My shayla is does one have to ma’aser their income if at the end of the month their income is just enough to cover their expenses. Sometimes we don’t have enough to cover certain expenses and we have late fees. Do we still ma’aser our income? Answer: One who is unable to finish the month […]
Author Archives: Rabbi Akiva Dershowitz
Wearing Red String on Shabbos
Is wearing A red string on shabbos hotzo,o Answer: No, this has become an accepted form of dress/jewelry that many do for style or other reasons, and would have the same status as any bracelet.
Lottery Pool
Is it mutar to participate in an office lottery pool with other yiden? Answer: Yes, this would be permitted.
Deceiving Banks
US banks are wary about people signing up from foreign countries and will either reject or closely examine you if you sign up with a foreign ISP. Is one allowed to use a VPN and sign up with a US ISP for a US bank account if one lives in Israel and maintains a mailing […]
Bais Din and Court
Based on the halacha that the overriding principle in commerce is: hakol k’minhag hamedinah, shouldn’t Dayanim have to learn basic laws of commerce that apply to their local municipal, or do they just send these cases straight to non Jewish courts for them to deal with it? And if you say that obviously they don’t […]
Bracha in Mikva Room
Can a person make the bracha on tevilas keilim while inside the mikva room itself? There is no nudity or showers. Answer: In most modern day mikvas the room is clean and does not have much steam or stench. In such instances the bracha may be made in the mikvah room itself. Sources: Mishna Brura […]
Morning Prayers and Vasikin
Whats the best way to do vatikin at morning prayers? Answer: “Vatikin” refers to praying Shacharit, starting before sunrise and arranging that the beginning of Shmoneh Esrei is at the moment of sunrise. While this is early for most people, this is in fact the ideal time for morning prayers.
Tevila in Swimsuit
For a man, is it possible to tovel one’s self in the Mikvah while wearing a swimsuit? Is it considered a Chatzitza? Answer: As long as it is loose fitting enough and not tied tightly at the waist, so that water can freely reach every part of the body, there is no problem of a […]
Soiled Tzitzis
I was walking outside one shabbos with my tzitzis over my shirt and i noticed that there was a black spot on them im not sure if it was bird droppings or not but if it was and i rubbed soap on the area and rinsed but the stain stayed…can i still daven wearing those […]
Answering Amen During Bentching
Can one only answer amen during bentching, if one is inbetween the first beracah and the second beracah and one hears someone finish the first berachah. Answer: Yes, this is the accepted custom. Sources: Shu”t Bztel Hachochma 4:42, see there for a lengthy explanation of the rules of hefsek in all parts of bentching for […]
Dairy in Parve Pot
At what temperature does milk cause a parve pot to become milichik? Particularly when not on the flame? Ie parve oatmeal is made in a parve pot. The fire is turned off. Then a dairy chocolate syrup is added to the oatmeal in the pot as flavoring (ie pot is not on a fire but […]
Herbal Drops without Kosher Certification
I got some herbal drops from FLORIS (Valerian) – and only realized at home that there was no heksher on the bottle/package. I am after a heart valve replacement operation and have problems with high blood pressure (anything under 160 is great – and sometimes it’s over 200). And sleeping at night. And have real […]
Lottery Failure
Hi, I asled a question last week jn regards to my obligation to make a lottery for a free item. I had tried to get publicity thru a free giveaway but only 4 family members signed up. As it was a failure if i am not halchickly obligated to make the raffle I would rather […]
Pots Cooked in on Shabbos
A friend is not shomer shabbos and used a few pots to cook on shabbos in my house with ingredients he found in my house. does that affect kosher status ? Answer: When someone cooks for himself on Shabbos, other people may benefit from it from Motzai Shabbos. Hence, the pot will be usable from […]
Removing Eggs from Water on Shabbos
Is it permissible for Sephardim to remove eggs from a pot of water on Friday night, Shabbat to put in refrigerator for Shabbat morning. Is this borer? The eggs were cooked before Shabbat. Answer: Yes, the eggs are large, distinct items and not considered to be in a “mixture” with the water, and therefore there […]
Hagomel on Kidney Donation
I have I donated a kidney I did not Bentsk Gomil yet. My question if you say Hagomel on such surgery because I put myself into the situation and if yes from when until when because I still feel a little bit. I figured I should wait until my six month follow up. Answer: You […]
Torah in Middle of Night
Kvod haRav, if I wake up during the night (I am male), can I think in learning (just thinking, without moving my mouth) while still in bed, or do I need to get out of bed and wash (with a bracha or no?) and make birchos haTorah? If I get out of bed, or think […]
Ink for Mezuzah
Can one use a regular black pen to write a mezuzah? or even use regular black ink to write a mezuzah? If not, Why? Thank you so much. Answer: While the pen itself is ok, and the use of a quill is mainly because we want to maintain the tradition as it has been throughout […]
Sealed Wine Touched by Gentile
Is it true that according to both שיטת הרמ”א and בית יוסף- if a goy touched a sealed bottle of wine even if it wasn’t mevushal – it is OK? Answer: Yes, if the bottle is sealed there is no problem. Sources: See Taz Y:D 118 s”k 4, that a proper seal prevents any issue […]
Parve Potatoes
Can I make potatoes that were cut using a cold clean dairy cutting board and knife with chicken? Answer: If the board and knife were completely clean and cold when used to cut the potatoes [which were cold as well], the potatoes may be eaten with chicken.
Immodest Wife
My wife doesn”t dress tzniut. Open neckline, short skirt and the like. I have explained to her tens of times that she is doing wrong, to no avail. Question: may I divorce her lehatechila? It seems pretty straightforward from Shulhan Aruch that it is allowed and even recommendable to do so ( that a woman […]
Minyan Without Kohen
Hi, I daven in a relatively small minyan on Shabbos, there are anywhere between 15-20 people on a given week. There are no regular Kohanim that daven with us, and there are two regular Levi’im. The “sheeta” of the gabbim is never to call up a Levi for rishon in the spot of a Kohen. […]
Using Cream on Shabbos
Is there an issur me memareiach (smoothing) when the cream is absorbed by the hand and one rubs it in completely Answer: One should be stringent not to use cream even in the above fashion. However in a case of great need, such as a baby with bad diaper rash, someone with a burn etc. […]
Mezuza Laws
1) Is there a source that a mezuzah should be uncovered so that you can see the klaf or the shin on the outside? 2) A door that is in used by two people (eg. one tenant lives upstairs, the other downstairs, and there is a door to get from one to the other) – […]
Dairy Spoon On Meaty Plate
Hi, I used a dairy spoon to eat hot meat food on a meat plate (ceramic). I was planning to kasher the spoon. Can you tell me if the plate is okay? Answer: If the spoon was not used in the past 24 hours for hot dairy the plate is fine.
Ribbis with Returned Purchase
On 15 Teves a תשובה was posted that allowed returning an item to a Jewish store for a full refund even though the item was used. The סברא given was because it was yours when you used it. Why is this different than שו”ע יו”ד סי’ קעד סעי’ ז that the Mechaber rules that if […]
Returning Purchase
I bought an item in a Jewish store who has a 30 day money-back return policy. I did use the item for a week and now want to return it. Is it a problem of ribbis? Answer: No, this would not be a problem of Ribbis. The duration of your using the product was not […]
Corkscrew from Non Kosher Wine
Does a corkscrew used for nonkosher bottles of wine require kashering before being used to open a kosher bottle of wine? Answer: No, as it does not come in contact with the wine itself. It should be wiped clean and then may be used.
Bracha on Chulent
If one desires the gravy in a cholent more than the the subsequent items in the cholent. What berachah should he make on the cholent. Answer: As long as it is being eaten with the rest of the cholent, it’s status remains secondary and it is exempted by the bracha on the chulent itself.
Takanas Ezra and Baal Keri
If a person is makpid on takanas ezra and becomes a baal keri is there a problem with lets say shoes or something like that, that cannot be washed if he touches them before being tovel? Meaning nowadays would that make hime tamei again? Answer: No, takanas Ezra was to be tovel for the emission […]
Nocturnal Emission and Tefillin
Hello Rabbi- I had a very awkward incident occurr, and I wonder if I handled it properly. I took a nap in my car in a hospital parking lof, and suffered a nocturnal emission of semen. I had to enter the hospital to pick up someone. I very quickly and ineffectively wiped off some of […]
Dairy Pasta and Meat Strainer
I have 2 questions–thank you very much. 1. I cooked dairy pasta in a brand new pot, then poured the pasta with the hot cooking water into a meat strainer which was non ben-yomo. The strainer was sitting on a dairy sink rack in the sink. Can you tell me what the status of the […]
Stroller Warranty Mistake
hi, 2 years ago we bought a stroller, it was an expensive stroller and even though it was hard we decided to buy it. the company didn’t change the design for 6 years but the 4 months after we bought it they came up with completely better and more improved design. we have lots of […]
Changing Place for Bracha
If I make a shehakol on my orange juice by breakfast, does this cover my coffee which iI make in the same room) even when I take the coffee to a different part of the building? Let’s say I make the coffee itself in a different part of the building, can I be covered with […]
Sifting Spelt Flour
Hi does spelt flour need to be sifted? Thank you Answer: Spelt flour should be treated as all regular flour with regards to sifting. Many have the custom to be stringent and sift all flour before usage.
Borer and Zabla
Sat at a zablla proceeding and noticed that the borer from one side was basically listening to the toen and interjecting with some questions, where as the borer from other side was acting just like a toen putting down the case which he prepared with the party who picked him before they came to bias […]
Vitamins with Grape
Hi, I bought a multi vitamin in powder form for my baby. It’s called nutristart multivitamin powder by rainbow light. It has no hechsher but says it has no milk, eggs, fish. The only added ingredient is fructose. It does however have an antioxidant fruit blend extract 4:1 which lists 7 fruit and one of […]
Firearms and Self Defense for Women
Thank you for your timely response about firearms. Could you please provide some halachic sourcessources regarding women legally carrying or getting trained in firearms for self – defense during a home invasion or when walking in the street (Chas V’sholom). Besides firearms, there is also the potential for a woman to learn self – defense, […]
Kriyat Shma Pronunciation
If one does not pronounce the mapik hei in “yuvuluah” in the second paragraph of shma, is he still yotzei the mitzvah of kria-shma ? Thx Answer: Yes, one fulfills their obligation. Sources: See Aruch Hashulchan O:C 62:1,2
Failed Sweepstakes
Hi. I posted online a sweepstakes for my store-anyone who likes me online gets a chance to win. I only had 3 entries of close friends -it was a real flop. Do I still have to make the lottery,ad it will be a total loss for me as I did not get any publicity. Answer: […]
Bracha on Thunder and Lightning
Kavod Harav, My friend told me that one can only make the bracha over lightning, when one sees the actual bolt of lightning, and not the merely the flash. Is this true? I also heard that if the lighting and thunder come in quick succession, then one only recites one bracha, for ashkenazim. Is this […]
Doughnuts and Bishul Akum
What is the story with dough that is fried – like Dunkin Doughnuts- in regard to Pas and Bishul Akum? Thank you. Answer: Many Kashrus organizations allow fried doughnuts made by non Jews. Their opinion is that it may not be considered Pas but rather a tavshil, however it is not considered “oleh al shulchan melachim” […]
Incomplete Salting of Meat
What happens if after one finished the koshering meat/chicken, they remember that they forgot to put salt on one area? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch 69:4 rules that preferably one should salt the meat on both sides, but if one failed to do so, the meat is kosher. However, the Rama rules that under normal circumstances one […]
Prayer for Women
Kavod Harav, I read in Yalkut Yosef that women are always obligated in one tefilla. If I remember correctly, he writes that if she can’t pray shacharit, she should pray mincha, and if she also doesn’t manage mincha, she should pray aravit. My question is, if she only finds time to pray for aravit, to […]
Salting and Rinsing Meat
I am teaching my students that meat must be koshered within 3 days or otherwise it can’t be koshered via salting only via broiling. I understand that soaking the meat extends the 3 day limit. How long does the meat have to be soaked for? Can rinsing it suffice? Can this be instead of the […]
Eating Before Maariv
What are the laws of eating before Maariv? May one eat non-mezonos/ non-hamotzi even after nightfall, even if he doesn’t have a shomer or a set minyan? Answer: Yes, non mezonos and non hamotzi foods have no restrictions before Maariv. Up to a Kbeitzah of mezonos/bread may be eaten. Sources: Shulchan Aruch O:C 235:2, Mishna […]
Non Certified Omega 3
Is it ok if I give my child (3 yr old) omega 3 chewable vitamins without kosher certification? I only found one kosher one which doesn’t taste good at all and he won’t take it. Answer: No, chewable vitamins may have many problematic ingredients, and are often very similar to a chewable candy, aside from […]
Biting in to Pizza
Hi, a have a question in hilchos derech eretz by a seudah. May I bite into a sandwich or pizza ? does it make a difference if the bite is less than a kzayis? thank you Answer: Yes, you may bite in to such foods as is the common custom. Sources: Sefer Vzos Habracha pg. […]
Reform Marriage
If a Jewish couple marry without a kosher ketubah (they have a document written by a reform rabbi), are they halachically married? Would they require a get if they wanted to end the marriage? Thank you. Answer: Generally, a reform or conservative marriage is not just a problem of the ketubah, rather the entire marriage […]
Meaty Blender on Pareve Soup
If I cooked a parev soup in a parev saucepan but liquidised it while it was still hot with a meaty liquidiser with a metal blade can I eat the soup with cheese? Answer: If the liquidiser was clean from remnants, and not used in 24 hours for meat, the soup may be eaten with […]