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Not an issue. See also: https://asktherav.com/3014-hearing-aids-on-shabbos/ Sources: דל״ש ממשקפיים שנתפשט להתיר. וגם להחיי״א נו, ג שאסר…
Question: In a recently written Sefer Torah, which was written according to the Alter Rebbe’s ksav, we noticed that the letter Vav in the word ‘shalom’ is not split. Should we have it changed, and if… Question: In a recently written Sefer Torah, which was written according to the Alter Rebbe’s ksav, we noticed that the letter Vav in the word ‘shalom’ is not split. Should we have it changed, and if yes, was the Sefer Torah still considered kosher without the change? Answer: Should be fixed. Still considered kosher. Sources: לתקן - ע״פ ריטב״א קידושין סו, ב. (אבל בפחד…Show more
Answer: In general, any residue (which has actual substance, not just color) has the same status as food, and would consequently emit ריחא/זיעה equally. Practically speaking, when baking fish in a meat oven (at least) one of the following… Answer: In general, any residue (which has actual substance, not just color) has the same status as food, and would consequently emit ריחא/זיעה equally. Practically speaking, when baking fish in a meat oven (at least) one of the following conditions must be met: The oven is clean from any meat residue etc. The fish is fully covered. #9486Show more
Question: I am thinking about using beeswax candles for Shabbos in the month of Elul as a hiddur. I found candles on Amazon that are made from beeswax and are scented like honey. Do they need some kind… Question: I am thinking about using beeswax candles for Shabbos in the month of Elul as a hiddur. I found candles on Amazon that are made from beeswax and are scented like honey. Do they need some kind of a hechsher? Also, they only burn for 5 hours. The candles I normally use burn for 6 hours. Assuming that these candles are kosher, which is better, the beeswax candles that burn for a shorter amount of time or the regular Shabbos candles that burn for longer? Answer: It is best if the candles burn at least till…Show more
Question: I am a doctor. I have seen from personal experience that people get better care if they are not alone in the hospital. Especially sometimes if the woman is alone during birth, she may be pressured to do… Question: I am a doctor. I have seen from personal experience that people get better care if they are not alone in the hospital. Especially sometimes if the woman is alone during birth, she may be pressured to do a procedure to save a doctor or other provider time which is not necessary and can lead to negative health outcomes for herself or the newborn baby. Answer: According to halacha, there are serious concerns with the husband being present in the delivery room. Even where a potential heter can be found, the Rebbe spoke strongly against this practice…Show more
They should not use the same congregants for both minyanim at the same time. They may however have two minyanim consecutively, by only using six congregants to daven at the first minyan, and four people joining without davening. Thereafter,… They should not use the same congregants for both minyanim at the same time. They may however have two minyanim consecutively, by only using six congregants to daven at the first minyan, and four people joining without davening. Thereafter, they can have the second minyan with the six that haven't davened yet, and have the four of the first minyan join them, without davening again. Of course, the ideal way is to have a minyan of all ten congregants davening at once. But this is acceptable, especially in order to accommodate chiyuvim. Where even two consecutive minyanim are…Show more
Question: If there is a disagreement between the poskim and the mekubalim, who do we follow? I’ve seen in שער השמועה סימן א (printed in the הוצאה חדשה דשולחן ערוך רבינו הזקן חלק ו) in the name of… Question: If there is a disagreement between the poskim and the mekubalim, who do we follow? I’ve seen in שער השמועה סימן א (printed in the הוצאה חדשה דשולחן ערוך רבינו הזקן חלק ו) in the name of the Alter Rebbe that we should follow the mekubalim. I’ve also seen in the פתח דבר there from the Tzemach Tzedek that even though not every שמןעה in the name of the Alter Rebbe we must follow, but we should at least be machmir if possible. This is very relevant to me for every time I see a machlokes…Show more
You don't have to (though some are particular about this). Sources: ראה יו"ד סימן שכ"ו סעיף ב בפת"ש סק"ב, אף…
שאלות: ברצוני לשאול כת"ר ב' שאלות בשיטת אדה"ז במלאכת מלבן בשבת. א. הנה בשו"ע אדה"ז (סי' שיט, יג) מבואר שבמשמרת שעשויה לכך אין בה איסור שרייה במים, וז"ל: "יין או מים שהם צלולים מותר לסננן במשמרת כדי שיהיו צלולין… שאלות: ברצוני לשאול כת"ר ב' שאלות בשיטת אדה"ז במלאכת מלבן בשבת. א. הנה בשו"ע אדה"ז (סי' שיט, יג) מבואר שבמשמרת שעשויה לכך אין בה איסור שרייה במים, וז"ל: "יין או מים שהם צלולים מותר לסננן במשמרת כדי שיהיו צלולין יותר או אפילו מפני הקמחין שע''פ היין או שנפלו בו קסמין דקין, ואינו חשוב כבורר הואיל וראוי לשתיה לרוב בני אדם בלא ברירה זו, אבל בסודרין אסור לסנן את המים או יין לבן וכיוצא בהם משום איסור ליבון ששריית הבגד זהו כיבוסו, משא''כ משמרת שהיא עשויה לכך ואינו חושש לסחטה וגם אינו חושש לליבונה כלל, ולפיכך אין ליבונה חשוב כלום…Show more
Question: I posted a Job on Upwork.com (a freelancing website) to develop some software (write code, test & fix, etc. using computers & servers). The freelancer I found mentioned to me in passing that he will start work on… Question: I posted a Job on Upwork.com (a freelancing website) to develop some software (write code, test & fix, etc. using computers & servers). The freelancer I found mentioned to me in passing that he will start work on the project "tomorrow" (Shabbos, as today is Friday). Which made me wonder: do I need to specify to him not to work on my project during the hours while it's Shabbos in his and/or my time zone? Answer: As long as he's hired by the job, and he doesn't have to do it specifically on Shabbos, and he’s not…Show more
Yes. Sources: פשוט, לפי שכל היום הוא בגדר ימי רצון. ואף…
Question: If I work for an organization where I get paid on the basis of how much I work, am I able to clock less time than what I actually worked with the intention to give the unpaid money… Question: If I work for an organization where I get paid on the basis of how much I work, am I able to clock less time than what I actually worked with the intention to give the unpaid money back to the organization as ma'aser? For example, if I worked 10 hours, to earn $100, would I be allowed to just write that I worked for 9 hours, get paid $90, and be yotzei giving ma'aser? And if the answer to the above is yes, what if I did that inadvertently? Answer: For the mitzva of…Show more
Question: Here are the conditions:The house is owned by an older couple who are vacationing out of town. Around five of their adult children (who all live in Crown Heights) have keys to the house. Some of them do… Question: Here are the conditions:The house is owned by an older couple who are vacationing out of town. Around five of their adult children (who all live in Crown Heights) have keys to the house. Some of them do go in once in a while. One of them goes in at least once a day, at any given time. Besides, there are two tenants living in the basement. May I date there? Is opening a window shade facing the street enough? What if the children are told that a couple is dating, does that make it better (because they…Show more
Answer: There is no known source for this custom. We haven’t seen this practiced among talmidei chachamim and gedolei Yisroel. The Rebbe didn’t practice it either. See also here: https://asktherav.com/8366-is-it-our-minhag-to-tilt-ones-head-right-left-and-center-while-saying-in-kedusha-the-words-vekara-ze-el-ze-veamar/ Sources: בכ״מ אצל אחרוני זמננו שלא מצאו מקור לדבר, וכנ״ל…
Question: Is it necessary to have bread on the table during bentching after a meal, or is it enough to have the bread in view in the same room? (I’m asking for a classroom of young children, who are… Question: Is it necessary to have bread on the table during bentching after a meal, or is it enough to have the bread in view in the same room? (I’m asking for a classroom of young children, who are tempted to touch/destroy the bread left on the table). Answer: It is necessary to leave the bread on the table where one ate. Leaving bread in the same room is not enough. However, one may clear the table of big pieces of bread and just keep some crumbs, as long as they are big enough that it will be…Show more
No. The Dinim of the three weeks apply from the night before the fast. Sources: ראה שו"ת חיים שאל ח"א סימן כד. אשל-אברהם להרה"צ…
Question: By mistake, I heated up parve chocolate chips in a milchig cup in a fleishig microwave. The cup is Corelle. Then I mixed it with a milchig spoon while it was hot. What can I do with those… Question: By mistake, I heated up parve chocolate chips in a milchig cup in a fleishig microwave. The cup is Corelle. Then I mixed it with a milchig spoon while it was hot. What can I do with those dishes? Answer: As long as either the microwave or mug wasn't used for fleishig/milchig within 24 hours, everything is ok. Sources: אינו דומה לסימן צד סעיף ה ברמ"א בסופו, שאף…Show more
Yes, but not together in the same Mi Shebeirach as Jews. This is permitted in the case where he is favorably disposed towards Jews, or where appropriate due to Darchei Shalom. The text would be: הצור תמים פעלו הוא… Yes, but not together in the same Mi Shebeirach as Jews. This is permitted in the case where he is favorably disposed towards Jews, or where appropriate due to Darchei Shalom. The text would be: הצור תמים פעלו הוא יברך את... Sources: מקרא מלא הוא - וירא כ,יז. ויחי מז, ז.…Show more
Question: What exactly does the Siddur mean when it says (before the Bracha of Kiddush Levanah) to look at the moon once and then don't look at it, is that for the duration of the Bracha, of Kiddush Levana,… Question: What exactly does the Siddur mean when it says (before the Bracha of Kiddush Levanah) to look at the moon once and then don't look at it, is that for the duration of the Bracha, of Kiddush Levana, or the rest of the month? Answer: According to Kabbalah, one should not gaze at the moon and when reciting Kiddush Levana one should only look briefly. Sources: מג"א תכו, ח בשם השל"ה. ושם בשם רבינו מאיר…Show more
It is unclear whether it’s recited. In practice, one should recite it. Sources: במחזור השלם נדפסו פסוקי אל תירא וכו', וכ״ה כבר…
Question: Is there a permissible way to kasher yeshiva's fleishige microwave to be used for milchig? In our case, there was no treif situation, but we're not doing this regularly. We just have 2 fleishig microwaves and no milchig,… Question: Is there a permissible way to kasher yeshiva's fleishige microwave to be used for milchig? In our case, there was no treif situation, but we're not doing this regularly. We just have 2 fleishig microwaves and no milchig, so as a one-time thing, we want to switch permanently the status of the keli. Just checking, is that alright? Answer: Although the custom is not to kasher from fleishig to milchig or vice versa, even if done as a one-time thing, in this case specifically if you indeed plan on changing the status to milchigs forever, it…Show more
Question: We are renovating our home, and we move the stairs to a different place. Now there is an area upstairs which we need to put a fence on. The open area at some point is about 8 feet… Question: We are renovating our home, and we move the stairs to a different place. Now there is an area upstairs which we need to put a fence on. The open area at some point is about 8 feet from the floor underneath it. Can I make the Bracha when installing the fence? Answer: On the side of the steps, no Bracha is needed. Above the steps, if it’s in the house, the walking area is wider than 4x 4 Amos, and the fall is ten tefachim, a Bracha is recited if you put up the fence,…Show more
Not an issue. מועתק בזה מחוברת לקט הלכות בענינים השייכים במיוחד בימי הקיץ, שיצא לאור ע"י הבד"צ: אמרו חז"ל (פסחים ב, א. וראה שו"ע אדה"ז סי' קי ס"ט) "לעולם יצא אדם בכי טוב", ולכן יש להשתדל לצאת לדרך… Not an issue. מועתק בזה מחוברת לקט הלכות בענינים השייכים במיוחד בימי הקיץ, שיצא לאור ע"י הבד"צ: אמרו חז"ל (פסחים ב, א. וראה שו"ע אדה"ז סי' קי ס"ט) "לעולם יצא אדם בכי טוב", ולכן יש להשתדל לצאת לדרך באור יום. ובהערה 2: וראה שערים מצויינים בהלכה לאאזמו"ר זצ"ל סס"ח סק"ד שבזמנינו יש מקום להקל. ולהעיר מלקט יושר ע' 41. אולם, במקומות חשוכים בדרך לקאנטרי שקשה להבחין בתמרורי השילוט וכדו' - יש מקום להחמיר, כפשוט. #5168Show more
If the board has individual squares for each time, it's forbidden and would even be considered muktza. Sources: עיין מג"א סימן שמ סק"י ובאדה"ז ס"ט. קצוה"ש סי'…
Question: In se'if 14 of the Rebbe's Kuntres Inyono Shel Toras HaChassidus he brings the case of the nifkad not withholding the pikodon of the mafkid even though according to logic he could and should. What is the case?… Question: In se'if 14 of the Rebbe's Kuntres Inyono Shel Toras HaChassidus he brings the case of the nifkad not withholding the pikodon of the mafkid even though according to logic he could and should. What is the case? My chavrusa and I are very puzzled and hope a Chassidishe Rov could clarify this. Answer: The halacha is that in certain circumstances and under certain conditions, one may “take matters in their own hands” to protect or save their money (as discussed in Shulchan Aruch C”M Siman 4). One of the examples would technically be the case discussed…Show more
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