BS”D Question I parked my car in the supermarket parking lot. When I returned I noticed that there was a lot of glass under my parked car. Apparently, while… Read more »
Category: Articles
Davening with a Minyan: Laws and Details
The counting of the Jewish People mentioned at the outset of Parashas Ki Tisa recalls the concept of a minyan—a word that refers to a group of ten Jewish… Read more »
Torah from Heaven? Halacha by Revelation
Among the Bigdei Kehunah, the unique garments that Moshe was instructed to fashion for Aharon and his children, we find the Choshen: “You shall place into the Choshen HaMishpat… Read more »
Terumah-Liability for Protruding Feet
Question I was riding on a bus and didn’t notice that a man had his feet sticking out into the aisle. I tripped over his feet and when I… Read more »
When is it Permissible to Go to Court?
In the previous article we discussed the basic prohibition against taking a legal dispute to non-Torah or secular courts of law. As we saw, doing so involves a particularly… Read more »
Going to Court? Better Think Twice
Parashas Mishpatim begins with the words: “And these are the ordinances that you shall set before them” (Shemos 21:1). Based on the Pasuk, the Gemara (Gittin 88b) cites the… Read more »
Parshas Mishpotim-Abruply Vacating a Rental Property
Question For the last ten years I have been renting out an apartment without a contract. Three months ago we finally signed a rental agreement. The contract states… Read more »
Fundamentals of Birkas HaTorah
The giving of the Torah, as detailed in Parashas Yisro, raises the issue of birkas hatorah—the beracha that is recited before engaging in Torah study. As we will see… Read more »
Parshas Yisro-Failure to Return a Damaged Object
Question I recently purchased an electric curler. I brought it home and the very first time I plugged it into the outlet it shut off the electricity. I… Read more »
Parshas Beshalach-Responsibility for a Broken Bottle
BS”D Question: Recently when I was loading my purchases into my car, a bottle of grape juice fell from one my bags and broke on the ground. Am I… Read more »
Birthday Celebrations: A Halachic Appraisal
The day of Yetzias Mitzrayim, our redemption from Egypt, is a birthday: the national birthday of Klal Yisrael. This is stated by the Pasuk in Yechezkel: “And as for… Read more »
Addendum to Last Week’s Article- Bris Cancelled at the Last Moment
We concluded last week’s article that the customer could cancel his order with the caterer since the reason for his cancellation was unforeseen and beyond his control and therefore,… Read more »
The Halachos of Kiddush Levana
The first mitzvah given to the Jewish People upon their redemption from Egypt was the mitzvah of sanctifying the new month: “This month shall be for you the first… Read more »
Parshas Vo’era-Is one who Gave Ma’aser Money to a Swindler Required to Give Ma’aser Again-Part 2
Question: I gave some of my ma’aser money to someone who claimed to be poor. I found out later that it is well-known that he is a… Read more »
Parshas Shemos-Is One who Gave Ma’aser Money to a Swindler Required to Give Ma’aser Again
Question: I gave some of my ma’aser money to someone who claimed to be very poor. I found out later that it is well-known that he… Read more »
Waiting for Mashiach
The twelfth of the Rambam’s Thirteen Principles of Faith, as recorded in the Siddur (the version in the original commentary to the Mishnah is slightly different) reads as follows:… Read more »
Parshas Vayechi-Liability for Damaging an Illegally Parked Car
Question: Recently while making a right turn I accidentally hit a parked car, damaging the car and damaging my own car. The car was parked illegally since it was… Read more »
Taking Revenge: A Halachic View
At the end of the book of Bereishis the Torah describes how Yosef’s brothers asked him to forgive their crime of selling him to Egypt. The request, which the… Read more »
Rabbi Fleischman – Articles
Question: Since I own an apartment in a distant location, I engaged a management company to find me a tenant and to maintain the property on a day-to-day… Read more »
Torah Study While Traveling
In Parashas Vayigash we find Yosef telling his brothers, who are about to return to their father, “Do not become agitated on the way” (Bereishis 45:24). Ibn Ezra explains… Read more »
Chanukah Lights for Guests and Travelers
Lighting Chanukah candles is a mitzvah of the home. In the words of the Gemara, the mitzvah is defined as ner ish uveiso—“a candle for each man and his household.”… Read more »
Paying Ransom: Which Price is Too High?
Perhaps the most famous kidnapping in history is that of Yosef by his brothers, as told in Parashas Vayeishev. Yosef was subsequently sold to an Egypt-bound group of Ishmaelites,… Read more »
Giving a Secondary Reason
Question My friend invited me to his chasuna. I had not planned to go, but then it turned out that I didn’t feel well that day. May I call… Read more »
Fixing a Sheitel that doesn’t Match the Order
Question: I ordered a new sheitel from a sheitel macher. When I went to pick it up I saw that it was not what I had ordered. The sheitel macher… Read more »
Agency for Mitzvos: Is it Effective?
Parshas Vayishlach opens by describing how Yaakov Avinu sent agents to his brother Esav. Opinions differ as to whether these were human envoys, or whether the agents he sent were… Read more »
Lo Yilbash: Cross-Gender Dressing in Halacha
Parashas Toldos includes the famous portion in which Yaakov Avinu takes the brachos, which Yitzchak had intended for Esav, for himself. In obtaining the brachos for Yaakov, Rikva covers Yaakov’s… Read more »
Panim Chadashos: “New Faces” at a Simcha
As Rivka took leave of her family, joining Eliezer on the journey to Yitzchak, the Torah describes how her family blessed her: “They blessed Rivka and told her: Our sister,… Read more »
Additional Children: The Duty to Populate the World
After last week’s installment about the principal obligation to have children—the mitzvah of peru urvu—this week we turn to the question of going beyond the basic obligation. As we saw,… Read more »
Forgiving: Must we Forgive?
The Mishnah (Yoma 8:9) teaches that there is a fundamental difference between the forgiveness of sins that are “between man and G-d” and those that are “between man and… Read more »
How to Sound the Shofar
The Torah tells us that Rosh Hashanah is a day of sounding the Shofar: “And in the seventh month, on the first day of the month… a day of… Read more »
Mitzvah Blessings: When and When Not to Recite
At the beginning of Parashas Ki Savo we are reminded, as part of the declaration of Bikkurim (bringing the first fruit to Jeruaslem) of the obligation to recite blessings… Read more »
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… Read more »
Shiluach Haken: Sending Away the Mother-bird
The mitzvah of shiluach haken, sending away the mother-bird before taking her chicks or eggs, is a mitzvah that has a special status in the popular mind. Although it… Read more »
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… Read more »
Trip to Cairo? The Torah Prohibition of Returning to Egypt
The Torah instructs us, concerning the laws of kings: “But he shall not have too many horses for himself, so that he will not return the people to Egypt… Read more »
Rabbi Fleischman – Articles
Question: You wrote in the past that if one takes a mortgage from the bank on behalf of his son he cannot recover the interest he paid the bank… Read more »
Torah Laws of Cursing
Parashas Re’eh opens with blessings and with curses: Hashem places before the nation of Israel a blessing if they uphold the Torah, and a curse if they fail to… Read more »
Halachic Aspects of Taking Photos
The current vacation season, coupled with Pasuk in Parashas Va’eschanan which mentions that the Jewish People “saw no image” (of Hashem), provides us with an opportunity to discuss a… Read more »
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… Read more »
Tisha Be’Av Deferred: Laws of Sunday
This year, the ninth day of Av falls on Shabbos, so that the fasting of Tisha Be’Av is deferred to Sunday. This is in accordance with the Mishnah (Megillah… Read more »
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…. Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
Glass Utensils: A Kashering Query
The Torah source for requiring the koshering of pots and utensils that were used by non-Jews (for non-kosher foods) is found in Parshas Mattos (Bamidbar 31: 21-23). Following the war… Read more »
Endangerment to Save a Life
Dwelling on the heroic, and patently dangerous, deed of Pinchas, the Keli Yekar asks the following question: How was it permitted for Pinchas to place himself in danger? We… Read more »
Davening in Other Languages
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 105b) teaches that from the blessings of Bilam we know the curses he wished to inflict upon the Jewish people. One of his aims was that… Read more »
Washing Kohanim’s Hands: A Levi’s Duty?
The principal claim of Korach and his assembly, as told in Parashas Korach, was dissatisfaction with their Levite status. They desired to serve as Kohanim; their status as Levi’im… Read more »
Separating Challah
The mitzvah of separating challah has been popularized in recent times. Challah parties for women, at which separating challah is the highlight, are often held on special occasions. Sometimes,… Read more »
Forgetting to Light Shabbos Candles
The Maharil writes that a woman who forgot to light Shabbos candles “must be careful all of her days to add an extra candle, one more than the amount… Read more »
Birkas Kohanim: Participation of the Congregation
In this week’s parsha we read about the mitzvah of Birkas Kohanim. Sefer Chareidim has an important opinion about the mitzvah of the priestly blessing—Birkas Kohanim. Although the… Read more »