Search results for: ""Onen""

Onen Traveling with Body
An onen who accompanies a body to a foreign country for burial may have two extra days (or more) of onenut. If the onen then returns home and joins other mourners in the shiv'a house, the onen may end shiv'a with the other family members. (For more details, see When Shiv'a (and Shloshim) Starts: Normal Days .)
Onen Restrictions
An onen is prohibited from doing positive mitzvot so as not to be distracted from taking care of the dead body.
An onen may not:
  • Do any positive commandment (no blessings, prayers, shema…).
  • Eat meat or drink wine (until after the burial).
  • Work or operate a business.
Note Before the relative dies, if possible, the onen should sell his business for whatever days he or she will be an onen and in shiv'a. Otherwise, the owner may have to close the business until shiv'a is over.
Note If there will be a large financial loss, consult a rabbi.  A large loss is subjective to the individual's actual wealth and also to that person's perception of what is a large loss. Consult a rabbi for how much constitutes a large loss.
Being an Onen: Saying Kaddish
Some communities have the custom of an onen's saying kaddish.
NOTE When a person's parent dies on or just before (erev) Shabbat or a Jewish festival, a daughter of any age should not be told until after Shabbat or the festival is over. A son should only be told if he is 6 years old and above and the custom in that community is to say kaddish as an onen.
When Shiv'a Ends: Onen
An onen ends shiv'a (and shloshim) with the household head ("gadol ha'bayit"--whoever controls the money in that household)—even if the household head begins shiv'a before burial and the onen joins the shiv'a house after burial.
When Shiv'a Ends: Non-Onen Who Finds Out Later
If you do not hear about someone's death for 30 days after the person died, observe just one day of shiv'a. If you hear in less than 30 days, observe the regular seven-day shiv'a.
Mourning: Who Must Mourn: Before Burial/Onen
From the time of death until burial, the seven relatives are called onen (onenim). One is only an onen if he or she will participate in the funeral or make decisions related to the funeral. This could be even if you will be involved only in deciding who will speak at the hesped. If someone is completely uninvolved in the funeral arrangements, one is an aveil.
Mourning: Who Must Mourn: No Onenut on Shabbat and Jewish Festivals
One is not an onen whenever a body may not be buried, such as on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, and so there is no onenut on Shabbat or Jewish festivals. An onen says blessings and does mitzvot on those days.
When Shiv'a (and Shloshim) Starts: Normal Days
Shiv'a (and shloshim) starts for a mourner who:
  • Attends funeral:  After the burial.
  • Will not attend funeral and is a(n):
    • Non-Onen:  Immediately upon hearing news of the death.
    • Onen:  As soon as the onen has nothing (more) to do with the funeral.
Note Family members may observe shiv'a at different starting and ending times. 
One Who Receives Charity, Gives Charity
A person who receives charity should still give a minimal amount to charity. Doing so gives him or her the benefit of the mitzva of giving charity and serves as an example to his or her children (who should be made aware that the parents are giving money to charity).
One Fore-Blessing (Bracha Rishona) per Food Category
Your fore-blessing covers all other same-category foods that you will eat at the same time (same sitting), if:
  1. They are in front of you when you say the blessing, OR
  2. You intend your blessing to cover all other same-category foods that you own and will eat at the same sitting--even if they are not in front of you when you make the blessing.
    Note You do not need to state your intention out loud, just think it.  If you usually have this intention but you forgot on an occasion, you do not need to say new blessings on the subsequent foods of that type that you already own.
Examples in Your Home
  • You say she'hakol over two kinds of she'hakol foods on your table.  The blessing also covers a third she'hakol food in your refrigerator and a fourth in your pantry that you know you own.
  • You say she'hakol and are eating an omelette when a visitor brings you a gift of chocolates: you must say a new she'hakol]blessing before eating the chocolates.
    Note Anytime your spouse is serving you food, it is assumed that your initial fore-blessings will cover all food that you will eat.
Examples outside Your Home
  • Guest at Someone's Home
    Whenever you are a guest at someone else's house, it is assumed that whatever foods you will eat, will be covered by your initial fore-blessing as long as they are in the same category.
  • Attendee at Kiddush or Wedding
    If you say she'hakol over fish at a kiddush or wedding, the blessing covers all she'hakol foods in the room.
  • Diner in Restaurant
    If you have made an order in a restaurant, all ordered foods will be covered by your first fore-blessing(s). However, if you later order more food, even if the fore-blessings are the same, you must still say a new fore-blessing.
Kashering Oven Racks

You may kasher oven racks by putting them in a self-cleaning oven and running the self-clean cycle. Or, clean with oven cleaner and then put into a normal oven on its highest temperature for 40 minutes.

Microwave Oven: Kosher Status: Walls and Door

Since microwave oven walls and doors do not normally get hot (more than 120° F, or 49° C), there is usually no need to kasher them from milk to meat (or back to milk); from ordinary use to Passover use; or from non-kosher to kosher. Just clean all surfaces.

Microwave Oven: Kosher Status: Floor

Microwave oven floors can get hot, especially where there is no rotating glass tray and the utensil is placed directly on the oven floor. All microwave ovens should be assumed to get hot unless you have tested them personally.
Microwave Floor
Cover the floor (ideally with styrofoam or another substance that blocks heat and moisture).

Glass Tray
The glass tray does not become non-kosher and does not become dairy or meat or chametz (unless it was removed and used in a conventional oven) as long as it is clean.
Plastic Tray Support
The plastic support under the glass tray must be cleaned and must be blocked from contact with actual cooking utensils and from food if the tray:

  • Has any food of the gender opposite that of the food being cooked,
  • Has non-kosher food on it, or
  • Is dirty and you cannot tell with what.
Microwave Oven: Kosher Status
If a microwave oven's walls/floor/door do not become hot (more than 120° F, or 49° C), the microwave oven does not become non-kosher, dairy, meat, or non-Passover/chametz.

A microwave oven that does not normally get hot, may get hotter than 120° F if you cook:

  • A liquid or moist food for a long time (even if less than 10 minutes),

  • Several liquid or moist items sequentially, or

  • Popcorn and similar foods.

If a microwave oven's walls/floor/door get hot, the oven can become dairy, meat, or non-kosher (if they become one gender and then the opposite gender is cooked or if non-kosher food has been cooked in it). If any surface--including walls, door, floor, etc.--that gets hot are plastic or coated metal, it cannot be returned to kosher or pareve. However, if the surfaces are all made of metal, they may be kasherable. Consult a rabbi.
NoteIf microwave oven does get hot, it cannot be kashered at all--not for Passover and not from non-kosher to kosher. To check if your microwave oven gets hot, see How To Check If a Microwave Oven Will Get Hot during Cooking.
Kashrut: Open, Uncooked Wine: From When May a Non-Observant Person Not Handle?
A non-Jew or non-shomer Shabbat Jew may not handle wine (or grape juice) once the juice has been separated from the lees (the remaining solid parts of the grapes).
Note Once ANY juice has been removed from the vat, all of the remaining grape juice or wine becomes subject to becoming non-kosher if contacted by anyone other than a shomer-Shabbat Jew.