17 Tishrei 5773; 1st Day Chol HaMoed Sukkos (in Chutz L'Aretz)
October 3, 2012
Current Topic:
Review of Halachos of Sukkos
1) Many exalted things have been written regarding the proper performance of and proper conduct in and around the Sukkah.
A few of the many examples:
Every moment that one sits in the Sukkah is an additional performance of the positive commandment to sit in the Sukkah and serves to purify and make the person holier. (See Kaf HaChaim Siman 639:12. See also Shu"t Minchas Shlomo Vol. 2 Siman 58. In Sefer Minhagei Chasam Sofer Chapter 8:12 it is stated that the Chasam Sofer barely left his Sukkah for the entire 7 days of Sukkos and only left each day for Shachris; he davened Mincha and Maariv in his Sukkah)
It is proper not to get angry in the Sukkah, and surely not to speak Lashon Hara or D'varim Betailim (idle chatter) in the Sukkah. (See Be'er Heitev Siman 639:2 and Kaf HaChaim Siman 639:5 and 6)
Due to the extreme holiness of the Sukkah, it is proper, if possible, not to invite non-Jews to enter the Sukkah. (See Shach Al HaTorah Parshas Emor and Kaf HaChaim Siman 639:6)
2) One who is scrupulous with the observance of Sukkah in this world will merit having Hashem seat him/her at the Sukkah of the Levyasan (Leviathan) in the world to come.
Moreover, when he/she passes from this world, the merit of performing the Mitzvah of Sukkah properly will protect him/her from the angels of destruction. (Malachei Chavala created by sin, which torment a sinner's soul after death) (Yalkut Shimoni Parshas Emor 653, quoted in Elef Hamagen Siman 626-644:23. See also Kaf HaChaim Siman 625:8 and Ba'al HaTurim Al HaTorah VaYikra 23:43)
One who is scrupulous in the performance of Sukkah (known as Sukkas Shalom), will merit a year of harmony in his/her home(Shalom Bayis). (See Kaf HaChaim Siman 625:10 quoting the Yafeh Lalev)
QUESTION & ANSWER CORNER
Reader Submitted Questions of interest on topics related to Halachos we covered, as well as other interesting topic and Answers.
These Q&A are 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@Gmail.com
Question:
If one was called to the Torah, and the person said Birchos HaTorah on the wrong Parsha (for example, the Ba'al Koreh mistakenly pointed to Parashas Nitzavim) would the person have to repeat Birchas HaTorah on the right Parsha (Ha'azeinu)?
If you could include the Mareh Mekomos, it would be greatly appreciated.
Answer:
If the correct reading was not seen in the open Torah in front of him and we need to roll the scroll to get to the right place , a new Bracha will be required according to many Poskim. Though, according to many Poskim, if one had in mind the correct Parsha, even if it wasn't open no new Bracha will be required.
If the correct reading was in the open area, but the Ba'al Koreh showed him a wrong place on the page, we can be lenient and not require a new Bracha. Ideally, if possible to incorporate the place he pointed to and add it to the correct reading, that would be best.(See Shulchan Aruch Siman 140:3 and Mishna Berura there S"K 9 for more details).
CHIZUK CORNER
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This section is dedicated L'Ilui Nishmos the Telzer Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Chaim Yaakov Stein Zatzal , the Mir Rosh Yeshiva, HaRav Noson Tzvi Finkel Zatzal and the Rosh Yeshiva of Torah Ohr, the great Posek HaRav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg Zatzal.
May we all strive to follow in their ways and may they be Melitzei Yosher for all of Klal 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.
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THANK YOU AND תזכו למצות!
זכר צדיקים וקדושים לברכה
Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievsky Shlita learning Torah in his Sukkah.
Question:
If everything which happens in the universe is because of the people of Yisrael, the Jewish nation, isn't it important to read newspapers to know what happens, so we should learn the lesson?
Answer by HaRav Avigdor Miller Zatzal:
I'll tell you a simple answer: There are so many lessons in our history that we haven't studied yet, we shouldn't worry about learning new ones. I'll explain.
A certain Mafia man was shot down. That certainly happened because of us, but we can dispense with that information. Let's first know what happened in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu. You know that most yeshiva men don't know that?
Most yeshiva men don't begin to know what's in the Chumash. And sometimes they know a little bit because they look in the Chumash during Krias haTorah (public Torah reading), but they don't begin to know what happened in the Book of Yehoshua.
Let's study that history, which is well analyzed for us in the Medrashim and in the Gemara. Let's study what happened in the Books of Shoftim, Shmuel I and II, and Melachim I and II, what happened in Divrei Hayamim. There's so much to study. Long before we'll be finished with this, we'll be so old we won't have any time to read the newspapers.
If you'll finish all these great subjects, then you'll be able to analyze the news. You'll know the news without reading the newspaper. Did you know that? The Gedolim (great Torah sages) know the news without reading the newspaper! This I can tell you. How they do it? I can't tell you. You have to be Gadol to know it. Someday you'll be an old sage, you'll have gone through all the great incidents of our history and then you'll study.
Then when you read that so-and-so was shot down in a café in Greenpoint, you'll say aha, that's a mussar haskel (a real lesson for us). It comes to teach us that you should not put your trust in money, in bodyguards, and so on. You'll become more pious as a result of studying that.
Important Numbers
