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Sefira and COVID-19: Haircuts

  אחת המגבלות הספיריות המקובלות בתוקף במהלך ספירת העומר היא איסור התספורות. בגלל מות תלמידיו של רבי עקיבא, אנו מקפידים להימנע מתספורות בחלק מהזמן שבין פסח לשבועוס. זו הסיבה שהמספרות כל כך עסוקות בתקופה שלפני פסח, ומדוע יש להם כל כך מעט עסקים בשבועות הספירה. השנה, בגלל משבר הקורונה, אנשים רבים לא הצליחו להגיע לתספורות […]

Shaming in Halacha: The Prohibited and the Permitted

  Next week will be Parashas Vayeishev. The parsha includes the story of Yehuda and Tamar, which culminates in Tamar’s trial and the birth of her twins from Yehuda. One of the twins, Peretz, fathered the Davidic lineage from which Mashiach is destined to descend. The verses describing Tamar’s trial (Bereishis 38:24-26) tell that Yehuda […]

Time for Shnayim Mikra Ve-Echad Targum

This week’s article deals with the issue of when to read shnayim mikra ve-echad targum. From when can this weekly mitzvah be performed, and when is the last time for reading shnayim mikra? Are there special halachos concerning the reading of Vezos Haberachah and Bereishis? What are the laws concerning reading at night? These questions, and more, are discussed in this week’s article.

To Borrow or Not to Borrow? – Borrowing Mitzvah Items

  One of the prerequisites for fulfilling the mitzvah of tzitzis is that the garment on which the tzitzis are hung—the tallis we wear in shul, or the tallis katan we wear throughout the day—must belong to the person wearing it. This condition results in an important question concerning a borrowed tallis: Can the mitzvah […]

Coercion: Enforcing Performance of Mitzvot

  The book of Vayikra begins with instructions for the korban olah (Elevation Offering): “If one’s offering is an elevation offering from the cattle, he shall offer an unblemished male; he shall bring it to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, voluntarily, before Hashem” (Vayikra 1:3). On the words “he shall bring it,” Rashi […]

Paying Ransom: Which Price is Too High?

  Perhaps the most famous kidnapping in history is that of Yosef by his brothers, as told in Parashas Vayeishev. Yosef was subsequently sold to an Egypt-bound group of Ishmaelites, which ultimately led to the descent of the entire family to Egypt, from which emerged the Jewish nation. In the present article we will discuss […]

Halachic Aspects of Taking Photos

  The current vacation season, coupled with Pasuk in Parashas Va’eschanan which mentions that the Jewish People “saw no image” (of Hashem), provides us with an opportunity to discuss a topic many are unaware of: the halachic issues of photography. In today’s word of phones and gadgets, photographs are simply everywhere. They accompany us to […]

Birkas Kohanim: Participation of the Congregation

    In this week’s parsha we read about the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim. Sefer Chareidim has an important opinion about the mitzvah of the priestly blessing—Birkas Kohanim. Although the Torah instruction to bless the nation is directed to the Kohanim alone, the Chareidim writes that “the congregation, standing face to face with the Kohanim, […]

Eating Chametz on Shabbos After Pesach

Shalom aleichem Rav Pfeffer, I saw your answer from 3 years ago about eating chometz on Shabbos Motzei Pesach. Can you tell me sources that I can look this up in. Also, le’maasei, what do the gedolim of our generation posken. Shgoiach, Yehoshua. Answer: Rav Ovadya Yosef speaks explicitly about this question (Yecheveh Daas, Vol. […]

Returning Lost Property: The Importance of Signs and Marks

  Last week we began a discussion of the laws of hashavas aveidah, returning lost property. As noted, these laws are of importance the year round, but come into focus on Erev Pesach, a time when Pesach (and spring) cleaning often reveals lost property. This week, we turn to the topic of a siman, a […]

Birkas Ha’Ilanos—Laws and Customs of the Blessing over Trees

  The Gemara (Berachos 43a) teaches that one who sees blossoming fruit trees during Nissan recites a special berachah: “Blessed are You… Who did not omit anything from His universe and created in it good creatures and good trees, to benefit mankind with them.” This beracha is parallel to berachos that are recited when seeing and […]

Informing on Others: To Speak or Not to Speak

  Acting behind the scenes throughout the dramatic episode of Parshas Toldos, Rivka is perhaps the first biblical example of an informant. The report of Yitzchak’s blessings opens with Rivka overhearing Yitzchak’s instruction to Esav to prepare him a meal so that he will bless him before his death. It concludes with Rivka’s warning Yaakov, […]

Midas Sedom: How the Trait of Sodom Enters Halacha

  The Mishnah (Avos 5:10) makes the following statement: “There are four dispositions among men. […] One who says, “What’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is yours”—this is an average personality trait. And some say, this is midas Sedom.” When we reflect on the destruction of Sodom, we are more likely to think about […]

Parashas Noach – Foreign Languages in Prayer

This week’s article discusses the issue of using different languages for purposes of Keriyas Shema and for prayer in general. When can English, or other languages, be used? Is it preferable to use Hebrew without understanding, or a different language that one understands? Can foreign languages be used even in places where they are not the spoken tongue? These, and other questions, are discussed in this week’s article.

Atonement for Interpersonal Sins: Asking Forgiveness

As we approach Rosh Hashanah and the Ten Days of Repentance, we are confronted by the task of Teshuvah – repenting our misdeeds and bettering our ways in the future. Teshuvah includes three basic components. These are: a deep regret for sinning (charatah), confession (viduy) – an articulation of the sin – and an undertaking […]

 Bribes, Gifts and Flattery— Laws of Bribery for Judges and Beyond

  The Pasuk (Devarim 16:19) teaches us: “Bribery makes blind the wise and upsets the pleas of the just.” For this reason, the Torah states that it is forbidden to take bribes. As the Pasuk (16:20) continues, it is incumbent upon us to pursue justice: “Justice, justice, you shall pursue, that you may live and […]

May a Dayan (Judge) State Falsely, “I Don’t Know”?

Parashas Devarim includes the imperative to judge with honesty and justice: “Hear the disputes between your brothers, and judge fairly – between a man and his brother and between a man and a foreigner” (Devarim 1:16). One of the core principles of the Torah legal system is the obligation to bring the truth to light, […]

Time Restrictions on Onaah Claims

  This week’s article extends the series discussing the laws of Onaah, and will specifically address the time restriction associated with Onaah claims. Why does the Onaah claim, unlike other claims of civil law, have a time limit? Does the time limit vary according to individual circumstances, or is it general and uniform? What happens […]

May Kohanim Visit the Graves of Tzaddikim?

A halachic question that has been asked countless times over the generations, and which is still widely discussed today, is whether Kohanim are permitted to visit the graves of the righteous. Like many, Kohanim wish to visit the graves of tzaddikim, which are not only holy locations but also serve as inspiration to beseech Hashem […]

To Know or Not to Know: Laws of Onaah in the Light of Knowledge

  One of the primary considerations in any transaction is the presence of prior knowledge. Continuing our series on the laws of Onaah, this week we will address the question of prior knowledge and the issue of whether and how the Onaah prohibition can be circumvented. Faced with a claim of Onaah, a common counterclaim […]