1) One should not sleep on his stomach nor on his back, but rather on his side. (Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer Siman 23:3 and Aruch HaShulchan Even HaEzer Siman 23:3)
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)
The reason for the prohibition of sleeping on the back or on the stomach is to prevent the body from being stimulated to the point of being MZ"L while in these positions. (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. Maran Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita, in Shoneh Halachos Siman 239:3 quotes the Chazon Ish Zatzal as being stringent anytime 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")
Another reason given for not sleeping on the left side 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)
Lastly, there are also kabalistic reasons for not sleeping on the back and the stomach. (See Kaf HaChaim Siman 238:11)
2) This Halacha applies to males and females as even though the first reason cited, of avoiding MZ"L, does not apply to females, the last two reasons do.
Though for females it isn't considered as big a sin if they are lax in this.
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Reader's Question:
What is the halacha about a woman saying a kaddish quietly to herself in shul?
Answer:
Many Poskim allow for women to recite the kaddish quietly in the women's section at the same time that it is being recited by men in the men's section.
See Igros Moshe Orach Chaim Vol. 5 Siman 12:2 where he clearly writes that this was the minhag of old, that women mourners came to shul to recite kaddish. More recently, HaRav Ovadiah Yosef shlita also ruled that women may recite kaddish when there are no men mourners, as long as a minyan of men are present and he writes that this ruling was based on such a psak by Poskim of the former generations such as the Shvus Yaakov, Chavas Yair and the Shu"t Teshuva M'Ahava, as long as it isn't done in the actual Shul but in her home or in the Ezras Nashim.
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This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmas the late Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Yaakov ben Rav Binyomin Moshe Stein Zatzal.
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זכר צדיק וקדוש לברכה
Question:
What does love mean? How can we love?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
And the answer is, you have within you a fountain of love, you can love almost anybody. The truth is, every man has somebody that loves him, even a gangster has people that love him. However, every person should know, Hakadosh Baruch Hu put into you a fountain of hergeishim, of emotions. And once you start practicing, opening up the faucet, it starts coming out more and more strongly, and you can learn to love people.
Practice up loving your wife. You see your wife from a distance, "I love that woman", don't tell it to her. You can tell it to her too, but if you don't tell her it's worthwhile, too. Say "I love that woman". Don't think it's a small thing. Look through the window, your wife is coming from the store, "I love that woman". It's a silly thing? It's not silly at all; it's a Mitzvah D'oraisa, V'ahavtah L'reiacha Kamocha. Your wife is a fellow Jew; you have to love your fellow Jew. If you keep on saying it, then in the course of time you'll begin loving.
How do you love? If you don't want to do it, then you're going to fail in it and you'll fail in your purpose in life, because loving your close ones is the biggest obligation. You have to love every Jew, it's not so easy! But to love those that are close to you is certainly a chiyuv, and you cannot avoid that and you must start practicing right now.
Important Numbers
