Ask The Rabbi
Halachic questions answered by Hagaon Rav Shlomo Miller Shlit'a
5,520 questions and answers
#480 Are Magna Tiles Muktzeh?
Are Magna Tiles Muktzeh?...
#479 From Alois to Neitz and From Sh''kiah to Tzeis
If the time between olas hashachar and Netz is equal to the time between sh’kiya and tzeis hakochavim, why do people end Shabbos at 72 minutes yet start a ta’anis at 16.1 degrees as 72 minut...
#478 Can't Sleep, Can I Use a Sound Machine on Shabbos?
Can you use in Shabbos a sleeping-aid sound machine that produces different rhythms such as the sound of the sea or a forest and is controlled by a timer? How about just white noise?...
#477 I Made a Shvua Without Thinking, What Should I Do?
I made a shvua without thinking and now I need it to be nullified. What should I do? I made a shvua saying I wouldn’t do something for someone else (not my husband). I said it to make a point....
#476 Which Elevator is Shabbos Friendly?
In preparation for a hotel that I will be attending Shabbos/Yom Tov, I have looked in to the situation of a Shabbos elevator as the hotel is 6 floors high and have a couple of questions. The elevator ...
#475 Paying Tuition with Maaser Money
Am I allowed to give my maaser money to my parents so that they can use it for my tuition? Thank you...
#474 Why Read Parshas Tetzaveh Now?
If we celebrate zain Adar, the yortzait of Moshe Rabenu on the second Adar, why do we read parshas Tetzave, where his name is omitted on the first Adar?...
#473 Where Is the Joy?
Two questions Re- your answer on simcha begins on the first Adar. When you say that on Adar you increase simcha what does that mean, if you don’t have a court case and you anyway say tachanun so ...
#472 When Do the Happy Times of Adar Begin?
I have an important court case against an insurance company in 2 weeks, which would be in the first month of Adar. Is it better to postpone it to the second month of Adar?...
#471 Erasing brochos from an MP3
What is Horav Shlomo Miller’s Shlit"a opinion in regards to erasing brochos and tefilos with the explicit name of Hashem that were recorded in an MP3?...
#470 Does Planet Earth Really Revolve Around the Sun?
When teaching children science how should one approach the concept of the earth’s orbit? Chazal indicate that the sun rotates the earth; however, the current scientific approach is that the earth...
#469 Can I teach someone that has not washed his hands in the morning?
Can I tell a vort or any divrey Torah to someone that has not washed his hands in the morning?...
#468 Teaching Torah to the Yet Not-Frum
Can I teach a class of Torah to people who are not frum and have not said the brocho in the morning?...
#467 Using an Apnea Respirator on Shabbos II
In regards to using an apnea respirator, When you first turn on the machine, it is at a low air pressure. This is to allow you to fall asleep. After about 10 minutes, the machine ’ramps’ up ...
#466 Using an e-Reader on Shabbos
Can you use an e-reader in Shabbos? What if it is turned off and you are just reading what is on the screen?...
#465 Are e- Readers Kosher?
Shalom U’Bracha, What is the halahcha for using an ereader (Nook or kindle) to read seforim? I have heard some people say it may be a problem because it is written with "e-ink." (in regards to Me...
#464 When Not Accepting Divrei Torah
Someone tries to give me a piece of Torah that they have written. For whatever reason, I will never read it. Is the proper response to say:...
#463 Can the Shul Become a Mourning House?
An ovel during shiva that doesn’t have a minyan at home and comes to Shul, when he davens for the amud, does he say Birchas Kohanim? Lam’natzeach and the parts of Uva Letzion that are omitte...
#462 Tachanun when Ovel Leads Davening in Shul
An ovel during shiva that doesn’t have a minyan at home and comes to Shul, when he davens for the amud do they say Tachanun? Should someone else take over and he goes out so the others will say T...
#461 Washing Hands after Blood Test
Since you also wash after bloodletting, does that mean that you have to wash after a blood test? Or does a surgeon wash 3 times after an operation?...