Meseches Bechoros … [Read more...]
Halachot of Daily Living
Q: Can one use toothpaste, lipstick, or medicines which may have a Hametz ingredient on Pessah? Answered by Rabbi Moshe Pinhasi A: Anything that is unsuitable for the consumption of a dog prior to Pessah, may be kept in one’s possession but is nevertheless forbidden to eat MiD’Rabbanan[1]. With regards to toothpaste, lipstick and the like, since one does not intend on … [Read more...]
Ribbit: Matters of Interest
THANKING THE LENDER May the borrower thank the lender for the loan? May he greet him warmly upon meeting him in the street? Does it make any difference if he thanked or greeted him during the life of the loan or afterward? As discussed in the previous chapter, Hachamim forbade the borrower to perform favors for the lender, even where there is no financial value to the … [Read more...]
The Hametz Index: Owning Shares of Companies Dealing in Hametz
Shiur Summary by Dayan Shlomo Cohen We are not allowed to own any Hametz over Pessah. The custom in most communities today is to sell the Hametz in our possession to a non-Jew over Pessah. What happens if you own shares in companies that deal with Hametz? Let us explain how corporations work. According to law, a corporation is considered to be a separate entity, apart from … [Read more...]
Pessah Issues from the Medical Halacha Yomit Series
By Rabbi Ariel Ovadia Unconscious Sale Q: Should one sell the Hametz of an unconscious patient? Is such a Mechira valid? A: A spouse or custodian can and should sell the Hametz of an unconscious or demented patient. The Poskim debate whether there is a need to sell an unconscious person’s Hametz. Some Poskim hold that the Hametz of a patient who falls under the … [Read more...]