Visiting a cemetery before Yom Kippur
I would like to visit the graves of my parents and sister before the holidays. Which days are preferable to go there?
Swimming on Rosh Hashana
Is it permitted to swim in a pool or the sea on Rosh Hashana?
Brushing teeth
Can one brush one’s teeth on Rosh Hashana?
Increasing the oven heat on Rosh Hashana
Can I increase or lower the oven heat for baking on the festival? The oven of course has a Shabbat clock function.
The verdict on Rosh Hashana
It’s well known that a person’s livelihood is decreed on Rosh Hashana for the following year. If so, what’s the point of praying for a livelihood throughout the year after the decree was decided and sealed? If a person needs more money, how will prayer help because he can’t change his verdict?
The length of the shofar blow
How many seconds does each shofar blow have to be? I heard 6 seconds. If one didn’t hear a shofar blow this long, one didn’t fulfill his obligation?
A G-d-fearing prayer leader
I read that it’s important for the prayer leader to be a G-d-fearing Jew. I have a modern Orthodox synagogue close to my house and I’m not sure whether I should pray there for Rosh Hashana. On one hand, this community is less observant, but on the other hand, we don’t know who is a […]
Baking in an oven on Rosh Hashana
Can I bake challahs and cakes in an oven on a festival? Of course the oven was lit in advance and works on a Shabbat clock.
Inviting guests who will travel on the festival
I have a non-religious relative who would like to come to me for a meal on a festival or Shabbat. If he won’t come to me, he’ll probably go to a movie or a restaurant. Should I invite him or not?
Can one touch a shofar when impure?
Is it a sin to touch a shofar during the days before a woman’s immersion? Especially if the shofar is going to be used in the synagogue on Rosh Hashana?
