The baal-teshuva tag has no wiki summary.
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BT emailing non-observant family
A given person is ba'al teshuva. Though s/he is now Shabbat observant, his/her immediate and extended family is not.
Can/should this individual write an email to his/her family (who live in Israel) ...
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2answers
144 views
Newcomers Overwhelmed by Myriad Halachas
Some people, especially Baal Teshuvas who drastically change their lives to being fully observant may find it somewhat overwhelming to observe the minimum halachas in being an orthodox jew (such as ...
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1answer
71 views
Gemarah on Baal Teshuva
In Sefer Chasidim, the author compares Baal Teshuva's to Tzadikim. I have heard that there is a Gemarah that does the same and was wondering if someone could cite that Gemarah.
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1answer
68 views
Source for Rav Avraham Yosef's ruling on Ba'alei Teshuva
A friend mentioned, and I read the same here, that Rav Avraham Yosef and/or Rav Ovadiah Yosef ruled that Ba'alei Teshuva in Israel (with no direct masoret of their own) should adopt the Sepharadi ...
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1answer
90 views
Would a convert/Ba'al Teshuvah have to remove any tattoos they may have?
A Jew is prohibited from tattooing himself. If a person with tattoos were to convert to Judaism, would they be required to have the tattoos removed?
Would a Jew who got a tattoo and later repented be ...
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3answers
151 views
Is there a source for the custom of a Baal Teshuva not to sit in shul but rather to stand?
I have observed a number of people who have completely changed their lifestyle from irreligious to observant (whom we now call “baalei teshuvah”) standing for all the davenning and even for the ...
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0answers
51 views
Loan in exchange for keeping shabbos, ribis?
The Father (not frum) of a Baal Teshuva asked his son for a loan. The son agreed to give his Father the loan on condition that he starts to keep Shabbos. Is this a problem of ribis?
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197 views
Bas Cohen having relations with a non-Jew
It says in SA YD Siman 305 that a Bas Cohen that has a bechor (firstborn) with a non-Jew there is chiyuv of pidyon haben since the Bas Cohen through having relations with the non-Jew she looses her ...
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1answer
206 views
Embarrassing a Baal Teshuva
Be'er Hagolah at the end of Yoreh Deah 334 says that one of the things that are considered Cherem D'Rabeinu Gersom is not to embarrass a Baal Teshuva regarding his previous lifestyle.
Yet when you ...
9
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1answer
182 views
When does one become considered shomer shaboss?
Clarification : Mr. X is a orthodox religious Jew. Mr. X has a rebellious phase and violates shaboss. Mr. X later starts keeping the rules again. I'm asking in both cases:
Case 1: Ten people knew ...
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4answers
384 views
Maintaining Tzniut in Uncomfortable Social Situations
How can a teenage girl, who recently started practicing the laws of tzniut as well as feasible, balance those laws with the prohibition against embarrassing her family members, who are embarrassed to ...
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308 views
Would a baalat teshuva need a get from each previous sexual relationship?
Would a baalat teshuva need a get from each previous sexual relationship? In light of the idea that marriage can be contracted solely through bi'ah/public knowledge of the couple's relationship (as ...
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4answers
443 views
Leniencies for someone keeping Kosher in a non-Kosher home
My family is not frum, but they do not eat non-kosher meat at home, although they do eat other not-certified-kosher products, including cheese. They don't mix meat and milk, but they do wash meat and ...
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1answer
50 views
Tutorials for learning more about Jewish practice
I wish to learn more about the steps for "Hazara betshova" (Getting stronger) preferably in Hebrew.
I have no knowledge of the Jewish practice at all so a place which assumes no past knowledge will be ...
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3answers
129 views
Conventions for derivation of Hebrew names
How is a Hebrew name chosen for a person whose legal name is English (or other vernacular)? Is the name chosen based on phonetic resemblance to one's English name, a resemblance in meaning, or mere ...
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2answers
700 views
Can a Cohen marry a bat niddah?
Can a Cohen marry a bat niddah? Are Cohens generally restricted from marrying baalei teshuva because of the possibility that they may be b'not niddah?
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2answers
143 views
How does a person who has left Judaism return?
What is the process for a person who has left Judaism and converted to a different religion, who now wishes to return to Judaism? I have heard (based on an Avos D'Rav Nosson) that he would need a ...
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6answers
185 views
Resources for learning about the foundations of Judaism
I recently met an intelligent Soviet immigrant interested in learning more about Judaism. He would like to start with understanding the basics. Such as:
How do we understand G-d?
What are the ...
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1answer
111 views
Customs of the parents when the parents don't have past customs
I am of mixed Sephardic and Ashkenazic parentage. I view this as allowing me to behave Sephardically when it suits me (for instance, eating kitniyot for Pessach) or Ashkenacikally when it suits me ...
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2answers
253 views
Your funniest Baal Teshuva stories [closed]
For those of us who weren't born into religious households, it's a very emotional and often gut-wrenching process making the transition to a religious lifestyle and world-view. At the same time a lot ...
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273 views
Baal Teshuva Minhag
I have read that Rabbi Avraham Yosef (the son of Rav Ovadiah Yosef) paskened that a Baal Teshuva in Israel should adopt the Sephardic Minhag, regardless of family history, as their immediate ancestors ...
