The smashed car door
Author Archives: Rav Yehonoson Dovid Hool
Vayakhel-Pekudei – Guarding a Good Reputation: To What Extent?
Recently, there was a story circulating about a gabbai tzedakah (an official in charge of funds for the poor) who approached a certain wealthy man and asked him for a donation. The man agreed to give a sizeable donation on condition that he would be told to whom his money would be given. The gabbai […]
Evictions: Halachic Considerations
Reuven rents an apartment for a year, and agrees to pay the rent every three months. After six months, he defaults on his rental payment, and the landlord wants to evict him from the premises immediately, in the middle of the rental period. Does he have the right to do so in Halachah? * Let […]
Reintroducing The Shtar Chatzi Zachar
PDF view/download A Halachic Method Of Bequeathing To A Daughter Contents Introduction – A daughter does not inherit her father if her father leaves sons 1) Halachic ways to give the daughter a share of the inheritance, and their drawbacks 2) Shtar Chatzi Zochor 3) The permissibility of the Shtar Chatzi Zochor 4) How much […]
Yiush and Shinui Reshus
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
The Greedy Shadchan
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Buying From A Unknown Source
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Questionable Counterfeit
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Mesirah
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Permissable Theft
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Gezel and Taus Akum
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
The Cake Was Delicious, But It’s Not My Birthday
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Hezek on the Safari
Dayan Beis Din Nesivos Chaim, Yerushalayim This Shiur is property of Bais Havaad L’inyonei Mishpat
Shemini – Is Your Food Kosher?
In Parshas Shemini we find the laws of Ma’acholos Assuros – the instructions about which animals are kosher and which are forbidden to be eaten. The Ramban gives a reason behind the prohibition to consume certain kinds of animals. He explains that every species has its innate characteristics and traits that are shared by all […]
Selling Chometz Online
Question: I am thinking of selling my chametz online, and wanted to know the Halachic basis for it, without a kinyan? Answer: I am unaware of the details of the particular transaction that you wish to do. Nonetheless, in general if one is appointing a Rabbi to sell your chometz on your behalf, you yourself […]
Shnayim Mikra – to read the whole Sedra first
Dear Distinguished Rabbis, shlitas I was told by a Rav a heter, but since he’s not a posek, I’m concerned that it may not have been a correct psak, as he did not base it on a precedent, but on common sense. I told him that Rav Ovadia Yosef paskined that b’shaat hadchak and b’dieved, […]
Orlah for a replanted sapling
Question In your Halachos on Birkas HaIlanos, you mention that one shouldn’t use trees that are Orlah. I planted two fruit saplings a year ago (when they were blooming). I don’t know how old the saplings were at the time I bought them (and they couldn’t tell me). Is it mutar to say the bracho […]
When no water is available for Netilat Yodayim
Question Can one say just the brocha on the bread without washing hands if there is no water to wash hands? Answer If one is travelling on a journey, and knows that when he arrives at his destination there will be water available for him to wash his hands, then if the time required to […]
Donation in error
Question My wife transfered maaser money from our general checking account to our tzedaka account. Immediately after performing the transaction, she realized that she had forgotten to subtract approx. $5000 that we had “borrowed” from our general account over the year for tzedaka. We had been waiting until my pension arrived to deduct the borrowed […]
Costs of billing – Ribbis?
Question I have an IT business. I send invoices to my clients via email, if they didn’t pay it then I send them a letter where I charge them 60p paper bill charge. So I want to know if the 60p is Ribbis? To send a bill it costs me 49p and I add another […]
Hot water tap on Yom Tov
Question Can one use hot water from the tap to wash one’s dirty dishes with on yom tov? Answer It depends. If, as in Israel, the hot water is coming from a Dud Shemesh – a solar water heater – one may use it on Yom Tov. If, however, the hot water comes from a […]
Does the entire Haggadah have to be read?
Question: Does the entire Haggadah have to be read word for word, or it is enough to just ‘talk’ ABOUT some sections without actually reading the text? Answer: Torah law requires every Jew to discuss Yetziat Mitzrayim on Seder night. Sefer Emek Brachah famously quotes Rav Chaim Soloveitchik as pointing out that there are three particular […]
Is a Beth Din required to provide a reason for its ruling?
Question: Is a Beth Din required to provide a reason for its ruling? Answer: According to the Halacha, usually a Beis Din is not required to provide a reasoning for its ruling. If, however, the Dayanim perceive that the losing party suspects that the Beis Din has ruled against him for unfair reasons, the Beis […]
Din or Peshoro (Compromise)?
Question: When litigants sign a Shtar Borrerus (Deed of Arbitration) in Beis Din, it usually states that the Dayanim are given the authority to rule either according to the strict Din or by way of Peshoroh (compromise). Why does Beis Din not rule always according to the Din? Answer: Our shtar borrerus has a clause […]
Money coming to a married woman after death
Question: Can you tell me if husband inherits his wife for money that she receives after she dies? The exact case I am dealing with is a women who died in a car crash and the family can now sue for a large settlement. Al pi din, does her husband inherit her or her father? […]
A Driver’s Liability in Halacha and Civil Law
Driving a car in America carries with it tremendous responsibility. Besides the Torah obligation not to hurt others, driving also involves several issues of liability according to American civil law. Below we will discuss some of the basic issues of Halachic liability when driving a car. Interestingly enough, secular traffic law plays an important role […]
Lending Shekel for Dollars
Question: Reuven, an American tourist in Israel, wishes to borrow some Israeli shekels from his friend and fellow tourist Shimon, and arranges to repay the loan when they return to the US. Is there any Halachic objection to this arrangement, and if not, if Reuven repays the loan in US dollars should he use the […]
Canceling a Prearranged Service Under Jewish Law
Question: If you order a babysitter, taxi driver or any other person to work for you, may you cancel the arrangement before the job begins, and what are the financial consequences if you do so? Answer: Reneging on a verbal commitment The Talmud (Bava Metzia 49a) forbids one to back out of any commitment upon […]
Repentant thief
Question: In my youth I was irreligious, and on one occasion I, together with a friend of mine, stole from a warehouse two doors. Since then I have done Teshuvah, and I realize that I must repay the theft. My former friend, however, is still irreligious and has no desire to repay anything. Must I […]