Panorama of Halocho – Bamidbor 5781

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:

1. Feedback on the case of a circumcision performed by a non-Jew: [1]
2. My Shul caters for emigres from the FSU. Many from this background will be extremely observant to say Kaddish after the passing of a parent, and will attend Shul daily, whence they will also wear Tefilin. Other than that period, I will not see them in Shul. Kaddish for a parent is normally said for 11 months. May I let them say Kaddish for 12 months, thus increasing the times they will put on Tefilin and Daven? [2]
3. I have a list of relatives going back several generations. Is it appropriate to say Kaddish on their Yahrzeits, and until how many years after their passing? [3]
4. Does a widow have a duty to settle her late husband’s outstanding debts? [4]
5. We have children’s books of mundane content, but they have a Torah verse on the front page. Does that verse make the book holy? [5]
6. Straining the liquid from a tin of vegetables on Shabbos: pickles; olives; corn: [6]
7. Flat sheets of carton, made to be folded into cake boxes; may one form them into boxes on Shabbos or Yomtov? [7]
8. Due to the lateness of nightfall in our locale, for the 2^nd night of Yomtov we are planning to do Kiddush and have the Yomtov meal just after Plag haMincha. Should my wife light candles during the meal [at nightfall], or before Kiddush? [8]
9. For someone who passed away during bein hashmoshos on Shabbos evening, is Yahrzeit observed on the earlier or the later of the two dates? [9]
10. Re. Negel Vasser when waking up briefly in the middle of the night: [10]
11. We are Shluchim on campus. Due to a local curfew, we cannot host students for a late meal. What should we do for the first night of Shavuos? [11]
12. If there’s no Minyan, may we take out a Sefer Torah and read Aseres Hadibros? [12]

[1] שו”ת הר צבי יו”ד סי’ רח. אבל בשו”ת אחיעזר ח”ג סי’ כז סובר שישראל עומד ע”ג נכרי י”ל דמועיל (הערת רמ”מ שי’ נוטיק).

[2] רמ”א יו”ד סו”ס שעו.

[3] ברמ”א שם כתב “לעולם”. והיינו בבן להוריו. להורים זקנים – מטה אפרים דיני קדיש שער ג.

[4] פתחי חושן ח”א פ”ט ס”ג.

[5] גנזי הקודש פי”ד ס”ח ואילך.

[6] בס’ שבת כהלכה (ח”ב פי”ד סכ”ד) מגדיר זיתים בנוזל כתערובת, ואסור לסננם. וכ”ש תירס. משא”כ מלפפונים.

[7] פסקי תשובות סי’ שב ס”ק יב.

[8] שמירת שבת כהלכתה פמ”ז סעיף כג והערה קיא. נתיבים בשדה השליחות ח”א פ”י.

[9] נטעי גבריאל – אבלות ח”ב פרק עז ס”א-ב.

[10] של”ה (קכד א); אשל אברהם (בוטשאטש) סי’ ד.

[11] ראה שוע”ר ר”ס תצד.

[12] ראה נתיבים בשדה השליחות ח”ג פ”ו (ע’ 40 ואילך).