Clothing and Appearance Archives | Rosh Yeshiva Responds

11 10, 2026

Berakhah on Second Pair of Tzitzit Worn for Shabbat

October 11th, 2026|Clothing and Appearance, Orach Chayim, Shabbat, Shulchan Arukh, Tallit and Tefillin|

QUESTION

Someone has a special pair of tzitzit with techelet that he wears only on Shabbat. Should he recite a berakhah when putting them on after showering on Friday afternoon, or are they already covered by the berakhah he recited on his weekday tzitzit that morning?

ANSWER

Yes, he should recite a new berakhah.

The Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chaim 8:12) addresses the case of someone who has multiple four-cornered garments. If he puts them all on without interruption and intended from the outset for his berakhah to cover all of them, he recites only one berakhah. If he interrupts between putting them on, however,

14 07, 2026

Questions Regarding Tzitzit for Young Boys

July 14th, 2026|Chinukh - Education, Clothing and Appearance, Orach Chayim, Shulchan Arukh, Tallit and Tefillin|

Question

I’d love to hear your perspective on tzitzit for young children.

I have three boys, two of whom already wear tzitzit daily. I constantly notice that their tzitzit are not kosher by normative halakhic standards. The boys are active, their tzitzit get dirty quickly, and I need to wash them very frequently, which I am sure contributes to the wear and tear.

So here are my questions:

Many have the custom to begin putting a boy in tzitzit around age three. Is that also the age at which

11 07, 2026

Can a Barber Give a Fade Haircut Near the Peyot HaRosh?

July 11th, 2026|Clothing and Appearance, Shaving, Shulchan Arukh, Yoreh De'ah|

Question

A young man runs a haircutting business using electric clippers. Many of his Jewish customers request a “fade” haircut, which involves trimming the hair at the sides of the head very close to the skin.

Can he rely on the Rambam’s position, against the Rosh, that misparayim ke’ein ta’ar is permitted for peyot harosh? This seems especially relevant since many people in our community shave their heads with electric shavers, which might suggest that the community has accepted the Rambam’s position, despite the Shulchan Arukh being stringent.

Answer

I really do not feel comfortable with

31 05, 2023

Conversion Certificate for a Child Born Through Surrogacy

May 31st, 2023|Clothing and Appearance, Even HaEzer, Family, Fertility, Geirut and Geirim, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

Providence, RI

A couple who could not have children naturally had kids by means of a surrogate (not sure whose sperm or egg or if that’s relevant). They’re having a giyur (conversion) for the kid and have requested to use their names, and not Avraham/Sara on the teudat giyur (conversion certificate). Do you have thoughts/an opinion about this? Thank you in advance!

ANSWER

If it were both the husband’s sperm and the wife’s egg then you definitely can, because many authorities say that maternity is defined by whose egg it was (for example, Rabbi Shlomo Goren (Torat HaRefuah, pg. 176-177), Rabbi Ovadia Yosef

30 09, 2020

Trying on a Suit That Has yet to be Checked for Sha’atneiz

September 30th, 2020|Clothing and Appearance, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

Brooklyn, NY

Can I put on a pre-sha’atneiz checked suit to have it tailored? (Will bring for check after it’s tailored; works better for timing before chag.)

ANSWER

Yes. There is no specific leidat hasafeik yet (unless you know that this brand often has sha’atneiz). If you know that the brand has sha’atneiz, then according to the Beit Yosef, it is a debate of the Tur/Rambam, although the Taz‘s discussion on this leaves room to think that for the Rambam it would also be permitted. The issue

3 05, 2018

Is My Electric Shaver Kosher? (short version)

May 3rd, 2018|Shaving, Yoreh De'ah|

[Note: This is an abreviated version of a longer teshuvah on the same topic]

QUESTION:

Can I shave with an electric shaver and are all models permissible?

ANSWER:

In two separate verses, the Torah prohibits men to shave their beards. In parashat Kedoshim, the Torah states: “You shall not destroy (tashchit) the corners of your beards,” (Vayikra 19:27). Two chapters later, in parashat Emor, addressing the male Kohanim, the Torah states: “The corners of their beards they shall not shave (yigaleichu),” (Vayikra 21:5). The Talmud (Makkot 21a) states that these two verses are not two separate prohibitions, one for Kohanim and one for all male Jews,

Electric Shavers – Which Ones are Kosher?

8 02, 2017

Electric Shavers – Which Ones are Kosher?

February 8th, 2017|Shaving|

Question:

I noticed a new electric shaver, the Norelco OneBlade, which has the appearance of a safety razor, and can shave a length of the face in one stroke, but actually is electric with a foil screen (see pictures). Any chance you could weigh in as to whether you think it would be acceptable for a man to use on his whole face? Thanks!

Answer:

Tzniut, Halakha, and the Male Gaze

15 08, 2016

Tzniut, Halakha, and the Male Gaze

August 15th, 2016|Tzeniut, Women|

This essay was written in the context of this op ed in the New York Times. This accompanying source sheet provides a closer look at the sources.

Tova Hartman, in her chapter “Modesty and the Religious Male Gaze,” in Feminism Encounters Traditional Judaism, discusses the topic of the male gaze, and how the culture around tzniut reinforces this – accepts it as a given – and the status of women as sex objects. The only difference between this approach and that of Western culture is whether the response

Tzniut, Halakha and the Male Gaze: Lecture and Sources

10 08, 2016

Tzniut, Halakha and the Male Gaze: Lecture and Sources

August 10th, 2016|Tzeniut, Women|

This lecture was composed in the context of this op-ed in the New York Times. These sources also accompany the Season 2 Episode 7 episode of the Joy of Text podcast.

Introduction

There is a general sense in the frum community that tzniut is a concept that applies almost exclusively to women and to how they dress. In some more Haredi communities, young girls are taught that tzniut is there special mitzvah – that they must dress modestly at all times so that men will not look at them and

Public Displays of Affection

26 07, 2016

Public Displays of Affection

July 26th, 2016|Niddah, Sex, Tzeniut|

Question:

לגרסה העברית לחצו כאן /Read this teshuva in Hebrew

I am a kallah teacher and was asked if I have any halakhic or rabbinic sources about public displays of affection—from simply holding hands to hugging and kissing in public. The woman also considered that the guidelines might be different in front of intimate family rather than in a large public space, such as at a wedding, etc. The husband is leaning towards a more stringent approach, but she wants “to do the right thing, not just the stricter thing.” She wants real answers rooted in sources that

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