Cell Phone on Shabbat
Q: I have a relative who is a Holocaust survivor
and on Shabbat she was telling me what she went through. Suddenly, she pulled out a cell phone and
showed me a picture. Did I commit a
transgression?
A: No. This is
considered a benefit that comes to a person against his will. Pesachim 25b.
Exercising on Shabbat
Q: Is it permissible for me to
exercise on Shabbat if it saves me from depression and lying in bed the entire
day?
A: Certainly.
Aliyah or More Religious
Q: Which is preferable - to make Aliyah or to be
more religious outside of Israel?
A: Good question, but in the long run, the Exile
is spiritually dangerous.
Comparing Jews to Nazis
Q: A high-ranking Tzahal officer compared Jews to Nazis. How should we relate to this?
A: This is what is called "Godwin's Law". If a
discussion goes on long enough, sooner or later someone will compare someone else
to Hitler. This obviously causes the
entire value of the discussion to be lost (see "Godwin's Law" in
Wikipedia).
Protection for a Mourner
Q: If a mourner needs to walk in the street, does he require
an escort?
A: If there are other Jews in the street, he does not require
an escort. A bride and groom require an
escort since they are similar to a queen and king. A mourner, however, requires an escort so he
will not be alone, and if others are in the street, he will not be alone. See Piskei Teshuvot 239:11 (When Rav Aviner
was sitting Shiva for his mother z"l, he came to the Yeshiva one morning
so that the students could pay a Shiva call without having to travel far and thus
missing Torah learning. He told me that
when he walked through the Kotel Plaza, he did not require an escort, but when
he walked through the so-called Muslim Quarter he would need one).
Error in Number of Loops on Tzitzit
Q: Does an error in the number of loops on Tzitzit make them
invalid?
A: No.
Babylonian Talmud
Q: Why do we learn the Babylonian Talmud which is from the
Exile and not the Jerusalem Talmud, which is a product of Eretz Yisrael?
A: 1. The Babylonian Talmud is written extensively and there
are many commentaries on it, while the Jerusalem Talmud is written briefly and has
merited few commentaries. 2. The
Babylonian Talmud is not exilic. It is
an expansion of the Mishnah, which is a product of Eretz Yisrael.
Army in the Time of Mashiach
Q: Will there be an army during the time of the Mashiach?
A: Yes. The Mashiach
will wage great wars. See Rambam,
Hilchot Melachim Chapters 11-12.
Q: But it is written: "Beat
your plowshares into swords, and your pruning-hooks into spears"
(Yoel 3:10)?
A: That will occur much later. See Rambam, ibid.
Dulling of the Heart to Save One's Life
Q: If someone is obligated to eat non-Kosher food because he
is in a life-threatening situation, does the food cause him "dulling
of the heart" (dulling of one's spiritual sense, "Timtum Ha-Lev")?
A:
No. Maran Ha-Rav Kook writes in his book "Musar Avicha" (p. 19) that
the dulling of one's heart comes from violating a prohibition and not from the
food itself (Yoma 39a. And see Meharsha
on Shabbat 33a). Therefore, someone who
eats non-Kosher food which is permitted to him, does not experience a
"dulling of the heart" (Ha-Griz Soloveitchik, the Brisker Rav, also
holds this way. Uvdot Ve-Hanhagot
Mei-Beit Brisk Volume 2, p. 50. As well
as Ha-Rav Chaim Kanievski in his book "Orchot Yosher" #13).
