Podcasts about ashkenazim

Should One Always Wrap the Tefillin Strap Eight Times, or Can It Be Skipped to Avoid Missing Kaddish or Kedusha? One of the beautiful customs in donning the Tefillin Shel Yad is to wrap the strap around the forearm eight times before proceeding to the Tefillin Shel Rosh. This is the widely accepted Sephardic custom , as taught by the Ben Ish Hai (Parashat Vayera, Halacha 11) and based on Kabbalistic sources . Each of the eight windings corresponds to a spiritual level or sefirah and reflects the binding of one's physical strength and actions to the service of Hashem. Though some Ashkenazim follow the custom of wrapping seven times , for Sephardim — particularly those who follow the teachings of the Mekubalim — eight wraps is the standard. This practice is not just symbolic; it is seen as an integral part of the proper fulfillment of the Misva. The Spiritual Meaning of the Eight Wraps The number eight signifies that which is above nature — transcending the seven-day cycle of creation. According to the Mekubalim, these eight coils spiritually bind the Tefillin Shel Yad to one's heart, representing full control over emotions and desires. It connects the physical arm to a higher spiritual purpose. The wraps are to be done after tightening the Shel Yad on the biceps , and the strap should go down the arm in smooth, evenly spaced coils. The eight wraps help secure the Tefillin in place while also fulfilling this deeper mystical layer. The Ben Ish Hai and Kaf Ha'Haim both warn against neglecting this practice, especially for those who follow Kabbalistic customs. This is the dominant opinion among Sephardic Poskim, including Maran Ha'Hida and Rav Ben Sion Abba Shaul . The Halachic Dilemma: Missing Kaddish or Kedusha A common scenario: A person begins wrapping the Tefillin Shel Yad and realizes the Hazan is about to begin Kaddish or Kedusha . If he performs all eight wraps, he may miss the opportunity to respond to "Yehe Shemeh Rabba" or "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh." Can he shorten or delay the wraps? This situation creates a halachic and spiritual tension : Should one preserve the integrity of the Tefillin placement and do all eight wraps? Or should he interrupt or shorten the process to participate in a communal declaration of Hashem's greatness? The Kabbalistic View: Never Skip the Wraps The Mekubalim are clear: Do not skip the eight wraps , even if it means missing Kaddish or Kedusha. Rav Eliyahu Mani , one of the great Mekubalim of Hebron and a teacher of the Ben Ish Hai , ruled that these eight wraps are an inseparable part of the Misva . To skip them—even temporarily—compromises the spiritual completeness of the Tefillin. According to this view, Kaddish and Kedusha are important, but not at the expense of properly fulfilling a Torah-level obligation with its spiritual intentions intact. The Ben Ish Hai heavily relies on Rabbi Mani for rulings in matters of Kabbalah, making this a binding view for Sephardim who follow the Mekubalim. The Practical View: Skip Temporarily If Necessary Some Halachic authorities take a more practical approach , especially in situations where missing Kaddish or Kedusha would result in a spiritual or emotional loss. According to this view: One may put on the Shel Yad, do one or two wraps to hold it in place, Then place the Shel Rosh, And return to complete the remaining wraps afterward . This opinion appears in Mishna Berura (O.H. 25:16) and is cited by various contemporary Poskim who aim to accommodate modern prayer timing challenges. For Sephardim, however, this approach is only a last resort , and only when all of the following conditions are met: The Tefillin Shel Yad is securely in place , even with only partial wrapping. The person intends to return and complete the wraps immediately after Shel Rosh. The person is responding to Kaddish, Kedusha, or Barchu , not idle speech or distraction. Even then, some Mekubalim object to this entirely and say one should miss Kaddish rather than compromise the Misva's structure. Anticipating the Situation: The Best Option The best practice is to plan ahead : If you know Kaddish or Kedusha is about to begin, wait a few moments before starting the Tefillin process. If you're already mid-Tefillin, continue properly and listen quietly (without verbal response) if you must. Summary: Sephardic custom is to wrap the Tefillin strap eight times around the forearm, based on Kabbalistic sources. These wraps are spiritually and halachically significant , and should not be skipped , even to answer Kaddish or Kedusha. In urgent situations, one may wrap partially , place the Shel Rosh, and return to complete the wraps —but this is only under pressing circumstances and with intention to fix the order. Best practice: Anticipate upcoming parts of tefillah and plan Tefillin placement accordingly to avoid halachic compromise.

Ashkenazim & Sefardim: heating up congealed fat on Shabbat…!! Is “Pashtida” Hamotzi???!! Famous Machloket between Magen Avraham and the Taz!! Eating on-the-go = Pasul Edut?? The Pizza hak…

When Does Speaking Between the Arm and Head Tefillin Require Repeating the Beracha? A fundamental rule in Halacha is that one should not interrupt between related stages of a single Misva. With regard to Tefillin, once a person recites the Beracha of "Lehani'ah Tefillin" and places the Shel Yad , he must immediately proceed to place the Shel Rosh , without any interruptions in between. Any unnecessary pause—especially speech —is considered a Hefsek (interruption), and in certain cases, it invalidates the initial Beracha. This is the ruling of Maran in the Shulhan Aruch (O.H. 25:9), which states: "One should not speak between the donning of the Shel Yad and the Shel Rosh. If he did speak, he must recite another Beracha on the Shel Rosh." This ruling is rooted in the Gemara (Menahot 36a), which teaches that both Tefillin are part of one extended Misva. The Beracha on the Shel Yad is intended to cover both the arm and head Tefillin —provided no interruption occurs. Speaking, therefore, severs this connection and requires a new Beracha. What Type of Speech Counts as an Interruption? Not all speech is treated equally. Halacha distinguishes between: Speech unrelated to the Misva (e.g., "How are you today?" or "Did the Yankees win?") — This is considered a clear Hefsek. One must repeat the Beracha , saying "Al Misvat Tefillin" before placing the Shel Rosh. Speech related to the Misva (e.g., "Pass me my Tefillin Shel Rosh," or "I need to adjust the knot") — This is discouraged , but it is not considered a full interruption. A new Beracha is not required , though one should avoid such speech whenever possible. The Ben Ish Hai (Parashat Vayera, 7) writes strongly against any talking, even related to the Misva, and encourages placing both Tefillin with total focus and silence. Nonetheless, he rules that speech about the Tefillin does not invalidate the Beracha. The Mishna Berura (25:36) clarifies that even a brief word or short phrase—if not directly related to Tefillin—is sufficient to be called a Hefsek and require a new Beracha. What About Gestures, Movement, or Sounds? Actions such as gesturing, nodding, or pointing are not considered interruptions , since the mouth remains silent and the Beracha is not disconnected from the Misva. Similarly, clearing the throat or making an involuntary sound does not constitute a Hefsek. Even so, some opinions advise avoiding all forms of distraction—verbal or physical—between Shel Yad and Shel Rosh in order to maintain the full sanctity of the process. What If One Began Another Beracha by Mistake? Another case that often arises is when someone begins saying a Beracha by habit or mistake. For example, after placing the Shel Yad, he begins, "Baruch Ata…," thinking he needs to recite a Beracha before the Shel Rosh. If he says "Baruch Ata…" but stops before saying Hashem's Name , he should immediately stop and not complete the Beracha . This is not considered a Hefsek. If he says "Baruch Ata Hashem…" but realizes the mistake mid-sentence, he should conclude the phrase with "Lamdeni Hukecha" , a verse from Tehillim (119:12), which turns the phrase into a pasuk and avoids a Beracha Levatala. If he completes a full, unrelated Beracha—such as "Shehakol" or "Asher Yasar" —he has certainly interrupted and must repeat the Beracha for Tefillin . This case is discussed in the Ben Ish Hai and the Mishna Berura , and the solution of "Lamdeni Hukecha" is accepted by both Ashkenazim and Sephardim. Summary: No speech is allowed between Tefillin Shel Yad and Shel Rosh. If one speaks unrelated words , he must repeat the Beracha , saying "Al Misvat Tefillin" for the Shel Rosh. If the speech is related to the Misva , no new Beracha is needed, but it is still discouraged. Gestures or movements are not considered interruptions. If one starts a Beracha by mistake , he should either stop immediately or redirect it to a pasuk if Hashem's Name was already mentioned. Remaining silent between the two Tefillin ensures a smooth and spiritually complete fulfillment of this daily Misva.

Le lait non-shamour - Ashkenazim vs Sefaradim by Rav David Touitou

We have explained in a previous daily Halacha (see the Halacha entitled "Lag BaOmer- Cutting Hair, Weddings, Music, and More"), that Sephardim do not take hair cuts until the 34th day of the Omer. This is unlike the Ashkenazim who take hair cuts from the 33rd day of the Omer. So the question was asked about a case that is occurring this year 5765 (2005). Would it be permissible for a Sephardi to take a hair cut on the 33rd day of the Omer if the 34th day of the Omer falls out on Shabbat? Maran writes clearly in Shulchan Aruch that yes in deed, it is permissible for Sephardim to take a hair cut on the 33rd day of the Omer when the 34th day of the Omer falls out on Shabbat. One would not have to wait until Sunday. For that matter, Chacham Ovadia Yoseph writes in Yichaave Da'at in Helek 4, siman 32 that it is permissible to get a hair cut on Friday at any time. One does not have to wait until the afternoon. One can get a hair cut in the morning if he wants. As a mater of fact, Chacham Ovadia Yoseph says a person can even get a hair cut the night before (33rd of the Omer at night) if there is sufficient cause. For example, one can take a hair cut the night before if he has a business appointment the next morning, or if he can not get a hair cut appointment during the day, or if he needs to attend a Simcha. The question was asked about children and ladies and whether or not they may take hair cuts during the Omer. Well, we discussed this before in Daily Halacha (see the Halacha entitled "Lag BaOmer- Cutting Hair, Weddings, Music, and More"), but let's just repeat them again today for the purposes of review. Ladies are allowed to take hair cuts at any time during the Omer. As for children, they too may take hair cuts at any time during the Omer. Only once the boy becomes Bar Mitzvah he may not take hair cuts until the 34th (for Sephardim). But girls and ladies of all ages are not bound by this rule, and they may take a hair cut at any time during this period. The question was also asked about beards. Is it permissible to shave a beard on the 34th day of the Omer? More specifically, would it be permissible to allow Sephardim this year to shave on the 33rd? Chacham Ben Tzion Aba Shaul in his recently published book 'Or L'Tzion 3' discussed the Minhag of the Kabalists who do not take hair cuts for the 49 days of the Omer. The Arizal (Rabbi Yitzchak Luria, otherwise known as The Ari) also says this, however Chacham Ben Tzion holds that this restriction only applies to hair and not to beards. Therefore, even if someone wants to follow the Arizal and the Kabalists and refrain from taking a hair cut throughout all 49 days, he may however shave on the 34th day (the 33rd this year).

Passover, which we recently celebrated, bans bread. Leviticus bans pigs. Ashkenazim banned rice, but Mizrachim and the rabbis of the Talmud did not. What do these bans and dietary practices actually say about us? For 2,000 years the Jewish people have been doing something that nowadays is indispensable... reading food labels. It's required nowadays to list whether a food contains lactose or gluten. Was this made in a factory where they also process peanuts? Is it organic and sustainable?  But the ancient Israelites and modern-day Jews have been understanding the importance of diet for a long, long time. This week on Madlik we delve into the fascinating world of Jewish dietary laws and their profound impact on Jewish identity. In this episode, we explore how ancient legal discussions about food continue to shape modern Jewish society, challenging our assumptions about the purpose and relevance of these laws today. The Torah introduces dietary restrictions in Leviticus, using language that goes beyond simple dietary prohibitions: • The text uses terms like "tameh" (impure) and "sheketz" (detestable), not unkosher, to describe forbidden foods. • These laws are presented as a means of separating the Israelites from other nations and elevating their lifestyle. The recent Passover holiday brought to light a common question among Ashkenazi Jews: Why can't we eat rice, corn, or hummus during this time? This seemingly simple inquiry opens up a complex discussion about the nature of Jewish dietary laws, their origins, and their role in shaping Jewish identity throughout history. The exploration of kosher laws and the kitniyot debate reveals that Jewish dietary practices are about much more than just food. They serve as a powerful tool for shaping identity, fostering community, and navigating the complexities of tradition in a modern world. These discussions challenge us to reconsider our assumptions about the purpose and relevance of dietary laws in Jewish life. They invite us to reflect on how our food choices can connect us to our heritage, distinguish us from others, and potentially unite us as a people. As we continue to grapple with these ancient laws in our modern context, we're reminded that the way we eat is intimately connected to who we are and who we aspire to be as a community. Key Takeaways Dietary restrictions in Leviticus use language that goes beyond simple dietary prohibitions Passover illustrates how dietary practices can evolve and differ among Jewish communities It is a continuing challenge to maintain distinct customs while fostering unity Timestamps [00:00] Why Rice Is Forbidden: A Modern Question with Ancient Roots [02:19] Snack Shaming in Israel: Identity in a Bag of Chips [04:21] Impure or Just Unkosher? Leviticus' Language Decoded [09:06] Detestable vs. Impure: What Fish Teach About Bias [13:33] Dietary Laws as a Reflection of Egypt and Elevation [17:45] The Kitniyot Debate: What Really Happened [20:58] Slippery Slopes: From Rice to Mustard Seeds [24:55] The Legal and Cultural Pull of Tradition [27:48] The Economic Pain Behind Prohibitions [29:39] Uniting the People Through What's on the Plate Links & Learnings Sign up for free and get more from our weekly newsletter https://madlik.com/ Safaria Source Sheet: https://www.sefaria.org/sheets/641409 Transcript on episode web page:  https://madlik.com/2025/04/23/kosher-laws-and-identity/

Rabbi-Cantor Hillary Chorny's Passover/Shabbat Teaching at Temple Beth Am, Los Angeles, April 19, 2025. (Youtube/Zoom)

Welcome to our daily Bitachon series. We are now on the last lesson of Chol Hamoed. The pasuk in Bereshit 15,14 tells us וְאַחֲרֵי כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל / After that (referring to the 10 plagues ), we will leave with a great wealth which Rashi explains - בממון גדול with a lot of money, as it says in Shemot 12 וינצלו את מצרים/They emptied out Mitzrayim Of course, Rashi is giving the simple explanation. Rechush Gadol means a lot of money . But the Chida in his sefer Nachal Kedumim on Bereshit 15,14 quotes the Arizal that says it means they sifted out and took out the sparks of holiness that were in Mitzrayim. What does that mean exactly? So the Sefer Pri Etz Chaim Shaar Keriat Shema perek asks, why is it that every day, we have to remember Yetziat Mitzrayim more than any other of the Geulot . He says that whenever the Jewish people go to a certain place, their job is to take out the Kedusha from that place. I once heard from Rav Wolbe, that every nation has in it good qualities. When Adam HaRishon sinned, he caused the good and bad to be mixed. So there are good qualities in every nation. The Germans are very meticulous and exacting. That's nice when it comes to being perfect with Mitzvot and having the right shiurim and sizes, but it could go a little haywire when it comes to creating extermination camps and gas chambers and use it that way. The French are very romantic. That might be good for developing Ahavat Hashem but it could go in the wrong way if you misuse it, and so on. So there are sparks of holiness in every nation, and throughout our years of exile, our job is integrate the holiness of each of the nations into our ways and lift it up and take out that Kedushah. In general, it doesn't happen that we take everything out. Only when Mashiach comes will we be able to fully integrate all of those qualities into the Jewish people. But the spot of Kedusha of Mitzrayim , he says, was totally taken out. That's what it means Vayinatzlu Et Mitzrayim , the same pasuk that Rashi says they emptied out Egypt monetarily also means they spiritually emptied it out and took everything out with it. With the other Geulot , we did not have that full cleansing. And he says with that, we can understand a unbelievable concept. Why is it that it specifically says we're never allowed to go back to Egypt again? Why are we stricter about going back to Egypt than other any place? Because there's no need to go back to Egypt. We took everything out of it. So why go back? The sefer HaKatav V'HaKabbalah was written by Rabbi Yaakov Tzvi from Kallenberg, who lived from 1785 to 1865. One of the great rabbis of Germany, he was very famous for his sefer, and was one of the original fighters against the Reform. movement. He quotes his Yedidi, Marash Chen Tov in Bereshit 15,14 and concurs that when talking about leaving Egypt and taking everything out, it means taking out the spiritual wealth. He points out that when we use the word Rechush for general wealth, it says Rechush Rav, like in perek 13 of Bereshit , which means they had a lot of wealth. The term Rav usually indicates a quantitative concept and it's used for money, generally speaking. Here however, we see a strange terminology. It says Rechush Gadol , not a lot, but great . The word great is usually qualitative. Li Gadol Hashem, Ish Moshe Gadol… Adam Gadol doesn't mean he's large in weight , it means he's qualitatively great. So the great wealth , is not a lot of wealth, but qualitatively great, which is a spiritual wealth. So continuing with this theme of going from place to place and sucking out the Kedusha, the sefer Shem Gedolim also from the Chida, in the section on Sefarim in an appendix on the topic of Talmud , says, an unbelievable concept. He says in the city where there were many great Amoraim who set up the Talmud, there was a pillar of fire there twice a year. They were great Geonim. But in his times (the Chida lived about 300 years ago), the Torah had dwindled so much in that place that they didn't even know how to pray-not by heart and not from a siddur. Most of them only know how to say Ashrei Yoshveh Betecha and Shema Yisrael. They go to the Mikveh before they pray. They're quiet throughout the prayers. And when they get up to Ashrei, they all say Ashrei together. They say Keriat Shema until V'Ahavtah and that's it. He says, What's going on over here? He says, this is not a coincidence, because there was such a strong, powerful force of Torah in that place through the Limud HaTorah (which is one of the main ways we suck out Kedusha) that the Kedusha was taken out and therefore there's not that much left. Then he says, they went to Spain, and Torah moved to Spain, and then again the Torah was developing until they were sent out to a new spot. Because we didn't need it anymore. So as we leave a city, it rarely comes back to its greatness. The great Spanish golden era is no longer. Then they went to Turkey, then it went to France, Germany and it went to different places.. Every time we go from place to place, it's for one goal for us to be there and integrate into ourselves, into our ways, the qualities of that nation. Certain Jews might be very hospitable. They were more hospitable towns, and they took that Kedusha out. And he says דכל עניני ישראל הם בכלל ופרט וגם כשהאדם הולך מעיר לעיר הכל היא סיבה לברר ניצוצי הקדושה , . Every concept of the Jewish people, whether it's in general or specific, when a person goes from city to city, it's all because there's some holiness there. There's something you have to integrate into yourself. Jews are traveling all over the world and there's a reason for it. He says this is all from the wonders of the God Who's perfect in His ways. We don't know why we move from place to place but it's not a coincidence. Suddenly all the Sephardic Jews left the Muslim countries, the Ashkenazi Jews leave Europe. And we go basically to America and Eretz Yisrael. No Jew lived in America. It was new country and it introduced a new concept. There's a some Kedusha that's here and we have to take out. What is that Kedusha? I suggest ( it's my own humble opinion, I have no backing for this) that America is a melting pot. America is all about tolerance and being open-minded and so on. There are people from China with people from Argentina, Mexico and New Zealand all living together; possibly we have to integrate that (what I'll call) tolerance because when Mashiach comes, we're going to have all different kinds of Jews together. We never had Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Hasidim, all praying in the same shtiebl or Bet Knesset. We have get to know each other and reconcile with each other. That American trait might be what's necessary for us to integrate into our ways. The Or HaChaim HaKadosh, in Shemot 19,5 says the same concept. He says that if we would have been learning Torah more intensely in Eretz Yisrael, we'd have no need to search the globe to bring back the kedusha.Rather, it would be like a magnetic force that would suck everything out without even going there. Additionally, the Chida says in sefer Chomat Anach in Melachim 1, chapter 11, Pasuk 1, that that's why Shlomo Hamelech married all of those wives- they were princesses from countries all over the world, because he thought that way he would be able to avoid the Galut by taking out the Kedusha from each nation. The Bitachon lesson for us is that sometimes we get stuck in situations and we don't know why. Why did the plane divert to a certain place and land on a certain runway and sit there for an hour? Because there's some Kedusha on the runway in Virginia, and you had to say Birkat HaMazon there at that spot. Everything is planned. Everything has a reason. Everything is an opportunity for us to gain and grow from. The Ramchal in his commentary to Nevi'im on Micha on the pasuk אל תשמחי אויבתי לי כי נפלתי קמתי כי אשב בחושך ה ' אור לי / Enemy don't be happy that I fell, because I got up, I'm in the darkness. Hashem is my light, he says, we go down to Galut in order to take out the Kedusha . And he says, when the negative forces see that the Jewish people are going to Galut , they say, Wow, we're controlling the Jewish people. That's it. They think we're going to sink down further. But the evil forces don't know that we're coming down here for a Tikkun and that's why it says Don't be happy, my enemies, when I fell in Galut, I'll get up and come out stronger and get even more. . And that's an important rule. Sometimes we see people fall and drop, but they bounce back. Sheva yipol Sadik v'kam A Sadik falls seven times and gets up.

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The Shulhan Aruch (Siman 467) discusses a case in which a kernel of wheat was discovered in a pot of rice or other dish cooked on Pesah. The status of the rice depends on whether the wheat kernel appears to have already become Hames. Therefore, if it is completely closed, showing no sign of swelling or cracking, Maran is lenient. The wheat should be removed and burnt, whereas the rice and the pot are permitted for use. Ashkenazim are strict in this case. However, if the wheat kernel is cracked, it is Hames. Even though the taste of wheat emitted into the cooked rice is miniscule in comparison to the amount of rice, Hames on Pesah is forbidden even "B'MasheHu"-in a minute amount. Therefore, the rice, pot and spoon used to stir are all considered Hames. Hacham Ovadia discusses an interesting case, in which, after being discovered, the kernel of wheat was subsequently lost before it could be determined whether the wheat was closed or cracked. In such a case, Hacham Ovadia is lenient based on a "Safek Safeka"-a double doubt. If the wheat was found on the last day of Pesah, Hacham Ovadia rules that one should wait until after Pesah to ask the Rabbi whether the rice is forbidden as Hames that passed through Pesah. At that time, Hames does not cause the rest of the mixture to become prohibited in such a miniscule amount.

MyLife Chassidus Applied: Where YOUR questions are answeredDonate now: https://mylife500.comFor recording visit the archive page or your favorite podcast carrier.Rabbi Jacobson will discuss the following topics:Yud Alef Nissan • How do we honor the Rebbe's 123rd birthday? 02:17 • What is the significance of the number eleven? 17:30 • How is it related to the Rebbe's leadership? 17:50 • Is there a connection to the Rambam's birthday on Erev Pesach? 20:08Personalizing the experience • Why is Yetziyas Mitzrayim so central to life? 29:10 • Why do we need to envision ourselves leaving Mitzrayim in every generation and every day? 29:10 • Why do the Ten Commandments begin with I am your G-d that took you out of Egypt and not that Created heaven and earth? 25:38 • If we must remember the Egyptian exodus every day, why is Pesach only eight days? 31:30 • How would you advise me to use the extra time on my hands during this Yom Tov season? 36:20 • In addition to addressing negative Pesach experiences, can you also focus on positive and beautiful elements? 39:39 • What are some prayers we can say the week before Pesach to ask Hashem for extra blessings in our lives, for a living, good health etc.? 42:48Chametz • Why are we forbidden from eating chametz? 45:56 • Why are there extra chumras on Pesach more than all year round? 47:56 • Why do we use a feather, spoon and candle when searching for chametz? 52:23 • Why did they add the chumra not to eat chametz from Erev Pesach in the morning? 51:00 • Why don't Ashkenazim eat kitniyot (legumes), while some Sefardim do? 01:00:40 • Why don't we eat gebrokts? 59:05Seder • Did the Rebbe ever tell us what is his favorite part of the Seder? 01:01:40 • Why do we eat matzah – due to it being the bread of affliction or due to the Jews not having time to wait until the dough rose? 01:01:51 • Is eating matzah a rectification of the sin of eating from the Tree of Knowledge? 01:05:50 • How does eating certain foods such as matzah, horseradish, and charoset dip align our souls with the energy of freedom? 01:04:09Last Days • What is the connection between the last day of Pesach and Moshiach? 01:10:47 • Why do we call them “four questions” when there are actually five, including mah nishtana? 01:07:29 • Why are there four questions? 01:08:37 • What do we say that during the year we don't dip even once, when in fact we dip the challah in salt? 01:09:10

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The Afikoman must be eaten with Heseba – meaning, while leaning on the left side. The Sages forbade eating after the Afikoman so that the taste of the Afikoman will remain in one's mouth for the duration of the night. Therefore, after one finishes eating the Afikoman, he may not eat anything else, and should immediately recite Birkat Ha'mazon. Furthermore, one may not drink anything after eating the Afikoman besides the final two cups of wine. It is permissible, however, to drink water after the Afikoman, including carbonated water, and the Halachic authorities rule that one may also drink tea or coffee. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Od Yosef Hai, writes that if one needs to add some sugar to the tea or coffee in order to be able to drink it, he may do so. Hacham Abraham Antebe (Aleppo, 1765-1858) was likewise lenient in this regard, and this was also the practice among the Jewish communities in Egypt, as documented in the work Nehar Misrayim. This ruling is mentioned by the Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806), as well, and this is the position of Hacham Ovadia Yosef. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) recommends drinking the tea or coffee without sugar, but he rules that one may add sugar if necessary. (This is also the Halacha regarding drinking before Shaharit in the morning; one may drink tea or coffee, and he may add sugar if he needs.) Other beverages, however, may not be drunk after eating the Afikoman. In the "Ha'rahaman" section of Birkat Ha'mazon, we add the special "Ha'rahaman" for Yom Tob ("Hu Yanhilenu Le'yom She'kulo Tob"). It should be noted that the custom in Halab (Aleppo), as documented in the work Derech Eretz, was not to add special "Ha'rahaman" prayers on Shabbat or Yom Tob, and to recite only the standard prayers that are included in the regular weekday Birkat Ha'mazon. Clearly, however, our community has since adopted the widespread custom to add the special "Ha'rahaman" prayers for Shabbat and Yom Tob. Immediately after Birkat Ha'mazon, one drinks the third cup of wine while leaning on his left side. One who drank without leaning must drink another cup of wine. After drinking the third cup, some have the custom to pour a special cup in honor of Eliyahu Ha'nabi and to leave it on the table throughout the remainder of the Seder. The Rama (Rav Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1525-1572) cites a custom among Ashkenazim to then open the door as an expression of faith that Hashem will protect us on this special night, in the hope that Mashiah will come in the merit of our faith. As Eliyahu will come to herald our redemption, a special cup is poured in his honor. However, although this is the custom in many communities, the custom among Syrian Jews is to neither pour this cup for Eliyahu nor open the door. The Hallel is then recited, slowly and with festive song. The Shulhan Aruch writes that it is preferable to arrange for a Zimun (three or more men) to be present at the Seder so that the Hallel can be recited responsively, as it was in ancient times, when one person would recite "Hodu L'Hashem Ki Tob," and the others would respond, "Ki Le'olam Hasdo." Nevertheless, if a Zimun is not present, the Hallel may still be recited. The custom among Syrian Jews is to recite the regular full Hallel, followed by the chapter of Tehillim (136) "Hodu' Le'Hashem" ("Hallel Ha'gadol"), "Nishmat," "Yishtabah" (until just before the end), and then the Beracha of "Yehalelucha." The Tur (Rabbenu Yaakob Ben Asher, Germany-Spain, 12269-1343) ruled that "Yehalelucha" should be recited immediately after the standard chapters of Hallel, but our custom follows the view of the Bet Yosef (commentary to the Tur by Maran, author of the Shulhan Aruch) to recite "Yehalelucha" at the very end. After reciting the concluding Beracha of "Melech Mehulal Ba'tishbahot," we drink the fourth cup of wine, without first reciting "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen." One must drink a Rebi'it and then recite the Beracha Aharona. Some people do not drink the fourth cup until the very end of the Seder, after singing the traditional songs, but this is improper; the fourth cup should be drunk upon the conclusion of Hallel. The Shulhan Aruch writes that if one forgot to lean while drinking the fourth cup of wine, and he must therefore drink another cup, he recites a new Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen," as this cup was not covered by the Beracha recited earlier. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Hazon Ovadia – Teshubot, Siman 49) clarifies that this applies only if one realized his mistake after drinking the entire cup of wine. If some of the wine was left in the cup, then he adds some wine and drinks a new cup while leaning without first reciting a new Beracha.

All Halachic authorities agree that one recites the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" over the first and third of the four cups of wine at the Seder. Over the first cup of wine, of course, a Beracha is required, because one has not drunk any wine before this cup, and a Beracha is obviously required before drinking. Likewise, the third cup of wine is drunk after Birkat Ha'mazon, and the recitation of Birkat Ha'mazon effectively ends the "coverage" of all Berachot recited previously, such that new Berachot are recited before one eats or drinks after Birkat Ha'mazon. The more complicated issue is the recitation of this Beracha before drinking the other two cups of wine. Seemingly, the Beracha recited over the first cup should cover the second cup, and the Beracha recited over the third cup should cover the fourth cup. At first glance, then, no Beracha should be required over the second and fourth cups. Nevertheless, the Rif (Rav Yishak of Fez, Morocco, 1013-1103) rules that one must recite a Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" on each of the four cups. He bases this ruling on the Gemara's comment in Masechet Pesahim that each of the four cups constitutes a separate Misva. If each cup is its own Misva, the Rif reasons, then each cup should require its own Beracha. The Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, Germany-Spain, 1250-1327), however, questions this rationale, noting that we recite only one Beracha when putting on Tefillin ("Le'haniah Tefillin") even though the Tefillin Shel Rosh and Tefillin Shel Yad constitute two separate Misvot. The fact that the four cups constitute independent Misvot should not have any effect on the recitation of Berachot. The Rif also draws proof from the Gemara in Masechet Hulin, which implies that one must recite a new Beracha when drinking after Birkat Ha'mazon. Since one cannot recite a Beracha while reciting Birkat Ha'mazon – as this would constitute a Hefsek (improper interruption) in the middle of the Birkat Ha'mazon – he must recite a new Beracha when he drinks afterward. Likewise, the Rif comments, since one cannot interrupt the reading of the Haggada to recite a Beracha, he must recite a new Beracha of "Gefen" when he drinks the second and fourth cups. The Rosh questions this argument, too, claiming that there is no comparison in this regard between the reading of the Haggada and Birkat Ha'mazon. The Gemara states that if one interrupts a meal to pray Minha, when he returns he resumes his meal without having to recite new Berachot. Likewise, if one interrupts his drinking to read the Haggada, he does not have to recite a new Beracha when he then drinks again. Birkat Ha'mazon is unique, the Rosh argues, because when one decides to recite Birkat Ha'mazon, he establishes that he no longer plans on eating. Therefore, if he then decides to eat or drink afterward, he must recite a new Beracha. This quite obviously does not apply in the case of reading the Haggada. In practice, Ashkenazim follow the ruling of the Rif, which is also the position taken by Tosafot, and they recite a Beracha on each of the four cups of wine at the Seder. Despite the Rosh's compelling questions on the Rif's rationale, this is the practice of the Ashkenazim. The Taz (Rav David Halevi Segal, Poland, 1586-1667) explains this view by suggesting that perhaps there is an implicit intention when reciting the Beracha over each cup that the Beracha should cover only that cup. The Aruch Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908), however, dismisses this approach. In any event, Sepharadim follow the ruling of Maran, in the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 474:1), where he accepts the Rosh's view, that no Beracha is recited over the second and fourth cups. The second cup is covered by the Beracha recited over the first cup, and the fourth cup is covered by the Beracha recited over the third cup, and no separate Beracha is required. Summary: According to accepted Sephardic practice, the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" is recited over the first and third of the four cups at the Seder, but not on the second and fourth cups.

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For many Ashkenazim, the Pesach custom of Kitniyot (legumes and a bunch of other foods) involves (1) not eating them and (2) complaining instead. Does it have to be this way? Join Rabbi Uri Cohen as he reevaluates the meaning of the Kitniyot custom and recommends some practical leniencies.

Those of us who have some background in Jewish history are taught that the Ottoman Empire encouraged Jews, particularly those of the Spanish and Portuguese Expulsions, to settle in Ottoman Lands.  In Ottoman Jewry: Leadership, Charity, and Literacy (Brill, 2024), Professor Ayalon debunks what he calls that myth. The Ottomans, according to Yaron, were interested in stability - economic and otherwise. Minorities, with their additional taxes, would bring more financial benefits. Many were merchants who would pay higher taxes. With this premise, we discussed the world of the Ottoman Jews as one of creating community and society. There were Romaniot, Sephardim, Msta'ribun and some Ashkenazim who settled across these lands, and together they created strong communities with Rabbinic and lay leadership and a cultural heritage that can still be seen today in those communities who have survived and relocated around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Those of us who have some background in Jewish history are taught that the Ottoman Empire encouraged Jews, particularly those of the Spanish and Portuguese Expulsions, to settle in Ottoman Lands.  In Ottoman Jewry: Leadership, Charity, and Literacy (Brill, 2024), Professor Ayalon debunks what he calls that myth. The Ottomans, according to Yaron, were interested in stability - economic and otherwise. Minorities, with their additional taxes, would bring more financial benefits. Many were merchants who would pay higher taxes. With this premise, we discussed the world of the Ottoman Jews as one of creating community and society. There were Romaniot, Sephardim, Msta'ribun and some Ashkenazim who settled across these lands, and together they created strong communities with Rabbinic and lay leadership and a cultural heritage that can still be seen today in those communities who have survived and relocated around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/jewish-studies

Those of us who have some background in Jewish history are taught that the Ottoman Empire encouraged Jews, particularly those of the Spanish and Portuguese Expulsions, to settle in Ottoman Lands.  In Ottoman Jewry: Leadership, Charity, and Literacy (Brill, 2024), Professor Ayalon debunks what he calls that myth. The Ottomans, according to Yaron, were interested in stability - economic and otherwise. Minorities, with their additional taxes, would bring more financial benefits. Many were merchants who would pay higher taxes. With this premise, we discussed the world of the Ottoman Jews as one of creating community and society. There were Romaniot, Sephardim, Msta'ribun and some Ashkenazim who settled across these lands, and together they created strong communities with Rabbinic and lay leadership and a cultural heritage that can still be seen today in those communities who have survived and relocated around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Those of us who have some background in Jewish history are taught that the Ottoman Empire encouraged Jews, particularly those of the Spanish and Portuguese Expulsions, to settle in Ottoman Lands.  In Ottoman Jewry: Leadership, Charity, and Literacy (Brill, 2024), Professor Ayalon debunks what he calls that myth. The Ottomans, according to Yaron, were interested in stability - economic and otherwise. Minorities, with their additional taxes, would bring more financial benefits. Many were merchants who would pay higher taxes. With this premise, we discussed the world of the Ottoman Jews as one of creating community and society. There were Romaniot, Sephardim, Msta'ribun and some Ashkenazim who settled across these lands, and together they created strong communities with Rabbinic and lay leadership and a cultural heritage that can still be seen today in those communities who have survived and relocated around the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Those of us who have some background in Jewish history are taught that the Ottoman Empire encouraged Jews, particularly those of the Spanish and Portuguese Expulsions, to settle in Ottoman Lands.  In Ottoman Jewry: Leadership, Charity, and Literacy (Brill, 2024), Professor Ayalon debunks what he calls that myth. The Ottomans, according to Yaron, were interested in stability - economic and otherwise. Minorities, with their additional taxes, would bring more financial benefits. Many were merchants who would pay higher taxes. With this premise, we discussed the world of the Ottoman Jews as one of creating community and society. There were Romaniot, Sephardim, Msta'ribun and some Ashkenazim who settled across these lands, and together they created strong communities with Rabbinic and lay leadership and a cultural heritage that can still be seen today in those communities who have survived and relocated around the world. 

A person should hear the reading of Parashat Zachor on the Shabbat before Purim from a person who reads according to his tradition. Meaning, a Sepharadi should hear Parashat Zachor read by a Sepharadi, and an Ashkenazi should hear it read by an Ashkenazi. If a Sepharadi normally prays in an Ashkenazic Minyan, he should make a point to attend a Sephardic Minyan for the reading of Parashat Zachor, and vice versa. There are several differences in pronunciation between the Sepharadim and Ashkenazim, such as the pronunciation of the Kamatz vowel. Sepharadim pronounce the Kamatz as a Patah, and thus, for example, they pronounce God's Name as "Ado-NAI." Ashkenazim, however, pronounce the Name as "Ado-NOI." All year round, Halacha allows one to hear the Torah read according to a different custom, but since the reading of Parashat Zachor constitutes a Torah obligation, one should ensure to hear the reading pronounced according to his tradition. Indeed, the Hazon Ish (Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1879-1954) wrote a letter declaring that an Ashkenazi cannot fulfill the Misva of Zachor by hearing the section read by a Sepharadi. It must be emphasized that both traditions regarding Hebrew pronunciation are valid and have ancient roots. This is not a question of which is correct and which is incorrect; rather, "Elu Ve'elu Dibreh Elokim Hayim" – both customs are legitimate are grounded in ancient Torah tradition. Sepharadim and Ashkenazim should follow their respective customs, and when it comes to Shabbat Zachor, every person should ensure to hear the reading from somebody who reads according to his family tradition. Surprisingly, the Steipler Gaon (Rabbi Yisrael Yaakov Kanievsky, 1899-1985) wrote a letter asserting that the Sephardic pronunciation of the Kamatz is erroneous, and thus Sepharadim never recite Hashem's Name properly and never fulfill the Misvot involving Berachot and the like. Needless to say, it is quite astonishing to claim that all Sepharadim never properly fulfill these Misvot. Indeed, Rabbi Mazuz wrote a lengthy responsum refuting the Steipler Gaon's contention, and expressing his astonishment that somebody would advance such a claim. He cites numerous sources proving that Sepharadim have always pronounced a Kamatz as a Patah, and that this tradition is many centuries old. For example, Rabbi Shelomo Ibn Gabirol, in his rhyming Azharot hymn, writes, "Anochi Ado-nai, Keraticha Be-Sinai." He clearly intended for Hashem's Name to rhyme with "Sinai," even though the final vowel in Hashem's Name is a Kamatz, and the final vowel of "Sinai" is a Patah. This proves that he pronounced the two vowels identically. Similarly, Rabbi Yehuda Halevi wrote in the "Mi Kamocha Ve'en Kamocha" hymn which we sing on Shabbat Zachor, "Bi'ymeh Horpi Mi'kadmonai, Bi Diber Ru'ah Ado-nai." The word "Mi'kadmonai" – which ends with the Patah sound – is used to rhyme with Hashem's Name. Likewise, in the famous "Sur Mi'shelo" hymn which we sing on Shabbat, the word "Emunai" – which ends with a Patah vowel – is used to rhyme with Hashem's Name ("Sur Mi'shelo Achalnu Barechu Emunai, Sabanu Ve'hotarnu Ki'dbar Adon-nai"). These and other examples clearly testify to an ancient Sephardic tradition to pronounce the Kamatz as a Patah. In his responsum, Rabbi Mazuz expresses his dismay that an Ashkenazic Sage would protest against Sephardic pronunciation, rather than addressing the problems that arise from the conventional Ashkenazic pronunciation. Ashkenazim generally make no distinction in their pronunciation between an "Ayin" and an "Alef," which yields very problematic results when pronouncing verses like, "Va'abatetem Et Hashem" ("You shall serve God"). If one pronounces the "Ayin" in "Va'abatetem" as an "Alef," then he ends up saying, "You shall eradicate God," Heaven forbid. This is a far graver concern than pronouncing Hashem's Name as "Ado-nai" in accordance with a longstanding Sephardic tradition. Furthermore, Rabbi Mazuz notes, there were several great Ashkenazic Sages who adopted the Sephardic pronunciation because they felt it was more authentic. The Arizal (Rabbi Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572), for example, was an Ashkenazi, and yet he adopted the Sephardic pronunciation and prayer text. And it is told that Rabbi Natan Adler of Pressburg (the teacher of the Hatam Sofer) hired Rabbi Haim Moda'i of Turkey, a Sepharadi, to teach him Sephardic pronunciation. Thus, as mentioned, both traditions are valid, and everyone should use the pronunciation followed by his family's tradition. Summary: A Sepharadi should ensure to hear Parashat Zachor read in Sephardic pronunciation, and an Ashkenazi should ensure to hear Parashat Zachor read in Ashkenazic pronunciation.

If one acquires a new metal peeler used to peel vegetables or fruits, must he first immerse it in a Mikveh before using it? This question relates to a discussion among the Halachic authorities concerning the knife used for Shehita (slaughtering animals), which comes in contact with meat, but only when the meat is still raw and inedible. The Shulhan Aruch rules that a Shehita knife does not require immersion, since it comes in contact with inedible meat that must undergo several additional stages before it becomes fit for consumption. Tebila is required for utensils that come in contact with edible food, such as the pots and other utensils used in preparing the food, and dishes and cutlery used while eating. The Shehita knife, however, is used at an earlier stage, and therefore, according to Shulhan Aruch, it does not require immersion. The Rama (Rabbi Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1525-1572) disagrees with this distinction, and rules that a Shehita knife requires immersion, since it comes in contact with meat. It emerges, then, that Ashkenazim and Sepharadim are divided on this issue. Ashkenazim, who follow the Rama's rulings, must immerse a new Shehita knife before it is used, whereas Sepharadim, who follow the rulings of Maran, do not. This issue will affect the status of metal peelers, as well. If a peeler is used only for potatoes, for example, or for another food which is not eaten raw, then it resembles a Shehita knife, and its status vis-à-vis Tebila will thus hinge on the aforementioned debate between Maran and the Rama. Ashkenazim would be required to immerse such a knife, whereas Sepharadim would not. If the peeler is used for other foods, as well, such as carrots, cucumbers, mangos and other foods which can be eaten raw, then its status is determined by its majority use. If it is used mostly for potatoes, and only occasionally for other foods, then it does not require Tebila, since its primary use is with an inedible substance. However, if it is used mainly for other foods, then it requires Tebila, even for Sepharadim. If one is unsure whether the peeler is used mostly with potatoes or with other foods, then it should be immersed without a Beracha. Summary: According to Sephardic practice, if a metal peeler is used exclusively or mostly for potatoes or other foods that are inedible at the time they are peeled, it does not require immersion in a Mikveh. If it used mostly for foods that can be eaten in their state at the time of peeling, then it requires Tebila. If one is unsure as to the majority use of the peeler, it should be immersed without a Beracha. According to Ashkenazic custom, a metal peeler requires immersion under all circumstances.

A Zimun is recited before Birkat Hamazon when three people ate a meal together. According to the Shulhan Aruch, even a minor – who has not yet reached the age of Bar Misva – can count as the third person for a Zimun, provided that he is capable of reciting Birkat Hamazon and understands to whom he recites the Beracha. Children who have reached the age of nine years are generally assumed to have reached this point. Ashkenazim have the custom not to count boys to a Zimun before they reach the age of Bar Misva. The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), however, writes that the practice in Baghdad followed the Shulhan Aruch's view, allowing minors to count toward a Zimun, and this is indeed the Halacha for Sepharadim. Thus, once a child reaches this point in his educational development, he may join two adults in forming a Zimun. Likewise, if nine men are present, he may count as the tenth person to allow the group to recite Hashem's Name ("Elokenu") in the Zimun. A woman cannot join with two men to form a Zimun, as this would violate proper standards of modesty. However, if three or more women eat by themselves, then, according to some opinions, they are required to recite a Zimun, while others maintain that this is optional. The Ben Ish Hai concludes that it is proper for women in such a case to recite a Zimun (listen to audio recording for precise citation). Women do not, however, recite a Zimun with Hashem's Name ("Elokenu"), even if ten or even one hundred women eat together. If women eat a meal where three or more men are present, the women should not recite Birkat Hamazon before the men. They must instead wait until the men recite Birkat Hamazon so that they can participate in the Zimun. Even though they do not count toward the Zimun, they nevertheless bear the obligation to recite the Zimun together with the men. It is proper for a host to ask his guest to lead the Zimun. If one of his guests is a Kohen, then that guest take precedence over others in leading the Zimun. A Torah scholar takes precedence over a Kohen, and, of course, a Torah scholar who is a Kohen takes precedence over other Torah scholars. If a Torah scholar who is not a Kohen leads the Zimun in the presence of Kohanim, he should say, "Bireshut Ha'kohanim," asking permission from the Kohanim to lead the Zimun. Some people offer a Levi precedence over others when no Kohanim are present. This is not, however, the prevalent practice, and one is not required to grant a Levi precedence over a Yisrael in leading the Zimun. Summary: The custom of the Sepharadim is to allow a boy to join with two adults to form a Zimun, provided that the boy is old enough to recite Birkat Hamazon and to understand the concept of Birkat Hamazon. (This is generally assumed to be the case once a child reaches the age of nine.) Women do not join with two men to form a Zimun, but three women who eat a meal together should make a Zimun. If women eat together with three or more men, they should not recite Birkat Hamazon until they recite the Zimun together with the men. A guest should recite a Zimun, and a Kohen takes precedence over others, with the exception of Torah scholars, who take precedence over Kohanim.

Can Goyim build shuls?!! (Gush Katif)… Shul = TALLEST building in town?!! House taller than shul!? Machloket hock! History of how Ashkenazim became Ashkenazim! Zionism clipped Sefardim!

Just in time for Chanukah, Rabbi Yigal Sklarin introduces us to the Responsa Keneses Yisrael (no. 17) which not only addresses the classic Ashkenazic and Sephardic variances in the lighting of Menorah, but the social tension that developed when Ashkenazic servants found themselves in the homes of their Sephardic masters.

The Shulhan Aruch rules (671:5) that one must light an additional candle, called a Shamash, alongside the other Hanukah candles. This insures that any benefit one may receive from the light of the Menorah, in essence, is derived only from that extra candle, and it is therefore permitted. However, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) cites the Kab HaYashar who holds that even the Shamash may not be benefitted from. Hacham Ovadia adamantly rejects this and explains that the entire purpose of the Shamash is to benefit from its light. The Be'ur Halacha (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) brings Rashi's explanation that a Shamash is lit for a "HeKera"-to distinguish. That is, it is designed to demonstrate that the candles are lit for the Misva, and the other candle, the Shamash, is for light. Even if he does not need to use the light of a candle, he must show that he has other options if the need would arise. Accordingly, he continues, since the Menorah is no longer lit on the table, but rather by the windows or doors, it is clear that the lighting is for the Misva. Therefore, technically, there would be no need for the Shamash. All the more so today, the use of electric lights shows that the Hanukah lights are only for the Misva and not for light. Nevertheless, he concludes that the prevalent custom is that everyone lights an additional candle. There is a significant difference between the way Ashkenazim and Sepharadim use the Shamash. The Ashkenazim use the Shamash to light the other candles, and since it is used to serve the other candles, it is clearly not one of the Hanukah lights. Sepharadim, on the other hand, use candles to light the Shamash, and therefore it is not evident that the Shamash is not one the Hanukah candles. Therefore, one should put the Shamash higher, lower or off to the side of the other candles to show that the Shamash is not part of the Hanukah candles. The Be'ur Halacha (Siman 673) points out another difference between the Sepharadim and the Ashkenazim. According to the Sepharadim, even though the Shamash is lit, one may not benefit from the candles; he may only use the light of the Shamash. Per the Ashkenazim, the Rama rules that through the lighting of the Shamash, all the candles become permitted to benefit from. In any event, it is best to refrain from benefiting from the Menorah. Benefit refers to practical uses such as reading and counting money, but it is permitted to gaze at the candle to derive aesthetic pleasure. SUMMARY One must light a Shamash, even if he has electric lights. One should refrain from benefiting from the Menorah but may benefit from the Shamash. The Shamash should be placed in a different position than the rest of the candles.

There is a Misvat Aseh (affirmative command) from the Torah to hear the sounding of the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah. In order to fulfill this Misva, one must pay close attention to the sounds of the Shofar. Unfortunately, it often happens that people's minds wander during the Shofar blowing, and they do not concentrate on the sounds. The best way to prevent distraction is to follow along the Shofar blowing with one's finger inside the Mahzor, pointing to each sound of the Shofar (Teki'a, Shebarim, Teru'a, etc.) as it is blown. This practice is mentioned in the work Yesod Ve'shoresh Ha'aboda, and it is a worthwhile practice to follow. The minimum required length of a Teki'a is the length of nine Teru'a sounds. The Gemara says that a Teru'a must consist of at least nine "Turmutin," or quick breaths, and so a Teki'a must be at least the time it takes to blow nine "Turmutin." However, this applies only to the Teki'ot sounded before and after the Teru'a. The Teki'ot blown before and after the Shebarim-Teru'a sound must at least the length of a Shebarim-Teru'a. Each sound of the Shebarim is the length of three Teru'ot, and thus the entire Shebarim must be at least the minimum length of the Teru'a – nine short Teru'a sounds (3 * 3). It emerges, then, that the Shebarim-Teru'a must be double the minimum length of a Teru'a, and the Teki'ot sounded before and after the Shebarim-Teru'a must also be this length. There is a difference among different Jewish communities regarding the precise nature of the Teru'a sound. Ashkenazim, Yemenites, and Syrian Jews have different traditions regarding how the Teru'a should sound. (Listen to the audio recording to hear the different sounds.) These customs are all based on tradition, and each community should therefore follow its time-honored custom. There is also a debate among the Halachic authorities as to whether the Shebarim-Teru'a should be sounded all in a single breath, or in two breaths (one breath for the Shebarim, and another for the Teru'a). The common practice is to satisfy both opinions, by blowing the Shebarim-Teru'a in a single breath during the first set of Shofar blasts (the Teki'ot Di'myushab) and in two separate breaths during the second set of Shofar blasts (the Teki'ot De'me'umad). The one who sounds the Shofar must be aware of all these issues. He must know the minimum length of the Teki'a sound – which depends on whether it is associated with a Shebarim, Teru'a, or a Shebarim-Teru'a – as well as the precise nature of the Teru'a sound according to his community's custom. Additionally, he must remember to sound the Shebarim-Teru'a in a single breath during the first series of Shofar blasts, and in two breaths during the second series.

“When we show the world that we're not what they say about us, that we're not white colonizers, that we're actually an indigenous tribe of people that was kicked out of their homeland . . .  the only argument I can think about to put against the story is ‘you're lying.' . . . If they accuse you of lying when you tell your family story, they lost.” Last week's episode featuring Adiel Cohen—Jewish activist, social media influencer, and Israel Defense Forces reservist—received heartfelt feedback. In part two of this conversation, Adiel joins us live from the AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington, D.C., where listeners had the chance to ask their questions directly. Adiel discusses a plethora of topics, including his social media activism and how Israeli society today reflects the story of Jews returning to their ancestral homeland after over 2,000 years in the diaspora, refuting the false narrative that Jews are white settler colonialists.  If you haven't heard The Forgotten Exodus: Yemen: Live Recording with Adiel Cohen – Part 1, listen now.  —--- How much do you know about Jewish history in the Middle East? Take our short quiz! Sign up to receive podcast updates here. Learn more about the series here: The Forgotten Exodus: Yemen: Live Recording with Adiel Cohen – Part 1 The Forgotten Exodus: Yemen, with Israeli Olympian Shahar Tzubari Song credits:  Pond5:  “Desert Caravans”: Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI), Composer: Tiemur Zarobov (BMI), IPI#1098108837 “Meditative Middle Eastern Flute”: Publisher: N/A; Composer: DANIELYAN ASHOT MAKICHEVICH (IPI NAME #00855552512) “Suspense Middle East” Publisher: Victor Romanov, Composer: Victor Romanov; Item ID: 196056047 —-- Episode Transcript: Adiel Cohen:   When we show the world that we're not what they say about us, that we're not white colonizers, that we're actually an indigenous tribe of people that was kicked out of their homeland and spread throughout the diaspora for 2000 years . . . they can try to argue with that. But at the end of the day, the facts are on our side. Manya Brachear Pashman: The world has overlooked an important episode in modern history: the 800,000 Jews who left or were driven from their homes in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-20th century. Welcome to the second season of The Forgotten Exodus, brought to you by American Jewish Committee. This series explores that pivotal moment in history and the little-known Jewish heritage of Iran and Arab nations. As Jews around the world confront violent antisemitism and Israelis face daily attacks by terrorists on multiple fronts, our second season explores how Jews have lived throughout the region for generations–despite hardship, hostility, and hatred–then sought safety and new possibilities in their ancestral homeland. I'm your host, Manya Brachear Pashman:. Join us as we explore untold family histories and personal stories of courage, perseverance, and resilience from this transformative period of history for the Jewish people and the Middle East.  The world has ignored these voices. We will not. This is The Forgotten Exodus.  There has been moving and frankly overwhelming feedback from listeners of our second season, especially last week's live interview with digital influencer Adiel Cohen: about his family's journey from Yemen. If you didn't listen last week, be sure to go back and tune in. Then you'll know why there's been such a demand to release the second part of that interview – a question and answer session.  Why are we sharing this? It's a sampling of the conversations these episodes have generated in homes across the nation and around the world, inspired by this series. What would you ask our guests? Here's what a handful asked Adiel when he joined us at AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington D.C.  Today's episode: Leaving Yemen, Part 2.  Thank you for this conversation, Adiel. But now I'd like to turn to our audience and give them an opportunity to ask what's on their minds. If you have a question, please raise your hand, someone will bring you a microphone. Be sure to state your name, where you're from, and keeping with the spirit of the event, tell us where your family is from going back generations. Audience Member/Carole Weintraub: Hi, thank you for coming. My name is Carole Weintraub. I'm from Philadelphia. And depending on the week, my family was either from Poland, Ukraine, or Russia – the borders changed all the time.  Adiel Cohen:   Oh wow, ok. Carole Weintraub: Take your pick. My question's kind of a fun question. You mentioned some dishes that your grandmom would make. You gave us the names, but I never heard of them, and could you describe them? Adiel Cohen:   Yes. So the main food that we eat, I would say it's like the equivalent to matzo ball soup. That's like the default dish for holidays, for day-to-day. It's Yemenite soup. It's just called Yemenite soup. It's very simple. It's a soup made with a lot of spices, I think. Kumkum and hell. It can be vegetable, chicken, or beef based, with a side of either potato or pumpkin inside the soup. It's very good, very healthy. We eat it, especially in winter, every Shabbat. Like it cleans your entire system, all the spices.  Some breads that we have that are also very common. Lachuch or lachoh, you know, in the Yemenite pronunciation, it's a flatbread similar to pancake. It's kind of like a pancake, only fried on one side with holes, yeah. And the other side, the top side becomes full of bubbles that turn into holes. So it's fluffy, like very, very soft, very good to eat with dips or with soup.  We also have saluf, which is just a regular pita, it's a flatbread. Zalabiyeh, which is kind of like the, in Yemen they used to eat it during Shavuot and in Israel, now we eat it a lot in Hanukkah, because it's fried. It's kind of like a flatbread donut. I don't know how else to explain it. Right. It's kind of like sufganiyah but made flat, like a pita. There's so much more wow, I'm starting to salivate here. Manya Brachear Pashman:   If you don't mind me just interjecting with one of my own questions, and that is, do you encourage people to make these recipes, to try out different parts of your culture or do you feel a little bit of or maybe fear appropriation of your culture? Like what is… Adiel Cohen:   No, not at all. Go look up Yemenite soup recipe on Google. It's all there in English. And it's delicious. It's healthy. Do it, really. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Do you try other Jewish cultures in fact? Adiel Cohen:   Kubbeh must be one of my favorite foods that is not Yemenite. It's Iraqi-Jewish. My hometown, Ramat Gan, is the capital of Iraqi Jews and Israel. Every time I say that I'm from Ramat Gan, people ask me ‘Oh, you're Iraqi?' I'm like, no, no, Yemenite. So kubbeh, sabich. Sabich, that's the best food, I think, Israel has to offer. Also Iraqi Jewish.  I feel bad that I don't have anything good to say about Ashkenazi foods. I tried matzo ball soup for the first time. I'm sorry. My sister, she married an Ashkenazi Jew from Monsey – can't get any more Ashkenazi than that. And this was actually my first time trying and getting a taste of Ashkenazi culture and cuisine. Can't say that it, like, blew me off. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Alright, next question. Audience Member/Amy Albertson: Hi, Adiel.  Adiel Cohen:   Hi, Amy. Amy Albertson: My name is Amy Albertson. I personally am from California and my family's from Russia, Poland, and China. And my question for you is, as a fellow social media creator, especially during times like this, I get asked a lot about racism in Israel since Americans are obsessed with racism. And they always want to point out how the Teimanim, the Yemenites, the Ethiopians, the other what Americans like to say not white Jews are discriminated against and have been discriminated against since the establishment of Israel.  Obviously, we can't deny that there is racism. However, I would like to know your perspective obviously as a Yemenite Jew living in Israel and also the good and the bad, where you find that things are hopefully better than they were in the past in Israel, and also where you think that Israeli society still has to improve when it comes to things like this. Adiel Cohen:   So part of the cultural discourse in Israel, we always make fun of how every wave of aliyah, from every place in the world that Israel experienced, the last wave of aliyah discriminates against them or makes fun of them, because ‘oh, the new ones.' And in a sense, it is true, you see it a lot. And racism, unfortunately, exists in Israel, in Israeli society, just like in every society in the world. I think that if you compare it to how it was in the 50s, we're way better off now.  And racism is widely condemned, all throughout Israeli society, against anyone, against any communities. We still have the stereotypes, we still have, you know, these jokes that sometimes are funny, sometimes are less funny about different communities. I would say for the most part, we know how to maintain a healthy humor of kind of making fun of each other as different communities but also making it all part of what it means to be Israeli. When my grandparents came to Israel, they were discriminated against. They were ‘othered' by the rest of society that was mostly dominated by secular Ashkenazim.  The same thing can also be said on Holocaust survivors that first arrived in Israel and also faced discrimination from their brothers and sisters, who are also Ashkenazim. So I don't know if racism is the right word. I don't think there's a word that can describe this dynamic that we have between our communities. But yeah, I definitely can say that throughout the generations it's become way better. We see way more diverse representation in Israeli media, in Israeli pop culture. If you look at what's Israeli pop culture, it's majority Mizrahi, and a lot of Yemenites if I may add, because, you know, we know how to sing. Not me, though, unfortunately. But yeah, we see a lot more representation. I believe we're on the right path to become more united and to bridge between our differences and different communities. Audience Member/Alison Platt: Hi, I'm Alison Platt. I live in Chicago by way of Northern California. My family is from all over Europe, and then about 1500 years before that Southern Italy. So I lost my grandmother last week, so I really thank you, I really appreciate the importance of telling our grandparents' stories. So thank you for sharing yours with us. For those of us who are millennials or Gen Z who are for better or worse, very online, storytelling is important and telling our own personal Jewish stories, very important, telling our collective Jewish story, very important. So for someone who does that on social media, what is your advice for those of us who are really trying to educate both on a one-to-one level and then communally about our Jewish identities, what has been successful for you, what has been challenging and where do you see that going? Adiel Cohen:   So, you know, telling a story, you can tell a story with words, you can also tell a story with visuals. Some of the most successful videos that I made about Yemenite Jews involved my grandma cooking and my mom cooking, making lachuch and showing the Seder, the table, how beautiful and colorful it is. So don't be afraid to pull up your phone and just show it when you see it. And in terms of verbal stories, speak to your grandparents as much as you can. When my grandma passed away, I realized how it can happen like that, and then that's it. And there's no more stories from Savta around Shabbat table and what you managed to gather, that's what you're carrying on to the future. So collect as many stories as possible from every generation so that these stories can live on and exist. And just tell them on social media, open your camera, tell it to the world, because this is how they get to know us. Audience Member/Ioel: Hi, everyone. I'm Ioel from Italy. I'm the Vice President of the Italian Union of Young Jews. And part of my family comes from Egypt. So I relate to your storytelling.  Recently, I have attended the inaugural seminar of Archon Europe. It's an organization that's fostering heritage towards Europe. And we were wondering how to share our stories. So I want to ask you, what is the best thing for you to make the story of this sort of silent exodus known in the Western society, and especially in our university. And how do you think your activism is contributing to fight antisemitism? Adiel Cohen:   I think it's as simple as just taking the leap and start telling these stories. As I said, sit with your grandparents, with your parents and just talk about it. Write down notes and turn it into a story that can be told through social media, make videos about it. You know, Egyptian jewelry, if you look into it, there's so much there. There's the Genizah, right, the Cairo Genizah – so much knowledge and Jewish history, not only from Egypt, but from the entire Middle East.  You got accounts in the Cairo Genizah about how Jews lived in Israel, in the Land of Israel, under Muslim rule; stories that are not heard. When you expose the world and people on campus to these stories, first of all, you burst the little bubble that says Jews poofed in Israel in 1948 and up until then, they didn't exist there. And second of all, you show them that Jews existed, not just in Europe, but also in other parts of the world – in Egypt, and in the Middle East as well.  Your question was, how does my activism contribute? I hope to inspire more young Jews, Gen Z, millennials, to share their stories and get connected to them and understand the importance of sharing stories because you can enjoy listening to your grandparents stories, but then do nothing about it. So I hope that my content and then my activism inspires other Jews to speak up, just like I am inspired by other creators who also tell their stories. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And I think the other aspect of his question was about fighting antisemitism, whether or not you feel that sharing these stories helps in that effort. Adiel Cohen:   Definitely. Again, when we show the world that we're not what they say about us, that we're not white colonizers, that we're actually an indigenous tribe of people that was kicked out of their homeland and spread throughout the diaspora for 2000 years, they can try to argue with that. But at the end of the day, the facts are on our side, and also the importance of a story, you can't argue with a story.  If you're telling a story from your family, from your own personal experience, the only argument I can think about to put against the story is ‘you're lying.' And ‘you're lying' is not a good argument. If they accuse you of lying when you tell your family story, they lost. Audience Member/Daniel: Hi, my name is Daniel. I'm American-Israeli and my family background is I'm half Lithuanian and half Yemenite. I just wanna say I feel very and thoroughly inspired by you, and thank you so much for coming today.  Adiel Cohen: Thank you. Daniel: As a child, I was fortunate enough to hear stories from my grandparents and my great grandfather about their lives in Yemen. Recently, I read Maimonides' letter to Yemen Adiel Cohen: Beautiful. Daniel: And I was particularly inspired by the fact that it was originally written in Arabic and it was translated into Hebrew so that it could be properly disseminated in the community. It remains my favorite primary source regarding Yemen's Jewish community. But with 3000 years of history, almost, there's plenty to choose from. So what's your favorite text or book relating to Yemen's Jewish community? Adiel Cohen:   That. Iggeret Teiman, the letter of Maimonides to the Yemenite Jewish community is a transformative letter. It came in a time that was very, very tough for the Yemenite Jewish community. It was a time of false messiahs that started popping out of nowhere in Yemen, both in the Muslim community but also in the Jewish community. And a false messiah that pops out of nowhere creates civil unrest. It sounds a little weird and otherworldly in the world that we live in now, but when someone pops out of nowhere and says, I'm the Messiah. I'm coming to save you all, and back at the time, it was revolutionary.  And there was a lot of troubles that the Jews faced at the time because of the false messiahs. The Yemeni leadership was very hostile to Jews, just like, every time there's problems in society, who gets blamed? The Jews, for different reasons, and that time was the reason that Jews were blamed. That was the reason Jews were blamed for.  And out of Egypt, Rambam comes. He did not set foot in his life in Yemen. But the head of the Yemenite Jewish community sent him a letter all the way to Egypt. He was in Egypt at the time after migrating all the way from Spain to Morocco to Egypt, asking him for help. And he sent him this letter, Rambam sent him back this letter, Iggeret Teiman, where he basically empowers and strengthens the Jewish community, telling them to maintain their faith and do not fall for the false messiahs and keep their faith in Hashem, and they will be saved.  It was as simple as that to save the Jewish community who was suffering at the time, and ever since then, Jews adopted, not fully, but adopted a lot of the Rambam's Mishnah, his ideas. And till this day, the Rambam is the most notable figure that Yemenite Jews look up to. He did not set foot in Yemen one time.  The Jews did not go to Egypt and sought for help, but it shows you why it's my favorite text in our history. It's because it shows that even in the diaspora, even when, you know, we were seemingly disconnected, we always relied on each other. And it's amazing to think about it, how a letter got to Egypt, sent back, and he saved a community from all the way far over there. So yeah, that's the answer. Manya Brachear Pashman:   So I think we are out of time. Thank you for all those thoughtful questions. That was really wonderful. And thank you for being such a lovely audience. And thank you, Adiel. Adiel Cohen: Thank you. Manya Brachear Pashman:   For joining us and sharing your family's story and hopefully inspiring some of us to do the same. So thank you. Adiel Cohen:   I hope so. Thank you so much. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Yemenite Jews are just one of the many Jewish communities who, in the last century, left Arab countries to forge new lives for themselves and future generations.  Join us next week as we share another untold story of The Forgotten Exodus. Many thanks to Adiel for sharing his story. Too many times during my reporting, I encountered children and grandchildren who didn't have the answers to my questions because they'd never asked. That's why one of the goals of this project is to encourage you to ask those questions. Find your stories. Atara Lakritz is our producer. T.K. Broderick is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Jon Schweitzer, Nicole Mazur, Sean Savage, and Madeleine Stern, and so many of our colleagues, too many to name really, for making this series possible.  You can subscribe to The Forgotten Exodus on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can learn more at AJC.org/theforgottenexodus.  The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC.  You can reach us at theforgottenexodus@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to spread the word, and hop onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us.

“We can't expect people to stand up for us against antisemitism if they don't know who we are. And we can't expect them to know who we are if we're not there to tell our story.”  Adiel Cohen: Jewish activist, social media influencer, and Israel Defense Forces reservist, has a passion for storytelling – especially that of his beloved grandmother, Savta Sarah. She fled Yemen under harrowing circumstances to come to Israel in the mid-20th century. At just 12 years old, she left the only home she'd ever known, braving dangerous terrain, bandits, and gangs – to reach safety in Israel. Recorded live at AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington, D.C., this conversation explores the vibrant life of Yemenite Jews and the scarred history of Jewish persecution in the country. In a candid conversation, Adiel reflects on his advocacy, both online and off, and emphasizes the importance of sharing diverse Jewish stories. —- Show notes: Sign up to receive podcast updates here. Learn more about the series here. Song credits:  Pond5:  “Desert Caravans”: Publisher: Pond5 Publishing Beta (BMI), Composer: Tiemur Zarobov (BMI), IPI#1098108837 “Meditative Middle Eastern Flute”: Publisher: N/A; Composer: DANIELYAN ASHOT MAKICHEVICH (IPI NAME #00855552512)  “Suspense Middle East” Publisher: Victor Romanov, Composer: Victor Romanov; Item ID: 196056047 ___ Episode Transcript: Adiel Cohen: Because they dare to fight back, they knew that they're no longer safe, because God forbid Jews resist to oppression and to violence. And the same night, my grandma told me that her father gave her a pair of earrings, silver earrings, and he told her, ‘Sarah, take these pair of earrings and keep them safe. That's the only thing that you can take with you to Eretz Yisrael.' Manya Brachear Pashman:   The world has overlooked an important episode in modern history: the 800,000 Jews who left or were driven from their homes in the Middle East and North Africa in the mid-20th century. Welcome to the second season of The Forgotten Exodus, brought to you by American Jewish Committee. This series explores that pivotal moment in history and the little-known Jewish heritage of Iran and Arab nations. As Jews around the world confront violent antisemitism and Israelis face daily attacks by terrorists on multiple fronts, our second season explores how Jews have lived throughout the region for generations despite hardship, hostility, and hatred, then sought safety and new possibilities in their ancestral homeland. I'm your host, Manya Brachear Pashman. Join us as we explore untold family histories and personal stories of courage, perseverance, and resilience from this transformative and tumultuous period of history for the Jewish people and the Middle East.  The world has ignored these voices. We will not.  This is The Forgotten Exodus. Today's episode: leaving Yemen. _ On the night of October 7, while Hamas terrorists were still on their murderous rampage through Israel, 26-year-old Adiel Cohen was drafted to serve in a reserve artillery corps unit and rocket division of the Israeli Defense Forces. He went directly to a base near one of Israel's borders to start working on his unit's vehicles and tools. But that is not the only battlefront on which Adiel has been serving.  Adiel is a content creator on social media, creating Instagram posts and TikTok videos to counter the antisemitism and anti-Israel messages proliferating online. One way Adiel dispels some of these misconceptions is by sharing his own family's story. Adiel's grandparents on both sides were in that group of 800,000 Jews who fled Arab lands and started life anew in Israel. In 1950, they fled Yemen, making their way to Israel to help build a Jewish state.  Today's special episode of The Forgotten Exodus presents an exclusive interview with Adiel, recorded in front of a live audience at the AJC Global Forum 2024 in Washington D.C. Adiel, you heard stories from your Savta Sarah who passed away only a few months ago. She was your paternal grandmother. Could you please share that side of your family story in Yemen? Adiel Cohen:   Of course. So first of all, I want to thank you all for coming and listening to my story. It's my first time in this type of AJC event, especially on that scale. It's very exciting to me, and it's amazing to see this beautiful display of Jewish solidarity and strength. So I'm very, very honored to be here. Thank you.  So the history of the Jewish community in Yemen dates back for as long as the Israelite Kingdom existed. It dates back all the way to King Shlomo (Solomon) and the First Temple when we had trade with the kingdom of Sh'va (Sheba), at the time that ruled Ethiopia and Yemen.  And for my family, as far as we can tell, we go back all the way to that era. I do know that I have one ancestor somewhere along the line 15 generations ago from the Jewish community of Iraq that migrated into Yemen.  But my ancestry for the most part is in Yemen, Yemenite Jewish. I did a DNA test. The results were nothing too revolutionary, aside from 1% Nigerian. But yeah, it just came out Yemenite Jewish. And they spent pretty much the entire diaspora in Yemen until 1950. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And your grandfather was a jeweler, right? A silversmith? Adiel Cohen:   He was. So fun fact: the work of silver and crafts made of silver, was a profession only done by Jews in Yemen. So you can imagine how impactful it was for the economy in Yemen. And you know, a lot of people say that Jews, like, control the economy and all these, you know, stereotypes that we know. In Yemen, we really drove a big part of the economy, because of the professions that we did that were pretty much only Jews doing them.  So he used to do silver work and jewelry. He did both the traditional Yemenite jewelry which is made of thin silver wires, creating these beautiful patterns. And not just jewelry, but also Judaica, candlesticks, and all these ritual tools like the can for the b'samim (ritual spices), for the Havdalah.  Beautiful, beautiful art, passed from his father and then his father, all the way, thousands of years as far as we can tell. And nowadays, my uncle, my father's brother, is preserving this tradition. He has a gallery in Tzfat, if you're ever planning to go there. Now, it's not really a good time, but definitely hit me up, and I'll send you his way. Very proud of that tradition. Definitely. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's lovely. Were they city folk? Or did they live in a more agricultural area? Adiel Cohen:   They were fully city folks. They lived in Sanaa, the capital, both sides of my family. It's interesting, not a lot of people know, but there's a lot of nuance in the Yemenite Jewish community. So Yemen is a pretty big country and pretty diverse. You've got mountains and green terraces and agriculture, but you also have very, very dry desert, and you have port cities.  So every Jewish community in Yemen was very unique in its culture and its essence in their professions. And in Sanaa specifically, they were more into spirituality and humanities. They were intellectuals and thinkers, a lot of philosophy, a lot of the Jewish philosophy and poetry in Yemen came from Sanaa. And this is where both sides of my family come from. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Did they live in harmony with their neighbors in Sanaa for most of that time? Adiel Cohen:   Yeah, so the relations between Jews and Arabs in Yemen vary. It was a roller coaster for the most part of history, and it really depended on the king and the leadership at every single time. And there were times of great coexistence and flourishing and times where, you know, you could see Jewish poetry and literature and just like in Spain, like what we hear in Spain.  But there were also times of great conflict and oppression and violence. One instance that I can point out to was in the 1600s, in 1679, it was an event called the Mawza Exile. Not a lot of people know about it, which is a shame, because it is the single most traumatic event in the history of our community. It lasted one year, and during this year, the king decided that all the Jews in Yemen should be expelled to the desert.  And the desert in Yemen is very, very harsh – wild animals, climate, lack of food, soil that cannot be cultivated. And of course, this also came with burning of books and literatures and archives. Yemenite Jews, up until then, kept archives of their family trees and scriptures and poetry. We don't have a lot of it left before the 1600s, because of this event. Two-thirds of the community perished during that year, there was no one to fill the jobs that Jews used to do.  And at some point, the king allowed Jews to come back to their homes and live in their own ghettos. That was from the 1600s till 1950 with Operation Magic Carpet. But in the more modern, in the more recent history, we can point out the 40s as an uptick in violence and antisemitism against Jews in Yemen.  A lot of people think that what happened in Europe at the time did not really affect Jews in Arab countries, but it is completely the opposite. We had Nazi emissaries visiting some Arab countries and Jewish communities trying to inspect options to transfer Jews from the Middle East to concentration camps in Europe and even building and establishing concentration camps in the Middle East for Jews. The Mufti of Jerusalem at the time, Hajj Amin al-Husayni, was also very involved in trying to transfer the Jews of Yemen to concentration camps. It did not succeed. At the time, there was a pretty friendly king. But Nazi propaganda infiltrated every single society at the time in the Middle East.  The Farhud in Iraq is a great example of that, right, of Nazi involvement in the Middle East. And the same thing happened in Yemen. And I can point out to one event that was kind of like the turning point and then we can also continue to the story of my grandma's aliyah.  There was a blood libel that was spread in Sanaa. Hundreds of Arabs who used to be neighbors just turned against their Jewish neighbors, started attacking them, looting their homes, raiding the Jewish Quarter of Sanaa.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   So did the violence reach your family directly? Adiel Cohen:   My grandma's family, they used to live all in the same house. It was a big family in Yemen. It was common that the entire family, the entire clan, lives in the same house, especially if they're well off. And my family, Baruch Hashem, they were pretty well off. They were jewelers and traders, and they had a big house with the entire family. And their neighbor came, broke into their house. All the grandchildren, including my grandma, had to hide in the pantries and in the closets, and their grandfather, Saba Avraham, was there protecting the house.  Their neighbor came, assaulted their grandfather, knocked him to the ground. And my grandma, when she told me this story, she told me that they were looking, they were peeking through the cracks of the door and they saw what's going on. And when they saw the assault, they decided to storm out of the pantries and the closet with pans and pots and knives and attack the neighbor. And she tells me they chased him down the street and this is how they saved their grandfather's life.  And this is a story over Shabbat dinner. It's crazy, crazy stories that we used to listen to. Manya Brachear Pashman:   And how long after that incident did your family say, we have to leave? Adiel Cohen:   The same day, the same day. But because they dare to fight back, they knew that they're no longer safe. Because God forbid Jews resist to oppression and to violence. And the same night, my grandma told me that her father gave her a pair of earrings, silver earrings, and he told her, ‘Sarah, take these pair of earrings and keep them safe. That's the only thing that you can take with you to Eretz Yisrael.'  And the same night they were packing everything that they could but not too much because they needed to walk by foot. They packed their stuff for the way, and with dawn they set to the city of Aden. In Aden, there was the transit camp, Hashed, which all Yemenite Jews from all over Yemen fled to during this time.  And from there, Operation Magic Carpet commenced, but the journey was incredibly hard. My grandma used to tell me that the entire world was in the 20th century, and Yemen was still somewhere in the 18th century – no roads, camels, donkeys, sometimes Jeeps. And she told us one story which completely blew my mind. It was a few weeks before she passed away. About how she, at some point, they traveled night and day, continuously, and at some point, her donkey with her sister and her little brother, baby brother, broke off from the caravan.  The rest of the family, they had to stay somewhere. And they were held up, basically. But my Savta continued with their donkey, with her sister Tzivia, and their baby brother, one-year-old Ratzon. And, you know, along the way, they had to face bandits and gangs, and it was very, very tough. They had to pay ransom every few miles.  And at some point, when they broke off from the caravan, a bandit came and assaulted them. He pushed them off the cliffside and took the donkey with everything, everything they had – food, the equipment, they had nothing left. And they were left stranded on the cliffside. It was already starting to get dark. And they don't know where the rest of the family is, somewhere in the back, and they don't know if they can ever find them.  And she told me that it began to get darker and darker. And at some point, they looked up and all they saw was pitch black and just night sky full of stars. And they were praying and they were singing, just hanging on a cliffside. Imagine that at the time, she was 12. Her sister was 14. And they were both holding a little one-year-old baby.  And she said that when they stopped singing, they kind of lost hope already. Their brother started crying. And when he started crying, that's exactly when their family passed on the trail up on the mountain. And this is how they got rescued in the middle of the night, in the middle of the desert after being attacked and robbed. And they had to just continue walking all the way to Camp Hashed. They spent a few months there as well. Not easy months. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Your grandmother was one who believed in miracles, I believe. Adiel Cohen: Yeah. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Yeah, okay.  Adiel Cohen: Yeah, definitely. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Yes. Well, instead of going into the details of Operation Magic Carpet, or On Eagle's Wings was really the name of that operation, I encourage our audience to listen to the first season of The Forgotten Exodus, where we interviewed Israeli Olympian Shahar Tzubari. His family also came from Yemen and the details of Operation On Eagle's Wings, there's a lot of details about that in that episode. So I encourage you to go back and listen to that, so that we can move on to your family's arrival in Israel, which also was not easy. Adiel Cohen:   Yeah, definitely not easy. I believe you all heard of the conditions in the transit camps in Israel. My family arrived in the winter of 1950. It was considered probably the coldest winter recorded in Israel. So cold it snowed in Tel Aviv. And that was the first time my grandma ever saw snow.  They arrived at the transit camp in Ein Shemer, and they were one of the lucky families. I guess, maybe, because they were pretty well off. They didn't sleep in a tent, but they slept in a tin shack, a little tin shack. Not the best conditions, obviously. No heating, no beds, sleeping on the ground, the entire family, and, you know, passing the tough winter months. Mud, rain, everything.  And, after a few months there, they were assigned a new place in Kadima, which is a small village in the Sharon, in central Israel. Agricultural community. And my family – who are all traders, jewelers, they don't know anything about farming – they lasted there for very, very little time.  At some point, the head of the family, the grandfather said, we're out of here. And part of the family moved to Tel Aviv, to Kerem HaTeimanim, the Yemenite quarter, which is very, very dear to my heart. And the other half to Ramat Gan, my hometown, which is even more dear to me. This is where I was born and raised. My grandma met my grandfather there, and this is where they married. Manya Brachear Pashman:   How did they plant roots in Israel? I mean, they left with hardly anything, except for a pair of, your grandmother had a pair of silver earrings in her possession. How did they start with nothing and build from there? What did they build? Adiel Cohen:   There was a lot of, like, hustling and, like, trying to make things work, and moving from job to job until she got married and became, how do you call it, like? Manya Brachear Pashman:   Homemaker or housewife? Homemaker, mother. Adiel Cohen:   A housewife, yeah. She took care of the kids, and my grandfather, he did most of the work. He did, again, silversmith, some trading, a lot of hustle as well, in between. They really just kind of made it work somehow.  Also, they were organizing a lot of events in their homes, a lot of community events and parties for the community, for the neighborhood, which is also something that looking back now that, you know, I spoke to my parents about it, it makes a lot of sense. You know, I grew up on these values of how important the community is and how important it is to be involved in the community. So it came from my grandparents.  Manya Brachear Pashman:   In addition to those values, what traditions have you been able to preserve that are very meaningful to you in terms of – when I say traditions, I mean, religious rituals, recipes, attire? Adiel Cohen:   Yeah, so if you mention attire, I have a very, very special item in my closet that I got from my grandfather, from Saba Pinchas. It is his original Yom Kippur gown for men. It's a beautiful, white, long shirt, with golden embroidery, all the way from Yemen. And it still sits in my closet waiting for the right project to kind of show it off. I tried wearing it, I'm not gonna lie, tried wearing it. It looks weird – it's very, very archaic, but it's beautiful nonetheless.  And in terms of recipes, of course, my grandma used to make all the Yemenite Jewish food from Yemenite soup, to all sorts of bread which we're very famous for. People think that Yemenites only eat bread, but it's not true. But we do have a lot of types of bread.  So every Friday growing up I used to wake up and see a pile of zalabiyeh, which is kind of like a fried pita flatbread. Very amazing, like, crunchy but also soft. Every Friday morning, lahuhe, all the recipes. And if you follow my Instagram and you see sometimes when my grandma was alive, I used to post a lot of videos about her and about our traditions.  She had her own recipe for charoset for Pesach. In Yemenite Jewish dialect we call it duqeh. It's kind of like the regular charoset that you know, only with a little bit of Yemenite spice mix, so it's very sweet but also has a little, like, zing to it. Very, very good.  If we're talking about Pesach, then I also made a video about that. The Yemenite Seder is very, very unique in the sense that we don't have a plate; we don't have a Seder plate. All the simanim (signs) and all the food is on the table as decoration. So we use the lettuce and radish and all the simanim (signs) as kind of like a frame for the table, it looks like a whole garden on the table. And we just eat from what we have on the table. And, of course, the religious traditions, the way of pronouncing the Torah. I spent months before my Bar Mitzvah relearning Hebrew in the Yemenite dialect. It's like learning a whole new language, not to talk about the te'amim, the melody that you need to read it. You need to be very, very punctuate. All of it – it's a huge part of my identity. Manya Brachear Pashman:   You must have done a wonderful job because there's also a photograph of you and your Savta at your Bar Mitzvah, and she looks quite pleased. So you must have done a fine job. Adiel Cohen:   She was my best friend. Yes, we lived together in the same house. In Israel, we kind of preserved the original way of living in Yemen. So we lived in the same house with my Savta. And I was very lucky. Most of my grandparents, all of my grandparents beside her, passed away when I was very young, but I was very lucky to live with her for as long as she lived and hear all these stories, every single week.  And, you know, even after I started my activism, she was my biggest supporter. I used to come back from trips to different Jewish communities and delegations and trips to Dubai and Morocco.  And the first thing I did was knock on her door, sit with her for a good 20 minutes, and just share my experiences and she was so pleased. And if I can share one example: a year ago, I came, not a year ago, it was this summer, I came back from a trip to Dubai where I met a Yemeni guy that took me to a Yemeni shop owned by actual Yemenis from Yemen, with spices and honey from Yemen and jewelry and, really, everything from Yemen.  And they offered me, when I told them the story of my family and I showed them pictures, they offered to give my grandma a gift. They told me, pick whatever you want from the jewelry section, and it's a gift for your grandma.  And when I came back from Dubai, and I gave her that, her eyes were just lit and filled with tears, because, you know, she hasn't been to Yemen, where she was born, ever since they left. So it was really one of the most touching moments before she passed away. Oh, I'm gonna cry. Yeah, we were very, very close. And I'm very, very lucky to be her grandson. Manya Brachear Pashman:   What happened to the earrings that her grandmother gave her? Adiel Cohen:   Wow, I wish we still had them. They sold them when they got to Israel to make a living. It was very, very tough, especially in the 50s. In Hebrew we call it t'kufat ha'tzena (period of austerity). All of Israel was basically a huge refugee camp, and the government had to, you know, make sure everyone has enough food and, you know, supply and all that. So they, unfortunately, sold it. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I do love it when you share your family stories and your heritage on your social media channels and, you know, the videos of making charoset and the language, the sharing of the vocabulary words. I'm curious what kinds of reactions you get from your audience. Are they surprised to hear that you hailed from Yemen? Are they just surprised by your family's origins? Adiel Cohen:   So it's interesting to see the progression throughout the years. I started my activism and content creation in 2020. And when I just started talking about my Yemenite heritage, people were very surprised, people from our community, from Jewish communities around the world, were surprised. I heard a lot of more surprised reactions.  I think nowadays and in the past few years there's a lot more awareness to different stories and different Jewish communities, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. So I'm happy to see that. And I see a lot of interest among Jews from other parts of the world. People ask me all the time to share about my traditions, to share about, you know, how we celebrate that and how do we pronounce that and all of that.  And from the non-Jewish audience, I'll start with reactions from the Arab world. I managed to forge a lot of amazing connections and friendships with Yemenis, Yemeni Muslims, based on our shared traditions and commonalities between our cultures. Yemeni Jewish culture and Yemeni Muslim culture is a little bit different, even in terms of food, but there are some commonalities, of course.  So it's very fun and fulfilling to be able to be a bridge between these communities who are alienated from Israel, to Israel. We're sort of a bridge between our nations. For sure, there are also a lot of hateful comments that I receive from people telling me, you're not really – the Zionists kidnapped you and you shouldn't be in Palestine, you should be in Yemen, come back to Yemen where you actually belong.  They made sure that we can't come back to Yemen throughout these years, and they showed us where we really belong. So, you know, there are these comments as well. But I can definitely say that the majority of the comments and reactions are very positive, and people are thirsty for knowledge and for stories about different communities. I see it. Manya Brachear Pashman:   I mean, everyone in this audience has a family story to share, has their own heritage. And I'm curious, Adiel, how does it serve the Jewish people to share our stories and where we all come from? Why is that so important to share, especially at a time like this, when there are so many false narratives out there? Adiel Cohen:   This is my favorite question. Because telling stories is my whole shtick. This is my bottom line of every single, you know, speaking engagements with students and stuff like that. Two things that make telling stories, telling our stories very important.  First of all, is outside of the community. People don't know who Jewish people are. Non-Jews, they don't know who Jewish people are. I see it all the time, a lot of ignorance, which I don't blame them for, right? I don't know a lot about Uyghur people in China. And we can't expect people to stand up for us against antisemitism if they don't know who we are. And we can't expect them to know who we are if we're not there to tell our story.  Because unfortunately, a lot of haters love to tell our story for us. It's kind of like a tactic for them. And the way they tell their story about us is completely different, and it serves a purpose that doesn't align with our purpose. To put it in good words.  So that's one important thing, telling our stories open up who we are to other audiences. When they get to know us, they can, more chances that they will stand up for us against antisemitism. And just in general, you know, just getting to know different communities and building bridges is always good.  And the second important point of telling stories is within our community. I can for sure say that before I started my activism on social media and being more involved with other Jewish communities, I did not know much about Yiddish. I did not know much about, you know, Ashkenazi culture or other cultures, even those we have in Israel. Because, you know, in Israel, we don't really talk about it. It's all on the surface level.  You know, Yemenites eat jachnun, Iraqis eat kubbeh. But once you get to know other Jewish communities and build bridges between these communities based on our stories, your individual Jewish identity and connection to the bigger Jewish collective would be stronger.  I feel a lot more Jewish – now that I know what Ashkenazim have gone through, what Ethiopian Jews have gone through, what Indian Jews have gone through, and all throughout the world. When we build these bridges, between our communities, we bring our people and our nation to the next step in history. We've been in diaspora for 2000 years, disconnected from each other, loosely connected but generally disconnected.  And now that we have Israel and now that we have social media and that we are more connected and that we have this very strong compass that points at this one land, it's easier for us to build these bridges.  And when we build them, we turn from a nation that is dispersed and made of disconnected communities to a network of communities that make a bigger, better, stronger nation, together with our diversity, with our stories, with our different experiences. Manya Brachear Pashman:   That's beautiful. Thank you so much. Adiel Cohen:   Thank you so much. Manya Brachear Pashman:   Yemenite Jews are just one of the many Jewish communities who, in the last century, left Arab countries to forge new lives for themselves and future generations.  Join us next week as we share another untold story of The Forgotten Exodus. Many thanks to Adiel for joining us at AJC Global Forum 2024 and sharing his family's story in front of a live audience. Too many times during my reporting, I encountered children and grandchildren who didn't have the answers to my questions because they'd never asked. That's why one of the goals of this project is to encourage you to ask those questions. Find your stories. Atara Lakritz is our producer. T.K. Broderick is our sound engineer. Special thanks to Jon Schweitzer, Nicole Mazur, Sean Savage, and Madeleine Stern, and so many of our colleagues, too many to name really, for making this series possible.  You can subscribe to The Forgotten Exodus on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts, and you can learn more at AJC.org/theforgottenexodus.  The views and opinions of our guests don't necessarily reflect the positions of AJC.  You can reach us at theforgottenexodus@ajc.org. If you've enjoyed this episode, please be sure to spread the word, and hop onto Apple Podcasts or Spotify to rate us and write a review to help more listeners find us.

Hilchot Tefilah part 31: Importance of Uva L'Tzion!! Why Ashkenazim don't say Pitum Haktoret?!! Arizal vs. the Yeki Minhag about Aleinu… No wait between meat and milk??!! Rav Ovadia changed our wine?? Rainbow Challah and gefilte fish hock!?!

Questions, comments, feedback? Send us a message.#299> This episode of the podcast sponsored by Rabbi Shmuel Reich, ADHD Coach, and host of The ADHD Heroes Podcast. ADHD can impact not only attention, but also memory, organization, and other skills that can affect responsibilities at home, productivity at work, studies for school or yeshiva, or even an adult's personal learning. Rabbi Reich is an experienced ADHD coach who helps adults, teens, and couples create personalized strategies for greater success at work, improved studies, and reclaimed shalom bayis. Rabbi Reich can be reached for one on one or couples coaching at rsreichadhdcoach@gmail.com or http://rsreichadhdcoach.com/Check out Rabbi Reich's newly released podcast, entitled The ADHD Heroes Podcast, in which he interviews professionals who help those with ADHD, as well as those with ADHD themselves, to learn valuable information, useful tips and strategies, and, most importantly, inspiring stories of success around living and thriving with ADHD. The ADHD Heroes Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms including Apple and Spotify.If you would like to share your ADHD story on The ADHD Heroes Podcast, you can email Rabbi Reich at adhdheroespodcast@gmail.com > We discussed the origins of the Jews in Jamaica, sources used to research them and the lack of available sources, using wills, Rabbi Josiah Pardo, other Rabbi's, the earthquake and destruction of Port Royal, Kingston, Ashkenazim vs Sefardim in Jamaica, and much more. > To purchase "The Jews of Eighteenth Century Jamaica" click here. > To join the SeforimChatter WhatsApp community click here.>  To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode follow this link or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)> Subscribe to the SeforimChatter YouTube channel here.> Subscribe and read the SeforimChatter Substack here.

Hilchot Tefilah part 27: What is a Halachic Zonah?? Trumat HaDeshen on Zonah Chazakah!! Why Ashkenazim don't Duchen on the daily in Chutz La'Aretz!!!?? Why don't we Duchen at Mincha?

The Maharam of Rotenberg (Germany, 1215-1293) was of the opinion that Tisha B'Av, the saddest day of the year, has the same status in Halacha as the first day of mourning, and thus just as one does not wear Tefillin on his first day of mourning, Heaven forbid, so do we all refrain from wearing Tefillin on Tisha B'Av. Other authorities, however, held that on Tisha B'Av one must, indeed, wear Tefillin, and this is the accepted position. There is, however, considerable controversy regarding the question of when one wears Tefillin on Tisha B'Av. The Gaon of Vilna (1720-1797) had the practice of donning Tefillin only at midday on Tisha B'Av. He apparently held that the first half of Tisha B'Av was a period of intense mourning, whereas the second half the day, when we begin to recite "Nachem," marks a period of lesser intensity and thus warrants wearing Tefillin. This is indeed the practice of many Ashkenazim. Other Ashkenazim have the practice to don Tefillin on Tisha B'Av only during the Mincha service. What is the practice of the Sepharadim in this regard? From numerous sources, including the Kaf Ha'chayim, Ben Ish Chai and writings of the Kabbalists, it emerges that the Sephardic practice is to wear Tefillin on Tisha B'Av during Shacharit in the morning, as on all other days, with the standard Beracha. People with the practice of wearing Tefillin Rabbenu Tam every morning should do so on Tisha B'Av morning, as well. We do, however, find divergent customs as to where the Tefillin should be worn. The Kaf Ha'chayim and Ben Ish Chai mention that on Tisha B'Av one dons Tefillin and recites Shacharit privately, at home, and then comes to the synagogue – after removing his Tallit and Tefillin – for the repetition of Shemona Esrei, Kinot and Eicha. Others, however, held that one prays on Tisha B'Av in the synagogue with Tallit and Tefillin as usual, just as on other days, and the Tallit and Tefillin are removed after the repetition of Shemona Esrei. This was the ruling of Chacham Baruch Ben-Chaim. Both practices have roots in Halachic literature, and thus each community should follow the guidance of its Rabbi. It must be emphasized that according to all authorities, one does not wear Tefillin – which serves as a sign of glory and royalty – while reciting Kinot to lament the destruction of the Beit Ha'mikdash. Summary: Tefillin are worn on Tisha B'Av with the Beracha. Ashkenazim have the custom of wearing Tefillin on Tisha B'Av only in the afternoon, whereas Sepharadim wear Tefillin already in the morning, as usual. Some Sepharadim wear Tefillin and pray Shacharit privately at home and then come to synagogue without Tefillin, whereas others pray with Tallit and Tefillin in the synagogue as usual. Each community should follow its custom as instructed by its Rabbi.

The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 551) cites three views regarding the consumption of meat and wine during the period before Tisha B'Ab. The first opinion is that meat and wine are forbidden only during the week of Tisha B'Ab, from after the Shabbat preceding Tisha B'Ab until after the fast. According to the second view, meat and wine are forbidden already from Rosh Hodesh Ab, whereas the third position forbids meat and wine throughout the three-week period from Shiba Asar Be'Tammuz through Tisha B'Ab. The accepted custom in our community follows the second view cited by the Shulhan Aruch, forbidding meat and wine during the Nine Days, from Rosh Hodesh Ab through Tisha B'Ab. However, whereas the Ashkenazim refrain from wine and meat already on Rosh Hodesh Ab, the custom among the Sepharadim is to allow meat and wine on Rosh Hodesh Ab, and to begin observing the prohibition only after Rosh Hodesh Ab. This custom is codified by Rav Yaakov Haim Sofer (Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939), in his Kaf Ha'haim (126). The Kaf Ha'haim also mentions, however (in 122), that if a person recites Arbit before sundown on Rosh Hodesh Ab, then he may no longer eat meat or drink wine, even before sundown. Since he already recited Arbit, the prohibitions of meat and wine take effect, even though the sun had not set. Thus, for example, if on Rosh Hodesh Ab a person recites Arbit at 7:15pm, he may no longer eat meat or drink wine, even though the sun does not set for another hour. If a person has a milk allergy and cannot digest dairy foods, and he thus has difficulty finding foods to eat during the Nine Days when meat is forbidden (such as if, for whatever reason, he cannot eat fish), then he should consult his Rabbi for guidance. The Kaf Ha'haim (146) writes that under such circumstances there is room to allow eating poultry, since there were no bird sacrifices in the Bet Ha'mikdash that were eaten, and the status of poultry during the Nine Days is thus more lenient than that of beef. A person who cannot eat dairy foods should therefore consult with a Rabbi to determine whether his condition allows him to eat chicken. Likewise, if a person must eat meat for medical reasons, as directed by a physician, then he should consult with a Rabbi to determine whether he may eat meat. The Kaf Ha'haim (148; listen to audio recording for precise citation) writes that the Sages did not apply this prohibition in situations of illness, and thus if one's doctor instructs that he must eat meat for health purposes, he may do so. In all such situations, however, a Rabbi must be consulted for guidance. Summary: The custom of the Sepharadim is to refrain from meat and wine from the second day of Ab through Tisha B'Ab. If a person needs to eat meat for medical reasons, or has difficulty finding foods to eat, such as if he has an allergy to dairy foods, he should consult with a Rabbi for guidance.

Dedication opportunities are available for episodes and series at  https://ohr.edu/donate/qa   Questions? Comments? podcasts@ohr.edu   Yeshivat Ohr Somayach located in the heart of Jerusalem, is an educational institution for young Jewish English-speaking men. We have a range of classes and programs designed for the intellectually curious and academically inclined - for those with no background in Jewish learning to those who are proficient in Gemara and other original source material. To find the perfect program for you, please visit our website https://ohr.edu/study_in_israel​ whatsapp us at https://bit.ly/OSREGISTER or call our placement specialist at 1-254-981-0133 today!   Subscribe to the Rabbi Breitowitz Q&A Podcast at https://plnk.to/rbq&a   Submit questions for the Q&A with Rabbi Breitowitz https://forms.gle/VCZSK3wQJJ4fSd3Q7   Subscribe to our YouTube Channel at https://www.youtube.com/c/OhrSomayach/videos   00:00 How does one not lose track of the big picture when learning the minutiae of Gemara?   16:39 Would some common practices at the Shabbos table be considered halachically problematic?   20:34 How should one view Jews with special needs?   31:53 What if speaking about the past puts you in a bad place?   39:32 What is the definition of kol isha and how strict is it?   55:28 How can one fulfill the mitzvah of writing a Sefer Torah?   1:02:57 How is it possible for humans to create holiness?   1:06:35 Why do Ashkenazim preserve the Yiddish pronunciations, even in davening?   1:13:55 How is it possible for the Moshiach to unite all the Jewish communities?   1:17:26 Is it proper to chew bubblegum?   1:19:30 Why is Nach considered part of the Written Torah if it wasn't given at Mt Sinai?   1:23:30 Should a Sephardi Jew say Aleinu after Sefirah in an Ashkenazi minyan?   You can listen to this and many other Ohr Somayach programs by downloading our app, on Apple and Google Play, ohr.edu and all major podcast platforms. Visit us @ https://ohr.edu  PRODUCED BY: CEDAR MEDIA STUDIOS  

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 lady wanted to shake the Lulav on Succot, according to the Ashkenazim, she's allowed to shake the Lulav and the Etrog with the the Beracha, 'Asher Kedishanu Bemitzvotav Vitzivanu Al Netilat Lulav'. For the matter if she wanted to count Sefirat Haomer, she's not obligated, but she has the right to make it with the Beracha. However, the Sephardim that follow the opinion of Maran, when it comes to this, our ladies do not make a Beracaha. That's why there is another Halacha that says, for example, that if a person wants to eat within a half hour of the Omer, we explained many times its forbidden to sit down and start a meal of more than 2 ounces of bread within a half hour of the Haomer. But the Halacha does say if you have a Shomer, if you have somebody that's going to remind you to count, that you can start to eat, because you already set the Shomer, you set a safety net in motion in order to remind you so you won't forget. But the Halacha says that you can't let a lady be a Shomeret for you, because the lady is not obligated in the Omer, and therefore its not going to be on her mind since its not on the mind for herself. It's not going to be on her mind to tell others. So a lady would not be a Shomeret. You need somebody that's obligated in the Sefira as well, to designate him as a Shomer. Obviously, he cannot be eating with you. Because if he is eating with you, then he might forget himself, because he has the same problem, so therefore we're talking about a Shomer that's not eating with you, that he will be able to remind you. But, a lady, since she is not obligated, she cannot be a Shomeret. Compare that to Hilchot Shabbat. In Hilchot Shabbat we have a law that says a person is not allowed to read by the light of a candle. Because he might come to flicker the candle, and that's Asur on Shabbat. However the Halacha says that if he has somebody 9A Shomer) that's watching him to remind and prevent him if he is about to make the Isur, then its OK. A lady in that case can be a Shomeret. Since a lady is obligated in the laws of Shabbat just as the man is, so therefore its on her mind also, so then she can be the Shomeret. It is told a story, about Chacham Ezra Atia A"H, when he was young he used to learn on Friday nights by the light of the candle. His mother used to be the Shomeret. His mother used to be up into the wee hours of the morning in order that her son would be able to study the Torah with diligence.

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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 haircut or shave for the Berit. This prohibition applies even if one customarily shaves every day or every several days. There is an opinion permitting one to shave on Hol Ha'mo'ed if he did so on Ereb Yom Tob and the barber is a poor man who needs this work to earn money for food, but most other authorities dispute this ruling and it is not accepted as Halacha. A person who comes out of jail during Hol Ha'mo'ed is allowed to shave and take a haircut. Even if he had been in a Jewish prison which allowed him to shave and take a haircut on Ereb Yom Tob, he was likely not in the proper spirits to do so, and thus he is allowed to groom himself when he is released on Hol Ha'mo'ed. A person who had been traveling and arrives home on Hol Ha'mo'ed, or even if he arrives on Ereb Yom Tob but did not have time to take a haircut or shave, is allowed to shave or take a haircut during Hol Ha'mo'ed. Even if he was not traveling overseas, and was just outside the city, he may take a haircut or shave if he did not have time to do so on Ereb Yom Tob. All those who are allowed to take a haircut and shave during Hol Ha'mo'ed must ensure to do so privately, and not publicly. They may have their hair cut by a Jewish barber. If a person had been observing mourning, Heaven forbid, for a parent, and the thirty-day mourning period ends during Hol Ha'mo'ed, at which point he is told by his peers that he needs a haircut and shave, he may take haircut and shave during Hol Ha'mo'ed. One may take a hot shower with soap, as usual, and comb his hair, on Hol Ha'mo'ed. It is permissible to mop floors during Hol Ha'mo'ed. Nail-cutting is permissible during Hol Ha'mo'ed, though the practice among Ashkenazim is to refrain from cutting nails. One is allowed to iron clothes and polish shoes on Hol Ha'mo'ed. If one's eyeglasses broke on Hol Ha'mo'ed, he may have them fixed, even if this requires skilled workmanship. If one had given a utensil to somebody to fix, and it is ready on Hol Ha'mo'ed, he may pick it up if he needs it during the holiday. If he does not need it until after the holiday, then he may not go pick it up. One should not move to a new home during Hol Ha'mo'ed, unless he is moving from a rented residence to his own property, in which case he may move during Hol Ha'mo'ed.

Ashkenazim have the custom not to eat "Kitniyot"-various beans and legumes on Pesah. The earliest authority to record this custom is the SaMaK, (Sefer Misvot Katan by Rabbi Yishak of Corbeil, 13th century) who lived 750 years ago. The reason he gives is that these foods can be confused with Hames grains, such as wheat. Just as wheat can be ground into flour, so too corn and lentils can also be dried and made into flour. Interestingly, he also includes mustard seed in the list of "Kitniyot." Even though it is not made into flour, nevertheless, it grows in pods and could also be mistaken for wheat. In later generations, the Ashkenazi Poskim discuss whether other foods, such as coffee beans, peanuts and quinoa, would also be considered "Kitniyot." Rav Shlomo Amar and Rav Moshe Feinstein rule that any food that wasn't known in the Western world at the time of the original institution of the Gezera was not included in the custom. There was a controversy with regard to whether potatoes are considered "Kitniyot." Some held that since they were common at the time of the Gezera, and they can also be used to produce starch, they should be included in the custom. Nevertheless, the predominant custom is for Ashkenazim to use potatoes on Pesah. These Halachot are relevant for a Sepharadi who hosts an Ashkenazi on Pesah. One should only serve an Ashkenazi guest foods that are not Kitniyot. However, there is no problem using the same pots used to prepare Kitniyot. The Gezera did not extend to the taste emitted from the pots. SUMMARY An Ashkenazi guest should only be served non-Kitniyot foods on Pesah.

Is it permissible for a person observing Abelut (mourning) for a deceased relative, Heaven forbid, to wear freshly-laundered clothing? This issue is subject to divergent traditions between Sepharadim and Ashkenazim. Sepharadim, following the ruling of Maran (Shulhan Aruch Yoreh De'a 389:8), allow wearing freshly-laundered or freshly-pressed clothing immediately following the seven-day Shiba observance. Ashkenazim, by contrast, forbid wearing freshly-laundered clothing until after the conclusion of the thirty-day Sheloshim period. When it comes to new clothing, however, even Sepharadim forbid wearing such clothes during the period of Sheloshim. New clothes may be worn only after the thirtieth day of Abelut, and after somebody tells the mourner that he should wear new clothing. (In Halachic jargon this is called "Ge'ara," which literally means "rebuke," whereby somebody "criticizes" the mourner for his appearance and urges him to purchase new clothing.) According to some authorities, new garments may not be worn even after the conclusion of Sheloshim, and even after a mourner is urged to wear new clothing, until the first Yom Tob that is observed after the Sheloshim. The Halachic authorities rule that one should follow this stringent opinion, and thus three conditions must be met for a mourner to be allowed to wear new clothing: 1) Thirty days must have passed; 2) Somebody urges the mourner to wear new clothing; 3) At least one Yom Tob has occurred since the conclusion of Sheloshim. If a mourner must wear a new garment before the end of the Sheloshim period, he may give the garment to somebody else to wear for two or three days, after which it is no longer considered "new" and he may then wear it. It is permissible for a mourner to move into a new home after the seven-day Shiba period, even if he mourns the passing of a parent. A mourner may recite the Beracha of "She'hehiyanu" even during the Shiba period, such as if he was brought a new fruit, or even if his son is undergoing Berit Mila or Pidyon Ha'ben; in all such circumstances, he may recite "She'hehiyanu." Summary: According to Sephardic custom, a mourner may wear freshly-laundered garments immediately after the seven-day Shiba period. New clothes, however, may not be worn until the first Yom Tob following the thirty-day Sheloshim period, and only if somebody urged him to wear new clothing.

Rabbi Shemuel Pinhasi, in his work Haim Va'hesed (chapter 16), writes that after a person's passing, Heaven forbid, the Maseva – the tombstone placed at the gravesite – should preferably be placed on the grave already on the seventh day after burial, and no later than the eighth day. According to the Zohar (vol. 1, p. 119), as Rav Pinhasi quotes, the Maseva should not be placed on the grave earlier than the seventh day, as this could be harmful. Therefore, the Maseva should be placed on the seventh day, after the mourners end the Shiba observance, when in any event it is customary to visit the gravesite. It should preferably be placed that day, and no later. This is the ruling of the Kuntras Ha'yehieli, and is the custom in Jerusalem. This is also the ruling of Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer, vol. 4) and of Rav Yitzhak Shehebar. Rav Pinhasi notes the divergent customs of Ashkenazim and Sepharadim regarding the way the deceased's name should appear on the Maseva. Sepharadim name the deceased and his or her mother, whereas some Ashkenazim mention the father. (Other Ashkenazim follow the Sephardic practice in this regard.) Thus, for example, Sepharadim would write on a tombstone "Yitzhak Ben Sara," whereas Ashkenazim would write, "Yitzhak Ben Abraham." The source of the Sephardic custom is the comment of Abayeh cited in the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat that whenever making reference to a person, one should mention the person's mother. Rashi explains this to mean that the mother's name should be mentioned whenever we pray for someone, and it is therefore customary, for example, to mention the mother's name when reciting a "Misheberach" prayer for somebody. We apply this ruling as well to the Ashkaba prayer and the tombstone; in all these contexts, we mention the person and his or her mother. The reason, as explained by the Hochmat Shelomo commentary, is that the mother's relationship to a person is definite beyond a doubt, while a father's presumed relationship to his child cannot be conclusively verified. This is mentioned as well by the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909). In any event, as mentioned, the accepted practice among Sepharadim is to mention the mother's name in all contexts, including the inscription on a tombstone. Summary: The tombstone should be placed on the grave on the seventh day, after the mourners finish the Shiba observance. It should not be placed before then, and this should not be delayed beyond the eighth day. Sephardic custom is to inscribe on the tombstone the deceased's name and his mother's name, such as "Yitzhak Ben Sara."

There are several differences between the way Sepharadim write the text on the parchment inside the Tefillin, and the way the Ashkenazim write the text. In light of these differences, the question arises as to whether a Sepharadi may wear an Ashkenazi's Tefillin. If, for whatever reason, a Sepharadi does not have his Tefillin available, and the only available Tefillin are those of an Ashkenazi, can he wear them to fulfill the Misva, and, if so, should he recite the Beracha of "Le'haniah Tefillin" over the Ashkenazi's Tefillin? One difference between the two types of Tefillin is the shape and formation of the letters. With regard to this difference, it is acceptable for a Sepharadi to wear an Ashkenazi's Tefillin, and vice versa. The Ashkenazic and Sephardic customs regarding the formation of the letters do not regard each other as invalid, and thus, for example, an Ashkenzi can be called to the Torah written according to Sephardic tradition and recite the Berachot, and vice versa. Indeed, the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572) wrote that all the formations of the letters, according to both traditions, have deep and profound meaning, and we apply here the rule of "Elu Va'elu Dibreh Elokim Hayim" (they both represent the Divine word). Therefore, if the only difference between the different types of Tefillin was the difference in forming the letters, it would be perfectly acceptable for a Sepharadi to wear Ashkenazi Tefillin, and to recite the Beracha. However, there is also another important difference between the two types of Tefillin. Halacha requires that the fourth paragraph of the text in the Tefillin be written "Setuma" ("closed"), and there is a difference of opinion among the Halachic authorities as to what exactly this means. According to the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 32:36), an empty space the length of nine letters is left in between the third and fourth paragraphs, whereas according to the Taz (Rabbi David Segal, Poland, 1586-1667), empty space is left both at the end of the third paragraph and at the beginning of the fourth paragraph. In the view of Maran, leaving additional empty space, beyond what is required, invalidates the Tefillin, and thus Tefillin prepared in accordance with the view of the Taz are invalid according to Maran. Ashkenazim, by and large, prepare Tefillin following the Taz's opinion, and these Tefillin are thus invalid for Sepharadim, who follow the rulings of Maran in the Shulhan Aruch. As for the practical Halacha, Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in his Or Le'sion (3:7), writes that if a Sepharadi has access only to Ashkenazi Tefillin, he should wear those Tefillin because he has nothing else to use, but he does recite a Beracha. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his Yabia Omer (vol. 9, pp. 232-3), cites Hacham Bension's ruling, and then refers the reader to his responsum in Yehave Da'at (4:3), where he writes that in light of the Shulhan Aruch's ruling, a Sepharadi does not fulfill his obligation at all wearing Ashkenazi Tefillin. (He also cites this ruling from the Ish Masliah.) Of course, if one happens to know that the Tefillin were written in the "Setuma" fashion as required by Maran, then he may wear it, but otherwise, since the vast majority of Ashkenazi Tefillin are prepared in accordance with the Taz's opinion, a Sepharadi cannot fulfill his requirement with such Tefillin. This ruling also appears in the Oserot Yosef section of Hacham David Yosef's Halacha Berura. (It should be noted that an Ashkenazi can fulfill his requirement by wearing Sepharadi Tefillin.) Therefore, a Sepharadi who has access only to Ashkenazi Tefillin cannot fulfill his Misva by wearing the Tefillin, and if he did put it on, and later in the day obtains access to Sepharadi Tefillin, he must put it on with a Beracha. Summary: A Sepharadi cannot fulfill his obligation with Ashkenazi Tefillin, because the way the vast majority of Ashkenazi Tefillin are prepared is invalid according to Sephardic custom.

If a person has his key plated with silver or gold such that it appears like a piece of jewelry, may he then wear it on a chain or as a clip through a public domain on Shabbat? Since it is now worn as an ornament, may we consider the individual to be wearing – rather than carrying – the key, such that he may wear it on Shabbat? The Shulhan Aruch (301) addresses this case and writes that one may not wear a plated key as an ornament through a public domain on Shabbat. He explains that people who see somebody wearing a key will erroneously assume that he carries it for its functional use as a key, rather than wearing an ornament. The Halachic principle of "Mar'it Ha'ayin," forbidding acting in a way that gives the appearance of a Torah violation, thus requires that one refrain from wearing a key on Shabbat. The Shulhan Aruch then cites a view among the authorities allowing one to wear a key as an ornament on Shabbat. A famous principle establishes, "Setam Va'yesh Halacha Ke'stam," meaning, when the Shulhan Aruch plainly codifies a ruling and then mentions that others disagree, he implicitly sides with the first opinion cited. In this instance, then, the Shulhan Aruch accepts as authoritative the stringent view, which forbids wearing a key as an ornament in a public domain on Shabbat. The Mishna Berura (commentary to the Shulhan Aruch by Rabbi Yisrael Kagan, the "Hafetz Hayim," Lithuania, 1839-1933) comments that the practice among Ashkenazim is to allow wearing a key as an ornament on Shabbat, in opposition to the Shulhan Aruch's ruling. Sepharadim, however, should follow the Shulhan Aruch's position and not walk in a public domain on Shabbat while wearing a key, even if it is worn as an ornament. Summary: Although Ashkenazim allow wearing a key as an ornament in a public domain on Shabbat, Sepharadim should refrain from doing so.

There is an obligation to recite the entire Hallel during the Shaharit service on each of the eight days of Hanukah. This obligation applies to both individuals praying privately, as well as to congregations praying together in the synagogue. Before one begins the actual recitation of Hallel he recites an introductory Beracha. The text of this Beracha, according to the practice of the Sepharadim, is "Baruch Ata Hashem Elokenu Melech Ha'olam Asher Kideshanu Be'misvotav Ve'sivanu Ligmor Et Ha'hallel." This text differs slightly from the text recited by the Ashkenazim, who conclude this Beracha with the words "Likro Et Ha'hallel" ("to read the Hallel"), rather than "Ligmor Et Ha'hallel" ("to complete the Hallel"). If one mistakenly recited "Likro Et Ha'hallel," must he repeat the Beracha? Hacham Ovadia Yosef addresses this question in his work Hazon Ovadia (Laws of Hanukah, p. 209), and rules that a person in such a case is not required to repeat the Beracha. He notes that the Maharam of Rotenberg (Rabbi Meir Ben Baruch, Germany, 1215-1293) held that it is actually preferable to recite the text of "Likro Et Ha'hallel." If one recites "Ligmor Et Ha'hallel," which means "to complete the Hallel," and he mistakenly omits a word from the Hallel recitation, then the Beracha that he recited would thus be rendered a "Beracha Le'vatala" (Beracha recited in vain). The Maharam therefore preferred reciting "Likro Et Ha'hallel" so that the Beracha would remain valid even in the event that somebody mistakenly omits a word. Hacham Ovadia contends that although Sephardic custom does not follow this view of the Maharam, nevertheless one who did recite "Likro" may, after the fact, rely on this position and thus is not required to repeat the Beracha. If a person began reciting Hallel without reciting a Beracha at all, and realized this mistake at some point during Hallel, should he recite the Beracha at that point? Hacham Ovadia (ibid.) rules that one should, in fact, recite the Beracha at the point where he realized his mistake. Even though the phrase "Ligmor Et Ha'hallel" is generally understood to mean "to complete the Hallel," and in this case the individual will not complete the entire Hallel after reciting the Beracha, he should nevertheless recite this text. As Hacham Ovadia cites, the Hida (Rabbi Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1807), in his work Birke Yosef (683), claims that the word "Ligmor" can also mean "to read." In Masechet Berachot (9b), for example, the Gemara speaks of the custom to recite Shema immediately before sunrise, and refers to the Shema recitation with the term "Gomerim." Thus, the text of "Ligmor" is appropriate even if one recites the Beracha after having already recited part of the Hallel. After reciting the Hallel, one recites the Beracha of "Yehalelucha," which concludes with "Baruch Ata Hashem Melech Mehulal Ba'tishbahot." If one mistakenly recited Hallel on Hanukah "Be'dilug," meaning, omitting the sections that are omitted on Rosh Hodesh, he must repeat the Hallel but does not recite the introductory or concluding Beracha. Are women included in the obligation to recite Hallel on Hanukah? With regard to the obligation of the Hanukah candles, the Sages teach that since the Hanukah miracle affected both men and women alike ("Af Hen Hayu B'oto Ha'nes"), the obligation likewise includes men and women. As for Hallel, however, it appears that this recitation was instituted only for men. The Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), in Hilchot Hanukah (3:12), writes that if a man is unable to recite the Hallel by himself, he can fulfill his obligation by listening to a woman reciting Hallel and repeating each word after her. Clearly, the Rambam felt that a man does not fulfill his obligation of Hallel by simply listening to a woman's recitation. Presumably, this is because women are not included in the obligation of Hallel. Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Hazon Ovadia – Laws of Hanukah, p. 213) thus rules that women are not required to recite Hallel on Hanukah. A woman who nevertheless wishes to recite Hallel may certainly do so, though without reciting a Beracha. Summary: Before reciting Hallel one recites the Beracha "Ligmor Et Ha'hallel." One who recited the text "Likro Et Ha'hallel" does not repeat the Beracha. If one remembered during Hallel that he had not recited a Beracha at all, he should recite the Beracha of "Ligmor Et Ha'hallel" at the point where he realized his mistake. If one recited Hallel on Hanukah and mistakenly omitted the sections that are omitted on Rosh Hodesh, he should repeat the Hallel without a Berachah. Women are not obligated to recite Hallel on Hanukah; a woman who wishes to recite Hallel may do so, but without a Beracha.

Generally, Sephardic Halachic practice follows the Rambam, and the Ashkenazim follow other Rishonim. However, there seems to be an exception to this rule with regard to lighting the Hanukah Menorah. It is commonly understood that it is the Ashkenazim who follow the ruling of the Rambam! The Rambam rules that the number of candles lit equals the number of people in the house multiplied by the night of Hanukah. For example, if there were ten people in the house, then on the eighth night they would light eighty candles. This appears to correspond to the Ashkenazic practice that every member of the household lights their own Menorah. Sepharadim, of course, light only one Menorah per household, following the position of the Tosafot to have only one Menorah, to clearly indicate the current day of the holiday, corresponding to the progression of the miracle. However, it is worthy to point out that the Ashkenazim are not actually following the Rambam in the purest form. There are certain differences between them. First, the Rambam clearly states that the head of the house lights all of the candles according to the number of people, as opposed to the Ashkenazic custom in which each member of the family lights. Second, The Rambam clearly rules that the women are included in the number of candles, whereas according to the Ashkenazim, the wife does not light, and she is included in her husband's lighting- "Ishto K'Gufo" (The wife is one unit with her husband). In addition, many Ashkenazim have the custom that the girls do not light at all. Third, it is inferred from the Rambam that the number of candles is based on the amount of people living in the house, irrespective of whether they are currently at home. According to the Ashkenazic custom, if people are away, they don't light extra Menorahs on their behalf.

It is proper to cover the table with a tablecloth for the Shabbat meals, as an expression of honor for Shabbat. Hacham Ovadia Yosef writes that the tablecloth does not necessarily have to be white. It is customary on Friday night to sing "Shalom Alechem" upon returning from the synagogue. In this hymn we welcome the angels that escort us home from the synagogue on Friday night. The Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (119) writes that a person is accompanied by two angels as he walks home from the synagogue on Friday night – a good angel to his right, and a hostile angel to his left. If the house is neat and properly arranged for Shabbat, then the kind angel declares, "May it be His will that it should be this way next week, as well." The hostile angel is then compelled to respond, "Amen." If, however, the house is disorderly and not prepared for Shabbat, then the hostile angel proclaims, "May it be His will that it should be this way next week, as well," and the good angel has no choice but to answer, "Amen." The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Bereshit (29), writes that the proper text of "Shalom Alechem" is "Melech Malcheh Ha'melachim…" This is as opposed to the text customarily recited by Ashkenazim, "Mi'melech Malcheh Ha'melachim…" After singing "Shalom Alechem," one recites "Ki Malachav Yesave Lach" and "Eshet Hayil." The bread on the table should be covered during Kiddush. Normally, when a person eats bread and wine, Halacha requires reciting the Beracha over the bread before reciting the Beracha over the wine. On Shabbat, however, one may not eat before reciting Kiddush, and we must therefore recite the Beracha over wine before reciting the Beracha over the bread. In order not to "embarrass" the bread, which is usually given precedence, we cover it while we recite Kiddush. Furthermore, the covering commemorates the Manna, the miraculous food that fell from the heavens to sustain Beneh Yisrael as they traveled in the wilderness, which was covered both on top and on the bottom. Therefore, one should ensure that the bread is covered both on top and on bottom. The tablecloth or a breadboard suffices as the bottom covering. Hacham Ovadia Yosef (listen to audio recording for precise citation) rules that one should also cover all "Mezonot" food that is on the table during Kiddush. On weekdays, "Mezonot" food, like bread, is eaten before wine, and thus the concern for not "embarrassing" the bread during Kiddush applies to "Mezonot" food, as well. Hence, as Hacham Ovadia cites from several authorities, one should cover "Mezonot" food during Kiddush. Although the work "Az Nidberu" rules leniently in this regard, and does not require covering "Mezonot" food, it is proper to follow the stringent position. This is especially true when a person eats a breakfast on Shabbat morning consisting of only "Mezonot" food, without bread, in which case the "Mezonot" food takes the place of bread; the "Mezonot" food must be covered during Kiddush. But even on Friday night, or on Shabbat lunch, when one has bread on the table, the "Mezonot" food should also be covered. Over foods, however, such as fruits and vegetables, do not have to be covered during Kiddush. Summary: One should cover the table with a tablecloth for the Shabbat meals. During Kiddush, one should cover the bread and "Mezonot" food on the table, on top and on bottom, though the tablecloth or breadboard suffices for the bottom cover. In the "Shalom Alechem" hymn recited on Friday night, the proper text according to Sephardic custom is "Melech Malcheh Ha'melachim," as opposed to "Mi'Melech Malcheh Ha'melachim."

The prohibition of "Bishul Akum" forbids partaking of food cooked by a gentile. Even if all the ingredients are perfectly Kosher, the food is forbidden by virtue of the fact that it was cooked by a non-Jew. Sephardic custom is more stringent than Ashkenazic practice with regard to this Halacha. Ashkenazim allow eating food cooked by a gentile if a Jew participated in any capacity at any point in the cooking process, even if he simply kindled the flame or turned on the oven. Sepharadim, however, forbid food cooked by a non-Jew unless a Jew played some active role in the process of cooking, such as by pouring the ingredients into the pot or mixing the food. The question arises as to whether this Halacha will affect the status of canned tuna fish, which undergoes a cooking process before it is canned. In Israel, it is likely that the ones pouring the fish into the steamer are Jewish, or that a special Mashgiah (supervisor) is hired to do so, so that all the fish is cooked by a Jew. In the United States, however, it is unrealistic to expect that only Jews pour the fish into the steamer at the factory. Some brands of tuna are marked as "Bishul Yisrael," stating that they were cooked by a Jew, but this means only that a Jew turned on the steamer. As mentioned, this suffices to avoid the prohibition of "Bishul Akum" only for Ashkenazim, but not Sepharadim. Some allowed eating tuna fish in light of the fact that the "Bishul Akum" prohibition applies only to food that is not customarily eaten raw. Sushi, or raw tuna, is a delicacy in the Far East, and we might therefore claim that tuna is not subject to the prohibition of "Bishul Akum." It would seem, however, that since sushi is not so common here in the United States, we cannot classify tuna as a food that is customarily eaten raw, and thus we cannot rely on this argument. In any event, Hacham Ovadia Yosef ruled that canned tuna does not fall under the prohibition of "Bishul Akum" for an entirely different reason, namely, that Halacha does not equate smoking with cooking in this respect. "Bishul Akum" does not apply to foods that were smoked or steamed by a gentile, and thus tuna is not subject to "Bishul Akum" despite the fact that it is steamed during its production process. Hacham Ovadia notes that a number of earlier authorities held this view, including the "Darcheh Teshuba" and "Serideh Esh." Although others disagreed, we may rely on this lenient position to allow the consumption of tuna fish. Other suggested a different basis for allowing tuna fish, namely, the Halacha that restricts "Bishul Akum" to foods that are worthy of being served to noblemen and dignitaries ("Oleh Al Shulhan Melachim"). Fresh tuna might be served to kings and princes, these authorities claimed, but canned tuna is not respectable enough to be brought before men of royalty. For this reason, too, the prohibition of "Bishul Akum" should perhaps not apply to tuna. It should be noted that other complex issues are involved regarding the Halachic status of tuna fish. Our discussion here related only to the particular issue of "Bishul Akum," and we concluded that this prohibition does not apply to tuna fish. Other important issues, however, must also be considered in determining the permissibility of tuna fish. Summary: The prohibition of "Bishul Akum," which forbids partaking of food cooked by a non-Jew, does not apply to smoking or steaming, and, as such, this prohibition does not apply to tuna fish.