Question: Shalom. Can a Jewish male (Orthodox) person without a Semicha teach other males publicly? I have seen this a number of times, whether an assistant Rabbi or just someone… Read more »
Category: Commandments and prohibitions
Loshon Hora
Question: One rabbi constantly talks loshon hora about 2 other rabbi’s for various reasons. He tried slandering 1 rav for the fact that some of his kids went OTD and… Read more »
Teaching Torah
Question: Shalom. As we have laws for everything, could you please tell me the source for: “one doesn’t have to be a Rabbi (i.e. have a Smichah) to teach Torah”… Read more »
Fufilling honoring parents even when not speaking
Question: I need to break away from my parents. The relationship has turned toxic, and being around them is so triggering i end up not giving proper kavod. Am I… Read more »
Teaching boys to study Torah beginning with Chumash Vayikra
Question: Is the minhag to teach boys just beginning to study Torah all of Chumash Vayikra or just Parsha Vayikra? Thank you Answer: The minhag is to teach them part… Read more »
Cosmetic surgery
Question: What did R’ Moshe Feinstein zt”l have to say about cosmetic surgery? Is there any halachic problem with it and if so, what is it? Answer: R’ Moshe Zt”l… Read more »
shaving /women
Question: Can women use a razor for shaving legs, under arms..?? thank you, Answer: Women may use a razor on any part of their bodies. The prohibition against using a… Read more »
Teaching Yoga in a school?
Question: There are a number of types of yoga all of which come from Hinduism and definitely include spiritual teachings that contradict the Torah. Almost always such spiritual teachings come… Read more »
Are we allowed to wear/have amulets such as hamsa and gemstones?
Question: We are prohibited from engaging in magic in sorcery. But are we allowed to wear/have amulets such as hamsa and gemstones that are supposed to have certain beneficial (to… Read more »
Sealed food under bed
Question: If the food under the bed was in a sealed container is there still a problem eating it Answer: The halachos of food that was left under a… Read more »
Is it halachically permissable for women to use a dermaroller?
Question: Is it halachically permissable for women to use a dermaroller? A dermaroller is a small roller w small needles rolled on the face and neck it wounds the skin… Read more »
Nosejob for men
Question: Hi Rabbi, Is it permissible for a man to get a nosejob if his nose is not severely deformed, but he’s self conscious about it and would like to… Read more »
Can a Jew sell property in Israel to a Druze?
Question: Are Druze considered ovdei avoda zara or may one sell Israeli property to them? Thanks Answer: We may not sell land or an apartment in Israel to a gentile…. Read more »
Selling house and want to take mezuzahs
Question: Selling our house to a non Jewish family who would remove them and probably throw them away We have 4 mezuzah and we would like to take them and… Read more »
Pregnant women and stepping on nails with bare feet
Question: Hi, I am in my first trimester and I am always extremely careful about disclosing nails. However, as I was getting out of the shower I happened to step… Read more »
Religious worship place
Question: Shalom aleichem, Is it allowed to go to place where other religious pilgrimage takes place, yet not attending the pilgrimage spot or the church. ex: if there is a… Read more »
Removing a mezuzah when selling a house.
Question: If a person sells his house to a Jewish family, but they don’t want the mezuzot that you have, are you able to take off your mezuzot? Thank You… Read more »
Giving up dog to shelter – know they will probably euthanize it
Question: Hi, Due to circumstances I can no longer keep my dog. It is old, 15 years old, and if I give it up to a shelter, I know they… Read more »
Making a siyum after learning Gemara
Question: To learn a Masechta, must the Perakim be in the order of the Masechta or can one start from a middle Perek and then go back? Thank you. Answer:… Read more »
Putting up a fence
Question: We are building a deck that is 30″ off the ground. Local laws do not require a fence. I know there is a Halacha if Maakah. Does it apply… Read more »
Picture of sun
Question: Can I go to the website, weather.com if it sometimes has the symbol of the sun and moon. I’m not planning to print them. Thank you! Answer: The poskim… Read more »
Knocking down a banana tree, mezuzah on tall doorway
Question: In the garden there is a banana shrub that has very small bananas growing. Rats and mice are attracted to the fruit causing discomfort and worry of disease. Is… Read more »
University chapel lectures
Question: The university I attend holds various different lectures in the university chapel (I am assuming the reason is that it is a big room.) Is it a prohibition to… Read more »
Reform ‘convert’ pretends to be Jewish
Question: I am aware of a reform ‘convert’ in my city who travels often. He is in his early 50’s. He lets himself get counted for minyan in several orthodox… Read more »
kohen @ march of the living
Question: bs’d Is it allowed for a kohen to participate in the march of the living joining the route and visiting the places where the camps used to be? Answer:… Read more »
Lashon Hara and psychological treatment
Question: Prominent arbiters have ruled that a child or grown up may “bad mouth”, criticize, express anger in therapy sessions towards their parents and others and the therapist may facilitate… Read more »
Eating Meat and the possibility of the animal having been mistreated.
Question: Clearly as far as kosher is concerned our meat qualifies for consumption. Recently I have been wondering (and speaking with people to evaluate) if the fact that animals are… Read more »
Making or taking an image of the sun
Question: Is it permissible to take/own sunset/sunrise photos? Is there any difference between an image of the whole sun or partial sun? Answer: You are bringing up a very good… Read more »
Plagarism
Question: Hi, I was recently asked by someone to fill out paragraph answers for their application. Am I halachically permitted to do so? Thank you. Answer: If they are asking… Read more »
Stealing for non-kosher
Question: Is it permissible to throw out or get rid of anyway a food that is not kosher that you are afraid someone is going to eat if not thrown… Read more »
X-mas and honoring non Jewish Parents
Question: Hello! My wife was not raised in a Jewish home. She went through a full conversation over 7 years ago. We have a Jewish home and are active in… Read more »
May I be part of our office’s holiday party
Question: Is it permitted to attend the office ‘holiday’ party? Everyone knows what holiday this is for. Answer: A Jew should not take part in such a party, because it… Read more »
In halacha are you allowed to say J.., or Chri.. or J. C.
Question: In halacha are you allowed to say Jesus, or Christ or Jesus Christ Answer: The way you worded the question is correct, in haskafa we don;’t wanrt to say… Read more »
Kibud av v eim
Question: Hello, my Mother, more often then not, belittles me in our conversation and regularly informs my children of, (her perception of) my faults. I was advised by a Rav… Read more »
Learning or thinking in learning when in need of relieving oneself
Question: Reuven is walking with his friend or his rabbi in the street, and Reuven needs urgently to use the bathroom. If the friend or rabbi is talking to him… Read more »
Are you allowed to join Liberty Healthshare for your medical expenses?
Question: this org was originally started by Mennonites who are Christians. They accept all people regardless of religion into their healthsharing group. You have to believe in G-d of the… Read more »
Can a kohen visit Har Herzl
Question: bs’d are the kohanim allowed to visit mount herzl? Answer: It seems that visiting Har Hertl is problematic for kohanim, as there are many graves there, and trees hanging… Read more »
Allowing a Muslim to pray in my house
Question: A Muslim worker in the middle of working in my house one day stopped and asked me if I could give him a room where he could pray. I… Read more »
Is a kohain allowed to visit the ohel of the Lubavitch Rebbi in brooklyn
Question: is it permissable to use fenced in pathway to go to ohel of labavitch rebbi for kohain? Answer: I cannot say definitively if you can or can’t go, as… Read more »
Advertise a telephone recording
Question: Good morning, on my android phone, I use a program (ACR) which allows me to record all phone calls, incoming and outgoing. Usualy I use it as a reminder,… Read more »
Mezuzas
Question: Dear Rabbonim, We rented a house from Non-frum Jews in Israel. The house only had 1 mezuza on the front door and we needed a further 7 for the… Read more »
Do I need a mezuza if I have a partnership in a business with a non- religious Jew.
Question: Dear Rabbonim, The advice previous in regards to a partnership with a non-practicing Jew was effectively to treat the situation as with a partnership with non-Jew vis a vis… Read more »
Is it Bal Tashchis to destroy a crab apple tree?
Question: Does the Torah prohibition of cutting down fruit trees apply to crab apple trees? One is curious as one might not likely ever eat a crab apple but they… Read more »
Why are there 4 lines of תובות and רשי that seperates from the gemara
Question: Why are there 4 lines seperating the gemara and rashi Answer: You are correct that most gemoras have 4 lines separating the gemara and Rash (and Tosefos) because that… Read more »
Studying in an ‘unclean place’
Question: Is it permissible to study a Sefer in a coffee shop or in a community centre or in a public library ? Answer: If you look down into the… Read more »
Learning Torah with another male
Question: I have recently discovered that my father is more interested in Yiddishkeit than I realized. Recently I offered to learn the parsha with him and other Torah subjects and… Read more »
Permitted to lie
Question: For various reasons, Dor Yeshorim was not tested for a couple before they went out. Now they are almost engaged and wish to go for testing. Dor Yeshorim does… Read more »
Banister on steps outside house
Question: My brother recently moved into a house. They have 3 steps leading up to the house. There is no banister or wall on the sides of these steps. The… Read more »
Loshon Hora
Question: Are you allowed to listen to loshon hora about a Jew from a non-Jew? Answer: One should not listen, because as a result of what he heard from the… Read more »
Is it Lifnei Iver to leave someone in a yichud situation?
Question: Two frum men – Reuven & Shimon – are taking a test in a room where there are two females (one of the females is also a test taker,… Read more »