D'var Halacha

 We have finished siman 3, and are discussing the concept of gerufah u’ketumah, which, for our purposes, means putting up a blech. We learned (S0039) that there are differences between Ashkenazim and Sephardim regarding how cooked the food must be before putting it directly on a fire (i.e., without gerufah uketumah) before Shabbos. This machlokes […]

 We have finished siman 3. We pointed out that the Chayei Adam does not discuss the solution of covering over the coals or knobs. This solution is discussed in the Gemara, and is known as gerufah u’ketumah. When one leaves food on the fire, there is concern one may stir the coals. But if one

 We are continuing in siman 3, discussing putting up food before Shabbos to cook into Shabbos. We mentioned that foods which are edible raw are not included in the issur of shehiyah; today we will discuss this point further.  The Chayei Adam writes that food items which are eaten raw, such as fruits or milk,

 We are continuing in siman 3, discussing putting up food before Shabbos to cook into Shabbos. The Chayei Adam writes that the halachos of shehiyah apply not only to foods which cannot be eaten raw, but even to foods which can be eaten raw, but are not easily eaten raw. If the food is easily

 We are continuing in siman 3, discussing putting up food before Shabbos to cook into Shabbos. We last discussed the concept of tosefes Shabbos, and the question that comes up regarding the fact that Chazal did not require one to ensure their food was edible by the time they accept Shabbos, but rather by shkia. 

  We are continuing in siman 3, where the Chayei Adam is discussing putting up food to cook from before Shabbos going into Shabbos. Yesterday, we learned that the food must be edible by sunset, rather than the time they accept Shabbos. For example, if one is making early Shabbos, the food does not need

  We are continuing in siman 3, where the Chayei Adam introduced the idea that it is assur to put up food to cook before Shabbos, unless it will be ready by the time that Shabbos begins without the person’s intervention. There is a machlokes between the Shulchan Aruch and Rema regarding when we consider

 We are continuing in siman 3, where the Chayei Adam is discussing the concerns associated with putting food up before Shabbos in order for it to continue cooking into Shabbos itself. One of the concerns we discussed (S0037) is that if food is still cooking on Shabbos, a person will stir the coals. The Gemara’s

 We are beginning siman 3, where the Chayei Adam is discussing performing an action on erev Shabbos which will cause melacha to be performed on Shabbos itself. We will begin with an introduction.  When it comes to food, meaning, a person setting up their food in a way that it will continue to cook into

 We are continuing in siman 1. Yesterday, we learned about a case in which one wishes to put wool into a pot to dye it. We learned that it will only be muttar if there are no concerns that it may come to an issur deoraysa, which, in our case, were stirring the coals and

We are beginning Klal 2, where the Chayei Adam will begin by discussing melachos performed on erev Shabbos which extend into Shabbos.  The issur from the Torah is performing melacha on Shabbos; melacha which takes place on Shabbos due to motions set in place before Shabbos is not assur from a Torah standpoint. Theoretically, this

 We are continuing in siman 12, where the Chayei Adam discusses checking one’s garments to ensure they do not carry muktzah items or carry in an area without an eruv.  The Chayei Adam writes that a person should check their pockets samuch l’chasheicha, close to nightfall, kodem l’chasheicha, before nightfall. Based on this language, the

We are beginning siman 12. The Chayei Adam discusses a Gemara which we include in Kabbolas Shabbos, when we recite Bameh Madlikin. The Gemara says that a person has a chiyuv to check their pockets on erev Shabbos in order to avoid leaving something inadvertently in their pockets and carrying it. The Chayei Adam writes

 We are continuing in siman 11, where the Chayei Adam discusses davening mincha gedolah on erev Shabbos. Yesterday, we discussed the potential halachic concerns that would necessitate davening mincha earlier, which were the merchatz or a haircut. Today, we will discuss an additional, practical concern brought up by the Chayei Adam. The Chayei Adam writes

We are beginning siman 11, where the Chayei Adam discusses the preferable time to daven mincha. Arguably, there is no advantage to davening mincha earlier. As we learned (S0030), the generally preferable time to daven mincha is after mincha ketana.    As some background, we will discuss the reason the preferable time to daven is

We are continuing in siman 10, which discusses washing oneself for erev Shabbos. Yesterday, we discussed washing oneself, going to the mikvah, and cutting nails before Shabbos.   It is important to note that if one is going to the mikvah, the proper order is to cut one’s nails before going to the mikvah. The proper

 We are beginning siman 10. The Chayei Adam writes that it is a mitzvah to wash one’s entire body and be tovel in a mikvah in preparation for Shabbos. Neither the Shulchan Aruch nor Mishnah Berurah mention tevillah here (siman 260), but in hilchos Tisha B’av (siman 551) the Mishnah Berurah mentions those who have

 We are continuing in siman 9, discussing fasting on erev Shabbos. We learned that one should not fast on erev Shabbos, so that they enjoy Shabbos from the moment it begins. We left off regarding the minhag to fast on a yahrzeit, and what to do when the yahrzeit falls out on erev Shabbos.  The

We are beginning siman 9. The Chayei Adam writes that it is inappropriate to enter Shabbos feeling afflicted. Therefore, one should not fast on erev Shabbos. One should feel the enjoyment of Shabbos already from the beginning of Shabbos. The Chayei Adam clarifies that the only exception is a person with a delicate constitution who,