1)
The Minhag is that women do not do "Melacha" (work or chores) for the
first thirty minutes after the Chanukah menorah is lit.
Some have this Minhag on each of the eight nights of Chanukah (Shibolei HaLeket).
Others have this Minhag only on the first and last night of Chanukah. (Shiltei Giborim, Kol Bo, MaHaril and others)
According
to some opinions, the type of "Melacha" that the women shouldn't do is
any "Melacha" that is prohibited on any other Yom Tov.(Levush, Bach, Rav Shlomo Zalmen Auerbach Zatzal and others).
According
to other opinions, however, only Melachos that women refrain from doing
on Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed are prohibited, such as sewing,
laundry, ironing etc., but baking, cooking and the like is allowed.
(Moed L'Kol Chai, Rav Moshe Feinstein Zatzal, Debreciner Rav in Be'er
Moshe, Rav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita in the name of his father the Steipler
Zatzal)
2) Some Poskim maintain that the minhag not to do Melacha applies to men as well. (Elya Rabba's understands of the MaHaril, Bach and a few others).
Most
Poskim however, maintain that this is a special Minhag for women only,
as they had particularly harsh decrees targeting them (namely
that all Jewish brides were required to spend the night with the Greek
general before being allowed to be with their husbands) and they also had a special part in the miracle of Chanukah
(referring to the story of Yehudis who slayed the Greek general, before
he was able to defile her and through her heroic actions, the decree
was abolished. See Tosafos Pesachim 108b Dibur Hamaschil HaYu B'Oso
Ha'Nes and Rama Siman 670:2. See also Rashi to Shabbos 21b Dibur
Hamaschil V'Asum that there is no Issur Melacha on Chanukah)
QUESTION&ANSWER CORNER
Reader
Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we
covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
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:
Have any poskim commented on the customs of Nittel Nacht (the custom of not learning Torah on the Christian holiday of Xmas)?
If
most Jews in fact observed this custom, and no Torah was studied for
part or all of the night, couldn't this put the entire universe in
jeopardy, since if the world was left for a moment without Torah study
the world would disappear?
Answer:
There is much debate
about this minhag and many Poskim reject it, but it clearly has many
sources in the Poskim who do indeed rule this way, most relating to the
danger in days of old of Jews being seen in the streets that night or
even having a candle lit in their homes, thus resulting in no learning
that night.
Another reason, cited in
the name of Rav Nosson Adler Zatzal, the Chasam Sofer's Rebbi, is that
this night was established as a time of mourning for all the
persecutions of the Jewish nation due the birth being celebrated on this
day by the Christians, and thus just as on Tisha B'Av it is forbidden
to learn, so to this night. See Sefer Nitei Gavriel Page 388 footnote 4.
See also Ta'amei Haminhagim page 500 for other reasons.
Regarding your second
question, being that it isnt the same date and time in all parts of the
world, and given that many people don't have this custom or lived in
parts of the world where there was no threat, learning Torah was never
brought to a total halt. If it ever halted, the world would indeed cease
to exist. (Many Tzadikim indeed would be careful to learn Torah at
times when most of the world was busy with other things, such as on
Purim, Motzei Yom Kippur and other such times)
CHIZUK CORNER
This
section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmos the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav
Chaim Yaakov Stein Zatzal and the Mir Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Noson Tzvi
Finkel Zatzal. May we all strive to follow in their ways and may they
both be Melitzei Yosher for all of Klal 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.
What is wrong with the quality of envy, and what are some practical ways to work on it?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
Envy is a glorious
mechanism that Hakadosh Baruch Hu bestowed on mankind, in order to
achieve perfection. Envy is a way of acquiring good things that you
don't have. Kin'ah means the word Konoh to acquire; only Kin'ah means
you want to take from somebody else. Like Shoresh means, L'hashrish to
put root, L'sharesh to pull out the roots. Sokol, to throw stones,
L'sakeil, to take out stones.
So Konoh
means to acquire, and Kin'ah means to take away what someone else has
acquired. So therefore, if you see somebody has good practices, it's
good to be envious. Be jealous of good things. When people are polite:
you see a man and his wife talk politely to each other, you come home
and practice it to your own wife. Be jealous. When you see people who
are standing a long Shmonei Esrei, try to stand a longer one. People are
learning; try to learn too. All good things are facilitated by Kin'ah.
Kin'as Sofrim Tarbeh Chochmah; the envy of book-men increases wisdom.
That's why Hashem gave Kin'ah.
Only when
you don't intend to acquire any good things, only you don't want that
person to have it, that's wicked Kin'ah. You're jealous because he has
it, that's wicked Kin'ah. Also material things: you have a right to try
to better yourself, you have a right to buy a better house, better
furniture. But that it should eat you up? That means your head is on the
wrong subjects. Why aren't you eaten up when other people are more
pious and more decent than you are? But that kind of Kin'ah also is
wickedness. How to work on Kin'ah, that's a different subject, it needs
more than this lecture, some other time.
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Important Numbers
