Podcasts about rav elyashiv

A person should ensure to sell his Hames to a gentile before Pesah even though he thoroughly searches his home, eliminates all Hames that he finds, and makes the Bittul declaration renouncing ownership over any Hames. The sale is necessary in case he owns some medications or cosmetics that contain Hames, or in case there is some other Hames in his possession of which he is unaware. The Sages enacted a provision forbidding deriving benefit from Hames that was owned by a Jew during Pesah. Even after Pesah, it is forbidden to derive any benefit from Hames that a Jew had owned during the holiday. This is a penalty imposed by the Sages upon those who keep Hames in their possession over Pesah. Therefore, if a supermarket is owned by a Jew and he does not sell the Hames in the store to a gentile before Pesah, it is forbidden to purchase from that store any of the Hames that it had owned during Pesah. One must therefore determine which stores are Jewish-owned, and which Jewish owners sell the Hames to a gentile before Pesah. Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (contemporary) addresses the situation of a non-observant Jew who owns a supermarket and formally signs the sale document only so that he could retain his kosher certification. Rav Elyashiv rules (listen to audio recording for precise citation) that since this owner does not sincerely intend to sell his Hames to a gentile, but rather simply goes through the motions, the sale is not valid. Therefore, it is forbidden to purchase Hames from such a store after Pesah. Rav Elyashiv adds that it is forbidden to buy Hames from this store even to feed young children. He advises in such a situation that a clause be added to the sale document stating that the sale is done in accordance with the country's laws. Once the sale is binding according to civil law, the storekeeper clearly intends to transfer ownership over the Hames, and hence the Mechirat Hames is valid. It is preferable when selling the Hames to either tell the gentile or write in the document where the key to the premises is located. Since the Hames becomes owned by the gentile, he should have access to it, which requires access to the key. When one sells his Hames to a gentile through the agency of a Rabbi, as is the customary practice, it is not necessary to make a Kinyan (formal act of affirmation) with the Rabbi. It suffices to verbally or in writing authorize the Rabbi to sell one's Hames on his behalf. This can be done via telephone, mail, e-mail, and so on. This Halacha is based upon the ruling of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), who held that a Kinyan is not necessary when appointing somebody as one's agent. One does not have to sell the particles of Hames in the walls of his pots and other utensils. This Hames does not fall under the prohibition against owning Hames, and therefore it does not have to be included in the sale of one's Hames. Mechirat Hames is done by selling to the gentile the space where the Hames is located. The sale document states that the gentile assumes ownership over the area where the Hames is situated, and then by extension he acquires the Hames, as well. In light of this, we might, at first glance, question whether one can sell his Hames to a gentile if he lives in a rented residence. Since he is not the owner, he seemingly does not have the legal power to sell any part of the residence. In truth, however, as Rav Elyashiv writes, it is legitimate to sell one's Hames to a gentile even if he lives in a rented residence. Since it is obvious that the gentile will not come and move in to the property, it can be assumed that the landlord does not object to the sale, and allows the tenant to proceed with the Mechirat Hames. It often happens that one will want access during Pesah to the room where the sold Hames is stored. In such a case, it is proper to include in the sale document a stipulation to this effect. Since the gentile becomes the owner over the area where the Hames is kept, it should be made clear from the outset that the seller will continue to enjoy the right to access to the room in question. Mechirat Hames affects only the Hames that one has in his possession at the time when the sale takes effect. If Hames comes into his possession at some point during Pesah, it is not included in the sale, and he is therefore in violation of the prohibition against owning Hames on Pesah. Some people order bread from non-Jewish bakeries before the final days of Pesah, and the bakeries deliver the products on the last day of Pesah. If this happens, he must not accept the delivery, because if he does, he violates the prohibition of Hames. Since that bread was not sold to a gentile, if it comes into his possession he will be in violation of this prohibition. One should therefore ensure that no Hames will be delivered until after Pesah. Rav Moshe Sternbuch (contemporary) records a custom to pay the Rabbi a small amount of money when one comes to him for Mechirat Hames. The reason for this custom is that if the Rabbi is paid for the service, he will see himself as the individual's "employee," hired to sell his Hames on his behalf. This will ensure that the Rabbi will follow through on this responsibility and properly execute the sale as required.

Daily dose #317Rav Elyashiv put himself in danger not to hurt someone's feelings

Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (contemporary) records the practice of the "Medakdekim" (those who are especially meticulous in their Halachic observance) not to rely on any Kashrut certification of Masot, and instead eat on Pesah only Masot that they baked personally (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He ruled that it is therefore preferable for people to form groups that bake Masot and personally oversee the entire process, including cleaning the utensils, to make sure that the Masot were baked properly. The reason for this custom is that Masa is the product that can most easily become Hametz. Therefore, it is worthwhile for communities to form Haburot (groups) to bake Masa themselves, rather than rely on the industrial manufacturers, even those with valid Kashrut supervision, given the mistakes that could occur in the industrial manufacturing process. This would certainly be an advisable practice for synagogues, to go as a group to a Masa factory several months before Pesah to bake the Masot that they then eat on Pesah. The Mishna Berura (459:10) writes that those baking Masot must work especially rapidly when placing the Masot into the oven. The area right outside the oven is, of course, very hot, and the intense heat could cause the dough to ferment and become Hametz before the Masa has a chance to bake. It is therefore critical not to delay at all near the oven, and to place the Masa from the stick into the oven immediately. A question was once brought to Rav Elyashiv concerning a bakery where one Masa was held on the stick for several moments before being put down in the oven, while the baker searched for a suitable spot inside the oven. This Masa was later mixed with the other Masot in that batch, and the question arose whether perhaps the entire batch should be deemed unsuitable, given the possibility that the Masa in question had become Hametz due to the delay in placing it inside the oven. Rav Elyashiv ruled leniently, noting that we may rely on the possibility that the Masa had already begun to bake inside the oven, and thus did not have a chance to become Hametz. In any event, the fact that the question was raised demonstrates the importance of working rapidly during the process of placing the Masot into the oven. Rav Elyashiv ruled that when possible, each stick used for placing Masot into the oven should be used only once. The stick absorbs some of the dough, and that dough may become Hametz inside the wood of the stick and then affect the Masot that are placed upon it subsequently. This is a measure of stringency that may not be feasible in an industrial system, and this is yet another reason why it is preferable, for this who are able, to bake their own Masot, as they are able to maintain the highest standards, which are not always practical in large-scale production. The custom is to examine each Masa that comes out of the oven and discard any "Masa Kefula," meaning, a Masa that has folded over, and is not perfectly flat. The concern is that the dough in the folded area was not fully baked and thus became Hametz, and therefore any "Masa Kefula" is broken and then put to the side and considered Hametz. Rav Elyashiv ruled that if a "Masa Kefula" had been placed on top of another Masa, the Masa on the bottom is permissible for use on Pesah. We do not have to go so far as to suspect that the bottom Masa became Hametz from the top Masa. Summary: It is worthwhile, when possible, to bake one's own Masot for Pesah, rather than rely on the supervision of Masa factories. When one bakes Masa, he must ensure not to allow the Masot to stand still for even a moment right near the oven; they must be placed from the stick into the oven immediately, without any delay whatsoever. It is customary to discard Masot that doubled over during baking, and are not perfectly flat. The Masot that were underneath such a Masa are permissible for Pesah.

Welcome to our class on humility. One aspect of humility is that when things don't go right, we see it as coming from Hashem, Who is in charge. We accept it with humility, without demands or complaints. We humbly accept the will of God. There is a Mishna that says, A person has a responsibility to say a blessing on the evil, the same as he says a blessing on the good. The Gemara in Berachot 60B, comments on that and says, Does that mean you say the exact same blessing? That's not true. When something good happens, there's a blessing HaTov V'HaMetiv/God is good and bequeaths good and Has V'shalom when something bad happens, we say a blessing of Dayan HaEmet God is the true Judge. So it's not the same text. So how could you say that you have to make the blessing in the same way? The Gemara answers that it means you have to accept them the same way. Just like when something good happens you accept it with happiness without any complaints, so too, has v'shalom , you accept when something doesn't go right b'simcha . Does that mean that in your mind it's exactly the same? That you don't flinch when a bad thing happens because Hey , it's good? Well, obviously not because we make two different blessings. There is a famous line in the Gemara in Pesachim 50A, In the future. Hashem will be king on the land and on that day, יהיה ה' אחד ושמו אחד /He will be one and His name will be One The Gemara asks, Does that mean today His name is not One? To which the Gemara answers that this world is a little different than the next world. In this world we make two different blessings. On good things, we say HaTov VHaMetiv. On bad things, has v'shalom, we say, Dayan Emet. But in the World to Come, everything is HaTov HaMetiv. That means that in this current world, we don't perceive difficult things as good. When they're difficult, they're difficult and we have to be aware that they're difficult. We can't delude ourselves into saying it's good. It's obviously not good. You want to change it, it's not so good. Rav Avraham Grodzinski the great Mashgiach of Slobodka, in his sefer Torat Avraham, has a whole unit that discusses accepting Yissurim . He quotes a very interesting Tosafot in Sotah 31A, which quotes from the Yerushalmi in the 9 th perek of Berachot , a slightly different version of a story that we all know. The story is of Rabbi Akiva who was one of the 10 martyrs and died Al Kiddush Hashem. As he was tortured, he said Shema . His students were standing there, and we know what they asked him, but lthe wicked king Turnus Rufus, the one who ordered this horrible execution was also there. He saw Rabbi Akiva saying Shema , and not only was he saying it, but he was smiling. So this wicked man said, " Saba, saba/Old man, old man. You're either a fool or you're a Meva'et B'Yissurim, you're someone that's kicking at Yissurim. You're being defiant. It's like if you hit a kid and the kid says, " Ha ha, you can't hurt me ." Rabbi Akiva responded, "I am not a fool and I'm not defiant. My whole life I waited to say this pasuk with all my heart, and now I'm saying it. I'm going to say it with a smile. On that Rav Grodzenski says, We see from here it's possible when someone is suffering, that there are two ways to interpret his happiness. It could be a happiness of accepting suffering with love or it could be defiance. ( His understanding is that the defiance isn't directed toward the torturer, like someone being tortured by a Nazi won't give him the pleasure of screaming). This defiance is to God. How so? He quotes the Gemara that we just mentioned, that one does not make the same blessing on good and bad. And therefore he says, " The person has to feel the bad, that this is Dayan HaEmet." God is invoking truth; God is not invoking kindness now. This is judgment, not mercy. That's what the Dayan Emet blessing is. With all that being said, he has to accept it b'simcha , that he's happy on the justice. He feels the suffering, but at the same time he accepts the suffering. That's what it means to accept Yissurim B'Ahava. Accepting Yissurim B'Ahava doesn't mean that the person is apathetic. It's not like he took Novocaine and doesn't feel anything. No, something is hurting, and I accept the pain, but I accept it happily. Just like someone getting a root canal doesn't punch the dentist. He doesn't like the root canal. It's painful. But he accepts it with happiness. He's not delusional, he doesn't say " It's great, it's terrific that this is happening. It's the best thing!" It is painful, it is hard. It takes processing to get there. Rav Avraham Grodzinski practiced what he preached. He was a Baal Yissurim . He was the father-in-law of Rav Wolbe and he died in the Warsaw ghetto. When he first became Mashgiach of Slobodka, his wife passed away. He was taking care of eight children, the youngest of them one and two years old. It was a terrible tragedy. Halacha says to say, Dayan HaEmet - has v'shalom, mourners have to make a beracha. But he did not want make this beracha out of habit (This is brought down the introduction to one of his Sefarim, written by his sons) You have to accept it b'simcha . It took him two days until he said Dayan HaEmet, until he was ready to say it. He didn't just say it, he wanted to be ready to say it. I heard this from Rav Wolbe besides it being in the book. What greatness. He wasn't trying to fool people by saying immediately that it was great. He was being honest. No, it's not great. He lost his wife. He had eight orphans. He was not instantly ready to say it. A Gadol B'Yisrael, a giant of people once came to our house in Monsey to visit my father. He had recently lost a child, lo alenu, and he said something that, to this day, hits me to the core. He said, " I don't understand. There are three partners, man, his wife, and God. How could Hashem take something away without asking the other two partners permission?" I was like, Whoa. How can he say that? But the answer is he was dealing with it. It's a process. There are internal struggles that we have. You can't just take a shot Novocaine and ignore everything that's going on. The definition of the word רע is evil , but the root of the word רע comes from a pasuk in Tehilim 2,9 תְּ֭רֹעֵם בְּשֵׁ֣בֶט בַּרְזֶ֑ל כִּכְלִ֖י יוֹצֵ֣ר תְּנַפְּצֵֽם׃ Break them with the iron staff. And Rav Moshe Shapiro says the root of the word תרעם is רע / broken , because רע is a just piece of the picture. On its own, it's evil, but in the larger picture, it is something that is good. The root canal is not great, but now you can eat without pain. So in the larger picture, it's good. Some might ask, about the Maggid of Mezritch, who was asked by his students, how it could be humanly possible for anyone to reach the level that the Gemara describes, where a person is required to bless Hashem for the bad, just as he blesses Hashem for the good. Great question. The Maggid of Mezritch told them, " Go and ask my student the holy Reb Zusha." So they went to Rev Zusha's home, which was a shambles. His clothes were torn and faded, he seemed to be in physical pain and his family situation wasn't great. They asked him the question, How could it be that a person makes a beracha on the bad the same as he does on the good. They told him the Maggid of Mezritch sent them to him for the answer to the question. Rav Zusha answered, " You've come to the wrong place. I never experienced anything bad in my life, so how could I answer you?" When they heard his answer, they understood. That story makes it seem like Rav Zusha didn't have any feelings, and just thought everything was great. But that's a rare exception. This is an important rule. There's the rule and there is the exception. Rav Ades said, " We don't live our lives on stories." You have to go and learn the topic. The Leshem, Rav Elyashiv's grandfather, in is sefer HaDe'ah (vol 2, derush 5, chapter 30), asks the famous question. " How could it be that if you rely on Hashem, He comes through, if He didn't come through for many great people? His answer is that some of them were on the level of Mekablei Yissurim B'Ahava. They wanted to accept suffering with love like Rabbi Akiva, and the rare example of the 10 martyrs. And yes, of course Rabbi Akiva could have gotten out of it with his bitachon, but he didn't want to, he wanted to be Mekabel Yissurim B'Ahava.. And further, he didn't want to bother his Creator. He didn't want to bother his Creator?? Rav Bloch, in his sefer Igeret Al HaBitachon page 72 says, asks, What do you mean you don't want to bother your Creator? There is a mitzvah of Bitachon. How can it be a bother? He answers based on the Gemara in Pesachim 50A that we quoted above, that Olam Haba is only HaTov HaMetiv. In the future, we will recognize that everything is good; that everything that happened to us is Tov Mamash- not just for the good, but good . There are some people that can reach that level in this world. It's like I have vanilla ice cream with sprinkles, but I say, " Could you give me that vanilla ice cream with sprinkles," even though I have the same thing. It was all the same for them, and therefore it was a bother to ask God to change it. There are people that reach that level. Rav Zusha was one of those people. But that doesn't mean that we are on that level or that we should now suddenly bypass the situation and say, " It's all good ." It's not all good, it's all for the good . Ehen something happens to us, we have to feel it. Then we have to humble ourselves and accept it, even though it's difficult and we don't like it. We have to humble ourselves to will of God. There are two ways to do it. If you say, " Nothing happened, it's great," you're not humbling yourself to will of God. You're reframing that this is good when you don't really feel it's good, but you're trying to make yourself feel that it's good. But even the greatest of greats aren't necessarily there, and for us to even think that we're there is almost presumptuous.

Welcome to our series on Anava . All of our good Middot come from emulating Hashem. In Bereshit 1:26 before man is even there, Hashem says, וַיֹּאמֶר אֱלֹהִים נַעֲשֶׂה אָדָם בְּצַלְמֵנוּ כִּדְמוּתֵנוּ /Let us make man in our image. Rashi tells us, we learn from here the humility of Hashem. When it came to the time to make man, which would be in an image similar to angels, they might be jealous of him. So He first asked them their opinion. Imagine you have a company and you want to bring on a new employee, but you're afraid that the existing employees might feel some competition, so you bring them into the decision. So too, Hashem so to say, says, I want to bring the angels in. Rashi continues, He said, Na'aseh Adam/Let us make man. Even though, of course, they didn't help with the creation. So it's possible for a heretic to say, " Oh, look at that. There's more than one force here." But the Torah says, לא נמנע הכתוב מללמד דרך ארץ No says, I'm not going to hold back from teaching you a good Middah - Middat Anava. שיהא הגדול נמלך ונוטל רשות מן הקטן I have to teach you the lesson. And if I write, E'esah Adam/I will make man, we won't learn that lesson. And therefore we'll take the risk of saying Na'aseh Adam, even though it could bring one to heresy. The Midrash Raba on Bereshit 8:8 adds that when Moshe Rabbenu was writing the Torah, he asked Hashem, " Why are you giving the heretics an opening here? And Hashem said, כתוב והרוצה לטעות יטעה / You write, and the one that wants to make a mistake, will make the mistake. Hashem continues and tells Moshe, This man that I create, They'll be big people and small people. And the big people might think, "I don't have to ask any permission or advice from small people." But you'll be able to say " No, learn from your Creator. He created the world and He still advised with the angels." The Elder of Slobodka, in his sefer Or HaTzafon on Bereshit adds a beautiful thought. There is a big risk here that person may have a wrong hashkafa . They may think there were two creators. But what's the other option? Not to teach the Derech Eretz of Anava? Then we'll have a mistake in proper Middot, and a mistake in understanding Hashem and how He acts. And therefore it seems that it's better to make this mistake than the other. We don't want to take the chance. Its unbelievable- look how important Anava is, that Hashem took that risk, so to say, to give us that lesson. The Sefer Parashat Derachim , from the same author as t he Mishneh LeMelech, in his 16th derush , says a fascinating concept. Why is it that it says somebody who is arrogant is like he's worshiping idols? Because when you look at the words Na'aseh Adam, with a humility lens, you understand that Hashem is being humble. Of course He created the world, but He's being humble and advising with the angels. That's if you are a humble person. If you're a humble person, you see the pasuk teaching a lesson in humility. But if a person is arrogant, with his arrogant glasses, he can't see that God would ever seek advice. Of course not. So he'll think, " It must be that be here are two forces. " So his arrogant lens causes him to misunderstand the pasuk and therefore he's going to be an idol worshiper, because he's going to say there are two forces. God alone didn't do it. This is one of the important ways, says Rav Wolbe (Aleh Shor vol 2 pg 312) to work on becoming humble- advise with people younger than you or lesser than you. He says Rav Yerucham Levovitz gave this idea and did it himself as well. He used to do this to ask advice from others. He tells a story that one of the younger students went to Rav Yerucham with a message from his father, and Rav Yerucham asked the boy, " What's the weather outside ?" The boy said, " There's a very strong wind blowing. " Rav Yerucham said, "I have a bit of cold. What do you think? Should I go to yeshiva for Mincha or stay home? " The boy hought for a minute and answered, " I think you should stay home." Rav Yerucham replied, " I think you're right. I'm going to listen to you." Unbelievable! He was doing that to work on his Anava . He actually listened to him in a case where it meant staying home. There's a similar story that I heard Rabbi Ades tell over about Rav Shach. When Rav Shach was sitting Shiva for his wife, it was during that he had to give his shiur . There's a question, if a giving a public class overrides mourning and there's a Halacic question about whether one should go to give shiur during shiva . Rabbi Ades was one of Rav Shach's students, and when he came to pay respects, Rav Shach asked " What do you think I should do? Do you think I should go and give the shiur? If I do, people might make a mistake and think I'm being lenient on the laws of Avelut. They may not understand that I'm really being stringent on the laws of Talmud Torah/teaching Torah." Rabbi Ades thought about it for a minute and said, "I think that people won't understand, so I think it's better if the Rosh Yeshiva stays home." And he did. Wonder of wonders. Rav Shach was asking Rav Ades for advice? Of course he didn't need Rav Ades' advice, but this was the way of the Gedolim - to always ask advice. That was a way of them working on the humility. There's a story told over on this pasuk Na'aseh Adam in the sefer Lulei Toratecha- stories on of Rav Shach, on the pesukim . Once when Rav Shach was going to speak at a major event in Yad Eliyahu with thousands of people in attemdance, he asked a student, "What do you think I should speak about? The student suggested he speak about Emunah and the negativity of arguments. Rav Shach said, " Good, good. I like the idea." So Rav Shach went gave a major speech. I still remember it. He spoke about the creation and it was a major, major speech on Emunah. But he ended up not speaking about the second topic. When he came back afterwards, he met this young man and said, "I have to make an apology. I didn't listen to your advice. I couldn't because I thought I was the only speaker but it turned out that there was another speaker, so I didn't want to speak too long and tire out the crowd. But I think it was okay because Rabbi Elyashiv said that I spoke pretty well." Look at his humility! He shared with the student that Rav Elyashiv gave him a compliment, so he wouldn't feel bad that the speech didn't go well. We need to work on these things. This is practical advice - asking people less than you, even though you don't need them. These are maasim/ actions that will help you become humble. And like we said, it's our responsibility to do what we can to become humble.

If a young man is suggested a Shidduch with a girl who is, let's say, 21 years old, and that girl has an unmarried 23-year-old sister, would it be improper for the boy to date the girl? Should he be concerned about the possibility that the older sister will feel resentment over the fact that her younger sister is marrying before her, which could invite the "Ayin Ha'ra" (evil eye) or otherwise cast a dark shadow over the marriage? This question also arises in the reverse case, of a girl who is introduced to a young man who has an older unmarried brother. This question was addressed already by the Maharit (Rav Yosef of Trani, 1568-1639), who wrote that there is no prohibition at all against marrying somebody who has an older unmarried sibling. He notes that this concern was relevant only in ancient times when it was customary for the father to marry off his daughters when they were still children, by accepting Kiddushin on their behalf. When the father accepts Kiddushin for the betrothal of his daughters, it is improper to marry off his younger daughter before the older daughter. Nowadays, of course, young women marry on their own, when they are adults, and in such a case there is no concern whatsoever when a younger sister marries before her older sister. Similarly, the Or Ha'haim (Torah commentary by Rav Haim Ben-Attar, 1696-1743), in Parashat Vayeseh (29:26), writes that the sequence of marriage is of concern only for the girls' father, but not for the groom. Meaning, if a man wishes to marry a younger sister, he may certainly do so, and it is the sisters' father who must worry about first marrying off the older daughter. The Or Ha'haim draws proof to this theory from Yaakob Abinu, who wished to marry Rahel even though her older sister, Leah, was unmarried. Of course, Laban switched the two sisters, but regardless, Yaakob was prepared to marry Rahel even though Leah was unmarried, proving that this is not an issue with which a groom must be concerned. Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (contemporary) indeed rules that one may date and marry a girl who has an older unmarried sister, and a girl may marry a boy with an older unmarried brother, as the older sibling's need to get married is not the responsibility of the younger sibling's suitor. And besides, as Rav Elyashiv noted, it can generally be assumed that the older sibling does not mind the younger sibling's marriage. Certainly, a younger sibling should not be forced to remain single just because he or she has an unmarried older sibling. Therefore, an older unmarried sibling should not be a factor in considering a marriage prospect. Ideally, of course, we want all our children to marry as soon as they are ready and in order, but if this does not happen, the younger siblings are free to date and marry even if there is an unmarried older sibling. Summary: It is entirely permissible for a girl to date and marry a boy who has an older unmarried brother, and for a boy to date and marry a girl who has an older unmarried sister.

Welcome to our Daily Bitcachon-Perek Shira series . We're now up to the song of the Rooster. This is one of the longer passages because the rooster has multiple songs. The first thing that the Tarnigol/Rooster says is When Hashem comes to the Sadikim in Gan Eden and He brings out all the wonderful smells and fragrances, the sadikim start to get up and praise. So, in Gan Eden, the Sadikim wake up at a certain time, at Hatzot/Midnight. And when the rooster does that first cocka-doodle-do, he says, שְׂאוּ שְׁעָרִים רָאשֵׁיכֶם וְהִנָּשְׂאוּ פִּתְחֵי עוֹלָם וְיָבוֹא מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד: מִי זֶה מֶלֶךְ הַכָּבוֹד יי עִזּוּז וְגִבּוֹר יי גִּבּוֹר מִלְחָמָה: (תהילים כד ז-ח) Let the portals open up, and open up the the gates. Let the glorious King come in. Who is that? That's Hashem. Both the Chida and the Mabit explain these different songs or sounds of the rooster take place every hour from midnight until the morning, which is exactly six hours It starts exactly at the middle of the night, which is a perfect 12 hours in Gan Eden, where it's a perfect day. The first and second rooster songs are made are to let God into Gan Eden. In the third cock-a-doodle-do, the rooster says, Sadikim, get up and toil in Torah. And that way your reward will be doubled. Why doubled? The Mabit answers that learning always gets rewarded, and when you get up to learn in the middle of the night, which is difficult, you get double the reward. An hour later, the fourth cock-a-doodle-do of the rooster says לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּיתִי יי (בראשית מט יח) Hashem, I'm looking forward to Your salvation. The Mabit says this is because in the merit of those people that learned Torah, the salvation will come. I'm looking forward to the salvation, which will come due to the learning of Torah. Additionally, people will pray for the Geula later in the day, and that's what this is referring to. The fifth sound is for the man who has not heard the two previous sounds, which were saying get up. So now the rooster says to this man, עַד מָתַי עָצֵל תִּשְׁכָּב מָתַי תָּקוּם מִשְּׁנָתֶךָ: (משלי ו ט) /Lazy man, how long are you sleeping for? Get up already. You heard all these noises. It's time to get out of bed! Next, the sixth sound is אַל תֶּאֱהַב שֵׁנָה פֶּן תִּוָּרֵשׁ פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ שְׂבַע לָחֶם: (משלי כ יג) Don't love sleep. You will end up becoming impoverished. Get up already. The rooster is pleading with this man, who has not yet gotten up, that it's time to get up. It's time to get out of bed. You already had a good night's sleep. It has been six hours. You slept through the night. Finally, the seventh sound, already at morning, says, : (תהילים קיט קכו) עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיי הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ It is (literally) time to do for Hashem. Break the Torah. The Mabit says that this refers to the fellow that didn't learn. The whole night passed and you didn't learn at all? You didn't get up to learn? הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ:/Therefore, you people did not keep the Torah The Chida says that עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיי הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ means It's time to do for Hashem. Learning is one thing and prayer is another. When we pray, there is a certain connection that we have with Hashem. So Hashem says, Stop learning. It's time to pray. עֵת לַעֲשׂוֹת לַיי הֵפֵרוּ תּוֹרָתֶךָ Learning has its time and prayer has its time. Now it's time to pray. That is the beautiful messaging of the Tarnegol. And as the Chida tells us, every morning we say Hanoten LaSechvi Binah L'Havhin Ben Yom u'ben Laila because it's the rooster that differentiates the time. They didn't have clocks back then. The mission of the tarnegol is to wake us up and get us ready for the learning that must be done (or should be done) throughout the night. People used to do these things. People used to get up in the middle of the night to learn. Even as recently as the last generation, great people got up. Rav Elyashiv got up at about two in the morning. Rav Moshe Feinstein got up at four in the morning. We don't have the strength that they did. They got up early and used their night time for learning, and that is the message of the rooster.

Rav Elyashiv explains why, according to the Midrash, Noach was punished for running late.

on this link to contribute whatever you can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads approaching the million mark-and an archival library numbering in the thousands, the Yeshiva ofNewark Podcast has been striving to continuously upgrade our content, and professionalize our audio sound, along with altering approaches in light ofmuch appreciated listener feedback. A niche has been carved out that resonates with many on the wide spectrum of Observant Jews. This explains why we continually rank high in independent on-line lists of top Yeshiva podcasts.

Rav Elyashiv extracts a powerful message from a Midrash on our Parsha.

Nachum welcomed renowned author and storyteller Rabbi Paysach Krohn to this morning's JM in the AM to explore his latest ArtScroll release: "From Sorrow To Celebration: Inspirational Stories and Insights from the Maggid." Always remember to use promo code RADIO24 when purchasing anything at ArtScroll.com. From the ArtScroll website: The Three Weeks. The Nine Days. Tisha B'Av. Mourning, tragedy, Churban, destruction. But then...Tu B'Av. Comfort, joy, celebration; a festival like no other. As believing Jews, we know that in the darkest, most painful moments lie the seeds of joy and rebirth. Still, it takes a genius of optimism and emunah - it takes a Rabbi Paysach Krohn - to show us how to find positivity while never minimizing the pain of the Churban. In this book - this extraordinary book - he shows us how. In From Sorrow to Celebration Rabbi Krohn shares compelling divrei Torah and - of course - dozens of poignant and uplifting stories. Stories that open new vistas of Ahavas Hashem, Ahavas HaTorah, and Ahavas Yisrael. Stories showcasing the awesome power of our prayers and our tears, the great opportunities that teshuvah offers us. We will enrich our understanding of the Three Weeks, the Nine Days, Tishah B'Av and Megillas Eichah. And then... we move From Sorrow to Celebration, with fascinating sections on the Bais HaMikdash, Ahavas Yisrael, Shabbos Nachamu, Mashiach and Geulah and (mazal tov!) the joyous day of Tu B'Av. In another unique section, Rabbi Krohn shares brief biographies and riveting stories of gedolim whose yahrzeits fall in the period of the Three Weeks until Tu B'Av, including Rashi, the Arizal, and Rav Elyashiv, adding still another level of inspiration in these sorrow-filled months. From From Sorrow to Celebration is about the cleansing of our sadness. It's about the possibility of rebuilding - both the Beis HaMikdash and also ourselves. It is about the tears... and the laughter that follows those tears.

Hilchot Tefilah part 12: Why we make brachot on dessert mid-meal?! Rav Elyashiv on sticking with the Mishnah Berurah!! Barech Alenu / Ten Tal Umatar halachot!! What's the WORST sin in the world?!!! Kings have no free choice. World situation hock!!!

As we conclude the mourning period for the 24,000 students of Rabbi Akiva, it behooves us to learn one of the lessons that Chazal told us we are supposed to take from their deaths. The Gemara says they died because they did not give each other the proper kavod . They were great Torah scholars and most certainly did not belittle each other. But they were held accountable for not honoring each other the way they were supposed to. Chazal tell us when a person stands in judgment in front of Hashem after 120, he is going to be asked if he crowned Hashem king and if he crowned his friend king. This means that Hashem expects us to view others as if they are kings. A Jew is compared to a Sefer Torah . The same respect we have for a Torah, we have to have to our fellow man. The Torah calls us children of Hashem, and we must respect people accordingly. The Mishna in Pirkei Avot tells us, when we talk to people, we are supposed to make them feel that we are so happy to be able to speak with them. Rabbi Dessler writes, included in the concept of דרך ארץ קדמה לתורה is that a person has to feel obligated to give every person that he meets the honor that is befitting him. The Gemara says about Rabban Yohanan Ben Zakkai that he knew every facet of Torah. He even knew the conversations that the angels had. He knew how to understand the language of the trees. He perceived the full depth of Hashem's Heavenly Chariot. Yet, even while he was engrossed in Torah, walking the streets, listening as well to the birds talking and the trees talking, the Gemara testified that in his entire lifetime nobody ever greeted the Rabbi first, including gentiles. Although the Rabbi had so much kedusha and was so busy with his Torah, he understood his obligation as an Eved Hashem to give every person the honor that he needs, which includes giving them a warm greeting. Everybody wants to be recognized. Everybody wants to feel important. And we have the ability to fulfill that need of others. It is not just a nice thing to do. It's a full-fledged obligation. Everyone needs to hear positive things about themselves. Everybody needs reassurance that they mean something. Even Gedolim could use chizuk . Rav Elyashiv once told his mechutan , Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach, that his grandfather, known as the Leshem , first put out his sefer , Leshem Shevo V'Achlama , in Yerushalayim , and nobody really grasped its greatness. When the sefer eventually reached the hands of the Ben Ish Chai in Baghdad, he told his students to get dressed up in their fine Shabbat clothing, and they were personally going to go to the house of the Leshem and thank him for putting out a wondrous sefer that will light up the world in Torah for generations to come. After they came to the Rabbi and praised him, he said afterward he wished they would have come earlier, because by this time he could have put out volume two of that sefer . This story shows us how important it is for us to say a good word to others. Even the greatest tzaddikim need chizuk . If someone would have told the Leshem how great his sefer was before, that would have given him the chizuk to write another one. As we prepare for Matan Torah , we must increase our efforts in giving other people kavod , treating them the way that Hashem wants His children to be treated.

Rabbi Feiner shiurim

Hilchos Hashavas Aveida Part 9: The Famous Reb Zusha Z”ya story!!! Rav Elyashiv Zt”l sent a siman on his yartzeit!!!! Shomer chinam or Sachar???

Please click on this link to contribute whatever you can to keep this podcast on the air: https://thechesedfund.com/yeshivaofnewarkpodcast/keeping-the-ark-afloat With downloads approaching the million mark-and an archival library numbering in the thousands, the Yeshiva of Newark Podcast has been striving to continuously upgrade our content, and professionalize our audio sound, along with altering approaches in light of much appreciated listener feedback.  A niche has been carved out that resonates with many on the wide spectrum of Observant Jews.  This explains why we continually rank high in independent on-line lists of top Yeshiva podcasts.  This proud edifice is in real danger of toppling and disappearing. We need the help of our listeners to continue to record and edit, and to promote a product that has been a balm and instructive to so many.  Just 36 dollars, a minimum donation, from a thousand of you out there will keep us afloat as a New Ark of straight, intelligent, and humorous discussion, lectures, debate and inquiry - while the destructive waters of ignorance and politics crash around us. This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

The work Ta'alumot Leb (vol. 3, 19:4) discusses the situation of a Berit Mila that takes place in the synagogue on Shabbat morning. It is customary at a Berit Mila for the Rabbi to recite the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" and the special Beracha for the Berit over a cup of wine. On Shabbat morning, however, one may not eat or drink anything before reciting or hearing Kiddush, and the custom on Shabbat is to conduct a Berit immediately after the prayer service. How, then, can the Rabbi drink the cup of wine at the Berit, if he had yet to recite or hear Kiddush? The Ta'alumot Leb records the practice of a certain Rabbi who, in such situations, would ensure to drink a full Rebi'it (approximately 3.2 oz.) of wine from the wine of the Mila, and have in mind to fulfill the Misva of Kiddush with this cup of wine. In order to fulfill the Misva of Kiddush, one must hear or recite Kiddush "Be'makom Se'uda" – at a place where he then eats. This Rabbi would therefore make a point of drinking a Rebi'it of wine from the cup of the Berit Mila, so that he can fulfill the requirement of reciting Kiddush at the place where he then drinks wine. This practice demonstrates two important Halachot. First, it shows that one can use one cup of wine for two different Misvot. The Rabbi in this situation used the cup of wine for both the Berachot over the Berit Mila as well as for Kiddush. Although there is a rule of "En Osin Misvot Habilot Habilot," which forbids "bunching" different Misvot together, this rule applies only to performing two different Misva acts simultaneously. For example, during the times of the Mikdash, it would be forbidden for a Kohen to give the special Sota waters to two women at the same time. However, one may perform a single Misva act to fulfill two different requirements. Thus, one may use the cup of wine at a Berit Mila for Kiddush, as well. The second important Halacha reflected by this practice is that drinking a Rebi'it of wine suffices to fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Be'makom Se'uda." A person who recites Kiddush on Shabbat morning fulfills his obligation even if he does not eat anything at the site of the Kiddush, provided that he drinks at least a Rebi'it of wine. It often happens that a Rabbi attends a Kiddush on Shabbat morning where he is invited to recite Kiddush on behalf of everyone assembled, but he does not intend to stay to eat. In such a situation, he should simply ensure to drink at least 3.2 ounces of the Kiddush wine, and he is thereby considered to have recited Kiddush "Be'makom Se'uda." This is the ruling of numerous Halachic authorities, including Maran (in Bet Yosef), the Rama, the Peri Hadash, the Hid"a, Rav Yaakov Kuli (in Yalkut Me'am Lo'ez), and the Shulhan Gabo'ah. It should be noted that if a person does not drink a Rebi'it of wine, then he does not fulfill the obligation of Kiddush unless he eats a Ke'zayit of baked goods. He does not fulfill his obligation by eating other foods, like fruits, vegetables, potatoes, and even rice. There is a dispute among the Halachic authorities as to whether one can fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Be'makom Se'uda" by drinking a Rebi'it of grape juice. Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (contemporary) is reported to have raised the question and leaned toward the stringent position, that grape juice resembles grapes in this regard, and it therefore does not suffice for the requirement of "Kiddush Be'makom Se'uda." Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, after citing Rav Elyashiv's ruling, writes that he disagrees (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He maintained that grape juice is considered the same as wine, and thus one may fulfill the obligation of Kiddush on Shabbat morning by drinking a Rebi'it of grape juice, even if he does not eat anything. Summary: In order to fulfill the obligation of Kiddush on Shabbat morning, one must either eat a Ke'zayit of baked grain products or drink a Rebi'it (approx. 3.2 oz.) of wine or grape juice after reciting or hearing Kiddush. When a Berit Mila is held in the synagogue on Shabbat morning after the prayer service, the Rabbi should ensure to drink a full Rebi'it of wine from the cup of the Berit Mila and have in mind to thereby fulfill the Misva of Kiddush.

In this episode, Gedalia and Rav Ephraim look to the Gedolei Yisrael of the 20th century for chizzuk in times of crisis and tzara. They discuss chassidishe men being drafted to the Russian army in the early 1900's, and Chofetz Chaim's sefer Machane Yisrael, which directly addresses yidden going to battle. Is the zchus of soldiers saying shema enough? Why are secular soldiers seeing Yad Hashem and unity more than ever before? How did Rav Elyashiv and Rav Shlomo Zalman come to answer army teshuvos? And why did Rav Goren, Chief Rabbi of Israel, join a paratrooper brigade?

The Bet Halevi now says what many consider a bombshell hiddush: והבוטח בה׳ מרויח בשתים,בעולם הזה בודאי ישיג מה שחסר לו מהצרטרכותו he “ One who relies on Hashem benefits in two ways, number one, in this world, he will definitely, certainly obtain whatever needs he is lacking.” That is a heavy line. His proof is from a Gemara that says, “ He's not afraid of any bad news,” referring to Hillel, who was once walking on the road when he heard cries of anguish coming from one of the houses. Hillel said, ‘ I'm certain that these cries are not from my home.' The Meiri explains that the Gemara is saying that because Hillel had absolute Bitachon that the cries were not from his household, the cries could not be from his house, and he was therefore able to declare with certainty that they were not. That is truly fascinating, but it's a something of a point of contention, not because everyone does not agree that the concept is true, that if someone has full Bitachon will get what he wants. But the question really is, should we publicize or push this approach? Rav Moshe Feinstein, writes in his sefer Kol Ram , that he was not happy with the following story being told over. I heard this story from one of the grandchildren of the Bet Halevi, who heard it from the Brisker Rav, who heard it from his father, who heard it from the Bet Halevi: The Rashash, one of the rabbis in the back of the Gemara named Rav Shmuel Strashun was once in the Bet Midrash of the Gaon of Vilna, arguing with Rav Yisrael Salanter on this very point- whether a person can rely on getting something and get it. Rav Yisrael Salanter said that you could, and the Rashash said that you can't. Then Rav Yisrael Salanter said he would have absolute Bitachon that he's going to receive a gold watch. At that moment, there was a knock on the door. A Jewish soldier who was about to go into battle came to Rabbi Salanter because he needed someone trustworthy to guard over his watch. Rav Salanter said he felt terrible, but he didn't want to take responsibility. So the man said, “ In that case, it's a gift. There is one better than you.” And he gave Rav Salanter the watch as a gift. So, there you have it. What could be wrong with publicizing this story? There are two problems. Problem number one is that not all people have that level of bitachon, and you can't fake it. In fact, Rav Yisrael Salanter had a student who heard the watch story and said, “ So if I buy a lottery ticket and I have Bitachon I'll win?” Rav Salanter said, “ Absolutely .” So the man bought the lottery ticket, which we'll say had prize of $100,000, and said, “ I'm sure I'm going to win. I'm guaranteed I'm going to win.” Then, the day before the drawing, Rav Yisrael offered him $10,000 for the ticket, and the the man agreed to sell it. Rav Yisrael replied, “ You've been fooling yourself all the time, because if you really believed you had a $100,000 ticket, you would not sell it to me for $10,000.” So that's problem number one- that people can fool themselves. It's very hard to really be on that level. Problem number two is that people are going to think that they have real bitachon, but they're not going get what they want because they're not really holding on that level, and they're going to give Bitachon a bad rap. It's going to look like Bitachon doesn't work. People will say, “ Hey, look, this guy had Bitachon and he didn't get it.” Well, it only looked like he had Bitachon, but he didn't have bitachon. You just thought he had bitachon. And one of the famous questions that people ask in these discussions is, “ What do you mean? If that's the case, then nothing should ever bad happen to a Sadik. If he has bitachon, why is he poor? How come Rav Elchonon Wasserman was killed in World War II? Didn't he have Bitachon?” The answer brought down by the Leshem, Rav Elyashiv's grandfather, who was a great mekubal, is that, of course, you can't beat the system. If Hashem wants thing to happen, it's going to happen. So He will put doubt in the heart of somebody and He'll cool off his bitachon so that what Hashem wants to happen will happen. And of course, if it's not supposed to happen, it's not going to happen. But as long as Hashem doesn't, so to say, interfere , Bitachon is guaranteed. That is the Bet Halevi's approach. We must point out that there is a famous Chazon Ish that seems to say otherwise, although if you read it carefully, it's not so clear that he does say otherwise. And even if you do say that he says otherwise Rav Yisrael Elya Weintraub, a great Sadik from Bnei Brak, who was a student of the students of the Chazon Ish, explained that what the Chazon Ish is saying is that the minimal requirement of Bitachon is to believe that whatever happens is what's supposed to happen, so you're not afraid because you know what will happen is what's supposed to happen. But that's the lowest level. That doesn't negate that there are definitely higher levels of bitachon. There's a concept called an En Od Milevado/There's nothing else but Him. When the person is totally connected to that, nothing evil can happen to him. But not everyone's holding there. So, again, the Bet Halevi does bring down this approach, and we cannot hide it in a class given on the Bet Halevi- one who relies on Hashem, בודאי ישיג מה שחסר לו מהצרטרכותו will definitely, without a doubt, get what he needs. Have a wonderful day.

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

Just before the performance of a Berit Mila, the infant's father recites the Beracha of "Le'hachniso Bi'brito Shel Abraham Abinu." The question was posed to Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (1910-2012) as to whether a father may recite this Beracha if he is not able to be present at the Berit. If somebody at the Berit calls the father when the Mohel is prepared to circumcise the child, to inform the father that the Berit is about to be performed, may the father recite the Beracha at that point?Rav Elyashiv ruled that the father can recite this Beracha even if he is not present at the Berit, because he still fulfills the Misva of bringing his son into the covenant by having his son circumcised, and the Beracha of "Le'hachniso Bi'brito Shel Abraham Abinu" is recited over the privilege of bringing one's child into the covenant. As long as he knows when the Berit is taking place – such as via a telephone call – he can recite the Beracha.In addition to the Beracha of "Le'hachniso," the father also recites at the Berit another Beracha – the Beracha of "She'hehiyanu." Rav Chaim Pinchas Scheinberg (1910-2012) ruled that if the father forgot to recite "She'hehiyanu" at the Berit, he may still recite the Beracha afterward, as long as he still experiences the special joy of having his son circumcised. This case could perhaps be compared to the case of one who forgot to recite "She'hehiyanu" during Kiddush on the first night of Yom Tob, who recites the Beracha when he remembers, even during Hol Ha'mo'ed. Although one might argue that the case of Kiddush differs from the case of the Berit, in that the Misva of the Yom Tob celebration continues throughout Hol Ha'mo'ed, and for this reason "She'hehiyanu" can still be recited, the truth is that the cases are, in fact, quite similar. Even after the Berit Mila has been performed, the Misva is still fulfilled throughout the child's life, as he is circumcised and bears the mark of the covenant. As such, even after the Berit, the father can still recite "She'hehiyanu" if he neglected to recite the Beracha at the Berit, as long as he still experiences the special joy of the Misva.The Bet Yosef (commentary to the Tur by Maran, author of the Shulhan Aruch) addresses the question (in Yoreh De'a 265) of how it is permissible for the Mohel to recite the Beracha over the Berit Mila before performing the circumcision, given that the child is exposed in the Mohel's presence. Generally speaking, Halacha forbids reciting a Beracha in the presence of exposed body parts that are normally covered. At a Berit, however, the Mohel recites the Beracha over the Misva of circumcision with the child's private body parts fully exposed. Citing the Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, 1250-1327), the Bet Yosef explains that the prohibition against reciting a Beracha in the presence of exposure stems from the verse, "Ve'haya Mahanecha Kadosh Ve'lo Yera'eh Becha Ervat Davar" – "Your camp shall be holy, and nakedness shall not be seen among you" (Debarim 23:15). The concept underlying this Halacha is that a Beracha must be recited in a state of Kedusha (sanctity), which would be compromised if private body parts are exposed. A Berit Mila, however, is an inherently sacred occasion, and thus the exposure of the infant's private body parts does not affect the possibility of reciting a Beracha at this very special moment. Others offer a different explanation, suggesting that this prohibition does not apply when such a young child is exposed. The Shulhan Aruch writes that if the child soiled himself just before the Berit, it is proper to have the filth cleaned before performing the Berit, out of respect for the Misva. Although Berachot may be recited in the presence of excrement produced by an infant who has not yet begun eating solid food, nevertheless, it is clearly more appropriate to avoid performing a Berit in the presence of such excrement, for obvious reasons.Summary: If a father is not present at his son's Berit, and somebody at the Berit calls him to inform him when the Mohel is about to perform the circumcision, the father may recite at that point the Beracha of "Le'hachniso Bi'brito Shel Abraham Abinu." If a father forgot to recite "She'hehiyanu" at his son's Berit, he may recite it afterward, as long as he still experiences the special joy of the Misva. If the infant soils himself just before the Berit, it is proper to first clean the filth before performing the circumcision.

The earliest time for performing a Berit Mila in the morning is the point of Nes Ha'hama (sunrise). However, if the circumcision was performed earlier, it is nevertheless valid, as long as it was performed after the point of Amud Ha'shahar (when the first rays of light become visible in the eastern sky).The Shulhan Aruch, in discussing the laws of Berit Mila, writes that a Berit should be performed early in the day, in fulfillment of the famous rule of "Zerizin Makdimin Le'misvot," which requires performing Misvot as soon as possible without unnecessary delay. This principle is learned from the example of Abraham Abinu, who arose early in the morning in order to comply with the command of Akedat Yishak ("Va'yashkem Abraham Ba'boker" – Bereishit 22:3).In light of this Halacha, the Aruch Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908) raises the question of why we do not perform a Berit Mila early in the morning, even before the Shaharit prayer. Why do we delay the Berit until after Shaharit, if the rule of "Zerizin Makdimin" requires performing the Misva as early as possible?Numerous answers have been given to this question. One answer is that Shaharit should be recited before performing a Berit because of the rule of "Tadir Ve'she'eno Tadir, Tadir Kodem" – we perform a more frequent Misva before a less frequent Misva. Since the Misva to pray Shaharit is observed far more frequently than the Misva of Berit Mila, we first recite Shaharit before performing a Berit. (This is particularly so in light of the fact that Shaharit includes several Misvot – the Amida, Shema, Tallit and Tefillin.)The Dibreh Malkiel (Rav Malkiel Tzvi Tannenbaum of Lomza, 1847-1910) writes (1:14) that we first recite Shaharit because its time frame is far more limited than that of Berit Mila. Shaharit must be recited by a certain time in the morning, whereas a person can be circumcised at any time during his lifetime. And although the Misva is to perform the Berit on the eighth day, it can be done at any point on the eighth day, until sundown, as opposed to Shaharit, which must be recited by the end of the fourth hour of the day. Therefore, we first perform the Misva with a shorter time frame, before performing the Berit.Yet another reason that has been suggested is that the Torah speaks of performing Berit Mila on "Yom Ha'shemini" – the eighth day, whereas in reference to the Shaharit prayer, the Torah uses the word "Boker" (morning). We therefore first recite Shaharit, which is specifically associated with the morning, before performing a Berit, which is associated with daytime generally.The work "Koret Ha'berit" (Rav Eliyahu Posek, 1859-1932) explains, very simply, that it is customary to drink the wine over which the Beracha is recited at a Berit, and it is forbidden to drink wine before reciting Shaharit. Necessarily, then, the Berit must be delayed until after Shaharit.The Hazon Ish (Rav Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz, 1878-1953) ruled that one does not have to recite Shaharit immediately at sunrise on the day of a Berit in order to perform the Berit at the earliest possible time. It suffices to pray Shaharit at the time one normally prays and then perform the Berit afterward.More generally, the Halachic authorities indicate that while a Berit should ideally be performed early, the requirement of "Zerizin Makdimin" is fulfilled as long as it is performed before Hasot (midday as defined by Halacha, namely, the midway point between sunrise and sunset). Thus, for example, the Shebut Yaakob (Rav Yaakov Reischer, 1661-1733), cited in Pit'heh Teshuba, criticizes the Hazanim who prolong the prayer service on Shabbat and Yom Tob when a Berit is performed, causing the Berit to take place after Hasot. It seems that Hasot marks the critical cutoff point with regard to the rule of "Zerizin Makdimin Le'misvot."Should a Berit be postponed until the afternoon if this will allow more guests to participate? Does the value of "Be'rob Am Hadrat Melech" – performing the Misva in the presence of a large assemblage of Jews – supersede the value of "Zerizin Makdimin Le'misvot"?Hacham Ovadia Yosef addresses this question in his work Yabia Omer (vol. 2, Yoreh De'a, 18), and he concludes that as long as a Minyan would be present without delaying the Berit, it should not be delayed. The Berit should be delayed until the afternoon only if this is necessary to assure the presence of a Minyan; if a Minyan can be assembled earlier, the Berit should not be delayed to allow for a larger crowd.Interestingly, the Ma'aseh Roke'ah (cited in Machshireh Mila, 2:3) notes that there were occasions when a Berit Mila was delayed because of the women who needed time to put on their makeup and jewelry (listen to audio recording for precise citation). The Ma'aseh Roke'ah sharply denounces this practice, noting that although the Rabbis were unable to stop it, people should ensure to perform the Berit promptly.One important exception to this Halacha must be emphasized. The work Kibbud Horim (chapter 12, note 17; listen to audio recording for precise citation) brings the ruling of Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (1910-2012) that if the infant's grandparents ask the parents to delay the Berit so they can attend, the parents should comply. Since the Berit can be performed the entire day, Rav Elyashiv explained, it is proper for the child's parents to honor their parents' wishes and delay the Berit, as this overrides the principle of "Zerizin Makdimin Le'misvot." Rav Elyashiv said that it is preferable to try to convince the grandparents to allow the Berit to be performed earlier, but if this is not possible, then the Berit should be delayed. Similarly, the author of the work "Ve'alehu Lo Yibol" relates that he posed the question to Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach (1910-1995) of whether a Berit may be delayed until the afternoon to allow family members to attend, and the Rabbi responded, "Titnaheg Ke'ben Adam" – "Act like a human being." For the sake of family members' attendance, it is proper to delay a Berit, in consideration of their feelings, notwithstanding the general rule requiring performing a Berit Mila early in the day when possible.Summary: It is proper to perform a Berit Mila as soon as possible after Shaharit, though one does not have to pray Shaharit at sunrise in order to perform the Berit at the earliest possible moment. Most importantly, the Berit should be performed before halachic midday. As long as a Minyan can be present earlier, a Berit should not be delayed until the afternoon to allow for a larger attendance. It should be delayed until the afternoon, however, to allow for the grandparents or other family members to attend.

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

This podcast has been graciously sponsored by JewishPodcasts.fm. There is much overhead to maintain this service so please help us continue our goal of helping Jewish lecturers become podcasters and support us with a donation: https://thechesedfund.com/jewishpodcasts/donate

TO WATCH THIS SPEECH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E6AI9keKb8 REMEMBER TO CLICK 'SUBSCRIBE' ONCE YOU'RE ON THE YOUTUBE PAGE SO YOU'LL BE NOTIFIED OF ALL FURTHER POSTS “TWiSTED Parenting” is a method developed by Avi Fishoff to guide parents of children in severe crisis. Avi personally trains and guides parents from all over the world. All parents must have their own Daas Torah involved to pasken any shailos that may arise. Avi has many haskamos of leading Gedolim. All services are FREE OF CHARGE. Lessons from this podcast should not be applied across the board or without proper individual guidance from a leading expert in the field of crisis. To SUBSCRIBE the Whatsapp broadcast and receive LOTS of Chizuk: Whatsapp a request to: 718-902-6666 To SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AviFishoffTWiSTEDPARENTiNG/videos

The Rema (673) rules that it is preferable to light the Menorah with olive oil, since that's what was used in the Bet HaMikdash. The Rema continues and says that if one does not have olive oil, the custom among Ashkenazim is to use wax candles, because they have a nice flame. However, the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) rules that any type of oil is preferable to candles, since in the Bet HaMikdash the Misva was done with oil. Hacham Ovadia rules that, preferably, one should light the oil with a wick, although, the Sedeh Hemed maintained that a wick is not necessary and one may light the fuel directly. The question arises whether one may light with a Menorah using an electric light bulb, in which the electricity is the fuel (oil) and the filament is the wick. The Poskim are against it for different reasons. The Kaf HaHaim (Rav Ya'akob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) held that it is invalid because the "flame" is contained within the bulb and fills the entire volume, it is tantamount to a "Medurah" (torch), which is invalid. Some say a Menorah must be lit with direct human action, like in the Bet HaMikdash, whereas here it is lit via a switch that allows current to flow. Hacham Bension invalidated it because there is never the requisite measure of half an hour of fuel (electricity) in one place at one time, since the current is constantly flowing into the bulb from the outside.. According to this reason, Hacham Bension (Ohr Lesion Vol. 4) would permit using a battery powered flashlight as a Chanukah light with a Beracha, since the proper measure of electric fuel is already collected inside. Theoretically, a person could line up eight flashlights on the eighth night and turn them on to fulfil the Misva. Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Rav Elyashiv agree with Hacham Bension's Hidush. Hacham Ovadia questions this leniency and rules that one should never make a Beracha on a flashlight. Moreover, if one did light with a flashlight and then had the opportunity to light with candles, he must do so and recite a Beracha. The Halacha is in accordance with Hacham Ovadia, because "Safek Berachot L'Hakel"-refrain from reciting Berachot when in doubt. Therefore, if a person has no way to light candles, for example when on a plane, he should turn on a battery powered flashlight without a Beracha.----Since the Misva is to light olive oil with a wick, Hacham Bension discusses whether one may light a wax covered wick, which is stuck though the floating cork disc. Is it a problem that the first moment of lighting is on the wax and not on the olive oil? Does this forfeit the advantage of using olive oil, since the moment of lighting is the execution of the Misva? Hacham Bension entertains the possibility of taking the wax off or dipping it in oil. However, he concluded that this is not necessary, since it burns off immediately and the primary source of the flame is oil.----On all nights of Chanukah one may use inferior wicks and oil for the actual Chanukah lights. Even if the flame flickers and does not catch well, there is no problem. On a weeknight there is no problem, since "Kavtah En Zakuk Lah"-if the candle is extinguished, he is not obligated to go back and relight it. Therefore, he does not have to be so careful to have a candle that lasts. Even on Shabbat, there is no concern that one may adjust a flickering wick. Since it is prohibited to derive benefit from the candle, he has no use for the flame and will not care if it flickers. However, on Shabbat, one must insure that for the Shamush candle he uses only superior wicks and oil that have a steady flame. The whole point of the Shamush is to have a candle from which to benefit, and therefore it must be a steady flame, so that he does not come to tamper with the flame on Shabbat. This is an interesting case in which the Shamush candle has more stringencies than the actual Misva candles.SUMMARYWhen it is not possible to light a candle, on may use a battery operated flashlight for Chanukah lighting, without a Beracha.There is no problem using a wax-covered wick, even if one uses olive oil for his candles.When lighting the Chanukah candles for Shabbat, the Shamush candle must have superior wicks and oil, even though the actual candles for the Misva do not.

The Halacha permits instructing a non-Jew to perform a Melacha for the sake of a Misva only in a case of "Shvut D'shvut"- a double Rabbinic prohibition. Asking the non-Jew in itself is a Rabbinic prohibition, but the Melacha he is being asked to perform must also be only a Rabbinic violation. The double leniency of two Rabbinic prohibitions allows instructing the non-Jew. Therefore, asking a non-Jew to turn on a light, even for a Misva such as learning Torah, is prohibited, since turning on lights, according to most authorities, is a Torah prohibition.However, the Pri Megadim (R. Yosef Ben Meir Teomim, 1727-1792, Poland-Germany) has a Hidush (novel Halachic approach) and permits instructing a non-Jew to perform a Torah prohibition with a Shinui (in an unusual fashion). He applies this to telling a non-Jew to pick an Etrog off the tree (A Torah violation) with his teeth (a Shinui) to perform the Misva of Lulav and Etrog. The Shach (R. Shabtai b. Meir HaKohen, 1621–1662, Eastern Europe) in his Nekudot HaKasef (198:18) deals with a case of a woman who needs to immerse in the Mikveh on Friday night forgot to cut her nails before Shabbat. He permits her to instruct a non-Jew to cut her nails with a Shinui. A practical example would be telling a non-Jew to turn on the lights by flicking the switch with his elbow in order for the Jew to learn Torah.All these cases are permitted since a Melacha is only a Torah prohibition if performed in the standard method. Even if a Jew would turn on the light switch with his elbow, it would only be a Rabbinic prohibition. Therefore, performing an act classified as a Torah prohibition in an unusual fashion constitutes a "Shvut D'shvut."The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), concur with this ruling, whereas the Melahayich Omnayich cites Rav Elyashiv as being stringent. Hacham Ovadia (in Hazon Ovadia) and Hazon David rules in accordance with the lenient opinion. This leniency is a solution for the elderly who live on high floors in a building and are unable to walk down all the stairs to attend Bet Knesset. While it is prohibited to instruct a non-Jew to operate the elevator on their behalf, it would be permitted to tell the non-Jew to press the button with a Shinui, such as with their elbow. The elderly person would also be permitted to ascend in the elevator after Tefila in the same manner. Even though he has already completed the Misva of Tefila, remaining in the lobby for the rest of Shabbat is considered Sa'ar (suffering) which is tantamount to a Misva. When applying leniencies such as this, Hacham David recommends instructing the non-Jew before Shabbat.It should be emphasized the leniency only applies to cases of Misva or Sa'ar (suffering), but not to someone who wants a light to read secular books and magazines!SUMMARYIt is permitted to instruct a non-Jew on Shabbat to turn on a light with his elbow to enable someone to learn Torah or pray.

The Gemara in Pesahim (p. 35) and Menahot (p. 70) discusses the five grains. In Hebrew, they are Hita, Se'orah, Kusemet, Shifon and Shibolet Shual. Hita is wheat. Se'orah is barley. The traditional translation of Kusemet is spelt, and Shifon is rye. Shibolet Shual is classically identified as oats. This is based on Rashi who offers the vernacular "Avina" as translation. Avina in French is oats. This is also the first interpretation of the Aruch, as well as other Rishonim of Ashkenaz, including the Bartenura's commentary on the Mishna. Only these five grains are susceptible to becoming Hames. Accordingly, only these grains can be used to make Masa. Only a grain that can potentially become Hames may be used for Masa. There are other Halachic ramifications of being classified a grain. Only dough made from these grains is obligated in separating Hallah. Also, only these five grains can constitute bread to recite the Beracha of Hamosi and Birkat Hamazon. In recent years, there was controversy surrounding the identification of Shibolet Shual as oats. Rabbi Dr. Yehuda Felix published a book through Bar Ilan University about the botany of Eres Yisrael in the times of the Mishna. Based on his research, he brought proofs that Shibolet Shual cannot mean oats. First, he claims oats did not exist in Eres Yisrael in the times of the Mishna. Moreover, oats have different characteristics than the other four grains. For example, oats do not contain gluten, whereas the other four grains doIf he is correct, oats cannot be used to make Massot. They also would never become Hames, and they would not be obligated in Hallah or Birkat Hamazon. Nevertheless, the modern Poskim, including Rav Moshe Feinstein, Rav Elyashiv and Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, concur that we must be strict and treat oats as potential Hames. Rashi's identification cannot be overturned based on academic findings. The Rambam has already established that tradition and custom are the basis of Halacha. A recent populist article claiming that Rashi was wrong and that oats are not Hames is not only without any scholarly support, but it is presumptuous and reflects the authors bias against the rabbinic establishment. (listen to Audio for detailed critique of this position).Not only do the Poskim stand by the identification of Shibolet Shual as oats to treat it as Hames, but they also permit someone with Celiac to fulfill the Misva of Masa with oat Masa. Of course, it is better to bypass the controversy altogether and eat spelt Masa, if possible.SUMMARYOats are a grain that can become Hames. If a person can only eat oats, he may fulfil the Misva using oat Masa and recite the Beracha of Hamosi.

The previous mentioned mitzvah contains two mitzvos: (1) Honoring an elderly person even if he's an ignoramus and (2) to relate to one who acquired wisdom in a superior way. Rav Elyashiv defines a wise person as anyone known as a Torah scholar and certainly one with a Rabbinic position. A fundamental way of sanctifying the way of Hashem is by demonstrating with all his words and actions that the only reality and preciousness of a person is that he is on a mission to perform the will of Hashem. When one degrades Torah scholars he is negating that reality and showing that glory and honor is reserved for those who have material success. Therefore its imperative that we show honor to the servants of Hashem to instill in himself and all those around him that His service is the core role of a person. Shaarei Teshuva 3:148 ויש עוד טעם נכבד עולה על כולם ואליו רמזנו בפתח דברינו בענין הכתות הרעות הנזכרות כי הדבר ידוע אשר מדרכי קידוש השי"ת. להודיע בכל מבטא שפתים וכל אשר ירמזון עינים. ובכל הנהגה ופועל ידים כי יסוד לנפש האדם וצבי עדיו, והטוב והעיקר והתועלת והיקר אשר בו עבודת הש"י ויראתו ותורתו. (כל שכן) [כמ"ש] כי זה כל האדם. ודבר זה כבוד הש"י. והמבזים לת"ח ויראתו מבטלים הידיעה הזאת ומראים ההפך בהנהגתם. וכאילו אומרים אומר כי אין העבודה עיקר. וכי שרש דבר נמצא מבלתי עבודת הש"י. והם מחללים את התורה. על כן יאבדו מתוך הקהל. ויכלו בפיהם (נ"ל שצ"ל וירצו בפיהם מלשון ואחריהם בפיהם ירצו סלה, שהוא לדעת קצת מפרשים לשון דיבור או שצ"ל ויכלו לאמר בפיהם ור"ל שיכולים לומר בדרך התנצלות) [לדעתי צ"ל "ויבטאו בפיהם". י' ב'] כי הם עובדים את ה' מבלי עסק התורה הלא הדבר ידוע כי אין העבודה מתקיים בלתי על ידי לומדי התורה אשר יהגו בה יומם ולילה. כי הם יורו דעה ויודעי בינה לעתים לדעת מה יעשה ישראל. והם יעמידוה בישראל לבלתי תשכח מפי זרעם. ובמקום שאין עוסקי התורה ירבו המכשולים וישר באדם אין. על כן יכבדו עבדי הש"י את חכמי התורה לכבוד הש"י. ולהודיע כי עבודתו לבדה עיקר הנמצא. Please send any feedback for any of the episodes to ekuritsky1@gmail.com

TO WATCH THIS SPEECH ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6E6AI9keKb8 REMEMBER TO CLICK 'SUBSCRIBE' ONCE YOU'RE ON THE YOUTUBE PAGE SO YOU'LL BE NOTIFIED OF ALL FURTHER POSTS “TWiSTED Parenting” is a method developed by Avi Fishoff to guide parents of children in severe crisis. Avi personally trains and guides parents from all over the world. All parents must have their own Daas Torah involved to pasken any shailos that may arise. Avi has many haskamos of leading Gedolim. All services are FREE OF CHARGE. Lessons from this podcast should not be applied across the board or without proper individual guidance from a leading expert in the field of crisis. To SUBSCRIBE the Whatsapp broadcast and receive LOTS of Chizuk: Whatsapp a request to: 718-902-6666 To SUBSCRIBE to the YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/c/AviFishoffTWiSTEDPARENTiNG/videos