By Rabbi Moshe Pinchasi Torah study on Shabbat afternoon, Erev Tish’a B’Av Q: Must one refrain from general Torah-study on the Shabbat afternoon of Erev Tish’a B’Av? A: The Sephardic custom is to study Torah on Erev Tish’a B’Av after midday, even when it is on a weekday, and especially when it occurs on Shabbat. The Rama in Darche Moshe[1] cites the opinion of the … [Read more...]
Eating Meat During the Nine Days
By Rabbi Moshe Pinchasi While the Mishna[1] only mentions that one should not eat meat on Tish’a B’Av eve, the Tur and Shulhan Aruch write that there are various customs to refrain from eating meat on the days leading up to Tish’a B’Av[2]. Some do not eat meat during the entire three weeks, others only refrain during the week of Tish’a B’Av, while the accepted custom is not to … [Read more...]
Reciting Kiddush over Cooked Wine
By Rabbi Yehuda Faguet, Rav of JLIC, Santa Monica, CA Unless you are a wine connoisseur, you are most likely to seek out “Yayin Mevushal” – “cooked wine” – to use for Kiddush and Havdala. This is because unlike uncooked wine, which can easily be subject to the prohibition of S’tam Yeinam by coming in contact with a non-Jew, cooked wine is not subject to this issue. It is … [Read more...]
Relocating a Kever
When and how is it permitted to move a Kever to another location? By Rabbi Ariel Ovadia In the turbulent world we live in, many countries which were considered somewhat stable just a few years ago, are now engulfed in civil war or other volatile situations. Fortunately, Jewish communities in places such as Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other such countries have been … [Read more...]
Partners in Torah?
How do “Yissachar-Zevulun” partnerships actually work? By Rav Eliezer Cohen, Rosh Kollel Ner Mizrach, Atlanta GA Introduction Most people do not have sufficient time and financial resources to learn Torah as a full-time occupation. Of course, they certainly have a personal obligation to study Torah for at least a portion of each day. However, they may wish to go beyond the … [Read more...]