Question: Hello, Do you know or have any information about doing hishtachavoya with pishut yadaim veraglaim and even maskis . Does one need a hefsek? To turn his head? Why… Read more »
Category: Prayer (tefilla)
Davening between Yishtabach and Kaddish
Question: If someone finishes p’sukei d’zimra ahead of the chazan and has already said Yishtabach, what is permitted for this individual to daven/say before the chazan begins kaddish? Can one… Read more »
Varying the amount of Shacharit said at home (for women)
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
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 »
Wiping after urinating
Question: Hi Rabbi, What is the Halacha in regard to Siman 3 in Shulchan Aruch. The law is that one may not have urine on himself while making a Bracha…. Read more »
Used the bathroom after Borchu
Question: If one went to the bathroom after hearing Borchu but before he started birchas krias shma, is he allowed to make an Asher Yatzar? I ask because I know… Read more »
When to say vsan-tal-umatar-this-year 2018-2019
Question: when-do-we-start-saying-vsan-tal-umatar-this-year. 2018-2019 Answer: We already started saying it in the beginning of December. This essentially means that the shemona esrei’s that you said was not valid, and the next… Read more »
Davening in front of a picture of a woman
Question: Is one allowed to say a bracha in front of a picture of a woman who is not tznius, and by scale it would be more than a tefach,… Read more »
Washing hands before davening
Question: Is there a limud zchus on the many ppl who aren’t makpid to wash hands before davening Mincha/mariv? Answer: Interesting question. I don’t know. Maybe if they think that… Read more »
Mincha Maariv
Question: Shalom. 1) Is there a maalah to daven mincha right before shekia (and maybe finishing right after shekia) and then wait a few minutes for shekia to daven maariv?… Read more »
Tal U’motor for visitor to E. Israel
Question: Chalom I will travel to E. Israel next week on Oct 16 (7 cheshvan). I will stay 2 weeks. My question is regarding saying tal umotor (in E. Israel… Read more »
Davening before neitz for a woman
Question: Hi, Is a woman allowed to daven shachris before Neitz (but after alos)? Answer: If you won’t be able to daven otherwise then it is permitted, as it is… Read more »
Tashlumin for shachrais and musaf by mincha
Question: If a person was sick and did not daven shachris and musaf and now it is time to daven mincha (and there is enough time to daven all the… Read more »
Can an individual in his home say Anim Zmirot or Avinu Malkenu?
Question: Can an individual in his home say Anim Zmirot or Avinu Malkenu? Answer: Regarding Anim Zmiros, I haven’t seen anything on this, however it is usually only said with… Read more »
Davening neitz
Question: What is significance/ chashivus of saving at neitz? Answer: The preferred time to daven is exactly when the sun begins to rise over the horizon, as the Posuk says… Read more »
Medication and Eating Before Shacharit
Question: I take medication and when I wake up in the morning I am hungry and thirsty. I dont have the energy to pray or say all the words in… Read more »
davening brochas/korbanos at home
Question: Can I daven brochas and korbonas at home and then continue davening in shul starting with Boruch Sheamar? Thanks Answer: This seems to be fine. However if the shul… Read more »
daily sacrifice
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 »
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 »
Onus 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 »