I received a gift of bottles of non kosher (atam yayin) wine as a gift. Am I allowed to regift it to a non-jew, or is it assur b’hano’ah? Answer: If… Read more »
Category: Ask
“Regards to Your Wife”: Permitted?
Is it permitted to send regards to a person’s wife through her husband in a phone conversation? Answer: It is permitted to ask her how she is, and to inquire… Read more »
Yartzeit on Adar of Leap Year
Hello, My question is as follows. It is coming up on the second yartzheit of my father, z’l, who passed away on Shushan Purim. Since it is a double Adar… Read more »
Length of Tefillin Straps
May I ask about the appropriate length for the retzuot of the shel rosh. I just received a new pair of tefillin and the straps go to about my knees,… Read more »
A Child Convert to Judaism
How does a girl-9 and a boy-8 from an absent non/jewish non/converted mother convert to Judaism. She went to the mikvah and he had a proper Bris Milah. Answer: The… Read more »
Snowmen and Snowballs on Shabbos
Can one make snow balls or a snow man on shabbos or this this boneh? Answer: It would not be permitted to build a snowman on Shabbos. Concerning snowballs, some… Read more »
Jewish Prayer
How often would a Jew pray a day. Does a rabbi or other leader/teacher pray more? Answer: A (observant) Jew prays three times a day. As with all principles of… Read more »
The Return of Israel
Rabbi; The Tanach tells me in Hosea that the whole House of Israel will be brought back together by the Hand of Hashem. Is that a view shared by the… Read more »
Non-Jewish Souls
Is there an a view that non jews have no souls? Answer: To my knowledge, there is no view that non-Jews do not have a soul. Indeed, on Rosh Hashanah… Read more »
Amen After Own Blessing
The gemara in brachos and halacha in shulchan aruch says that if one say amen after their own bracha it is meguna or not proper, but if one says amen… Read more »
Craving for Non-Kosher Food
if a pregnant lady craves for something not kosher is she permitted to eat it? Answer: This depends on the level of the craving, and on whether there is a kosher… Read more »
Aliah in the Three Weeks
Is there any problem with moving to Eretz Yisroel (on Aliyah) during the first part of the Three Weeks? Answer: It is permitted to move to Eretz Yisrael during this… Read more »
Rabbis in Ancient Times
I am not Jewish I am a Christian but I have a question best asked of someone of the Jewish faith. In ancient times (I am talking about before and… Read more »
The Torah’s Disregard of Certain Events
Why doesn’t the Torah mention Yocheved’s death or where she was burried. Answer: There are many events that the Torah could seemingly have mentioned, yet doesn’t: for instance, the death of Rivka… Read more »
Going to Family Funeral in Church
Shalom harav, I am a convert B”H and married to a sefaradi, so we follow the sfarad and edot ha mizrach minhag. I wanted to ask about my biological family:… Read more »
Cooking for Dairy Meal in Meaty Microwave
A microwave that is fleishig and isn’t ben yomo: Can I cook a potato in it which then I will put in a milky omelet? Answer: It would be permitted to… Read more »
Spiritual Significance of First Fruits
What is the spiritual significance of First fruits to the modern Christian. What is the portion or quantity that can be equated to a first fruit if dealing with money…. Read more »
Muktzeh: Electrical Appliances and Esrogim
Can one do ’tiltul’ or ‘niyur’ for any muktzeh category (i.e. not just kli shmealchato l’issur)? For instance, if there would be a hammer on the table and one doesnt need the… Read more »
Blessing the Rainbow Without Seeing It?
How does one say a blessing on a rainbow if one is not meant to look at a rainbow? Answer: The nephew of Rosh (Sefer Chasidim p. 14b) asked his… Read more »
Working Per Hour
Shalom! A person was employed on a per hour basis. The amount of work normally would take say 100 hours. This person has designed a new mothod of working and… Read more »
Tearing Up Old Clothes
Dear Rabbi, My question is about old personal clothes. Usually at home, when my kids outgrow their clothes, instead of throwing out the clothes, I cut them & use those pieces… Read more »
Lit Bedroom On Shabbos
If a couple by accident left the bedroom light on during shabbos. Can the couple have relations in that room during the evening if there is no other private room?… Read more »
Burying Amputated Limbs with Body
If a women many years ago had a leg amputated and buried in city A, and now this women died. Is there an inyan or chiyuv to bury the entire… Read more »
Mitzvos (Meat and Milk) in the Messianic Era
What is the halacha on eating milk and meat together in messianic times? I was reading in the gutnick chumash (shemos page 167 ) that according on Bachaye, in messianic times… Read more »
Meat and Fish in Same Oven
I recently reheated up in my oven – baked chicken shnitzel and tuna steaks in separate uncovered pans in the same (meaty) oven at the same time. Before we ate… Read more »
Pas Shacharis — Until What Time?
Until what time in the day is considered ‘pas shacharis’? Answer: The Gemara (Bava Metzia 107b) prasies its virtues, yet does not set a time until which eating a meal… Read more »
Maaser Money for Pesach Hospitality
Question: My sister-in-law and her family are planning to spend Pesach with us. Her husband learns day and night. They have next to nothing and are considered aniyim. Having them… Read more »
The Seventies of Life
I come from a culture that has no honor for the elderly. We have no Torah and I am deaply and sincerly in need of HaShem’s Torah. My question is, what… Read more »
Irregular Periods
Hi, I was wondering if a girl does not get her period regularly, what is the halachot about keeping nidda and a kosher jewish religious home? Can she get married?… Read more »
Need for Get After Civil Marriage
Dear Rabbi, I am a citizen of Israel. Years ago, before I realized I was Jewish, I married a Cohen in a civil marriage in Gibraltar. We were divorced after 4… Read more »
Segregation (Jews/non-Jews) in Shul?
Do you differentiate between Jews and non-Jews in a synagogue? For example, in seating, or in things that are prohibited to do? Answer: It is uncommon for non-Jews to attend… Read more »
Honoring Abusive Parents
According to Halacha, what is one suppose to do in the case of abusive parents, considering that honoring one’s mother and father is a basic commandment in Judaism? Answer: The… Read more »
yahrzeit in adar in a leap year
Friday, January 28, 2011 Dear Rabbi, I need to know if the following yahrzeits should be observed in Adar I or Adar II this leap year of 5771. Albert Shiller… Read more »
Hierachy among Jewish Faith
Dear Rabbi, I am a college student doing research and would like to know the hierarchy of the Jewish faith. Answer: The basic hierachy among the Jewish nation is stated… Read more »
Wearing Fall With Fringe Showing
i got married last year and have been wearing a full sheitel. I want to get a fall and wear part of my bangs out. I never wore a whole… Read more »
Tachanun Without a Minyan
Can we say Tachanun without a minyan? Answer: Yes, even an individual recites the tachanun prayer, with the exception of the selichos part of tachanun (which is recited by Sefardim… Read more »
Going to the Kotel on Shabbos (Surveillance Cameras)
Is it a problem to go to the Kotel on Shabbos since they put the new cameras clicking evertime we pass by? Answer: This question has been discussed by many… Read more »
Contradicting Verses of Joshua
Joshua 13:1 seems to contradict Joshua 11:15. Can you please explain how these 2 passages can be reconciled? Thank you! Answer: One verse states that Joshua did all that was… Read more »
Traveling to a Bris before Davening
If one has a minyan in town that one usually davens at but one wants to go 30 minutes out of town to a different minyan because of a friend… Read more »
Liens on Cars
Thanks for answering my previous question. Another question that we have in our Shulchan Aruch shiur is the case of a Lien: We are learning Choshen Mishpat and we are… Read more »
Converting to Judaism
Can I possibly convert to your religion and how? I’m very interested to join as one of you. I highly respect the people of Israel. Thanks and God blessed. Answer:… Read more »
Ma’aser from Wild Asparagus
Wild asparagus is now in season in Israel. If I pick a handful of asparagus in the forest to eat for lunch, does it need to be ma’asered? Thank you… Read more »
A Woman Addressing a Man in a Letter with the Word “Dear …”
Is it a breach of modesty for a woman to address a man in a letter or e-mail by writing “Dear …” Answer: Because this has become the normal and… Read more »
Heaven
According to your concept how would one go to heaven? Answer: The Talmud teaches that the “righteous” go to Heaven, referring to those whose deeds are perfected, and whose ways are… Read more »
Keeping One Mitzvah
I’m trying to be mekarev a girl to yiddishkeit, she went off the derech, she recently told me she doesn’t promise but asked me if I were to tell you… Read more »
Parah Adumah Nowadays
Why doesn’t any rabbi do parah adumah? Answer: The main difficulty concerning performing the ritual of parah adumah today is that there are no cohanim that we can certify as… Read more »
Kosher Food
I Wonder What Jews Do To Make Food Kosher when a Rabbi is not present. if Meat Needs To Be Certified By A Rabbi, and one is not present at… Read more »
The Meaning of Hashem
What’s the meaning of Hashem? Answer: Hashem should be read Ha-Shem, and it means “The Name.” The reference is to the Great four-letter Name of God, known as the Tetragrammaton,… Read more »
Why the Mizbeyach Sheds Tears for a Divorce
Why does it say that the mizbeyach sheds tears when a person divorces his first wife, if the couple themselves may be very happy (and so are others)? Answer: Although… Read more »
A non-Jew in the Synagogue
Can a sympathetic Gentile worship in synagogue? Answer: It is permitted for a Gentile to enter a synagogue, and for him to to pray there to God. Sources: Referring to… Read more »