Question: Is it permissible to buy a dog/cat that has already been spayed/neutered? Answer: No problem, The prohibition is to do it, but once it is done one is allowed to benefit from it. Similarly it is permissible to buy a cross bred animal or fruit. Sources: Rambam Issurey Biyah 16:11, E:H 5
Author Archives: Rav Y Wiener
zimun
Question: If one goes to a wedding with in mind not to bentch with a “mezuman”, ( in order to leave whenever he wants without needing to wait for a zimun), may he make or join a zimun if opportunity occurs? Answer: If one had in mind not to join in he can only rejoin […]
Selichos for women
Question: Should women say Selichos? What do most women do? Answer: Here in Yerushalayim, a large number of women and girls go to shule for the first Selichos on Motzei Shabbos and for the rest of the days or go to shule or say Selichois at home. It is praise worthy for a women to […]
Kashut
Question: If you cook hard boiled eggs in a dairy pot or steamer, does the egg retain its pareve status such that it could be sliced with a pareve egg slicer and the slicer would remain pareve? Is the answer to the question different if the dairy pot/steamer was or was not used within 24 […]
Can someone make a blech on shabbos?
Question: If someone didn’t make a blech on shabbos is he allowed to make one or is that an issue of makeh bepatish since now it’s garuf vekatum and he can do chazara? (in essence can you line a crock pot on shabbos if you forgot with pre cut foil) Thank you! Answer: You can […]
Le’eil Yom Kippur
Question: Aside from learning, reading etc…, would it be permissible to do exercises (sit ups, push ups, etc…) on the night of Yom Kippur to remain awake (L’Siba Noda’at) as prescribed in the Mishna in Yuma (1:7 and Rashi 19b) concerning the Kohen Gadol? Thank You. Answer: Even though it might be permitted,doing exercises to […]
Mezuza in Tree House
Question: Does a tree house in one’s yard require a mezuza if it has the requisite dimensions? With a bracha? Answer: If the tree house is a permanent edifice and has the right dimensions one should affix a mezuzah. Regarding a bracha, since it is not used for sleeping a bracha should not be […]
skip krias hatorah because of zman tefilla
Question: Re https://dinonline.org/2016/09/15/davening-at-shkia/ I think the question was asking if they should skip krias hatorah in that case and perhaps go straight to S”E. (If they do krias hatorah, by the time they reach S”E, perhaps it will already be too late to daven S”E, according to some opinions.) (I was not the person who […]
Davening after swimming
Question: Gross but serious question…… I read that there has been found traces of fecal matter in swimming pools from people not cleaning properly after going to the bathroom, assuming that this is vadai that there is “little bits” of tzoa in the water would this cause issue for davening immediately after going swimming or […]
Law of God
Question: How can one apply the law of Eye for Eye, when Christ teaches that should turn the other side of cheek to be Slapped? Answer: Even though the scriptures write “Eye for Eye” the Rabbis explain that the words are not to be taken literally but one has to pay the value of the […]
Brachos
Question: Hi, i received an answer to my question regarding pre-ejaculate fluid : “The pre-seminal fluid comes from the Cowper gland which neutralizes any acidic urine which remains in the urethra, which is not zera. Also Ezra annulled tevila for a bal keri so therefore brachos can be recited.” I posted in the comments that […]
Helping someone defeat his yetzer harah
Question: I am a retired lady and a man from another continent sent me his children’s books in writing. His latest “update” was foul and graphic. What do I say to help him defeat his yetzer harah, but not embarrass him? I was shocked. I think he is trying to make money, has recently been […]
Trading gift card
Question: I traded a 25 dollar gift card on condition I would receive a 14 dollar item, is there anything halachikly wrong with this Answer: There seems to be no problem as you traded the gift card at a loss. Sources:
Am I fleishig if ate something fried with pastrami
Question: I am stir frying zucchini with pastrami, and I by mistake took a taste of the zucchini the size of a chocolate chip (no pastrami) and swallowed it. am I fleishig now for 6 hours or not? Answer: Even though if one eats even a morsel of meat he has to wait 6 hours, […]
Davening at shkia
Question: What is the halacha on shabbos when its 1 minute to shkia, 10th man just arrives, do we start laining, or say shmonei esrei? Answer: Since one is starting before the shekia and after the sheki – “bein hashmoshos” is also a question of day or night, therefore you should start laining, or praying shmonei esrei. […]
Mint
Question: Can you please add how to check mint leaves. Thanks Answer: I suggest you contact the world expert in the field, Rabbi Moshe Viya 972 – 2 – 5325588 Sources:
Berachos based on majority.
Question: Regarding hilchos berachos, a fruit salad with both haetz and ha’adama, the beracha follows the majority of the salad. If there is 51% ha’etz then you make that beracha. My question is what happens if you receive a second helping and the ratio is reversed? Do you now make a ha’adama or did the […]
Parev non-stick pot hand washed with milchig
Question: We have a parev Teflon pot which ended up being hand washed with all our other milchig plates, pots, cutlery etc Can the pot still be parev or is it now milchig? Answer: If the pot was hand washed I assume the water was not too hot (less than 45 degrees Celsius) so therefore […]
Chance of slight mis understanding of what Kol Nidre is supposed to do.
Question: Thanks for answering questions I sent you. It makes me feel better. I remember when i first learned about Kol Nidre it nullifies vows in the past. Then I recently read it is to preempt in the future. If I thought at the time of doing Kol Nidre that it only works for the […]
Driving while saying shma
Question: while i am driving do i have to stop for the first posuk of shma or for the first parsha? Answer: Driving requires maximum concentration so therefore you should pull over to the side to recite the entire Shema without any distraction. Sources: O:CH 61:1 & Mishnah Berurah 1
Heter iska
Question: My nephew leased a car on my name do I need a heter iska Answer: If you are not paying any interest or the company is non Jew owned no heter iska is required. Sources:
Follow uop question to Kol Nidre
Question: Okay thanks. I read as long as I did not think of the kol nidre stipulation at the time of saying the vow I should be safe. There is apparently a minority, stringent view that one should not think of the stipulation but then recall it immediately as soon as the vow was said […]
Arab Minim
Question: Concerning the Arba Minim; Should one make a Bracha each time during the day they are picked up or would the first Bracha that is made during Shachris suffice for the entire time, provided he doesn’t take a nap, etc… Thank You. Answer: Since the bracha is recited on the mitzvah and not on […]
Clothes
Question: Does a leather jacket have to be a product from a kosher animal that was slaughtered in a halachically correct manner? Answer: Only food stuff devoured orally has to be kosher. Eating non kosher food has a detrimental effect on the Jewish soul. One is allowed to derive benefit from non kosher animal derivatives […]
Not a virgin
Question: If someone is not a virgin on the night of the wedding what are the halachos Answer: Normally on the wedding night after relations the kallah has to wait 4 days and then count 7 clean days because of the possibility of hymeneal bleeding. If she is not a virgin she remains permitted to her […]
Can a kohen marry a non virgin
Question: Can a kohen marry a non virgin? Answer: If she had relations only with a Jew, a Cohen can marry her but if she was with a non Jew she is forbidden to a Cohen. In Temple times only the High Priest was commanded to marry a virgin. Sources: E:H 7:1
fleishig bread
Question: I was eating a large peice of challah (pareve) with salami, and i know for a fact that some of the salami touched the challah, after finishing my meal i still had a nice amount of challah left over, do i need to make a heker on this challah? do i have to eat […]
Shmuel 1 8:8
Question: Isn’t it a bit unfair to say the jews had been sinning since G-d brought them out of Egypt. Rashi to Yechezkel 4:4 says they were only sinning for 151 years out of the 390 (ish) years between Yehoshua took them into Israel and Shmuel’s day. Also, this verse contradicts Shmuel 1 7:2. Answer: […]
soullmates and shidduchim
Question: Hi, I am undergoing divorce…and the question is not about the divorce because i am sure of that and how wrong he was for me- not to mention how badly he mistreated me. my question is, what if my REAL soulmate got married aleady? i know that we have something like 7 shidduchim and […]
ספק אכילת פרס
Question: Hi rabbi A gute vouch I have a question if I ate a kazyis but I’m not sure if it was כדי אכילת פרס do I have do say birkas Hamzan?? Thanks very much Kol tuv Answer: Since you are in doubt you should not recite the birkaas hamazon. Sources: O:CH 210 Mishnah Berurah […]
The need to fully understand Kol Nidre
Question: Sometimes my anxiety lead me to “bargaining with G-d” saying I will do so and so to either make something happen or I will do it if something happens. Do they have the power of a neder? Let me say that my anxiety got so bad I was nearly fired work and already am […]
Steaming hot Dairy pancake touched top inner rim of cold fleishig pot not used for over 24 hours
Question: When cooking my just off the very hot griddle my steaming hot dairy pancake touched the outer part and upper inner rim of my cold fleishig pot which had not been used in 24 hours. The pancake them fell back into the hot griddle. Is my fleishig pot treif? Is the milchig griddle treif? […]
Can you fry eggs in a flashik pot
Question: Can you use the same pot which is flashik and cook something which is parve and then have something milky afterwards Answer: If you cook parve in a clean fleishik pot you don’t become fleishik and can subsequently eat something milky straight afterwards. Sources: Y:D 89 Shach 19 and Chidushey R.A. Eiger also Y:D […]
compensation
Question: בס”ד Hello When somebody works and he earns a percentage, lemoshol : Chaim is collecting for a מוסד and is not getting a fixed wage per month, he is getting 20% from everything he collects. He worked 25 years and now : 1) if he stops by himself – Is he entitled to compensation […]
Crossing Out Words on Shabbos
Question: It is Shabbos. Somebody is reading a page that was written (or printed) in ink. He finds an error and crosses it out with a pen. Does this fall under a specific issur? He hasn’t written anything (כותב), and he has not cleared any space in order to write anything (מוחק). Answer: He is […]
tzitzis
Question: If one tzitzis strings hang straight down instead of being on the corner, does one still comply with the mitzvah? If one’s tallis katan is folded, is it considered to be less than the shiur, or does one still comply with the mitzvah? Answer: Lechatchilah the tzitzis strings should hang side ways but if […]
Hating gifts
Question: My wife’s parents love bringing us gifts usually in the form of groceries each time they visit weekly. Is it better to follow “soneh matanos yichyeh”, or put that aside for the sake of kibud av v’em and making them feel good about what they’re doing? Answer: You should be very grateful to your parents […]
when someone doesn’t realize they should ask for forgiveness
Question: Someone hurt me over a long time ago and has never apologized or asked for mechila in a sincere way. i recently contacted that person and can tell from their tone that they feel irritated – not sorry. do I drop this matter even though i cannot forgive them as long as they cannot […]
Mechila
Question: Is one required to seek forgiveness from a person they have hurt prior to being bar/bat mitzvah? Answer: A minor who transgressed or sinned should try to repent when he becomes of age after bar mitzvah. So therefore one should try and seek forgiveness from a person they have hurt prior to being bar/bat mitzvah. Sources: […]
Vaccinations on Chol Hamoed
Question: Can a person receive vaccinations on chol hamoed? If allowable, is it better to receive the vaccination outside chol hamoed? Thanks. Answer: Even though all types of therapeutic treatment is permitted on Chol Hamoed, if there is no necessity to receive the vaccination on Chol Hamoed it is better to receive the vaccination outside Chol […]
Washed milchik cup in fleishik dishwashe
Question: What is the status of the cup has been used daily for black coffee no milk Answer: Even though it “might” have the status of a fleishik cup it can be still used for coffee with no milk. Sources: Y:D 95:1 & 4
Regarding pre-ejaculate fluid
Question: Hi, I came across your response regarding the fact that pre-seminal fluid is not considered zera in halachah. I am so glad that someone talks about this as I would be too embarrassed to ask. My question is as follows: Occasionally this fluid seeps out from me (under certain conditions where a Rav has […]
Yom tov
Question: My wife goes to a French language class on Tuesday evenings. The class is for her pleasure. Although she travels to France somewhat frequently, taking the class is not required for her employment. It is to improve her language skills. The class begins at 7 pm and the second day of Rosh haShanah ends […]
Paying to buy new ticket for a cohen
Question: If a cohen cancels his flight schedule because on his flight there is going to be a deceased person, and he has to buy a new ticket which is much more expensive for a last minute ticket; who is responsible to pay for his loss: a) himself, because the deceased family is buying a […]
NAME USED ON AMIDA
Question: If a person has been adopted and knows the true mother’s name, which name should be used to ask for complete healing in REFUEINU prayer in the Amidah? Answer: If he is sure about his true mother’s name he should use her name when praying for a “refuah shelemah.” It is preferable to use […]
Cross
Question: If one made a bracha while facing a person who was wearing a cross on his or her neck, without realizing it, is the bracha valid? What about other prayers? Should one avoid doing this in the future? Before making a bracha in a place where they are goyim, should one look around and […]
Finding and executing the murderer
Question: On 21:9 Rashi (quoting Gemoro Sotah 47) says that if the murderer is found after the decapitation of the heifer then he must be executed. How (asks Chizkuni) can he be executed without witnesses? Answer: Who says Rashi is talking without witnesses? He means if you have witnesses then he is killed. The Targum […]
Half jewish
Question: Hello Rabbi, I have a question I hope you can help me answer. My mother is Jewish my father is Romanian Orthodox ( Greek Orthodox ). I have always identified and have personally been attracted to Judaism vs Christianity. As a single guy I have searched for a partner of the Jewish faith. My […]
“Multi faith room”
Question: Dear rabbi, I have started a new job. In the building, there is a “multi-faith room”. There are some Moslem carpets, but no specific sign such as a cross or a crescent. Can I daven mincha there in the winter? Can I have lunch in the kitchen and then recite birkas haMazon in this […]
Returning items after broken engagement
Question: I recently broke off an engagement, and I have a sweatshirt from my ex-fiancée. Do I halachically have to return it to him? We have completely cut off communication with one another, so if i would return it I would have to uncomfortably give it to his sister-in-law (who was the original Shadchan). I […]