I Overpaid Maaser, Can I Deduct for the Future?

Anash.org feature: Dayan Levi Yitzchok Raskin, Rov of Anash in London, explores interesting Torah questions and halachic dilemmas including lighting menorah late, mezuzah slanted backward, candles before a chazzan, overpaying maaser, and doing work for a church.

The following issues are discussed by Rabbi Raskin in this week’s episode:

1. When writing a Kesubah, should names ending with א-ל or י-ה be written normally, or with a hyphen or apostrophe? [1]
2. A Mezuza was affixed diagonally but tilted backward rather than forward. Is it OK? [2]
3. Is bowing at Modim done differently from the other bows in Shmoine Esrei? [3]
4. A group of non-Jewish schoolchildren is visiting a synagogue. May I open the Oron Kodesh and open a Sefer Torah for them to see?[4]  
5. What is the background to the custom of having two lit candles in front of the Chazan, and in the case of a Chiyuv – to light five candles?[5]
6. The husband is able to light Menorah at the ideal time – right after sunset, but his wife can only be home an hour and a half later. Should he light on time or wait for her? [6]
7. If he does wait for her, may he eat in the interim?[7]
8. In error, I placed £300 in my Charity Account, when I really intended to give £30. May I consider the extra £270 as Maaser for future earnings?[8]
9. A Jewish locksmith works for a non-Jewish firm. He was given a job: to fix the door of a church. Is he allowed to keep the payment?[9]
10. Our online order landed us with avocadoes from Eretz Yisroel. May we eat them; give them to a non-Jew; throw them in the bin?[10]
11. What is the difference between Geshem [in the 2^nd brocho of Shmoine Esrei] and Motor [in the 9^th brocho]?[11]

To listen to Panorama of Halacha on a podcast, click here.

1. [1] ס’ גנזי הקודש ע’ 96; משפט הכתובה ח”ב פי”ד.
2. [2] רמ”א יו”ד סי’ רפט ס”ו; שכל טוב שם אות קמה.
3. [3] ראה שוע”ר סי’ קיג ס”ו; פסקי תשובות שם אות ד; ‘התקשרות’ גליונות שצ, שצג, תט.
4. [4] ראה ספר חסידים אות תקלג; נתיבים בשדה השליחות ח”ב ע’ 266 ואילך.
5. [5] ספר המנהגים-חב”ד ע’ 18; פסקי תשובות ח”ב סי’ קנא הע’ 91.
6. [6] ראה רמב”ם סוף הלכות חנוכה; רמ”א סו”ס תער”ב. 
7. [7] ראה נתיבים בשדה השליחות ח”ב ע’ 138-9.
8. [8] ראה ס’ צדקה ומשפט פ”ה סי”א, ובהערות שם.
9. [9] שו”ע יו”ד סי’ קמג ס”ב.
10. [10]
11. [11] ראה ערוך השלחן סי’ קיד סק”ב; מלבי”ם זכרי’ י, א.