Search results for: ""Oneg""
Taste (Ta'am) Transfer: Spicy/Charif: Sitting in Container
Cold, spicy/charif, solid food (with no liquid) does not transfer gender UNLESS it was under pressure, so simply sitting in an opposite-gender or non-kosher container does not have any effect.
Note Cold, spicy/charif, liquid food sitting in an opposite-gender or non-kosher container is kosher only if it sat less time than needed to become cooked.
ExampleYou ate cold (less than 120° F, or 49° C) spicy/charif food of one gender on a cold plate of the opposite gender:
Also see Spicy/Charif Soaking: Long Enough To Be Cooked: Food and Utensil.
Liquid Food
If the cold spicy/charif food is liquid but it is in contact with a utensil of the opposite gender for less time than it takes to boil, it would be kosher but, again, you should only do this ad hoc.Also see Spicy/Charif Soaking: Long Enough To Be Cooked: Food and Utensil.
Kaddish for Relatives Other than Parents
If you wish, you may say mourner's kaddish for family members other than parents, especially during shloshim (the first 30 days after burial), since the first 30 days after death are the most difficult for the dead person's soul.
However, you may say kaddish for anyone even after shloshim ends, if you wish, until the end of 11 months (for a shomer-mitzvot person) or 12 months (for a non-shomer mitzvot person. But in a place where only one person says kaddish, you may not supplant another person who is halachically required to say kaddish.
However, you may say kaddish for anyone even after shloshim ends, if you wish, until the end of 11 months (for a shomer-mitzvot person) or 12 months (for a non-shomer mitzvot person. But in a place where only one person says kaddish, you may not supplant another person who is halachically required to say kaddish.
Fore-Blessing (Bracha Rishona) over Cholent
Cholent blessing (if the cholent is not eaten as part of a meal) follows the most important ingredient and is somewhat subjective to the eater.
- German cholent —A variety of wheat is primary; say borei minei mezonot.
- Hungarian cholent—Barley is primary; say borei minei mezonot.
- Polish cholent —Beans are primary; say borei pri ha'adama.
- Russian cholent —Potatoes are primary; say borei pri ha'adama.
- If meat is most important, say she'hakol.
Note You may need to say more than one blessing (bracha rishona) if there is no one preeminently important ingredient in a mixture of food types in one utensil, such as a casserole or cholent, but only if:
- You especially like more than one ingredient, and
- Both (or more than two) of the ingredients can be eaten distinctly.
Belt/gartel with Robes
You only need to wear a belt/gartel (for saying blessings, prayer services and for studying holy texts) if:
- You are wearing an open and loose garment such as a robe (or other toga-like garments) and
- You are not wearing any undergarments.
Note The belt separates upper from lower parts of your body and this requirement is not normally relevant for Western attire. If it is your family tradition, you should follow that. There may also a kabalistic reason to wear one.
Baking Challa at Same Time as Chicken with Sauce
Situation You baked challa with chicken, both uncovered, in the same oven (the chicken DID have sauce).
Status The challa becomes non-kosher even if the sauce was dry by the end of cooking.
Reason A rabbinic enactment requires that challa be pareve, lest someone eat it with the opposite gender food. Consult a rabbi for exceptions.
Note The rabbinic enactment applies to all bread, unless it looks different from normal bread or is small enough to eat at one meal.
Status The challa becomes non-kosher even if the sauce was dry by the end of cooking.
Reason A rabbinic enactment requires that challa be pareve, lest someone eat it with the opposite gender food. Consult a rabbi for exceptions.
Note The rabbinic enactment applies to all bread, unless it looks different from normal bread or is small enough to eat at one meal.
Fore-Blessings (Bracha Rishona): Priorities
You must say the blessing which was designed to be said on each type of food. B'diavad, a lower level blessing will still cover the food.
From lowest to highest level, here are the food fore-blessings:
From lowest to highest level, here are the food fore-blessings:
- She'hakol,
- Borei pri ha'adama,
- Borei pri ha'eitz (on common fruits),
- Borei pri ha'eitz (on the Five Special Fruits)
Note You will only say borei pri ha'eitz ONCE to include both common fruits and also special fruits that you will eat at one sitting,
- Borei minei mezonot,
- Borei pri ha'gafen, and
- Ha'motzi lechem min ha'aretz.
Introduction to Sheva Brachot
At the end of the wedding meal, the seven blessings (sheva brachot) are said in birkat ha'mazon. The final blessing is on wine. This is the only required festive meal after the wedding. Any festive meal on the subsequent six days is optional but, when held, all the blessings are required.
Sheva Brachot: Celebration Period
If the bride and/or groom had never been married before, there are seven days of celebration (don't go to work, no tachanun). If both bride and groom were married before, there is one day of sheva brachot (in birkat ha'mazon) at the meal eaten after the chuppa, but three days of celebration (don't go to work, no tachanun).
Note Neither husband nor wife should go to work; however, if the husband gives his wife permission, she may work.
Note Neither husband nor wife should go to work; however, if the husband gives his wife permission, she may work.
Mezuza: Placement
Mezuza: Placement: Door Frame
Place the mezuza outside the door but within the door frame. If not possible, you may place the mezuza inside the door frame.
NOte You may recess a mezuza into the door frame.
Note If the doorframe is wider than 4” (10 cm), place the mezuza toward the outer edge of the frame, not centered in the middle.
Note You may attach a mezuza to a piece of wood that extends the doorway.
Mezuza: Placement: Height
Place the mezuza at shoulder height for the average person. Leave at least one tefach (4”, or 10 cm) between mezuza and lintel.
If possible, affix a mezuza just above where the top 1/3 of the doorpost meets the middle 1/3.
Note This rule is superseded by the rule that the mezuza must be near shoulder height.
Mezuza: Placement: Angle
Place the mezuza on a 45-degree angle from the vertical, with the top of the mezuza toward the inside of the main room. If you cannot, any angle toward the entrance is OK.
Place the mezuza outside the door but within the door frame. If not possible, you may place the mezuza inside the door frame.
NOte You may recess a mezuza into the door frame.
Note If the doorframe is wider than 4” (10 cm), place the mezuza toward the outer edge of the frame, not centered in the middle.
Note You may attach a mezuza to a piece of wood that extends the doorway.
Mezuza: Placement: Height
Place the mezuza at shoulder height for the average person. Leave at least one tefach (4”, or 10 cm) between mezuza and lintel.
If possible, affix a mezuza just above where the top 1/3 of the doorpost meets the middle 1/3.
Note This rule is superseded by the rule that the mezuza must be near shoulder height.
Mezuza: Placement: Angle
Place the mezuza on a 45-degree angle from the vertical, with the top of the mezuza toward the inside of the main room. If you cannot, any angle toward the entrance is OK.
Yom Kippur: Delaying Start Past Candle Lighting
Lighting the candles starts the holiday of Yom Kippur. If you want to start the holiday later, you must:
- Make a condition when lighting candles that you are not yet starting the holiday (by saying “I am lighting Yom Kippur candles but not starting Yom Kippur until 7 minutes before sunset”-this may only be done in urgent situations) and
-
Omit the she'hecheyanu blessing at candle lighting. Men say she'hecheyanu later (in kol nidre).
Note Women then say she'hecheyanu at least 7 minutes before sunset! (One may not make a condition for she'hecheyanu!)
Note If a woman lit candles for Yom Kippur more than 7 minutes before sunset (as is normally done at 18 or even 40 minutes before sunset), but made a condition (tenai) that she would still eat or do melacha until somewhat later, she must still stop eating and doing melacha by no later than 7 minutes before sunset.
Six-Braid Challa for Shabbat
It is a non-binding custom to braid challa as a reminder of the 12 showbreads (lechem ha'panim) in the Temple that were changed each Shabbat. Proper practice is to braid each challa from six pieces of dough, as there were two columns of six loaves each.
Note Since these showbreads were not changed on Rosh Hashana and Jewish festivals, we may use round challot for those holidays (unless they fall on Shabbat or the holiday is Passover!).
Note Since these showbreads were not changed on Rosh Hashana and Jewish festivals, we may use round challot for those holidays (unless they fall on Shabbat or the holiday is Passover!).
Note Sectional challa should be made from six pieces but counted as one loaf: you may not separate the rolls of a “pull-apart” challa and count them as multiple loaves.
Mezuza: Bedroom
You may not be naked or have intercourse in a room with a mezuza inside the room, unless:
- There is a wall or divider within 10.5 inches of the ground and at least 40 inches tall between yourself and the mezuza, or
- The mezuza is covered by two layers (kis b'toch kis) of paper or other material.
Note This is true even if the couple is covered, as is the proper practice, and even if they are more than 4 amot/7 feet away, since the entire room is considered to be one domain.
Taste (Ta'am) Transfer:Spicy/Charif: Sitting in Container
Cold, spicy/charif, solid food (with no liquid) does not transfer gender UNLESS it was under pressure, so simply sitting in an opposite-gender or non-kosher container does not have any effect.
Note You may l'chatchila eat spicy/charif food if it is on a glass plate, even if it is under pressure,
Cold, spicy/charif, liquid food is kosher only if it sat less time than needed to become cooked.
Example
You ate cold (less than 120° F, or 49° C) spicy/charif food of one gender on a cold plate of the opposite gender:
Solid Food
If the cold, spicy/charif food is solid, the food is kosher l'chatchila. But you should only do this ad hoc and you should not eat it with a fork.
Liquid Food
If the cold spicy/charif food is liquid but it is in contact with a utensil of the opposite gender for less time than it takes to boil, it would be kosher but, again, you should only do this ad hoc.
How To Calculate When Orla Is Over
You may eat tree fruit if the tree's buds appeared after Tu B'Shvat of the fourth year. This may be a span of only 2.5 years if the tree was planted on or before Tu B'Av (at least 45 days before Rosh Hashana):
1st Year Tu B'Av to Rosh Hashana #1
2nd Year Rosh Hashana #1 to Rosh Hashana #2
3rd Year Rosh Hashana #2 to Rosh Hashana #3
4th Year Rosh Hashana #3 to Tu B'Shvat
Example A fruit tree planted on Tu B'Av, Aug. 15, 2011, will be one year old 6 weeks later, on Rosh Hashana, Sept. 29, 2011. By Rosh Hashana, Sept. 5, 2013, the tree will have completed three years and it enters its fourth year. Buds that appear on or after Tu B'Shvat, Jan. 15, 2014, and turn into fruit will be neta revai and may be redeemed and eaten.
Microwave Oven: Kosher Status
If a microwave oven's walls/floor/door do not become hot (more than 120° F, or 49° C), the microwave oven does not become non-kosher, dairy, meat, or non-Passover/chametz.
A microwave oven that does not normally get hot, may get hotter than 120° F if you cook:
-
A liquid or moist food for a long time (even if less than 10 minutes),
-
Several liquid or moist items sequentially, or
-
Popcorn and similar foods.
NoteIf microwave oven does get hot, it cannot be kashered at all--not for Passover and not from non-kosher to kosher. To check if your microwave oven gets hot, see How To Check If a Microwave Oven Will Get Hot during Cooking.
How To Wash Your Hands for Rachtza
To wash hands for rachtza:
- Fill the washing cup with at least 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml) of water.
- Pour enough water (may be as little as 1.3 fl. oz.--39 ml, or 1/6 cup) from the washing cup to completely cover your entire first hand (either hand may be first, but it is the custom to wash your right hand first).
- Pour enough water to completely cover the second hand.