Question: I saw an advertisement for a used sofa and called the number. The seller told me that someone else had already called but he will give it to the one who arrives first. If I get there first is there an issue of Oni Hamehapech Becharroroh? Answer: It is permitted, since it is only classified […]
Author Archives: Harav Yosef Fleischman
Mezuzos in a sold apartment
Question: I bought an apartment, and according to the contract the seller must leave behind anything that is permanently attached to the apartment. May I insist that he leaves the mezuzos? Answer: Yes, mezuzos are considered as permanently affixed and if he removes them you may demand their return or payment for their value.
Bought a broken bike and managed to fix it
Question: Because my wife has a bad back the Doc advised to buy an exercise bike. We found one selling for 400 shek. We tried it out and was good. The computer part of the bike wasn’t working (the part which tells you time spent, calaries, speed etc). The lady selling it said its fine, just […]
Laws of Tzedakah Part II: To Whom To Give First
Recent times have brought something of a revolution in charity giving. Instead of the personal, local giving that was always the basic norm for making donations, various tzedakah organizations (both local and nationwide) have attempted to convince charity givers nation- (in Israel) and world-wide to give them charity donations for distribution among the needy. The publicity […]
Laws of Tzedakah Part I: The Basic Obligation
Even the destitute must fulfill the mitzvah of tzedakah. Although someone without income and reliant on charity is not subject to the obligation (or custom) of maaser kesafim, ((The details of the obligation or custom of giving (at least) a tenth of one’s income to charity will be dealt with in a later shiur.)) he remains obligated in the […]
Selling Chametz – Why and How?
The Torah forbids a Jew, during Pesach, from either owning chometz or deriving benefit from his chometz. However, people often own chometz which they do not want to discard or burn. Over the generations, rabbanim have developed a mechanism – selling chometz to a gentile – to enable Jews to abide by these Torah laws […]
Laws of Mechiras Chametz – Hebrew
1. בזמנינו המנהג למנות ((בעבר כל אדם היה מוכר את חמצו לגוי באופן פרטי, אך מפני שלא כל אדם יודע כיצד למכור באופן המועיל, הנהיגו שהרב יהיה שליח למכור את החמץ לגוי. היו מגדולי ישראל, שעל אף הקלקולים העדיפו שכל אדם ימכור את חמצו בצורה עצמאית עיין שדי חמד מערכת חו”מ ט,ו. בזמנינו המנהג בכל […]
Tzedaka or Hachnasat Kallah?
Question: I am arranging a chinese auction to raise funds for the following situation: I have a neighbor who is separated from her husband. For reasons not clear to me, he is not giving a get. The financial situation in the house is very difficult since the husband is not giving them money and the […]
Maaser – expenses from selling real estate
Question: Hi, I have sold a home and was wondering what expenses were allowed before calculating ma’aser. Specifically, I wanted to ask about a commission paid to a real estate agent to buy or sell the home, the purchase tax (in Israel) at the time of a home purchase, the lawyer fees paid to administer […]
Liability and the Requirement to Testify in Cases of Medical Malpractice
Question A number of years ago, a brain-damaged child was delivered in England to a religious Jewish couple. After six years of suffering and expenses by the parents, the doctor who delivered the baby, accompanied by a friend, appeared on Erev Yom Kippur, admitted his guilt and asked the parents for forgiveness. Since the doctor […]
Malpractice – liability
Question: A person had his car fixed in a garage. When the car was returned, he realized that although the original damage was repaired, new damage was sustained due to the garage’s improper handling of the car. When the customer pointed this out to the garage owner, the owner replied, “We’ll repair it free of […]
Paying babysitters on time
Question: I hired a babysitter to watch my children. Must I pay the babysitter as soon as I return? Does it make a difference if the babysitter asks for the money or not and if she is a child or an adult? Answer: The Torah (Vayikro 19, 13) requires one to pay his employee within […]