Tefillah and Berachos
Bentching, zimun and thanking Hashem after a meal.
There is an oft repeated story involving Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l. Rav Moshe was attending a bris. There were two cartons of chalav Yisrael milk in front of him, from two competing brands with different hechsherim.
The topic of overeating is discussed in the daf this week (Gittin 70a). The Gemara quotes a beraisa that states, “One who fills his belly with anything will become sick.” Rashi explains that eating as much as one…
The Torah affords a father the special right to annul his daughter’s vows while she is a naarah. According to the Ran, this permit is limited to vows that cause the daughter some suffering or otherwise affect the…
In the first perek of Kesuvos, there is a lengthy exposition on Sheva Brachos. What follows is some selected halachos regarding Sheva Brachos with a focus on the psakim of Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt”l.
Klal Yisrael is in a deep state of mourning for the Sar HaTorah, HaGaon HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, zt”l. HaRav Binyomin Forst, shlit”a, remarked that we are no longer living in the same world.
The Mishna at the end of Taanis (26b) quotes Rabban Shimon Ben Gamliel who declares that the most joyous holidays on the Jewish calendar are Yom Kippur and Tu B’Av.
My brother-in-law, an avid Mets fan, was once rushed to the hospital on a Friday night. The Yankees were playing in the postseason. In the spirit of a bitter Mets fan, he was rooting for the opposing team.
Many times I have heard this same story involving Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt’l. Rav Moshe was attending a b’ris. There were two cartons of chalav Yisrael milk in front of him, from two competing brands with different…
A Gemara in the middle of Berachos reminded me of a lesson I recently learned in humility and judging favorably. The Gemara says that Hashem’s kingship is mentioned extra times in the fourth blessing of bentching.
I came across an interesting halachah in Halichos Shlomo: A husband is obligated to help his wife. Before husbands get too nervous, I did take the halachah somewhat out of context.
At a pidyon haben, the Chasam Sofer defends a zimun leader who forgot the kohanim with a clever quip, then is horrified to hear it quoted as halachah.
The Maharshal ruled to add 'shehasimchah bimono' to bentching at a siyum, but after something terrible happened at the first one, he withdrew his new ruling.
Rav Chaim Kanievsky told a businessman to keep wearing a hat and jacket for bentching. At his next restaurant meeting, reaching for his hat won him a fifteen-million-shekel deal.
