Minhag Archives | Rosh Yeshiva Responds

21 07, 2026

Playing Live Music During Three Weeks for Hospital Patient

July 21st, 2026|Minhag, Moadim, Orach Chayim, Tisha B'Av - 3 Weeks|

QUESTION

I am doing a unit of CPE at a hospital this summer, and a Jewish patient (knowledgeable, but not Orthodox) asked if I could play some music on the guitar for him. Since we are currently in the Three Weeks, I am not sure how to proceed, though I am inclined to oblige. Does the patient’s request, and my desire to optimally perform the mitzvah of bikkur cholim, outweigh the prohibition on music? Does my background as a professional musician matter
here, even though this is not a paid gig? How about

31 05, 2026

Stopping Vegetarianism and a Beit Din of Women for Hatarat Nedarim

May 31st, 2026|Hatarat Nedarim, Minhag, Women, Yoreh De'ah|

QUESTION

A woman would like to stop being a vegetarian after many years.

A. Does she need to do hatarat nedarim (annulment of vows), since being vegetarian may be considered a ma’alah (spiritual or religiously positive practice)?

B. If so, can she do the hatarat nedarim before three women?

ANSWER

Yes, I think she should do hatarat nedarim.

Being vegetarian is certainly a hanhagah tovah (positive religious practice). The Shulchan Arukh rules that when a person accepts a permitted practice as prohibited, or adopts a positive practice and repeats it three times, it can take on the status of a neder and require hatarah before being

10 05, 2026

Can a Child or Woman Blow the Shofar in Elul

May 10th, 2026|Minhag, Moadim, Orach Chayim, Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur, Shacharit, Mincha and Ma'ariv, Synagogue, Tefillah, Women|

QUESTION

Can a woman or child blow the shofar at the end of Shacharit during Elul?

ANSWER

I have not found much discussion of this question in the poskim. For some background, there is a widespread Ashkenazi minhag (custom) to blow the shofar at the end of Shacharit during the month of Elul (Rema, Orach Chayim 581:1). The purpose of this practice is not to fulfill the Torah mitzvah of shofar, which applies on Rosh Hashanah, but rather to awaken us spiritually as we prepare for the Yamim Nora’im (Tur OH 581). The sound of the shofar reminds us that Rosh Hashanah is

Meat During the Nine Days for Those with Advanced Dementia

30 04, 2023

Meat During the Nine Days for Those with Advanced Dementia

April 30th, 2023|Minhag, Orach Chayim, Tisha B'Av - 3 Weeks|

https://pixabay.com/photos/barbecue-barbeque-bbq-beef-1239434/

QUESTION

Riverdale, NY

For those with advanced dementia, does the Minhag of avoiding meat during the nine days not apply?

I would think they wouldn’t gain anything from the Minhag, as they wouldn’t understand the reason for it. And avoiding meat might make it harder to get the nutrition they need.

15 02, 2023

Saying V’Ten Tal U’Matar for a Visitor to Israel from Chutz La’aretz

February 15th, 2023|Land of Israel / State of Israel, Minhag, Orach Chayim, Shema and Shemoneh Esrei, Tefillah|

QUESTION

Riverdale, NY

For people traveling to Israel during a time when those in Israel are already saying v’ten tal u’matar livracha, but we in chutz la’aretz (the diaspora) are not yet saying it, does one keep one’s diaspora practice in Israel or adopt the Israel practice for the few days that one is there?

ANSWER

The Mishnah Berurah (MB 117:5) says to keep practices of the place from which you originate, and not say it.

However, for my part, I cannot see being in Israel,

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