The prohibition of mesirah, informing secular authorities about the behavior of another Jew, is quite severe and constitutes a grave offense. Nonetheless, if a person is aware that someone is,…
The prohibition of mesirah, informing secular authorities about the behavior of another Jew, is quite severe and constitutes a grave offense. Nonetheless, if a person is aware that someone is,…
There is an apparent contradiction in the Kisvei HaArizal (writings of the Arizal) regarding whether one should visit kivrei tzadikim or not. In one place, he writes that it is not recommended to…
It is a minhag (custom) among Ashkenazim to avoid kashering from milchig (dairy) to fleishig (meat) and back again; one of the reasons for this is that were someone to do this on a…
There are three differing opinions among poskim on the subject of kashering glass, namely: Glass doesn’t absorb, and therefore there is no need to kasher a glass utensil. It only has to be washed and…
If a person bought an aliyah in shul and committed to pay by a certain date, he may not arrange for the payment date to be postponed in exchange…
Is the KosherSwitch® or Shabbos App™ Kosher? There are a number of modern innovations by technological companies that are designed to facilitate the observance of Shabbos in hospitals and…
A room used to live in or for storage requires a mezuzah. This includes both a storage room and a garage. However, the room must contain an area that…
Stainless steel and aluminum pots and pans are often lubricated in the manufacturing process. Some contemporary poskim are concerned that the lubricating agent might be derived from animal fat, which would…
Question: Are we carful that father and son, brothers, brothers' in-law, father/son in-law, shouldn't go to mikvah together, and from what age? אבן העזר כג ו ברמ"א, ועכשיו אין…
There is a discussion among poskim whether it’s permissible to use a wheelchair on Shabbos in a place where there is no eruv. The gist of the question is whether a wheelchair…
The tefilah (prayer) of L’Shem Yichud focuses on the unification of both aspects of the Shem Hameforash (Hashem’s ineffable name, Y-H-V-H), represented by the Hebrew letters Y-H and V-H, a concept explained in Kabbalah and expounded upon in…
She might need to sing the exercises. And she's the best voice teacher in town... Answer: A man should take not voice lessons from a woman, if this…
There is a discussion amongst contemporary poskim regarding prenuptial agreements. Sometimes a husband and wife have irreconcilable differences, which unfortunately lead to divorce. Numerous solutions have been proposed over the generations to address…
It's a common misconception that it is sufficient to have a mezuzah on the front door of the house, or perhaps that this mezuzah is somehow more important than the mezuzos inside the house. In…
The four compartments that make up the batim (the boxes which house the parchment) of the Tefillin Shel Rosh (which are placed on the head) are molded to form a perfect square. However,…
As part of our teshuvah preparations for the new year to ensure that we are fulfilling mitzvos properly, it’s a common custom to have one’s tefillin and mezuzos checked during the month of Elul. In fact,…
When someone who has been following conventional medicine discovers the existence of an alternative medication that may help them, the halachah is that they must ensure the following two…
When Chazal institute a lenient rule, one may not be more stringent than Chazal, as that borders on heresy. The question is raised by poskim: When there is a disagreement among authorities, may…
I woke up pretty excited. I’m traveling to Yerushalayim for a summer learning program! I’m happy to be able to spend some time in the holy atmosphere of Eretz…
Orthodontic care to straighten teeth (i.e. braces), maxillofacial surgery to improve the look of the jaw, plastic surgery for cosmetic purposes—as well as other elective treatments may constitute the issur (restriction)…
The laws regulating tevilas keilim (immersion of vessels and utensils in a mikvah) are based on the parameters of a vessel or utensil’s use—food preparation—and on its materials and construction. An exception…
There are several conditions that have to be met to allow replacing a pot of soup, cholent, or other cooked food on the blech (an aluminum sheet used on…
May a child be asked to turn a light on or off on Shabbos? When a need arises to have a light turned on or off on Shabbos (whether…
Some people say that whistling is not proper conduct for a Jew, that it is associated with demons or angels, and has all sorts of negative effects. However, there…
Can I Give a gift to a Bar Mitzvah boy on Shabbos? It is forbidden on Shabbos to give a Matono, a gift. This is a form of a…
