National Council of Young Israel Presents
Holiday Divrey Torah
Rabbi Shimon Silver's Halochoscope Series
Volume 13
Basar Bechalav & Earthenware (glass range for meat and dairy)
Number 14A (4 page/full size format)
Number 14B (2 sides of 1 page/brochure size format)
Giving on Chanukah (avail giving chanukah gelt or gifts)
Number 13A (4 page/full size format)
Number 13B (2 sides of 1 page/brochure size format)
The Place to Light Neyros Chanukah
(eating Shabbos chanukah night out of the house, where to kindle?)
Number 12A (4 page/large print version)
Number 12B (2 sides of 1 page/booklet style version)
Potato Bread and Gentile Bakers (potato bread, pas or bishul?)
Number 11A (2 sides of 1 page/booklet style version)
Number 11B (4 page/large print version)
Number 10 A Chevra Kadisha Query (Quasi-Paganistic ritual garment in Jewish grave)
Number 9 Tal Umatar in Chutz LeAretz (Israeli in Chu'l saying vesayn tal umatar)
Number 8 Tevilas Kailim (using cheap barbecue one time. tevilah?)
Number 7 Wedding Contract (misspelled middle name in kesuba)
Number 6 Kiddush (child reciting kiddush in shul friday night)
Number 5 Non-Jewish Religious Ceremonies (Jew attending non-Jewish wedding)
Number 4 Kibud Av & Admonishing (parent asks son to buy cigarettes)
Number 3 Sukkah Walls (horizontal protrusion on railing for sukah)
Number 2 Aseress Yemei Teshuva (holding a birthday party during the Ten Days of Penance)
Number 1 Having a minyan on Shabbos/Yom Tov that depends on people driving. (Relying on non-observant Jew for a minyan)
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Volume 12
Number 50 Maaser Kesafim/Monetary Tithes (choices in distributing maaser)
Number 49 Trading in non-kosher foods (web-page supported by treife ads)
Number 48 Honor due to text containing "G-D" in different languages (secular books with 'god' in restroom)
Number 47 Rosh Chodesh (Women sewing on rosh chodesh)
Number 46 Lost Objects (two people found mitt)
Number 45 Sheva Brachos (if chasan did not eat bread)
Number 44 When the 10th of Av Falls on an Erev Shabbos (non-Shabbos laundry Tenth Av morning)
Number 43 Renovations on the 9 Days and Tisha BAv
Number 42 Reclaiming Equipment Donated to Yeshiva Dorm
Number 41 Hotza'ah - Carrying on Shabbos (buttons sewn inside of suit pockets)
Number 40 Borrowing tzedakah for Shliach Mitzvah money
Number 39 Muktzeh of Living Animals
Number 38 Mezuza & for Long Term Guests (Mezuza on private room against wishes of host)
Number 37 Birkas HaMazon (interupting and delaying during bentching)
Number 36 Eruv Tavshilin (if known that it will not be eaten after Havdalah)
Number 35 Aveilus & Semachos including Lag BaOmer
Number 34 Commerical Activity on Shabbos (soliciting donations on shabbos to publish sefer)
Number 33 Shiluach Hakan
Number 32 Religion for a gentile
Number 31 Selling Chumatz (Online)
Number 30 Birkas HaChamah (& teaching Torah to a gentile)
Number 28 Residue after kashering oven for Pesach
Number 27 Megillah during early Shacharis (early megillah with kavanah shelo latzais)
Number 26 Replications of the Mishkan & its artifacts
Number 25 Prohibition of Cruelty to Animals, Exceptions for human needs
Number 24 Gentile Wine
Number 23 Tu BiShevat
Number 22 Vending Machines on Shabbos - Part 5
Number 21 Vending Machines on Shabbos - Part 4
Number 20 Vending Machines on Shabbos - Part 3
Number 19 Commercial Activity (Vending Machines - Part 2) on Shabbos
Number 18 Vending Machines on Shabbos (Part 1 of 5)
Number 17 Chanukah Candles (if husband not home for kindling)
Number 16 Clearing Snow on Shabbos
Number 15 Kos Shel Brocha (and bizuy (disrespecting a) mitzvah)
Number 14 Sefer Torah (digital shaimos)
Number 13 Pas Yisroel (rebaked breads?)
Number 12 When Donning a Talis (new beged tzitzis for workout -- new brocha?)
Number 11 Time to Start and End Shabbos
Number 10 Commercial Work on Shabbos
Number 9 Images (on a Synagogue's Eastern Wall) (And prayer towards images)
Number 8 Tearing for Mourning/Kriah (Between Yom Kippur & Sukkos) (At the Temple Mount)
Number 7 Asking Mechilah/Forgiveness (Yom Kippur) (Bar Mitzvah)
Number 6 Tekias Shofar/Blowing the Shofar
Number 5 Shimtas Kesafim/Seventh Year Monetary Matters
Number 4 Reading The Torah & Haftarah
Number 3 Women & Men's Clothing
Number 2 Maaser Kesafim/Monetary Tithes
Number 1 Kaddish & Yahrtzeit
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Volume 11
Number 50 Havdalah
Number 49 Avoiding Mixing Fish and Meat
Number 48 on The Three Weeks and Attending a Sporting Event on a Tanis/Fast Day
Number 47 on Boneh/Building on Shabbos
Number 46 on Techum Shabbos
Number 41 on Chometz Not Sold on Pesach
Number 40 on Sefiras HaOmer
Number 39 on Chol HaMoed
Number 34 Purim Meshulash
Number 28 on Not Carrying on Shabbos - Reshuyos/Domains
Number 21 on Travel During Chanukah (
crossing the dateline on Chanukah and missing one night)
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Volume 10
Number 33 Purim & Motsoay Shabbos
Number 29 Orlah & Tu BiShevat
Number 23 Chanukah Lighting by Guests (
guests kindling at a sheva brochos or at their lodgings)
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Volume 9
Number 20 onThe Obligation and Laws of Mezuzah
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Volume 8
Number 16 on Crushing and Making Ice on Shabbos
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Volume 5
Number 8 Does Instant Soup Count towards Mishloach Manos
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Volume 4
Number 7 Purim Costumes (transgender dressing)
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Volume 3
Number 31 on Building a Tent on Shabbos and Other Dinim Related to Camping
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About Rabbi Silver
Rabbi Shimon Silver of the Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh was born in London, England in 1960. He was educated at Hasmonean Grammar School. After graduating with his ‘O-levels’, he stayed on two more years for his A-levels before attending Gateshead Yeshiva.
At Gateshead, Rabbi Silver studied under, among others, R’ Leib Gurwicz, R’ Leib Lopian, R’ Moshe Schwab, R’ Avrohom Gurwicz and R’ Mattisyahu Salomon, currently mashgiach in Beth Medrash Govoha, Lakewood. In 1982, Rabbi Silver began his studies in Beth Medrash Govoha. He settled there for 3 years after marrying Chani Goldman of Washington Heights, NY in 1983. Rabbi Silver earned his Semicha in 1985 from Beth Medrash Govoha.
Since 1985, Rabbi Silver has served as a founding Kollel fellow at the West Side Kollel in Manhattan, a member of the Kollel in Pittsburgh, Rabbi of Shaare Tefillah (the “Russian Shul”), and Bais Medrash rebbe at the Mesivta of Greater Pittsburgh in White Oak, PA. He also served as Rav and acting Menahel of Hillel Academy.
In 1991 he launched his Halochoscope weekly. This ‘newsletter’ subsequently became very popular in the Pittsburgh community and nationwide. Rabbi Silver takes pride in being a pioneer in the current trend of English language quality halachic media. In 2002, when Rabi Silver took over as Rav and acting Menahel of Hillel Academy, Halochoscope became too time-consuming. In 2006 publication was resumed, due to popular demand. It is now in its eighteenth year, with a five year break.
Since 2004, Rav Silver has been the Mara d’Asra of Young Israel of Greater Pittsburgh. He also serves as the supervising Rav of the local Eruv and Mikvah. He is a member of the Vaad Halacha of the National Council of Young Israel, and is sought after as a posek. He has authored a number of well received publications in both Hebrew and English, besides Halochoscope, and has appeared as a speaker for a spectrum of organizations.
Rebitzen Chani Silver, nee Goldman, was born in 1963 in Washington Heights, New York. She grew up in the Breuer’s Kehillah, attending Yeshiva Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch through high school graduation. After attending the City University of New York for a short while, studying computer science, Chani attended the Manchester Bais Yaakov seminary in England. Upon returning to the States, Chani attended COPE Vocational Institute and trained as a computer programmer. She later earned her bachelors in computer science and M.S. Ed. in instructional technology.
Chani began her working career as a programmer for the NY board of Education, for a company in Lakewood New Jersey, and as a consultant in New York. Since moving to Pittsburgh, she worked for a software company in Oakland and as a software quality assurance consultant, and, for fifteen years, as the technology director of Hillel Academy and computer teacher at Yeshiva Achei Temimim. For a short while, Rebitzen Silver edited and produced the Pittsburgh Counterpart, a magazine for Jewish Women. More recently, she has consulted in producing multi-media educational materials, including a recent on-line course for rebitzens for the National Coucil of Young Israel. She is also pioneering courses for high-school age girls.
Rabbi and Mrs. Silver currently live in the Squirrel Hill section of Pittsburgh with three of their children; their oldest married daughter lives in Israel; their second married daughter lives in Lakewood, NJ, and their oldest married son lives in Baltimore MD. They have, bli ayin hara, five more, and a growing number of grandchildren.
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