THE BAIS HAVAAD HALACHA JOURNAL: Volume 5776 Issue XXXXI PInchos COMMEMORATING THE BAIS HAMIKDASH The applications of the Halachos of Zecher L’Churban in our everyday life By: OU Kosher HALACHA YOMIS

OU Kosher Halacha Yomis This column is dedicated in memory of: Rav Chaim Yisroel ben Reb Dov HaLevi Belsky, zt'l Senior OU Kosher Halachic Consultant from 1987-2016 Q. Are there any situations in which one may be lenient about leaving an unpainted and non-plastered area of the wall, facing the entrance way, to commemorate the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash? A. The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (126:1) indeed wonders why many people are lenient in fulfilling the requirement of leaving an amah by an amah unpainted and non-plastered in their newly built homes zecher l’churban. (See Aruch HaShulchan OC 560:3, 4 for a possible leniency.) Nevertheless, there is an opinion in the poskim which maintains that if one’s spouse does not want the area exposed, then one may paint a spot measuring an amah by an amah in a different color than the rest of the wall instead (Ohr L’tzion 3:30:1). However, Rav Belsky, zt”l maintained that this should not be done l’chatchilah (from the outset) (Piskei Halacha Vol. 1, p. 114).