Musaf on Yom Kippur

Musaf: A. The recitation of the Avodah of the Kohen Gadol: When is it recited?[1] The Avodah of the Kohen Gadol is recited in the Chazans repetition of the Musaf prayer.[2] The mentioning of G-d’s name:[3] In times of the Temple, the Kohen Gadol would say G-d’s name in its […]

Confession on Yom Kippur

Confession:[1] One should be stringent to confess upon the approach of Bein Hashmashos.[2] [Practically, being that Kol Nidrei is said at this time, one should say this confession prior to Kol Nidrei.[3]] See Chapter 2 Halacha 10! _______________________________ [1] Admur 607/1; M”A 607/7; Shlah Yuma Teshuvah p. 228; Aruch Hashulchan […]

Shacharis on Yom Kippur

Shacharis: A. The morning blessings:[1] One does not recite the blessing of “Sheasa Li Kol Tzarki” on Yom Kippur.[2] [One only resumes saying it the next day.[3]]    B. The reading of the Torah:[4] How many scrolls are removed? Two Sifrei Torah are removed from the Ark for the Torah […]

Checklist For Yom Kippur Day

Reminders for Yom Kippur day: One is to wash his hands until the knuckle upon awakening. One does not recite Sheasa Li Kol Tzarki. In Kerias Hatorah one should be distressed over the death of sons of Aharon Ein Kelokeinu and Aleinu are not recited after Musaf Shemoneh Esrei. Ashrei/Uva […]

Birchas Habanim on Yom Kippur

Birchas Habanim: Blessing ones children prior to leaving for Shul:[1] On Erev Yom Kippur, after the Seudas Hamafsekes[2] but prior to leaving to Shul for Kol Nidrei[3], it is accustomed for parents to bless their children [with the priestly blessing of “Yivarechicha Hashem Veyishmirecha”[4]]. They should cry to Hashem that their […]

Two days of Yom Kippur

Two-day Yom Kippur:[1] Some [in the Diaspora] are stringent to keep two days of Yom Kippur. This has the status of a vow. Practically, it is not proper to do so.[2] ____________________ [1] Admur 624/10 [2] The reason why we do not need to keep two days of Yom Kippur:  […]

Tachanun on Yom Kippur

Tachanun on Yom Kippur:[1] Tachanun is omitted on Yom Kippur. Hence, the Tachanun and Al Cheit[2] is omitted from Kerias Shema Sheal Hamita and the Ribono Shel Olam and Elokeinu Velokei Avoseinu is omitted from Karbanos. ________________________ [1] Shaareiy Halacha Uminhag 2/258 [2] The Rebbe Rayatz stated that “Al Cheit” […]

Children on Yom Kippur

Children:[1] A. Leather Shoes:[2] One may not place leather shoes on a child even if the child is below the age of education.[3] Certainly it is forbidden to do so if the child is above the age of education.[4] If one’s child wore the shoes on his own, then if […]

Marital relations on Yom Kippur

Marital relations:[1] Marital relations is forbidden on Yom Kippur. Harchakos:  All the laws of Harchakos that apply when ones wife is in the state of Niddah apply equally throughout the entire[2] duration of Yom Kippur even if ones wife is pure. This is a safeguard to avoid marital relations. Speaking […]

Asking forgiveness on Erev Yom Kippur

Asking forgiveness: Yom Kippur does not atone for sins between man and his fellow. Therefore, if one wronged someone, even in words, he must make amends prior to Yom Kippur.[1]  A. How to ask for forgiveness: In front of three:[2] One should ask forgiveness from the person he offended in […]

Candle Lighting on Erev Yom Kippur

Candle Lighting: A. The Mitzvah to light candles:[1] On every Shabbos and Holiday there is a command to honor the day through eating a festive meal. Now, being that we cannot honor Yom Kippur through eating, due to the commanded fast, therefore, the Torah commanded us [in its stead] to […]

Leather shoes on Yom Kippur

Leather shoes:[1] A. The general Law:[2] It is forbidden to wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur. This includes all footwear which contains leather, even if the shoe is mainly of a different material, [such as if it has leather soles[3]].[4] It is forbidden to wear it even on one foot.[5] […]

Adding on to Holiness

Tosefes Shabbos and Yom Kippur-Adding on to the holiness of Yom Kippur:[1] It is a Biblical command to add on to the time of Yom Kippur, both in its beginning and end.[2] This means that one is to begin to keep all[3] the laws of Yom Kippur prior its official […]

Anointing on Yom Kippur

Anointing:[1] For pleasure: It is forbidden to anoint for pleasure purposes. [Thus, one may not apply to one’s body oil, soap, alcohol, hair tonic/cream, perfume, and deodorant.[2]] For removal of sweat: It is forbidden to anoint one’s body even for the sake of removing sweat.[3] Medical reasons: It is permitted […]

Insulating food on Erev Yom Kippur

  Insulating food on Erev Yom Kippur:[1]   Some[2] rule it is forbidden to insulate food on Erev Yom Kippur for one to eat after Yom Kippur.[3] Others[4] however rule it is permitted to be done.[5] The latter opinion is the main Halachic opinion, nevertheless the custom is to be […]

Bathing on Yom Kippur

Bathing: A. The general law: For pleasure:[1] It is forbidden to wash any part of one’s body [for the sake of pleasure[2]] on Yom Kippur. This applies whether with hot or cold water. Even to stick one’s finger in water is forbidden. To clean dirt:[3] If one’s hand, leg, or […]

Birchas Habanim on Erev Yom Kippur

Birchas Habanim: Blessing ones children prior to leaving for Shul:[1] On Erev Yom Kippur, after the Seudas Hamafsekes[2] but prior to leaving to Shul for Kol Nidrei[3], it is accustomed for parents to bless their children [with the priestly blessing of “Yivarechicha Hashem Veyishmirecha”[4]]. They should cry to Hashem that […]

Smelling Spices on Yom Kippur

Smelling spices on Yom Kippur:[1] It is permitted to smell spices on Yom Kippur.[2] Furthermore, it is praiseworthy to do so in order to accumulate the 100 obligatory daily blessings.[3] Q&A May one place scented oil onto a tissue for smelling?[4] No, due to the prohibition of Molid Reiach. May […]

Eating or drinking after meal

Eating and drinking after concluding the meal:[1] Verbalize that one is not accepting the fast at the meals conclusion: One may eat and drink after the meal until sunset. This applies even if he decided in his mind to no longer eat or drink after the meal.[2] Nevertheless, it is […]

One who is not fasting

Blessings, Kiddush and Birchas Hamazon for one who eats on Yom Kippur:[1] Kiddush and Lechem Mishneh: One who is required to eat on Yom Kippur due to medical reasons, does not need to say Kiddush, and is not required to recite Hamotzi on two loaves of bread.[2] [This applies even […]

Seudas Hamafsekes on Erev Yom Kippur

Seudas Hamafsekes-The Final Meal:[1] When?[2] Immediately after Mincha, one is to eat the final meal which is eaten prior the fast. This meal is referred to as the Seudas Hamafsekes. Dipping bread in honey:[3] One is to dip the bread in honey during the final meal. Dairy:[4] Dairy foods, including […]

Mincha on Erev Yom Kippur

Mincha: Placing Tzedaka onto plates:[1] Prior to Mincha one is to place coins of charity onto plates which are set up in Shul.[2] When is it prayed? Mincha is prayed in the early the afternoon with extreme concentration, arousing Teshuvah from the depths of the heart. The confession prayer:[3] One […]

A Yoledes fasting on Yom Kippur

Yoledes-After birth:[1] A. Within three days:[2] A woman who is within three weekdays[3] of giving birth [i.e. Yoledes], is not to fast at all on Yom Kippur. Says she wants to fast: If the Yoledes who is within three weekdays says she is able to fast and does not want […]

Eating and drinking on Yom Kippur

Eating and Drinking: A. How much food or drink is it forbidden to consume on Yom Kippur:[1] It is Biblically forbidden to eat any amount of food or drink on Yom Kippur.[2] All the measurements of food and liquid that are mentioned are only with regard to the penalty of […]

Preparing food on Yom Kippur

Preparing food on Yom Kippur:[1] For after the fast: It is forbidden to prepare food on Yom Kippur for after the fast. This applies even after Mincha of Yom Kippur.[2] For a child:[3] One may prepare food for a child on Yom Kippur if the food is not edible otherwise. […]

Yom Kippur attire

The Yom Kippur Attire: Wearing clean clothing:[1] There is an obligation to honor Yom Kippur with clean and proper attire.[2] One may not place on himself sackcloth even if he is doing so for purposes of repentance.[3] Wearing a white Kittel:[4] The custom is to wear a Kittel [over one’s […]

Melacha on Yom Kippur

Melacha:[1] Yom Kippur has the same Halachic status as Shabbos with regards to Melacha. Thus, it is forbidden to carry and cook on Yom Kippur just like on Shabbos, and everything forbidden on Shabbos, whether Biblical or Rabbinical, is likewise forbidden on Yom Kippur. ___________________________ [1] Admur 611/4          Bookmark

The Five Prohibitions of Yom Kippur

The five prohibitions:[1] The verse[2] states that on Yom Kippur one is required to oppress himself. The Sages derived from this verse five oppressions that one must restrict himself from on Yom Kippur, in order to decrease one’s pleasure. All these five prohibitions are of Biblical status, as they are […]

Malkus-Lashes on Erev Yom Kippur

Malkus-Lashes:[1] When?[2] It is customary to receive 39 lashes on Erev Yom Kippur[3] [after midday] prior to going to Mikveh[4], prior to Mincha.[5] Why?[6] Although Malkus is no longer affective in today’s times due to lack of judges that have Semicha and due to lack of Hasara[7], nevertheless the custom […]

After Midday

The difference of Avoda between the morning and afternoon of Erev Yom Kippur:[1] On Erev Yom Kippur in Lubavitch there was a difference between the atmosphere of the first half of the day and the second half, as if they were two completely different times of the year. [1] Likkutei […]

Visiting graves on Erev Yom Kippur

Visiting graves-cemetery:[1] Some communities have the custom to visit gravesites on Erev Yom Kippur in order to increase in charity while there. This is a good custom. The charity that is given by the cemetery is the worth of the chickens used for Kapparos, known as Pidyon Kaparos. It is […]

Eating on Erev Yom Kippur

Eating on Erev Yom Kippur: A. The Mitzvah to eat:[1] It is a (Rabbinical[2]) Mitzvah and obligation based on scripture, to eat and drink on Erev Yom Kippur in preparation for the Yom Kippur fast.[3] By eating on Erev Yom Kippur Hashem rewards us as if we had fasted that […]

Omissions from the prayer on Erev Yom Kippur

Omissions from the prayer on Erev Yom Kippur:[1] The following prayers are omitted on Erev Yom Kippur: Tachanun Lamnatzeiach Mizmor Lesodah Avinu Malkeinu. Diminish in Selichos A. Tachanun:[2] Tachanun is omitted on Erev Yom Kippur.[3] It is not resumed until the 2nd day of Cheshvan.[4] Is Tachanun recited by the […]

0. Kaparos-Laws & Customs Full Article

Kaparos:[1] A. The custom:[2] It is customary in these provinces [of Ashkenazi Jewry] to take and slaughter a chicken, which is called a Gever[3], for atonement on Erev Yom Kippur.[4] One takes a male chicken for each male family member and a female chicken for each female family member, and […]

Checklist for Erev Yom Kippur

  Erev Yom Kippur summarized Checklist Kaparos Buy two 24 hour candles. One for the shul for married men and one for the house for Havdala. Lekach Breakfast: Dip the bread in honey. Eat fish. No garlic, eggs or sesame [Tehina]. Malkus after midday Mikveh after Malkus check there is […]

20. Cleaning out a Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 20. Cleaning out a Shofar: [1] One may polish the inside of his Shofar using water or wine.[2] One may not use urine to polish the Shofar even during the week as this is not respectable […]

16. Blowing with a stolen Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 16. Blowing with a stolen Shofar: [1] One who used a stolen Shofar to blow with to fulfill the Mitzvah has fulfilled his obligation.[2] Nevertheless one may not say a blessing over the blowing when using […]

13. A Shofar within a Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 13. A Shofar within a Shofar[1] If one enters a Shofar within a Shofar then it only remains valid for blowing if the inner Shofar protrudes further out on the narrow end, and either protrudes further […]

8. A plated Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 8. A Plated Shofar: [1] It is forbidden to have any intervention between the mouth of the blower and the Shofar material. Therefore if one plated a Shofar with gold[2] in the area where the mouth […]

7. Removing cartilage from Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 7. Removing cartilage from Shofar: [1] A Kosher Shofar contains removable cartilage. It is not required to remove this cartilage and even initially it suffices to puncture a hole through the cartilage rather than remove it.[2]  […]

6. A thin Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 6. A thin Shofar: [1] If the Shofar was sanded down, whether on its inside or outside, until it became very thin similar to the thinness of a scab, nevertheless it remains valid.[2]    [1] 586/14 […]

3. A Damaged Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 3. A damaged Shofar:[1] A. A Shofar with a hole that is not patched:[2] Some Poskim[3] rule that a Shofar that contains a hole[4] on its side is valid to use for blowing on Rosh Hashanah. […]

17. Blowing without a minyan

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 17. Blowing without a Minyan:[1] Hearing Shofar with a Minyan/group versus blowing for oneself:[2]  Whenever there is a group of people who need to hear Shofar, it is proper for one person to blow on behalf of everyone else, […]

13. Silence throughout the Shofar blowing

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 13. Silence throughout the Shofar blowing:[1] During the actual blowing of the Shofar, whether of Meyushav [i.e. before Musaf] or Meumad [i.e. during Musaf], it is forbidden for one to [make any noise even[2] to] spit, as one must […]

11. The Blessings of Shofar

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 11. The Blessings: A. The Nussach of the Bracha:[1] Prior to blowing the Shofar one recites the following blessing while standing: “ברוך ….אקב”ו לשמוע קול שופר” [“Baruch… Leshmoa Kol Shofar”].[2] If one mistakenly recited “Letkoa Beshofar” or “Al Tekias […]

10. Covering the Shofaros

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 10. Covering the Shofaros:[1] It is customary to cover the Shofaros prior to saying the blessings.[2] [Some[3] write that the mouth of the Shofar however remains revealed. The Chabad Rebbe’s had a special order with regards to the coverings […]

9. The Makri

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 9. The Makri:[1] What is the job of the Makri?[2] It is customary to have a person [i.e. Makri] utter the name of each and every blow to the Baal Tokeia [i.e. the person blowing the Shofar] prior to […]

9. Intervals between blows

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 9. Intervals between blows:[1] Speaking in between blows:[2] It is initially forbidden for the blower to speak or make an interval between the blows until the last Tekios of Musaf are heard.[3] [If one is hearing Shofar outside of […]

8. Taking breaths

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 8. Taking breaths: A. Within a single sound:[1] [The minimum required measurement of the Tekiah blow must be done in one breath.[2]] The [minimum required] amount of the Yevavos [i.e. Terumatin] of the Teruos in the sound of Terua, […]

5. The Form of the sounds

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 5. The form of the sounds:[1] All forms of sounds which come out of the Shofar are valid. Hence, whether the sound was very strong or very light [or sounded hoarse or dry[2]] it is valid. [This applies even […]

3. Blowing a very long Tekiah

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 3. Blowing a very long Tekiah: [1] It does not suffice to blow a very long Tekiah in order for it to count as the last Tekiah of the current set and the first Tekiah of the coming set. […]

1. The amount of blows needed to be heard

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 1. The amount of blows needed to be heard: A. The Biblical requirement:[1] According to Biblical law, one is only is required to hear nine blows, which is made up of three sets of a Tekiah-Teruah-Tekiah [תר”ת תר”ת תר”ת].[2] […]

15. Blowing after Musaf

This article is an excerpt from our Sefer Buy me here or on Amazon.com 15. Blowing after Musaf:[1] [It is customary to blow the Shofar after the conclusion of the prayer of Musaf. Various custom exist regarding how many sounds one is to blow.] Blowing a great Terua:[2] Some communities have the custom […]