This year is a Jewish leap year; the 12th month (starting on Shabbat) will be Adar-I (“Adar-Alef” or “Adar-Rishon”) and the 13th month will be Adar-II (“Adar-Bet” or “Adar-Sheni”). Girls and boys born in Adar (12 and 13 years ago) do not become Bat/Bar Mitzva until Adar II. Girls born in either Adar-I or Adar-II [...]

After eating grapes, dates, pomegranates, olives and figs one says the “short 1-in-3 Birkat HaMazon”  (often referred to as “Al HaMichya“) with the עַל הָעֵץ ועַל פּרִי הָעֵץ – “on the trees and the fruit of the trees” option. If one ate grapes and mistakenly used the עַל הַגֶּפֶן ועַל פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן – “on the [...]

The correct Bracha before eating grapes is בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הָעֵץ – “who creates the fruit of the tree”. The correct Bracha before drinking wine is בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן – “who creates the fruit of the vine”. If one mistakenly says בּוֹרֵא פְּרִי הַגֶּפֶן on grapes, one can eat the grapes without making another Bracha, since [...]

One is not allowed to chop down fruit bearing trees without a good reason. Besides for the transgression of wasting, doing so is also considered to be dangerous. If a tree is preventing other trees from growing, then it may be chopped down. If lots of trees are growing together in a small area, then [...]

Our Sages have designated the 15th of  Shvat – Tu B’Shvat- as the boundary between one year and another, since  (in most years) most of the rain of the winter has already fallen by then. Any new growth of  fruit after this day, is the result of  the blessing of the new year. It is [...]

Writing and drawing is forbidden on Shabbat – even if it’s temporary. One may not use one’s finger to write or draw on the condensation a window. One may not write or draw using the water that spilled on a table. One may not use one’s nail to make a mark on page, to enable one to [...]

One is not allowed to hit one’s servants, even as a means to force them to obey. One may hit one’s own children – including adopted children – if done in a way that will educate them to be upright people. Before hitting, one should first try explaining the issue; if that fails and one must [...]

It is forbidden to hit a fellow Jew. One who hits another Jew has transgressed a Torah prohibition. Even one who simply lifts his hand with the intent to hit, is called “wicked” as we learned in Parshat Shmot; “[Moshe] said to the wicked one: Why are you going to hit your friend?” – even before [...]

If one is happy when seeing a very dear friend (including spouses, parents, siblings and teachers) after not having seen them for 30 days, one makes the Bracha of Shehechiyanu: “Blessed… who has kept us alive, sustained us and permitted us to reach this occasion.” בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’, אֱ-לֹקֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם שֶׁהֶחֱיָינוּ וקִיְּמָנוּ והִגִּיעָנוּ לַזְּמָן [...]

This Friday – 10 Tevet – we fast to commemorate the beginning of the siege against Jerusalem. Almost 2,000 years ago the wicked King Nebuchadnezzar laid siege against Jerusalem which culminated in the destruction of the first Bet Hamikdash, a year and a half later. This is the King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon in whose court [...]

Oil that was put in the Chanukah Menorah and was not burnt, as well as wicks that were used and candles that didn’t burn fully should be burnt after Chanukah. Since they were set aside for the Mitzva of  Chanukah they cannot be used for any other purpose. If one had the explicit intention to [...]

The Torah Reading for tomorrow – the last day of  Chanuka – has 39 verses. It starts from ביום השמיני in Parshat Naso and continues all the way past the end of the Parsha and ends with the first paragraph of Parshat Beha’alotcha which talks about the daily lighting the 7-branched Menora in the Mishkan [...]

Tomorrow (Tuesday, December 7, 2010) and Wednesday is Rosh Chodesh Tevet. Rosh Chodesh Tevet is the only time the full-Hallel is said on Rosh Chodesh. (Usually on Rosh Chodesh we leave out 2 half-paragraphs.) Between Shacharit and Mussaf we will take out 2 Sifrei Torah. First we call up 3 people to the Torah for [...]

On Motzai Shabbat – the 4th night of Chanukah – we start praying for rain in the 9th Bracha of the weekday Amida – Barech-Aleinu – ברך עלינו – in the Diaspora. If you forgot to add “ותן טל ומטר לברכה” – “and bless us with dew and rain”, then: – If you remember before [...]

Since one cannot light fire on Shabbat, on Friday the Menorah is lit before Shabbat. The correct order for Friday is: – Daven “early” Mincha – Light the Chanukah Menorah. One can light as early as 75 Halachic minutes before sunset. – Light Shabbat candles at the regular time. The Chanukah Menorah needs be stay [...]