Question: Hello Rabbi, Could you tell me some sources in Chazal that discuss the unique impact a Jew has on the world (that no other creation has), like the one… Read more »
Category: Torah learning
Concerts and amusement parks
Question: The MB (307,16) laments how people waste their time by going to circuses and the theater, and are moshav leitzim. What would be the approach to today’s concerts –… Read more »
Rabbis doing good for others – Free of Charge
Question: Why does a Rabbi guide people free of charge? A Rabbi believes to do good in order to receive good from the – Almighty. Additionally, why free of cost?… Read more »
Siyum Washing
Question: Shalom. What is the appropriate method when making a siyum and a seuda. Does one make the siyum first and then washes or washes then make the siyum? Thank… Read more »
Nashim da’atan kalos
Question: Dear Rav, I never understood what the Gemara says that nashim daatan kalos hen and that’s why they shouldn’t learn Gemara. We see so many brilliant women who are… Read more »
Listening to shiurim when one has an upset stomache
Question: If someone has an upset stomache to the point where they can’t wear tefillin, is he allowed to listen to shiurim online? It would be very hard if I… Read more »
Halacha Learning
Question: Shalom, At times I get overwhelm in learning halacha. There’s much to learn and I have not found a proper guideline in how to approach the topic and seforim… Read more »
learning while barefoot
Question: Is there a problem to learn torah while barefoot? Answer: It is permitted to learn torah while barefoot. There are many societies that the people only go barefoot. in… Read more »
Who has the greater merit from leaning?
Question: I heard that an ignorant person who had no opportunity to learn or observe, has greater merit in starting to learn than the scholar who continues to learn although… Read more »
Ameilis B’Torah for Working Person
Question: Rabbi, How can a person, who works all day and then has responsibilities at home and ends up having an hour to an hour and a half to learn… Read more »
Feelings about kabbalah
Question: Dear Rabbi, As a jew matures, his mysticism may develop. Does he discern whether he has an inner kabbalah he may learn? How much will a jew learn in… Read more »
teaching torah to goyim
Question: In a few days from now, I have an assignment for school where I have to bring in a cultural artifact and do show and tell. Can I show… Read more »
No kippah at work and studying torah
Question: Hi, my work enviornment is not conducive and I dare go to say non Jewish friendly at all. Environment that I’m in actually has no idea I’m Jewish (Security)… Read more »
כל התורה כולה
Question: What parts of Torah fit into the definition of כל התורה קולה? What exactly would one have to learn in order to complete it? Answer: It is impossible to… Read more »
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… Read more »
Pledges on Simchas Torah
Question: If a person pledged to learn a certain number of blatt, does that mean “unique blatt” or can it be chazora (or a combination of the two)? (He did… Read more »
Women and gemara
Question: It is a well known fact in our communities that women shouldn’t learn Gemara. However, over the last decade more and more of these feminist movements have risen R’L…. Read more »
Reading a rebbi’s private notebook or “spying” on him
Question: 1) Can one read his rebbi’s notebook (e.g. cheshbon hanefesh notebook) if it is labeled “private”? The sevara to permit it would be based on the gemara of “torah… Read more »
The Geder of Smicha in our days
Question: Hi I would just like to know what is the smechia of our days? Didn’t the smicha from Moshe Rabeinu stop? Based on my memory the Rambam doesn’t require… Read more »
Exercise
Question: I learn for 1 hour in the morning. and 1 hour in the evening however i am overweight and want to go to the gym. i want to know if… Read more »
Teaching Torah to others
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Blessing after learning Torah
Question: Is it appropriate to say an after blessing for learning Torah if the learning is via watching videos on the weekly portion? (Torah anytime.com etc…) And if so, is… Read more »
Help for a Ba’al Teshuvah
Question: Dear Rabbis, I have been engrossed in more and more Torah as a jew once from the reform community. I can attest that the damage from a hate approach… Read more »
Various Questions
Question: 1) On the subway, is one required to give up his seat to anyone older or only for the elderly? Does it make a difference if it is a… Read more »
Torah in the Bathroom
I have irritable bowel and I spend maybe up to an hour a day on three or four visits to the bathroom. I receive a daily email in Ivrit on… Read more »
Torah in Bathroom
Is it permitted to read a Jewish history book in the bathroom were at times throughout the book the author will bring down a Torah thought? (for example Jewish history… Read more »
Addressing a Rebbi
If you are uncomfortable calling your rebbe in 3rd person but also calling him by his name what should one do. Answer: When he needs to be referred to by… Read more »
Torah Assignment to Non-Jewish Teacher
If someone writes a college thesis on the Jewish viewpoint of happiness including a lot of Torah sources, with the intent to submit it to a non Jewish professor for… Read more »
Torah Study for Working People
I have heard that sefarim say that a baal habos who only a 2 or 3 hours a day to learn is mechuyav to learn primarily halacha l’maaseh. is this… Read more »
Real Live or Internet Shiurim
Do I fulfill the Mitzva of ViShinantam, i.e.Talmud Torah, every time someone goes onto the site and hears an audio tape of a shiur I gave? And if so, if… Read more »
Taking Tablet into Bathroom
Can I bring and use a tablet or e-reader in a beis hakise for reading news or other non-torah topics even if there are shiurim and torah mp3s and PDFs… Read more »
Netilas Yadayim Before Torah shiurim
Two questions: 1. My cleaning lady cooked eggs in a fleishik frying pan then ate them on milchik plate with milchik fork. What do I do with plate and fork?… Read more »
Quoting Half-Pesukim
Is it mutar to qoute half of a pasuk or to paraphrase a pasuk in a speech? Thank You Answer: Yes, it is permitted to quote or paraphrase a pasuk…. Read more »
Printing Torah Books in Other Languages
Is it permitted to print divrei kedusha in a language other than loshon Hakodesh? I think the mishnah berurah says that there is a problem to take it out of… Read more »
Torah Study of Mitzvos
If someone wants to be mekayem the mitzvah of shiluach hakein. If someone learns the halachos is it considered as if it was performed/ Is there such a concept in… Read more »
Stopping Torah Study for Davening
In SA OC Siman 106 Sif 2, the Machaber says that someone that for whom “Toraso Umanaso” (“his torah is his occupation”, ie a person that is constantly engaged in… Read more »
Hearing Shiur at Nail Salon
Is it permissible while at a nail salon while getting a manicure or pedicure to listen to Torah or Talmud classes on my I-pad? Thanks! Answer: Yes. Even when a… Read more »
Discontinuing the Employment of A Melamed
Question: If I could trouble you for an indication of minhag botei dinim in EI and USA with regard to the sacking of a Melamed where it seems the Melamed is academically… Read more »
Learning Le’Iluy Neshamah (how it works)
When one commits to learning mishnayos l’iluyi neshama, is he giving away his own schar for the mitzva of talmud torah to the niftar If not, then how does it… Read more »
Preparing for a siyum
when making a siyum, does one have to leave over some of the last amud until the siyum. If yes, does that mean he can’t prepare it in advance? Or… Read more »