God willing, my next booklet will be released in the coming weeks. Titled Hahodesh Hazeh Lachem and written entirely in Hebrew, it is a compilation of various articles and ideas I have discussed on this blog and elsewhere over the last seven years. One of the newer points therein is presented here for the benefit … Continue reading
Laws of the Sanctification of the New Moon 7:7: Why is [Rosh HaShanah] not when [the average molad] occurs on Sunday, Wednesday, or Friday? Because these calculations determine the conjunction of the sun and the moon only according to their mean [rate of] progress, and do not reflect the moon’s true position, as explained. Therefore, … Continue reading
On the Times Commonly Presented for Birkat HaL’vana, Part 3
Dear ****, I am surprised and alarmed to find out that your synagogue has recently begun publicizing the average molad time in the weekly z’manim, which include the daily and sabbath prayer times, distributed to the wider community. If anything, the synagogue should publicize what day or days of the coming week are Rosh Hodesh, … Continue reading
I still can not get over the surprise that some could not entertain the possibility Birkath Hal’vana could be recited on Rosh Hodesh, despite the fact that it is patently clear from both Talmudim, and the writings of Rashi, Maimonides, the Meiri, the Magen Avraham, Rabbi Moshe Levi, and Rabbi Nahum Rabinovitch. But even more … Continue reading
(חלק א) הראיה מתוך סימנים אחרים בב”י ושו”ע: ידוע שלפעמים מרן פוסק הלכה כמקורות קבלתיים, הן מהמדרש הנעלם, הן ממגדולי הקבלה כמו האר”י, ובספרי הבב”י וכסף משנה מביא נימוקיו. פעמים אנחנו רואים שכשמרן פוסק על פי שיטה מנוגדת לשיטות שהתקבלו על ידי הראשונים ושנובעות מפשטות דברי חז”ל, הוא משמיט את השיטות הדחויות מן השורה התחתונה, … Continue reading
(Part 1, Part 2) R’ Schachter has shed much light on the subject of Birkath Ha’L’vana. In a shiur recently uploaded to yutorah.org, R’ Schachter mentioned the opinion of the P’ri M’gadim (Yoreh Deah 15:2) regarding the eight-day waiting period between an animal’s birth and its becoming fit for sacrifice: the period is calculated as exactly … Continue reading
Question: This week in shul, no one had a calendar and when it came time to do birkas hachodesh, we waited until someone could find a calendar so that we could announce when the molad was, and even after we found one, the chazzan then said that Rosh Chodesh Tammuz will be Monday, when it … Continue reading
לפני זמן מה קיבלתי את זה מאת בעל פלוגתא: בשולחן ערוך (סימן תכו סעיף ג) נפסק שצריך להמתין עד שעברו שבעה ימים. והרמ”א לא חלק על פסיקה זו של המחבר. ולכן זהו עיקר הדין לאשכנזים וספרדים כאחד. אמנם יש מנהג אשכנז לברך אחרי שלושה ימים וזה מבוסס על הגר”א מביאו המשנה ברורה ס”ק כ. זה מנהג … Continue reading
Avraham Ben Yehuda 