In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:

Krias Shema on Mivtzoim:

• When saying Krias Shema with people who do not understand Hebrew, is there a requirement that they understand the meaning or basic content of Shema?​
• During mivtza tefillin, what is the halachic value of having a person say Shema after the zman?​
• What types of mistakes in the reading of Shema necessitate repeating from the beginning of the passuk?​ And is there room for leniency for a person with OCD?​

A Grandfather’s Request:

• Grandchildren whose grandfather requested they never return to Poland: are they halachically obligated to keep this request as part of kibbud av and avi avihem?​
• Is there any way for them to visit without being considered as violating his will, and still be framed as respecting his intent?​

Dealing With Multiple Sifrei Torah:

• When two Sifrei Torah are taken out, until what stage of gelilah of the first Sefer is it prohibited to begin undressing the second Sefer?​
• How does the prohibition of opening the second Sefer Torah until after gelilah of the first Sefer relate to the rule of not beginning the haftorah until the completion of gelilah?​

Shliach Tzibur With Past Aveiros:

• May someone who previously committed serious aveiros and later did teshuvah serve as a shliach tzibur?​
• What about someone who was a tinok shenishbah, and not properly educated, serving as a shliach tzibur?​

Changing Location While Eating – Follow-Up:

• If someone makes a shehakol in one room and then moves to another room or to the yard, when does he need to make a new bracha, and when does intent from the outset help?​
• When in doubt whether a new bracha is required after changing locations, can one deliberately make a bracha acharona first and then a new bracha rishona, or is this considered an unnecessary bracha?​
• Is it effective to make a once-a-year stipulation that all one’s brachos are made with the intent to possibly move locations?​

Yehareg Ve’al Ya’avor and “Me’achorei Hageder”:

• In the Rambam’s case, where doctors say a man’s only cure is to interact with a woman in forbidden circumstances, what exactly is meant by the expression “me’achorei hageder” for which he must rather give up his life?​

In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:

Bris and baby naming:

• If a bris needed to be done by a frum mohel surgeon in a hospital, is it better to name the baby immediately with just the parents present, or to delay a few hours in order to name him at home with a minyan and a cup of wine?​
• How closely must the bracha of “asher kideish yedid” be to the actual bris?​

Brachos for parents after birth:

• What are the guidelines for the brachos made by the parents following the birth of a child?
• And is this in fact the proper minhag despite rumored reports that this isn’t practiced among chassidim?​

Shehecheyanu on new fruits:

• When eating a new seasonal fruit, which bracha should be recited first: Shehechiyanu or ha’eitz, according to Chabad minhag?​
• Is there any evidence from the Rebbe to reverse the order?​

Women and birkas hagomel:

• Should a woman who has given birth recite hagomel after recovery?​

Answering devarim shebikdusha during pesukei d’zimra:

• During pesukei d’zimra, which devarim she’bikdusha should one answer, and which instances of amein during kaddish are included in the allowance?​

Removing snow on Shabbos:

• May one shovel snow on Shabbos in an enclosed area (where carrying is permitted) when there’s a concern for people getting hurt?​
• Is fresh snow considered muktzah?​
• Is spreading salt on ice and snow permissible on Shabbos?​
• What can be done about snow in areas where carrying isn’t allowed?

Adding a name for a choleh:

• Under what conditions is a name added for a dangerously ill person?​
• Does the added name become the person’s permanent name for all halachic purposes, and what factors can affect this?​

Bracha of al mitzvas tzizis on a tallis gadol:

• If one mistakenly recites the bracha of al mitzvas tzitzis on a tallis gadol, is the bracha valid b’dieved, or must it be repeated?​
• What changes to the nusach constitute being “meshaneh matbei’a shetav’u chachamim”?

Switching rooms while eating cake and coffee:

• If someone makes a mezonos on cake and a shehakol on coffee, and then leaves the room and returns, does the requirement to come back for al hamichya on the cake keep the original shehakol in force also for the coffee?​
• How does this compare to the case of a bread meal, where the ha’eitz made on fruit eaten in the meal remains in force even if one left and returned?​

In this week’s episode #2, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:

Changing place while eating:

• Changing location in the middle of eating or drinking: when is a new bracha rishona required?​
• Does one’s intention during the original bracha rishona to go to another room in the middle (even without intending to eat there) prevent the need for a new beracha?​

Non‑Jews and mitzvos:

• May a non‑Jew perform mitzvos (e.g., shaking lulav) to receive reward, and for which types of mitzvos is this discouraged or restricted?​
• Is the leniency of “not preventing him” limited to a ger toshav or someone accepting sheva mitzvos, rather than any non‑Jew?
• May we actively assist or facilitate a non‑Jew in doing mitzvos, or must we only refrain from stopping him?​

Prospective converts:

• May a ger-in-process put on tefillin in order to learn how to do the mitzva?​
• To what extent do the restrictions on teaching Torah or allowing mitzva performance to non‑Jews apply to someone clearly on the path to conversion?
• Is there a concern that allowing a non‑Jew (or prospective ger) to put on tefillin or similar mitzvos may lead to confusion about his Jewish status (e.g., intermarriage concerns)?​

Shortcuts through shul:

• Does the prohibition of using a shul as a shortcut apply when passing through one room of the shul only to reach an adjacent room of shul (when there’s an alternate, less direct route to the second room)?​
• What about walking across the bimah to get to the other side?​

Eating from broken dishes:

• Is there any real halachic basis for avoiding eating from broken dishes because of forgetting one’s learning, and if so, what type of break is included?
• Would such a concern apply equally to women?​

Hearing krias haTorah:

• To what extent must one hear all of krias haTorah to be yotzei their obligation?​
• When may someone who partially heard the leining join or count for a second minyan’s krias haTorah, and how many full listeners are required?​

Determining the time of passing:

• In a case of cardiac arrest where attempts at resuscitation continue into the night, which calendar day is halachically considered the person’s time of passing?​

Hiddurim beyond one’s level:

• Is there a source for the minhag of reading shema from a mezuza while wearing Rabbeinu Tam’s tefillin? And is it advisable to adopt such a minhag?

Episode #01:

• Is there a halachic problem when the lines of a mezuza (and by extension tefillin and sefer Torah) are not exactly parallel, gradually becoming wider or narrower, and how many such lines constitute an issue?
• May one rely on correcting such non-parallel lines (e.g., by stretching or shrinking letters) without creating a problem of shelo kesidran?
• How should one deal with the halacha of not giving food to someone who will not make a Bracha when this concerns non-frum siblings or guests, and what are acceptable solutions?
• Is it appropriate to use a large amount of water for Netilas Yadayim (washing “b’shefa”), or is this considered excess, gaavah, or bal tashchis in contemporary circumstances?
• When walking on Shabbos in the street, is there any prohibition in causing a car (even driven by a Jew) to stop or slow down because of your presence?
• If money was left in a coat pocket going into Shabbos, does the coat become a basis l’davar ha’asur and muktza, and does it depend on the type of pocket (shirt‑style vs. sewn-on pocket)?
• When a person makes a Bracha on a Mitzvah to be motzi others (e.g., kiddush, Chanukah candles, leishev baSukkah) and then speaks before doing the act, are the listeners still yotzei the Bracha?
• In Chutz La’aretz, if one forgot to separate challah before Shabbos and leaves over bread for hafrashas challah after Shabbos, what is the correct way to leave that portion, and what if one mistakenly designated an entire loaf as challah?
• When separating challah after Shabbos from bread that was eaten on Shabbos without prior hafrashas challah (in Chutz La’aretz), does one recite a bracha at that time?