ב"ה Halachic Digest - Part 2 - First Days & Chol Hamoed In the Wake of Corona פסח ה'תש"פ Compiled by Rabbi Yoseph Y. Vigler לע"נ הרב יצחק בן הרב אליעזר צירקינד ע"ה - ח"י אדר תשע"ב ושמחת בחגך ● Yom Tov must be celebrated in a state of Simcha, to focus on the beauty of life and of the Yom Tov. The Arizal says that the Pesach seder and eating of Matzah is the happiest time of year. Through our simcha we draw down Simcha and overcome all our challenges. Selling Chometz ● Reminder to sell your chometz. If you are unable to come over and make a kinyan, use this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeWSM41UGYUpMVZ6eCIxoGONmF7qdEGQxVVDNlN5sU eAyD4CA/viewform Hagomel from Corona ● Anyone who was sick for three days straight or admitted to hospital for Corona, should bentch hagomel when they heal completely and once minyanim are restored IYH Erev Pesach ​ ● Chometz may not be eaten after Zman Issur 10:47am (or 10:23am acc to Magen Avrohom). ● Remove all chometz from the garbage and burn it before 11:52am (or 11:40am Magen Avrohom) ● We refrain from eating any ingredients that form part of the charoses (or maror). ● It is forbidden to eat matzah from dawn all day. (Many refrain from matzah 30 days before Pesach.) ● A child too young to relate to the basic story of ​Yetzias Mitzrayim​ may eat matzah, and can even do so at the start of the Seder, after​ tzeis​, before kiddush. ● A child who comprehends the story of ​yetzias mitzrayim​ should not eat matzah all day. ● We omit Mizmor lesodah in Shachris today and through Pesach too. ● After Chatzos, 12:57pm:- ● Melacha may not be done, just like on chol hamoed. ● Haircuts may not be taken. If you missed the zman, a non-Jewish barber may do it. ● Only clothing needed for yom tov is allowed to be washed. ● Pressing suits, shirts etc. is permitted. ● Nails should only be trimmed and shoes polished if you have no choice. ● On Yom Tov it is forbidden to create a new flame, only to light from a pre-existing flame. Prepare a candle or gas flame that will remain lit from erev Pesach until Friday evening Chol Hamoed. ונשמרתם מאד לנפשותיכם ● If you leave a gas flame lit over Yom Tov, fire safety organizations recommend that a window near the fire be open at least 4 inches. Allow ventilation by opening another window on the other side. Smoke and carbon monoxide detectors should be active. Preparing for the First Seder ● The Seder should begin at night right away, so all preparations should be done Erev Yom Tov. (Many prepare the actual ke’arah at night right before the seder) ● Each romaine leaf must be carefully checked, to remove tiny worms or insects. Lettuce should not remain in salt water over 18 minutes. To clean it well, discard outer leaves, wash each leaf under running water, soak it briefly in salted water, rinse well and check under the light. Dry thoroughly. ● It is imperative to check by day when one has time, and does so thoroughly and avoids all halachic questions of checking lettuce on Yom Tov. ● Roasting: On both nights of the Seder we may not eat any roast chicken or meat as it resembles the Korban Pesach. Other roasted foods are permitted eg fish or eggs, ● Meat that is cooked in its own juices, (ie in a pot without water or other liquid and it stews in the fluids that emerge from the heated meat itself, is not considered roasted meat. Nevertheless, it is prohibited since there is an issue of ​maris ayin​, as an observer may conclude that it is ​muttar​ to eat roasted meat at a Seder. ● Even meat that is first cooked in water and then roasted is ​assur​ because of ​maris ayin. עירוב חצירות ● If you live in a shared building (eg two family home, apartment complex, neighbors on the block who between the neighbors ie place bread in a shared עירוב חצירות share an eruv) you need to make an location of one of the tenants. This should be renewed every year. Pesach is an opportune time as matzah can last a whole year. ● Last year’s eruv matzah can be burned on erev Pesach. ● The custom is to burn it or otherwise eliminate it on erev Pesach along with the chometz. The reason it cannot be used for this year’s eruv, is because the matzah has not been guarded throughout the year with the extreme care usually taken for items that are to be eaten on Pesach. .בין השמשות If one forgot it could be made by ● ● An eruv chatzeros can only be made for an area that is enclosed with a wall that meets halachic requirements. ● If any one of the residents of the area is not Jewish or (lehavdil) a Jew who doesn’t keep Shabbos or doesn’t accept the authenticity of the halachos of Eruv, you must pay them something to rent their share in the property and only then can you make an eruv. ● How do you make the eruv? Pesach 5780 ** MayanYisroel.net ** Page 2 ** !חג פסח כשר ושמח Mayan Yisroel 3315 Ave N Brooklyn NY 11234 ** [email protected] #ShareTheMatzah - Give a MitzvahShare Shmurah Matzah kit to your fellow Jew! [email protected] ○ Take a whole matzah on behalf of all the participants (For every 6 families add one more average size shmurah matzah) ○ You need one other participant in the eruv (above bar or bas mitzvah and not your own child if they are supported by you. Hand them the matzah. The other person acquires it on behalf of all other participants by raising it at least one tefach (3.5 inches). ○ Make a bracha “asher kidshanu ... al mitzvas eruv” ְבֵדין יְֵהי ָשרא ָלנָא ַל ֵאַפּוקי ְּולַע ֵיּולי ְּולִטְל ֵטּולי ִמַּביִת ְלַביִת ֵּומ ָחֵצר ְל ָחֵצר ִּומַּביִת ְל ָחֵצר ֵּומ ָחֵצר :Say ○ .ְלַביִת ְֵּומרשּות ְִלרשּות ֵּבין ְּב ַשָּבת זּו ֵּובין ִּב ְשאָר ַשְּבתֹות ַׁה ָשנָה ָלנּו ְּולָכל ַהִָדרים ִּׁב ְשכּונָה ַהזֹאת ○ If you do not understand Aramaic say it in English: Through this it will be permissible for us to take out, bring in, carry from house to house, from courtyard to courtyard, from house to courtyard, from courtyard to house, and from area to area, whether on this Shabbos or on any Shabbos of the year—for us and for all who live in this neighborhood. ERUV TAVSHILIN ● Even if you already cooked all meals for Shabbos on Thursday Erev Yom Tov, or you are eating out all the meals but you are sleeping at home and lighting candles at home, you are still obligated in eruv tavshilin if you are preparing anything for Shabbos eg if you are lighting candles on Yom Tov for Shabbos. But you do NOT make a bracha ● Since it is a mitzvah to make the ​eruv tavshilin​, it is best​ ​to obligate yourself by arranging to cook something on Friday Yom Tov for Shabbos e.g. heating water. ● If you are a guest you may rely on your host to have you in mind for ​eruv tavshilin​; or obligate yourself by cooking up water etc. How to make the Eruv​· ● The ​eruv​ consists of two foods: a whole ​matzah,​ at least the size of a ​kebeitza ​(approximately 2 oz) and a cooked food, such as meat or fish, the size of a​ kezayis ​(2/3 to 1 oz). ● It is wise to wrap the Eruv distinctively to easily keep it apart from the rest of the foods in your home. Also, refrigerate the cooked food so it doesn’t spoil. ● Hand them to another person (preferably to a non-dependant i.e. not a son or daughter whom you I hereby grant a share in this“ ,”אני מזכה לכל מי שרוצה ִלְזכות ולסמוך על עירוב זה”:support), and say eruv to anyone who wishes to participate in it and to depend on it.” ● The one holding the food raises it a ​tefach​, and then returns it to the person making the ​eruv​, who ְבֵדין יְֵהי ָשרא ָלנָא ַלֲאפּויֵי ְּולַׁבּ ֵשּולי and ”אשר קדשנו במצותיו וציונו על מצוַת עירוב“ :then says the bracha ְּול ְאַט ֵמּוני ְּול ְאַד ֵלּוקי ְַש ָרגא ְּול ַתָקנָא ְּולֶמְעַבד ָכ ְָל־צ ָרכנָא ִמּיֹ ָומא ָטָבא ְל ַשַב ָתא ָלנָא ְּולָכל־יִ ְָש ֵראל ַהִָדרים ָבִעיר ַהזֹאת ● If you don’t understand the original Aramaic, say it in English: ​Through this [eruv] it shall be permissible for us to bake, cook, put away a dish [to preserve its heat], kindle a light, prepare, and do on the Yom Tov all that is necessary for Shabbos – for us and for all the Jews who dwell in this city. ● The ​eruv​ is put away until Shabbos, when it is eaten. Many use the ​Eruv matzah​ as the second Matzah of ​lechem mishneh​ every meal and then eat it on Shabbos day at the morning meal, in order to perform as many mitzvahs as possible with it. ● If you forgot to make the eruv​ ​you may do so bedieved after ​shkia​, till ​tzeis,​ ​without a bracha so long .yet ברכו as you didn’t daven Maariv and the majority of the Tzibbur didn’t answer Note: Pesach 5780 ** MayanYisroel.net ** Page 3 ** !חג פסח כשר ושמח Mayan Yisroel 3315 Ave N Brooklyn NY 11234 ** [email protected] #ShareTheMatzah - Give a MitzvahShare Shmurah Matzah kit to your fellow Jew! [email protected] ● The ​eruv tavshilin ​only allows food preparations on Friday if the food will be ready with ample time remaining before Shabbos; enough time to theoretically allow the food to be consumed before sunset.