Bulletin for Parshas Vayigash in PDF format

Tefillah Halachah For Assara B’Teves: If someone is not planning to fast the whole day, but is still fasting when davening Minchah, that person may say ‘aneinu’ in Sh’ma koleinu, with the regular nussach. If the person ate before Minchah, he or she may say ‘aneinu,’ but instead of saying “b’yom tzom ta’aniseinu,” he or she should say “b’yom tzom hata’anis hazeh” The Poskim teach us that talking in a Shul leads (chas veshalom) to its eventual destruction. If that is the case, then it seems logical that the equivalent of the events of Assara B’Teves (that Nevuchadnetzar surrounded Yerushalayim and laid siege to it , which eventually led to the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash, would be when people congregrate in Shul in groups–surrounding a center of attention. This will surely eventually lead to full-scale talking, and thus although seemingly innocuous, should NOT BE DONE .