Beracha on Ice Cream for Dessert
The gemara presents the basic rules of berachot during a meal in which one ate bread. Foods that...
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The Beracha on Pizza
To understand this, we must first consider what makes a food deemed to be bread or a quasi-bread....
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Reciting a Beracha Oneself or Relying on Another Person’s Beracha
Let us begin with a true story, whose relevance should be clear later. An Ashkenazi man got engaged...
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How to Proceed with Birkat HaMazon after Zimun
This is a classic case of a practice that has changed from the manner it was originally intended,...
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Permissibility of a Personal Beracha
Your assumption that one’s relationship with HaShem should be personal and overflowing is poignantly and refreshingly correct. On...
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The Halachic Status of Gluten-Free Cakes
Health experts generally agree that oats can be used as a wheat substitute for gluten-intolerant people (depending on...
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Continuing to Eat Based on an Initial Beracha
There are two basic halachic precedents and one major distinction regarding the halachot that apply in this case....
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Birkat HaMazon for Those Who Have Left their Place of Eating
Regarding your first question of whether you are allowed to come back to bentch where you ate, the...
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Reciting Tefillat HaDerech by Microphone
Tefillat HaDerech is an obligatory prayer asking for protection from the potential dangers of traveling. Since it was...
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Beracha on a Newly Renovated Home
The mishna says that one who builds a new house or buys new “utensils” recites the beracha of...
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HaMapil for Those Who Take a Long Time to Fall Asleep
Reciting the beracha of HaMapil before going to sleep is mandated by the gemara and codified as halacha....
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Time Limit on HaGomel After Birth
Historically, there was a long-standing and prevalent minhag that women did not recite Birkat HaGomel at all. Nowadays...
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The Beracha on Vegetable Soup Broth
We will not presently discuss soups with “Mezonot elements,” such as croutons or noodles, which introduce other halachic...
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Beracha Acharona on Fruits of Different Categories
The beracha acharona of Al HaEtz, the Me’ein Shalosh for fruit of the seven species for which Eretz...
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The Beracha on Pureed Vegetable Soup
As we noted, according to most fundamental approaches, based on the gemara, the beracha on clear broth of...
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Beracha on Homeopathic Medicine?
The topic of alternative medicine is subject to much disagreement. As in most realms, extreme opinions are rarely...
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Zimun of Those who Ate Milk with Those who Ate Meat
(Our answer does not address the precautions that should be taken when some are eating dairy while others...
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Shehecheyanu on Fruit for a Visitor from a Place with Constant Access
We will begin with some background. The beracha of Shehecheyanu is a proper response to the happiness of...
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Fulfilling HaGomel with a Different Beracha
Answer (part I): in which we posited that a woman...
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Making Berachot upon Seeing Animals
(We will not discuss the beracha for beautiful animals, which the Mishna Berura writes is not in practice...
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HaMapil for those Who Go to Sleep Before Night
The gemara mentions HaMapil for one “entering to sleep on his bed,” without noting the time of day....
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Responding to Devarim Shebekedusha during One’s Beracha
There are two basic reasons why one should not speak external matters during a beracha: the disgrace to...
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Doubt Whether One Recited Birkat HaTorah
In general, when one has a doubt as to whether or not he is obligated in reciting a...
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Beracha Acharona on Fruit of Non-Jews in Israel
The two versions of the beracha of Al HaEtz appear in the gemara. The gemara initially states that...
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Al HaMichya on a Fruit
The answer depends on which fruit you ate. Before we explain this answer, we will begin by summarizing...
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Joining an Imperfect Tefillat HaDerech
The gemara asks what the earliest time to recite Tefillat HaDerech is, and it answers, “from the time...
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A Beracha on Building a Rooftop Fence?
We will begin with the bottom line: You should not make a beracha. You have already identified some...
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