Questions tagged [handicap-disabled-impair]
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What is the role of people with physical disabilities?
The Torah says that Kohanim with physical defects may not offer sacrifices:
The Lord spoke further to Moses: Speak to Aaron and say: No man of your offspring throughout the ages who has a defect ...
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A deaf person and taking terumah
In Mishna 2 of Perek 1 of Terumah, it is stated that a deaf person who can speak but not hear should not separate Terumah, but if he does the Terumah is valid. The commentators state that this is ...
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Can someone with a blemish be king?
I saw somewhere recently that when Tzidkkiyahu was blinded, he was invalidated from hypothetically returning to rule over Judea as king, because he now had a halachic blemish (מום). Is this true, that ...
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Can a Blind Person make Matzah for the Seder?
According to the halachot I am learning (Dirshu Halacha Yomi), "Therefore, the following people who are unable to bear in mind this intention, may not be involved in the matzah baking process: a non-...
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Can a mute person do teshuva?
The Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah 1:1 tells us that saying vidui (confessing) is an integral part of the teshuva process:
כָּל מִצְוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל ...
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Using hearing aids on the sabbath?
I know a little bit about Judaism and a fair amount about hearing aids. I have been asked about the rules regarding the usage of hearing aids on the sabbath and I have no idea. In particular, the ...
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Is a blind person required to cover their eyes during Shema?
During the Shema we cover our eyes. The act implies that one is shielding their sight during the prayer.
If an individual happens to be blind, are they still required to do this as a symbolic action ...
user15672
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How does one put on tefillin with a prosthetic?
Assuming that prosthetic limbs are not considered part of one's body:
How would someone put on Tefillin if r"l his non-dominant arm was replaced by a prosthetic from the shoulder?
Would the ...
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May the gabbai use a disabled person for shat"z over a non-disabled one?
In a few previous questions, I mentioned that I sometimes daven in a nursing home minyan.
This past Shabbat, the gabbai asked someone who is confined to a wheelchair to daven Musaph. There were other ...
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Is it permitted to attach a prosthetic leg/arm body/body part on shabbos?
The Torah prohibits the act of “building” or attaching of any structure that is built firmly or tightly, or requires artisanship to craft (Shulchan Aruch 313)
The question is though, that there are ...
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Tefillin for somone missing fingers
If someone is missing the middle finger of their non-dominant hand, how would they wear tefillin? Just skip the 3 wraps around the middle finger? Wrap 3 times around another finger?
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What do Orthodox communities do for profoundly-disabled 13-year-olds (bar mitzvah or similar)?
I occasionally hear (in the US) about a community celebrating a bar mitzvah for a child with profound cognitive disabilities (cerebral palsy, Down's syndrome, etc). All such cases I've heard about ...
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How much speech capacity is required to have an aliya or daven from the amud?
A person who has had the voicebox removed (due to cancer, for example) can still have a bit of speech, and it's not necessarily quiet. The main thing is that it doesnt sound like normal speech. Can ...
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How does a mute get married?
During a traditional wedding ceremony, the groom makes a formal declaration that he is making the bride his wife with a ring "הרי את מקודשת לי..." and then gives her the ring . Obviously if the ...
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Amida Prayer in front of a handicapped man
One is not allowed to sit in front of someone who is engaged in the amidah prayer (Brachot 31b, Shulchan Aruch 102:1).
If you are not saying the amida (not part of the minyan) and behind you a ...
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Can a deaf person read the Torah or the Megillah on Purim?
As a hearing impaired individual that can often be classified as deaf, I face discrimination on a daily basis. Not so much in my Jewish community, but out in the world.
As I was reading the Mishnah, ...
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Megillah 4.6 -- Why can't the blind recite the Shema with their benedictions (according to R. Judah)?
In Megillah 4.6, R. Judah says: "He that has never seen the light may not recite the Shema' with its Benedictions."
I interpret "has never seen the light" as "blind" (rather than lacking inspiration ...
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Looking for a list of Mikva'ot in the U.S. or Canada that have ramps
A while ago, someone asked me if there are any mikva'ot in the U.S. or Canada that have ramps or some other means for a woman who has trouble navigating steps to enter the mikvah? Does anyone know if ...
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Is there a guide or publication listing U.S. / Canadian shuls that are handicapped-friendly?
My apologies to any reader that I may inadvertently offend by use of the term "handicap". I am uncertain of another good term to convey my message...
Parsha Kedoshim, which addresses not to insult ...
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Is there a special bracha or prayer that one can say when receiving a life-changing implant?
A deaf person cannot fulfill mitzvoth that specifically require hearing, such as Shofar.
If that person receives a cochlear implant so that he can now hear, other than, most likely saying "Hatov ...
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What happens with the blessings if a mute is called for a Torah aliyah?
A person called for an aliyah LeTorah makes a blessing before and after the reading.
As I recall, the original custom (mentioned in Talmud Megilla 21b) was to have the Cohen make the staring blessing ...
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Is there any benefit to an adult with the general mental capacity of a child of around 6 months wearing Tefillin?
I assume that an adult with the general mental capacity of a child of around 6 months is free from mitzvos. Would there be any benefit to (the neshomo of) this adult in getting his body to do mitzvos ...
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Can a service dog enter a Temple during service?
At Rosh Hashanah service today, a congregant brought his service dog with him. He's not blind, the service dog vest said it was for hearing.
Is the temple being kind, or are they required to permit ...
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Is a video "simulcast" Megilla reading for the hearing-impaired in shul permissible?
We have a many hearing-impaired people in our shul. Even with a microphone on, there is a lot of distortion and people can't hear well.
We received a PowerPoint Megilla reading CD from Our Way, a ...
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Can a Beis Din deny conversion if a person cannot physically perform a mitzvah?
As far as I know if a male is unable to have children due to body damage, he cannot become a ger. I have also heard of Beitei Din not allowing deaf people to convert since they cannot do certain ...
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Mental Disability and Exemption from Mitzvot
To what extent are the mentally disabled exempt from mitzvot, and what mitzvot are they exempt from? At what level of mental disability does this exemption kick in if it exists, and is it gradual ...
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Meaning of "the lame and the blind"
I read somewhere recently that the "the lame and the blind" in 2 Samuel 5 is a reference to the patriachs, and that Abraham had made an agreement with the Philistines not to lay claim to Jerusalem in ...
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Can a person with a disability that causes them to be incontinent put on tefillin? If so, when?
If someone has a disability wherein they suffer from incontinence from time to time are they able to put on tefillin or not? Is there any consideration for psychological or emotional damage that may ...
user3342
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Would a woman have to cover an artificial limb for tznius purposes? [duplicate]
If a woman has an artificial limb like a leg or arm, would they need to cover that the same way they cover the rest of their body for tznius purposes?
user6641
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Can sign language be used for public Torah reading?
We would like to perform a minyan for the deaf. All the participants can speak verbally, but cannot hear, including the Torah reader. Can he sign the words that he is reading during Kri'at Hatorah, or ...
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Can a deaf person be a shaliach tzibbur?
I recall reading (Mishnah Brurah - don't recall location) that the shali'ach tzibbur must wait until everyone answers "amen" before proceeding to thE next bracha. If a deaf person were prompted by ...
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Does a lady have to remove a prosthetic arm or leg prior to going to the Mikva?
When a lady goes to the Mikva she has to ensure that there is no Chatziza. Is a prosthetic arm or leg a Chatziza? Is there a difference if the prosthetic is permanent or removable? (source)
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May a woman with artifical metal legs wear a short skirt or pants?
May a woman (or a man) wear immodest clothing over an artificial part of her body?
(Lets assume that beged ish is not a consideration)
i.e. if she has artifical legs, may she wear short shorts?
...
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Wearing Tefillin the Wrong Way
If:
A) You don't have your Tefillin and the only pair available for you to borrow is for the opposite hand you generally use (ie, your dominant hand), or
B) You have a cast or splint on your arm or ...
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Tefilin with obstruction on hand
How should one tie his shel yad on his hand if his finger(s) have something on them, such as a splint for a broken bone in the left middle finger?
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Prosthetic limbs in halacha
What is the status of prosthetic limbs in halacha in terms of being considered part of the body?
Is it considered:
As if I were born with it?
As a living piece of flesh, but not a piece of me?
...
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Wheelchair-bound and matir asurim, zokef kefufim?
Is someone who is wheelchair-bound obligated to say matir asurim or zokef kefufim if they cannot get up?
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Counting the Omer non-verbally [duplicate]
If someone who is chayav in mitzvot does not have the ability to speak, (say, for example, he lost his tongue in a freak tennis accident,) can he count the Omer non-verbally, through sign language, ...
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Wearing a toupee
If one wears a toupee that covers approximately what a normal kippa would cover, does he also need to wear a kippa?
Does it depend on whether or not people know it's a toupee and not just his normal ...
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How does a blind person make havdalah if he has to benefit from the light?
Per this answer, the one making havdalah must benefit from the light. How does a blind person make havdalah, assuming there is not another Jew present to do it for him? Does he omit the blessing ...
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Milk after meat - less than 6 hours - for someone who has dentures
The reason given for waiting 6 hours after meat is since some of the meat may be stuck in your teeth. If someone uses dentures, and has two pairs - one for meat and one for dairy - would they still ...
- 138k
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Moshe's speech impediment(s)
In Sh'mos 4:10, after Hashem instructs him to speak to the Jews, Moshe describes himself to Hashem as not an "אִישׁ דְּבָרִים", literally "man of words", and as "כְבַד פֶּה", literally "heavy of mouth"...
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How does someone who needs a cane/walker/etc do the amidah -- standing and leaning, or sitting?
According to this question, it is forbidden to lean on anything while praying the amidah, where leaning means the object bears some of your weight. What does somebody who can stand but only with the ...
- 56.1k
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What are the "blind and the lame" that David wanted to be rid of when he entered Jerusalem, and what does that mean?
David takes over Jerusalem (finally) in Shmuel II, Perek 5. It says that David wants to be rid of the סירך ועורים. This is commonly translated as the blind and the lame. Metzudat David understands ...
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Do Orthodox synagogues have audio induction loops? Can they use them on Shabbat?
Let's assume we follow Rabbi Moshe Feinstein's ruling that hearing aids are permitted on Shabbat, but microphones are not.
What about installing an audio induction loop in the synagogue? It would ...
- 128k
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a wheelchair user's taking "steps" before sh'mone esre
The Shulchan Aruch, OC 94:5, writes:
Suppose someone is sitting on a boat or wagon [and saying sh'mone esre (amida)]. If he can stand up when he reaches the point of bowing, he should stand, so as ...
- 73.5k
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Blind and Marriage
The Gemara tells us that a man may not marry a woman without first seeing her because if she turns out to be displeasing to him then he will transgress the mitzvah of "Ve'ahavtah lerei'acha kamocha"(...
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