Hot answers tagged marit-ayin
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Rav Moshe Feinstein (O.C. IV 60) strongly disagreed with the use of timers. His strongest definite reason is that
its usage is a disgrace to shabbos, since through their use one can run a business and circumvent shabbos. This is a Torah violation of "honoring shabbos". (Contrast this with placing a pot on the stove right before shabbos, where that is ...
9
I once heard Rav Shmuel Kaminetsky describing the life of a certain Rav in a little shtetel many years ago. The people of the village were unlearned, and the Rav, who was a big Talmid Chacham, had no one with whom to converse in Torah learning. What did he do? He would put his hat on the banister next to the Aron Hakodesh, and speak as if there was an ...
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You don't need to jump straight to declining the invitation. There might be things you can eat, and even if not you won't be impolite to the restaurant by joining a paying group. The key is to communicate clearly. You can explain to the person who invited you -- or, more likely, his administrative assistant -- that you would be delighted to come to the ...
8
Maris Ayin (literally "the vision of the eye") describes rabbinic enactments that were put into place to prevent a third-party viewing one's actions from arriving at the incorrect conclusion that a forbidden action is permitted.
Examples:
It is forbidden to eat the blood of fish (which itself is permitted according to Torah law) lest someone watching you ...
6
You can use an electric timer to turn your lights on and off, where manipulating the lights directly would not be permitted. A computer seems like just a specialized case of this, so long as you are not interacting with the computer on Shabbat/Yom Tov.
As @tom smith notes in a comment, if the effect of your programmed computer use would lead people to ...
5
Presumably if you're traveling on the road, your not likely to be recognized by your face as people will not know you. Keeping a baseball cap handy, can take away the question of "Mares Ayin" when the situation arises.
I think a more interesting question might be with places like Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks that are frequented by many frum Kosher keeping ...
5
The Igrot Moshe writes (Yoreh De'ah 2:56) that it is even ASUR to listen to music (even just instruments) that has Avoda Zara/Christian intent in it. You are singing which means you also hear what you are saying which would be Asur (prohibited).
4
Not all the time when you see someone doing something wrong you must assume they are doing it Behetter, or there would never be a commandment of "Hocheiach Tocheiach". (For example, one should rebuke a religious Jew who is seen eating pig meat, even though it is possible that he is about to die if he doesn't).
Even if the other should judge you favourably, ...
4
From daat.ac.il:
(Non-quoted paragraphs are ones I have summarized from that page.)
The discussion seems to center around the following Halacha (SA 252:1).
It is permitted to start an action on Friday near darkness even though the work cannot be completed on Friday and can only be finished on Shabbat.
The Gemara (Shabbos 18a) records a dispute ...
4
We may be able to infer from Rav Schachter's words (until 7:15) in response to a related question (first part of #1) that the second option is preferable.
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And as for the matter of whether it's permissible to eat in a restaurant in which they prepare only dairy foods but which is of people who desecrate the sabbath, lo, even in that place there can be a number of forbidden foods such as non-kosher fishes, and the fat in which they fry [things] can be from non-kosher animals or animals not properly ...
3
There is a third Halachic concept which answers the question.
This is sort of like when we have 2 psukim which seem to contradict each other, until a third pasuk comes to resolve it.
The third halachic concept, and in this case a mitzvah, is "Lifni Iver", or not to put a stumbling block in front of the blind.
True, we should give our fellows the benefit of ...
3
The P'ri To'ar (YD 19:1) in a discussion of the obligation to slaughter a Ben Pekua' (live offspring found in a kosher slaughtered mother which biblically is included in the mother's slaughtering but rabbinically requires its own slaughtering because of chashad -- looking suspicious) mentions this rule of Chanukkah (which also relates to chashad) and notes ...
1
From pirkei Avos perek 1:11 we see that Avtaylon warned not to say something which can be misconstrued .one should be as clear as possible.
One can also see from the gemara in Yoma 86a that the Rabbanim would be careful with their actions so one should not learn and misinterpret their actions(see case with Rav and Abaye) and cause the greatest sin of ...
1
Elsewhere Rabbi Feinstein clarifies two different concerns when doing something that has the appearance of impropriety; both of which apply here:
Maris Ayin:
"I saw a top contributor to J.SE eating there, so everything there must be 100% kosher!"
Or a fascinating corollary:
"Okay officially the websites say it's not recommended, but if a top ...
1
The kitchen (#4) combines 1, 2, and 3 as a de-facto eruv chatzerois. (Same for the other side.) See: http://www.yna.edu/archive/s_ask58e-04.html and http://belogski.blogspot.com/2007/07/carrying-on-shabbat-in-hotels-and.html
People who live around a courtyard and all eat at one table, even if each has his own house, do not need a Eruv, because they are ...
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