Halachic Q&A

Rabbi Yosef Zvi Rimon Head, Mizrachi Rabbinic Council | Rabbi of the Gush Etzion Regional Council

Rosh Yeshivah, Jerusalem College of Technology | Founder and Chairman, Sulamot and La'Ofek

Question: We were invited to our friend’s home for Friday night dinner. They live about 45 minutes away and they are taking in Shabbat early. What should we do about hadlakat neirot? If we light at plag at home, we will miss the tefillah and arrive late for dinner.

Answer: There is no good solution. You should turn lights on in your home (better to use LED lights if you have) in honor of Shabbat before plag hamincha and without a bracha. Light candles with a bracha at the home where you are eating and have in mind during the bracha for the lights at home. This is not ideal as it is preferable to light where you sleep (see Halacha Mimkorah – Shabbos 3, for more details), but we can allow for this when there is a reason to eat elsewhere.

Question: I may have missed counting sefirah yesterday, but I do not remember. Can I continue counting with a bracha?

Answer: Shu”t Terumat Hadeshen addresses this case, and writes that one should continue counting with a bracha. The Shulchan Aruch (OC 489:8) quotes this as the proper practice. The Pri Chadash explains the reasoning behind this ruling: In general, we have a halachic principle that two doubts about a certain case can combine to allow us to rule leniently (even if each doubt on its own would not have been strong enough). This is called a sfeik-sfeika. In our case, there are two sfeikot:

• Doubt #1: Doubt whether or not the person counted this case, the dough is fully considered bread and requires ‘hamotzi’.

Question: Is there a prohibition of saying G-d’s name in vain in another language? For example, can one say “G-d”?

Answer: This matter is subject to dispute. The Shach (YD 179) writes that one may not erase names of G-d written in other languages. The Rambam’s formulation is the same. Based on this, Rebbe Akiva Eiger assumed that one could say G-d’s name in another language (given that only a prohibition to erase was mentioned).

On the other hand, the Chayei Adam understood that one may not say G-d’s name in another language.

Therefore, many are lenient based on Rebbe Akiva Eiger. However, some do not say the full name of G-d in other languages but rather change it a bit to satisfy the opinion of the Chayei Adam as well. This is my practice.

• Doubt #2: Halachic doubt regarding the ruling of a person who forgot to count. Most Rishonim hold that one who forgets to count can continue counting with a bracha, even though we generally do not paskin this way. Because we have two sfeikot together, you may continue counting with a bracha (MB 489:38).

The Ketav Sofer explains the leniency a bit differently. He writes that fundamentally we hold like Tosfot’s opinion that one can count even if he forgot. The reason we do not do so is because of safek brachot lehakel. Nevertheless, once we have even another safek (even if it is weaker), there is enough reason to allow one to count with a bracha.

2) The second type involves steaming the dough directly. Shu”t Ginat Veradim writes that cooking with steam is considered halachic cooking, and his teshuva is quoted in the Kaf Hachaim (and accepted by Or Letzion, v’Zot Habracha, Birur Halacha). Therefore, steamed bread of this form is considered just like cooked dough, which the Shulchan Aruch writes (OC 169:13) is not considered bread. Nevertheless, because this topic is subject to dispute, the Shulchan Aruch writes that ideally, a G-d fearing person should only eat this type of food in the context of a seuda so the bracha is already covered (Rema - because it looks like bread). However, the basic ruling meikar hadin is that the bracha is mezonot and ‘al hamichya’ (SA, Rema, MB, Kaf Hachayim) even if you eat an amount to be satisfied (MB 169:75). The Mishnah Berurah writes that lechatchila one can make a mezonot if the piece is less than a kezayit.

Therefore, the answer to your questions depends on the type of steamed bread.

Question: At weddings, I often see steamed bread at the kabbalat panim. What is the proper bracha to make?

There are two ways to cook with steam.

1) The first type involves steaming the vessel from the outside. The steam does not directly interact with the dough. In

Question: Is there an issue with doing haga’lah on a scratched pot?

Answer: If the pot is cleaned well, it is fine. If you aren’t sure, you can do libun kal at the spot which was difficult to clean and then do hag’alah on the entire pot afterwards.

(You can find videos on Youtube by Rav Rimon with guided explanations of how to do libun kal and other kashering procedures).