Nedarim Archives | Rosh Yeshiva Responds

21 03, 2021

Defining Kitniyot

March 21st, 2021|Kashrut, Orach Chayim, Pesach|

QUESTION

Washington, D.C.

Rav Linzer, can you weigh in on why (or why not) sesame seeds and mustard seeds are kitniyot?

ANSWER

It is hard if not impossible to nail down a definition of what type of produce is included in kitniyot. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Iggrot Moshe OC 3:63) acknowledged that the two reasons given for the prohibition of kitniyot, (1) that these foods can be used to make flour and, (2) that wheat and barley often get mixed in with these foods, do not explain the list of what is included and excluded. There are foods that fit into one of these categories, such

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

Hilkhot Kashrut: Forbidden Today, Permitted Tomorrow

18 11, 2010

Hilkhot Kashrut: Forbidden Today, Permitted Tomorrow

November 18th, 2010|Kashrut|

The Gemara rules that a davar she’yesh lo matirin, something that is forbidden now but will be permissible later – like an egg that was born on Yom Tov, and is nolad (a type of muktzah) and cannot be eaten on Yom Tov, but can be eaten the following day, is not batel. The most common case of davar she’yesh lo matirin is chametz, which is forbidden on Pesach, but permissible afterwards, and the ruling that such items are not batel is consistent with the ruling that even tiny amounts of chametz in mixtures are not batel. Nevertheless,

Kiddushin as a Speech Act

29 01, 2010

Kiddushin as a Speech Act

January 29th, 2010|Kiddushin and Ketubah, Marriage and Family|

The act of kiddushin, the giving of the ring, is accompanied by a verbal statement – harei at mekudeshet li bi’taba’at zo ki’dat Moshe vi’Yisrael, “behold you are betrothed to me with this ring, according to the laws of Moshe and Israel.” On the face of it, this expression would appear to be nothing more than an expression of intent, and not an actual constituent part of the act of kiddushin. This assumption, however, is challenged by the Gemara (Kiddushin 5b) that states that the bride cannot make this statement, and, if she does, the kiddushin is either definitely or

Symmetry in Marital Sex

11 12, 2009

Symmetry in Marital Sex

December 11th, 2009|Marriage and Family, Sex|

The mitzvah of onah, the mitzvah of marital sex, raises the issue of the symmetry or asymmetry of the halakhically-defined sexual relationship. The Gemara discusses at length the husband’s obligation to have sex with his wife (at regular intervals or when she indicates that she is interested) based on the Biblical obligation of onah. However, while the Gemara takes it for granted that a wife must have sex with her husband (and one who regularly refuses to do so is termed a moredet, a rebellious wife, and can be divorced with cause), it never makes clear from where this obligation is

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