Adapted from a Shiur by Rav Mordechai Lebhar What can’t you say when someone’s always listening?  Amazon's Echo and similar “smart speakers” are devices that provide information, take orders for goods, or activate any of an array of services in response to voice commands. They operate by constantly recording ambient sound and listening for a “wake word,” which for the Echo … [Read more...]

A major theme of the recent elections and nominations for Supreme Court Justices has been the assertions that the leading candidates are “not qualified” due to deficiencies in temperament and character. Back in 2016, a feud erupted between rivals for the Democratic Nomination - Senator Bernie Sanders and Secretary Hillary Clinton - over each other's qualifications. The … [Read more...]

The Halachic method for identifying a real Etrog By Rav Mordechai Lebhar, Posek for the SHC, Rosh Kollel LINK Los Angeles, and author of Magen Avot If you haven’t done so yet, chances are that you are searching for a proper set of Arba Minim for the upcoming holiday of Sukkot. Surely, you seek out a beautiful Etrog with which to fulfill this precious Mitzvah. You look at … [Read more...]

By Rabbi Yitzchok Basser Repentance is a central theme of the Yamim Noraim, and an appropriate time to make amends. Here we will explore the obligations of an individual who shoplifted in younger years, and now would like to make things right. That he has to return the value of the item stolen is a given. The question is: Is it sufficient to anonymously return the value … [Read more...]

May one sell their Hametz online? Adapted from a Shiur by Dayan Shmuel Honigwachs To answer this question, let us begin with a brief overview of the standard Mechirat Hametz procedure. THE MINHAG OF A COMMUNAL SALE The Minhag of a Hametz sale originated in Europe, where many ran Hametz-based businesses such as taverns. Disposing of the Hametz would be a very difficult … [Read more...]