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,

Question I am a marbitz Torah  and I use my voice heavily to give many shiurim . I have also written many seforim . Recently, I came across difficulty with both of these issues, and I needed to hire people to help me with them. I wanted to ask the rov about problems I encountered. I was getting very hoarse from so much speaking, so I hired someone to give me voice lessons. I looked into a specific individual who offers private voice lessons, and I was told by someone else who

Question I am working at a camp this summer where there is only one minyan for Mincha. Sometimes, due to the nature of my job, I find myself without a hat and jacket during the time for that one Mincha minyan. Should I daven with that minyan without a hat and jacket, or should I daven later with a hat and jacket (as I do at all other times) without a minyan. Tuvia Rav Auerbach  You would never even consider going in front of a king without the proper attire. In the same lig

Question I was recently offered to purchase a laundromat in a non-Jewish neighborhood. The business consists of a number of washing machines and dryers that are coin-operated. It sounds like a good investment and I would like to go ahead with it. However, this operation is open 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. My question is: What should I do about Shabbos ? Thank you. A. D. Rav Auerbach   You may certainly go ahead with this deal and I give you my brocha that it should brin

Question This week, the weather reports are predicting that there will be a snowstorm here in Yerushalayim. My children are very excited about the possibility of snow and have been davening with great passion for the weather forecasters to be right and that there should be a snowstorm. One of them asked me if they could say mashiv horuach umorid hasheleg to daven for snow instead of the regular wording of mashiv hiruach umorid hageshem. Thanks. G. Y. Rav Auerbach  The chach