Parashat HashavuaSeries'LibraryPiskei Din (Hebrew)Test Yourself Answer: Yes! There is no reason not to eat these foods (e.g. Bakos or beef plate, both of which simulate the taste of bacon, or mock shrimp) etc. In fact, the Gemara (Chulin 109b) says, "Whatever Hashem has forbidden, He permitted something else just like it;" (to indicate that it is not the taste itself which is the reason for the prohibition). The Gemara then gives examples: While eating blood is forbidden, we may eat animal liver (which is made of dried blood & tastes like blood); pork, of course, is treif, but we may eat the brains of a certain fish in the carp family that has a similar taste; milk & meat may not be eaten together, but we may eat the cow’s udder, which contains the milk; it was considered a great delicacy). There should be an indication that these items are not the "real thing," (so as to avoid any problem of marit ayin) & so, particularly in restaurants, they should be called by a name that clearly conveys their non-treif status, such as "Phonee-shrimp" or "Fakin’ Bacon.". (Courtesy Talmudic College of Florida)
work at a hospital and, some days, I am unable to wear tefillin during the day, but only pre-dawn. May I then put on tefillin before its regular time? [Our staff knows the querier.]
Taken together, Tefila, Teshuva & Tzedaka are the instruments which allow us to operate on our damaged souls & repair them, the tools with which we can rebuild – our holy relationship with Hashem.
The Halacha that synagogues should be higher than all houses in town, but not from buildings built just for decoration expresses the idea of the central place of holiness in Judaism. This value is not only decorative but applies to real life.