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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Vitamins that are chametz

Question: Is a חולה שאין בו סכנה allowed to take vitamins that are not kosher for Passover Answer: In general vitamins are considered a dietary supplement, and not a medicine. Therefore, you should make sure that the vitamins that you take are kosher for Passover, as they may contain chometz or kitnios. If there is […]

mechiras chometz when adult children contribute to household expenses

Question: hi, if adult children live together with their parents. and children buy food or contribute to food purchases. is it sufficient for a parent to sell chometz. or does each child have to sell chometz also? thanks Answer: When the adult children chip in they are essentially giving it to the “house” which is […]

Mug used by a person that doesn’t keep a kosher home

Question: My mom has been staying with us and she brought a coffee mug from her house. She does not keep a Kosher home. She has only used the mug for coffee and tea at her home. When I asked her why she brought her own mug and wouldn’t just use ours, she said she […]

Does anyone speak about saying tikkun chatzos before one goes to bed?

Question: Does anyone speak about doing this BEFORE one goes to bed? Is that allowed? Answer: While tikkun chatzos should preferable be said at chatzos (midnight), however if it is difficult for one to do so, the Shulchan Aruch Horav (Siddur) writes that one can start from the beginning of the middle third of the […]

Shabbos meal during year of aveilus for a parent

Question: My father passed away 3 months ago, am i allowed to partake in a shabbos meal at my Shul with my husband and family and the rest of the Shul families? Answer: During the week this would not be allowed, however for Shabbos the rule is different, since we are not noheg aveilus in […]

How can the son’s of Haman convert?

Question: We are taught that the son’s of Haman learned Torah in Bnei Braq. How can this be? Isn’t there a Mitzva to wipe out Amalek? Answer: You are bringing up an excellent point, and let me add to your question. The Yalkut Shimoni (Shemos 267) brings from the Mechilta, that this is precisely why […]

Inheritance of a wife and sons

Question: When a man dies, the heritage goes, only, to the children, not the wife? Then, what went, wrongly, to the wife, 40 years ago, now, that she died, can the children consider that should be theirs, instead of their mother’s, the wife, because she shouldn’t have gotten it, in first place? Answer: In a […]

Firstborn daughter “Bechora”, in yiddishkeit

Question: What significance is given to a firstborn daughter “בכורה” in yiddishkeit? I know the Chazal “בת תחילה יפה לבנים”. Are there other relevant Chazal? Is there even such a word/concept of “בכורה”? Answer: I am not aware of any major significance to a bechora. The Shulchan Aruch O:CH 470-1 brings an opinion that a […]

Making a brocha when there is a door open to a bathroom

Question: If I am in a bedroom/living room or any room that has an adjacent bathroom and the door the the bathroom is ajar, do I need to close it before making a brocha, bentching or saying other Torah/tefila in the room I am in? Answer: According to R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l (E:H 114) you […]

Am I permitted to play Mah Jong on Shabbos/Yom Tov?

Question: Am I permitted to play Mah Jong on Shabbos/Yom Tov? Answer: My apologies but I am very familiar enough with this game. From my research it seems that it is similar to game of memory, or rummy, which are permitted on shabbos. This is not an issue of borer. If it is being played […]

Parve knife washed with hot meaty sponge

Question: Someone in my kitchen washed my Parve knife and Woden cutting board with a meaty sponge that was probably recently used. I don’t know what temp the water was but I assume hot. Are they both meaty forever now? Answer: They are not meaty now. The reason being that the sponge even if it […]

Does one repeat psukei dzimrah if he misses after shemonah esrei

Question: If one were to skip parts of psukei dzimrah (everything except for Baruch sheomar,ashrei and yistabach) does he repeat it after davening and if so what order? Answer: It is controversial. Some poskim say that one should, others though say that one specifically shouldn’t, because it “mixes things up in shomayim”, because it is […]

Are sea urchins, oysters, camels meat or camels milk and land snails kosher?

Question: Shalom Are sea urchins, oysters, camels meat or camels milk and land snails kosher and allowed to eat? Answer: All of the above are not kosher and may not be eaten by Jews. Fish need to have scales in order to be kosher, and animals need to have split hooves and chew it’s cud. […]

Washing hands for bathroom count for tefillah?

Question: If one uses the washroom before davening and washes his hands does that work for davening? And would it depend how many times one would wash for the washroom? Answer: {please see the following post, where you question was addressed. https://dinonline.org/2019/03/23/does-washing-for-after-washroom-work-for-davening/ Best Wishes

Does washing for after washroom work for davening?

Question: If one were to use the washroom before davening and wash does that work for the tefillah following or would one have to say Asher yatzar and then re wash? Answer: If he is davening right away he does not have to wash his hands again. The reason that we wash our hands before […]

If one misses Baruch Hashem liolam, does he repeat after shmonah esrei?

Question: If one skips Baruch HaShem liolam (3rd brachah by Maariv) because the minyan is faster and he wants to daven with the tzibur shemonah esrei, should he repeat it afterwards and is this situation proper or should one not purposely skip it. Answer: If one is late for maariv and he see that he […]

Avel and daughters wedding

Question: Can an avel be at his daughters wedding that has music, after shiva before shloshim? Answer: Hamakom yinachem eschem btoch shar aveili tzion vyerushlayim. Regarding your question, the father of the chosson or kallah may attend the wedding even though there will be music there, however he should minimize his dancing. Regarding new clothing, […]

Visiting cemetery on Purim or next day Shoshan Purim

Question: Any prohibitions to visit cemetery on Purim or very next day ? Answer: The custom is not to go to the cemetery on Purim, or on other days that we don’t say tachanun and don’t eulogize. If it is prohibited, that I don’t know. If someone has yahrtziet on Purim they should go erev […]

Mishloach Manos to Family Member

Question: Does one fulfill the mitzva of Mishloach Manos if it’s given to one’s father, brother, nephew etc.? Or should it be given to a non-relative? Thank you. Answer: It is permitted to send mishloach manos to a relative, and one is yotza with that. Some authorities (Eshel Avrohom (Butchatch) 695-4) question if a father […]

Mechanical alarm clock

Question: May one stop the ringing off a mechanical alarm clock? Why? Thank you Answer: It is permitted to stop the ringing of a mechanical alarm clock because there is no melacha involved by turning it off. While we may not mechanical noises on Shabbos, (hashmoas kol) turning the alarm off is only stopping the […]