I am a home care therapist. I go to homes and do therapy with children. Is there a problem of Yichud where the mother is home and the husband is… Read more »
Category: Ask
Replace yeriah in Sefer Torah
The Torah is finished. Can we replace the last yeriah in order to be able to write the last few letters & make a siyum? Answer If the final yeriah… Read more »
Tznius for a young girl
what is the halacha regarding tznius for a 4 year old?when do i have to stop letting my daughter stop wearing short sleeves?pants? Answer There is a halachic basis for… Read more »
Harchokos on Yom Vesses
During the Onas Haveses, is only Chibbuk V’Nishuk Asur? May the couple hold hands, for example? And is a little kiss on the cheek included in “Chibbuk”? Answer The Halachah… Read more »
Haircut on Friday Rosh Chodesh Sivan
If one keeps the second half of sefira, can he shave this Erev Shabbos lichvod Shabbos since he can shave Sunday for the Sheloshes Yemei Hagbaloa? Does the same sevara… Read more »
Avel at aufruf
I am in the year for my father who passed away, am i aloud to participate in the shabbos meal at the aufruph {shabbos before the wedding} Answer An Avel… Read more »
Pareve rice in an old milky pot
If I have a metal pot that was used a long while ago for milchegs – if I now us it to cook parave rice only – what is that… Read more »
Glue on tzitzit knots
Some tzitzis companies advertise that the knots never come undone. They put glue on the knots of the tzitzis so one never has to worry about fastening the nots. I… Read more »
Shehecheyanu on new tzitzis
The Shulchan Aruch says that when puts on a new pair of tzitzis one should say birkat shechiyanu. I have heard that some don’t say Shechiyanu today because we are… Read more »
Esrog of Shmittah
What should I do with an esrog of Shemittah that I received from Israel last Shmittah (I live in the US)? Answer You need not send it back to Israel…. Read more »
Visiting a cemetery – (Friday, and women)
Until when on Friday can one go to a cemetery? Should women go to a cemetery? Answer There is no reason not to go to a cemetery on Friday, even… Read more »
Sleeping with feet towards the door
Should we not sleep with our feet or head facing the door? & why? Answer There seems to be a custom not to sleep with one’s feet pointing towards the… Read more »
Tovelling a coffee machine
What is the halacha if one buys a coffee machine that has metal piping inside it but I am afraid if I toivel the entire machine that it will break?… Read more »
Fallen mezuza
When I was putting up my mezuza the parchment fell to the ground by accident. Does one have to fast for a fallen Mezuza parchment? Does one have to fast… Read more »
Form for lending a Sefer Torah
I am lending a Sefer Torah to a Shul. Do you have a form for this? Answer The text should read something like the following: Agreement Mr ………………………….. hereby lends… Read more »
Wigs
Is a women allowed to were wigs al pi halacha? Answer There is much debate amongst the Poskim if this is permitted. The majority of kehillos are accustomed to permit… Read more »
Lashon Horah on frum websites
There are a few frum, Jewish news websites. They publish news from our community, and from the general population. They claim that nothing they publish is lashon hora, but sometimes… Read more »
Sirtut on tefillin
Why don’t sofrim make a sritah beneath the last line of writing in t’fillin and mezuzos, as they do in other sifrei qodesh, in order to be m’qayyem the shittah… Read more »
Taking employee from competition
Hello, Our company provides a installation service for home. we usually subcontract the installer to do the actual work. we were in need of a new installer so we put… Read more »
Kohen in a tunnel
This question has been bothering me ever since I went to a Kohen shuir. If a Kohen is driving in a car and about to enter a tunnel. Just before… Read more »
Fish/meat on grill
I have a kashrus question as follows: I used a George Foreman Grill last week for fish and I wanted to know if its okay to grill meat on it?… Read more »
White sheets
Does my wife have to makpid to use white sheets during shiva nekiim if she never stains? Answer Yes. However, if she wears tightly fitting white underclothing when she goes… Read more »
Lamnatzeiach on Issru Chag
Upon what is dependant the machlokus whether one says Lamnatseiach in Shachris after the 2nd Ashrei on Isru Chag? Answer Most Poskim rule that one does not say Lamnatzeiach on… Read more »
Contact between a divorced couple
May a man talk with his divorced wife? Answer No. A divorced couple may not talk to each other face to face (to the extent that even if they have… Read more »
Leining on the day one becomes Bar Mitzvah
Does a bar mitzvah boy get an aliyah and possibly lein on the actual day of his birthday (if it falls on a Leining day of the week) or does… Read more »
Short sale
Is it rabbinically permitted to buy a house on a short sale when you know that the owner is a Jew? I’m handling w/ a Jewish brokerage firm. They told… Read more »
Bracha on challoh kugel
What brocha should one make on Challah Kugel? The leftover challah was soaked until very soggy. The challah was then squeezed out and mixed with eggs and vegetables and then… Read more »
Drumming during the Sefira
Is it permitted to drum in the sifra? Answer A drum is a musical instrument and so should not be played during the Sefira. However, one who is learning to… Read more »
Water cooler on Shabbos
Is one allowed to use an electric water cooler (a standing water cooler with the water bottle on top, facing down, and below you press the valve and cold water… Read more »
Separating Challah
When separating challah for “hafrashas challah”. do you take off the part completely and then make a bracha? make a bracha on the whole dough and then take off the… Read more »
Boiling eggs
When boiling eggs, how many eggs needs to be boiled at once? Answer Some have a custom to boil at least three together. (The idea behind this is that in… Read more »
Ma’aser money
As a kalla, is there anything I am allowed to use my maaser money for? For example, my kalla tacher is a wife of a man still in kollel, and… Read more »
Music on Lag B’Omer night
Are you able to listen to music on motzai sabbath lag baomer? Answer Rav Vosner (Shevet Halevi vol 8 siman 168) writes that since the Poskim write that the prohibition… Read more »
Coffee machine
My non-religious boss brought in a coffee machine. The coffee he uses at the office is regular kosher coffee but I don’t know if it was always that way. He… Read more »
Bracha on flaxseed
What brocha do you say on flaxseed? Answer Ho’adomoh עי’ חיי אדם ח”א כלל נא נשמת אדם ס”ז.
Leaving without making a brocho achronah and then returning
If one is eating and then leaves the house for a few minutes without making a Brocha Acharona, when he returns and wants to continue eating, does he have to… Read more »
Working during Minchah at the office
When the men at work daven Mincha and I (a woman) am working, what are the Halachos on answering amen to Kaddish and Brachos? Do I have to get up… Read more »
Haircut on Erev Shabbos when Lag Be’Omer is on Sunday
Is one allowed to take a hair cut tomorrow Friday erev shabbos being that lag beomer is on Sunday? Answer: Yes [Remo”h in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 493:2] This is… Read more »
Mentioning mother’s name
My workmate has the same name as my mother. Am I allowed to mention her name when I talk about work? Answer If the name is unusual, one may mention… Read more »
Practising Bar Mitzvah boy
1)Can a Sefer Torah be taken out of the aron kodesh so that a bar mitzva boy can practice the leining (in order simulate the environment that he will be… Read more »
Av Harachamim during the Sefira
During sefira we say av harachamim even when we bentch rosh chodesh. What’s the halacha if there is a bris in shul on shabbos during sefira? Do we still say… Read more »
Tachanun on Erev Pesach Sheni
Do we say Tachanun at minchah on Erev Pesach Sheni? Answer Yes [Shulchan Aruch Harav, Piskei Hassidur, end of Hilchos Krias Shema uTefilloh]
Wheelchair on Shabbos
Can a Jew wheel a Jew to shul on Shabbos in a place with no Eiruv? Answer Places that have no Eiruv can generally be classified under two different types… Read more »
Counted the wrong day
May I please ask the Rav a Sha’aila? I counted Sefirah with a Beracha and realized just after I counted that I counted 25 instead of 27 – I did… Read more »
Tuition fees from Ma’aser?
Can you use Maaser to pay tuition? Answer One may not use ma’aser money for anything that one is obliged to do, only for voluntary things. As a result, since… Read more »
248 words in a woman’s Shema?
Does a woman have to have 248 words in krieas shma? Answer Yes. Let’s first expound a little on the question. The Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 61:3) writes that there… Read more »
Honouring father, rav and father-in-law
Question Where is the Mishna that it say whos Kovod comes first your Rav’s or your father? Answer Bava Metzia 33a, one must return an avaidah of one’s Rav before… Read more »
Overhanging branches
A neighbor’s tree has branches extending over my property and inhibit the growth of trees on my side of the property line. Am I allowed to trim back the neighbor’s… Read more »
Repairing a Sefer Torah
Can I repair a tear in the klaf of a torah (not in the letters) with tape rather than gluing on the traditional piece of klaf? Answer If the tear… Read more »
Forgot to Bentch
I washed and ate in a store. as I was walking home I realized I forgot to bentch but the store is already closed. what do I do now? Answer… Read more »