Sunday; Erev Yom Tov Acharon Shel Pesach
20 Nisan, 5771; 4th Day Chol Hamoed Pesach
(5th day Chol Hamoed in Eretz Yisroel);5th day of Sefiras HaOmer
April 24, 2011
SPECIAL TRIPLE PORTION L'KAVOD YOM TOV
Halachos for Sunday, Erev Yom Tov
1) Sefiras HaOmer, the counting of the Omer, began on the second night of Pesach, and will continue for 49 days until the Yom Tov of Shavuos.
L'Chatchila, the Bracha on the Sefirah, as well as the counting should be recited while standing. (See Mishna Berura Siman 489:6).
2) If the Sefirah was said while sitting, B'Dieved it is acceptable, and no re-counting is necessary.
This halacha applies to men and those women whose minhag it is to count Sefirah, alike. (In a few days we will discuss in more detail, whether women are obligated in this Mitzvah or not
Halachos for Monday, Yom Tov of Shvi'i Shel Pesach
1) The counting of the Omer should preferably be done as soon as possible after nightfall (preferably the same amount waited after sunset after Shabbos to do Melacha, should be waited for the counting of Sefirah as well)
If one davens Maariv early, before the counting of the Omer will be possible, he should be extremely careful to have a system set up whereby he will remember to count the Sefirah when the proper time arrives.
2) It is a good idea to always count the Sefirah again during the day [without a Bracha], thus if the counting was forgotten the night before, the day counting will suffice for the total counting of the 49 days.
Halachos for Tuesday, Yom Tov Achron Shel Pesach (Isru Chag in Eretz Yisroel)
1) During the first week of Sefirah, if it's after Sunset, and before you counted Sefirah, and someone asks you "What night of Sefirah is it tonight?" you should respond by saying "yesterday's count was such and such" (i.e. on the 5th night of Sefirah say "yesterday was the 4th day of the Omer" ).
If you mistakenly answered saying "Tonight's count is such and such" , you may no longer recite that night's count with a Bracha, as your response to that person is considered an adequate "counting".(See Mishna Berura Siman 489:22, and Sha'ar HaTziyun Os 23 and 26)
The above applies even if you just said "Tonight is 6", and didn't say "Tonight is the 6th night of the Omer" (Mishna Berura Siman489:21)
2) However, if someone asks you the count, and you simply respond by saying "6", and don't preface it by saying "Today is", it isn't considered a count and you may go ahead and count again with a Bracha. (Mishna Berura 489:20)
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 Today website.
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@Yahoo.com
Reader's Question:
My [friend] and I always have a disagreement on a certain topic, and that is about Aveiros (sins).
[My friend] states that most of the halachos that we are commanded to keep aren't from Hashem but from the rabbis that make it up. They make up these halachos (for example muktzah). Therefore he said he thinks the reason for most of the halachos that the rabbis made are gates around the Aveiros themselves.
Therefore he thinks that its not neccesary for us to keep the rabbinacal halachos rather then the original ones.
I tried explaining to him that Hashem commanded us to listen to our rabbis and their decisions are counted as sins if they are violated. But he disagrees. What should i tell him? and is it true [what I say]?
Answer:
You are 1000% correct.
The Torah explicitly commands us (Devarim 17:11) to listen to the Rabbanim/Chachamim and not to deviate an iota from what they tell you . Thus every rabbinical edict, for any reason they deemed it necessary is basically a Torah cammandment and must be kept to the tee. Only if the Rabbis themselves said that any particular edict was for a certain time only may we not do it anymore.
It is not up to us as individuals to decide what is worth keeping or not, it is up to the great sages to interpret the law.
The Midrash tells us that Avraham, Yitzchok and Yaakov, our holy patriarchs, kept all the Mitzvos and even all the rabbinical edicts! (See Talmud Yoma 28b)
The Gemara tells us that all the edicts that would eventually be instituted by the Rabbis were shown by to Moshe Rabbeinu on Har Sinai by Hashem Himself!
The Posuk (Devarim 30:12) tells us that the Torah was given to mortals, and isn't in heaven anymore. It was given to the Rabbis to interpret and to institute fences, edicts etc. as they saw fit.
There is a famous Gemara (Bava Metzia 59b) that describes a dispute in halacha between Rav Eliezer and the Rabbis. Rav Eliezer caused all sorts of miracles to happen to prove his point and that he was right, yet the rabbis were unimpressed, saying that Torah was given to them, and it isn't up to heaven anymore to determine halacha!
The laws of Rosh Chodesh were given to the rabbis to determine. The calendar month and the days on which holidays fall is not determined by the sun or the moon, rather by edict of the rabbis, as the Torah says (Shmos 12:2) "Hachodesh Hazeh Lachem- this (and all) months are for you to determine!"
In fact, there are even rabbinic Mitzvos on which we recite "Asher Kidshanu B'Mitzvosav, V'Tzivanu... saying that Hashem commanded us to do it, when seemingly it was only the rabbis! (See Gemara Shabbos 23a and the Ritva's explanation there)
There are countless more examples of this tenet of Judaism.
Bottom line is that one who transgresses a rabbinical decree has transgressed an Aveira equal to transgressing a biblical decree.
CHIZUK CORNER
As a Zechus for the Refuah Shelaima of one of the Gedolei HaDor, the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva , HaRav Chaim Stein Shlita, R' Chaim Yaakov ben Chasya Miriam, B'soch Sha'ar Cholei 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.
IF YOU HAVE SOMETHING MEANINGFUL FOR THIS SECTION, PLEASE EMAIL IT TO ME.
Important Numbers
