Halacha Headlines

Don’t we have an Achrayus הַאַחֵיכֶם יָבֹאוּ לַמִּלְחָמָה וְאַתֶּם תֵּשְׁבוּ פֹה?
What difficulties – if any – do Frum soldiers face in the army?
What would a Frum army look like?
When a majority of Eretz Yisroel is Frum what will become of the army?
Are you obligated to learn every spare second you have?
Does it depend on someone’s health, wealth or stamina?

What are the biggest challenges, struggles and difficulties confronting our girls today?
How have things changed over the years?
Should money be given to children if they will use it for the wrong purposes?
What’s the impact that technology/smartphones/social media is having on the girls?
What solutions do we have to inspire girls today?

What are the halachic obligations spouses have to each other?
How does a relationship change over the course of a marriage?
Are there differences in how to stay connected at the beginning of marriage, in the middle and later in life?
What causes spouses to disconnect from each other?
Can you reconnect once you have already disconnected?
What’s the impact of social media on marriages?

Hakaros Hatov to the soldiers
Being Mevaker Choleh soldiers
Being Menachem Avel these families
Saying a Mi Shebeirach for the soliders

What are the most common fears that people have?
How do we get over those fears?
What is “Jewish Mindfulness” and how can it help?
What are the most common fears in dating and marriage?
Can anxiety or OCD ever make a person patur from mitzvos?
Is it permitted to take experimental/homeopathic/Chinese medication treatments?

How much should parents do for their children?
What are parents’ financial obligations to their children? Is there a maximum?
What causes a child to be spoiled?
Is it detrimental to grow up with less than your peers?
Do we need to treat all of our own children the same when buying them items?
What are the implications of having a spoiled child when they grow up?

Abortion of a fetus conceived through rape
Women tying tzitzis
Sheva brachos without the chosson or kallah
Returning home before Shabbos if one knows they will be called up on Shabbos
Returning home while one’s wife is a niddah if he doesn’t think he’ll be able to withstand the temptation to hug
A hug before a spouse leaves for battle if the wife is Niddah
Burying blood-soaked cars
Pidyon Haben when the father or kohen is not present
Shortening the taharah process for Niddah during wartime
Saying shehecheyanu when one will not light or even see Chanukah candles
Eating homemade foods sent to the front
Matzah bakery that ran into a shelter in middle of making Matzos
Running to a shelter in middle of Shemone Esrei or Krias HaTorah
Yichud in a shelter
Rewriting Kesubos for people in the North or South who evacuated their homes
A Kohein entering an Ohel Hameis for shelter during a siren

What’s currently causing us the most trauma? The war? The captives? Antisemitism? Something else?
What’s the implication of not getting a body back from Hamas, and therefore no Kevura and no closure?
Is hearing the news and looking at war images helpful or hurtful?
How are students from out of Israel who are studying in Yeshivos and Seminaries in Israel handling the war?
How can we turn our current plight into a growth opportunity?
Will we have “Post-Traumatic Stress” or “Post-Traumatic Growth” from the war?

How to handle the stress of having a close relative fighting in Gaza and the loss of a loved one killed in battle.
Is there a halachic requirement that the IDF bury dead Hamas terrorists? Other Gazans?
What are the IDF soldiers experiencing? What about their parents, wives, and close friends?
Is it okay for soldiers to use the homes of Gazans without consent? Can soldiers use the food of Gazans left in their pantries and cook in their pots?
What are some of the unique halachic questions being asked by soldiers, their wives, and their families?

Shabbos:
Is it permissible to place an order with one-day delivery on a Friday?
If a package arrives on Shabbos, is it permissible to open and use it?
Is it permissible to make an online purchase on Friday when it is already Shabbos in the seller’s time zone, knowing the seller is Jewish?
Is it permissible to keep an Amazon account active during Shabbos and Yom Tov?

Ratings:
Is it permissible to leave negative reviews on products?
Is it permissible to create positive, but fictitious reviews for your own products to enhance sales?

Can one purchase items during the nine days (items like clothes and Keilim that is forbidden to buy in those days), to be delivered after tisha b’av?
Can one purchase item prior to the nine day to be delivered during the nine days?
Can one purchase items on Chol Hamoed (that are forbidden to purchase on Chol Hamoed) to be delivered after Yom Tov?
Can one purchase Chometz on Chol Hamoed to be delivered after Pesach?

Hear from the trenches – How are the Kehilos and families in Eretz Yisroel Managing

Is Hakaras Hatov a halachic requirement, or just a nice thing to do?
Do we just feel gratitude, or do we need to say “thank you” or more?
Historically, did the Gedolim show Hakaras Hatov towards the soldiers of the IDF?
Why have a few Roshei Yeshiva said they are concerned about showing gratitude?
If Torah learning protects, why does Israel need an army?
Does the Israeli army enable those in Yeshiva to learn? Do those learning in Yeshiva enable the army to have military success?

Is there such a thing as the country of “Palestine”?
What are the halachic borders of Israel?
Is it mutar to give the Gaza Strip back now that Israel has retaken possession of it?
Is there a mitzvah to be buried in Israel? To make Aliyah? To exhume a body to Israel?
What does international law say about the West Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights?

Before WWII a lot of Gedolim were opposed to Zionism, what were their reasons?
After the war did a lot of the attitudes switch?
Why did they switch?
Is Zionism a danger to religion nowadays?

Is there a Torah idea called Daas Torah?
Can it override doctors?
Does the “Daas Torah” have to know the facts?
Can it override Shulchan Aruch?
Even if it’s not in contradiction with Halacha, must we listen to it ?
Is there such a thing as saying blanket statements without proofs that must be listened to?
Are we supposed to be using our heads?
If someone questions “Daas Torah” should he be explained the position or be branded a Kofer?
Do we believe in infallibility of Gedolim?
Can there be two “Daas Torah’s”?
Are two different people allowed to have different views, or is it my way or the highway?
How should we treat someone who disagrees with us?

What’s the original Samtar Rav’s argument against the State of Israel?
Has the concept and definition of Zionism changed over time, and what does it mean today?
How are Satmar and Neturei Karta similar, and how do they differ?
Is there a prohibition of publicly going against the consensus view of Klal Yisrael?

Was the Rally in Washington correct?
In Galus do we keep our heads low, or do we try to garner support?
Do we do Hishtadlus or just Daven?
Do we join in rallies with people who don’t have the same belief system as ours?
Historically, what was the approach of the Gedolim?

Neturei Karta – Is Hatzalah allowed to save them on Shabbos?
Does the conflict in Gaza qualify as a מלחמת מצוה according to הלכה? In this case, is there a duty for individuals to join from distant locations? Are students from ישיבות required to participate?
Concerning unintended harm in warfare, such as civilian casualties: if a terrorist uses a taxi as a getaway vehicle, is it permissible to target the vehicle, risking the driver’s life? What is the stance on targeting buildings?
Is there a חיוב to bury terrorists according to Jewish law?
Laws of war according to the Geneva convention

Where did all of the antisemitism on university campuses come from?
Should it be a concern to our community? Can anything be done?
If a student is feeling threatened, when can he take off his Kippah? Tuck Tzitzis in? Remove a Mezuzah from his front door?
What did Chazal mean when they said that it’s a “halacha” that Esav hates Yaakov?
Are there any halachic or hashkafic reasons to counter-protest?

Are you permitted to pay for captives more than their worth?
Are you allowed to release terrorists in exchange for prisoners?
Can you put other people’s lives in Sakanah to save a life?
How many more deaths were caused historically by terrorosts released by prisoners swaps?
Can you wage war to save hostages at the expense of more lives than the ostages themselves?

How are the Kedoshim being buried
Should we train people in every Shul to carry guns ?
Should there be armed security guards in Shuls and schools?
Are guns Muktza?
Are you allowed to carry a gun in a place that doesn’t have an Eruv?
Is it against the Torah hashkafa to carry a gun?
What message would carrying guns give over to children?
How do carry weapons in Shuls responsibly