Question: I returned from a vacation to fact that our houseguest cooked two milkich cakes (liquid batter) and then one small pan of milkich muffins (also liquid batter) in our fleishik oven. Some of the stuff in new alum tins and some in pareve muffin tins. The oven is an Aino Ben Yomo fleishik. Normal…
Question: My mother would like to take my son Gavriel into her Reform temple to empty the tzedokoh box. She has made it his tradition to count the money. Is it a problem for a frum person to enter a religious building that is not used for Orthodox purposes? Does it make a difference if…
Question: Pasuk says this week that can't add or subtract from the Torah. My daughter, Elisheva wanted to know how the rabbanim can add rabbanic enactments (all the non doraisa commands). I didn't have a great answer. Regards E Answer: Shalom Elisheva, Very good question. The pasuk in Va'eschanan 4:2 Do not add or subtract…
Question: I have a few parenting questions for Rav Baruch. In our class last week one women claimed that it is forbidden to leave a baby or child sleeping in a locked room. (The issue came up because one woman said she leaves her baby sleeping in the crib while she goes downstairs to meet…
Question: According to the Gra, 3 women should bench with a mezumen right? But, wasn't the shita of the Gra that one person benches for everyone, how does that work when it comes to women? Answer: According to the Vilna Gaon, 3 women should make a zimun and one should lead the bentshing while the…
Question: Can the money I contribute to the building fund by standing order be considered part of my ma'aser? Answer: Technically, the money designated for the building fund cannot be subtracted from maos ma'aser. Ma'aser kesafim is a halachic concept with its own set of rules. The mitzvoh of tzedokoh does not require giving a…
Question: Last time I was at Newark Airport between flights in the morning, I davened shacharis in the non-denominational room (actually, they call it a meditation room). The room has mats in the back for Muslim prayers and an opaque curtain in the front blocking some Christian emblem with a cross on it. You can't…
Question: Our eldest son would be much happier if we didn't sell chometz or buy chometz that another Jew sold for Pesach. If doing this is not overly burdensome and oppressive, I would consider it. Can you give me the ground rules for both? Answer: Theoretically, selling chometz is fine. It just has to be…
Question: My neighbor is selling wine at a great price. The catch is that it was produced as shevi’is wine and had kedushas shevi’is. Then, at the zeman biur, he was mafkir it properly. He subsequently repossessed it and is now selling it at a profit. My question is this: Now that he has repossessed…
Question: I have a question regarding laundry on chol hamo'ed. I know that we can wash children's clothing that is needed for the chag if there's no replacement. We're in that position – the kids are growing so quickly that we don't buy replacements. We wash what they have and their clothes get dirty all…