In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:A tefillin shel yad cover that won’t come offIf the cover on the tefillin shel yad is so tight it can barely be removed, are the tefillin still kosher?Is there a problem of bayis she’eino ro’eh es ha’avir, chatzitzah, or bal tosif, or does the cover take away from the tefillin being square?Should the cover be removed before making the bracha, and does this apply to contemporary covers that have openings?Did the Rebbe and the Frierdiker Rebbe use a cover on their tefillin?Shabbos candles for a widowerWhen a widower, lo aleinu, starts lighting Shabbos candles, should he light two, or keep to the number his wife lit?Where does the minhag of a candle for each child come from, and do its reasons apply to a man as well?Does he keep up an extra candle his wife added as a knas for missing a week, or one she took on for some other reason?Since a wife lights as her husband’s shliach, does that bind him to her number, for instance when she is away from home?Lighting Shabbos candles where you won’t eat or sleepIf someone is stuck on the way to 770 right before Shabbos, or is helping out at a CTeen program, can they light candles where they won’t be eating or sleeping?If someone eats out on Friday night, should they light where they eat or where they sleep, and does electric lighting make a difference?Can we learn from the halacha that a woman may light in the women’s shul in certain circumstances?What does the halacha of a blind person lighting Shabbos candles tell us about lighting where others benefit from the light?Tashlumin after going back to sleep without MaarivIf someone woke up at night, remembered he hadn’t davened Maariv, and went back to sleep because he was too tired, may he make it up with an extra Shmoneh Esrei at Shacharis?Is he considered a meizid or a shogeg, and does it matter whether he expected to wake up again or was too tired to think clearly?Does the rule of ones bizman ha’acharon (being held up at the last minute after putting something off) apply to making up a missed tefillah?Is this like someone who missed davening because he was busy with business, or who davened in a place he didn’t check for excrement first?Losing your place in a brachaIf someone in the middle of Asher Yatzar can’t remember whether they said the opening Baruch Atah Hashem, should they start over or finish the bracha?If someone loses their place in a pasuk that mentions Hashem’s name twice, may they go back to the beginning of the pasuk?How does safek brachos l’hakel apply when someone is definitely obligated in the bracha?What if someone started a bracha such as Al Hamichya and then wasn’t sure they needed to say it at all?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Hakafos on Simchas Torah without a minyanMay hakafos on Simchas Torah be done b’yechidus, for example by a shliach who has no minyan, or is a minyan required?Is there a prohibition to take out a Sefer Torah for fewer than ten, as the Maharil writes regarding Hoshaanos?How do Simchas Torah hakafos differ from Hoshaanos, which the Maharil says an individual should say without circling the bimah?Is each individual obligated to get his own hakafa, or is it enough to be present while others go around?V’sein tal umatar for travelersWhen someone travels between Eretz Yisroel and chutz la’aretz before v’sein tal umatar begins at home, do they follow the practice of their home or of the place they are in?Does it make a difference whether they plan to return, are traveling with their family, or how long they are staying?If someone began asking for rain in Eretz Yisroel and then came to chutz la’aretz, do they stop, and does it matter if they are returning to their original home?Can the whole shaila be avoided by asking for rain in Shomea Tefilah, as some suggest?Double head coverings for davening and brachosIs a second head covering for davening, bentching, brachos, or any mention of Hashem’s name an obligation or a minhag, and what is its source?Does a large or two-layered yarmulke count as a double covering?May one place his bare hand on top of his yarmulke as the second covering when making a bracha, and what about for davening and bentching?The bracha on Hallel on Rosh ChodeshOn Rosh Chodesh, should each person say the brachos before and after half-Hallel themselves, or be yotzei with the chazzan, as the Alter Rebbe writes in the Siddur?Does a yachid davening without a minyan make a bracha on half-Hallel, despite the note in some printings of the Siddur that they do not?What was the practice of the Tzemach Tzedek and the Rebbe Rashab?What did the Rebbe mean by the Chassidic custom to quietly “chap arein” the bracha?Drying hands on one’s clothingIs there a concern of forgetting one’s learning when drying one’s hands on the clothes one is wearing?Does hamenagev yadav b’chaluko refer only to one’s cloak, or to all garments?Does it apply to clothes one is not wearing, including someone else’s, assuming the owner doesn’t mind?May one dry their hands on their own bed sheets after washing in the morning?Mezonos wrapsWith wraps labeled mezonos, does the stringency of mezonos bread apply to them as well?How does kevius seuda affect a wrap eaten as a meal with a filling such as tuna or egg salad?Are factors like being thin, made from a belila rakah, or lacking turisa d’nahama applicable to categorize wraps as mezonos?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Public birthday parties and ayin horaIs there a concern of ayin hora in making large public gatherings for a seventieth or eightieth birthday?Since the Korban Todah was brought with forty challos specifically so that a crowd would be invited, is publicizing Hashem’s kindness in fact the entire point of a seudas hoda’ah?Does such a seuda carry its own protection, since the kiddush shem shamayim offsets the merits that are otherwise deducted when a miracle is done for a person?What could we learn from the Rebbe’s conduct in this regard?Tevilas keilim for electric appliancesMust electric appliances be toiveled even when the label warns that immersion will ruin them, and what practical steps make it workable?If the appliance would be ruined or the water cannot reach inside, is one exempt because a mitzvah one cannot perform does not apply, or must one simply not use the utensil?Having a Jewish professional reassemble it renders it Jewish-made. What about an amateur doing so?How much weight do the various arguments for leniency carry (mechubar lekarka, plugging it in as “finishing” it, beis hastarim, not being a kli seudah, and merely being the non-Jew’s “store merchandise”), given that tevilas keilim is deoraysa?Tevilah for a Keurig machineIs a Keurig different from other electric appliances, being a pump rather than a kli, and one that will certainly be ruined by immersion?If it’s not merely a matter of damage but genuinely impossible for the water to reach the area requiring immersion, could it be that the chiyuv of tevilah never applied at all?May one rely on giving it as a gift to a non-Jew and borrowing it back, even though it will stay in the Jew’s hands indefinitely?Since the Taz required toiveling a borrowed kli specifically because one is able to, does that imply the requirement falls away where immersion is impossible, as poskim held with very large vessels?A shiur in shul on Shabbos afternoonShabbos afternoon commemorates the passing of Yosef Hatzaddik, Moshe Rabbeinu, and Dovid Hamelech (the reason for Tzidkascha). If so, may one make a fixed shiur in shul between Mincha and Maariv?Does the minhag of beis hamedrash batel begin close to dark, or only close to shkiya (and not afterward, as the Ketzos Hashulchan seems to imply), and not if beginning earlier?Does the concern apply to Chassidus, Pirkei Avos, and agaddah, or only to formal nigleh classes?May one rely on the Mishnah Berurah (quoted by the Rebbe) that nowadays we do not stop such gatherings, since people would otherwise sit in shul and waste their time?Havdalah made without a kosSomeone who mistakenly made Havdalah without wine in the Nine Days, must he make Havdalah again once he has a kos?When the Mishnah Berurah rules that one without wine shouldn’t rely on making a wine-less Havdalah, does that only mean l’chatchila, implying that b’dieved he was yotzei?Did the Maharam miRotenburg, who allows Havdalah without a kos, mean that one is yotzei, or only that there is a second part of the mitzvah still to be fulfilled when a kos becomes available?If someone made Havdalah on what turned out to be vinegar, must he repeat it, or would that be a bracha l’vatalah?Solving one person’s safek at the rabbim’s expenseWhy does Tosafos prefer that one person be left with a safek kares passively (b’sheiv v’al ta’aseh) rather than have the majority bring their korban improperly?How does this principle apply today, when a heter meant for hefsed merubeh, sha’as hadchak or tzorech mitzvah is turned into a standard arrangement for everyone?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Greeting others before daveningWhat are the parameters of the halacha against greeting someone in the morning before davening, and how does going to a friend’s house differ from meeting him in shul or on the street?Since “good morning” is now a standard greeting, does it still count as a valid shinui from saying “Shalom”?Is calling someone on the phone comparable to going to his house, and does it matter whether the call is specifically to say hello or for another purpose?How do the Zohar’s stringency on one hand, and the mitzvah of hevei makdim l’shlom kol adam and kevod habriyos on the other, shape the practical approach?“Words of inspiration” at a levaya on Chol HamoedOn days when hespedim are prohibited (e.g., Chol Hamoed, Rosh Chodesh), is saying divrei hisorerus a legitimate alternative, or merely renaming a hesped?If one may not even leave the coffin standing in the street lest people come to eulogize, would that apply also to speeches inside a shul or chapel?Is praising the niftar itself the problem on these days, or is anything said for kavod hameis permitted?What other factors can be relied on when using the opportunity to inspire those gathered to Torah and mitzvos?Rashba’s view on bracha covering a more chashuv foodAccording to the Rashba, who holds that a bracha on a less important food doesn’t cover a more chashuv one, is it enough to know you will eat the other food, or must you specifically intend to exempt it with your bracha (kavana liftor)?When a guest’s bracha covers whatever their host will serve later, does that apply even to more chashuv foods served by the host, since the guest never specifically intended to exempt them with his original bracha?What is the halacha l’maaseh, l’chatchila and b’dieved, when the bracha was made without specific intent to exempt the more important food?Lemon squeezers on ShabbosIf squeezing a lemon directly onto food is permitted on Shabbos, may one use a designated lemon squeezer, or is that uvdin d’chol (a weekday activity)?How does this compare to the Rivash’s prohibition against grating cheese with a formal grater, given that a squeezer is arguably made for permissible squeezing onto food?Do squeezers that trap the seeds involve a separate concern of borer?Covering the tefillin shel yadWhy don’t Lubavitchers cover their arm while wearing tefillin shel yad, and does “lecha l’os v’lo la’acheirim l’os” actually require tefillin to be covered?Does the Arizal’s practice of covering the shel yad apply only while putting on the tefillin or throughout davening, and does today’s protective box accomplish it?Is there a tznius concern with a bare upper arm, where the tefillin shel yad is placed?Is it disrespectful to daven before Hashem with one sleeve rolled up and one down, or is it dignified precisely because everyone knows it’s for the tefillin?

E-scooter safety for childrenMay parents allow young children to ride e-scooters and e-bikes, given the serious injuries these vehicles can cause?Are parents halachically liable for damage caused by a child riding an e-scooter, and which factors may determine their responsibility?Does dina d’malchusa dina obligate us to keep traffic and safety laws, such as the ban on riding e-scooters on the sidewalk?Miscarriage: when does the neshama enter?After a missed miscarriage, was there a neshama that came into this world and will merit olam haba?At what stage can a child’s neshama enter olam haba: from when the seed is implanted, from the bris, or from when he first answers amen?How do the rulings of the Rama and the Alter Rebbe (regarding children answering amen and washing negel vasser) relate to the opinions in the Gemara?How does the Rebbe reconcile the various opinions, and connect it to the halacha that we are mechalel Shabbos to save a fetus?Ignoring someone and onaas devarimDoes deliberately ignoring someone in order to hurt or humiliate them violate the issur of onaas devarim, which literally refers to hurtful words?Is onaas devarim limited to speech, or does it include actions (such as eyeing merchandise you cannot afford) and even inaction?Sternos and shehiya on ShabbosDoes food placed before Shabbos on a sterno require a blech covering the flame?Is a sterno comparable to a Shabbos hot plate with no adjustable setting (as the questioner’s AI suggested), which most poskim permit without a covering, or is that comparison incorrect?Does the concern of shema yechateh b’gechalim apply where there are no actual coals, such as with liquid or gel fuel, or where one can only turn a knob higher or add fuel?Early Shabbos Kiddush for a bar mitzvah boyIf a boy becomes bar mitzvah on Shabbos and the community accepts Shabbos early, may he make Kiddush before nightfall, and could that count for himself even after he becomes a gadol that night?Can we infer from the halacha about a bar mitzvah boy davening Maariv before dark, which implies that the only concern is davening for the amud and being motzi the tzibbur, with no issue regarding his personal chiyuv?Tallis on top of tefillin in a travel bagIs there an issue with travel tallis bags in which the tallis sits on top of the tefillin, rather than in front of them as in the classic bags?Since tefillin have a higher level of kedusha than a tallis, why is placing the tallis on top not considered disrespectful?Does it matter that the tallis serves as protection for the tefillin, and that the tefillin are stored inside their own box and bag?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Modern technology in the third Beis HamikdashWill the third Beis Hamikdash include modern inventions, such as central air conditioning, heating, Wi-Fi, electric lights, sound systems, and elevators?Does the rule of hakol bichsav forbid any additions or changes, and does it apply to the entire Har Habayis, even underground?Is there room to permit additions that are not for the avodah itself, items that are detached from the structure, or features built in from the very start of construction?Why did some shuls in the past not allow heating systems?Rubbing the hands during netilas yadayimIs the practice recorded in Hayom Yom, rubbing the hands together with the extra water of the final pour, limited to washing for bread, or does it extend to washing for davening and other washings?Is the rubbing meant to satisfy the opinion that washing extends beyond the fingers, or is it purely for added tahara and cleanliness (“erchatz b’nikayon kapai”)?Should one also rub the hands when washing in the morning, as indicated in numerous Kisvei Arizal?Does the practice apply when washing merely for cleanliness or because of ruach raah (e.g., after leaving the bathroom)?Wrapped challos on top of the cholent pot   May one place dry challos wrapped in aluminum foil on top of a cholent crockpot on Shabbos to warm them?Does the wrapping constitute hatmanah (insulation), and does it depend on whether the purpose is to retain heat or only to keep the challos from drying out?Does the leniency of covering food to protect it (e.g., from mice) apply even when the covering is heated by the fire below and adds heat?Ladling from and covering pots on ShabbosIs ladling food out of a pot on the fire a form of meigis (stirring), and must the pot first be removed from the flame even when the food is fully cooked?What is considered “off the fire”: a pan resting on a Sterno water pan that does not touch the flame, or a pot held in the air above the fire?Is covering a pot, or adding a second cover, a form of bishul, and is it an issur de’oraisa when the food is not fully cooked?Are there reasons to be stringent not to re-cover a pot on the blech, even when it’s already fully cooked?An onen who handed arrangements over to the Chevra Kadisha  When funeral arrangements are given over entirely to the Chevra Kadisha, does the heter of nimsar lekatafim (handing the burial over to the carriers) apply, allowing the onen to daven and perform mitzvos?Does it make a difference if family members still follow the aron at the levaya or remain involved in the arrangements on some level?What halacha applies to an onen in another city whose siblings are taking care of the arrangements?What can be learned from the Rebbe’s own conduct after the passing of his mother and, in a different manner, after the passing of his brother?Waiters and photographers eating meat during the Nine Days    May the waiter, singer, and photographer hired for a seudas mitzvah (such as a bris or bar mitzvah) during the Nine Days eat meat along with the participants?What about during the actual week of Tisha B’Av, when a bris meal is limited to a bare minyan plus immediate relatives?Taste absorption in modern-day utensilsDo today’s pots and dishes actually absorb taste the way vessels did in earlier times, and can scientific experiments have any bearing on these halachos?Is this a question of “changing halacha,” or of clarifying the facts, given evidence that earlier generations also tested whether taste is actually transferred?

Spelling “Tverya” with an alef or heiIn a kesubah or get, should the city name Tverya be spelled with an alef, as found throughout Shas, or with a hei, as in modern Hebrew?If the city is named after the Roman emperor Tiberius, how could the Gemara say it is called Tverya because of “tovah re’iyasah” (its good vision) or because it sits at the “tabur” (belly) of Eretz Yisrael?How does this compare to the term “Sanhedrin,” a Greek word, being commonly usedin Chazal instead of the Torah terms shoftim or dayanim?Calabrian esrogim in Moshe Rabbeinu’s timeWhy is there a Chabad tradition to use esrogim specifically from Calabria, Italy?If the Gemara says Italy came into existence only when Shlomo HaMelech married the daughter of Pharaoh, how could shluchim have brought esrogim from Calabria in the times of Moshe Rabbeinu?Which sources indicate that Italy existed already at Matan Torah, and how is the contradiction resolved?What about the bracha of “oseh ma’aseh bereishis” on Italian mountains, or the date for reading the Megillah in a walled Italian city?Makeup on Shabbos during shivaMay a woman sitting shiva put on makeup for Shabbos if she does so every single Shabbos, given that its absence would be noticeable aveilus b’farhesya (public mourning)?Is refraining from a routine practice itself considered public mourning, comparable to not wearing shoes or not eating meat when Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbos?Does it matter that the makeup would need to be applied before Shabbos, while the shiva restrictions are still fully in force?What about cutting overgrown hair or shaving (a discussion onto itself) during shiva, when their absence would be noticeable on Shabbos?Cochlear implants in halachaIs one who hears only through a cochlear implant yotzei hearing shofar, Megillah, Kiddush, and Havdalah?Why do most poskim consider hearing aids to produce a new artificial sound rather than halachic hearing?Is a cochlear implant better than a hearing aid because it stimulates the hearing nerve directly, or is it a bigger problem because no actual sound is heard at all?Why are glasses considered real seeing, while a camera wired directly to the nerve would not be?Calling someone by his father’s nicknameMay a bochur in camp call a friend by a nickname that is identical to his father’s unusual nickname (a shem peli)?Does the prohibition against calling others by one’s father’s name apply only in the father’s presence, or even away from him?Is this an actual issur or a matter of kavod?How rare must the name be for the concern to apply, and does the likelihood that the father is mochel create room for leniency?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Kiddushin ring alternatives: •         When the chassan’s ring is lost, is it preferable to use a borrowed ring or a coin?•         May a paper bill or contemporary coin, which have no intrinsic value, be used for kiddushin the way a valuable coin could?•         What are the halachic advantages of using a ring specifically?•         Is it an option to use both a coin and a borrowed ring together, or would that backfire?Sending a Shabbos Goy to prevent a kashrus mishap•         May one ask a non-Jew to drive on Shabbos to warn people about milchig dessert at a sheva brachos?•         Can a non-Jew be asked to do a melacha d’oraisa for a mitzvah need?•         Does “michshol derabim” justify asking a non-Jew to do melacha?•         What is actually the true nature of the michshol in the case of an unknown milchig dessert or torn eruv?•         Does the possibility that one of the participants might be dangerously allergic to dairy create a pikuach nefesh justification?Making up tachanun and v’hu rachum•         If tachanun and v’hu rachum were skipped by mistake, e.g., in the mistaken belief that a bris would follow, must they be made up later, such as at mincha?•         Does the Alter Rebbe’s ruling that one who was genuinely exempt (as in a mourner’s home) need not make them up apply equally when the omission was simply an error?•         Does the status of v’hu rachum being a direct continuation to Shemoneh Esrei depend on the nusach, whether v’hu rachum is recited before or after tachanun?•         If the chazzan mistakenly recited Kaddish instead of tachanun, should he go back and say tachanun?Mezuza placement on a side door•         For a side door, as opposed to the front door, is the mezuza placed according to heker tzir (the way the door opens)?•         Was the Rebbe’s printed response on this a definitive ruling, or did the Rebbe in fact leave the matter as an open question, illustrating the broader concern that printed ma’anos can contain copying errors?“HaMerachem” vs. “VeHaMerachem” in Modim•         Why does the Chabad nusach say HaMerachem on weekdays but veHaMerachem on Shabbos and Yom Tov?•         Does the veHaMerachem form extend to the mussaf of Rosh Chodesh and Chol HaMoed?•         What variances in this regard do we know from the practice of the Rebbeim?Eating meat during shiva and on Shabbos•         Is the practice in some communities to refrain from meat throughout shiva (beyond the period of aninus) a legitimate minhag, and would someone who kept it need hataras nedarim to eat meat?•         What is the common minhag in our circles regarding this?•         What is the significance of eating meat on Shabbos as an expression of simcha, such that we do so even when Tisha B’Av falls on Shabbos?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Challah knivesIs there a preference to use a smooth knife over a serrated one for cutting challah on Shabbos?Does a serrated knife create a halachic concern because it has “pegimos”?What are the reasons for sharpening knives before Shabbos? And does it apply to serrated knives?AI and psak:Is it halachically proper to rely on AI for halachic rulings? Does a posek need to be human?Theoretically, if and when an AI were perfectly accurate, would that change the halachic status of using it for answering shailos?What are the dangers involved in asking halachic questions to AI?Bracha on tzitzis:When is a bracha on tallis katan appropriate, and when should the tallis gadol cover it?Is wearing “night tzitzis” a good idea or does it become a kesus lailah (a garment designated for sleeping)?What is the best way to arrange the rotation of tzitzis to be able to make the bracha every morning?Is the interruption of a night’s sleep sufficient to require a new bracha in the morning?Birchas kohanim at a chuppah: Is a kohen obligated to go up for birchas kohanim when called independent of davening (e.g. at a chuppah)?Why do non-kohanim use the nusach of birchas kohanim when blessing children?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Tznius for young girls:At what age does a girl need to start dressing tzniusly?From what age does a young girl’s ervah and tefach megulah present a problem for a man saying krias Shema?What sources do we have from the Rebbe regarding this?Typos and edits in the Rebbe’s letters: How should we deal with typos in printed letters in Likkutei Sichos and Igros Kodesh?From what sources were the letters in the hosafos to Likkutei Sichos drawn?May later printed editions possibly reflect the Rebbe’s subsequent edits to the original letter? And what are examples of this?Newly published notes of the Rebbe Rashab:What is the background behind the recently published Toras Shalom – Hagahos Al Sefer Kaf HaChaim?Stepping forward after Shemoneh Esrei: We normally wait until the Chazzan is about to reach Kedusha before returning to our place after Shemoneh Esrei. Since there’s no repetition at Maariv, when do we step forward?On Friday night, when do we step forward relative to the Me’ein Sheva recited after Shemoneh Esrei?If Kedusha starts immediately, do the three steps back need to be followed by a wait, or can one return right away?Asher Yatzar in morning berachos: Should one say Asher Yatzar in the morning even without having used the bathroom?Is there a basis for saying it as a fixed part of the morning routine?Rounded corner for kapota: How rounded does a corner have to be for a kapota or blanket to be exempt from tzitzis?Must the entire corner of 3 by 3 etzbaos (approx. 2.5 inches) be rounded?Kaddish said by a child: Can a child say Kaddish alone, or must another adult say Kaddish together with him?Does it matter what type of Kaddish it is (e.g., yasom, derabanan)?Tucked-in tzitzis and tefillin straps: Is there a halachic concern for tzitzis strings or tefillin straps to be tucked into a gartel?How does this differ from the gartel or bendel worn on top of a tallis katan to keep it fully spread out?How should the front and back tzitzis strings be positioned when tucking them in?Reciting Ketores by heart:May Ketores be said by heart?What is the concern when reciting it from memory, and what practical steps can be taken to mitigate this concern?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Neder to Hear Kiddush Only from Husband: If a woman committed to hear Kiddush only from her husband, does she need hataras nedarim when that’s not possible?Does it make a difference whether the commitment was mental or verbal?Can hataras nedarim for this purpose be done on Shabbos?Transporting a Sefer Torah: May a Sefer Torah be taken out to a park for Krias HaTorah (e.g., for children to hear Aseres Hadibros)?Does having ten people walk along with the Sefer Torah make it permitted?What is the context of the Rebbe’s request for children to hear the Aseres Hadibros, and what is the proper way to fulfill it?Eruv Tavshilin: Can a person appoint a Rov through a phone system as his shliach to make an eruv tavshilin on his behalf in case he forgets?Does an eruv tavshilin need to be made with the person’s own food?Does the host’s eruv tavshilin exempt guests who are eating over but sleeping elsewhere?When do the guests need to be eating over to be included: on erev yom tov, on yom tov, or on Shabbos? What should the guests do practically?Kesubah Design: Is it proper to use the pasuk “Ani l’dodi v’dodi li” in a kesubah design?Are decorative pesukim on a kesubah appropriate in general?Is there a problem if the design makes the kesubah text hard to read?Responsibility for Breaking a Laptop: A person was stretching in a beis midrash and accidentally knocked a laptop off a nearby shtender: what factors do we account for to decide whether he must pay for the damage?Is a person ever not held responsible for absolute accidents?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Torah reading and haftorah:Can a minyan for Torah reading (e.g., Aseres Hadibros on Shavuos) be arranged in a way that skips the maftir and haftorah?Can the maftir of Parshas Hachodesh or Parshas Zachor be read on its own as an independent obligation?What is the practical setup for children to come and hear the Aseres Hadibros as the Rebbe wants?Tznius standards in earlier generations: Why do some older photographs appear to reflect a less stringent standard of tznius?How should we understand the fact that some within earlier generations, in certain circumstances, appear to have placed less emphasis on particular aspects of tznius dress than is standard today?Organ donation for scientific research: Is it halachically permitted to donate one’s body for the benefit of scientific and medical research?Does the answer change for a non-Jew who wishes to do so?Is there a difference dependent on the actual medical or scientific benefit involved?Promises and shidduchim: If someone says their child is busy now but will return to this shidduch suggestion later, is that considered a binding promise?Which kinds of commitments are mutually understood as tentative, carrying no real obligation to follow through?Shabbos reheating: If fully cooked chicken was placed wet on a heat source on Shabbos for a brief amount of time, is the food permitted after the fact?Does it matter whether it actually reached the halachic level of cooking?Kiddush for a baby girl: Is there a source for making a celebration or seudah for the birth of a girl?When is the best time to hold such a gathering?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Areinfirinish cake and egg: Must the child actually eat the entire cake and egg used in the Hachnasah L’cheder ceremony, or at least the layers with the pesukim?If the egg was not finished that day, may it be eaten the next day, even though a peeled egg left overnight is normally a concern?Mezuzos when moving out: What is the reason for the prohibition to remove one’s mezuzos when moving out of a home? And in what cases is it allowed?If the move-in is expected to pay for the meuzuos, may the departing occupant remove them if payment is not made?Ribon Haolamim on Shabbos: The Ribon Haolamim at the end of krias shema she’al hamitah includes a line asking Hashem to cleanse our nefesh, ruach, and neshama from impurities and maladies attached through wrongdoing. May that be recited on Shabbos?Can proof be brought from the krias shema she’al hamitah printed in the Rosh Hashanah machzor?Counting the Omer in middle of Shemoneh Esrei: What situations warrant interrupting with speech (or “lamdeini chukecha”) in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei?If a person was in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei and mistakenly said the bracha on Sefiras Haomer upon hearing it from the chazzan, should he continue with the actual sefirah to prevent a bracha l’vatalah?Shortening a booked service: If someone booked a cleaning lady for three hours but now only needs two, is it halachically problematic to shorten the booking?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Making Up Missed Shema: Can a missed recitation of the morning Shema be made up later (similar to the tashlumin for a missed tefilah)?If one chas v’shalom missed Shema, should they make it up later, and how would that be done practically? What would the makeup accomplish if the opportunity for the mitzvas asei had already been lost?Sefiras Haomer: What is the earliest time to count Sefiras Haomer? And what’s the status of counting after plag hamincha or during bein hashmashos?If someone counts early with a minyan, how can they avoid fulfilling the mitzvah before the proper time, so they can count again later at night with a bracha?What exactly must one have in mind when hearing another person count out loud to avoid one’s own obligation being fulfilled through hearing (shome’a k’oneh) and be able to recite one’s own bracha?Cutting Down Trees: Is cutting down a dead tree permitted without a special halachic ruling?Is there a concern of danger even in cases where halacha permits cutting down the tree?Reheating Food on Shabbos: May an Ashkenazi eat food that their Sephardic host reheated on Shabbos, following the Sephardic view that even cold, moist food may be reheated (provided it was previously fully cooked)?What is the logic behind the accepted Ashkenazic custom that moist food may be reheated as long as it hasn’t yet cooled down completely?Three Steps Back After Shemoneh Esrei: What should someone do if they finished Shemoneh Esrei but cannot take three steps back because someone is still davening Shemoneh Esrei behind them?Could they daven or answer to devarim shebikdusha while waiting?Listening to Havdalah in Middle of Shemoneh Esrei: Could someone who is behind in davening stop to listen to Havdalah in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei?Practically, is it better not to rely on this? And how does this compare to listening to Krias Hatorah in the middle of Shemoneh Esrei?Reading Private Letters of a Deceased Relative: May family members read the private letters of a deceased relative?Does the halacha change if the letters might affect the person’s reputation? And what is the practical guidance regarding publicizing such letters?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Asking Shailos via Technology:Is it appropriate to ask shailos via text, email, or websites rather than in person or by phone, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of written communication with a rav?Hefsek in Shema Due to a Siren: If a minyan heard a missile siren in the middle of shema and had to go to a shelter, where a horrible smell prevented them from continuing to daven, and they waited longer than the time it takes to read the entire shema, must they go back to the beginning of shema?Is the delay treated as an ones caused by an unsuitable place (makom she’eino ra’uy), which requires returning to the beginning, or as an external ones (like robbers), which does not?Stopping Shemoneh Esrei for Danger:Based on the Gemara’s story of the chossid who did not interrupt his Shemoneh Esrei when addressed by a minister, why can’t a person just continue davening and not go to a shelter when a siren sounds?Is an incoming missile comparable to the case of a snake wrapped around a person’s heel (where one does not interrupt Shemoneh Esrei), or is it fundamentally different?If a person receives a warning that a siren may come soon, may they begin Shemoneh Esrei with the plan to stop and go to a shelter if the siren actually sounds?Oat Matzah for Pesach: May a person who is gluten intolerant use oat matzah for Pesach, and what concerns exist regarding oat matzahs that are treated with heat?Is oat matzah acceptable for fulfilling the mitzvah of eating matzah at the sedarim, given the preference for wheat?If a person can only eat one kezayis of matzah at the Seder, what is the proper order of the meal, and when should he eat the matzah and wash (and do they recite the bracha for netilas yadayim)?Kashering With an Induction Stove: May one use water heated on an induction stove to kasher utensils, or must the water specifically be heated by fire?If an item became treif or chametz’dig through an induction stove, may it be kashered using water heated on an induction stove?Saying “Baruch” and Continuing to Eat: If a guest at someone’s meal began bentching and said just the first word, “Baruch,” but the host wants to serve more food, may he continue eating, or has his meal ended?Does saying the word “Baruch” constitute a hesech hadaas from eating even when relying on the host’s table?A chag kasher v’samei’ach to all our listeners!

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Netilas Yadayim for Wet Foods: When eating wet foods dipped in one of the seven liquids, does eating with a fork or spoon exempt you from washing, and how do we define what is “normally” eaten with utensils vs. by hand (e.g., chicken)?​If a cooked potato is usually eaten with a spoon or fork, do you still have to wash when you dip and eat it with your hands (e.g., karpas at the seder)?​Drops of Impure Water in the K’vort: If water touched by unwashed (or impure) hands drips back into the k’vort, must the k’vort be completely emptied and even dried before refilling it for washing, as inferred from the Alter Rebbe?Mechiras Chometz and Areiv Kablan: Is there a hiddur not to buy chometz after Pesach from stores whose mechiras chometz was arranged without an areiv kablan (guarantor), given the Alter Rebbe’s strong emphasis on this method?Nusach: “Zu” vs. “Zoi” in Haggadah and Under Chupah: In the Haggadah text, is it more correct to say “matza zoi” with a cholam or “matza zu” with a shuruk? What is the preferred vocalization according to instances in Tanach, Chazal manuscripts, and the tradition of the Alter Rebbe’s Siddur and Haggadah?Under the chuppah, when saying “harei at mekudeshes li b’tabba’as zoi / zu,” which form is most accurate, and are they both valid after the fact?​Bracha Acharona While Continuing to Eat or Drink Something Else: May one recite a bracha acharona on one item (e.g., fish) while planning to continue eating or drinking other items (e.g., tea) that share the same after‑bracha, relying on specific kavana to limit the bracha only to the first item?Ratio of Drinking vs. Eating on Purim: Is the directive to “drink more than eat” on Purim considered an authentic teaching of the Arizal, and if so, how is it practically interpreted today?

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Tefillin – Kavana and Mivtza Tefillin: Is the detailed kavana printed in the siddur before putting on tefillin truly essential to fulfilling the mitzvah?​If proper kavana is required, how can we justify doing mivtza tefillin with people who are not instructed to have that kavana in mind?​Tzaar Baalei Chaim – Fish and Other Creatures:  When catching fish that continue to gasp for some minutes, is there a halachic obligation to kill the fish immediately to avoid tzaar baalei chaim?​Is there any difference, in this regard, between fish and other animals or insects killed in the home (e.g., roaches, mice)?​Daily Learning – Chitas, Rambam, and Fixed Shiurim:  Can a person fulfill the daily Chitas shiur by learning it the night before, or must it be done only on the “day” itself?​ And is Rambam any different in this regard?​For other fixed daily shiurim (Gemara, Chassidus, etc.), does learning it the previous night count, or is the “make-up” option only the following night after missing the day?​Greeting Women – She’eilas Shalom Be’isha:  In light of the prohibition of being sho’el bishlom isha, may a man say “how are you” or similar greetings to a woman in contemporary normal interaction?​How does this halacha apply practically when a bochur meets with a woman on a date for shidduch purposes?​Brachos – Chashivus, Shalem vs. Prusa:  According to the Rashba (quoted by the Rama), a bracha on a less chashuv (e.g., less preferred) fruit does not exempt a more chashuv one unless one specifically intended for the bracha to cover it. Would this also apply to sliced vs. whole fruit (prusa vs. shalem)?​Does the Rashba’s rule extend to cases like pasta versus cake (where cake has greater halachic chashivus in that it has potential to become the basis of a meal)?​To what extent is the Rashba’s stringency actually followed in common practice today?​Aveilus – Parents Being Mochel Simchas: Can a parent, in their lifetime or in a tzava’ah, be mochel the aveilus practices during the first twelve months so that their children may attend simchas such as weddings?​Is there a halachic basis to distinguish between being mochel all aveilus versus being mochel only specific aspects (e.g., allowing attendance at chassunas)?​Tzedakah Collectors During Davening:  If tzedakah collectors approach me during davening and make it difficult to concentrate, do I have an obligation to give them something?Does the prohibition against turning away a collector empty-handed apply when he is collecting on behalf of an institution? 

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:AI & Automation on Shabbos: May one program an AI coding agent before Shabbos to build or maintain systems (fix bugs, run a production line, etc.) while it continues working on Shabbos?​Does the concern of avsha milsa (“noise-making”) apply to automated processes on Shabbos, and how is “noise” defined — is it the physical sound, or public awareness that work is being done?Is there reason to enact new restrictions on automated systems (answering machines, automated factories) because they may erode the spirit and kedusha of Shabbos?​Shabbos Clocks: Are Shabbos clocks for lights and other appliances fundamentally permitted, and are there limits to what may be automated?​When to Say “Shir Hamaalos”: On which days or situations should one say “Al Naharos Bavel” versus “Shir Hamaalos” before bentching according to Chabad minhag, especially given conflicting stories and rumors about the Rebbeim’s practice?​“Ad D’lo Yada” on Motzaei Purim: When the Rebbe instructed one person at the Purim farbrengen to reach a state of ad d’lo yada and motzi everyone else, how was this still applicable after bentching and Maariv, when Purim was technically over?​Is the requirement of “ad d’lo yoda” measured by an amount of drinking or by reaching a certain state (with a practical nafka mina)?​Mourning Practices for Non-Immediate Relatives: Do relatives (beyond the formal aveilim) have to observe any signs of mourning during the shivah?​ And which restrictions (music, dancing, bathing, haircuts, fresh clothing) remain binding for them nowadays?​Is this extended mourning limited to being in the presence of the actual aveilim or even in another place?​Wine in the Kiddush Saucer: Is there any halachic or kabbalistic basis for avoiding drinking the wine that overflows into the saucer under a kos shel bracha?​Does the concern about drinking directly from a bowl extend to wine that was in the bowl but is then poured back into a cup?​Tevilas Keilim for Storing the Rebbe’s Kos Shel Bracha: If someone stores special wine (such as kos shel bracha from the Rebbe) in a glass bottle only as a segulah and not for drinking, must that bottle be toiveled?​Theoretically, if the wine of kos shel Eliyahu were disposed of and never used, would that becher require tevilah?​Signs in Shul Against Talking: May a sign‑maker produce signs for shul that read “You’re allowed to talk in shul, but only with Hashem,” using a somewhat humorous and sarcastic tone, or is such language not in line with the Torah approach?​

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:Krias Shema on Mivtzoim: When saying Krias Shema with people who do not understand Hebrew, is there a requirement that they understand the meaning or basic content of Shema?​During mivtza tefillin, what is the halachic value of having a person say Shema after the zman?​What types of mistakes in the reading of Shema necessitate repeating from the beginning of the passuk?​ And is there room for leniency for a person with OCD?​A Grandfather’s Request: Grandchildren whose grandfather requested they never return to Poland: are they halachically obligated to keep this request as part of kibbud av and avi avihem?​Is there any way for them to visit without being considered as violating his will, and still be framed as respecting his intent?​Dealing With Multiple Sifrei Torah: When two Sifrei Torah are taken out, until what stage of gelilah of the first Sefer is it prohibited to begin undressing the second Sefer?​How does the prohibition of opening the second Sefer Torah until after gelilah of the first Sefer relate to the rule of not beginning the haftorah until the completion of gelilah?​Shliach Tzibur With Past Aveiros: May someone who previously committed serious aveiros and later did teshuvah serve as a shliach tzibur?​What about someone who was a tinok shenishbah, and not properly educated, serving as a shliach tzibur?​Changing Location While Eating – Follow-Up: If someone makes a shehakol in one room and then moves to another room or to the yard, when does he need to make a new bracha, and when does intent from the outset help?​When in doubt whether a new bracha is required after changing locations, can one deliberately make a bracha acharona first and then a new bracha rishona, or is this considered an unnecessary bracha?​Is it effective to make a once-a-year stipulation that all one’s brachos are made with the intent to possibly move locations?​Yehareg Ve’al Ya’avor and “Me’achorei Hageder”: In the Rambam’s case, where doctors say a man’s only cure is to interact with a woman in forbidden circumstances, what exactly is meant by the expression “me’achorei hageder” for which he must rather give up his life?​

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Bris and baby naming: If a bris needed to be done by a frum mohel surgeon in a hospital, is it better to name the baby immediately with just the parents present, or to delay a few hours in order to name him at home with a minyan and a cup of wine?​How closely must the bracha of “asher kideish yedid” be to the actual bris?​Brachos for parents after birth:What are the guidelines for the brachos made by the parents following the birth of a child?And is this in fact the proper minhag despite rumored reports that this isn’t practiced among chassidim?​Shehecheyanu on new fruits:When eating a new seasonal fruit, which bracha should be recited first: Shehechiyanu or ha’eitz, according to Chabad minhag?​Is there any evidence from the Rebbe to reverse the order?​Women and birkas hagomel: Should a woman who has given birth recite hagomel after recovery?​Answering devarim shebikdusha during pesukei d’zimra:During pesukei d’zimra, which devarim she’bikdusha should one answer, and which instances of amein during kaddish are included in the allowance?​Removing snow on Shabbos:May one shovel snow on Shabbos in an enclosed area (where carrying is permitted) when there’s a concern for people getting hurt?​Is fresh snow considered muktzah?​Is spreading salt on ice and snow permissible on Shabbos?​What can be done about snow in areas where carrying isn’t allowed?Adding a name for a choleh:Under what conditions is a name added for a dangerously ill person?​Does the added name become the person’s permanent name for all halachic purposes, and what factors can affect this?​Bracha of al mitzvas tzizis on a tallis gadol: If one mistakenly recites the bracha of al mitzvas tzitzis on a tallis gadol, is the bracha valid b’dieved, or must it be repeated?​What changes to the nusach constitute being “meshaneh matbei’a shetav’u chachamim”?Switching rooms while eating cake and coffee:If someone makes a mezonos on cake and a shehakol on coffee, and then leaves the room and returns, does the requirement to come back for al hamichya on the cake keep the original shehakol in force also for the coffee?​How does this compare to the case of a bread meal, where the ha’eitz made on fruit eaten in the meal remains in force even if one left and returned?​

In this week’s episode #2, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include: Changing place while eatingChanging location in the middle of eating or drinking: when is a new bracha rishona required?​Does one’s intention during the original bracha rishona to go to another room in the middle (even without intending to eat there) prevent the need for a new beracha?​Non‑Jews and mitzvosMay a non‑Jew perform mitzvos (e.g., shaking lulav) to receive reward, and for which types of mitzvos is this discouraged or restricted?​Is the leniency of “not preventing him” limited to a ger toshav or someone accepting sheva mitzvos, rather than any non‑Jew?May we actively assist or facilitate a non‑Jew in doing mitzvos, or must we only refrain from stopping him?​Prospective convertsMay a ger-in-process put on tefillin in order to learn how to do the mitzva?​To what extent do the restrictions on teaching Torah or allowing mitzva performance to non‑Jews apply to someone clearly on the path to conversion?Is there a concern that allowing a non‑Jew (or prospective ger) to put on tefillin or similar mitzvos may lead to confusion about his Jewish status (e.g., intermarriage concerns)?​Shortcuts through shulDoes the prohibition of using a shul as a shortcut apply when passing through one room of the shul only to reach an adjacent room of shul (when there’s an alternate, less direct route to the second room)?​What about walking across the bimah to get to the other side?​Eating from broken dishesIs there any real halachic basis for avoiding eating from broken dishes because of forgetting one’s learning, and if so, what type of break is included?Would such a concern apply equally to women?​Hearing krias haTorahTo what extent must one hear all of krias haTorah to be yotzei their obligation?​When may someone who partially heard the leining join or count for a second minyan’s krias haTorah, and how many full listeners are required?​Determining the time of passingIn a case of cardiac arrest where attempts at resuscitation continue into the night, which calendar day is halachically considered the person’s time of passing?​Hiddurim beyond one’s levelIs there a source for the minhag of reading shema from a mezuza while wearing Rabbeinu Tam’s tefillin? And is it advisable to adopt such a minhag? 

Episode #01: Is there a halachic problem when the lines of a mezuza (and by extension tefillin and sefer Torah) are not exactly parallel, gradually becoming wider or narrower, and how many such lines constitute an issue?May one rely on correcting such non-parallel lines (e.g., by stretching or shrinking letters) without creating a problem of shelo kesidran?How should one deal with the halacha of not giving food to someone who will not make a Bracha when this concerns non-frum siblings or guests, and what are acceptable solutions?Is it appropriate to use a large amount of water for Netilas Yadayim (washing “b’shefa”), or is this considered excess, gaavah, or bal tashchis in contemporary circumstances?When walking on Shabbos in the street, is there any prohibition in causing a car (even driven by a Jew) to stop or slow down because of your presence?If money was left in a coat pocket going into Shabbos, does the coat become a basis l’davar ha’asur and muktza, and does it depend on the type of pocket (shirt‑style vs. sewn-on pocket)?When a person makes a Bracha on a Mitzvah to be motzi others (e.g., kiddush, Chanukah candles, leishev baSukkah) and then speaks before doing the act, are the listeners still yotzei the Bracha?In Chutz La’aretz, if one forgot to separate challah before Shabbos and leaves over bread for hafrashas challah after Shabbos, what is the correct way to leave that portion, and what if one mistakenly designated an entire loaf as challah?When separating challah after Shabbos from bread that was eaten on Shabbos without prior hafrashas challah (in Chutz La’aretz), does one recite a bracha at that time?