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Shabbat: Candles: How To Do Blessing: Men
Here is the order for blessing over the Shabbat candles by men:
- Say the blessing, and then
- Light candles.
Note If a man accepts/starts Shabbat when he lights Shabbat candles, he should cover his eyes and say the blessing AFTER lighting, as women do. Otherwise, he does not need to cover his eyes when saying the blessing.
Shabbat: Candles: How To Do Blessing: Women
Here is the order for blessing over the Shabbat candles by women:
- Light the candles,
- Put your hands in front of your eyes (this a universal custom), and
- Say the blessing lehadlik ner shel Shabbat.
Note It is a custom to make requests at candle lighting, but rabbinic guidance may be helpful in how to structure the request.
What Is Challa
Challa refers to the two loaves of bread (or matza) over which we say the ha'motzi blessing at Shabbat and Jewish festival meals.
The loaves must be:
The loaves must be:
- Whole, without significant parts missing.
- Made out of one or more of the Five Grains.
Lulav: Who Should Bless: Women
Women and girls do not need to bless over or wave the lulav; but if they do, it is a mitzva.
Seder Customs
Here are some seder customs:
- Have someone else pour the water over your hands for washing before karpas.
- Have someone else pour your wine for you.
Announcing the New Month
Each month (except before Rosh Hashana), we say the blessing over the new month (birkat ha'chodesh). On Shabbat morning preceding the new moon, at the end of Torah reading, we announce the coming of the new month (Rosh Chodesh), including:
- The name of the month.
- The day and time the new moon will appear in Jerusalem.
- The day of the week that begins the new month (and sometimes the last day of the previous month).
Priority of Synagogue Members
In leading the prayers, members of a synagogue have priority over ANY non-member, regardless of status. Next in priority:
- Yahrzeit up to second ashrei;
- Mourner within 30 days;
- Mourner after 30 days.
Fore-Blessings (Bracha Rishona): Food Mixtures: Main Ingredient
- Say the fore-blessing (bracha rishona) over the main or most important ingredient in a mixture of foods from various food-blessing categories.
- The blessing on the main food covers all other ingredients in the mixture.
Examples Fore-Blessing over Turkey with Cranberry Sauce
To eat turkey with cranberry sauce, saying the fore-blessing she'hakol on the more-important food (turkey) covers the less-important food (cranberry sauce). Even if you eat some of the sauce after the turkey is finished, you do not say a new blessing on the sauce.
Note If you eat cranberry sauce by itself and not with turkey, say:
To eat turkey with cranberry sauce, saying the fore-blessing she'hakol on the more-important food (turkey) covers the less-important food (cranberry sauce). Even if you eat some of the sauce after the turkey is finished, you do not say a new blessing on the sauce.
Note If you eat cranberry sauce by itself and not with turkey, say:
- Borei pri ha'eitz if it contains identifiable pieces of (or entire) cranberries.
- She'hakol if the cranberry sauce has no identifiable pieces.
Talit Gadol: Tzitzit Placement
Like all tzitzit, tzitzit on a talit gadol must hang over the edge of the talit and not hang down from the bottom (see diagram).
Introduction to Separating Challa
Although challa refers to the two loaves of bread (or matza) over which we say the ha'motzi blessing at Shabbat and Jewish festival meals, challa also means the portion of dough or bread that we are obligated to give to the cohen/priests during Temple times. Today, we burn a token portion (“challa”) of dough.
Note Burning the challa is not considered to violate bal tashchit (needless destruction), since the challa is separated and destroyed to fulfill a mitzva.
How To Face Jerusalem
To face Jerusalem, turn toward the “great circle”--the shortest route over the surface of a sphere or the globe (not necessarily eastward). If you don't know which is the correct direction, or if facing toward Jerusalem would make you face improperly dressed people, feces, or other distracting or disgusting items, then focus your thoughts on Jerusalem and face any direction.
Rosh Hashana: Evening Kiddush: New Fruit for SheHecheyanu on Second Night
Place a “new” fruit--over which you may say she'hecheyanu--at the table for kiddush on the second night of Rosh Hashana.
Reason So the she'hecheyanu of kiddush also covers the fruit.
Note B'di'avad, still say she'hecheyanu even if you do not have a new fruit.
Note B'di'avad, still say she'hecheyanu even if you do not have a new fruit.
Minimum Amount of Hand Coverage
When washing to remove tum'a, the ideal is to pour water over your hand up to your wrist; the minimum is to pour up to the knuckles adjacent to the palms of your hands.
Exceptions On Yom Kippur and Tish'a B'Av, wash only up to your knuckles (but if you accidentally pour water further up on your hand, it is not a problem).
Talit Gadol: Size
The minimum size for a talit gadol is so you could put it over your head and wrap your body in it (even though this is not how you must wear it!).
Kashrut: Dairy/Meat: Waiting between Eating: Bread with Dairy, Then Meat
Situation You said ha'motzi over bread for a dairy meal.
Status You may not reuse the same bread for a meat-containing meal.
What To Do You may either:
Status You may not reuse the same bread for a meat-containing meal.
What To Do You may either:
- Get some new bread, or
- Not eat bread at all with the meat.