Bitul Torah
Q: What is the definition of Bitul Torah? Is every moment that I am not learning Torah
considered Bitul Torah?
A: Each person according to his level. The more one learns Torah, the more
praiseworthy. See Or Sameach, beginning
of Hilchot Talmud Torah.
Personal Prayers
Q: Is a personal prayer from the heart equal to a prayer from
the Siddur, or is it even greater?
A: It is less. The
prayers from the Siddur came from the heart of the Members of the Great
Assembly (Anshei Knesset Ha-Gedolah) which included prophets. They are the heart of Klal Yisrael. A personal prayer is therefore an addition to
the prayers in the Siddur and not a substitute of them.
Chabad
Q: Is it idol worship for Chabadniks to say that the Rebbe is
alive and is the Messiah, and to Daven to his picture?
A: They exaggerate, but one who says this is idol worship is
also exaggerating.
Burying Dentures
Q: Is there an obligation to bury dentures with a person who
passed away?
A: No (See Berachot 5b that Rabbi Yochanan would carry a bone
[smaller than the size of a piece of barley which would spread impurity – Rashi
ibid.] or a tooth [Rashbam on Baba Batra 116a] of his tenth son who died, in
order to comfort others who had a loss.
We learn from here that it is not even required to bury an actual
tooth. See Shut Yabia Omer Volume 3, Yoreh
Deah #21. Shut Tzitz Eliezer 10:5
#8. And see Shut Mishneh Halachot 16:113
who brings a few opinions that one is un fact required to bury a tooth. And he also relates there that although the
Noda Bi-Yehudah held that there is no obligation to bury a tooth, he appeared
to his son, Ha-Rav Shmuel Landau, in a
dream and told him to bury his tooth which he left on a bookshelf. Ha-Rav Shmuel miraculously found the tooth).
Maran
Ha-Rav Kook and JNF Tzedakah Boxes
Q:
I heard in a class by a Charedi Rabbi that Rav Kook preferred Eretz Yisrael
over the Torah, and he therefore ruled to remove the Tzedakah boxes of Rabbi
Meir Baal Ha-Nes and replace them with JNF Tzedakah boxes.
A:
It is a lie! On the contrary, Maran Ha-Rav Kook ruled that the Tzedakah
boxes of Rabbi Meir Baal Ha-Nes should remain affixed in the wall, as was the
custom, and that the JNF Tzedakah boxes should be placed on the table.
Shut Da'at Cohain (#136).
Marriage, Army, Studies
Q: What is the proper order: Marriage, army, studies?
A: Studies, army and then marriage. This is in general. But for specific cases, one should ask a Rabbi
who knows the individual.
Name Not in the Tanach
Q: Is it permissible to give a child a name which does not
appear in the Tanach?
A: Certainly. For
example, Rabbi Tarfon, Rabbi Akiva, etc.
