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Replying during Your Private Amida
If you have finished the amida's yihiyu l'ratzon(but have not yet finished the segment from Elohai netzur through u'chshanim kadmoniyot), you may reply to:
  • Bar'chu,
  • Kedusha,
  • Amen to ha'el ha'kadosh,
  • Amen to shomei'a tefila,
  • Modim anachnu lach (just those 3 words),
  • Birkat cohanim, and
  • Kaddish.
However, you may not say anything else (such as other amens) until you have completed the entire amida (including the last word, kadmoniot).
 
Bending Down during Amida To Pull Up Socks,...
You may bend down during the amida to slide up your socks, scratch your legs through your pants, and other permitted actions.
Exception You may not do so when you are saying the final sentence (the actual blessing) in each paragraph.
Drying Hands after Washing for Bread
When washing your hands before eating bread, the ideal procedure is to wash, say the blessing al netilat yadayim, and then dry your hands (since the drying is part of the washing procedure). Many people have the custom of pouring water onto each hand twice but only before eating bread.
Note If you washed your hands, dried them, and then said the blessing al netilat yadayim, b'di'avad you are covered. But if you washed your hands and dried them but did not yet say the blessing al netilat yadayim, you should touch a normally covered part of your body, wash your hands again, say al netilat yadayim, and go on to say ha'motzi on bread.
Introduction to Mezuza
A mezuza (pl., mezuzot) is a small, sofer-inscribed parchment scroll containing the two Torah paragraphs commanding us to put mezuzot on our doorposts and gates: Deuteronomy/Devarim 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 (these are the first two paragraphs of the shema prayer.)  Each doorway that is related to where people live must have a mezuza.

Mezuzot are placed on the right side of doorways as you enter in apartments, buildings, or even recreational vehicles that you rent for 30 days or more (or that you purchase/own), in which you sleep.

A mezuza has protective value in that it reminds us to think about God each time we walk past a doorway or gateway, and so the particular name of God written on the mezuza (shin-daled-yud) likewise can serve as an acronym for God's role as “Shomer dirot Yisrael”—Watcher over the dwelling places of Israel.  
Women: Time-Based Positive Mitzva Obligations
Although women and girls are generally exempt from time-dependent positive commandments (mitzvot), they may do some mitzvot for which they are not obligated and it is considered to be virtuous behavior for which they will get a reward. They may say the blessings before each mitzva.

1. These are voluntary mitzvot that women may do:

  • Lulav

  • Sukka

  • Saying the full shema.

2. Women and girls MAY NOT  wear tefilin.

 

3. Women traditionally do not:

  • Say tachanun. 

  • Wear talit or tzitzit (talit katan).

  • Study gemara.

  • Say kiddush levana or birkat ha'chama.

But these are not forbidden.


 
Introduction to Honoring Parents
Honoring your father and mother—the fifth of the Ten Commandments—heads the mishna's list of mitzvot for which you receive reward in this world as well as in the next. It is one of only two mitzvot for which long life is promised (the other is shilu'ach ha'kein—shooing away a wild mother bird before taking her eggs).
This mitzva especially refers to giving your parents food and drink as well as helping them get dressed, get covered, and go out and in.  But it also includes: 
  • Not sitting in your father's chair.
  • Not calling your parents by their first names.
  • Not disagreeing with, not correcting, or not contradicting your parents if doing so will upset them.
  • Agreeing with them by taking sides in an argument (doing so is considered disrespectful since they do not need your agreement).
  • Not waking them up when they are sleeping--unless they would want you to do so. 
Whatever applies to fathers also applies to mothers, such as not sitting in the parent's chair. 
Note Many of these halachot may be overridden at the parent's request; for instance, you may correct your parent or call him or her by first name if he or she wants you to do so.
All parents—whether biological or adoptive, Jewish or non-Jewish—must be treated well, acknowledging the good they did for the child (hakarat ha'tov). If any parent opposes the observance of Jewish laws, the child should limit contact with the parent.
Birkat HaMazon: Eating for Minyan
You may say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan if:
  • At least seven men washed, said ha'motzi, and ate bread, with
  • Enough other men who ate some food (anything other than water or salt) to total 10 men.
NoteIf the 10 men's eating overlapped in time with each other, they MAY say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan. 
If the 10 men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan.
Counting Jews

Jews should not be counted by number individually, but they may be counted as groups. The prohibition is only verbally, out loud. 

EXAMPLE 

You should not say “There are 53 people here.” You may say, “There are more than 50 people.”

NOTEYou may use a sentence, such as Hoshiya et amecha (counting each person as a word in the 10-word phrase).

Rosh Hashana: How Many Shofar Blasts To Hear
Men are required to hear at least 60 shofar blasts on Rosh Hashana (l'chatchila) in order to fulfill the commandment of hearing shofar:  30 before the musaf amida and 30 afterward.  But they fulfill their requirement (b'di'avad) if they have heard at least 30 on each day of Rosh Hashana. 
Women only need to hear 30 shofar blasts on each day of Rosh Hashana.
Note Although 100 shofar blasts are blown each day of Rosh Hashana, hearing all 100 is a non-binding custom.  You do not need to hear the first blasts or any other particular set, but you must hear blasts that include:
  • 3 tashrat (teki'a-shevarim-teru'a-teki'a) +
  • 3 tashat (teki'a-shevarim-teki'a) +
  • 3 tarat (teki'a-teru'a-teki'a).  

Prayer Leader of 10 Men Should Wait
A prayer service leader for a group of only 10 men including himself should (but is not required to) wait until all 10 men have finished the private amida before he begins the reader's repetition.
  • Shabbat
  • Jewish Festivals
  • Rosh Chodesh musaf.
Reason To have nine men replying amen to each blessing.
Note A minimum of six men must be finished before the reader begins the repetition. If delaying the repetition at mincha will cause the repetition to be finished after sunset, consult a rabbi.
Note If all nine other men will not (or may not) say amen, the leader should intend that his public amida be a “free-will offering” (nedava); otherwise, his public amida may be a bracha l'vatala. He may not intend to offer a "free-will offering" on days or services that this sacrifice was not offered in the Temple in Jerusalem:
  • Shabbat
  • Jewish Festivals
  • Rosh Chodesh musaf.
Birkat HaMazon: Eating for Minyan
You may say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan if:
o   At least seven men washed, said ha'motzi, and ate bread, with
o   Enough other men who ate some food (anything other than water or salt) to total 10 men.
Note If the 10 men's eating overlapped in time with each other, they MAY say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan. 
If the 10 men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a minyan.
Birkat HaMazon: Eating for Mezuman
Say birkat ha'mazon as a mezuman if:
  • You don't have enough men for a minyan (see above), AND
  • Two men wash, said ha'motzi, and ate bread, AND
  • One or more other men ate any food other than water and salt.
Note If the three men's eating overlapped in time with each other, they MAY say birkat ha'mazon with a mezuman. 
If the three men began eating at the same time, they MUST say birkat ha'mazon with a mezuman.
Tum'a and Drying Hands before Handwashing
To wash hands from tum'a or all other purposes, you do not need to dry your hands first--except before washing for bread, and then ONLY if the person who washed hands before you:
  • Did not use a revi'it of water (per hand) to wash his/her hands, AND
  • Only poured once on each hand.
In sum, you almost never need to dry your hands before washing them!

However, if the person before you had tum'a on his or her hands and poured only once, the tum'a will be transferred from his/her hands to the cup. 
Laws on Removal of Fruit Tree
You may not remove a fruit tree that is still producing fruit, even
  • For lumber,
  • If the tree is diseased,
  • If a replacement tree would yield more fruit. 
Exception A fruit tree may be uprooted or cut down if it is not producing at least 46 oz. (2 lbs., 14 oz.--about 1.3 kg) of fruit each year.
Introduction to Torah Study
Studying Torah is a basic requirement for all Jews and such study is considered to be a prestigious commandment (Torah study is as important as doing all the other mitzvot: talmud Torah k'negged kulam). Setting time for Torah study (k'viat zman l'Torah) means that we show how important Torah study is by setting a specific time each day and a specific duration for such study.

But all commandments that you must do (mitzvot aseh) take precedence over studying Torah. That is, you may NOT ignore the need to do another positive commandment because you are studying!

Minimum Required Torah Study
The minimum requirements for Jews to learn:
  • Men:  All parts of the Torah plus whatever halacha is relevant for them.
    Note The most important subjects for men to study are whatever is practical for them in their lives
  • Women:  All halachot relevant for them, and hashkafa.