If a person eats on Shabbat a salad that contains, for example, lettuce, tomatoes and onions, and he does not like onions, he may not remove the onions from the salad. Halacha forbids removing on Shabbat Pesolet (an undesirable substance) from Ochel (a desirable substance), and this applies even to a "relative Pesolet," a food which is perfectly ed…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a person prepared tea with a teabag on Shabbat (following the relevant Halachic guidelines), is he then allowed to remove the teabag from the cup? At first glance, it appears that removing the teabag would violate the prohibition of Borer – separating – as one is removing Pesolet – an undesirable substance – from Ochel – the food he desires. The…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a person on Shabbat is eating soup that has vegetables, and he wants to eat only the vegetables, without the liquid, he may not pour the liquid out of his spoon back into the bowl. Since he likes the vegetables and is not interested in eating the liquid, he must regard the vegetables as Ochel (desirable food) and the soup as Pesolet (undesirable…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

One of the rules of Borer – separating foods on Shabbat – requires that one remove the Ochel (food) from the Pesolet (undesirable substance), and not the other way around. The question arises as to whether this Halacha applies to two perfectly edible foods, one of which one happens to dislike. If for example, a person has a pile of apples and orang…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Is it permissible on Shabbat to separate food to serve it to somebody else? For example, may a mother remove edible food from an inedible substance in order to feed the food to her child? Assuming she follows the ordinary rules of Borer (separating on Shabbat) – meaning, she takes the desirable food from the undesirable substance, and this is done …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in a famous responsum (Or Le'sion, vol. 2, Siman 31), addresses the situation of a child who ate a very small amount of the food on his plate, and after the meal, his mother wants to return the untouched portion to the container to be stored for the next day's meal. One of the conditions to allow Borer…

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The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 319:1) delineates three conditions that must be met for Borer – separating mixed substances from one another – to be permissible on Shabbat: 1) One must separate the Ochel (edible food) from the Pesolet (inedible food), and not the other way around. 2) One must separate "Be'yad" – by hand, and not with a utensil. 3) One…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The question recently arose regarding a certain synagogue that remodeled the interior of the building, and ordered special decorative Menorahs that adorned the wall both in the main sanctuary and in the study hall. These Menorahs are made from metal, use electric lights, and have seven branches, resembling the Menorah in the Bet Ha'mikdash. Some Ra…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Shulhan Aruch, in Siman 677 (listen to audio recording for precise citation), discusses the status of oil that is left over in the Menorah after the Hanukah candles have gone out. He writes that oil which was placed for the minimum half-hour of lighting is considered designated for Misva use and is therefore forbidden for other purposes. Meanin…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The holiday of Hanukah begins on the 25th of Kislev and continues for eight days. As the Gemara in Masechet Shabbat (21) relates, on the 25th of Kislev the Hashmonaim defeated the Greek oppressors and rededicated the Bet Ha'mikdash. As part of this process they kindled the Menora with the only jug of pure oil they found, and the candles of the Meno…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

There is an obligation to recite the entire Hallel service on each of the eight days of Hanukah. This obligation applies regardless of whether one prays privately or with a Minyan; in either case, one is required to recite Hallel. Before reciting Hallel, one recites the Beracha, "…Asher Kideshanu Be'misvotav Ve'sivanu Li'gmor Et Ha'Hallel," and aft…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Many people go away for all or part of Hanukah and stay in hotels. How does one fulfill the Misva of Hanukah candle lighting in a hotel? Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in his responsa (vol. 4, 47; listen to audio recording for precise citation), rules that a hotel guest fulfills his obligation only by lighting in his room. The hotel…

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The Shulhan Aruch in Siman 675 establishes an important Halachic principle: "Hadlakah Osah Misva"-The act of lighting the Menorah fulfils the Misva, as opposed to "Hanaha Osah Misva"-the placement of the Menorah is the Misva. That is, it makes no difference if the Menorah was set up by a minor or others who are exempt from the Misva; one would not …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Misva of lighting the menorah begins fifteen minutes after sunset for one half hour. Yet, on Friday night, we light 20-40 minutes before sunset to avoid the problem of chilul Shabbat. Even though it is not yet the time for the misva, we still light with a beracha. The Bach (Bayit Hadash, responsa by R. Yoel Sirkes, 1561-1640) marshals this prec…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Halacha discusses how a guest should fulfil the Misva of Hanukah lighting in his host's home. In general, the guest should participate in the cost of the wicks and oil of his host by giving him a coin and thereby become a partner in his lighting. The most common case today is when married children spend a few days in their parent's home during …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If one forgot to inset "Al Hanisim" in the Amidah, he does not have to repeat the Amidah. However, if he remembers before the completion of the Amidah, he should insert it after "Yeh'Yu L'Rason," before "Oseh Shalom." This applies even if he remembered after saying "Baruch Atah Hashem," before concluding "Ha'tov Shimcha." He should not quickly conc…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

In Siman 682, The Shulhan Aruch outlines the Halachot of inserting the special Hanukah addition of "Al Hanissim" in the Tefilot and Birkat Hamazon. One issue is whether it is permissible for the Shliah Sibbur to remind the congregation to insert "Al Hanisim" in the middle of Arbit. Does announcing "Al Hanisim", after the Kaddish before the Amidah, …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily Gemaraद्वारा Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

On the first night of Hanukah, we recite three Berachot over the candle lighting: "Le'hadlik Ner Hanukah"; "She'asa Nissim La'abotenu Ba'yamim Ha'hem Ba'zman Ha'zeh"; "She'hehiyanu." Our community follows the custom to recite as the text of the first Beracha, "Le'hadlik Ner Hanukah." Although the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-12…