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

Question I have been working for the last three years on writing a novel based on Rabbi Travis’s Torah series “Thanking Hashem When Things Look Bad.” Boruch Hashem , after much work, we finished the manuscript, hired a top designer to produce a stunning cover, and were finally ready to go to print…or so we thought. Our shailah relates to the cover of the book . The top half of the cover has the title of the book, Yedidya , written on a dark blue background of a star-filled ni

Question My wife runs a gan in our home, and I have the following question. At the end of siman 21 in Even Ha’ezer , se’if 20, the Shulchan Aruch rules that women should not teach boys, as this could lead to a problem of yichud when the father comes to pick them up. My wife runs a gan in our home and I was wondering if the same issur applies to her. Thank You Rav Zafrani There are many schools today that have women teaching younger boys. The reason this does not confli

Question My wife goes crazy when the dishes are in the sink over Shabbos . She heard that there is a heter to wash them if it bothers her. Is this the halacha ? Thanks. Rav Zafrani The first thing you need to do is make sure that the dishes are being washed without a problem of meleches sechitah , such as by using netting and not a sponge. Even if that is the case, I do not feel that the mess justifies washing the dishes on Shabbos . If one will not need the dishes for the r

Question I am a yungerman who just got married, and I am currently living and learning in Yerushalayim. I was studying here in Yerushalayim as a bochur , and I have to tell the rov that I am completely confused about when the proper time to light Chanukah candles is. On one hand, I see many people literally running home early to light the menorah exactly at shkiah . They look at their watches and are makpid to the second to light the menorah at shkiah . On the other han

Question Last year on the second night of Chanukah, after reciting l’hadlik ner shel Chanukah I accidentally recited the beracha of shechiyanu . After I realized my mistake, I recited she’asah nisim . This year I was studying the Gemara Shabbos 23a that says that on the second night of Chanukah we only make two berachos, and there is a question in the Gemara which one to leave out. This got me wondering, since last year I already made two berachos , did I act correctly by