Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a, Author at Ask The Rabbi - Dinonline

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. […]

Dress code

Question: What is the minimum dress code a person is obligated for while learning torah. Is there a difference which topic of torah . For example pshat or sod? I am currently listening to a shiur about gilgulim, based on the ramban Arizal and the reishis chachma. Can i listen to the shiur in a […]

Going away for Shabbos Chanuka

Question: A person who lives with his parents, but on Shabbos he goes to eat somewhere else and to sleep somewhere else (different from where he eats), where should he light erev Shabbos Chanukah? Wherever he is at plag hamincha? The parents are frei and are not lighting. I will be away only on Friday […]

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 […]

opening mouth to satan

Question: The Gemara in Moed Katan says not to open one’s mouth to the Satan. Is it permitted for an actor to say that bad things happened to him (e.g.., to say on himself that he was in a hospital r”l)? This is part of his role. Is it permitted to say this as part […]

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 […]

Tzitzit

Question: Can you wear a tzitzit on the shirtless body underneath? Answer: The reason why it is customary to wear an undershirt underneath the tzitzis is because ןf the tzitizis are up against the body they will become like a garment for absorbing sweat, which according to some poskim is degrading to the tzitzis. This […]

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 […]

bracha on food not in house

Question: If a bracha was made on food that is being eaten now does that exempt food that was not in the house at the time but was expected to come. Answer: Making a new bracha on food that was brought from outside depends if it was in his mind to include that food or […]

Talit buried

Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi, Question: A fearful Jew can be buried with his talit, tefillin and tzitzit? Answer: Many of the minhagim that are done to the niftar and during the burial are based on what the mekubalim and poskim, who understand these things said to do, and what is in the best interest […]

payment which was put in someone’s house

Question: בס”ד Hello. Jacob & his siblings made Sheva Brochos & the caterer said he will pick up the money at the Sheva Brochos. He didn’t come. After a few weeks Jacob saw he doesn’t come, so he called him & asked him to pick up the money. The caterer didn’t know what he was […]

Pikuah Nefesh

Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabi, Question: If a person finds himself in danger of life, does he have to eat a food that is not kosher? Does he have to make Bracha about that food or does he not need it? Answer: A person that is in a life threatening situation and the only thing […]

Mikva night

Question: Hi, My wife’s mikva night is coming up, but I have jock itch, which I’m currently treating. She’s concerned about catching it from me, as she’s gotten yeast infections in the past, which were very painful for her. Is it permitted to push off the mikva, or perhaps you have another solution that we […]

sheker l’toeles vs geneivas daas

Question: How to we reconcile sheker l’toeles vs geneivas daas if we don’t want to hurt someones feelings? EG 1. A non-frum family members invites us to events, or encourages us to visit but we don’t want to associate with people they hang out them (and even minimize contact do the negative spiritual impact they […]

Bracha length or Borei Nefashos

Question: Shalom, What is the Gedder in Bracha Ketzara and Arucha? Is there a minimum length of words? In regards to Borei Nefashos, the length of the Bracha is relatively short and yet it still has a Chasima. If you could offer some clarity I would appreciate it. Also even though there is a debate […]

tefilla b’tzibbur

Question: I was learning in a shul where I was # 10 for Mincha. I was willing to stay there, but I did not wish to daven with them. However, it occurred to me that by not davening with them, I deprived them of tefilla b’tzibbur, according to Rav Moshe, who requires 10 people saying […]

Non-Jewish stores in Israel opening on Shabbat

Question: B S D Shalom Dinonline, An issue raised by one political party in the present Israel Elections is the right of store owners in Israel to open their stores on Shabbat. >> Please consider the case of a non-Jewish store owner in Israel all of whose employees who would work on Shabbat are also […]

Why do I have difficulties?

Question: Why do you think that a person like me, a baalas teshuva, who never really felt an attachment to the secular path, have to be faced by G-d with difficulties/battles to reach the level of spirituality/observant life. “Not questioning G-d and only for understanding purposes asked” and others be simply inserted into religious homes […]

rechilus against rav

Question: On Sukkos I was in a shul and I asked the rav for wine so that I could make Kiddush in the sukkah. The rav gave me some wine. When I was sitting in the sukkah, someone came in and angrily told me that I stole his wine! (The wine that I was given […]

Collecting old loan

Question: Shalom, someone has defaulted on a loan of many years ago (25+). I have a digital copy of the IOU with his signature. (Parenthetically, I believe he has put all his funds in his wife’s name). Is there any “hope” in making a tvia based on a digital copy of an IOU without aidim […]

Chazaka Neder?

Question: I started distributing a parsha shiur someone in the neighborhood every week–a talmid chacham in particular, and to others via e-mail At the beginning, I had no intent in mind for this to be a neder/shevua, just a mitzvah. If I need/want to stop doing this, do I need hataras nedarim? Answer: You should […]

Shinui makom from car to house

Question: If one begins eating while driving and then arrives at the driveway of his house and then goes into his house, is this considered to be a shinui makom of room to room or house to house for the purpose of whether the original bracha would still be in effect should he choose to […]

Minyan in Bad Weather?

Question: Winter is upon us! I used to live in the tropics and am finding the cold weather to be really difficult. I’ve been one-and-off sick for much of the winter and find that schlepping out into the cold wears on my system. I don’t own a car, but the walk to minyan is only […]

GIFT TO GOY

Question: I received some unsolicited presents of chocolate and wine from gentile business contact. I cannot use any of it. Can I give it to a gentile business associate of mine ? Answer: Yes you can give it to a gentile, because the gentile has no problem eating it, and if it given to a […]

Maaser on bill and taxes

Question: Shalom Rav, should maaser be after all bills and rent have been settled or before ? And what the state tax on the individual , should we consider maaser before or after taxation? Answer: Thank you for your question . The rule with giving maser is that a person can deduct business expenses, that […]

Donated KIPPOT

Question: I would like to buy in honor of fATHERS YARZEIT, Z”L kippot for my shul. These kippot are used for men entering the SHUL who might not be religious(SHOMAR SHAABBOS), or sometimes a person might forget his KIPPA. The man might take the KIPPOT and put in his pocket, and walk with it outside. […]

German Reparations for survivors

Question: Is it allowed to withhold some information about assets that you have in order for a survivor to qualify and meet the rquirements according to the german rules for reparations ? Answer: It is hard for me to answer your question, because I don’t know the rules, and what they are. Also, do you […]

Yerusha from mother’s ownership

Question: Hi. I have a question about yerusha of mother/wife. Scenario: most properties etc of the parents are in both of their names. There are also two properties of which one is solely in father’s name and the other solely in the mother’s. Father passed away without a will. Can the mother make a secular will […]

Hours earlier Shmoneh Esrei

Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi, Question: What is the earliest time to do Shmoneh Esrei, because one has to get up early to go to work? can you do Shmoneh Esrei before the sun rises? Answer: In the winter months many men are challenged with the fact that the sun rises late, and they must […]

Photos with names of G’d

Question: BS”D Shalom my dear Rabbi, Question: If a person put a photo in cel phone that contains a divine name, it can delete? or he has to put in the cell phone guenizah? Answer: You are asking an important question that is very applicable nowadays. Please permit me to however to add to your […]

2 Brachot on the same bread

Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi: Question: I made bracha hamotzi on a whole bread, then there was a piece of that bread left, the next day when I go to eat that leftover bread, should I make hamotzi again? Answer: Yes you would make hamotzei again. The bracha is made not on the loaf of […]

Removing hair from brush on Shabbos

Question: On Shabbos, may one remove hair entangled in brush on when it interferes with use of the brush? Answer: You should not remove the hair from it on Shabbos. If the brush has hairs entangled in it, this means that when it is used it pulls out hairs, therefore it should not be used […]

I made pizza from a bread.

Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi, Question: I got a loaf of bread and made a pizza, put cheese and tomato on top, which brachar should I make Chamotzi? Answer: Yes, the bracha is still hamotzei, because it is still halachically considered bread. If the pieces would be smaller than a k’zayis and the pieces would […]

Unable to pay merchant for product

Question: Hi, I have two questions that are similar. One is that I purchased a shake at an ice cream store recently. The shake was prepared for me, but when I went to take my wallet out of my bag, it wasn’t there. I didn’t return to the merchant since. Do I need to go […]

Shecheyanu on different variety of fruit

Question: I have eaten bananas within the last year. However, there is a special variety of bananas that I have not eaten within the last year. Do I need to make a shecheyanu when eating this special variety? Does the same apply to different varieties of all other fruits and vegetables? Answer: If it has […]

Buying Seforim with Maser Money

Question: I recently got married and was wondering if I may use some of my masser money to buy seforim for my home Answer: Mazal Tov to you and your wife on your recent chansuna. Regarding your question, essentially a person’s maaser money has to go to poor people or to support torah, but not […]

Borer in putting away toys

Question: When putting away a mixture of children’s toys on shabbos into a container, one sometimes has a pile of many different toys of all types and sizes. One often cannot grab the entire pile at once, and so must grab a couple of toys at a time to place into the container. Is there […]

Doubtful miyad by borer

Question: I had a pile of magazines that I wanted to give to someone in shul on shabbos. I placed the pile in the bottle of a children’s stroller, where it was mixed together with other items. I assume that although it would be possible for the person to look at the magazines in shul […]

halacha of not injuring others

Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. My question deals with what extent halacha requires that we be concerned with the potential to injure others in an indirect way. Example 1: If I donate electrical appliances to a Jewish thrift store, and when I donate the items, they are in fine working condition, what (if […]

Touching a woman

Question: What is the problem for an engaged couple to touch each other if the woman has been to the מקוה and is therefore pure? Answer: Mazal Tov on your engagement, you should both merit to have shalom bayit and a bayit ne’eman b’yisrael! Regarding your question, let’s first discuss the worst type of touching, […]

Tefilah with only five people

Question: We were 5 people that did not daven maariv and 5 people did daven already .they told us we need to have 6 people that did not daven yet is this tru and why Answer: They are right, as the Rambam HIlchos Tefillah 8-4, that even b;dieved in order to be tefilah b’tzibur there […]

Demanding Registered business

Question: In Israel, there was a difficult situation where a self-employed person was did some short term work. The person wanted to be paid “off the books” in Israel. The company demanded a chesbonit mas (tax invoice) from the guy who didn’t want to be “legal” and register as an osek patur/osek murashe with the […]

disposing of kiddush cups

Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. What is the proper disposal of plastic kiddush cups and plastic plates used to hold bread during Shabbat? Thanks. Answer: You can throw them both out in the garbage and there is no need to do anything special with them. Although it is preferred not to throw out […]

paying for mitzvos

Question: Is there a bigger mitzvah to learn from a sefer that one purchased versus a sefer in a beis medrash that one can use for free? Answer: It is definitely the correct thing to buy your own seforim, if you can afford it, so you can also learn at home. However if you already […]

giving tzedakah

Question: Is there a chiyuv to give tzedaka to every single person who asks me? Does one have a chiyuv to give while learning? If one knows that a certain person “makes the rounds” (going from shul to shul every day making money or people who sit in the street Friday afternoon and say some […]

Lo Yilbosh and Man Wearing Woman’s Apron

Question: Hello, Can a man who is working in the kitchen (cleaning or cooking) for his family wear an apron that is clearly made for a woman (polka dotted, etc)? Would it be required to only wear one that is made for a man or at least non-gender? Thank you Answer: It is very controversial. […]

Sale of a home in which I lived

Question: Is the mortgage interest that I paid over the years that I owned my house deductible from the sales proceeds to calculate the profit on the sale. Please cite sources. Thank you. Answer: The general rule regarding calculating is that you may take of any “business expense” that was incurred in order to run […]