Month: March 2018

Reciting Vayehi Noam This Motzei Shabbos

1) On Motzei Shabbos immediately following Shemoneh Esrei of Maariv we recite the Tefillah of Vayehi Noam. Whenever Pesach, or any Yom Tov, (which prohibits work) falls on a weekday the paragraph of Vayehi Noam which is normally said after Shabbos, is omitted. (Rama 295)
2) This year, Pesach takes place on Friday night. The question is whether one should recite Vayehi Noam on the previous Motzei Shabbos (after Shabbos Hagadol).  According to the Mishnah Berurah (295 Shaar Hatzion 5) one should recite Vayehi Noam. However, the custom of Yerushalayim (Vayitzchak Yikareh on M.B.) is not to recite Vayehi Noam this Motzei Shabbos, since Erev Pesach occurs on Friday and certain restrictions against work are in effect on Erev Pesach after Chatzos. This is also the view of Rav Moshe Feinstein zt”l (Shmatisah D’Moshe page 345). For normative Halacha a rabbi should be consulted.

The Custom of Gebrokts on Pesach

  1. Some communities have a custom not to eat matzah in any form that came in contact with water or other liquids during Pesach. (Refer to Shu”t Baal Hatania 6 and M.B. 458:4) This custom is known as avoiding eating “Gebrokts”. [This word literally means “broken” and it has come to mean wet matzah is usually ground or broken up into crumbs before it is mixed in with water]
  2. The reason for this custom is out of concern that some of the matzah flour was not kneaded well and when it will come in contact with the liquid it will become chametz. (Shaarei Teshuva cited in M.B. ibid.)
  3. Since the last day of Pesach is only rabbinic in the Diaspora, many of those who are strict in avoiding eating Gebrokts, did not accept if for the last day of Pesach. (See Halichos Shlomo Pesach page 91 Dvar Halacha for a full explanation. Refer to Shulchan Menachem of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l vol. 2 page 354 where he discusses whether one should actively be lenient on this day and eat Gebrokts)
  4. A woman, upon marriage, assumes the custom of her husband. (Refer to Igros Moshe O.C. 1:158 and Halichos Shlomo Pesach page 91)
  5. Harav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach zt”l rules that if one avoids eating Gebrokts, he should avoid even the utensils that were used to prepare gebrokts dishes. (Halichos Shlomo Pesach page 89)
  6. Even if one is strict not to eat Gebrokts, it is not muktzah throughout Pesach. (Opinion of Rav Shmuel Kamanetzky shlit”a Kovetz Halachos Pesach page 101)