Halachic Guide - Shavuos | לוח יומי - חג השבועות

Hashovas Avaidah

Question: My brother works in a store in Crown Heights and found a stroller that was left behind already for three days. He offered it to me and said…

I see chopped kale without a Hechsher sold in some kosher supermarkets. Is this OK to buy?

Not at all. Kale is heavily infested and must be checked. Method of checking: 1. Soak the leaves in a solution of dish-washing liquid and water. Allow to soak for…

Can bread that requires reheating be considered Pas Yisroel?

Question: These loaves don’t say that they are Pas Yisroel - but they do say that they recommend reheating (i.e. additional baking?) before eating. (Please see the attached picture.)…

I was recommended by my nutritionist to eat a certain kind of cracker that is high fiber low carb, that will help with lowering cholesterol and weight loss. The product is OU Pareve, ingredients: wheat bran and oat bran (water is not listed in the ingredients). Do they have to be Pas Yisroel?

Link to the product. Answer: Most likely, as is usually the case, it is not all bran. Some of the kernel would be mixed in and thus it would need…

Someone started warming up shntizel in my Pareve microwave and we quickly shut it before it got very hot, but it was already a little warm to the touch. Do I need to Kasher my microwave to make it Pareve again?

2. If I keep the microwave Fleishig: a) May I heat up Pareve items and then bake them in a Pareve/Milchig oven? For instance melting chocolate for a Pareve/Milchig…

I just read a question on your website that someone asked about making a Challah with milk, and the answer was that it is Mezonos because there was more other liquid than water. But isn’t standard milk sold in stores very watered-down? That should possibly make it that there is actually more water than other liquid, no?

The original question is here. Answer: Milk is highly regulated and there is a “standard of identity” that cows’ milk cannot include added water and be called milk.

May I use paintings that depict stories of the Torah that were painted by Christians and are used to teach the “old testament”?

Obviously only pics that would be inline with our understanding of the Torah. There would also be no link to the original source of the images. Please see this link…

Am I allowed to cut a baby’s nails on Wednesday night/Thursday knowing that it’s not the best for older kids/adults?

If there is a need or if it is for a Mitzvah, you may do it on Thursday. Best to wait till after sunset. See here on our website as well.…

What is the Din with a Pidyon Haben for an adult who did not have it as a child – Can it be done by someone else on his behalf without him being present?

Question: We know a Baal Teshuvah who wants to do a Pidyon Haben for a family member who is not interested in it. What is the Din with a…

Can one make a tuna melt? It’s melting cheese on tuna on a roll.

We are careful not to eat fish with milk or cheese, however, this does not apply to butter or cream cheese. It also doesn’t apply if these ingredients, butter…

If a business offers a free evaluation, but you know you won’t be able to afford to sign on, is it Gneivas Da’as to take the free evaluation?

When a store or a company offers a free evaluation, one is allowed to take the evaluation, provided they make it absolutely clear from the onset that they have…

Do chickpeas and beans need to be Bishul Yisroel? In other words, can I buy canned chickpeas or beans with just a Hechsher on them?

Foods that are usually eaten raw or that are not Olah Al Shulchan Melachim (fitting for a kings table) do not fall under the prohibition of Bishul Akum. However,…

From when can we not say Tehilim at night, Shkiah or Tzeis? When is the exception for a sick person?

1. At Shkiah. 2. If it is a Choleh Sheyesh Bo Sakanah - a patient whose life is danger - i.e. one who is in critical condition. See here in…

Article: Can parents use their Maaser for their child’s wedding?

Yes. with specific conditions: Wedding Expenses from Ma’aser Money Ma’aser money can be used for other mitzvos, not only for tzedakah, as long as they are not obligatory mitzvos. A person may not use ma’aser to…

We just found out that we’re pregnant and no one knows yet, and we were offered Kvaterin. Can we accept?

The accepted custom is that a woman who is expecting does not act as Kvaterin. There is however room to be lenient with this Minhag before 40 days, if…

I made Challah using a majority of milk with about half to a full cup of water. Is it Hamotzei or Mezonos?

It would be Mezonos, since there is more other liquid than water. However, besides the question of its Brachah, there is a serious Kashrus problem here. Chazal forbade baking…

ע”פ אורח חיים קמב-קמג מה הדין במקרה שאני בבית חב”ד ואין מישהו שיודע לקרוא את הטעמים, אבל יש משהו שיודע את הדקדוק טוב שיכול להיות ליד משהו שיקרא ולתקן אותו אם יהיה טעות וכן לסמן לו אתנחתא וסוף פסוק האם אפשר לקרוא עם ברכה?

למרות שזה לא מצב אידיאלי, מותר לקרוא בברכה. וראה כאן ובמראי מקומות לשם.

I have been fired from my teaching job and the school owes me money. They admit to that. I have access to the place where the school stores some of its belongings, specifically Seforim. Can I take their Seforim and sell them to repay the debt? Can I take the ones that I could use and deduct it from the debt?

You may not take their belongings and sell them to repay the debt. This is considered stealing. Question 2: It seems to say explicitly in Choshen Mishpat that…

אני קונה סיר ברזל בחנות של יהודי ואני לא יודע מי ייצר את זה. צריך לברך על זה? ואם אני קונה בחנות של גויים או באינטרנט מה הדין?

א. באם קונה במקום שרוב המייצרים אינם יהודים יכול גם לברך. ב. כשקנה מחנות של גוים מברך בכל מקרה. לגבי אינטרנט - ראה כאן: https://asktherav.com/24835-does-an-urn-from-a-jewish-manufacture-bought-on-amazon-require-tevilah/ Sources: ראה שו״ת…

Pidyon Haben: When day 31 is Shabbos

Question: If a Pidyon Haben falls out on Shabbos, do we do it on Motzei Shabbos (זריזין מקדימין), or is there a problem to do it at night? …

Halachic Guide – Shavuos | לוח יומי – חג השבועות