Laws related to Berachos The Hayye Adam (61:4) writes that the Beracha on cloves is “Bore Mine Besamim”. He explains that although cloves are the fruit of a tree and rightfully the Beracha should be “HaNoten Reah Tov BaPerot”, nonetheless since cloves are completely inedible, it is inappropriate to refer to them as a fruit. Since cloves do not fit into any of the other … [Read more...]
On the Edge: The International Date Line in Halacha
An Overview of a Shiur by Rav Yosef Greenwald for Parashat Tazria/HaHodesh (החודש הזה לכם ראש חדשים (שמות יב:א Where is the Date Line located according to halacha? Three basic approaches are offered. Hazon Ish: 6 hours (90 degrees) ahead of Yerushalayim, which runs through Siberia, part of China, and part of Australia (though continuous land masses are not divided … [Read more...]
Ribbit: Matters of Interest
ASKING THE BORROWER TO CASH A CHECK A person asks his friend for a loan. His friend agrees to lend him money, but since he only has a check, he tells him to cash the check, borrow the amount he needs, and return the rest… A fellow asks his friend for a loan. The would-be lender claims he has no money, but gives the borrower some merchandise to sell with the … [Read more...]
Ramifications of a Broken Kinyan: Reneging on an Agreement Part II
By: Rabbi Yosef Greenwald Did a broken Kinyan (transactional act) work in the first place? As we discussed last week, breaking a Kinyan Kesef – a transactional act where money was paid or a down payment was made on an item or moveable object – carries with it the Mi ShePara curse. Once a person reneges on a completed Kinyan, there is a discussion among the Poskim if it … [Read more...]
Grave Sin: The Hatching of a Cemetery Plot
As heard from Rav Dovid Shlomo Englander The tomb of the unknown Four men have been arraigned in Yerushalayim’s Magistrates’ Court on charges of desecration of graves and fraud. The defendants stand accused of robbing decades-old graves in order to resell the plots to foreigners at prices up to $25,000. The shocking allegations present us with an important Halachic … [Read more...]