The Torah prohibits normal farming of the Land of Israel every seven years. This “Shabbat for the land” is called “Shemitah.” After every seventh Shemitah, the fiftieth year, Yovel (“Jubilee”) is announced with the sound of the shofar on Yom Kippur. This was also a year for the land to lie fallow. G-d promises to provide a bumper crop prior to the Shemitah and Yovel years. During Yovel, all land is returned to its original division from the time of Joshua, and all Jewish indentured servants are freed, even if they have not completed their six years of work. A Jewish indentured servant may not be given any demeaning, unnecessary or excessively difficult work, and may not be sold in the public market. The price of his labor must be calculated according to the amount of time remaining until he will automatically become free. The price of land is similarly calculated. Should anyone sell his ancestral land, he has the right to redeem it after two years. If a house in a walled city is sold, the right of redemption is limited to the first year after the sale. The Levites' cities belong to them forever. The Jewish People are forbidden to take advantage of one another by lending or borrowing with interest. Family members should redeem any relative who was sold as an indentured servant as a result of impoverishment.

Ohr Somayach Institutions www.ohr.edu

ברכת המצה

שאלה: מהי ברכת המצה בימות הפסח ובשאר ימות השנה? ומה יש לברך על קרקרים שדרך לאוכלם כסעודה?

תשובה: ביארנו כמה פעמים בעבר, שכל פת (דבר העשוי מבצק) שהיא נכססת, כלומר שהיא יבשה לגמרי, כמו בייגלה או קרקרים וכדומה, ברכתה בורא מיני מזונות ולא המוציא לחם מן הארץ.

וכן אמנם כתב בספר “בשמים ראש” (המיוחס ברובו לרבינו הרא”ש) בזו הלשון: ועל דבר הרקיקים הדקים מאד, דעתי נוטה שכל לחם שאין דרך בני אדם לאכול אותו בתורת לחם לשובע, אלא לפרקים (מידי פעם) בתורת מעדנים, אין זה הלחם שקבעו לו חכמים ברכת המוציא וברכת המזון. עד כאן. מפורש אם כן בדברי ה”בשמים ראש”, שעל המצות יש לברך “בורא מיני מזונות”.

גם הגאון רבי אברהם סבע, בספר “צרור המור” כתב בפשיטות, שהמצה שהיא כמו פת חרבה ויבשה בלי מלח, אין לברך עליה המוציא וברכת המזון. ורק על מצות רכות (כמו שעדיין נוהגים לעשות אצל עדות הספרדים לכבוד ליל הסדר) יש לברך המוציא וברכת המזון. (רבי אברהם סבע הספרדי, כתבו אודותיו שהיה נוסע בספינה, ופרצה סערה והאניה עמדה לטבוע בין הגלים, ורב החובל התחנן לרבי אברהם שיצילם. והרב השיבו שיצילם אך בתנאי שאם הוא ימות בספינה שלא ישליכוהו לים כפי שנהגו אז בספינות, אלא ידאגו להביאו לאחת מערי ישראל ולא יהיה להם שום נזק. ונשבע לו רב החובל על כך, והתפלל הרב לה' ונח הים, ואחר שני ימים נפטר הרב ז”ל והיה קרוב לעיר וירונא, והשתדל רב החובל והגיע לוירונא, וקברוהו בית ישראל שבעיר וירונא בכבוד גדול. זיע”א. שם הגדולים להחיד”א).

ויש שכתבו חילוקים אחרים להסביר מדוע דין המצה אינו דומה לדין פת נכססת, וכתבו שברכת המצה היא המוציא לחם מן הארץ, בין בימות הפסח ובין בשאר ימות השנה. וכך גם מנהג רוב האשכנזים, שמברכים על המצה גם בשאר ימות השנה המוציא וברכת המזון.

ולסיכום: ברכת המצה (היבשה) בימות הפסח היא “המוציא לחם מן הארץ” ולאחר שאוכלים ממנה יש לברך ברכת המזון. ומנהג האשכנזים לנהוג כן גם בשאר ימות השנה. ומנהג הספרדים לברך על המצה בשאר ימות השנה “בורא מיני מזונות” ועל המחיה, ויש להם על מה שיסמוכו. והחרדים לדבר ה' נוהגים לאכלה רק בתוך סעודה עם פת ובזה יוצאים ידי חובת כל הדעות.

כתב עוד מרן רבינו עובדיה יוסף זצ”ל, שאף על פי שכאמור מנהג הספרדים לברך בשאר ימות השנה בורא מיני מזונות על המצה, מכל מקום במוצאי חג הפסח שעדיין לא נמצא בשוק לחם חמץ, יש לברך על המצה המוציא וברכת המזון לכל הדעות.

Question: What blessing does one recite on Matzah during the Pesach holiday and during the rest of the year for that matter? Also, what blessing does one recite on crackers that are usually eaten as a meal?

Answer: We have discussed several times in the past that any bread (anything made out of dough) which is crunchy, meaning that it is completely dry, such as crackers and pretzels, requires the blessing of “Boreh Minei Mezonot” and not “Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz”.

The Blessing on Crunchy (Hard) Matzah
Based on the above, we must wonder: Why do we recite the “Hamotzi” blessing during the holiday of Pesach on the dry, crunchy Matzot common nowadays, if their blessing is really “Boreh Minei Mezonot”?

Indeed, the Sefer Besamim Rosh (mostly attributed to the Rosh, Rabbeinu Asher bar Yechiel) writes as follows: “Regarding very thin crackers, in my opinion any bread that people do not usually eat for satiation, rather it is eaten only as a snack, is not the kind of bread that the Sages established the blessing of ‘Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz’ for.” Clearly, according to the Besamim Rosh, Matzah would require the “Boreh Minei Mezonot” blessing.

 Hagaon Harav Avraham Saba in his Sefer Tzeror Ha’Mor writes regarding Matzah that is like dried out bread without salt, one would not recite “Hamotzi” or Birkat Hamazon on it. Only on soft Matzot (that are still made in Sephardic communities) would one recite “Hamotzi” and Birkat Hamazon. (Maran Ha’Chida records in his Sefer Shem Ha’Gedolim an incident that occurred with Harav Avraham Saba Ha’Sefaradi, as follows: Once, Harav Avraham was travelling on a ship when all of a sudden, a ferocious storm broke out and threatened to sink the ship. The captain begged Rav Avraham to save them. The Rav replied that he would save them on one condition: if he happened to die on the ship, the crew must not cast him overboard as was customary in those days; rather, they must bring his body to a Jewish city where he would receive a proper Jewish burial. He said that if they would agree to this condition, no harm would befall them. The captain swore to heed the Rav's request. The Rav then proceeded to pray to Hashem, after which the storm subsided. Two days later, the Rav passed away at sea. The ship was close to the city of Veron and the ship’s captain directed the ship there where the Jewish residents of Veron buried him with great honor. May his merit serve as a protection for us, Amen.)

The Blessing on Matzah during the Holiday of Pesach
Many Poskim, however, disagree and maintain that although the Matzah is completely dry, its blessing is indeed “Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz”. The Responsa Ginat Veradim (authored by Moreinu Harav Avraham Ha’Levi of Egypt approximately 350 years ago) writes that the Matzah made for Pesach should indeed have been considered “Kisnin” bread and require a “Mezonot” blessing since it is dry and crunchy; however, since this Matzah is the “bread” of the holiday of Pesach (meaning that it becomes the main “bread” during Pesach) one recites “Hamotzi” and Birkat Hamazon on it (since we cannot say that it is not usually eaten as bread, for during Pesach, this Matzah becomes the “bread”). However, based on this we can infer that during the rest of the year when regular bread is readily available, the blessing on this kind of Matzah will revert back to “Mezonot” since people do not usually eat it as bread.

Others have written different reasons for why Matzah should not be considered like other crunchy breads and they maintain that the blessing on Matzah is “Hamotzi”, whether it is eaten on Pesach or any other time of year. This is the custom of most Ashkenazim who recite “Hamotzi” and Birkat Hamazon on Matzah throughout the year.

The Sephardic Custom
Maran Ha’Chida writes that the Sephardic custom is that on Pesach one recites the “Hamotzi” blessing on Matzah since during that period, people usually eat it as bread; however, during the rest of the year, since regular bread is available and people do not usually eat it instead of bread, its blessing is “Mezonot” and “Al Ha’Michya”. Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l writes that those who follow this custom have on whom to rely. However, those who are especially particular in Mitzvah observance only eat Matzah during a bread meal so that the Matzah will be exempt with the “Hamotzi” blessing and Birkat Hamazon recited on the bread and in this way, one avoids all doubt.

The Custom of Maran zt”l
We should note though that although the Sephardic custom is to recite a “Mezonot” blessing on Matzah during the rest of the year (besides for Pesach), since the letter of the law seems to be that one should, in fact, recite “Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz”, one who acts stringently and washes one’s hands and recites the “Hamotzi” blessing on Matzah as though it were bread surely has on whom to rely. This was indeed the custom of Maran zt”l who would treat Matzah as actual bread and would recite the “Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz” on it throughout the year.

The Blessing on “Lachmit” Crackers
Approximately thirteen years ago, it was publicized in the name of Hagaon Harav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv zt”l that since many people eat “Lachmit” crackers (a popular cracker in manufactured in Israel by Osem and available in the United States as well) every morning as a meal, one must recite the “Hamotzi” blessing on these crackers. We asked Maran zt”l about this in addition to showing him this cracker and he said that in his opinion, these cream crackers have the same status as Matzah and he would recite the “Hamotzi” blessing on them. Thus, although one who recites a “Mezonot” blessing on cream crackers or Matzah surely has on whom to rely, one who recites the “Hamotzi” blessing on them or eats them only during a bread meal is especially admirable.

Summary: The blessing on (dry) Matzah during Pesach is “Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha’aretz” followed by Birkat Hamazon after eating. The Ashkenazi custom is to do so throughout the year as well. The Sephardic custom, however, is to recite “Mezonot” and “Al HaMichya” on Matzah throughout the year (besides for Pesach) and they have on whom to rely. Those who are especially scrupulous with Mitzvah observance eat Matzah only during a bread meal and by doing so they fulfill all opinions.

Maran Rabbeinu Ovadia Yosef zt”l added that although the Sephardic custom is to recite the “Mezonot” blessing on Matzah throughout the year, on Motza’ei Pesach (the night following the conclusion of Pesach) when regular Chametz bread is not yet readily available, one must recite “Hamotzi” and Birkat Hamazon on Matzah according to all opinions.

תספורת, גילוח הזקן, בימי הספירה

Taking Haircuts and Shaving During the Omer Period

Abstaining from Taking Haircuts During the Omer
It has become customary among the Jewish nation to refrain from taking haircuts during the Omer counting period: According to the Ashkenazi custom, until the 33rd day of the Omer and according to the Sephardic custom, until the morning of the 34th day of the Omer (as we have already explained regarding getting married during the Omer). Some Sephardic individuals act leniently with regards to haircuts in accordance with the Ashkenazi custom, i.e. taking haircuts beginning from the 33rd day of the Omer. Those who act leniently in this regard (even Sephardic individuals) have on whom to rely.

Shaving
Those who are truly G-d-fearing customarily abstain from shaving their beard during the Omer period as well. However, there are those who rule leniently for individuals who are truly distressed as a result of not shaving their beard, for the Radbaz writes regarding such matters which are not actual obligations as a result of an edict of our Sages and is merely a custom, in a case of such distress, there is room for leniency. Nevertheless, it is indeed correct and proper to follow this custom which was observed by our ancestors for many generations with regards to refraining from shaving one’s beard during the Omer period (it is especially worthy to be stringent until Rosh Chodesh Iyar).

The Status of Women Regarding these Laws
Women are not included in the prohibition of taking haircuts during the days of the Omer, for even with regards to actual mourning for a relative who has passed away (for which a male mourner must abstain from taking a haircut for the entire thirty-day mourning period), Maran Ha’Shulchan Aruch rules that women are not included in this prohibition and are permitted to take haircuts during the thirty-day mourning period. If so, this would certainly apply to the mourning customs observed during the Omer period in that a woman need not abstain from taking a haircut. The same would apply to the three week period between the Seventeenth of Tammuz and the Ninth of Av that the prohibition to take haircuts applies to men alone, however, women are permitted to take haircuts.