Questions tagged [halacha]
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. // 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).
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Wearing a kippa at work
If one has a job where his employer informs him that if he wears a kippa he will be fired, does he have to wear a kippa?
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Why is Soy milk considered Parve and not Milchig/Halavi?
Considering that milk is forbidden with chicken (as stated in this answer), because chicken could be confused with meat, why isn't soy milk considered milchig as well?
In Israel, chicken is ...
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Do surgically removed body parts require Kevurah?
If one has surgery (may it never be necessary) that requires the removal of an organ of the body (e.g. a gallbladder or appendix), is burial required? Or can the body part simply be discarded?
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Why do tzitzit have fabric-squares on the corners of the garment?
Pretty much across the board, beged gadol and katan have fabric squares sewn on the corners.
Why do tzitzit have fabric-squares on the corners of the garment?
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Ship of Theseus in Halacha
How would Halacha deal with the Ship of Theseus thought experiment?
For example, if one made a neder (vow) not to have any hana'ah (benefit) from a certain ship and over time every single piece of ...
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Humming during shmoneh esre
On shabbat for shacharit and mussaf, I am usually still davening shmoneh esre by the time the chazzan gets to kedusha. In this situation, can I hum to the tune of kedusha?
This essentially boils down ...
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Limits to Dina Dmalchusa Dina
What are the specifications of Dina Dimalchusah? A more targeted question to answer would be: If I ripped off the label of my mattress — the label that says its removal is punishable by federal ...
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How to advise your barber
Men: What is a succinct, clear, Halachically complete line to tell a barber what not to do when cutting your hair?
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Is a Muslim allowed to touch a food item for purchase in a kosher bakery?
Suppose I enter a kosher bakery and want to purchase some food item from the shelves. Can I pick that thing up by my hands for purchase?
My reason is that the laws of Kashrut are very very strict, ...
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May a Jew be a Freemason?
According to what I've been told by several people who have inquired of "practicing" (is that the right word?) Freemasons, and supported by Wikipedia, "Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it ...
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I heard not to say "Good Shabbos" after mincha. Is it true, and what defines mincha?
I heard from somewhere that, on Shabbos, one does not say "Good Shabbos" after mincha. I am not sure whether it's in a halacha sefer somewhere (I tried looking) or just a minhag.
First of all, is ...
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Are all French baguettes intrinsically kosher?
According to French law, all baguettes must be made of only wheat flour, water, salt and yeast (source).
So, do Jews who keep kosher (and eat pas palter) in France eat baguettes from plain ...
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Menstruating on Wedding Day
What happens in the case of a bride menstruating on her wedding day or her menstruation ending a few days before her wedding day and cannot go to the mikvah?
Does the rabbi refuse to perform the ...
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Why don't we say a blessing before giving charity?
Before doing many mitzvos (commandments), we are required derabanan to say a blessing. Why is this not the same for giving tzedakah (charity)?
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Can conversion be revoked?
In a recent case the Israeli Rabbinical Court has revoked someone's conversion to Judaism on the grounds that they were deceptive. This decision was
"...Based on the fact that she completely ...
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Leniencies for someone keeping Kosher in a non-Kosher home
My family is not frum, but they do not eat non-kosher meat at home, although they do eat other not-certified-kosher products, including cheese. They don't mix meat and milk, but they do wash meat and ...
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Do Shaving Restrictions Apply to Bearded Women?
For example, if a woman were to have a beard, would she be permitted to shave it off with a razor or otherwise destroy it, or do these restrictions apply to both men and women?
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Teaching Written Torah to Christians
There is an idea mentioned by the Rambam, but not in the Mishneh Torah as I recall, that it is permissible to teach Wrtitten Torah to Christians because they accept it as Divine and don't study it in ...
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Can you be buried in a Jewish Cemetery if you have a tattoo?
Can you be buried in a Jewish Cemetery if you have a tattoo?
I.e., is it just urban legend that you can't?
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What should I do about a fake convert?
I know someone who converted to Judaism, yet throughout the whole process was telling me personally (so I can't tell the Rabbi) that she wasn't interested in keeping Torah AT ALL but was telling the ...
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Bringing wallet with benscher into bathroom
If someone has one of the small "pocket benschers" that slide into his wallet, is it a problem for him to walk into the bathroom with his wallet in his pocket?
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Is getting a "fake" tattoo a violation of halacha?
Inspired by Curiouser here:
Is getting a "fake" (temporary) tattoo a violation of halacha? I'll define this broadly as any tattoo that doesn't permanently show on your body. This includes transfer ...
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The Mitzva of Peru U'Revu (Reproduction) - when does it start?
The first commandment in the Torah is Peru U'Revu, the commandment to "be fruitful and multiply" (Bereshit 1:28).
When does the obligation to fulfill this commandment begin?
Does the Mitzva of Peru U'...
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How long can you say Asher Yotzar if you forgot?
If you forgot to say Asher Yotzar and remember a while later, is there a time limit as to when you are allowed to say it?
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Does everyone have to drink the Kiddush wine?
When making Kiddush, does everyone who is yotzei have to drink the wine or grape juice, or is merely hearing it enough?
In my experience, it appears that Friday nights everyone is careful to drink, ...
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What is the source of netilat yadayim before eating bread?
From where do we learn that one must wash one's hands before eating bread? What does washing one's hands before bread symbolize? Why is ritual hand washing required for bread, but not other foods?
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What is the status of a pull-apart challah for "lechem mishneh"?
On Shabbat, we're supposed to begin the meals with two whole loaves - "Lechem Mishneh." According to Shmirat Shabbat KeHilchato as quoted in the article linked above, "If two loaves bake together in ...
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Yerushalmi Versus Bavli in Halacha
The halacha we have today is mostly sourced in Talmud Bavli(the Babylonian Talmud),Medrash and Zohar. I would like to know what Halachot in which we rule according to the Yerushalmi (the Jerusalem ...
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Is there any issue with using aerosols on Shabbos?
I've heard from many people that you shouldn't use aerosols (such as air fresheners, disinfectants or deodorants) on shabbos, usually citing some vague reason of changing the form from liquid to gas, ...
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Loshon Hara against an Online Identity
Does the prohibition of Loshon Hara apply when the target is an online name or identity, where the person behind it is anonymous, such as an anonymous user on this forum ?
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Is flipping a coin following an omen?
If a person is deciding whether to do something and says "I'll flip a coin, heads I do it, tails I don't" does that fall under the prohibition of "don't divine with signs" in Vayikra 19?
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Rainbow in water spray
You can often see a rainbow in a spray of water such as from sprinkler irrigation. Is the brocha for a rainbow applicable in that case?
Also, does a rainbow that comes from a prism get a brocha too?
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According to Halacha, does one have to bury teeth?
Is there a halachic obligation to bury teeth that have fallen out, just as one buries other body parts that become detached?
If not, why?
Does the same apply to detached skin? Or hair?
Related: Do ...
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Could stones cut with a high powered laser be used to build the Beit Hamikdash?
If Solomon's builders had access to lasers powerful enough to cut through stone, could he have used that instead of the Shamir?
Stones for an altar or for the Beit Hamikdash were not allowed to be ...
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Can someone who lives in Israel visit Eilat?
Can someone who lives in "Halachic" Eretz Israel visit a part of Israel that is not part of its Halachic borders? For example, IIRC, people in Eilat keep two days of Yom Tov. Does that mean that a ...
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Is it permitted to use a thermochromic cup on Shabbos?
A novelty cup, see for example here, appears black when cold. When hot liquid is poured into it, the black changes to white and the previously concealed writing (underneath, so to speak) becomes ...
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Inhaling prayers?
Elsewhere I ask whether it's sufficient to pray in a whisper. See there, please, for a description of whispering and how it differs from speaking quietly.
Answers to that question indicate that ...
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Are there any contemporary "Gedolim" that prohibit the use of davening from a smart phone?
It took me a long time to upgrade my technology, but I admit that lately, I have been using my smart phone during davening.
My rav doesn't object, but some of my friends told me that it's prohibited ...
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Time for morning prayer when flying over Greenland and seeing the sun rise twice
Last year I flew from Tel Aviv to Los Angeles. The flight leaves at night (1am) and, in the winter, lands when it is still night (630am). However during the flight, over Greenland, one sees the sun ...
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Falling behind during selichos
Related to, but not duplicating Falling behind during davening, how should you attempt to keep up with overly-quick recitation of selichos?
I would assume that you interrupt the piyut you’re reciting ...
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Insurance against משיח
According to this rather amusing blog post, there is apparently a common clause in rental contracts in Jerusalem, called the Messiah clause, in which, when a landlord outside of Israel rents out a ...
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Overhead projector on Shabbos?
A discussion came up with some guests over shabbos. One asked if one could use an overhead projector on Shabbos if it was turned on from before, i.e. could one put a new plastic sheet on it or not? In ...
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Is a contract over Chat/IM/SMS "written" or "oral"?
Halakhically, is a business transaction conducted over Chat/IM/SMS a "written" or "oral" contract?
Chat is oral-style communication in a textual medium. Does the fact that it's actually written over-...
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Netilas Yadayim with automatic sinks
It seems there is precedent to allow for netilas yadayim when you don't have a cup, by turning the sink on and off for each rivi'is per hand. By employing this method you satisfy the requirement of ...
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What is Lubavitch Shechita?
I was recently told about a Lubavitch family who only eats Lubavitch shechita.
What is unique about Lubavitch shechita? Are there particular opinions which they are stringent for that no one else is? ...
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What is the status of a Kli Shemelachto LeIssur that's only used for Pikuach Nefesh?
What is the status of a kli (object) whose primary use would be forbidden on Shabbos, but it is only used in a case of Pikuach Nefesh (danger to life, where all Shabbos restrictions become allowed) -- ...
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Does Neveilah/Tereifah make you Fleishig?
Another question asks whether meat of a non-kosher species (Behemah Temeiah or Hayah Temeiah) makes one Fleishig (considered to have eaten meat, so cannot eat milk). My question then is about kosher ...
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Is oral intercourse permitted according to halacha? [closed]
What has the halacha have to say about a husband and wife sharing oral intercourse (in either direction)?
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Transgender erva
Men's Health magazine has been in the news lately because of a contest in which people can vote on who will be on the magazine's cover. Currently leading in the voting is a transgender person who was ...
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