Community Magazine Februafy 2009

one should rise slightly to honor their presence. One should speak to older siblings with respect and obey their • requests. One should allow older siblings to be served first at meals. • Older siblings are given a taste from Kiddush and a portion of • bread after hamosi before younger siblings. It is customary among the Syrian community not to kiss the • hands of older siblings. It is customary, however, to stand for an older brother as he goes for an aliyah to the Torah. AUNT AND UNCLES 8 One does not have to stand fully when and aunt or uncle enters the room, but one should rise slightly to honor his or her presence. One must speak to aunts and uncles with honor and respect. • One may not address aunts or uncles by their names, but should • rather refer to them as “Aunt so-and-so” and “Uncle so-and- so.” Among the Syrian community the custom is not to kiss the • hand of one’s uncle, though it is customary to stand for one’s uncle when he goes to the Torah for an Aliyah. IN-LAWS 9 One must respect a father- and mother in-law, but only as long as he/she is married – a widower or divorcee is no longer obligated to give honor to former in-laws. One must stand for his in-laws when they enter within 4 amot • (approximately 6 – 8 feet) of him. One must speak to them with honor and respect. • One may not address one’s in-laws by their names; he should • rather address them as “Mom” and “Dad” and the like. One should honor his in-laws when they visit by giving them a • respectful seat and inviting them to recite Kiddush. One must fulfill his in-laws’ requests, though precedence • should be given to his parents and spouse’s wishes. Among the Syrian community it is customary for a man to • kiss the hand of his father-in-law. Of course, a man may never kiss his mother-in-law, and a woman may not kiss her father- in-law. It is customary to stand for one’s father-in-law when he goes • for an aliyah to the Torah. One should ensure to periodically visit one’s in-laws. • STEPPARENTS 10 One must respect a stepparent the same way they would a parent as long as he or she is married to the biological parent. After divorce or the death of the biological parent, there is no longer an obligation to honor a stepparent. Even while the biologi- cal parent and stepparent are married, precedence is given to the biological parent . FREE GIFT with purchase! For Newlyweds Sandra Mansour 718-382-8419 800- SLEEP -56 Prepared by Rabbi Eliyahu Tobal. Reviewed by Harav Ezra Zafrani shlita. Hacham Ezra Zafrani is the Rabbi of Kehilat Etz Hayim, and Rosh Kollel of Kollel Shel Shoshana in Lakewood NJ. Rabbi Zafrani’s shiurim can be heard on www.limudnet.org The Halachot and customs listed here are not presented in any particular order. These summaries represent a very brief overview of the subject matter to promote general awareness and encourage further study. As always, readers should consult their rabbi with specific queries. SHeVat 5769 FeBRuaRy 2009 51