Halacha strictly forbids reheating liquids on Shabbat. Once a soup, gravy or stew has cooled off, one may not place it on a stove (even if it is covered with a "Blech") or a hotplate to be reheated on Shabbat. Doing so may constitute a Torah violation, which is punishable with Sekila (execution by stoning). The question arises as to whether one may…

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Halacha forbids stirring food in a pot that is on the fire or a blech on Shabbat. The Shulchan Aruch does, however, permit serving on Shabbat from a pot that is over the fire or on a blech. Thus, for example, if one does not want to take the pot of soup off the fire because he needs to keep it there until Shabbat morning, he may serve from the pot …

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The Shulhan Aruch, in a famous ruling, distinguishes between solid and liquid foods with regard to the permissibility of reheating on Shabbat. When it comes to liquids, the Shulhan Aruch rules that "Yesh Bishul Ahar Bishul," which means that once a liquid food has cooled, reheating it constitutes cooking and is forbidden. It is therefore forbidden …

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A question recently arose concerning the situation of a guest who was served hot soup during Shabbat lunch. The guest was surprised to see hot soup being served on Shabbat day, as Halacha forbids reheating cold liquid on a Blech or hotplate on Shabbat, a law known as "Yesh Bishul Ahar Bishul Be'lah." It turned out that the hostess mistakenly though…

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

There is a small and utterly indestructible bone in the body called the "luz" bone. It is the bone which sits at the base of the neck. It is from this bone that G-d will reconstruct the entire body when the time arrives for the resurrection of the dead. The "luz" bone is nourished only from the Se'udat Melava Malka, the Saturday night fourth meal. …

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Maran (Rabbi Yosef Karo, author of the Shulhan Aruch) dedicates a full Siman (Orah Haim 300) to the subject of the Melava Malka –the Saturday night 4th meal. The reason for this meal is, upon a departure of a king from a town, the people make sure that he is escorted with an entourage. Similarly, when G-d who just spent Shabbat with us leaves, we m…

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The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Lech-Lecha, discusses a number of different Halachot relevant to Shabbat preparations (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He writes that one should take a haircut on Ereb Shabbat in honor of Shabbat, and although this could be done any time on Friday, it is preferable…

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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, …

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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, …