Ask the Rabbi

Question: When a son recites Kaddish for his parents, can they hear it? Also when he recites Kaddish, are the souls elevated to a higher place? Ben Glassman

Question: Since learning Torah on Tisha B’Av is forbidden, why are we allowed to read from the Torah at Shacharit and Mincha of Tisha B’Av? (And is an aveil also forbidden to learn Torah?) Menachem

Question: Why do we start counting sefirat ha’omer in chutz la’aretz on the second night of Pesach when the omer in the times of the Beit Hamikdash was cut on Chol HaMoed? M. Goldman (Via E-Mail)

Question: We learn that the proper placement is by the side of the outside door, but if there is danger one may place them on his table inside the house. If the danger is that hostile gentiles might persecute him, isn’t there the same worry if the menorah is placed indoors?... How would one light in such a circumstance? Menachem Via e-mail

Question: When reciting a berachah in English, does a person fulfill his obligation if he says “Hashem” instead of “L-rd” or “G-d”? Yosef

Question: If a person was ill on Shabbos and unable to go to shul to hear Keri’at haTorah, must he have someone read it to him in shul upon his recovery? Sincerely, Isaac Greenberg

What is the exact meaning of amen and where does the word come from? David H. (Via E-Mail)

Question: Looking back at the past Yomim Tovim, I am left with the following question: What is the reason for the unusual practice of the chazzan reciting shehecheyanu on Yom Kippur night? Elimelech Feldman (Via Email)

Question: Since my daughter in high school started researching the topic of shemot for her school newspaper, I have become more and more confused. Does shemot only include items, such as books and sheets of papers, with Hashem’s name on them? Or does it even include items containing Torah concepts or even just Hebrew letters? For example, how do you advise I dispose of The Jewish Press? Finally, concerning Hashem’s name, must the name be spelled out fully in Hebrew to constitute shemot? What if it is in English in abbreviated form – “G-d,” for example? Shlomo Newfield (Via E-Mail)

Question: Should a person who only went to sleep after dawn say a berachah after netilat yadayim when he wakes up? M. Goldman Miami Beach

Dear Rabbi Klass, As most of us know, now that it’s the month of Elul, we say the 27th chapter of Tehillim until Shemini Atzeret (“L’David Hashem Ori – [A Psalm] of David: The Lord is my light”). The second verse states: “Bikrov alay me’rei m le’echol et besarai… – When evildoers approach me to devour my flesh….” Why does it not say “reshaim – wicked ones” or “anashim raim – evil people?” Tzila Kleinbart Brooklyn, N.Y.

Question: Should the congregation say “Amen” after the berachah of “habocher b’amo Yisrael b’ahavah” (right before Shema)? I have seen different shuls do different things. M. Goldman

Question: I have two questions regarding Pirkei Avot. First, is there a specific reason that the last chapter is read on the Sabbath before Shavuot, or is this just a quirk of the calendar? Second, in that last chapter we find a list of qualities that enable one to acquire Torah knowledge, including anavah, humility. I find this difficult to believe in light of the Gemara in Gittin that chastises one of the scholars for his anavah, saying that it ultimately caused the destruction of the Beit Hamikdash. Zvi Kirschner (Via E-Mail)

QUESTION: I am presently nursing. I would like to know until what age it is permissible to nurse my child soon after feeding him chicken. In general, how long do we wait between eating meat and dairy?A Concerned MotherNew York City

Question: I am very appreciative and, if I might add, flattered that you answer and publish many of my questions. Due to your superior knowledge, I am always confident when I send in a question that I will receive a proper response. I wonder if you could address whether one should say Birkat HaGomel after flying even though flying is statistically safer than driving. Also, do women say HaGomel as well or only men? Menachem

Question: I have read in the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch that an individual praying without a minyan does not recite the Selichot written in Aramaic. What is the reason? Moshe Jakobowitz Brooklyn, NY

Question: Is one obligated to stand while the shliach tzibbur repeats the Shemoneh Esreh? I have observed that some people stand during the whole repetition of the Amida while others sit most of the time. Menachem

Over the last several years, a number of European countries have outlawed shechitah (Jewish ritual slaughter). The latest, disturbingly, is Poland where shechitah opponents portray it as being cruel. Is there anything that we in the Jewish community can do to counter this trend? Jay Alt (Via E-Mail)

QUESTION: If a shul's (or a minyan's) rabbi does not indicate to the sheliach tzibbur to go ahead at the end of the Shema or at the beginning of Chazarat HaShatz, should the gabbai tell him to go ahead, or does he wait until the rabbi finishes? To which should greater consideration be given by the gabbai: kibbud HaRav or tircha detzibbura?Steven LittwinRiverdale, N.Y.

Question: When reciting a berachah in English, does a person fulfill his obligation if he says “Hashem” instead of “L-rd” or “G-d”? Yosef

Question: In the many shuls that I've attended, I observe that there are people who recite the Kaddish silently. Is this correct? I’ve also seen Kaddish recited by some at a cemetery without a minyan. Is there any reason to sanction this? Charles Rosen Via Email

Question: First, why aren’t we obligated to recite Shema on Pesach night? Second, why does the Haggadah not mention Moses, the greatest Jew who ever lived and who was instrumental in our delivery from Egypt? Zvi Kirschner

Question: Where does the name Elul come from? Also, how can Elul be both the last month of the year and the prequel to the holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur) that occur in the following month, Tishrei, the first month of the new year? Finally, can you please discuss the religious practices of Elul? M. Goldman Miami Beach, FL

Question: Is one allowed to use an electric slow cooker (such as a Crock-Pot) that fits into another pot for the purpose of maintaining hot food on Shabbos? M. Goldblum

In February we conducted a thorough discussion of the mitzvah of techeilet. The following guest piece by Baruch Sterman, marking 20 years since the establishment of the Ptil Tekhelet Foundation (www.tekhelet.com), is a follow up to that discussion.

Question: I have heard that in the time of Moshiach we will continue to offer sacrifices. But aren’t we are told that these will be times without sin? Menachem Via e-mail

Question: May someone who desecrates the Sabbath lead the services if he has yahrzeit? If yes, can he replace someone else who has yahrzeit? Hayim Grosz (Via E-Mail)

Question: May a cheresh, a deaf-mute, who exhibits other signs of intelligence, be included in a minyan? I live in a small town where this is a very relevant question, where we struggle to put together a minyan. Are there any halachic implications for including such a person? Name Withheld Small Town, USA

Question: How can one make one's home kosher for Passover with minimal expense and effort. Name withheld

Question: In the Torah’s description of the ten plagues Hashem inflicted upon Egypt, we find the Hebrew preposition “beit” [meaning “in” or “with”] only in connection with the plague of locust: "Neteh yadcha al eretz Mitzrayim ba'arbeh." Why is this so? And why do most of the commentators on Chumash ignore this question. Menachem (Via E-Mail)