Cutting Children’s Nails on Chol Hamoed?

Anash.org feature: Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin, Rov of Anash in London, explores interesting Torah questions and halachic dilemmas, including cutting children’s nails on chol hamoed, calling up relatives for hagba and glila, saying Hashem’s name when helping someone say a bracha, and what happens if one mistakenly said a bracha by Urchatz.

The following issues are discussed by Rabbi Raskin in this week’s episode:

1. One of the participants at the Rebbe’s Seder in the year 5719 (1959) said the Al Netilas Yodayim at Urchatz. The Rebbe told him to eat his Matzo right then. At the farbrengen of Acharon shel Pesach the Rebbe discussed this further. In a newly-published letter, the Rebbe explains why he didn’t tell the man to wear gloves until time for Matzo:[1]
2. May one trim the nails of children during Chol haMoed?[2]
3. Someone wishes to offer cash for post-dated checks for less than the amount written in the cheque. The presenters of the cheque have guaranteed payment in full when the cheque becomes payable. Does this present a problem of charging Ribbis?[3]
4. We don’t call relatives to the Torah in immediate succession.[4] What about for Hagbeh & Gelilah?
5. What about making ‘Mishebeirach’s for two relatives in succession?[5]
6. For the procedure of Hatoras Nedorim for a woman, the halocho limits this to when a Beis Din has already been convened, but we shouldn’t convene a Beis Din for this purpose.[6] What’s the reason for this limitation?[7]
7. Why is Yoim Mikro Koidesh said in Musaf but not in Yaaleh veYovoi in the other Tefilos and in bentsching?[8]
8. When teaching a newcomer to say brochois, may I/we utter Hashem’s name?[9]
9. The brocho for Matzo covers for the Afikoman. Yet we may chat in between. Why?[10]

To listen to Panorama of Halacha on a podcast, click here.

[1] ראה אוצר מנהגי חב”ד – ניסן ע’ קמז; תורת מנחם כרך כה ע’ 230 ואילך; מכתב שבסוף קונטרס ‘התוועדות’ י”א ניסן תשל”ז ח”ב; הגדה ש”פ מהדורת קבקוב (להגרי”י ברוין שליט”א) הערה עב.
[2] בשו”ע סי’ תקלא ס”ו מתיר בקטן להסתפר. וכל שכן שיש להתיר בצפרניים.
[3]  ספר תורת ריבית פי”ח ס”ג.
[4] רמ”א או”ח סי’ קמא ס”ו;.
[5] בפסקי תשובות שם אות ה מחמיר. במשנ”ב מהדורת דרשו (מס’ 12) הביא שהרב אלישיב והר’ קרליץ ע”ה מקילים.
[6] שו”ע יו”ד סי’ רלד סנ”ו.
[7] ט”ז וש”ך על הגליון שם. 
[8] ראה ‘סדור רבנו הזקן’ ח”ב ע’ תתעז הע’ 101; ח”ג ע’ א’צז הע’ 28.
[9] ראה שו”ע או”ח סי’ רטו ס”ג; מג”א שם סק”ד; שוע”ר שם ס”ב; אג”ק ח”ג ע’ קלח.
[10] ראה שוע”ר סי’ תעה סי”ח; פסקי הסדור לפני מצות מצה; הגדה של הרבי ד”ה ויכוין.