Now that we “did” Chanukah, let us see what Chanukah did to us. Rav Dessler tells us a fabulous mashal. A person entered a field and noticed little people lying on the ground under the tree. He looked upwards and noticed people in different stages of development growing from the branches. As he approached closer, he saw the people connected to the branches with twigs similar to fruit growing on a tree. He could not believe his eyes and he fainted from the shock.  Rav Dessler asks: In a parallel situation when a person enters a field and sees assorted fruit strewn about beneath trees and looks upward to see fruit in various stages of growth hanging from the branches, why does it not elicit the same surprise? Truthfully, the two scenarios should equally provoke incredulity. However, we are so accustomed to the scenario of trees producing fruit that our senses are numbed to recognizing the force behind it. Truth be told, every plant, fruit or vegetable that ever grew since creation emanated from one miniscule seed. That seed produced trees of great proportions that bore thousands upon thousands of new fruit throughout their individual lifespans.  From the newer fruit emanated thousands of newly sprouted trees bearing numerous subsequent fruit resulting in gorgeous, delectable and assorted fruit.

We are told that the daughter of Rebbi Chanina ben Dosa was despondent upon seeing that she did not have any oil with which to light the Shabbos neiros. Her father, Reb Chanina, commented to her that vinegar can serve the same purpose since He who empowers oil to fuel flames can also dictate to vinegar to do so. How preposterous this seems! Vinegar is the last thing that one would think could accomplish the task. However, we are so entrenched in our daily grind and fail to notice the Hand of Hashem orchestrating everything. Whatever we become accustomed to, we take for granted and refer to it as “nature”. The only distinction between “nature and “neis” is that nature we take for granted.

Post Chanukah is the time to seriously reflect and reposition ourselves to gain something of value and not, merely, substantial weight-gain from the increase of celebratory mesibos. Let us take notice of the daily kindnesses that Hashem bestows upon us. We wake up healthy every morning. We are blessed that our bodies are able to perform all their pertinent bodily functions properly. How fortunate we are to enjoy the magnificent gift of having and being able to raise children. The fact that many are blessed with similar circumstances does not diminish from the awareness that all comes, unilaterally, from Hashem. Let us undertake to abolish the words “nature” and “naturally” from our vernacular. Pausing constantly to remember that nothing happens by itself will allow us to place this past Chanukah in our victory column. We will have proven to ourselves that we have successfully internalized the message of Chanukah. We, undoubtedly, understand that size and amounts of oil do not make a difference. Our perception that military victory is not determined by might and numbers is crystal clear. The approaching dreary winter days have now been infused with the light and clear vision that we have inculcated into our daily lives that Hashem’s hand is constantly guiding our lives….

Are ice and snow sufficient covers for tzoah?

Tzoah is only problematic when it is still somewhat soft. If it has hardened to the extent that it would crack into many pieces when thrown down, it is no longer classified as tzoah and devarim shebekedusha may be said in its vicinity. If tzoah has not yet reached this state, but it froze and would crack if thrown, most poskim agree that it is still considered tzoah and is subject to all the relevant halachos. Tzoah that is covered by a sheet of ice or snow is considered sufficiently covered to allow for the recitation of devarim shebekedusha nearby.

סימן פב ס"א ס"ק א'

The definition of damp

It is forbidden to be involved in devarim shebekedusha in front of mei raglayim. Once it has dried up, one may engage in devarim shebekedusha at the location. According to Shulchon Aruch, mei raglayim is considered dry if it will no longer make one’s hand damp when it is touched. Rema is more lenient and says that as long as the hand that touches the mei raglayim does not become wet enough to make something else wet, the mei raglayim is dry enough. If the mei raglayim is almost--but not quite--in the category of dry enough, it can be nullified by pouring even a minute amount of water on it.

 ס"ב ס"ק ג-ד

Is it forbidden to say a davar shebekedusha in a clean bathroom?

A place which was used as a bathroom has the same halachos as actual tzoah, even if it has been cleaned.  As such, involvement in a davar shebekedusha within its four amos or within sight of it is forbidden. Since the place was used for tzoah, it is not a machaneh kadosh. The poskim disagree about whether this prohibition is mid’oraisa or only mid’rabonon.

סימן פ"ג ס"ק א-ג ביאורים ומוספים דרשו 1

• Tzoah is only a halachic issue if it comes from a person who, at least once in his life, has consumed a k’zayis of one of the five grains within the time frame of k’dei achilas pras (three to five minutes).

• If food is cooked and served as a cereal or gruel, the poskim disagree about whether the k’dei achilas pras changes to reflect the normal amount of time it takes to eat that food.

• If a person is davening and realizes that there is tzoah in front of him, he should walk forward so that the tzoah is at least four amos behind him. If he is unable to do so (e.g. there is a river or another obstruction in front of him), he should walk four amos sideways so that the tzoah will be off to his side.

• May a davar shebekedusha be said in front of the walls of a bathroom?

• Where is an appropriate place to build a sukkah?

• May one daven in front of the closed door of a bathroom?