Orach Chayim
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. …
Read MoreWhen 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…
Read MoreAttending 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…
Read More6 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…
Read MoreBain 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…
Read MoreRav 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…
Read MoreRav Chaim zatzal on Muktzah – 4 Rulings
The Mishna Brurah (308:12) writes that one may not move a Kli shemelachto l’issur u’l’heter letzorech gufo – in order to use it for a permitted purpose if there is a kli shemelachto l’heter available in the house. One may do so, however, if there isn’t a kli shemelachto l’heter easily available. There is no…
Read MoreKohanim on a Plane Saying Birchas Kohanim
Birkas Kohanim is a Torah obligation found in Sefer BaMidbar (6:22) , “Koh s’vorchu es Bnei Yisrael – thus shall you bless the children of Israel.” Indeed, the Gemorah in Sotah (38b) implies that if a Kohan does not do so, he is in violation of three Torah commandments. Yet, one of the main differences…
Read MoreRav Chaim Kanievsky zatzal: Does an Adult who Undergoes a Bris Milah Bentsch Gomel?
A number of years ago, Sinai Academy placed an advertisement in the Jewish newspapers for people to come to a special siyum. A young man from a secular Russian family was making a Siyum on Bava Basra. The young man had come under the influence of a very special Rebbe that travelled every day from…
Read MoreMaran Rav Chaim zt”l on The Bracha on Trees in Nissan
Ideally, the bracha on trees should be recited in Nissan. He should shy away from seeing fruit trees during Adar. TWO TREES The minhag is to try to be makpid to say the bracha on two trees and not just one. The rationale for it is that we have a safaik brachos here, and the…
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