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 […]
Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a
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 […]
Biking and wearing pants
Question: Hi. Good day. Recently, I started cycling. I’m getting to a high performance level that wearing a skirt is a hindrance. Is it ok to take the skirt off while riding the bike? (Female, single, 30 years old) Answer: Hello, It is nice that you are being successful. A successful people must always […]
Alarm on Shabbat
Question: I would like to know if there is an alarm app for an Android phone that may be used to wake up on Shabbat that only buzzes once for short time without needing to be turned off. Answer: Hello, While I don’t know if there is such an app, you may set the […]
Lighting Shabbos candles
Question: My husband’s mother wants to know. For how many children I with her son can she add that many candles when she lights her candles Friday night? Answer: Hello, There is a minhag that many women have to light an extra candle for each child. The sources of the minhag is based on the […]
Meaty jug and milky mug
Question: Boiling water was poured from an urn into a plastic meaty jug (that had not been used for over 24 hours), and then poured into a milky ceramic mug. What is the status of the mug now? Thank you Answer: Hello, The mug is still milky, as the water from the meaty jug […]
Laundry on Chol HaMoed for Shabbat or Yom Tov
Question: Is it permitted to wash clothing during Chol HaMoed for Shabbat or Yom Tov? Answer: In general we don’t do laundry on Chol Hamoed for shabbos or Yom Tov Sources:
preparing for Shabbat/Yom Tov on Chol Hamoed
Question: Hello, may one prepare ripped paper towels, etc for Shabbat and Yom Tom during Chol Hamoed? Prepare food? thank you Answer: Yes you may prepare them on Chol Hamoed as they are needed for Yom Tov. Moadim l’simcha Sources:
Shaving Chol Hamoed with facial spots
Question: Hi, May someone shave on Chol Hamoed, if he has quite bad face acne and dry skin under his beard and needs to put cream directly on that skin? Answer: Hello, it is a bit hard for me to understand tht the cream can’t be applied to the skin with only a few […]
Sukkah question
Question: Is they’re a way of sending you a picture to ask a question about whether a sukka is kosher Answer: Yes, You can attach the picture to the question. Sources:
Lulav – making bracha
Question: If one made the bracha and took the lulav (without shaking it) and then got distracted and forgot to shake it, when he subsequently remembers to shake the lulav is a new bracha neccesary? Answer: Helo, The person does not have to make another bracha because he was alreadyu yotza, even by merely […]
Calculating Shloshim
Question: My mother passed away on Alef Tishrei (first night of Rosh Hashana – 9/15/23) and was buried in Israel on Daled Tishrei 9/19. I’m calculating the Sholoshim to be Gimmel Chesvan 10/18 with the meal in the evening Beis Chesvan 10/17 ? My question here does Yom Kippur or Sukkot change the day of […]
chol hamoed
Question: can one leave a sprinkler on to water his garden on chol hamoed? Answer: My assumnption of your question is that you want to leave the sprinkler system on a timer to continue watering the garden on Chol Hamoed. This is permitted, as you did not do anything at all.. Sources:
Learning about business on Chol Hamoed
Question: Am I allowed to learn about trading stocks on Chol Hamoed. does it matter if 1) I wont have the time or patience to do it at other times of the year 2) I am not doing it for a parnassah rather as a hobby (I dont ENJOY it but it’s a hobby and […]
liquid left uncovered
Question: broth made/ from bones and water was left uncovered overnight, must it be thrown out ?? Answer: There is no need to throw them out, they may be eaten as giluy does not apply to it. This is especially true in areas that don’t have snakes. Sources:
Deceased child’s name
Question: My nephew just passed away. His biological father converted before he married my sister but after my nephew was born with an illness he divorced her and went back living like a goy. Neither he nor my sister are still living. Since we do not know what his father’s name was when he converted, […]
Kashrus- bug
Question: As I was pouring pasta into boiling water I saw a small black bug. I quickly scooped it up and threw it out. Can I eat the noodles (no other bugs) and does anything need to be kashered? Answer: Hello, Since pasta is usually considered clean, and it was only one bug the […]
Tosafos written in blood?
Question: I was told that there is a certain Tosafos in Bava Kamma that was written by the authors in their own blood before they were killed. Are you familiar with this and would you have a source for this? Answer: Hello, Yes, I am familiar with this, supposedly it was regarding a Tosefos […]
Toveling
Question: Does an enamel covered pot require toveling? Answer: Hello, A metal pot that is glazed with enamel should be toveled without saying a bracha on it. The reason for this is because on the one hand the pot essentailly is made of metal, however on the other hand the glaze, which is where […]
Help determine if a succah is kosher
Question: I have a succah I’m not sure is kosher, I need help to determine if it is, and if not what modification I need to do? Answer: In Israel there is new service that is given by the Moked Ha’eruv, that you can call them and in certain areas they will send someone […]
Dental work chol hamoed
Question: Is it permitted to have a broken tooth pulled on chol hamoed? Will otherwise have to wait months for an appointment. Answer: Hello9, It is permitted for you to have it pulled on Chol Hamoed, as it is considered a need. Chag sameach
Prayer to heal pet
Question: BS”D Shalom dear Rabbi, Can we pray for our pet, in this case a pet that is very sick can pray to Hashem heal him? gitt vokh Answer: Hello, A person may pray for ther pet to get better. Best wishes
Round Sukkah walls
Question: If a sukkah requires 2&1/2 – 3 walls to be kosher, how much would circular walls have to enclose? 62.5-75%? Answer: Hello, If the 50%, meaning even if you have half of the circumference, but you can get a succah that is 7 tefachim by seven tefachim inside that half circle, then the […]
Music Related to Employment During Aveilus for Parent
Question: If someone is toch yud beis chodesh in aveilus for their parent and their job brings them in to situations where they will hear music, even live music, what should they do? For example, they’re a nanny or special needs shadow for a child whose family will be taking the child to a concert […]
Moral of Yom Kipur
Question: I am currently a student abroad and yom kipur falls on a day that we are doing a school trip I really want to attend. Would it be okay if I start my fast before (like if I was in a different time zone) to still have my hours of fasting but I just […]
Decorative shabbos place settings using flowers
Question: I’ve seen pictures of beautifully set tables where people have taken a fresh flower and tied it on top of a napkin by each place setting. Would it be permissible to set a table like that before Shabbos? Would the flowers attached to the napkins become mukzah once Shabbos starts? Answer: Hello, Cut […]
Music during aveilus
Question: The ever popular, asking for a friend….. My husband’s mother passed away a few weeks ago and he is just coming out of the sheloshem. Is it permissible for him to listen to prerecorded music, ie, the radio when he drives? We are on the road a great deal and while we listen to […]
Kosher Gin
Question: Does gin need a kosher symbol for all year round use? Answer: Please see the following link, for more information regarding gin without a kosher symbol. https://consumer.crckosher.org/liquor/gin/ Best wishes
Remedy for 39 curses
Question: Shalom What are the 39 types of work that we have to perform during the working days (weekdays) to annul 39 curses thrown by G-d? Answer: Hello, There is an idea of 39 types of work that we do during the week, that are prohibited on the Sabbath, however I am not aware […]
Haftorah
Question: I once saw, but now cannot find the source, that if the baal maftir in shul is not laining the haftorah from a klaf, then it is good for each individual to lain the haftorah themselves. True? Source? Answer: Hello, Yes, there is a source for this. There are three levels. According to […]
Shidduch with baal teshuva
Question: I have a single friend who is dating a baal teshuvah (of 4.5 years). She recently learned that the boy’s father was unfaithful in his marriage. His parents are now divorced and dating goyim. He has since cut off ties with his father within the last few years. Should this be a consideration for […]
Using items when owner is out the Techum
Question: If on Shabbos or Yom Tov I see a sefer on the shelf in shul and I can see it belongs to someone who I know is in a different city which is out the techum, is there a problem for me to use this sefer? This is assuming I know that he doesn’t […]
Sukkah: 2 dofen akumas
Question: Is it ok if two of the walls for my sukkah are dofen akumas? thank you Answer: Hello, Yes it is permitted, in fact you can even have four “dofen akuma” if each one is less than 4 amos away from the wall. Chag Sameach Sources: See Succah 4a, Shulchan Aruch OC:H 633-7.
Washing dishes on Shabbos/Yomtov
Question: I have a sieve in the sink that catches the dirt from the dishes to prevent the dirt from going down the drain. I have to empty that sieve every now and then while washing the dishes to permit the water to go down. Otherwise the sink stays full of water. Am I allowed […]
Removing pits from cantaloupe melon
Question: Is one allowed to remove the pits of a cantaloupe melon before cutting the melon into slices? If yes, how? (scraping with a spoon/cutting out with a knife together with a bit of the melon/…)? Thank you so much! Answer: Hello, Cantaloupe Pits- the center pits of the cantaloupe, which are not attached […]
Borer on Yom Tov
Question: My understanding is that in regards to borer on Yom Tov, if one has a mixture of different items, then one may separate the bad from the good (if it’s easier to do that then to separate the good from the bad) for non-immediate use, as long as it’s being separated for that day […]
Planting during aveilus
Question: Is an aveil for a parent allowed to plant any plants for pleasure and beauty or for food after shloshim? Answer: Hamakom yinachem eschem b’toch shar aveilei Tzion, v’Yerushalayim An avel during shloshim or the mourning year is allowed to plant things, even for beauty, and suerly for food. This is not included […]
Fasting vs services and shofar
Question: Hello Rabbi, I become very weak after fasting. If I cannot make it to services, is it more important to fast than to be in services or hear the shofar? Thank you Answer: Hello, I am assuming that you mean the services and the bolowing of the shofar after the Yom Kippur services. […]
Erev Rosh Hashanah
Question: Hello Rabbi, I did the fast of Gedaliah but did not know about the fast erev Rosh Hashanah (even just to midday) and feel terribly. Is it still commonly practiced? An obligation for women? Several people I asked about it did not seem to know of it. Answer: Hello, There is a prefferance […]
Meal after Shabbat
Question: Hello Rabbi, Is it permitted to have a nutrition drink with cake after Shabbat or should all “medicine” be separate from melaveh malkah? It actually tastes great. Answer: Hello, You may have the nutrition drink with cake for melava malka, and there is no need to separate them. As a side point it […]
Can you tovel dishes in saltwater pool
Question: Can you tovel dishes in saltwater pool? Answer: Hello, If I understand your question correctly, a saltwater pool is the same as a regular pool, but the water is cleaned with salt rather than with chlorine. Utensils have to be toveled in a real mikva, and pools don’t meet the requirements needed in […]
Eating on Yom Kippur
Question: What is the proper manner of eating if someone needs to eat on Yom Kippur for medical reasons? Answer: Hello, In order to answer you correctly I would need to know the specific situation, and what the doctor says, how much the person has to eat over Yom Kippur. Gmar chasima tova Sources: […]
Mizmor l’toda on rosh hashana and other days
Question: On Rosh Hashana, we don’t say mizmor l’toda during psukei d’zimra. However, if later in the day a person wanted to say all of sefer tehillim, would she be able to say mizmor l’toda? Answer: Hello, It is permitted to say the whole tehillim, even with Mizmor l’toda. The reason is because you […]
Seaweed
Question: Shalom, regarding Nori/seaweed with a hechsher. Is it recommended or needed to check nori before consumption? If yes, do you know where we can find a reliable guide to check nori? Thank you Answer: Hello, If the nori has a reliable hechsher, you don’t have to check it, as this is included in […]
Yichud during Psychotherapy
Question: Hi, First, thank you for taking the time to answer my question. I am a psychotherapist and I recently began a new job in which I will see women (not jewish) in person for Individual psychotherapy. During a session, we sit together in a room for about 45 minutes. Is this a halachic problem […]
Baby Buckwheat cereal
Question: What is the brocho for the instant baby buckwheat cereal (no additional ingredients)? Is it shehakol rather than haodoma since the original form is no longer visible? Answer: Hello, You are correct. The bracha on it would be shehakol, since it is ground up well, and it no longer resembles the original buck […]
Which blessing do you make on sourdough crackers?
Question: Which blessing do you make on sourdough crackers? Answer: Hello, If the crackers are relatively small, then they are meant to be eaten as a snack, and the bracha would be mezonos. This is especially true if they are seasoned. If however you are planning on eating a meal’s worth of them, then […]
Broken glass and small children
Question: If glass breaks in a living space on shabbos am I permitted to vacuum the shards if I am concerned the children could otherwise step on the glass and be hurt and that a broom may not be as effective? Answer: Hello, You should not vacuum the shards, rather sweep them up as […]
Nishmas
Question: Hi, First, thank you for taking the time to answer my questions! Can you help me understand the source for saying Nishmas for 40 days? I heard it is a zechus but I am not sure what it is a zechus for. Also, when saying Nishmas for 40 days, would I say it 2x […]
Patek Phillipe watch logo
Question: Shalom aleichem. The logo for luxury watch brand “Patek Phillipe” is a cross, not your typical xtian cross but if you research it it seems to be some type of Swiss seal, modeled after the Pope’s seal. Is there a halachic issue with wearing such a watch, being that we’re not allowed to give […]