Question: I personally dislike letting people know when I am unwell. Am I required to inform them so they can have kavana for the mitzvah of bikur cholim, or can they fulfill it without having the kavana? Also- are there other reasons I would need to inform people? Clarification: I am taking necessary health precautions […]
Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a
Microwave by mistake
Question: I used a fleishig microwave for a dairy product what is the rule with the microwave and the food Answer: I used a fleishig microwave for a dairy product what is the rule with the microwave and the food? Answer: In order to answer you regarding the product, I would need to know […]
floor
Question: What is the status of a hot utensil/food that falls onto the floor- not necessarily clean, but not known to have mamash milchigs or fleishigs on it. Answer: Hello, If you don’t know that it fell on any actual fleishigs of milchigs, you don’t have to be concerned that it did. Best wishes […]
Is someone who lives from tzedaka obligated to give maaser?
Question: Unfortunately, I live from tzedaka, and have very little extra funds. Am I obligated to give maaser nevertheless? Isn’t maaser on money just a custom and not a real mitvah? What about past years where no maaser was given at all? Exactly how is masser calculated? Is it dollar per dollar, or after […]
Using feminine form of verb when saying 13 principles
Question: I live in Israel and speak Hebrew. When I daven I recently started saying the 6 zechirot and 13 ikarim after aleinu. Should I say “ani maamina” or “ani maamin” ? Since I speak Hebrew it seems wrong to me to say “ani maamin”. Answer: Hello, Interesting point. Although grammatically what you are writing […]
Blowing shofer not in Elul or for R’H
Question: It is MS’K 20th Cheshvon, I am looking the kotel.org. at Wilson’s Arch, there is a Sefardi Sefer Torah on a Bima, and men davening around it and blowing both a rams shofer and then a metal shofer and then 5 men walk around the bima. I have seen it said 3 times during […]
Regarding question https://dinonline.org/2023/11/02/maaser-test-and-lottery/
Question: By segulah I was referring to a source that brings down that it is permitted to test Hashem by promising to give maaser if Hashem will grant him financial profit. I don’t remember at this moment where this source is. Therefore, my question was if it is permitted to test Hashem in this way […]
Maaser test and lottery
Question: Someone who desperately needs a livelihood and more funds, if it is permitted to buy lottery tickets, and to use the segulah of maaser, that if they win, they will bli neder give maaser from the amount that they actually receive, since most of the winnings go to various taxes. It will probably be […]
Someone in the Talmud Whom the Halacha Always Follows
Question: Is there any Sage in the Talmud who is always correct, regardless of whom he argues with, when it comes to halacha? Answer: We find this idea mentioned regarding R’ Yehoshua Ben Levi who was called a “Bar samcha” (reliable). Additionally, such an idea is brought R’ Eliezer Ben Yaakov, whose rulings were […]
Covering mezuza
Question: Since the mezuza in our bedroom faces inward it needs to be covered during tashmish. Is one allowed to use a pair of tzizis to cover the mezuza or is this considered a bizayon to use tzizis for another purpose? Answer: Hello, A pair of tzitzis may be used for mundane uses as […]
Does Don’t Do it if detrimental to your Neshamah still apply?
Question: Hi We are told I believe either way is correct. With people who may have a bad influence on you to not get involved if you don’t think you are strong enough not to be influenced. Otherwise get involved if you are strong. Firstly, most people do not know if they are strong enough. […]
When do we make the Pidyon haben
Question: Baby was born on Shabbos morning on 13th Cheshvon. 28th Oct. When is the pidyon haben? Answer: Mazal Tov, The way to calculate when the pidyon haben should be is by counting four weeks from the day the baby was born, (in your case the four weeks would be on Shabbos) and then […]
Musaf for Women
Question: What does the Ben Ish Chai say about women praying musaf on Shabbat/Rosh Chodesh/holidays? Answer: Hello, There is controversy among the poskim if women are obligated to daven Musaf or not (see sources). Additionally, some of the poskim who say that they are not obligated hold that they may still daven it (Kaf […]
Cutting challah before Hamotzi
Question: Is one allowed to cut the challah almost all the way through before making the bracha hamotzi on shabbos? Answer: Hello, When making the bracha on bread or challah we should not make a cut almost the whole way through it even during the week. The reason is because if you cut too […]
Egg slicer on Shabbos
Question: Hi, There is a gadget composed of about 10 wires that are used to slice a hardboiled egg into 8 or so slices. It’s a common item. I don’t know its exact name. I wonder if it is considered tochen or not. Answer: Tochain doesn’t apply to eggs, as they don’t neither grow […]
Torah prior to the world
Question: There are multiple sources in chazal regarding the Torah that are not referring to the “Torah” that we know (the 5 books etc). For example; the statement in chazal regarding Hashem looking into the Torah and creating the world, this Torah probably was ours that records the stories of the avos and physical commandments […]
Does G-D put us in touch with bad people and if so is there a reason
Question: I believe we meet some people in life for a reason. I am talking about good people and average people. But what about bad people? I am not talking about the worst people, but about people who do pretty bad things. For example, say a bad person has a bad time or goes through […]
Hafrashas Challah
Question: I went to a challah bake last night and the rebbetzin mentioned that one of the conditions to take challah is that it is all baked at the same time. I never knew that and in the past I have frozen some of the raw dough for later use (after I did the hafrasha […]
Yichud
Question: Is it ok for a girl to sleep in the same house with her brother in law in it? Answer: Hello, For a girl to be in a house alone with her brother in law is yichud. If there are other peope in the house, then they might break the yichud, depending on […]
Most halachically acceptable way to repay a loan in another country
Question: Good afternoon, Before Yom Kippur I had someone lay out 180 shekel for me in Israel and I want to pay him back. I want to mail him a check or cash in US dollars. What is the most appropriate way to do this? I do have a few shekel of my own, approximately […]
Dirty Table Cloth
Question: My family ate dinner with dairy dishes on a table cloth that was used for meat a few days ago. They ate at the end of the table that was not used for meat the last time and placed paper towel under the dairy dishes. Are there any kashrut concerns with this situation? If […]
Tzadik afraid of being killed
Question: I don’t know if you answer these kind of questions, but for many years I have always been perplexed as to why Avram was afraid of being killed by the Egyptians, since obviously he was not chayav misa b’dei shamayim chas v’shalom. The same thing later on with Yitzchok and Avimelech, and later with […]
Workers unavailable due to the war
Question: Good morning. We were supposed to have some significant renovation to an apartment we are buying (it was meant to complete last week but has been delayed to this week iyH) but have not yet moved in. We have our current rental apartment until the end of Kislev, so there is a 2-month window […]
Chazan after Teshuvah
Question: Shalom Rav, It’s been around 1-1.5 years since I’ve done Teshuvah. I used to do Zerah Levatalah and Baruch HaShem that is no longer the case. Ever since I read in the kitzur Shulchan Aruch that a chazan must be praiseworthy I have stopped being chazan (except in a case of need). I used […]
Replacing a broken item which was borrowed from a katan without permission
Question: My husband purchased a shovel for my young daughter. My teenage son borrowed the shovel without permission and broke it. Is he responsible for replacing the broken shovel? Answer: Question: My husband purchased a shovel for my young daughter. My teenage son borrowed the shovel without permission and broke it. Is he responsible […]
Contractor
Question: Dear Rabbi A contractor tells the client the job will be cost of materials and 35 per hour. The contractor gets a discount for the materials. Since he is a constant customer. Can he charge the client the price usual people pay or must he charge the price he actually paid for the material? […]
Thinking of “vow” to not eat something
Question: B”H Kavod haRav, Recently the thought came to me that with the war going on, I wanted to abstain from something food related (dessert) as a merit. I did not say the intention out loud, I just sort of thought along the lines of how can I enjoy something like this when my family […]
7 clean days
Question: For some reason I never paid attention to this before, but I just noticed that my white undergarments for the 7 clean days has a blue label (with the brand logo, size, etc) printed onto the garment (not a tag). Does this “pasul” the undergarments and do I need to buy new ones? It’s […]
Judaism conversion
Question: Dear Rabbis I have a question regarding the conversion on Judaism. Can a person who doesn’t have Jewish parents convert to Judaism or do you need at least a Jewish mother to convert to Judaism? If a person who has a Jewish mother by religion but believes in Muhammad to be a true prophet […]
Brocha on Olbas oil
Question: What Brocho if any is made on Olbas Oil? Active ingredients w/w: Cajuput Oil 18.5%, Clove Oil 0.1%, Eucalyptus Oil 35.45%, Juniperberry Oil 2.7%, Levomenthol 4.1%, Methyl Salicylate 3.7%, Mint Oil, Partly Dementholised 35.45%. Answer: Hello, we don’t eat Olbasoil as it is not for internal use, therfore there is no bracha on […]
Issue of fasting and zman on shabbat
Question: (I am Sephardi if it makes a differance) The shul in my area starts late on Shabbat morning, and rarely makes the zman; we also end after Chatzot HaYom, I usually say both Shema and Shmona Esrei before going, that way I can make zman on my own. Should I still daven Shmona Esrei […]
Meat pan for challah
Question: I have a challah pan that is washed with along with fleishig keilim, using a fleishig sponge. Assuming the pans are clean and haven’t been used in over 24 hours, and the pans are fully lined with parchment paper, and the oven is clean, could challahs baked in these pans be used with dairy? […]
Shloshim ending for a sibling buried on first day Chol Hamoed Succos
Question: My sister was nifteres on Second day Succos and the kevura was on first day Chol Hamoed- does Smini Atezes subtract from the observance of the Sholshim-When can I stop observing Shloshim? Answer: Hamakom yinchem eschem btoch shar aveilei Tzion v’Yerushalayim. According to most poskim Shmini Atzeres only counts like seven days if […]
Kashrut
Question: My husband heated bread up in a fleishig oven and straight from the oven used a pareve knife to cut up his very hot bread. Is the knife treif? Answer: The knife is definitely not treif, in the worst event it would be fleishig. If the bread was put in the oven on […]
Cut esrog
Question: My son started to cut up an esrog (dvar charif) with a fleishing knive on top of a milchig table- there might have even been some dairy ice cream below the esrog. However, I stopped him before he cut through the esrog and the knife could have contact with the table. I then assumed […]
Birkat Hatorah
Question: Hi, I am confused about when to say Birkat Hatorah. Let’s say someone says Birkat Hatorah after dawn daily, and they study throughout the day. They then go to sleep at 6 pm and get up right before Chatzot to study. [sleeping around ~ 4-5 hrs] a) If they plan to study for couple […]
Lying and Teshuva
Question: If I spread a lie about someone and caused them pain and asked the person for forgiveness but didn’t give specific details about the lie. Is that sufficient for Teshuva? Do I need to go to all the people I told the lie to and tell them it’s not true in order to do […]
Z”l for a woman
Question: Why do we say aleha hashalom for a woman and not zichrona l’vracha? Answer: Hello, Both terms, alav hashalom (may he /she rest in peace), and zichrono livracha (may his memory be blessed), can be said on both men and women. In general, zichrono livracha is a more honorable term, as the gemora says […]
Working on Shabbat
Question: I am a radiologist and in my work, I have to work on Shabbat in the morning once or twice a month otherwise I would lose my job. What can I do? Answer: Hello, This type of situation is a tremendous nisayon and can really test a person’s emuna. Our grandparents in America gave […]
Mashiach
Question: Is it bad that I am petrified of Mashiach coming? That I won’t be zoche to be there because of all the aveiros I have done, that my family won’t be zoche? Every time I think of Mashiach I think of chaos and the thought of techies hameisim scares me, living forever, etc. I […]
Three Shabbat meals
Question: Hello, I am struggling with some of the rules regarding the three Shabbat meals. I know that ideally they all contain bread. However, I also thought that one cannot eat bread meals within three hours of each other. So, in the winter months, it is very hard for me to eat at enjoyable times […]
psul lulav
Question: What is a lavlev by a lulav? Answer: Hello, There is no such idea as a lavluv by a lulav. Best wishes Sources:
Potty Training
Question: Hi, We are potty training our son. We have one of those small portable potties for him to go on. 1) Is it permitted to be in our living room, which has seforim? 2) If it is limited, what precautions do we need to take so that we do not make a bracha facing […]
Parve in meat oven
Question: My wife was was eating vegetables in a wrap that were cooked in a meat oven and then grabbed something from our dairy side of the kitchen without washing her hands. Are there any kashrut concerns? She said she did not touch any of the actual dairy utensils. Answer: Hello, There is no […]
Watching eyes and thougths for woman
Question: What is the halacha regarding woman refraining from seeing and reading material that would be prohibited to a man (under לא תסורו). More specifically, when shopping for clothing that involves seeing pictures of immodesty etc? Answer: Hello, It depends[1]; If she is just plain looking- that is מותר, but it is not permitted […]
Fly in oven
Question: Shavuah tov! I think a little fruit fly might have flown into my oven. I’m not sure, but it went in the direction of the open door and was not seen again. In any event, is there anything from a kashrut perspective that needs to be done to the oven? Answer: Hello, Unless […]
Is Shechinah present when study ANY Torah or only certain works
Question: We are told the Shechinah is present when we study Torah-but does this apply to any Torah or just divine works. Is the Shechinah present if I pick up a book written by a Rabbi or only on Talmud and Pentatuch.And is the degree of Shechinah the same. Answer: Hello, The Talmud (Brachos […]
Drinking during psukei dezimra
Question: Hello, I see you have discussed the issue of a chazan drinking. What about a regular mispalel if he started drinking before davening and hasn’t yet recited a bracha acrhona can he drink during davening ? Answer: Hello, If a person is not well, and cannot daven without drinking in middle, then it […]
Covering mouth when sneezing or coughing
Question: What’s the source (other than derech eretz, and if it’s only derech eretz, what’s the source) for covering one’s mouth when sneezing or coughing to prevent the spread of germs that can cause illness? There’s a gemorah in Berachos 24b on top about covering chin/mouth for a yawn. I heard there’s a Rosh that […]
Shnayim Mikra
Question: First time shnayim Mikra do-er here, well sort of. Three years ago I began doing shnayim Mikra with ArtScroll English translation. Eventually, I fell behind and all together stopped completely. Last year I wanted to start again but this time with Rashi. However, I fell behind and failed. This year I became determined to […]