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Author Archives: Rabbi Yehoshua Pfeffer

Discarding Jewish Magazines (Genizah)

Do Jewish magazines need genizah or can they be wrapped and discarded. Answer: They can generally be discarded. Torah sections should be placed into genizah. For more details please see Sources: Best wishes. Sources: In Torah law, the obligation is only to put documents with the actual name of Hashem into genizah. The Sages added […]

Selling Christmas Decorations

Hi, Your assistance on this matter would be much appreciated. My family currently own and operate a chain of toy stores. We have a business opportunity to acquire a chain of stores that sell xmas decorations (lights, trees, santas etc). From my limited knowledge I understand that this may be problematic. We would be grateful […]

Music During the Sefirah

This week’s article deals with the prohibition of music during the Omer period. What is the source of the prohibition? Does it apply to all forms of music (even on the radio), and all circumstances? When may one be lenient in hearing music during the Omer period? These questions, and more, are addressed in this week’s article.

The Prohibition of Kitniyos on Pesach

The most prominent aspect of the upcoming Pesach festival is without a doubt the dietary restrictions. Throughout Pesach we replace bread with matzah and avoid all leavened products, turning our kitchen into quite something else. The lettuce leaves, horseradish, saltwater dips, and fascinating sandwiches of Seder Night also deserve a mention.

Another important culinary aspect of Pesach is the issue of kitniyos, legumes. Although there is no mention of the issue in the Torah, in the Mishnah or in the Gemara, the custom for Jews of Ashkenazi descent is to refrain from eating legumes of all kinds during Pesach. The question of what constitutes a legume for the purpose of this halachah, and how far the restriction goes, is therefore of great importance for Pesach cooking.

In the present article we will discuss the halachos pertaining to the issue of kitniyos, and seek to understand the reasons behind the custom, its halachic severity, and the extent of its application. Is quinoa included in the prohibition? Why is it permitted to eat potatoes on Pesach (Imagine life without them!)? Must separate dishes be used for those who must eat kitniyos on Pesach?

Shaving on Chol ha-Moed Pesach

Question: Can you shave on Chol ha-Moed Pesach? Thanks very much. Answer: It is prohibited to take a haircut on Chol ha-Moed (Shulchan Aruch 531:1-2), and according to many authorities, this includes shaving. However, Rav Moshe Feinstein (Iggros Moshe, Orach Chaim 1:163; based (among others) on Noda Biyhuda, Tinyana, 99-101) permitted shaving on Chol ha-Moed […]

Shiva on Chol ha-Moed Pesach

Question: Does one sit shiva on Chol ha-Moed Pesach? Answer: No. Yom Tov, including the days of Chol ha-Moed, interrupt a shiva, and one does not sit shiva on Chol ha-Moed. If the burial is before the festival, the festival interrupts and effectively stops the shiva; if the burial is on Chol ha-Moed, the shiva […]

Tefillin on Chol ha-Moed Pesach

Question: Does one wear Tefillin on Chol ha-Moed Pesach? Answer: Many refrain from wearing Tefillin on Chol ha-Moed. Some wear Tefillin but refrain from reciting a berachah. You should follow the practice of your local community, and where there is no set practice, your family custom. Best wishes. Sources: Some Rishonim write that one does not […]

Haircut on Chol ha-Moed Pesach

Question: Can you get a haircut on Chol ha-Moed Pesach? Answer: No, it is not permitted to take a haircut on Chol ha-Moed (Shulchan Aruch 531:1-2). It is only permitted under very exceptional circumstances, where there was no possibility of having a haircut before the festival. Best wishes.

Is Quinoa Chametz?

Question: Is Quinoa chametz? Answer: Quinos is certainly not chametz. It doesn’t need to be thrown out before Pesach, or to be sold. Some authorities prohibit the consumption of consumption of quinoa on Pesach on account of the kitniyot custom, whereas other authorities are lenient on this matter. Those who refrain from cotton-seed oil and […]

Is Rice Chametz?

Question: Is rice chametz? Thanks. Answer: Rice is not chametz. However, rice is a form of kitniyot (legumes), and the custom of Ashkenazic Jewry is to refrain from eating it throughout Pesach. However, rice does not have to be sold or thrown away, and can be kept for after Pesach. In addition, there are special […]

Pesach Guide – Wheat for the Needy: Halachos of Maos Chittin

This week’s article discusses the timely issue of maos chittin. What are the defining properties of the maos chittin collection? Is it a tax or a charity appeal? Can one use his maaser money towards maos chittin? Who is obligated to give maos chittin, who qualifies to receive the donations, and for which purposes can the collected money be used? These questions, and more, are addressed in this week’s article.

Purim: Days of Feasting and Joy

In this article we will discuss the mitzvah of the Purim feast, and the general joy of Purim: When during the day of Purim should the feast be held? Is there an obligation of eating meat during the meal, and should it begin with bread? How does the mitzvah of the feast integrate with the day’s general obligation of joy? These, and other topical questions, are discussed in the present article.

Drinking on Purim

As the days of Purim approach, we will this week discuss a mitzvah act that on the one hand gives Purim much of its unique festival character, and on the other is liable to cause us – both as performers of the mitzvah, and as parents of children who wish to perform it – no small headache.

The primary Talmudic source related to drinking on Purim is a Gemara in Megillah (7b): “Rava said: a person must get drunk on Purim until he cannot distinguish between ‘cursed be Haman’ and ‘blessed be Mordechai’.”

The basic idea of drinking on Purim emerges moreover from the Megillah itself, which states that the days of Purim were enacted for mishteh – a word that specifically implies (by contrast with a regular se’udah) a wine-feast (as the original misheh of Achashverosh with which the tale of Esther begins).

The mitzvah of drinking to the point of inebriation raises a number of questions. What is the level of drunkenness that must be reached? Is it really possible that a Jew will be unable to distinguish between the curse of Haman and the blessing of Mordechai? When is there an obligation to drink – should one be drinking during the entire day? Must one drink wine, or can one drink any alcoholic beverage?

These questions, and more, are discussed below

Telling Classmate of Teacher

Is it lashon hara to tell someone in my class that the teacher is not Shomer Shabbos? Answer: This is not considered lashon hara, because if she violates Shabbos publicly, this is common knowledge. However, the Chafetz Chaim writes that it remains wrong to spread such information without there being a positive purpose, and for […]

Do Women Give Matanos La’Evyonim?

Must women also give matanos la’evyonim, or does this apply only to men? Answer: For unmarried boys and girls, the mitzvah applies evenly, and for both it is correct for a parent to give them money with which to fulfill the mitzvah (see sources). Concerning married women, several halachic opinions rule that the obligation of […]

Who Has to Fast on on Taanit Esther

Does everybody have to fast on Taanit Esther? Who has to fast on this day? Thanks very much. Answer: Although Taanis Esther is the most lenient of the public fast days, it remains a fast day, and everybody has to fast in principle. Thus even women fast on Taanis Esther. However, this is (as noted) […]

How Much to Give for Matanot La’evyonim

How much do you have to give for Matanot La’evyonim? Thanks very much. Answer: Although the basic halachah is that one must give a perutah to each of two poor people – a very small amount – it is proper to give a worthy gift that is capable of bringing a degree of joy to […]