Today's Halachos dedicated by daily reader, H.W., as a merit for a Refuah Shelaima for his niece Rivka Freyda Bat Tova Gittel B'soch Sha'ar Cholei Yisroel. Please learn and daven in her merit.
1) If one is unable to build a Sukkah on their own and has someone else do it for them, it is proper to have the one building it to at least leave off a small amount of S'chach for the owner of the Sukkah to put up by himself. (Kaf HaChaim Siman 625:11)
Likewise, it is good to be personally involved in the set up and decorating of the Sukkah. (See Sefer Elef Hamagen Siman 626-644:4)
When one appoints someone else to build their Sukkah, it is proper to say to them " You are my Shaliach Mitzvah, my messenger to do this Mitzvah of putting up my Sukkah and S'chach L'Shem Mitzvah, for the purpose and intent of performing the Mitzvah of sitting in the Sukkah" (Kaf HaChaim ibid. )
One should ideally not have his Sukkah built by a non Jew, especially the laying of the S'chach. (Chida in Sefer Kaf Achas Siman 24:2. See also Elef Hamagen ibid.)
2) The Mitzvah of building a Sukkah is in it of itself a [part of the] Mitzvah and not only a means by which to be able to sit in the Sukkah.
Rav Reuven Margolis Zatzal in his Sefer Nefesh Chaya (Siman 625:1) writes that even one who cannot sit in the Sukkah (due to illness or other valid Halachic reason) and has no male family members that are required to sit in the Sukkah, still should have a Sukkah built to at least perform the mitzvah of "Building" a Sukkah! (As a proof to this ruling he cites the Talmud in Makos 8a and Shavuos 29a and also a Talmud Yerushalmi Brachos Perek 9:3 where the Talmud says to recite a blessing on the "Building of a Sukkah".)
He goes so far as to say that this person would recite a "Shehechiyanu" when assisting in the building of this Sukkah as he won't be reciting it when sitting in it!
Although we do not rule like the Nefesh Chaya in this matter , it still helps us understand the importance of being involved in the building of a Sukkah. (See Taz to Siman 641)
Reader's Question:
Ever since I can remember, when we count people we don't count 1, 2,3 but rather "not 1, not 2, not 3".
I was just talking to a friend about this, and we realized we don't know why we do it.
I was curious if there was any mekor for it and reason, or even if it's a real inyan in Yiddishkeit not to count people by just numbers?
Answer:
Yes, it is a real inyan not to count people in the regular fashion, as Bracha rests on "hidden" things and counting opens the door for Ayin Hara. (See Talmud Yoma 22b where it states that it is forbidden to count Jews in the regular manner).
Thus, in the Midbar, they used Machtzis Hashekel to count the Yidden, and throughout our history, we used various indirect means to count people.
When checking if there is a minyan present, we say "Hoshea es Amecha etc." a Pasuk with 10 words, rather than counting directly.
I guess saying "not 1, not 2..." can be an acceptable method,
but don't point as you "count".
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
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Some words of wisdom....submitted by daily reader B.S.
I Believe...
That just because two people argue,
doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue,
doesn't mean they do love each other.
I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if
We understand that friends change.
I Believe....
That no matter how good a friend is,
They're going to hurt you every once in a while
And you must forgive them for that.
I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with
Loving words. It may be the last time you see them.
I Believe....
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.
I Believe. ..
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.
I Believe....
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down
Will be the ones to help you get back up.
I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry
I have the right to be angry,
But that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.
I Believe....
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had
And wh at you've learned from them and less to do with how many
Birthdays you've celebrated.
I Believe....
That it isn't always enough,
To be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.
I Believe....
That our background and circumstances
May have influenced who we are,
But, we are responsible for who we become.
I Believe.....
Two people can look at the exact same
Thing and see something totally different.
I Believe....
That even when you think you have no more to give,
When a friend cries out to you -
You will find the strength to help.
I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find
Out a secret. It could change your life Forever.
I Believe...
That credentials on the wall
Do not make you a decent human being.
I Believe....
'The happiest of people don't necessarily
Have the best of everything;
They just make the most of everything they have.
Important Numbers
