Question: dear rabbi, It is said “Torah study is of more value than the offering of the daily sacrifice” [Babylonian Talmud, Eruvin 63b]. Reciting the Shma, however is obligatory (at… Read more »
Category: Prayer (tefilla)
Davening Barefoot
Question: I recently saw a ruling that davenning barefoot is not permitted (in response to a question about learning Torah barefoot). Does that hold for davenning at home without a… Read more »
Davening during punishment
Question: If chas vshalom a person is being punished and they are suffering from the punishment, is it okay to daven for help, or is that chutzpadik? Answer: When we… Read more »
When heading the catskills from Boro Park where is the correct place to say Tefillas Haderech?
Question: If one is headed to the catskill mountains from Boro Park where is the correct place to say Tefillas Haderech? Thanks Answer: You should say Tefilas Haderech either after… Read more »
Prayer said after chatzos (midday)
Question: If a prayer was said a few minutes passed chatzot, does it still count in G-d’s eyes or simply not anymore? (In terms of Shacharit). Answer: The time for… Read more »
Answering Amen to Berichu in Kadish for ashkenaz in nusach sefard shul
Question: Hi, If I am davening in a nusach sefard or nusach Ari shul and they answer in Kadish to berichu amen, am I allowed to answer amen in an… Read more »
anus in tefila
Question: hello, my job , a night shift , starts at 2 pm i am permitted to take time for only one of 2 tefilot, either micha or maariv ,… Read more »
Selfish davening
Question: Is it okay to say anything in davening? I don’t have much to say right now in davening other than selfish requests and selfish venting. Mainly I just want… Read more »
Unspoken tefillah
Question: Does tefillah count if there are no words, not even words held inside? If it’s just feelings and thoughts consciously directed toward Hashem, is that still tefillah? Sometimes it’s… Read more »
How can we pray for something if we don’t ever really know whats good for us
Question: how can we pray for something if we don’t ever really know whats good for us meaning why should someone pray for more money maybe its not good for… Read more »
Davening Ma’ariv after Plag without a minyan
Question: Can a person daven Ma’ariv after Plag by himself if he davened Mincha before Plag, or is that only possible BeTzibur? Thank you. Answer: The minhag is that we… Read more »
meharher kedusha in middle of davening
Question: When still in the middle of teflilat amidah and the tsibur is reciting kedusha, one is supposed to be silent and listen. However, what the tsibur says is often… Read more »
How to Connect with g-d towards prayer?
Question: How can a person fully show gratitude to the almighty, without even understanding the hebrew words (read out) straight from the Sefer Torah? I heard, that reading in the… Read more »
A person with hearing aids leading the prayers
Question: I were hearing aids n When I want to be the שליח ציבור-leading the prayers people don’t want because of my hearing aids so I want to know what’s… Read more »
prayer in vain
Question: A bachur who is dating and he is davening that the lady should say yes to him (as opposed to turning him down), may he daven for this even… Read more »
Personal Prayers before Shacharit
Question: Hi. I recently came across a Sefer Chassidim תשנב that says it is inappropriate to pray for personal needs before davening. I currently get up before davening and say… Read more »
Caring for elderly father during davening
Question: I take my elderly father – who is unable to look after his physical needs – to shul on Shabbat. What is the halacha if he has to go… Read more »
chillul hashem if davening in public
Question: Today, I missed the Mincha minyan that is near my college, so I was davening Mincha in the stairwell, which is a relatively quite place. However, there was a… Read more »
Giving charity before davening
Question: There is a mitzvah to give charity before davening, but where I daven the gabbai brings around the pushka during ashrei/ uva t’zion goel, and earlier than that the… Read more »
Praying clean
Question: If I saw zera when I woke up, I have to take a shower to be able to pray? Answer: Preferably you should make sure that there is no… Read more »
Tefillah b’tzibur with the chazzan
Question: Hi i missed the minyan for musaf today, and instead I thought to go as the shliach tzibbur to daven my shmonei esrei out loud (the whole thing. Is… Read more »
Can a men dip in the mikva wearing a rubber band or a pin on his beard? Is it considered a chatzitza?
Question: Can a men dip in the mikva wearing a rubber band or a pin on his beard? Is it considered a chatzitza? If yes, is there a need to… Read more »
Baal keri and Tefilin.
Question: Can a baal keri tie tefilin, read from sefer torah and even kiss it when he has not gone to the mikveh? References on the leniency and stringency would… Read more »
Birchas Krias Sh’ma – After Sh’mona Esrei
Question: If one comes late to Marriv and skips Birchas Krias Sh’ma in order to daven Tefilla B’tzibur, does one immediately go back to Birchas Krias Sh’ma upon completing Sh’mona… Read more »
Tallis for Shliach Tzibbur at Ma’ariv
Question: Why is the minhag in yeshivos for the shliach tzibbur to wear a tallis by maariv— from the poskim (Mishna Berura and others) it is clear not to (except… Read more »
Tashlumin for mussaf-why not?
Question: Being that maariv corresponds to burning of parts of the day’s offerings, why does mussaf not qualify for tashlumin on account of ונשלמה פרים שפתינו? Thank you Answer: All… Read more »
Are their any special tefilas to help us to get pregnant.
Question: My husband and I have been married for almost 6 years. We have been trying to have children now since my blood sugar is controlled being a type 1… Read more »
Living with parents
Question: Dear Rabbi, Little was helped for my younger years and I returned to live with my family. I am faced with a future concerned about a move despite some… Read more »
Gentiles learning Torah
Question: Dear Rabbi, The rabbi of a certain synagogue in my town entertains gentiles for Torah discussion. He allows men and women to discuss Torah in same class and he… Read more »
Davening in a room with a cross
Question: In a Christian college that I must go to for courses, there is a cross (some have Jesus on it too) above every blackboard. Are we allowed to daven… Read more »
Praying / Mi Shebeirach for non-jew
Question: HI and thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Am I allowed to pray for a non-Jewish person who is ill to get better? Can I… Read more »
yehi ratzon for cholim
Question: How sick does someone need to be to daven for them using yehi ratzon… besoch shear cholei amo yisrael? Answer: Anyone who needs to get better, or feel better,… Read more »
haircut before prayer
Question: Is it permissible to take a haircut prior to davening Mincha, even late in the day, unlike what it says in the Mishna and Shulchan Aruch? Answer: There are… Read more »
Praying Vatikin alone vs praying with a minyan
Question: If a person always prays vatikin 6 days a week with a minyan and there is no vatiquin minyan on Shabbat is he better off praying vatikin alone or… Read more »
Tzniyus while Davening
Question: Must a woman be dressed tzniyusdik when she davens? Answer: Please see the following post, http://dinonline.org/2017/08/20/must-a-woman-dress-tzniyusdik-while-davening-or-making-a-bracha/
Must a woman dress tzniyusdik while davening or making a bracha?
Question: 1.must a woman dress tzniyusdik while Davening or making a bracha 2.are Starbuck frappucino kosher Answer: When we daven we are standing in front of H-shem and… Read more »
Takanas Ezra
Question: If somebody is makpid on takanas Ezra and chas vShalom has a mikra should they miss davening if they are not able to go to the mikva and instead… Read more »
Stepping back after tefilla when someone is behind you
Question: A person cannot step back after Mincha due to a guy davening behind him. However, the shul has already begun Maariv. Should the guy who is trapped daven in… Read more »
Mincha
Question: Is there any opinions that hold that one can daven mincha at least b’dieved during the week until the tzeis that he holds is the end of shabbos. Meaning… Read more »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »