Search results for: ""RMH""
Who Determines Gil Chinuch
Whoever is teaching is permitted to judge what the child might understand. RMH does not approve of teaching children before they can understand. The only exception is that as soon as children start to speak, they should be taught the first sentence of the shema and “Torah tziva lanu Moshe.…”.
Charity When Not Required
Even if you do not have enough income to be required to give to charity, you MAY give small amounts of money anyway. RMH suggests not giving more than 0.5\\% of your liquid assets.
Women: Minimum to Pray
The minimum amount of prayer that women and girls 12 years old and up must say varies according to several opinions:
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Opinion that RMH approves of:
- Birchot ha'shachar (from al netilat yadaim--to u'maflee la'asot)
- Birchot haTorah (from la'asok b'divrei Torah--to notein haTorah)
- Yevarechecha/Eilu divarim she'ein/Eilu divarim she'adam
- Elohai neshama
- Asher natan 'sechvi... gomel chasadim tovim l'amo Yisrael
- Shema (first line of shema plus Baruch shem kevod malchuto l'olam va'ed)
- If they choose to say the morning amida, they should precede it with emet, v'yatziv until ga'al yisrael.
- Ramban: Women should say at least the amida of shacharit and of mincha.
- Another opinion: Women must say some prayer every day (but it may be any type of prayer, not only the fixed prayer services).
- Another opinion: Women do not need to say the amida and emet v'yatziv on Shabbat and Jewish festivals (that is, whenever we are not asking for anything).
- Women who have small children who require the mother's constant attention should not say any prayers except for birchot ha'shachar and birchot haTorah.
Priority: Chaviv and Chashuv
Opinions differ in whether you should give priority in eating to what you like the most (chaviv) or what is most important (chashuv).
Situation You want to eat both fruit and cake.
What To Do You may eat the fruit first if you prefer to eat it first, even though the cake is more important.
Examples
Situation You like mangoes. Someone serves a platter with mangoes and dates.
Question Should you first eat a mango (chaviv) or first eat a date (chashuv—due to its being one of the Five Special Fruits)?
What To Do RMH usually recommends that people begin eating whichever fruit they prefer; that is, chaviv first.
Question Should you first eat a mango (chaviv) or first eat a date (chashuv—due to its being one of the Five Special Fruits)?
What To Do RMH usually recommends that people begin eating whichever fruit they prefer; that is, chaviv first.
Situation You want to eat both fruit and cake.
What To Do You may eat the fruit first if you prefer to eat it first, even though the cake is more important.
Offspring at Funeral
Attending a funeral is a mitzva--that of honoring the dead person--but in attending a parent's funeral, there is the added mitzva of honoring a parent.
Adult (at least bar mitzva or bat mitzva) offspring should attend their parent's funeral, unless there is a financial, health, or other significant reason not to attend. There is no requirement for minor offspring to attend a funeral for a parent. RMH recommends consulting a rabbi before having a minor go to any funeral, including for the child's parent.
NoteIf both parents are still alive, it is not customary to go to the cemetery for any funeral except for a close relative, but it is a mitzva to attend the eulogies and ceremony beforehand.
Introduction to Kosher/Kashrut
The human soul can achieve its goals when the body's physical desires and abilities are channeled to do good. Since our bodies are meant to serve holy purposes, what goes into them (as food) likewise must be fitting. The Torah lists “fitting,” or kosher, foods and food preparation rules that enhance our spiritual nature. Kosher rules help us use the physical items in the world to achieve holiness.
Note Many of the halachot listed here differ from the more-stringent approach of the Star-K, even though RMH is the halachic authority for the Star-K. The halachot listed in PRACTICAL HALACHA are the basic halachot and RMH approves of their use for individuals.
When Yichud Applies
The general rule for yichud is that a man and a woman who is not his wife or a woman and man who is not her husband may not be secluded together. If another adult can enter the room at any time without knocking, there is no problem with yichud, even if the adult is not present initially. Yichud does not apply whenever:
- A woman has a lockable door that only she controls, which is locked (in this case, men are permitted elsewhere in the building).
- Direct descendants or ancestors are in a room together (in this case, all other men/women combinations are permitted--even if the other people are not related).
- Three (or more) women and one man (or more) are in a room, except when they will be sleeping. At those times, four (or more) women and one man (or more) are permitted in a room or enclosed area.
- Two (or more) men and one (or more) woman/women are in a room.
- Other people have keys to the room and may enter at any time.
- One (married) woman is with one or more men and the woman's husband is in the same area (RMH looks at the local business district as the “area,” so wherever businesses would be advertising or marketing would be a local area).
- For other cases, consult a rabbi.