יום חמישי, י״א חשוון תשפ״זThursday, October 22, 2026
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Rabbi Yaakov Klass, rav of Congregation K’hal Bnei Matisyahu in Flatbush, Brooklyn, is chairman of the presidium of the Rabbinical Alliance of America and Torah Editor of The Jewish Press. He can be contacted at yklass@jewishpress.com or Rabbi@igud.us.
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Question: The Covid-19 pandemic has put an end to almost all public gatherings; hence, much of Jewish congregational ritual have come to a halt. Is there a way to make up for everything we missed? M. Goldman
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
Ball And Bat Substitutes ‘Cut Palm Branches’ (Shabbos 50a)
Question: First, why aren’t we obligated to recite Shema on Pesach night? Second, why doesn’t the Haggadah mention Moses, who was instrumental in rescuing us from Egypt and was the greatest Jew of all time? Zvi Kirschner
Enjoying A Hot Dish ‘Really What Was Meant Was Replacing It…’ (Shabbos 37a)
Question: First, why aren’t we obligated to recite Shema on Pesach night? Second, why doesn’t the Haggadah mention Moses, who was instrumental in rescuing us from Egypt and was the greatest Jew of all time? Zvi Kirschner
Question: What preparations must one do to have a kosher Pesach amidst this Covid-19 pandemic? Wolf Sender Deerfield Beach, FL
For Appearances Sake ‘Moving Forward at the Word of G-d’ (Shabbos 31a)
Question: First, why aren’t we obligated to recite Shema on Pesach night? Second, why does the Haggadah not mention Moses, the greatest Jew who ever lived and who was instrumental in our delivery from Egypt? Zvi Kirschner
Triple Play? ‘If He Didn’t Say, He Must Repeat’ (Shabbos 24a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Crystal Clear ‘Speak Like One’s Teacher’ (Shabbos 15a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Where Beis Shammai And Beis Hillel Agree ‘One Must Not Take a Haircut Close to Minchah’ (Shabbos 9b)
Why Aren’t We Scared That The Mohel Will Carry? ‘His Hand Is Not At Rest’ (Shabbos 3a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Pomp And Circumstance ‘Try to See the King’ (Berachos 58a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
The Lady Of The House “One Says the Blessing on the Wine First” (Berachos 51)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Shehakol Bread? ‘One Recites a Blessing on the Primary Food’ (Berachos 44a)
A Vicious Cycle ‘Many Different Kinds Were Set Before Him’ (Berachos 41a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
A Two-Way Street? ‘Joining Geulah To Tefillah Is Preferable’ (Berachos 30a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
No Cell Phones, Please! ‘A Kerchief Designated For Storing Tefillin’ (Berachos 23)
What About Ma’ariv? ‘The Bridegroom Is Exempt From Kerias Shema’ (Berachos 16a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
A Night-Day Dilemma ‘When One Reads Shema’ (Berachos 8b)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
A Glorious Return ‘Tam V’nishlam’ (Niddah 73a)
Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman
Question: Why is there an extra month in the Jewish calendar every few years? And who decides whether a particular year should be a leap year or not? Name Withheld Toronto, Ontario
Sorrow And Joy 'Proclaim Your Troubles So Your Friends Pray For You' (Niddah 66a)
Question: Why is there an extra month in the Jewish calendar every few years? And who decides whether a particular year should be a leap year or not? Name Withheld Toronto, Ontario
Self-Evident? ‘What Uncleanness Is There In A Nasal Discharge?’ (Niddah 55b-56a)
Soul Food ‘It Comes to Include a Fragrance’ (Niddah 52a)
Question: Whenever an activity is prohibited because of kavod hatzibbur (the dignity of the congregation), may a kehilla decide that the activity does not offend them? Menachem
How do we schedule two bar mitzvahs in shul on the same Shabbos as well as two catered affairs on their birthday?... The Rabbi in a Small Community
You Can’t Have It Both Ways ‘A Minor Who Reaches Maturity’ (Niddah 46a)
How do we schedule two bar mitzvahs in shul on the same Shabbos as well as two catered affairs on their birthday?... The Rabbi in a Small Community
Rebirth Of Sorts ‘Immersing Impure, Emerging Pure’ (Niddah 42a)
The Great Switch ‘These Are The Sons Of Leah’ (Niddah 32)
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
Missing In Translation ‘A Shesua Is A Creature…’ (Niddah 24a)
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
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 (Via E-Mail)
A Shabbos Treat ‘Snow Is Neither Food Nor Drink’ (Niddah 17a)
Somewhat Lacking ‘A Deaf Woman, An Imbecile…’ (Niddah 13b)
Question: What did our sages mean when they said that anyone who resides outside the Land of Israel is like an idol worshipper? Is that what all of us residing outside Israel are – idol worshippers? M. Goldblum (Via E-Mail)
Location, Location! ‘Uncleanness Is Determined by the Time the Body Is Found’ (Niddah 4)
Question: The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch states that a person should put on his right shoe first but tie his left shoe first. Why? Y. Malinsky
Spared Possible Punishments ‘Those Who Are New To The Ketores’ (Tamid 32b-33a)
Question: My custom is not to don tefillin on Chol HaMoed. What should I do if I go to a shul that has the opposite custom? M. Jakobowitz
Guarding The Temple – Even Today ‘Kohanim Stationed in Three Places’ (Tamid 25b)
Question: In which direction should a person wave the lulav first? Menachem
Kishka – Stuffed Derma ‘Intestines Are Not Meat’ (Me’ilah 20b)
Question: Why do we recite a fifth prayer – Ne’ilah – on Yom Kippur but on no other day of the year? G. Goodman
A Transfusion, An Element Of Life “Blood-Let Of A Sanctified Animal…” (Me’ilah 12)
Question: How should one do teshuvah during this Elul and Yamim Nora’im season? Zvi Unger
Question: How should one do teshuvah during this Elul and Yamim Nora’im season? Zvi Unger
A President Vacates The White House ‘Once Permitted To Kohanim, Me’ilah Does Not Apply’ (Me’ilah 4b)
A Bride and Groom On Their Wedding Day ‘Except for the Day after Yom Kippur’ (Kereisos 25a)
Question: I’ve always been intrigued by the large assemblage that gathers at the gravesite of R. Meir Ba’al HaNes in Tiberias on his yahrzeit, the 14th of Iyar. Why is such attention directed to his gravesite, in particular? F. Hager
Beware The Fruit! ‘A Misasek Is Excluded’ (Kereisos 19a)
Question: I’ve always been intrigued by the large assemblage that gathers at the gravesite of R. Meir Ba’al HaNes in Tiberias on his yahrzeit, the 14th of Iyar. Why is such attention directed to his gravesite, in particular? F. Hager
October 23, 2026 
