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Cosmetics on Pesach

In this week’s article, we will address the cosmetics question — do cosmetics require supervision for Pesach? Is wheat germ oil, or vitamin E oil, so commonly found in cosmetics, kosher for Pesach? When can cosmetics containing grain-derived alcohol be used? Is starch always derived from grains? Does soap need certification all year round? […]

Metsoro-Buying Chametz Items After Selling Chametz at the Rabbi

Question I am going away for Pesach and so the most convenient time for me to sell my chametz to my rabbi is on Sunday, a little over a week before Pesach. I know that one can’t sell what he doesn’t yet own so is it okay for me to sell that early since […]

Cosmetics on Pesach

Metsoro-Buying Chametz Items After Selling Chametz at the Rabbi

Last Names

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Tazria-Liability for Damages Perpetrated in Revenge for a Beating

Question Recently, as I was driving, I passed a car in a perfectly legal manner. Later, when I stopped at a red light, the car I had passed pulled up in front of me, blocking my path. When I got out of my car to complain, the driver, an irreligious Jew, jumped out of […]

Partnerships on Pesach

Living with a non-Jew, or non-observant Jew on Pesach can present various problematic situations. Can a non-Jew bring his chometz into your joint home? Is an insurance company permitted to insure chometz over Pesach? What is the halachah about owning shares in chometz stocks? Under what circumstances are we allowed to retain chometz in […]

The Holocaust and Moshiach

Chometz in the Mail – Part II

This week’s article delves into the halachic intricacies surrounding chometz shipments that arrive after Pesach. What happens when a Jew sends chometz without selling it? What happens to chometz sent by a non-Jew to a Jewish recipient via Israeli Postal Services or a Jewish-owned delivery company? Who owns the chometz during transit? Can a […]

Shemini-Customer Wants to Return a Suit that has Shatnez to an Irreligious Store Owner

Question I recently bought a suit from a store in Tel Aviv. When I picked it up from the shatnez laboratory they said it had shatnez in many places and it wasn’t worthwhile to remove all the shatnez. At my request they closed everything up so that the suit looked brand new. I returned […]

Rise and Repeat

“Keep it a Secret”: Halachos of Protecting Trust and Privacy

This week’s article will focus on two basic halachos that we learn from the first pasuk of Chumash Vayikra – the Chumash which we will begin reading this week: calling out to someone before beginning to speak with him, and the prohibition to reveal a secret. What are the conditions for revealing classified information? […]

Vayikro-Must One Pay Off his Mortgage if the Bank that Granted the Mortgage was Acquired by a Jew? -Part 2

Question My wife and I have a million-pound mortgage from Metro Bank where an irreligious Jew recently became the majority shareholder. The local rabbis publicized that one may no longer deal with them. I will suffer a major loss if I need to repay the mortgage immediately because interest rates rose significantly in the […]

Not Just Three Letters

Vayikro-Must One Pay Off his Mortgage if the Bank that Granted the Mortgage was Acquired by a Jew? -Part 2

“Keep it a Secret”: Halachos of Protecting Trust and Privacy

Euphoric Unity

Pikudei-Must One Pay up his Mortgage if the Bank that Granted the Mortgage was Acquired by a Jew?

Early Shabbos – Part III

What is Kabbolas Shabbos, and when does it go in effect? What is the nature of the mitzva of Tosefes Shabbos, and what is the reason for it? Does the date change by accepting Tosefes Shabbos? Can Shabbos candles be lit before Plag? How is a woman’s candle-lighting different from a man’s? What condition […]

Avoiding Arguments

Hindsight

Vayakheil-Hit a Parked car to Avoid a Head-on Collision

Question I was driving in my lane when all of a sudden, a car who wanted to pass a truck on the road but didn’t look carefully, came speeding at me. In order to avoid a head-on collision and possible loss of life, I quickly turned the steering wheel and the speeding car only […]

Early Shabbos Ramifications

What are the consequences of an Early Shabbos minyan? When are those who aren’t in shul obligated to begin observing Shabbos? What happens when there are two minyanim in a city? What level of obligation does a private minyan create? What’s the halacha for guests in a small village with only one shul that […]

Tetzave-Lost Rings at the Kosel Hama’aravi

Question I recently went to daven at the Kosel. Since I wanted to also daven mincha, I went over to one of the sinks to wash for mincha. Before washing I took off the three gold rings I was wearing and placed them on the sink. In the excitement of being able to daven at […]

Knock Before You Enter

Why does the Kohen Gadol have bells hanging on his clothing? What lesson do they intend to teach us? Why should one knock on a door before entering? Can the same effect be achieved through other means? When is knocking forbidden? Is it permitted to hate ill-mannered people? What is the polite way to […]

Incredible Care

Terumo-A Deliveryman Accidentally Ruined a Fruit Arrangement

Question I sell fruit platters and a customer ordered a two-hundred-dollar fruit platter to be delivered to his parents for Shabbos. I charged the customer’s credit card and contacted a deliveryman and paid him thirty dollars out of my pocket for the delivery. However, when the deliveryman got to the building where the customer’s […]

Mitzvos – Deliberate or Habitual

Is making mitzvos our habit something to strive for? What is “mitzvas anashim melumada” – performing mitzvos by rote? Is it – good or bad? Why do we pray every morning to be “accustomed to performing Your mitzvos”? How are good habits formed? Where does free will play out? Is a convicted felon held […]

Extinction of Distinction

Mishpatim-Store Issued a Certificate but Closed Down

Question My wife bought a dress but after a few days she decided that she doesn’t really like the dress. There was nothing defective and the time that one is entitled to return merchandise already passed. Therefore, the store was under no obligation to take back the dress but my wife figured she’ll try […]

Actions or Heart: Which Ranks Higher

Are pure, lofty intentions more important than actually doing the mitzva? Is performing a mitzva wholeheartedly better than doing it properly? Does doing mitzvos on autopilot have any value? Are thoughts, meditation, and concentration alone worth anything? Is the rule “Rachmana leba ba’ei” – “Hashem wants the heart” always true? Does being “religious at […]

A Unified Division

Yisro-Hired to Perform a Job which Became Unnecessary Due to Unforeseen Events

Question I am an accountant and I was asked by a client who had a small business to arrange her books and prepare all the documents that are needed in order to file a tax return, and also to file her tax return. I quoted her a price for the entire job and she […]

Pikuach Nefesh — Asking Questions

Last week’s article discussed life-threatening scenarios called Pikuach Nefesh, when seeking a rabbi’s approval to transgress a prohibition is inappropriate because the rabbi should have taught his congregants the laws. This week we will focus on the other side of the coin – when asking questions is a must. What was The Tractor War? […]

Gift of a Baby

Beshalach-A Real Estate Agent’s Predicament

Question I work as a real estate agent. Half a year ago, I was approached by someone who was interested in selling his house and also by another person interested in buying in that neighborhood. I tried to negotiate a sale and made a lot of progress but the negotiations broke down because the […]

Calling for Help on Shabbos

Can the police be called to stop a Shabbos break-in? Can the fire department be called for a fire? Can security providers follow regular security protocol activities on Shabbos? Which dangers made any fire in the Middle Ages a direct and immediate danger, warranting transgressing Shabbos prohibitions to extinguish it? Are these permits still […]

Real Reliance

Bo-Neighbor Paid Part of his Real Estate Tax by Mistake

Question The municipal authorities in Israel, where we live, charge real estate tax (called arnona) based on their measurements of the size of each property. Due to their error, they charged my neighbor and not me tax on part of my property. They recently realized their mistake and started sending correct bills. However, when […]

The Hebrew Calendar

What is the Hebrew calendar? How is it calculated? How is the Hebrew calendar different from the Gregorian or Muslim calendar? Why is a Muslim actually younger than he states he is? Why is a Gregorian month pointless? How is a year measured? When was the observation-based calendar exchanged for a mathematically computed one? […]

Tu B’shevat

Shemos-Borrower is Fined for Late Payment of a Loan

Question I manage the funds of a yeshiva and am responsible for a large payroll every Rosh Chodesh. In order to avoid last-minute pressure and paying late I try to maintain a balance in the bank that will cover me for a few months in advance. My friend, who is a businessman and also […]

Bring the Geula

Are we permitted to take steps to shorten the galus? Can the Jewish people forcefully reclaim the Land of Israel? Are Jews permitted to rebel against the nations? What are the Three Oaths? Are they still binding nowadays? Can we pray to end the galus? What steps are forbidden to take in attempt to […]

Special Days

The Geula – Waiting or Making

Are we permitted to take actions to bring the geula closer? Why is the Vision of the Valley of Dry Bones read on Pesach? Why were the Jews so fearful of following Moshe Rabbenu out of Egypt, and why did they refuse to believe that the time for their redemption had come? What finally […]

Shemos-Borrower is Fined for Late Payment of a Loan

Spiritual Satiation

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Stepchildren In Halacha

How does halacha define stepchildren? Are they considered full children, half children, and for what purpose? What kind of relationship does the stepparent have vis-à-vis his stepchild? If a will bequeaths assets to “my son Avraham” who is a stepchild, is the will invalid? Can one use his stepfather’s name to be called up […]

Vayechi-Neighbors Rabbits Mated-Who Owns the Newborns

Question I own a female rabbit and my neighbor owns a male rabbit. The two rabbits are together frequently. When my rabbit gave birth to a litter of rabbits, my neighbor claimed that he deserves some of the newborn rabbits since his rabbit impregnated my rabbit. Is he correct? Answer Even though the particular […]