Sunday, December 17, 2017

The Order of Lighting the Hanukah Candles



The Order of Lighting the Hanukah Candles

Day: Sunday
Date: December 17, 2017
Parashat: Vayigash
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 675

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As mentioned previously, the hanukiah should be placed in the doorway opposite the mezuzah. On the first night, the candle all the way to the right, furthest from the doorpost is lit first. The following night the new candle, second from right, is lit first, followed by the one from the previous night, from left to right. On all of the following nights the lighting follows the same pattern, first the newest, leftmost one, down to the original candle. In this way the berachot are always said on the newest candle, which is appropriate because each new day was another, more impressive miracle.


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



Friday, December 15, 2017

One Who Forgot to Say the Beracha on the Hanukah Candles



One Who Forgot to Say the Beracha on the Hanukah Candles

Day: Friday
Date: December 15, 2017
Parashat: Miketz
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 675

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One who forgot to say the beracha of “lehadlik ner Hanukah” before lighting the candles may still say it as long as there is at least one candle that hasn’t yet been lit. Therefore, if on the first night one lit the candle without that beracha, he has lost his opportunity to say it. This is true even if he did not yet light the shamash. On the subsequent nights, if he remembered before all of the candles have been lit, he may say the beracha and light the remaining ones. The other berachot on the candle lighting may be still be said within a half hour of lighting.


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



One Who Forgot Shehehyanu on the First Night of Hanukah



One Who Forgot Shehehyanu on the First Night of Hanukah

Day: Friday
Date: December 15, 2017
Parashat: Miketz
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 675

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One who forgot to say the beracha of shehehyanu before lighting the candles on the first night of Hanukah may say it anytime within a half hour of lighting. If he remembered only after a half hour already passed, he may say it before lighting on the second night. If he forgot again he may say it within a half hour of lighting. If he forgot yet again, he may say it any night he remembers within a half hour of lighting the candles. One who was not home on the first night and had someone else light for him may say shehehyanu when he lights on the second night.


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



Thursday, December 14, 2017

The Candle Lighting Procedure



The Candle Lighting Procedure

Day: Thursday
Date: December 14, 2017
Parashat: Miketz
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 676

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All of the berachot on the hanukiah are said prior to lighting any of the candles. Even though there are some people who begin lighting immediately after the first beracha and while lighting say the next one (or two on the first night) the proper way is to wait and light after all of the berachot have been said. After saying the berachot, one should be careful until after beginning the lighting not to interrupt with anything not relevant to lighting the candles. Even after lighting the first candle, it is preferable to refrain from talking about anything not relevant to the lighting until all of the candles have been lit. After lighting the first candle, even if there are others still needing to be lit, we immediately being saying “hanerot halalu.”


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



Wednesday, December 13, 2017

The Reason We Say Lehadlik Ner Hanukah and Not Shel Hanukah



The Reason We Say Lehadlik Ner Hanukah and Not Shel Hanukah

Day: Wednesday
Date: December 13, 2017
Parashat: Miketz
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 676

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As mentioned previously, the correct text of the beracha on the Hanukah candles is “lehadlik ner Hanukah” and not shel Hanukah. This is different than Shabbat and other holidays for which the correct beracha is “lehadlik ner shel Shabbat” or “shel Yom Tov.” One reason given for the difference is to point out that the Hanukah candles are lit only for the mitzvah, and not for use of their light. However, the reason for lighting Shabbat candles is specifically to enjoy their light, which we note in the beracha by effectively saying that these are the candles that we are lighting for the purpose of using on, or enhancing, Shabbat. Furthermore, the entire mitzvah of Hanukah is to light the candles, whereas the Shabbat and holiday candles are one of many mitzvot connected to the day.


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



Thursday, October 26, 2017

Listening to the Hazans Repetition Instead of Repeating the Amida




Listening to the Hazan’s Repetition Instead of Repeating the Amida

Day: Thursday
Date: October 26, 2017
Parashat: Lech Lecha
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 422

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A person who did not say Ya’aleh vayavo or another required insert during his amida may listen carefully to the hazan’s repetition instead of repeating the amida himself if doing so will be difficult for him. In such a case he must concentrate very well during the entire repetition. He also must say the kedusha word for word along with the hazan and he must not answer “baruch hu uvaruch shemo” at all or Modim derabanan. If there are kohanim he should concentrate on their beracha and answer amen to that as well. In order for this to work, the hazan needs to understand that people are relying on him to fulfill their obligation and he must pronounce every letter and every word clearly. At the end of the amida he should take three steps back and say “oseh shalom etc. along with the hazan.


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




Wednesday, October 25, 2017

A Woman Who Forgot Yaaleh Vayavo



A Woman Who Forgot Ya’aleh Vayavo

Day: Wednesday
Date: October 25, 2017
Parashat: Lech Lecha
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 422

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All of the halachot about going back and repeating the amida for Ya'aleh vayavo or any other inserts apply equally to men and women. A woman who prayed shaharit and remembered to say Ya'aleh vayavo and then prayed minha and forgot Ya'aleh vayavo needs to repeat the amida. Even though she was not required to say minha since she had already said shaharit, nevertheless, once she decided to pray minha she has obligated herself to say it properly by including Ya'aleh vayavo or whatever other insert is appropriate. To be safe, if she remembered only after finishing the amida, before repeating it she should say that if she really is obligated to repeat it, this will be the fulfillment of that obligation, but if she is not obligated to repeat, this should be treated as nedava, a "gift." (OH:106) One who for example forgot Ya'aleh Vayavo during the amida and doesn't remember whether he can continue his amida or not, may stop, go look it up, and come back and continue. He may only look up the halacha, he may not talk at all even to ask a Hacham what to do.


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



Tuesday, October 24, 2017

One Who is Unsure if he Said Yaaleh Vayavo



One Who is Unsure Whether he Said Ya’aleh Vayavo or not

Day: Tuesday
Date: October 24, 2017
Parashat: Lech Lecha
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 422

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One who after finishing mussaf realized that he forgot to say Ya'aleh Vayavo during shaharit needs to repeat the shaharit amida. If the time for shaharit has still not passed, it is preferable that he wear tefillin while repeating the amida. One who is unsure whether or not he said Ya'aleh Vayavo follows the same halachot as one who knows for sure that he didn't say it. If he remembered after finishing the amida, before repeating it he should say that if he really did forget, this will be treated as an obligated amida, but if he did not really forget it, this should be treated as nedava, a "gift." This is true whether it occured on Shabbat or during the week.


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



Monday, October 23, 2017

One Who Forgot Yaaleh Vayavo



One Who Forgot Ya’aleh Vayavo

Day: Monday
Date: October 23, 2017
Parashat: Lech Lecha
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 422

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If during shaharit one rembered after saying "baruch ata Hashem" at the end of Retzeh that he skipped Ya'aleh Vayavo, he should immediately end the beracha with the words "lamdeini hukecha" and go back to the beginning of Retzeh. If he rememebered after he finished off the beracha comletely but before starting Modim, he should say it at that point and continue straight into Modim. In that case he does not end Ya'aleh Vayavo with "ve'ata berahamecha", as usual since those words are part of the beracha of Retzeh. If didn't remember until after he started Modim, even if he only said the word modim and no more, as long as he hasn't finished yet the second "Yihiu leratzon" at the end of the amida, he goes back to the beginning of Retzeh and continues from there.


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



Sunday, October 22, 2017

Remembering Yaaleh Vayavo



Remembering Ya’aleh Vayavo

Day: Sunday
Date: October 22, 2017
Parashat: Lech Lecha
Yalkut Yosef: O"H: 421-2

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It is important for evey person to be careful to remember to include Ya'aleh Vayavo in his Rosh Hodesh amidot. It is not a good omen for a person who forgets to say it. Thefore it is customary in most synongogues to remind the congregation to say it. During minha it is anounced before the start of the amida and during shaharit and arvit someone usually bangs on the table as a reminder. One who forgot to say Ya'aleh Vayavo during shaharit or minha needs to repeat the amida. We do not add anything extra to the korbanot said at the beginning of the Shaharit.


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