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 "Ein HaBaishan Lamed"; A bashful person cannot learn - Avos 2:6
| Halacha - women performing | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: Are men allowed to hear women play music e.g. on a piano? thanx
| | Answer: Yes, according to the letter of the law. The prohibition against hearing women sing is specific to hearing the voice and not other music a woman may produce. However, it is not necessarily...read more | | posted:2008-08-17 00:52 |
| Halacha - Toiveling Keilim | | Submitted by Rivky Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: Can you toivel pots in a natural or man-made lake? If so, it is with a bracha?
| | Answer: It would depend if the source of the water is from rain or from a spring, and also if the lake has an outlet. Since the Halachos of a mikva are very complicated and metal pots require...read more | | posted:2008-08-14 17:09 |
| Halacha - Question? | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: Can You Leave A Wedding While the Chosson and Kalla Are Busy Taking Pictures? The gemara in Brachos (6b) says that "Kol Neheneh MiSeudas Chosson V'Einoy Misamchoy Oiveir BChamisha Kolos"; whoever enjoys from a wedding meal without making the Chosson happy cheapens five brachos that Hashem gave Bnei Yisroel using the word "Kol". What happens if after the Chupah the Chosson and Kalla are taking a very long time before coming to the main ballroom and you need to leave? Is it enough that you made the parents of the young couple happy? The Shevet HaKehosi (5:230) says that while the chiyuv is specifically to make the Chosson happy and not the parents if you ate from the seudah before the young couple arrived in the hall there is no issur. The problem only arises if you eat while the Chosson and Kalla are present in the room where you are eating. With regard to what is called making the Chosson happy, he says, that saying Mazal Tov is enough to earn your meal. my Q. to the rabbi is: is eating by the shmorge the same as eating the meal. Therfore requiring you to wish mazel tov?
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I would assume it is, because the smorgasbord is presumably prepared to insure that people will arrive on time for the chuppa and participate. If someone eats the food but leaves before...read more | | posted:2008-08-12 14:52 |
| Halacha - Androginos | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: I came across an article on the Androgen Syndrome and was wondering if this is what the Gemara describes as Androginos, 1500 years before scientists diagnosed it! Also what would be the Halachic ramifications for such a person R"L. http://www.indiana.edu/~ais/html/ais_facts.html
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Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome could certainly produce a person who would have the din of an androginus, though it is not the exclusive cause of the rare condition where a...read more | | posted:2008-08-12 12:08 |
| Halacha - Non-kosher microwave oven | | Submitted by Eli Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: There is a non-kosher microwave at my place of work. Sometimes there is even residue of non-kosher food in it. Is there a way for me to heat-up food in it? I heard something about double-wrapping but I am unclear on the issue.
| | Answer: Technically speaking double wrapping you food would work, but it is often not a practical solution. A microwave heats the water molecules and causes more steam than a conventional oven. This rising...read more | | posted:2008-08-11 14:37 |
| Halacha - Minyan qualifications | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: For purposes of counting a minyan to say kaddish, kedusha, etc do all 10 males have to be completely shomer shabbat? If some drive to shul on Shabbos are they disqualified from being counted?
| | Answer: If they grew up observant and rejected Judaism, they may not be counted. However, if they were raised without a proper Jewish education but they believe in Hashem, then they are considered a...read more | | posted:2008-08-10 23:03 |
| Halacha - Havdalah | | Submitted by Rivkah Bergman Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: What havdalah do you say when Tishah B'av falls out on Motzei Shabbos and you can't drink wine or grape juice. What havdalah do you say after Tishah B'av?
| | Answer: Borei Pri HaGafen on grape juice and HaMavdil, no candle or besamim.
| | posted:2008-08-10 21:32 |
| Halacha - Chaptick on Tisha B'av | | Submitted by Hannah Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: Is one permitted to use chapstick on Tisha B'av ( as well as one the other fast days?) What about for medicinal purposes? Thanks and Tzom Kal
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Yes. Even though it would be similar to anointing, which is one of the 5 acts forbidden on Tisha B'Av, but when done for medicinal purposes, such as to treat dry uncomfortable skin, it is...read more | | posted:2008-08-09 23:23 |
| Halacha - Mikva/Shower for Men after Sex? | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: Is there any Chiyuv for a man to take a shower or to go to the mikvah following sex? Is he considered a Ba'al Keri?
| | Answer: He is considered a ba'l keri, but there is no obligation according to most opinions to go tho the mikva. However, many consider it praiseworthy. He should clean himself well and...read more | | posted:2008-08-09 22:53 |
| Halacha - minyan | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: what should a person do. should a person daven mincha biyichidus before shkia or rather with a minyan after shkiya
| | Answer: Better to daven in the proper time without a minyan where you are certainly yotzei than to daven too late when you may not be fulfilling your obligation and saying...read more | | posted:2008-08-08 17:24 |
| Halacha - sanhedrin | | Submitted by shlomo-zalman Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: if it is a mitzva to establish batei dinnim, why don't we establish one ultimate Sanhedrin? sort of 'highest court'? i know we have no real semicha to day, but after all that doesn't exhempt us from having justice. so shouldn't we establish one upper-most court, which would satisfy the strictures of every eida?
| | Answer: Without the institution of proper semicha the Sanhedrin would have no power to determine rulings that would be binding on other communities in contradiction of their minhag.
| | posted:2008-08-08 00:55 |
| Halacha - jewish king | | Submitted by shlomo-zalman Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: is it a mitzva from the torah to choose a king over israel NOWADAYS?
| | Answer: No. Appointing a king requires a Sanhedrin of 71 and a navi, both of which we no longer have.
| | posted:2008-08-08 00:52 |
| Halacha - Havdalah on Tisha B'Av | | Submitted by chaim Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: My wife got a heter not to fast on tisha b'av. What is the proper procedure for making havdalah on tisha b'av? Should she make the havdalah herself? Should I make it and have her drink the grape juice or should I have a katan drink the grape juice for her?
| | Answer: Your wife should say the Havdala herself when she needs to eat, and she should be the one to drink the grape juice.
| | posted:2008-08-07 14:18 |
| Halacha - cutting nails during the nine days | | Submitted by anonymous Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: i know there are some poskim who only allow one to cut his nails on friday likovod shabbos if one does so every friday. i try to cut my nails on friday likovod shabbos but sometimes if they are really long during the week i'll cut them then. usually i end up cutting my nails on friday 2 or 3 weeks out of every month. is this enough for me to rely on that heter mentioned above?
| | Answer: Nails may always be cut during the nine days l'kavod Shabbos, evne if you don't always cut them on Erev Shabbos during the year. Maybe you are confusing the nine days with Chol...read more | | posted:2008-08-07 10:24 |
| Halacha - Shaving | | Submitted by Elie Answered by Rav Peretz Moncharsh | | Question: I was always under the impression that shaving, as long as not done with a straight edged razor, would be mutar (except for some opinions about lift and cut). However, I have recently "uncovered" a whole bunch of new information, including letters from the gedolim of the last generation as well as this one that it is completely assur, and not just one or two, but many, including the Chazon Ish, the Chofetz Chaim, Rav Shteinman, Rav Shternbach and more. Plus, they don't say this as a chumra, but rather as the CLEAR HALACHA. I am confused as to how the minhag ha olam, at least in the yeshivishe velt is to be meikal. I know that R Moshe is matir, but it seems like he is a da'as yachid. Plus, when reading these letters, one can become truly frightened by the severity of this prohibition, compared by one gadol even to chillul shabbos R"L. Finally, if it is somehow mutar, then what would be the halachic guidelines to such a thing regarding lift and cut, and different types of shavers. Thank you!
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There is a long standing machlokes on this issue with many great Poskim permitting elactric shavers and many other great Poskim fobidding them. Each person should follow his Posek, and...read more | | posted:2008-08-07 01:41 |
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