Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a, Author at Ask The Rabbi - Dinonline

Leining Lessons

Question: I teach boys Bar Mitzvah leining and charge per session. I had this boy whom after a few sessions I realised I just wasn’t going to get there with him. He wasn’t doing his practice at home, whenever I tried to correct him during the sessions he argued that he had said it right […]

Paying debts of the departed

Question: My mother just passed away and it became known to me that there are several outstanding debts amounting to over $4000. My brothers explained to me that we have no legal obligation to assume responsibility to finish paying off these debts. Nevertheless, I feel that is the proper thing to do, and we also […]

parev pot lid with meaty pot

Question: I boiled potatoes in a aino ben yomo meaty pot with a parev lid. Do I need to kasher the parev lid? If so, how do I kasher it? Thank you very much Answer: hello, There is no need for you to kasher the pot cover because the food inside it was pareve and […]

Dairy Bowl

Question: Last night, I accidentally dipped my finger into a bowl of milk I picked up. I had eaten meat for dinner a few hours prior and I’m not my sure if I washed my hands afterwards (I actually touched meat at dinner). Are there any kashrut concerns with the bowl and spoon that was […]

Bug

Question: I was boiling pot of pasta found a brown piece which looks like vertebrae of bug do I have to throw it all out? Answer: Hello, If a person finds one bug in pasta, it does not make the food trief, however the person should check the rest of the pasta before eating it. […]

Singing

Question: I want to know if it’s allowed for a girl of the age of 12 to sing in front of her uncle through marriage? Answer: Hello, A girl of 12 years old may not sing in front of her uncle. She is considered an ervah to him. Best wishes

bathroom

Question: hi Rabbi, If one urinates and defecates during the same trip to the bathroom, does one say say one or two blessings after? Answer: Hello, One says the blessing only once. Best wishes Sources:

fleishig fork

Question: My daughter was eating hot meatballs last night and dropped her fork on the floor. I know that usually the fork is okay, but the problem is a few days ago one of my children dropped pasta with cheese in the same area (my kids drop a lot of food), and I hadn’t yet […]

Contaminated Dish Soap

Question: We noticed a small piece of food on the spout of our dish soap. It was to the side away from where the actual soap comes out. We have no idea how long it was there for. My wife speculates it just got there as she was making a salad we are eating for […]

Fast

Question: Dear Rabbi, I hope you can help. I did not know that one should fast erev Rosh Hashanah and am beating myself up for not fasting even until chatzos. Since then, I have been scared of my computer, phone, clothes that I touched or wore, etc. as well as the types of food (from […]

Meat Spoon in Dairy Teacup

Question: Hi Rabbi, Someone by mistake used a meat spoon to mix honey in my dairy Corelle teacup. The teacup had hot tea in it. Is there any way I can rekasher the dairy teacup and meat spoon? I don’t remember when either was used last before putting the tea inside (could be a week […]

Meat Spoon in Dairy Pot

Question: Hi Rabbi, Someone by mistake used a meat spoon that had rice on it and put it into a dairy pot with pasta and cheese. The spoon had rice from the rice cooker on it – I don’t think I ever put meat/chicken in the rice cooker. The spoon didn’t touch the pot itself […]

Raw Chicken Touched Olive Oil Dispenser

Question: Hi Rabbi, I was seasoning raw chicken and the olive oil dispenser touched the cold, raw chicken… The tip from where the olive oil comes out of definitely touched the chicken. Can I rekasher the olive oil dispenser? The dispenser is glass where it touched on the outside. The tip itself is metal on […]

Tissues and packages on Shabbat

Question: Hello Rabbi, A few questions regarding Shabbat. 1. My parents are not Shabbat observant. My mom wrote on a carton of food in Shabbat because normally I ask her to label food packages. I would have said not to because it was Shabbat. Is the food off limits now because technically she did it […]

The meaning of everlasting

Question: The covenant to circumcise males is labeled as “everlasting” in the Old Testament. However, the New Testament states it is no longer relevant. People explain that the word “everlasting” is a translation of a Hebrew text that did not actually have a word for infinite like we do now. That doesn’t seem to make […]

Patriarchs and Moshe Rabbeinu wear tefillin?

Question: Shalom Rav. Moshe Rabbeinu and our Patriarchs, did they wear tefillin? Answer: The patriarchs did wear tefillin as it says, that they indeed kept all of the commandments, therefore we have no reason to assume that tefillin was any different. Moshe Rabbeinu definitely wore tefillin, after al he was the one told by […]

Dogs in kosher kitchen

Question: Unfortunately, my wife has dogs who get into the kitchen from time-to-time. While she thinks very little about it, it bothers me considerably especially because I have OCD around kashrut issues. In any event, earlier she left one of our cupboards where we keep our diary pots open while she left the room. It […]

Is a magnet Muktza

Question: Is a magnet mutur on shabbos or is a cli shmilachto liussur or is it machmas goofo Answer: It depends on the usual use of the magnet. For example, a magnet that is used to attach papers to something is considered a kli shemilachto l’heter, and may be moved for any reason. Most […]

Inheritance law

Question: Dear Rabbi, Hashem has me with two parents who grieve over the exist of Jewish orthodoxy. I am the first born and should have a double portion for my inheritance. My father and mother will be dividing it equal to our three children myself and two siblings. Currently, Hashem has me on mental health […]

Kashrus question

Question: Hi. Is it ok to eat to ok to dried mango with no added ingredients that has a hechsher that may be questionable? Answer: Hello, According to the kashrus professional that we contacted, it is permitted. Best wishes

Shabbos bishul questions

Question: 1) How can I warm up fried shnitzel on a hotplate on shabbos? Is it okay to put it on top of a pot that is on a hot plate? 2) Is it okay to add cold water to hot soup/tea/etc in kli shlishi? What about pouring hot soup/etc onto cold water drops in […]

Unknown object in kosher food

Question: I was eating a wrap made by my wife from prepared food (tabule and humus) from a kosher certified grocery store. Inside, I found a small, hard, tasteless foreign item that I was unable to chew. I’m not really able to identify the object. Personally, I thought it might be something inedible like a […]

Course

Question: Hi, If my friend paid for a course given by a goy. Can I use her login to view the course as well? Answer: Hello, We are not allowed to teal from a goy, and if the person charges for viewing the course it would constitute geneiva. Best wishes

Medical procedure with cadaver part

Question: In an upcoming medical procedure that will be taking place, my doctor said that he might have to put in to me some cartilage from a dead person’s donated cartilage. Is this permitted or is the cartilage osur b’hanah? The doctor said that ideally he would like the option to use such cartilage, but […]

Tuition and Gaza War

Question: Rabbi, My son was in Israel learning in yeshiva until the war broke out in October 2023. He decided to come home due to the war. After being home for an extended time. He decided not return to the Yeshiva in Israel. I have discussed with the issue with the school. They responded that […]

Paying for others with your credit card

Question: My wife and I are being flown out to a congregant’s son’s wedding. The Baal Simcha told me to buy the tickets, and he would reimburse me via Zelle. The tickets came to $1130, which I put on my credit card. He Zelle’d me $1200. I’m assuming he intends for me to keep the […]

Fortune cookie bishul or pas akum

Question: Is a fortune cookie a problem of pas akum or bishul akum? They make thin dough and bake it. If it has a hechsher does that mean there is no bishul akum so can eat it but if it is pas akum even with hechsher it might not be pas yisrael? Answer: Hello, It […]

Cutting Down Trees – Animals

Question: Are there any halachic issues with cutting down trees that animals are inhabiting? Answer: Hello, There are issues with cutting down fruit trees, however when it is permitted, the fact that animal are inhabiting he tree is not a halachic factor. The animals will find themselves another home Best wishes

Who to kill

Question: My 7 year old Yehoshua wanted to know – if someone says I have one bullet and am either going to kill you or another Jew, should one offer oneself to save one’s friend? Does it compare to murder being yehareh veal yaavor? Answer: Hello, Nice question! The idea that a Jew should […]

Honoring unconscious parents

Question: My elderly mother is in the ICU in critical condition, and she is not conscious, is there still a mitzvah of kibud em even though she is unaware and cannot ask for anything or tell me to do something, etc? Answer: Hello, Yes. the halachos of kibbud av v’em, apply not only when a […]

Soulmate

Question: Shalom, Rabbi What would a Jew do if he founds out that his soulmate( A Jewish girl) have converted to Christianity, should he gone on and marry her? Answer: Hello, A Jew that is loyal to his heritage would not want to marry a person who forsakes his religion. Being a soulmate is […]

BUYING FOR SHABBOS

Question: DO YOU GET REIMBURSED FOR BUYING FOR SHABBOS NON FOOD ITEMS Answer: Yes. the idea is that the item is bought for the honor of Shabbos. the idea is that it is bought not for the person’s personal pleasure, rather that the expense is done for the honor of Hashem’s Shabbos. It can […]

Yosef reuniting with Yaakov

Question: Hi Rabbi, thank you for this wonderful forum. 1. Do we know the date in Jewish history (or month) when Yosef revealed himself to his brothers “Ani Yosef”? Was it Nissan? Adar ? 2. Do we know the date (or month) when Ya’akov and Yosef were reunited with one another? Good shabbas! Answer: […]

Asking Mechilah

Question: A person asked the following question. He looked inside [browsed] the content of a private person’s electronic files; whether on an open computer or a USB. Is asking mechilo necessary. There is a chance that the person asked will be greatly upset. The shulchan oruch discusses specifying the wrong. Is this crucial. Is it […]

Lending from Maaser

Question: Hi, I’ve been asked by a friend who’s struggling for a loan, which they’ll pay back in installments each month (interest free of course). Am I allowed to lend them the money from my Maaser account which I’ve accumulated over time, and as their monthly repayments come in I’ll transfer the funds into the […]

Bug in salad/on plate

Question: Hi Rabbi I was having lunch with salad and I saw a tiny tiny spider on the plate (presumably from the salad). I threw out the salad but are my plate and fork still kosher? Anything special to do here? Thanks! Answer: Hello, The plate and fork are fine to use, and there […]

Masser on found money

Question: If you find money in the street, do you need to take masser from it. Please cite source Answer: Hello, A person who finds money that he is halachically allowed to keep should take maaser from it, as it is no different from other income that he makes. If you want sources for […]

If a man finishes a Masechet or a book of Tanach does is it a mitzvah to do a siyum?

Question: Ha Rav, If a man finishes a Masechet or a book of Tanach does is it a mitzvah to do a siyum? What mitzvah is it in the 613 mitzvot? Answer: Hello, Yes it is a mitzva to make a siyum when a person finishes a mesechet or a sefer of Nach. the […]

Tutorial payment

Question: I was hired to tutor an avreich. His mother paid me in advance $20K. This money came to me through a “Donor Advised Fund”. That is an org people donate to irrevocably for the purpose of tax exemption. The org passes on the money to whatever non-profit cause they choose. But will not return […]

Using meat and dairy knives successively as serving utensils

Question: For food items like a tub of chumus, guacamole, or other dips. Do you have to be careful to use only meat or only dairy serving utensils? Meaning if you bring it out on different occasions, let’s say a shabbos meal and then on Sunday you want chumus on your lunch sandwich. Does it […]

Tefillin of Rabbeinu Tam

Question: May an extra pair of Rashi Tefillin be converted into Rabeinu Tam tefillin? Answer: Hello, Although there are people who are mehader to put on Rabeinu Tam tefillin, the way we pasken is that the rashi tefillin is the correct way that the parshiot are meant to be placed. this applies to the degree […]

Gift for non-Jewish friend

Question: Dear rabbi, Can I give my non-Jewish friend a snowman necklace charm as a holiday gift? She really loves a snowman from a holiday movie she showed me. It would be a special gift for her. Would that be permitted? I know you can’t give gifts on the day of the avodah zarah holiday. […]

Shabbat opening and closing Sefer

Question: B”H Kavod haRav, Thank you for your help. Regarding opening and closing books on Shabbat, if there are raised (raised, textured, straight lines from the printing, almost like very skinny toothpick type of raised straight lines) on the side of the books pages, does this pose any issue of opening and closing the Sefer? […]

Nittul and tehillim

Question: May we say tehillim on nittul starting from after chatzos by day? Answer: Hello, One may say tehillim the day before nittul, as the minhag only applies at night until chatzos, even for thse who abstain from learning on this night. Secondly there are different minhagim regarding not learning on this night, and […]

Landlord changes his mind

Question: My question is, I was in the process of finding a house to rent for me and my family and found a house on a block that I liked, after viewing the house and much back and forth with the landlord negotiating tenant improvement we finally came to an agreement and I signed my […]

What to do with Gemach capital

Question: My father a”h founded a gemach over 50 years ago that makes loans of a few thousand dollars. Demand has dwindled, and most of the capital is sitting in an account doing nothing. I am able to track down only a few of the descendants of the contributors. Should I be donating the remaining […]

Brush

Question: Can I use a brush that’s made with pig bristles? I only realized this after I bought it. Answer: Hello, I am assuming that you mean to ask regarding that it isn’t a kosher animal. It is permitted to use, because we may not eat pig, however we are allowed to derive benefit […]

Toiveling rice cooker

Question: In the instructions of a rice cooker it says “immersing in water may cause damage to the insulation, thus, causing electric leakage and danger.” What do you advise regarding toiveling? Answer: Hello, It should still be toveled, however it should not be used for a few days afterwards, in order to give it […]

Making a vow to do something

Question: What is considered a vow? I’m aware that if I say I will do something, I should do it. But, if I answer a poll saying I’ll do something/be somewhere, or write it down on my phone to remind myself, is not doing it a sin? Answer: Hello, In general, we should be […]

Good kosher sense

Question: Dear Rabbi, I sense there are two reasons I find difficulty in Israel. One is first and obviously the worst I think. I was not brought with fear of heaven and anything goes. I think a kosher daughter is never in the picture for marriage. The other more grand is that all of my […]