A special message from Rabbi Dovid Bendory, Executive Director of Pidyon.
20 Tevet 5771 | Duration: 1:39
It is a mitzvah to shave and groom prior to a holiday and thus we are prohibited from doing so on Chol HaMoed.
14 Tishrei 5770 | Duration: 15:51
OC 631:1-2; MB 630:1-4; Shaar HaTziun 631:1; Beur Halacha d.h. "Ein Megalchim"
Chol HaMoed is neither weekday nor holiday. So what is it?
13 Tishrei 5770 | Duration: 12:20
OC 630:1; MB 630:2
Is malachah on Chol HaMoed prohibitted by the Written or Oral Torah?
12 Tishrei 5770 | Duration: 14:51
OC 630:1; MB 630:1
Chol HaMoed has its own particular restrictions on malachah -- it is neither a weekday nor festival.
11 Tishrei 5770 | Duration: 13:28
OC 630:1; MB 630:1
Whether or not bamboo mats can be used as schach is already discussed in the Mishnah.
24 Av 5769 | Duration: 16:56
Sukkah 1:11
The general principles involved in the halachot governing schach.
23 Av 5769 | Duration: 15:08
Sukkah 1:4
One who sits under a covering that is either over or under the s'chach does not fulfill the mitzvah of sukkah.
22 Av 5769 | Duration: 12:09
Sukkah 1:3
A sukkah is not kosher unless it is under the open sky.
21 Av 5769 | Duration: 16:11
Sukkah 1:2
The minimum and maximum height of a sukkah, and the minimum area.
17 Av 5769 | Duration: 12:54
Sukkah 1:1
Do we say VaY'chulu on Yom Tov Erev Shabbos? When and why?
5 Sivan 5769 | Duration: 17:05
OC 268:1,7,9,11; MB 268:1,18-19,23
1 Shevat 5769 | Duration: 7:32
If you skip a pasuk or perek during Hallel, do you need to go back and correct your mistake? If so, how?
1 Kislev 5769 | Duration: 6:36
OC 422:6; MB 422:26-27
The mitzvah of hakhel: the gathering of all of the Jewish people every seven years to listen to the king read the Torah.
18 Tishrei 5769 | Duration: 14:39
Sefer HaChinuch 612
The mitzvah of hakhel: the gathering of all of the Jewish people every seven years to listen to the king read the Torah.
17 Tishrei 5769 | Duration: 16:05
Sefer HaChinuch 612
If you forget to put your schach on, can a non-Jew put it on for you on Yom Tov? Also: does your sukkah need a mezuzah?
14 Tishrei 5769 | Duration: 16:27
MB 626:20-21
A solid roof over the sukkah renders the sukkah pasul, but what about a roof that opens? Is there a way to deal with a tree?
11 Tishrei 5769 | Duration: 16:25
OC 626:1-3; MB 626:1-2,18-19
We make havdala following Yom Tov, but we don't include the candle or spices. Why?
3 Sivan 5768 | Duration: 15:13
OC 491:1; MB 491:1-2; OC 298:1; MB 298:1
The Sukkot decorations stay on the sukkah walls until after Shmini Atzeret. Why? Also: the prayer for leaving the sukkah for the last time; preparing on Yom Tov for shabbos.
21 Tishrei 5768 | Duration: 14:54
OC 667:1; MB 667:1-6
It is forbidden to smell the hadas but permitted to smell the etrog. What is the difference between them, and what is the prohibition about?
19 Tishrei 5768 | Duration: 15:18
Sukkah 9a; Lev. 23:34; Sukkah 37b
Why do we wave an Etrog on Sukkos? How do we know that the "pre etz hadar" is an Etrog?
18 Tishrei 5768 | Duration: 15:21
Sukkah 35a; Lev. 23:40; Onkoles, Ramban, ad loc.; Gen. 3:6; Onkoles, ad loc.; Gen. 2:9; Onkoles, ad loc.
After Yom Kippur, we rush to do several mitzvot, among them building the sukkah. We also leave out tachnun as the days until Sukkos have a quasi Yom Tov status. What is the connection between these themes?
13 Tishrei 5768 | Duration: 11:51
OC 624:5; MB 624:18-19; OC 625:1; MB 625:2; I Kings 7-8
Dedicated as a zechut for a refuah shleima for Moshe ben Ester Ruchel.
Why do we dwell in a Sukkah?
12 Tishrei 5768 | Duration: 9:48
OC 625:1; MB 625:1
What is an Eruv Tavshilin? When, why, and how do we make an Eruv Tavshilin? Isn't this just a "legal loophole" -- if cooking is forbidden, how does the Eruv help, and if it is permitted, what is the point of the Eruv?
29 Elul 5767 | Duration: 18:43
Ex. 12:16; Pes. 46b
The fasts of BaHa"B are held twice a year following both Pesach and Sukkos. This shiur explores the reasons behind the fasts and brings out the relevant halachot of BaHa"B.
2 Iyar 5767 | Duration: 22:34
OC 492:1; Tur 492; BY 492; MB 492:1-6
What to do if you leave out (or aren't sure if you said) mashiv haruach, with all the sources and all the details.
26 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 12:14
OC 114:5-9; MB 114:28-31,33; Beiur Halacha d.h. "B'lo chatima"; Baer Heiteiv 114:14
The kahal does not begin to say mashiv haruach until it has been announced. But what if you don't hear it?
25 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 7:05
OC 114:2; MB 114:4,5,8,9
Topics covered: Why do we begin mashiv haruach on Shmini Atzeret? Why do we say it in the second brocha, the brocha of gevurot? What if you leave out mashiv haruach by accident?
24 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 7:15
OC 114:1; MB 114:1-2
Sukkos is at the same time our most universal and most particularistic Holiday. How can this be? What is the meaning of Sukkos for a non-Jew?
21 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 56:21
Num 29:12-34; Sukkah 55b; Zech. 14:16; Av.Zar. 3a; Lev. 23:40; Gen. 3:6; Gen. 1:11
What does it mean to "dwell" in the Sukkah? In brief, we live in the Sukkah as we live in our homes the rest of the year... though in practice, it's a bit more complicated...
19 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 9:59
OC 639:1; MB 639:2,4,6,9
Can you borrow a sukkah? Share one? What if you steal a sukkah?
18 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 10:36
OC 637:2-3; MB 637:5-9
There is a mitzvah to feel happy on Sukkos. How can Hashem command us to feel joy!?
17 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 6:03
Can you put up a sukkah on chol hamoed? What about on Yom Tov?
17 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 7:08
OC 637:1; MB 637:1-4
Like all our Holidays, Sukkos has an element of chinuch: buy a lulav for your kids if they can wave it.
14 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 12:56
OC 657; MB and Biur Halacha ad. locum.
For a mitzvah aseh, one should be prepared to spend up to 1/5 of his assets. But to avoid a lo ta'aseh? Be prepared to give up everything.
13 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 8:59
OC 656:1
The Talmud learns that we should spend up to 1/3 extra for a beautiful etrog. How do we apply this halacha?
12 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 13:13
Bava Kama 9a; OC 656:1; MB 656:4
Why do we dwell in sukkos for seven days? And why this time of year?
11 Tishrei 5767 | Duration: 9:25
OC 625:1; MB 625:1
