Question: I have had photos of 2 gedolim on my wall for several years. I just took them down becuase I wasn’t sure if I need permission to print them…. Read more »
Category: Ask
Eating a meal with others outside my home during aveilus
Question: I am in the year of aveilut for a parent. My mother-in-law does not understand many of the halachot of aveilut. She comes to us all the time but… Read more »
Dinei mamomonot and milk/meat
Question: 1- I wanted to know what is the din of a milk pan that I made milchig pancakes in. I mistakenly used a meat spoon that may have been… Read more »
Hannukkah
Question: Two questions: 1. Can one be on the computer or phone while the candles are lit? (Reading, chatting, playing games) 2. No fasting on Hannuukah. Does drinking water count as… Read more »
SQUEEZING WATER OR OIL FROM TUNA CAN ON SHABBOS
Question: Can one squeeze the water or oil from an opened can of TUNA ON SHABBOS assuming a person leaves some water or oil remaining? WHAT IS THE BEST WAY… Read more »
Checking grains
Question: Does one need to check rice, quinia, oatmeal, etc. produced in the US? Answer: Regarding rice and quinoa pleae see the follo9wing links https://www.crcweb.org/NewFruitandVeglist.pdf and https://www.star-k.org/articles/wp-content/uploads/bugchecking2.pdf, regarding oatmeal, I am not sure…. Read more »
Aluminum lining for CROCK POT USED on SHABBOS
Question: If someone uses a CROCK POT for cHOLENT on Shabbos. Does he/she need to line the CROCK POT with ALUMINUM FOIL between the CERAMIC pot and the heating pot… Read more »
Overcharging questions
Question: How does overcharging work on an online market place where the item is sold at a range of prices, not one set price? Is it mutar to charge at… Read more »
Overcharging in the general market
Question: Is it mutar lechatchila to overcharge for items when selling on an online market place. Very little information about the buyer is available and no information about the religion… Read more »
Checking Meuzuos after successive injuries
Question: We bought a two family house about a year ago from a rabbinic figure and I assume the mezuzos were properly checked. Recently between us and our tenants we… Read more »
Mistakenly put chicken with gravy on the palata on Shabbos, were we allowed to eat it?
Question: Hi, We warmed up fully cooked chicken and potatoes on a plata on Shabbos and were completely unaware that the chicken pan had a whole bunch of liquid in… Read more »
Kriyah when a relative is reinterred
Question: Shalom, if a long dead relative, in whom Keriyah was made, and his body needs to be transported from that place to another, after a long time, by the… Read more »
Sports betting
Question: Is it mutar (m’ikar hadin) to bet on sports? Not big money, only very small bets for fun to make the games more fun. Answer: Thank you for your… Read more »
Maaser to son for baby carriage
Question: My son and daughter in law that are newly married and live in Eretz Yisroel that I help support (as my son is learning in kollel) just had a… Read more »
Moving possessions out of the techum
Question: A married child lives near his parents and occasionally stops by the parents house. If the parents go away to a different city for Shabbos, is the child allowed… Read more »
Damage to a game
Question: My daughter recently purchased a card game. Her brother was jealous one day and ripped two cards. The game is still useable because not every card is needed to… Read more »
Teshuva for mistakenly eating dairy within a few hours of eating meat
Question: What teshuva can you do for making the mistake of eating something dairy (a pastry I did not realize was dairy,) a few hours after I ate chulent? Thanks! Answer: First… Read more »
Garbage on Shabbat
Question: B”H May items from the Shabbat meal (food leftovers etc.) be put into the garbage can inside the house the same way it would be during the week? Is… Read more »
Studying in the morning
Question: In the morning, for various reasons, there is often a considerable amount of time from when I wake up until I go to shul to daven. Can I study… Read more »
Several seltzer (carbonated water) related questions
Question: 1) May one drink seltzer before davening just like water is permitted or not? What about when the seltzer is infused with some sort of artificial flavoring (no sugar)?… Read more »
shaving body hair
Question: Hello I have a rash in an area which should not be shaved (more so than the rest of the body) which was not going away so I trimmed… Read more »
blessing for our new trucking company
Question: Who can I call to have blessings done over the phone for our new trucking business? Answer: If you would like I can give you a blessing over the internet…. Read more »
Photos of Rabbis at home
Question: Shalom, can a jew we have pictures on the wall of the home, on one Rabbi of the city he lives in, or of a gadol rabbi of our… Read more »
Chanukah candles -is there any hiddur using any oil over candles, or specifically olive oil?
Question: With the neiros for Chanukah, is there any hiddur with stam oil over candles, or is the hiddur davka with olive oil? Answer: The hiddur of olive oil is… Read more »
What needs to go in a geniza
Question: What needs to go in a geniza? Only complete psukkim? Even partial psukkim? Any divrei torah? Anything with shem H (i.e. even if it’s not a passuk). Thank you… Read more »
Maaser for Mehudar Tefillin
Question: Hi, I am looking for a new pair of tefillin (for myself). Can I use maaser money for part of it? For the difference between “kosher lechatchila” and “mehudar”?… Read more »
Predictions of the future
Question: Shalom, 1 – Can a Jew play tarot or cards to predict the future? 2 – Can a goy play tarot or cards to predict the future? Answer: A… Read more »
Mekabel a weekly fast.
Question: So for a while now, I have fasted one day a week. I’m not mekabeling the fast on mincha the day before, but I arise on the day of… Read more »
Bal Tashchis questions
Question: Is it assur to 1) Use a lemon as a skin treatment? 2) Allow children to make “dough” with baking ingredients (for the entertainment value) if it will not… Read more »
Eating after aliyah
Question: What’s the source not to eat before one receives an aliya on simchat torah? Answer: Thank you for your question. My apologies but I am not aware of such… Read more »
What type of personal requests are forbidden on Shabbos?
Question: What type of personal requests are forbidden on Shabbos? I’ve heard some say it’s gashmius related – is that correct? If so, are the following gashmius or ruchnius is… Read more »
Pas akum toaster
Question: My parents eat pas akum. Can I toast kosher bread in their toaster, even though it’s had pas akum in it previously? Thank you Answer: You most probably mean… Read more »
Are Tefillin Muktzeh on Shabbos
Question: 1. Are Tefillin Muktzeh on Shabbos 2. Are you allowed to sit on the hood of a car on Shabbos. Please explain with sources. Thank you Answer: We do not… Read more »
Hinting to a non-Jew to turn the oven off on Shabbos
Question: I accidentally left the oven on with the food in on Friday night. Is it ok to hint to a non-Jew to turn it off so that I can… Read more »
Wishing Mazel tov
Question: Why do we wish people Mazal Tov? Isn’t ein Mazel byisrael a fundamental concept in Judaism? (I’m aware that לאה was the first one who uttered this phrase according… Read more »
May a person do teshuva at night or does it need to be in the daylight?
Question: B”H May a person do teshuva at night or does it need to be in the daylight? Thank you Answer: There is no difference between doing teshuva at night… Read more »
Gglue on coffee cups
Question: B”H If there is a glue residue on disposable paper type cups, may they be used for warm drinks, warm water etc, or does the glue residue render it… Read more »
Going to enjoy Xmas lights
Question: Is it mutar to enjoy xmas lights, and specifically to go a drive thru light attraction? (Holmdel,nj has Magic of lights “Magic of Lights is a dazzling, drive-through holiday… Read more »
Borer Questions
Question: Fish is served with a toothpick inside (to be used to take it from the serving plate instead of fork). Is it borer to take out the toothpick? When… Read more »
Watch on shabbos- Muktzah
Question: If I understand correctly, a watch is muktza machmas melachto l’issur. Therefore, it can be moved for tzorech makomo and gufo. Therefore, if it is ok to wear it… Read more »
Book referencing “G-d”
Question: May one read a secular book containing the word “G-d” (fully written out) in the bathroom? Is this book consider at all a dvar be’kedusha? Thank you very much… Read more »
Learning and Davening after non kosher
Question: I am in the process of becoming more observant and therefore have not fully begun to adopt the laws of Kashrut. Therefore, at times I eat something non-kosher and… Read more »
olam haba
Question: Why did Hashem have to create the feeling of embarrassment when we receive a gift without having done anything? If he hadn’t create it then we could have gone… Read more »
Hiring non Jewish/non frum school teachers
Question: ואין מוסרים להם תינוק ללמדו ספר או ללמדו אומנות דמשכי ליה למינות Based on this rama (Y”D kuf nun gimmul- aluf) what is the heter to hire non Jewish/non… Read more »
Saying Asher Yatzar
Question: Is there a concept that one can only make the blessing of Asher Yatzar if the toilet is flushed afterwards. Or can one say it even if he did… Read more »
Rabbi decrees
Question: How and/or why did it happen that there is so much unclarity both in the Gemara and in the Poskim about the details of Rabbinic decrees? Why wasn’t the… Read more »
Bracha after mikva
Question: Hi do men make a bracha after going to the mikva? Thank you Answer: No men do not make a bracha when going to the mikva. The reason is… Read more »
Length on time for Menorah burning
Question: Dear Rabbi I was wondering on the following. Is there any idea that one should keep the Menorah burning for any longer than 30 minutes. For instance, if using… Read more »
Davening and learning in same area
Question: If a person is learning in a room where there is an active minyan, is he exempt from saying amen by kaddish, saying kedusha, standing when a torah is… Read more »
Separating Maasros Batman hazeh
Question: One bought fruits from a store and is mafrish the one percent plus a little more (for Terumah and Trumas maaser). If there is a possibility that SOME of… Read more »