Responsa Radio


3 Burial Practices, Umbrellas, Foster Kids

In this episode:

  1. There is a custom of burying someone with earth from the land of Israel. How did this custom come about? How old is it? Why do we do it? And is it a law or a custom?
  2. Can you use an umbrella on Yom Tov / festivals? There is no issue of carrying (unlike on Shabbat), but is there a concern of building, an act forbidden both on Shabbat and Yom Tov?
  3. I’m fostering a non-Jewish child. There is no clear expectation that my foster-child will remain with me, because they might return to their natural parents, who are not Jewish. But I have a Jewish household. How much can / should I include them in my Jewish life as I would an adopted or biological child, and how much does their ambiguous long-term situation change these concerns?