Q & A: Offering Tefillin To Passersby (Part VII)
Question: Where I live, I see Chabad shluchim offering Jewish passerby to put on tefillin. Is this of any value if they are otherwise non-observant? Additionally, is doing so in a street – a public thoroughfare – proper kavod for the tefillin?
Menachem
Via email
Is It Proper To Build A Sukkah In Your Front Yard, Near A Public...
In the United States the issue might be that such action might provoke people to acts of anti-Semitism which has spiraled in the States.
Q & A: A Matter Of Custom? (Conclusion)
QUESTION: We are a happy newly married couple who have a few disagreements concerning the upcoming holidays. My wife insists that on Erev Yom Kippur there is no need to eat more than one meal - right before the fast. She also insists that there is no need for her to eat in the sukka on Sukkot, while my custom is for a woman to do so. Who is correct?Name withheld by request
Q & A: Simchahs During Sefirah (Part I)
Question: I’ve been invited to numerous simchas during Sefirah in the past few years that did not seem to conform to the halachic restrictions of this period. I’ve been told that you addressed this topic in the past. Can you address it again as I don't want to offend anyone?
Name Withheld By Request
Q & A: Of Windows, Places, And Weather (Part II)
Question: Every winter, we run into the same problem: those of us who sit closest to the windows have to suffer the windows being open because those sitting away from the windows, more to the center of the sanctuary, claim they are too hot from the heat of heating system. Do they have the right to impose their comfort at the expense of our health?
Name withheld
Via email
Q & A: Meat And Milk Issues (Part II)
QUESTION: I am presently nursing. I would like to know until what age it is permissible to nurse my child soon after feeding him chicken. In general, how long do we wait betweeneating meat and dairy?A Concerned MotherNew York City
Q & A: The Hereafter – Olam Haba (Part XIII)
Question: How do we know there is an olam haba – a world to come?
L. Papirmeister
Q & A: Replacing A Monument (Part III)
Question: Is there anything in Jewish law that prohibits replacing an old, existing matzeivah (tombstone) with a new, better one? I would greatly appreciate your response to this question.
A Reader
Tucson, AZ
Q & A: Ayin Hara (Part V)
Question: I know there is a dispute in the Gemara regarding ayin hara, the evil eye. Can you discuss the origin of it?
Ben Glassman
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Praying In Other Languages (Part II)
Question: When reciting a berachah in English, does a person fulfill his obligation if he says “Hashem” instead of “L-rd” or “G-d”?
Yosef
Q & A: Idol Worship? (Part III)
Question: What did our sages mean when they said that anyone who resides outside the Land Israel is like an idol worshipper? Is that what all of us residing outside Israel are – idol worshippers?
M. Goldblum
Should The Chazzan Say ‘Ga’al Yisrael’ Out Loud? (Part IV)
Question: In the course of my travels, I have discovered that some chazzanim say “Ga’al Yisrael” right before Shemoneh Esreh aloud while others say it with their voices fading. Is one practice correct and the other incorrect?
M. Goldman
Q & A: Brit Milah – A Unique Mitzva (Conclusion)
QUESTION: Why did Abraham originally not observe brit milah? I have heard that he observed the whole Torah based on his own understanding.Arye Reed(via e-mail)
Q & A: Tying Knots On Shabbat (Part III)
Question: My son recently stopped wearing a necktie and lace-up shoes on Shabbat. He explained that he doesn’t want to transgress the prohibition against tying knots on Shabbat. Is tying a necktie or shoelaces really forbidden?
“A Mother in Israel”
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Tzedakah (Part XIII)
Question: When a stranger approaches a congregant in shul asking for tzedakah, should the congregant verify that the person’s need is genuine? Furthermore, what constitutes tzedakah? Is a donation to a synagogue, yeshiva, or hospital considered tzedakah?
Zvi Kirschner
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: A Mother’s Mitzvah (Part II)
Question: Isn’t the father in serious violation of the Torah by neglecting his children and not making any effort to provide them an education?
Name Withheld Via E-mail
Q & A: Shehecheyanu During The Three Weeks
Question: Why is saying Shehecheyanu prohibited during the Three Weeks? How is it different than other blessings?
M. Jakobowitz
Philadelphia, PA
Q & A: Tu B’Shevat
QUESTION: Since on Tu B'Shevat we do not celebrate with a festive meal. Then how do we mark this date on our calendar? Additionally is one allowed to fast on this day?M. Goldblum(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Do We Bury Someone On Yom Tov? (Part II)
Question: If a person passes away on Yom Tov, do we bury him on Yom Tov or wait until after Yom Tov?
No Name Please
Q & A: Making Up For What We Missed (Part XI)
Question: The Covid-19 pandemic has put an end to almost all public gatherings; hence, much of Jewish congregational ritual has come to a halt. Is there a way to make up for everything we missed?
M. Goldman
Q & A: Elul – The Gateway To Repentance (Part II)
Question: How should one do teshuvah during this Elul and Yamim Nora’im season?
Zvi Unger
Q & A: Should We Stand Or Sit For The Second Ashrei? (Part I)
Question: Should one stand or sit for the Ashrei recited after Keriat haTorah, and is the answer to this question affected by the requirement to show kavod, or respect, to the Torah scroll, which is being wrapped up as Ashrei begins?
Anonymous
Q & A: Making Up For What We Missed (Part XVII)
Question: The Covid-19 pandemic has put an end to almost all public gatherings; hence, much of Jewish congregational ritual has come to a halt. Is there a way to make up for everything we missed?
M. Goldman
Q & A: Sefirat HaOmer Questions (Part I)
Question: What if one counted the omer but forgot to utter the blessing – has the obligation been fulfilled? Why do we recite a blessing for this counting, when we find that for the zayin nekiyim – the seven clean days — there is no such blessing? Is the counting not similar?
M. Goldman
Miami Beach, Fla.
Q & A: Folding A Tallit And Making Beds On Shabbat (Part II)
Question: I notice that in some synagogues that I visit on Shabbat, some people do not fold their tallitot but rather leave them in their place unfolded. Yet I do see that the majority of people do fold their tallit and put it away. I actually asked one person why he doesn’t fold it and put it away neatly. He responded that really one is not allowed to do so. I would appreciate if you would clarify this matter. Consequently, when in a hotel am I allowed to let room service in to make the beds on Shabbat morning?
I. Hager
Brooklyn, NY
Q & A: Pet Therapy (Part I)
Question: My young daughter was recently diagnosed with autism. She does not function well socially and is extremely introverted, but we have noticed that she reacts very well to small animals. We reported this to her therapist who suggested that we get a dog or cat as a pet. We know that most religious people frown upon having pets, but we hate to see our daughter suffer and want to do anything that would make her happy. Would it be okay to own a pet in the circumstances we described?
Her Loving Parents
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Offering Tefillin To Passersby (Part II)
Question: Where I live, I see Chabad Shluchim offering Jewish passerby to put on tefillin, is this of any value if they are otherwise non-observant, additionally is doing so in a street – a public thoroughfare proper kavod for the tefillin?
Menachem
Via email
Q & A: Traveling And Missing Menorah Lighting (Part I)
Question: I am contemplating traveling to Israel. My flight will take place during Chanukah, which means that I may miss one night’s candle lighting. What are my options?
Yaakov J
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Arabs Circumcise At 13 (Part XIX)
Question: If Abraham was commanded to circumcise his descendants on the eighth day, why do Arabs – who claim to descend from Abraham through Yishmael – wait until their children are 13 to circumcise them? I am aware that this is a matter of little consequence to our people. Nevertheless, this inconsistency is one that piques my curiosity.
M. Goldman
(Via E-mail)
Q & A: Offering Tefillin To Passersby (Part IX)
Question: Where I live I see Chabad Shluchim offering Jewish passerby the opportunity to put on Tefillin; is this of any value if they are otherwise non-observant? Additionally is doing so in a street – a public thoroughfare proper – kavod for the tefillin?
Menachem
Via email
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