Thursday, April 28, 2016

Laundry on Hol Hamoed

Laundry on Hol Hamoed
Day: Thursday
Date: April 28, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 534


Our Hachamim forbade us from doing laundry on Hol Hamoed in order to discourage us from not doing it before the holiday. However a person who has only one shirt may wash it on Hol Hamoed even if he had the opportunity wash it on Erev Yom Tov but didn't. Towels, little children's clothes, and other such things that are constantly used and get dirty quickly may be washed. Undergarments may also be washed during Hol Hamoed if one has no clean ones left. One who is washing any of the aforementioned items might think that since the washing machine is running anyways, and it doesn't require extra effort, it may be okay to add other items that are not needed for the holiday. In reality however, one may not add anything other than the items previously mentioned. Spot cleaning and ironing are both not considered laundry and are therefore allowed on Hol Hamoed.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

One Who Said the Wrong Amida on Hol Hamoed

One Who Said the Wrong Amida on Hol Hamoed
Day: Wednesday
Date: April 27, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: Hol Hamoed


If after finishing any of the amidot on Hol Hamoed one realized that he accidentally said the amida for the Holiday instead of the weekday one, he must say the proper weekday amida and add Ya'aleh Veyavo. One who forgot to say Ya'aleh Veyavo during Birkat Hamazon should not repeat it. Instead, if he remembered before he finished the Birkat Hamazon he should say it during the Harahamans. Our custom is to not wear Tefillin during Hol Hamoed. A person who's family's custom is to wear Tefillin during Hol Hamoed should nevertheless not wear them if he's in Eretz Yisrael. One who has this custom should also not say a beracha when putting them on.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Moreed Hatal and Barechenu

Moreed Hatal and Barechenu
Day: Tuesday
Date: April 26, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 114, 117


We started saying moreed hatal instead of masheev haruah umoreed hageshem on the first day of Pesah. One who forgot to say moreed hatal and said moreed hageshem instead needs to correct himself. If he corrects himself right away, he does not need to go back and start again. If he remembers during the beracha, he has to stop where he is and go back to the beginning of the beracha (Ata Gibor) and start again. If he only went back to the beginning of the line (rav lehoshe'ah) that is okay. If he finished the beracha he must go back to the beginning of the Amida. If he only said "Baruch ata Hashem " at the end of the beracha but did not end it off yet, he should say lamdeni hukecha and start the beracha again.

Since the first arvit of Hol Hamoed we have been saying Barechenu instead of Barech Alenu. If one started saying Barech Alenu he should stop as soon as he remembers and start again from Barechenu. If he remembers after saying "baruch ata Hashem, but before the rest of the beracha he says lamdeni hukecha and starts again. If he subsequently remembers any time afterward until the second yihiyu leratzon, the same procedure is followed. If he remembers after the second yihiyu leratzon he needs to go all the way back to the beginning of the Amida.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org


Friday, April 22, 2016

The Afikoman

The Afikoman
Day: Friday
Date: April 22, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 477


Ideally the Afikoman should be eaten before hatzot and while leaning. However one who didn't lean and is too full to eat it again, or if he remembered only after birkat hamazon, does not need to eat the Afikoman again. If he remembered before birkat hamazon and he's not too full, he must eat the Afikoman again while leaning. After eating the Afikoman one may not eat anything at all. If after eating the Afikoman but before birkat hamazon one ate something else, he must eat the Afikoman again. After birkat bamazon he does not need to eat it again. It is permissible to drink water and other non alcoholic drinks though. The only exception is the last two cups of wine, which of course, are permissible to drink. If one needs, he can also drink coffee or tea to help stay awake to study and discuss Yetziat Mitzrayim.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Thursday, April 21, 2016

Bedikat Hametz

Bedikat Hametz
Day: Thursday
Date: April 21, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 431-433


The proper time for bedikat hametz is tzet hakochavim, which is 20 minutes or so after shekia. As is the case with many mitzvot, starting from a half hour before the bedika one may not eat a meal or even a snack that consists of two kezayits (about 2 ounces) or more of grain products. Less than that amount, or any amount of fruits and vegetables is fine to eat. One may not talk in between saying the beracha on the bedika and starting the search. After starting the bedika one should only talk about things that pertain to the search. However if at that point he talked about something irrelevant to the search he does not need to say a new beracha. It is permmisable to split the search among those present but everyone involved should hear and have in mind to be part of the beracha. One who did not hear the beracha ideally should not search since he is doing the mitzvah without saying the beracha. Cars must also be searched for hametz even if one does plan on driving at any time during the holiday. A new beracha is not necessary.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

Commentaries on the Haggadah

Commentaries on the Haggadah
Day: Wednesday
Date: April 20, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 473


Even though one should not talk unnecessarily during the reading of the Hagada, it is proper to explain the Hagada as it is being read and to say over commentaries that will get the others involved. The Zohar tells us that when we discuss the miracles and salvations that HaShem has orchestrated for us the Malachim come to listen and they praise HaShem as well. This causes a tremendous amount of goodness and strengthens greatly the presence of HaShem in this world. Therefore it is not proper to rush through the Hagada, but instead one should take ones time and read through and explain each paragraph. It is certainly improper to read so fast as to not read the words clearly. The matza should be swallowed, not the words of the Hagada. However, if going slowly will cause the children to fall asleep it is okay to speed it up a bit so they will fulfill the other mitzvot as well.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

The Four Questions

The Four Questions
Day: Tuesday
Date: April 19, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 473


After saying "Ha Lahma Anya" but before the "Ma Nishtana" we fill up the second cup and we remove the Seder plate from the table. The reason for doing both of these things is to make the children curious so they will ask the Ma Nishtana. If there are no children present, the Four Questions still must be asked by someone there. It is a mitzva to teach one's kids about Yetziat Mitrayim. Even if the kids don't ask one must still volunteer the information on their level. After the four questions are asked the Seder plate is brought back to the table and the Hagada continues. One should not talk during the reading of the Hagada unless there is a real need.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Monday, April 18, 2016

The Karpas

The Karpas
Day: Monday
Date: April 18, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 473


After kiddush at the Seder everyone washes their hands the same way we normally wash for bread but with no beracha. The reason for this washing is because we are about to dip the Karpas, and anytime we dip food into certain liquids we wash our hands without a beracha. If one dips food into fruit juice he does not need to wash his hands. Therefore if ones custom is to dip the Karpas into lemon juice he should add enough water to have a ratio of more than one part water to one part lemon juice. This way his washing will have been required and not for naught. It is better to not talk after washing until one says the beracha on the Karpas. One should make sure to eat less than a kezayit of the Karpas. If he ate more he should not say an after beracha. Some of the Karpas should be left on the Seder plate until after the matza and the Maror are eaten.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Sunday, April 17, 2016

Leaning During the Seder

Leaning During the Seder
Day: Sunday
Date: April 17, 2016
Parshat: Aharei Mot
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 472-480


Men and women are both required to lean during the Seder. It is a good idea to appoint one person to remind everyone else to lean at the appropriate times. During the following parts of the Seder leaning is required: during the four cups, when eating the required matza, when eating the "Hillel sandwich" and while eating the Afikoman. During the rest of the Seder it is praiseworthy for a person to lean, but not required. The only time we specifically don't lean is during Birkat Hamazon. One should lean to the left even if he is a lefty.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org

Friday, April 15, 2016

Preparing for the Seder

Preparing for the Seder
Day: Friday
Date: April 15, 2016
Parshat: Mitzora
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 472-480


The Seder table should be set early enough so that the Seder can begin immediately when the men come home from shul. Both men and women are required to drink the four cups. Children should also be given the four cups so that they will learn how to fulfill the mitzvah properly, especially if they are old enough to understand the story of yetziat mitzayim. It is a mitzvah to give the kids incentives such as candies to encourage them to stay up and ask questions. Ideally the Seder should begin after tzet hakochavim but if one began earlier, as long as he recited kiddush after shekia he does not need to repeat it. However he should not dip any of the vegetables or eat the matza until after tzet hakochavim. It is even better if one can wait until the Rabenu Tam time before starting the seder, however if there are kids around who will have a hard time staying up he should not wait. It also is good for the kids to rest during the day so they will be able to stay up as long as possible and be part of the seder.


DSH is brought to you in memory of Rabbi Mordechai ben Daniel. Please visit us online at sephardichalacha.org