Living the halachic process

Using holy scrolls as art

We have two items to determine: 1) the objective, halachic decision and 2) the subjective outlook on the...

Mezuzot at an office complex shared by Jews and non-Jews

The gemara investigates the significance of the Torah’s writing that mezuzot are to be put on “beitecha (your...

Mezuza in the workplace

The following answer refers to the situation where the owner of the business is Jewish. Several other permutations...

Making a beracha when returning a mezuza

First let us reference a more common discussion among poskim, which seems to be almost identical. Then we...

Kissing sefer Torah with a siddur

We have not been able to find an explicit source on this common practice (although a practice often...

Fasting if a sefer Torah falls

The matter of fasting if a sefer Torah is dropped is mentioned in the Magen Avraham in the...

A donor’s name above HaShem’s Name

We have several sources in Chazal that indicate that HaShem’s Name should normally precede other names. The gemara...

Treatment of abbreviations of HaShem’s Name

One should refrain from writing HaShem’s name on the types of writings (invitations, newspapers, and letters) that are...

Berachot for one who took the wrong tallit and tefillin

Every fulfillment of certain mitzvot, including tallit and tefillin, must be preceded by a beracha that relates to...

Proper position of tefillin shel rosh

There is nothing new under the sun. Rav Kook wrote a pamphlet called Chevesh P’er to strengthen the...

Wearing Jewelry Containing Torah Content

The Rambam was asked about a tallit with p’sukim embroidered on it. He forbade it, as did the...

Tefillin for Questionably Left-Handed Men

Mazal tov! Your case appears straight-forward, although we request a list of the things he does with each...

Sleeping With Tzitzit On

There are different opinions as to whether a “day garment” is obligated in tzitzit at night (the Rosh)...

Making a New Beracha when Replacing Mezuzot

First, let us make sure we are talking about the same thing. If you want to put the...

Leaving Mezuzot when Vacating an Apartment

The gemara states that the renter of a house has the obligation to affix mezuzot, but he may...

How to Dispose of Old Tzitizit

Let us proceed through the timeline of sources on this topic, where practice has become increasingly stringent. We...

Disposing of Torah Publications

The topic is much too broad to give a complete treatment in this forum. If you read ‘halachic...

Disposal of Packaging of Holy Books

Regarding the reuse and disposal of articles used for religious purposes, we have a few basic categories. The...

Wearing Tallit or Tzitzit in Bathroom

The Shulchan Aruch rules that one need not remove tzitzit when entering a bathroom. In the Beit Yosef,...

How to Pronounce HaShem’s Names in Semi-Formal Contexts

The Rambam rules that one who utters HaShem’s Name in a sh’vuat shav or a beracha l’vatala violates...

Writing in Holy Texts

Many of the commentaries that now surround the text of the Talmud and other classics began as the...

Folding the Page of a Sefer in Place of a Bookmark

We have not found a discussion of this particular question, but various sources and ideas on the topic...

When Can the Beracha on a Tallit Count for Tzitzit

First, it is important to understand the halacha, which you correctly assume, that one who puts on a...

Affixing an Unrolled Mezuza

As you seem to be aware, the very long-standing practice has been to roll the mezuza klaf and...

Leaning on the Shulchan

You raise a good point (at least in regard to a serious type of leaning) – albeit one...

Selling Sifrei Torah that Are Too Heavy for an Aging Community

Generally, it is permitted to sell a holy object and use the proceeds to buy something of higher...

Readjusting Tefillin that Has Slipped

You assume correctly that it is fundamentally important to put on the tefillin shel yad before the shel...

Dealing with Loosened Tzitzit Knots

We will begin with a brief overview of the basic idea of the series of knots and spirals...

Tzitzit Attached by a Minor

The gemara cites Rav’s statement that a non-Jew may not make tzitzit for a Jew. His source is...

Putting Tefillin on an Immobilized Arm

May HaShem grant you successful surgery and recovery. Presumably, after receiving instructions and gaining experience dressing and undressing...