All Questions
Tagged with chazara-betshuva or baal-teshuva
91 questions
0
votes
0
answers
66
views
Is there still way bring down the missing light in relation to what it says in Igerret Hateshuvah
BH
Hi, I was once in an Iggeret Hateshuvah class on Tanya and our teacher was reading the first perek and where it says that if you miss doing a positive mitvah you are never able to fix it as it says ...
- 1,527
3
votes
1
answer
553
views
The Chofetz Chaim's Shocking View of Baalei Teshuva
The Chofetz Chaim in Sefer Nidchei Yisroel makes some shocking statements about those born to parents who did not keep the halachos of Nidda.
See beginning of chapter 41, where he assumes that these ...
- 101
4
votes
1
answer
182
views
Looking for source of story about returning a lost object
I'm looking for the source of the following story, I think it may have been in a book by Rabbi Akiva Tatz or Rabbi Dovid Gottlieb. Here is the basic story as I remember it:
There was a non-religious ...
- 71
1
vote
4
answers
144
views
Is Baal teshuvah really greater than a tzadik according to the Mittler rebbe
BH
Hi I heard correct me if I’m wrong that the Mittler Rebbe said that the tzaddik even though the Baal teshuvah is greater than him after his complete process of repentance can still get to a higher ...
- 1,527
1
vote
1
answer
125
views
What is the source for "in the place where baalei teshuva stands, complete tzadikim are not ABLE to stand"?
B"H
The Rambam in hilchos teshuva 7:4 says:
אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִין אֵין
צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹד בּוֹ. כְּלוֹמַר מַעֲלָתָן
גְּדוֹלָה מִמַּעֲלַת ...
- 780
0
votes
0
answers
72
views
What is the minhag for a secular couple who become Baalei Teshuvah
According to Halacha, minhag of a married couple follows the husband. What is the Halacha about the minhag for a secular married couple who become Baalei Teshuvah later on? What about a religious ...
- 4,580
2
votes
0
answers
87
views
Non-observant father and binding minhagim
A Sephardic Jew cannot wear tefillin following Ashkenazi customs. Does this prohibition apply when the father of this Sephardic Jew was never observant, and this Sephardic Jew in question wants to do ...
0
votes
0
answers
79
views
Is a Baal Teshuva required to keep the surname of his non-Jewish father?
There are some Jews who are Halachically Jewish but come from mixed backgrounds. In such cases, the Jew may carry his father's surname.
Socially speaking, I can imagine such a situation causing ...
- 1,413
2
votes
0
answers
29
views
Which steps of Tshuva must be said out loud?
There are multiple stages to Tshuva.
Unfortunately we make many small mistakes every day. It becomes cumbersome to do Tshuva for all of them and say them all out loud (all stages).
Which ones must be ...
user15294
2
votes
0
answers
94
views
Issues with being a teetotal Baal Teshuva?
I am Baal Teshuva, raised secular and started practicing about 10 years ago. Since then I’ve become significantly more observant, trying to live the best Jewish life I can. I am, however, teetotal- ...
- 68
3
votes
0
answers
49
views
Need help with prayers [closed]
I was raised secular but I just had a child and want to become a better Jewish father. I have no idea how I should approach prayers. Can someone help me with a weekly outline? I find so much ...
1
vote
1
answer
188
views
Order of Talmud Torah for a baal teshuvah
What’s the Halacha for the order of what Torah study a baal teshuvah should do? If a Jew has little to no Talmud Torah background and they become religious in life, what should they prioritize ...
- 4,580
1
vote
1
answer
259
views
Can someone become Chabad?
How does a Jew who was not raised in Chabad become Chabadnik? Is it possible, and is there a process to do this?
- 53
0
votes
0
answers
94
views
Generations of non-observance necessary to do Baal Teshuva in a minhag different of minhag avot
Note this questions: Baal Teshuva Minhag ; Minhagim for someone with a non-Jewish father
A Jewish woman having children with a non-Jew is already a lack of observance, so if just one non-observant ...
5
votes
3
answers
953
views
List of “essential prayers”?
If someone is learning how to pray and wants to start with the essentials - to not be overwhelmed by too much at once - or if someone is limited in time available to pray, what are the core (most ...
- 121
2
votes
0
answers
160
views
How should a Baal Teshuva choose between MGA and GRA for the latest Shema time? [duplicate]
Generally, a Jew knows if their origins are Ashkenazic or Sephardic.
One may even know if they come specifically from Lithuanian, Hassidic, Moroccan, Tunisian or any other community but they might ...
- 611
1
vote
0
answers
146
views
I don’t know if I accept my mother's conversion [closed]
My parents were married before I was born and my father had my mother convert before they got married. The place of my mother's conversion was Conservative I would say and it took my mother 2 years to ...
2
votes
0
answers
78
views
When to apply rule that one is obligated to break a smaller halacha to keep a bigger one?
Someone posted here recently saying that its halacha that you must break a small halacha to keep a bigger one.
This is known commonly from Hilchot Shabbat and Pikuach Nefesh. It is also known from ...
user15294
2
votes
1
answer
119
views
funds/gemachs for baalei teshuvah
Hey does anyone know of funds/gemachs for baalei teshuvah looking to purchase things such as tzitzis, tefillin, seforim etc? Maybe some baalei Chesed that may be able to help. If able to share would ...
- 197
0
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0
answers
154
views
How does one complete tshuvah for a jewish woman having a child with a non-jew?
If a Jewish woman has a child with a non-Jewish man, is there a standard repentance process recommended in the sources? This is specifically repentance regarding having the child, not regarding ...
- 1
0
votes
3
answers
66
views
Does coming to God near death count less than coming to God when times are good?
Growing old and dying are a normal part of life.
For some people though, the realization time is running out can result in them pursuing God in a last minute act of desperation.
Hypothetically ...
- 1,413
3
votes
2
answers
418
views
Online Yeshivot for Baalei Teshuva
Does anyone have recommendations for a friend who is looking for an online Baal Teshuva focused Yeshiva?
Note: Ideally they would like it to be Chabad focused and also include learning Hebrew (they ...
- 303
7
votes
4
answers
3k
views
Help identifying yeshivot for baalei teshuva (men)
Someone reached out to me recently to ask about what options are available as far as BT yeshivot in Israel these days. He has a few years of Conservative synagogue Hebrew school that basically gave ...
- 71
0
votes
0
answers
172
views
Baal Teshuva Smicha Program Recommendations
Looking for a Smicha program in Israel for Baal Teshuva.
Happy with anywhere in Israel. Ideally would be able to cater for a married couple and children.
Thank you!
- 303
10
votes
4
answers
1k
views
Becoming a Baal Teshuva
How do you become a Baal Teshuvah? What steps would you recommend in beginning to take on observance?
I try to say Modeh Ani every morning keep Kosher and Shabbos but I get bored and need to think of ...
- 211
8
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Prerequisites for attending Yeshiva as a middle aged Baal Teshuva
What are the prerquisites for attending yeshiva for the first time as a middle aged man without a strong background in Yiddishkeit? The yeshiva graduates I've meet seem very intelligent, does one need ...
- 131
1
vote
1
answer
189
views
Zohar - the importance of creating baalei teshuva
Someone mentioned to me that the Zohar mentions the importance of making baalei teshuva. There’s a story that expresses this from the Satmar Rebbe in the hakdama to his Peirush on eichah, but I don’t ...
2
votes
2
answers
151
views
Is one obligated to do teshuva for transgressions (between man and his fellow) commited as a child?
A person who, for example, steals, is obligated to apologise and offer to return what was stolen or compensate the owner. Is an adult who transgressed as a minor also obligated to do teshuva?
- 271
5
votes
1
answer
263
views
What are the arrows in my siddur?
Shalom,
I'm a baal teshuva who recently began reciting daily prayers. I own several Koren siddurim and I notice in all of them, occasional small arrows pointing at the text. Does anyone know what ...
- 51
1
vote
0
answers
264
views
Eating with a plate that had non-kosher food on it at one point in the past [closed]
In light of this quarantine, If someone is spending shabbat at non-observant relatives and the house is not kosher. If the person runs out of paper plates, would he be able to eat from a glass plate ...
- 49
1
vote
1
answer
410
views
Resurrection of the dead. Only Jews? [duplicate]
One of the Maimonides' 13 principals is the belief in resurrection of the dead but what is the qualifier for this? Does this only include Jews? Does it only apply to the righteous? Will Noachides ...
- 1,522
1
vote
0
answers
169
views
List of establishing rabbis for each set of minhagim [closed]
I am a baal teshuva who is becoming orthodox and wondering what customs to hold. Is there a list of important rabbis who set minhagim (ie ashkenazi, sephardi yekki, chabad, notable subgroups, etc) and ...
- 11
11
votes
1
answer
360
views
How to comfort someone who has lost his non-Jewish parent
I came across a (Facebook) post the other day in which an acquaintance announced he had lost his non-Jewish father. The individual is not a convert; his mother had intermarried. The funeral will not ...
- 1,059
5
votes
1
answer
161
views
Asher Yatzar on numerous occasions
Although we don't pasken like this, the opinion of the Shulchan Aruch is that one who relieves himself and hasn't yet made a bracha Asher Yatzar, and subsequently relieves himself again, must say ...
- 11.2k
2
votes
1
answer
105
views
Is there a sin associated with driving a Jew away from observance?
I was curious if the topic has ever come up. You typically hear the argument that a Jew's observance is between them and Hashem. If they don't observe, that's obviously a personal choice and thus they ...
user15672
4
votes
2
answers
929
views
Books for beginners
[A friend involved in kiruv asked me the following question which I thought I would post here for further reference and to get additional suggestions]
I am in contact with lots of Jews who want to ...
- 54.1k
4
votes
0
answers
93
views
Is a Minhag for a Baal Teshuva considered a Neder? [duplicate]
A Baal Teshuva that comes from an Ashkenazi family, became observant thru a Chabad house, with no understanding of different Nusachim and no intention to become a Lubavitcher, only to become more ...
- 533
24
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Going from an nonreligious reform Jew to a religious one?
I turned sixteen a couple of weeks ago and the real world is starting to open up to me. My father is a Christian, but my mother is Jewish which makes myself and my siblings Jewish. We went to ...
user17565
3
votes
1
answer
66
views
Does someone who does teshuvah get answered only after he prays or even before?
The Rambam in hilchos teshuvah (7:7) states:
כמה מעולה מעלת התשובה אמש היה זה מובדל מה' אלהי ישראל... צועק ואינו נענה שנאמר [גם] כי תרבו תפלה [אינני שומע ...
והיום הוא מודבק בשכינה... צועק ונענה מיד ...
- 7,092
3
votes
3
answers
582
views
Is there a Rabbinical argument that Hashem holds Baal Teshuva to a different standard from those born in observant households?
This question may sound strange but I'm attempting to find a source for an argument I heard made by someone very recently. I'm assuming this is a known argument which I'm just unfamiliar with the ...
user15672
1
vote
1
answer
219
views
What is the process involved in a Beth Din recognition of Jewish status? [duplicate]
I was curious if someone could give me a breakdown regarding what the process would be for a person to receive recognition of their status through the Beth Din.
I'm not speaking to conversion but of ...
user13783
2
votes
0
answers
238
views
Is it better for someone to look for a reason they are not a kohen or not get married?
Person a is an "older" baal teshuva (30-40 years plus) and grew up knowing he was a kohen. Being a kohen means that at his age there are not likely to be any baalas teshuva women he can marry and ...
- 1,279
18
votes
2
answers
1k
views
For how long must a Jew keep Shabbat before he can be considered Shomer Shabbat?
Certain Kashrut issues require (or may require according to some opinions) that a Shomer Shabbat Jew (not just any Jew) supervise cooking. For example, see here, and here.
How is the status of Shomer ...
- 1,458
1
vote
2
answers
830
views
what can be done for a person to get married that doesn't have their parents kesuba?
theoretical scenario...
a baal teshuva (someone not raised observant who later in life became observant) wants to get married. he doesn't have a copy of his parents kesuba.
What bothers me ...
- 1,279
4
votes
2
answers
284
views
Beginner's Steps to Keeping Shabbos
I know some people who would like to start keeping shabbos but they don't know all the laws and they don't know where to start. already they do kabbolas shabbos and the friday night seudah with ...
- 41
-4
votes
1
answer
151
views
Should a crippled jew leave his non-jewish providing wife? [closed]
Should a crippled jew unable to provide for himself leave his non-jewish wife and rely on charity, even when knowing he won't get any charity and he'll land on the street under the cardboard, even ...
- 1
3
votes
1
answer
287
views
Back to orthodoxy, can't stop violating a commandment for the sake of someone's life [closed]
There was this mathematician Kurt Goedel who died of starvation because he ate nothing but food prepared by his wife who was hospitalised for a long period. This is a fact. There are people who die ...
- 41
4
votes
2
answers
220
views
About coming back to Jewish practice
I'm 47 and I've spent my whole adult life far from Jewish practice. But now I'm engaged in tshuva (i.e. returning to Judaism; lit. repentance) and I want to come back to Hashem and live my Jewish life ...
- 41
2
votes
2
answers
461
views
Rebbi Akiva knew Torah before he turned 40?
I have heard there is a not so well-known opinion that Rebbi Akiva actually knew Torah before the age of 40, but had left the path of Torah observance. His story would actually make more sense if that'...
- 129
1
vote
1
answer
227
views
Birkat Kohanim for a Kohen who was very far from Judaism and decided to be a good Jew
Can a Kohen baal Teshuva who was previously not religious and married to a Christian woman perform birkas kohanim? How to deal with the fact that pursuing his truth research he was previously in ...
- 23.1k