Tuesday
13 Iyar 5771;28th Day of the Omer
May 17, 2011
Dear Readers,
I will iy"H be in Eretz Yisroel in honor of Lag B'Omer. It would be my honor and privilige to daven for each and every one of you while I am there. After all, YOU are the reason that Halacha For Today has become so successful and B"H attracted thousands of daily readers. If you would like to submit your name (and/or other info) for me to include in my Tefilos, please email them to me at HalachaForToday@Yahoo.com at your earliest convenience.
1) The Poskim debate whether one may hold a fruit and suck its juice out on Shabbos.
Some Poskim rule that doing so violates the prohibition of Sechitah and they do not differentiate between squeezing and sucking as both actions have the same outcome: extracting the juice from the fruit, a prohibited action.
Other Poskim, however, rule that sucking out the juice is not the same as squeezing because a) this is not the normal way to extract juices from fruit and thus it was never prohibited by the Chachamim, and furthermore, b) sucking out the juice of a fruit is considered "eating" and not "drinking" and thus not a part of the prohibition of Sechitah. (See Rama Siman 320:1. See also commentary of Rav Akiva Eiger to Shulchan Aruch Siman 202:8 where he brings opinions that sucking out the juice of a fruit is deemed "eating" and the Bracha recited over this "juice" would be Borei Pri Ha'eitz. See also Kaf HaChaim Siman 202:3)
The Mishna Berura (Siman 320:12) rules stringently for grapes and olives and leniently for other fruits and vegetables.
2) The above dispute applies only when the actual fruit is not placed entirely in the mouth.
All agree that if the fruit was placed entirely in the mouth that it is considered "eating" and there is no prohibition of Sechitah even though the juices are extracted and enjoyed while chewing. (Mishna Berura ibid. And of course all agree here that the Bracha on this fruit is Borei Pri Ha'eitz. See Kaf HaChaim ibid.)
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:
Is there a specific time one has to do hafrashas challah? Is it ok if I do it on Wednesday?
Answer:
Hafrashas Challah can be done anytime you bake (and in order to recite a bracha, the correct shiur is required).
There are kabalistic sources that say that when a woman takes Challah on Erev Shabbos it atones for the sin of Adam and Chava, but halachically it can be done any time.
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 HALACHAFORTODAY@YAHOO.COM
THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
אל תתיאש מן הרחמים
Chizuk Corner
Question:
What should one think while counting Sefiras HaOmer?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
Now everybody knows, that we're counting Sefirah to come closer to the very greatest event in history; and that event was Matan Torah. Like the Gemora says, Vayhi Erev Vayhi Boker Yom Shishi, Yom HaShishi, it doesn't say Yom Shishi, Yom HaShishi. Why the "Hey," HaShishi? Because the sixth day was the most important day in the whole world. The whole world was made for Matan Torah. And so we are counting, we are counting to that day. But there's a Kasha on this P'shat. Why do you say, today is so many days, and the next day more? You should count less! Let's say, today is 50 days before the Omer, next 49, 48, 47, that's how you should count, because you're waiting for Matan Torah. I want to make sure the Kasha is understood. You should go from the bigger number to the lesser number. And the less days there are, the happier you are?
And why call it, Sefiras HaOmer? Call it Sefiras Hatorah. Why Sefiras HaOmer? What's it got to do with the Omer? Now pay attention. There is a Machlokes HaPoskim, if the Brocho on Talmud Torah is a D'oraysa. Now we follow the Shita that it's M'doraysa. If you are in a Sofek if you made a Brocho on the Torah in the morning, you have to do it anyhow. It's a Sofek. In case you want, you can wait to Ahava Rabah, the Brocho before Krias Shema, and be M'chavain that you are thinking of Birchas Hatorah. But you must do it. But some Poskim say, Birchas Hatorah is M'drabanan. When it comes to the Brocho on eating bread, everybody agrees it's D'oraysa. Isn't that an interesting thing? The Brocho on eating bread, Birchas Hamazon, is D'oraysa. Hakol Modim, "Eretz Asher Lo B'miskainus Tochal Bo Lechem", V'achalta, V'sovoto, Uveirachta. So what do we see from this? That bread is more important than Torah. Bread is more important than Torah, because bread is life, and life is the most important thing.
Without bread you couldn't learn Torah. Not merely you say Im Ain Kemach Ain Torah,that's a different idea. Kepshuto, bread is the opportunity to live in this world. Now, we thank Hakadosh Baruch Hu for the bread. And every day we say, "Today is the first day we're thanking you for the bread." The second day, "THE OMER IS BREAD!!" Third day, fourth day, keep on thanking. Now what does it all end up? It ends up in Matan Torah. Bread is for the purpose for learning Torah. We are thanking Hashem for giving us Life, Baruch Hashem. So when you sit down to eat bread every morning, Pas Shachris is a Mitzvah, Pas Shachris is a Mitzvah to eat the Gemora says. Eat bread every morning. That little piece of bread, Pas Shachris, will save you from many illnesses, many sicknesses, if you eat Pas Shachris. When you eat that piece of bread, thinking, "AAH, bread that's Torah, that's Life, that's everything." And you say, "Baruch Ata Hashem, Hamotzei Lechem Min Ha'aretz," say it with Hisragshus, with excitement. Love Hashem for the bread. Because bread is going to bring you to everything else. And that's what Sefirah comes to tell us, how great is the Matana that Hashem gives us. Poseach Es Yodecha Umasbiah Lechol Chai Ratzon, and the purpose is, in order eventually to bring us to Har Sinai , to Matan Torah.
Important Numbers
