Did Italy Exist in Moshe’s Time?

Did Italy Exist in Moshe’s Time?

Spelling “Tverya” with an alef or hei * In a kesubah or get, should the city name Tverya be spelled with an alef, as found throughout Shas, or with a hei, as in modern Hebrew? * If the city is named after the Roman emperor Tiberius, how could the Gemara say it is called Tverya because of “tovah re’iyasah” (its good vision) or because it sits at the “tabur” (belly) of Eretz Yisrael? * How does this compare to the term “Sanhedrin,” a Greek word, being commonly usedin Chazal instead of the Torah terms shoftim or dayanim? Calabrian esrogim in Moshe Rabbeinu’s time * Why is there a Chabad tradition to use esrogim specifically from Calabria, Italy? * If the Gemara says Italy came into existence only when Shlomo HaMelech married the daughter of Pharaoh, how could shluchim have brought esrogim from Calabria in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu? * Which sources indicate that Italy existed already at Matan Torah, and how is the contradiction resolved? * What about the bracha of “oseh ma’aseh bereishis” on Italian mountains, or the date for reading the Megillah in a walled Italian city? Makeup on Shabbos during shiva * May a woman sitting shiva put on makeup for Shabbos if she does so every single Shabbos, given that its absence would be noticeable aveilus b’farhesya (public mourning)? * Is refraining from a routine practice itself considered public mourning, comparable to not wearing shoes or not eating meat when Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbos? * Does it matter that the makeup would need to be applied before Shabbos, while the shiva restrictions are still fully in force? * What about cutting overgrown hair or shaving (a discussion onto itself) during shiva, when their absence would be noticeable on Shabbos? Cochlear implants in halacha * Is one who hears only through a cochlear implant yotzei hearing shofar, Megillah, Kiddush, and Havdalah? * Why do most poskim consider hearing aids to produce a new artificial sound rather than halachic hearing? * Is a cochlear implant better than a hearing aid because it stimulates the hearing nerve directly, or is it a bigger problem because no actual sound is heard at all? * Why are glasses considered real seeing, while a camera wired directly to the nerve would not be? Calling someone by his father’s nickname * May a bochur in camp call a friend by a nickname that is identical to his father’s unusual nickname (a shem peli)? * Does the prohibition against calling others by one’s father’s name apply only in the father’s presence, or even away from him? * Is this an actual issur or a matter of kavod? * How rare must the name be for the concern to apply, and does the likelihood that the father is mochel create room for leniency?

Sending a Shabbos Goy to prevent a Kashrus mishap

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Kiddushin ring alternatives:  •         When the chassan’s ring is lost, is it preferable to use a borrowed ring or a coin? •         May a paper bill or contemporary coin, which have no intrinsic value, be used for kiddushin the way a valuable coin could? •         What are the halachic advantages of using a ring specifically? •         Is it an option to use both a coin and a borrowed ring together, or would that backfire? Sending a Shabbos Goy to prevent a kashrus mishap •         May one ask a non-Jew to drive on Shabbos to warn people about milchig dessert at a sheva brachos? •         Can a non-Jew be asked to do a melacha d’oraisa for a mitzvah need? •         Does “michshol derabim” justify asking a non-Jew to do melacha? •         What is actually the true nature of the michshol in the case of an unknown milchig dessert or torn eruv? •         Does the possibility that one of the participants might be dangerously allergic to dairy create a pikuach nefesh justification? Making up tachanun and v’hu rachum •         If tachanun and v’hu rachum were skipped by mistake, e.g., in the mistaken belief that a bris would follow, must they be made up later, such as at mincha? •         Does the Alter Rebbe’s ruling that one who was genuinely exempt (as in a mourner’s home) need not make them up apply equally when the omission was simply an error? •         Does the status of v’hu rachum being a direct continuation to Shemoneh Esrei depend on the nusach, whether v’hu rachum is recited before or after tachanun? •         If the chazzan mistakenly recited Kaddish instead of tachanun, should he go back and say tachanun? Mezuza placement on a side door •         For a side door, as opposed to the front door, is the mezuza placed according to heker tzir (the way the door opens)? •         Was the Rebbe’s printed response on this a definitive ruling, or did the Rebbe in fact leave the matter as an open question, illustrating the broader concern that printed ma’anos can contain copying errors? “HaMerachem” vs. “VeHaMerachem” in Modim •         Why does the Chabad nusach say HaMerachem on weekdays but veHaMerachem on Shabbos and Yom Tov? •         Does the veHaMerachem form extend to the mussaf of Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed? •         What variances in this regard do we know from the practice of the Rebbeim? Eating meat during shiva and on Shabbos •         Is the practice in some communities to refrain from meat throughout shiva (beyond the period of aninus) a legitimate minhag, and would someone who kept it need hataras nedarim to eat meat? •         What is the common minhag in our circles regarding this? •         What is the significance of eating meat on Shabbos as an expression of simcha, such that we do so even when Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbos?

Can ChatGPT Pasken Halacha?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Challah knives * Is there a preference to use a smooth knife over a serrated one for cutting challah on Shabbos? * Does a serrated knife create a halachic concern because it has “pegimos”? * What are the reasons for sharpening knives before Shabbos? And does it apply to serrated knives? AI and psak: * Is it halachically proper to rely on AI for halachic rulings? Does a posek need to be human? * Theoretically, if and when an AI were perfectly accurate, would that change the halachic status of using it for answering shailos? * What are the dangers involved in asking halachic questions to AI? Bracha on tzitzis: * When is a bracha on tallis katan appropriate, and when should the tallis gadol cover it? * Is wearing “night tzitzis” a good idea or does it become a kesus lailah (a garment designated for sleeping)? * What is the best way to arrange the rotation of tzitzis to be able to make the bracha every morning? * Is the interruption of a night’s sleep sufficient to require a new bracha in the morning? Birchas kohanim at a chuppah:  * Is a kohen obligated to go up for birchas kohanim when called independent of davening (e.g. at a chuppah)? * Why do non-kohanim use the nusach of birchas kohanim when blessing children?

Typos in the Rebbe’s Printed Letters, or Edits?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Tznius for young girls: * At what age does a girl need to start dressing tzniusly? From what age does a young girl’s ervah and tefach megulah present a problem for a man saying krias Shema? What sources do we have from the Rebbe regarding this? Typos and edits in the Rebbe’s letters:  * How should we deal with typos in printed letters in Likkutei Sichos and Igros Kodesh? * From what sources were the letters in the hosafos to Likkutei Sichos drawn? * May later printed editions possibly reflect the Rebbe’s subsequent edits to the original letter? And what are examples of this? Newly published notes of the Rebbe Rashab: * What is the background behind the recently published Toras Shalom – Hagahos Al Sefer Kaf HaChaim? Stepping forward after Shemoneh Esrei:  * We normally wait until the Chazzan is about to reach Kedusha before returning to our place after Shemoneh Esrei. Since there’s no repetition at Maariv, when do we step forward? * On Friday night, when do we step forward relative to the Me’ein Sheva recited after Shemoneh Esrei? * If Kedusha starts immediately, do the three steps back need to be followed by a wait, or can one return right away? Asher Yatzar in morning berachos:  * Should one say Asher Yatzar in the morning even without having used the bathroom? * Is there a basis for saying it as a fixed part of the morning routine? Rounded corner for kapota:  * How rounded does a corner have to be for a kapota or blanket to be exempt from tzitzis? * Must the entire corner of 3 by 3 etzbaos (approx. 2.5 inches) be rounded? Kaddish said by a child:  * Can a child say Kaddish alone, or must another adult say Kaddish together with him? * Does it matter what type of Kaddish it is (e.g., yasom, derabanan)? Tucked-in tzitzis and tefillin straps:  * Is there a halachic concern for tzitzis strings or tefillin straps to be tucked into a gartel? * How does this differ from the gartel or bendel worn on top of a tallis katan to keep it fully spread out? * How should the front and back tzitzis strings be positioned when tucking them in? Reciting Ketores by heart: * May Ketores be said by heart? * What is the concern when reciting it from memory, and what practical steps can be taken to mitigate this concern?

Accidentally Knocked Laptop Off of Shtender - Must He Pay?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Neder to Hear Kiddush Only from Husband:  * If a woman committed to hear Kiddush only from her husband, does she need hataras nedarim when that’s not possible? * Does it make a difference whether the commitment was mental or verbal? * Can hataras nedarim for this purpose be done on Shabbos? Transporting a Sefer Torah:  * May a Sefer Torah be taken out to a park for Krias HaTorah (e.g., for children to hear Aseres Hadibros)? * Does having ten people walk along with the Sefer Torah make it permitted? * What is the context of the Rebbe’s request for children to hear the Aseres Hadibros, and what is the proper way to fulfill it? Eruv Tavshilin:  * Can a person appoint a Rov through a phone system as his shliach to make an eruv tavshilin on his behalf in case he forgets? * Does an eruv tavshilin need to be made with the person’s own food? * Does the host’s eruv tavshilin exempt guests who are eating over but sleeping elsewhere? * When do the guests need to be eating over to be included: on erev yom tov, on yom tov, or on Shabbos? What should the guests do practically? Kesubah Design:  * Is it proper to use the pasuk “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” in a kesubah design? * Are decorative pesukim on a kesubah appropriate in general? * Is there a problem if the design makes the kesubah text hard to read? Responsibility for Breaking a Laptop:  * A person was stretching in a beis midrash and accidentally knocked a laptop off a nearby shtender: what factors do we account for to decide whether he must pay for the damage? * Is a person ever not held responsible for absolute accidents?