Search results for: ""Jewish festivals""

Jewish Festival: One Day or Two
Outside of Eretz Yisrael, Jewish festivals are observed for two days instead of one.
Reason In ancient Jerusalem, the Sanhedrin declared the new month based on testimony of at least two witnesses.  Since Jews who lived far from Jerusalem did not find out when the Jewish festivals began until as much as two weeks after the fact, a two-day festival was declared and we continue to observe that two-day holiday outside of Eretz Yisrael.
Situation You are in Eretz Yisrael for any of the Jewish festivals.  You want melacha done for you on the second day of the festival.
What To Do You may ask a resident of Eretz Yisrael to do melacha for you. (You may not ask a non-Jew to do melacha for you!)
Reason It is no longer a Jewish festival for him/her.
Note If you are outside of Eretz Yisrael, you may not ask a resident of Eretz Yisrael (who is visting you) to do melacha for you on the second day of the Jewish festival, even though he/she is no longer observing the festival.
Reason He/she may not do any melacha d'oraita even in private and not even for him/herself.
Introduction to SheHecheyanu: When Obligatory
Say she'hecheyanu for:
  • Acquisitions,
  • Jewish festivals, and
  • New fruits. 
Note You MUST say she'hecheyanu on Jewish festivals; saying she'hecheyanu on acquisitions is subjective and is only required if you enjoy the possession and it is new (for you) and valuable.
Order of Prayers with Hallel
To say hallel on Shabbat and Jewish festivals:
  • You do not need to say full hallel immediately after shacharit.
  • You may say musaf and/or hallel after mincha.
  • Once it is time for mincha, you must say mincha before saying musaf or hallel (if you have not said musaf or hallel yet).
Eating before Jewish Festival Midday
As on Shabbat, don't fast on Jewish festivals (except Yom Kippur!) past halachic midday.
  • If you will not finish shacharit before halachic midday, you should eat or drink earlier in the day, even before you begin shacharit—water can be sufficient for this purpose.
  • If you will finish shacharit, but not musaf, by halachic midday:
    • Finish shacharit,
    • Make kiddush,
    • Eat some mezonot, and then
    • Return to say musaf.
Charity Daily on Weekdays
You should give charity daily (except Shabbat and Jewish festivals) at the time of prayer.
Forgetting Ata Chonantanu
If you forgot to say ata chonantanu after Shabbat (or Jewish festivals), you do not need to repeat the amida. But, if you then ate food before saying havdala, you must repeat the amida including ata chonantanu.
Checking Product for Bugs on Shabbat

You may check produce for bugs on Shabbat or Jewish festivals but:

  • On Shabbat, you may not remove any bugs.

ReasonYou may not move it with your hand due to the bug's being muktza and you may not rinse it off on Shabbat due to boreir.
  • On a Jewish festival, you may remove the bug but not by hand. 

Example You may rinse a bug off produce on a Jewish festival.

NoteYou may not kill bugs on Shabbat or Jewish festivals. To do something that is certain to kill the bug is forbidden; if might not kill the bug, it is OK.

Note You may remove the bug along with part of the produce even on Shabbat.

 
Shabbat: Candles: Wives: Light Two (or More)
Wives should light two candles for Shabbat (and Jewish festivals), even though we say the blessing over “ner” (“candle” in the singular). Lighting any more candles than two is custom.
 
Inviting Friends for Meals
Inviting friends to your house for meals, even on Shabbat and Jewish festivals, is not hachnasat orchim--unless the friends do not have food or a place to sleep. But inviting friends for meals may qualify as other mitzvot.
Shabbat: Well Water
You may use water from a pump-operated well on Shabbat (as on Jewish festivals), as long as the pump operation is not a psik reisha (inevitable and immediate consequence of using any water tap).
Example You may use water from a well if it comes via an automatic pump that operates to fill a reservoir once the water level drops, but you may not:
  • Operate the pump directly.
  • Turn the pump on or off.  
Note If there are variants to this situation, ask a rabbi.
Shabbat: Nail Cutting
You may not bite your nails or have them cut on Shabbat (and Jewish festivals).  If you have a broken nail, you may ask a non-Jew to cut it off for you if it bothers you.
Introduction to Shabbat: Laundry
You may not wash or hang up wet laundry on Shabbat (or Jewish festivals).  The halachot for drying laundry depend on whether you use a clothesline or a dryer:

Shabbat: Laundry: Clothesline
You may take down laundry on Shabbat only if it was dry before sunset on Friday, and only if you don't:
  • Transfer the laundry from one halachic domain to another (hotza'a), or
  • Give the impression that the laundry had been washed on Shabbat (mar'it ayin).
If laundry on a clothesline is still wet at sunset on Friday, the laundry is muktza and you may not take it down or use it during Shabbat. This is different from the case of a dryer.
Reason On the clothesline, there is no certainty that the laundry will dry during Shabbat (it might rain, it might be cold or cloudy...), so the person cannot have in mind that it will dry during Shabbat.

Shabbat: Laundry: Dryer
Laundry in a dryer (even if it was wet at sunset) that was turned on before sunset on Friday (or Jewish festivals) is not muktza, even if you do not intend to wear it.  You may remove the dry laundry from the dryer on Shabbat as long as no light goes on.
Shabbat: Moving Electric Heater
You may pick up and move an electric heater on Shabbat (and Jewish festivals) if it is:
  • Off, in order to use the space where it is.
  • On, in order to use the space where it is OR if you need the heat elsewhere.
Note You may not unplug the heater if it is on. You may unplug it if it is off, but only in order to move it.
Why Dip Challa in Salt?
Before eating bread (at any time, not just on Shabbat or Jewish festivals), dip the bread in some salt.
Reason #1 Salt makes the bread taste better and it is more prestigious for blessing.
Reason #2 Salting the bread makes it like a sacrifice (which had salt added to it).
Note You may sprinkle salt on the bread, but kabbala recommends dipping.
Why Dip Challa in Salt
Before eating bread (at any time, not just on Shabbat or Jewish festivals), the bread should be dipped in some salt. This makes it taste better and makes it like a sacrifice (which had salt added to it).
Note You may sprinkle salt on the bread instead, but kabbala recommends dipping.