Rav Y Wiener, Author at Ask The Rabbi - Dinonline

Tefillah B’Tzibur vs. Zman Tefillah

Question: Will be flying east on Sunday. There is not much time to daven at the airport in the morning, and leaving home too early to daven there. There is an 11:00 shacharis at the destination. I know shema must be said earlier. Should I daven early at the airport, daven on the plane, or […]

Burnt Sacrifice

Question: Some school of Thought Still hold Tenaciously to the Law of Burnt Sacrifice,Claiming its still applicable Outside Jerusalem..How True is This? Answer: Before the Temple is rebuilt we cannot bring any sacrifices, We hope and pray that the rebuilding will happen soon. Sources:

Can I do this in order to have a baby boy?

Question: The Gemara says that if the man orgasms first, then the child will be a girl and if the woman orgasms first, then the child will be a boy. If someone has a bunch of girls and wants to have a boy, can he be motzei zerah so that when he is with his […]

Jewish Women and Trousers

Question: Why do Jewish women wear Trousers? Is the Ordinance of Burnt Sacrifice relevant today? Answer: Religious Jewish women do not wear trousers, it negates the laws of modesty. The Ordinance of Burnt Sacrifice will become relevant when the Temple is rebuilt. We hope and pray that this will happen soon in our time. Sources: […]

Wearing crocs and thongs

Question: Hi, if I am living in a city with no Eruv, am I allowed to wear crocs on yom kippur that don’t have a strap at the back? And what about wearing thongs? Thank you so much. Answer: It is a dispute amongst the achronim and poskim. Nowadays people don’t walk around barefoot so there […]

Has nature changed

Question: I saw Rabbi Pfeffer’s excellent article on https://dinonline.org/2010/12/30/vaeira-changing-halachah-in-a-changing-world/ Has any research been done to investigate whether nature has really changed eg are there intact bodies of people or animals that are at least 1600 years old? For example: If there are old corpses (skeletons wouldn’t show enough) do they bear out what it says […]

Lashon Hara during personal prayer?

Question: Hello, My question is: Is it possible to speak lashon hara during personal prayer (hitbodedut)? If sometimes I speak about other people to G-d so that I can try to get clarity on how He wants me to behave, can this be lashon hara (For example: if “negative” information is said about someone to […]

Maple Syrup

Question: I received a gift from someone. It is a container of 100% pure maple syrup without a hechsher. Since it is all natural, can it be used without a hashgacha? Answer: In many countries one can write 100% pure even though it is only close to 100%. The modern food industry is so elaborate there is […]

checking whole black pepper for bugs

Question: L’Kvod Ha Rav, when I buy whole black pepper to put in my pepper mill, shall I check it the way that’s shown for checking caraway seeds? I don’t know that it would be possible to see holes in the black pepper! Thank you so much, Reinharz Answer: Just spoke to the bug expert […]

Is is a sin?

Question: I guess I would be considered a Noahide, and do not practice Christianity. However, I often am asked by Christian friends and coworkers what religion I belong to. I tell them Judaism because I don’t know how to explain to people what a Noahide is. I also strongly believe in what Judaism teaches, and […]

late havdalah

Question: Follow-up: If the person would remind himself of the need to make Havdalah during the seuda hamafsekes erev Tisha B’av after he has eaten less than a kezayis of bread, he cannot bench now – since he has to yet a kezayis of bread. He cannot continue eating until he has eaten a kezayis […]

Tinok Shenishba

Question: I know of an irreligious Israeli who influenced a woman who was brought up in a charadei family to be irreligious. He told her that she should be “free” like an Israeli. I realize that his status as a tinok shenishba is questionable as he was brought up in Israel and he has seen […]

Hummus bracha

Question: thanks u for your response about the hummus it would seem the sources you quote are ruling incorrectly, should I follow their ruling anyway? is there any rationale for their ruling? Answer: Perhaps make two brochos on something else haadomo and shehakol or wash and eat bread. Sources:

Prayer (tefilla)

Question: An 8 months pregnant woman finds herself lost in the desert with temperature of 120deg(or more), she has no water and nothing to eat. It is now Sunday morning. What are the most POWERFUL prayers she can pray so she can find favor in Hashem to give her a miracle. NOW, not in 40 […]

Help for a Ba’al Teshuvah

Question: Dear Rabbis, I have been engrossed in more and more Torah as a jew once from the reform community. I can attest that the damage from a hate approach to Torah from that group is so bad that the sadness in my life is daily now. I would be curious if you can refer […]

Late havdalah

Question: Follow-up question regarding “late Havdalah” – it is forbidden from the letter of the law to drink wine during the seuda hamafsekes on erev Tisha B’av. What the rav wrote regarding the Chazon Ish was referring only to motzoi Shabbos Chazon, when refraining from wine is a mere minhag (during the Nine Days) – […]

Damages

Question: A frum female college student is renting a basement apartment in the house of a frum landlord and his extended family. While the tenant was asleep, the landlord’s 3 year old grandson flooded her apartment while playing with a water hose and the tenant’s Apple Macbook Pro was submerged under water. The landlord accepted […]

Mixtures of meat and milk

Question: Is it permissible lechatchila to cook a parve food in a clean meat pot in a dairy microwave? What if your not sure if the pot is dairy or meat? Bedieved? What is the status of the pot, microwave, and food after doing this? Also I know for a stove top one may lechatchila […]

Cleaniness

Question: Chalom Rabbi, May I ask you for a couple of questions! 1 – Smell – Can we pray when I smell taref food from outside (cooking/food smell)? – I buy food with no kosher certification. Can I pray when the air is fulled with this smell. – If I see bird gropping or any […]

Earnings belonging to husband

Question: If a wife is financially independent and the husband doesn’t support her does the halacha that all earnings belong to the husband still apply Answer: It is a very big dispute amonst Rishonim and Achronim. Also one should take into consideration that it might cause severe shalom bayis issues! Sources: E:H 80:1 Chelkas Mechkek […]

Yichud

Question: Igros Moshe EH 4:64-3 seems, without explanation, to permit yichud with a woman and her daughter or granddaughter. If this is truly Harav Feinstein’s view [it may very well be that this is a printing error], it is contrary to the view of all other poskim and is against the basic principles of hilchos […]

Hummus bracha

Question: Couldn’t find any ruling on the matter, is there any reason to assume it is not haadama? Answer: The books זאת הברכה (Birenbaum) שערי הברכה (Shtitzberg) and תורת הברכה (Feldman) all say that if the humus is ground well (shehakol), but if still pieces (haadama). Sources:

Lashon haea

Question: I emailed rabbi w Answer: Where do you want to publicize what you wrote? Sources:

Attending a wedding during sheloshim

Question: Is one who is still in the sheloshim for one’s father allowed to attend a wedding l’chatchila? Can one attend only the chupah or is it best not to go at all? Answer: If possible it is better not to participate at all, (even to be present only at the chupah) until the end of […]

kiddush before maariv

Question: Is it OK to made/ hear Kiddush before Maariv, begin the seuda, then leave to daven Maariv and then come back to finish the seuda? I understand that the Gra was opposed to this, but in fact the Gra was opposed to davening Maariv before the zman (on any day of the year), and […]

Who’s wisdom was exceeded by Shlomo?

Question: Please see Melachim 1 chapter 5 which specifies the extent of Shlomo’s wisdom. Why say he was wiser than a whole lot of people we’ve never heard of. Rabbeinu Bachya on Bemidbar 19:1 presumably quoting a Midrash identifies them, but why wasn’t Yirmiyahu explicit when he wrote Sefer Melachim? Answer: Perhaps they were better […]

late havdalah

Question: Yom Tov falls on Sunday night. Just before one is about to make Kiddush, one reminds himself that he forgot to make Havdalah on Saturday night. What should he do? Say them together, first Kiddush, then Havdalah? Another question: Tisha B’av falls on Monday night. During the seuda hamafsekes, one reminds himself that he […]

Hummus bracha

Question: most chickpeas are certainly grown for flour or hummus, they are eaten whole in small quantities and in flour and hummus huge amounts produce small portions, i assume this is all easily verifiable it would seem the bracha is haadama, again the halacha seems to follow the opinion that it retains it’s bracha in […]

Hebrew name use

Question: Hi, Im in the process of converting (orthodox if it makes a difference) and was told I will be completing the process soon. I have chosen a Hebrew name which I intend to use full time, as I found out my given one is actually the name of a pagan deity (!). Also, I […]

Bedikat Figs

Question: Chalom Rabbi, When I am eating dried figs, I do the bedikat. However, I do it superficially. However, I guess I did have eaten some. How could I repair it? Kol tuv! Brakha veHatzlacha! Answer: I suggest you refrain from eating figs they are highly infested. Sources:

Hummus bracha

Question: you answered that the bracha of hummus is shehakol [if smooth] isnt the rule that if a food id mostly eaten in a pulverized fashion it retains it bracha i.e. haadama – in general the halacha truly follows the opinion that even pulverized retains its blessing – the rama quotes that it is customary […]

Maaseh shabbos

Question: Is one permitted to eat, after Shabbos, food purchased on Shabbos by a non-religious family member? Is it necessary to wait the amount of time it took to buy the food? Answer: One has to wait after Shabbos only if a non Jew did something for a Jew on Shabbos, but if a Jew […]

Is a pickle a davar charif

Question: If I cut a pickle with a milk knife can I eat it with meat or vice versa? Answer: A pickle (igaker in Yiddish) is considered a davar charif and therefore should be cut with a parve knife. Sources: Y:D 91 Taz 2, Chochmas Adom 56:2

Can Hitler be forgiven?

Question: I know that Pharaoh did Teshuvah after the Exodus from Egypt – so was he forgiven for what he did to the Jews and if so would someone like Hitler be able to be for his actions? Answer: Nothing stands in the way of Teshuvah (on condition it is real sincere teshuvah). Sources: Medrash Rabah Devorim […]

Appraiser on Shabbos

Question: I am in the process of buying a house, the mortgage broker told me that the appraiser is going to appraise the house on Shabbos and said that he didn’t schedule it for then, the appraiser just notify him when it’s scheduled for, the seller and real estate broker is a goy. Is it […]

loshon hara follow up

Question: I’d like a rav to read my review of the company I had a bad experience with and tell me if its ok to keep posted online or should edit or remore. please email me. [email protected] and i’ll send the text. Answer: My email address is [email protected] Sources:

where can i find in masejes sanhedrin ?

Question: Kindly i´d lik to ask the following. Once i heard a rabbi that was speaking about korach. He spoke about a gemara masejes sanhedrin that says the following: Hai Tigra…….kevan deravaj ravaj. A majloket is like a little crack in a wall, that if you dont fix it, it would continue expanding and so […]

work during shiva

Question: Is a wife who is financially independent (i.e. her husband does not support her) allowed to work during the week that her husband is sitting shiva. Answer: Under normal circumstances the wife and children still at home cannot work if the husband is sitting shivah. The rwason being is that their earnings belong to […]

amira l’akum

Question: I asked this question here before and the rav said he would get back to me when he had an answer. Hopefully, the rav has had an opportunity to look up the answer and can let me know. Thank you very much. In the case of a public school teacher who will be absent […]

davening/ birkos krias shema

Question: Is it OK to start saying the blessings of krias shema before the chazzan reaches Barechu (and then interrupt for Kaddish and Barechu) in order to be able to daven the brachos at a more comfortable pace (with kavana)? Should this be done only in a case of need, or even l’chatchila? Answer: In […]

hilchos brachos

Question: When one is having a bbq on his front lawn, and he keeps going back and forth inside the house and out to the lawn, is it necessary to repeat the bracha each time (on the meat or drinks)? Answer: Since it is common practice to go back and forth we can assume that […]

Tefilas haderech

Question: I just read that one doesnt say tefilas hederech with shem umalchus for a journey that is less than 72 minutes. Does traveling from Beit shemesh to Jerusalem require tefilas haderech with shem? Answer: Tefilas haderech is only said if a person travels a parso = 4 mi l=8000 cubits = 72 minutes. There […]

Kashrut

Question: If a plastic parev bowl has cold milk poured into it, does it become milky. Answer: If the milk was not sitting in the bowl for 24 hours it is still parve. It should be rinsed well. Sources: Y:D 105:1

Hummus

Question: What is the bracha on hummus – shehakol or ha’adama? Answer: If the texture of the hummus is completely smooth without any pieces the bracha is shehakol. Sources: O:CH 202:7 and Mishnah Berurah 40

Drinking during Davening

Question: If one’s mouth becomes extremely dry during davening (esp. when reciting the lengthy pesukei D’zimra on Shabbos), is there any heter to get a drink of water during davening, even though it is a hefsek (making a shehakol is a hefsek, as is the act of drinking)? May/ should this be done only in […]

Meat pot in a dairy microwave and Hotplate

Thinking about controlling anger and vows.

Question: I thought in my head to control my anger by saying hello to my husband nicely when I come home as well as to not show my annoyance with a certain person. I decided not to verbalize it because I either felt consciously or unconsciously that I am aware I have an anger issue […]

Paying Mezonos

Question: When the husband (father) did not see his son for 2 years (against his will because the wife took the child into full custody) does he need to pay “mezonos” retroactively for those 2 years? He is willing to pay when he gets to see the child but for when he was “stolen” he […]

Tachanun

Question: What interruptions are permitted during tachanun (whether long or short)? Amein to any bracha? Answer: One can interrupt to say Omen on any brocho. Sources: O:CH 131 Mishnah Berurah 1

Hallel

Question: If one accidentally recited full Hallel on Rosh Chodesh, am I correct that no further action is needed? What interruptions are permitted during Hallel? May one answer Amein to the brachos of those who received an aliyah, if one is still holding in Hallel? May one answer Amein to those who bench gomel? Answer: […]