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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Tzitzit width?

Question: In a previous question the Rav dealt with the length of the beged for a tallis katan…what is the proper width of the beged? Answer: The proper width should be the same size and the length, which is an amah. See https://dinonline.org/2017/01/20/proper-shiur-for-adult-tzizis-length-and-width/ where the size of an amah was discussed. Best Wishes Sources: M:B 16-7

Cell phone muktzah alarm clock on shabbos

Question: Can one set the alarm on cell phone to vibrate on shabbos? Also, can one move it away after it “rings”, is there any issue of muktzah? Answer: One may set an alarm clock to ring on Shabbos, however you have to put it in a place that you will not inadvertently turn it […]

Can a 13 year old boy or 12 year old girl make Kiddush for Mother

Question: Presume that the Mother does not say maariv and that no other male is available to make kiddush on Friday night. Does a young teenager have to be inspected to see if 2 siman hairs are in place? Is there any occasion for which an inspection for 2 simanim hairs is required? Answer: It would be […]

Do you need 10 people after shmona esrei by maariv

Question: Does the chazzan have to wait for 10 men to say kaddish after shmona esrei of ma’ariv? Answer: According to halacha the chazzan may say kaddish or borchu, if six people are listening. The reason is because kaddish and borchu are a “davar shebikidusha”, and they need ten people there together, however if most […]

Does a meat tenderizing hammer need toiveling.

Question: A metal meat tenderizer (hammer). Does it need toveling if the meat is covered with plastic bag, and never touches the raw meat? Answer: A metal meat tenderizer needs tevilah without a bracha, and the reason is since it doesn’t come in contact with the meat when it is edible, there is controversy if […]

Buying a new item on Father’s Yur Zeit?

Question: Is it permissible to shop for new clothes or new sheitel on a father’s yurzeit (not the first yurzeit)? What about alterations or fixing a sheitel? Answer: You may do all of these things on the subsequent yahrtzeits, the only restriction is not to go to a chasuna on the night of the yahrtzeit. […]

Covering hair in all-women’s gym

Question: I attend an all-women’s gym in Jerusalem. The owner herself is frum and no men are allowed in during opening hours. Do I have to cover my hair there while I work out? My husband thinks that this is still considered a “public place” but I think it’s more like a “beit merchatz”. Clearly, […]

Reform ‘convert’ pretends to be Jewish

Question: I am aware of a reform ‘convert’ in my city who travels often. He is in his early 50’s. He lets himself get counted for minyan in several orthodox synagogues throughout the country, and even gets called up to the Torah there. I feel the need to speak up, but at the same time […]

Rabbi not acknowledging part about Rambam

Question: I submitted this question last time. https://dinonline.org/2016/12/21/embarrassing-others-in-the-past-gehennom-and-what-to-do-for-teshuva/ Rabbi I emailed before never seems to acknowledge part about Rambam. I am afraid I would fail to ever do proper Teshuva in this world so I am scared if the Rabbi does not acknowledge the part about Rambam’s stance on Gehinom and embarrassing others, he made […]

Extra niddah waiting days

Question: My wife is very convinced about the following: “The rabbis were not women and they were afraid that women would confuse menstruating blood with other discharges and extended the period of separation and eliminated niddah completely and only kept zavah. Women cannot be afraid to confuse menstruation with other discharges because we are women. […]

Dairy Knife Cutting Pareve For Meat

Question: Can you please offer some guidance on the following case? A clean, aino-ben-yomo dairy knife (might have been used to cut a kli rishon dairy quiche a while ago, but not sure) was used to cut zucchini for a pareve dish. Most of the zucchini was used for the pareve food, but there are […]

Ordering online with Shabbos delivery day

Question: Am I allowed to order a product from amazon.com where they have a guaranteed 2 day shipping policy on that item and it says it is guaranteed to be delivered on shabbos Answer: The Halacha is that we are allowed to hire a gentile to do a job for us even if he actually […]

Getting in a car on shabbat

Question: What exactly is the issur of getting in a car on Shabbat? Specifically, was it permissible for the daughter of the president, and her husband to get in a car on Shabbat because there was a claim of pikuach nefesh? Was it permitted for them to put themselves in a situation like that at […]

Wrapping ruined seforim (from the rain) and letting a goy dispose of them

Question: Seforim that were ruined in the rain, may they be double wrapped and disposed of by a goy? It is not easy to deliver them to geniza. Perhaps there is leniency since they were already damaged? Answer: Seforim that got ruined and are no longer useable is exactly where the halachos of geniza were […]

Cashmere and shatnez

Question: Is cashmere wool that cannot be mixed with linen? Answer: Cashmere is wool that comes from goats, and technically it wouldn’t be an issue of shatnez. However, according to experts in the shatnez field such as Rav Yaakov Gurwitz of “Mishmeret Nosson” Shatnez Laboratories in Yerushalayim, a cashmere coat still has to be checked for shatnez. […]

A woman that ate before Havdalah

Question: A woman who davened Maariv on motzoi Shabbos and omitted Havdalah in her tefilla, and subsequently ate prior to Havdalah on wine, is she mechuyev to repeat her SE? In my opinion, there are 2 reasons to be meikel and not require to daven again: (1) She was not required to daven Maariv in […]

Can a bais din summons to foreign country?

Question: Can an Israeli bais din serve a hazmonoh to come to Israel, even if one lives outside Israel, on basis that the dispute concerns dealings in israel? I see you quoted the Rema to say that defendant always has the right to choose. This Bais Din quotes the Meharashdam (Ch’M 103) Additionally none of […]

Shomer for wedding night in a hotel

Question: On the wedding night of a kallah who is a niddah and a shomer child is needed to stay with the couple, is that also necessary when staying in a hotel? Answer: Yes. It applies to any place that the couple may be secluded. When the couple are going to be in a hotel […]

Can a reduction given to a poor person be deducted from maaser kesofim?

Question: If my daughter charges $12 an hour for babysitting, there’s a family who is not is a good financial status and my daughter charges them $6 an hour. Does she have to take ma’aser from the $6 since she is already deducting 50% to help the family in need? Thank you Answer: A person […]

Refuah on shabbos

Question: I was watching rabbi Weisenfeld’s shiur on refuah on shabbos. He mentioned that we can’t take pills because we might come to grinding. Even if you won’t come to grinding, there might be another reason chazal assured it. Have any of the rabbanim come up with another reason that taking an Advil on shabbos […]

Taking three steps back in shuls packed with seats.

Question: The Mishna Berura advises length and direction for foot motions before and after Shmoneh Esrei. Many, possibly the majority, of small Ashenazic (and Sephardi) shuls are so packed with seats that it is not possible to comply with the Mishna Berura in there. Of course the individual davener is not obligated in what he […]

Buying clothes when in mourning

Question: Can one buy new clothes when in year of mourning? What about sales? Is it the same halachos as in nine days? Answer: There isn’t an issue with buying the clothes, but with wearing them. He may buy the clothes in order to wear them after the 12 months is over. Undergarments and socks […]

Is it permitted to take goverment assistance

Question: Is it permitted for a Jew to receive “food stamps” money and/or disability money from the US government, with regard to receiving charity from a non-Jew?’ What if the recipient is a Jewish ‘King’ or ‘Officer’?   Answer:   It is permitted to receive money from a government and it is not considered receiving […]

Chefman Hot water urn on shabbos

Question: There are a lot of frum stores that sell the Cheman hot water urn that has a shabbos mode. They have many of the same urn under different brand. The shabbos mode disables the electric dispenser button and you have to pump manually to dispense. The shabbos mode also keeps the water at constant […]

Heated Soup made with Dairy Utensils in Meat Pot

Question: I accidently heated soup that was made on dairy utensils (as per label with no obvious dairy ingredients) in a meat pot. Do I need to kasher the pot? Answer: The pot does not need to be kashered, since any dairy that might have gotten to the pot was taste that was absorbed and […]

Seforim placement in the bookcase.

Question: Is there any halachic consideration given to the placement of holy seforim on one’s bookshelf? Can Chumashim, etc be placed (if there is not room elsewhere) on the bottom portion of one’s free-standing bookshelf even though these seforim would be very close to the floor? Should only secular seforim be placed in the lower […]

Putting away a kli shmelachto lissur on Shabbos

Question: Shalom, May one handle a kli shmelachto lissur on Shabbos solely for the sake of having the area look tidy? Would having guests factor in? Thank you Answer: The poskim say that it is not considered tzorech mikomo, if you don’t actually need use of the place, but it is only for niceness. R’ S […]

Is one allowed to eat or drink while in a bathtub, pool, or Jacuzzi?

Question: Hi, I’d like to know if there is a halachic problem to eat or drink while in a hot tub/Jacuzzi or bathtub? Does it matter if the Jacuzzi is outdoors and not in a bathroom? If the toilet is covered, would a bathtub be okay? Would it matter if the bracha was made before […]

Is a lady allowed to be on vacation when she has yahrzeit after her father?

Question: Is a lady allowed to be on vacation when she has yurzeit after her father? Answer: There is a difference between the first yahrtzeit and the other ones. The minhag is that on the first yahrtzeit the avel acts like during the aveilus year. However for all the other yahrtzeits he just doesn’t go […]

New Tie During Aveilus, Shehechiyanu on new tie

Question: When in aveilus can one wear a new, good quality tie that was bought as special to be worn at a simcha? Is shehecheyonu commonly said on a tie anyway? Answer: The reason for the minhag that an avel doesn’t wear new clothing, is because it brings him simcha, therefore only prominent types of […]