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Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Borer – removing skin from chicken for aesthetic reasons

Question: If one has a food that they wish to serve, for example, chicken or fish, where some eat the skin while others do not, but the hostess wants to serve it without the skin because it looks nicer, would taking it off on Shabbos be a problem of Borer or not? thank you Answer: […]

Eruv Tavshilin: Baal habayis or baalas Habayis

Question: Does it matter whether for the man or the woman to prepare eruv tavshilin and make the bracha? Is this preference psak din, custom, preferred? Does the man (ba’al habayis)’s Eruv Tavshilin include more others than the woman’s. Thank you. Good Shabbos Good Yom Tov Answer: The custom is that the head of the […]

Manufactured grape juice- Stam Yanom?

Question: To make a kosher grape juice, does one have to be Jewish? or even a bnei noach can make and make it kosher? Answer: Yes, the people involved in the manufacturing of the grape juice, from after it is pressed, have to be Jewish, otherwise it will be stam yanom, and we can not […]

benefitting from work done on Shabbat

Question: B”H Thank you for your help, it is sincerely appreciated. If two Jewish people are roommates, and one is Shabbat observant and the other is not yet Shabbat observant, and the Shabbat observant person is expecting a delivery via USPS on Shabbat and they ask the not-yet observant roommate to please not sign for […]

Reheated chicken soup poured into glass cup

Question: I had thought that already prepared chicken soup (which was in a throwaway plastic container) was actually parve soup, and reheated it in a parve stainless pot, and then poured it into two milchig glass cups, and then added cold milk!! Could I kasher the pot with boiling water? What about the cups? I had […]

Would this suit have shatnez

Question: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/hugo-hugo-boss-mens-classic-fit-stretch-dark-blue-plaid-suit-jacket?ID=9617528 I have heard that boss suits have had shatnez not sure if this would have Answer: My apologies but for such a question you have to ask you local shatnez laboratory. If you need help in finding someone local let me know. Best wishes

No kosher meat that touched kosher product

Question: B”H Thank you sincerely for your help, I really appreciate it. If non kosher meat (cold) brushed against a sealed kosher product, and the outside of the kosher product (a plastic new container of sealed hummus and a plastic container of sealed new iced coffee), is anything other than wiping down the outside required […]

Prohibition of having children in difficult times

Question: BS”D Why is it forbidden to have children and marital relationships in times of calamity or difficult? Answer: The reason is that when Klal Yisroel is going through a calamity, that we should also be in pain, (Rashi Taanis 11). On a practical level it is questionable if it applies in our present day […]

Can one use a slotted spoon on Shabbos

Question: Can one use a slotted spoon on shabbos Answer: In general a slotted spoon should not be used on Shabbos. The reason being is that it is meant to separate the liquid from the solid food that you want, and is considered a kli that does borer. Best wishes Sources: Shvisas Shabbos- Meraked-11, Shevet […]

When to say the ShLaH’s tefilla for children this year?

Question: Hi. Can you tell me when to say the ShLaH’s tefilla for children this year, that erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan is Shabbos? On Shabbos? Before Shabbos? Thanks Answer: Thank you for your question. We are allowed to say Tefillas Ha ShLaH on Shabbos even though it is a tefiilah, and generally we don’t say […]

Purée Frozen Fruit to make smoothies

Question: Is it permissible to buy frozen strawberries, blueberries, blackberries which do not have a hashgacha for purpose of puréeing them and making smoothies ? Or does it require a hashgacha anyway ? Answer: Please see the following link,were a similar question is discussed.  https://dinonline.org/2020/03/26/kashrut-blackberries/ Have a great day. Sources:  

Torah and bnei noach

Question: BS”D Shalom, Is there a halakha that prohibits bnei noach from studying the torah? Answer: In general if a gentile wants to do mitzvos, he may, except for two mitzvos that a gentile may not do. These are torah learning and keeping Shabbos. regarding torah learning  the Gemora (Sanhedrin 59a)  says that it is […]

Buying baby clothes before birth

Question: Hello, What is the source for not buying baby clothes before birth? And practicaly speaking, how is one to deal with this is places where one is discharged from hospital hours after birth (espacially – but not only – with the current situation)? Thank you Answer: I am not aware of any halacha that […]

“Sit in beth midrash alone”

Question: Dear Rabbi I hope that everything is healthy at yours, as well as your mishpoche. Allegedly Hagaon M’vilna had been sitting in Beth Midrash alone. Maybe you have a link or a tip, what that means for me? I like the perush [of good perushim (shel fear ve ahava of heaven] way. A soon response would be […]

Is it a problem to bring a sefer torah to a outdoor minyan?

Question: is it a problem to bring a sefer torah to a outdoor minyan? Answer: It is permitted to bring the Sefer Torah to the outdoor minyan. Although it is better for the sefer torah to be in the place that it will be read from, however in our present Corona virus situation that is […]

Tuition obligation during a pandemic

Question: Chashuvah Dayanim, My son is 19 yrs old and goes to a new yeshiva bais medrash usually from 10:00 – 5:30. The yeshiva has 8 bochurim and is completing its first year. Tuition for me is $800/month. Since about the end of March or the beginning of April (whenever the yeshivos shut down due […]

Cleaning oneself after bathroom

Question: 1) When wiping oneself of feces after using the bathroom, to what extent must one wipe themselves to remove all traces of feces? Often times, one can keep finding additional amounts upon every additional wiping. 2) When changing a baby’s diaper, it is sometimes difficult to remove all traces of feces, as the baby […]

Why do we end davening the same way as four Mesechtos are ended?

Question: Many have mentioned the segulah these days of reciting pitum haketores. I was wondering why is it that specifically Brachos, Nazir, Yevamos and Creisos that are ended with the conclusion of Pitum Haketores? There must be something unique about the paragraph when relating to those Mesechtos? Answer: You are asking an interesting question, why […]

Ribis on credit card bonus

Question: If I spend a certain amount of money on my credit card within the first 3 months I get a cash bonus from the credit card company. if I let someone use my credit card do I need to give them the cash bonus percentage of what they spent(assuming that I needed their spending to reach my goal that I […]

Does the seller owe me a commission for helping me sell his business

Question: Thanks for “hearing” my sheilah. A few weeks ago I saw an ad in a Jewish newspaper for a small online business for sale. I called and spoke to the seller (lets call him Abe) a few times & was interested in possibly buying it. He also emailed me the business tax return & […]

Yayin Nesech by Muslims and Christians and irreligious non-jews

Question: Outside of idolatrous places like india, is there a true Yayin Nesech issue these days, or is it just something nice to do? There seems to be zero or extremely rare cases where any goy used wine or grape juice in an avoda zara ritual. Answer: You are correct, we don’t really have true […]

Is there a chiyuv of kriyas ha-torah when davening without a minyan?

Question: Is there a chiyuv of kriyas ha-torah when davening without a minyan? This is relevant at the moment when many can’t daven with a minyan because of corona-related restrictions. Is there a difference between kriyah on weekdays and on Shabbos? If there isn’t a chiyuv m’ikar ha-din, is it praiseworthy nonetheless? Thanks and keep up […]

Wearing shoes, slippers for davening

Question: Should one wear shoes for tefilla? If so, are slippers sufficient? If it is permitted for some parts of tefilla and forbidden for other parts of tefilla, please specify? For example, forbidden for the amidah but permitted at other times. Is there a difference between men and women? For example, forbidden for men but […]

Ben Eretz Yisroel saying Tehillas H (the last part of shir hamalos) when in Chutz l’aretz

Question: If i’m not mistaken, the main minhag for bnei Chol is to say “tehillas H” (the last part of shir hamalos) before benching, whilst the main minhag for bnei EY is not to. When a ben EY is in Chol, should he say tehillas H? If the answer is no, is it permitted for […]

Poured milk into jar to get out choco, did the Jar need tevila

Question: Hello, Earlier today my wife made a hot Choco from leftovers of a chocolate spread. The sheilah we have is as follows: She boiled milk in a pot on the fire, then took the glass jar of chocolate spread (that still had some leftovers inside, but not enough to scrape out) and poured the […]

Money received in my account

Question: B”H Shalom! Some days ago noticed that a insurance company which days before deposited a smaller amount after medical expenses,deposited more money. I did not receive any communication about this second deposit. Do I have to inform the company about that,or may I “wait and see”? Answer: With he assumption that the insurance company […]