From “Guidelines to Tefilla” by Rabbi Elozor Barclay and Rabbi Yitzchok Jaeger Where to Light The laws of where to light the menorah are extremely complex, and in many circumstances there are different opinions. In this chapter, general guidelines are provided, and ideally a rav should be consulted. 1. Where should the menorah be […]
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Binding the Arba Minim
The custom is to bind it in three places, corresponding to the three Avos. The highest knot must be at least 8cm below the top of the spine, to allow the leaves to rustle when the lulav is waved.
Sukkot Guide – Building the Sukkah
Chapter One Building the Sukkah When should one begin to build the sukkah? According to most opinions, one should begin on the day after Yom Kippur. It is praiseworthy to make a small start on motzaiYom Kippur in order to go immediately from one mitzvah to another. If this will not leave him sufficient time to complete […]
Ice in kiddush cup
Question: Can you put ice in your kiddush cup to make it full or if you just want it to be cold Answer: It is permitted to put ice into the cup in order to make it full. However by putting the ice inside, you run the risk of diluting the wine, therefore it would […]
Vayikro-The Permissibility and Perils of Keeping a Store Open on Purim
Keeping a Store Open on Purim Question: May I keep my store open on Purim? Answer: This is really two questions: (1) Does the halacha permit working on Purim? and (2) If it does, is it proper and advisable to work on Purim? The Gemara (Megilla 5B) concludes that Purim is not a […]
Parshas Ki Setsei – Rabbi Fleischman – Articles
Hot Coals Damage a Company Car Question: One of our workers on the night shift returned from work at 6:00 A.M. and parked a company car in a grassy area adjacent to the road and went to sleep. When he returned later, our employee noticed that he had parked the car over […]
Rabbi Fleischman – Articles
Question (Submitted by a Reader): I recently bought a set of Artscroll Chumash with Rashi from my friend in yeshiva. He had put up a sign saying that it’s used and has his name in it. However, after I bought it I noticed there were several additional problems with it: his name was written across […]
Heter Iska
This Heter Iska was adapted from a model Heter Iska presented in Rabbi Yisroel Reisman’s book, “The Laws of Ribis: The Laws of Interest and their Application to Everyday Life and Business”
Taking a Mortgage on Behalf of a Relative
Question: My son is in the process of purchasing a house. In order to arrange the financing he needs to take a mortgage. However, he is still young and doesn’t have much of a credit rating. Therefore, the bank isn’t willing to lend him sufficient funds. May I take a mortgage from […]
Parshas Devorim Taking a Mortgage on Behalf of a Relative
By Rabbi Yosef Fleischman Question: My son is in the process of purchasing a house. In order to arrange the financing he needs to take a mortgage. However, he is still young and doesn’t have much of a credit rating. Therefore, the bank isn’t willing to lend him sufficient funds. May I […]
Question in Choshen Mishpot
By Rabbi Yosef Fleischman Question: Reuvain gave me a sum of money to return to Shimon, his creditor. However, Reuvain also owes me money. May I keep the money for his debt to me, or must I carry out Reuvain’s wishes? Answer: It depends on three factors: One is what Reuvain said. The […]
Question in Choshen Mishpot
By Rabbi Yosef Fleischman Reneging on a Job Offer Question: My company is looking to hire an employee. After interviewing numerous candidates, I decided to hire one and I verbally informed him of my selection. Before signing a contract, I was informed of someone who had much more experience. […]
What is the halacha of use of a challal (empty space) located directly under their apartment?
Question: We live in a multi-family apartment in Israel (just beyond the green line). Our apartment building was built on a hillside so it is setup in such a way that all minus floors (we live on fl. -2) have a chatzer (large yard). We discovered that located directly under our house was a large […]
Is one advised against learning the Moreh Nevuchim?
Question: I’ve heard many conflicting opinions as to who should, or should not learn the Rambam’s Moreh Nevuchim, is there an audience that it wouldn’t be appropriate for? Is there any reason one should not learn it? Answer: Nowadays there are many that are of the opinion that we should not learn Moreh Nivuchim. The […]
Does a hot water urn need to be toveled
Question: Does a hot water urn need to be toveled? If so how is it done that Answer: I am assuming that you are asking about a simple hot water urn, and not one that has digital display and a computer chip. A hot water urn needs tevila, even though it plugs into the wall, […]
Laying from Kollel
Question: I am the dean at a local Kollel. The students in my Kollel are supposed to be involved with the students at the nearby college, and the non-affiliated families in the area. I accepted one man, let’s call him Arye. Arye made a nice impression on me, and I thought he would be a […]
“You shall give him his wage on his day”
Question: “You shall give him his wage on his day” (Devarim 24:15) is a Torah statute. I travel a lot on public busses. Does this law also refer to the money I pay for a ride on the bus? Since the worker, or owner of the bus company, is not there driving the bus, […]
Retail chain
Question: I own a retail chain that sells men’s and lady’s apparel. Each of my stores is run by a manager – reliable, trustworthy people who worked their way up from a regular salesman to an outlet manager over a number of years, after having proven themselves trustworthy and reliable. One night, about a […]
Renteing
I just recently rented an apartment. Come winter, the walls got covered with mold. Now, I know that mold is unhealthy and is certainly very unsightly. I called the owner up and told him to bring someone to clean off the mold, but he never did. I cleaned it off myself and had to […]
Debt and Interest
Question: Three years ago, we bought an apartment from a Jew who is committed to the Torah way of life. My husband paid with checks that didn’t go through for some reason, and the owner of the apartment took my husband to court. The court ruled that we were obligated to pay the full sum […]
Conditional Air Conditioner
Question: For years we have been living very well without air conditioning. I guess my apartment has particularly good ventilation, and we managed, even on the hottest days of the year, with only a couple of fans. Now, though, things have changed. Global warming or growing children – I don’t know the reason, but […]
Murky Mortgages
Question: Dear Rabbi, We have just bought a new apartment in Tel Aviv. Since we could not pay out the whole sum right away, we took a mortgage from a Mizrachi bank in Ramat Gan. We didn’t think to ask about a heter iska assuming that all bank in Israel had one. I told […]
Pay in Advance
Question: My daughter wants to take piano lessons. The music school has a policy that parents have to pay for the whole year in advance. Is that permitted? I will not be receiving any discount because of my early payment. It’s just the school’s policy. Answer: Paying in advance for a course is permitted, […]
Fly Away, Fly Away
Question: Hello, My mother, may she live and be healthy, decided to buy two parrots for herself and my father in honor of their wedding anniversary. Those parrots were really cute and all the grandchildren came over to see the little colorful birds. I guess I was too excited about them and when I […]
A Suit to Suit
Question: Rabbi, I get a Mazal Tov! Six days ago my wife gave birth to a baby boy. He looks just like me and the bris will take place a day after tomorrow. So why am I writing you? Because I have nothing to wear to the bris. Now, I know this sounds like […]
Can I Skip the Agent
Question: I work as a freelance graphic artist, producing pictures and advertisements for various customers. I have one client, an advertising executive, whom I service occasionally doing all kinds of jobs for campaigns he runs. One of his clients, the owner of a chain of book stores, saw my name somewhere while he was […]
Useless Work
Question: Dear Rabbi, I own an insurance agency. We have a few dozen workers and it’s a great business, so every so often we have to hire more people. Sometimes, when all I need is another secretary or bookkeeper, I’ll hire girls just out of seminary. After interviewing them, I call them in for a […]
Inadvertent Advertising
שלום כבוד הרב, יש לי עסק פרסום. אנו מדפיסים חוזרים המכילים פרסומות של אנשים, סיפורים כמה מתכונים כדי שאנשים אוהבים לקרוא “העיתון” שלנו. ביום בשבוע כרגיל אנו להדפיס כ -4,500 עותקים ויש לי שליחים קבועים, ויעבירו אותו בתים ובניינים. רוב הזמן אנשים לקרוא את זה אבל לפעמים זה מסתיים בזבל ואני בסדר עם זה -. […]
Mid- Season Firing
Question: Dear Rabbi, I make a living from tutoring private students. I take one only a select number of students every ‘zman’ so I can give each my full attention. For two years I learned with a boy named Yerachmiel. He had learning difficulties and could not sit still for long. I made charts […]
Shutfim – Partnerships
Question: Dear Rabbi, I live in a wonderful building. My neighbors are always doing favors to one another and there are never any fights. If we don’t see eye-to-eye on something, we hurry to ask a rav, or consult with the beis din, and after we do what was paskened, we can forget the […]
Damages
Question: My name is Channie. I just recently got my license but I don’t own a car, and the only car I drive is my parents’ car. One day I went to my friend Raizel. She is still in the middle of taking Drivers’ Ed, but her parents, since she is their only child […]
Amount of hymen bleeding
Question: My wife saw hymen blood 3 times. On the fourth night we didn’t see any blood, but in the morning she noticed that on the pillow which was under her there was a tiny spot and she’s not sure if it’s blood or not, and could be it was there from before. Answer: Good […]
Women Swimming Where Men Can See
Question: If a family was camping in a remote location and wished to go swimming what is the level of frequency or chance of men passing which would made it forbidden for a woman to bathe immodestly? Answer: If the location is “remote,” to the degree that men passing by will be “surprising,” it is […]
Bedikat Chametz Blessing in a Family Holiday House
Question: If one is living in a holiday home of parents or in-laws on a semi permanent basis and they visit for Pesach who says the beracha of bedikat chametz? Answer: Each one can say the beracha for his specific rooms – say, the parents themselves for their bedroom, and the family living there for […]
New clothes during Omer
Question: 1. If one’s shoes are broken – can one buy new ones during the Omer? 2. Can one have a new Shabbat suit fitted and made by a tailor during the Omer. I saw it brought that it is dependent on minhag hamakom and as long as one pays for it after the Omer. […]
Invited to Home with Chametz
Question: If one has a family member who hasn’t sold his chametz over Pesach (due to ignorance), can one go into that house on Pesach? Is there a fear that one may come to eat chametz like in certain cases of gentiles having chametz in front of Jews where we advise a mechitza to be in […]
Adar and Purim
“משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה” Purim is a festival of joy, of simcha, a holiday full of faith in Hashem. In Adar, we are commanded to rejoice even more than usual. for the upcoming Adar and Purim, We collected for you articles related to the month of Adar, Purim, Fast of Esther ,reading the Megillah, Machatzis Ha-Shekel, gifts to the poor – Matanos La’Evyonim, sending portions one to another – mishloach manos and all the other issues and questions about the month […]
Abortion and Contraception
What is the halacha on abortion and contraception? Answer: Please see Abortion in Torah Law and Family Planning in Halachah.
Payed Parking
I live in a neighborhood where parking for the “mercaz” store area was free for many years (close to 2 decades). Recently, in an effort to free up more parking spots (which were being used/abused by residents and businesses, rather than customers) the city zoned the parking as requiring payment. The easiest way to pay […]
did not receive answer
What does it mean when I get an email back from you answering my question and the link takes me to a page not found Answer: technical glitch, will resend, if you still do not receive,please resubmit the question
Status of Property Manager
As a property manager, my pay or income happens only when the property produces income. I get paid a percent of the income. No income No pay. A question has arisen where it seems that the answer hinges if I am Shomer Chunom or Shomer Sucher. Your opinion would be appreciated. Thank you in advance. […]
Hair Spray on Purim for Boys
Is it muttar for a boy over bar mitzvah to color his hair with hairspray for Purim dress up? Thanks Answer: This is usually done in a way that is not feminine in nature, rather funny and outlandish [in a way no woman would ever dye their hair]. This would be permitted on Purim. Sources: […]
Seudas Bris on Shabbos
Is it permissible to make a seudas bris on Friday night after kabbalas shabbas for a bris held on Friday morning? Answer: Yes, I presume you mean after Maariv as well. Sources: See Shulchan Aruch O:C 325:4
Parshas Mishpatim — Baal Talin – part 4
Maareh Mekomos: Bava Metziah 110B-112A Choshen Mishpat 339 Ketzos and R”A Eiger Ibid Nesivos end of 333 Shulchan Aruch beg. of 333
Article on paying dayanim
Do you have any articles in english on Schar Batalah/payment for Dayanim? Answer: There are currently no articles. Check in from time to time as new articles are put up on a regular basis.
Cutting Board on Shabbos
Can one cut vegetables on a cutting board on Shabbos? Does it matter if the cutting board is from wood or from plastic? Many thanks, Answer: As long as the rules for cutting vegetables on Shabbos are kept, a cutting board may be used. This includes cutting them slightly larger pieces than usual and cutting […]
Parshas Yisro — Baal Talin – part 3
Maareh Mekomos: Bava Metziah 110B-112A Choshen Mishpat 339 Ketzos and R”A Eiger Ibid Nesivos end of 333 Shulchan Aruch beg. of 333
Parashas Yisro – The Righteous Convert
Acceptance of Mitzvos as Part of the Conversion Procedure Two aspects of this week’s parashah connect the weekly reading with an issue that has recently made headlines in Jewish society worldwide—and in Israel in particular: Conversion to Judaism. Yisro was the first person to convert to the nascent nation of Israel. Additionally, the giving of […]
Parsha Ponderings – Yisro – Don’t Just be Moved, Move!!!
וישמע יתרו כהן מדין חתן משה את כל אשר עשה אלקים למשה ולישראל עמו And Yisro, priest of Midian and father-in-law of Moshe, heard all that God had done for Moshe and Israel, his nation. Yisro, the quintessential truth-seeker, finally heard something that drove him to take the plunge and join the Israelite camp […]
Parshas Beshalach — Baal Talin – part 2
Maareh Mekomos: Bava Metziah 110B-112A Choshen Mishpat 339 Ketzos and R”A Eiger Ibid Nesivos end of 333 Shulchan Aruch beg. of 333