Today's halachos are dedicated by daily reader, Y.B., in loving memory of her husband, Asher Anshel ben Nachum Aryeh, whose Yahrtzeit is today, 18 Menachem Av. May his neshama continue to climb higher in Gan eden and may he be a Meilitz Yosher for his entire family.
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Please daven for Chaya Mushka bas Matti, the 10 year old daughter of a daily reader, who is undergoing a heart surgery today. May she have a speedy Refuah Shelaima B'Soch Sha'ar Cholei Yisroel.
1) It is prohibited to be in a bathhouse, Mikvah or anywhere else where one is totally undressed, together with one's father, stepfather, brother or sister's husband is also there undressed, as there is a concern that seeing them in this state will lead to bad thoughts. (See Rama Even HaEzer Siman 23:6)
Likewise, one should not be there together with his Rebbi (Torah teacher) unless the Rebbi requires his assistance to bathe. (Chelkas Mechokek Even HaEzer Siman 23:5)
If one was there already and one of the aforementioned relatives enters the bathhouse or Mikvah, he must hurry up and leave as quickly as he can; however if he was there first and his Rebbi enters he may remain there. (See Bais Shmuel Even HaEzer 23:5)
The above is only when they are totally undressed, but if bathing trunks are worn or the private areas are otherwise covered it is permissible to go swimming or be in a bathhouse together with these relatives. (See Rama ibid. and Yoreh Deah Siman 242:16)
2) The Poskim try and find a "Limud Zechus" for the practice of some Jews to indeed go to the Mikvah together with their sons.
The Aruch HaShulchan (Even HaEzer Siman 23:8) wonders about the custom which is against Halacha and tries to say that perhaps the prohibition is only being in the actual bath/Mikvah at the same time, but not being in the same room. However, he himself says that based on the Rishonim, this cannot be a good heter. (Also Rashi to Pesachim 51a explains the reason as the son may see his father and it will bring him to unclean thoughts, and that applies to them being in the same room naked, regardless if they actually enter the same bath).
The Sefer Minhag Yisroel Torah also wonders as to what people rely on and how they disregard the Halacha. He does quote the Shu"t Kinyan Torah Vol. 2 Siman 34 who rules that it is acceptable in a public Mikvah, as the son won't focus on his father when amongst a crowd.
He also writes there that it doesn't apply to a young child who doesn't yet have unclean thoughts.
At what age this begins can vary from child to child and also even if relying on this heter, it has to be a crowded Mikvah, and not just a Mikvah where there are one or two other people there besides the father and son.
For Halacha L'ma'aseh, as with everything, a Rav must be consulted.
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
These Q&A are 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@Gmail.com
Reader's Question:
I heard that there is something about Hashem answering all our prayers when we cover our eyes... is this why some women don't look at the light when they read Aneni [after lighting the Shabbos candles]?
Answer:
Hashem hears and answers ALL prayers that are said sincerely.
True, sometimes its easier to concentrate when the eyes are closed or covered, and if that is the case then they should indeed be closed or covered.
The Seforim do quote the Ben Ish Chai as saying that while a woman makes the bracha on the Shabbos candles her face should be covered AND her eyes closed, as kabalistically it is important for her eyes to be closed at that time.
However, I believe that refers to the time she is reciting the bracha on the candles, and not afterwards as she says additional Tefilos
CHIZUK CORNER
This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmas the late Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Yaakov ben Rav Binyomin Moshe Stein Zatzal.
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 HalachaForToday@Gmail.com
THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around.
We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels.
My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, "This
is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to Hashem said in prayer
are received."
I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world.
Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second
section.
The angel then said to me, "This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the prayers and requests the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them."
I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working
hard at that station, since so many bakashos had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth.
Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station.
To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. "This is the Acknowledgment Section," my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed.
"How is it that there's no work going on here?" I asked.
"So sad," the angel sighed. "After people receive the
blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments."
"How does one acknowledge HaShem's blessings?" I asked.
"Simple," the angel answered.
"Just say, 'Thank you, Hashem.' "
"What blessings should they acknowledge?" I asked.
"If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your
back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep ... you are richer than 75% of this world.
"If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a
dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy.
"And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in
the world who has that opportunity."
Also .....
"If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ...... you
are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day.
"If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the
loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation ... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.
"If you can attend shul without fear of harassment, arrest, torture or
death ... you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world.
"If your parents are still alive and still married. You are very rare.
"If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you are
unique to all those in doubt and despair."
"Ok, what now? How can I start?"
If you can read this message, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all.
Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this
along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are.
Important Numbers
