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Hair Removal for Women During Sefira

Question: Hello, I hope I’m not asking a question that has been already answered. Is a single girl of marriagable age allowed to shave during sefirah? Specifically legs. Thank you very much. Answer: The custom to not cut hair during sefira, seems to include body hair, as with other places where haircuts are forbidden [such […]

Boating During Sefira

Question: Please advise whether you are allowed to go paddle boating during the Sefira. Thank you! Answer: Yes, this is permitted.   Sources: The customs of mourning in the Sefira period are limited to not having weddings, music and dancing, and haircuts and shaving. See Tzitz Eliezer Vol. 11:78, Shu”t DIvrei Malkiel Vol. 3:5, Orchos […]

Kashering Formica counter top

Question: Hi we are looking into buying a house from a non Jew, putting in a brand new kitchen would cost us a shinny penny now, is there any way we can kasher Formica?   Answer: The counter top can be kashered by pouring boiling water over it’s surface: Kashering counters: Granite, marble, CaesarStone, wood […]

Donating Sperm to an Infertile Couple for IVF

Question: Can a man donate his sperm to a infertile couple that are married for a procedure that does not involve any marital relations,or is the child a mamzer anyway ? Answer: A child from an IVF procedure is not a mamzer [illegitimate child born of certain relations forbidden by Torah law] as there was […]

Throwing Sefarim

Question: In order to return books at the public library, one has to throw/ drop them into the bin of returned materials. (There is no way to put them in gently….) Is this a problem when returning sefarim, which, according to halacha, must be handled gently and not thrown? Plus, other people will drop non-religious […]

Information about the Jewish rite of Passage – Brit Milah

Question: For a Year 11 Religion Assignment at school about Jewish rites of passage, I was wondering if you could answer a few questions about the Jewish ‘Brit Milah’ I understand you are busy answering other people’s questions, but if you are able to answer my questions, providing a primary source to my research it […]

Mikva with Husband Overseas

Question: When does one start counting 7 clean days when she knows her husband won’t be back from overseas the night of her mikvah? Answer: She may count and complete the seven days even in the absence of her husband. She should go to the mikvah the night before he arrives home so that she […]

Chatzitza – INVISALIGN Braces

Question: Hi Rabbi, my wife has INVISALIGN Braces which can be taken off & she does take them off whenever she eats etc…but there is also cement applied to her teeth which does not come off. Does this cement present a problem of chatzitza? Answer: If the cement attachments are permanent, i.e. they stay on […]

Performing Tahara on Uncle

Question: Can, is advisable, for a nephew do, to participate, to Rechitsa of his uncle, brother of his Mother? Or in the presence of other people is preferable to discourage? I’m talking about rechitsa for Tahara process on a deceased uncle. Shavua a tov Moshe Answer: There are a number of relatives mentioned with which […]

Bathroom hygiene on Shabbos

Question: B’shas hadchak, may one use, on Shabbos, tissues that are connected to each other and pull them out of the box with his mouth? Also, if one notices that cleaning oneself on Shabbos leads to bleeding and to pulling out hairs, is this OK, due to kavod habriyos and not having intent/ desire to […]

When is a slaughtered animal considered dead

Question: When is a slaughtered animal considered dead, right after slaughtering, when it stops moving afterwards,can a person cut off a leg off an animal right after he slaughters? When is it considered dead and fit for consumption? Answer: As soon as an animal is ritually slaughtered properly it becomes fit for consumption according to […]

Monies from sale of Sefer Torah

Question: May money from the sale of a sefer Torah be used to make another sefer Torah kosher (being that them money is not paying for Torah directly, but for service)? In an extremely poor community lacking a mikvah with none remotely nearby, could Torah be sold to pay for mikvah? Answer: A kosher Sefer […]

Kiddush on Shabbos morning

Question: If someone is making kiddush on a cup of grape juice on shabbos morning but does not want to drink most of it, and would rather be yotzei the kiddush with a kizayis of mezonos, can the grape juice be poured back in the bottle and reused later? Is the person making kiddush allowed […]

Continuing Seuda Shlishis After Sunset

Question: If one desires to fulfill shalosh seudos by eating cake, fruit, or fish, is it necessary to stop eating them by shkia, or may one continue to eat them for as long as one desires? Sources would be much appreciated. Answer: For fruit or fish one must stop, for mezonos one may be lenient […]

Carrying on Shabbos in Dangerous Places – No Eruv

Question: Hello, Am I allowed to carry a handgun or mace/pepper spray in an area/community that does not have an Eruv, yet is clearly dangerous for yidden to be walking around in, and out of fear of being attacked G-d forbid by groups of people that have started up and attacked Jews? Thank You. Answer: […]

Is a compass Muktza?

Question: I sometimes use a compass to help with finding directions for DAVENING. Can I use a compass on Shabbos/Yomtov for this purpose? Is a compass muktza? Answer: No, a compass is a utensil with a permissible Shabbos use, known as a “kli shemelachto leheter”, and does not have muktzeh status.   Sources: Shulchan Aruch […]

Is Darwinism Kefirah

Question: Sholom, I am unsure this is the right forum for this question but lets try: I would like to know if the evolution theory developed by Darwin (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darwinism) – is it by definition against the Toirah? I understand that its not a simple question to answer, but in principle, natural selection may not […]

Attending Sporting Events

Question: Is it muttar to attend professional baseball, basketball etc…games? Answer: Rav Moshe Feinstein in a famous responsa prohibited this practice based on Bittul Torah and Moshav Leitzim, basically wasting one’s time and engaging in frivolity. Some Poskim hold that when there is no problem of Bitul Torah as the person needs some recreation in […]

Exporting Tzedaka & Adopt-a-Kollel

Question: I have heard criticism about the Adopt-a-Kollel program that shuls in Chutz Laaretz should be focusing their tzedaka money on the needs of their own local poor as per “aniyei ircha kodmin” Is this criticism valid? What are the mekoros? Thank you Answer: No, the poor of Eretz Yisrael have the status of the […]

Which Patriarch never saw a Seminal Emission

Question: Which Patriarch never saw a seminal emission and where is it written in the Torah ? Answer: The Talmud in Yevamos 76a attributes this to Yaakov Avinu, and derives it from the verse in Genesis 49:3 where he refers to Reuven as his “first strength”, indicating his first seed was used to create Reuven.

Halachaic methods of writing G-d

Question: Dear rabbis, I rememvber when I was younger that the reform prayerbook would use a two yad letter denotion for G-d. Since becoming a Ba’al Teshuvah, I have never seen this denotion used. I am not fond of reform in any sense and am curious if this was a reform methodology or a true […]

How long is עוֹלָם?

Question: 7‮וַהֲקִמֹתִ֨י אֶת־בְּרִיתִ֜י בֵּינִ֣י וּבֵינֶ֗ךָ וּבֵ֨ין זַרְעֲךָ֧ אַחֲרֶ֛יךָ לְדֹרֹתָ֖ם לִבְרִ֣ית עֹולָ֑ם לִהְיֹ֤ות לְךָ֙ לֵֽאלֹהִ֔ים וּֽלְזַרְעֲךָ֖ אַחֲרֶֽיךָ׃ 1. In the Torah, עוֹלָם is used to denote past time (כָּל־יְמֵ֥י עֹולָֽם, Isaiah 63:9), even ancient history. עוֹלָם is also used to describe a long duration of time, an undetermined duration of time that may have limits. עוֹלָם […]

Answering Questions in Shidduchim

Question: Hello I was recently called foe shidduch information about a guy that I know from yeshiva. The caller asked if I would consider him a considerate person. I wouldn’t describe this guy as considerate and I feel he is sometimes a little inconsiderate. How should I go about answering these types of questions when […]

Washing for wet fruits and vegetables; Giving bread to an irreligious person who will not wash

Question: I ate some baby carrots and out of laziness decided that they were not really wet and started to eat them without going to wash. Then I realized that I was not being honest with myself and they were indeed moist and decided to go wash. 1) I assume that I didn’t need to […]

Jewish contractor paying gentile workers for the Jewish customer

Question: 1. I wish to contract a gentile moving company whom a frum, Jewish contractor found for me 2. If I pay the moving company directly after they finish, they cost $ x 3. I asked the contractor if they can wait to get paid a week later after I close on my house and […]

Mitsvah to demand a debt from a non Jew

Question: Hello, there is the Mitsvah not to set a non Jew as a king over Jews. Torah in D’varim 17:15 uses the word “Ish-Nokhri”. Rambam explains that “Ish-Nokhri” is a Ger-Tsedeq. There is one more Mitsvah in D’varim 23:21 using the same word “Nokhri”, Torah orders to demand to pay a debt from that […]

Orlah – Plant with root-ball

Question: I would like to purchase a fruit tree, so that I can eat the fruits immediately. The growers sell trees with the “root-ball” intact (the tree’s roots, together with the dirt it grew in) in burlap sack. 1) If I plant this, do I still have to wait three years? 2) If I do […]

Shilu’ach Haken with Cardinal

Question: Is a cardinal considered a kosher bird that one can perform shilu’ach hakan with one of its nests? Answer: This bird is not considered kosher for eating purposes, as we do not have a clear tradition that it was eaten as a kosher bird. However, for SHiluach Haken it is sufficient that it has […]

Acne on Shabbos: pimples and blackheads

Question: Is it mutar to squeeze out blackheads on Shabbos and Yom tov? I understand pimples are more problematic since blood may come out but this is not the case with blackheads. So are blackheads mutar to squeeze on Shabbos and Yom Tov or is there still a prohibition of making an opening (פתח) on […]

Negative Web Reviews and Lashon Hara

Question: Dear Rabbi, BH I got married last summer. Despite a really beautiful wedding we have been having terrible problems with the photographer we used ever since. Besides not fulfilling many of the duties on the contract, he lost a great part of the video footage, has been rude to us, keeps asking for more […]

Bracha on Talis Katan before Tallis Gadol

Question: Can a person make a bracha on a Talis kattan even if later (10-15 or longer minutes) he will make a separate Bracha on a Talis gadol? Is it a Bracha (SHANO TZRICHA) not necessary? Answer: The widespread custom for one who plans to put on a Tallis Gadol, is not to make a […]

Classical Music During Sefiras Ha’Omer

Question: Your interesting answer to listening to Classical Music During Sefiras Ha’Omer is at https://dinonline.org/2014/05/07/classical-music-during-sefiras-haomer/. Your answer then goes on to say this: “Please see our article of last year, here, for more details and sources.” The word “here” is the link, but when I try to use it, it says this: “404 – Page […]