DailyHalacha.com for Mobile Devices Now Available

Halacha is For Refuah Shelemah for
 David Ben Margalit
"Please pray tehillim perek 6 in the merit of David Ben Margalit for a complete and speedy refuah shelemah."

Dedicated By
Anonymous

Click Here to Sponsor Daily Halacha
      
(File size: 808 KB)
Moving Ovens or Stoves, Sealing Windows or Doors, and Blowing out Candles

Chacham Ovadia Yosef, in Halichot Olam (vol. 7, starting on p. 221), codifies the ruling of Rabbi Yehuda Ha'chasid (Germany, 1150-1217), in his famous Tzava'a (Last Will & Testament), that one should not move his oven or stove to use its space for some other purpose.  Once a person has an oven or stove in a given location in his home, he should not move away the appliance and put some other appliance or piece of furniture in that space.  Chacham Ovadia also mentions another ruling from Rabbi Yehuda Ha'chasid's Tzava'a, namely, that if one renovates his house he should not completely seal a window or door.  If he wants to make a window or door part of the wall, he should leave at least a small hole so that it is not sealed entirely.

Two pages later, Chacham Ovadia brings the ruling of the Ben Ish Chai (Rabbi Yosef Chayim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), based on a Midrash, that one should never extinguish a candle or match by blowing it out.  One should ensure to employ some other means to extinguish a flame, such as exposing it to the wind, rubbing it into the ground, or placing it in water.  This law becomes particularly relevant at birthday parties, where it is customary to place candles in the cake and have the child blow out the candles.  This practice is improper.  It should also be mentioned that Rabbi Avraham Blumenkrantz, in one of his Pesach digests, documents that the entire concept of "birthday candles" has its origins in ancient pagan customs, and therefore it should be avoided altogether.

Summary: One should not reposition the oven or stove in his home to use the space for something else.  A window or door should not be sealed completely; at least a small hole should be left unsealed.  One should never extinguish a candle or match by blowing it out with his mouth; some other means of extinguishing should be used.


 

 


Recent Daily Halachot...
Lifting One’s Heels When Reciting “Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh”
Should One Recite “Barech Alenu” if He Visits Israel Between 7 Marheshvan and December 4th?
Should one Pray in Hebrew if He Does Not Understand?
Inserting Ya'aleh V'Yavo When Praying Arbit Early on Ereb Rosh Hodesh
Reciting Shehehiyanu Over a Tallit & When Replacing The Strings??
When Should Kohanim Make Their Way Towards The Front To Make Birkat Kohanim
Rolling the Sefer Torah; Leaving the Synagogue Before the Sefer Torah is Returned to the Hechal
Hagbeha – Lifting the Sefer Torah
May One Donate a Scarf to be Used as a Mitpahat For the Sefer Torah?
The Prohibition Against Touching the Parchment of a Sefer Torah Barehanded
The Prohibition Against Speaking During the Torah Reading
If a Mistake is Found in the Sefer Torah During the Reading
Preparing the “Keri” and “Ketib”
If the Gabbaim Know That Somebody Who Pledged Money is Unable to Pay
When During Birkat Kohanim Do the Kohanim Turn to Face the Congregation, and When Do They Lift Their Hands?
Page of 239
3585 Halachot found