By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Vayikra 5:23 the passuk teaches us that if one sins and wants to do Teshuva he should return the object that he stole. The Gemara in Chullin 141a says that one who steals does not receive malkus because it is a lav that is attached to an asseh. Since one has a mitzva to return it. The question arises that according to those shittos that hold that teshuva is a mitzvah. (based on Rambam Hilchos Teshuva, Ramban Devarim 30 and Rabbeinu Yona.) How could one ever get malkus since it is nitak to the asseh of teshuvah?

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In GemaraMegillah 11b recounts that Achashveirosh took out the klei haMikdash and used it during his meal. The Satan came and danced among them and killed Vashti. The question arises why when Balshetzar took out the keilim of the Bais haMikdash he himself was killed that night, whereas Achashveirosh when he used the keilim of the Bais haMikdash he did not die but rather his wife died?

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Shmos 28:30 the Torah tells us that the Urim VeTumim were placed in the Choshen. The Targum Yonasan ben Uziel says that the Urim VeTumim served as a vehicle to ask anything in learning from Hashem. It would seem from the Targum that they would ask dinim in the Torah. We see the same concept brought in Bamidbar 27:21 that they would ask from Elazar the Kohen while wearing the Urim. The Targum uses the language “Lemeidan dina” to pasken Shailos.

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld
In Shmos 25:2 the Torah tells us that we should take (give) for me teruma. Rashi explains the word for me is that it has to be leshem shomayim. The question is that we know the Gemara in Pesachim 50b says that a person should learn Torah even if it is shelolishmo as the shelo lishma brings the person to do it lishma. Why would the mitzva of teruma be different?

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

By Rabbi Berach Steinfeld

Recently, after a revelation of horrific events involving Chaim Walder, frum Jewry is faced with many shailohs regarding the proper way to handle it. In this episode of Headlines, Dovid Lichtenstein delves deeply into the topic with leading psychologists and Poskim, answering questions such as:
-Do the rules change when a public figure and role model is involved in a scandal?
-How much evidence do you need before you publish accusations, especially when there is a danger to the community?
-Does the community owe a responsibility to hold the perpetrator responsible to ensure that the victims have justice and to deter such conduct by others?

On Erev Shabbos, if a woman is running late to light Shabbos candles on time, she is permitted to light the Shabbos candles immediately, once her husband has lit even one of the lights on the Chanukah menorah, and she will be yotzeh with her husband’s lighting.
(Rama end of 671:7, Halichos Yosef 679:1, Ben Ish Chai 1:Vayeishev:Chanukah:20)
The Mishnah Brurah brings in the name of the Pri Migadim and Shaarei Teshuva that on Erev Shabbos, lechatchila, one should daven Minchah before lighting Chanukah licht (if possible). Nevertheless, most communities are not makpid on this and daven after lighting.