Ask The Rabbi
Halachic questions answered by Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
5,519 questions and answers
# 2995 Say It, Don't Spray It
A new liquid product that can be sprayed onto cloth face masks is about to become available. The spray coating using electrostatic charges, captures COVID-19 molecules on the surface of the mask, pre...
# 2994 Shoelaces Knotty Issues
Why do people tie their shoelaces on Shabbat when they are wet as when it rains or they walked on snow. Is that not a case of schita or squeezing out the water absorbed in the shoelaces? Although, o...
# 2993 Uncovering the Uncovered
On question 2969 regarding if one can use olive oil that was left uncovered overnight for lighting the Chanuka menorah, and Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that after the fact, one...
# 2992 Good or Early?
(Re question 2981, regarding if one should leave even before the start of davening to wake someone up (chessed) if requested to wake them at a certain time. To what we answered; ’The proper proce...
# 2991 Let me Tell you, first of All
(Re- questions 2976,79). Why is it so important to be part of the first ten who make up the minyan?...
# 2990 Ask about Ask One Over
A person is looking for places to eat on Shabbos is there any prohibition to tell him which families tend to have guests or which ones don’t and it is better not to ask them?...
# 2989 No News is Good News?
Is it proper for a gabay in a shul were they usually say a misheberach for the sick on Shabbos, to include the name of a severely sick new covid patient, if the attendants will become very distressed...
# 2988 Accounting for Taste
Re - question 2987 above. I meant to ask on a water purification plant that prepares and serves the water to our community. I became aware that often the workers may eat their lunch or snacks close ...
# 2987 Amount to Nothing?
When we mention that chometz is prohibited ’Bemashehu,’ even to the smallest amount during Pesach, does that mean that the prohibition applies to molecules of chometz too?...
# 2986 A Joy to Behold
We learned recently in the daf that there is no Meila (a korban brought when someone unlawfully benefited from Hekdesh or the holiness of the Beis Hamidash or the sacrifices therein), when benefiting ...
# 2985 No Public Drinking
We B’H are celebrating after many years of trying to have children a Pidyon Habben this coming Friday afternoon that is also the Taanis of Asarah Beteves. Both my parents and in-laws are elderly ...
# 2984 Have a Merry Nittel
On the Christmas eve, for one that keeps the Nittel tradition of not learning Torah on that night but usually has a shiur on the evening, what hours exactly are the ones one should avoid learning?...
# 2983 Season's Greetings?
Q . I want to give my super a check and a Christmas card like all other tenants in our building do, as a thanks for the many favors given. Which is the correct way to do it?...
# 2982 Wake Up the Right Side
A bachur asked me to come to his room to wake him for vasikin. (Sun-rise minyan). I knew what room he was in, but due to the early hour and darkness when I entered the room I could not figure out what...
# 2981 Wake Up Call
Should one leave even before the start of davening to wake someone up (chessed) if requested to wake them at a certain time?...
# 2980 The Early Fast Days of Teveth
This year Nittel Nacht (the night of Dec 24) is after the Taanis of the Ninth of Teveth, mentioned in Shulchan Aruch. I always wondered if there is a connection between the two?...
# 2979 First Come First Saved?
(Re-question 2976). Rav Shlomo Miller paskened that one does not leave the status of being from the first ten if he leaves to use the bathroom or to fulfill a tefilla requirement. Now, Rav Miller said...
# 2978 Reach the Right Height
Why are the menoras of many shuls and Batei Midrashot higher than the ten tefachim (about 42in. - 1.m) required lekatchila by the Shulchan Aruch?...
# 2977 The Doubt of the Benefit
I pay for the lunch of workers fixing my house, and they usually order pepperoni pizza, or other foods and sandwiches that contain cooked meat and milk products. I lend them my credit card to pay for ...
# 2976 The Tenet of the Tenth Man
A person who came from the asara rishonim, may he leave to wake someone up for Shacharis, or will he lose the status of being from the asara rishonim? May one leave to get a drink of water, etc, or on...