Question: Shalom & thank you very much for this wonderful site. I’m a married woman with children. Sometimes I take upon myself to daven a full Shacharit, which takes me… Read more »
Category: Daily Living
Two knots of tzizit
Question: Hello thanks for looking at my question, I am concerned with the last knot on the zizit. does it matter how its knotted? It has to be double and… Read more »
Brochos for someone incontinent
Question: I know someone who has a medical shaila about a person who wears diaper r”l because they don’t have any feeling when they have to use the bathroom (gedolim)…. Read more »
Washing hands after scratching scalp or changing a daiper
Question: Is it necessary to wash netillat yadayim every time I scratch my head, or is it sufficient to wash before tefilloh or eating? I have an itchy scalp, and… Read more »
What can a non-Jew do with Jewish customs?
Question: a non-Jew can do the prayers of the siddur, make brachot of food or do the service of the Sabbath? Answer: It is nice to see that there are… Read more »
Food touched by person who didn’t wash Netilas Yadayim in the morning
Question: If you’re not supposed to touch food before washing netilas yadayim, are we allowed to eat food that was prepared by a non-frum member of the family? Are kosher… Read more »
Pesukim after BIRCHAT HATORAH and Using Hashem name
Question: After Birchat hAtorah we learn the pesukim of BIRCHAT KOHANIM. Can we or do we use Hashem as the Substitute name , or should we use ADON—-, the “Real”… Read more »
Finishing Shema
Question: What is the proper procedure to do when one is saying shema alone or without the chazzan Should he finish off shema saying: 1)“…….Hashem elokeichem emet, Hashem elokeichem emet”… Read more »
k’zayis
Question: Is an םlive a k’zayis? Answer: The term k’zayis means the size of an olive, as an olive in Hebrew is a zayis. Practically though, there are a lot… Read more »
Saying Kaddish when no one else does
Question: My parents, a’h, are no longer alive and sometimes I attend a minyan, of mostly young people, and no one says kadish. Am I obligated to do so? If… Read more »
Zman Krias Shema for Women
Question: Should a woman be makpid for zman krias shema? Is it like lulav and shofar that she is exempt but gets sechar for doing it or does it not… Read more »
Women saying V’zos HaTorah
Question: Does a woman who cannot see the Torah in the women’s section say the verse V’zos HaTorah….? Answer: Someone who cannot see the letters of the sefer torah at… Read more »
Davening without Minyan Voluntarily
Question: If one has a rare opportunity to do some activity (e.g. visit a friend, take a day tour in nature while on an overseas trip), but would then miss… Read more »
Women being Motze Man in Brachot
Question: Can a woman be motze a man in brachos? Specifically, if they ate together and both would need to recite al hamichya. Would it make a difference whether the… Read more »
Seder birches hashachar
Question: When one wakes up what is the order and things he should say? Do you say it once you get to the shul? Answer: When waking up in the… Read more »
Tefillin becoming loose
Question: I am a BT from an Ashkenaz family that practiced conservative Judaism. I have tied Tefillin according to the Chabad custom most of my life because that’s where I… Read more »
Wearing hat when davening
Question: Is there a halachic requirement to wear a hat in today’s society where the derech is not to go before a king with a hat Thank you Answer: There… Read more »
Kriat Shema al Hamita
Question: If I say kriat shema and still havent fallen asleep after 30 minutes of saying it do I say shema again ? Answer: One of the reasons why the… Read more »
If I nap during the day do I say mode ani when i wake up?
Question: if i nap during the day do i say mode ani when i wake up or just wash neigel vasser? Answer: Just wash negel vasser. We only say mode… Read more »
going to shul with bad cold
Question: Is it ok to go to shul if one has a cold and a strong cough and slight fever. the concern is that we may be spreading the cold… Read more »
May one start shmoneh esrei during a mincha kitzarah if he knows he won’t make Kaddish
Question: If one is davening a mincha kitzarah and he knows he won’t be able to finish shmoneh esrei before they say Kaddish shulaim, may he start shmoneh esrei or… Read more »
Which side of baal korei is the sifrei tora kept during kadish?
Question: When we read from two sifrei torah on yom tov. when we say the chatzi kadish, which sefer should be on the right and which on the left? and… Read more »
Mishna Berurah & Minhag
Question: Mishna Berurah (1:2) says the Shlah says to connect day & night with tefillah and llimud hatorah. Mishna Berurah (1:11) says the Shlah says to say ‘al naharos bavel’… Read more »
Halachic question
Question: My question about tzizis was just answered, thank you for that. I just want to clarify that it’s fine with a picture. Is this still good? Shkoyach, thanks so… Read more »
Two corners of tzitzis lost a string each, are they still kosher?
Question: My tzizis have two corners that have lost a string, each one still has a very small part of it attached, are they still kosher? Answer: If the string… Read more »
Blessing on Rice
Question: Blessing on Rice? Answer: There is controversy about the bracha on rice, because it is questionable if it is indeed “orez” that the gemora talks about. The minhag is… Read more »
Tallis Gadol
Question: Is it a sin for a single Ashkenazi (not a yekkie) male to wear a tallis gadol? Is one allowed to wear one? I’m confused. Thank you and Shabbat… Read more »
Does anyone speak about saying tikkun chatzos before one goes to bed?
Question: Does anyone speak about doing this BEFORE one goes to bed? Is that allowed? Answer: While tikkun chatzos should preferable be said at chatzos (midnight), however if it is… Read more »
Tefillin Bag Material
Question: Is there any requirement regarding the type of material a tefillin bag (or tallis bag) can be made from? Can leather be used and if so, does it matter… Read more »
Making a brocha when there is a door open to a bathroom
Question: If I am in a bedroom/living room or any room that has an adjacent bathroom and the door the the bathroom is ajar, do I need to close it… Read more »
Does one repeat psukei dzimrah if he misses after shemonah esrei
Question: If one were to skip parts of psukei dzimrah (everything except for Baruch sheomar,ashrei and yistabach) does he repeat it after davening and if so what order? Answer: It… Read more »
Checking self after passing gas
Question: Once in a while, upon passing gas, I find that I have soiled myself very slightly. do I have to be choshed every time I pass gas that I… Read more »
Washing hands for bathroom count for tefillah?
Question: If one uses the washroom before davening and washes his hands does that work for davening? And would it depend how many times one would wash for the washroom?… Read more »
Does washing for after washroom work for davening?
Question: If one were to use the washroom before davening and wash does that work for the tefillah following or would one have to say Asher yatzar and then re… Read more »
If one misses Baruch Hashem liolam, does he repeat after shmonah esrei?
Question: If one skips Baruch HaShem liolam (3rd brachah by Maariv) because the minyan is faster and he wants to daven with the tzibur shemonah esrei, should he repeat it… Read more »
Torah Reading
Question: Shalom. Say a group of ten men who missed kerias hatorah (the shul itself did not have any leaning that morning) got together to lean. Is kaddish said after… Read more »
Forgot to daven makeup Shmona Esrei
Question: If I had in mind to daven 2 shmoine esras by shachris and I forgot and remembered before mincha. Can I still daven it. Answer: From your question I… Read more »
What is the Bracha on millet that is grounded?
Question: Is regular millet the same Bracha for grounded millet? Answer: The bracha on ground foods (unless it is the norm for it to be eaten ground up) is shehakol,… Read more »
Kaddish with 6 after amidah
Question: On Mariv on motzi Shabbos we had 6 who needed to daven and 4 who had already davened but they helped us to make a minyan so we could… Read more »
Dressing properly when entering a shul
Question: Dear Rabbi, Yireh is determined by our attire. I visit shuls with incompetant dress. One man arrives in shorts. Others maybe untidy attire. Few ever even a tie. What… Read more »
Urine on undergarments
Question: Many times after one relieves themselves there will small drops that fall on their undergarments afterwards. Does one need to be mevatel that urine found on their clothing with… Read more »
TEFILLIN IN LUGGAGE AIRPORT BATHROOM
Question: Hi, I travel a lot for work and have no one to watch my carry-on luggage when I go to the bathroom. Am I allowed to bring luggage in… Read more »
Davening for someone else
Question: I’ve been having this difficulty for a while, and I hope you can help me gain some clarity. We know the gemora that says if one davens for someone… Read more »
Bracha on puffed oats
Question: I learnt that bracha for puffed wheat (cereal) is ha’adama – does this also apply to puffed oats? Thank you Answer: If it is processed the same way, then… Read more »
Chazan taking over at Ashrei-U’va L’tzion
Question: If another person replaces the chazan during shachris on a Monday/Thursday after krias hatorah but before beginning Ashrei, who says the 4 Yehi Ratzon’s? The original chazan or the… Read more »
Hand washing after a bath
Question: How many times of washing are required ? Answer: After taking a bath we only have to wash our hands once. We have to wash them because we touched… Read more »
Davening in a hotel room with a Jacuzzi
Question: Is one allowed to daven and learn in a hotel room that has a Jacuzzi in it? There is a separate room with a toilet and shower but the… Read more »
Benching after bathroom
Question: Is relieving oneself after eating the same as throwing up to be patur from Benching? Perhaps it’s worth washing and making a new brocho? Thank you Answer: The two… Read more »
Fallen tefillin
Question: Hi Rabbi, This morning, I dropped my tefillin from about waist height with the the plastic covering to the floor. I immediately picked it up and kissed it. In… Read more »
Tzitzis for children
Question: Do I need to make sure that my 4 year old’s tzitzis are actually kosher? Or are they too small to actually really be chayav in tzitzis hence I… Read more »