When to Make a Brachah on Remaining Secondary Food? When eating a mixture of two or more foods, the brachah is usually made on the ikar (primary food) and not on the tafel (secondary…
When to Make a Brachah on Remaining Secondary Food? When eating a mixture of two or more foods, the brachah is usually made on the ikar (primary food) and not on the tafel (secondary…
When two or more types of solid foods are mixed, the halacha is to make the Bracha only on the ikar, the food of primary importance, and that Bracha…
There is a particular appeal to round numbers, usually associated with birthdays and anniversaries, when a big deal is made of the celebrant and their milestone. There is not…
While there is much brouhaha surrounding the purported health advantages of the popular "Ezekiel Bread," there is also much discussion in the halachic realm as to the brachah we…
Article: Cleaning Help on Shabbos: On a previous occasion we learned that it is forbidden to have a non-Jew do work for us on Shabbos. However, there are things that…
There is a debate among poskim whether the brachah of Shehecheyanu, which is said before eating a new fruit, may be said if the fruit is a murkav, grown on a tree that is kilayim (one…
Sushi consists of rice and fish; there are many types of sushi, but for this discussion we will address only one type, nigiri, which consists of fish and vinegared…
Poskim address the concept of exercising on Shabbos, and they cite a number of concerns, most of which apply equally on Yom Tov. First, there is the concept of “Shelo yehei…
A person should not walk in a completely upright position, as that is considered haughty. Arrogance distances the presence of the Shechinah, because arrogant people act as though no one…
It can happen quite frequently in large shuls (and less often in mid-size ones): You come to daven on Shabbos to find that a small but significant group of…
Canned sardines are a very basic staple all over the world. However, in many places canned sardines that are bishul Yisroel (cooked by a Jew) are not available. There is a machlokes…
There is a mitzvah of “Ve’asu Li mikdash” (to build a Beis Hamikdash for Hashem). When Am Yisroel (the Jewish nation) was in the midbar (desert), they fulfilled this mitzvah by constructing the Mishkan, and years…
The most stringent of all fast days is Yom Kippur, since fasting is min haTorah (a Biblical law), as the passuk in Parashas Acharei Mos says: “Ta’anu es nafshoseichem” (afflict your souls)—and the…
One of the prominent poskim of the past generation, R. Dov Berish Weidenfeld, who was the Tshebiner Rav and author of Dovev Meisharim, ruled that freezing water to make ice cubes on…
The mitzvah of Talmud Torah consists of 2 mitzvos: 1) u'lemadetem osam (and you shall study them), 2) vehogiso boi yoimom veloilo (and you shall meditate in it by day…
10 Commandments, 10 Halachos In honor of Shavuos - Chag Matan Toroseinu, we bring you a collection of ten Halachos related-directly or indirectly- to the Aseres HaDibros [from Beis…
The mitzvah of hachzakas Torah (supporting Torah learning) is independent of our general obligation of giving tzedakah (charity). It is greater than any other form of tzedakah and includes supporting even a wealthy talmid chacham (Torah scholar)…
It is a partnership as old as Am Yisroel (the Nation of Israel) itself. The shevatim (tribes) of Yissachar and Zevulun entered into a joint venture: The members of Zevulun navigated ships from…
One of the principles of our faith is to believe in Moshiach—and not only to believe in Moshiach, but to anticipate his coming every single day. It is a…
By Horav Y. Braun When treating on Shabbat a patient who is critically ill, or when dealing with an individual whose life is in danger – known in…