Question: Hi, we bought a stuffed toy Torah scroll. On the front is sown on “ki mitzion tzeitzei Torah” (in Hebrew) (see picture). Is there a problem of letting our… Read more »
Category: Various matters
Neder by Neila
Question: Hi, I hope you can help me with my issue. It was by ne’elah and I had a thought (I don’t think I ever said it out of my… Read more »
bogdan
Question: What’s the analogue of Ukrainian name Bohdan in LASHON A KODESH or Hebrew? Answer: Try Netanel. Gmar Chasima Tova
Beis Din for Hataras Nedarim comprised of non observant Jew
Question: Is hataras nedarim performed with a Beis Din in which one of the judges is not Shomer Shabbos valid? Does it matter how many judges are non Shomer Shabbos?… Read more »
Washing on shabbos
Question: I got dirty on Friday night and I was very uncomfortable. It was a pretty big mess so I tried washing washing myself one ever at a time with… Read more »
I feel confused
Question: BH I feel that everything I do on a daily basis goes wrong, as a family too, I try to work and you don’t leave things to me, like… Read more »
chillul hashem
Question: A frum college student who falls asleep or dozes off while the professor is speaking, is it a Chillul Hashem? If it is, what should be done if the… Read more »
Is heckling considered shaming the performer?
Question: Is booing, expressing disapproval or dislike of the performance, and similar gestures, considered shaming someone in public, or does it “come with the territory”? Answer: If the performer realizes… Read more »
Pledged money to a yeshiva, and then found out that I made a mistake
Question: I learnt at a bein hazmanim kollel and received “X” amount of money. I already said that I will give 10% back to the yeshiva for ma’aser. The problem… Read more »
Famous saying
Question: Is there a source to the saying that if you have 10 straight boys you will go to Olam Haba Answer: Unfourtunately I don’t have a specific source for… Read more »
Teshuvah
Question: What is the proper path to teshuvah for one who has Gd forbid committed the sin of mishkav zachar? Does this person have any hope? What is he to… Read more »
Not Jewish Songs
Question: Is listening to not Jewish song? What if they are completely clean and appropriate? Answer: In general it is frowned apon unless there is a specific need. Please see… Read more »
Hatarat nedarim and tehillim at bedtime
Question: I have a bit of a complex question and I’m wondering how best to proceed. I am a mother to a 7mo little boy. A few months ago I… Read more »
Can one change his Minhagim/whose halachic opinions to follow?
Question: Hi, Is there a halachic discussion as to under what circumstances a person may change minhagim/Halacha he follows? The only one I know of is marriage where a wife… Read more »
Olam Haba and gehinnom
Question: Greetings. How is it possible that the gemara in Rosh Hashana 17b discusses the existence of gehenom when we know from Pirke Avos that Kol Yisroel Yesh Lo Chelek… Read more »
Telling a son/daughter about Gehinnom
Question: Is there an appropriate age to tell your son/daughter about Gehinnom? Is it ever appropriate to tell your child that if they don’t eat Kosher or do something else… Read more »
Is a person taking his children’s sins if he isn’t taking care of them, but instead puts them for adoption?
Question: Is a person taking his children’s sins if he isn’t taking care of them, but instead puts them for adoption? Answer: A person that has a child, is given… Read more »
Difference of rabbis opinion
Question: Shalom Rav what does one do when he hears of a rabbi in his communtiy who holds differrently to other but is a reputable talmid chacham? recently a rabbi… Read more »
Haftorah Scroll Ink Color
Question: a) Do all the letters on a kosher haftorah scroll have to be in black ink? b) What if the words and letters of one pasuk iare colored in… Read more »
Covering illustrations on a HafTorah scroll ?
Question: In an earlier question/answer you said that colored illustrations are not a good idea le’chatchilah on a Haftorah scroll, but be’di’eved their presence would not make the scroll unkosher…. Read more »
Hashem’s name on T-shirt
Question: Someone was attempting to personalize a t-shirt with the name יהודה and unfortunately erred and put the ד at the end after the ה, thus unwittingly causing the name… Read more »
Joining two haftorah scrolls to make one…is it kosher?
Question: Suppose I have a kosher Shnuel Aleph scroll and a separate Shmuel Bet scroll — similar in size and format. Can they be attached together to form one scroll… Read more »
Can a Beit Midrash putr up a sign saying anyone they enters with a smartphone has to pay a penalty?
Question: I went to a certain Beis midrash with my smartphone and after leaving noticed a sign saying that anyone who enters with a smartphone has to donate money to… Read more »
reply to “Honesty in Business/Commerce”
Question: Thanks so much for that information. If one item was purchased already, and since there is doubt as to whether the manufacturer was allowed to sell it, what is… Read more »
Public Internet speech
Question: I have a Bein Adam l’chavero question. About a year ago there was a rabbi who posted a torah shiur on youtube. A Hasid, “Reuven”, wrote a comment about… Read more »
Turp
Question: Is turp permitted? Answer: There might be a potential issue, of making the man a krus sufcha, which is a prohibition not to cause sterility, which can happen, even… Read more »
Uninvited surprise guests
Question: My husband has brought me in the past surprise guests the divorced men , from shul on shabboss . I dont like surprises i need to prepare and know… Read more »
Hatarat Nedarim
Question: Hi, I recently asked a question regarding hatarat nedarim for Tehillim I have taken upon myself, and your answer sparked another question – A few months ago, I decided… Read more »
Teshuva for lying
Question: Without intending to, I said something to my child’s teacher/babysitter that was untrue about him. (I was trying to think of an example of his ability in an area,… Read more »
Hatarat nedarim
Question: I say tehillim every day, and have been reciting it in Hebrew and then reading it in English. I started doing this in order to understand the tehillim, and… Read more »
What does רעך בתורה ובמצות mean?
Question: The Torah says וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ, Love your fellow as yourself. Actual halacha: Kitzur Shulchan Aruch: It is incumbent upon every Jew to love every fellow Jew as he… Read more »
Answering the door
Question: When a person knocks on my door on shabbos, coming to visit without any plans for a visit, I prefer not to answer the door. I am very uncomfortable… Read more »
Are you allowed to say on a Jew that is dead already”Yimach Shimo”
Question: Are you allowed to say On a Jew that is dead already Yimach shimo even if he was a big rosho Answer: Without getting into the topic or who… Read more »
Naming Twins
Question: My twin girls are already teenagers, but this goes back to when they were named. I ask, because I was at a baby naming for twins a few weeks… Read more »
2 year old saying “Elo-” and “Ado-“
Question: My 2 year old is verbally advanced and has learned brachos by hearing adults say them. He knows the correct brachos but, being 2, he has developed a game… Read more »
Egg donor
Question: My wife an I recently hosted a woman becoming a baalas tshuva. she informed us that her Jewish mother had fertility issues, so her mother used eggs from an… Read more »
Geniza
Question: What is required to create a Gueniza “bor” in our school? (only dig a hole and put all material in-papers from students like tests etc or that is another… Read more »
Promising on a form
Question: I am interested in joining a club that has has an application. The application has a paragraph stating that “I promise to do XYZ”. I intend to do it,… Read more »
Kilayim Questions
Question: Dear Rabbonim, I have a number of questions regarding planting a garden and want to make sure I have followed the rules correctly. I planted a number of different… Read more »
Women’s Kabbalat Shabbat
Question: A group of women would like to do a Women’s only Friday Night Kabbalat Shabbat in a synagogue hall , is this allowed? Some communities do allow it however,… Read more »
May a her attend a relatives funeral who is not Jewish.
Question: May a ger attend a relative’s funeral who is not Jewish? What about a Church funeral? What if it’s not a relative? What if it’s open casket? Thank you… Read more »
Should I still say bli neder?
Question: Due to my frequently making nedorim/shevo’us when angry and then regretting them, my Rov told me to say “any neder or shavuoh that I make should not take effect”… Read more »
Nazir permitted or required to drink wine after Nazirus
Question: Is the Nazir at the end of his term permitted or required to drink wine? Answer: He has to cut his hair at the end of his nezirus, because… Read more »
Is seeing a therapist kosher – in general?
Question: Dear Rabbis, I see that aspects of seeing a psychotherapist (particularly the potential yihud issue) have been discussed here before, but I wanted to ask more generally if there… Read more »
Holding Grudge/ Proper Behavior Advice
Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. My question is: I was recently walking in a large city and was asked by a stranger if I “had a minute.” I… Read more »
Halacha and modern slavery
Question: A lot of the world’s chocolate and coffee is made from raw ingredients that were harvested using slave labor. What are the Halachic sources forbidding the use of cruel… Read more »
Mozart for Babies
Question: Hi, Thank you for this forum. I heard that listening to Mozart, Beethoven, etc. is good for babies brain development. (Is there any truth to this,) and on a… Read more »
“Shomer Shabbat” on Challah bag
Question: Hello, Thank you for taking the time to help. My question is with respect to store bought challah bread. Sometimes on the bag it is written “Shomer Shabbat.” How… Read more »
Chayav karies
Question: I slept with a single girl who as being single was a nidda. Am i chayav karies? What does this mean for me now? Is it possible to rectify?… Read more »
kilayim: grape vine and nana
Question: Is it a problem of kilayim to have a grape vine running over a nana (spearmint?) plant, I think the Iranian Jews eat nana ? Answer: Nana is mint,… Read more »