Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour
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Daily Halacha Podcast - Daily Halacha By Rabbi Eli J. Mansour
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199 episodes
Daytime Naps
The Gemara in Masechet Sukka (26a) instructs that one should not sleep during the day for a longer period than that which a horse sleeps, a duration o...
Waking Up Before Dawn
Rav Haim Palachi (Turkey, 1788-1868), in his Ruah Haim, lists several behaviors that helps a person live a long life, one of which is waking early, be...
The Best Time of Night for Sleeping
The Kabbalists taught that it is preferable to sleep during the first part of the night – from nightfall (when the stars come out) until Hasot (halach...
The Importance of Learning Torah at Night
The Rambam, in Hilchot Talmud Torah (3:12), writes that one cannot achieve success in Torah learning if he learns in a relaxed manner, and only when l...
Doing One’s Best
The Mishna at the end of Masechet Menahot (110a) teaches: "Ehad Ha'marbeh Ve'ehad Ha'mam'it, U'bilbad She'yechaven Libo La'Shamayim" – "Whether one do...
Serving Hashem When Conducting Our Mundane Affairs
King Shlomo teaches us in the Book of Mishleh (3:6), "Be'chol Derachecha Da'ehu" – "Know Him in all your ways." The Rambam explains this to mean that...
The Right Amount of Sleep
G-d created the human body in such a way that it requires rest, and cannot function properly without a significant period of sleep each night. In His...
Dishonesty for the Sake of Humility
The Gemara (Bava Mesia 23b) establishes that a Torah scholar is permitted to speak untruthfully in regard to three matters, one of which is "Masechet....
Performing Misvot Without Publicity
One should strive to perform Misvot humbly and discreetly, without publicizing the religious act or making a spectacle of himself. In fact, the greate...
The Six “Constant” Misvot
The Hafetz Haim, toward the beginning of his Bi'ur Halacha, references the comments written by the author of the anonymous Sefer Ha'hinuch, in the int...
Strategies For Yir’at Shamayim
Yir'at Shamayim – the awareness that Hashem is watching us at all times, and sees everything we do – does not come naturally. Since we do not directly...
The Centrality of Yir’at Shamayim
The Rama opens his glosses to the Shulhan Aruch by citing a passage from the Rambam's Moreh Nebuchim about the importance of maintaining awareness of...
Understanding the Verse “Shiviti Hashem Le’negdi Tamid”
The Rama (Rav Moshe Isserles, Poland, 1530-1572) begins his glosses to the Shulhan Aruch by citing the Rambam's comments in Moreh Nebuchim regarding t...
Reciting “Modeh Ani”
Immediately upon waking in the morning, one should recite the brief "Modeh Ani" prayer, thanking Hashem for restoring his soul. This prayer is mention...
Should One Jump Out of Bed the Moment He Wakes Up?
We have been discussing the opening Halacha in the Shulhan Aruch requiring one to be "strong like a lion" to rise in the morning. The Rama (Rav Moshe...
Zeal and Alacrity in the Performance of Misvot
The Mishna in Pirkeh Abot (5:20) instructs that one should "run like a deer" ("Ratz Ka'sevi") to fulfill Hashem's will. This refers to the requirement...
“Be Light Like an Eagle” – Guarding One’s Eyes
The Mishna in Pirkeh Abot (5:20) instructs us to be "Kal Ka'nesher" – "light as an eagle." The Tur, at the very beginning of the work, comments that a...
Outsmarting the Yeser Ha’ra in the Morning
The Midrash tells that each day, King David would have plans for the day, intending to go to various places and to see different people, but his legs...
Winning the Most Important Battle of the Day – Strategies for Waking Up Early
The Shulhan Aruch begins by urging us to be "strong as a lion" to wake up early for the service of our Creator. The Hesed La'alafim (Rav Eliezer Papo,...
Insights Into the First Words of the Shulhan Aruch: “Yitgaber Ka’ari”- Wake Up Like a Lion
Rav Yosef Karo, author of the Shulhan Aruch, begins his seminal work of Halacha by stating, "Yitgaber Ka'ari La'amod Ba'boker La'abodat Bor'o" – "One...
The Great Importance & Value of Waking Early in the Morning
The Shulhan Aruch, the authoritative code of Halacha, begins with the following instruction: "Yitgaber Ka'ari La'amod Ba'boker La'abodat Bor'o" – "One...
Customs of the Yahrtzeit
The word "Yahrtzeit" comes from the Yiddish word "Yahr," which means "year," and it is of course used in reference to the date on which a loved one ha...
Reciting Kaddish Beyond the First Twelve Months
When one concludes the twelve-month mourning period following a parent's passing, an event called an "Arayat" is customarily held. The word "Arayat" m...
Until When Does a Mourner Recite Kaddish for a Deceased Parent?
After the passing of a parent, Heaven forbid, the child observes a twelve-month period of mourning, and thus, fundamentally, Kaddish should be recited...
May a Mourner Interrupt Pesukeh De’zimra to Recite Kaddish?
If a mourner is reciting Pesukeh De'zimra when the congregation reaches the point where the mourners recite Kaddish – just before Alenu, at the end of...
A Convert’s Recitation of Kaddish for His Deceased Parent
When a non-Jew undergoes conversion and becomes a Jew, he is, halachically speaking, no longer related to his biological parents. Nevertheless, if a c...
Reciting Kaddish for One’s Grandparent; Reciting Kaddish for One’s Wife
The Gemara in Masechet Yebamot (62b) teaches that grandchildren are considered like children. One application of this principle is the ruling of the R...
May a Woman Recite Kaddish for Her Parent?
If a person who had a daughter but no sons passed away, may the daughter recite Kaddish for her deceased parent? The Shebut Yaakob (Rav Yaakob Reische...
May a Minor Recite Kaddish?
Rav Shmuel Vital (1598-1677) writes that the custom in his time was to permit even young children to recite Kaddish for a deceased parent, Heaven forb...
Making a Hashkaba Beyond the First Year After a Parent’s Passing
Following the Torah reading on Monday and Thursday, it is customary for the Kaddish to be recited by somebody who is observing the year of mourning fo...
Reciting Kaddish For a Parent Before the Burial
After a family member's passing, one has the status of "Onen" until the burial. During this period, he is exempt from Misvot, and thus he does not rec...
If a Father Asks His Son Not to Recite Kaddish for His Mother
The Poskim addressed the situation of a man who, after his wife's passing, asks his son not to recite Kaddish for her. He might feel uneasy about his...
Bringing Merit to a Deceased Parent’s Soul
In a previous installment, we discussed the great value of the Kaddish recitation for a deceased parent, and how it benefits the parent's soul. The Hi...
The Great Importance of Reciting Kaddish for a Deceased Parent
The Or Zarua (Rav Yishak of Vienna, 13 th century) brings a Midrash that tells a remarkable story about Rabbi Akiba, who once saw a man running franti...
Reciting “Oseh Shalom Bi’mromav” at the End of Kaddish
The Kaddish text (specifically, "Kaddish Titkabal" and "Kaddish Yeheh Shelama") concludes with the famous prayer for peace: "Oseh Shalom Bi'mromav Hu...
The Phrase “Yeheh Shelama Rabba Min Shemaya” in Kaddish
In the "Kaddish Yeheh Shelama," which is recited by mourners at the end of the prayer service, we make twelve requests, asking for: "Shelama Rabba" (a...
The Text of “Al Yisrael Ve’al Rabbanan” in Kaddish
In the "Kaddish De'Rabbanan" – known as "Kaddish Al Yisrael" – a special prayer is offered on behalf of the Torah scholars and their students. We pray...
Counting a Non-Observant Jew Toward a Minyan
The Gemara posits the principle that "Yisrael Af Al Pi She'hata Yisrael Hu" – a Jew does not lose his status as a Jew even after he sins. As a general...
Taking Three Steps Back for “Oseh Shalom” at the End of Kaddish
Whereas some Kaddishim end with "Da'amiran Be'alma Ve'imru Amen," others consist of additional prayers and conclude with "Oseh Shalom Bi'mromav…" Is t...
Reciting “Kodam Abuna De’bi’shmaya Ve’ar’a” in Kaddish Titkabal
Our community's practice is to recite in Kaddish Titkabal the phrase "Kodam Abuna De'bi'shmaya Ve'ar'a" – asking that our prayers be accepted "before...