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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Arranging party on Shabbat

Question: A friend arranged a party on Shabbat, deciding who will buy and cook which foods. Their justification was that it’s a mitzvah to be “marbeh shalom vereyus”. I have some questions about this: – Are they correct that a party with friends to increase camaraderie is cheftzey shamayim? – Is it permitted to plan […]

Accepting Shabbat by saying “Good Shabbos?”

Question: B”H Kavod HaRav, Is there any issue with texting someone about an hour before sunset and saying “Good Shabbos” in the text message? Could this somehow unintentionally obligate the texter to bring in Shabbat when they say “Good Shabbos?” Thank you sincerely. Good Shabbos   Answer: Hi, You don’t have to worry that you […]

Science replace religion?

Question: Shalom, That my “father” (doctor) relaced religion with science in the last 30 years I strongly suspect. That had a strong impact on my jewish fate – including suppendous suffering. (unfortunately the doctor is nozri) Yeshivishkayt overcomes any science. Do you have any suggestions for being baal teshuvah and escaping the struggle between relgion […]

Indoor hydroponic vegetables during Shmitta

Question: Shalom Rabbi, I would like to grow hydroponic vegetables (lettuce, basil, spinach etc) indoors (7th floor) using circulating water mixed with liquid fertilizer. The vegetables are in non-perforated container. There is no use of soil or grow media (perlite, Coco coir, etc). Is this permissible including germinating and planting hydroponically? I use foam, cotton […]

May one purchase food with a picture of idolatry on the packaging?

Question: There is a popular popcorn snack called the “Buddha Bowl” with a good hecksher on it. It has a picture of a cartoonish budda on the packaging. I assume not so because it has a hechsher, but could it be problematic to buy this snack?   Answer: There is no halachic problem with buying […]

Naming a child – what’s the real name.

Question: Hello, my wife’s grandmother is of the understanding that her mother’s name was Chayalla and we should use that name. She claims that her actual name is Chayalla not Chaya. I have a strong suspicion that her name was Chaya and they just called her Chayalla. Is there any precedent or history to actually […]

Moshe Rabeinu talking in Hashem’s name

Question: I was confused a few weeks ago when going over פרשת עקב. משה is doing all the talking. And when משה says over what Hashem said it is indicated – for example with the word לאמר or אמר ה. So why in שישי פסוק יג/יד is there no introduction that either Hashem is now […]

Yissachar Zevulun using Maaser

Question: Can you use Maaser for a Yissachar Zevulun Agreement?   Answer: You are asking an important question. The answer to this depends on how we view the Yissachar Zevuln agreement. According to R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l (Igros Moshe Y:D 4 37 (4,14,19)) the agreement is more of a business type of agreement, where the two […]

Favoring a different son for Bechor

Question: This weeks Parsha (Ki SeiTzei) clearly writes that one may not favor another son over his Bechor. If this is so, how was Yaakov Aveinu able to skip Reuven, his “Reishis Ono”, and give double Shevatim to Yosef, Kehuna to Levi, and kingship to Yehuda? Thank you   Answer: You are asking a good […]

Is it better or more of a Mitzvah to forgive a loan than to write a Pruzbol?

Question: Is it better or more of a Mitzvah to forgive a loan than to write a Pruzbol?   Answer: Thank you for your question. The idea of pruzbol is that Hillel saw that people were afraid and were abstaining from lending other money out of fear that they wouldn’t get their money back. He […]

Questions about Pruzbol and Shmitas Kesafim

Question: Can you explain it? Is it at the end of Shmitta, or at the beginning? What if it was not made, can a person still collect a loan? Can your BEIS DIN, make a Pruzbol for persons in America? Borrower does not own land? Answer: The idea of pruzbol is that Hillel saw that […]

How to handle a “commitment”

Question: Kvod Harav, I hired a non Jewish woman around 9 months ago to do some house cleaning through an internet-service that lists many professionals for hire. She did a good job and at the end, by way of saying “you did a great job”, I think I said something like “Wow, I definitely plan […]

Is there any downside/reason not to agree to be a Yissachar or Zevulun?

Question: My specific question is: IF it is written clearly in the contract that 1. the “Yissachar” only agrees on condition that he will not lose anything, 2. and the “Zevulun” only agrees to pay 100 shekels a day, (even though his income and the other’s expenses are far greater)… is there ANY downside for […]

Growing mushrooms on top of rice

Question: Is one allowed to use non kosher (without certification on packaging) precooked rice , as a means to grow gourmet mushrooms? Although from what I understand non kosher fertilizer is not a problem since it is זה וזה גורם. Since the Mushrooms grow entirely on the rice without anything else is it different? Does […]

Plata in Shabbes

Question: Shalom, is it allowed to use a plata that has time (that can be programmed to turn off and on at shabbes)? Answer: Here are a number of links to various questions on this topic that were discussed in various posts. Best wishes https://dinonline.org/2011/02/03/shabbos-hatmana-returning-food-to-heat-on-shabbos/ https://dinonline.org/2020/09/21/putting-food-on-a-hot-try-with-a-timer-only-going-on-a-few-hours-into-shabbos/ https://dinonline.org/2020/08/02/platta-on-shabbos-timer/ https://dinonline.org/2017/10/23/using-shabbat-clock-to-turn-on-oven-to-have-it-already-at-cook-after-shabbat/  

Planting in front of the synagogue

Question: Shalom Rabino, Referring to the last question about planting a tree in front of a synagogue, https://dinonline.org/2021/08/09/planting-tree-near-or-in-front-of-the-synagogue/ In the comment of Devarim 16:21 of Lekach Tov; Ramban, says that whatever tree planted in the entrance of a house of worship is call of asherah, what does that mean? Answer: The house of worship that the […]

Laws of “ULKAPROT PASHA” in Mussaf of Rosh Chodash

Question: In a leap year, one adds “ulakaprot pasha” in Mussaf of Rosh Chodash.(In Chadash Ulainu). What are the pertinent laws? When does it start, Nissan or Rosh Hashanah? When does it end, Nissan or Rosh Hashanah? If someone forgets to add it, must one repeat Mussaf? What if someone adds it in a non-leap […]