We are a group of 15 Persian bnei Torah from the Tila Shul in Los Angeles who came to Eretz Yisroel to learn in Rabbi Travis’ kollel for a week, specifically to study the sugya of uvdin dechol b’iyun . We have a number of questions about the sugya that we would like to ask Rav Auerbach. Traveling in a Luxury Railroad Car on Shabbos Question We studied a teshuvah from the Chasam Sofer (6:97), who rules that riding on a train is uvdin dechol , because it takes a person

Question I was recently learning the Gemara in Shabbos 146b, which states that the Torah forbids shaking off a garment on Shabbos . While Rashi explains that this is referring to removing dust, Tosafos explains that the Gemara is referring to shaking off dew. When one shakes off this dew, it is as though one has cleaned the garment on Shabbos . I have a few questions to ask Rav Auerbach about how to apply this Gemara as far as halacha lemaaseh is concerned. I am not re

Six-Man Second Day Shacharis Minyan Question I have been part of a Pesach program at the Nir Etzion kibbutz in Israel. While most of the participants speak English, they live in Israel and keep one day of Yom Tov . There are six of us in the hotel who keep two days, and we are still in the hotel for the last day of Yom Tov . I would like to know if I can ask four Israelis who already davened the weekday Shacharis to join with us to make a second-day minyan . Ari G. Rav Za

Question I live in Beit Shemesh, and boruch Hashem many miracles have taken place during the current war, though last week a great tragedy took place in our community. Our shul took a direct hit from a missile, and nine people were killed, including three children from the Bitton family. All of us are trying to figure out how to do teshuvah , and I was wondering if we should consider the fact that some of the casualties took place in a bomb shelter in a shul . It also seems

Question I own a small winery in the north of Eretz Yisroel, where we produce some of the finest vintage wines on the market. Some of these wines are sold in boutique wine stores, but most of our business comes through private orders. Each year, on Purim day, I send one of our workers to deliver an exquisitely packaged mishloach manos to our regular clients. The mishloach manos contains a small bottle of our top vintage wine together with a delicious challah , baked that d

Question We wrote a few months ago about our daughter, who is in the psychiatric ward of a hospital in Yerushalayim with a diagnosis of schizophrenia. Boruch Hashem , she was given a drug called Leponex, and there was significant improvement and she was released from the hospital. However, the drug has a side effect in that it can lower the white blood cell count, which is dangerous, and the medication had to be stopped. As a result, the symptoms have returned and we are at a

Question The Gemara says that the way to protect oneself from chevlei Moshiach is to be misaseik , heavily involved, in Torah and gemillus chassodim . I can understand that it is possible for a man to be misaseik in Torah in this way, but I do not know what it means for a man to be misaseik in gemillus chassodim . Wouldn’t this prevent him from fulfilling the other responsibilities he has, such as Torah study? Can the rov please explain what this means? Rav Dovid Cohen

Question I had ACL surgery last year on my knee and I am currently suffering from great pain all over my body. I have done a lot of teshuvah and tefillah as a result, and have also pursued significant physical therapy and medical hishtadlus to get rid of these pains. At this point, I am thinking that maybe I should just accept this pain as a Divine decree and forget about doing more hishtadlus . Alternatively, I was thinking about doing a homeopathic treatment or trying Ch

Question I am originally from Manchester and have been living in Eretz Yisroel for the past six years. My wife, who has been extremely dedicated to me during this time, would currently like to go back to England for two reasons. The first reason is that she is worried about the dangerous situation here in Eretz Yisroel. The frequent missile attacks were very hard for her, and now there is daily talk of an imminent attack from Iran. The second reason she wants to go back is th

Question I am a cigarette addict, and it is very hard for me to go through Shabbos without smoking. Although I certainly have no intention to smoke on Shabbos , I have always been looking for a kosher substitute. Recently, I discovered nicotine pouches, which are paper sacks filled with nicotine that one places in his mouth and the nicotine gets absorbed into one’s system. These nicotine pouches really help me on Shabbos , and I would like to use them regularly. However, it

Question I saw a clip where Rav Sternbuch paskened that a sick person should get better and the person got better. How exactly does this work? It sounds a little bit mystical to me and I would like to clarify the following issues: 1. What is the source for this practice? 2. Exactly how does this work? 3. Is this practice applicable in today’s day and age? 4. Are there other gedolim who agree with this approach? Thank you. Y.K. Rav Sternbuch The Shach in Shulchan Aruch (

Question I was on a bus in Eretz Yisroel, and suddenly a terrorist started to shoot bullets in the direction of the bus. Boruch Hashem , no one on the bus was injured, but at the moment, it certainly felt like we were hovering between life and death. All of us who were on that bus have the following question: Should we recite Birkas Hagomel because we were potentially in great danger, or perhaps because no one was actually hurt we are not meant to recite this brocha ? Also,