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Beit Midrash
- Shabbat and Holidays
- Shabbat
more & more to stay cool. Though a fan is an
electrical appliance, it is not muktzeh & so it
may be moved from place to place, or turned in a
different direction (but it cannot be turned on
or off). A rechargeable hand-held fan may also be
carried with you (if there is an eruv). You may
even plug the fan (when it is on) - into a
Shabbat clock (before Shabbat begins) so that it
charges the fan during the night while you sleep.
Then, when the clock is off (e.g. in the morning)
you can unplug the charged fan & take it with
you. You should check that there are no lights on
the fan going on or off when you move it. And if
there is a button that increases or decreases the
speed of the fan, that button should be covered
(before Shabbat) with a piece of tape, so that
you do not inadvertently press it during Shabbat
(much like a Shabbat blech covers the temperature
controls). Of course, this also applies to
Chagim. (With thanks to Phil S, the fan-man)
TORAH TRIVIA: We asked what bracha the Israelites
said on Mahn: Several options: 1) Ha’adama
(because the Mahn started/was found on the
ground); 2) Hamotzi lechem min ha-shamayim or
Baruch hamamtir lechem min ha-shamayim; 3)
Whatever bracha applies to what the person
imagined the Mahn to be; 4) No bracha at all,
since it was a miraculous food. BIG, RAW, MD offered answers.
Rabbis in Midrash
Lessons
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Israel and the Nations A Few Minutes & Many Innovative Ideas on Antisemitism & What to do About It
As we approach the High Holidays, this short lecture (18 minutes) deals with the unfortunate situation of how Israel and the Jewish People stand against antisemitism, analyzing its cause according to Rav Kook, and how to deal with the issue pragmatically & via our prayers.
Ha'azinu PURSUIT is PERFECTION
p. Ha'azinu, Shabbat Shuva
Rav Kook deals with the question of the seemingly hopeless nature of Tshuva. For G-d Himself knows that He created us with free will, which inevitably means we will sometimes make mistakes and choose wrong. This can easily be frustrating, freezing us into inaction and ye'ush (loss of hope). If one sins even once, does he chalila have no choice but suicide?! Moreover, our Godly conscience demands justice, righteousness and perfection, but we all know this is impossible, so what's the solution? Rav Kook's innovative thinking, strongly based on chazal (our sages), offers an inciteful and important aspect to this topic, especially this time of year!
Sukkot Bug-Free Sukkah: Essential Halachic and Practical Schach Guide
How to inspect, clean, and store bamboo mats and palm branches to protect your mitzvah and holiday meals.
