Beit Midrash for Birurei Halachah Binyan Zion

א ביסוד האיסור איתא במכילתא (בא פרשה ט' א') "כל מלאכה לא יעשה בהם, לא תעשה אתה, לא יעשה חברך, ולא יעשה גוי מלאכתך" ומשמע מדבריהם דאמירה לעכו"ם אסור מה"ת ולא כמבואר בכמה מקומות בשבת דאינו אלא שבות, עיין שבת (ק"נ ע"א) גיטין (ח' ע"ב) וב"מ (צ' ע"א). אמנם הרמב"ן בפי' עה"ת (שם י"ב ט"ז) כתב דנוסחה מוטעית הוא במכילתא ולכו"ע אין בו איסור תורה, אך הסמ"ג בל"ת ע"ה נטה לפרש את דברי המכילתא כפשוטן דהוי איסור תורה אף שכתב ...

Yom Tov Sheni - Shu"t Minchas Asher Question: Hi, I was reading through one of the fantastic Teshuvos regarding Melacha on Yom Tov Sheini (in Minchas Asher volume 1, Siman 11, part 3). The Teshuva specifically dealt with asking one who lives in Israel to do Melacha for one who lives in Chutza La'aretz on Yom Tov Sheini. At the end of the Teshuva you stated that in Igros Moshe Orach Chaim 3:71 Rav Moshe conc ...

Question: I need to be at a non religious Bar Mitzvah on Shabbos. The family will be hiring a photographer. If asked, can I pose for a picture if the photographer is not Jewish. What about if I'm sitting down and I see him taking my picture, should I ask him not to? Answer: The photographer does not have to be stopped from taking pictures, however you should not intentionally pose for any pictures. The phot ...

Question: I officiate as a rabbi once a month in a primarily non religious community, my wife is rarely able to venture out of the house because of the kids and lack of eruv, and is unable to partake in any kiruv involvement in the shul, such as meeting members and building relationships that would lead to potential chavrusas and shabbos meals, are we able to use a pusher to facilitate her freedom from the ...

Question: I was wondering if lehalocho one could be meikil to ask a goy to do a melocho be`shinuy for it to be a shvus deshvus Harav Sh. Z. Auerbach (in Minchas Shlomo) is reluctant to be meikil but in Orchos Shabbos various sources are being quoted to allow. And if so, surely one could ask `directly` wothout derech remiso as with any other Shvus de`Shvus Many thanks Answer: As you mentioned this issue is d ...

Question: Can you ask a non-jewish cleaning lady to wash ones dishes on day 1, of a 2 day Yom Tov, if the keilim will not be used for the day 1 anymore? (Same question for washing dishes on Shabbos if one will not need the dishes for shabbos anymore). Is amirah l'akum applicable to the issur of hachanah? Answer: Asking a non-Jew to do something which does not involve any melacha, only preparing for after sh ...

Question: The shul I daven in Friday Night has a problem with the electricity. As a result in the summer months when the air conditioning is running, there are power outages from time to time. When this happens before Maariv is it permissible to ask a non jew to turn on the electricity? Answer: A non jew should be hinted to about the outage and what needs to be done [“it is dark in the shul”]. In this manne ...