Ask The Rabbi
Halachic questions answered by Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
5,519 questions and answers
# 3355 A Little Fish Story
My father is hospitalized and I would like to bring Kapparot for him. We usually use a chicken and not money, since that is our minhag and I understand that it is better to use live things that cannot...
# 3354 An Eloquent Silence
One who is keeping a Taanis Dibbur (a silence day - when only holy words are spoken) on Yom Kippur (or any day) what should he do when people ask him a question or try to schmooze with him, and he ca...
# 3353 The Real Happy Pills
(see question 3352 above - This Shaila came some time ago and was not answered yet). I’m a young Yeshiva graduate and happily married man, that possesses a great desire for women. I have w...
# 3352 Mixed Feelings
I’m a graduate from a religious girls school. During several years I took part in a group that would often talk about other companions and we often ended talking Lashon Hora. B’H, during the...
# 3351 A Lesson in Teaching
My brother is a professor at a university in the USA. Among his student. are several not yet observant Jews. Can he ask the administration to find a substitute for the upcoming Yomim Tovim? Or would t...
# 3350 A Hard Pill to Swallow
Is it permissible on Yom Kippur to swallow caffeine pills or pain relief pills without water? Can one use caffeine / aspirin suppositories (before or after the onset of a headache),,?...
# 3349 Have Mercy on the Phone?
My father is in hospital, but he says Selichot every day at the time they are said in his shul. If he can call a friend in the shul and he maintains his cell phone on, can he answer the Thirteen Midos...
# 3348 How Sweet!
Someone who has a very strict diet and he cannot consume any foods that contain sugar, can he deep the apple on Rosh Hashana on a pareve cream that contains sweetener instead of honey and say the Yehi...
# 3347 Bless the Many
See question 3346 above - If he happens to be also the Baal Tokea, should he save the brocho of Shecheyanu for the morning, when he blows the Shofar for the whole shul, or is it better to do it as ear...
# 3346 Time to Call it Night?
Someone bought a new Ta’alis for Rosh Hashana and he want to recite the brocho of Shecheyanu on it on the second night, since many don’t make anymore that blessing on fruits that are mostly ...
# 3345 A Real Blessing
I have a very dear childhood friend that married and moved away to a close by town. About six months ago, he contracted Covid and became very ill for months, but B’H he recovered completely and i...
# 3344 Your Undivided Attention
Is it correct to add more fruits and foods in the night meal of Rosh Hashana to awaken the curiosity of the children and keep them by the meal?...
# 3343 Signs of Things to Come?
Why is it permitted to eat the different fruits and foods on Rosh Hashana and there is no prohibition of following omens when imbuing the Simanim with superstitious powers?...
# 3342 A Call to Order
We are about to start in the Daf Shiur the tractate of Beitza, but some in our group have suggested to learn instead the next Gemara of Rosh Hashana,since it seems to be right on time now. Can we chan...
# 3341 Get The Juices Flowing?
If one cannot get a pomegranate to use as a siman for Rosh Hashanah, can he use pomegranate juice instead and say the yehi ratzon?...
# 3340 Sweet and Sour Grapes
I heard that one is not to eat black grapes during Rosh Hashana. but light green are OK. Is that true? Why?...
# 3339 A New Beginning
Someone who is a Baal Teshuva and is celebrating Rosh Hashana first time. Since he has no family traditions as even his great grandparents were not religious he would like to know what to follow. He c...
# 3338 Saying it Right
I’m printing for the use of our Mispalelim in shul the request for the absolution of oaths and promises ceremony done on Erev Rosh Hashana. Which is the correct wording when the Dayanim reply; ...
# 3337 Resolving the Promises
Can Hatotras Nedarim be done for a patient in a hospital using a cellphone? Can that be done for the benefit of a wife too?...
# 3336 Standing Firm?
Can someone who has difficulty standing, lean on a shtender during Hatoras Nedarim?...