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Hakhel Community Awareness Bulletin6.Pub Volume II, Number 3 Reviewed by: HaRav Yisroel Belsky, Shlita Adar 5762 1. A Special Siyum Opportunity. This year, if you final Golus, through Tefilah. start on Shabbos Parshas Teruma (February 16th) and learn See, for example, Rabbenu PPleaselease Note: only three Mishnayos a day, you will make a siyum on the Bachya Shmos 2:23, Ben The purpose of this Bul- entire Mishnayos Mesechta Megilah on Purim (only 11 days Yehoyada to Yoma 55A letin is to alert the public later), and if you then continue learning only three Mishnayos and the Chofetz Chaim’s a day starting from the day after Purim, you will make a si- regarding timely issues Nidchei Yisroel Chapter 5. which raise serious yum on the entire Mishnayos Mesechta Pesachim on the first shailos, so that the in- day of Pesach. Let us utilize our special opportunities! 3. Your Tefilos NOTE: For those who plan in advance-if you start on 5 Elul Are Needed. Below are formed person can ask to learn just three Mishnayos a day of Mishnayos Mesechta the names of the eight Ira- his Rav the right ques- Rosh Hashana, you will finish Mesechta Rosh Hashana be- nian Jews still being held tions. This Bulletin is not fore Rosh Hashana and Mesechta Yoma before Yom Kippur! captive by the Iranian gov- intended to provide the ernment, Y’mach Sh’mom, answers to these issues. It 2. Urgent Request. In a re- for teaching and learning is intended to heighten cent major Kinus under the Torah. Please recite Tehil- each member of our com- In This Issue theme “Klal Yisroel in a 1. Special Siyum Opportunity lim for them. As the Shul- munity’s awareness of im- World of Crisis”, Rabbi 2. Urgent Request chan Aruch (Yorah Deah portant shailos in our 3. Your Tefilos Are Needed Yisroel Belsky, Shlita, 252:1) writes, “There is no 4. The Power of Purim asked the olam if anybody community, and to rre-e- 5. Tosefes Shabbos for Men greater mitzva than Pidyon ceive his own p’sak on 6. Application of Borer had attempted, at least since Sh’vuyim.” 7. Watch Your Step September 11, to daven an each of these issuesissues. 8. Caught Carrying on Shabbos 9. What’s the Bracha entire Shemone Esrei at 10. Brochos Out Loud least once with kavana (i.e., Yaakov ben Mohtairam 11. Amen: Questions and Answers without his mind being di- 12. Ice Cream and Ices Asher ben Soltanat 13. K’zayis: Essential Information verted from the meaning of Natzair ben Furan 14. The 100 Yard Hamotzi the words). If some have 15. Saying Thank You Farhad ben Hamdam 16. Birchas Habonim not yet attempted to accom- Shahroch ben Shahnaz 17. Netilas Yodaim for Early Risers plish this basic yet monu- 18. Personalizing Birchos HaShachar Farzad ben Eshrat 19. Special Kavana in Shma mental task, we urge you to Doniel ben Soraya 20. Your Own Daily Prayer try it now in these desperate Ramin ben Marzena (Mazal) 21. Tzitzis Pointers times. 22. Shehechiyanu on a Talis 23. Tefillin Assistance as “Practice” NOTE: We have There are also other shvuyim being held captive by terrorists 24. Why Was the Car Invented been emphasizing meaning- 25. Teaching Akum Torah and governments. Please daven for each one of them to be 26. Don’t Look Now! ful prayer in recent issues of redeemed B’soch Shvuyei Yisroel. 27. Hiring Workers the Bulletin because, as the 28. It’s All About Money Rishonim and Achronim 29. Simcha Shel Mitzva 4. The Power of Purim. With the tremendous 30. Cohanim-On Guard (quoting Chazal) point out, amount to do in the 24-hour period of Purim, we must be 31. Ahavas Yisroel Checklist just as we were redeemed 32. Shmiras Halashon Primer careful not to let the tremendous potential and power of Te- 33. Watch Your Words! from Mitzrayim through filah slip away from us on this day. It is for this reason that 34. The Right Choice-Yoshon heartfelt Tefilah, so will we many people daven Vasikin on Purim. The Power of Purim 35. Pre-Pesach Updates be redeemed from this, our 36. Important Community Resources (Lakewood, NJ) cites the following remarkable quote from the Sefer Segulas Yisroel: go to shul. If a person finds himself in the situation that he no longer has sufficient time to both daven Mincha and accept on “…on Purim we find that ‘whoever asks will himself Tosefes Shabbos prior to shkiah, as there is a receive’. Not only is this in regard to money, machlokes haposkeim as to what one should do, one should for on Purim our prayers carry this same consult his Rav. strength… and we are answered without being checked who is asking… The Baal Shem Tov 6. Applications of the Prohibition of Borer. Rabbi taught that on Purim one should rise early to Mayer Birnbaum, Shlita, writes (in Shamor L'Kad'sho: Practi- daven and ask Hashem for everything that he cal Halachos of Shabbos, p.17), “If siddurim were piled up af- needs, not only for himself, but for others as ter a minyan, you may not sort out the Ashkenaz and Sefard well, as Purim is a time of acceptance just like siddurim in order to put them away [however, if you read a lit- Yom Kippur.” tle from each siddur, you may put each one into its proper place after reading from it] (Hilchos Shabbos by Rav Shimon Eider, Note: The classic Sefer Kav HaYashar writes that likewise on Shlita, p.184 and Igros Moshe, Orach Chaim 4:74 Borer #12).” Taanis Esther one should recite Tehillim Chapter 22 (which Of course, Borer on seforim applies to other mixtures of se- was recited by Esther before she went to see Achashverosh) forim as well. There may be cases where you may be lenient in with kavana, and then beseech Hashem in the z’chus of Mor- this area based on facts and circumstances. Please consult your dechai and Esther. (See The Power of Purim) Rav with specific shailos. 5. How Are Men M’kayem the Mitzva of Tosefes 7. Watch Your Step! In many city homes, the front Shabbos? The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chayim 261:2) door leads directly to front steps which lead to a short path poskens that on Friday afternoon, one is obligated to fulfill To- leading to the sidewalk. We have noticed many unknowing sefes Shabbos by adding on from Chol onto Shabbos. The individuals on Shabbos holding a child, looking into a Sefer, or Mishne Berurah (seif katan 19) explains that this is a Torah even taking out a chair to sit on the front steps outside. We requirement-a Mitzvas Aseh D’Oraysa. Women fulfill this caution that without an eruv around the house, the front steps mitzva dutifully by lighting the Shabbos candles 18 minutes may not be considered part of your home, and it may not be before sunset (shkiah) and accepting Shabbos upon themselves permissible to carry there. The fact that the steps are attached at that time. Men, however, who do not typically accept Shab- to, or project from, the house by itself is insufficient. We urge bos upon themselves at candle lighting (even when they light you to consult with your Rav as to the principles of Gud Achis, Shabbos candles) have to consciously be mekabel Shabbos Mechitzos and Reshus HaYachid prior to carrying on your upon themselves before shkiah. Therefore, one should front steps on Shabbos. l’chatchila prior to shkiah verbally express that he is “accepting NOTE: The above comment similarly relates to the upon himself Shabbos for the purpose of Tosefes Shab- side and front of your property. With Pesach approaching, we bos” (Mishne Berurah 261:21)1. This should be done at least must note that one generally cannot move his garbage cans two to three minutes prior to shkiah (Igros Moshe, Orach from the side of the house to the front of the house on Yom Chayim 1:96) and as early as 15 minutes prior to shkiah if pos- Tov for garbage pick-up, because it constitutes hotza’ah on sible (Mishne Berurah, seif katan 22). Merely having in mind Yom Tov (leaving aside muktzah issues). Similarly, unless one to be mekabel Tosefes Shabbos is only acceptable according to has a p’sak from his Rav that in his case it is permissible, one some Poskim (Bach and Gra quoted by Mishne Brurah 553:2) cannot take the garbage out of his house to the garbage cans on and should be avoided if possible. the side of his house on Yom Tov. As the Shulchan Aruch (263:15) and the Mishne Berurah (seif katan 43) pasken that once one has been mekabel 8. Caught Carrying on Shabbos. In our previous on himself Tosefes Shabbos, he can no longer daven a weekday Bulletin, we pointed out that the Shmiras Shabbos K’hilchaso Mincha, all of the above assumes that the person has already paskens that one cannot put anything inside his pockets on davened Mincha and is now in a position to accept Tosefes Shabbos even inside the house. If someone receives a p’sak Shabbos on himself. Many minyonim, however, are in the from his Rav that he can put items in his pocket on Shabbos or middle of Mincha when shkiah arrives. In this event, one if he might have placed an object in his pockets prior to the on- should then fulfill Tosefes Shabbos by verbally accepting Tose- set of Shabbos, he must, as a matter of halacha, check his pock- fes Shabbos on himself as soon as he has finished his Shemone ets prior to leaving the house (Orach Chayim 252:7, Mishne Esrei (assuming it is still prior to shkiah)2.
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