Ask The Rabbi
Halachic questions answered by Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
5,520 questions and answers
# 921 Angel Food Bake?
What is the source for the seuda on the third day after the bris milah that some people do?...
# 920 Travel Alert
1. When I drive out of Toronto, to the north, west or east, at what points specifically do I need to say tefillas haderech? 2. Would those locations be the same boundaries for techum shabbos?...
# 919 Speaking in Two Tongues Okay?
The Rema says that Aramaic and Hebrew are one language. Can I fulfill my obligation to recite Kreias Shema using the Aramaic of Onkelos, even though it is not a spoken language?...
# 918 Tefilin Suit You?
Should a Bar Mitzva bochur say shecheyanu on his new tefilin, if not for the mitzvah at least for the great pleasure of having new tefilin? Why should tefilin be less than a new suit?...
# 917 Brocho Only For Refuoh Shleimoh
A patient who “lo alenu” due to a tumor in his esophagus can’t swallow food and is being fed only by introducing food directly to his stomach via a catheter or by using a large syringe filled wit...
# 916 Think Before You Jump
A Bar Mitzva bochur who said kidush levana before he became Bar Mitzva, does he have to repeat after if it still is before the end of the zman of kidush levana?...
# 915 Shaitel Shyster?
I bought a shaitel by someone with whom I had no previous experience. She told me to come in quickly as she had shaitels on sale for $xxx. until the end of the week. I did go in to look at what she ha...
# 914 Always Listen To Your Wife?
BS"D, Thank you Rabbi Bartfeld. Can I please ask you two more questions, and that will be It. Why did the serpent first approach Eve instead of Adam?...
# 913 You Can't Have It Both Ways
If Adam was born both male and female, why couldn’t he reproduce himself? Thank you. Have a nice Rosh Chodesh Cheshvan and have a nice day....
# 912 Shema Shaila
If you are davening with a minyan, but are behind the chazan, (you came late or the chazan is too fast), when would you say or not say "Kel Melech Neeman" in Shema? If you start Shema before he ends?...
# 911 Mixed Up?
We have a hand blender that we haven’t used in several years. we think it is meat but can’t quite remember, possibly is dairy. The top half is a motor, bottom comes off for washing, and mad...
#910 Bad Entrance
There are two entrances to my shul. The back entrance is through a lane-way behind a plaza of retail stores. Behind each store, there are large bins with rotting food and other garbage. I avoid going ...
# 909 Some Mabul Now?
I heard mentioned in Rav Shlomo Miller’s name that the reason we suffer from earth warming and severe climate changes is due to the corruptness and immorality of today’s society just like in the gener...
# 908 New Best Version of Windows
On answer 900 you write that the different opinions on the dimension of a tefach are 11cm, 10.16cm, 10cm, 9cm and 8cm I distinctly remember seeing somewhere that there is an opinion that a tefach is l...
# 907 Fragrance Forever?
Is there a problem of Sheviis with hadassim – can I use them for besomim in havdolah?...
# 906 The Drosho Better be Good
If a Seudas Bar Mitzva is done on Motzei Shabbos a week after the bochur’s birthday (he was born bein hashmoshos, so it could not be done on the prior Shabbos) is it still considered a Seudas Mit...
# 905 Dog-Gone?
I was attending a neighbourhood Simchas Bais Hashoeva and a neighbor walked in in the sukkah with his friendly, well behaved but rather large family dog, that did not seem to bother anyone and trilled...
# 903 No Mitzva, But Someone Has To Take It Down
Is removing, taking care and storing the suka properly, so it will in good condition and ready for the next year, considered already as the mitzva of building a suka? (For the purpose of osek bemitzva...
# 902 Step On It?
How small do the pieces of remaining pine schach or hoshanos leafs that fell on the floor have to be to be considered batel or not important, so it is permitted to step on them? (Pine schach especiall...
# 901 In the Beginning Questions Were Created
BS"D, Hello Rabbi Bartfeld, my question is why didn’t Adam punish and chastise Cain for slaying Abel? Usually it’s the parents that mete out punishment. And also, why did Adam and Eve wait...