Question: Can the same set of glass dishes be used for both meat and milk foods? Answer: The prohibition of mixing meat and milk is based on a verse from the Torah: You shall not boil a kid in its mother’s milk. [Ex 23: 19; Lev. 34: 26; Deut. Read More »

Question: Is it permitted to watch a bullfight? Answer: There is no doubt that bullfighting is against the spirit of the Torah and basic Jewish values. The obligation to prevent the suffering of animals, known as tzar ba’alei hayyim , has its roots in the book of Exodus. Read More »

Question: There is a widely observed custom to hide pieces of bread around the house on the eve of Passover, before searching for the hametz. What is the source of this custom? Is it a proper custom? Answer: Searching for hametz on the eve of Passover is one of the legal requirements of the festival. Read More »

Question: A traditional Ketubah indicates the status of the bride – who is described either as a virgin, divorcee, convert or widow. Read More »

Question: Is it permitted to ride on public transport on Shabbat, assuming that the transport workers are not Jewish and the trains are operating for the general public and not specifically for Jews? Answer: The Mishnah rules that it is forbidden to ride on an animal on Shabbat. Read More »

Question: Is it permitted to put a car in for servicing, or request any other service or repair, on a Friday afternoon, if it is known that a non-Jewish mechanic or craftsman will do the work on it on Shabbat? Answer: The commandment to rest on Shabbat is one of the central commandments of the Torah. Read More »

Question: Can a child who has not been circumcised have a Bar Mitzvah? Answer: There is no doubt that, according to Jewish law, status is automatically conferred from mother to child, and that a child is considered Jewish solely by virtue of his or her birth. Read More »

Question: A couple were married in a civil ceremony without a religious wedding. Do they require a GET if they divorce? Answer: The Mishna [Kiddushin 1: 1] states that A woman is acquired in marriage in three ways … by money, by deed, or by intercourse. There are three different ways that a marriage can be contracted in Jewish law. Read More »

Question: Does a tourist from abroad who visits Israel during a festival observe the second day of the festival? Answer: Jewish festivals are celebrated for one day in Israel and two days in the Diaspora. Read More »

Question: It is well known that in Jewish law a child inherits its religious status from its mother. What is the status of a child who was born as the result of an egg donation, where the birth mother was Jewish, but the egg donor was not? Answer: As Read More »

Question: Is cycling permitted on Shabbat? Answer: I have already looked at two of the main issues concerning cycling on Shabbat, based on a response of Rabbi Yoseph Chaim of Baghdad (19th Century, Iraq).  He wrote a lengthy response to this question and came to the conclusion that cycling was permitted within an Eruv. Read More »

Question: Is cycling permitted on Shabbat? Answer: The Mishna [Shabbat 7: 2] lists the major categories of work that are prohibited on Shabbat: The primary forms of work are forty less one, … carrying out from one domain to another .  Thus carrying is one of the main archetypal forms of labour on Shabbat. Read More »

Question: Is riding a bicycle permitted on Shabbat? Answer: It is obvious that there is nothing wrong with the act of cycling itself, which involves moving legs up and down on pedals, in a manner that is not unlike walking. However, cycling as an activity touches on several areas of the Laws of Shabbat and I will address each one separately. Read More »

Question: Is it permitted to use electric lights as Shabbat ‘candles’? Answer: The Mishna in Tractate Shabbat [2: 2] records a debate among the Rabbis as to which oils can be used to light Shabbat candles. Rabbi Ishmael says: We may not burn tar out of respect for the Sabbath. Read More »

Friends, There are 2 new items on the blog that I want to bring to your attention. NEW PAGE – ‘The Halachic System ’.  This was written in answer to a question from one of my readers, who asked how specific Halachic decisions are made. This is posted as a new page, linked from the side of the blog. Read it here . Read More »

Question: Is vegetarian cheese kosher? Answer: The Mishnah in tractate Avodah Zara [2: 4] lists a number of foods that must be made by Jewish people. Cheese is on this list. The Talmud does not explain why cheese needs to be produced by Jews. Read More »

Question: Does a Rabbi need to be present when a female convert immerses in the Mikvah? If not, how can a conversion without witnesses be Kosher? Answer: In the Book of Leviticus [Lev. 5: 1], the Torah talks about the sin of withholding testimony. Read More »