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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Implications of Samoa skipping a Friday
This week, the island of Samoa is switching time zones, causing it to skip from Thursday directly to Saturday. Out of simple curiosity, what implications might this have on any Jews on the island? ...
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Why is it necessary to ask a Rabbi?
In various places on this site, including the FAQ, we have the following disclaimer:
Like Wikipedia, this site makes no guarantee of validity, and does not offer professional (particularly rabbinic)...
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What is the halachic source for objection to gay (civil) marriage?
New York State is considering legalizing gay (civil) marriages, so tonight on our answering machine we received a message urging us to pray that it doesn't pass because gay civil marriages were, you ...
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Is Christianity Avodah Zara?
It is commonly accepted that Islam is not Avodah Zarah (idolatry) since Islam has a clear monotheistic theology with a belief in Allah that parallels our view of "kail" or Hashem. It is even ...
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Are sea sponges kosher?
The sea sponge is scientifically classified as an animal (kingdom Animalia), therefore maybe it would be considered unkosher, as seafood. On the other hand, its phylum Porifera is distinct and ...
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Can a Jew lose their Jewish Status?
Can a Jew lose their status as being a Jew by performing any action (example: performing idolatry, disavowing core beliefs, converting to another religion, etc)? Or once a person is a Jew then they ...
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May I use my neighbor's Wi-Fi without asking permission?
My neighbor has never set up password protection on his wireless router. If I wanted, I could wirelessly connect to his high-speed Internet service.
May I use his Internet service without asking him ...
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Setting aside Shabbat to answer the President's call
In an old MSNBC news story about Jack Lew, a Shabbat-observant Jew who was just appointed to be the new White House Chief of Staff, there's a story about his getting a call from President Clinton when ...
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Ethics in video games: idol worship
Background
I sometimes play a certain computer role-playing game (RPG). In this game, my character (whom I might name after myself but who does not otherwise resemble me) fights mythological creatures ...
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Is one allowed to smoke Marijuana?
Not taking into account Dina D'malchusa, what are the Halachic problems with smoking marijuana? Is it allowed?
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Questions about Polygamy in Jewish Law and Culture
I've recently been studying polygamy (having more than 1 wife), and had a few cultural questions.
Was polygamy accepted at the time of David and Solomon? Were there any laws about it?
Was polygamy ...
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Is it permissible to erase the name of G-d from an E-reader?
Most people seem to be lenient about shemos on digital screens in general (though Bar-Ilan does avoid displaying the Tetragrammaton.) The letters on the screen are just light, there is nothing really ...
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You accidentally broke your fast. Now what?
What are you supposed to do if you inadvertently broke your fast*? Do you:
keep going;
extend it (if so, how long);
cancel it (if so, do you make it up a different day)?
*This question is for day-...
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bicycle on Shabbat?
Is riding a bicycle on Shabbat permitted within an eiruv, being ridden only on pavement (so no unintended plowing), for transportation and not exercise, and with the understanding that repairs aren't ...
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What are the sources for women to wear/ not wear pants?
I have heard that the argument is beged ish / kli gever, and I have heard people say that even if that was once a real reason for it it doesn't apply today for various reasons.
I understand that the ...
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Would a mermaid be kosher?
Tonight at religious school we were discussing Kosher laws and how to build/keep a kosher kitchen. While we were discussing different meats, one of the jokers in school asked if you could eat a ...
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May one use a computer script or robot to do something specifically on Shabbos/Yom Tov?
May one run a program or machine that will operate on Shabbos, either by setting a timer to activate once Shabbos has started, or by leaving it running continually? What if the action is one that is ...
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Riding the Subway on Shabbat
Assuming that there are no problems regarding paying for it (either you entered the system before Shabbat, or a non-Jew paid for you):
What are the halakhic issue with riding the subway on Shabbat? (...
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Are you allowed to save a non-Jew's life on shabbos?
Is a Jew allowed to violate shabbos to save a non-Jew's life?
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So you ate dairy after meat. Now what?
Whatever your tradition for waiting between meat and milk, let's say you forgot you were fleishig, and now realize that you have just eaten milk within your traditional waiting period. What are you ...
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Is it possible for a Gentile to convert to Judaism? [closed]
Is it possible for someone who is Gentile to convert to Judaism?
What is the prevailing belief of Jewish people on this subject?
What scripture backs up this belief?
What do prominent Jewish ...
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Taking a concubine (pilegesh) today
Moderator's note: As with all discussions of Jewish law on this site, any information included in this question or its answers is presented only for the purpose of understanding the relevant ideas, ...
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Is it a mitzva to escape the death penalty?
If someone is being led to his death by bes din (a Jewish court), is he supposed to try to escape, since, in general, saving one's own life is paramount? More: normally, we say that if someone is out ...
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Did the Rambam believe in magic?
If you read through Chapter 11 of the Rambam's laws on Idol Worship, you'll see what seems to be the Rambam forbidding anything that even resembles magic, all while calling such practices foolish and ...
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If a woman converts to Judaism while pregnant, will her child be a Jew?
If a woman converts to Judaism while pregnant, will her child be a Jew once born?
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Are children adopted by Jews Jewish?
I was adopted around the time I was three months old by my parents who are both Jewish. I do not know what religion my biological mother was, in fact I have very little detail about her at all. I was ...
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Rockets from Gaza while praying
I live in Israel where there are presently (late 2012) ongoing rockets fired at us from Gaza. We are warned of an impending rocket by a loud siren that gives us less than a minute to run to a bomb ...
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Is a Jew allowed to participate on Christianity.SE?
I was browsing meta.Christianity.SE recently when I noticed a question with a rather obvious (and good) answer that had not been posted. I was about to go ahead and answer it when I realized there ...
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Why is techeles not universally accepted?
The Machon Ptil Tekhelet has (to my mind) some pretty compelling arguments as to why the Murex Trunculus is very likely the genuine chilazon from which techeles (blue dye) for the mitzva of tzitzis is ...
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Does artificial meat grown in a petri dish have the halachic status of meat?
Scientists are developing means of growing artificial meat in a petri dish. Does such 'meat' have the halachic status of meat?
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/11/11/us-science-meat-f-...
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Why don't people bentch on a kos nowadays?
Bentching with a kos (recite Grace after Meals with a cup of wine) was clearly a popular thing to do in the times of the gemara. Additionally many Ashkenazi rishonim (Rosh, Ri, and many other ...
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Why is it permissible to flush a toilet on Shabbat?
I have been reluctant to ask this question on this website because it sounds so ridiculous, but as Hillel said in Avot 2:6 "one who is bashful cannot learn" so here goes...
Why is it permissible to ...
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Is one allowed to smoke?
Nowadays, since there are studies that show that smoking is dangerous to health, is one allowed to smoke or is it violating "Venishmartem Meod Lenafshosechem"?
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Is it acceptable under kashrut to eat tyrannosauridae meat?
Theoretically speaking, if tyrannosaurs were still present these days, or in some way or another brought back, would they be kosher?
Let's assume that they are properly slaughtered and prepared.
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Did Jews in Arab countries ever rely on Islamic calls to prayer?
It just occurred to me that Jews in Arab/Islamic countries would most likely have heard the adhan call the populace to prayer five times a day.
Upon looking at an Islamic time-table and doing some ...
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Must a jew-by-choice who is a firstborn observe the fast of the firstborn
I'm interested in the question of whether a ger who is firstborn (of both parents, say, to keep things simple) must follow the rules for Ta'anit B'khorot. There are some remarks on the wikipedia page, ...
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Shaking hands with the opposite gender?
What's the story: Can a man shake hands with a woman (or vice versa) in a business setting?
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Can I cause a Melacha to happen in a place where Shabbat has already started?
Can I cause a Melacha to happen in a place where Shabbat has already started? For example, if I live in New York, could I send a fax (causing the machine to print a document) to Israel on Friday ...
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How do we determine "population statistics" for population-dependent Halachot?
There appear to be several halachot that are based on "a majority of Israel". For example:
Mishnah Berachot 54a:
הרואה מקום שנעשו בו נסים לישראל אומר ברוך שעשה נסים לאבותינו במקום הזה
IF ...
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Glasses and Shema
The Shulhan Aruch records the custom of placing one's hand over his eyes in Shema in order to increase concentration. What about someone who wears glasses? Must he move them or remove them?
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Can a non-Jew don tefillin?
May a non-Jew or a person who is in the conversion process don tefillin? If not, what are the reasons that they cannot?
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Is unmasking an anonymous author addressed by Halacha?
If an individual writes a document for public consumption anonymously or pseudonymously and either explicitly or presumably desires to remain anonymous, is there a Halachic issue with publicly ...
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Can a gentile break shabbos only on a Rabbinic level?
A non-Jew is forbidden from observing Shabbos. When someone is in the process of converting, we advise them to keep the entire Shabbos besides for doing one forbidden activity. A common practice is to ...
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Halakhic International Date Line issues
According to halakha, where is the international date line?
More specifically, I have heard that some people say you should observe Shabbat on Sunday in Japan & New Zealand and/or on Friday in ...
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Is ad-blocker software permissible?
Kalashnikover_Rebbe at hashkafah.com asked:
Isn't blocking ads stealing? The people put them on the sites for a reason.
He elaborated:
On one hand, the argument can be made that [forum XYZ] is ...
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Can a man remove hair?
May a man remove hair from his body through any of the following methods:
Electrolysis
Tweasing
Plucking
I am asking specifically about hair between the eyes (unibrow) but I would be interested if ...
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SE Challenge: Halachot in which rulings range from permissible to Torah violation? [closed]
Inspired by my previous question regarding heating up soup on Shabbat, I present a challenge to the Judaism StackExchange community --
List halachot which have halachic decisions ranging from ...
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Is it a discouraged or an unacceptable practice for a Gentile to keep the Sabbath?
According to Jewish Law and tradition, is it acceptable, discouraged or totally unacceptable for a Gentile to keep the Sabbath according to the regulations spelled out in the Torah and the Talmud and ...
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What is the downside to wearing techeiles?
There are many Compelling arguments to support Techelet, although it's not yet universally accepted.
A friend of mine bought P'til Tekhelet Murex techeiles, and went to his rabbi (who I know and ...
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