Bar Mitzvah Shailos

1. Participating in a Yom Tov Sheini Seder

I live in Rechovot in Eretz Yisroel, and be’ezras Hashem I will be having my bar mitzvah during Elul. Right now, I am busy preparing my bar mitzvah drosha and I have a few questions that I would like to ask the rabbonim of the Yated.

Thank you.

Yaakov Avraham Manheim

Question

The achilah of lechem haponim was less than a kezayis. Would the Kohanim bentch on this?

Rav Moshe Sternbuch 

Chazal established that seviah—satiation—is only attained when one consumes a kezayis. Therefore, while Birkas Hamazon was most likely not recited when the Kohanim became full from eating a very small piece of the lechem haponim, the Kohanim would certainly have expressed some form of shevach to Hashem for being satisfied from the lechem haponim with a smaller shiur.

Question

After every Shabbos and Yom Kippur, we recite the brocha of borei me’orei ha’aish. Right now, based on the fixed calendar, Yom Kippur cannot fall on a Sunday. However, when the Bais Hamikdosh is rebuilt and Rosh Chodesh is once again established through testimony, Yom Kippur could occur on a Sunday. When this happens, will we make the brocha of borei me’orei ha’aish once after Yom Kippur or will we need to recite it twice, once after Shabbos and once after Yom Kippur?

Rav Zafrani

 Although the wording of the brocha of borei me’orei ha’aish is the same after Shabbos and after Yom Kippur, there are two distinct reasons for reciting it. The brocha recited after Shabbos is a birkas hashevach, praising Hashem for the fire given to Adam Harishon after the first Motzoei Shabbos. The brocha recited on Motzoei Yom Kippur, however, is said on a ner sheshovas, a candle that burned throughout Yom Kippur, since we are once again permitted to use fire. Because these are two separate reasons, in the scenario you describe, we would indeed recite the brocha on both days.

Question

The halacha is that one removes the left shoe before the right shoe, as this is considered an honor for the right shoe. The way I understand this halacha is that since it is considered an honor for the right shoe to be put on first, we want it to remain on as long as possible to perpetuate that honor. Do we say the same thing about untying the left shoe—that since it was tied first, it should remain tied the longest and be untied last?

Rav Zafrani

According to most Acharonim, although the reason for removing the left shoe before the right is to ensure that the right shoe remains on longer, we do not apply the same reasoning to untying shoelaces. Rather, once we remove the left shoe first, we also untie the left shoe first (see Shu”t Tiferes Adam 3:1 and Shu”t Az Nidberu 5:26). However, there are some poskim who agree with your reasoning and rule that even though the left shoe is removed first, the right shoe should be untied first (Be’er Moshe 3:2, quoting the Maharalnach).

Keep asking these excellent questions, and may Hashem help you grow into a great talmid