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Last question received: 17 Aug 2017

Questions answered to date: 1989

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Showing Questions in 'Halacha (General Jewish Law)'

Question No.	1644
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	23 Apr 2009
The Question	Dear Rav Leff; On the one hand, I've always heard that it's improper and even forbidden to visit Har Habayit today. On the other hand, I just watched a video (youtube - type in cw91yrKuQec) of Rav Moshe David Tendler, who I've been told is a big Talmid Chacham, on his yearly visit to Har Habayit, explaining to a group of frum journalists his reasons. Are there different (accepted) opinions in this matter and what is the reason some hold that it's forbidden? Thank you. —Anonymous, Jerusalem
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1642
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	22 Apr 2009
The Question	Could you please help resolve an apparent contradiction in the mishnah breura that is really bothering me. In a case where one forgets to mention the weeks when counting the omer the MB says in 489:7 that one should repeat the count without a brocha, wheras in 489:22 if he tells a friend the omer count without mentioning the weeks it's as if he hasn't done anything and should count again with a brocha. Whats the difference? —Anonymous, UK
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1640
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	18 Mar 2009
The Question	Many frum people I know have only sideburns; why do I have to have peyos? —BT, Matityahu
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1639
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	18 Mar 2009
The Question	What is the halacha about releasing non-Jewish prisoners to secure the return of an abducted Jew? —Yitzchak Hutner, Ramat Beit Shemesh
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1637
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	15 Mar 2009
The Question	What is the Torah's approach to torture? Both torture for the sake of punishment, and torture for the sake of procuring information? —Chana, NYC
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1636
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	15 Mar 2009
The Question	Dear Rabbi, Is it assur to buy lottery tickets, including scratch-offs and megamillions? Also, is one allowed to gamble even just for fun in a casino whether its playing card games for money or the other games there? Also, is one allowed to play card games with friends at home for money? Thank you. —Josh M., Great Neck, NY
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1632
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	13 Mar 2009
The Question	I make challah and cocosh-cake out of the same dough. Do I make a Brocha of Hamotzei on the cake as well? —Anonymous, Canada
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1631
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	13 Mar 2009
The Question	Is there any difference between someone who on Purim smokes a regular cigarette or marijuana (I have heard of people who allow themselves or their children to do this for Purim) and someone who eats pork? Is the difference only quantitative or is there no real issur to smoking just for Purim. With Thanks to the Rav. —Anonymous, Baltimore, MD
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1625
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	4 Mar 2009
The Question	Is a man allowed to have hair on his neck & back permanently removed via a 'laser hair removal' procedure? If so, would a woman be able to perform such a procedure on him? If so, would this be able to be performed in private room within a medical office or would this violate the prohibition of yichud? (If the procedure were to be done in a private room behind an unlocked door, would this be allowed?) Thank you very much. —Judah Simon, Canada
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1613
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	8 Feb 2009
The Question	I've heard that, when washing one's floor, one should not place the chairs on the table but rather move them to another place -- because a Jew's table is like the mizbeiach in the Bet Hamikdash and is a source of holiness and blessing for the home. Is this an inyan the Rav holds people should be careful about? —Anonymous, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1609
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	5 Feb 2009
The Question	A few Shabbosos ago I davened in a mainstream chasidic shtebel in Yerushalayim, where they learn for an hour between shacharis and kriyas haTorah. I was stunned to see that as people were learning they were having cups of tea and coffee without having made Kiddush. I asked someone about it and they told me that after shacharis there is a din of kiddush but no chiyuv kiddush until after mussaf. Is what this person told me true? If it is true, can a person who generally follows mainstream 'yeshivish' psak follow this? What about under difficult circumstances such as being diabetic and having to eat frequently on a regular basis? —David, Beit Shemesh
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1606
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	3 Feb 2009
The Question	If you live in a country and a leader/president is voted in by the people, should one pray for this leader, regardless of one's political beliefs? Is it not the law? Shalom G. Rivera, Santa Maria, CA
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1602
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	1 Feb 2009
The Question	Kavod Harav, I was learning Shulchan Aruch Siman 75 Seif 5 and M"B S"K 20 and I was wondering therefore, if it's a problom to wear "boxers" as the amah or "kees" may touch one's thigh. Thank you very much for this Torah service —Anonymous, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1597
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	14 Jan 2009
The Question	I listened to the Rav's shiur from around 2 years ago about Kashering counter tops for Pesach, from the Shiur it seemed unclear if one is allowed to Kasher "Caeserian" marble - the seller of the Shayish claims that Machon Tzomet says one can Kasher it. I would like to know please, the Rav's opinion. Thank You —Yaacov, Beit Shemesh, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1595
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	12 Jan 2009
The Question	I read a halachik article which discussed whether we should wear our tzitzis out or tuck them in, and the article basically piled up many opinions on both sides, and left you wondering. Assuming that we're talking about outside of a professional setting, do you think we should wear them out, or that one should not wear them out, or is it a matter of personal prefference at this point? —Anonymous, New York
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1587
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	31 Dec 2008
The Question	Kavod HaRav. The Rav issued a ruling here about using wireless Internet connections without permission. Those I've spoken to with a technical background in computing (including professionals) said that most browsing will result in significant loss to connection speed if the site contains large pictures, animations, etc., which almost all websites do these days. Also, why it is not considered stealing if many people use one connection and together they cause significant loss of speed (even if individually they don't)? Since the psak was issued a long time ago (the content of websites may have changed in the interim), I wondered if the Rav still holds of his original psak? Thank you. —Adam, Yerushalayim
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1585
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	29 Dec 2008
The Question	Does the halachah of having to wash your hands after you touch your shoes apply also when I only hold the tops of my high winter leather shoes when I push my feet into them, or does it only apply if I touch the bottom parts of the shoe that get dirty? —Dovid Shmuel, Yerushalayim
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1584
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	24 Dec 2008
The Question	When is it correct to pray that a terminally ill person dies in order to relieve him/her of further suffering? —Avrumi, London
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1583
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	22 Dec 2008
The Question	Dear Rabbi, What are the implications of someone who does not wash netilat yadaim in the morning? If I wake up and don't do it right away? If I don't do it at all? Regarding touching food? Non-food? Shaking hands with people? Most of the people I come in contact with throughout my day do not wash netilat yadaim in the morning. Does each one of these people who I touch make me more tamei? If they touch my food, does it render the food inedible? What about differences between Jews and non-Jews? What about Cohanim vs. Yisraelim? Thank you. —Anonymous, California
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1580
Category	Halacha (General Jewish Law)
Date Posted	17 Dec 2008
The Question	Dear Rabbi Leff, If a person has a chance to do a Mitzva in a L'chatchila way (e.g., Chanukah lighting) and some one else wouldn't be able to do it at all, should you do it in a b'dieved way in order that that the other person should do it in a b'dieved way too? —Avraham Tzvi Eliezer Mark, Far Rockaway, N.Y
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

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