Q & A: Vote and an Umbrella
Question: I don’t think you’ve ever received a question like this one. I live in Queens and am extremely agitated about the prospects of a socialist, anti-Israel and anti Jewish candidate being elected mayor of our great city. Is there any path for us to follow that can change the outcome of this election?
Zelig Aronson
(Via E-mail)
Q & A: Sacrifices in Messianic Times
Question: I have heard that in the time of Mashiach, we will continue to offer sacrifices. How can we explain that if, as we are told, these will be times without sin?
Menachem
Via E-mail
Q & A: Tefillin On Chol HaMoed
Question: I recently moved to a new neighborhood where the predominance of synagogue options that are to my personal satisfaction pray in Nusach Sefard. However, when it comes Chol HaMoed, I am faced with being one of the few who don tefillin. What am I to do?
Sam Schwartz
Via E-mail
Q & A: Sitting In the Sukkah
Question: I hope you will not mind answering several questions regarding the mitzvah of sitting in the sukkah. What is the reason for this mitzvah? Are we required to sit in a sukkah whenever we eat? Is one allowed to travel during the week of the holiday to a place where no sukkah is available?
Moshe Jakobowitz
Brooklyn, N.Y.
Q & A: Elul & Tishrei – The Gateway To Repentance (Part II)
Question: What is the proper means of teshuvah, the repentance that one should engage in during Elul as we approach the Yomim Nora’im (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur)?
Zvi Unger
Via E-mail
Q & A: Elul & Tishrei: The Gateway to Repentance (Part I)
Question: What is the proper means of teshuvah, the repentance one should engage in during Elul as we approach the Yomim Nora’im (Days of Awe)?
Zvi Unger
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing of HaGomel (Conclusion)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me – as per the instructions of the synagogue’s rabbi – that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: Birkat HaGomel (Part IX)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me – as per the instructions of the synagogue’s rabbi – that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing Of HaGomel (Part VIII)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me – as per the instructions of the synagogue’s rabbi – that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing Of HaGomel (Part VII)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing Of HaGomel (Part VI)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing of HaGomel (Part V)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing Of Ha’Gomel (Part IV)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say HaGomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing of Ha’Gomel (Part III)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad and wanted to say Ha'Gomel. When I mentioned this to the officers of my synagogue, however, they told me that I would have to wait until Shabbos to do so. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain why I had to wait?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing of Ha’Gomel (Part II)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad. When I entered my synagogue early one weekday morning, I asked the officers for an aliyah so that I could bless Gomel. I was informed that I could receive an aliyah; however, as per the rabbi’s instruction, I would have to wait until the Sabbath to bless Gomel. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain what was meant?
Name Withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: The Blessing of Ha’Gomel (Part I)
Question: I recently returned from a trip abroad. When I entered my synagogue early one weekday morning, I asked the officers for an aliyah so that I could bless HaGomel. I was informed that I could receive an aliyah, however – as per the Rabbi’s instruction – I would have to wait until the Sabbath to bless HaGomel. I was not given any reason for this and did not wish to display my ignorance, so I quietly acquiesced. Can you please explain what was meant?
Name Withheld
Via Email
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Conclusion)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Part II)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Q & A: Mi Sheberach (Part I)
Is there a halachic source for the Mi Sheberach other than its presence in the siddur?
Q & A: Washing Before A Meal
If one ate a quantity that would usually serve as the mainstay of a meal for other people, he blesses HaMotzi and recites Birkat HaMazon even if he was not satiated.
Q & A: K’chut Ha’sa’ara – Harsh Punishment (Conclusion)
Question: I find it very difficult to understand the punishment of death that was meted out to Rabbi Akiva’s students. If he was so great, we must assume that they were of a superior caliber. If so, why such a harsh punishment?
Zelig Aronson
Queens, N.Y.
Q & A: Ke’chut Hasa’ara – Harsh Punishment (Part II)
Question: I find it very difficult to understand the punishment of death that was meted out to Rabbi Akiva’s students. If he was so great, we can assume that his students were of a superior caliber as well. How did they rate such a harsh punishment?
Zelig Aronson
Queens, N.Y.
Q & A: K’chut Ha’sa’ara: Harsh Punishment (Part I)
Question: I find it very difficult to understand the punishment of death that was meted out to Rabbi Akiva’s students. If he was so great, we can assume that his students were of a superior caliber as well. How did they rate such a harsh punishment?
Zelig Aronson
Queens, N.Y.
Q & A: A Sefirah Dilemma – Conclusion
Question: Were these individuals allowed to lead the congregation in counting sefirah? I also wonder, in general, if everyone may be trusted to lead the counting. What if someone forgot to count on one of the previous nights but does not inform anyone of this?
Name withheld
Via E-mail
Q & A: A Sefirah Dilemma (Part II)
Question: On occasion it has happened that a recent bar mitzvah boy was the one to do so. I’ve also had an occasion when a recent ger (convert) led the service. In both those events, how would they be allowed to lead in the counting of the sefirah if they did not start doing so at the outset? No Name Via E-mail
Q&A: A Sefirah Dilemma (Part I)
Question: On occasion it has happened that a recent bar mitzvah boy was the one to do so. I’ve also had an occasion when a recent ger (convert) led the service. In both those events, how would they be allowed to lead in the counting of the sefirah if they did not start doing so at the outset?
No Name
Via E-mail
Q & A: Steps Back At Amidah’s Conclusion
Question: I read with much interest your Q & A columns, especially those that relate to tefillah. I have a related question: In shul I’ve noticed that at the conclusion of the Shemoneh Esrei, some people take three steps backward but then they do not take the three steps forward as required. Is this an actual sanctioned practice?
Zelig Aronson
Via E-mail
Q & A: Why No Shehecheyanu For Omer Counting? (Part II)
Question: I have been puzzled by the fact that we do not recite the Shehecheyanu blessing when we start the counting of Omer (Sefirat HaOmer). What is the reason?
M. Schwartz
Via E-mail
Q & A: Why No Shehecheyanu For Counting The Omer? (Part I)
Question: I have been puzzled by the fact that we do not recite the Shehecheyanu blessing when we start the counting of the Omer (Sefirah). What is the reason?
M. Schwartz
Via E-mail
Q & A: Mechirat Chametz And Chametz She’avar Alav HaPesach (Part IV –...
Question: I would like to have a better understanding of a practice that I and many others are a party to every year before Passover. How does the sale of chametz to the gentile take effect if it returned to the original owner within a very short period after the festival’s conclusion?
M .Goldblum
Miami Beach, FL
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