We’re pleased to share a new episode of “Lemaan Yishmeu,” the weekly halacha podcast with Rabbi Yosef Yeshaya Braun, Mara D’asra, and member of the Crown Heights Beis Din, brought to you by AskTheRav.com in partnership with the Lemaan Yilmedu Halacha Institute.
Each week, Rabbi Braun explores fascinating halachic questions across a wide range of practical topics — real inquiries that have reached his desk, along with his clear and insightful responses.
You can listen to the podcast on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, 24Six Amazon Music and Pocket Casts
The podcast is also available at https://asktherav.com/podcast/#ep18, where you can see extensive marei mekomos for the answers.
In this week’s episode, the topics discussed by Rabbi Braun include:
E-scooter safety for children
May parents allow young children to ride e-scooters and e-bikes, given the serious injuries these vehicles can cause?
- Are parents halachically liable for damage caused by a child riding an e-scooter, and which factors may determine their responsibility?
- Does dina d’malchusa dina obligate us to keep traffic and safety laws, such as the ban on riding e-scooters on the sidewalk?
Miscarriage: when does the neshama enter?
- After a missed miscarriage, was there a neshama that came into this world and will merit olam haba?
At what stage can a child’s neshama enter olam haba: from when the seed is implanted, from the bris, or from when he first answers amen?
How do the rulings of the Rama and the Alter Rebbe (regarding children answering amen and washing negel vasser) relate to the opinions in the Gemara?
How does the Rebbe reconcile the various opinions, and connect it to the halacha that we are mechalel Shabbos to save a fetus?
Ignoring someone and onaas devarim
- Does deliberately ignoring someone in order to hurt or humiliate them violate the issur of onaas devarim, which literally refers to hurtful words?
- Is onaas devarim limited to speech, or does it include actions (such as eyeing merchandise you cannot afford) and even inaction?
Sternos and shehiya on Shabbos
- Does food placed before Shabbos on a sterno require a blech covering the flame?
- Is a sterno comparable to a Shabbos hot plate with no adjustable setting (as the questioner’s AI suggested), which most poskim permit without a covering, or is that comparison incorrect?
- Does the concern of shema yechateh b’gechalim apply where there are no actual coals, such as with liquid or gel fuel, or where one can only turn a knob higher or add fuel?
Early Shabbos Kiddush for a bar mitzvah boy
- If a boy becomes bar mitzvah on Shabbos and the community accepts Shabbos early, may he make Kiddush before nightfall, and could that count for himself even after he becomes a gadol that night?
- Can we infer from the halacha about a bar mitzvah boy davening Maariv before dark, which implies that the only concern is davening for the amud and being motzi the tzibbur, with no issue regarding his personal chiyuv?
Tallis on top of tefillin in a travel bag
- Is there an issue with travel tallis bags in which the tallis sits on top of the tefillin, rather than in front of them as in the classic bags?
- Since tefillin have a higher level of kedusha than a tallis, why is placing the tallis on top not considered disrespectful?
- Does it matter that the tallis serves as protection for the tefillin, and that the tefillin are stored inside their own box and bag?
