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Questions answered to date: 1989

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Showing Questions in 'Halacha (General Jewish Law)'

Question No.	583
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	Can a Jewish doctor refuse medical attention to Arafat? —Aaron Jaffee, Australia
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	571
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	Dear Rabbi Leff, My son has occasional asthma and is required to use a machine to help him breathe better. I usually use a Shabbos clock to calculate approximately the times the machine should go on in order that my baby gets the appropriate daily dosage. Someone told me that you are allowed to turn on the machine for sakonas nifashos. Is that correct? Is it ok to turn on the machine - on Shabbos. Or should I continue to use a Shabbos clock. The reason why I'm asking this - as now my baby is older so he naps less than he used too. But when he was younger it used to be complicated to set when the machine should turn on and I would always be worried about missing a dosage.) Thank you for your help on this matter. —Anonymous, Switzerland
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	570
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	I've just eaten an elaborate meal, but didn't wash since no bread was consumed. Am I still obligated to bensh? —Ralph Muller, Toronto
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	567
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	What do the Gedolim say about Prime Minister Sharon's "Disengagement Plan"? What are the Halachic issues regarding the uprooting of Jews from their homes in Eretz Yisrael today? —Selig Tessler, Yerushalayim --- How are we to respond to the removal of Jews from their homes in Gaza and Shomron? Is this from Hashem or should we oppose it? —Rivka Sharvit, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	566
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	My mother recently named me as the executor of her will. The document directs that she be cremated after her death. If she were Jewish, my obligation would be clear -- I would have to make every effort to ensure that she had a kosher burial. However, I am a giyores and my mother is not Jewish. I would like to ask the rav for an eitzah as to whether it is permissible for a gentile to be cremated after death and, if it is permissible, whether I would be able to carry out her instructions directly or through a shaliach. Many thanks to the rav for his time. —Rivka, Atlanta, GA
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	565
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	Dear Rav Leff, a dermatologist who comes to our classes at Aish-Brazil, works with laser hair removing which, according to his explanation, destroys hair root. The question is: whether it is possible to apply laser in order to remove beard. Thanks. Warmly, Reuven Segal —Reuven Segal, Sao Paulo, Brazil
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	564
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	I have been told by a local synagogue that I am of Jewish Heritage from my birth givin name have been trying for years to find out how can I verify my heritage. —Anonymous, Texas
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	563
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Nov 2004
The Question	Is it counted as davening in a minyan if there are not 10 shomrei shabbos Jews present? Is it muta to drink non- mevushal wine that a tinok shenishba touched? Does he have the din of a mchallel shabes b'farhesya? Is it permissible for a woman to kiss the sefer torah? —Anonymous, London
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	550
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	28 Nov 2004
The Question	What is the proper manner to put Techailes on ones Talis? And is there a web site that teaches how to do it. I am proficient in tying Tzitzis in a regular, Ari and Chabad manner. I just need to know how to do it for Techailes. —Binyomin Last, Denver, CO
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	536
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	23 Nov 2004
The Question	Does writing articles that harshly criticize a Jew or a faction of Judaism, even if they are wrong, for no other reason than to express an opinion fall under the prohibition of being a marbeh machlokes? Moshe Peretz Mann, Maaleh Levona
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	533
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	23 Nov 2004
The Question	Do I have the obligation to rebuke the administration of a school which allows girls to have solos in their choir. The school is orthodox and so are the rabbis in charge of the school. They are most certainly aware of the Kol Isha problems. Should I inform the students of the school of the problem? Anonymous, New York
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	519
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	14 Nov 2004
The Question	Is it important for a man to wear a jacket and hat? Anonymous
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	510
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	My Brother is a Cohen who is a single father. There are very few women that are eligible for him to marry. He has met someone who he thinks is a Ger but has told her that he cannot marry her. There relationship seems to be getting very serious and I have just been informed that she has only received a conversion by a conservative rabbi. I know it not a good situation. But halachically is it better if her status is a non-Jew or a Ger? Anonymous, Torotno
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	508
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	Shalom Aleichem! A friend of mine recently buried his mother next to his father in New Jersey. He did this even though his mother wished to be buried in Eretz Yisroel, because he didn't have a plot in Israel for her. Now he wants to reinter her in Israel, but is conflicted because he feels he would need to move his father as well so his parents would be together, and then he would not be able to visit his parents as often as if they were close by. I suggested that because there is no halachic requirement for spouses to be buried together, he should honor his mother's wishes and move her to Israel, and leave his father where he is. I was not sure if he should wait 12 months before moving his mother. How would the Rav handle this? Yitzchok Shuster, Forest Hills, New York
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	505
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	There is a well known, but rather vague prohibition of being a "msaye'a l'dvar aveirah"- helping evildoers. What is perplexing to me is that this issur has been used in the past by rabbonim to justify many extreme positions, such as refusing to save Jews during the Holocaust and being killed since moving to Eretz Yisrael would entail cooperation with Zionists whom were labelled "dvar aveirah", or refusing to participate in protests and campaigns that are in the Jews best interest since that would require working together with Conservative & Reform rabbis, among many other examples. My question is twofold: Is the issur of msaye'a l'dvar aveirah really a yehareig ve'al yaavor, and if it really is such a bona fide issur, then shouldn't the above halachic positions be indisputably held by ALL gedolim? P.S. Thanks for coming to my wedding! Moshe Peretz Mann, Maaleh Levona
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	502
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	Dear Rabbi Leff, I am 46 years old and I have been going grey since 20. Can I use a foam that changes my grey to its original color. I feel young why cant I look young as well. Thank you, Moshe, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	495
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	If one is unsure of the amount of money one owes a Jew may he round up in paying back the person or are there problems of ribis? Dovid B, long island
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	494
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	What is the basis for insisting on separate seating/mechitza during weddings? or: What is the heter to allow mixed seating at weddings? Dovid B, long island
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	493
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	11 Nov 2004
The Question	Let me just begin by saying that I do not wish ridicule a group, rather I’m just curious. Furthermore, I realize that this may not be the correct forum but I would appreciate any insights the Rav might offer. Anyhow, what is the basis for the Satmar custom of burying the dead in separated areas for men and women? Aren’t' the Avos buried together? Dovid B, long island
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	491
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	15 Oct 2004
The Question	What about tznius when going swimming and the like ? Assuming that frum people are going to only separate swimming places, nevertheless, are there things that should still be limited? For example, in the old days, men (even non-Jews) used to wear tops when they went swimming - not just bottoms (see old photos). Perhaps frum men should wear tops today too, as it is more tzniusdik? What does the Rav think? Also, re women, can they say they are only among other women and wear things like bikinis and are other very revealing styles or should they limit themselves? After all, tznius is not only for the opposite gender, but even among one's own type. Yilmideinu Rabbeinu - bivakasha. Anonymous
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

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