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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

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the tzedekah into daily (https://dailygiving.org/) or monthly for example instead of paying $180 at once, giving $18 withdrawn from account ten times over ten months.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 […]

Returning insignificant item

Question: I’m a Physical therapist who visits children’s homes for sessions. I noticed that apparently I mistakenly took a small ball from a child’s home. I looked on Amazon and saw that these balls are usually sold in large quantities like one or two hundred. The price of a single ball seems to be between […]

Wearing a hat in a community where the rov don’t wear hats

Question: Hi, I am a former yeshiva bochur living in a community where very few wear hats for davening. If I want to start wearing one for davening, it is muttar to do so in a community like mine? are there any chashashos of lack of cavod tzibbur/ harabanim? Answer: It is mutter for you […]

Slaughter Chickens For Kapporus If Not Used

Question: Lechvoud Harrabonim, I use a big Kaporus Center for my Kaporus. I learned that since there is a very big demand on Erev Yom Kipper and it is impossible to make the chickens kosher they throw all the slaughtered chickens in garbage. My question is first am I Yotzie the obligation of Kaporus, and […]

Saying tachanun on days of slichos

Question: Hi, if I said tachanun during slichos, do I say the ashamnu and do nefilas apayim after shemona esrei? Or do I skip to vhu rachum (mondays and thursdays) or shomer yisrael during the other days of the week. Or do I repeat the whole tachanun after shemona esrei? Thank you Answer: Everyone says […]

Bracha on toiveling a pot and its lid

Question: Should it be tevilat keli or tevilat keilim? (this is after the fact, I already opted for keilim since they are two distinct parts). Answer: Interesting question, in fact there is controversy about this, if we consider it two parts of one kli of as two separate keilim, and most poskim say that the […]

Can We Consider Rock Salt Already Cooked?

Question: Hi, I refer to a recent question that you answered and this link: https://dinonline.org/2020/09/15/ein-bishul-achar-bishul-can-a-solid-food-ever-lose-its-cooked-status/ An additional question has arisen based on this regarding rock salt. We learn that rock salt is not considered cooked (because it is mined) and therefore there may be issues using this type of salt on Shabbos (according to the […]

Teshuva for speaking Lashon Harah

Question: How can one do teshuva for speaking Lashon Harah about all Jews, or about all the Jews of a particular city? Answer: A person that spoke lashon hora about will have a hard time asking asking the whole city for mechila. However the bein adom lamakom part can be corrected, with the regular teshuva […]

Terumos and Maaser on Mushrooms

Question: Are mushrooms obligated in terumos and maaser? Thank you Answer: They are not obligated, even though they might appear as if they were planted on the ground, they grow from the air. As a side point, mushrooms sold in cans in Israel, are not grown locally, but in Holland and other countries, where terumos […]

Ein Bishul Achar Bishul – Can A Solid Food Ever Lose It’s Cooked Status

Question: Hi, In regards to Ein Bishul Achar Bishul … can a dry, solid, fully-cooked food every lose its cooked status. For example if I cook something and seal it for 10 years. After 10 years could I then take it out and warm it up on Shabbos (of course complying with all Halochos) utilising […]

Erev R”H Selichos bYechidus

Question: lkvod HaRav Due to my being high risk re Corona, I might be saying Erev R”H Selichos bYechidus. Are there certain Selichos that would constitute “must say” vs “nice to say” etc etc yoshor koach! Ksiva vChasima Tova Answer: When saying selichos b’yichidus one does not say the 13 middos “ Hahsem, Hashem,…” in fact we […]

Amount of Sheva Brachos for divorcee with single girl

Question: how many sheva brachos seudos does a divorced man & single never married girl have? Is it mandatory for family to arrange all these seudos sheva brachos for all the days required or no need to do all of them? Answer: If she is a besula then they have 7 days of sheva brachos. […]

Metzitzah during Covid-19

Question: Is Metzitzah still required during this pandemic in Eretz Yisroel. Grandson’s bris iyH on Thursday Answer: Mezitza is still required, and in fact many mohalim in Eretz Yisroel are doing it with their mouth, as numerous doctors argue that it is not dangerous, and that it doesn’t cause spread of the virus. (If it […]