Watch: Panorama of Halacha

Anash.org feature: A weekly shiur by Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin, Rov of Anash in London, explores interesting Torah questions and halachic dilemmas.

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

1. When giving a gift to a non-Jew, and one wishes to give wine and chocolates, is it allowed to buy and give non-kosher wine and non-kosher chocolates?
2. We are celebrating the Bris of an adult. Does the presence of the ‘sandek’ acquit us from saying tachanun on that day, or just at the seuda that follows?
3. In Shul, I drank a small amount of Kiddush-wine and a reasonable amount of cake. Should I mention the wine in my After-Brocho? [1]
4. If Yes, need I say בורא נפשות for other drinks at the same setting? [2]
5. I daven in an Ashkenaz Shul. They reach Oleinu sooner than I do. Should I pause my davening to say [the entire] Oleinu along with the congregation? [3]
6. I was told that I shouldn’t recite Ketores after Mincha. What if I’m running late? [4]
7. Does challa have to be made parev lechatchila? I never eat my challa with dairy, and it’s always distinctly braided. Need I clean the oven before baking? [5]
8.  A Ger Tzedek asked if the learning he did before converting can be Mitztaref to the learning after conversion for the purposes of a Siyum? [6]
9. I was commissioned by a person to build a house. The plan includes a ‘Prayer Room’. May I proceed with the project? [7]
10. Which brocho should be said over commercial apple-sauce? [8]
11. I sell kosher items on eBay. I recently sold a product to someone who lives in NW London. Assuming she’s Jewish, must I inform her that she can buy the item locally at a 3rd of my price? She may be self-isolating, so cannot leave the house and is happy to pay extra for the service. [9]
12. One who has Yohrzeit on Shabbos: should he endeavor to have an Aliya on the preceding Shabbos, or to suffice with an Aliya on the day of the Yahrzeit? [10]

[1]  קצות השלחן סי’ נט הערה א.

[2]  כתבי הרח”א ביחובסקי ע’ רכה. דין שהיין פוטר שאר משקים בברכה ראשונה ואחרונה – סדר ברכת הנהנין סוף פ”א.

[3]  מכתב ק’ הנספח לקונטרס משיחות של ש”פ חיי שרה תשע”ב.

[4]  כן כתב בערוך השלחן סימן רלד ס”ב. אבל ראה שו”ת שרגא המאיר ח”ז סי’ קלב שהתיר, ע”פ ברייתא סוכה נג א.

[5]  ביו”ד סי’ צז אוסר רק בתנור שטחו בשומן של בשר כו’.

[6]  בשו”ת צפנת פענח ח”ב סי’ י מחשיב לימוד של קטן לסיום לענין ערב פסח, לפי שמסייע במצות ידיעת התורה כשיגדל. וראה לקו”ש כרך כו ע’ 75 הע’ 53 – שמחוייב ללמוד תורה בהכנה לגיורו.

[7]  במשנה ע”ז טז א: “הגיעו לכיפה…”. וראה שו”ע יו”ד סי’קמג ס”ב.

[8]  שו”ע סי’ רב ס”ז. סדר ברכת הנהנין סוף פ”ז. סדור יעב”ץ.

[9]  איסור הפקעת שערים – בשו”ע אדה”ז חו”מ סעיף יז. לבד מאיסור אונאה.

[10]  ספר המנהגים ע’ 79.