Ask The Rabbi
Halachic questions answered by Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
5,520 questions and answers
# 1975 To Wait or not to Wait?
I recently began working in a kosher restaurant serving food to customers. What do I do on a fasting day like 10 of Teveth coming up. Is it permitted to serve food to Jewish customers that look health...
# 1974 Fast and Feast?
Can you have a wedding on the night of the Tenth of Teveth, since the fasting starts only in the morning?...
# 1973 Fast Talk
If someone undergoes periodical medical treatment and when it occurs on a regular taanis he was given a heter not to fast, exempting Yom Kippur and Tisha Beav, when he was told to postpone the treatme...
# 1972 Vacating Vacations?
Since Horav Shlomo’s Miller position is to avoid traveling during Chanuka, should there be an effort to have the schools change the days of vacation to before or after Chanuka?...
# 1971 Is Gut-Yom-Tov Still Gut?
On question 1222 you wrote: "Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit’a opinion is that Chanuka is called a Chag and a Yom Tov as we find in Shulchan Aruch (Y. D. 217: 47) regarding a neder done exempting those da...
# 1970 Know Where You Stand
Re- question above. Often the glass cups use for Chanuka lights, are rounded on the bottom and can’t stand by themselves. Is that a problem?...
# 1969 The Silver Lining of a Menorah
Is it better to light a silver menorah using its own silver cups by placing the oil and wick in them, as was done in the menorah of the Beth Hamikdash. or can one use separate glass cups which is clea...
# 1968 Did We Strike Oil?
Is it permitted to light a menorah with olive oil or vegetable oil without a hechsher, when traveling and no other oil is available? Is it better to light then with candles?...
# 1967 Let The Light Shine for Everyone
Re- question 1966 above, on an elderly single and bed-bound convalescent patient at a retirement nursing home or hospital, who has no possibility of lighting or being present at the lighting of a Meno...
# 1966 A Nixed Blessing?
An elderly single and bed-bound convalescent patient at a retirement nursing home or hospital, who has no possibility of lighting or being present at the lighting of a Menorah. can he make the bracha ...
# 1965 How's The Family?
My uncle married a woman. She became my aunt. I am now disqualified from testifying on her behalf. They had 3 children. The couple divorced. Am I still disqualified from testifying on her behalf beca...
# 1964 It's All Greek To Me
Re- question 1963 above. I’m wondering if you can provide an actual case where Greek philosophy contributed something of value to the Torah? Q. Ancient Greek philosopher Plato was a student...
# 1963 Beware of Greeks Bearing Spiritual Lifts
Why do we attack so much the Greek philosophy during Hanuka, did not the Rambam study and wrote much about Aristotle? The Talmud in Megila also sponsors learning Greek wisdom, since Noach blessed Ye...
# 1962 Guessing the Guest
Our family is going to visit our parents for Shabbos Chanuka and be staying there until Motzei Shabbos. Our home is close by and we are leaving after the plag. We heard that there are different opinio...
# 1961 A Shaila on Shoalim
If someone prayed maariv after plag but before the shkia on December 4, and forgot that you have to start saying that night veten tal umatar, but since it was not yet really night, does he have to rep...
# 1960 The Prominence of a Shamash
On question 684- 685 in regards to creating a variety of colors in the lights of the menorah by adding different chemicals to the oil, or adding aromatic drops to the oil, since the effect is quite at...
# 1959 Is It Worth the Candle?
Is there a special inyan to light candles or oil lamps at the amud in a shul? Not that many shuls do that these days, why?...
# 1958 Figure of Speech
Of the five oral tools from which speech emerges, throat, palate, teeth, tongue, lips, why is it that in the 24 Books speech is most often referred to in association with the tongue and the lips?...
# 1957 The Character of the Characters
Our minhag, following Minhag Chasam Sofer, is to write our Sifrei Torah, Tefilin, and Mezuzos in Kesav Beis Yosef, except that the top-right section of the Tsadi is written as it appears in Kesav Ari....
# 1956 Shed Some Light
Can you light the shul menorah on Chanuka from a shul yohrtzait candle? How about a cigarette from a yohrtzait candle?...