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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Saying “Good Shabbos” or “Shabbat Shalom” before prayer

Question: Hi, It seems to be common practice to say Good Shabbos, Shabbat Shalom or some other variation when seeing another Jew on Shabbos. It seems that Shabbos morning, on the way to Shul, is no different. However, how is this permitted when we see from Shulchan Aruch 89 that saying Shalom is forbidding before […]

Simchas Torah Song

Question: On Simchas Torah, people sing ישראל ואורייתא וקודשא בריך הוא חד הוא. תורה אורה הללוקה. However, the Zohar (Shemos 73b) says differently: קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְכָל חַד [http://bit.ly/2PgYWbE and http://bit.ly/2PeDxQ8 (last paragraph)]. If that’s the case, why do people sing this Zohar backward? Answer: You are asking an interesting question. In deed […]

Checking lentils and sprouts

Question: Please instruct how to check for insects in dark beans and dark legumes such as black lentils Also how to check sprouts Answer: Please see the following links https://dinonline.org/Bedikat/lentils/ and https://dinonline.org/Bedikat/beans-dried/ and https://dinonline.org/Bedikat/sprouts-alfalfa-mung/ Have a good Shabbos  

Contract between spouses concerning children’s computer access

Question: Can a husband and wife sign a contract that the husband will not give the children access to his computer when the wife is not at home? Can they do so if in the past the husband said that he would not give the children access to his computer when his wife wasn’t at […]

What time can I eat in the morning prayer

Question: Where in the morning prayer (Shacharis) I can already eat something, if I am very hungry and weak? Answer: Essentially it is after davening Shemona Esrei, however depending on the circumstances, if you weak and need to eat in order to be able to daven better, it is permitted. Best wishes Sources: Shulchan Aruch […]

Who are the Rabbanim answering the questions on this website? and is there a phone number?

Question: Hi, I’m wondering who are the Rabbanim who answer the questions or put up the Q and A articles/questions on the website. There are some with names, such as R Weiner and I saw another from a R’ Pfeiffer(?) but there are also one with no name at all. Is there a specific few […]

tefilla without ten people vs. davening together with the chazzan

Question: Is it better to daven with the chazzan (e.g., by Mincha) or to daven in a minyan where there won’t (or might not) be asara mispallelim? {According to Rav Moshe, both options are NOT tefilla b’tzibbur, but if one has to choice between the two, which is better)? Answer: Thank you for your question. […]

Accidentally putting meat knife on ceramic dairy dish. Both dirty.

Question: My son cooked himself a meat dish but after he had finished he put a meat knife he had used to cut the cooked meat in the dairy washing up pile, specifically on top of a ceramic plate with residue of pasta and butter. Is there anything I can do to avoid throwing the […]

Al hamichya vs Borei nefashos clarity:

Question: For al hamichya – You gave a clear set of grains. Do these examples make sense to NOT recite al hamichya on: Apples, bananas, oranges, tangerines, cherries etc… In contrast, to grab my Borei nefashos card for those pointers stated above? Also, what catagory would a cake fit in? Borei nefashos as you mentioned […]

Dancing at wedding when a man is looking at them

Question: Girls dancing at a kosher wedding do we girls have to stop dancing when men wrongfully come to the side of the michatza my friends tell me we have to stop What about if the mechitza doesn’t go all the way over Thanks again my teenage Daughter is asking the question Answer: There are […]

Hand metal detector on shabbos

Question: Would the paid non Jewish security guard be allowed to use a wand (handheld metal detector) on Shabbos & yom tov? Answer: The security guard is being paid to make sure everyone entering whatever area he is securing is safe, and he is using the wand to help himself do his job. Therefore it […]

תפילת הדרך – pls define and when used:

Question: When is this said? And what does this generally mean? Thank you. Attached: Attached file 1 Answer: This is called Tefilas Haderech- lit. The Travel Prayer, and it is said when a person travels between cities that are distanced from each other (without being build up in between) about 2 miles (3.8 -4.6 km.). […]

Food bracha card define:

Question: Part 2 – This brachos card has a small paragraph on the very bottom. When is that said? Thank you. Attached: Attached file 1 Answer: The paragraph at the bottom is what is called a bracha achrona (the bracha – or thank you that is said after eating. There are three types of bracha […]

Food brachos card define:

Question: Part 1 – Here’s one of the foods card. ( Al Hamichya card) How is this used/said accurately? Thank you. Attached: Attached file 1 Answer: This food card is the “Al Hamichya” bracha, which is one of the three types bracha achrona. Essentially it is a higher form of bracha then “borei nofashos” because […]

Using a tie of someone that is out of the techumn Shabbos

Question: A bar mitzvah boy stained his tie on Shabbos. He goes home to change . He doesn’t own another 1. His brother is away learning in Lakewood. He knows his brother doesn’t mind, so he takes 1 from his brothers drawer. Is that allowed or do we say since the tie belongs to the […]

Is gaiva that comes from mental illness counted as true gaiva?

Question: I have bipolar. During manic episodes I feel on top of the world and there is gaiva that isn’t normally part of how I function. I do struggle with gaiva sometimes anyway, but it gets ramped way up when I’m manic. Does that count against me? I’m trying to be humble but I fail […]

missing out a bedika

Question: If a woman has a kesem less than a gris on day 2 of nekiyim, can she deliberately miss out the next bedika to avoid possibly having a re’iya on an ed bedika which would then invalidate the nekiyim? Obviously, the next day if no more kesomim, she would continue doing bedikos? Answer: Essentially […]

Selecting cutlery for upcoming meal

Question: Let’s assume various cutlery are mixed together so that they are a ta’aroves. Let’s say one needs ten forks for use for the upcoming meal. In regards to Borer, does one need to make sure that he selects exactly ten forks? Or, can one retrieve a bunch of forks without careful consideration of how […]

Can you undo the kareis part of an issur kareis with partial teshuva?

Question: If you do partial teshuva for an issur kareis, can you downgrade the severity of the sin, even if there is still a more complete teshuva left to do? Answer: In general, teshuva helps for everything, and even for a sin that has kares. Best wishes Sources:  

Yichud – 20 year old brother and 19 year sister on vacation Sgaring a room

Question: Hi, Is it permissible for a 20 year old boy to sleep in the same room as his 18 year old sister when they go to eretz yisroel on vacation.. they will be staying in a room in somebodys house not in a hotel Answer: It is permitted for a brother and sister to […]

Maaser from earnings when becoming an equity partner

Question: I asked a prominent Rav in Yerusholaim when I choose to become an equity partner in the deal if I have to give Maaser, He told me I do Not have to give Maaser because I did not realize the money yet. When I discussed this with my consultant which happened to be a […]

Why for zimun you need 7 of 10, and for Shmonei Esrah only 6 is sufficient, plus 4 more?

Question: Why for zimun to say Elokeinu you need 7 of 10 to eat bread and for shmonei Esrah only 6 is sufficient ,plus 4 more? Answer: This is a very good question. Rabeinu Yona (Brachos 48a) says that it is because by zimun we need, ruba d’minkira- a prominent majority, and when it is […]

using items now that were used in offerings during Temple era

Question: BH Hello, Thank you for your help. My question deals with using ingredients now that were used in offerings during Temple times. For example sacred frankincense and cinnamon. We have food dishes that utilize cinnamon now, so it would seem that it would be ok to consume, however the Torah in Exodus describes that […]

Learning during shacharis minyan, after I finished Vasikin alone

Question: Dear kvod haRav, I daven vasikin/netz at shul alone. Later the Minyan comes and davens shacharis. I stay, in order to partake in hazaras hashatz and borchu. When the minyan begins, I am already through with my davening. Am I allowed to engage in learning Torah, while the minyan is davening? If yes, when should I stop and […]

Beracha on caffeine based mints and drinks

Question: Sholom and Thank You! I have “viter energy” mints I take purely for the caffeine though it has a good taste and gives good breath both of which I do enjoy. But I would never take the mint if it did not have caffeine. I eat it only for that purpose. Same for black […]

Shmoneh Esrei Situations

Question: What is the proper procedure if one is davening SH”E word-for-word with the SH”TZ (either came late or wasn’t able to keep up with pace but still wants his tefilah to be considered b’tzibur and wants to say kedusha): 1) but the SH”TZ is davening in an different and perhaps even unfamiliar nusach? 2) […]

Washing toveled dish/ glass in non kashered sink

Question: BH Hello, Thank you for your help. If a toveled dish/utensil (any kashered item) is washed with kosher soap and water in a non kashered sink (the sink is made of porcelain), however the toveled item does not touch the sink, nor is it set down in the sink, it is just rinsed off […]