Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a, Author at Ask The Rabbi - Dinonline

Bracha on rose petal jam

Question: What bracha do we make on rose petal jam? Answer: Hello, While I am not familiar with this particular jam, in general if the fruit contents are pureed the bracha will be shehakol. Best wishes Sources:

Taking tzedaka

Question: My brother in America told his friend who, is a gvir that he is collecting money for poor families in Israel. He gave a nice amount without asking any questions. My brother asked for an organization to get the tax deduction and he gave it through them (I think they took 5 percent but […]

Tashmishei mitzvah business card

Question: Hello If I use my business card to point and keep the place while I learn does the business card get some sort of kedusha and I won’t be able to hand it out anymore? If yes would a tannai help? Answer: Thank you for your question. The business card does not have […]

Pesach seder with non-religious person

Question: My parents invited my wife and I for 2nd night Pesach seder. My sister who is not religious will be at the seder and will help my mom with food preparation. She doesn’t know the laws of cooking on Yom Tov and will probably transgress numerous rabbinic decrees. Is it ok for me to […]

What’s more important: Borchu without a hefsek, Pesukei D’Zimra, or Kedusha

Question: If I am in middle of Az Yashir when the Chazzan starts Yishtabach what is the right thing to do? A) Continue on and answer Kaddish and Borchu and then finish Pesukei D’Zimra thereby being Mafsik between Borchu and the Brachos of Shema and also probably missing Kedusha of the Brachos of Shema. B) […]

Ribbis with borrowing freezer

Question: Is it a problem of ribbis, if someone says “who can lend me a freezer for Pesach? I will return it with a box of matzos!” Would it be ribbis to make such an arrangement or to actually do such a thing? Answer: Thank you for your question. It is permitted to do […]

Is it yichud for a niece to stay with her uncle and girl cousins?

Question: Is it permissible for a 14-year-old girl to stay with her uncle and his 3 daughters (ages 12, 9, and 5) for Shabbos? Answer: Thank you for your question. It is not yichud, since your uncle is together with three of his daughters. Even though it will be at night, and there is […]

Getting a lost object back after Yeiush

Question: If I lost something and made yeiush on it, then it was found. Am I allowed to say its mine and give the simanim to get it back or is that considered lying since now the finder really could keep it? Answer: Thank you for your question. Since the item was found after you […]

Hatoras nedarim

Question: Unfortunately I am a collector for myself currently living in Brooklyn, and I have had a very stringent policy never to actually collect inside a shul or beis medrash itself, just in the hallway, or entrance way, or outside the building. My reasons are because I feel very strongly that the act of collecting […]

bli neder

Question: Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions. 1- What is the halacha for being mekabel to do something and saying bli neder and later having a change of heart. 2- What is the halacha for being mekabel to do something but only thinking it and not saying it out with your […]

Tzedaka

Question: Do we give 10% to tzedaka on tax returns as well? Answer: Hi, It is hard for me to understand your question, because most people pay money with their tax returns. However, if you mean to ask about making money from filing taxes, i.e. you don’t make enough money to be charged tax, rather […]

Food on yom hatevila

Question: I learned that a woman may not eat chicken or meat on her yom hatevila, unless it is Shabbos or yom Tov. Is that correct? What foods are in this prohibited category? What about fish that is similar to chicken (like salmon)? What about ground meat or ground turkey? Thank you very much! […]

Combing before tevila – follow up question (time sensitive)

Question: Thank you so very much for your response to my question! https://dinonline.org/2022/01/23/combing-before-tevila/ I’m still not clear on how this is practically required and possible to do. Hundreds of small, short hairs take a very very very long time to “separate” with one’s fingers. (Because some of the hairs are very very short, its very […]

Washing after chafifa?

Question: What should someone do after using the bathroom after chafifa? Should she shower or wash to clean that area again? Would any feces be considered a chatziza, or something small or sticky would be considered not makpid if she wiped normally? Answer: Thank you for your question. If there is fecal matter left […]

Chafifa questions

Question: 1) After a woman showers at the mikva, how careful does one have to be about touching things with her skin or hair that she is not sure are clean? (Phones, walls, items from home etc.) What about walking on the floor with bare feet (which is probably clean, but not perfectly clean) after […]

Milk/Meat knives

Question: I have two sets of (3) knives, one set for milk and one for meat. In reorganizing my kitchen, I mixed up the sets and don’t remember 100% which is which. Can I kasher them and designate one set for milk, one set for meat again? If so, since they’re large knives, the only […]

Religious Anxiety

Question: A few months ago, I watched a video in which a girl claimed to be a prophet and that she died temporarily and saw Jesus take her to hell and heaven, telling her that the world was ending soon and that people were going to hell forever from even doing things like writing and […]

College

Question: Is it ok to go to a non-Jewish college? Answer: Thank you for your question. Going to a non-Jewish college has a number of serious issues for an orthodox Jew. The first issue is that there are subjects that contain avoda zara ideas in them, and even if they are not outright avoda […]

Verbal purchase “agreement”

Question: B”H Kavod haRav, Thank you sincerely for your help, I really appreciate it. 1. If someone tells a sales lady that they will “take that” or something like “I will buy this item” and then before paying for the item, the buyer decides they no longer want to purchase the items, may the buyer […]

Davening

Question: If I get thirsty in the middle of Pesukei D’Zimra, is it mutar to make a Bracha and drink? What if I start feeling tired and would like to drink coffee? Thank you! Answer: Thank you for your question. During Pesukei D’zimra we are in middle of praising Hashem, and we are not […]

Sheimos of cassettes

Question: Are cassette tapes containing shiurim considered sheimous? Answer: Thank you for your question. Good question. Are cassette tapes considered having Hashem’s name on them or not? The poskim discuss this question from the angle if it is permitted to walk into the bathroom with a cassette of a shiur etc? Can the cassette […]

Shaimos l’gniza

Question: May I bury Shaimos in my own roomy backyard? Is there a required depth for it to be b’kavod? Is there a recommended perek in Tehilim when doing so perhaps? Answer: Thank you for your question. Regarding regular “shaimos” such as old seforim and other printed matter, that you can bury in your […]

Murakami Books

Question: Dear Rabbi, Is it permitted to read Haruki Murakami novels? He writes fantasy novels for adults which differ from most fantasy since it deals with not entering a magical world in the beginning and leaving at the end but rather with an Everyman having surreal experiences with parallel worlds, spirits, and human intermediaries between […]

Toivelling

Question: Dear Rabbi, Would a circular saw (usually used for woodwork) need to be toivelled to cut raw frozen meat – on a very ad hoc basis. The machine would not be able to be toivelled without breaking – the blade will require a degree of dismantling. Looking for a lenient view Thank you […]

Tziruf to a minyan

Question: If a group have 9 people downstairs in the shul and 1 upstairs in the ezras noshim who whatever reason does not want to come downstairs and not everyone can see him. Is the 1 upstairs miztareif to the group downstairs? Answer: Thank you for your question. Although l’chatchila ten people should be […]

Gift to Rabbi

Question: B”H Kavod haRav, When someone gives a check to a Rabbi as a thank you for their help, is there any issue of “setting a price for a mitzvah.” I recently heard something, and may have misunderstood it, so I am seeking clarification. If a person asks a question and the Rabbi answers the […]

Saying Kaddish in Shul with women and men together

Question: Kvod HaRav, I was in a shul this past Shabbos where the rav made a siyum on Seder Moed in the shul. The shul is in a school auditorium, and the tables with food were arranged on the women’s side of the mechitzah. Because it was Parshas Zachor, the women’s section was full. The […]

Siyum from listening to recordings-taanas bechoros

Question: I read on this site a Q&A about making a siyum when you only hear the shiur. I want to know, even if I can make a siyum, is this type of learning enough to let a bechor eat on taanas bechoros? 9 days? Thanks, Answer: Thank you for your question. A siyum […]

Mumbled havdalah

Question: I heard Havdalah but the person saying Havdalah mumbled/skipped a few words should I repeat Havdalah? Answer: Thank you for your question. When we are being included in someone else’s kiddush or havdala we have to listen to every word that was said. B’dieved though, if the beginning of the bracha and the […]

Purim and Avoda Zara question

Question: Dear Rabbi, I have two questions: 1) For Purim, when did the practice of making hamantaschen start? 2) I have a question regarding the Disney movie “Beauty and the Beast.” In the movie, there is an enchanted rose that was given to the beast with a spell. Is the rose considered to be avodah […]

found money

Question: Shavua tov. I found on the street a 50 shekel and a 20 shekel bill together with a receipt from the local makolet down the block. Is the receipt considered a siman? or does the regular rule of money doesn’t have a siman apply? can I keep it or do I have to go […]

Postpone drinking Jahrzeit alcohol till Shabbat, when people don’t drive cars?

Question: Highly Esteemed Din Online: On Adar 15th, on Purim, is two years of my Dear Mama’s Jahrzeit. I asked the Rabbi, what should I prepare for the Jahrzeit, what kind of food. And was told amongst other items to bring some alcohol, some wine. At the same time, Purim is the holiday, when […]

Heter iska – from an entity

Question: I am about to enter contract to have a house built from a Jewish builder, the contact states that if I am late in my payments, I will be charged 12% interest. I asked the builder if we should make a heter iska to circumvent the ribbis issue. The builder said he is under […]

Damages caused by loss of electricity

Question: Hi, My wife works from home, using the internet. We experienced a loss of power during an hour when she was supposed to be working. As a result, we had to spend money to rent her an office elsewhere, where there was power, so that she could work. The truth is the whole street […]

nidah question

Question: When my wife’s blanket was moved, I noticed something fly off of it. It was somewhat dark so I did not see what it was/what color it was. Can we assume that it was not something that would be a kesem issue? Does it matter that her period began the next day ? Thank […]

Is heter iska transferable if loan note is sold?

Question: I had a loan with a Jewish bank with a heter iska, and they sold my loan to another Jewish investor. Can I pay the interest to them or do I need to sign a new heter iska with them? Answer: Thank you for your question. If the loan was actually given from […]

Dentist on Fast Day

Question: Dear Rabbis, Thank you for providing such a wonderful web site. I have a dentist appointment for a filling on a fast day. I saw in another question that you recommend against mouth wash on a fast. Dental work usually involves washing the mouth out, sometimes with water. Do I need to reschedule the […]

Kosher status

Question: Hi Rabbi, I had a fleishing pot with just water in it boiling. And a dairy ceramic mug with cold water was poured into it several times as it was boiling. Is the pot still kosher? What about the mug– because it was possibly near the steam and could have been subject to splashes? […]

Found money in the shul

Question: Hi, I noticed some money between a bookshelf and a wall in the shul. I’ve seen it there for months. I finally took the small sandwich bag of money and saw that there are 14.5 nis in it. I assume that the person who the money belongs to put the money here purposefully, but […]

Maaser for care of gravesite?

Question: Rabbi, please tell me if I am allowed to use my maaser money for the upkeep of my husband’s grave (which I would pay to the cemetery). Answer: Thank you for your question. Maaser money should not be used to pay for the upkeep of a grave. This is because it is not […]

Tzedakah on Purim

Question: Is there an actual source for the widespread custom to give enormous amounts of tzedakah specifically on Purim? Answer: Thank you for your question. There are a few sources for the custom to give lots of money for tzedakah on Purim. However, the most direct source for this is what the Mishna Berura […]

Paying person for work- ribbis?

Question: I asked someone to buy me a few things and told them I’ll be paying them 5 percent of the total for their work and service (but not for the money put out) is there still an issue of ribbis Answer: Thank you for your question. This is not an issue of ribbis. This […]

Passover wine

Question: In our family, we always use Manischewitz concord red wine throughout the year. However, for Passover we have to make sure to buy the bottles that have the P (Kosher for Passover). What ingredients in Manischewitz concord red wine makes it normally “Kosher not for Passover use” and then changes to kosher for Passover. […]

Zachor

Question: In the shul that I daven, there is a second reading of zachor for woman right after mussaf. I wanted to be yotzei with this reading but the baal korei called out “l’hotzi the nashim.” There were many men still in shul (since it was right after mussaf) but I guess the baal korei […]

Elal double refund

Question: During Corona we booked flights on Elal and once they were cancelled, Elal closed all of its phone lines and it was impossible to reach them. I then disputed the charge, but finally got through to Elal and they told me I would get a refund. So I closed the dispute and waiting for […]

Yurtzeit

Question: My son wants to make a siyum on the night of his grandfather’s yurtzeit . Is that ok ? Answer: That is great, and a big zechus for his grandfather. I don’t see what is the potential reason that he shouldn’t. Best wishes

Machloket in the Chumash

Question: Hope you’re doing well dear rabbi. When I read the Chumash with a commentary, I see that rabbis have machloket all the time and they seem to ‘guess’ things, as if they’re not 100% sure on what they’re talking about. For instance; Rav A says “Oh, Jacob did this because of x”, and Rav […]

Items left in my house

Question: We had awhile in our home many items were left unclaimed I cannot identify whose they are a lot of these items are over40 years old I have many large plastic bags full is there anything I can do to be able to discard them I would think they are totally spoiled Answer: […]

Kashrus of vegetarian vitamins

Question: B”H Kavod haRav, Regarding taking a vegan vitamin that does not have kosher certification, may I take this vitamin with the following ingredients: DIM (Diindolylmethane) black pepper fruit extract (those 4 words are listed as one item) Vegetable Cellulose Organic Rice Concentrate Thank you. Answer: Thank you for your question. It is definitely […]

Using unmarked tissues in the sanctuary

Question: Hi, If there are tissues in a shul and they do not have a name on them, can I assume they are for the tzibbur or are hefker? Thanks in advance! Answer: Thank you for your question. If the tissues were left lying around, and not put in a private of hidden place, […]