From the Rav’s Desk: 1) Sechach barbecue; 2) When to do Pidyon Haben; 3) Meat and dairy imitators

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  1. Question: [Monday, 29th Mar Cheshvan, 5781]

Is one permitted to use Sechach for the sake of starting a bonfire?

 

Answer:

Yes. It is only forbidden to use Sechach for belittling purposes. It is clear from the Poskim that using it to start a fire is not considered a belittling purpose, and on the contrary so is even recommended to be done with the Aravos to help bake the Matzos, and so is also customarily done with the Lulav. It is definitely no more for belittlement than the accustom practice of turning the esrog into jelly which is then eaten.

 

Sources: See Admur 638:19 and our following article: https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/what-is-one-to-do-with-the-sechach-and-daled-minim-after-sukkos/

 

  1. Question: [Monday, 29th Mar Cheshvan, 5781]

On which day is a Pidyon Haben to take place?

 

Answer:

A Pidyon Haben is a take place on the 31st day from birth. Thus, if the baby was born on a Sunday prior to sunset than the Pidyon Haben is to take place four weeks and two weekdays later, on a Tuesday. It may not take place beforehand and may not initially be delayed past the 31st day. If the 31st day falls on Shabbos or Yom Tov then it is to take place the next day.

Sources: Michaber Y.D. 305:11; Siddur Admur

 

  1. Question: [Monday, 29th Mar Cheshvan, 5781]

If a Pidyon Haben falls on Shabbos [i.e. the 31st day], when should it take place?

 

Answer:

If the 31st day falls on Shabbos then it is to take place the next day, on Sunday.

Sources: Michaber Y.D. 305:11

 

  1. Question: [Monday, 29th Mar Cheshvan, 5781]

Is it permitted to enter meat and dairy imitators into ingredients of a food? My question is due to Maaras Ayin?

 

Answer:

The rule is as follows: It is permitted to use meat and dairy imitators [i.e. Pareve] in the same food so long as people understand that they are imitators and are not real meat or milk. There are two ways of this can be accomplished, 1) Through leaving the pareve label of the meat and dairy imitators near the food being cooked and eaten; 2) Through it being already common knowledge in one’s area that these meat and dairy imitators exist and therefore there is no Maaras Ayin.

Sources: See Michaber and Rama Y.D. 87:3-4; Kneses Hagedola 87:8; Machazik Bracha 87:6; Kaf Hachaim 87:27; Cheishev Haeifod 1:20; Mishneh Halachos 5:97

 

About The Author

Rabbi Yaakov Goldstein is a 6th generation descendent of the famous Chief Rabbi of Izhmir, Rav Yehoshua Avraham Krispin, who authored a number of Sefarim, and was a colleague of Rav Chaim Falagi, and father in-law of the Pesach Hadvir. He currently lives with his wife Shayna, and twelve children K”H, in Tzfas, Israel. Rabbi Goldstein received Semicha from Rabbi Schneur Zalman Labkowski of the Tomchei Temimim headquarters in 2005 and served as a chaplain in the Lotar/Kalatz and K9 unit of the IDF from years 2005-2008. He is also a certified Shochet, and has performed Hashgacha work in slaughterhouses. Rabbi Goldstein is the director of Shulchanaruchharav.com, the world’s leading web-based Halacha database, and is the director of the Home Study Semicha Program, a self-study web-based Semicha program. He is a prolific author of over 50 Sefarim studied by a wide range of readers throughout the world, which is used regularly in Semicha programs around the globe. He is a world renowned Posek, answering questions to a web-based market, and serves as a local Posek, Rav, and Lecturer, in the Tzemach Tzedek community Shul in Tzefas, Israel. His many classes can be heard both from his website, Vimeo and YouTube channel. Students can join live to classes given in the Tzemach Tzedek Shul, through the “בית חבד צפת Chabad Tsfat” YouTube channel.

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