Hot answers tagged chutz-laaretz
10
There has never been an official Chief Rabbi of the United States. Jonathon D. Sarna (in his American Judaism: A History. Yale University Press, 2004, page 105) explains this phenomenon thus:
But since there was no parallel Christian religious authority—no chief Protestant minister, no archbishop, not even a Catholic cardinal with nationwide ...
5
Quick answer: Yes and no. Any religious or doctrinal aspects of a kesubah itself cannot be enforced under American laws because of Constitutional issues involving the free exercise and establishment clauses to the First Amendment. However, courts have and can enforce strictly secular sections of kesubahs or separate secular agreements between a Jewish ...
5
If you say it but don't intend it, it doesn't count as a vow (Yoreh Deah 210:1). However, the Bach and Maharshal (quoted in Be'er Heitev 210:1) say that if he intended to misspeak, what he says counts. But if you were forced to say the Pledge of Allegiance (as in Yirmeyahu's boy scout example), you are allowed to intend in your heart for it not to count ...
5
Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann, in Melamed le-Ho'il 42, was asked:
At this time, in all places where Jews reside, [at the command] of the king and state every able bodied man has to enter the military and serve for one, two, or three years, and he will be compelled there to violate Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim. Is a Jew who fears God's word and observes all the ...
4
I remember learning once that Rabbi Avigdor Miller used to hang up an American flag every year on the 4th of July and believed that all Jews should do the same. Although I could be gravely mistaken, it seems to me that this practice should be considered very pro-patriotism.
(Unfortunately I don't have a direct citation from a written source handy, but I ...
4
Many Jews spoke Hungarian in Hungary because there was a very successful policy of Magyarization in Hungary. This is one of the explanations for the rise of ultra-orthodoxy in northeast Hungary (the 'Unterland'), and the invention of a new Halakhic tradition under the disciples of the Hatam Sofer (d. 1839), as a reaction against the great transformation of ...
4
Many explain that because there was a time when it was dangerous to light outside the requirement was rescinded and was not re instituted since.
The Aruch Hashulchan (671:24) explains that in the countries Jews lived in then the climate did not permit for lighting outside unless they would close the Menorah in a glass box which is an extra burden the Sages ...
4
In America Orthodox Jews wear Kippot the same as in Israel. The temple you went to was probably a Reform or Conservative temple where the practice is for women to do more things like the men, and wear kippot.
Yamaka is just Yiddish for kippa, like kippa is Hebrew for skullcap.
Therefore, answer: The traditional traditions of the kippa are actually not so ...
4
The Rambam (Kilayim 1:3) and the Shulchan Aruch (YD 297:2) explicitly rule that the issue of Kilaei Zeraim (planting mixtures of edible seeds (except grapes)) only applies in the Land of Israel and a Jew can even plant his own mixtures outside of Israel on purpose. So I think we can reason a fortiori that your friend is allowed to keep his vegetables when he ...
3
According to the Dvar Avraham (1:34), the reason one does not count ספירת העומר מספק is because if you do not know for certain what number it is, that is not considered "counting" at all. According to this reason, if there was an actual doubt, you would not be able to count at all. As the Dvar Avraham explains,
אבל לפי דברינו הנ"ל נראה לומר דבר חדש ...
3
It has almost entirely to do with demand, cost, and volunteerism.
At the Shul where I grew up, an Agudah-type, but unaffiliated Shul, there is a hot, sit-down Kiddush every week, and this has been the case for at least 30 years. Other Shuls in that area adopted various types of Kiddush (hot, cold, sit-down, buffet, etc.) over the years, almost entirely to ...
3
To the best of my knowledge each Shul makes their own decision, based on different factors such as cost, distance people have to walk, size of Congregation, time limits, etc.
Foe example I have Davened in Shuls where the Rabbi wants to attract a crowd and supplies a Kiddush every week for that reason. There is a Shul that I Daven in that has a Kiddush ...
3
I found the account (from the 1930’s) below at: http://www.jmberlin.de/berlin-transit/en/orte/lewin.php
In 2000, Zeev Lewin described his childhood in the Scheunenviertel
neighborhood of Berlin “We lived in a small apartment on
Grenadierstrasse in Berlin, in the middle of the Scheunenviertel, the
neighborhood favored by poor Jewish immigrants ...
3
The Mishnah Brurah (671:27) writes that nowadays the world relies on the Mordechai who says that now that the practice is to put it inside there's no problem. However, careful people shouldn't rely on the Mordechai and should put it outside.
3
I am afraid I do not have a written source on this but I asked this sheilah (question) l'maaseh (for practice) regarding the Pledge of Allegiance and the Boys Scout pledge, since I have always been uncomfortable with such things. I was told since one may at any time quit the organization, it was permitted. The idea as I understand it is that insofar as it is ...
2
this answer depends on the army and the cause. if the country has a draft and they allow freedom of religion such as the US army in WWII
i dont see a halachic problem. my grandfather served in the navy. his son (my uncle) is a rabbi in lakewood..
see photo US army having rosh hashanah services in Germany Sept. 1944
...
2
When a Koehein is called to duchan ("Kohanim!"), there is a mitzvah d'oraysa for him to go up and say the blessings. For somewhat unclear reasons, this practice was abandoned among Ashkenazi Jewry except for on yomim tovim. This means that Kohanim are missing the opportunity to fullfil the mitzvah, but they are not going against the mitzvah as long as they ...
1
The Baal HaMaor asks (last piece on Pesachim) why we don't count twice for the ספיקא דיומא. He answers that if so, the count will go until the first day of Shavuos (i.e. you'll count "today is 49" on Shavuos itself), and we will come to disgrace Yom Tov. The Raavad answers the same question by saying that if we count on two days we will end up with a ...
1
I posed this question today to HaRav Shammai Gross Shlit"a. He is one of the Gedolei HaPoskim here in Eretz Yisrael (and happens to be a Cohen as well.) He said while there were poskim that said once the Ashkanazi Kohen is in a Sephardi minyan in chutz l'aretz that does duchen that he may join them. Still one shouldn't lichatchila go to such a shul in order ...
1
Rivivos Efraim 6:57:3 says that an Ashkenazi Kohain that is davening in a Sefardi Minyan should Duchan. He says that Rabbi David Feinstein Shlita and Shaalos U'Teshuvos Mayim Chaim also agree and say that an Ashkenazi Kohain that is davening in a Sefardi Minyan should Duchan.
Only top voted, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible
