Halakhah
Jewish law — codes, responsa, and practical rulings for daily life.
195 questions answered
How much more is a Jew obligated to pay to support business in their community?
There is no fixed monetary percentage or multiplier that a Jew is obligated to pay extra to support local Jewish commerce. Rather, the Torah and halachic t...
Does 63 have a numerical equivalent and meaning in Hebrew?
The number 63 has deep significance in Jewish mystical tradition. In gematria (the system of assigning numerical values to Hebrew letters), 63 is most famo...
Who were the holiest mamzers
The Holiest Mamzerim (Illegitimate Children) in Torah Tradition The Torah tradition preserves remarkable figures who were either identified as mamzerim (בַ...
What are the restrictions on the 17th of Tammuz?
The 17th of Tammuz (Shiva Asar b'Tammuz) is a communal fast day on which eating and drinking are forbidden from dawn (alot hashachar) until nightfall. It m...
Did the Jewish people have a presence in the land of Israel over the past 2000 years.
The Jewish people maintained a continuous religious and communal presence in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) throughout the past 2,000 years, though in...
Can I work on Tisha b’av
Working on Tisha b'Av (the Ninth of Av) is governed by local custom (minhag), but universally, Torah scholars refrain from work the entire day, and anyone who d
What is prayer for lighting shiva candle?
The traditional practice is to light a candle (or ner, נר) in the house of mourning during shiva (the seven-day mourning period), but there is no formal bl...
Does the torah say you can kill all your enemies?
The Torah does not grant blanket permission to kill all enemies. Jewish law has a highly nuanced framework governing when killing is permitted, prohibited,...
Tu'baAv
Tu B'Av — The Jewish Day of Love and Joy Tu B'Av (ט״ו באב, the 15th of Av) is one of the most joyous days on the Jewish calendar, celebrated as a day of love, r
What are the jewish customs for the month of Elul?
The month of Elul (אלול) is the final month of the Jewish year and serves as a 40-day period of preparation and teshuva (repentance) leading up to Rosh Hashanah
Eating meat on shabbat during the nine days
Eating meat and drinking wine on Shabbat during the Nine Days is permitted — in fact, it is considered a mitzvah (religious obligation) to honor Shabbat with me
What’s the deal with anal sex
The halachic status of anal sex within marriage has been a subject of significant rabbinic debate throughout Jewish history. The mainstream position, as ruled b
Can I shave during the three weeks
Shaving during the Three Weeks (Shloshet HaShavuot — the mourning period from 17 Tammuz to Tisha B'Av) is subject to a significant dispute between Ashkenazic an
What are the Rosh Hashanah prayers and blessings?
Rosh Hashanah Prayers and Blessings Rosh Hashanah features a rich and distinctive liturgical structure centered on three central themes: Malkhuyot (Kingshi...
Would the Torah approve of AI?
Artificial intelligence doesn't appear in the Torah explicitly, but Jewish tradition offers rich frameworks for evaluating transformative technologies. The Tora
What is blessing for mikvah?
The blessing recited before immersing in a mikvah (ritual bath) is: "Baruch Atah Hashem, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al h...
What is the Mincha (afternoon) prayer?
What is the Mincha (Afternoon) Prayer? Tefillat Mincha (תְּפִלַּת מִנְחָה — the Afternoon Prayer) is one of the three daily prayers of Jewish tradition, re...
Why do we need to open a new bottle of wine for kiddush on Friday night. Why can't we use a bottle was opened last week
Using a Previously Opened Bottle of Wine for Friday Night Kiddush Using a previously opened bottle of wine for Kiddush (the sanctification recited over win...
What is the Shehecheyanu blessing?
The Shehecheyanu (שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ) is one of Judaism's most beloved blessings, recited to express gratitude to God for enabling us to reach a significant or j...
What are the Sukkot prayers?
Sukkot Prayers: A Comprehensive Guide The prayers of Sukkot (Chag HaSukkot — the Festival of Booths) follow the standard Yom Tov (festival) liturgy with se...
What are the rules of passover kosher?
Passover Kosher Laws (Kashrut shel Pesach) Passover has its own unique set of dietary laws that go significantly beyond year-round kashrut (kosher law). Th...
What is Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals)?
Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) is the set of blessings recited after eating a meal that included bread. It is a Torah-level commandment (mitzvah d'orai...
Drinking alcohol during 9 days
Drinking wine and other alcoholic beverages is restricted during the Nine Days (the first nine days of Av) as part of the mourning practices observed before Tis
Why can’t Jews eat milk and meat together
The Torah prohibition against mixing meat and milk derives from a verse repeated three times in the Torah: "לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמּוֹ" — "You sh...
What are all of the sources that one can wear glasses on Shabbat without an eruv?
The question of wearing glasses on Shabbat without an eruv (a halachic boundary enabling carrying) touches on whether glasses constitute a "burden" (masa) or a
What is the Tashlich prayer?
Tashlich (תַּשְׁלִיךְ, literally "you shall cast") is a Rosh Hashanah custom in which Jews go to a body of water after the Mincha (afternoon) prayer and re...
What is the different minchag of either one hole or two holes in a Tallit Katan
The custom of one hole vs. two holes in a Tallit Katan (small four-cornered garment) is a fascinating dispute rooted in how we understand the construction of th
Can you feed your kids hot dogs on Tisha B'Av?
The question of feeding children on Tisha B'Av touches on the halachic distinction between adults, who are obligated to fast, and minors, who are generally not.
What is the Kaddish prayer?
The Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) is one of Judaism's most recognized and important prayers, a doxology — a declaration of praise to God — written primarily in Aramai...
What is the meaning of amidah?
The word Amidah (עֲמִידָה) literally means "standing," derived from the Hebrew root amd (עמד), referring to the act of standing in prayer. It is the centra...
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