A. Funny to hear it from your perspective running a laundromat in the vicinity of several Jewish summer camps. Yes, there’s a sudden boost in business in the few days leading up to “The Nine Days” which begin on the … Read the rest
...A. Yes, yes, it’s a Mitzvah! There is Halachic dispute about organ donation if one can not live without that organ (this is a complex issue that has to do with the official designation of death, brain death or cessation … Read the rest
...A. The Code of Jewish Law advises against it, especially if it is flashy and bright. There may be a number of historical factors here (based on various Rabbinic texts): Red (back when clothing dyes were expensive) was considered to … Read the rest
...A. Only true tree fruit. Tomatoes, pineapples and bananas may be technically considered fruits, but they don’t really grow on woody trees and therefore this Halacha does not apply to them. But blueberries are considered a fruit, because they grow … Read the rest
...A. The Jews originally received the Torah in May/June during the festival of Shavuot. Moses spent 3 sets of 40 days up on the mountain (the first time around, the 2nd set was to get the Jews forgiven for the … Read the rest
...A. I do sometimes. First of all, from what I’ve seen, it’s not used in the Chabad community (not sure why not at this time). Secondly, on a personal level, holding out an extended object for a length of time … Read the rest
...A. Of course it is possible, if his Bar-Mitzvah reading falls in the portion of Vayera, where this story is told. It’s usually read in November. In 1991 it was read on October 26th. www.Chabad.org/Calendar is a much more comprehensive … Read the rest
...A. It’s not required, and many kippas do not have them, but I know where you are getting that from since the yarmulkas I wear have that double-layer. Think of it as a spiritual form of atmospheric layers. There’s that … Read the rest
...A. The clue is in the knot by the hand-tefillin, not the straps themselves. Most Sephardic Jews and Chassidim wind their Tefillin arm straps outward, while most non-Chassidic Ashkenazic Jews wind their arm straps inward. The inward or outward wrapping … Read the rest
...A. The Lubavitcher Rebbe wore the same black fedora hat and long black suit-coat (Kapote) as customary by the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidim, only that the Rebbe wore it all week, while most Chassidim only dressed like that on Shabbos.… Read the rest
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