An Israeli Abroad Doing Work Privately on the Second Day of Yom Tov
A person who lives in Eretz Yisrael may not do melacha in chutz la’aretz on the second day...
Read More
Making Aliya During Chol HaMo’ed
Regarding the aliya process, papers will have to be filled out. Writing is permitted on Chol HaMo’ed for...
Read More
How Long to Keep Chanuka Candles Lit
Let’s start with some background. The gemara asks about the significance of the baraita’s statement that the Chanuka...
Read More
Women Lighting Chanuka Candles{&&}
The basic mitzva of neirot Chanuka is to have one candle per night per household. A higher level...
Read More
Lighting Chanuka Candles before Dismissal From School
Regarding your question, even the Chanuka candles that are lit in a shul should preferably remain lit for...
Read More
Non-Jews Delivering Mishlo’ach Manot
In theory, there are four positions one can take regarding the delivering of mishlo’ach manot: 1. The person...
Read More
Purim Meshulash – Rules and Rationale
In cities that were walled at the time of Yehoshua (notably, including Yerushalayim), Purim is celebrated on the...
Read More
Cleaning the House before Going Away for Pesach
This response assumes you will not be going home during Pesach and that you realize it is not...
Read More
Eating Matza for Those with a Wheat Allergy
The gemara{&&1} talks about five grains that can be used for making matzot, two of which are in...
Read More
A Doctor’s Use and Sale of Chametz Medication Samples
First of all, although some forms for selling chametz contain clauses like “I sell all items that possibly...
Read More
The Timing of the Sale of Chametz When Pesach Falls after Shabbat
The Shulchan Aruch writes: “It is good to eliminate on Erev Shabbat before midday [apparently, an hour...
Read More
Counting Sefirat Ha’Omer When One Is Unsure of the Count
Nowadays, wherever one is, he can usually contact someone to find out what the count is, and this...
Read More
Sefirat Ha’Omer for Intercontinental Travelers
India accepts Shabbat and all other new days before Israel; Chicago accepts the days after Israel. At what...
Read More
Morning Berachot After Staying Up All Night (e.g., on Shavuot)
We must address different categories of berachot, for which there are different reasons and details. Netilat yadayim and...
Read More
Continuing a Fast after Mistakenly Breaking It
To answer your question, we should first understand the conceptual basis of fast days and explore distinctions between...
Read More
Bar Mitzva during the Nine Days{&&}
The meal held in honor of a bar mitzva is considered a se’udat mitzva. The main talmudic source...
Read More
Renovation Work during the Three Weeks
The prohibition of purchasing and building applies during the Nine Days, not all of the Three Weeks. Some...
Read More
The Transition from Shabbat into Tisha B’Av
Seuda shlishit: A baraita, quoted in Ta’anit 29b, says that one may eat as extravagant a meal as...
Read More
The Timing of Selichot
Much of the issue of the timing of the minhag to recite Selichot in the days before Rosh...
Read More
Blowing Shofar on the Left Side of the Mouth
The Rama cites the minhag that it is proper to blow the shofar on the right side of...
Read More
Causing a Flame to Be Extinguished on Yom Tov
The topic of extinguishing flames on Yom Tov is too extensive to cover thoroughly in this forum. We...
Read More
Lighting a Havdala Candle on Yom Tov
Lighting candles is one of the actions that one is permitted to do on Yom Tov but not...
Read More
One Who Must Eat on Yom Kippur – How Careful about the Amount?
Regarding all elements of this response, we are discussing a case in which any care taken to minimize...
Read More
Must One Stand Throughout Ne’ila?
In this case, it is easier to summarize the halachic sources than to give an absolute ruling. The...
Read More
Havdala after Yom Kippur that Fell on Shabbat
How to treat Havdala after Yom Kippur that fell on Shabbat depends on the logic for each individual...
Read More
Cutting the Branches of a Neighbor’s Tree that Impinge upon a Sukka
We have discussed in the past some intricacies of the circumstances under which foliage above a sukka renders...
Read More
The Purpose of the Hechsher{&&} for S’chach
Some of the major criteria for s’chach, such as that it be made from something that grew from...
Read More
Drinking Wine on Chol HaMo’ed
There is an obligation of simcha on the holidays, including all of Chol HaMo’ed. The classical way to...
Read More
Where to Light Chanuka Lights – Inside or Outside?
[We share this response with the public hesitantly because it is far from clear that one who strives...
Read More
Lighting Chanuka Lights on Friday
Indeed, the Chanuka lights must last quite a while on Friday evening. There is a disagreement regarding whether...
Read More
English 
עברית 
Français 
Smart filtering