For donations Click Here
Ask Question

Author Archives: Rabbonim of the Beis Hora'a

Can i trim my beard?

Question: The only real problem with trimming is that it is the way of women to beautify themselves, but since it is the minhag hamidina nowadays for men to remove certain parts of hair (ie.beard, eyebrows etch…) it should be allowed to cut or trim those parts of hair. Thank you I really appreciate it. Answer: […]

Music in shower

Question: Is it mutar to listen to music in the shower. I have heard differing opinions on this. Thank you very much Answer: It is true there are different opinions about it, and ideally you shouldn’t, but there are poskim to rely on. see the following link https://dinonline.org/2020/04/30/listen-to-music-or-shiur-while-in-shower/ Best wishes

Listen to music or shiur while in shower

Question: Is it permissible to listen to Jewish music or to a shiur while taking a shower? Answer: To make things clear, you are asking regarding listening to pesukim or a torah shiur, which you are not talking torah words, but rather only thinking torah thoughts. We have to differentiate between different situations. If the […]

Forgotten shaala on knives put aside for kashering

Question: Few sharp cutting knives aside from Shalla that was not asked. From few months or year ago. Don’t recall Shalla. They are all clean. Some are milchig, one pareve that may have been used for milk, I think I have fleishig ones aside too. Can I kasher them all same way, same time? I […]

Criticizing the State of Israel and/or Government

Question: I recently read your interesting question and answer regarding the prohibition against publicly criticizing Jews and Jewish leaders because it violates the principle of loshon horo. I was wondering whether the same prohibition applies to criticizing Jewish or mostly Jewish “collectives” — for instance the State of Israel, a Jewish organization, a Jewish-run business […]

Shloshim ending during Sefirah

Question: In a situation where one became an avel before Pesach, and shloshim ended during sefirah, would the avel be allowed to shave/get a haircut since he did not have an opportunity to do so before Pesach? Thank you. Answer: If the aveilus is for a parent, the child has to wait about three months, […]

Sun tanning on Shabbos

Question: From what I understand, suntanning is not permitted on Shabbos, but sitting or walking in the sun is not forbidden. May I sit in the backyard on Shabbos even though i will get tanned? What exactly makes it assur? If I take off my shirt, does it then become assur? Whereas if I sit […]

Is Blue Jay kosher for Shiluach Haken?

Question: Is Blue Jay kosher for Shiluach Haken? Answer: The general rule is that if the bird is essentially kosher, even if we do not eat it because it doesn’t have a mesorah, then shiluach haken should be done. However if the bird does not have kosher simanim, then it should not be done. It […]

Singing שם ה׳ with Ba’al Koreh

Question: It is common practice that at the end of an aliyah, people sing the last couple of words with the Ba’al Koreh. If these last words include Hashem’s name (e.g. Beresheet 6:8), is it permitted to sing along with the Ba’al Koreh, or would one be in violation of Lo Tisa? Answer: It depends […]

I cut an onion with a flaishig knife and put it into a parave blender.

Question: I cut an onion with a fleishig knife and put it into a parave blender. Is the blender still parave? Thank you Answer: There is controversy about this, and many poskim say that there is no need to kasher it. It is however a preference to kasher the actual blade, by inserting it into […]

Is tweeting bad things about a Jew not allowed?

Question: Dear Rabbis, I have a question that touches upon the spheres of journalism and lashon hara. I recently watched an excellent Netflix program which paints a rather unflattering picture of ,,,,,,,, — alleging that he is something of a slumlord and that the company he controls has a long history of treating tenants poorly. Is […]

Inheritance of property: Does initial inheritance still stand with new discovery?

Question: BS”D Regarding the laws of inheritance of property, if a daughter inherits because no male heir is known, but after the property is transferred a male heir is discovered; by halachah, does the daughter keep the inheritance, or must it be transferred to the son? Could I also please be informed of the source(s)? […]

Reuse of water used for kashering utensils

Question: Can the boiling water used for kashering utensils be reused for cooking? For example, to cook noodles. Answer: We do not reuse the water that was used to kasher for drinking. Although it can be argued that the non kosher taste is botil and nat bar nat, nevertheless this is the minhag Sources: Rema […]

Getting rid of nonjewish books?

Question: Concerning Abramelin the Mage, this book is arguably non Jewish in origin, but is based on Kabbalah magic and Jewish theology. How would one get rid of it since it contains divine names (has the Tetragrammaton on the cover)? Answer: It should be put into shaimos, and this way whatever it is , it […]

Tachanun in outdoor minyan (nusach Ashkenaz)

Question: We have a sefer Torah but it’s kept indoors and not visible until brought outside. On Mon/Thur do we not do nefilas apayim or should we bring out the sefer Torah either before davening (it will be laid on a table and covered with a talis) or after chazaras hashatz, at which time someone […]

Am I able to perform hatarat nidarim online to annul a stringency I took upon myself?

Question: I would like to annul the stringency of only keeping chalav yisrael dairy products as it has become increasingly difficult to do in my current situation. Am I able to do this through a video call of 3 men (including myself) or by having 2 men (one who could read Hebrew and one that […]

Do you need to give maaser from a loan?

Question: Hi rabbi, some has loaned us some money, we would like to know if we need to give 10% of that to maaser/tzedaka? Many thanks. Answer: Thanks for your question. You would not have to give ma’aser on the money of the loan itself, because it is not considered a profit. You would however […]

Fence around slanted roof used regularly

Question: Would one need to make a fence around a slanted roof if they walk on it regularly? I know most rabbanim say that a slanted roof does not need a fence since one usually only goes on the roof occasionally for repairs. A member of my family has recently been going out the bedroom […]