Abortion is normally not permitted, except:

• To save the mother's life, or
• Sometimes when necessary for the health of the mother (but that can also be her mental health--consult a rabbi), or
• When a fetus cannot be born alive.

Even Down's syndrome and other developmental or genetic problems may not be enough to justify abortion, but an expert rabbi should be consulted since this is a very complicated area.

You may ask angels to intercede, as is done in Shalom Aleichem, in which people ask the angels to ask God for the help that they want. But you may not ask angels to help you directly.

If a boy born in Adar 2 will be bar mitzva in a year with only one Adar, his bar mitzva is in Adar, not in Nisan. If a boy born in Adar 1 will be 13 years old in a year with two Adars, his bar mitzva will be in Adar 2.

A bedroom should have enough light to see a person if you sleep alone. Any detectable light is sufficient.

Owning a business that has any violations of Torah laws is forbidden.

You may be a minority owner or shareholder in a business that violates Torah law, but not if the majority of the business is owned by Jews (even if they are not shomer Shabbat Jews). Consult a rabbi for details and exceptions.
 

You must separate a small portion of dough for the cohanim/priests whenever you make bread, rolls, or pizza of the Five Grains in certain quantities. This separated portion is called “challa.”
Note Since there is no Temple at present, we burn the portion of dough.
The requirement to separate challa applies to dough baked at home or commercially (such as a pizza shop), whether for eating on weekdays or for Shabbat/Jewish festivals. For more details, see Challa.
 

Any action that is done three times consecutively is assumed to be a promise (neder)/permanent habit unless you determine ahead of time that it should not be (you do not need to say so out loud, just think it).

Contraception is generally not permitted for men (contraceptives, vasectomy, etc.); for women, consult a rabbi.

A non-Jew is not permitted to observe Shabbat completely. He or she must do at least one violation. This is relevant for people who are in the process of converting to Judaism.
 

A minor child who has converted to Judaism is considered to be Jewish even though he or she is permitted to decline to stay Jewish once reaching 12 (for girls) or 13 (for boys) years old. He or she may handle uncooked wine once he/she has converted.

 A minor child is converted to Judaism the same way as an adult: immersion into a mikva and, for a boy, circumcision (which must be done before immersion in a mikva).

A bet din (religious Jewish men constituting a court of Jewish law) is needed for a conversion at the mikva and also for a brit mila for the purpose of conversion.

For all practical purposes, the Jewish day always starts at or near sunset (Yom Kippur starts slightly before sunset).

A halachic “day” is usually from sunset of one day to nightfall of the subsequent day regarding: cutting nails; kaddish, etc.
 

You should not own nor step on a doormat that says “Shalom.”
Reason This is one of God's names.

Jews are forbidden from benefiting (asur b'hana'a) in any way from:

• Bechor (first-born male) of a Jewish-owned goat, sheep, or cow
• Chametz on Passover
• Idols
• Kilei ha'kerem
• Mixtures of milk cooked with meat
• Orla
• Yayin nesech and possibly stam yeinam.

 

Eating the end of a loaf of bread is permissable and does not promote forgetfulness.

You may use clothing as a pillow even though it may cause forgetfulness.
 

Bread should never be thrown into trash or garbage. If you have leftover bread (or matza), crumble it and wash it down the sink.  This is not a halacha, it is considered to be good advice.You may also put it next to your compost pile or on top of paper on top of your compost pile.

Men are forbidden from shaving the five corners of their beards with a razor blade, but since there are many opinions of what constitutes the five corners, razors may not be used at all when shaving.

Women may shave any parts of their bodies using razor blades.
 

Here are the times when men and women are forbidden to get haircuts and men are forbidden to shave, including their necks (from most severe restrictions to least):
Most Severe Restrictions

• Mourner for parents (no shaving for the first 30 days and no haircut until three months after his or her previous haircut).
  Note If mourning for other relatives, you may get a haircut after 30 days.
• From Saturday night before Tish'a B'Av until the evening after Tish'a B'Av.
• Chol ha'moed.

Next Most-Severe Restrictions
Shiv'asar B'Tamuz (17^th of Tamuz) until the evening after the Shabbat preceding Tish'a B'Av.

Least-Severe Restrictions
During 33 of the 49 days of counting the omer (sefirat ha'omer); that is, either from the second day of Passover until Lag Ba'Omer (33rd day of the omer) OR from Rosh Chodesh Iyar until the day before Shavuot, according to your custom.

It is traditional for rabbis to grow beards but it is not required.

Cutting boys' hair at three years old is a custom (mainly originated through Chasidim) that some people have and is not a halacha.

You may not speak the names of the gods of other religions, in any language that is commonly used in the country in which you are currently.

You may not take a photograph of the sun or the moon by itself and for the purpose of having an image of it, but you are not forbidden from having them in a photograph of another subject.
 

You may print photographs or diagrams of gods, items used for worship, or symbols used in those religions, as long as the gods are no longer worshiped (Egyptian gods, the ankh, etc.)

Someone's statement of why they merited something is just their opinion and may not be the true reason.

"Jewish Spirituality" means an awareness of God's presence.

It is a mitzva to live in Eretz Yisrael but it is not required.

Non-Jews are not prohibited from living in Eretz Yisrael as long they do not pray to idols.

A non-Jew may own land in Eretz Yisrael.  A Jew may not take the land away from the non-Jew, but a Jew may purchase land in Eretz Yisrael from a non-Jew.
 

A Jew may not sell land in Eretz Yisrael to a non-Jew, under normal conditions.
 

If you live permanently in Eretz Yisrael, you may leave permanently in order to:

• Get married;
• Earn a living; or
• Study Torah.

You may leave for vacations or for short-term trips for enjoyment.
 

See Appearing To Not Uphold the Torah (Mar'it Ayin).

You may eat a kosher catered meal at an otherwise non-kosher event as long as:

• Your food is obviously different from the non-kosher food, and
• You have kosher dishes and utensils to use.

Your food must be separate from the non-kosher food.
Reason
To avoid mar'it ayin--the appearance of doing something improper.

See Shabbat: Riding with Non-Jewish Driver.

The purpose of a se'udat mitzva is to honor the mitzva.

If you want to watch TV or movies (ask a rabbi whether it is permissible at all), you may not watch TV shows or movies that portray any of the three cardinal sins:

• Murder;
• Idol worship;
• Giloy arayot

You may ask a mekubal (someone well-versed in the spiritual world) or a Torah scholar for advice.  The mekubal must be known as a genuine mekubal. 
 

Whatever name(s) a person is called by is his or her name for purposes of Jewish law, even if it is a secular name. So, even if you have a Hebrew name but you are commonly called by your English (or other language) name, your English name is what is used for halachic purposes such as marriage or divorce. If you are commonly called by both your Hebrew and English names, they are both valid, but the Hebrew name takes precedence.

You may take off from work on national holidays and even on non-Jewish holidays, as long as you don't celebrate the non-Jewish religious holidays.

Organ donation is, in principle, a good thing to do, but some internal organs might be removed when a person is only legally (but not halachically or clinically) dead, so great care must be used!
 

A dead body belongs to the heirs, such as regarding organ donation after death.
 

No animals are forbidden as pets except animals that are dangerous and pigs (which were a special prohibition).
 

Having a pet is not considered wasting money since you get enjoyment, protection, or other value from it.

You may own pets but it is not customary unless they are needed for protection since you might violate a Torah prohibition of eating before you have fed them.

You must be very careful to feed your animals every day before you eat (otherwise you are violating a Torah commandment). If your animal only eats late in the day, you may eat before that.
 

You may not feed your pet anything that Torah law says you may not benefit from, such as food containing meat and milk that have been cooked together.

Pets may be given medicine on Shabbat and Jewish festivals.

In general, the right side is given priority in our actions. This is considered to be proper behavior and not just good advice; however, it is a custom, not a halacha.

Giloy arayot does not refer just to adulterous relationships. It applies to any of the prohibited relationships listed in Leviticus/Vayikra 18:6-23.

Bal Tashchit May Override Custom
You may not destroy things in the world for no purpose. You may not waste anything (bal tashchit) that has a use, but you may use it for a purpose. Bal tashchit overrides customs and suggestions of what are good behaviors or actions.
Killing Creatures that Harm
You may kill any animal, bird, or other living creature that bothers, injures, or endangers people or destroys property (as long as it is legal by the laws of the local country or area). This includes animals that eat your food or produce.

All Jews, both men and women, must fulfill the commandment to remember what Amaleik did to the Israelites. The paragraph about that episode, called Parashat Zachor (found in Parashat Ki Teitzei:  Deuteronomy/Devarim 25:17-19) is read on the Shabbat morning before Purim as a law established by Chazal (takana). The commandment is fulfilled whenever that episode in the Torah is read, even privately and at home, but there is special value in hearing it read in a synagogue on that Shabbat preceding Purim.

It is customary to say "God bless you" in English (or the equivalent in other languages) when someone sneezes.

For shilu'ach ha'kein, the bird, eggs, and nest must be wild or declared ownerless (hefkeir) with three adult, Jewish, male witnesses.
 

Shilu'ach ha'kein only applies to the female birds of kosher species (so, with doves, this mitzva may only be done at night because the male doves do the nesting during the daytime).

The only positive commandments punished by spiritual excision (kareit) are not doing a brit mila and not bringing the Passover offering.

It is no longer customary to leave part of a house unfinished (as a remembrance of the Jerusalem Temple's destruction) and it is not necessary to wreck part of a completed house.
 

You must tear four vertical inches at the neck of your shirt (and jacket, too, if you wear one) when seeing the ruins of the Temple in Jerusalem for the first time in more than 30 days. You do not need to be close by; do kri'a even if you see the mosques that are on top of the Temple mount.

Studying Torah is a basic requirement for all Jews and such study is considered to be a prestigious commandment (Torah study is as important as doing all the other mitzvot: talmud Torah k'negged kulam). Setting time for Torah study (k'viat zman l'Torah) means that we show how important Torah study is by setting a specific time each day and a specific duration for such study.

But all commandments that you must do (mitzvot aseh) take precedence over studying Torah. That is, you may NOT ignore the need to do another positive commandment because you are studying!

The minimum requirements for Jews to learn:

• Men:  All parts of the Torah plus whatever halacha is relevant for them.
  Note The most important subjects for men to study are whatever is practical for them in their lives
• Women:  All halachot relevant for them, and hashkafa.

 

All Jews must study Torah “lishma” (studying for the sake of understanding the Torah, just because we are commanded to do so). If you are studying in order to teach, to get honor, or any other reason, it is not lishma.

Read the weekly Torah portion (parasha) twice each week and Targum (or commentary) once each week.

 

If you can memorize the gemara you are learning, you do not need to use the printed book.
 

Some Torah should be discussed at every meal.

Do not say blessings or prayers or study holy subjects (limudei kodesh) if there is a bad smell.
 

A siyum can be held anytime a book of Torah or Talmud or any other holy book (sefer kodesh) has been studied for a long time; three months or longer is a good guideline. Simply reading through a book does not qualify; you must study it and understand it.

A person may reach the “gadol” level through persistence in study or through brilliance but usually it requires both.  

You may interwine your fingers with those of your spouse, even though you there is a custom not to intertwine the fingers of both of your own hands.

It is not recommended for a man to walk between two standing women or for a woman to walk between two standing men, but either gender may walk along with two or more people of the opposite gender if all are walking.