Rabbi Nosson Adler and Nusach Ari

There are many various nuschaos for tefillah. The general rule is that one should always follow the nusach of that location, specifically with regards to the differing customs of Ashkenazim and Sefardim (עי' שו"ע או"ח סי' ס"ח ובמג"א שם. משנ"ב שם סק"ד).
However, many Poskim write that changing to nusach Ari is permitted, and to change from nusach Ari to anything else is not (עי' שו"ת מנחת אלעזר ח"א סי' י"א ובהנסמן שם).
In fact, it is related of Rabbi Nosson Adler (Rabbi and mekubal in Frankfurt, teacher of the Chasam Sofer) and of Rabbi Pinchas Horowitz (author of the "Hafla'ah) that they both respectively ascended to the amud as chazzan in an Ashkenazi Shul that davened nusach Ashkenaz and proceeded to daven in nusach Ari!
שו"ת חתם סופר חאו"ח סי' ט"ו

Did the Mahara"m of Rothenburg Act Justifiably?

It is well know the story of the R. Meir (The Maharam) of Rothenburg, Germany, who was the foremost Torah leader of his time. He was imprisoned for various reasons and an astronomically high sum was demanded as ransom. Us Jews are very careful with the mitzvah of "Pidyom Shvuim" as there is no greater mitzvah thereof (שו"ע יו"ד סי' רנב), and as such, the Jewish community of the time rushed to his rescue. R. Meir refused, ruling that we cannot redeem captives for more than their worth (עי' שו"ע שם ס"ד).
The Maharsh"al questions the justification of R. Meir's actions: Being that he was the leader of his generation in knowledge and piety, all money in the world could have been spent for his release?! If he was so humble and did not wish to recognize this, he should have at least considered the countless hours of Torah learning that was wasted as a result of his incarceration (as he himself writes)!
The Maharash"al concludes that R. Meir must have reasoned that if he lets the community buckle to the pressure, all Torah scholars would be in ultimate danger, and Torah would eventually be forgotten. Indeed, it is related that the plan was to capture the Ro"sh as well, and he was forced to flee to Toledo where he was spared, Thank G-d.
"So that Chassid made a decision: better my superior knowledge be forgotten that that of the entire Torah!
Indeed, history proved him right: from then on, capturing Torah scholars ceased."
ים של שלמה גיטין פ"ד סי' ס"ו
ועי' בשו"ע יו"ד סי' רנ"ב ובנו"כ שם

Tefillin 300 Days a Year

The most prominent letter displayed on the Tefillin is the letter "Shin" - one bearing three "heads" on the right side of the Bayis and a four-headed companion on its left side. Why specifically the letter "Shin"?
The gematriah of "Shin" is 300. If you make a calculation, of the 365 days that make up a solar year, only 300 of them are "Tefillin days," for there are 65 days a year that Tefillin is not laid. They are:
52 - Shabbos; 2 - Rosh Hashanah; 1 - Yom Kippur; 2 - Sukkos; 2 - Shemini Atzeres/Simchas Torah; 4 - Pesach (first and last days of Yom Tov); 2 - Shavuos.
52+2+1+2+2+4+2=65.
ארחות חיים (רא"ה מלוניל) הל' תפילין סי' כ"ז
See here

Don't Go Alone (Part II)

[In those congregations that are accustomed to reciting Pesukei Dezimrah in the above mentioned manner,]
"...the congregation should not appoint two people that hate each other to say Pesukei Dezimrah, for how can the praises of Hashem, blessed be He, arise from a division of hearts? Indeed, the Chinuch writes in the vein of the prohibition for two different animals to work together that that one should not appoint two people that are different in nature and characteristic to any position. Now, if the Torah was careful with two animals, how much more so with people!”
מקור חיים הל' ברכות סוף סי' נ"א
ועי' בשו"ע חו"מ סי' ז' ס"ח ובפתחי תשובה שם ס"ק י"ח ובברכ"י ס"ק ל"ה עוד בהמסתעף מהך דברים דהחינוך

Don't Go Alone

Among certain congregations, there is a minhag to appoint two people to recite Pesukei Dezimrah out loud, i.e. one person recites one passuk and a second person recites another passuk.
The reason given for this is: The chief purpose of Pesukei Dezimrah is to "cut" ("זמרה" shares a root with "זמר - to cut") all the prosecutors that attempt to thwart our tefillos. Thus, should one say these pesukim alone, he is subject to danger. By joining forces with another person, they are now a team and protected from all harm.
ספר החיים (אחי המהר"ל) "ספר סליחה ומחילה" ח"ד פ"ח אות ח
ועי' בס' מקור חיים (לבעל החות יאיר) הל' ברכות סי' נ"א בסופו
See here
To be continued...

Are Women Allowed to Check for Bugs?

Insects are quite common in vegetables, and one must check certain known-to-be-infested types before consumption (שו"ע יו"ד סי' פ"ד ס"ח). Is one allowed to rely on their wife - or any woman - to carry out this procedure?
The Maharsha"l writes the one indeed cannot. Quoting his words, the Sha"ch (סי' פ"ד שם ס"ק ל"ה) writes (in the name of the Ram"a in Toras Chatas) that this is not the minhag, rather women DO check all produce and we duly rely on them.
Picking up the discussion, the Aruch Hashulchan writes "...regarding the essential matter, I am in shock: how could one say ח"ו that our women are lax with matters of issur just out of laziness?! Do we not see their tireless efforts with all matters of issur! .... In fact, one of the great sages write that today common sense dictates that we can rely on the woman's methodical checking more than that of their male counterparts who are preoccupied and hurrying to work..."
ערוך השולחן יו"ד סי' פ"ד ס"פ-פ"ג, עי' בהנסמן שם

Not Believing in Techias Hameisim a Question on Your Judaism

It is said in the name of the Ba'al Shem Tov:
"...There's a teshuvah from the Ramba"m in response to [people of] a certain country... that asked him: 'Teach us our master, if techias hameisim is not explicitly mentioned in the Torah, rather it is proven in various ways in the Gemara, than who is to say that we cannot prove the contrary?'
"The Rambam did not want to answer this question personally, so he instructed his student R. Yehuda ibn Tibbon to compose a reply. The general gist of their reply was as follows: 'Explain to them that if such a doubt has been borne to them, it follows that their souls do not descend from the sons of Avraham, Yitzcak, and Ya'akov, rather from the people of Sedom and Amora...'"
כתר שם טוב אות קפ"ו
See here

Two Pairs of Tefillin - Bal Tosif?

The Shulchan Aruch (שו"ע או"ח סי' ל"ד ס"ב) rules that a "yarei shamayim" should wear both pairs of Tefillin - Rashi and Rabeinu Tam. The method the Shulchan Aruch prescribes is to put them both on at the same time - "for there is enough room on the head for two pairs of Tefillin." The question is: isn't this "Bal Tosif"?
The basic explanation offered is that being that the differing opinions consider the counter opinions as completely "invalid," it follows that the person is really only wearing one pair of Tefillin. To explain: Were you to ask Rashi "does this man bear two pairs of Tefillin?" his answer would be no, as he holds that the "other" pair (the "Rabbeinu Tam pair") is not Tefillin at all! The same vice versa.
However, there were those who feared that being that Rashi's opinion is universally accepted, donning Rabbein Tam's Tefillin would look arrogant ("look how pious I am!"). Additionally, there are those who couldn't fit both pairs on the same arm. Because of this, the widespread custom became to don the Rabbeinu Tam pair privately after the Rashi pair.
שו"ת מהרי"ל סי' קל"ז
ועי' מג"א סי' ל"ד ס"ק ג

Shlomo Molcho's Tzitzis

The Shulchan Aruch (שו"ע או"ח סי' י"א סי"ד) writes that the minhag is to have four sets of "chulyos" around the tzitzis before the strings that protrude. The count he writes is: 7, 9, 11, 13. The Magen Avraham (מג"א שם ס"ק כ"ב) writes in the name of the Shala"h to place 8 in the second set. He then brings from the Lechem Chamudos (the Rav of Prague, R. Yom Tov Lipman Heller, the Tosfos Yom Tov) who writes: "I saw the tzitzis of the holy saint R. Shlomo Molcho with the following order: 10,5,6,5, matching the letters of Hashem's name."
Speaking of the tzitzis of Shlomo Molcho, the Lechem Chamudos writes as well that he saw that the color of his tzitzis was "like the color of an egg yolk. Such was the tallis of the saint R. Shlomo Molcho."
מג"א סי' י"א ס"ק כ"ב
לחם חמודות הל' ציצית סי' צ"ח
מעשה רקח (על הרמב"ם) הל' ציצית פ"ב ה"ח

Marror's Historical Background

As anyone who attended a Pesach Seder knows, on that auspicious night, we make sure to eat "marror" - bitter herbs. The simple reason is that it's serves as a reminder for the bitter exile that our fathers went through in Egypt.
The Ibn Ezra however explains this idea a bit differently:
"One of the Spanish sages said as follows: It is well known that Egypt, due to the constant presence of the Nile river, is very moist and humid. As a result of the lack of the rain and the abundant of humidity, the Egyptians were accustomed to eat at every meal various types of bitter species, either of grasses or mustards. Even if an Egyptian had a meal of bread alone, the bitter herbs were always present, in which he would be able to dip his bread. This was a cure for their [harmful] air."
However, the Ibn Ezra concludes "We will rely on the explanation of our predecessors, as they explained the marror being a commemeration of the bitter times in Egypt."
אבן עזרא (פירוש הארוך) שמות יב, ח
ועי' משנה פסחים פ"י מ"ה, ובגמ' פסחים קטז, א-ב

No Need for Show

The renown tzadik and gaon, R. Shlomo Kluger writes in his will:
"On my matzeivah there shall be no titles or praises; rather it should simply state 'Here rests Rabbi Shlomo, Moreh Hora'ah (decider of law) in the holy community of Brod, the son of... (titles) Rabbis Yehudah, the head of the Beis Din of Kamrov.' It should not state 'Moreh Tzedek,' for only Hashem knows if I indeed ruled correctly; therefore it should only state 'Moreh Hora'ah.' There should also not be any praises, for what gain is there with the 'song of praises.' For the purpose of man is to ascend to his creator as a complete korban. It says [regarding korbanos] 'And you shall not ascend up steps to my mizbei'ach': not through the steps and praises that will be said about him in this world will one ascend Hashem's altar. On the contrary - [as the passuk continues] '...that his nakedness should not be revealed': the heaping of praises will only bring more memory of his inadequacies rather than his virtues. As such, no praise or virtue should be mentioned on my matzeivah, nor with a eulogy; if only that He shall not see my inadequecies above. Let His love conceal our sins."
ספר "לשון צדיק" (צוואת ר' שלמה קלוגר) אות טז
http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=21027&st=&pgnum=24&hilite=

Not to "Shame" the Bread?

In all Jewish homes, it is common to see the challah covered with a cloth before making kiddush. This practice has its roots in Shulchan Aruch (שו"ע או"ח סי' רע"א ס"ט) which states that the challah should be both covered above and have a cloth beneath as well.
There are a number of reasons given for this. The Tur (טור סי' רע"א הובא בנו"כ לשו"ע שם) brings from the Yerushalmi that this is a rememberance of the man that the Jews recieved in the desert that came "in a box": with dew above and below it. Another reason given (at least for the covering) is not to "shame" the bread: usually bread comes before wine; on Shabbos we give preference to the wine over the challah, thus we cover it so it shouldn't view its shame.
Another way of explaining this "shame" factor is more technical: being that bread has "first rights" over wine, should the bread be "available," we would have to make kiddush over it. Being that kiddush is supposed to be made over wine, the Chachamim came up with the idea of covering the challah, thus making it "unavailable."
מג"א סי' רע"א סק"כ
ועי' שו"ע סי' רצ"ט ס"ט
ועי' בתוס' פסחים ק, ב ד"ה "שאין מביאין" עוד בטעם הדברים

Eggs on Pesach

It is customary to start the meal by the Pesach seder with an egg (רמ"א סי' תע"ו ס"ב). What is the reason for this minhag?
According to the א"ת ב"ש calculations of the Jewish calendar, the first night of Pesach always falls out on the same night as Tishah Be'Av (the first letter "א" corresponds to the first night of Pesach which matches with "ת" which represents "Tishah Be'Av" - שו"ע סי' תכ"ח ס"ג). Thus, to match the theme of this mournful day, we eat an egg which is the symbol of mourning (as we do on Tish Be'Av). This reason would lead us to eat the egg only on the first night; another reason that we are mournful over the fact that we do not have the korban Pesach today gives reason to eat the egg both nights of the seder.
רמ"א סי' תע"ו ס"ב ובח"י שם סק"ו
ועי' במשב"ז שם סק"ג שמביא טעם אחר והוא משום שאברהם אבינו מת בע"פ ולכן מתאבלים ע"ז
ועי' עוד באשל אברהם שם סק"ד שמבאר מדוע מתאבלים על א"א דוקא בליל הסדר

Silver Mayim Achronim

At a farbrengen with the Friediker Rebbe on the first day of Pesach 1942, approaching bentching time, a silver mayim achronim container was brought before the Rebbe. He refused to use it and related:
"The Miteler Rebbe once asked his father the Alter Rebbe 'when Moshiach comes and there will be no more impure spirit, what will be the idea of mayim achronim?'
"The Alter Rebbe replied: 'the mayim achronim of then will be for those who conducted themselves in worldly matters now - during galus - with complete purity.'"
The Friediker Rebbe concluded: "Then we can wash mayim achronim in a silver container."
ספר השיחות תש"ב ע' 92 - אידיש

Biting the Pitom

There is a minhag Yisrael for a pregnant woman to bite off the pitom of an esrog on Hosha'anah Rabbah. What is the reason for this?
According to the R. Abba of Acco (בראשית רבה טו, ז), the Eitz HaDa'as that Chava ate from was an esrog tree. Thus, by biting off the pitom of the esrog, the pregnant woman declares: "Just as I derive no benefit from the bite of this esrog, I have no wish to partake of the benefit that Chava had when she bit the original esrog. As such, Hashem, spare me from the pains of labor that Chava was thereafter cursed with."
The Minchas Elazar however writes that this minhag has no makor, rather it was printed in the new editions of the "Mateh Efraim" and does not appear in the original editions. He forbids biting the pitom on Hsha'anah Rabbah itself and only permits it after Simchas Torah.
טעמי המנהגים ח"ב ליקוטים אות ס"ח
דרכי חיים ושלום אות תשצ"ו

Vach Nacht

The Chida writes:
"Harav Tzemach Tzarfati was sick for two years, suffering from immense pain. A great miracle occurred and Hashem sent an angel to heal him. He later related that Eliyahu Hanavi came to him and told him that if he accepts upon himself to learn Torah the night before the bris of every child in the city, he will be healed. He accepted the resolution upon himself and was instantly healed. From that day on, on the night preceding every bris in the city, he would to go the place where the milah was to be held and learn Torah there the entire night. This I heard from a Talmid Chacham who heard it from an elderly man who was in Rav Tzarfati's house at the very moment that he was healed."
שם הגדולים להחיד"א מערכת ספרים אות ז', ערך זרע יצחק

100 Brachos for Protection

The Gemara (Menachos 43b) mentions the obligation to recite 100 brachos every day. This is brought down in Shulchan Aruch as halachah (OC 66:3).
Why 100? There are many reasons; see the Gemara above. One reason given is:
In the "Tochechah" of Parshas Ki Savo, there are 98 curses that Hashem rains down on the Jews should they decide to err in their ways. Additionally, the passuk mentions "Also, all the sicknesses and plagues that are not written in this Torah Hashem will bring upon you until you are destroyed.(Devarim 28:61)" If you count these two generic curses, that gives you a grand total of 100. As a protection for these 100 terrible curses, we have the great insurance plan of 100 brachos every day.
ספר הרוקח הל' ברכות ריש סי' ש"כ
ועי' עוד בשו"ת ציץ אליעזר חי"ט סי' י"א