Archive

Questions & answers

Common questions about Jewish law and practice, answered in plain language with sources you can check. Every answer says how settled it is — and when the right move is asking your rabbi.

These are questions we chose and published. What readers ask here is private, and is never added to this archive.

• Do fresh fruits and vegetables need a hechsher (kosher certification)?

  Fresh fruit and vegetables need no kosher certification while unprocessed. What they do need is checking for insects — coatings and processing change that.

• I stirred a meat pot with a dairy spoon. Is the pot still kosher?

  Whether the pot stays kosher turns on heat and timing: a clean spoon, with no hot dairy in the last 24 hours, generally leaves the pot kosher.

• Can I carry my keys outside on Shabbat?

  Whether you can carry keys outside on Shabbat comes down to one thing: whether your area has an eruv. With one you may; without one, generally not.

• What time do I light Shabbat candles when I'm traveling or away from home?

  Away from home, light Shabbat candles by local time, generally 18 minutes before sunset. Where the local custom differs, follow the local practice.

• What bracha do I make on medicine or vitamins?

  Medicine and vitamins usually take no bracha, because they are not eaten for enjoyment. The exception is anything taken for enjoyment with a pleasant taste.

• Do I make a new bracha on food that arrives in the middle of a meal?

  Food that arrives mid-meal needs no new blessing if it belongs to the meal. Dessert, and anything eaten apart from the meal, can differ.

• What bracha do I make on coffee?

  Coffee takes shehakol: "Shehakol nih'yeh bidvaro" — by Whose word everything came to be. That is the wording to say before you drink.

• How do I ask someone for forgiveness before Yom Kippur?

  Asking forgiveness before Yom Kippur works best when it is specific and sincere: name the harm, say you regret it, and ask plainly.

• Can I ask a non-Jewish neighbor to turn off a light on Shabbat?

  You may hint to a non-Jewish neighbor that a light needs turning off on Shabbat, but you should not ask them directly. That difference is the whole answer.

• Which doorways in my house need a mezuzah?

  Living spaces need a mezuzah: bedrooms, living rooms, kitchens. Bathrooms and small closets do not. It goes on the right as you enter.