Short, reader submitted Chizuk Thought of the Day for Elul:
Vidui is one of the essential elements of doing Teshuvah (along with charatah, painful remorse, and never doing the sin again). Vidui consists of enumerating and describing, out loud and in words, all the particulars of the sin(s) for which you're doing tshuvah. The more details you can describe, the better. Many people either don't actually verbalize the sin(s) out loud, or else do so very briefly and superficially. But you should try to add as many details as you can remember, even though it's painful to do so. You'll see how much more readily your tshuvah will be accepted.
(The above was written by the author of The Geulah Company, a daily reader of our Halacha emails.)
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1) As we mentioned earlier, inhabitants in a house with a door that is open to the street (Reshus HaRabim), are permitted to be alone in the house.
This "street" need not be a real Reshus HaRabim, public thoroughfare, with all the criteria that we find by Hilchos Shabbos, nor does it need to even be a real street.
If the door is open to a courtyard, or to a hallway in an apartment building or to other similar areas where people come and go, it is considered a "street" for the purposes of being a deterrent to the inhabitants of the home being considered "safely alone" (where they do not fear someone walking in on them) and thus there is no problem of Yichud. (See Shu"t Binyan Tzion Vol. 1 Siman 138 and Chochmas Adam Klal 126:7 and in Binas Adam ibid Os 18)
2) The leniency of having a door that is open to the street only works during the daytime hours when people are around (or in some cases even during the nighttime in a place where people are around), but during the night time (or even in the daytime when people aren't around) the open door to the empty street will not remove the prohibitions of Yichud. (See Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Siman 152:5, Shu"t Chasam Sofer Even HaEzer Vol. 2 Siman 96. See also Sefer Nidchei Yisroel from the Chofetz Chaim Perek 24:7)
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 Todaywebsite.
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.
Is there a halachic basis for a kallah(bride) having a shomeret (guardian)on the day of her wedding?
Is the kallah not allowed to be alone at all on her wedding day?
Does one specific person have to be designated as a shomeret or as long as she is with someone (ex: hairdresser, mother, sister) then it's OK?
Answer:
Yes, indeed there is a halachic as well as a Kabbalistic basis that necessitates a shomeret for a Kallah (and a shomer for a Chasan) on the day of the wedding (and possibly the entire week of Sheva Brachos).
It doesnt have to be the same person, as long as someone is around, she isnt alone.
She may be alone in her room if other people are home. But she shouldn't be home alone or go out in the street alone.
Our holy sages, the Chazal tell us
תנא דבי אליהו כל השונה הלכות בכל יום מובטח לו שהוא בן עולם הבא, שנאמר הליכות עולם לו, אל תקרי הליכות אלא הלכות - one who studies [at least two] Halachos daily is assured a portion in Olam Haba - the world to come. (:מגילה כ"ח )
Important Numbers
