15
votes
What is the reason that you are not allowed to learn Torah shebictav at night?
Mishne Berurah (238, Shaar HaTziyun 1) writes that the Midrash (Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer 46 and Tanchumah Parsha Ki Sisa 36) writes that Moshe Rabenu was taught the Written Torah during the day and the ...
- 7,420
10
votes
Accepted
Is the Fast of Tevet considered a 24 hour fast?
Only Yom Kippur and Tisha b'Av are 25-hour fasts. The others are minor fasts, from dawn (first light, before sunrise) until nightfall (full dark). The minor fasts are:
Fast of Gedaliah (3 Tishrei)
...
- 55.9k
10
votes
Accepted
Mazikim on Shabbos?
Perishah to Tur Orach Chaim 267 (answering a slightly different question) explains that there are in fact mazikim on shabbat, which would be consistent with the explanation you give for the recital of ...
- 38.4k
9
votes
What is the source for not leaving onions overnight and why don't some care?
Dose of Halacha explains:
The Gemara (Nidda 17a) writes that it is dangerous to leave peeled garlic, onion or egg overnight due to ruach ra’ah, evil spirit.
This halacha only applies if the ...
- 6,097
9
votes
Accepted
What is Tikkun Leil Shevii?
The seventh day of Pesah is associated in rabbinic literature with the splitting of the sea (for example, Rashi on Exodus 14:5 s.v. vayyuggad lemelekh mitzrayim writes that "on the fifth and sixth ...
- 3,612
7
votes
Why do we wear a tallit at kol nidre?
Nitei Gavriel Hilchos Yom Hakipurim page 181 note 24 in the name of Siach Yitzchak that we wear a Talis at Kol Nidrei based on the Yerushalmi Chagiga 1:5 that says that one needs to wear a Talis at ...
- 137k
7
votes
Accepted
is there an issue in visiting a cemetery while menstruating?
The Pischei Tshuva in Yoreh Deah siman siff 195 #19 mentions a minhag not to go to the cemetery to pray during their Nida days.
See here starting by footnote 12 for some more information. http://...
- 32.3k
7
votes
Can we offer Mishloah manot the night of Purim
The Rema quotes the Rosh as saying to do it during the day. The Mishnah Berurah also says this, as does Rav Ovadia.
- 6,878
6
votes
Can we offer Mishloah manot the night of Purim
The time for the mitzvah is tied to the se'udah which is held during the day.
The Ran (Megilla 3b in the pages of the Rif) addresses the issue. Despite the fact that megilla reading varies, the se’...
- 36.6k
6
votes
Accepted
Why is kedusha only said during the day?
tl;dr - it's kabbalah (likely), or it's to reject karaites (highly unlikely), it's coincidental because the evening prayer is optional (very likely).
To me, the most likely option is that this is ...
- 20.5k
6
votes
Are there any sources that talk about deeper thoughts at night?
Not sure if this quite what you’re looking for, but Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Talmud Torah 3:13) writes:
אף על פי שמצוה ללמוד ביום ובלילה אין אדם למד רוב חכמתו אלא בלילה לפיכך מי שרצה לזכות ...
- 47.9k
5
votes
When and why did women change to ritually bathing in the Evening?
Rambam seems to provide an answer הלכות אסורי ביאה ד,ו:
כָּל חַיָּבֵי טְבִילוֹת, טְבִילָתָן בַּיּוֹם: חוּץ מִנִּדָּה
וְיוֹלֶדֶת--שֶׁהֲרֵי הוּא אוֹמֵר בַּנִּדָּה "שִׁבְעַת יָמִים תִּהְיֶה
...
- 3,592
5
votes
Accepted
Why do we wear a tallit at kol nidre?
Summarizing from p. 349 of this book:
The custom originated from Rav Meir of Rothenberg who stated that on the night of Yom Kippur we recite the 13 "middot" - Attrubutes of Mercy, multiple times ...
- 68.8k
5
votes
Can / should one praying alone recite Hallel after Arvit on the first night of Pesach?
R. H. Schachter rules, in a responsum found here, that this Hallel is only to be recited in a synagogue setting, as a way of publicizing the miracle of the Exodus.
As such, even if ten men pray ...
- 38.4k
4
votes
Accepted
What options are there for chanukiah lighting in southern latitudes?
Let's assume you're far down as Cape Town at 33° 55′ 31″ S.
Candle lighting on the first day of Chanuka (this year, 5775) at sunset would be at 19:55 and if you wait for night then it's at 20:25.
...
- 42k
4
votes
Saying ברכת המזון with על הנסים after praying ערבית following Purim
Mishne Brurah (695, 16) cites a dispute among Poskim as to whether one may recite Al Hanisim in bentching after davening Maariv after Purim (where he does not say Al Hanissim). To avoid the ...
- 7,420
4
votes
knife under pillow after mikveh?
This is sourced in the Sefer Tahara K'halacha which brings that if a a woman is waiting for her husband who is out of town but does not know when he will return should be tovel so she will be mutar to ...
- 39.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Is there a mitzvah of Sippur Yetzias Mitzraim all night long?
Shulchan Aruch in siman 481 writes:
A person is required to involve themselves in the laws of Pesach and Yetzias Mitzraim and discuss the signs and wonders that Hashem did for our forefathers until ...
- 32.3k
4
votes
Why learn late Thursday night?
The sefer חמדת ימים (שב"ק פ"א) writes very great things (kabbalistic) about learning ליל ששי (Thursday night), the יסוד ושורש העבודה (ח"ב ש"ח פרק א') brings from kisvei ari"...
- 524
4
votes
Accepted
Does one fulfill the mitzvah of tefillin if he wears it at night time?
SA OC 30:2 rules that
One is prohibited to put Tefillin on at night since he may forget
[that he has them on] and sleep in them. But if he puts them on before
the sun sets and it happens to get ...
- 43.5k
3
votes
Accepted
Teffilin at night after having been sick
Rav Ovadia Yosef permits putting them on Bein Hashmashos with a Bracha (source), which is interesting given that the Rambam implies it is an issur dioraisa to put them on at night (Tefillin 4:11), but ...
- 31.3k
3
votes
Accepted
Practicing Binding Tefillin at Night
This is an interesting but difficult question. It is not addressed explicitly anywhere I looked and I assume it is because it is quite theoretical. Someone learning can wait to practice by day. But ...
- 43.5k
3
votes
Minimal requirements for bedtime shema
You asked if hamapil and Shema is good enough, see in SA OC 239, 1, this is exactly what he says:
קורא על מטתו פרשה ראשונה של שמע ומברך המפיל חבלי שינה על עיני וכו'.ואומר יושב בסתר עליון. ואומר ה' ...
- 22.2k
3
votes
Yartzeit candle - light before mincha or after maariv?
Nitei Gavriel - Aveilus 2 - 75:1 says that there are those that light the Yarzheit candle before sunset. He says in the notes on bottom see next page - note 2 that is the Minhag Chabad.
Based on this ...
- 137k
3
votes
Is there really evidence that the Rabbis changed the day's beginning from sunrise to sunset?
In short: there isn't, or at least, not sufficient evidence.
The author of the article quoted in the question seems to misunderstand the sources he quotes. While it may be true that the Rashbam ...
- 21.4k
3
votes
Staying up shivi shel pesach?
Otzar Minhagei Chabad says that the Sefer "Minhag Israel Torah" says that there was an old Chassidic custom to stay up on the seventh night of Pesach and say over miracle stories. However, some aren't ...
- 39.9k
3
votes
Leil Shimmurim Outdoors
Why does the present day protection on Pesach night apply even outside?
It doesn't. The danger of remaining alone is, on an ordinary Friday Night, only inside the shul. As can be seen explicitly in ...
- 5,529
3
votes
Accepted
What is the meaning of "Midnight Guard - First Watch" and "Morning Guard - Third Watch" in the Zmanim
It might be referring to when the angels in heaven switch guard posts, which is a time when heaven is very open to accept tefilos on the chorban beis hamikdash and the galus. This happens at every ...
- 1,334
3
votes
Is a nocturnal emission (Keri) a sin?
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (151:5) calls it a sin indeed, but an involuntary one.
If, God forbid, you had a seminal emission at night, upon waking up
from your sleep you should wash your hands and ...
- 43.5k
3
votes
Accepted
Going to men's mikva at night
I'm unaware of any halacha that prohibits men from going to the mikvah at night (other than Yom Kippur and Tisha B'av.) I've occasionally seen men do this in my neighborhood.
However, practically, in ...
- 68.8k
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