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What One Can Do While Waiting to Take Three Steps Back

First, let us review your assumption that you may not step back. In general, you may not encroach...

How to Carry Out a Shortened Chazarat Hashatz

The Shulchan Aruch and Rama discuss starting Shemoneh Esrei along with a chazan in two different contexts. In...

Davening Without a Minyan vs. Working Before Davening

One should not perform any work before davening once alot hashachar (some 72 minutes before sunrise) has passed....

Forming a Separate Minyan to Accommodate Multiple Mourners

It is often difficult and unwise to argue with chiyuvim because their demands usually stem from a sincere...

A Brit Mila or Mincha – Which Should be Done First?

We will first explain why this question does not arise in the writings of the classical poskim. A...

A Wheelchair Bound Chazan

There are two main issues to discuss regarding this question. In discussing the qualifications of a chazan, the...

What a Woman Should Do If She Missed Mincha

One factor that your question depends upon is whether women are obligated to daven Mincha. The Rambam says...

Chazanim Repeating Words

The mishna states that one who says “Modim modim” is silenced. The reason is that he appears to...

One Who Davened Mincha Instead of Ma’ariv

There are times when one might recite Shemoneh Esrei at Ma’ariv without having recited Kri’at Shema and its...

At What Points During Davening May a Gabbai Speak?

Chazarat hashatz is a logical time to take care of planning the aliyot. Although it is theoretically better...

Must the Oleh for Maftir Read Along?

First, we will summarize the matter of an oleh reading along with the regular kri’at haTorah. The Shulchan...

The Correct Pronunciation of a Kamatz Katan

If your shul has a rabbi, this public policy matter is his decision. Since not every shul has...

Giving the Second Aliya to One With Doubtful Levi Status

Investigative work might uncover how likely it is that Reuven is a levi. However, we cannot to do...

What to Do When a Mistake is Found in a Sefer Torah During Laining

Many problematic mistakes in sifrei Torah can now be caught in advance by computer checks, which every shul...

Correcting a Mistaken Opening Beracha for Torah Reading

This not infrequent scenario is the subject of an interesting machloket. The Maharil tells of one who started...

Are Levi’im Obligated to Wash the Hands of the Kohanim?

In the many places in Israel that this respondent has davened, I have found that levi’im almost always...

An Ashkenazi Doing Birkat Kohanim in a Sephardi Minyan in Chutz La’Aretz

Let us start by exploring why Ashkenazim refrain from doing Birkat Kohanim daily in chutz la’aretz and see...

When to Go Up for Birkat Kohanim

The gemara says that just as Aharon is described as blessing the people at the time of avoda...

Is it Preferable to Start a Meal with Bread?

One is not required to eat bread if he does not want to, even if it means that...

How Long to Wait After Zimun to Resume Eating

The gemara cites a machloket regarding until which point birkat hazimun extends. Rav Nachman says it is until...

One Who is Uncertain if He Recited Birkat HaMazon

The Shulchan Aruch rules that if one is unsure whether he bentched or not, he should nevertheless bentch....

Moving to a New Location in the Midst of a Meal

You have made the question more manageable by asking specifically about a meal, which we are assuming includes...

The Beracha on Schnitzel

The truth is actually not simple. As we will see, much of the difficulty is not a matter...

Factors that Determine the Precedence of Berachot

First, we will explore whether you could have eaten grapes based on the beracha that you made. Then...

Beracha Acharona After Ice Cream and Ices

We will start by discussing the parallel discussion among the poskim regarding tea and coffee, and we will...

Repeating Tefillat HaDerech During An Ongoing Trip

The Kolbo cites the Maharam MiRotenberg’s assertion that one says Tefillat HaDerech only once during the day even...

Beracha at the Place Where One Was Saved in a Car Accident

First, if you are Ashkenazi, reciting HaGomel as you did was proper, as one recites the beracha after...

Reciting HaGomel for a Child Who Was Saved

Regarding a question about something that already happened, we should consider the matter from two perspectives: What is...

Use of a Non-Jew on Shabbat

There are two issues to discuss regarding the use of a goy shel Shabbat. One is menschlichkeit. You...

Using a Driver Who Did Not Make Havdala

The gemara tells of an Amora who chopped wood after Shabbat before reciting Havdala, but only after reciting...

A series of responsa books written by the rabbis of the Institute for scholars and rabbis from around the world in all areas of Halacha.

Halachic Advisory Service

What One Can Do While Waiting to Take Three Steps Back

How to Carry Out a Shortened Chazarat Hashatz

Davening Without a Minyan vs. Working Before Davening

Forming a Separate Minyan to Accommodate Multiple Mourners

A Brit Mila or Mincha – Which Should be Done First?

A Wheelchair Bound Chazan

What a Woman Should Do If She Missed Mincha

Chazanim Repeating Words

One Who Davened Mincha Instead of Ma’ariv

At What Points During Davening May a Gabbai Speak?

Must the Oleh for Maftir Read Along?

The Correct Pronunciation of a Kamatz Katan

Giving the Second Aliya to One With Doubtful Levi Status

What to Do When a Mistake is Found in a Sefer Torah During Laining

Correcting a Mistaken Opening Beracha for Torah Reading

Are Levi’im Obligated to Wash the Hands of the Kohanim?

An Ashkenazi Doing Birkat Kohanim in a Sephardi Minyan in Chutz La’Aretz

When to Go Up for Birkat Kohanim

Is it Preferable to Start a Meal with Bread?

How Long to Wait After Zimun to Resume Eating

One Who is Uncertain if He Recited Birkat HaMazon

Moving to a New Location in the Midst of a Meal

The Beracha on Schnitzel

Factors that Determine the Precedence of Berachot

Beracha Acharona After Ice Cream and Ices

Repeating Tefillat HaDerech During An Ongoing Trip

Beracha at the Place Where One Was Saved in a Car Accident

Reciting HaGomel for a Child Who Was Saved

Use of a Non-Jew on Shabbat

Using a Driver Who Did Not Make Havdala

Ask The Rabbi

A series of responsa books written by the rabbis of the Institute for scholars and rabbis from around the world in all areas of Halacha.

Halachic Advisory Service

Send a question

What One Can Do While Waiting to Take Three Steps Back

How to Carry Out a Shortened Chazarat Hashatz

Davening Without a Minyan vs. Working Before Davening

Forming a Separate Minyan to Accommodate Multiple Mourners

A Brit Mila or Mincha – Which Should be Done First?

A Wheelchair Bound Chazan

What a Woman Should Do If She Missed Mincha

Chazanim Repeating Words

One Who Davened Mincha Instead of Ma’ariv

At What Points During Davening May a Gabbai Speak?

Must the Oleh for Maftir Read Along?

The Correct Pronunciation of a Kamatz Katan

Giving the Second Aliya to One With Doubtful Levi Status

What to Do When a Mistake is Found in a Sefer Torah During Laining

Correcting a Mistaken Opening Beracha for Torah Reading

Are Levi’im Obligated to Wash the Hands of the Kohanim?

An Ashkenazi Doing Birkat Kohanim in a Sephardi Minyan in Chutz La’Aretz

When to Go Up for Birkat Kohanim

Is it Preferable to Start a Meal with Bread?

How Long to Wait After Zimun to Resume Eating

One Who is Uncertain if He Recited Birkat HaMazon

Moving to a New Location in the Midst of a Meal

The Beracha on Schnitzel

Factors that Determine the Precedence of Berachot

Beracha Acharona After Ice Cream and Ices

Repeating Tefillat HaDerech During An Ongoing Trip

Beracha at the Place Where One Was Saved in a Car Accident

Reciting HaGomel for a Child Who Was Saved

Use of a Non-Jew on Shabbat

Using a Driver Who Did Not Make Havdala

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