“Shalom Robert, this is Shmuli Margulies. You remember that diamond you were looking for? Well, I just received a shipment, and I have a beautiful 2 carat diamond. It is exactly in your price range of $10,000. Would you like to come by to examine and purchase it? Not until next week? Oh, let me get back to you, as I am going out of town next week.” Shmuli hung up the phone and then called his friend and fellow jeweler Howard Ratner.  “Howard. I am in Antwerp next week, but I have a customer who wants to look at this 2 Ct diamond. Can I give it to you to store in your safe? He’ll come by, examine it, and if he wants it, he’ll give you $10k. Yes. Good!” Later that day, Shmuli gave Howard a sealed envelope which Howard immediately put into his safe. 

A week later Shmuli comes into Howard’s store. “I heard that Robert wasn’t interested in the diamond, so I’ll take it back now.” Howard opens the safe but the envelope with the diamond is gone! “I am really sorry, Shmuli, but it has been so busy, I haven’t a clue what happened to the envelope. But I can think of three reasonable possibilities:

1. I returned it to you already, but I don’t remember.
2. I gave it to Robert, and he kept it.
3. Someone stole it.

“By the way, I never opened the envelope, so I am not even sure that there was a diamond of any value inside!” The case eventually makes it way to the Yorkville Beis Din, where they determined that this case was identical to the one poskened by Rav Moshe Feinstein, zt"l, (other than the value of the diamond), and they also ruled the same: That Howard was obligated to pay $2,222 to Shmuli for the lost diamond. Please explain how the Beis Din calculated this number.

Which of the following Rabbis are considered to have "True" Semicha (Biblical ordination) (select al that apply):

1. A Rabbi today who has received semicha anywhere in the world.
2. A Rabbi who can trace his semicha back to Moshe Rabbeinu and was ordained in the land of Israel.
3. A Rabbi who can trace his semicha back to Moshe Rabbeinu and was ordained outside of the land of Israel.
4. A Rabbi who received semicha from the Rabbanut of the State of Israel while in the land of Israel.

Rabbi Margulies began a course in Kashrus at The Fallsdale Kollel, and each graduate would receive semicha from him at the end of 2 years of study in the area of Kashrus. What power does this semicha have?

1. It is "True" semicha, and the recipient can pasken on all matters.
2. It is not "True" semicha, but nonetheless the recipient can pasken on all matters.
3. It is not "True" semicha, and the recipient cannot pasken on all matters.

Rabbi Margulies continued to teach the laws of kashrus to his morning kollel, while the night kollel began a new program learning the laws of monetary disputes. When both groups complete their studies and get semicha, what type of semicha will they get?

1. Both will get "yoreh yoreh"
2. The kashrus group will get "yoreh yoreh" while the monetary disputes group will get "yadin yadin"
3. The kashrus group will get "yadin yadin" while the monetary disputes group will get "yoreh yoreh"
4. Both will get "yadin yadin"

The Yorkville Beis Din tried to properly enforce the rulings of the Gemora, but nevertheless was somewhat restricted compared to a Beis Din from 2000 years ago. Please select all of the actions that a Beis Din can still do today:

1. Collect all types of fines.
2. Force a party to take an oath (shavua).
3. Mediate a compromise between the parties.
4. Collect a fee for their services.

Nowadays, can a Beis Din judge all monetary cases, as they did in the time of the gemora?

Rabbi Margulies finished his kashrus course and during a gala ceremony gave over semicha to his students. Should Rabbi Margulies place his hands on the heads of the students when he does this? What if Rabbi Margulies was living in the time of the Gemora?

1. He should place his hands on the heads of the students in both cases.
2. He should not place his hands on the heads of the students today, but in the time of the gemora he should.
3. He should not place his hands on the heads of the students in both cases.

During the sheva brochos for Mr. Goldberg's daughter that Mr. Brochstein graciously hosted in his mansion, an unknown guest cracked the Stueben Glass Egg that Mrs. Brochstein had on display. Mr. Goldberg and Mr. Brochstein could not reach an agreement, so they both agreed in writing to bring their case to the Boca Beis Din. While this was the most respected Beis Din in all of Palm Beach county, none of the dayanim had true biblical semicha. According to the A.H., will the losing party be obligated to adhere to the decision?

"It clearly states that Mr. Silverman owes me $1000 and was supposed to pay me back 6 months ago," said a frustrated Mr. Goldberg to Rabbi Cohen, as he showed him the loan contract. "I have no choice but to take him to Beis Din now! as he denies the loan" "Wait, a moment," interrupted Lenny (the "louse"), "let me see that contract!" as he pulled it out of Mr. Goldberg's hands. But after examining it for a moment, Lenny ripped up the contract and even swallowed the paper that had most of Mr. Silverman's signature on it! What power does Beis Din have right now:

1. Beis Din can force Mr. Silverman to pay Mr. Goldberg $1000, even though he denies it and there is no existing contract.
2. Beis Din can force Lenny (the "louse") to pay $1000 to Mr. Goldberg, as when he ripped up the loan contract, he has caused Mr. Goldberg a loss, as he can no longer prove the loan.
3. Beis Din has no power to do anything in this case.

Mr. Brochstein and Mr. Goldberg decided to settle their dispute regarding the cracked Stueben Glass Egg in the Boca Beis Din. But as Mr. Goldberg was filling out an application, he noticed that one of the dayanim was Dov Brochstein. "That's my cousin, but don't worry, he is completely impartial," said Harry Brochstein. Mr. Goldberg spoke with Rabbi Goodman who assured him that Dayan Brochstein was indeed impartial, and so he agreed to move forward and signed the application to have the case heard in the Boca Beis Din. If Mr. Goldberg loses, can he get out of paying?

1. Yes, because one of the judges was a relative.
2. Yes, because the dayanim on the Beis Din do not have "real" semicha.
3. No, because he signed an agreement.

Hertzl gave Elky a get in the Yorkville Beis Din and Elky gained custody of their son Gidon. According to the divorce agreement, Hertzl was to pay $400/month to Elky for child support. But after a few months, Hertzl stopped paying the child support. Can the Yorkville Beis Din force Hertzl to pay Elky this child support?

Mr. Goldberg forgot his gemora for Rabbi Cohen's Daf Yomi Shiur, so he took a brand new gemora from the shelf which happened to belong to Lenny (the "louse"). Unfortunately, Mr. Goldberg spilled his coffee on the gemora during an exciting sugya, and the coffee soaked through ALL the pages, ruining the sefer. Before Mr. Goldberg could say "boom", Lenny (the "louse") found out, sued Mr. Goldberg in New York County Small Claims court and won $49.99 - the price of a new gemora. Mr. Goldberg paid the claim, but was so upset that Lenny sued him in secular court that he sued him back in the Yorkville Beis Din for $49.99 - the amount of money that Lenny gained by not following the halacha and going to secular court. How will the Yorkville Beis Din rule?

1. They will force Lenny to return the $49.99 to Mr. Goldberg.
2. They will let Lenny keep this money.

Lenny (the "louse") purposefully damaged Mr. Goldberg, causing him a loss of a few thousand dollars. Mr. Goldberg filed a claim against Lenny in the Yorkville Beis Din, but Lenny's lawyer responded that the court did not have standing to try the case and therefore Lenny would not appear. The Court Secretary admitted to Mr. Goldberg that the court had no standing, since a "modern Beis Din" does not have the power that a "real" Beis Din of 2000 years ago had. Is there anything that the Yorkville Beis Din can do in this case?

1. No, as they no longer have authority in this area.
2. Yes. They can try Lenny in absentia and put a lien on his property to collect money from him.
3. Yes. They can put Lenny in nidui (excommunication) until he follows the rulings of the Beis Din.

After Rabbi Silverstein, the assistant Rabbi at Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, finalized his divorce, Lenny (the "louse") began to spread horrible rumors about the "real" reason he got divorced. While a few members knew the truth, many believed Lenny's story because it sounded plausible. When the news got to the Board of Trustees, they fired Rabbi Silverstein for "behavior unbecoming of a Rabbi". Now that he has suffered tremendous embarrassment and lost his job, Rabbi Silverstein went to the Yorkville Beis Din demanding that Lenny (the "louse") pay him damages. Does the Beis Din have the power to force Lenny to pay a monetary settlement to Rabbi Silverstein for the loss he has incurred?

Mrs. Annie Silver was raped by Josh Feldman, the repairman,in her home after he had repaired the refrigerator. Josh took advantage of the fact that they were alone (Annie's husband was at work) and the house was locked. Annie was too traumatized to discuss this with the police, so her husband brought over Rabbi Cohen who listened to her story. As Josh Feldman was a respected man in the community, Rabbi Cohen brought in two other Rabbis from the Yorkville Beis Din to listen to Annie's testimony (as well as the testimony from Mr. Rosenstark who saw Josh enter and exit the home rather rushed). The three Rabbis felt that there was merit to Annie's story, but agreed that there was no real proof or witnesses to back the story. What options are available to the Beis Din now.

1. There are no options available since there is only circumstantial evidence.
2. The Beis Din can move forward with the case against Josh, even with the insufficient evidence.
3. The Beis Din can contact the police directly and allow them and the secular courts to punish Josh according to the secular laws.

Joel and Martin Solomon could not handle the government restrictions in their hometown of New York, and so they decided to fulfill their lifelong dream and make Aliyah to Israel, moving to Ramat Trump, a religious and English-speaking community in the Golan. While Joel and Martin were just as Zionist as their neighbors, not one member of the community appreciated the fact that Joel and Martin were living an openly gay lifestyle as husband and husband. The leaders of the community brought their case to the Ramat Trump Beis Din (the only beis din in the small community, with three judges at the helm who only feared Hashem and not the Israeli Supreme Court or the PC movement) to have the judges take care of this abomination. Does this Beis Din have any power to do anything?

1. No. Since the judges don't have real semicha, they are powerless to do anything.
2. Yes. They can force all local shuls and businesses to ostracize the two men until they leave the community. 
3. Yes. They can inflict lashes on the men until they leave or change their ways.

Levy and Yocheved tried to go out for a meal while vacationing in Fallsdale, but couldn't find any restaurants - except for Moishe's Pizza, a fruit bar and a Shabbos take-out store. While Yocheved was disappointed, Levy saw this as an excellent business opportunity, and within a few months had opened "Levy's Burgers". But rather than use the Fallsdale Vaad HaKashrus, headed by Rabbi Margulies, Levy had the restaurant certified by the respected Yorkville Vaad - from his hometown. While Rabbi Margulies recognized the Yorkville Vaad as being very reliable, he felt that bringing in another Rabbi to give a hechsher would ultimately result in other non-reliable Rabbis to be brought in to give a hechsher. Which is a valid option for Rabbi Margulies and the Vaad Hakashrus?

1. They must accept the hechsher from the Yorkville Vaad, and only when a non-reliable Rabbi attempts to give a hechsher to a local food establishment can they take action.
2. They can put the burger shop in cherem and forbid all the members of the community to eat there.
3. They can sue Levy in Beis Din for the money they lost because the burger shop is using a different hechsher.

Rabbi Cohen and Rabbi Toledano were present in the Beis Din to hear Mr. Goldberg's monetary case against Lenny (the "louse"), but Rabbi Sheinfeld was absent. After waiting a few minutes, Dovid, the court secretary came in to announce that Rabbi Sheinfeld would not be able to attend. Mr. Goldberg and Lenny were anxious to have the hearing right then and there, and there was no one else available to stand in - except for the secretary Dovid, who had studied Choshen Mishpat but never received semicha. Can he be the third judge?

1. No.
2. Yes, but both litigants must agree.
3. Yes, even if the litigants don't agree.

"Levy, the stock went down, and is now at the price you wanted to buy it, at $3/share. Should I buy one million shares for you?" Levy looked up at Jonathan, thought for a moment, and then gave a thumbs-up. But at the end of the trading day when it came time to close the finances on the deal, the stock had fallen to $1/share, and Levy was balking at transferring the $3 million to cover the trade. Both Levy and Jonathan ended up in the Yorkville Beis Din, and while both parties agreed to the series of events that occurred, Levy claimed that a "thumbs up" sign was not a halachically binding sign, as it was not mentioned in the gemora, whereas Jonathan said that in the trading world - or at least in his office since he arrived there many years ago - a "thumbs up" meant that the other party agreed to the trade. How will the Beis Din rule?

1. With Levy - the "thumbs up" is non-binding.
2. With Jonathan - the "thumbs up" is binding.

Mr. Goldberg had a financial claim against Lenny (the "louse"), but neither of them wanted to take a day off work to meet at the Yorkville Beis Din. Can Rabbi Cohen, the Rabbi of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim, hear their case after morning services and give a binding judgement?

1. No. Only a Beis Din of three judges can hear a monetary case.
2. Yes, but only if both parties agree.
3. Yes, but only if both parties are members of Congregation Shaarei Shamayim.

Mr. Goldberg lost in his monetary case against Lenny (the "louse") in the Yorkville Beis Din. When Mr. Goldberg went to Florida for the winter, he mentioned the case to Rabbi Goodman, and even showed him the transcript of the case and the final judgement. Rabbi Goodman looked over the papers and shook his head saying, "There are just so many mistakes in this ruling that it makes me want to cry!" Can Mr. Goldberg ask the Boca Beis Din to get involved and perhaps retry the case?

1. No.
2. Yes, and they can retry the case based on the transcripts and final written judgement.
3. Yes, but they must have both litigants appear before them.

Andy came home from work very frustrated. "The boss just got word from the main office that they are shutting down the company and will liquidate everything!" His wife Michelle was shocked, and suggested, "You've been working without pay for a month. That is nearly $5000 in salaries. You have the key to the office, so go back right now and take a few laptops or whatever is of value in the office and bring it back here! At least we'll have something in lieu of your wages!" Can Andy do this?

1. Yes, as long he does not take more than $5000 in equipment.
2. Yes, even if the equipment is worth more than $5000.
3. No, he may not take any equipment in lieu of salary.

The company Andy worked for shut down with almost no advance notice, and failed to pay Andy's last paycheck of $2500. Two months later the corporate liquidators came to Andy's home to request that he give back the laptop, laser printer and other various equipment - valued at almost $2500 - that the company gave him for use in his home. Can Andy keep the equipment?

1. No, even though he is owed the money, he may not keep the equipment.
2. Yes, he may keep the equipment.

Moshe Khodedadian awoke to find that his Lexus ES350 was gone! He called the police and they insisted that he come to the station to file a report. As his wife drove him there in her car, he could not believe his eyes: He saw his own car being driven in front of them. His wife followed the car, which pulled into a private garage on Susquehanna Ave, and the driver went into the apartment building. Can Moshe break into the garage right now and retrieve his car?

1. No. He must go to Beis Din first.
2. No. He must file a report with the police first.
3. Yes. He can take the law into his own hands and do what is necessary to retrieve his car.

Dovid Lipshitz was waiting on line to checkout in the Boca Kosher Marketplace when he felt something in his back pocket. He turned around to see a guy with a kipah on his head and Dovid's wallet in his hand! Can Dovid punch this fellow Jew or hit him with a stick?

1. No. He can only threaten him with words?
2. No. He can only sue him in Beis Din for the value of the wallet stolen.
3. Yes. He can defend his property with physical force.

Moe Shapiro took a small piece of cake at the Kiddush, to which Mr. Goldberg said, "Moe, at least take a BIG piece - you're paying for half of this Kiddush!" "What?" said a surprised Moe. "We agreed that I would have a small Kiddush for my mother's Yahrzeit upstairs and you would have this large Kiddush for your daughter's Aufruf here in the social hall!" Moe and Mr. Goldberg argued back and forth until finally Mrs. Shapiro and Mrs. Goldberg got involved and suggested that the men take their argument to Rabbi Cohen right now and get a judgement. Can they do this?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but the discussions must be done outside of the synagogue.
3. No. Judges cannot render judgements on Shabbos.

Elky and Hertzl met with the secretary of the Yorkville Beis Din to schedule the date of the giving of the get. "Those dates don't work well for me," said Elky. "Friday the sixth would be much better." Can the Beis Din accommodate Elky's request for a session on Friday?

1. Yes, but only if they begin before chatzos.
2. Yes, but only if they begin before plah hamincha.
3. No.

Mr. Shapiro and Mr. Goldberg could not reach an agreement regarding payment for the Kiddush, and decided to take their case to the Yorkville Beis Din for adjudication. As they filled out the forms, both men asked the secretary if they could meet at night, as their schedules were very busy during the day. Can the Beis Din accommodate their night time request?

As Mr. Goldberg was about to sign the kesuva at the Brochstein/Berkowitz wedding, he noticed that the man standing next to him with a pen was none other than his mechutan, Harold Lipshitz (Harold's son Dovid had married Mr. Goldberg's daughter Esther). As the two signatures on a kesuva have to be from people who are not related, Mr. Goldberg exclaimed, "Wait, we're relatives! Can we both sign on a kesuva?" What is the ruling?

1. They are considered relatives, and so one of them will not be able to sign.
2. They are not considered relatives, so they can both sign.

Mr. Silverman had doubts about lending $1000 to Lenny (the "louse"), but Lenny got Rabbi Cohen to sign as a witness to the contract, so he felt more confident about it. That confidence didn't last long, as Lenny missed the payment date, and then denied taking the loan, claiming the contract was forged. Mr. Silverman had him summoned to the Yorkville Beis Din, which was headed by Rabbi Cohen. Can Rabbi Cohen be one of the three judges on the Beis Din that hears this case?

Years ago, Dovid Lipshitz did a favor for a friend and signed as a guarantor on a loan from Ephraim Lebowitz. Turned out that the friend never paid the loan back, and so Ephraim took Dovid to the Boca Beis Din to demand his money. When the judges entered the courtroom, the senior judge, Rabbi Weinberg, realized that Ephraim used to be a student in his class (shiur)  when he used to teach in Yeshiva! Can Dovid demand that Rabbi Weinberg step down from this case, claiming that he fears the Rabbi is biased and will show favoritism to the plaintiff Ephraim.

1. Yes. Since there is a legitimate fear that the Rabbi will be biased and show favoritism to his former student Ephraim, Dovid can demand that he step down and be replaced by someone else.
2. No. Dovid cannot demand that the Rabbi step down from the Beis Din. However, if Rabbi Weinberg feels that he cannot remain unbiased, he can use this as a reason to step down from this case.

Ephraim Lebowitz took Dovid Lipshitz to the Boca Beis Din, claiming that he had to repay a loan that he guaranteed years ago. When the judges walked in, Dovid discovered that the head judge, Rabbi Weinberg, was Ephraim's neighbor living in the same condo! Can Dovid demand that Rabbi Weinberg step down from judging this case, claiming that Rabbi Weinberg will show favoritism towards his neighbor?

1. Yes, this is a valid claim by Dovid, and Rabbi Weinberg will have to step off the Beis Din and be replaced by someone else.
2. No, this is not a valid claim, and Rabbi Weinberg can remain on the Beis Din.

During the bidding for Maftir Yonah, Harry Brochstein bid a staggering $18,000 and won - no one else was even close! But after Sukkos, the accountant noticed a payment of only $8000. Mel Hoffman, the Boca Shul President, casually mentioned this to Harry, who claimed that his final bid was only $8000! Can the Board of Trustees of The Boca Shul bring this matter to Rabbi Goodman, the Rabbi of the Shul, and force Harry to abide by the Rabbi's decision?

Beis Medrash Bnei Torah (BMBT) of Fallsdale was bursting at the seams and the Board of Trustees decided that they needed to hire a fulltime Rabbi. The Rabbi Search Committe made a list of four qualities that they were looking for. According to the S.A., which two (2) of these qualities are the most important?

1. Learned in Torah.
2. A gifted orator - who can speak well and have the kehilla listen to him.
3. Amiable - someone who is friendly and well-liked by the kehilla (a chevra man).
4. Acts properly - like a metsch - following all Torah laws.

What is a Beis Din "ZAVLA" (זבל"א)?

Lenny (the "Louse") had a financial claim against Mr. Goldberg, and while Mr. Goldberg wanted to go to the Yorkville Beis Din to settle this, Lenny (the "Louse") refused. Rabbi Cohen suggested to the two of them that they use ZAVLA, and Mr. Goldberg agreed and selected Dayan Chaim Toledano to be "his" judge. But then Lenny (the "louse") announced that he had selected Dayan Pinchas Toledano, the brother of Chaim! As two brothers cannot be on the same Beis Din, what must they do now?

1. Both Rabbis must step down, and both litigants must select new judges.
2. The Dayan selected by the plaintiff (Lenny (the "louse")) can remain, and the defendant must select a new Dayan.
3. The Dayan selected by the defendant (Mr. Goldberg) can remain, and the plaintiff must select a new Dayan.

Mr. Brochstein and Mr. Goldberg agreed to have their case adjudicated in front of the Boca Beis Din, but the first available court date was after Pesach when Mr. Goldberg would already be back in his home up north! Can the Beis Din allow the two litigants to submit their claims via email?

1. No. A Beis Din must be able to see the expressions on the faces of the litigants as they make their claims and responses.
2. Yes. If both parties agree, a Beis Din can accept claims via email.
3. Yes. A Beis Din can require both parties to submit their claims via email, even if one or both parties insist on a "live" hearing in front of the Beis Din.

As Mr. Gross was about to pull into his parking spot, his son Chaim Baruch threw a fit in the car, and Mr. Gross got distracted and crashed through the fence of his neighbor, Shlomo Kagan. Mr. Gross refused to pay for the damage he caused, so Mr. Kagan suggested that they go to the well-known and well-respected Beis Din in Jerusalem to settle the case. Mr. Gross refused, saying that there were plenty of competent Batei Dinim in their local city, and there was no need to travel to Jerusalem to go to this "famous" Beis Din. Can Mr. Kagan force Mr. Gross to go to the Beis Din in Jerusalem if the distance is about 21 miles (35km)?

Harry Brochstein rented an apartment next to his daughter in Jerusalem for a visit, but after returning to his home in Boca, Moshe Rosenthal, the owner of the apartment, claimed that Harry damaged the apartment during his stay. Harry vehemently denied the damage. Moshe insisted that they both meet at a particular Beis Din in Jerusalem, which was known around the world as being the most brilliant. However, Harry didn't want to travel to Jerusalem, and insisted that they go to the Boca Beis Din. Who has the upper hand?

1. Moshe Rosenberg, the complainant, can force the case to be heard in Jerusalem.
2. Harry Brochstein, the defendant, can force the case to be heard in Boca.

While Richard Kagan was visiting his brother Shlomo in Israel, he was introduced to Avishai Lewitan, who was looking for a partner in his next real estate project in Jerusalem. The two hit it off; Richard was in for 50% and then left for his home in the USA. But when Avishai saw too much money from the completed project leaving the partnership account and going to Richard's Israeli bank account, he accused Richard of stealing and threatened to sue him in Beis Din. "So come to the USA and we can meet in front of the Yorkville Beis Din" said Richard to Avishai. But Avishai knew that the Beis Din in Jerusalem was far superior, and insisted that they meet in Jerusalem. Who has the upper hand?

1. Richard Kagan, the defendant, can force Avishai Lewitan to come to the Beis Din in the USA.
2. Avishai Lewitan, the plaintiff, can force Richard Kagan to come to the superior Beis Din in Jerusalem.

Shmuel Kagan wired money from his bank in the USA to the bank account of his adult son Shlomo in Israel as a loan to be paid back in six months. But when it came time to pay back the loan, Shlomo began ghosting his father and ignored the requests for payment. Mr. Kagan eventually felt compelled to serve his son with an order to appear in the Yorkville Beis Din in the USA, but when Shlomo received the summons, he insisted that instead they appear in front of a Beis Din in Israel. Who has the upper hand?

1. Mr. Kagan, the plaintiff, can insist that his son return to the USA and appear in front of the Yorkville Beis Din.
2. Shlomo, the defendant, can insist that his father come to Israel and appear in front of a Beis Din there.

Shlomo Kagan, who lived in Beit Shemesh, borrowed a large sum of money from his father-in-law Mordechai in Netanya. However, when it came time to pay it back, Shlomo began ghosting him and ignored the requests for payment. Mordechai eventually felt compelled to serve his son-in-law with an order to appear in the Netanya Beis Din, but Shlomo insisted that they appear in front of a Beis Din in Beit Shemesh. Who has the upper hand?

1. Mordechai, the plaintiff, can insist that his son-in-law come to Netanya and appear in front of the Beis Din there.
2. Shlomo, the defendant, can insist that his father-in-law leave Netanya and appear in front of a local Beit Shemesh Beis Din.

Mr. Goldberg had a financial dispute with Lenny (the "Louse"), and he wasn't sure what to do. He therefore went to his Rabbi, Rabbi Cohen, for advice. Rabbi Cohen listened to him and said that it is a valid dispute, and that Mr. Goldberg should go to the Yorkville Beis Din with Lenny (the "Louse") to have it adjudicated. Rabbi Cohen later told Lenny (the "Louse") that Mr. Goldberg had told him what happened and the Beis Din is the proper place to handle this dispute. As it happens, Rabbi Cohen is one of the Rabbis on the Yorkville Beis Din. Can Rabbi Cohen sit as a Dayan on this case when it eventually comes in front of the Beis Din?

1. No, he can never sit on this Beis Din because he heard the case from Mr. Goldberg without Lenny (the "louse") present.
2. Yes, but only if both sides agree to this. But if one side does not agree, he cannot sit on the Beis Din.
3. Yes. Since he was only hearing preliminary information, and will now hear the full case in front of both litigants, there is not a problem for Rabbi Cohen to be on the Beis Din.

Rabbi Toledano heard both sides in the case in front of him, and in his mind the verdict was already clear. Must he do anything before announcing a verdict?

1. Yes. After hearing both parties, a judge must summarize both arguments before rendering a verdict. 
2. No. As long as a majority of the three judges are in agreement, they can just render a verdict. The S.A. does not require a summary - though a judge could offer one if desired.

When the two litigants appear in front of the Yorkville Beis Din, how should the Rabbis relate to each of the two litigants?

1. They should relate to each one as if they are innocent.
2. They should relate to each one as if they are guilty.

Fishel (the local indigent Jew), had stepped away from his "cardboard box home" for only a few minutes when Levy came driving by in his fancy car and destroyed his box - and the new iPhone that some kind soul had given him only last week. Fishel sued Levy in the Yorkville Beis Din for $21.37, the cost of a new cardboard box and a simple Tracphone. The Beis Din understood that Levy was at fault, but they also understood that the damaged iPhone was worth closer to $1000 - but to Fishel, a "phone is a phone" and he didn't understand his iPhone's actual worth. Can the Beis Din award Fishel $1041.36 - the replacement price of a new iPhone and a new cardboard box?

Fishel (the local indigent Jew), had stepped away from his "cardboard box home" for only a few minutes when Levy came driving by in his fancy car and destroyed his box - and the new iPhone that some kind soul had given him only last week. Fishel sued Levy in the Yorkville Beis Din for $21.37, the cost of a new cardboard box and a simple Tracphone. The Beis Din understood that Levy was at fault and should pay $1041.36 - the replacement price of a new iPhone and a new cardboard box. After deliberation, the Beis Din decided to award Fishel $1041.36 and not the $21.37 that he originally claimed. How much money can Fishel now force Levy to pay him?

1. $0.00
2. $21.37
3. $1041.36

At the end of Shacharis, on the morning after Harry Brochstein graciously hosted sheva brochos for Mr. Goldberg's daughter and son-in-law, Mr. Brochstein confronted Mr. Goldberg: "Someone cracked my very expensive Stueben Glass Egg last night, and I think you should pay!" Mr. Goldberg denied responsibility, and as the two of them wanted to get to a quick resolution, they asked Rabbi Goodman to hear their arguments right then and there. While Rabbi Goodman was an expert at Choshen Mishpat, there were no other Rabbis available to sit on a Beis Din, so he asked Mel Hoffman and Arnold Sunenshine - two regular members of his synagogue - to be the other two members of the Beis Din. After hearing the arguments, Rabbi Goodman felt it was obvious that Mr. Goldberg was not obligated to pay anything. However, Mel and Arnold disagreed. How do we determine the final outcome?

1. We follow Rabbi Goodman, as he is an expert at Choshen Mishpat, even though he is not the majority.
2. We follow Mel and Arnold, as they are the majority, even though they are unlearned in the laws of Choshen Mishpat.

The Yorkville Beis Din reached a verdict in the monetary case of Mr. Goldberg versus Lenny (the "Louse"), but both litigants were not in the courtroom to hear the verdict. How can they deliver the verdict?

1. They must call both parties back to the Beis Din, as monetary verdicts must always be delivered in person.
2. They could call both parties back to the Beis Din, but they also have an option to instead send the verdict to both parties via Email.

Mr. Goldberg lost in his monetary case against Lenny (the "louse") in the Yorkville Beis Din. When Mr. Goldberg went to Florida for the winter, he mentioned the case to Rabbi Goodman, and even showed him the transcript of the case and the final judgement. Rabbi Goodman looked over the papers and was shocked by how much money Mr. Goldberg had to pay, and felt that there was no halachic basis for the Yorkville Beis Din to demand such a large payment. Can Rabbi Goodman tell Mr. Goldberg his opinion of this ruling?

Rabbi Toledano was shocked that the other two Rabbis on the Yorkville Beis Din found the defendant guilty and obligated him to pay over $100,000 to the plaintiff, as Rabbi Toledano felt that the defendant was innocent and not even obligated to pay a penny! But he was overruled by the other two Rabbis. The secretary presented the Rabbis with a printed copy of the verdict to sign, but after the other two Rabbis signed, Rabbi Toledano did not want to sign and attach his name to this very unjust verdict. Can the other Rabbis force Rabbi Toledano to sign the verdict?

"Respected dayanim, I have evidence that will prove that I do not owe the other party any money. However, I do not have access to this proof today, and I am not sure when I will get it." said Richard Kagan to the judges of the Yorkville Beis Din. With no proof on Richard's side, they ruled in favor of the plaintiff and ordered Richard to pay. HOWEVER, they wrote in the judgement that if the defendant can present his evidence within 30 days, they will reopen the case and judge it based on this new evidence. Unfortunately, Richard couldn't obtain his proof for SIX FULL MONTHS! Can he still force the Beis Din to reopen the case and allow him to present his evidence, even though he missed the 30-day deadline?

"Mr. Kagan, do you have any other witnesses or evidence to prove your case?" asked the judges of the Yorkville Beis Din. "No, I do not." was his response. As such, the judges ruled against Richard Kagan and ordered him to pay the plaintiff. Fast forward six months and Richard is discussing the case during a family get-together. "Why didn't you show him the catering receipts?" asked Richard's brother Ariel. "I didn't think those receipts would have helped my case" said Richard. Ariel explained that this evidence could have enabled him to win the case. Can Richard go back to the Beis Din at this time and demand that they reopen the case and accept his evidence?

Richard Kagan was suing his "former partner" on his Lakeshore Towers project on Lake Tahoe for $1 Million. They both agreed to the La Brea Beis Din in Los Angeles, but during the hearing, Richard realized that the original contract he brought was superseded by another contract they wrote - and he left that in his office. "Your Honors, I have incontrovertible proof for my case, but it is back in New York." After some discussion, the judges gave Richard 30 days to bring the evidence back to their court. They made a "kinyon" in which Richard lifted the hat of one of the judges, and stated that if he did not bring the proof within 30 days then he would abandon the case. Richard found the evidence back in his office, but due to his busy schedule the next time he could travel back to LA would be the 29th day, arriving on the 30th day. His secretary made the reservation, but the evening of the 29th it began to snow, and the airport closed down. The snow was so heavy that it was not able to reopen for another 36 hours, and by that time it was already too late to appear on the 30th day, so he didn't bother going back to the Beis Din. Six months later Richard had other business in LA, and he stopped by the La Brea Beis Din to present his evidence. Given that Richard made a kinyon to bring the evidence within 30 days, and this is not only after 30 days, but five additional months, will the Beis Din accept his evidence?

Harry Brochstein claimed that Mel Hoffman owed him money, and while both parties agreed that some money was owed, Mel claimed it was only $10,000 and Harry claimed it was $50,000. They arranged with the Boca Beis Din for a hearing the week after Purim, but before the hearing Harry told the secretary of the Beis Din that if he does not show up for the hearing, he will forgive the money in his claim (and Mel will only have to pay $10,000, the money they both agree on). He then called Mel and repeated this statement. The day of the hearing arrived, and Mel and the three judges arrived, but Harry was a no-show. The secretary contacted Harry and transferred the call to the hearing room. “Sorry, but I am leaving right now to go visit my daughter in Israel, so I am not coming to the Beis Din,” said Harry. “Is there something beyond your control that is causing you to leave today?” asked one of the judges.  “No. Visiting my daughter and her family is simply more important than going to Beis Din – and that is what I have decided to do.” After Pesach, when Harry returned to Boca, can he once again take Mel to the Boca Beis Din to claim his $50,000?

1. Yes, Harry can still take Mel back to the Boca Beis Din to claim his money.
2. No. Harry stated clearly that if he didn’t show up, he would forgive the money in his claim. Since he didn’t show up, therefore, he can no longer claim the money.

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. Since they had no golf cart insurance, they brought their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din. The Beis Din discovered that there was one - and only one - witness to the accident: Rabbi Juravel.  According to Torah law, one witness is not full evidence, and only two witnesses can be counted as full evidence. Can the Beis Din accept Rabbi Juravel's testimony as full evidence and decide the case based on his testimony Only?

1. Yes, but both sides must agree, and they must make a kinyon with the Beis Din that they are accepting testimony from this one Jew as if he were two kosher witnesses.
2. No. Even if they make a kinyon, only testimony from two kosher witnesses can be used by the Beis Din to fully decide a case.

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. Since they had no golf cart insurance, they brought their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din. The Beis Din discovered that there was one - and only one - witness to the accident: Mr. Goldberg's non-religious brother, Saul. Can the Beis Din accept Saul Goldberg's testimony as full evidence and decide the case based on his testimony Only?

1. Yes, but both sides must agree, and they must make a kinyon with the Beis Din that they are accepting testimony from this one non-religious Jew as if he were two kosher "religious" witnesses.
2. No. Even if they make a kinyon, only testimony from two kosher witnesses can be used by the Beis Din to fully decide a case.

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. Since they had no golf cart insurance, they brought their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din. The Beis Din discovered that there was one - and only one - witness to the accident: Rebbetzin Juravel. Can the Beis Din accept her testimony as full evidence and decide the case based on her testimony Only?

1. Yes, but both sides must agree, and they must make a kinyon with the Beis Din that they are accepting testimony from this one female Jew as if she were two kosher (male) witnesses.
2. No. Even if they make a kinyon, only testimony from two kosher "male" witnesses can be used by the Beis Din to fully decide a case.

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. Since they had no golf cart insurance, they brought their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din. The Beis Din discovered that there was one - and only one - witness to the accident: Herman Pingel, the gentile groundskeeper. Can the Beis Din accept his testimony as full evidence and decide the case based on his testimony Only?

1. Yes, but both sides must agree, and they must make a kinyon with the Beis Din that they are accepting testimony from this one gentile as if he were two kosher (Jewish) witnesses.
2. No. Even if they make a kinyon, only testimony from two kosher "Jewish" witnesses can be used by the Beis Din to fully decide a case.

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. They wanted to bring their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din, but the next available date for a hearing was after the summer season! Rabbi Juravel, the Rabbi of the Bungalow, was also not available. Moshe Cohen's brother Roy was there for the week, and while he was currently an irreligious Jew, he had studied Jewish law when he was younger and said he was capable of judging the case according to Jewish law. If both sides agree to having Roy as the judge and they make a kinyon attesting to this fact, can either side later contest the decision in a proper Beis Din?

1. Yes. Since Roy Cohen is an irreligious Jew, making a kinyon to have him act as a judge is irrelevant, and either side can contest the decision in the future.
2. No. Because they made a kinyon, both sides agree that Roy Cohen is acting as if he were a proper Beis Din of three religious Jews, and therefore the decison cannot be contested on these grounds.

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. They wanted to bring their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din, but the next available date for a hearing was after the summer season! Rabbi Juravel, the Rabbi of the Bungalow, was also not available. But they found that the Kiamesha Lake Village Court had an available slot the next day, and Justice Frank McGuire, a well-respected (gentile) judge would preside over their case. If both sides agree to having Justice McGuire judge their case and they make a kinyon attesting to this fact, are they permitted to bring their case in front of him?

1. Yes. Since they both agree to have their case heard by this well-respected (gentile) judge, they are permitted to have him judge the case.
2. No. They are not permitted to bring their case in front of a gentile judge.

Shlomo Kagan rented a commercial pressure washer to clean all the surfaces in his backyard. But just as he started up the motor, his neighbor Mr. Gross saw the machine and asked if he could borrow it for a few minutes. Shlomo decided to allow him to use it, but as soon as the machine was on the other side of the wall, Mr. Gross's son had a fit, and destroyed the machine! Shlomo took the broken machine back to office and was charged $1000 for the machine plus another $100 for the daily rental. When Mr. Gross refused to pay him back the $1000+$100, they both agreed to have Rabbi Rubin judge their case. After hearing both sides, Rabbi Rubin sent his ruling via email that "Mr. Gross must pay $1000 to Mr. Kagan." Mr. Gross paid the $1000, but Mr. Kagan said, "What about the $100 rental fee?!" How can they determine if Mr. Gross must pay the $100 rental fee?

1. They can ask Rabbi Rubin to clarify if his judgment was only for $1000, or if it was also supposed to include another $100 for the rental fee.
2. They cannot ask Rabbi Rubin, and instead must find another Rabbi or Beis Din to settle the dispute over the $100.

Arnold Sunenshine owed Mel Hoffman money, but they disagreed as to the amount. Please select, in the time of the gemora, All the possible scenarios in which Arnold would have to take the biblical "Modeh b'mikzas" oath, attesting to the fact that he doesn't owe more money?

1. Mel makes his claim in the Boca Beis Din that Arnold owes him $1000, after which Arnold replies that he only owes $500.
2. Arnold admits to the Boca Beis Din that he owed Mel $500, after which Mel interjects that he owes $1000.
3. All of the above.

Aventura Adventures (AA) took Boca Bivouacs (BB) to the Boca Beis Din for $1,000,000 over a transaction that happened one month ago. While BB admitted that it did owe $1 Million , it also claimed that AA owed it $1 Million  from a transaction that happened a year ago, and therefore there is no money owed to it. The judges demand to see proof of this, but BB said that they would need 90 days to produce this proof. Before the judges could say anything, AA objected, stating that halacha only grants BB 30 days to provide proof. Since they can’t provide proof within this time frame, the judges should rule in their favor now, obligating BB to pay AA immediately. Then if and when BB obtains their proof, they can file another claim in Beis Din to demand their $1 Million they are owed. BB objected to this, stating this will cause their company irreparable damage: When people hear BB lost in Beis Din for such a large amount of money, they will assume that BB is going bankrupt and will be hesitant to do business with them. What should the Beis Din do regarding this 30 day rule?

1. The Beis Din will award $1 Million to AA now, and if BB gets their proof, they can open a new case for $1 Million. The Beis Din does not need to wait more than 30 days before reaching their judgment.
2. The Beis Din can waive the 30 day rule, and must do so in a case where a party faces very large losses and/or bankruptcy due to this rule. Therefore, all parties will have to wait 90 days for the proof to be brought.

Moishe was visiting his parents during Summer Bein Hazmanim, and as it was very hot Jasper, IN, that day, he went to the local Circle A to get a cold drink. “Wow! Black Cherry Lemonade Snapple!” he thought to himself, as the stores near his yeshiva in Detroit never carried this flavor. He soon discovered why after he purchased it: It did not have a hechsher on it because it contained grape juice. Because he had already opened it, he couldn’t return it, so he contacted Rabbi Shapiro to ask him if he could drink it b’dieved. “It has grape juice and no hechsher. It isn’t kosher. Throw it away!” said the Rabbi. Moishe complied with his Rabbi’s instructions, but felt bad about the waste of money, as he was poor. He then spent some time researching this particular flavor of Snapple and determined that the amount of grape juice was actually miniscule compared to the rest of the ingredients. "Poor" Moishe called Rabbi Shapiro again with this new information, and the Rabbi changed his mind. He told Moishe that lechatchila he is not allowed to buy this drink, but since he had already bought it and could not return it, he would have been permitted to drink it b’dieved. As Poor Moishe had already followed his Rabbi’s instructions and disposed of the bottle of Snapple that he could have drunken, is Rabbi Shapiro now obligated to compensate him?

1. No. Rabbi Shapiro does not need to pay poor Moishe anything.
2. No. However, it would be proper for Rabbi Shapiro to go beyond the letter of the law and reimburse Poor Moishe.
3. Yes. Rabbi Shapiro must reimburse Poor Moishe for the Snapple.

After Mr. Goldberg lost his case against Lenny (the “Louse”) in the Yorkville Beis Din, he showed the verdict to Rabbi Goodman in Boca. Rabbi Goodman was shocked at the number of mistakes the Beis Din made. Rabbi Goodman called the Yorkville Beis Din and shared with them his thoughts. The judges on the Beis Din thought about it and admitted their mistake. The Beis Din called Lenny (the “Louse”) and told him to return the funds that Mr. Goldberg had given him. “Nothing doing! I just spoke with Rabbi Cohen, and he told me that there is an opinion that says I can keep the money!”

Mr. Goldberg then demanded that the Yorkville Beis Din compensate him for the money he just lost due to their error, but they responded, “While we apologize for the mistake, you cannot claim anything against us because of the arbitration agreement you signed when you opened the case. This agreement states that you will abide by our ruling "ben ledin, ben letaut" (whether we judge properly or mistakenly).” Mr. Goldberg was livid, as he had no idea that this “sneaky” clause was in the arbitration agreement. He decided to sue the entire Yorkville Beis Din in the Brooklyn Gardens Beis Din for his money, claiming they knew they judged his case incorrectly, and that he did not know about the clause when he signed the agreement. How will the BGBD rule?

1. They will rule that the Yorkville Beis Din must pay Mr. Goldberg due to their mistake.
2. They will rule that Mr. Goldberg cannot collect since he willingly signed the arbitration agreement with this "ben ledin, ben letaut" clause.

When Mr. Goldberg entered the hearing room of the Yorkville Beis Din, he saw that one of the judges on the Beis Din was Rabbi Levy Yitzchak Rosenbaum. Mr. Goldberg had read all about Rabbi Rosenbaum in the JC, and how he had ruled incorrectly three times just within the past year. As such, Mr. Goldberg did not want him on this Beis Din in his important case against Lenny (the "Louse"). Can Mr. Goldberg force Rabbi Rosenbaum off the Beis Din and have him replaced by some other judge?

According to the P.T., when there is a disagreement between the Shach and the Sma, which opinion do we follow?

1. The Shac"h
2. The Sm"a

Mr. Goldberg was very upset that he lost his case in the Yorkville Beis Din against Lenny (the "Louse"), and when he came to Boca for the winter he discussed it with Rabbi Goodman, who immediately saw that all three judges made a mistake in their judgment, as they seemed to misunderstand what the S.A. ruled in a case such as Mr. Goldberg's! If Mr. Goldberg already accepted these three judges, and if the three judges from the Yorkville Beis Din were known throughout the country as experts in their field, is there any recourse available to Mr. Goldberg?

1. No. Since the judges were accepted by both parties, and they are experts who all agreed to the same judgment, there is nothing that Mr. Goldberg can do.
2. Yes. Since the judges made a clear mistake, ruling in a way that showed they did not follow the S.A., Mr. Goldberg can demand that they rehear his case.

Mr. Goldberg was very upset that he lost his case in the Yorkville Beis Din against Lenny (the "Louse"), and when he came to Boca for the winter he discussed it with Rabbi Goodman, who immediately saw that all three judges made a mistake in their judgment, as they seemed to misunderstand what the S.A. ruled in a case such as Mr. Goldberg's! Mr. Goldberg contacted the Beis Din, and while they agreed that they made a mistake, Lenny (the "Louse") had already skipped town with the money that Mr. Goldberg had given him as per the ruling of the Beis Din. Can Mr. Goldberg sue the Yorkville Beis Din and demand that they compensate him for the money he lost due to their obviously incorrect ruling?

Rabbi Goodman retired from The Boca Shul and made Aliyah to the Holy Land. The Rabbi Selection Committee brought in Rabbi Moskowitz to replace him, and one of the first things he did was permit everyone to rely on The Boca Eruv - something Rabbi Goodman had forbade (except in rare cases). Harry Brochstein had been following Rabbi Goodman's ruling for the past 25 years and did not carry in The Boca Eruv, but since his new Rabbi permitted carrying, can Harry now carry on Shabbos within the eruv?

Reuven and Levy were driving their golf carts at the Kiamesha Village Bungalow Colony, when they both crashed into each other. While neither party was injured, there was damage to both carts, and each one blamed the other for the damage. They wanted to bring their case to the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din, but the next available date for a hearing was after the summer season! Levy then convinced Reuven to go to the Woodbourne Beis Din, where they would get a quick hearing. They both signed an arbitration agreement, and after the hearing, the judges decided in Levy's favor. Reuven was very upset, and after a little research, he discovered that while the judges in this Beis Din were learned men, none of them had any type of semicha! "This Beis Din is invalid! This decision is invalid!” claimed Reuven to Levy, “None of the judges have semicha, so I am not paying!” Levy took out the arbitration agreement and showed Reuven two clauses: 1) Both sides agree to accept the decision of this Beis Din – bein ledin, bein letaut” and 2) A Kinyon was performed. Eventually the case went before the Lake Kiamesha Beis Din, where both Levy and Reuven admitted that they never actually made the Kinyon. Will the new Beis Din review the case?

Levy didn’t have time to go out for lunch, so he ordered a corned beef on rye from Mr. Broad Street, but after it arrived, his coworker Yoely saw the sandwich in the “Mr. Broad Street” wrapper, yelled out “OY VA VOY! TREIF!” took the sandwich, and threw it into the trash. Before Levy had a chance to retrieve it, Anna the cleaning lady emptied the bin and dumped it down the garbage chute! “But the sandwich was Kosher!” demanded Levy. “No. The restaurant changed hechsherim, and the Rebbe doesn’t hold of this new hechsher!” said Yoely. As Levy did hold by this new – albeit non “chasidish” – hechsher, can Levy bring Yoely to Beis Din to demand repayment for the lost sandwich?

Levy didn’t have time to go out for lunch, so he ordered a corned beef on rye from Mr. Broad Street, but after it arrived, his coworker Yoely saw the sandwich in the “Mr. Broad Street” wrapper, and yelled out “OY VA VOY! TREIF!” “WHAT?” demanded Levy. “They lost their hechsher last week, so the sandwich is not kosher!” Levy threw out the sandwich and quickly ordered a Moroccan Lamb Burger from The Wall Street Grill. But as he was going home, he happened to pass by Mr. Broad Street and saw they proudly displayed a new kosher certificate in the window! Levy confronted Yoely the next day, and Yoely responded, “The Rebbe doesn’t hold of this new hechsher, and he considers anything made there to be treif!” However, Levy (and many other people) did hold of this new – albeit non “chasidish” – hechsher! Can Levy bring Yoely to Beis Din to demand repayment for the lost sandwich?

Vincent Messina, the non-Jewish manager of Richard Kagan's Madison View apartment complex, was drunk on the job. Because of that he failed to realize that the main boiler was flashing "Danger-Water Low", which caused it to explode, and caused at least $100,000 in damage. Where can Richard sue this gentile?

1. He can sue him in The Yorkville Civil Court or the Yorkville Beis Din.
2. Since Richard is Jewish, he only has an option to sue him in the Yorkville Beis Din.

Elky knew that the Yorkville Beis Din wouldn't give her enough money in her claim against her future "EX" husband Hertzl, so she sued him in the Yorkville Family Court. What does the S.A. call a person such as Elky that takes another Jew to Civil Court?

1. Average (Beinonis)
2. A Sinner (Choteh)
3. A Transgressor (Avarion)
4. A Wicked Person (Rasha)

Elky knew that the Yorkville Beis Din would not give her the money she wanted from her ex-husband, so she took him to the Yorkville Family Civil Court. But the judge in this court found in favour of her husband Hertzl, and didn't award her any money! "While the Yorkville Beis Din would never have awarded me as much as I originally wanted, anything they award will be better than nothing!" thought Elky to herself. Can she now sue Hertzl in the Yorkville Beis Din for the funds she is demanding from him?

Moshe Khodedadian woke up to find that his Lexus ES350 was gone! He looked at his security camera footage and saw that it was stolen by none other than Lenny (the "Louse"). While Moshe unfortunately had left his keys in the car, which is how Lenny was able to drive away, he fortunately had an AirTag on his fob, and was able to track his car to a locked garage on Susquehanna Ave. Please select all the valid options for Moshe at this time:

1. Go to the Nassau County District Court and file a lawsuit, since the video evidence clearly shows it was Lenny (the "Louse") who stole the car.
2. Break into the garage on Susquehanna Ave and retrieve the car.

The Yorkville Beis Din could not take the case of Mr. Goldberg and Lenny (the "Louse") for another three months, and the two of them wanted to get this resolved quickly. They both knew they couldn't use the Yorkville Small Claims Court to settle their dispute, but didn't know of other options. Levy suggested that  they could get really fast service if they used "Yorkville Mediation, Arbitration, and ADR Services" - an arbitration service that is managed by gentiles. Are Mr. Goldberg and Lenny (the "Louse") permitted to use this service and have a gentile mediator help them reach a financial agreement?

Richard Kagan and Avishai Lewitan both invested $5 million in a new real estate project in Tel-Aviv.  Avishai's lawyers drew up a contract, which included the standard legal language that all disputes would be settled in the Tel-Aviv District Court - a civil court. Unfortunately, just as the project was finishing construction, Richard and Avishai got into a financial dispute. Are they permitted to settle this dispute in the Tel-Aviv District Court, as both of them signed on the contract that this would be the only place for dispute resolution?

Lenny (the "Louse") was so disappointed with the amount of extra cheese he got on his pizza from Moishe's Pizza that he actually cursed Moishe using Hashem's name! "Can you please refrain from cursing? My children are right here!" requested Mrs. Silverman, who was standing behind him. Lenny then felt bad and proceeded to curse himself using Hashem's name! What is the status of these two curses?

1. He violated a biblical prohibition for each.
2. Cursing Moishe was a biblical prohibition, but cursing himself was just a rabbinic prohibition.
3. Cursing himself was a biblical prohibition, but cursing Moishe was just a rabbinic prohibition.
4. He violated a rabbinic prohibition with each.

"That's all the cheese? But I ordered EXTRA cheese!" demanded Lenny (the "Louse"). But Moishe wasn't listening, as he knew that Lenny always complained, even when he gave him pizza with lots of extra cheese! "May God strike you down right now!" yelled out Lenny, scaring the Silverman boys who were waiting behind Lenny. What is the status of this English-language curse?

1. It is crude and inappropriate for a Jew to say these words, but nothing further.
2. It is a Rabbinical prohibition to say this curse.
3. It is a Biblical prohibition to say this curse.

Grandpa Shmuel penned a letter to his grandson in Israel, telling him that "G-d willing we will visit you after Pesach", put the paper into an envelope, and dropped it into the mail. Why is it important that Grandpa Shmuel write Hashem's name with a dash in place of the letter "o"?

1. Because a Jew is not permitted to write the name of G-d, even in English.
2. So that people will not suspect him of being a gentile.
3. In case his grandson disposes the letter by throwing it into the garbage bin.
4. In case his grandson reads the letter in the bathroom.

"Didn't you get my letter I sent two months ago?" asked Grandpa Shmuel while visiting his grandson Yitzchak Tzvi. "Grandpa, you already have an iPhone - let me show you how to send a message on WhatsApp." After the instructions, Grandpa Shmuel decided to write a text to his son Shlomo: "Thank God your son showed me how to send a message on this thing." How should he spell the name of God while writing this electronic message?

1. With a dash: G-d.
2. With an "o": God.
3. It doesn't matter in this case and either spelling is acceptable.

Richard Kagan was going through the upcoming wedding ceremony with Rabbi Cohen to ensure that everything would run smoothly on the big day. When Rabbi Cohen inquired about the two witnesses at the chuppah, Richard wanted two of his friends from the real estate industry - both of whom were religious men - to be witnesses. Unfortunately, both men had a flaw, as listed below. Please select which men - if any - are kosher to be a witness at a chupah?

1. Yaakov Tishman said, "May G-d punish him!" about Rabbi Toledano, when the Rabbi ruled against him in the Yorkville Beis Din.
2. Rafi Lefrak said, "May G-d punish him!" about a fellow Jew who had won a lawsuit against him in the Yorkville Beis Din.

Mrs. Khodedadian had just sat down in her Tesla after shopping at Great Neck Glatt. She saw a car in her rearview mirror pull out of the CVS at high speed and hit JoJo Shehebar's Lexus 460, which was parked directly behind her. This severely scratched and dented all the the side panels on the Lexus. But instead of stopping, the car just sped up Middleneck Road! Mrs. Khodedadian didn't get the license of the car, but she knew her Sentry Mode cameras got it. According to the S.A., what is her responsibility to give JoJo Shehebar information about the damage to his car?

1. She has no obligation at all, and would not even get a mitzvah for informing him.
2. She has no obligation, but she would get a mitzvah for informing him.
3. She is obligated to provide any and all information she has to him.

Mrs. Goldberg was in her car waiting to pull into a spot to go shopping at Grove Kosher Market. The current occupant of the spot backed out and smashed into the car on the opposite side of the aisle. But instead of stopping to leave a note, the driver left the scene in his car as quickly as possible! Mrs. Golberg noticed that the damaged car belonged to none other than Arnold Sunenshine! Mrs. Goldberg didn't catch the license plate, but she knew her dashcam recorded it all! According to the P.T. and the A.H., what is her responsibility to give Arnold evidence about the damage to his car?

1. She has no obligation at all, and would not even get a mitzvah for informing him.
2. She has no obligation, but she would get a mitzvah for informing him.
3. She is obligated to provide any and all evidence she has to him.

All 127 residents of Richard Kagan’s “Madison View” apartment sued him and his management company for financial impropriety. To prove their point, the residents subpoenaed Neil Silverman, the Jewish accountant for the management company, to testify in civil court against his boss, Richard Kagan. Because the head of the resident’s committee was the star of the wildly popular Netflix series Dept. Z, this lawsuit made all the news stations, and when he was interviewed on live TV, this man told the “world” that this religious Jew would testify and prove their case. Neil Silverman knew that if this case was held in a Beis Din, the most that the residents could claim would be a tenth of what they might win in civil court! According to the S.A., is Neil Silverman permitted to testify against fellow Jew Richard Kagan in this case?

All 127 residents of Richard Kagan’s “Madison View” apartment sued him and his management company for financial impropriety. To prove their point, the residents subpoenaed Neil Silverman, the Jewish accountant for the management company, to testify in civil court against his boss, Richard Kagan. While the members of the residents’ committee knew about the Jew Neil Silverman, no one else did, as this was just another case in a civil court filled will tenants suing landlords. However, Neil Silverman knew that if this case was held in a Beis Din and he was asked to testify as a single witness, the most that the residents could claim would be a tenth of what they might win in civil court! According to the S.A., is Neil Silverman permitted to testify against fellow Jew Richard Kagan in the Yorkville Civil Court, located in the USA?

All 127 residents of Richard Kagan’s “Madison View” apartment sued him and his management company for financial impropriety. To prove their point, the residents subpoenaed Neil Silverman, the Jewish accountant for the management company, to testify in civil court against his boss, Richard Kagan. While the members of the residents’ committee knew about the Jew, Neil Silverman, no one else did, as this was just another case in a civil court filled will tenants suing landlords. However, Neil Silverman knew that if this case was held in a Beis Din and he was asked to testify as a single witness, the most that the residents could claim would be a tenth of what they might win in civil court! According to the A.H., is Neil Silverman permitted to testify against fellow Jew Richard Kagan in the Yorkville Civil Court, located in the USA?

Richard Kagan lost his case against the “Madison View Residents Committee” and was ordered to pay $250,000 to the committee, which included $25,000 in actual damages and $225,000 in punative and emotional damages. The residents' committee won the case only due to the testimony of the one Jew Neil Silverman. Can Richard sue this single Jewish witness in the Yorkville Beis Din for any amount he had to pay in civil court compared to a judgement in a Beis Din. How will the Beis Din rule?

1. They will force Neil Silverman to pay Richard Kagan $250,000.
2. They will force Neil Silverman to pay Richard Kagan $225,000.
3. They will not force Neil Silverman to pay Richard Kagan any money.

All 127 residents of Richard Kagan’s “Madison View” apartment sued him and his management company for financial impropriety, and subpoenaed Neil Silverman, the Jewish accountant for the management company, to testify in civil court against Richard Kagan. As no one besides the litigants knew about this case, Neil didn't want to testify, and therefore ignored the subpoena. When he didn't show up at the trial at the Yorkville Civil Court, the residents' committee asked the judge to force Neil to appear. The judge rescheduled the hearing and then had the bailiff inform Neil that if he didn't appear at this next hearing he would be held in contempt of court and jailed. According to the A.H., must Neil give up his freedom and sit in jail, and not testify against a fellow Jew in civil court?

1. Yes. As this involved a negative commandment to not testify against his fellow Jew in civil court, Neil must give up everything, including his freedom, and sit in jail.
2. No. Neil is not required to give up his freedom, and is permitted to testify truthfully in this case.

Reuven needed to borrow $1000, and the local gemach couldn't help him. But when he mentioned this to his gentile neighbor, Old Man Smith, in the elevator, he said he would be happy to oblige. Rabbi Cohen on the first floor witnessed the loan. "I don't need a document with such a holy man as a witness" said Old Man Smith. Unfortunately, those were nearly the last words he spoke, as he died shortly after returning to his apartment! His adult son and daughter eventually arrived to clean out the apartment, but they had no idea about this loan. What is Rabbi Cohen's obligation (as a witness to the loan) to inform the Civil Probate Court about this loan?

1. He is permitted to inform the Probate Court.
2. He is obligated to inform the Probate Court.
3. He is forbidden to inform the Probate Court, but there would not be any punishment by Beis Din if he did.
4. He is forbidden to inform the Probate Court, and he would be punished by Beis Din if he did.

The S.A. requires two witnesses who give testimony, and to do so only in person. A written affidavit, for example, would not suffice. Yet, Beis Din will accept documents such as loan contracts and wills, which have the signatures of two kosher Jews at the bottom, and will not require these two Jews to appear in the Beis Din and testify as to the validity of the contract. Why are the two witnesses who signed on these documents not required to appear in Beis Din?

1. The Torah never obligated witnesses of financial transactions to appear in court.
2. The Rabbis decided to be lenient with these types of financial documents.
3. Signatures are equivalent to actual witnesses in court.

Chazan Seymour Schwartzman (emeritus) needed some extra cash, and so after shacharis he approached Levy and asked to borrow $1000. "No problem, Reb Sy." He called over the Rabbi and the (current) Chazan who gladly witnessed the loan. But 30 days later, Reb Sy didn't pay back the money. "What loan?" he said. Perhaps it was early dementia, but still Levy wanted his money back and took the Chazan (emeritus), along with his two witnesses, to the Yorkville Beis Din. Will the judges on the Beis Din interrogate the witnesses, Rabbi Cohen and Chazan Solomon, separately, in order to determine if their testimony is truthful and that they concur one with the other?

Chazan Seymour Schwartzman (emeritus) was falling on hard times (retirement was difficult for him) and so he approached Mr. Goldberg to borrow $1500 from him. When he didn't pay it back at the agreed-upon time, Mr. Goldberg sued him in the Yorkville Beis Din. "Do you have any witnesses?" asked Rabbi Toledano, to which Mr. Goldberg presented 5 witnesses. As the judges interviewed each witness, they were surprised by the variety of responses:

1. Witness 1 saw a loan take place on Sunday for $100
2. Witness 2 saw a loan take place on Monday for $200
3. Witness 3 saw a loan take place on Tuesday for $300
4. Witness 4 saw a loan take place on Wednesday for $400
5. Witness 5 saw a loan take place on Thursday for $500

According to the S.A., what is the amount that the Beis Din will force Chazan Schwartzman (Emeritus) to pay Mr. Goldberg today?

1. $200
2. $700
3. $967
4. $1500

Chazan Seymour Schwartzman (emeritus) was falling on hard times (retirement was difficult for him) and so he approached Mr. Goldberg to borrow $1500 from him. When he didn't pay it back at the agreed-upon time, Mr. Goldberg sued him in the Yorkville Beis Din. "Do you have any witnesses?" asked Rabbi Toledano, to which Mr. Goldberg presented 5 witnesses. As the judges interviewed each witness, they were surprised by the variety of responses:

1. Witness 1 saw a loan take place on Sunday at 8:00pm for $100
2. Witness 2 saw a loan take place on Sunday at 8:00pm for $200
3. Witness 3 saw a loan take place on Sunday at 8:00pm for $300
4. Witness 4 saw a loan take place on Sunday at 8:00pm for $400
5. Witness 5 saw a loan take place on Sunday at 8:00pm for $500

According to the S.A., what is the amount that the Beis Din will force Chazan Schwartzman (Emeritus) to pay Mr. Goldberg today?

1. $200
2. $700
3. $967
4. $1500

Jo Jo Shehabar loaned $2000 to his mechutan Isaac Dwek, but when it came time to pay back, Isaac denied ever having received a loan. Jo Jo summoned Isaac to the Great Neck Beis Din and brought with him 2 witnesses. The first witness stated that he saw Jo Jo lend $2000 to Mr. Dwek on Sunday, and the second witness stated that he saw Jo Jo lend $2000 to Mr. Dwek on Monday. How will the Beis Din rule in this case?

1. Since the two witnesses contradict each other regarding the date of the loan, they are not admissible and no money will be awarded to Jo Jo.
2. Since the two witnesses do agree on the amount loaned, the Beis Din will award Jo Jo $2000.
3. Since the witnesses might be used to claim two loans totalling $4000, but the claim is only for $2000, the Beis Din will assume there is some truth to the matter and award $1000.

Jo Jo Shehabar loaned $2000 to his mechutan Isaac Dwek, but when it came time to pay back, Isaac denied ever having received a loan. Jo Jo summoned Isaac to the Great Neck Beis Din and brought with him 2 witnesses. The first witness stated that he saw Jo Jo lend $2000 to Mr. Dwek on Sunday, and the second witness stated that on Monday he witnessed Mr. Dwek admit to Jo Jo that he owes him $2000. How will the Beis Din rule in this case?

1. Since the two witnesses do not concur with each other regarding the details of the loan, they are not admissible and no money will be awarded to Jo Jo.
2. Since the two witnesses do agree on the amount loaned, the Beis Din will award Jo Jo $2000.
3. Since each witness is testifying to different aspects of the loan (the actual loan and an admission of a loan after the fact), the Beis Din will assume there is some truth to the matter and award $1000.

After Shacharis at the Great Neck Sefardi Synagogue, Isaac Dwek asked his mechutan Jo Jo Shehabar to loan him $2000, and Jo Jo immediately obliged and gave him $2000 cash for 30 days. Unbeknownst to Jo Jo and Isaac, Zack Mizrachi was in the front of the synagogue and witnessed the entire proceedings, and Evan Elyahou was in the back row and also witnessed the loan – and neither witness knew that the other witness had seen everything. Thirty days later, Isaac claimed that he never took out a loan. After Shacharis, Jo Jo asked if anyone noticed this loan, and Zack and Evan said they did. Can these two men join together as kosher witnesses to this loan in a Beis Din?

"Can you please return the $2000 I loaned you?" asked Jo Jo Shehebar to his mechutan Isaac Dwek, as he showed him the IOU note for a "$2000 loan". "But I already paid you back in full! Why didn't you rip up the IOU note!" claimed Isaac. Jo Jo took Isaac to the Great Neck Beis Din, and Isaac brought two witnesses with him. Evan Elyahou testified that he saw Isaac pay back $1000 on Monday, and Zack Mizrachi testified that he saw Isaac pay back $1000 on Tuesday. Given this testimony, how much money will the Beis Din order Isaac to pay back to Jo Jo?

1. $0.00 (nothing)
2. $1000
3. $2000

Jo Jo Shehebar couldn't get his mechutan Isaac Dwek to repay the $2000 he loaned him, so he took him to the Great Neck Beis Din. Before the hearing, Jo Jo informed the Beis Din that he had two witnesses to the loan, but due to their busy schedules, the first witness could only show up on Monday afternoon, and the second witness could only show up on Tuesday morning. Will the Beis Din accept the testimony from these two witnesses, as the strength of "Shnei Eidem", if they testify separately on two different days?

Jo Jo Shehebar tried to get his mechutan Isaac Dwek to repay the $2000 he loaned him, but Isaac denied ever having taken a loan. Jo Jo took him to the Great Neck Beis Din, and to prove the validity of his loan, he brought two documents, each signed by a different witness: The first attested to a loan of $1000 and the second attested to a loan of $2000. "Why do you have two loan documents for one loan?" asked Dayan Ben Chaim. Jo Jo explained that he was about to loan him $1000, but just before handing over the money, Isaac asked for another $1000, so they wrote another document for a $2000 loan. As Isaac completely denies any loan, how much will the Beis Din award Jo Jo in this case?

1. Nothing
2. $1000
3. Between $1000 and $2000
4. $2000
5. $3000

Jo Jo Shehebar tried to get his mechutan Isaac Dwek to repay the $2000 he loaned him, but Isaac denied ever having taken a loan. Jo Jo took him to the Great Neck Beis Din, and during the hearing Evan Elyahou and Zack Mizrachi showed up and told the judges that they witnessed the loan. Given this testimony, the judges ruled in favor of Jo Jo, and Isaac paid him the $2000 he claimed. Some time later Josh Ebrani presented himself to the Beis Din and admited that he was a good friend of Jo Jo, and didn't want him to lose out, so he hired these two witnesses to give false testimony to the Beis Din to force Isaac to pay the $2000 to his friend. Will the Beis Din now compel Josh Ebrani to pay Isaac Dwek $2000, since he caused him this loss of money?

Why is a witness who is related to a litigant forbidden to testify in a Beis Din, or forbidden to be a witness at a wedding if he is related to the bride or groom?

1. We are concerned that he might not testify truthfully, and instead show favoritism to his relative.
2. The Torah affords “Testimonial Privilege” for all relatives, allowing them to refuse to testify to maintain trust and confidentiality.
3. The Torah is concerned about emotional impairment due to emotional ties between the witness and his relative.
4. There is no rational reason. Rather, this is a decree from the Torah.

Jo Jo Shehebar summoned his mechutan, Isaac Dwek, to the Great Neck Beis Din over an unpaid loan. To support his claim, he brought in Josh Ebrani as a witness to the transaction. “But the two of them are best friends!” Isaac protested to the Beis Din. Can Isaac disqualify Josh’s testimony on the grounds that, as Jo Jo’s close friend, his testimony might be biased?

To prove his case in the Great Neck Beis Din, Isaac Dwek wanted to call his 100+ year-old great-grandfather to testify on his behalf. Is the Beis Din permitted to accept this testimony? Please match the posek (Mechaber and Rema) with the ruling (permitted or not permitted).

Yitzchak Tzvi asked his friend Avidan to be one of the witnesses at his wedding. He had some ideas about a second witness, which he discussed with the Rosh Yeshiva to ensure that they would be kosher witnesses together. Please select all the men below who would be kosher as a second witness:

1. The man is related to Avidan, the first witness.
2. The man is related to Yitzchak Tzvi, the groom.
3. The man is related to Chana, the bride.
4. The man is related to the Rosh Yeshiva, who is the Mesader Kedushin.

Yitzchak Tzvi asked Rabbi Michaels to be the first witness at his wedding. When he discussed a possibility for a second witness with the Rosh Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva told him that Rabbi Michaels' wife and the wife of the potential second witness were sisters. Is this second witness valid, even though he is only related to the first witness through marriage?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but this is not preferred.
3. No.

Yitzchak Tzvi asked Rabbi Michaels to be the first witness at his wedding. When he discussed a possibility for a second witness with the Rosh Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva told him that Rabbi Michaels' wife and the wife of the potential second witness were first cousins. Is this second witness valid, even though he is only related to the first witness through marriage?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but this is not preferred.
3. No.

Yitzchak Tzvi asked Rabbi Michaels to be the first witness at his wedding. When he discussed a possibility for a second witness with the Rosh Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva told him that Rabbi Michaels' son had married the daughter of the second potential witness. Is this second witness valid, even though he is only related to the first witness through marriage of their children?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but this is not preferred.
3. No.

Yitzchak Tzvi asked Rabbi Michaels to be the first witness at his wedding. When he discussed a possibility for a second witness with the Rosh Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva told him that Rabbi Michaels' was a step brother with this other witness (Rabbi Michael's father had married the mother of this second potential witness). Is this second witness valid, even though he is only related to the first witness through the marriage of the parents?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but this is not preferred.
3. No.

According to the A.H., can Yitzchak Tzvi be a witness together with his wife's grandfather Eliezer?

1. No.
2. Yes.

Yitzchak Tzvi asked Rabbi Michaels to be the first witness at his wedding. When he discussed a possibility for a second witness with the Rosh Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva told him that Rabbi Michaels' sister had married the second potential witness, but this sister had died shortly before Yitzchak Tzvi entered the Yeshiva. Is this second witness valid, as he is related to the first witness through his deceased wife?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but this is not preferred.
3. No.

Yitzchak Tzvi asked Rabbi Michaels to be the first witness at his wedding. When he discussed a possibility for a second witness with the Rosh Yeshiva, the Rosh Yeshiva told him that Rabbi Michaels' sister had married the second potential witness, but after several years of marriage and 4 children together, he had given her a get. Is this second witness valid, as he is related to the first witness through his ex-wife?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, but this is not preferred.
3. No.

Richard Kagan was in a bind. His former partner on the Lakeshore Towers project on Lake Tahoe was suing him for $1 million, and the case hinged on the testimony of their former accountant, Neil Silverman. Seeking to block Neil's testimony, Richard devised a scheme: "Neil, you're a single guy, and my daughter is looking for someone responsible to marry. I not only think the two of you will hit it off, but I am willing to put my money where my mouth is, and back the two of you financially." Neil initially declined, but he actually hit it off with Richard's daughter, and after creating a proper financial contract with his soon-to-be father-in-law, Neil married her. The hearing for the Lakeshore Towers in the LaBrea Beis Din took place a few days after the last Sheva Brochos, and Richard objected to Neil's testimony, claiming that as his son-in-law, Neil was now disqualified from serving as a witness against him. Will the Beis Din permit this testimony, for without it, there is no case against Richard?

1. Yes. Since Neil witnessed the events prior to becoming related, his testimony can be permitted, and Richard’s scheme can be circumvented.
2. No. Neil is now a disqualified witness due to the familial relationship, and the Beis Din must reject his testimony regardless of the motive behind the marriage.

By using some accounting tricks and a second set of books, Richard Kagan managed to extract more than his share from his partner on the Lakeshore Towers project on Lake Tahoe. But his accountant, and son-in-law, Neil Silverman, was on to him and notified his partner, who brought a suit against him in the LaBrea Beis Din. Richard's daughter was furious at her husband for "outing" her father, and demanded a divorce - which Neil was happy to give and extract himself from this family. The hearing was scheduled for a week after Neil gave the get to his ex-wife. Will the Beis Din now accept his testimony?

1. Yes. Since Neil is no longer related to Richard, his testimony can be accepted in the Beis Din.
2. No. Even though Neil is no longer related to Richard, he is still disqualified from testifying against his former father-in-law for any misdoings he witnessed while he was his son-in-law.

As Mr. Goldberg entered The Boca Shul (TBS) for Shacharis with a cast on his right arm, Rabbi Goodman asked with concern, “Mr. Goldberg, what happened to your arm?” Initially hesitant, Mr. Goldberg eventually disclosed that during a round of golf, Marty Krauser sliced the ball into the water on the 11th hole. Mr. Goldberg laughed and in a fit of frustration, Marty deliberately struck him with his club. However, when Rabbi Goodman confronted Marty about the incident, he adamantly denied any physical contact. With no witnesses present, does Rabbi Goodman have any recourse?

1. No. Without witnesses, it is just one word against the other.
2. Yes. The Rabbi can decide to believe Mr. Goldberg and deny Marty entry into TBS.

The next day, Mr. Goldberg approached Rabbi Goodman with some news: "I just learned that my brother and his son were on the course at the same time, and they actually saw Marty Krauser hit me with his golf club." Given this new information, can Rabbi Goodman force Marty to pay for damages to Mr. Goldberg for a broken arm and a ripped shirt?

Tom Goldberger thought that he was just going to be another guest at Mel Hoffman's fancy wedding at The Boca Gateways Hotel, but before the wedding, Mel pulled Tom aside and asked him to be a witness for the Kiddushin part of the wedding ceremony (when the ring is put on the bride's finger). "I don't know, Mel" said Tom, as he stroked his freshly shaven face. Tom was ostensibly religious, but he also shaved with a razor every day, and while he understood that this was forbidden, he still did it. How should Tom respond to this honor?

1. Since Tom otherwise keeps all the commandments, and no one knows that he shaves with a forbidden razor and not a permissible electric shaver, he can accept the honor and be a witness at the wedding.
2. Since Tom shaves with a forbidden razor, he would not be considered a kosher witness, and as such he should refuse the honor to be a witness.

Tom Goldberger thought that he was just going to be another guest at Mel Hoffman's fancy wedding at The Boca Gateways Hotel, but before the wedding, Mel pulled Tom aside and asked him to be a witness for the Kiddushin part of the wedding ceremony (when the ring is put on the bride's finger). "Wow. I am so honored!" said Tom, as he stroked his freshly shaven face. Tom was ostensibly religious, but he also shaved with a razor every day in the privacy of his own home. After the wedding, Tom did a little research and learned that a person who shaves with a razor is actually not considered a kosher witness. What should be done now?

1. Tom should inform Mel and/or a Rabbi about his status. Then the wedding - specifically placing the ring on the finger - should be repeated, but this time with two kosher witnesses.
2. While Tom should not have been a witness at this wedding, the kiddushin is still considered valid and no part of the wedding ceremony needs to be repeated.

Before Mel Hoffman's wedding ceremony began, Rabbi Goodman was informally shmoozing with Tom Goldberger, one of the witnesses. During the conversation, the Rabbi learned that Tom would normally get his hair cut at Mario's Barber shop - right next to the Grove Kosher Supermarket - and that while Mario would primarily use an electric razor and scissors, he would finish up with a single-blade razor to clean up Tom's beard. "You do know that using a razor to cut a beard is forbidden by the Torah?" asked Rabbi Goodman. "I know. But ALL the men from The Boca Shul go to Mario, and he only uses a blade to clean the edges!" replied Tom. Can Tom be a witness at Mel's wedding? Please match the posek (A.H. and P.T.) with the psak (Yes or No).

Before Mel Hoffman's wedding ceremony began, Rabbi Goodman was informally shmoozing with Tom Goldberger, one of the witnesses. During the conversation, the Rabbi learned that Tom's profession was to bill insurance companies in order to reimburse his Jewish clients for their medical needs. But as part of his "business plan", he would regularly bill these gentile-owned corporations for items that were not provided. In essence, he was stealing from gentiles! "But what's the problem, Rabbi? They are only goyim! I would never steal from a Jew, and I am even helping Jews by getting them more money!"  Can Tom be a witness at Mel's wedding according to the P.T.?

Yitzchak Tzvi Kagan was scheduled to get married around sunset. Rabbi Montrose and his best friend Avidan were ready to act as his witnesses and sign the kesuva. Of these two typical scenarios, which one is worse?

1. Before sunset and before the wedding began, Rabbi Montrose and Avidan signed on the kesuva, even though the actual marriage won't take place until the next day, after sunset, which is when the kesuva is dated.
2. After sunset and after the wedding finished, Rabbi Montrose and Avidan signed on the kesuva, which was dated before sunset, but due to a delay the wedding only took place after sunset. 

Mel Hoffman asked his friends Tom Goldberger and Arnold Sunenshine to be the witnesses at his fancy wedding at The Boca Gateways Hotel. Rabbi Goodman, as the mesader Kedushin, spoke with both men before the wedding and learned that Tom had recently borrowed money from Chaim Sachs (of "Sachs Jewelers" on Palmetto Park Road) with interest and without a heter iska. Not only that, but Arnold Sunenshine was the guarantor on this loan! The Rabbi made a quick call to Chaim, and received back an image of this illicit loan document with both signatures at the bottom. Can these men be witnesses at Mel's fancy wedding?

1. Yes. This sin is not a serious enough to invalidate either of these men as witnesses.
2. Tom (the borrower) cannot be a witness, but Arnold (the guarantor) can be a witness.
3. No. This sin is serious enough to invalidate both these men as witnesses.

Tom Goldberger urgently needed $100,000 to avoid foreclosure on his condo on Sawgrass Circle, Boca. He turned to Chaim Sachs (of "Sachs Jewelers"), who was eager to help a fellow Jew in distress. However, Chaim required the loan to be for 12 months at 10% annual interest, with two witnesses and one guarantor. Despite the absence of a heter iska, those involved felt compassion and wanted to assist. Based on the halachic implications of this interest-bearing loan, please identify which of the individuals listed below were prohibited from participating in the transaction.

1. Chaim (the lender)
2. The guarantor
3. The two witnesses

Rabbi Goodman was speaking with Tom Goldberger and Arnold Sunenshine, both potential witnesses for Mel Hoffman's elegant wedding, when he half-jokingly asked, “Neither of you steals, right?” Tom quickly replied, “No,” but Arnold challenged him: “Come on, Tom! Every time I see you at The Grove Kosher Market, you’re sampling fruit, sneaking chocolates from the display, or popping olives into your mouth—without ever asking Eddie the manager for permission!” Given this new information about Tom’s habitual behavior—which he did not deny—can he still serve as a valid witness at Mel’s wedding?

Eddie Cohen, manager of The Grove Kosher Market in Boca, hired three Jewish bakers to prepare all the breads, cookies, and cakes for the store’s new in-house bakery. However, whenever he would check up on his workers, he noticed they were constantly fressing—sampling mini blueberry pies, black and white cookies, and even the famous Grove Pretzel Rolls. Given that Eddie pays them a proper salary, does he have the halachic right to forbid them from eating any of the baked goods?

1. Yes. Eddie can forbid these men from eating.
2. No, but Eddie does have the right to restrict which baked goods can be eaten (e.g. damaged or imperfect products), or when the workers can eat (on break, but not while on the job).
3. No. Eddie is not permitted to put any restrictions on what these men consume during their work hours.

As Rabbi Goodman wrapped up his conversation with Tom Goldberger and Arnold Sunenshine—both potential witnesses for Mel Hoffman's elegant wedding—he remarked, “It seems you’re both fine, upstanding kosher witnesses.”

Arnold, staring at Tom, responded sarcastically, “So gambling doesn’t disqualify someone anymore?”

“What do you mean?” asked Tom.

“What do I mean? At least once a month you come over to me in the office and describe your latest adventures at the craps table at the Seminole Hard Rock! If that doesn’t make someone an unkosher witness, I don’t know what does.”

Given this new information—that Tom regularly gambles at the local casino by playing dice—can Rabbi Goodman still permit him to serve as a witness at Mel’s wedding?

Each morning, Isaac Dwek’s wife drove him to the train station—but not before stopping at Bagel Mentch, where he picked up a coffee and a pastry (sometimes a muffin, a black and white cookie, or even a giant rugelach). After being dropped off, Isaac would eat and drink as he walked to the platform, usually finishing before the train arrived. The A.H. describes public eating as a degrading habit that can disqualify someone from serving as a kosher witness. Given that Isaac regularly eats pastries and drinks coffee in public, does this behavior fall under that category, potentially rendering him a non-kosher witness?