36 Lessons
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Paying a Babysitter for Work on Shabbat
We need a babysitter for a few hours on Shabbat. Is there a problem paying her for Shabbat work?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Responsive Baby Bassinet
There is a special bassinet that provides motion and soothing noise and reacts to an infant’s crying by intensifying them. Is it permitted to use this bassinet on Shabbat, and if so, are there special instructions?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Batim of Tefillin on the Floor on Shabbat
The “retired” tefillin batim (in which the parshiyot go) I keep in a closet fell to the floor on Shabbat, inside a flimsy plastic bag. I intuited that it was better to pick them up than to leave them in disgrace on the floor. Was that correct?
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?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Using Hot Water on Shabbat
May I use my hot water on Shabbat since I have the boiler on a timer to go on every morning before I wake up? If this arrangement is unacceptable, please suggest a permitted one.
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?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Taking Medicine to Facilitate Mitzvot
Last Friday, I developed minor nasal issues, resembling my allergies. I figured that if I take my allergy medicine and wake up symptom-free, I can assume it was allergies. Was I permitted to take it (nasal spray) on Shabbat?
The Melachot Food Coloring and Shabbos
May I mix red and white wines on Shabbos? May I decorate a cake on Shabbos?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Playing Darts on Shabbat
Can we play darts on Shabbat? The darts are classic ones that pierce the board’s surface; the board hangs loosely from a nail in the wall; in between uses, the darts often stay on the boar
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?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Adding Salt to Hot Food on Shabbat
If I cook with less salt, may people add salt to their soup or cholent on Shabbat?
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?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Borer on Plates
We set our Shabbat table with a larger "charger" plate under the main plate. At the end of the meal, we clear off the dirty dishes and leave the charger plates. Is there a problem with borer (selecting)?
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?
Bemare Habazak - Rabbis Questions Trapping and Releasing on Shabbat
A couple of weeks ago, we saw a mouse in the house and put out a cage trap. A mouse was trapped last Shabbat. Because we felt bad for the mouse, we took it (on Shabbat) to an isolated area and let it out. Did we violate anything by trapping the mouse on Shabbat, or by letting it out (like some melachot that come in pairs, like tying and untying)? Was the cage muktzeh and, if yes, did tza’ar ba’alei chayim justify taking it out?
