Ring, ring. “Hello,” said Abba as he picked up the phone. It was Akiva, a yeshiva bochur on the other line. Abba had a short conversation with Akiva and after hanging up the phone, he told his family, “Akiva is coming to us for the Friday night seuda!” The kids were thrilled to hear that.
On that Friday night, Akiva was warmly greeted by the family. They invited him to sit down by the Shabbos table in the place that they prepared especially for him. After Kiddush and HaMotzi, Abba offered to take Akiva’s hat and jacket so that he could feel more comfortable during the meal. Abba hung the jacket on a hanger in the closet and hung the hat on a hook of the closet’s door.
But seconds later, the hat went flying to the floor as the hook where it was hung cracked. Unfortunately, right at that moment, the family’s youngest son Chaim was running by and stepped on the hat. Abba immediately lifted the hat but was saddened by the fact that the hat was bent. Luckily, Akiva did not notice any of this.
“I better fix it now so that Akiva won’t even know what had happened,” said Abba.
Question: May Abba straighten out the hat now?
Hints & Answers* HALACHA CHALLENGE: Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchosa (15:50) teaches: It is permitted to return the bent part of the hat to its normal position. RHYME: “love” PARSHA RIDDLE: “Five ..Five...Five” (Bamidbar 7:23). See Rashi’s commentaries where he writes that the number five here is hinting to the five commandments on each of the two luchos. | *Menucha answers are not to be taken as final decisions in halacha.
