner
"...If statistics are right, the Jews constitute but one percent of the human race. It suggests a nebulous dim puff of stardust lost in the blaze of the Milky way. properly, the Jew ought hardly to be heard of, but he is heard of, has always been heard of. He is as prominent on the planet as any other people, and his commercial importance is extravagantly out of proportion to the smallness of his bulk. His contributions to the world's list of great names in literature, science, art, music, finance, medicine, and abstruse learning are also away out of proportion to the weakness of his numbers. He has made a marvelous fight in this world, in all the ages; and had done it with his hands tied behind him. He could be vain of himself, and be excused for it.
The Egyptian, the Babylonian, and the Persian rose, filled the planet with sound and splendor, then faded to dream-stuff and passed away; the Greek and the Roman followed; and made a vast noise, and they are gone; other people have sprung up and held their torch high for a time, but it burned out, and they sit in twilight now, or have vanished. The Jew saw them all, beat them all, and is now what he always was, exhibiting no decadence, no infirmities of age, no weakening of his parts, no slowing of his energies, no dulling of his alert and aggressive mind. All things are mortal but the Jew; all other forces pass, but he remains. What is the secret of his immortality?"
- Mark Twain
(Excerpt from an article entitled "Concerning The Jews," Harper's Magazine, 1899 )
"... The secret, Mr. Twain, is no secret at all. The secret is our Father in heaven's promise that the flame of His children, the Jews, the flame of His Torah will never be distinguished for all eternity."
Important Numbers
