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Last answer posted on: 2 Sep 2010

Questions answered to date: 1675

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Showing Questions in 'Brachos (Laws of Blessings)'

Question No.	1676
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	6 Jul 2009
The Question	B'Kavod Ha'Rav When making a bracha, does one have to hear oneself or may one just move his lips? Is one le'chatchila and one b'dieved? If one has children, should he make brachos loud enough that they can hear them? Thank you. —Anonymous, United States
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1668
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	28 Jun 2009
The Question	Kevod Harav Leff, I continue to enjoy your website! It is stated clearly in Shulchan Aruch 187:3 that mentioning Bris Mila and the Torah is an essential requirement of the 2nd brocho of Bircas Hamazon, and one must go back in case of omission. Interestingly though, these 2 points are not mentioned in the Broche of Me'ein Shalosh, which is supposed to be modelled after Bircas Hamazon. A similar point can be made with respect to mentioning the kingship of the House of David in the 3rd blessing, which is necessary, as ruled in 188:3. Nevertheless, we don't mention David Hamelech in the Brocho Me'ein Shalosh. Therefore, it seems that essential points are 'lacking' in this brocho. I hope you can eleborate on this. —Jitschak Joseph, Amstelveen, The Netherlands
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1616
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	10 Feb 2009
The Question	A friend of mine posed a challenging question to me: "In Yeshiva he drinks a cup of coffee before he davens then after davening he returns to a the coffee room and gets another coffee to drink. Is there such thing as Hafsek Hadas besides a long sleep or the change of place? (He thinks he shouldn't say another brocha because he hasn't found a source for any din of hafsek hadas by brachas on foods.) I thought that since one can't drink during shema or other parts of tefila it would be a hefsake hadas? —Melech Wosk, Far Rockaway NY USA 11691
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1603
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	2 Feb 2009
The Question	When bentching with a zimun, usually only the last words of the 4th bracha are said out loud ("umekol tuv leolam al yechasreinu"). Why is it ok to answer "amen" to this bracha when the "baruch ata Hashem ... " are not heard by anyone? —David Slotkin, Queens, NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1598
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	18 Jan 2009
The Question	Shalom. Can you elaborate on the halachot of Kriat Shema al Hamita? I realize that one should not speak after saying Hamapil, but should this prevent a person from saying it? Our children say Shema and V'ahavta every night, but we have never had them say Hamapil because we never know when we're going to speak after that and before falling asleep. Recently, I brought it up with my wife that we should teach the kids to say it, but she holds that since they inevitably talk before they fall asleep, they shouldn't say it. What does the Rav say? —Anonymous, Gibraltar
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1567
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	4 Dec 2008
The Question	I and others I know make kiddush standing. My father does the same. Someone told me I am not allowed to be motzi others while standing. Is this correct? I know many who are motzi others while standing, I thought it was okay. Should I consider changing my ways? —Melech Wosk
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Question No.	1369
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	9 Jul 2007
The Question	What is the halacha if I eat something that requires a borei nefashos after it, and then wish to chew gum? In other words, if I were to eat, say, an apple and then chew gum, do I make a bracha achrona on the apple and then another shehakol after for the gum? Or would that be a bracha livatala? —Anonymous, canada
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1365
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	6 Jul 2007
The Question	Which bracha is recited first, on thunder or lightning? —Sim, Brooklyn
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1342
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	21 Mar 2007
The Question	Someone washed Netilas Yadaim for Seouda. If he spoke before making Hamotzi should he wash his hands again (of course without making a beracha)? After looking in the Mischna Berura it seems that if his he "guarded" his hands he should not. Could you confirm this? BeBirkas HaTorah —Alex Nordmann, Strasbourg, France
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1338
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	20 Mar 2007
The Question	What bracha should be made on a rice cake? Amongst us in the office, we have heard that some hold HaAdama and some hold Mezonos. Can the Rav discuss the various Shittos? Best Regards. —Henry Schein Team, Telz-stone
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1332
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	14 Mar 2007
The Question	Kvod Harav, one pretty simple question but that seems to have different opinions in different sidurims. I know that you're not supposed to say Amen to your own Beracha, but why at the end of Boreh Nefashot do we say Amen? Is it correct or a minhag? Thanks in advance and I wish you Hatzlacha and Briut to continue for many many years to come. —Michael R., Montreal, Canada
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1267
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	18 Jul 2006
The Question	L'Kovud HaRav. I was wondering what the difference was in kavonas Hashem between "takif" and "baal hakochos kulom" as they seem to be the same thing. A Rav once told me that "takif" meant that Hashem was not only almighty and all-capable but involved in this world, but a Rabbi recently told my wife that he did not believe that that was the meaning and that she should ask a Rav so I was wondering if the Rav could tell me the difference and perhaps a halchic source for their meanings. Much thanks. —Anonymous, U.S.
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1257
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	31 May 2006
The Question	Is one who already washed for bread or one who did not yet wash for bread allowed to make a bracha of "al nitilas yadaim" to be motzei one who does not know how to make the bracha? —Michael, New York
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1161
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	20 Dec 2005
The Question	why are you not allowed to read the shema backwards —Anonymous, waltham
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1140
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2005
The Question	I saw your answer regarding saying asher yatzar in middle of night. Assuming you wake up in the middle of the night and say Asher Yatzar, and then in the morning, you do not go to the bathrrom again. Do you then still say asher yatzar in davening or would you skip it since you already said asher yatzar in middle of the night? If you wake up towards the morning but still plan to go to sleep for a little more, would you still say asher yatzar then or should you just wait for when you daven? —Anonymous, Brooklyn
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1129
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	15 Nov 2005
The Question	Before going to sleep, Does one have to stop speaking after shema or is speaking allowed until hamapil has been said? —Anonymous, London
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1128
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	14 Nov 2005
The Question	In Birchot haShachar (the daily morning blessings), we praise and thank Hashem "shelo assani goy", for not having made us a non-Jew, since we have more obligations and ways to connect to Hashem than do the non-Jews. Why then do we not have a similar beracha for a Levi to say "shelo assani yisrael" and for a kohen to say "shelo assani Levi" ? Thank you & kol tuv! —Stephan, Brooklyn, NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1079
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	10 Oct 2005
The Question	Can one, l'halacha, follow the ruling of the Aruch Hashulchan--that the Rav mentioned--in regards to talking after Hamapil? —Yacov, NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1078
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	10 Oct 2005
The Question	According to the Rama and some Sephardic authorities, women may recite the beracha "asher kideshanu bemitzvotav, vetzivanu etc" when volunteering and performing a mitzvah from which they are exempt. The mishna berurah explains that since one who does a mitzvah he is exempt from IS rewarded, (albeit less so than one who is boligated and does the mitzvha), and therefore "it's shayach for them [the women] to say vetzivanu". How is it shayach ? They are not obligated to do the mitzvah!? So I am wondering how they can say the beracha "Who commanded us" when they are not commanded. Thank you in advance and ketiva vachatima tova ! —Stephan, Brooklyn, NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1054
Category	Brachos (Laws of Blessings)
Date Posted	25 Sep 2005
The Question	Is Mezonos bread really mezonos? —Aryeh, Manchester
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

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