Rav Chaim zatzal on Lag BaOmer

A question was posed to Maran Rav Chaim zatzal regarding Lag BaOmer: What exactly is the joy that on Lag BaOmer the students of Rabbi Akiva ceased dying?  They were all gone – there were no more left!  That’s why they stopped dying. Rav Chaim answered:  Most of them died, but a minority were left. …

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Broken Engagements

Reb Naftali Weinberg in his Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Shidduchim had posed a queestion to Maran Sar HaTorah about whether one may ask a Shadchan to return the shadchanus if the engagement was broken. Rav Chaim zatzal ruled that one may not. Broken engagements are never a pleasant item of discussion, and there are often…

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Rav Chaim zatzal on Wedding Costs

It is well-known that wedding expenses are one of the most enormous costs that parents can have. Reb Naftali Weinberger shlita (printed in his new Sefer, “Rav Chaim Kanievsky on Shidduchim” posed a number of questions on wedding expenses to Rav Chaim. Below are a number of those questions: At what point should parents start…

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When You Don’t Have Water..

It happens every so often, that one does not have water available.  The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 4:22) addresses this issue and writes that in such a situation one should use a midi d’menaki – an item that cleans.  The question is, however, how is this done?  Does one merely wipe both sides of the…

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Attending a Sefardic Minyan For a Shidduch

Someone posed a question to Maran Rav Chaim zt”l about shidduchim: There are numerous young men and you women that are having difficulty finding their zivug. Does Maran have a suggestion for them? Rav Chaim t”l suggested that they should have in mind during Birchas Kohanim that their zivug come quicker. The question was further…

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6 Brachos Rulings from Maran HaRav Chaim zt”l

Brachos Psakim from Maran HaRav Chaim Kanievsky zatzal Generally speaking the ruling of the Mishna Brurah is that if one is not drinking water for pleasure or thirst then one does not recite a bracha.  What if one is drinking cold water on a hot day or hot water on a cold day? The custom…

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Bain HaZ’manim Letter to Yeshiva boys

Four years ago, Maran Sar HaTorah penned a letter regarding 4 obligations that a Yeshiva Bochur has during Bain HaZmanim. The ltter is translated below: Motzai Shabbos Kodesh, Parshas Mishpatim and Shkalim 5778 I would almost have suggested to abolish Bein HaZmanim and outings and other such things altogether. Bain HaZmanim was established solely for…

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Rav Chaim on Barbers and Nail Salons

Someone once posed the following question to Rav Chaim zatzal regarding barbers.  It is the custom when one enters a barber shop to wait in line based upon when you entered.  However, some people prefer to wait for the particular barber that they prefer.  Essentially, a second (or even third) line forms in that barber…

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Rav Chaim zatzal on Siyums

Since there will be numerous siyumim this Friday, it is worthwhile to see what Maran Rav Chaim zatzal said about Siyumim, in general. Can a siyum be made – just on Gemorah – without Rashi? If he understands what he learned it is a siyum.  Abaya himself who (Shabbos 119a) said, regarding a siyum that…

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