Questions tagged [halacha]
Jewish law. Specifically, the legal process beginning with the written Torah and continuing through the Mishna, Talmud, and the legal codes (e.g., Rambam, Tur, Shulchan Aruch). // NOTE: Like Wikipedia, this site makes no guarantee of validity, and does not offer professional (particularly rabbinic) advice. Treat information from this site like it came from a crowd of your friends.
34 questions from the last 30 days
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When is it right to tell someone they’re wrong in a harsh way
Do the rabbis say there a time and place when one should confront someone who is guilty of serious sin. Say slander, adultery, etc.
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Wearing functional cufflinks on Shabbos
This question might be a duplicate of
Wearing Watches on Shabbat
but my question is on other types of functional wearable items that may be considered Tachshitim.
What is the determining factor that ...
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"Being Jewish" - born from a Jewish woman or having a Jewish mother?
This sounds frivolous but it's a genuine distinction.
One practical ramification is regarding conversion for a child born via surrogacy, whether the birth mother is Jewish and the egg donor is not, or ...
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Can you please define this yeshivish term?
I was listening to someone explaining a halachic question and they kept returning to a term I could not figure out the meaning of from context "shas of the hock" (likely misspelled). It ...
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Can the words ״שתרגילנו בתורתך״ ever count as Birchas Hatorah?
The law is (Orach Chaim 47:7) that if one already recited the blessing of “Ahavas Olam/Ahavah Rabbah”, and recited words of Torah immediately after Shmoneh Esreh, he no longer needs to recite Birchas ...
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Halachic source for R' Yitzchok Meir Morgenstern praying late [duplicate]
As we all know there are halachic times to pray. I recently discovered that R' Yitzchok is known (to some level) for praying late among other things.
I know he's a Mekubal and that's why he's one of ...
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Are self described Reform and Conservative Jews assumed to be halachically Jewish according to Orthodox Judaism?
I’m curious about what the Orthodox understanding of Halacha says about whether Reform and Conservative people are still assumed to be halachically Jewish.
Obviously the overwhelming majority of them ...
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Is one Chayav for burning the Korbanos of Erev Shabbos on Shabbos?
The Gemara (Shabbos 24b) states that the Korbanos that were brought on Erev Shabbos may not be burned on Shabbos, based on the דיוק of ״עולת שבת בשבתו״ - that only the Korbanos that were brought on ...
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Sleeping with a non-Jew [duplicate]
When the Torah says that you can't have relations with a non-Jew, is the prohibition applicable to people who use protection?
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What is the halachic definition of a mashehu?
In Shabbos 8a, Rashi says that an upside down object thrown into reshus harabim will encounter lavud within 3 tefachim of the ground and that is the moment one is chayav hotzaah. Due to this, if one ...
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Watching people kiss in movies
I understand that, according to Jewish law, it is prohibited to watch scenes in movies that depict immoral relations. I want to clarify whether this restriction extends to scenes showing two ...
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Is there a halakhic basis for the position of Chief Rabbi of a country whose authority must be acknowledged by all Jewish citizens?
Wikipedia lists 39 countries which have one or more Chief Rabbis, counting the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as one rabbinate. Israel is the only country in which the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Chief ...
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Is the Heter for music on Shabbat universal
According to this answer some Rabbis (to my understanding, generally Hasidic ones) give a Heter for playing instruments on Shabbat because of the fact that nowadays most people aren’t skilled in ...
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Can a Heter Meah Rabannim be revoked?
A fellow is willing or wants to give a divorce to his wife, however his wife is unwilling or unable to accept.
The fellow may obtain a Heter Meah Rabannim, which includes 100 Rabbis from 3 different ...
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Can an ashkenazi Jew eat on dishes at a sephardi house on Pesach?
If someone follows ashkenazi customs and is invited by a sephardi family to eat at their house, is he allowed to eat off their dishes?
In my understanding, sephardim are allowed to kasher the plates ...
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Saying something in the name of someone who never actually said it
I remember years ago reading in one of Aryeh Kaplan's compendium works, a law that when someone feels confident that they're saying something correctly, that they can actually say it in the name of a ...
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If someone killed accidentally and has no family members and he is not a ger can his friend kill him? [duplicate]
If the person who was accidentally killed doesn't have any living family members to avenge him, can he be avenged by a friend? Does the killer need to seek refuge in an ir miklat?
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Is the נִרְדָּף obligated to pay for the damage caused by his rescuer?
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 74a) says that if someone caused damage while attempting to rescue his friend, he should really be liable to pay for the damages, but we still exempt him, so as not to discourage ...
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What is the plausible excuse (אמתלא) of “על ידי נתינה”
In Talmudic jargon, an אמתלא is a “ plausible reason for correcting or retracting an evidence.”:
אֲמַתְלָא (Y. מַתְלָא) m. (cmp. h. משל) something tangible (= דבר שיש בו ממש); plausible reason for ...
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Can a Ger Toshav observe Shabbat?
I’m curious if a Ger Toshav is allowed to observe Shabbat according to Halacha, general Noahides/gentiles to my understanding are prohibited from it, however I’ve heard that the Halacha might be ...
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Judaism and aesthetics
Is there a religious Jewish perspective, either in terms of Halacha (ie Hiddur Mitzvah) or Hashkafa on aesthetics? If so, are there any aesthetic movements which integrate with Judaism’s criteria for ...
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Touching dogs obstructs prayers - source?
One of the first things I learned in yeshiva was that there is some source that says that:
if one touches a dog, then their prayers are "held up in heaven" for 40 days.
I don't remember ...
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Studying/discussing secular philosophy on Shabbat and their relation to the Torah
I’m curious what the Halacha is regarding studying secular philosophy on Shabbat in order to compare and contrast it to genuine Limmud Torah, for example let’s say someone is discussing Martin Buber’s ...
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Working on space exploration as a Torah-observant Jew - all the names drawn from Avodah Zara
Related: May one use the name of an avodah zara?
Space exploration agencies and intitutions are generally a-religious, but they do have a propensity to use the names of old gods for all their projects....
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If I miss shacharis on a Monday or thursday do I say the long nachum by mincha or should I just say normal mincha tachanun [closed]
If I end up missing shacharis for whatever reason on a Monday or thirsday do I say the long tachanun by mincha or should I just say normal mincha tachanun
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Description of the mouth in Chovos Halevavos
How does the 'sefer Chovos Halevavos' describe the human mouth and why?- For shmiras halashon info.
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Is there an obligation for a Beit Din to explain their psak?
When a Beit Din issues a ruling, are the judges required to provide the reasoning behind their ruling?
Is the ruling valid (meaning, must it be followed) if no explanation was provided? Can the loser ...
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Being a Torah-observant police officer in a secular country
I would like to know more about the ins and outs of being a police officer, as a frum Jew. What sort of issues come up?
Would be great to hear an account from someone who does this, such as a ...
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Guide to managing critically small minyan
I would like to study halachot that will lead me to have a better grasp of how to deal with the ins and outs of a very small minyan, such as 10 or 11 people. There are so many questions I will just ...
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What major international cities, with a significant Jewish presence, lack any eruv?
When I visited Rome this year I was aware that it had no kosher eruv in the Jewish area. Many observant Jewish tourists seemed unaware of the Shabbos prohibitions when there is no eruv, and used ...
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Removing someone as chazzan
If someone started davening as chazzan are you allowed to remove him and have someone else continue against his will? Is there a difference if he only started a minor part (i.e. said ve'hu rachum by ...
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Cannibalism or Non Kosher [duplicate]
In a case of Pikuach Nefesh, for example, someones plane crashes on a deserted island and the only "edible" items are a dead human being or a pig, which one should that person eat?
There ...
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Was there ever a case of אשת יפת תואר
I am curious if there is a recorded case of an אשת יפת תואר actually being taken in Tanach or from Chazal?
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Can one kill lice on Shabbat?
(Inspired by this comment by @Ari)
In [Shabbat 12a], a difference in opinions is brought regarding whether one may kill a louse on Shabbat. The discussion culminates in a debate between בית שמאי and ...
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