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.
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Why is a Mitztayer patur from sukkah according to Reb Moshe
What was Reb Moshe's understanding and reasoning for a Mitztayer being patur from the mitzvah of sukkah?
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Do cooling racks need to be toiveled?
Similar to but different from this question, do cooling racks need to be toiveled?
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Shalosh Seudos - 2nd Seuda at night
If one ate a second Seuda on Friday evening, does that count towards the Shalosh Seudos? Or does it have to be in the daytime?
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What do women who normally abstain from drinking havdalah wine drink do when the Seder falls out after Shabbat?
There is a widespread custom that women do not drink from the wine used in the havdalah ceremony. When the seder falls out on motzei shabbat havdalah is incorporated into the kiddush, which women are ...
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Noahide & Zera Yisrael?
Is there any prohibition (Torah or rabbinical) against a Noahide man having relations or even marrying a Zera Yisrael woman who is not halachically Jewish?
For the hypothetical case here, the woman ...
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Shabbat gentile worker different time zones halacha?
Can a Jew, let's say on Friday in Eastern time New York 9AM (way before Shabbos) ask a gentile worker who is in Asia (where it is already Shabbos) to do work for him?
Similar question here but I am ...
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Gentile Texting a Jew on Shabbat [duplicate]
Shalom,
I (a gentile) texted my non-observant Jewish friend on Shabbat, having totally forgotten it was Shabbat. He responded before I could unsend. Have I "placed a stumbling block before the ...
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What’s the Chabad psak on Beit Yosef and sinta (sirloin steak) in Israel?
I’m in Israel and most Ashkenazim don’t eat sinta (sirloin steak) but I was wondering if Chabad does.
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Is there anything wrong with an unmarried man learning hilchos niddah?
Does a man need to be married to learn hilchos niddah? Part of a halacha chabura that's learning the halachos of nidah
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Are you allowed to paint a sukkah?
Many people build sukkahs out of untreated 2x4s. While I understand the aesthetics of leaving them raw and unpainted, emphasizing that it is a temporary structure, is there any reason why you should ...
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Tri Maschu תרי משהו - Shach and Taz [closed]
I am trying to find a definition to the principle תרי משהו. I am totally confused by what I have read. Could someone explain this principle to me?
Thanks!
Shkoyach!!!!
Shana Tova!
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What’s the source of not asking a question to a person that might not know the answer, so that they won't get embarrassed
BH
Someone told me that you shouldn’t ask a question to someone who won't know the answer to what you're asking. What’s the source of this?
- 381
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Insincere (Erev Yom Kippur) mechila
There are those who say that even if someone was only moichel Erev Yom Kippur because he was a pushover or embarrassed not to, the story is over. Once the aggrieving party was told that he has ...
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Baruch hu ubaruch shemo - why omitted sometimes?
Why is "Baruch hu ubaruch shemo" omitted during the reciting of certain brachot such as meggilah and shofar?
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Performing for a mixed concert
One finds orthodox performers who sing for mixed-gender audiences (eg recently)
However, one also finds achronim who call this assur.
I'm curious for a bit more explanation of the sources/reasonings ...
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Why don't we wear techeilet [duplicate]
Why don't we apply the rule of
ספק דאורייתא לחומרה to techeilet?
If there are rabbanim who hold it is the real techelet, and there is compelling evidence that we now know what techeilet is, why doesn'...
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Glazed China and Kashering [closed]
I recently kashered my kitchen and was wondering why modern glazed ceramic china had to be replaced, since the glaze eliminates the porousness of the china. When I ask people at shul, everyone says it ...
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Biological sample from the ancient dead
Is there any halachic justification, or permission, to take a biological sample from a dead person in an ancient site? For example, in Israel there are many archeological digs which sometimes result ...
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Pergola - Kosher scach?
This pergola was originally put up a around 2 weeks before Sukkos 5783. The shade that this makes is at least 50/50 (if not more.)
So several questions:
Is this kosher scach by itself? If yes, what ...
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Who is בה"י referenced by the Ba'er Hetev on Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah?
The Ba'er Hetev on Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah refers to an authority named בה"י:
לפרקים. וזהו ל' יום. בה''י ועיין בבאר הגולה מה שהביא בשם מהרי''ל
Who is that?
Thanks.
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Why are we allowed to make unlimited prayer in any language at a time where we are not allowed to answer amen?
According to (at least) Rav Ovadiah Yosef (based on his understanding of Maran in Shulchan Aruch), one is not allowed to answer amen (except first 5 of Kaddish), baruch Hu u'varuch Shemo, or the ...
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Percentage of SA halacha per Mitzva breakdown?
Is there a study or depiction (similar to the visualisations at Sefaria, although doesn't have to be a visualisation) that takes the whole of the Shulchan Aruch and traces every single halacha back ...
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Is a Shofar Muktzeh on the second day of Rosh Hashanah this year?
Does the Shofar have the Din of a כלי שמלאכתו לאיסור on the second day of Rosh Hashanah, when the first day is Shabbos, being that it is so during twilight of the second day?
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What's the source of Gerut Lechumra and what is it
BH
I heard there is a concept called Gerut Lechumra. What does this mean and what are the sources of this in Shulchan Aruch, Rambam and Gemara?
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Do sephardim have different halachas for serving cholent from a blech on shabbos?
I always learned that it's forbidden to, for example, stir cholent while it's still on the blech/hot plate on shabbos, or to serve it straight from the blech/hot plate. Rather, one must remove the pot ...
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Royal convert, still royal?
What is the situation with royal converts, i.e., converts who come from royal blood or are of royal relatives? Are they still royal? Do we have to stand for them as with any royal, do we not have to ...
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Why can’t a lady blow Shofar for a man?
If the Mitzvah is to hear the sound of the Shofar - not to blow it - then why can’t a man fulfill his obligation by hearing from a lady’s blowing, if the דין שומע כעונה doesn’t apply here?
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Can one say the name of Hashem in a song [duplicate]
If one holds that we say Hashems name while saying a praise like in shabbat zemirot how does that appky to an Isreali song where some singers say The Name outright? If the song is meant for a praise ...
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Is it permissible to use an anime drawing as a profile picture online if the character depicted in the drawing is of the opposite gender?
Basically as the title says. The anime drawing wouldn't contain anything lewd or suggestive, but is simply a regular anime picture, but the character depicted in the drawing is of the opposite gender ...
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Fireworks on Yom Tov
Happy coming New Year all!
I recently pondered whether igniting fireworks using an existing flame on yom tov would be permissible given that fireworks are “universally appreciated.” Given that I’ve ...
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Evidence for how peyot were 'worn' in ancient times?
Nowadays, peyot are 'worn' by some religious Jews as long extensions on the sides of the head. Often they are stylised into curls/locks. From what I understand, this was popularised by the chassidic ...
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Is mezonot jealous of kiddush? [duplicate]
Should we cover plates of crackers and rogelach in a shul kiddush?
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What constitutes a destructive act on Shabbat?
I first read in Mishnah Torah, Shabbat the following:
should a person kindle a fire with a destructive intent, he is not liable, for he is causing ruin.
This surprised me, so I researched some more ...
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Distilled water on Sabbath
Is it allowed to make distilled water on the Sabbath, i.e. to begin before the Sabbath and let the machine continue to work even after nightfall?
The distiller works by boiling water and then ...
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Weapons in the Beis Hamikdash
Would it be permitted for one to enter the Bais Hamikdash carrying a weapon (for example, a gun)? Would it make a difference if it were open vs. concealed carry?
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Apparent contradiction in the Rosh Hashanah menu/diet
On the one hand, on Rosh Hashanah we don’t eat sour/bitter foods, on the other hand we eat foods that have a negative connotation (see Orach Chaim 583:1) and apply them to our enemies - so why can’t ...
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Is it a sin to invest in say a company run by a Rasha
Let’s say you invest in a billion dollar company and you find out they make guns that are used to kill innocent people, is this a sin to keep investing
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Should right take precedence over left in all regards?
We all know the famous Halacha that you need to put in your right shoe first, and remove it last to give kavod to the right foot.
Similarly, the Gemara mentions reasons of why the right hand should ...
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Wash your hair before you wash your body on erev shabbos
I once heard my rabbi say that you must wash your head with shampoo first before you wash your body with soap in the shower on Erev Shabbos/Yom Tov, but on any other weekday you can choose to do ...
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Jewish table manners
I want to know if it's proper for a Jew to spit out bones or anything he doesn't want to swallow on top of the table he sits at.
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Can gentile couples be forgiven for adultery?
Are noahide couple partners allowed to "forgive" adultery (as a consumated act described by rambam for noahides)?
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Water fasting from Sunday until Friday, to save time, and Havdalah
In a particular week, you have a lot of schoolwork you want to get done. You decide to do a water fast for most of the week, to save time. You'll consume only water, not food.
A.) Are you allowed ...
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Water fasting from Sunday until Tuesday, to save time, and Havdalah
The main mitzvah of Havdala is to say it on Saturday night. (Source.)
In a particular week, you have a lot of schoolwork you want to get done. You decide to do a water fast for a few days, to save ...
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Do Charedi rabbis allow Charedi Jews to change and become Modern Orthodox?
You were born into a Hareidi family, but you decide to make a change and become Modern Orthodox.
According to Charedi authorities, is it halachically allowed for a Haredi Jew to change and become ...
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1
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Using pre-cut floss on Shabbos, if the floss is likely to shred
Please imagine:
You floss daily, and your gums never bleed.
You've pre-cut a good length of floss before Shabbos.
However:
Every time you floss, the floss shreds.
In such a case, are you allowed ...
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Difference between positive and negative Mitzvos when it comes to Chinuch
The Mishnah Berurah (343:3) writes that when it comes to positive Mitzvos, Chinuch begins from when the child is able to understand the purpose of that specific Mitzvah, but when it comes to negative ...
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Is there mar'it ayin when you do something acceptable for you, but not to the general public?
Is there mar'it ayin when you do something acceptable for you, but not to the general Jewish public? A couple of examples will highlight this issue:
Scenario 1: Person X books a table at a regular ...
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What should one do while waiting for repetition of the Amidah to start?
What should an individual be doing after finishing his personal Amidah while waiting for the chazzan's repetition to start? Do the same restrictions apply during this period as the period while the ...
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If we don't and can't know someone's full hebrew name when davening for them
It recently happened to me that I really wanted to daven for someone but I only knew their name and not their father or mothers name.
In general, how do we daven for someone whose hebrew name we ...
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kohanim mikvah after bathroom
Rabbi Shlomo Calerbach says kohanim would go to the mikvah after going to the bathroom
And that Rav Yoel the satmar Rebbe also did this
Looking for written sources for both of these ideas
https://...
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