Sefarim by Rabbi Chaim Cohen: Mekor Chaim ↗ בס״ד

  1. Mezuza on a Garden Gate

    Question: Our front gate stands between two brick pillars, while our side gate into the back garden has a wooden arch. Do both gates need a mezuza ? Answer: The Gemara (Yoma 11a) teaches that the gates of courtyards, as well …

  2. Mezuzos on a Rented House

    Question: We have just signed a year’s lease on a new flat. When should we affix our mezuzos ? Answer: The Gemara (Menachos 44a) teaches that while one who rents a home in Eretz Yisrael must affix a mezuza immediately, one w…

  3. Corridor to a Bathroom

    Question: We have just installed an en-suite bathroom, and there is a small corridor leading to it from the bedroom. Does this corridor require a mezuza ? Answer: The Gemara (Yoma 11a) teaches that a toilet room, bathhouse, ta…

  4. Passul Sefer Torah

    Question: A sofer examined an old sefer Torah in our shul and advised that it is no longer worthwhile to repair. May it remain in the aron hakodesh , or must it be buried? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (YD 279:1) rules that a …

  5. Using a Sefer

    Question: I am learning in yeshiva and want to reserve a particular shtender for myself. Am I allowed to leave a sefer open on the shtender to indicate that the place is taken? Answer: Sefer Chassidim gives practical examp…

  6. Tzitzis on Show

    Question: My Rebbe in school strongly encourages us to wear our tzitzis out, but my brother says that this is not the Sefardi minhag. What should I do? Answer: The Ibn Ezra (Bamidbar 15:39) explains that the Torah’s instruct…

  7. A Left-Handed Sofer

    Question: I need to order tefillin for our son, who will become bar mitzva next year. Is it preferable to have the parshiyos written by a right-handed sofer , or by a left-handed sofer whose handwriting is of a higher standa…

  8. Tefillin Before Repeating Amida

    Question: I omitted yaaleh veyavo in Shacharis on Rosh Chodesh and only realised my mistake after removing my tefillin and davening mussaf. Am I required to put my tefillin back on before repeating the shemoneh esrei ? An…

  9. Knot Touching the Bayis

    Question: When I bought my tefillin the kesher touched the bayis but it no longer does. Does it need to be secured with a string so it stays in place? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 27:2) writes that the kesher in the shap…

  10. Tefillin After Interruption

    Question: I removed my tefillin in the middle of Shacharis to respond to a Hatzala emergency call. When I returned, I joined the following minyan to continue davening . Should I have repeated the berachos before putting my t…

  11. Thursday Tisha B’Av

    Question: As Tisha B’Av falls on Thursday this year, are the restrictions of the Nine Days lifted before chatzos on Friday? Answer: The Gemara (Taanis 29a) records that although the Beis Hamikdash was set alight towards the en…

  12. Tefillin from Non-Jewish Shop

    Question: A local non-Jewish charity shop is selling an old pair of tefillin . At a quick glance, I can see that they are no longer Kosher. Am I obligated to buy them to prevent them from potentially being desecrated? Answer: …

  13. Tefillin for Left-Handed

    Question: I'm left-handed and accidentally picked up my brother’s tefillin . Do I need to remove the retzua from the shel yad and reinsert it the other way so that the kesher faces inwards? Answer: The Terumas Hadeshen…

  14. Child Place Parshiyos

    Question: Our son is very excited for his upcoming bar-mitzva and has been learning about tefillin with his class. He mentioned that a couple of his friends got to place the parshiyos in their tefillin . We asked the sofer w…

  15. Selling Inherited Tefillin

    Question: I inherited my grandfather’s tefillin a few years ago but do not need them, as I already have my own pair. May I sell them? Answer: The Mishna (Megilla 26a) teaches that when an item of kedusha is sold, the procee…

  16. Right or Left-Handed Tefillin

    Question: Our son is turning bar-mitzva in a few months. While he is generally right-handed, and writes English with his right hand, he writes Hebrew with his left hand. Which arm should he wear his tefillin on? Answer: The…

  17. Tefillin While Seated

    Question: I am a baal teshuva and have therefore adopted different practices from the various shuls I have attended. I have been sitting while putting on my tefillin shel yad and then standing before putting on the shel rosh …

  18. Tefillin After Maariv

    Question: I davened maariv before shekia and then realised that I had not yet put on tefillin today. May I still wear tefillin ? Answer: The Shulchan Aruch (OC 30:5) cites the Terumas Hadeshen (2:121), who rules that once …

  19. Double Sided Retzuos

    Question: My tefillin straps were wearing down and had become narrow and stretched in places, so my Rav advised me to buy new ones. The sofer offered a choice between retzuos that are black on one side or both sides. I have a…

  20. Trimming Retzuos

    Question: We are giving our son my late father’s tefillin . The retzuos of the shel rosh are too long. May they be shortened? Answer: There is a related machlokes regarding whether one may trim excess gilyonos from the kla…