Q: What is the proper Beracha over cheese cake, ice cream in a cone or an ice cream sandwich? A: The Beracha over any food with an ingredient of the five grains (wheat, barley, spelt, rye and oat) that is added for flavor or to satisfy would be Mezonot[1]. Therefore, the Beracha over an ice cream sandwich or even cheese cake would be Mezonot. With regards to ice cream in a … [Read more...]
Beracha over Oral Care Strips
Q: Does one recite a Beracha over oral care strips? A: Although many Poskim require one to recite a Beracha over chewing gum[1], in the case of oral strips – being that the flavored strip disappears almost instantly[2] – one can liken it to a mere tasting in which Maran rules not to recite a Beracha[3], in addition to the fact that one’s main intention is only to freshen … [Read more...]
Seeing Double: Two Adars in Halacha
How an additional month impacts Yahrzeit or Bar-Mitzvah calculations and more | By Rabbi Moshe Pinhasi Having a double-month twice every seven years (or seven times every nineteen) does not keep things too simple. Just ask summer-camp directors who need to configure the constantly changing Elul/August equation, as well as city synagogues trying to properly prepare for the High … [Read more...]
Blessing After Drinking
When do you make a Beracha after drinking? An audio Shiur by Rabbi Mordechai Lebhar … [Read more...]
A Mitzvah to Vote?
The Torah’s Take on Participating in the Political Process | By Rabbi Tzvi Haber As the United States political season reaches its apex, and races for office heat up on the national, state and local levels, politics are on many of our minds. What is the Torah view on voting specifically, and generally being an active participant in the political process? A Prosperous … [Read more...]