16
votes
Is it permitted for a male to shave his pubic hair nowadays?
The Shulchan Aruch in the beginning of YD 182 says:
א.המעביר שער בית השחי ובית הערוה אפילו במספרים כעין תער היו מכין אותו מכת מרדות בד"א במקום שאין מעבירין אותו אלא נשים כדי שלא יתקן עצמו תיקון נשים ...
- 2,283
16
votes
Men: how do you control your reactions to women in immodest dress if you can't avoid them?
I always heard of people taking off their glasses. I had pretty good vision until recently, and just last week I was able to try that trick, and it actually (somewhat) worked! So for men who have ...
- 57.4k
14
votes
Why can men wear pants if pants are immodest?
Although the real answer to your question would be found in the Double AA's answer, it's worth noting that there was at least one authority who did believe that pisuk raglayim was an issue for men as ...
- 32.2k
14
votes
Can someone have a soul of the opposite gender?
The Zohar writes that the Patriarch Yitzchok had the soul of a female (Pikudei 257a). The Seder HaDoros (Elef HaRishon) says that it was the soul of Chava.
- 57.4k
11
votes
Can someone have a soul of the opposite gender?
Kaf Hachaim Orach Chaim 38:9 says that Michal bas Shaul had a male Neshama.
Haichal Habracha - Bamidbar 27:7 says that the Bnos Tzelafchad had male Neshamos.
- 137k
10
votes
Men: how do you control your reactions to women in immodest dress if you can't avoid them?
So, we all have yetzer. As Jews, we believe that yetzer is part of our condition; reference the midrash about the disastrous effects of disabling it temporarily (Yoma 69b).
It's all of our job to ...
- 407
10
votes
Can someone have a soul of the opposite gender?
The Ashel Avraham (Pri Migadim 23:2 ) writes that one should not wear tzitzs out next to a kever of a child because maybe his neshama is that of a gadol. He also mentions that in a case of a woman it ...
- 39.5k
9
votes
Accepted
The single male and shabbat
Men and women are both obligated in the Mitzva of Shabbat candles and saying the blessing. Women have precedence to ensure the Mitzva is fulfilled because they are more often at home preparing the ...
- 95.2k
9
votes
How to tactfully circumvent opposite-gender handshake
A related question was recently on The Workplace, and one of the answers there offered a phrasing I like. While dodging the physical interaction (more about that in a moment), you can say "I'm sorry, ...
- 55.7k
9
votes
How to tactfully circumvent opposite-gender handshake
Practice your fake sneeze.
If I'm with my wife and a man sticks out their hand to her, I say "I'll take that" and shake their hand (even if I've already shaken their hand).
- 57.4k
9
votes
Men: how do you control your reactions to women in immodest dress if you can't avoid them?
Let's examine the converse of the question...
Suppose you have to deal with a person that is horribly disfigured from birth, disease or an accident. Do you treat them with any less personal respect ...
- 99
9
votes
Why can men wear pants if pants are immodest?
It seems to me that the answer to your question is that a man's spreading his legs is not as suggestive a position as the posture isn't reminiscent of intercourse (where a woman's spreading her legs ...
- 95.2k
9
votes
Would it be considered disrespectful to wear an Islamic styled cap as a Kippah?
The goal is to cover the head. While it might be considered improper to wear a baseball hat in synagogue (though I have seen it) the religious obligation to cover the head would be fulfilled. In terms ...
- 36.5k
9
votes
Is there a prohibition against long hair for an Orthodox Jewish man?
This is an argument amongst the achronim.
See Yoreh Deah siman 178. The Shulchan Aruch writes not to grow one's hair like the non Jews do and not to shave the sides while leaving the hair on top.
...
- 32.2k
8
votes
Can a single-parent father be exempt from time-bound mitzvot?
As someone in this category, I would like to remind everyone that this is what psak is for. One cannot be exempted from commandments, a competent rabbi familiar with a single-parent father's ...
- 4,309
8
votes
Why is there so much focus on Women's Modesty among Orthodox Jews?
Rav Yaakov Weinberg was once asked this question at a convention in Richmond, VA. The following is a summary of his response.
Man was created with a Divine purpose, to be a spiritual being ...
- 57.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Do spirits/souls have genders?
The Zohar writes that the Patriarch Yitzchok had the soul of a female.
Additionally, the Arizal explained that Michal wore tefillin because she had a male soul.
So it seems that souls do have ...
- 57.4k
8
votes
Men: how do you control your reactions to women in immodest dress if you can't avoid them?
I hightly focus on the work's subject when I'm discussing with her about work and I reduce my discussion to the strict minimum.
I'm discussing her opinion, not her body.
Also, don't take the ...
- 81
8
votes
Men: how do you control your reactions to women in immodest dress if you can't avoid them?
Concentrate on looking (only) at her face. There is a difficulty in doing this that helps, as well. You can probably notice that her eyes are too closely- or widely-set, or slightly different ...
- 350
8
votes
Do any Gedolim forbid attending a sporting event?
Rav Moshe Feinstein in his Igros Moshe Chelek 8:4 YD :11 writes that going to theaters and stadiums do not fall into the prohibition of bechukoseihem lo tolechu. However, he writes that one is ...
- 39.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Men's Earth vs. Women's Bone
The Midrash (Bereishis Rabbah 17:8) makes a similar point, but regarding being appeased, rather than when they’re still in conflict.
מִפְּנֵי מָה הָאִישׁ נוֹחַ לְהִתְפַּתּוֹת וְאֵין הָאִשָּׁה ...
- 33.4k
8
votes
Accepted
Reason for a Chanukah Minhag
Not precisely as you say, but the Be'er Hagolah (OC 670:3) quotes the Beis Yosef who writes that the reason is in order that it should be a reminder for them that it is forbidden to use the light from ...
- 5,529
7
votes
May a man become a gynecologist?
R Abraham Abraham (Nishmat Avraham, vol. 2, p. 134) writes that "Rav (Shlomo Zalman) Auerbach told me that a man may learn a medical or paramedical profession, since they involve pikuach nefesh". He ...
- 43.4k
7
votes
Why do men say Shelo Asani Isha, and women say Sheasani Kirtzono?
The reason is that women are obligated in fewer mitzvos than men. So Jewish men thank Hashem for not making them women, because we should be happy to have more opportunities for serving Hashem, rather ...
- 4,091
7
votes
Can someone have a soul of the opposite gender?
As per the poster's agreement to accept cases of transgender teva, nature, I will quote a couple of sources concerning Yosef and Dina.
The Pirush HaRadal on the Pirkei Drav Eliezer chapter 38 #4 says ...
- 32.2k
7
votes
Halachically, why are men allowed to use urinals?
I asked Rav Avigdor Nevenzahl Shlit"a this question and he answered me that it is better to use the stalls than to use the urinals, however, if it is a case of Bal Teshaktzu - very pressing need to go ...
- 15.1k
7
votes
Accepted
Tribal affiliation through the father
In the Talmud-GemaraTractate Bava Bathra 109b
משפחת אב קרויה משפחה אמשפחת אם אינה קרויה משפחה דכתיב (במדבר א, ב) למשפחותם לבית אבותם
The Family of the Father are family the family of the mother ...
- 11.2k
6
votes
Blessing on Shabbat candle lighting for men
The Sefer Piskei Tshuvos siman 263:10 writes that if a man lights he makes the bracha first because he is not mekabel shabbas with his lighting(unless he wants to take shabbas in with lighting,then he ...
- 39.5k
6
votes
How to tactfully circumvent opposite-gender handshake
As far as the main issue brought up in the question, "while the poor woman just stands there, not knowing what to do with her outstretched arm.”, before I say anything to the woman, I wave my hand in ...
- 603
6
votes
What type of name should an androgynous be given?
An androgynous is mostly treated [visibly] like a male in Halacha, despite the "dual/uncertain" Halachic status.
Mila: An androgynous get a Brit Mila (Rambam Mila Ch. 1:7). Though without a Bracha. (...
- 42k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible