Ha-Rav
answers hundreds of text message questions a day! Here's a sample:
Mourning
for a Non-Jew
Q:
Does a person sit Shiva for a non-Jewish parent?
A:
He is not obligated, but he may do so as a sign of gratitude (Shut Yechaveh
Da'at 6:60. See also Shut Igrot Moshe,
Yoreh Deah 2:130).
Skirt Length
Q: What is the necessary
length of a skirt?
A: Some say it should be down
to the floor, and others say 10 centimeters below the knee, so that even while
sitting the knees are covered (Shut She'eilat Shlomo 1:449).
Honoring Rabbis
Q: Should one honor Rabbis
who support learning Tanach "Be-Gova
Einayim" (literally, "at the height of the eyes", meaning
looking at the holy individuals of the Tanach as they do other people)?
A:
Certainly. There is no question
here. One should honor ALL Rabbis, even
if we do not understand their words (Ma'amrei Ha-Re'eiyah, p. 56).
Separating Terumot and
Ma'asrot from Seaweed
Q: Is it required to separate
Terumot and Ma'asrot from seaweed?
A: No, since it does not grow
from the ground. The same applies to
mushrooms (Rambam, Terumot 2:1). But one
must check that they are Kosher, since they have many bugs in them.
Reward and Punishment
Q: Do Mitzvot and
transgressions cancel each other out?
A: No. One is rewarded for the Mitzvot and one must
repent for the transgressions, and then they are erased.
Optimism
Q: Isn't optimism naivety?
A: No. This is great intellect, since: 1. There is
more good than bad in the word. 2. The
amount of goodness slowly continues to increase (Moreh Nevuchim 3:12).
Women's Section in Shul
Q: Is it permissible for me
to crochet while I [a woman] am listening to a Torah class in Shul from the
Ezrat Nashim?
A: Yes. The Ezrat Nashim possesses
a lower level of Kedushah than the main Shul area, and there is no frivolity in
crocheting. See Chochmat Adam 86:15.
Q: Nursing?
A: Ibid. Modestly.
Guarding One's Tongue
Q: What is the benefit of
trying to stop speaking Lashon Ha-Ra if I am bound to stumble?
A: Wage war in order to have
as much pure speech as possible. Sefer
Shemirat Ha-Lashon.
Friend's Tefillin
Q: Is it permissible for me
to take my friend's Talit and Tefillin without his permission – since a person
is happy when Mitzvot are performed with his possessions, as is written in Baba
Metzia 29b?
A: Not in our times, since
people are sensitive and particular about such things. Aruch Hashulchan, Orach Chaim 14:11. Ben Ish Chai, Lech Lecha #6.
