Q & A: Preparing For Pesach
Question: What preparations must one do to have a kosher Pesach amidst this Covid-19 pandemic?
Wolf Sender
Deerfield Beach, FL
Q & A: The Hereafter – Olam Haba (Part IV)
Question: How do we know that there is an olam haba – a World to Come?
L. Papirmeister
Q & A: The Difference Between Mention And Request (Part II)
Question: Can you explain the different starting times of Mashiv haruach u'morid hagashem and Ve'ten tal u'matar livracha as opposed to Morid hatal and Ve'ten beracha, and why they are said as part of particular berachot in the Amida, as found in the siddur?
S. Dorman
Via email
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: Amen (Part III)
What is the exact meaning of amen and where does the word come from?
David H.
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: The Hereafter – Olam Haba (Part XIV)
Question: How do we know there is an olam haba – a world to come?
L. Papirmeister
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: Matanot La’evyonim
To whom does one give on Purim? Must one give to someone who, one suspects, may not really be poor? Is there a minimal amount one must give? Also, what about boys collecting for yeshivot or other institutions – may one discharge one’s obligation by giving to them?
Menachem
Saying ‘Ga’al Yisrael’ Out Loud (Part II)
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: Praying In Other Languages (Part I)
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: Preparing The Home And Kashering Utensils For Passover
Question: Must one spend great sums of money and invest much effort in making one’s home kosher for Passover? Not all of us have unlimited funds.
Anonymous
Q & A: Tu B’Shevat This Coming Shabbos
Question: This year Tu B’Shevat falls on Shabbat. I recall that you discussed this holiday a while back, but since it falls on Shabbat this year, could you please discuss it again? Do we observe it any differently because it falls on Shabbat?
M. Goldman
Miami, FL
Q & A: Elul – A Time To Repent (Part II)
Question: Where does the name Elul come from? Also, how can Elul be both the last month of the year and the prequel to the holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) that occur in the following month, Tishrei, the first month of the new year? Finally, can you please discuss the religious practices of Elul?
M. Goldman
Miami Beach, FL
Q & A: HaGomel And Air Travel (Part IV)
Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men?
Menachem
Q & A: Joshua Marries Rahab (Redux) (Part III)
Question: I am a psychology professor at McGill University who is doing an MA in Jewish studies. My thesis topic is the history of interpretation of the story of Rachav Hazona. In the course of my research I was trying to understand how the Midrash derived that Rahab converted.
Q & A: May A Girl Share Her Mother-In-Law’s Name?
Question: I am seriously dating a girl who has a similar name to my mother. My mother’s name is Pischa and the girl’s name is Pesha. Since both names arguably derive from the word Pesach, would it be a problem for me to potentially marry this girl?
Name Witheld
Via E-Mail
Q & A: Tying Knots On Shabbat (Part II)
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 XVIII)
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: Proper Ritual At Netilat Yadayim (Part IV)
Question: Should we wash our hands in the bathroom with soap and water, or by pouring water from a vessel with handles three times, alternating hands? I have heard it said that a vessel is used only in the morning upon awakening. What are the rules pertaining to young children? What is the protocol if no vessel is available? Additionally, may we dry our hands via an electric dryer?
Harry Koenigsberg
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Preparing One’s Home For Passover
Question: Must one spend great sums of money and invest much effort in making one’s home kosher for Passover? Not all of us have such unlimited funds.
Name Withheld
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Arabs Circumcise At 13 (Part IV)
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: Shemittah And IOUs (Part V)
Question: I recently loaned money to a friend who has been able to repay only part of it. This was an interest-free loan. We exchanged a signed IOU, not a proper shtar with witnesses, since I have always trusted her integrity and only wanted a document that confirms what was loaned and what was repaid. Now that shemittah is approaching, what should I do? Should I forgive the loan? And if my friend is not able to repay it, may I deduct the unpaid money from my ma’aser requirement?
Name Withheld
Q & A: Pirkei Avot (Part I)
Question: I have two questions regarding Pirkei Avot. First, is there a specific reason that the last chapter is read on the Sabbath before Shavuot, or is this just a quirk of the calendar? Second, in that last chapter we find a list of qualities that enable one to acquire Torah knowledge, including anavah, humility. I find this difficult to believe in light of the Gemara in Gittin that chastises one of the scholars for his anavah, saying that it ultimately caused the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash.
Zvi Kirschner
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Sefirat HaOmer – When To Start Counting (Part III)
Question: Why do we start counting sefirat ha’omer in chutz la’aretz on the second night of Pesach when the omer in the times of the Beit Hamikdash was cut on Chol HaMoed?
M. Goldman
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Sabbath Shuttle? (Part IV)
Question: Is it permitted on the Sabbath or holidays to take a shuttle to synagogue? The neighborhood shuttle runs from 9-5 daily, is driven by a gentile, has a designated stop schedule, and is free of charge.
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: ‘The Scepter Shall Not Depart From Judah’ (Part II)
Question: As Shavuot is fast approaching – a holiday on which we dwell on the story of Ruth and the origins of the royal house of David – I was wondering if you could help me resolve something. Some people say that Rabbi Yehudah HaNassi, the redactor of the six orders of the Mishnah and a scion of King David, purposely kept any mention of Chanukah and the Hasmonean kings out of the Mishnah because the Hasmoneans improperly crowned themselves and ignored the rule that all Jewish kings are supposed to come from the tribe of Yehudah. Is this true?
Menachem
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: A Sabbath Desecrator Leading Services (Part V)
Question: May someone who desecrates the Sabbath lead the services if he has yahrzeit? If yes, may he replace someone else who has yahrzeit?
Hayim Grosz
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: Chazzan And Congregation (Part XIV)
Question: What should the chazzan do when he reaches Kedushah and Modim? Some chazzanim say every word of Kedushah out loud and some only say the last part of the middle two phrases out loud. As far as the congregation is concerned, some congregants say every word of Kedushah and some say only the last part. Finally, some chazzanim and congregants say Modim during chazaras hashatz out loud and some say it quietly. What is the source for these various practices?
A Devoted Reader
(Via E-Mail)
Q & A: The Arba Parshiyot (Conclusion)
Question: Why do we read four special Torah sections between Purim and Pesach. Also, why do we call each of the four Shabbatot on which we read these sections by a special name – such as Shabbat Shekalim, Shabbat Zachor etc.?
Celia Gluck
(Via E-Mail)