When making a bedikah, is it better to use the bathroom before or after making the bedikah? Answer: It is better not to use the bathroom immediately before the bedikah, so… Read more »
Category: Ask
Facing Jerusalem
I pray in a Shul that does not directly face Jerusalem – I would say it is off by approximately 15 degrees. I know of another Shul that is probably… Read more »
Holding the Sefer Torah
I have seen the minhag in certain shuls that on shabbos the second sefer torah isn’t held during the reading but rather is placed on the bima in a certain… Read more »
Cremation
Are there any reasons that a non-Jew should not be cremated? Answer: Although the Gemara writes that the dead of non-Jews are buried with the Jewish dead, this is only… Read more »
Killing Insects (not on Shabbos)
Is one allowed to kill flies and other insects, or is this considered cruelty to animals? Answer: It is permitted to kill flies and other insects if they present a… Read more »
Omission of Retzei in Shalosh Seudos
If one were to miss retzei in shalosh seudos or al hamichya on Shabbos, does one need to repeat the blessing? Answer: If one omits an addition, such as retzei,… Read more »
Cleaning After Bathroom for Davening
I know the Shulchan Aruch is very makpid about making sure that there is no feces on one’s body after bathroom use because one can’t daven or say brachos or… Read more »
Pas Akum for Cookies
If one is makpid on pas yisroel does that mean they have to be makpid on pas haba bkisnin, such as pretzels or cookies? Answer: The prohibition does extend to… Read more »
Contracted Without Fixing Price
I was contracted by a client to carry out a number of building repairs. Throughout the work he kept asking for more work to be done. At no stage either… Read more »
Kiddush Procedure
When one makes kiddish, does one actually have to drink from the kiddush cup or can one pour into another cup after the bracha and then drink from a different… Read more »
Envoys for Mitzvos and Aveiros
Question about shlichus: Why is it that when I send a shaliach to do a mitzvah for me, let’s say like lighting chanukah candles in a case where I accepted… Read more »
Public Shows of Affection
There is a custom that I have seen at weddings that the couple holds hands after the chupa to the yichud room, is there a problem of showing public affection?… Read more »
Picked Up Shel Rosh First
I picked up my tefilin shel rosh by accident today, should I have put it on 1st before the tefilin shel yad? Or can I pass over that mitzvah, because… Read more »
Inviting Unaffiliated Jew for Shabbos
Can we invite an unaffiliated Jew for shabbos if we know he will drive to and from our house on shabbos? Answer: If you know he will be driving to… Read more »
Dissolving Partnership
2 Jews are in business. One of them has a 50% share in the business, which he supplies from his other business. The business he supplies owes him money to him…. Read more »
Giving Shoes to Charity
My wife was niftar one year ago, Can I donate her shoes to a shoe Gemach? Answer: Based on Sefer Chasidim (444), some have written that shoes of somebody deceased… Read more »
Kiddush Levanah Under a Tree
Is there any problem about reciting kiddush Levanah under a tree? Answer: Kiddush Levana should be recited outdoors, but bedieved, it can also be recited indoors, provided there is a… Read more »
Can the Rabbi be a Mamzer?
Can mamzerim become orthodox rabbis? If so, under what circumstances? Answer: The Gemara teaches that a mamzer talmid chacham takes predence (in the order of saving a life) over a… Read more »
Marriage of Two Brothers to Two Sisters
Are 2 brothers allowed to marry 2 sisters (for Ashkenazim)? Answer: Rabbi Yehudah Hachasid writes in his tzavaah (no. 25) that two brothers should not marry two sisters. This is… Read more »
Dismissing Cleaner
Is it permitted to dimiss an older yid from cleaning a shul because he is too slow and expensive, and replace him with a goy? He has been working here… Read more »
Three Steps With Somebody Davening Behind
Regarding taking 3 steps for davening: a)If one ends his davening and wants to take 3 steps back but there is a person still davening behind him but there is a… Read more »
Using Neighbor’s Wireless Connection
Can apartment dwellers, share the use of a wireless connection of one of the neighbors, assuming the owner does not mind? What about if the owner is asleep or out… Read more »
Mikva Talk
Is on allowed to talk in the Mikvah area whether dressed or not, and in the Mikvah itself. Also, may one tell over this “halachah” in the mikvah area? Answer:… Read more »
Hefsek for Wearing Tzitzis
When one removes their tzitzis at night to go shower, is there any reason to put them back on before going back to shul for maariv? Also, if one takes… Read more »
Yarzeit on Leap Year
When there is a double Adar when would the yarzheit of a person be who was deceased in a single Adar? Would it be in Adar alef or beit? Answer:… Read more »
Early Davening for Women
Women aren’t required to do mitzvos that are ‘timed.’ Yet women are supposed to daven before they do their household chores. How can a mother of several kids do that?… Read more »
Tevillah for Disposable Foil Pan
Does one need to toivel a disposable foil pan if he plans on using it more than once? Answer: If a foil pan is used only once, it does not… Read more »
Using Chain Store Trolleys
I work for a company that uses shopping trolleys for moving stock. These shopping trolleys are clearly marked as belonging to big chain stores. There is a shop next door… Read more »
Company Air Miles
Suppose somebody works for a company, and controls its finances , as a controller or CFO. This CFO has the ability to use his personal credit cards, or credit cards… Read more »
Deli Roll
In America many people have deli roll. This is basically puff pastry dough pocket with deli meat inside of it. In the end the product looks like a pocket with… Read more »
Double Apartment for Vaad Bayit
I have asked a similar sheila in the past but I would like to re-ask the sheila with more accurate details. My building was built about twenty years ago. The… Read more »
Kaparos Money
Does the money from kaparos have to go to a certain kind of tzedakah, or can it go to any charity cause? Answer: The money should be given for the… Read more »
Bishul Akum for Potato Chips
Are OU potato chips bishal akum? Answer: There is no problem of bishul akum in any type of potato chips. Sources: Potato chips are a snack, which is not consumed… Read more »
Adon Olam/Yigdal at Home
Does a woman say Adon Olam & Yigdal when davening at home? They come right after Ma Tovu which you say should not be said at home. Answer: Yes. Adon… Read more »
Chanukah Candles on Motzaei Shabbos
If one is staying at their inlaws for the shabbos of chanukah and plans on going home that night motzei shabbos, should one light at one’s in laws’ channuka party,… Read more »
Crushing Snow on Shabbos
Can one stomp on snow with intention to make it melt and/or soften it? Answer: It is forbidden to stomp on snow with the intention of making it melt (or… Read more »
Ice Maker on Shabbos
Can one use the ice of an automatic ice maker on Shabbos? Should one turn off the machine? Answer: There is no problem in using the ice that the machine… Read more »
Brokerage Obligations
I am looking to purchase an apartment in Israel. I contacted a few brokers and told them what I wanted. One broker I contacted was from a random Google search,… Read more »
Honey Nut Cheerios
What berachah should one make on honey nut cheerios? Answer: As far as I recall, “honey nut cheerios” is a wheat-based cereal, and its berachah would therefore be borei minei mezonos, followed… Read more »
Question of Dayan’s Validity
If there are 2 parties involved in an arbitration with a single dayan (arbitrator) in which a shtar berurim was executed ,and 1 of the parties offered favors to the… Read more »
Muktzeh for Electrical Items
2 muktza questions: 1)On shabbos, I by accidently left my cell phone on the seforim shelf next to the shabbos table. In the morning the phone’s alarm starting going off… Read more »
Krias Shema for Women
1. Are women required to say shema by the zeman for krias shema? 2. If yes,and I can’t daven until after I get my kids off to school, should I… Read more »
Milky Pot with Meaty Lid
Is my pot and/or lid treif? I have a milchig and fleishig ot that look almost identical. One is dark blue, one is black. They are teflon coated and the… Read more »
Claiming Debt from Yeshiva
Please enlighten me with a response as to what is the Halacha and best way to procede. I worked for a major Yeshiva for the past 7.5 years. Due to… Read more »
Surrogate Mother
There was a married couple who had fertility problems so they hired a surrogate mother to carry their baby to term. They got divorced while the surrogate was pregnant. They… Read more »
Chanukah Candles at Shul and at Home
On Chanuka, if one lights the menora in shul and says all 3 berachos, should one say all three berachos again at home when lighting the candles even if no… Read more »
Ma Tovu at Home
Should a woman say Ma Tovu if she’s davening at home? Answer: No. The verse is recited (as part of Shacharis) only upon coming to shul. It is interesting to… Read more »
Daughter Saying Kaddish
This is a difficult one for my Shul, where I am Rosh Hakohol (our Rabbi is ill). We have had a young woman who says Kaddish (quite loud), sometimes in… Read more »
Eruv in Hotel
I am going to a hotel for Shabbos. Do I need to make an eruv chatzeros? If so, how do I do it? Please mention any other halachos that I… Read more »
Sukkah of Livyasan
I heard that there is a discussion amongst the poskim whether indeed one should say the tefilla about the sukka shel livyasan when one leaves the sukkah on the last… Read more »