Name: Dov Alberstone	Date: 2009-12-14 20:14:00
Subject:avodah zarah
Question: is it permitted for me to me to be tutored in the classroom of a church. to my knowledge, there are no objects of avodah zorah in the room.
Answer: Absolutely forbidden to walk 1 step inside.

Name: Daniel Cover	Date: 2009-03-15 01:08:51
Subject:Shabbos candle lighting
Question: I know some communities light at different does this mean they are in violation of kindling fire on shabbos?
Answer: A person can go 18minutes after the shabbos lighting time if it is necessary and not violate the Shabbos. One should try not too & always be prepared even earlier to greet the Shabbos Queen.

Name: Binyomin saunders	Date: 2009-02-05 18:10:19
Subject:Hallel on yom haatzmaut and yom yerushalayim
Question: Hi, what is the Breslov custom on saying hallel on yom haatzmaut and yom yerushalayim, and why?
Answer: It is not a generally accepted custom of Chassidim to observe these days as holidays. We are respectful of those that do though. Every Jew in Israel cares very much for our Jewish soldiers.

Name: S. F.	Date: 2009-01-26 14:54:12
Subject:Pork
Question: forced by necessity to eat pork or non kosher foods....is it then a sin? Can you drink beer?
Answer: A person can eat non kosher food if it is a life or death situation. The Klazenberger Rebbe in the concentration camps made sure never to touch non-Kosher foods, he completely trusted that even a little would keep him alive. Yes most beers are kosher except for some exotic ones with worms and yummy treats

Name: yoel von schukkmann	Date: 2008-12-16 13:06:21
Subject:chanukas habayis
Question: BS"D Hi, I am about to move out of my parents home and was wondering what the hallachos and Breslov minhagim are of chanukas habayis. Could you help me with this? PS: A big skoyach to you for your great kiruv work. I'm a baal teshuva and your website helped me a lot! And I am referring people pretty often to it ;) Keep up the great work!
Answer: Rav Kenig said that you should wait 30 days and then have a chanukas habayis.

Name: soso leroy	Date: 2008-09-27 17:11:05
Subject:marry non Jew
Question: Shalom Reb Moshé, Really nice to meet you !!! I have a question for you : I love a jewish guy living in Israel and I'm not jewish. He doesn't talk a lot but, could he love me even if I 'm not jewish ? I don't know what I have to know. Thanks for the advice.
Answer: A marriage between a Jewish person and non-Jew is forbidden according to Jewish Law. Many times the other person converts first but any legitimate Rabbi does not convert someone just because they like someone. Conversion is a way of life and very serious. This young man should not be pursuing someone to begin with who doesn't have the same beliefs as that is the very foundation of a (Jewish) marriage.

Name: Karel Miller	Date: 2008-08-18 11:49:07
Subject:
Question: do we need a rabbi to perform the minyan every night after my dads death? What prayers are recited? and where can we get them from?
Answer: Any man can lead the service using a prayer book & in religious circles we pray 3x a day, not just at night. It is prefered that a man who is mourning recite it if he has the strength. At the very least, try to get 10 people together so you can recite the kaddish. All those mourning and required relatives should recite the Kaddish for 11 months, especially during these days. If you can't do so, there are many charities that offer this for a donation. I am sorry for your loss

Name: Paul Chipkin	Date: 2008-08-02 01:57:34
Subject:
Question: It is my understanding that, in these times, it is our RESPONSIBILITY (as the nation of priests) to bring the truth to the world wherever someone might listen. The world is in peril and its only hope is to turn to the One True G-d! Is something wrong with caring this much for "the stranger?"
Answer: Actually, you bring up a delima I have with my own work. I have spoken with many Jewish outreach experts like Tuvia Singer and we are all overwhelmed with even the non-Jews coming to us wanting to know about Hashem. With both our Jewish backgrounds as he put it, it is unusual for us to take such an interest yet we have. It is because when someone is thirsty for water, you must give him to drink. At the same time, only to the Jew do we give Caffeine drinks as the non-Jew can't handle all the light of the Torah. This is why they are taught the 7 laws of noah.

Name: Grethel Rickman	Date: 2008-07-24 07:59:14
Subject:Torah
Question: Why is it forbidden to teach Torah to non-Jews?
Answer: Jewish Law teaches us this. Also, the Kabbalah says that it destroys all the upper worlds. Before Hashem gave us the Torah, he asked each gentile nation if they wanted it but they said no. After we said yes, the world was saved. We were then given an extra purity to handle the holiness of the Torah.

Name: Grethel Rickman	Date: 2008-07-20 11:24:51
Subject:Non-Jews
Question: Why is there a prohibition against teaching non-Jews Torah? I had an Orthodox rabbi tell me that it is not permitted to teach Torah to non-Jews.
Answer: It mention this in the Gemarah and the Zohar states that it destroys the Tikkun Ohlom. Certainly we can teach them the 7 laws of Noach and encorage them to learn deeply into this. It allows for a lifetime of learning.

Name: Jacki Ellard	Date: 2008-07-16 17:38:58
Subject:Marijuana
Question: What is the Jewish stance on Marijuana?
Answer: It is forbidden to endanger ones health so Marijuana, pot, and smoking are forbidden according to this reason alone. Before it was known that it was a health hazard, Jews were permitted and some used it for spiritual reasons. As indicated by health experts, for most people this is unhealthy or leads to an unhealthy lifestyle.

Name: Johnathan Johnathan	Date: 2008-04-07 13:41:07
Subject:
Question: Hi Reb! I am having a hard time obtain records of my maternal great grandmother showing Jewish heritage. Is there anything you can suggest I do in regards for the law of return?
Answer: I think you are speaking about making aliyah. If this case, they look at even parents on the fathers side, even though in jewish law, a person is only Jewish by their mother. Who came up with this law in israel? Okay, lets not go there. Try that!

Name: Sarah Hogan	Date: 2008-04-05 17:58:54
Subject:Pesach
Question: HELP! There are some of us debating back and forth about some things for this year's Pesach. Please settle for me once and for all! 1. When do we burn the chametz? 2. Where do we keep the hallah for Sabbath lunch? 3. What time do we light the Sedar candles? 4. Is your wife going to prepare all the food and keep it on the warmer before Shabbos? Is there any signifigance of the Sedar falling Motze Shabbat? Thank you for the help. Shavua Tov! Sarah :)
Answer: 1. Since Pesach falls out before Shabbos this year we burn the chametz before Shabbos. 2. All of the challah should be put away with your other chametz things that will be sold when Pesach begins. The house has to be kosher for Pesach on Shabbos (the kitchen also). So all of the meals and food must be kosher for Pesach. The general custom is to wash, make hamotzie on the bread and eat a kazayis (an olives size) out side. Then when finishe have the rest of the meal inside leaving all crumbs outside where it can't be seen. 3. We light for yom tov after Shabbos has ended by transfering from a flame that has been burning since before Shabbos (since we can't create a newfire on yom tov). 4. No since you are aloud to warm up and cook on yom tov. I don't know of any specific significance of Pesach being on Motie Shabbos.

Name: Steven Kesler	Date: 2008-04-03 20:20:26
Subject:Passover
Question: I was wondering, what should a noahide do if anything during passover
Answer: It does not apply to Bnei Noach but they can appreciate the miracles that Hashem does for Man.

Name: Janet Cohen	Date: 2008-04-03 15:42:00
Subject:Is Hummus kosher for Passover? Soymilk?
Question: Hi Rebbe! Is Hummus Kosher for Passover? I'll make it myself with chickpeas, tahini and olive oil. Also is kosher soymilk kosher for passover? thanks so much for your answers and the new website looks terrific. be well - Mrs. Cohen
Answer: This is considered kitzios which only sefardim eat on passover. All Legums, rice, corn, peas, nuts are considered Kitzios. I am glad you like the new site.

Name: Will Blesch	Date: 2008-04-02 22:52:52
Subject:
Question: Shalom! My question has to do with the command not to light fire in all your abode on Shabbat. I know the Hebrew for abode is not Beit...so it doesn't necessarily mean your house...but rather Moshavetechem...which is more like a collective dwelling place. My friend says I should not drive on Shabbat since I am "kindling" a fire somewhere in my moshavetechem. So...I am wondering about the Hebrew word for "kindling" the fire. Does it have to do with the actual creation of a spark that starts the fire...or does it have to do with BUILDING a fire?
Answer: One is not aloud to start a fire or continue the fire on Shabbat, so this comandment would apply to both.

Name: levi p	Date: 2007-11-23 07:12:01
Subject:counting people
Question: You mentioned about not counting during Shabbas, especially when counting the minyan. I think I understand what you said and the explanation. But why do we do it anyways?
Answer: We don't count Jews in general, we say, not one, not two in this way. Those who don't are in error.

Name: Yisrael .	Date: 2007-11-19 06:56:38
Subject:importance of a beard
Question: Why do some Breslovers ignore the Torah and shave their beards and peyos? I want to join Breslov but it greatly troubles me by its followers, why can Breslovs plain out ignore the Torah?
Answer: Most Breslovers do not shave their beards. You have to judge favorably those that do; they might have gotten a hetter (exception from a Rav) for their job, kiruv or for other reasons. Baba Sali said never to touch even a single hair, that it was a horrible thing to do. At the same time though, there were great Rabbi's who didn't have a beard. My brother in law showed me a 400 page book on the importance of having a beard; definitely one should not underestimate its greatness. There are also 13 attributes of mercy which stem from the holiness of ones beard. In addition, the prohibition of cutting beards really translates as not damaging the ROOT of the beard. For this reason, many shavers and razors are not to be used. A Jew may not use a single bladed razor, nor the turny ones... seeing as I do not shave I can't tell you for sure which razors are good and which ones aren't. :)

Name: morris .	Date: 2007-11-19 06:45:17
Subject:keep kosher more
Question: I love your websites, how you maintain all of them i will never know, i can barely maintain myself, My wife and i have just recently decide to become more observant, our kitchen is not 100% kosher, but i was wondering, do you have a video on how to maintain a kosher kitchen? I just have to say Baruch HaShem for your webpage, may gain much merit for this!!!!
Answer: I have a video on cooking for shabbos, the kosher symbols, nothing very detailed on the kitchen but you can pick up some stuff from both videos on keeping kosher www.torahvideo.com

Name: Mathew .	Date: 2007-11-19 04:24:05
Subject:drunk on purim
Question: I decided that it is probably best not to try to drink so much that you can't tell the difference between Mordechai and Haman. Maybe there could be another, gentler way of achieving simcha on Purim?
Answer: You don't actually have to get drunk on purim, they say you can have a few sips and then take a nap instead

Name: Shmeil .	Date: 2007-11-19 03:52:43
Subject:kiruv israeli's
Question: do you think that it might be acceptable for a religious yid to influence the non religious jewish israeli's to t'shuva?
Answer: I think it would be hard for any american to do kiruv with israeli's. It is an entirely different culture. Certainly, it would be great to try and a green light. I believe most israeli's would become religious if the religious would show them even an ounce of respect. Maybe us Americans have to do it instead? Lately, I have found myself successful with Israeli's so I am wondering if maybe it is us Americans who need to step in here!

Name: Feivel .	Date: 2007-11-16 00:10:24
Subject:Shulchan Oruch
Question: I will probly look in the Mishna Brurah and get some help with the translation as my first book on jewish laws.
Answer: the first work to read is the kitzer shulchan oruch

Name: worried .	Date: 2007-11-15 00:41:31
Subject:fasting, weak body
Question: Sorry but do you know who to ask about fast tomorrow? If you re near can > you answer fast... I dont know if i can ask that at all. I m afraid of > fast i could not eat normally these days i am weak and sad and I am gonna > be depressed if i dont eat drink and take medicine. What shall i do?
Answer: This is for a Rav to decide but most people try to fast a little and if they get very sick then stop it.