Questions tagged [mistakes]
Contending with mistakes that have been made [in a case].
250
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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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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 ...
- 41.8k
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votes
4
answers
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What was the shape of the Luchot?
According to the Talmud in Bava Batra 14a, the Luchot HaBrit were square. As a side note, I have seen those "correctly-modeled Luchot" in the Shteblach of Meah Shearim.
Where did the common "tablet" ...
- 3,157
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4
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Should one induce vomiting upon realizing s/he just ate non-kosher?
I've heard several stories of people who ate something, realized it was non-kosher, and therefore induced vomiting. Is this halachically required? Recommended? Does it accomplish anything? (If not, ...
- 135k
18
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3
answers
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Is there tashlumin for n'ila?
Being that n'ila is a unique prayer, in that it only occurs once a year, can one make up (do tashlumin for) n'ila at the next prayer or the previous one at n'ila?
- 23.9k
17
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6
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Avoiding accidentally eating cheese
Whether one waits 6 hours, 3 hours, 1 hour, or somewhere in between, it is a common occurrence to find people mistakenly eating milk/cheese/yogurt too soon after meat. It seems like a problem that ...
- 23.9k
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2
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Are you allowed to benefit from an electrical appliance turned on during shabbos?
If a jewish person were to accidentally turn on the light in their bedroom, or if the television were accidentally turned on (for these purposes, let's assume that the person in question woke up, ...
- 1,906
14
votes
5
answers
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Why is there Pesach Sheini - The Second Passover?
What is the primary/basic reason why one has a second chance to bring the Korban Pesach (Passover Sacrifice) on Pesach Sheni (a month after Passover)? Other mitzvos, such as hearing the shofar or ...
- 13.4k
14
votes
4
answers
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Can you keep a vending machine freebie?
If someone buys something from a vending machine and two items accidentally pop out (due to some error in the machine), is he/she allowed to keep the extra item? And if not, what should he/she do?
...
- 38.7k
13
votes
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words often mispronounced [closed]
What are some words commonly mispronounced? (Not by elision/reduction (like ה׳→אדְני) or assimilation (like תזכרו→תשׂכרו), but rather words that are pronounced wrong simply because that's how ...
13
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5
answers
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What do you do if you forgot to turn off the refrigerator light before Shabbat?
The first time you open a fridge on Shabbat, you notice the light is on. Your intention is to take out food, not turn on the light. Is closing the fridge a problem? Can I open it again? Is it better ...
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13
votes
1
answer
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What if the Kohen Gadol accidentally kills someone?
An ordinary person who accidentally kills someone has to go to an Ir Miklat (city of refuge) until the Kohen Gadol dies.
But what if it's the Kohen Gadol himself who accidentally kills? He would ...
- 23.2k
13
votes
1
answer
189
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A skipped Sheva Brocha
I was once at a wedding and it came time for Sheva Brochos.
A person was asked to say one of them, say "Sos tosis..." but inadvertently said "Samech t'samech..."
Since there is an order to the Sheva ...
- 131
13
votes
1
answer
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Should I say "amen" to a malformed bracha?
If I hear somebody substantially mispronounce a bracha, should I say amen anyway (recognizing the intent) or remain silent? I'm not talking about nuances like pronouncing 'ayin or distinguishing ...
- 56.9k
12
votes
4
answers
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Source of saying migdol / magdil in Bentching
I was once told by someone that saying migdol instead of magdil in bentching on Shabbos and yom tov is an error. That a siddur had the source in pesukim in short form on the side and people mistook it ...
- 644
12
votes
1
answer
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Making a mistake in davening: when should one find out what to do?
There are lots of sections in the tefillah that either needed to be added at certain parts of the year or that one should cease saying at certain times of the year, as well as additions for Hanukkah, ...
- 19k
11
votes
2
answers
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Bracha levatalah vs waiting between meat and milk
If I make a ברכה on a Hershey bar, and before I eat the food, I realize I am Fleishig, what do I do? (assuming I have no other food around?)
- 319
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votes
3
answers
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Receiving Too Much Change
Do I have an obligation to give back extra change I receive? Would it matter if the store owner or person giving it to me was a Jew?
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11
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2
answers
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El Al Airfare error and Halachah
What are the Halachic implications of yesterday's El Al airfare snafu? In brief, El Al's air tickets were being sold online very cheap for a while; the price was later corrected, and El Al claimed the ...
- 41.8k
11
votes
3
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Why was an imperfect world instructed in capital punishment?
So, according to wikipedia (I know... but still it was the best source I could find)
Leading rabbis in Reform Judaism, Conservative Judaism, and Orthodox Judaism tend to hold that the death penalty ...
- 547
10
votes
2
answers
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Is this site for Children? [closed]
A father asked me if this site is appropriate for children considering the fact that oftentimes incorrect answers are being posted. Children are very impressionable and as Chazal tell us, Shabeshtah, ...
- 16.1k
10
votes
1
answer
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Said Kiddush Levana prior to three days after Molad - Does he say it again?
Be'er Hataiv 426:10 says that one can say Kiddush Levana as early as 3 days after the Molad. The Rambam - Hilchos Brachos 10:17 rules that one may say Kiddush Levana immediately after the Molad. ...
- 140k
10
votes
4
answers
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Why do different halachic authorities arrive at conflicting rulings?
Rabbi A says strawberries are ha'adama; Rabbi B says that strawberries are Ha'etz.
The halachic texts are replete with such differences in "opinion". What's the underlying reason that different ...
- 13.3k
10
votes
0
answers
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Was the Chasam Sofer known for having an interesting way of learning?
I have a lot of experience learning Gemara and find myself oft dealing with the views of the Achronim to understand the Pshat in Rishonim. Unfortunately, I have inside me a slight aversion to the ...
- 109
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1
answer
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What happens when a Jew eats non-Kosher food by mistake?
If non-kosher food is eaten accidentally, do you have to do anything afterward? Is some form of “purification” required? If so, what?
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3
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Do I have to spit out this dairy?
Inspired by this question:
[substitute "6 hours" in this question with whatever one's tradition might be]
Suppose it is less than 6 hours since Reuven last ate meat. Out of habit, he mistakenly ...
- 38.7k
9
votes
2
answers
296
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ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד after a bracha with a false statement
If we make a bracha levatala or say Hashem's name by accident, we say ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד.
Is this true only if the original bracha is a valid praise of Hashem, or even if it contains false ...
- 9,313
9
votes
1
answer
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Mistake when buying ring to get married with
The following case might perhaps be too localized however I'm asking it as a theoretical question in order to understand these laws in Choshen Mishpat and Evan HaEzer better.
A Kallah (bride) went to ...
- 16.1k
9
votes
0
answers
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Oops, said too much Hallel. What now?
On Rosh Chodesh and on Pesach after the first yom tov, most communities recite Hallel b'dilug ("half" Hallel). In most siddurim that I'm used to, the skipped-over portions are Psalms 115:1–...
- 10.6k
9
votes
3
answers
389
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How can the Sanhedrin ever err?
On the one hand we know that if a Sanhedrin issued an erroneous decision (which was acted upon) they must bring a sacrifice (Vayikra 4:13).
On the other, we have the concept of "lo bashamayim hi" (...
- 2,326
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3
answers
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If we have full copies of the Torah in an unchanged form (Dead Sea Scrolls), why don’t we revert our Torah scrolls back?
We have found very old Torah scrolls, which were named the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls are some of the oldest Torah scrolls out there; however, there are some discrepancies between these ancient ...
- 161
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2
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What to do if you forget Nishmas?
On Shabbos or Yom Tov, if someone forgets to say Nishmas and has already started Yishtabach, should he go back and say it? Does it matter if he already said HaShem's name or started the conclusion? ...
- 8,293
8
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2
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Boruch Shem Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Voed after saying Hashem's name in error - ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד
When someone says Hashem's name in error, why do we say Boruch Shem Kevod Malchuso L'Olam Voed - ברוך שם כבוד מלכותו לעולם ועד?
- 140k
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1
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Does an unnecessary brocho pesucha on Hallel necessitate a brocho siyuma?
We had an interesting question arise in our Shul this past Yom Yerushalayim. Our shul has a minhag of saying Hallel without a brocho in Shacharis. At one of the minyanim, the chazzan said a brocho at ...
- 1,432
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1
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How to fix incorrect omer count
Suppose someone accidentally counts the wrong day of the omer after making a bracha, and then realizes later that night what he had done. How should he rectify this? Should he count the correct day ...
- 25k
8
votes
2
answers
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How could anybody confuse moonlight and sunlight?
The mishna in Yoma 3:1 talks about watching for dawn to know if it's time for the morning offering, and then Yoma 3:2 asks:
וְלָמָה הֻצְרְכוּ לְכָךְ, שֶׁפַּעַם אַחַת עָלָה מְאוֹר הַלְּבָנָה וְדִמּוּ ...
- 56.9k
8
votes
1
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Said al hamichya instead of birkas hamazon. What do I do?
If one had 'pas habah bekisnin' thinking that he needs to make a mezonos followed by al hamichya, and after doing so discovers that he should have washed, said hamotzi and then birkas hamazon, what ...
- 3,320
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1
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Counting towards a Keriat HaTorah one who accidentally ate
We have Halacha that at least 6 people need to be fasting in order to read the Torah in a fast day. However, let's say there are 10 people and 5 are definitely fasting and one who accidentally ate (...
- 16.7k
8
votes
1
answer
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Why should a choshed bichsherim bless the k'sherim?
Bavli, B'rachos 31:2 says (in my own translation):
"Eli answered [Chana], saying 'go to peace'": Rabbi El'azar said, from here we derive, about someone who suspects his fellow of a matter that that ...
- 73.7k
7
votes
1
answer
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How far can I back up in a bracha?
If I start making a bracha over my pasta accidentally intending to say Shehakol (let's say I made the mistake because I normally just have a milkshake for lunch, not pasta, and I didn't put any ...
- 6,936
7
votes
1
answer
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Incorrect bracha covering another food
Suppose someone is eating a fruit which requires a bracha rishona of ha'etz, but the person accidentally makes a ha'adama. Since ha'adama is the more general bracha, it covers his fruit and he does ...
- 25k
7
votes
3
answers
154
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Melachah on Shabbath - after Shabbath
If Melachah was done on Shabbath, can the product of that Melachah be enjoyed after Shabbath, and if so, under what criteria (does it depend on how long after Shabbath, or on the need, or something ...
- 41.8k
7
votes
1
answer
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If a chazzan has to repeat Shmoneh Esrei, can he use the chazarat hashatz for that?
Let's say a chazzan makes a mistake in his personal Shmoneh Esrei that he would have to repeat it for (e.g. missed yaaleh vyavoh). Can he use the chazarat hashatz as his required repetition, or must ...
- 23.2k
7
votes
1
answer
194
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Chanuka Kaddish error after Hallel
Usually after Hallel the Chazan says Kadish Shaleim, however on Chanuka (not the Rosh Chodesh days, or Shabbos day) we say only Chatzi Kaddish, since there is no Musaf later. If a Chazzon said in ...
- 140k
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votes
1
answer
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If repeating Shmoneh Esrei do you redo steps back/forward?
If someone has to restart Shmoneh Esrei (because of Yale Yeyavo, Mashiva Haruach, Melech Hakadosh, etc) and is still in the middle of it, do you take 3 steps back, then forward, then back and forward ...
- 5,179
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2
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Why is Taus Akum Different?
So the Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat (348:2) says:
כל הגונב אפילו שוה פרוטה עובר על לאו דלא תגנובו וחייב לשלם אחד הגונב ממון ישראל או הגונב ממון של עכו"ם ואחד הגונב מגדול או מקטן:
הגה: טעות ...
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7
votes
1
answer
268
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Can one repeat the name of Hashem when reading from the Torah to get the singing note right (meaning changed)?
Someone reading from the Torah gets the singing note (trop) wrong for one of the names of Hashem, in a manner which changes the meaning of the verse. He then needs to go back and repeat the name of ...
- 48.4k
7
votes
2
answers
231
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Shliach Tzibbur and Tashlumim for missed tefillah
The M"B in Siman 108 Sif-Katan 4 brings that someone who missed a tefillah and is now the shliach tzibbur may use the chazaras ha'shatz for his tashlumim.
(Makor in Radbaz Siman 361.)
The Radbaz ...
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7
votes
1
answer
358
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Learning the shapes of the letters as a Baal Koreh
I would have thought that the shapes of the letters would be a good thing for Baal Koreh to know, but I was told that since Sefrie Torah are not invalidated until they are declared as such, this would ...
- 1,914
7
votes
1
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How to proceed when there was no Minyan to begin with?
Recently I was in a Shul for Friday Mincha. As soon as there were 10 adults they began Ashrei. In the 2nd Bracha of the Chazan repeating Shemona Esrei they realized that one of those that they counted ...
- 140k