Question: B”H Kavod haRav, Would something with the word Israel (in Hebrew or English) require geniza? Thank you Answer: It does not need to go into gnieza, as it is… Read more »
Category: Disposal of holy objects and books
Discarding MEZUZAH case
Question: If a mezuzah case is used for a mezuzah which is wrapped in wax paper, and one wants to discard the mezuzah case. How should the mezuzah case be… Read more »
genizah menorah box
Question: Does my outdoor menorah box require geniza? is it considered tashmishie kedusha? Answer: An outdoor menorah box does not require geniza, as it only services the menora which services… Read more »
Menorahs after Chanuka
Question: Could we throw out the cheap menorahs after Chanukah is over? Thank you Answer: Thank you for your question. My assumption is that you are not asking regarding baal… 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 »
lekavod shabbos kodesh – shaimos?
Question: HI, We print a weekly list of things to do for Shabbos and at the top of the page its says “lekavod shabbos kodesh”. 1) Is it a problem… Read more »
Getting rid of nonjewish books?
Question: Concerning Abramelin the Mage, this book is arguably non Jewish in origin, but is based on Kabbalah magic and Jewish theology. How would one get rid of it since… Read more »
disposing of item properly
Question: BH Thank you so much for your help My question is: If a persons name (for example: Daniel) has a reference to one of G-d’s names: (E—-l), is it… Read more »
Shaimos? Washing cups, havdallah items
Question: Hello! How should one dispose of plastic or metal washing cups that were used for netilas yadaim? What about a havdallah candle? besamim? Thank you very much. Answer: Please… Read more »
Disposing of item properly
Question: BH Hello, Thank you for your help. Is it ok to throw out packages that have “BH” and “BSD” (either in Hebrew or English) on them, or do they… Read more »
Problematic sefer
Question: I came into possession of a set of sifrei kodeshim. Unfortunately, I discovered that two of the five volumes in the set were co-authored by someone who went OTD… Read more »
Shaimos: sukkah decorations, oil glasses from neiros
Question: Hello, Do sukkah decorations need to be discarded in a specific way? What about used glasses that held oil for shabbos candles? the wicks? Thank you! Answer: Articles… Read more »
Photos with names of G’d
Question: BS”D Shalom my dear Rabbi, Question: If a person put a photo in cel phone that contains a divine name, it can delete? or he has to put in… Read more »
disposing of kiddush cups
Question: Hello, Thank you for your help. What is the proper disposal of plastic kiddush cups and plastic plates used to hold bread during Shabbat? Thanks. Answer: You can throw… 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 »
What should I do with my old and repetitive loved ones Pictures?
Question: I had the luck to have with us our grandparents and parents in our marriage, in our sons Bar Mitzvahs, in a lot of events. Now the passed away… Read more »
Is this shaimos?
Question: If a posuk or part of davening is written on a paper, but using the letter “hei” instead of spelling out the name of Hashem or writing eloKai instead… Read more »
Can I throw out a plaque written by a goy with G d spelled with an O part of a Catholic poem ?
Question: Can I throw out a plaque written by a goy with G d spelled with an O part of a Catholic poem ? Answer: It is permitted to throw… Read more »
Silver investor guidance
Question: Dear Rabbi, Can you comment on New Zealand which currently offers a silver one ounce coin that has the yad hey vav hey written on the bottom of a… Read more »
Shamos
Question: I noticed the trend now by weddings is to have menues. On the back is benching but hashem is a “hay” and it is written “elokaynu”. Should it be… Read more »
Shaimos-related issue
Question: Should reform ‘siddurim’ be put in shaimos or burned? Answer: The siddurim should be put into shaimos, and not burned. See the following post https://dinonline.org/2017/11/20/disposal-of-messianic-prayerbook/ regarding Messianic prayer books. Messianic prayer… Read more »
Disposal of messianic prayerbook
Question: What is the proper way to dispose of a messianic Jews for jesus prayerbook with G-d’s name throughout? Answer: Even though it has G-d’s name in it, but since… Read more »
Geniza of the fringes of a sefer torah
Question: During the chagim the fringes on the paroket from an older Torah started falling on the floor. One person said that they needed to be collected and buried so… Read more »
Do broken tefillin boxes have to be put into shaimos
Question: The plastic boxes which I wrap my tefillin in, when I put them away, have broken. Should I put them in Shims, or may I wrap them and throw… Read more »
Erasing a Shiur
Question: Is one allowed to delete a shiur from one’s ipod? Answer: Yes, because it isn’t written, but it is only a digital code. Sources: Shulchan Shlomo Shabbos 340 ftnt…. Read more »
Disposing of tzitzos
Question: Can I double wrap old pasul tzitzus and throw them out instead of giving them in to sheimos? Answer: If the tzitzis are indeed pasul, they are considered tashmishei… Read more »
Wrapping ruined seforim (from the rain) and letting a goy dispose of them
Question: Seforim that were ruined in the rain, may they be double wrapped and disposed of by a goy? It is not easy to deliver them to geniza. Perhaps there… Read more »
English Book Genizah
Question: Hi, I have a bunch of books that are “Jewish” books which I wouldn’t necessarily say are “seforim”. They are more like books that talk about Jewish concepts and… Read more »
Disposal of Holy/ secular materials
Question: Hello, My question (in two parts) is regarding disposal of items according to Jewish law. 1. What is the proper way to dispose of challah that was blessed for… Read more »
Donate old taleisim and tefillin
שְׁאֵלָה: איך אני יכול לתרום או אחר תשליך taleisim ותפילין הישנים כמו שצריך? תשובה: מתן הם כשרים אולי אתה יכול לתרום אותם shule או באיזה מוסד ראוי אחר. אם לא… Read more »
Genizah for Child’s Sefer Torah
Question: Does a printed sefer torah for children to carry on Simchas Torah require genizah? My thought it that since it is not even meant to learn from, rather just… Read more »