1) If a married Jewish male does not have a Tallis, he may daven Shacharis without it, if by waiting until a Tallis becomes available he will miss davening with a minyan. If he will not miss Tefilah B'Tzibur, it is preferable to wait until a Talis becomes available before davening.
Even though it is a good practice to check the Tzitzis on a Tallis each day before donning it (to make sure they are tied properly, and kosher), if by checking them Tefilah B'Tzibur will be missed, the checking should be skipped.
2) If a Jewish male does not have Tefilin, most Poskim maintain that he should wait until he acquires a pair to don before davening Shacharis, even if by doing so he will miss Tefilah B'Tzibbur and daven alone. (The reason for this is because reciting Shema in the morning without Tefilin is prohibited as it's considered like delivering false testimony. Thus, if one already recited Shema with Tefilin earlier in the morning, he may then daven Shemona Esrei without Tefilin in order to have Tefilah B'Tzibur, according to everyone.)
Some Poskim (Dayan Weiss Zatzal in Shu"t Minchas Yitzchak Vol. 2 Siman 107) are lenient and permit davening without Tefilin, in order to have Shemona Esrei B'Tzibbur.
If one davened Shacharis [including Krias Shema] without Tefilin and Tefilin become available to him later in the day, he should repeat Krias Shema with Tefilin on.
Reader's Question:
Is one allowed to make brachos [or daven] in a room where there are soiled diapers in a garbage bag, if the odor is no longer present?
My Answer:
If the soiled diaper is totally covered in a garbage can, and there is no odor, Brachos are permitted.
If they are just in a bag, according to many poskim the entire bag can sometimes acquire the din [halachic status] of a soiled diaper [Graf Shel Re'i], thus it would be better to make the bracha while 4 Amos [approx. 8 feet] away and also while facing a different direction, as if one can see the soiled diaper or anything that has a din like it, it may be problematic.
If the smell is emanating, one may never make a bracha no matter how far away they are, as long as they smell it.
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 )
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Important Numbers
