Panorama of Halacha

1) Exploring a הערה of the Rebbe to a Maamar: 2) If there’s a Bris on Shabbos Mevorchim Sivan, is אב הרחמים omitted? 3) I run a Shabbos group for children. We give them tokens as incentives, and they redeem these tokens for items of nosh. Is that permitted? 4) To enter our Shul we need an electronic-chip card. May we hand the card to a Goy? 5) One the 2 nd night of Shovuos, if we eat early evening, when should the candles be lit?

1) In Eretz Yisroel it is prevalent that at [the daily] Birchas Kohanim, the Chazan, when prompting the Kohanim word for word, does so in an undertone. Whereas elsewhere, the Chazan says his part in a regular tone. What’s the Chabadtake on this?[1] 2) A question from Ukraine:  We are suffering frequent power cuts. Our communal kitchen is manned by non-Jewish staff. In order to address the issue of Bishul Akum, I normally switch on the electrical ovens at the beginning of the day. Now, when power is restored, is it necessary for me relight the ovens?[2] 3) In our nursery, we made Challos. For some reason, a non-Jewish helper placed the Challos in the oven. What is the status of the Challos and that of the baking tins?[3] 4) A Jewish man is living with a non-Jewish woman. He is keen to put up a Mezuza, and she is equally keen. Does it make any difference – re. saying a brocho - if the house is her property?[4] 5) When affixing a Mezuza to the door of a shop, is a brocho said?[5] 6) In error, I said the brocho Mezonosover bread that is actually Hamoitzee; do I now need to say the correct brocho?[6] 7) What if I only realized my mix-up after having recited Al haMichya; do I now need to recite the full bentshing?[7] [1] בס' שבת כה בנדו"ד. [2] ראה יו"ד מד. [3] בשו"ע יו"ד סי' קיב ש"ך סק"א משמע דלא מהני עריכת ישראל. וכן מפורש בערוך השלחן שם סעיף י. [4]הערה בקי. [5] ראה אגרות. [6] שליחות כ 96. [7] שליחות כ 96.

A weekly shiur by Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin, Rov of Anash in London, explores interesting Torah questions and halachic dilemmas.

The following issues are discussed by Rabbi Raskin in this week’s episode: May a peeler be used on Shabbos to peel an apple? [1] What about Pesach, when we avoid eating unpeeled produce? [2] Despite our caution to the extreme to avoid wetting Matzo during Pesach, on the 8th day of Pesach many of us did cook Gebroktz. Do the utensils involved need to be kashered before next Pesach? [3] During Pesach we made some kind of sweet, combining mashed banana and crushed nuts. Some remained after Pesach, but it had become mushy, so we mixed in some rolled oats. Is the brocho now Mezonos or Shehakol? [4] A kazayis of chocolate cake is 30% sugar. Is the after-brocho Al haMichya or Borei Nefoshos? [5] Many Jewish communities in the Former Soviet Union do not have their own dedicated burial grounds. In order to discourage cremation, we have been assisting Jewish burials within non-Jewish cemeteries. Is this allowed? [6] We have a room that was a bathroom, but the porcelain has been removed and it is now used as a storeroom. Is a mezuzah required? [7] When the Sefer Torah is brought out on Yomtov, we recite the 13 Attributes of Divine Mercy, followed by Ribono Shel Olam. When Yomtov occurs on Shabbos, the 13 Attributes aren’t recited. What about Ribono Shel Olam? [8] Naming a child after a deceased parent is seen as a virtue. [9] But when I call that child by name, am I not compromising my respect to my parent? [10]