The Obligation of Women in lighting the Chanukah Menorah

Question:

What is the obligation of Women in lighting the Menorah?

Discussion:

The Halacha is that women are obligated in lighting the menorah just as men are. The reason for this is that they too benefited by the nais (675:3). However, the accepted custom is that once a woman is married she fulfills her obligation with the lighting of her husband. The reason for this is because of the concept of “Ishto K’gufo” (M.B. 675:9). If a woman would want to light her own menorah then she would be able to, she should just have in mind not to be included in the lighting that her husband is doing.

One question that comes up is if a woman has an obligation to light the menorah as well and today the custom is that every member of the house lights for himself, why don’t unmarried women light their own menorah? One answer that is given is that in the times of the Gemara when the candles where lit outside near the public street the unmarried women would not go out to light as this was not modest. Therefore, the custom became that women do not light the menorah for themselves but rather join in with the father (Chasam Sofer Tra. Shabbos).

Another answer that is given is it is disrespectful for the daughter to light a menorah if her mother is not lighting one. According to this reason if a person is a widow and has daughters at home, they should all light their own menorahs (Mishmeres Shalom).

Summary:

Women are obligated in lighting the menorah just as men are since they also benefited from the nais. However, the accepted custom is that a married woman fulfills her obligation with her husband. A single girl would fulfill her obligation with her father as well.       

Using An Electric Menorah

Question:

Can I use an electric Menorah on Chanukah to fulfill my obligation?

Discussion:

The short answer is no but we will discuss why this is true. The Bais Yitzchak (Y.D. 120) says that since we use electric lights all the time it is not “persumei nesa” Publicizing the miracle. This reason is hard to understand because in the times of the Gemara they also used candles regularly. Another reason that is given is all the fuel has to be present at the time of lighting (675:5). When using electricity, the fuel is constantly being delivered from the power plant. According to this reason if one had a battery powered light he would be permitted to use it.

An additional reason given is that the fuel source has to have the characteristic of oil, which is fatty. Obviously, electricity does not have this quality so one would not be allowed to light with it (Levushei Moredechai vol. 3:59). Furthermore, we know that the best thing to light with is olive oil, so it certainly is not the preferred method to use electricity.

However, if one is in a situation where he will not be able to light a flame, he may be permitted to light an electric light but would not make the bracha on it. If one knows he is going to be in such a situation, (i.e. he will be in the hospital or will be travelling through the night) then a Rav should be asked as to what to do.  

Summary:

One does not fulfill the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah if he uses an electric fuel source. There are various reasons given as to why this is true. If one knows that he will be unable to light a flame one night of Chanukah a Rav should be consulted as to what to do.

Laws of Chanuka

Question:

Do I need a “Shamash” if there is an electric light on in the room?

Discussion:

There are two reasons given as to why we add a “Shamash”. One reason is since one is not permitted to use the light of the candles there needs to be another light in the room. The other reason is that since we light inside we are concerned that one might inadvertently use the light of the candles even if he has another light, therefore we add a light next to the candles (M.B. 673:14).

With the advent of electric lighting, both these concerns seem to fall away. One will not use the light of a candle when there are regular lights on in the room. It is therefore logical to assume that one need not light a “Shamash” (sefer Milsa D’shchecha). Rav S.Z. Aurebach zt”l is quoted (Halichos Shlomo) as saying that if there is an electric light on in the room a “Shamash” is not needed. However, he added that one should light a “Shamash” anyway in case the light goes out.

The accepted custom is to light a “Shamash” even though it may not be necessary. This is based on the opinion of the Mi’ere brought down in the biur halacha. Rabbi Eider, in his sefer on Chanukah, paskens this way as well. The sefer Kav Hayashar (96) says that there are kabalistic reasons to light the “Shamash” even if according to Halacha it is not necessary.

Summary:

According to the letter of the law there is no requirement to light a “Shamash” if there is an electric light on in the room. However, the accepted custom is to light the “Shamash” anyway.

As an aside; Rav Aurebach zt”l was makpid to light the Shabbos candles and then turn on the electric lights, because if the lights were on already, you don’t really need the candles, so how can you make a bracha on them. We will deal with this issue in a future email after Chanukah!   

Dusting off a jacket on Shabbos

Question:

Can I dust off my jacket on Shabbos?

Discussion:

“Kebus” (laundering) is a toldah of “Milaban” (bleaching). The melacho is defined as removing dirt that is absorbed into a fabric. Therefore, this prohibition only applies to a absorbant material (for this reason one is permitted to wash dishes on Shabbos – in a permitted fashion- as well as clean his eyeglasses if they get dirty). There is a machlokes among the Rishonim if shaking out (or brushing) a garment to remove dust falls under this melacho. Everyone agrees that one may not use a brush or shake a garment vigorously to remove dust.

We follow the stringent opinion that says not to remove dust in any fashion. However, this only applies to dust which is trapped between the fibers of a garment. Removing dust which is merely resting on the garment is permitted (M.B. 302:7)

Even if the dust is trapped between the fibers, it is only prohibitted to remove the dust when the garement is significantly dirty. This is determind as follows, if one would not wear the garment in this state then it is considered to be significantly dirty. If there is not enough dust to stop the owner from wearing it then one would be permitted to remove the dust (M.B.302:2).

Summary:

If the dust is merely resting on the garment then one is permitted to remove it. However, if the dust is trapped between the fibers of the garment the following guidelines should be used. One may not use a brush or shake the garment vigorously. Using a dry cloth is permitted (Shmeras Shabbos Kihilchosa 15:25). If the garment is so dusty that one would not wear it then one is not permitted to remove the dust at all.  

Question:Can I use baby-wipes on Shabbos?
Discussion:One of the melachos on Shabbos is “Dosh” (Threshing). One of the toldos of this melacho is “Mefarak” (squeezing) this is similar to the melacho of “Sechita”. A application of this Melacho is squeezing a liquid out of a wet cloth. Based on this there are some poskim that say that one should not use baby-wipes on Shabbos because when one uses them he is squeezing out the liquid on to the skin of the baby (Orchos Shabbos 13:46).

However, there are poskim (Rav Moshe zt”l) that permit using wipes for the following reason. Most of the liquid is not absorbed into the cloth, rather it is on the surface of the cloth (this is done so that it is easier to use the wipes). There are two things that one must keep in mind if he is going to follow this view. 1) Many wipes come attached and therefore they must be separated before Shabbos for Shabbos use. 2) The cloth should only be used while saturated. This means that once the cloth begins to dry out one should not use it on Shabbos. The reason for this is when it begins to dry one is forced to squeeze harder for the liquid to come out. This is certainly a problem of “Mefarak”. Additionally one should be careful to only wipe in a gentle way even if the wipes are still saturated. This is because if one wipes vigorously the liquid will surely be squeezed out.

Because of the issues involved with baby-wipes many people try no to use them on Shabbos. Instead they use tissues and water, making sure to first sprinkle water on the baby and then to use the tissue to wipe it away. Others will only use “kosher” brands which come with a hashgacha for Shabbos use. One should ask his own rav as to which way is the most appropriate.

Summary:There are different opinions regarding the use of baby-wipes on Shabbos. One opinion is that they should not be used. Rav Moshe zt”l held that they can be used, providing that the wipes are saturated with liquid. There are brands of baby-wipes that come with “hasgachas” as far as their permissibility of use on Shabbos. One should consult a rav as to which opinion to follow.

Using disposable diapers on Shabbos

Question:
What is the proper way to put on and take off a diaper on Shabbos?
Discussion:
Last week we discussed the melacha of "tofer" (sewing). We said that any form of attaching two items (or an item to itself) falls under this category. This week we will apply this concept to diapers. We mentioned that when we talk about taping there is a leniency that is mentioned in the poskim that if the object will definitely become detached with in 24 hours it is permitted to attach it. Based on this there are poskim that permit using a disposable diaper in the regular manner on Shabbos, since it will surely be detached with in the allotted time. One should be careful to detach the tabs and not slip the diaper off of the child. Additionally, when disposing of the diaper one must be careful not to fasten the adhesive tabs to the sides of the diaper (Titz Eliezer 15:6).

We mentioned last week that there is a dispute as to whether one must detach the tabs of a band-aid before shabbos. This same dispute applies to diapers as well. One opinion is that one must open the adhesive tabs, before Shabbos, for all the diapers he will need for Shabbos (Titz Eliezer 16:6, Oz Nidberu 7:34 as well as others). However, the opinion of Rav Moshe Finestein was that one need not do this prior to Shabbos (additionally this was the opinion of Rav Aurebach zt"l as well as Rav Scheinberg shlit"a).  
 

For all practical questions one should ask a rav. 

If I don’t remember if I said “Mashiv Haruach” do I need to repeat Shmoneh Esrei?

Question:

If I don’t remember if I said “Mashiv Haruach” do I need to repeat Shmoneh Esrei?

Discussion:

We all know that starting on Shmini Atzeres we add the line of “Mashiv Haruach Umorid Hageshem” to davening. If a person forgets to include this line he must repeat the Shmoneh Esrei. However, if he remembers before he started the next bracha (Atta Kadosh), he is allowed to insert it where he is up to and continue from there (S.A. 114:5-6).

The question that comes up is what is the halacha if one does not remember saying it, does he have to repeat the davening? If a person says morid hatal during the summer months, then even if he does not remember saying “Mashiv Haruach” he need not repeat the davening (S.A. 114:5). For Ashkenazim that generally don’t say morid hatal the halacha is that until 30 days have past we assume that he said what he is accustomed to saying. Therefore he must repeat the davening. One way to avoid this problem is to repeat the line of  michayei maysim atta… hageshem 90 times. Doing this makes him accustomed to the addition (ibid 8) The Chasam Sofer says that one should say it 101 times to make accustom himself to it. The Mishna Berura says that one should preferably follow the opinion of the Chasam Sofer (M.B. ibid 41).

Summary:

For the first 30 days we assume that the person said what he is accustomed to saying so if he is unsure if he added “Mashiv Haruach” he should repeat the tefila. If he said morid hatal then he should not repeat Shmoneh Esrei. To avoid this issue it is advisable to say from the words michayei maysim until hageshem 101 times (or at least 90) in order to accustome himself to the change. 

Can I wash my child's dirty clothes on Chol Hamoed?

The laws of Chol Hamoed are complex and one can not make comparisons from one law to another. Therefore, a rav should be consulted on every issue.
 Question:Can I wash my child’s dirty clothes on Chol Hamoed?
Discussion:One should start Yom Tov with enough clothes for his children (M.B. 534:7). However, if one runs out of clothes for their child then they may be washed on Chol Hamoed.
Until what age does this apply?There is a dispute among the poskim in this matter. According to Rav S.Z. Aurebach zt”l and ylc”t Rav Elyashiv shlit”a this heter applies until the age of 6-7. According to Rav Scheinberg shlit”a it depends on the child. Does this child go through a lot of clothes or not. If he does then the age is until bar\bas mitzvah. If he doesn’t then it is until 6-7.
Does one have to wash the clothes in private?There is a dispute as to whether one must wash children’s clothes in private. The Rema (534:1) says that one must wash them in private, therefore one should not use a laundromat. However, the Aruch Hashulchan (534:8) says that everyone will see that it is children's clothes so there is no problem of maris ayin. If one must use a laundromat a rav should be consulted.
 According to Rav Moshe Finestein, if a person is traveling out of town one need not bring all of the child’s clothes with him if it is a big bother. However, there are opinions that hold one must bring all of the child’s clothes when travelling out of town if he does not do this he may not wash the clothes on Yom Tov (Shut Hagavad Mi’Debritzin Siman18). 

One may not add in any adult clothing even if he is washing a full load of children's clothes.

At what age is it appropriate for a child to fast on Yom Kippur?

Question:
Are children obligated to fast on Yom Kippur?
Discussion:
There are two categories of children that we will discuss here, a child under the age of nine and a child above the age of eleven. One is not obligated to train a child under the age of nine to fast on Yom Kippur. The age of chinuch for fasting is nine years old for a strong child and ten years old for a weaker child (S.A. 617:2). However, some people have the custom of training a child to fast part of the day even if he is younger then nine (Shut Chekrei Lev 109). Once a child reaches the age of nine (or ten), his parents are obligated to train him to fast part of the day. For example he should start the fast at night and eat breakfast later then he would normally eat. Every year the child should fast longer until he is 13 (or 12 for a girl).
If a child’s health is endangered by the fast he must eat or drink immediately.

There is a dispute among the poskim whether a child older then eleven should fast the whole day or not. Therefore, if a child is weak one may rely on the lenient opinion. The Mishna Berura (617:9) says that in today's times all children are considered weak (unless we know that the child is strong) and therefore do not have to fast the entire day.

If a child does eat on Yom Kippur and bentsches he should say Ya’ale V’yavo. If Yom Kippur is on Shabbos, like this year, he should also include R’tzei. However, if one left out either addition bentsching is not repeated (M.B. 618:29).

Summary:
A child under the age of nine need not fast at all on Yom Kippur. Some people have the custom to train the child to fast part of the day. Once a child is over the age of nine (or ten if he is weak) he should begin to fast for part of the day. A child over the age of eleven need not fast the entire day according to the Mishna Berura. However, other poskim disagree and say that such a child should fast the entire day

What does an Eruv Tavshilin consist of?

Question:
What does the Eruv Tavshilin consist of?
Discussion:
The most preferred manner of making an Eruv Tavshilin is to use one cooked item and one baked item (Shulchan Aruch 527). If one only used a cooked item the Eruv is still valid. However, if one only used a baked item, the Eruv is invalid (M.B. 527:6-7). In such a situation a rav should be consulted as there are ways around this issue.
The Cooked Item:
The cooked item should be something which is normally eaten with bread i.e. fish, meat, poultry etc (M.B. 527:11). One should use a nice portion since it is being used for a mitzvah. However, one must use at least an olive size portion. It is best if the cooked item was cooked specifically for the Eruv (527:6 Beiur Halacha ibid).
The Baked Item:
One should use bread or matzah for the Eruv. The minimum amount one needs is the size of an egg (Rema 527:3). It is preferable to use a nice sized portion for the baked item as well.
What does one do with the Eruv?
The Eruv must remain intact inorder to permit melacha for Shabbos. If one lost his Eruv or it was eaten then a rav should be consulted. If part of the Eruv was lost but at least an olive size remains that is sufficent (S.A 527:17). The Eruv should be eaten on Shabbos, some have the custom of using the bread for the lechem mishneh by each meal and eating it at the third meal (M.B. 527:11).
If one forgot to make an Eruv Tavshilin a rav should be consulted

 I would like to wish everyone a כתיבה וחתימה טובה!

  

Note: One may only begin preparing for Shabbos on Thursday after tzeis even with an Eruv Tavshilin.

.

For all practical questions please ask your Rav.

Can I carry my siddur to shul on Friday for use on Shabbos (Eruv Tavshilin II)?

Question:

Can I carry my siddur to shul on Friday for use on Shabbos (Part II)?

Discussion:

We discussed last week that one is permitted to do milacha (which is permitted on Yom Tov) for Shabbos, if it is food related, with an Eruv Tavshilin. What about something which is not connected to food preparation, for example carrying a siddur to shul for use on Shabbos? This is subject to a dispute among the Poskim. Everyone agrees that if one also benefits from the act on Yom Tov it would be permitted. So in our case if the siddur would be used on Friday before sunset then one would be allowed to carry it (Kinyan Torah 3:70). Therefore the best thing to do is make sure to derive some benefit from the act on Yom Tov.

If, however, one is unable to derive benefit from the melacha on Yom Tov then one may rely on the opinion that an Eruv Tavshilin also works for non food related melacha (Chasev Haefod 3:65).

Summary:

It is preferable to only do melacha that is related to food preparation for Shabbos. If one needs to do something which is non food related then he should do it in a way that he will receive benefit on Yom Tov as well. If this is not possible then it would be permitted to follow the opinion that holds an Eruv Tavshilin works for non food related melachos as well.

    Note: One may only begin preparing for Shabbos on Thursday after tzeis even with an Eruv Tavshilin.

What Melachos are Permitted Based on an Eruv Tavshilin

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Vol. 1 Iss. 43 פרשת כי תבא           Dvar Halacha               By: R' Chananya Berman       This year many of the Yomim Tovim fall out on Thursday and Friday. One problem this presents is how do we prepare for Shabbos? We all know that there is something called an Eruv Tavshilin in the coming weeks we will hopefully clarify some of the issuse involved in an Eruv.   Question: What actions are permitted on the basis of an Eruv Tavshilin (Part I)? Discussion: Any milacha that is permitted to be done on Yom Tov in the preparation of food may be done for Shabbos. This applies equally to something which is a melacha on a Biblical level as well as on a Rabbinic level. This includes the obvious ones like cooking or baking and also includes the less obvious ones such as washing dishes with hot water or lighting candles (Shulchan Aruch HaRav 503:3; Levush 528:2).   An Eruv Tavshilin will also permit one to prepare something in a non-melacha fashion, even when the benefit is not related to food. An example of this is rolling the Torah to the correct place. Similarly one would be permitted to tidy up a room even if that room will not be used until Shabbos (Shaar Hatzion 302:17).   Note: One may only begin preparing for Shabbos on Thursday after tzeis even with an Eruv Tavshilin. .     For all practical questions please ask your Rav.                                              Gemara Shiur 30 Min before Shacharis, given by Rabbi  Goldman. Halacha Shiur preceding maariv at Ahavas Yisroel 9:00-9:30 Monday and Thursday, given by R' Chananya Berman.   For any comments or suggestion please email Kollelboker@hotmail.com or speak to Rabbi Goldman These times are for NYC only   For times out of NYC please click  Myzmanim.com Shabbos zimanim are: Candle lighting                 6:45 Sh'kea                             7:03 Sof Zman Kriyas shma   9:43 Mogen Avroham             9:07

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Walking in front of a surveillance camera on Shabbos

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Vol. 1 Iss. 42 פרשת כי תצא                 Dvar Torah            By: Rabbi Goldman   The gemara Brachos (10a) tells us about a discussion between Yeshayahu Hanavi and Chizkiyahu Hamelech. Yeshayahu informed Chizkiyahu that thee was a decree that Hashem had made that stated that Chizkiyahu would be killed in the near future. Yeshayahu told him that there was no room for davening to help anymore. Once there was a decree by Hashem its too late. However Chizkiyahu knew that there is still room for davening to help even after Hashem's decree. The gemara tells us that he davened to Hashem from the depths of his heart and he was answered. The story seems to teach us that when we turn to Hashem and we try to daven properly then our tefilos can be extremely powerful.              Dvar Halacha               By: R' Chananya Berman       Question: Can I walk in front of a surveillance camera on Shabbos? Discussion: Last week we talked about walking in front of a motion detector which causes a light to go on. We said that since one is walking in the normal manner without doing anything intentionally for the light to go on it is permitted (if necessary) to walk there. We also mentioned that the person does not want the light to turn on.   When if comes to surveillance cameras the potential problem is the electrical activity that is generated by the person walking through the field of vision of the cameras. The principals we mentioned are true for a surveillance camera as well (Kovetz Ateres Shlomo 6).  Therefore in case of need one may rely on this opinion and walk in front of the camera. However, if one wants to be seen by the camera (i.e. the security guard will open the door for you if he sees you) then one would not be allowed to walk in front of the camera. One should consult a rav if this situation arises. .     For all practical questions please ask your Rav.                                      Gemara Shiur 30 Min before Shacharis, given by Rabbi  Goldman. Halacha Shiur preceding maariv at Ahavas Yisroel 9:00-9:30 Monday and Thursday, given by R' Chananya Berman.   For any comments or suggestion please email Kollelboker@hotmail.com or speak to Rabbi Goldman These times are for NYC only   For times out of NYC please click  Myzmanim.com Shabbos zimanim are: Candle lighting                 6:57 Sh'kea                             7:15 Sof Zman Kriyas shma   9:41 Mogen Avroham             9:05

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