HaRav Yishai Natan - In this week’s parashah, Bereshit, the Torah says that Hashem created: ״את שני המאורות הגדולים״ Hazal explain that originally the sun and moon were created the same size. The moon complained, ״אפשר לשני מלכים שישתמשו בכתר אחד?״ — “Can two kings share one crown?” Hashem then told the moon, ״לכי ומעטי את עצמך״ — “Go and make yourself smaller” (Hullin … [Read more...]
Hilchot Yom Kippur
HaRav Yishai Natan - Kiddush Levanah The Rama writes that Kiddush Levanah should be said after Yom Kippur, because Kiddush Levanah should be said when a person is happy. After Yom Kippur, a person is happy that his sins have been forgiven. However, the Mishnah Berurah brings opinions that it is better to say Kiddush Levanah before Yom Kippur, so that a person can … [Read more...]
Who Gets the Hot Poppers?
HaRav Yishai Natan - My tenth-grade classmates and I were sitting in the yeshiva lunch room. It was my friend’s birthday, so his parents had two large hot poppers delivered to the yeshiva for him. He thought he would eat both of them, but after starting the second one, he quickly realized that it was not going to happen. He came over to my table, put the rest of the poppers … [Read more...]
Q&A: Light Fixtures in a Sukkah
Question May light fixtures be hung in a sukkah? Hanging a Sheet Under the Sechach The Mishnah (Sukkah 10a) says that if a bedsheet, which is not valid for sechach, is spread above the sechach for shade, or beneath it to catch falling leaves, it can invalidate the sukkah. However, the Gemara (ibid.) says that if a cloth is hung lena’otah—to beautify the sukkah—it … [Read more...]
Basement Tenant Bar Metzra
HaRav Yishai Natan - I rent a two-bedroom basement apartment in Lakewood. My landlord, who lives upstairs, was looking to sell the house. I have two kids and another on the way, be’ezrat Hashem, and my landlord knew that I needed to find a bigger place. He asked me if I wanted to buy the house. This would allow me to move upstairs, where I would have much more space and … [Read more...]