52 Lessons
Preparations for Shabbat, Entrance and Exit Forgetting Shabbos Candles
After Shabbos began, I noticed that I had forgotten to light one of my candles. Must I light an additional candle in the future? “I was unable to light my Shabbos lights because of circumstances beyond my control. Must I begin lighting an additional candle every week in the future?
The Melachot Warming Food on Shabbos
May I warm food on Shabbos by putting it near the stove?May I take a kugel from the refrigerator on Shabbos morning and place it on the cholent pot to warm?
Praying, Kiddush and the Meals Curious Kiddush Shaylos
The Torah commands us to declare the sanctity of Shabbos, a mitzvah we fulfill when we recite Kiddush before beginning the meal. Notwithstanding that this mitzvah appears very clear cut, it sometimes involves interesting shaylos.
The Melachot Staining Matters
On Shabbos, must I try not to stain my clothes? May I freshen my lipstick on Shabbos? Does bleaching out color violate the Melacha of dyeing?
Shnayim Mikra Ve'echad Targum Reviewing the Parsha
When do I begin my weekly reading of the parsha? Which Torah commentary is the most important to study every week? Is it better to read each posuk of the Torah twice, followed by its translation, and then proceed to the next posuk or a different method?
Praying, Kiddush and the Meals A Haftarah from Yechezkel
Who chose which haftaros we read? In what ways is the book of Yechezkel unusual? Why is the haftarah on Shabbos seldom from Yechezkel?
The Melachot Food Coloring and Shabbos
May I mix red and white wines on Shabbos? May I decorate a cake on Shabbos?
Shlach Lecha How Not to Desecrate Shabbos
The story of the mekosheish, the man caught gathering wood on Shabbos, in Parshas Shelach, contains a host of conflicting and unusual midrashim. The story also serves as a springboard for many halachic and hashkafic issues.
The Melachot Can there be Smoke Without a Fire?
May I place cold frankfurters on top of a hot pot to warm them on Shabbos? May one derive benefit from a cheese dog, which is a grilled hot dog with added cheese and chili sauce? I will be traveling overseas for Yom Tov and Shabbos, and it will be difficult for me to have cooked food ready for an eruv tavshillin. May I use lox as my eruv tavshillin?
Yitro Pulling Teeth
May I pull teeth on Shabbos? Does clipping fingernails on Shabbos involve a Torah prohibition? On Yom Tov, may I dig up earth to perform the mitzvah of kisuy hadam?
Beshalach Carrying Nitroglycerin on Shabbos
Is there a way whereby a person suffering from angina or other heart disease may carry his medication on Shabbos through a public thoroughfare?