When Yehudah’s friend the Adulami was unable to locate Tamar, Yehudah reacts: "What can I do? This will lead to an embarrassing situation." This sounds like a good week (parshas Va’Yeshev) to study: By Rabbi Yirmiyohu Kaganoff Question # 1:  My boss asked me to attend a lunch meeting with a new client in a [...]

In parshas Va’Yishlach Yaakov needed to make very important and practical life decisions with major long-term ramifications, when he heard that Esav was approaching with his army of 400 men; these decisions were made based on his halachic and hashkafic background. We also have similar decisions to make. With this introduction, I bring you: Question [...]

When reading the parsha in which Rochel "stole" her father’s idols, I thought it appropriate for us to study: Miriam recently asked me these two questions regarding avodah zarah: 1) I received some figurines from a museum shop which resemble various Egyptian gods. May I keep them to demonstrate at the Seder what silly gods [...]

Because the beginning of the parsha (Chayey Sarah) discusses Yitzchak’s intense tefillos… Question: Wanderings of the Mind Mutti Kulis* calls me with the following predicament: "Despite my best intentions, my mind sometimes wanders during davening, although I really wish I could focus always on building my relationship with Hashem. I recently discovered that the Mishnah [...]

In this week’s parsha, Avraham tells the King of Sodom that he (Avraham) will not keep "even a thread or even a shoelace" from the booty of Sodom, although all of Sodom and its populace are rightfully his property as spoils of war. The Gemara teaches that as a reward for this, Avraham’s descendents were [...]

Sorry, there are a few corrections to the last article… It’s the same article, the Rav just changed the name, and there were a couple of real corrections. When Noach offered his korbanos after the Mabul, Hashem promised that the days of the earth will never again be changed, and that day and night will [...]

One of the curses recorded in this week’s parsha, is against someone who moves the border. In halachic terms, hasagas gevul, moving borders also includes infringes on someone’s property rights. Does a publisher have rights protecting him so that he has the opportunity to recoup his investment? Assuming that such rights exist, do they apply [...]

Question #1:

Raphael* sent me an e-mail which included an attachment with the layout of his new apartment (see attachment entitled “map”). He wants to know whether he needs to place a mezuzah at the doorway out of the lounge marked “Sofek 1″, and also whether the entrance to the kitchen requires a mezuzah. Both instances are not architecturally proper doorways, but entrances formed by walls.

Click to download Apt map pdf

*Although all questions mentioned here are authentic, names have been changed to protect each individual’s privacy.

Question #2:

Yisroel sent me photographs of his hallway to determine whether he needs to place a mezuzah at its entrance (see attachment entitled “is this a mashkof”).

Question #1:

Shirley mentions to her friend: “I do not understand why people are concerned about using only chalav Yisrael. Do they really think that someone is adding pig’s milk?”

Question #2:

Muttie inquires: “My friend quoted his rav that it is more important to keep chalav Yisrael today than it ever was before. How could this be?”

This week’s parsha closes by mentioning that the daughters of Tzelafchad succeeded in finding husbands. I am certain that they had no secrets to disturb their shidduchin from happening, but what would happen if they did? Would they have been required to “spill the beans,” or could they have kept these dark secrets to themselves? [...]