8
votes
Accepted
Are blind men obligated in kiddush levana
Beur Halachah 426:2 cites a dispute among the poskim about this, with Maharshal (R. Shlomo Luria) saying that yes, he should say it (because even though he can't see the moon, others can, and that's ...
- 10.4k
7
votes
What do Orthodox communities do for profoundly-disabled 13-year-olds (bar mitzvah or similar)?
I am a charadi yid living in NYC. I can describe what I did for my severely disabled (non verbal, non mobile, blind) son. [He had a stroke as a result of side effect to a medication at 2.5 years].
On ...
- 71
5
votes
Can someone with a blemish be king?
The Rambam in Hilchot Melachim (chapter 1) lists a number of conditions to be a king (not to be a convert, a woman, a butcher, barber, bath-attendant or a tanner). Having no blemish is not such a ...
- 54k
5
votes
Accepted
What do Orthodox communities do for profoundly-disabled 13-year-olds (bar mitzvah or similar)?
You've asked an interesting question. I've seen several Bar Mitzvah affairs done on Shabbat for cerebral palsy kids and those with all kinds of disabilities.
I have a close friend who has an autistic ...
- 71.5k
5
votes
Accepted
Is someone who is physically or mentally disabled obligated to be fruitful and multiply
Here is an attempt to answer this question, taking into account many relevant points, but not all. As always it is extremely important, nay obligatory to consult a local orthodox Rabbi before making ...
- 14.7k
5
votes
How does a mute get married?
In writing or in sign language.
You are talking about someone that can hear and understand. For the Din of Cheresh (which imply inability to be Chayav bemitsvot) is a man who cannot speaking nor ...
- 23.1k
5
votes
Using hearing aids on the sabbath?
Tzomet is an Israeli institute for Science and Halacha (Jewish law). They research modern devices and see how they can be used/tuned to be used with observant Jews. They have some relevant thoughts on ...
- 54k
5
votes
Accepted
May the gabbai use a disabled person for shat"z over a non-disabled one?
The Jerusalem-based kollel Eretz Hemda has a responsa on this very topic (here). Their conclusion is that
If [a person is] permanently (or for a long time) in need of a
wheelchair, people should ...
- 54k
4
votes
Accepted
Is it permitted to attach a prosthetic leg/arm body/body part on shabbos?
R Abraham S. Abraham discusses a related element in the volume 1 of his Nishmat Avraham pp. 166ff. - a 3-volume sefer of medical halacha.
He explains (based on Shulchan Aruch HaRav) that the ...
- 54k
4
votes
Tefillin for somone missing fingers
If one is missing his middle finger, he should wrap around the finger closest to the thumb, the index finger. That is the same finger a ring is placed on by marriage, and the wrappings represent our ...
- 6,253
4
votes
Is a blind person required to cover their eyes during Shema?
Since the simple, traditional reason for covering the eyes is in order not to be distracted [while reciting the Shema (proclaiming God’s kingship)], as stated in SA O.C. 61:5, therefore if one cannot ...
- 12.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Using hearing aids on the sabbath?
Welcome to Mi Yodeya.
As my son wears cochlear implants, I have been reading quite a bit on the usage of hearing aids and implants on Shabbat. There is quite a diversity of opinions in this area. ...
- 71.5k
4
votes
Accepted
How does a mute get married?
The implication of the Mishna (Ma'aser Sheni 4:7) is that a formal declaration is not necessary, and context suffices:
היה מדבר עם האשה על עסקי גיטה וקדושיה ונתן לה גיטה וקדושיה ולא פירש רבי יוסי ...
- 36k
4
votes
Accepted
Yibbum with an incompetent woman
Chalitza requires mental competence to be effective whilst Yibbum does not. Accordingly, a mentally incompetent woman could establish a legal marriage to the brother without consent. Whether that's ...
- 101k
4
votes
Can a mute person do teshuva?
Quoting the Rambam again, he actually says something more radical. "כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת -- ... when he does teshuvah, he is obligated to confess..."
...
- 9,971
4
votes
Accepted
Are guide animals Ochel nefesh on Yom Tov
The gemara on Beitza 12a learns from Beit Hillel that whenever a melacha is permitted for the sake of ochel nefesh, it is also permitted more generally. See OC 518:1 where the Rema adds there needs to ...
- 54k
3
votes
Accepted
Can a mute person do teshuva?
The sefer LeDofkei BaTeshuva by Rabbi Uri Teegar on Rambam's Hilchos Teshuva 1:1, in Biurim s.v. על לשון כל ישראל (near § 65, it's too far to see for free on Otzar HaChochma) brings the Sefer ...
- 20.2k
2
votes
Can a service dog enter a Temple during service?
In contrast to R. Feinstein's responsum permitting this (cited in Aaron's answer), R. Yitzchak Abadi has a responsum (Ohr Yitzchak 2:51) forbidding this. He cites R. Feinstein's responsum on the ...
- 50.3k
2
votes
Is a blind person required to cover their eyes during Shema?
I found the following here from the Yalkut Yosef authored by Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef sefardi Chief Rabbi of Israel.
ד נוהגים ליתן יד ימין על העינים בקריאת פסוק שמע ישראל, כדי שלא יסתכל
בדבר אחר ...
- 48.7k
2
votes
Can a Blind Person make Matzah for the Seder?
I've been making soft matzah for about 5 years and I can offer the following insights based on that experience.
The halacha from last week indicated that while forming the dough, the
baker must ...
- 11.8k
2
votes
Is a person obligated in a Mitzvah that he can only fulfill with assistance?
The Pele Yoetz explains that the way to determine if a situation is an ones or not is to think if he was able to make a lot of money doing this, would he still say that he can’t because of the ...
- 13.4k
1
vote
When can you shame someone on account of his handicap?
In one of his talks (Likkutei Sichos 15:122ff, sec. 5 - Hebrew translation here), the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l explains that R. Elazar perceived the man as being not just ugly and empty (ריקה, as R....
- 10.4k
1
vote
Is a person obligated in a Mitzvah that he can only fulfill with assistance?
Perhaps we can suggest an answer from the halachah that if someone is missing his arms, he must still put on tefillin shel rosh. Such a person must require significant help from others, but is still ...
- 764
1
vote
How does one put on tefillin with a prosthetic?
Rema in OC 27:1 rules that one who is missing his hand but has a remaining arm lays tefillin without a blessing, citing a machlokes between Tosafos in Menachos (37a) and the Ohr Zarua.
Mishne Berura ...
- 1,368
1
vote
What do Orthodox communities do for profoundly-disabled 13-year-olds (bar mitzvah or similar)?
Having a severely autistic son, we had a mini concert with Yaakov Shwekey, who is his favorite singer. At the Bar Mitzva concert I spoke, said a Dvar Torah, a story from Rabbi Paysach Krohn as to the ...
- 140k
1
vote
How does a mute get married?
The Mishnah (Kiddushin 2a) gives three ways to get married: money, document, or marital relations. So if he can't give the ring, he can always give the document. One merely has to write in the ...
- 34.7k
1
vote
May a woman with artifical metal legs wear a short skirt or pants?
Keep in mind that there are three issues here. In terms of the responsibility of the women to cover her Erva until the Shok, that would obviously not apply here where it is not a real leg and thus not ...
1
vote
May a woman with artifical metal legs wear a short skirt or pants?
It depends whether the artificial limb is recognized as such. If it is, then there should not really be an issue. If not, it would be Mar'is Ayin.
- 11
1
vote
Prosthetic limbs in halacha
This is a very broad question, even though you tagged it as "netilat-yadayim-washing".
Regarding washing- since we wash as a Gezera that hands have Tuma that the rest of the body doesn't, it would ...
- 44.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible