יום חמישי, כ״ד תמוז תשפ״וThursday, July 9, 2026
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Question: A while back you wrote at length about ibur, the intercalation of the year, and noted that we rely today on a fixed calendar rather than the testimony of witnesses to determine the starting days of various yamim tovim. My question is – and I’m sure I’m not the first to ask this: Why do we continue to celebrate two days of yom tov nowadays when we have a fixed calendar and know exactly when each festival starts? Aryeh Roth
Question: I was recently told by my physician that I shouldn’t fast on Tisha B’Av or Yom Kippur for health reasons. However, I feel very uncomfortable following this directive as I have never eaten on these two fast days in my life. What should I do? No Name Please
Question: How should we regard the current pandemic with Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur upon us? Is there a special prayer or specific role for prayer when the totality of humanity is in danger? M. Sorkin
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
Question: How should shuls deal with coronavirus space and time constraints this Rosh Hashanah? Should separate women’s minyanim be organized outside shul? A Reader
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Question: Was the Torah actually given on Shavuos? From my study of this question, it seems like the answer is not clear. Leah Weigner
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
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
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
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
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: 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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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)
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)
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
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
Question: In which direction should a person wave the lulav first? Menachem
Question: Why do we recite a fifth prayer – Ne’ilah – on Yom Kippur but on no other day of the year? G. Goodman
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
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
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
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
Question: Why do some people have the custom to study Mishnayot for the departed? Also, does Pirkei Avot have five chapters or six? In my Mishnayot, it has five, but in my siddur it has six. Harold Klein
Question: If the fast of Tisha B’Av concludes the mourning period for the destruction of the Temple, why wait until the 15th of Av to rejoice? Sara Gutman
Question: Since learning Torah on Tisha B’Av is forbidden, why are we allowed to read from the Torah at Shacharit and Mincha of Tisha B’Av? (And is an aveil also forbidden to learn Torah?) Menachem
Question: Why is saying Shehecheyanu prohibited during the Three Weeks? How is it different than other blessings? M. Jakobowitz Philadelphia, PA
Question: May a person eat leftover Shabbos meat in the Nine Days so as not to violate the prohibition of bal tashchit (wastefulness)? Rabbi Yaakov Spivak Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ayshel Avraham Monsey, NY
Question: May a person eat leftover Shabbos meat in the Nine Days so as not to violate the prohibition of bal tashchit (wastefulness)? Rabbi Yaakov Spivak Rosh Kollel, Kollel Ayshel Avraham Monsey, NY
Question: In the haftara for Parashat Naso, we read about Manoach’s wife (mother of Shimshon), seeing things that her husband did not. We are never told, however, what her name is. Why? Yossy Guttman
Question: In the haftara for Parashat Naso, we read about Manoach’s wife (mother of Shimshon), seeing things that her husband did not. We are never told, however, what her name was. Why? Yossy Guttman
Question: How does a person thank Hashem for giving him a child? Yossy Guttman
Question: How does a person thank Hashem for giving him a child? Yossy Guttman
Question: Can I take pills on Shabbos that my doctor prescribed for me? I am diabetic, so skipping a day’s dosage might prove harmful. No Name Please
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
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
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
Question: Why do we celebrate two days of Yom Tov if we have a fixed calendar today and know when Yom Tov truly is? Aryeh Roth
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 by staying at home? Name Withheld By Request
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 by staying at home? Name Withheld By Request
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
Question: I have two questions: 1) Why does each person recite Kiddush at the Seder when only the head of the household does so the rest of the year? 2) Why do we eat an egg at the Seder? S. Schwartz
Question: How can one make one's home kosher for Passover with minimal expense and effort. Name withheld
Question: We often pray to Hashem for yiras shamayim (e.g., in Birkas Rosh Chodesh). But how can we ask Hashem to give us fear of Him? Martin Freundlich
Question: I’ve noticed that some people fill their kiddush and havdallah cups to the point that they overflow. Is there a halachic source for this practice? Doesn’t it amount to bal tashchit? Bernard Gold
Question: I’ve noticed that some people fill their Kiddush and Havdallah cups to the point that they overflow. Is there a halachic source for this pratice? Doesn’t it amount to bal tashchit? Bernard Gold
Question: Can a person eat the Purim se’udah at night if he will be traveling on Purim day? Anonymous
Question: Is mishlo’ach manot a form of tzedakah like matanot la’evyonim? Moshe Jakobowitz Brooklyn, NY
Question: When a son says Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also, are their souls elevated to a higher place as a result? Ben Glassman
Question: When a son says Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also, are their souls elevated to a higher place as a result? Ben Glassman
Question: When a son says Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also when he says it, are their souls elevated to a higher place? Ben Glassman
Question: When a son recites Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also, are their souls elevated to a higher place as a result? Ben Glassman
Question: When a son recites Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also when he recites Kaddish, are the souls elevated to a higher place? Ben Glassman
Question: When a son recites Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also, when he recites Kaddish, are his parents’ souls elevated to a higher place? Ben Glassman
Question: When a son recites Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also, when he recites Kaddish, are his parents’ souls elevated to a higher place? Ben Glassman
Question: I have three questions. First, what exactly constitutes charity? Second, how much does a person have to give? Third, can one consider a tip to a waiter at a restaurant charity considering how little waiters make? Zelig Aronson Queens, NY
Question: I have three questions. First, what exactly constitutes charity? Second, how much does a person have to give? Third, can one consider a tip to a waiter at a restaurant charity considering how little waiters make? Zelig Aronson Queens, NY
Question: Lately, various missionary groups have been very active in my neighborhood, anxious to convert our brethren. Why don’t we, in turn, seek to convert them? Moshe Jakobovitz Brooklyn, NY
Rabbi Senter is the founder of KOF-K Kosher Supervision, one of the largest kosher certification agencies serving the Jewish community worldwide.
Question: Does one fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Chanukah candles with an electric menorah? Can one recite the blessings before lighting it? A. Gordon
Question: Does one fulfill the mitzvah of lighting Chanukah candles with an electric menorah? Can one recite the blessings before lighting it? A. Gordon
Question: Why do we begin saying Tal U’matar on the evening of December 4 or 5? Why is the secular date relevant? Also, what should an American Jew do if he is in Eretz Yisrael (where people start saying Tal U’matar earlier) and then returns home before December 4 or 5? Zelig Aronson
Question: Why do we begin saying Tal U’matar on the evening of December 4 or 5? Why is the secular date relevant? Also, what should an American Jew do if he is in Eretz Yisrael (where people start saying Tal U’matar earlier) and then returns home before December 4 or 5? Zelig Aronson
Question: Should a person who only went to sleep after dawn say a berachah after netilat yadayim when he wakes up? M. Goldman Miami Beach
Question: Should a person who only went to sleep after dawn say a berachah after netilat yadayim when he wakes up? M. Goldman Miami Beach
July 3, 2026 
