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Follow up to original urn question

Question: Hi I forgot an an important piece of information regarding my original message about the urn so I’ll repost the whole message about that and add that piece of information which may or may not change original psak So I mistakenly put the wrong disposable hot cup under my urn this morning to make […]

Times of Divine Judgement and Mercy

Question: I’m having some trouble comprehending the Kabbalistic concept of HaShem’s different attributes at different times of day. Supposedly HaShem’s Divine Mercy occurs after midnight (hence why there is the opinion that selichot should only be said after this time). Could you please explain this concept – where is it from and where is it […]

Milky microwave – parev toaster

Question: Can I defrost bread in a milky microwave and then toast it in a parev toaster? Lchatchila would this be ok? And bdieved would it? Thank you Answer: It is a risky thing to do, because if the microwave has milk spilled on the bottom of the plate etc. then the bread is actually […]

Pasuk for Shmone Esrei

Question: What pasuk do I say in shemoneh esrei corresponding to my name? My name in devoireh braindel bas mirel faigel Answer: For דבורה- “דאגה בלב איש ישחנה ודבר טוב ישמחנה” (משלי י”ב-כה) בריינדל- “במקהלות ברכו אלהים ד’ ממקור ישראל” (תהלים 68- 27) Sources:  

Is there power to yud gimmel middos recited without a minyan and said with “trop”

Question: You posted a question about reciting the yud gimmel middos without a minyan and you posed the question, is there the same “power” to the yud gimmel middos recited alone and you never answered that. Can you please. Does the yud gimmel middos recited alone in quarantine effectuate the same koach or power as […]

forgiving or ignoring a narcissist

Question: Hi, there’s a lot of background to this question that’s nec. to show where I’m coming from for, so PLS read it all first! the question(s) is at the end. Thank you very very much! Hi, Sorry for the long question but it’s a lot of background, that’s nec. to show where I’m coming […]

Corn stalks used for Halloween for Schach

Question: A gardening nursery near my home is selling corn stalks for a non Jewish holiday called Halloween as a decoration. I do not know if it’s cut specifically for Halloween or not? Can it be purchased for scach l’chatchila? Please answer me ASAP. Thank you Answer: They are permitted to buy and use for […]

Donating to Hebrew free loan society – which mitzvah?

Question: Is donating a small sum to a Hebrew free loan society considered the mitzvah of tzedekah or the mitzvah of giving a loan? Answer: Essentially it is the mitzvah of giving a free loan, however if the person getting the loan is poor it would also be included in If the money is loaned […]

Fulfilling orders on Chol Hamoed

Question: Hi, is one allowed to fulfill online orders during chol hamoed? What would be the din if delaying fulfilling orders would affect your ratings, and by extension further sales? Answer: Essentially we should not be involved in business on chol hamoed unless it is needed for the chag. If not fulfilling the orders will […]

Others potentially working on holidays

Question: Hello, I asked the assistant in my office to do something today and, because it involves multiple people and steps, it is possible that someone will end up working on it on Yom Kippur or another holiday. Is this a problem because the request came from me (even though I did not ask on […]

Do i have to fast since i am still recovering from covid

Question: recovering from covid Answer: You definitely have to fast. Regarding taking shiurim of liquids, that depends on your present condition, general health etc. and it should be discussed with your local doctor and rov.. Take care of this quickly ,because Sunday is already erev Yom Kippur. Gmar chasima tova an drefuah shleima Sources:  

Kaparos and Mistreatment of Chickens

Question: There is a lot of hype lately about mistreatment of chickens before they get slaughtered for kaparos. Animals that are raised for kosher slaughter, do they have animal rights? And do protestors have a claim that animals that are bred for mass kosher slaughterers must not be treated differently than their pets? They cry […]

Promise to blow shofar for homebound – binding?

Question: Our synagogue (both Rabbi and administrators) committed itself to blow shofar near our home on the second day of Rosh Hashana, and sent us a schedule, but no one came. Apparently they went to other blocks and apartments and just forgot our block. Did they have a halachic obligation? If so, which halachos apply? […]

Calling from Israel to America on second day yomtov

Question: Can I call from Israel to America on second day yomtov in chutz laaretz ? Answer: You may call a gentile, but not a Jew. Additionally a random place is prermitted because we can assume that the people working these are gentiles (unless you know otherwise). Gmar chasima tova Sources:  

Eating an extended meal for Birkat HaMazon

Question: Dearest Rabbi: What if during an extended bread meal there was a time in that meal of maybe 72 minutes where they weren’t sure they ate or drank in the middle? Like they got up to read Torah and lost track of the time. Can they still recite Birkat HaMazon? Answer: yes they still […]

Paying for magazine subscription

Question: B”H Thank you so much for your help. My question is: before becoming observant, I had a sports magazine subscription. I was recently going through papers from years ago, and saw paperwork indicating that the subscription at one point was past due/unpaid. It is possible that I paid for the subscription eventually, but I […]

Do monthly/daily tzedekah withdrawals count as separate instances of giving tzedekah?

Question: Dearest Rabbi: On tzedekah platforms, sometimes I see an option to divide the tzedekah into daily (https://dailygiving.org/) or monthly for example instead of paying $180 at once, giving $18 withdrawn from account ten times over ten months. Does this count spiritually as giving tzedekah once or ten times? Answer: The Rambam (Pirkei Avos 3-15) […]

What to do if intentionally missed shacharis after chatzos

Question: I’ve asked many rabbis but i haven’t been able to get a clear definite answer, some are too afraid to comment on it, one Rav even said “i don’t answer such questions, ask a mashpia” and the mashpia doesn’t know what to do in all cases So two scenarios, either one intentionally missed shacharis […]

Fleishig Corelle dish washed with Dairy dish sponge

Question: A guest of ours washed her fleishig dish (corelle) after eating chicken and side dishes, by mistake at our dairy sink with a dairy dish sponge…the sponge had not been used today.. Not sure if 24 hours have passed since last use. She says she used cold water (or at least not very hot). […]

Kissing the fingers and tzitzis while wearing a face mask

Question: At the minyan I daven at, face masks are required. With that in mind, during parts of davening like Ashrei and Shema, should one still kiss one’s fingers/tzitzis after touching the shell Yad and shell Rosh if one is wearing a face? Answer: The idea is the gesture that we are showing love for […]

Hefsek when kissing the tzitzis during Kriyas Shema

Question: When kissing tzitzis during kriyas Shema, is not considered a hefsek to stop in the middle of a sentence and kiss the tzitzis? Answer: It is not considered a hefsek, because he is not taking out and saying unrelated words. There are instances when we should not make a hefsek in time. such as […]

Husband obligation to feed his wife and mazal.

Question: How seriously should one take the tos and tos harosh in kesuvos daf 2b(at the top) D”H “matziah..”- in which they say that a wife is a “field” of her husband and therefore everything that happens to her is because of the husband. The Tos’ Harosh says ” a woman…. is dependant on his […]

Yichud when telling neighbor to come over

Question: One advice generally given to prevent yichud is to give a key to a neighbor to make a pesach pasuach. Does it work if you just tell the neighbor, “drop in sometime tonight” ? I would think that you should need to say ” Come in as much as you want” or something similar […]

Putting food on a hot try with a timer only going on a few hours into Shabbos

Question: I’m currently learning in a local Hilchos Shabbos chabura and a shailah regarding food and a hot tray has come up. Would there be any chashash of נתינה בתחלה and chazora with putting already cooked food, which is still warm from being taken out of the oven and there is a small amount of […]

Touching up paint on shel rosh and shel yad tefillin. How many declarations?

Question: If one wants to touch up both the tefillin shel rosh and tefillin shel yad. Does he vae to recite L’shem Kedushas Tefillin once for both pairs or twice (one decleration for each tefillin)? Answer: If he is painting both of the tefillin at the same time, saying it once is sufficient.   Sources: […]

Once A Brocha Said Is there Still an Order to Eating

Question: Hi. If you say a brocha rishona on a category of food according to the correct priorities, does one have to still prioritise what they eat thereafter. For example on Rosh hashonah if I had a date, pomegranate and apple for simanim. You say a brocha on the date first as it’s the highest […]