Issur V'Heter: Hot meat falling onto fish plate

The following shailo was asked. A hot piece of meat (taken from a cholent pot) fell onto a plate that had in it techina, some other liquid and pieces of fish (it was a 'used' fish plate from the seudah.) The person doesn't know where the meat touched on the plate exactly. As well, the meat was more or less removed right away from the plate. What's the din?

I discussed this with a number of poskim and Talmidei Chachamim. Teshuvas varied from ossur completely, need to take off a "klipah", and muter completely.

If anyone has any thoughts please post. Perhaps at a later time I will post the cheshbonos that were made for all of the psakim in this shailo.

Choshen Mishpat: Giving work to daughter

This question came to the Beis Horah last week:

Someone who is magia seforim takes (lets say for example) 100 shekels to do a cerain job. He however decided to get the job to his daughter to do instead (who does just as good a job of him) however without the knowledge of the one who gave over the sefer. He pays his daughter 80 shekels and keeps the other 20 shekels for himself. Is there any shailo in this? If this is a problem to where can one find a source in Shulchan Aruch or Poskim?

Shailo in Parshiyos of Tefillin Shel Rosh

I have posted a shailo by the STaM forum in regards to writing the Parshiyos of the Tefillin Shel Rosh on one piece of klaf then separating the klaf.
See here for the post.

Choshen Mishpat: Parents not paying Rent

The following shailo came to the Beis Horah recently.
One set of parents of a young couple rented an apartment for them. They signed on the contract for the apartment and agreed to pay the rent every month -- however it would be the young couple living there. After a number of months the Parents stopped paying the rent. Can the landlord be tove'ah the young couple in order to get the money? Or does it only go on the parents since they signed the contract and agreed to be the ones to pay the money. It was paskened that the landlord can be tove'ah the couple. However I still would like to be m'ayin into this more and find a clear re'ah (one way or the other.) If anyone has any thoughts, please comment!

Tumas Leidah after Ectopic Pregnancy

Returning to an issue previously discussed here in regards to a Ectopic Pregnancy. Another shailo was raised in regards to "Tumas Leidah" after the vlad is removed by a Ectopic pregnancy. Normally by a c-section if there is dam that comes out from the isha she is tameh tumas leidah (See the end of YD Siman 194.) The nafka minah being if it's a girl she cannot go to the mikveh for sure until after 2 weeks. In this case of an Ectopic pregnancy what's the din then if the vlad is removed and can either be seen that it's a girl or there is a sofek. Is there tumas leidah and the isha must wait until after 2 weeks to go tot he mikveh (of course with counting 7 nekiem as well -- which could be within the 2 weeks after the removal of the vlad. Of course this shailo is also addressed in the Sefer Nishmas Avraham (See here.) L'maseh he quotes R' Shlomo Zalman Aurbach (and others) that there is no "tumas leidah" in such a situation. See there.

Inviation to Wedding of "Mixed marriage"

Someone (a Bal Teshuva) received an invitation to the wedding of a close relative. Unfortunately the wedding is with Jewish man and a non-Jewish woman. If the relative doesn't respond the one getting married will certainly feel hurt and understand something is going on. On the other hand perhaps there is a problem of saying to him "Mazel Tov, B'Shah Tovah U'Matzlachas!" What is the best thing to do and or say in this situation?

This question was posed to many Rabbonim and came with a variety of answers. I was surprised to some extent that Rabbonim said that no response was given and simply to cut off the connection that these 2 relatives have with one another. The most response I heard that made the most sense was that the frum relative should wish the not frum one, "You should merit to build a Jewish Home!". This way somewhat avoiding the difficult issue of approving the marriage and at the same time, giving a nice blessing to this person with somewhat of a hint as to what he really feels. If anyone has what to share on this, please do so and leave a comment! 

Pidyon HaBen after Ectopic Pregnancy

Before the shailo I'll give a short introduction (based on what I saw on Wikipedia -- click the word for the link) on what a Ectopic Pregnancy (in Modern Hebrew, "הריון חוץ רחמי") is.
This is where the vlad is conceived outside of the rechem either in the Fallopian tubes, cervix, ovaries or abdomen of the isha.


An interesting shailo was asked by the Beis Horah today. What's the din by an isha that had an Ectopic Pregnancy  and the vlad was removed from her guf through a certain procedure. If this was her first pregnancy and after this she become pregnant again and gave birth normally to a baby boy, what's the din in regards to Pidyon HaBen? Does the first pregnancy make it that a Pidyon HaBen cannot be made now?


This shailo is of course discussed in the Sefer Nishmas Avraham (see here). He brings there from the Shevat HaLevi that a Pidyon HaBen can yes be made for the baby boy born after this first pregnancy. See here for the Shevat HaLevi inside (Chelek 8 Siman 239).

Talmidim Part 1

I'd like to highlight in a few posts (starting with this one) the "role" so to speak of a Talmid or the relationship that we find in many places (Chazal, Rishonim, Achronim, etc.) between a Rebbe and Talmid.


 See the following from the Gemorah in Taanis (7a):

אמר רב נחמן בר יצחק למה נמשלו דברי תורה כעץ שנאמר עץ חיים היא למחזיקים בה
לומר לך מה עץ קטן מדליק את הגדול אף תלמידי חכמים קטנים מחדדים את הגדולים 
והיינו דאמר ר' חנינא הרבה למדתי מרבותי 

ומחבירי יותר מרבותי ומתלמידי יותר מכולן. 
ופירוש רש"י שם ד"ה "קטנים מחדדין", ששואלין כל שעה.

Shailo of a Reish with small dot

I posted a shailo on the STaM Forum with a picture of a Mezuzah that one of the Reish's has in it a small dot  (turning it into a possible Hei.) The shailo came to the Beis Horah this morning -- the psak was pasul. The Sofer very nicely agreed to let me keep it.
The picture is below, the last word in Shema, "ובשעריך".
Follow the discussion here at the STaM Forum.

What is a Talmud Chacham?

Rashi says!

The gemorah in Brachos Daf 4b-5a:

 א"ר יהושע בן לוי אע"פ שקרא אדם ק"ש בביהכ"נ מצוה לקרותו על מטתו

 אמר רבי יוסי מאי קרא רגזו ואל תחטאו אמרו בלבבכם על משכבכם ודומו סלה

 אמר רב נחמן אם תלמיד חכם הוא אין צריך 

,Rashi

ואם תלמיד חכם הוא. שרגיל במשנתו לחזור על גרסתו תמיד דיו בכך

The p'shat in the gemorah is that since he is a Talmud Chacham and has the 'shmirah' of his Torah he doesn't need to lein Krias Shema before going to bed. Although we see in this how Rashi describes a Talmud Chacham....שרגיל במשנתו לחזור על גרסתו תמיד


Update (July 3rd 2012): See a response to my post at the Parsha Blog, Here.

Standing up for Nach

I have posted a shailo by the STaM forum in regards to if one has to stand for Nach that was written on Klaf (just like one has to stand for a Sefer Torah.)
See here for the post.