By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times “Hey, I thought you are keeping the first Zman.” “I am.” “So, you can’t listen to that – if you are keeping the first Zman.” “What?  It’s Yom Tov! You are not allowed to visibly mourn on Yom Tov.  So, I can listen to it.” “Why is that visibly mourning? – Just don’t listen.” The above conversation has taken place hundreds of times in cities throughout the world.   Now during the Corona Shut-in it is less, but we must still ask: What is actually the halacha? The Shulchan Aruch discusses some of the customs of Sefirah in Orech Chaim 493:1.  There, however, he only discusses the issues of getting married and of getting haircuts.  The Mogain Avrohom, however, discusses music and dancing.

(by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times) Normally people smile when they see the cheerful picture of the Gerber baby.  That’s why they chose her.  Not so, over Pesach. Finding her face on oatmeal cereal left in the diaper bag over Pesach can bring fear and agony to the heart of the most loving of mothers. The father was doing the bedikah in the house – and the diaper bag was with his wife at his in-law’s house. [By the way, the Gerber baby’s name is Dorothy Ann Smith – finally revealed after being kept secret for 75 years or so]. But it could have been any chometz. It may have been in a drawer that wasn’t checked properly. For others it was under a sofa cushion that had something underneath.  For a third family it was a compartment in a toy that went unnoticed before.

(By Rabbi Yair Hoffman for the Five Towns Jewish Times) Everyone grew up with it.  It signifies the end of the Pesach Seder. And every family has it’s own tune to it. Father bought the kid (a sheep or goat) for two zuzim. But the bobcat came and ate the kid. The dog came and bit the bobcat. The stick hit the dog. The fire burned the stick. The water extinguished the fire. The ox drank the water. The slaughterer shechted the ox. The Malach HaMaves slaughtered him. And the Holy One came and slaughtered the Malach HaMaves. We are all familiar with it, but what does it really mean?

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com This guide is presented, as a last minute “just in case.”  It is presented in honor of an old friend, Rabbi Yitzchok Scherman, who made the request.  Also, the Chofetz Chaim tells us that if we learn the halachos – it is as if we had actually brought it.  So, technically, it is not merely – “just in case” – but it is like we actually brought it. PROCEDURE OF THE KORBAN PESACH GROUPS It should be noted that the Korban Pesach must only be brought in groups.  Anyone within a three day walk of Yerushalayim must join up with the group.  The group is called a Chavurah.  One may not eat of the Korban Pesach if one was not previously a member of a group.

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com This video was dedicated for the refuah shleimah of a family member of the author. It has a Hatzolah message aloong with an understanding of what happens to a COVID-19 victim if he or she becomes seriously ill, r”l. The author can be reached at yairhoffman2@gmail.com
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by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com This week, Shabbos HaGadol, most Rabbonim would have spoken about the upcoming need to make an eruv tavshilin.  So why not give your own Shabbos HaGadol drasha to your family?  Print this out – and you can be yotzeh!  Remember, the Eruv Tavshilisn should be done on Wednesday.. Whenever any day of Yom Tov comes out on a Friday – an Eruv Tavshilin must be made before the Yom Tov begins.  WHAT IS AN ERUV TAVSHILIN? An Eruv Tavshilim is a Rabbinic device – that involves 3 things: a baked item a cooked item and a special formula to recite. This Rabbinic device allows one to “continue preparing and cooking” for Shabbos on Yom Tov.

by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com [culled from 2 Shabbos HaGadol Darashos 5780 and 5779] One should not order Chametz before Pesach from Amazon etc. to be delivered after Pesach. There are two types of garbage bins – depending upon the city. Some garbage bins belong to the municipality – these may be filled with Chametz if put out on the curb before Pesach.  Those that belong to the homeowner may not. The Burning of Chametz, (YH: where it is allowed by the Rabbonim) requires either one piece the size of a kzayis or combined smaller pieces totaling a kzayis – but then it needs to be in one kli. When buying  a kli that requires tevilah from a store, it is best to sell it to the Goy.

As a gift to Klal Yisroel suffering in the COVID-19 Pandemic, a new tape was just revealed of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l.  The topic is Shabbos HaGadol.  The tape was translated by Rabbi Yair Hoffman.  There are 18 other short tapes as well – on Pesach topics.  Anyone who wishes to assist in putting […]
The post Watch This!! New Tape Revealed of Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l Giving Shiur on Shabbos HaGadol! appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

In these tumultuous and uncertain times, it is natural for us as Yidden to increase our prayers; davening that the disease ends soon, that those stricken be healed, that our parnassah doesn’t suffer. But it’s not enough to just increase the quantity of our prayers. We must always be working to improve their quality as […]
The post Ani Tefillah’s Unique Diary Helps Transform the Way You Pray appeared first on The Yeshiva World.

United Hatzalah volunteers across Israel have initiated a campaign working together with social services of local and regional councils to deliver food packages to those in need of financial assistance, people stuck in isolation and the elderly. Volunteers have already begun to distribute food packages in Kiryat Ata, Nahariya, Bnei Brak, Ma’alot, Yokneam, Megiddo, Arad, […]
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