Suppose somebody works for a company, and controls its finances , as a controller or CFO. This CFO has the ability to use his personal credit cards, or credit cards that he has obtained in the company’s name (Corporate Card) by utilizing his credit, to pay bills for the company. He then uses the company’s […]
Author Archives: Admin-EN
Deli Roll
In America many people have deli roll. This is basically puff pastry dough pocket with deli meat inside of it. In the end the product looks like a pocket with deli meat inside of it. What is the bracha on such an item? Is it pas haba bkisnin because the dough isn’t just made of […]
Double Apartment for Vaad Bayit
I have asked a similar sheila in the past but I would like to re-ask the sheila with more accurate details. My building was built about twenty years ago. The kablan advertised 3 room & 4 room apartments and a penthouse. Family R requested to buy the penthouse and the 4 room apartment beneath it, […]
Kaparos Money
Does the money from kaparos have to go to a certain kind of tzedakah, or can it go to any charity cause? Answer: The money should be given for the benefit of the poor, and not for shuls and other causes. If the money will benefit the poor, there is no difference regarding the type […]
Bishul Akum for Potato Chips
Are OU potato chips bishal akum? Answer: There is no problem of bishul akum in any type of potato chips. Sources: Potato chips are a snack, which is not consumed at meals. The Gemara teaches that only those foods which are served at a king’s table together with bread are prohibited (see Rambam, Laws of […]
Adon Olam/Yigdal at Home
Does a woman say Adon Olam & Yigdal when davening at home? They come right after Ma Tovu which you say should not be said at home. Answer: Yes. Adon Olam and Yigdal are not related to a shul: Adon Olam declares the mastery of Hashem over the world, and Yigdal summarizes Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of […]
Chanukah Candles on Motzaei Shabbos
If one is staying at their inlaws for the shabbos of chanukah and plans on going home that night motzei shabbos, should one light at one’s in laws’ channuka party, or at home later in the night. If, I am suppose to light later that night at home, can I eat food at the party […]
Crushing Snow on Shabbos
Can one stomp on snow with intention to make it melt and/or soften it? Answer: It is forbidden to stomp on snow with the intention of making it melt (or soften it, which leads it to melt). However, it is permitted to walk on snow, providing there is no intention of crushing the snow. Sources: […]
Ice Maker on Shabbos
Can one use the ice of an automatic ice maker on Shabbos? Should one turn off the machine? Answer: There is no problem in using the ice that the machine makes automatically on Shabbos. However, one must ensure that taking ice out of the machine won’t activate the machine to make more ice. If it […]
Kiwi
What is the proper beracha to make on a kiwi? Answer: A kiwi is a regular fruit, and its beracha is borei peri ha’etz.
Brokerage Obligations
I am looking to purchase an apartment in Israel. I contacted a few brokers and told them what I wanted. One broker I contacted was from a random Google search, that directed me to a certain brokerage, and when I sent an email to them, an Israeli broker emailed back and we started discussing many […]
Honey Nut Cheerios
What berachah should one make on honey nut cheerios? Answer: As far as I recall, “honey nut cheerios” is a wheat-based cereal, and its berachah would therefore be borei minei mezonos, followed by al hamichyah.
Question of Dayan’s Validity
If there are 2 parties involved in an arbitration with a single dayan (arbitrator) in which a shtar berurim was executed ,and 1 of the parties offered favors to the arbitator (the arbitrator ackowledges the offer made to him) what does the halacha require of this situation? Specifically: (1) Is the arbitrator required to step […]
Muktzeh for Electrical Items
2 muktza questions: 1)On shabbos, I by accidently left my cell phone on the seforim shelf next to the shabbos table. In the morning the phone’s alarm starting going off very loudly and leaving the phone ringing for hours would be very annoying to the my family and guests. Is there anyway one can move […]
Krias Shema for Women
1. Are women required to say shema by the zeman for krias shema? 2. If yes,and I can’t daven until after I get my kids off to school, should I say the 1st paragraph of shema earlier? 3. If yes, do I repeat that 1st paragraph & the other paragraphs of shema that go with […]
Milky Pot with Meaty Lid
Is my pot and/or lid treif? I have a milchig and fleishig ot that look almost identical. One is dark blue, one is black. They are teflon coated and the lids are acrylic or something with a metal band. We made popcorn on a late sunday afternoon in the milchig pot, and put butter seasoning […]
Claiming Debt from Yeshiva
Please enlighten me with a response as to what is the Halacha and best way to procede. I worked for a major Yeshiva for the past 7.5 years. Due to financial difficulties they decided to remove about 9 staff members from their payroll. They owe money to most of us. The Yeshivah owns a very […]
Surrogate Mother
There was a married couple who had fertility problems so they hired a surrogate mother to carry their baby to term. They got divorced while the surrogate was pregnant. They informed the surrogate that they wanted her to abort the unborn baby. First question: Since the child is not wanted by either of the parents […]
Chanukah Candles at Shul and at Home
On Chanuka, if one lights the menora in shul and says all 3 berachos, should one say all three berachos again at home when lighting the candles even if no other people are in the home, or just say the berachah on the candles ? Answer: If there are no other people at home, he […]
Ma Tovu at Home
Should a woman say Ma Tovu if she’s davening at home? Answer: No. The verse is recited (as part of Shacharis) only upon coming to shul. It is interesting to note that Eliyahu Rabba (46) cites an opinion that the pasuk should not be recited at all, because it was said by Bilam. This is […]
Daughter Saying Kaddish
This is a difficult one for my Shul, where I am Rosh Hakohol (our Rabbi is ill). We have had a young woman who says Kaddish (quite loud), sometimes in unison with a man downstairs, but occasionally by herself. Some people are upset, others think it’s her right, quoting Rabbi Soloveitchik. She has no brothers. […]
Eruv in Hotel
I am going to a hotel for Shabbos. Do I need to make an eruv chatzeros? If so, how do I do it? Please mention any other halachos that I should be aware of when I go. Answer: The question of an eruv chatzeros in a hotel depends on the eating arrangements. If all the […]
Alon Hamishpat #34
Piskei Din – Laws of Tzedaka – part 11 – Changing designation of Tzedaka, and Chiyuv Shmira. Brokerage payment when seller made up not to pay. Canceling furniture order with down payment.
Sukkah of Livyasan
I heard that there is a discussion amongst the poskim whether indeed one should say the tefilla about the sukka shel livyasan when one leaves the sukkah on the last day of sukkos, and that there are some poskim who say you shouldn’t say it. Is this true and if so who are the poskim/achronim […]
Charity from Non-Jews
It says in chapter 254 of the Shulchan aruch that if you really need Tzedaka and what you recieve from “israel” is insufficient,then you may ask from goyim. The Shulchan Aruch continues to explain that when turning to goyim for donations you should do so privatly. Finally, if you are unable to collect in the […]
Leaving Behind Mezuzos
I rented a house from a frum owner for a year (because we were doing construction on our home). 1) There were no mezuzos when we got there. 2) When the construction was over we left the rented house. There were no new renters moving in to the house when we left (in all probability […]
Wine in Fridge Door
If one has non mevushal wine opened and one’s non jewish cleaning lady opened the refrigerator and therefore moved the wine because the wine is on a shelf of the door is that a problem? Answer: If the bottle was closed (even without a seal), and it is clear that the cleaning lady did not […]
Facing South-East
The Mishnah Berurah in siman 94 says that if one is davening in a shul where there the Aron is facing south and the tzibbur is davening south instead of east, one should face south but turn one’s head east. Practically speaking what does that mean? How can one do that? Keeping the head towards […]
Wine Left with Cleaning Lady
I got wine from R’ Chaim Kanievsky. Being that it is homemade, I dont know if it is mevushal or not. I left the cleaning lady home alone while she was cleaning the fridge. Do I have to throw out the wine? Answer: If the cleaning lady did not know that you are going out for a […]
Adverse Possession in Halachah
I would like to know what is the halachic ruling regarding adverse possesion of property. This is a law which gives the right to change the title on a property after 15 years adverse possesion. The question is what is the halachic status of the land before going through the procedure of changing of title. The […]
Gluing a String
Can one use glue at the bottom of the tzizit string to prevent the string from coming apart? Answer: One may apply glue to the bottom of the string to ensure that it won’t come apart.
Taking Maaser from “Maasered Money”
Do I have to give maaser from money that I recieved as a gift from someone who already takes maaser from their money? Answer: Yes. The obligation (or custom) of giving maaser depends on the person who receives the income, and not on the money. Sources: Taz, Yoreh Deah, 331:32; Ahavas Chesed, chap. 18, in […]
Holding Hands After the Chuppah
Are the chassan and kallah permitted to hold hands when coming into the hall after the yicud room? Answer: There is no prohibition in doing so. Some prefer not to hold hands, in particular — but no only — among Chassidic communities, as part of the general custom of avoiding public demonstrations of physical contact. […]
Lost Package
I was travling to Israel, and my friend sent a package with me for his sister. We stopped in Europe for 2 weeks, and when we arrived in Israel we could no longer find the package. I have no clue what happened to it: it might have been stolen, lost, or misplaced (I saw it at some […]
Water from bathroom sink
In NYC certain poskim say that the drinking water needs to be filtered in order to take out bugs. The reality of my apartment is that my kitchen sink can’t be filtered properly because the special filter that is reasonably priced to take out tiny bugs won’t fit on the faucet. In order to install […]
Urim vTumim
New enhanced edition of Rabbi Yehonasan Eibeschutz’s Urim V’Tumim. These volu
Computing Income for Maaser
Which expenses may be deducted from net income for maaser purposes: e.g. mortgage, real estate taxes, transportation to work etc.? Thanks Answer: Only those expenses related to one’s work may be deducted for maaser purposes. The mortgage on a private home, and similar expenses, cannot be deducted, because they are unrelated to one’s work. However, […]
Noodles and Cake
If one eats a lot of pasta noodles and makes a mezonos, and then decides to eat 2 pieces of cake to finish off the snack, does one make another berachah? Also, does the cake join in with the mezonos and now make one have to bentch if one is full? Answer: Because the cake […]
Exchanging a Purchase
I have a product from a store but I have lost the receipt, and the store policy is that you can get store credit for item with no receipt. Now, I purchased the item with a discount, however if I were to return the item, they will give me full credit for the item because that is what […]
Whip Cream on Shabbos
Can one use whip cream from a can on shabbos, I read that the cream is liquid until one presses the can and then the pressure turns it into a cream and the cream would stay that way for 4 to 5 minutes before reverting back to the liquid? Is this molid? Answer: This would […]
Inviting Non-religious Guests for Shabbos
Is it permitted to have not-religious guests who come before Shabbos knowing that they will leave on Shabbos via public transportation (despite being offered a place to stay)? Answer: If it is certain that the guests will be leaving by public transportation, it would not be permitted to invite them to the Shabbos meal, because […]
Yichud with Mother-in-law
My mother in law is visiting me and my wife for bein hazmanim. My wife works about 15 min away in Yerushalayim, and doesn’t come home untill 5 pm; my mother in law will be in the house all day. Is there a problem of yichud between my mother in law and I? We would […]
Opening Bottles on Yom Tov
If one holds that you are not allowed to open soda bottles on Shabbos, does that mean you are not allowed to open them on Yom tov as well or is it allowed on Yom tov in a case where was not able to do so before Yom tov ? Answer: According to opinions who […]
School on Chol Hamo’ed
Is it permissible for a principal to make his teachers come on Chol Hamo’ed Sukkos? Answer: If it is a davar ha’aveid, meaning that the school would otherwise incur a loss, it would be permitted to do so. If at all possible, however, calling in teachers on chol hamo’ed should be avoided. For Torah study, […]
Kohen for Chasan Torah
Can a kohen be called up for chasan torah or chasan bereishis? Answer: Yes. It is a “special” aliah, and there is no problem for a kohen to get either. The same would supposedly apply to kol hane’arim. Sources: Mishnah Berurah 669.
Shehechiyanu at Candle Lighting
Many Ashkanazi women have the minhag that on Yom Tov night they light candles and make the beracha for Yom Tov and then also the shehichiyanu, even though the husband recites shehechiyanu at kiddush. Isn’t the shechiyanu (answering amen) a hefsek between the 1st bracha and drinking the wine? Furthermore, isn’t shehichiyanu ideally supposed to be […]
The Obligation to Forgive
If someone has wronged you terribly, and has not asked you mechila because she believes she has not done, and does not do anything wrong, am I required to forgive her (it is very difficult, as these things she has done have been very severe, such as slandering, false accusations, holding back from giving promised […]
Distance from Avoda Zara
Does one have to cross the street so as not to walk in front of a church? Answer: There is no obligation to actually cross the road, but one should keep a distance of four amos from the Church. Sources: See Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De’ah 142:10 and 150:1, and Rema 149:2. The obligation to keep […]
Medication on Shabbos
Can one who takes daily medicine that helps one concentrate better in all areas of life take this medication on shabbos, or do we say that since if not taken one just wont be able to concentrate on davening and learning etc. then it is better not to take it? Answer: It is only permitted […]
Reassembling an Electric Urn
I bought an electric urn. According to Reb Moshe zts”l the internal electric wiring does not require tevilah. Would taking apart the internal mechanism and re-assembling it relieve the requirement for tevilah since they did not require tevilah in the first place? Answer: It is sufficient to take apart the electric mechanism and to re-assemble it. […]