For donations Click Here
Ask Question

Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Putting margarine in the cholent.

Question: I’ve seen cholent recipes that include margarine. Are there any Maaris Ayin issues in doing this? Thank you for your time, (if possible could you include sources.) Answer: There is no problem of maris ayin with putting margarine into a fleishig cholent. This is for two reasons, because it is well known to everyone […]

Workplace Chanukah Party

Question: Is it appropriate for a Jewish owned company with mostly orthodox employees to host a short chanukah party and gift giving for all employees? (Including Jews/nonJews/males/females) and should a ירא שמים abstain from attending? Answer: As long as they are not sitting mixed men and women, I don’t see a problem with the fact […]

Why do we repeat the bracha when the menora is over 20 amos, but not when too little oil was used?

Question: Why if a person lit his menorah above 20 amos – he is not yotzah and he is required to make a new Bracha when he relights (M:B 671-29), however if he did not put in enough oil to last 30 min, he also is not yotza but he does NOT have to make […]

Can I live out my passion for writing and music?

Question: I’m a frum teenager. I love being Jewish and am even more religious than my parents, but I have a problem. I’m very passionate about music and writing. My stories aren’t related to Judaism and neither are my songs. I didn’t listen to goyish music for about four years but found it hard to […]

Does a shul that has been converted in a museum still has some sanctity?

Question: A shul that has not in use for some years do to Jewish population changes in my town was converted in a Jewish museum and library. In the library-which is inside in what was the actual shul- I noticed many books that lack tznius and even kofrus. My question is : Once a shul […]

Civil complaints secular israeli companies

Question: I recall two cases in the past regarding an Israeli Cell Phone Company and and Israeli Bank (Both are large, publicly traded companies–i think the cell phone was majority was owned by akum and the bank by a chiloni) Case 1 The Ministry of communication passed a regulation that the companies had to unlock […]

Kiddushin with a shtar or cash

Question: Hello, Two questions: 1) Why do we no longer use kiddushei shtar? 2) Can kiddushin be done with dollar bills (if a ring is not available), or must it be with actual coins? If possible, I’d appreciate knowing the mekorot of the Rabbi’s answers. Thank You, Avraham Answer: Technically a person could be mekadesh […]

Tashlumim ribbit vs “Credit” in Israel

Question: It is my understanding (having talked with a vendor or two) that in a credit card transaction, the vendor can choose “regular (1 payment)”, “Tashlumim (multiple payments)” or “Credit” (multiple payments. My understanding, under tashlumim the vendor fronts the loan and gets payments from the banks each month (depending on what they agreed). On […]

Is there any halachic issue with having a trophy deer head in our house?

Question: Is there any halachic issue with having a trophy deer head in our house? Our 11 year old son has an interest in these type of objects. Answer: Halachically I don’t see any prohibition to having them, however it is just not a Jewish thing to do. Jews pride themselves with having compassion and […]

Cut cheese on a parve cutting board

Question: I have a parve cutting board that I have chopped onions on. After being cleaned and not having been used in a week, I cut non sharp cheese on it. Is it dairy? Answer: For the future try that this shhould not happen again, but in retrospect, your cutting board is still pareve, as […]

B S D When the rule depends on whether the majority of guests in a hotel are Jews how can a person decide?

Question: Paraphrasing this question and answer from another source and not asking you if their answer is correct: “A non-Jew heats water for coffee and tea in a hotel in which the majority of guests are non-Jews. Can a Jew use the water for his coffee on Shabbat? Yes, he can make his coffee with […]

Mistake in kiddush

Question: For the Friday night Shabbos kiddush, I made the borei pri hagafen. I then accidentally began reciting the yom tov kiddush beracha. I realized my mistake soon after beginning that beracha, and then began reciting the Shabbos kiddush beracha. After doing this, I drank from the kiddush cup. Was this the correct procedure? Or […]

Taking Advantage of Online Shopping Glitches

Question: Rabbi, Retail website sometimes have inadvertent website glitches that result in enormous savings at the checkout. Even if they honor the transaction, is it considered stealing? Should a baal nefesh stay away? Does it matter that the retailer is not jewish, there is no chance of chillul Hashem, and that others will take my […]

Kiddushin and getting a present from a date

Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. My question deals with accepting gifts during the dating process and if this could potentially impact kiddushin. For example, if a man buys a lady he is dating a piece of expensive clothing, or expensive jewelry (not a ring), as a present, is there any issue that by […]

Affixing lock on apartment building outside door against protestations of minority of residents

Question: Some 13 of 16 families voted to affix a lock on the outside doors of the apartment building to prevent neighbors from using the elevators on a passthru basis a phenomenon which has reached intolerable proportions (both in wait time for elevator, resource usage and litter and even acts of vandalism). The main objection […]

Is it permissible to drive for Grub Hub.

Question: Grub Hub is a company similar to Uber and Lyft but instead of transporting people drivers are given jobs picking up and delivering food from restaurants. I am pretty hard-pressed for extra parnassa that I can get at odd times that fit into my schedule. Is there a halachic issue picking up and delivering […]

In terms of your tag gentile-on-shabbos how can we know he is a gentile?

Question: B S D In terms of your tag gentile-on-shabbos how can we know he is a gentile? An example might be: “A gentile employee of a hotel heats water for coffee on Shabbos, can a Jew use the hot water on Shabbos?” Suppose such a situation occurs. Maybe he only looks like a gentile. […]

Changing Tzitzit for Shabbat

Question: It seems that many achronim say that undergarments would not need to be switched, for kavod shabbat. Would this include a tallis katan worn under one’s regular clothes, or is there a kiyum of kavod shabbat that is more than underwear/undershirt/sock? Would a tallis gadol ideally need to be switched, even though it’s just […]

Do we owe them money?

Question: We owned an apartment that was rented out We had terrible complaints from the downstairs neighbors about continual leaks until we finally replaced all the plumbing a year later we sold the apartment the buyers renovated completely Now they have 2 complaints A. Since our tenants didn’t paint the walls before vacating the apartment (partly […]

B S D Minimum material for tallis gadol begged

Question: B S D Shalom Dinonline,, What are the minimum requirements for the main material in the begged of a tallis gadol (not asking about the corners, but rather the rest of the begged)? Could the begged be made of “fishnet”, for instance? Thank you for your help. Raphael Gellar in Haifa Attached: Attached file […]

Walkng while saying Asher Yotzar

Question: I’m learning the laws of Tefillah and currently siman 94 of Orach Chaim. I learnt that in some circumstances it is better to daven while travelling with a settled mind than to daven quickly while distracted before rushing off to a journey. I have a related question about Asher Yatzar (although the same question […]

Yaakov Avinu and Shechem

Question: After Shimon and Levi killed all the men of Shchem, Yaakov Avinu was afraid and he said, “I will be annihilated.” Why is this not considered “opening one’s mouth to the Satan,” as Yaakov was saying a curse on himself? Answer: You are asking a very interesting question, and I don’t have a good […]

Yichud during an x-ray or MRI

Question: When undergoing an X-ray or cat-scan which requires being alone in a room with the female technician, what should one do to avoid transgressing the prohibition of yichud? Even if one’s wife or friend is with him, they cannot be in the actual room due to harmful radiation. Answer: Depending on the circumstances, if […]