Community Magazine April 2013

About five years ago, HaKeter Institute, with the blessings of Maran the Rishon Letzivon, Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a embarked on a monumental project to translate the thirty volumes of Yalkut Yosef into English. This new English edition is meant to provide both rabbinical students and laymen with a comprehensive reference guide of practical halachic decisions covering all issues of daily, Shabbat and Holiday concerns. In order to ensure that this historic set would be the best it could be, HaKeter Institute decided to revise the Hebrew text as well, bringing it up to date and including many halakhot from the original Shulhan Arukh that have not yet been part of the Yalkut Yosef series. Under the leadership of Rabbi Yisrael Bitan, the scholarly and dedicated staff of Machon HaKeter painstakingly worked to include all the halakhot that are found in the books that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, shalit”a has authored since the original Yalkut Yosef was created. HaKeter Institute has the unique privilege of questioning Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a directly to clarify any ambiguities in the halakha T he S aka e ngliSh e diTion TO ORDER YOUR SET OR TO SPONSOR A VOLUME, PLEASE CONTACT: EDMUND SHAMMAH 732-433-0014 YALKUTYOSEFSAKAEDITION@GMAIL.COM a merican F riendS oF h akeTer e xecuTive c ommiTTee a dam a zrak - S Teven a Shear - S Tevie g oldman - m ichael m iSSry - J oey l. m izrahi S oli m izrahi - r aymond S aka - m orriS e. S aSSon 3 v olumeS oF B erakoT c oming S oon ! • P eSah • S eFiraT h a ’o mer / y om T oB /S havuoT • T a ’ aniyoT /T iSh ’ a B e ’a v • y amim n ora ’ im • S ukkoT • S haBBaT 1 • S haBBaT 2 • S haBBaT 3 • h anukkah • P urim y alkuT y oSeF About five years ago, HaKeter Institute, with the blessings of Maran the Rishon Letzivon, Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a embarked on a monumental project to translate the thirty volumes of Yalkut Yosef into English. This new English edition is meant to provide both rabbinical students and laymen with a comprehensive reference guide of practical halachic decisions covering all issues of daily, Shabbat and Holiday concerns. In order to ensure that this historic set would be the best it could be, HaKeter Institute decided to revise the Hebrew text as well, bringing it up to date and including many halakhot from the original Shulhan Arukh that have not yet been part of the Yalkut Yosef series. Under the leadership of Rabbi Yisrael Bitan, the scholarly and dedicated staff of Machon HaKeter painstakingly worked to include all the halakhot that are found in the books that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, shalit”a has authored since the original Yalkut Yosef was created. HaKeter Institute has the unique privilege of questioning Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a directly to clarify any ambiguities in the halakha T he S aka e ngliSh e diTion TO ORDER YOUR SET OR TO SPONSOR A VOLUM E, PLEASE CONTACT: EDMUND SHAMMAH 732-433-0014 YALKUTYOSEFSAKAEDITION@GMAIL.COM a me rican F riendS oF h akeTer e xecuTive c ommiTT ee a dam a zrak - S Teven a Shear - S Tevie g oldman - m ichael m iSSry - J oey l. m izrahi S oli m izrahi - r aymond S aka - m orriS e. S aSSon 3 v olumeS oF B erakoT c oming S oon ! • P eSah • S eFiraT h a ’o mer / y om T oB /S havuoT • T a ’ aniyoT /T iSh ’ a B e ’a v • y amim n ora ’ im • S ukkoT • S haBBaT 1 • S haBBaT 2 • S haBBaT 3 • h anukkah • P urim About five years ago, HaKeter Institute, with the blessings of Maran the Rishon Letzivon, Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a embarked on a monumental project to translate the thirty volumes of Yalkut Yosef into English. This new English edition is meant to provide both rabbinical students and laymen with a comprehensive reference guide of practical halachic decisions covering all issues of daily, Shabbat and Holiday concerns. In order to ensure that this historic set would be the best it could be, HaKeter Institute decided to revise the Hebrew text as well, bringing it up to date and including many halakhot from the original Shulhan Arukh that have not yet been part of the Yalkut Yosef series. Under the leadership of Rabbi Yisrael Bitan, the scholarly and dedicated staff of Machon HaKeter painstakingly worked to include all the halakhot that are found in the books that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, shalit”a has authored since the original Yalkut Yosef was created. HaKeter Institute has the unique privilege of questioning Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a directly to clarify any ambiguities in the halakha TO ORDER YOUR SET OR TO SPONSOR A VOLUME, PLEASE CONTACT: EDMUND SHAMMAH 732-433-0014 YALKUTYOSEFSAKAEDITION@GMAIL.COM a merican F riendS oF h akeTer e xecuTive c ommiTTee a dam a zrak - S Teven a Shear - S Tevie g oldman - m ichael m iSSry - J oey l. m izrahi S oli m izrahi - r aymond S aka - m orriS e. S aSSon 3 v olumeS oF B erakoT c oming S oon ! • P eSah • S eFiraT h a ’o mer / y om T oB /S havuoT • T a ’ aniyoT /T iSh ’ a B e ’a v • y amim n ora ’ im • S ukkoT • S haBBaT 1 • S haBBaT 2 • S haBBaT 3 • h anukkah • P urim bout five years ago, HaKeter Institute, with the blessings of Maran the Rishon Letzivon, Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a mbarked on a monumental project to translate the thirty volumes of Yalkut Yosef into English. This new English edition is eant to provide th rabbinic l students and laymen with a comprehensive r ference guide of pr ctical h lachic dec sions overing all issu s of daily, Shabbat and H liday concerns. In order to ensure that this historic et would be the b st it could e, HaKeter Institute decided to revise th Hebrew text as well, bringing it up to date and including many halakhot from he original Shulhan Arukh that have not yet been part of the Yalkut Yosef series. Under the leadership of Rabbi Yisrael itan, the scholarly and dedicated staff of Machon HaKeter painstakingly worked to include all the halakhot that are found n the books that R bbi Ovadia Yosef, sh lit”a has authored sinc the orig al Yal ut Yosef was cr ated. HaKeter Institute as the unique privilege of questioning Harav Ov dy Yosef, shalit”a directly to clarify any mbiguities in the halakha TO ORDER YOUR SE OR TO SPONSOR A VOLUME, PLEA SE CONTACT: EDMUND SHAMMAH 732-433-0014 YALKUTYOSEFSAKAEDITION@GMAIL.COM a merican F riendS oF h akeTer e xecuTive c ommiTTee a dam a zrak - S Teven a Shear - S Tevie g oldman - m ichael m iSSry - J oey l. m izrahi S ol i m izrahi - r aymond S aka - m orriS e. S aSSon 3 v olumeS oF B erakoT c oming S oon ! • P eSah • S eFiraT h a ’o mer / y om T oB /S havuoT • T a ’ aniyoT /T iSh ’ a B e ’a v • y amim n ora ’ im • S ukkoT • S haBBaT 1 • S haBBaT 2 • S haBBaT 3 • h anukkah • P urim About five years a embarked on a mo meant to provide b overing all issues be, HaKeter Institu the original Shulha Bitan, the scholarly i th books that R has the unique pri T a m a dam a The Omer – a Period of Joy orMourning? By Rabbi Moshe Mizrahi Maran wrote in the Shulhan Aru kh (551:17) that we must avoid reciting the blessing of shehehe yanu during the Three Weeks, from 17 Tammuz until 9 Av. Th e blessi g of sheheheyanu t an s Hashem for “bringing us to this day,” and it makes little s nse to thank Hashem for bringing us to this inauspicious period of national mourning. Therefore, we refrain from eating new fruits or purchasing expensive garments during this period. These halakhot are explained in Yalkut Yosef Ta’aniyot English Edition on page 139. The days of sefirat ha’omer , until after Lag La’omer, are likewise marked by symbols of national mourning, commemorating the deaths of Ribbi Akiba’s 24,000 disciples. This enormous tragedy threatened the continued transmission of the Torah to the following generation. For this reason, we refrain from celebrating weddings, playing music and trimming our hair during these days. What about the blessing of sheheheyanu ? Must we refrain from reciting it during the mourning period of the omer ? Maran the Rishon Letziyon ( Hazon Obadya Yom Tov , page 259) declared, “Decidedly not!” The days of the omer , he explained, are not at all a period of mourning. On the contrary, they are days of celebration and joy. The Ramban (co mentary to parashat Emor ) taught that the days between Pesah and Shabuot are a sort of Hol Hamoed , semi- holidays. It is true that we refrain from having weddings and cutting hair at this time, symbolizing ourning, but we are not actually in mourning. Thus, the e is nothing wrong with reciting the blessing of sheheheyanu at this time. We certainly can thank Hashem for b ring us to these days of happiness and anticipat ion of receiving th Torah. Nevertheless, Harav Yos f Hayim testified ( Orah Hayim commentary on the Haggadah) that the custom in Baghdad was to refrain from wearing a brand-new garment during the mourning period of the omer . If someone found a new fruit in the market, however, it was perfectly acceptable to purchase it and recite the blessing of sheheheyanu . This follows the ruling of the Yosef Ometz Yuzpa (#845) and Harav Hayim Palachi ( Mo’ed Lekhol Hai 6:12). Apparently, these Poskim were not bothered by the blessing of sheheheyanu , their ruling was that, as a symbol of mourning, one should avoid wearing new garments. Other Poskim ( Lebushe Mordekhai , Pene Mebin ) ruled that there is no restriction against wearing a new ga rment at any time during the omer . Maran the Rishon Letziyon ( Hazon Obadya Ta’aniyot page 260) recommended following the stringent opinion if possible, but o e may cert in y be lenient on the occasion of a circumcision or bar mitzvah during the omer . This is the halakha as it appears in Yalkut Yosef Ta’aniyot English Edition on page 74. Every Jewish home must have a set! A GREAT GIFT: for Bar Mitzvah, Swanee, Wedding, Synagogue, Family, and Friends About five y ars ago, HaKet r Inst tute, with the blessings of Maran th Rish n Letzivo , Harav Ovadya Yosef, shalit”a embarked on a monumental project to translate the thirty volumes of Yalkut Yosef into English. This new English edition is meant to provide both rabbinical students nd laymen with a comprehensive reference guide of practical halachic decisions covering all issues of daily, Sh bbat and Holiday concerns. In order to ensure that this historic set would be the best it could be, HaKeter Institute decided to revise the Hebrew text as well, bringing it up to date and including many halakhot from the original Shulhan Arukh that have not yet been part of the Yalkut Yosef series. Under the leadership of Rabbi Yisrael Bitan, the scholarly and dedicated staff of Machon HaKeter painstakingly worked to include all the halakhot that are found in the books that Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, s lit”a has authored since the original Yalkut Yosef was created. HaKeter Institute has the unique priv lege of questio i vadya Yosef, shalit”a direc ly to clarif ny ambiguities in the halakha TO ORDER YOUR SET OR TO SPONSOR A VOLUME, PLEASE CONTACT: EDMUND SHAMMAH 732-433-0014 YALKUTYOSEFSAKAEDITION@GMAIL.COM a merican F riendS oF h akeTer e xecuTive c ommiTTee a dam a zrak - S Teven a Shear - S Tevie g oldman - m ichael m iSSry - J oey l. m izrahi S oli m izrahi - r ymond S aka - m orriS e. S aSSon 3 v olumeS oF B erakoT c oming S oon ! • P eSah • S eFiraT h a ’o mer / y om T oB /S havuoT • T a ’ aniyoT /T iSh ’ a B e ’a v • y amim n ora ’ im • S ukkoT • 1 • S haBBaT 2 • S haBBaT 3 • h anukkah • P urim 3 volumes of berakhot coming soon!