Admin, Author at Ask The Rabbi - Dinonline

Acharei Mos-Kedoshim – Dividing investment income between unequal partners

Question My brother and I have been joint owners of our company for decades. About fifteen years ago we decided to establish a charitable foundation which we registered in the same manner as our business is registered, as equal partners. We transferred thirty million dollars from the business to the foundation. We agreed further, […]

Tehilim – Prophecy or Prayer

What is the essence of Sefer Tehilim – a book of prophecies, or prayers G-d sanctified and taught us through King David’s Divine Inspiration? ow should Tehilim be recited? Were all of King David’s requests answered? When can we assume they were? When is Tehilim preferable over Torah study? How do we determine the […]

Tazria-Metsoro-Returning extra to a Drug Gemach

Question I borrowed a drug from the communal drug gemach. When I returned the drug that I borrowed, I returned more pills than I received from the gemach because that is what the doctor prescribed and I had no need for the extra pills. Did I violate the prohibition against giving interest because I […]

Shemini-Pitfalls of people who travel for Pesach to a different time zone

Question I live in Chutz lo’oretz but want to sell my chametz on your website. Will I not have a problem at the end of Pesach because you are in Israel and will buy back the chametz from the goy while it is still Pesach for me in Chutz lo’oretz and I still may […]

Scaleless Carp

Genetic engineering has opened the world of kashrus to new levels of discussion. Is the scaleless carp a kosher fish? Scaleless carp were originally developed in Germany for ease of cooking. In 1904, the scaleless carp became an export item. Can a species that originally had scales still be considered kosher without them? What […]

Diapers and Garbage

To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions (on how to spread the insights of this publication further, make it more appealing or anything else), to sponsor this publication which has been in six continents and more than forty countries, or if you know […]

Halachic Time Limits Matza, Maror, and Wine at the Seder

Some of the basic mitzvos on the Seder night involve eating matza and maror. How much of each must be eaten during the Seder, and how much wine must be drunk for each of the four cups? How did the matza recipe change over the centuries, and what was the reason for it? Why […]

Tzav-Caterer who showed up late

Question We recently made a bas mitzvah party for my daughter. A hundred guests replied that they would join us and we informed everyone that the meal would begin promptly at seven thirty and arranged with the caterer that he should be prepared at that time to serve a meal. The caterer arrived late […]

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 experiencing earthly phenomena such […]

Vayikro-Using deceit to encourage proper behavior

Question We live in a city with a sizable religious population but also a significant percentage of traditional but non-religious families. The Rabbonim of the community organized a campaign to encourage stores to have their workers dress modestly and to play proper music, by giving free advertisements in the local religious publications to stores […]

Extraordinary People

Vayakeheil-Pekudai-Adding to weights

Question I learned in the Gemara (BB 88B) that when someone sells by weight he must give the customer more than the exact weight that he is charging for, and in fact the Gemara derives this rule from a pasuk. It seems that this law is violated today when one buys packaged goods where […]

Pesach: Alcohol and Alcohol Byproducts

In preparation for the upcoming holiday of Pesach, we will use this space to provide our readership with contemporary halachic issues. The Torah prohibits keeping any edible chametz in one’s house or possession over Pesach. Even a mixture containing only a minute amount of chametz is prohibited (see Rema, OC 447:4; Mishna Brura […]

Extricate the Intricate

Ki Siso-Responsibility to return money borrowed as a child

Question Once, when I was twelve years old, I boarded a bus. When I reached into my pocket to pay the driver I realized that I didn’t have enough money to pay. I asked someone to lend me five shekels and used the money to pay. Many years have elapsed since then and I […]

The Way to Pray

Muktza Tools – Part IV

Which tools can never be moved and which can be transported, but only for a specific reason? Has the laws of Muktza undergone a change in recent times, and if so — what? Are the laws of muktza applied everywhere in the same manner or do they depend upon other factors? What category of […]

Muktza – Part III

Raw Material What is considered raw material? Can children play ball outside on Shabbos? Why are ballgames different from other games? Can a new unused toy be considered muktza under this title? Chess is a game enjoyed by both young and old. Is chess playing a proper way to spend the holy day of […]

Tetsave-Selling a right

Question I extended my apartment legally about fifteen years ago. My elderly upstairs neighbor did not need any extra room and did not want to spend money to expand his apartment and therefore he did not pay anything for my extension. However, he began using the roof of my extension as a porch. He […]

Caving Kedusha

Bending and Bowing

Terumo-Sofer Damaged the Tefillin Shel Yad of his customer

Question Someone gave me his tefillin to check and repair, if necessary. While I was repairing a letter of the tefillin shel yad I wasn’t careful enough and accidentally made the letter posul. Since one cannot write a letter of tefillin out of order and this letter is near the beginning of the […]

Muktza – Permitted and Prohibited

Part II This week we will focus on different interactions with muktza. Which are permitted and which – prohibited? This week’s article will also touch upon expensive or precious muktza – how can it be preserved or protected on Shabbos? Animal care is also on the menu this week – how to care for […]

Mishpatim-Returned a borrowed car at night to a metered parking spot-Part 2

Question I lent my car to a friend for the weekend. On Monday morning at about eight thirty my friend called to let me know that he had returned the car at about eleven at night by parking it on the street near my house. When I went down at nine o’clock to use […]

Muktza – Burden or Pleasure

Why does the Torah explain why resting on Shabbos is necessary — isn’t it self-understood? How can we access the peace of knowing all our duties are done? Is muktza simply a halachic mechanism to make work impossible, or a tool for accessing genuine spiritual pleasure? How are the halachos of muktza implemented in […]

A Correct, Incorrect Ruling

To purchase any of the author’s books (hardcopy or e-book) and get it delivered to your door, please send an email to [email protected] or visit https://amzn.to/3eyh5xP (where you can also see the reviews). To join the thousands of recipients and receive these insights free on a weekly email, obtain previous articles, feedback, comments, suggestions (on how to spread the […]

Igniting Inspiration

Yisro-Returned a borrowed car at night to a metered parking spot-Part 1

Question I lent my car to a friend for the weekend. On Monday morning at about eight-thirty my friend called to let me know that he had returned the car at about eleven at night by parking it on the street near my house. When I went down at nine o’clock to use my […]

Sound Production on Shabbos – Part II

In this instalment we will focus on other aspects of sound production on Shabbos – or rather, arranging on Friday sounds that will be heard on Shabbos. Can an alarm clock be set to go off on Shabbos? Is there any difference between the sounds it produces? Can a cuckoo clock continue chiming on […]

Beshalach-Owner finds another tenant who agrees to pay more than the current tenant

Question My tenant, who had signed a two year lease, informed me after half a year that he wished to leave. I looked around and found a tenant who agreed to pay higher rent than the first tenant and signed a contract with him. When the first tenant found out that the second tenant […]

Dancing, Clapping and Sound Production on Shabbos

Which sounds must not be produced on Shabbos? Why is their production prohibited? Why is strumming a guitar, drumming a drum, or thumping on a table prohibited? What form of “work” is involved? Can people clap their hands, stamp their feet, or otherwise create noises to scare away animals? Is there any halachic difference […]

Passionately Peculiar

Double Disciple

Bo-Car suffered damage while saving a falling compressor

Question One night there was an unexpected huge storm which uprooted trees etc. When I walked out to my car in the morning I discovered that the compressor of an air conditioner had landed on my car which was parked on the street. My windshield was smashed and there was a huge dent in […]

Months and Dates in Halacha

The first mitzva we received as a nation is consecrating the Jewish month. The Jewish calendar, as we are all well aware, does not coincide with its secular counterpart, and many ignore it in their daily lives, only checking the date when holidays come into view. What does halacha have to say about using […]

Handshakes

Vo’eira-Patronizing a Jewish store even if the price is higher

Question I have always been under the impression that one is required to prioritize buying from a religious Jew over a non-Jew, even if the cost is higher, by up to a sixth. Is this indeed correct? Where can I find it? Answer The source for the ruling that one should […]

Choosing a Spouse

Is it possible to ensure children’s spiritual future? Of what importance are the brothers of a proposed match? Do the halachos mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch apply today? What should one prefer – a nice family, or a girl with good middos (character traits)? What do you choose when getting both is not an […]

Celebrating From Afar

Lie Categories

This week’s instalment will complete the series on truthfulness and falsehood. The Torah points out that the reason Bnei Yisroel were redeemed from Egypt was, in part, because they didn’t change their language. In what language did they speak? Was it an actual language or was it a manner of speech? What is the […]

Shemos-Thanking one who lent him money

Question I recently returned an interest-free loan to a friend who helped me out greatly by lending me money when I really needed it. When I returned the money I thanked him for helping me out when I really needed the loan. He replied that I am not allowed to thank him because it […]

A Life That Matters

Vayechei- Neighbor borrows his newspaper-Part 2

Question (from last week) Both I and my neighbor, who is also religious, subscribe to the same newspaper. The delivery boy drops the newspaper on my unfenced front lawn every morning. Sometimes the delivery boy forgets one of us and only one of us gets the paper. My neighbor gets back from davening earlier […]

Nothing But The Truth – Part II

In this week’s article we will delve deeper into the truth of the matter – or rather, falsehood: when is lying permitted or even a mitzva? Did G-d ever deviate from the truth, and for what reason? Lying, even when permitted, carries an additional danger. What is it, and why is lying so detrimental? […]

Vayigash- Neighbor “borrows” his newspaper

Question Both I and my neighbor, who is also religious, subscribe to the same newspaper. The delivery boy drops the newspaper on my unfenced front lawn every morning. Sometimes the delivery boy forgets one of us and only one of us gets the paper. My neighbor gets back from davening earlier than I do. […]

Nothing But The Truth

In this week’s parasha we read the description of Yehuda’s encounter with Yosef and his excuse for being unable to present his lost brother. Rashi questions how Yehuda was permitted to lie about his brother’s whereabouts and say that he had died. In this week’s article we will touch upon issues of honesty. When […]

Filling a Need

Daily Direction

Vayeishev-Using Ma’aseir Money to save on taxes

Question There’s a new program in Ohio that allows us to donate money to our school of choice [even a yeshiva] and take a state tax credit up to $1,500 for the donation. A “state tax credit” means that one can deduct the payment from his taxes (not just his income). So if […]

Naming a Child

Who gets to pick a child’s name – his father or his mother? What is the Ramban’s approach to this issue? Why was his grandson named for the other grandfather and not for himself? What is the source for the custom to take turns in choosing children’s names? Is the parent’s financial situation a […]