Search results for: ""seah""

Tum'a and Snow
Snow removes tum'a but requires 480 se'ah of snow. This is easily achieved by plunging your hands into a field or yard full of snow!
Mikva in Nature: Measurements
A kosher mikva in nature:
  • Must be 40 se'ah (about 192 gallons);
  • Has no minimum depth;
  • May be murky or muddy (but must be such that a cow would drink it); and
  • May not drop in level more than 2 inches (3.1 cm) within 24 hours.
 
Spring as Mikva
Springs are always kosher mikvas as long as the volume in the place of immersion is at least 40 se'ah (192 gallons).
 
Volume/Liquid
1 Revi'it = Usually 3.3 fl. oz. (99 ml); but 4 fl. oz. (119 ml) for:
  • Any food requiring bracha achrona.
  • The four cups of wine at the seder.
  • Kiddush for Shabbat and Jewish festival nights.
 
1 Log = Volume of 6 eggs = 4 Revi'ot (a revi'it is 1/4 of a log)  
1 Kab = 4 Login  
1 Se'ah = 6 Kabin
 
40 Se'ah = Volume equivalent to 3 cubes, 24 ½” (61 cm) on each side; minimum requirement for mikva = about 192 gallons/750 liters  

1 fl. oz. = 1.77 cu. inch (about the size of a golf ball)
Hot Springs as Mikva
Here are requirements for a hot spring as a mikva:
  1. The temperature may not be above 98° F.
  2. If the spring and immersing area are separate, any pipes used to bring water into the immersing area from the spring must be at least 3" in diameter. Consult a rabbi.
  3. The mikva area must contain at least 40 seah of the spring water.
  4. The mikva area must be hewn of rock or poured concrete, etc., but may not be prefabricated in one piece, like a hot tub.
  5. The water may not reach the mikva area via a pump.
Sea Vegetables
Sea vegetables are OK whether raw/fresh, dried, or toasted, but you must check for small crustaceans and other sea life.
Synagogue Seat When Mourning for Parent
Change your normal seat in synagogue during the year of mourning for a parent. (The rabbi is not required to change seats). You should move to a seat further away from the aron hakodesh then your previous seat (since seats further from the aron are considered to be less prestigious than those close to the aron).
Reason This is to show humility and that we feel subdued due to the death.
Shiv'a: Furnishings: Seat Height
 Mourners during shiv'a do not sit on normal chairs. Any seat should be less than 12 inches high.
Returning to your Seat after Aliya
When you go back to your seat after an aliya to the Torah, take the longer way around the bima--even if it is inconvenient or you want to avoid someone who is along the way back to your seat.
 
Holy Book: Raise from Seat
You may place a siddur or chumash flat on chair seat or bench on which no one is sitting, but it is an act of piety to stand it up on its edge. 
To sit on a bench or other seat where a holy book rests, raise the book up at least a little; a single piece of paper is sufficient elevation.
NOTE If you are sitting on a bench and someone puts a holy book on the bench, you must stand up or raise the book off the bench. You may not stand a siddur, chumash, or other holy book up on its edge on a bench or pew in order to be allowed to sit on that bench.
Oceans as Mikva
All oceans and seas are kosher mikvas, but other salty water (defined as water that a cow would not drink) is not kosher for immersion.
Note A rabbi should be consulted before using an ocean for immersion since there are other issues involved.
Shabbat: Moored before Friday
If the ship was moored (anchored to the sea bottom without being connected to dry land) in shallow water before sunset on Friday, you may wade to shore as long as:
  • You don't get your clothes wet, and
  • You dry off your legs before walking on dry land.
You may not carry anything with you.
 
Blessings:
Say she'asa et ha'yam ha'gadol when you can see an ocean or the Mediterranean sea, but only:
  • While you are present, and
  • After not having seen it for at least 30 days.
Note If you forgot to say it and returned the next day, you may not say the blessing.
Birkat HaMazon: Location: Switching Seats
You should sit down for birkat ha'mazon, but you do not need to sit in your original seat. You may sit anywhere in the room in which you ate, even at a different table.
Non-Kosher Oven: How To Double Wrap
When wrapping food for cooking in a non-kosher oven, the wrapping material does not need to seal completely, but the:
  • Food must be completely covered with two layers of foil or plastic;
  • Layers must keep water vapor out from between the layers; and
  • Surfaces of the utensil must all be covered.