Question: I was taught in my yeshivah (back in the day) that when a person falsely accused someone for something they didn’t do… it’s a mitzvah to give a bracha. For instance, health till 120, happiness, etc. Is/was this past teaching accurate? Thank you. Answer: Yes, this is a Gemara in Berachos 31b. After Eli […]
Author Archives: Harav Zeev Litka
turning off a nebulizer on shabbos
Question: This past shabbat our young son suddenly developed a frightening kind of breathing and cough which is supposed to be treated with a nebulizer. We assumed it was okay to turn it on (and as there was no difference in quality of care, we turned it on with a shinui). However, after being left […]
Radiotherapy and tattoo
Question: In order to prepare for radiotherapy as part of cancer treatment a few small marks the size of the tip of a pen mark is tattooed into the skin. This allows for the laser beams to be applied precisely. Is this allowed ? If not what have other people done? Answer: Hello, Since it […]
Shaving Body Hair
Question: What is the halacha regarding a man shaving his body (legs, chest etc.) hair? Is there a difference between using a razor or a depilatory cream? Answer: Hello, In general, a man should not shave the above mentioned places, as this is considered an act done by women (Shulchan Aruch Y:D 182 end of […]
Beracha on cereal and milk, ice cream sandwich
Question: When you are eating cereal & milk, are two Brochos made? Which comes first? What about an ice cream sandwich? Thanks. Answer: Hello, When eating cereal and milk, only a beracha on the cereal is made since the milk is considered secondary. Regarding the beracha on an ice cream sandwich, it depends on your […]
Microphone for weekday davening
Question: Hello and thank you for this service. To give a little background. I am the gabbai for the outdoor minyan which has taken place in the chatzer between a couple of neighboring buildings (in Sharie Chessed/Rechavia Yerushalayim), our minyan is a big mix with many chariedy bnei torah as well as a modern crowd […]
Label found on bottom of griddle after toiveling
Question: I toiveled a griddle, not realizing until after I finished that there was a label on the underside of the griddle. Do I have to re-toivel it? If yes, with or w/ o a Brocha? Thank you Answer: Hello, Ideally the label should have been removed before the tevila. However, now that it was […]
Food that was touched before morning washing
Question: Hello, I am now learning and observing more laws. If I used to buy food before washing three times, is the food still ok to eat? For example, I bought peanut butter, chocolate, frozen vegetables before knowing the law. Are they ok? Thank you very much Answer: Hello, If you touched the actual food […]
Terminology for women in morning blessings
Question: Alright, it says with a star * גוי – Blessed are you, hashem, our god, king of the universe, who did not make me a gentile. For men it’s pronounced גוי and for women she should say it with a ה as גויה? Same with blessed are you, hashem, our g-d, king of the […]
Wearing crosslike symbol
Question: I asked this question before about wearing a jacket with a raised symbol from a game and am sending an attachment with the picture as requested. Thanks Attached: Attached file 1 Answer: Hello, There is no problem. It doesn’t look like a cross. All the best Sources:
Kashering a treif microwave
Question: A while ago I designated a separate microwave for my cleaning lady to use whenever she wants to reheat her meals that she brought along. Now my microwave broke and I no longer have a cleaning lady. Is there any way I can make this treif microwave kosher? Answer: Hello, Yes. You should clean […]
Star indicator meaning in prayer
Question: In prayer the blessing (standing up) section, I’ve noticed a star * indicator near a few brachos. Does this mean that for a women a few wordings should be changed? For instance, for not creating me to be a gentile/ for not creating me to be a slave, etc. Thank you. Answer: Hello, I […]
TEHILLIM in the EARLY MORNING BEFORE BIRCHAT HATORAH
Question: Can someone say TEHILLIM for praying purposes in the early morning before saying Birchat Hatorah? When is the earliest time to say BIRCHAT HATORAH? Answer: Hello, A person should not say Tehillim until after saying Bircas Hatorah. There is no earliest time to say Bircas Hatorah. Birkas Hatorah should be said when a person […]
Follow up to original hefsek question
Question: Hi my original question was answered but I need to clarify my situation. I wrote my question on day 2 but my shailah is about day 1. Due to the change in the clocks this past Sunday I forgot to do my evening bedika in time before it got dark. It was day 1 […]
Forgot bedika on second day of clean days
Question: So today is day 2 of my seven clean days and last night due to the time change in the clocks I forgot to do my evening bedika in time before it got dark. I’m pretty sure I did one in the morning but I cannot remember 100% and I’m second-guessing myself due to […]
If gentile turns on light in 1 bedroom apartment
Question: Hi if you’re happily sitting in a pitch dark room (and your apartment is only that 1 room) on Shabbat because your light was accidentally switched off. So you can’t really do anything but sit there. You were going to try to eat in the dark by feeling around. And then a gentile comes […]
Eruv for Backyard
Question: I have an enclosed yard behind my house which is about twenty meters by ten meters. There is a chain link fence going around that is about 1.2 meters high. There are two openings to enter the yard, with an opening of about 1 meter, that have link fence doors. On Shabbos, am I […]
brit milah time
Question: dear, i live in stuttgart, germany. my boy was born on friday, 7 minutes before shabbat. when is the brit milah, friday or shabbat? Answer: Mazal Tov!!! The time for the brit milah is generally on Friday, as we count the day of birth (Friday) as the first day, even though the birth was […]
Morning Netilas Yada’im when planning on going back to sleep
Question: Hello, I woke up very early and accidentally rubbed my nose and then I used the bathroom, hoping (but not confident) that I would go back to sleep. Therefore, I did not do the morning wash at that time. I ended up not falling asleep so my wash was quite delayed as I stayed […]
Lashon Hora spoken about a group of people – continued
Question: Thank you for answering my question (https://dinonline.org/?p=59287). I had a follow up question, I was under the impression that if a person spoke loshon hora one of the things they should do is go back to the person who they told the lashon hora to and correct what they said/apologize and say they were […]
Is saying Shir Hama’alos considered a Hesech Hada’as
Question: Hi! I have 2 questions regarding Hesech Hadaas 1) If I have a little bit of water in the kitchen, not enough to require a bracha achrona, then put the cup down and begin to walk out of the kitchen thinking I’m done, but as I’m leaving I realize I’m still thirsty. Do I […]
men body hair removal
Question: Hello, I am a very hairy person and I know that my body hair bothers my wife in a substantial way. I have heard that removing body hair is a problem of לא תלבש, To my understanding, nowadays it’s very common for men to remove body hair. Shouldn’t that mean that it is no […]
Lashon Hora spoken about a group of people
Question: Hello, If I accidentally spoke lashon hora about a group of people, to a group of people and I am unsure if this may have changed some of the views of this group (I tried to explain a behavior of a certain group but it could be seen as being derogatory), what do I […]
Non-Jew turned on lights for Simcha
Question: IF THE GOYIM DO TURN ON THE LIGHTS ON THEIR OWN CAN THE SIMCH PARTY DERIEVE PLEASURE FROM THE LIGHTS? Answer: Hello, If there wasn’t any light on in the Simcha Hall and the people would not be able to eat without the light that was turned on, you would not be allowed to […]
Curling (chassidic) peyos on Shabbos
Question: Is one allowed to make the payos wet on Shabbos and curl them with a comb or by hand? Answer: Hello, If the person always curls his payos (and therefore the payos have a curled shape already), the payos may be made damp and can then be curled. They should not be curled when […]
non kosher oil on fruit peel
Question: B”H If some non- kosher oil sprayed on avocado/ cantaloupe melon, is it sufficient to wash the outside thoroughly and then cut into and eat the food? Thanks very much. Answer: Hello, Yes, and soap should be used. All the best Sources:
Company for lawn care working on Shabbos
Question: If I contract a company to do periodic lawn care, do I need to stop them from work if they show up on Shabbos? If their job involves shoveling the driveway to clear away the snow every time that it snows (and isn’t just a random day that they show up) do I need […]
playing a game on Shabbos that usually involves an electronic device
Question: hi this question (two parts) came up. saw in Seforim that a card game which normally involves writing should not be played on Shabbos due to fear of coming to write 1-is this limited to writing, what if person usually uses a electronic device to keep score? 2- they were playing on Shabbos and […]
Chewing gum in bathroom
Question: Hi, can I chew gum in the bathroom? for example when taking a shower. what about candies? Thanks Answer: Hello, A person should not chew gum when using the bathroom. Regarding chewing gum when taking a shower, since the shower is located in a bathroom, chewing gum in the shower should ideally be avoided. […]
Washing a silver dish on Shabbos to prevent it from getting ruined
Question: I am contemplating on buying a silver wine decanter. I was told that if I were to leave the wine over a whole Shabbos, the wine would taste weird, and I was told empty it and rinse it after each use. If I only intend to use it on Friday night, would it be […]
Mezuza missing- a violation every moment
Question: I was removing my mezuzas to get them checked after about four years, And I was shocked to find that one of the mezuzas cases was empty. I’m generally overly careful regarding matters like this, and I don’t know how I could have possibly put up an empty case. In any event, was I […]
Putting matzah in soup on Shabbos
Question: If someone likes to crumble matzah into a bowl of hot soup on shabbos can it be done on SHABBOS? The soup is taken from the pot on the BLECH and put into a bowl, then MATZAH is crumpled into the soup. If a ladle is used will it make a difference?What if the […]
Spider on Shabbos
Question: If a spider or another bug can bite someone or get into food or frighten children. What can be done? Can it be swept away or trapped with a cup or grabbed with a tissue and thrown away? Answer: Hello, The spider or bug can be swept away. Regarding trapping, it can only be […]
Haircut after Shabbos
Question: I know it is ideal to have haircuts, shave, etc. Thursday or Friday in honor of the Sabbath. However, is it still okay to do these things on Sundays and Mondays even though it is right after? (For example, if a woman notices some hairs to be tweezed on Sunday, is that okay to […]
When does a night worker say birkas hatorah
Question: Hi, I have several questions: I work all night basicly every night in a bakery all night long and sleep by day, lefi what I remember learning in kollel the basis for a person being awake all night being able to make birkas hashchar is based on a rebbi akiva eiger who says mistama […]
Lashon hara to share Yelp Reviews with business partner
Question: Hi if there’s a Jewish owned company, and your partner wants to make a significant purchase from them, and you happen to look on Yelp and see that there many many bad reviews, I know you’re not allowed to believe the reviews, but if your partner keeps asking why you don’t want to buy […]
does short haflaga cancel out long haflaga
Question: I have one onos halflaga which is 45 days. It always comes out that I already get my next veset when this onos haflaga comes out carrying over from the previous veset. What is the halacha? If you get a new veset, do onos perisha days of the previous veset automatically cancel or do […]
asking non-Jew to turn on lights or AC
Question: if the lights or air conditioner were forgotten to be switched for Shabbos on can the goy be asked indirectly to switch them on Answer: A non-Jew cannot be asked to turn on the lights even indirectly, because a Jew cannot have any direct benefit from a melacha preformed by a non-Jew for a Jew. […]
Revealing the reason for divorce
Question: My daughter was married a few months and then divorced. It’s many years later and she has trouble getting dates as we won’t say why. Part of why is public knowledge-his sister publicized multiple incest events. Are we allowed to answer or must we still keep silent? Answer: If your assessment is indeed correct, […]
Took out the wrong Sefer Torah
Question: I am the Gabbai in a shul. If say on a Monday morning, you took out the wrong Sefer Torah. Do you roll it or take out a different one. I heard that Rabbi Moshe says you can do either one. Where does he say that . What does Mishna birurah say. Bottom line, […]
Borrowing from tzedaka that I set aside
Question: Throughout the years I give to a specific tzedaka organization. tzedaka and maaser. At times when I’m low on funds myself I borrow from that set aside money and just mark down what I owe plus a little bit. Is this allowed? Is there any reason not to especially since I add to it? […]