Shiur Nonsense: Does One Who Can’t Taste or Smell Recite Birchos Hanehenin?
Adapted from a shiur by Dayan Yosef Greenwald May 27, 2020 One of the lesser symptoms experienced by many COVID-19 patients, lo aleinu, is the loss of taste and smell. Would a person so inflicted be required to recite a…
Separating Ma’aser Kesafim on a PPP Loan Amid Covid-19
Rav Chaim Weg Question: If a business receives a PPP loan in order to help make their payroll, must the business owner separate ma’aser kesafim from that money? Would it matter if the loan is ultimately forgiven? Answer: The halachah is that…
Giving Ma’aser Kesafim During Times of Financial Difficulty
Rav Chaim Weg Question 1: As a result of the coronavirus, many people have unfortunately been struggling financially to make ends meet. Is the widespread practice of giving ma’aser kesafim, one-tenth of one’s earnings to tzedaka, applicable during this time? Must one give ma’aser from his income…
Landlord and Tenants Rights Amid COVID-19
Rav Chaim Weg Question: What is the halacha if a landlord rents out hisbasement to another family or a playgroup, and a member of that family or playgroup contracts the coronavirus? Does the landlord have any right to regulate what…
Proper Precedence in Payments
Rabbi Chaim Weg - Rosh Kollel of Bais HaVaad Kollel for Dayanus - formerly Rosh Kollel of Scranton Kollel When money is scarce, who gets paid first? Question: What are the general parameters for a business, regarding paying employees vs.…
Fine China? A Perpetrator Payment Plan, Part II
Adapted from a shiur by Dayan Yosef Greenwald May 21, 2020 We established last week in Part 1 of this series (tinyurl.com/y87ua89o) that according to the Hagahos Ashri, although there is nothing that the earthly Bais Din can do today…
Maaser for Covid Tuition
Q1. May one use maaser for tuition in general? Q2. Even if in a normal circumstance one cannot, is it possible that the tuition being paid during the COVID-19 school closures may be paid from maaser money? Answer 1: The…
Playgroups vs. Schools
Q. The peshara for playgroups as mentioned previously was 25-33% of the regular tuition. Why does it seem that the expectation regarding schools is to pay closer to full tuition? As a matter of fact, there is a possibility from a Halachic…
Tuition for Playgroups and Babysitters
As playgroups and babysitters are closed. Do parents have to pay tuition? If yes, how much? The starting point for these kinds of questions is the Chasam Sofer, which as mentioned in the previous shiur, in the case of a…