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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Yichud with a man and his non-religious father

Question: Considering that a non-religious Jewish man cannot be considered as a second man to permit yichud (according to some opinions), may a religious Jew be together with a lady if he is accompanied by his non-religious Jewish father? Answer: According to those who say that a porutz (a person who isn’t careful with the […]

Mincha after lighting ner chanukah?

Question: If one is accustomed to daven mincha until 58 or so minutes after shkia, based on the opinion of Rabbeinu Tam and the Shulchan Aruch, and as is the custom of certain Chassidic Jews, is it permitted to light Chanukah candles first (at shkia, or 10-20 minutes after shkia) and then daven Mincha 30 […]

Mistake with Chanukah candles on erev Shabbos

Question: I have a few questions if a mistake was made.while a woman was lighting Shabbos and Chanukah candles A lady has to light both Chanukah & Shabbos candles. She lit the Chanukah candle (first) and by accident made the bracha “ner shel Shabbos” on it. More than 3 seconds elapsed, so she cannot fix it. […]

Bal tishaktzu and frequent urination

Question: Okay thanks. Does bal tishaktzu apply to those who suffer from frequent urination? It would be aggravating to go to the restroom everytime the urge arises so I hold in until the bladder actually is full or close to full then relieve myself. Then I don’t really suffer much from frequent urination anymore. I […]

Halachos for relieving outdoors for women

Question: I feel most literature on this is male oriented. The most I can find is women should not do it directly in front of males, even children but should do it on the side away from them. How should women balance relieving outdoors and tzneuis should there be no bathroom available? I do not […]

Mental health in the orthodox community

Question: Dear Rabbis, Holistic health is challenged by medical authority. Mental health on the other hand is noticed by all medical schools and psychiatrists are trained. The Rabbinical Council of America today put out a statement that Orthodox Judaism must not regard mental illness as taboo. Shidduchs can still be arranged and patients with psychiatrists […]

Sharp food cut with meat knife in milk oven

Question: I cut some lemon and garlic with a fleishig knife and placed it on salmon- can I cook this salmon uncovered in a dairy oven that hasn’t been used in over 24 hours Answer: Sorry it took so long to get back to you. The lemon and garlic are considered fleishig, because they are […]

May I be part of our office’s holiday party

Question: Is it permitted to attend the office ‘holiday’ party? Everyone knows what holiday this is for. Answer: A Jew should not take part in such a party, because it is a party celebrating a holiday that to us is idolatry, (although if thier religion is actually idolitry like the Rambam or not, is not […]

Olive oil used as Shabbos candles

Question: I would like to place olive oil in a glass container with a wick. This becomes an olive oil “candle” so to speak. The wick with the olive oil burns inside the glass container. It’s not an open fire, but the light shines through the glass. Not knowing all the laws of Shabbos candles, […]

Embarrassing others in the past, gehennom, and what to do for teshuva

Question: So a Rabbi wrote in a newspaper about embarrassing others would cause one to never leave Gehinnom. I got scared because I have done so in the past. I wrote him this: “I suffer from anxiety so the faster you answer the better for me. I was not raised in a great environment. I […]

Whiskey and pas are you yotza kiddush in the place of the meal

Question: If one made Kiddush Shabbos morning on whiskey, and drank a melo lugmav of it, and then he eats a kezayis of pas to nullify the bitter taste, he is exempt from making hamotzi, since the pas is tofel. Is one yotzi seudos Shabbos in this way, even though he did not bless hamotzi […]

In halacha are you allowed to say J.., or Chri.. or J. C.

Question: In halacha are you allowed to say Jesus, or Christ or Jesus Christ Answer: The way you worded the question is correct, in haskafa we don;’t wanrt to say any of these words, because even if some of them are technically permitted, we don’t want to menton them. Halachically though, saying a name that […]

Taking from others without permission

Question:   Is it permitted to take/use an item that belongs to your close friend/ family member without asking permission if you know without a doubt that they would let you have the item if they were asked? Example: My good friend has some snacks/tissues lying on the table. Can I take the item if […]

If I said shehakol before ha’etz, do I still say the ha’etz?

Question: I understand that one should make ha’etz before shehakol. What happens if one made a shehakol then wants to eat say an apple? Should he make ha’etz, or is it better to say borei nefashot for the shehakol and then make ha’etz? Answer: He does not have to make borei nefashos and in fact […]

Praying /learning in front of non soiled commode

Question: I take care of an elderly person. In front of me is a “commode” used for toileting if need be by the bedside. The “commode” is clean. There is no urine or poop in or around the commode. A Graf SHEL REI. Can someone pray or learn in front of a clean commode? Answer: […]

Do I have to give masser from chanuka gelt?

Question: Does on need to give masser on chanuka gelt? Can that masser go to bochrim in a dira to help cover daily costs? Answer: Monetary gifts that a person receives are no differant that money earned and a person that is giving maaser should also give from them.  There realy isn’t any differance between […]

Is it acceptable to have one kitchen in a kosher establishment?

Question: Working as a mashgiach at a catering facility that had two separate kitchens for milk and meat, I was asked by the kashrut certifying agency to replace another mashgiach for a week at a seniors’ residence facility. I found serious violations there, including mixing of the cutlery, and fleishig design dishes among the milchig […]

Deducting expenses from Ma’aser

Question: Can I deduct the car expenses (gas, maintenance, lease payments, insurance, etc) from my income when calculating the ma’aser? Thanks. Answer: If these were business expenses then they may be deducted. the reason for this is because this whatever is a business expense is not considered profit, rather the cost of making the actual […]

Returning articles when it is beneath my dignity.

Question: Why is it that when it comes to the mitzvah of preparing for Shabbos, a talmid chacham or an adam chashuv is not permitted to say, “It is beneath my dignity,” whereas when it comes to the mitzvah of returning a lost object to its rightful owner, such a person is exempt if it […]

MAy one skip yotzer ohr to daven with the tzibbur?

Question: Is one permitted to skip the bracha of yotzer ohr and recite it after SE, in order to daven SE with the tzibbur? I have not seen it brought down anywhere that one may, or should do this, but I don’t see what is so terrible about it. Certainly, there is no prohibition against […]

If one didn’t have kavana in davening may he eat breakfast?

Question: If one davened Shacharis without having kavana in Avos or Modim, and thus was not yotzi, the halacha is that nowadays one would not repeat SE, because when he repeats he also won’t have kavana. May, however, one eat after this ‘Shacharis’ even though it is forbidden to eat before davening, and his davening […]

Asher yatzar if one did not relieve himself fully

Question: A person feels the need to relieve himself of both ketanim and gedolim. However, he only relieved himself of ketanim, and is suppressing the urge to relieve himself of gedolim b/c he does not feel comfortable using public toilets, or any other reason. May he bless asher yatzar, assuming that the need to relieve […]

Kiddush levana before nightfall

Question: If I blessed the moon during bein hashemashot (20 or 25 minutes after shkia, while I usually hold that nightfall is 72 or 45-50 minutes at the earliest), was I yotzi? What about if I had done it even earlier? Answer: The time for Kiddush levana is when it is dark enough that the […]

If I ate rice and had in mind for the cake, is it included in the bracha

Question: If someone has fish and rice for dinner, and makes a Mezonos on the rice and a Shehakol on the fish, intending to cover all foods that he may eat with these brachos, will the Borei Minei Mezonos over the rice cover a piece of cake for dessert? Answer: Since you had in mind […]

Cancelling a babysitter after she began working

Question: Shalom Aleichem. Yesterday I asked a high school girl in my neighborhood to come to apartment to babysit my one year old daughter. She was supposed to come at 4:20 and I asked her to stay until 6:45 when second seder would be over and around when my wife was going to be getting […]

Using a kli sheni to make instant coffee

Question: Last shabbos a friend of mine suggested that using a kli sheni to make coffee on shabbos was unnecessary as the coffee has already been roasted, hence, will not be cooked further when mixed with hot water. Is that correct? Answer: What he said is partially correct. It is not because it was roasted, […]

Learning or thinking in learning when in need of relieving oneself

Question: Reuven is walking with his friend or his rabbi in the street, and Reuven needs urgently to use the bathroom. If the friend or rabbi is talking to him in learning, is it permitted to listen and even to respond to what is being said? If one can avoid answering back (e.g., to say […]

Hearing my wife’s singing when she is a nidah

Question: Is my wife allowed to sing for me when she is a nidah? Answer: A man should not listen to his wife’s singing when she is a niddah. According to most poskim m it is ossur and according to others it is incorrect Sources: Lechem V’simlah Y:D 195-20, Aruch Hashulchan Y:D 195-23, Shiurei Shevet […]

What is the correct bracha and bracha acharona on pomegranate juice?

Question: What is the correct bracha and bracha acharona on pomegranate juice? Answer: The bracha rishona is shehakol, and the bracha achrona is borei nefashos. The reason for this is that the liquid of any friut or vegetable is not considered to be the significant part of the fruit, and considered “sweat”, with the exception […]

Hot coffee with milk in plastic bottle used during fleishig meal

Question: I used a plastic bottle to drink from (pareve drink, room temperature) during a fleishig meal. Later, after rinsing out the bottle, I poured in a lukewarm/hot coffee with milk. It’s a disposable bottle, so my only question is can I drink the coffee? If yes, should I avoid doing this ever again? Thanks! […]

Are you allowed to join Liberty Healthshare for your medical expenses?

Question: this org was originally started by Mennonites who are Christians. They accept all people regardless of religion into their healthsharing group. You have to believe in G-d of the Bible, helping your fellow man, living a healthy lifestyle and praying regularly. They are substantially cheaper than regular medical insurance. You can google them on […]

Can you drink coffee on an airplane

Question: Can you drink coffee on an airplane Answer: Regarding drinking coffee on an airplane, there are a number of issues to check into. First is the actual coffee. It seems that if the coffee is plain unflavored coffee is kosher and it doesn’t need a hechsher for use during the year, as it is […]

Do I need to kasher the liquidiser?

Question: I accidentally put a cold milky (plastic) liquidizer into a hot pareve soup (which contained cooked onion) that was made in a meaty pot. The liquidizer is rarely used for actual milky foods. Do I need to kasher the LIQUIDIZER? (I’m grateful for the precious response to this question but the answer referred to […]

Received maaser to give to those in need – can we keep?

Question: A friend occasionally sends ma’aser money for us to give to those in need. We’re now in a position to be recipients of such assistance. This friend isn’t aware of this and we don’t intend on sharing it with them. May we keep this money for ourselves since it’s tzedaka? Answer: Since you are […]

What do I do with a collection of lost items?

Question: We have a small collection of items, (scarf, shirt, umbrella, a bag of tissues, etc. [nothing of nearly significant value]) that have been left by us over the years. Can we assume that the owner has given up on finding them and therefore use, donate or discard them or must we hold on to […]

When does a thoughts to do something become binding.

Question: I have anxiety and diagnosed with high functioning autism, so automatic thoughts and repetitive actions (including thoughts) is an aggravating part of my life. I think about chumros and psaks that others get sometimes. I know I don’t plan to accept them deep down but I get superficial thoughts about them sometimes. And then […]

Forgot Mashiv Haruach on Friday night

Question: The prayer of me’ein sheva does NOT include any mention of making the wind blow and the rain descend, which is me’akev (in the 2nd bracha). So how can one be yotza if he is missing an essential part of SE? If one forgot to say mashiv haruach on Friday night, and he listened […]