Halachic Corner
Tuesday May 14, 2013 8:35 AM
Matzav.com would like to wish its readers all over the globe a chag sameiach. As we celebrate our 3,325th anniversary since receiving the Torah at Har Sinai, we are reminded of the supremacy of Torah (more…)
Tuesday May 14, 2013 7:03 AM
By Rabbi Yehuda Spitz
The upcoming Yom Tov of Shavuos, aside from its most common name, has several others: (more…)
Tuesday May 14, 2013 5:21 AM
While reciting Birchos Hatorah on Erev Shavuos, one may clearly stipulate that his brachos should be in effect only until the next morning. In this case, he may recite the brachos on Shavuos morning even if he (more…)
Tuesday May 14, 2013 4:32 AM
Many have the minhag to eat a milchige meal (and milk and honey) on Shavuos. Some eat milchig at night (more…)
Tuesday May 14, 2013 3:49 AM
-One who goes to sleep after Alos Hashachar Shavuos morning (or on any day) does not say the bracha of (more…)
Tuesday May 14, 2013 3:04 AM
-There is a minhag (brought in The Zohar) to stay up the night of Shavuos and learn Torah. This is based on the Midrash which says that Klal Yisroel overslept the night before Matan Torah and Hashem had to (more…)
Tuesday May 14, 2013 2:20 AM
On Shavuos night, the minhag is to wait until it is night - Tzeis Hakochavim - to daven Maariv in order to have 49 (more…)
Monday May 13, 2013 1:57 AM

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Friday May 10, 2013 5:05 AM
[Audio below.] The following shiur, on Sefirah, was delivered on Sunday morning at Bais Medrash Kol Yehuda-Brook Hill (more…)
Tuesday May 7, 2013 5:10 AM
Q: I have noticed that brown eggs have more of a tendency to have blood spots. Is there a reason for that?
A: Actually, the spots you are seeing probably aren’t blood spots. Egg whites have clumps of protein in them, and they are more visible in brown (more…)
Sunday April 28, 2013 1:19 AM
There are several reasons for the simcha of Lag Ba’omer:
1) On Lag Ba’omer the talmidim of Rebbi Akiva stopped dying. (Mishna Brurah 493:MB8) (more…)
Wednesday April 24, 2013 1:22 AM
Today, the 14th of Iyar is Pesach Sheni. According to many opinions one does not fast on this day, make Hespedim, or a Hakomas Matzeivah. Piskei Tshuvos 492:1 (more…)
Monday March 25, 2013 5:17 AM
By Rabbi Tzvi Rosen, Star-K Kashrus Administrator; Editor, Kashrus Kurrents
As Pesach nears, the grocery bills mount and the bank account dwindles, the Jewish housewife courageously attempts to hold the household budget intact (more…)
Sunday March 24, 2013 3:26 PM
By Rabbi Yair Hoffman
Do gentiles have mitzvos?
Of course. Indeed, most of us are familiar with the concept of the sheva mitzvos B’nei Noach-the seven Noahide laws that are discussed in the (more…)
Wednesday March 20, 2013 12:06 PM
[Video below.] The following informative shiur on Pesach was delivered Rabbi Dovid Heber, a native of St. Louis, who attended Telshe Yeshiva (more…)
Wednesday March 13, 2013 5:53 AM
[Audio below.] The following shiur, on various Pesach-related topics, was delivered on Sunday morning at Bais Medrash Kol Yehuda-Brook Hill (more…)
Wednesday March 6, 2013 1:39 PM
[Audio below.] The following shiur, on the topic of “Stimas Hashinayim - Fillings” as related to the Yom Tov of Pesach, was delivered on (more…)
Sunday February 24, 2013 3:26 AM
As the joyous Purim holiday is underway, many preparations are underway for assembling and distributing Mishloach Manos. The custom of Mishloach Manos derives from the mitzvah of sending two (more…)
Sunday February 24, 2013 2:25 AM
1)It is a Mitzvah on all Jewish men, women and children to partake of a festive Seudah, meal, on Purim.
The Purim Seudah needs to be eaten on Purim day, and if it was only eaten Purim eve, or Purim night, you (more…)
Friday February 22, 2013 11:15 AM
As we all know, Purim is a time when people - even adults - dress up. Thus, a Litvak might wear a shtreimel if he so chooses in the Purim spirit. The halacha clearly states (Orach Chaim 91), though, that one must (more…)
Friday February 22, 2013 8:40 AM
Rav Shmuel Eliyahu, chief rabbi of Tzefas and a son of former Chief Rabbi Rav Mordechai Eliyahu, issued a p’sak two years ago that all men are forbidden to dress as women even on Purim, since the issur of “Lo yiulbash gever simlas (more…)
Friday February 22, 2013 7:18 AM
The following are a number of pesokim from Rav Dovid Feinstein shlit”a, rosh yeshiva of Mesivta Tiferes Yerushalayim, regarding Purim-related shailos: (more…)
Friday February 22, 2013 2:45 AM
Many opinions (incl. Minchas Chinuch, Chasam Sofer, Maharil Diskin, Minchas Elozor, and many others) rule that women are obligated in the reading of Parshas Zachor. While many others (incl. Chinuch, Avnei (more…)
Thursday February 21, 2013 6:00 AM
By Rabbi Daniel Travis
“The prophets and the beis din in the days of Mordechai and Esther commanded that we should read the megilah on Purim in order (more…)
Thursday February 21, 2013 3:27 AM
The Gemara, Megilah 7b states, אמר רבא מיחייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא עד דלא ידע בין ארור המן וברוך מרדכי. (more…)
Thursday February 14, 2013 5:41 AM
[Audio below.] The following is an insightful shiur delivered by Rabbi Dr. David Shabtai on the topic of metzitzah b’peh at Mt. Sinai Jewish Center. (more…)
Friday January 25, 2013 1:54 AM
It is customary for Ashkenazic Yidden to eat different varieties of fruits on Tu B’Shevat, as this day is the Rosh Hashanah for fruit trees (meaning that the “year” regarding ma’aser and arlah is counted from this (more…)
Tuesday January 8, 2013 3:21 AM
[Video below.] Rav Yisroel Brog is the beloved and brilliant rosh yeshiva of Yeshiva Tiferes Avigdor in Cleveland, Ohio. Rav Brog is a son of the late Rav Shmuel Elchonon Brog zt”l, longtime maggid shiur in (more…)
Friday January 4, 2013 3:07 AM
By Rabbi Yehuda Spitz
There is a well known Gemara in Brachos[1] that states “A person should always complete his [study of (more…)