Is it permissible to open mail or packages that were delivered to one's home on Shabbat? Rav Shemuel Pinhasi (contemporary), in his work Daber Davar (p. 111), rules that if mail was delivered to the mailbox outside the door to one's home, he should Le'chatchila not bring it into his home until after Shabbat. If the mail was delivered into his home,…

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Is it permissible on Shabbat to ask a gentile to bring for him an item that he had forgotten in his car? For example, if a person forgot his Tallit in the car, or if he purchased some food or drinks for Shabbat and forgot to bring them inside before Shabbat began, may he ask a non-Jew to go into his car and bring the items inside for him? The Jew, …

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 303:26; listen to audio recording for precise citation) rules that it is forbidden for a woman to braid her hair, or to undo a braid, on Shabbat. The Mishna Berura (commentary by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan, 1839-1933) explains (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that braiding hair is forbidden on Shabbat by for…

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A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Just one Halacha on Sefirat Haomer. It is our custom, that Ladies do NOT count Sefirat Haomer. There's a great Machloket between the Sephardim and the Ashkenazim if ladies make a Beracha on Mitzvat Ase She Hazeman Gerama. Any Mitzvah that's bound by time, it's the Minhag of the Ashkenazim based on the Rabenu Tam to make a Beracha. For example, if a…

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During the period of Sefirat Ha'omer, we refrain from certain forms of festivity as an expression of mourning for the tragic deaths of Rabbi Akiva 24,000 disciples, which occurred during these weeks. The Shulhan Aruch mentions that we do not conduct weddings, or cut our hair during this period. The Magen Avraham (commentary to the Shulhan Aruch by …

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It is well-known that if a person forgot to count one night of the Omer, he should count the following day, without a Beracha, and he then resumes counting that night with a Beracha. Thus, for example, if a person forgot to count on the twenty-second night of the Omer, then the following day he should count "Hayom Shenayim Ve'esrim Yom La'omer…" wi…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Torah introduces the obligation of Sefirat Ha'omer in the Book of Vayikra (21:15): "You shall count for yourselves from the day following the Shabbat, from the day when you bring the Omer that is waived – they shall be seven complete weeks." The Sages explained that "the day following the Shabbat" refers to the day following the first day of Pe…

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A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Mishna Berura (work by Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), in a very important passage, cites a comment made by Rabbi Abba Bar Mamal in the Talmud Yerushalmi. Rabbi Abba remarked that if he had the support of his colleagues, he would have permitted work during Hol Ha'mo'ed. Even though Halacha imposes certain restrictions on working du…

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There is a Misva to take a haircut and to shave on Ereb Yom Tob, so one does not begin Yom Tob looking disheveled. It is forbidden to take a haircut or shave during Hol Ha'mo'ed, even if one was unable to do so before Yom Tob due to circumstances beyond his control. Even if a Berit is held on Hol Ha'mo'ed, the father, Sandak and Mohel may not take …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

(Study of the Shulhan Aruch together with the rulings of Hacham Bension Abba Shaul) The Shulhan Aruch rules that at "Mosi Masa" during the Seder, one eats a Ke'zayit from the top Masa, and a second Ke'zayit from the second Masa, which is the broken piece. The Peri Hadash (Rav Hizkiya Da Silva, 1659-1698) explained that this is done because it is un…

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The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 440) addresses the question of whether one may allow a non-Jew to enter his home on Pesah with Hames. Does the Torah prohibition against owning Hames require one to prevent a non-Jew from bringing his own Hames into the Jew's home during Pesah? The Shulhan Aruch notes the Halachic principle "Shelecha I Ata Ro'eh Abal At…

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A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Terumat Ha'deshen (Rav Yisrael Isserlin, 1390-1460), in a famous responsum (139), writes that there is a Misva Min Ha'mubhar (especially high standard of performing the Misva) to swallow the Ke'zayit of Masa at the Seder all at once. Meaning, one chews the Masa as he puts it in his mouth without swallowing, and only after the entire Ke'zayit is…

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The work Yalkut Yosef (English edition, p. 262) records a custom to eat a boiled egg immediately after Kiddush at the Seder, in commemoration of the Korban Hagiga, a sacrifice which was brought along with the Korban Pesah in the times of the Bet Ha'mikdash. This is not, however, the custom we follow. We eat the egg just before the meal, after we co…

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Halacha requires drinking four cups of wine at the Seder, and each cup must contain at least a Rebi'it – approximately 3.2 ounces – of wine. Preferably, one should drink the entire cup, but one fulfills his obligation even if he drinks less, as long as he drinks at least the majority of the cup (Shulhan Aruch Orah Haim 472:8). The question arises, …

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It is preferable to use red wine for the four cups of wine on Pesah night. According to the custom of the Sepharadim, red wine is preferred even over higher-quality white wine. Although some communities have the practice not to recite the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" on wine that is Mebushal (meaning, it had been heated), our custom is to recit…

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If a person cooks rice on Yom Tob, may he use a measuring cup so he can prepare a specific amount of rice? Halacha certainly allows one to cook on Yom Tob, but the question arises as to whether measuring is permissible as part of the process of food preparation. The Sages forbade precise measuring on Yom Tob, but not making rough measurements. Ther…

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According to the accepted custom, women are not required to observe the Ta'anit Bechorot (Fast of the Firstborn) on Ereb Pesah, or participate in a Siyum to absolve themselves from the fast. Nevertheless, there are some firstborn women who have the practice of refraining from eating until they receive some cake from the Siyum made in the synagogue …

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A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraOleh Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

There is a Misva to eat Massa at three points during the Seder: "Mosi -Massa," "Korech" and the Afikoman. For Mosi-Massa, the Shulhan Aruch states that one should eat two Kezaitim. The Mishna Berura explains that eating a second Kezayit solves a Halachic dilemma with regard to the Beracha "Al Achilat Massa." This Beracha is recited while holding th…

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Rav Pinhas Zevihi (contemporary) writes (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that one must make a point of reciting Birkat Ha'ilanot – the Beracha over the blossoming of fruit trees – as early as he can during the month of Nissan. Once Rosh Hodesh Nissan arrives, one should endeavor to find two blossoming fruit trees and recite the Bera…

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Reciting the Maggid section of the Haggada at the Seder fulfills the Torah obligation to tell the story of Yetzi'at Mitzrayim (the Exodus), as the Torah writes, "Ve'higadeta Le'vincha Ba'yom Ha'hu" ("You shall tell your children on that day" – Shemot 13:8). The importance of this Mitzva is expressed in a passage in the Zohar which comments that any…

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The Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) taught that on the night of the Seder, a great spiritual light descends from the heavens as a result of the Misvot that we perform. Although we always bring down spiritual light through our performance of Misvot, the Arizal explained that the lights come down on the night of the Seder in a special w…

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Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his Yehaveh Da'at (1:11), addresses the case of jelly that was prepared before Pesah with only kosher-for-Pesah ingredients, but in pots that had been used with Hametz and were not koshered for Pesah. Assuming the pot was perfectly clean when it was used for preparing the jelly, may the jelly be eaten on Pesah, as it does no…