Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Linzer answers halakhic questions from rabbis and community members
If a rabbi forgets to count Sefirat HaOmer for an entire day, may he continue counting with a berakhah?
This question arises more often than one might expect. At times, even rabbis forget and miss a day. The standard halakhah is that one who misses a full day of counting the Omer continues counting without a berakhah (Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 489:8;
Can I have my students count the Omer with a berakhah during the daytime, each day of class during the Omer?
One potentially complicating factor is that they will have already heard the count earlier in the day during loudspeaker morning announcements without a berakhah. However, most students talk over those loudspeaker announcements or are otherwise not paying attention then.
My thought is that this is a valuable chinukh moment because the students, by and large, don’t even know yet what Sefirat HaOmer is, nor what it looks like to do it, and/or have
NY, NY
I have recently been spending time in “traditional egalitarian” tefillah spaces, largely connected to my work teaching in a pluralistic school setting. I am seeking general halakhic framing and practical guidance.
Specifically:
May I daven b’yechidut (individually) in such a space while the communal tefillah is taking place? Or should I refrain from davening there entirely?
May I accept a kibbud (honor)?
Should I respond to Kaddish,
New York, NY
Can one have a Purim Seudah late in the day, and have it enter into the Shabbat meal? What special considerations are there if we want to do this in the shul as a community Purim/Shabbat dinner?
This definitely may be done. It is based on the principle poreis mapah umekadeish
In our shul, we currently have Mincha on Shabbat right after Kiddush. I’m trying to keep it going as long as possible because our minyanim are slim, especially if it involves coming back out in the cold to a shul that currently does not offer seudah shelishit.
Due to the time of Mincha Gedola, we have a sizable time gap between Kiddush and Mincha. We have already moved Shacharit as late as possible and I give a small shiur to fill part of the gap, but some congregants are unhappy. We currently begin Ashrei in time to reach Mincha Gedola by the Amidah.
Question regarding the construction of a new mechitza:
We have a chapel that seats 115 people. It opens from the back, straight into the middle aisle. The seats are distributed equally on both sides of the aisle, and the bimah is at the front of the room in the center. Our old mechitza for the space was 3 panels; two down the middle aisle, and a third to angle around the bimah so that there was a physical separation between the shaliach
I have a congregant who can no longer walk to shul. I have discussed the option of using the Grama scooters approved by Zomet and the Star K, but they cost more than $4000. She is able to purchase a “regular” used scooter for only $400. Would the financial savings justify using a regular scooter on Shabbat (perhaps with using a shinuy)?
A woman who converted to Judaism under Reform auspices and is married to a Jewish husband is interested in relocating to our neighborhood and will eventually undergo another giyur (conversion) under Orthodox auspices. She does not currently live in our neighborhood and knows that she will not be able to complete her conversion until she moves to the neighborhood. For various financial reasons, it could be as long as three years before she is able to relocate.
Yes, this would be a problem. There is an
What are your thoughts about saying shehechiyanu for occasions not mentioned in Shulchan Aruch? For example, can it be recited by parents at shul for the 3rd birthday of a child whose wimpel will be used for gelilah. What about other lifecycle events such as benei mitzvah, or weddings?
There’s certainly simchat ha’lev, which SA OH 223:4 says is the underlying basis for making the berakhah, but on the other hand, are we makpidim (particular) not to extend the berakhah into other experiences?
Rosh Yeshiva Responds
Rabbi Dov Linzer will be answering shailas from YCT rabbis and community members on video each week.