The content of any legal document can be divided into two components: tofes (standard text) and toref (specific information). The toref aspect of a get (Jewish bill of divorce)…
The content of any legal document can be divided into two components: tofes (standard text) and toref (specific information). The toref aspect of a get (Jewish bill of divorce)…
Halachah states that a single man may not be a melamed (teacher of young children) because of the halachic boundaries that may be breached by regular interactions with the…
There are some mitzvos that involve women, often in crucial roles, although they aren’t obligated to perform them. One example is peru urvu (the mitzvah of bringing children into…
The halachah of bar metzrah grants the next-door neighbor priority to purchase a property or field that is adjacent to theirs; however, if the seller is a non-Jew, the…
The mitzvah of tzitzis isn’t a mitzvah chiyuvis, one that we are commanded to actively seek out, but rather a mitzvah kiyumis, one that becomes obligatory only if a…
The procedure of hafrashas challah (separating a portion of bread dough)* is to make the brachah, separate a piece of dough and to declare aloud the separated portion as…
There is a halachah in Shulchan Aruch that when dough for baking challah is prepared kedei le’chaleik, in order to divide and distribute it, “taking” challah is not required…
In the days of the Bais Hamikdash (Holy Temple), a bechor beheimah (first-born [kosher] male domesticated animal) that belongs to a Jew is kadosh (holy) must be gifted to…
There is a mitzvah in the Torah of Matnois Kehuna, giving gifts to a Kohen. The mitzvah is to give him three parts of an animal: the zeroia (foreleg),…
The halachah is that a person who separates challah many times a day, such as a baker or a mashgiach, should make the brachah of hafrashas challah (the blessing…
The Gemara uses harsh words to describe someone who is asked to join a seudas mitzvah (a meal celebrating a mitzvah) but refuses to participate. The Rema likewise cautions…
One of the rules of hafrashas challah is that if different batches of dough are placed in the same bowl, even if each individual portion is less than the…
When one separates challah in Eretz Yisroel, all the individual parts of the dough from which challah is to be taken have to be min hamukaf (nearby); according to…
We are Short of Beds. May I Sleep in the Bed of the Person who Passed Away? There may be a shortage of beds soon after a death in…
Separating challah from dough is the mitzvah, the obligation, of the woman. It is specifically her mitzvah, and she has priority to do it over her husband. In fact,…
Question: Is it preferable to bake challah every week for Shabbos even if it’s less than the shiur (minimum requirement) for taking challah, or to bake a large batch…
If we find a lost object we may keep it only if we are absolutely sure that the owner was already meyaeish (despaired) of ever finding it—thereby relinquishing his…
There are a number of halachic considerations regarding ripping writing paper, toilet paper, aluminum foil, etc., on Shabbos. There is a discussion in halacha whether such ripping falls under…
May Human Remains be Used for Implants? Dental and foot implants are often the product of human remains (allograft). This is potentially problematic on two halachic counts: issur hana’ah…
There is a minhag brought down in Shulchon Oruch that on Erev Shabbos and Erev Yom Tov a woman should bake challah out of respect for Shabbos and Yom…
Video surveillance (using CCTV, closed-circuit television) systems are increasingly prevalent both on public and private properties. This raises the question of whether being filmed on Shabbos involves the issur…
This is a reminder to make an eruv tavshilin. Whenever Yom Tov falls on Friday, we make an eruv tavshilin the day before Yom Tov in order to allow…
There is a custom to eat milchigs on Shavuos, and this is certainly appropriate. At the same time, one should remember that there is also a biblical obligation of…
One of many conveniences of a modern kitchen is the increasingly popular warming drawer, which functions as a separate unit or as part of a cooking range. Some warming…
The melachah (the prohibition) of bishul (cooking) on Shabbos includes any act that aids the cooking process. Therefore, a pot sitting on the blech (metal sheet used on Shabbos…
