Ascending onto the Temple Mount
Q: Perhaps the time has arrived to permit going onto the
Temple Mount! Although the Chief
Rabbinate of Israel prohibits it, a huge number of Jews goes up!
A: Not true. This is a
marginal phenomenon. The number of Jews
who have ascended over the last five years are: 5658, 5792, 7724, 8247 and
8528. And this is out of the 300,000-400,000
tourists who visit there annually!
Baseless Hatred
Q: It has been said that the Chafetz Chaim appeared to one of
the great Kabbalists and said that the Redemption is being delayed because of
Lashon Ha-Ra. Should I believe this?
A: It is true, but we do not need a revelation in a dream in
order to know this (see Netziv, Ha-Emek Davar in the introduction to Sefer
Bereshit).
SMS Questions
Q: Does Ha-Rav only answer halachic questions or also
questions of Emunah?
A: All questions, time permitting. If there is not time, halachic questions take
precedence. Rambam, Hilchot Talmud
Torah, end of Chapter 4.
Clothing in which One Sleeps
Q: Is it permissible to wear clothing in which one sleeps?
A: It is permissible. The
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 71:5 writes that one should not do so, but the Halachah
does not follow his opinion (see Ha-Rav's commentary on Kitzur Shulchan Aruch
ibid.).
Cross on Swiss Flag
Q: Is it permissible to buy a product on which the Swiss flag
appears, such as a Swiss Army knife or back pack, since it has a cross on it?
A: According to the basic halachah, it is permissible, since
although the cross was originally associated with idol worship, it is used here
merely as a symbol. No one worships the
flag or treats it with special honor.
Furthermore, a person does not purchase the item because of the cross. It just happens to be on it. It is similar to the statue of Aphrodite
which was placed by the Romans in the bathhouse. It was permissible to enter the place despite
the statue's presence (Avodah Zarah 44b).
For this reason, Ha-Rav Moshe Feinstein also permits using a stamp with
a cross on it (Shut Igrot Moshe, Yoreh Deah 1:69). However, one should distance himself from the
unseemly and anything similar to it, and one should therefore scratch out the
cross.
Prophet who was a Convert
Q: Was there ever a prophet who was a convert?
A: Ovadiah Ha-Navi.
Nuclear Bomb
Q: Is there any truth to what one Rabbi said that a nuclear
bomb will fall on Israel in the next month?
What will happen to our children?
A: Nonsense. By the
way, even if – G-d forbid – a nuclear bomb fell on the most populated area in
Israel, i.e. the holy city of Tel Aviv, there would be 10,000 deaths, which is
equivalent to the number of people who die each year in Israel from
smoking. But in reality, this is all
nonsense.
Yiddish
Q: Was Rabbenu Ha-Rav Tzvi Yehudah particular not to speak
Yiddish?
A: He spoke Hebrew, unless there was someone who did not understand
and only spoke Yiddish. But this was
rare.
