**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** Which is the proper way to recite the Amida – silently, or audibly? The Shulchan Aruch writes (101) that when praying the Amida one must move his lips and enunciate the words; thinking the words in one's mind does not fulfill the obliga…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** A number of different applications are available providing the entire text of the Siddur of one's smartphone. Is it permissible to pray using such an application? The Gemara in Masechet Berachot (23) establishes that while praying the A…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The widespread custom among all Sephardic communities is to recite "Viduy," or confession, immediately following the Amida both at Shaharit and at Minha. This custom is based upon passages in the Zohar (the principal text of Kabbala) an…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The Ben Ish Hai (Rabbi Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Vayigash (1; listen to audio recording for precise citation), discusses the laws pertaining to the recitation of the verse, "Hashem Melech" in the prayer service. He …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** There is a prevalent custom among the Sepharadim to gesture with one's hands to the right and to the left before beginning the Amida prayer. The custom is to gesture three times to the individual standing to one's right, and then three …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** On Purim morning, one should make an effort to wake up extra early and recite Tehilim. This is based on the Hida (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1807), who writes in his "Devash L'fi" that there are five special days during the year …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The thirteenth of Adar – the day before Purim – is observed as a fast called Ta'anit Ester. This fast commemorates the fast that the Jews observed during the time of Mordechai and Ester on the day they waged war to defend themselves aga…

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**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** One of the obligations of Purim is "Matanot La'ebyonim" – giving gifts to the poor. Does one fulfill this obligation through "Mehila," meaning, by waiving an outstanding debt? For example, if a person lent a poor person $500 at some poi…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** One of the obligations that apply on the festival of Purim is Matanot La'evyonim – gifts to the poor. People are generally very vigilant with regard to the Mitzva of Mishlo'ach Manot on Purim, and most of the money spent on this festiva…

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**Today's Halacha is dedicated f or the refuah and haslacha of Ronnie, Sharon, Eli and all the children of CARE** The Gemara states that the list Haman's ten sons should be read in one breath. The common practice is to also read the word "Aseret" (ten), which sums up the list, in the same breath as the names. The reason for this custom is to emphas…

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The Shulhan Aruch (687:1) records the Halacha that the Megila is read twice on Purim-once at night and once during the day. The Poskim discuss a case in which a person can only hear the Megila at only one of those times. Is it preferable for him to hear it in the night or during the day? Hacham Ben Sion (Or L'Sion Vol. 4, p.319) suggests that this …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The 7th of Adar (which this year will be March 7th 2025) marks the Yartzheit of Moshe Rabbenu, and there is a custom among many to observe a fast on this day. The custom to fast on 7 Adar is mentioned already by Maran in the Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 580:2). The rationale behind this custom is the fact that it is customary to fast on the Yartzheit o…

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There is a custom among Sepharadim to sing the Piyut (hymn), "Mi Kamocha Ve'en Kamocha" on the Shabbat before Purim. This song is, essentially, a poetic description of the Purim story. It follows the sequence of the Hebrew alphabet, and each line is taken from a verse in Tanach and concludes with the word "Lo." It is remarkable to consider that it …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A person should hear the reading of Parashat Zachor on the Shabbat before Purim from a person who reads according to his tradition. Meaning, a Sepharadi should hear Parashat Zachor read by a Sepharadi, and an Ashkenazi should hear it read by an Ashkenazi. If a Sepharadi normally prays in an Ashkenazic Minyan, he should make a point to attend a Seph…

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On "Shabbat Zachor," the Shabbat before Purim, we take two Torah scrolls from the Heichal. After reading the regular Torah portion from the first Torah, we open the second scroll and read for the Maftir reading the final verses of Parashat Ki-Teitzei (Devarim 25:17-19) which command us to recount Amalek's attack on Benei Yisrael. According to many …

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Must pregnant women observe the fast of Ta'anit Ester? The Halacha in such a case depends on the stage of pregnancy, and the woman's condition. After the first trimester, a pregnant woman is exempt from the fast so she may eat and drink to sustain and strengthen the fetus. However, a woman in this case must ensure to eat and drink only as necessary…

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We have learned that it is a Mitzvah on Purim Day to have a Seuda, a meal with meat, with bread, etc. This year, Purim falls out on a Friday. So the question was asked about Seudat Purim when Purim falls out on a Friday. We are all aware of Seudat Shabbat, which is the festive meal we all have on Friday night. So when should we have Seudat Purim so…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The Gemara teaches in Masechet Ta'anit (29), "Mi'shenichnas Adar Marbim Be'simha" – "When Adar comes, we increase our joy." Rashi explains, "Because of the miracles that were performed for Israel – Purim and Pesah." According to Rashi, then, the special joy of Adar is due to two miracles – the Purim miracle, and the miracle of the Exodus which we c…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

The first day of Adar can fall on either Shabbat, Monday, Wednesday or Friday; these are the only days of the week on which the first of Adar can occur. These four days are represented by the acrostic "Zabdu," which consists of the letters Zayin (referring to Shabbat), Bet (referring to Monday), Dalet (referring to Wednesday) and Vav (referring to …

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

If a person keeps a charity box in his home and occasionally places money in the box on behalf of a charitable institution, may he borrow money that had been placed in the box and then return it later? It occasionally happens that a deliveryman comes and a person needs small change for a tip. Is it permissible to take some money from the Sedaka box…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

Rabbi Eliezer Waldenberg (a contemporary Halachic authority in Israel), in his Tzitz Eliezer (16:29), addresses two interesting questions relevant to the practice that many people have to keep a charity box in their home and from time to time place money in the box. Firstly, he raises the question of whether a person bears responsibility in the eve…

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour

A Daily Gemara podcast, brought to you by Daily GemaraVon Rabbi Eli J. Mansour