Q & A from- Yeshiva.org.il

kohanic validity and married to baalat tshuva

Rabbi Ari Shvat

Question:

1.if a father says he a kohein bc he says his father was one, yet he himself is not shomer shabbos nor does he know of the responsibilities or restrictions of kohanim, and there are no other family members who are shomer shabbos who could testify for or against such a claim, is he and his sons considered to be kohanim, or is such a claim considered invalid? 2. If (one who considers himself) a cohen who was not raised religious but becomes shomer mitzvos later in life after he was married, must he retroactively inquire about his wifes status? If she openly admits to being considered a zonah given the criteria, must he then divorce her, even say after years of marriage and she’s just finding out about these requirements now?

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Where is Miriam's punishment and mourning?

Rabbi Ari Shvat

Question:

My chavruta and I are studying the parsha of the week, and something that keeps coming up is Miriam. We don’t seem to say much about her, why she was not destined to entire the land and why she was hardly mourned. If you could share some light on these matters, I would be most grateful

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Meat and dairy equipment in parve margarine

Beit El Yeshiva Rabbis

Question:

Hello, I sometimes use parve margarine for cooking. Usually I use a plastic disposable knife with it, but I remember a time I used a meat knife to spread it on challah. However, it is always in the fridge, so most likely it was cold every time I used it. The last time I used it, I forgot about the meat knife and I put it in a dairy pan and fried it with spinach and cream cheese. I’m just wondering if my pan is still kosher? Thank you!

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Benefiting from Shabbat Desecration

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

Is one allowed to benefit on Shabbat from an item that someone carried outside of the techum? For example, a non religious family member who lives 2 hours away drove to my house on Shabbat and brought me a bottle of wine. Am I allowed to open it on Shabbat? Does it make a difference if the person knows he is doing something wrong and brings it anyway?

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Warming drawer

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

I would like to understand what kind of warming drawer is usable on Shabbat. Some warming drawers apparently are sensitive to changes in temperature. For example, if you open the drawer and the heat escapes, it might cause the heating element to work to maintain a set temperature. This is a similar issue with refrigerators or room thermostats. Yet, it is not ones intention by opening the drawer to set off the heating element to on. I am not sure if this is any different than walking to a door where there is a sensor that turn on a light when you approach and therefore permissible. Please advise asap since I need to decide on placing an order for a warming drawer. Thank you.

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Tablet K Kashrut

Beit El Yeshiva Rabbis

Question:

I have a product printed with LUCHOT and a K inside it, can i know whos hechsher it is? Thank you.

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Bishul akum

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

On shabbos I useally have chicken nuggets which my mom makes. This Friday (today) my goyishe babysitter made them. Is there any way I can make it muttar for me to eat?

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Fasting on Tisha B’Av

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

Shalom, I know you already answered generally about fasting when pregnant but I was hoping for some specific guidance. I will be approximately 2 weeks before my due date (M"H) on Tisha B’Av. I have had a difficult pregnancy and have needed to be hospitalized twice due to severe dehydration. However, i have been doing much better in the last couple of months and have not had this problem recently. I generally do not fast well, even when not pregnant, and because I tend to dehydrate easily and get severe migraines I have previously been given a heter to not fast on the lesser fast days; however I always have fasted for Tisha B’Av and Yom Kippur. I would like to do the right thing, recognizing the importance of this fast. My doctor has suggested that becoming dehydrated could cause me to go into early labor, but I do not know that she really understands the seriousness of the fast. I do not have a relationship with a local Rav to speak to about this. Thank you for your guidance. Kol tuv, Ariela

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Compensation for canceled appointment

Rabbi Moshe Leib Halberstadt

Question:

What happens if you missed an appointment due to an unforeseeable/uncontrollable event that resulted in great delay such as ’chefetz hashud’ and/or major traffic accident that prevented you from driving your car any further. If you were to call at the last moment to your doctor or anyone else you scheduled an appointment letting them know of your situation would that resolve you of any obligation to compensate them for the missed appointment.

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Renovations during the 9 days

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

Our house is under construction for renovation of the kitchen & dining room, a project that we began immediately after Passover. We have nowhere to cook or prepare food for Shabbat, do the family’s laundry and must eat out doors, weather permitting in Philadelphia or crammed into our family room, where we have a toaster oven and microwave to heat food. Although I tried to prepare and freeze enough food for the construction period, we are starting to run out of Shabbat meals. Of course, our neighbors have been more than kind, but we hate to impose. Our contractor is not Jewish and has dedicated a crew to our project, but construction will not be completed by either the three weeks or nine days. If we send him away during either of those times, it will cause both him and us financial hardship and inconvenience. Is it permissible, where there is financial hardship and extreme inconvenience of having no kitchen in which to prepare food for our family, to continue the project until Tisha B’Av, stop work that day (as we did on Shavuot) and continue after the holiday? Your guidance would be invaluable

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Tehillim for a deceased parent

Rabbi Yoel Lieberman

Question:

Which Tehillim is recited for a deceased parent? My father died June 2005 and I want to recite the correct Tehillim for him while lighting a candle.

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Borrowing money from special needs son

Rabbi Moshe Leib Halberstadt

Question:

Is there a problem in taking a loan/borrowing money from my 20 year old special needs son?

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Video-cameras on Shabes and Yom Tov

Rabbi Yoel Lieberman

Question:

Dear Rabbi I want to put some viedeo-cameras in front of my builiding. they should work 24/7 and recording 24/7. Do I have a problem with Shabes and Yom Tov? what could be the halachic issues? thank you in advance and kol tuv

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Aliyah for chatan

Rabbi Yoel Lieberman

Question:

Further to your answer to the question about the day of the aufruf, I understood that the chatan (whether Ashkenazi or Sefardi) is a chiyuv for an aliyah on the Shabbat after the wedding but not on the Shabbat before the wedding. Is my understanding incorrect?

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Levi’s Aliya on Shabbat

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

Dear Rabbi, If there is only one Levi in Shul, and that Levi "has Maftir" (i.e., will be called up Maftir and subsequently sing the Haftorah and associated berachot, as is the custom in my Shul) can he also be called up to the Levi’s portion (i.e. the second aliyah) or should the Cohen be called up ’bimcom Levi’

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Nusach used in hungary (kishvarde)

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

My grandparents davened sefard. They were born in Kishvarde, Hungary and were frum jews. Did all hungarian jews daven sefard? thank you sari

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mezuza placement

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

Thank you so much for the answer. Two quick follow-ups: 1) You mentioned in your answer that one of the variables was that the garden was covered, and I just wanted to clarify that it is only partially covered by plants that have grown over the wood frame during this season, but it is full open sky probably half of the year, in case that distinction matters. 2) Presuming that distinction doesn’t matter my second question is--since I originally put the mezuza on the left side of the door (as I enter into the garden from the house), would I say the brocha of likboa mezuza again when I move it to the right side, or not (since there is a difference of opinion about the kashrut of what I did the first time). I really appreciate your guidance. I hope that doing the correct placement of this mezuza, with your help, brings appropriate blessings into my apartment, and that your family has a share in that too. Much appreciation, Shira Chana

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Fleishig knife accidentally used for butter

Beit El Yeshiva Rabbis

Question:

Shalom, A clean, cold fleishig knife was accidentally used to spread butter. What is the status of this knife? Is it still kosher? If not, is there a way to rekasher it? Thank you for your time. Kol tuv, Ariela

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Mezuza placement

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

Shalom again Rabbi Sperling! I have a question about mezuza placement. My bedroom has a door that leads out to a private fenced-in garden. The garden is about 4 meters by 3 meters and has a wooden trellis upon which grapevines sit which (during the spring/summer) provide great overhead coverage--making the garden feel like a room (although I can still see a lot of sky). I wondered, since it is an outdoor space, do I put the mezuza on the right side of the bedroom-to-garden door (on my right as I’m returning INTO the apartment) because it’s not really considered a "room" that one would dwell in? Or do I put it on the right side of the door frame as I’m exiting the apartment toward the garden because it’s a large somewhat covered space that someone could consider a decent sized sukkah-type room? Thank you!! SC

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Leading Musaf on Shabbat prior to Yahrtzeit

Rabbi David Sperling

Question:

In our sysnagoue, it is customary for a man to lead the Shabbat Musaf on the Shabbat immediately prior to a yahrzeit. My mother’s first Yahrtzeit is this coming Sunday. Am I permitted to lead Musaf this Shabbat (even though we don’t lead the services during the year of morning)?

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