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Precedence of Mitzvot
A frequently performed commandment generally takes precedence over a less frequently performed commandment, but ONLY:
  • Regarding the order in which they are to be performed, and
  • If there is no specific reason to do the less frequent one.
If you are only able to do one of several commandments, do the most important one. 
Example If you can only put on either talit or tefilin, you would put on the tefilin since that is the more important commandment, even though putting on a talit is the more frequently performed one.
Another Example Friday before sunset when Chanuka will be on Shabbat--lighting Shabbat candles is done more frequently, but we light the Chanuka candles first since if we lit the Shabbat candles first, it would already be Shabbat and we could not light the Chanuka candles at all.
Fore-Blessing: Small Amount of Pizza/Other Bread-Like Mezonot
Situation You will eat less than 1.9 fl. oz. (56 ml) of pizza or other bread-like mezonot) within four minutes.
What To Do Wash your hands using the One-Time Method, but do not say al netilat yadayim. Then say borei minei mezonot.
Jewish Festivals: Lowering Flames/Heat
On Jewish festivals, you may adjust (analog-only) temperature controls of gas and electric stoves and ovens DOWN but ONLY to prevent the food's getting overcooked or burnt (not for convenience or to save money). One permitted way to lower a burner temperature is to put a pot of water on the burner and lower the flame so the water does not boil away (but you must use some of the heated water during the holiday!).

Note For an electric stove or oven, you may only adjust the temperature DOWN when the heating element is OFF, as shown by an indicator light.
Note An analog control used on Jewish festivals must allow continuous changes to the temperature:  if an analog control has discreet settings, it may not be used on Jewish festivals!
How To Tear Kri'a
If you are in mourning for a parent, whether you are a man or woman, tear a vertical tear 4 inches (10.2 cm) long on your outermost garments (shirt and jacket, if you wear one) at the neck on the left side. The bulk of the tear must be made by hand, not with scissors or a knife, although you may start the tear with a sharp implement.
SheHakol: Which Foods: General Rule
Say she'hakol, the most general blessing, over any food or drink that does not fall into a higher category (HaMotzi, Borei Minei Mezonot, Borei Pri Ha'Eitz, Borei Pri HaGafen, and Borei Pri HaAdama).
Note One blessing of she'hakol covers both liquids and solids that will be eaten/drunk at the same snack or meal.
Tefilin: When To Touch: Shacharit
When praying on weekday mornings, touch and “kiss” the tefilin at:
  • Places in the shema that mention tefilin, and
  • Potei'ach in ashrei.
Reason  When wearing tefilin, you should be constantly conscious that you are wearing them. One way of reminding ourselves that we are wearing tefilin is to touch them at these times.
Note To “kiss” tefilin, touch the box with one or more fingers and then kiss those fingers.
Three Buckets of Water
A ritual purification is performed (“tahara”) by pouring three buckets of water over the body:
The body is stood up and water is poured from the head over the body. The subsequent buckets are poured before the previous ones are empty, so that the water from the subsequent bucket overlaps the water from the previous one.
 
Talit Gadol: Putting on in Morning
To put on a talit in the morning:
  • Say the blessing lehit'ateiph ba'tzitzit.
  • Put the garment over your head and down to your nose.
  • Gather the two tzitziyot from the right side and the front one from the left side and swing them over your left shoulder (you do not need to bunch up the talit before doing so).
  • Wait for at least 2 ½ seconds and say the appropriate verses (see a siddur for the text).
Creating Competing Business

Generally, you may not go into a business if an existing business owner will go out of business or cannot survive on what income he/she will have remaining.

Exception If a better Torah teacher is available than the current one, the better one may be hired.

Introduction to Mourning

Who Is a Mourner

A mourner is defined in halacha as someone mourning during the 12-month mourning period for parents or the 30-day mourning period for the other five relatives (spouse, brother, sister, son, daughter). After 30 days, one is no longer a mourner for anyone but one's parents.

Mourners' Restrictions

If the mourner goes about business as usual, it may show he or she doesn't care about the close relative who died. The mourner should ideally not want to do these things. The mourner honors the dead person by refraining from pampering him/herself and refraining from going about his or her life as usual.

Public Meals

A mourner may not attend a public meal for any purpose. For example, if the mourner attends a lecture or Torah class at which food is being served, he or she may not eat the food. This only applies to sit-down meals; snacking is permitted.

Siyum/Brit/Bar Mitzva

After 30 days after a parent's burial, a mourner may:

  • Attend a siyum or bar mitzva and eat there.
  • Attend a brit but not eat there.
Note If there is music (live or recorded), the mourner must leave.

Weddings

A mourner may not eat at a wedding and may not even be in the wedding hall after the ceremony took. The mourner may also not hear the music at a wedding.

Exceptions
  • If the mourner is the parent of someone getting married, the mourner can fully participate in the wedding.
  • If the mourner is the bride or groom, he or she must normally wait to get married until after shloshim/30 days.
Note If it is after shiva, but still during shloshim, consult a rabbi.

Kiddush and Shabbat or Festival Meals

A mourner may not publicly (noticeably) mourn on Shabbat or festivals so he or she may attend Shabbat or festival meals and kiddushes if he or she would be expected to attend. If the mourner always or routinely invites some person or a lot of different people on Shabbat or festivals, it is still permitted. If the mourner does not routinely invite some person or a lot of different people to a Shabbat or festival meal, then he or she may not, for his or her own enjoyment, invite guests for meals. However, the mourner is permitted to do so for other purposes (for the benefit of the invited person or people), such as kiruv or hachnasat orchim. There is no limit to how many guests the mourner may host.

The mourner may attend or host a sheva brachot in his/her home.

A mourner should not be invited to meals, even for Shabbat or festivals; but if he/she was invited, he/she may go.

Holidays

A mourner does eat at a Purim or Jewish festival seuda, since there is no mourning on Purim nor on any festival (except Chanuka).

Follow National Law as Enforced
Follow national law as enforced. Halacha requires that national and secular law be obeyed. However:
  • If a law exists but is not enforced, it is not considered by halacha to be a valid law.
  • If a law states one condition but is enforced only in a different condition, the actual enforced law is the valid one.
Example If a posted speed limit is 60 mph, but drivers are actually allowed to drive up to 70 mph, then 70 mph is the valid speed limit.
Measurements for Buildings as Eruv Border
Buildings in a row, more than 10 amot (about 17.5 feet or about 5.3 m) wide and less than 10 amot (about 17.5 feet or about 5.3 m) from the adjacent buildings, constitute one eruv border for a domain and no eruv is needed on that side.
Duration of Shiv'a (and Shloshim)
Shiv'a lasts seven days. Shloshim lasts 30 days, beginning with Day 1 of shiv'a. There may be some exceptions if shiv'a occurs before or during festivals.   
Note Any part of the first day is considered to be one full day. On the final day after shacharit, the mourners finish shiv'a, so shiv'a can actually last as little as 5 ½ calendar days.
Correct After-Blessing after Incorrect After-Blessing
Situation You ate or drank mezonot, wine, grape juice, or any of the Five Special Fruits.
You said the incorrect after-blessing.
What To Do You must still say the correct after-blessing after the incorrect one.
Shabbat: Candles: Latest Time To Light
You may not light after sunset (or after whatever time the entire community starts Shabbat if they start Shabbat before sunset). 
Note If a woman lights candles after sunset, she not only violates Shabbat but she must light one extra candle on every subsequent Shabbat for the rest of her life.