Ask The Rabbi
Halachic questions answered by Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
5,519 questions and answers
# 2716 Follow Out?
I am staying BE"H in a bungalow colony and there is only one minyan and they daven early. I’m obliged to daven with them, and also start Shabbat early?...
# 2715 Apron Strings
In summer days when the husband davens early Kabbolas Shabbos, and as mentioned in last question, if it is done for convenience, he does not impose Shabbos restrictions on his wife. Can she do work f...
# 2714 Bright and Early Shabbos
In summer days when the husband davens early Kabbolas Shabbos, does his wife have to abstain from doing melochos at that same time and light candles then?...
# 2713 An Offer One Can Refuse
Thanks for your answer that shows both expertise and common sense. I have another question, I was offered the position of president of my synagogue and it is possible that I can be effective in better...
# 2712 Live In a Tree?
Can one place a siddur on a tree or lean on the tree without moving it?...
2711 Why Not Pick Up?
Re - question 2710 above. How about if the siddur fell on some delicate flowers, can one also pick it up? If not, what should one do with it?...
# 2710 Don't Let the Siddur Down
If someone is davening outside and he dropped on Shabbos his siddur on some plants on the edge of the grass and can’t pick it up without moving the leaves of the plant, can he pick it up? How tal...
# 2709 Growing Pains
As we many of us daven these days on the backyard minyanim, if there is some flowerpots growing outside on the edge of the fence of the deck facing the grass, can someone stand bellow the pot while da...
# 2708 Identifying Signs of Time
Does one transgress the prohibition of etching a tattoo, if one does not have the intention of writing or illustrating any words, symbols or forms at all. A dot will be tattooed in a specific place, s...
# 2707 Question Mark
Is the prohibition of tattooing oneself prohibited by the Torah only when done for avoda zarah purposes only but other decorative tattoo marks are only Rabbinical? (see next question for what differen...
# 2706 A Wild Goose Chase II
A. I heard that Rav Miller discouraged people to do shiluach haken on geese since they may be considered kosher birds and eaten and there is no such tradition. Why did you write that shiluach haken do...
# 2706 A Wild Goose Chase II
A. I heard that Rav Miller discouraged people to do shiluach haken on geese since then they may be considered kosher birds and eaten, and there is no such tradition. Why did you write that shiluach ha...
# 2705 A Pretty Penny
Can I give $0.01 Cdn tzedakah or do I have to use only American pennies now that ours are out of currency....
# 2704 Never Too Late?
Someone that davens maariv after plag hamincha, while it is still day, and forgot to say korbanos before mincha, can he say them after maariv?...
# 2703 The Aron or the Mizrach?
We daven in a backyard minyan these days. During Yom Tov we took out a mobile Aron Hakodesh with a Sefer Torah, but due to the circumstances it was placed to the north side of the yard, although the s...
# 2702 Open to Questions
Today, June 8th 2020 the government of Ontario announced that commencing this Friday June 12th, places of worship including Shuls can be used provided they operate at 30% capacity. Please tell me if ...
# 2701 The Rabbis Too?
Thank you for your answer (2699) explaining well why do Cohanim turn their back to the Aron Hakodesh. The fact is, that it is not only the Cohanim who behave so, in most shuls and yeshivot, the rabbis...
# 2700 Don't Feed the Animals
Every Shabbos on the last few months a squirrel shows up at the window of our house at the exact time when we make hamotzi in the day, because my kids feed it with a small piece of chalah. Is that per...
# 2699 Face The People
Why do Cohanim turn their back to the Aron Hakodesh when reciting their blessing to the people? Is that not an act of disrespect?...
# 2698 Count your Blessings
How does one reach meah brachos (hundred blessings one should recite every day) on Yom Tov. Some of the birkas hashachar are lost due to not sleeping, plus we eat only two seudas, and it may be hard t...