Question: Greetings: Can a women make a brocho poolside? If so, how clad shall she and the women there be? And assuming one needs to be fully clad ; would… Read more »
Category: Daily Living
Microphone in synagogue during the weekdays
Question: bs’d is it forbidden according to the halacha to use a microphone for the ba’al t’fillah during the service in the synagogue (we are surely talking about the weekdays)… Read more »
Use of Fidget spinner while davening
Question: Could I use the fidget spinner while daveing if it helps me concentrate on the davening? What about during the Torah reading? What about on Shabbat? Thank you so… Read more »
said the word wrong in davening, daven again?
Question: If one concluded the third bracha of the Amidah with “ho-El hakodosh” (pronounced like the English letter “l”) instead of the correct pronunciation “ho-Ayl hakodosh,” does he need to… Read more »
May a boy be the baal korah the day before his bar mitzvah?
Question: May a boy be the baal korah for layning on Thursday before his actual bar mitzvah 13th birthday on Friday? Answer: Mazal Tov, may he grow up to be… Read more »
Bedtime Shema
Question: Is there a latest time one can recite Shema before bed? For example, if someone naps during the day and doesn’t wake up until the early hours can they… Read more »
Focused after brachah
Question: Can a bracha rishona be made while having in mind to exclude some of the things that it would potentially cover, i.e. some foods of the same bracha? Can… Read more »
katan, sefer torah
Question: May one rely on the opinion that 9 men + a katan holding a sefer torah is a minyan? (For example, right now there are 9 people and if… Read more »
When does Maariv cause a din of “night”?
Question: I understand that L’chatchilla, Shnayim Mikrah v’echod Targum should be learned during the day and not at night (except for Friday night according to some opinions, and even Thursday… Read more »
Early Maariv Questions
Question: If I Daven Maariv early on Rosh Chodesh, immediately after Plag HaMincha, do I still say Yaaleh V’Yavo in Birkas HaMazon. If I Daven Maariv early, immediately after Plag… Read more »
saying amen in bentching
Question: May one answer amen while one is in the midst of bentching, when the one leading the bentching recites out loud in yaalehv’yavo, ‘zachreinul’tova…u’fakdeinivol’bracha…. Answer: We should not answer… Read more »
Beracha of Shehakol
Question: If I said the blessing of Shehakol in the morning in the office and didn’t leave the office, do I need to say another beracha if I am drinking… Read more »
Men’s undergarments
Question: A friend told me that halacha prefers briefs over boxers for men. Something to do with the contact that boxers allow which briefs do not. Is there truth to… Read more »
Questions regarding Hydroponics
Question: Concerning hydroponically grown produce. What is the correct Bracha? Shehakol? Borei Peri HaAdama? If grapes are hydroponically grown, can they be used for production of Yayin? Can the Yayin… Read more »
Sleeping on which side
Question: Which side do u lay on when u sleep ur right or left???? Answer: According to the Rambam we should start off on the left and then turn to… Read more »
Don’t know mothers name
Question: Dear Rabbi, Another factor in the faith of my father is his mother who is 98. She is well and living today and has a future to be buried…. Read more »
Answering a different minyan
Question: Our shul expanded by replacing the wall between the main hall and the beit midrash with a (only partly soundproof) glass+curtain partition which is opened on Shabbat. There are… Read more »
If one already davened
Question: If a woman already davened Maariv but she forgot that she davened and then later on began davening the shemone esrei of Maariv again and reminded herself in the… Read more »
washing hands in bathroom
Question: Can one wash their hands in the bathroom? what if there is a wall from ceiling to floor between the toilet and the sink, but still in the same… Read more »
Davening while on Narcotics
Question: Birshus HaRav. I have a painful metabolic bone condition that has caused countless fractures. I need to take a rather strong opioid for bone pain every night. I push… Read more »
Inserting a differant type of bracha during Meain Shalosh – is it a hefsik?
Question: I was told if a person ate a kezias of a fruit that requires the meain shalosh bracha eg a fig, and another person drank a kezias of wine… Read more »
davening rabbit tzoah
Question: this shabboss lunch i will be eating by somebody that has a rabbit cage right near the dining room table…the cage will have atleast some droppings in it…is there… Read more »
Brocha on blossoming fruit tree that doesn’t give fruit
Question: May one make the brocha on a blossoming fruit tree that in previous years has not been capable of bearing fruit, most likely due to lack of cross pollination…. Read more »
Tefillin for ostomates?
Question: What about people with stomas from colorectal cancers, Crohn’s disease, diverticuliitis, etc? In these cases, the stoma, or ostomy (intestine protruding through the abdominal wall instead of being attached… Read more »
Awkward situation at work
Question: A Jewish man is sitting at his desk at work. He just said “Baruch ata Hashem Elokeinu Melech” of Birkas Hamazon when his gentile boss walks in, accompanied by… Read more »
Shinui Makom from terminal to airplane
Question: If I eat some “sh’hakol” foods or drink in the airplane terminal do I need a new bracha rishona when I get on the airplane? Would there be a… Read more »
Mechalel Shabbos person as Shaliach Tzibbur
Question: A couple of weeks ago there were only about 15 people in shul on a Friday evening. The regular shaliach tzibbur was away on vacation and the only person… Read more »
tumah
Question: i had brought down alot of clothes to be washed and some of them had dried zera on them atleast im assuming it was all dried then the person… Read more »
Answering amen between the bracha and drying (netila for a bread meal)
Question: Can one answer amen to anothers ‘al netilas yadayim blessing’ or ‘any other bracha heard’ AFTER making the bracha netilas yadayim for a bread meal BEFORE drying the hands,… Read more »
Tachanun Issues
Question: If a Minyan in a Shul does not say Tachanun (due to a Simcha), does that obligate all other Minyanim in the Shul to follow suit? If a person… Read more »
BM boy trusted for himself when he says he’s a gadol?
Question: I read the excellent piece http://dinonline.org/2015/11/23/bar-mitzvah-maturity-of-body-or-mind/ While a child over 13 without being checked or without facial hair can’t be motzee others in a Torah mitzvah or write tefillin,… Read more »
What beracha do we make on whole barley in soup
Question: What beracha on whole barley in soup Answer: I am assuming that you are asking what bracha to say on the piece of barley. If the barley was cooked… Read more »
What Bracha do I make on buck wheat or kasha
Question: What Bracha do I make on buck wheat or kasha Answer: The bracha is Hoadomo, and the bracha achrona is Borei Nefashos Sources: M:B 208-37
Brachah for Tums
Question: Do I have to make a brachah on tums if I really despise the taste and am only using it for stomach acid? Answer: You don’t have to make… Read more »
Making Berachah on water, if drunken inorder one not fast
Question: If a person will not finish davening on shabbos until after chatzos, and therefore drinks water before davening so he shouldn’t fast however he isn’t thirsty enough to make… Read more »
Does tzizis have to show?
Question: I would like to know if the tzizis fringes are suppose to show; I am rather uncomfortable having it out. If you can kindly show the sources I would… Read more »
Bracha on Banana Cake
Question: I have a banana cake in which flour does not even make up 50% of the batter. What Bracha Acharona and Rishona would I make on a piece of… Read more »
tefiilin
Question: Bchvod Harav, I put beard oil in my beard (and I realized also that there was some on my lips) and I kissed my retzuos afterwards im scared that… Read more »
Cleanliness in the bathroom
Question: Regarding proper cleaning after defecating in order to say brachos, etc., I have noticed two things: 1) After sweating, etc. that area seems to become dirty again – usually… Read more »
Doing Birkas Kohanim after davening
Question: If the only kohen enters the shul on yom tuv after davening. can he do birkas kohanim with a beracha because it is the zeman of the beracha or… Read more »
Spitting by Aleinu
Question: A certain Chassidus has the minhag of spitting on the ground in shul during Aleinu Leshabeach where it refers to the other nations bowing to “lehevel varik”. I was… Read more »
Tefillah for gentiles
Question: Hi, I was wondering why almost our tefillos (in shemoneh esrei as well as in variou piyutim) are only for klal yisrael and not for the goyim (the ones… Read more »
tumah ezra
Question: I apologize that I have been asking very similar questions recentl..I have been getting very ocd 1. I was cleaning my room before and I touched clothes that had… Read more »
Davening ahead of Tzibur
Question: Dear Rabbi, If I am davening Shachris and I am slower than the tzibur and I want to start Shemoneh Esrei with them, can i go ahead of the… Read more »
Zera sfek sfeka
Question: When can a sfek sfeka be used? For instance, if I am not sure if there is zera on something and then I touch it, can I say that… Read more »
If one eats jam by itself during a bread seuda, should he say a blessing on it?
Question: If one eats jam by itself during a bread seuda, should he say a blessing on it? Answer: No. It is considered part of the meal since it is… Read more »
Does one stand for scrolls of neviim
Question: I heard the Chazzon Ish was in doubt about this and wondering if there is anyone who says that one is obligated to rise for a scroll of navi… Read more »
Can a child in school that didn’t eat bread say Birkat HaMazon with the rest of the class?
Question: In a school setting where the policy is that all students say birkat haMazon after eating together, is there any source which would allow a student who has not… Read more »
Saying tehillim at night
Question: I have heard that there is a halacha not to say tehillim at night. Any thoughts Answer: Please see the following link, where this question was discussed. http://dinonline.org/2017/01/10/tehillim-after-nightfall-on-ones-hebrew-birthday-to-finish-sefer-in-time/
Respect of Rabbi vs. Correct Tefillah
Question: Shalom, During Shacharit (on Shoshana Purim) the Rabbi at the shul where I daven began to say למנצח, and then I publicly corrected him. Should I ask for מחילה… Read more »