How writing halachah is different from teaching it

In writing, it’s essential for readers to come out with the bottom line, the psak. There are only a handful of cases in the book where I advise readers to ask their rav what to do. Usually, I follow the majority of halachic opinions and draw a line there. In class, a final ruling is also important, but I sometimes say, “Ask your rav,” or “Follow your family minhag,” which is fine in that context.

Dealing with differences in opinion

There’s always machlokes in halachah. My job as a rav is to know whether the opinion is outnumbered — in which case we go with the majority. In cases where there’s no majority, I go with the Mishnah Berurah. That applies even when someone prominent, like the Chazon Ish or Rav Elyashiv, disagrees. I stick to the authority of the Mishnah Berurah, and don’t pick and choose, even though I may quote a dissenting opinion in the footnotes. For questions about technology or situations that arose after the time of the Mishnah Berurah, I follow the majority opinion. Achieving clarity in all cases is what I spent five years of learning and research on.

The section that underwent the most review

The first chapter, about waking up in the morning. There are a lot of halachos that aren’t 100 percent clear in the poskim, so I consulted with rabbanim. When many women who reviewed the book said they were accustomed to doing things differently, I got additional opinions from rabbanim. People aren’t always aware of these halachos.

The least-known halachah

The topic of forbidden images, which speaks about owning statues, dolls, and sheitel heads. It’s a big eye-opener to many people.

Added at the last minute

After I thought I was finished, Rabbi Gedalia Zlotowitz at ArtScroll spoke to me about adding a chapter on aveilus. There are entire seforim on that topic, but the chapter I added had the halachos which apply only to women. Many women have sat shivah and wondered if a husband can provide the seudas havra’ah, if they can use a mirror, or if they can hold their child.

Where I learned the power of writing

I learned that as a child, from my father, Rabbi Paysach Krohn. Since 1984, when he published his sefer on bris milah, then later with his Maggid series, he’s shown how the written word (especially coupled with the power of ArtScroll) really gets around the world. Books can be read and reread forever.

My writing space

I write at the computer in my kitchen. But all my learning and research happens in the beis medrash or in my office.

The period in history I’d want to return to

The time of Matan Torah, when I could have learned directly from Moshe Rabbeinu. But then, I’m not sure what would have happened by the Eigel…

When things got challenging

My parents kept me motivated. My father told me that people think he just “spits out” his books, but the reality is that anything successful takes hard work. When I got frustrated at the long delay, my father encouraged me to hang in there. He said if the satan is giving you a hard time, it will be worth the wait. It was!

What I left unwritten

Rabbi Noach Oelbaum told me to leave out the 39 Melachos of Shabbos, everything about the kosher kitchen, and the halachos of bircas hanehenin (brachos made on food and drink, etc.). He said those are subjects for separate seforim. We also left out halachos that apply only to married women.

What I’m currently reading

The biography of Rabbi Gissinger. As a rav myself, and being involved in helping couples struggling with infertility through Puah, I’m finding the book very inspiring. Rabbi Gissinger was incredible, both for the sheer number of people he helped and the way in which he did it.

What I’d like readers to walk away with

Halachah is about doing what the Torah wants and demands, from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep at night. And through that, we connect to Hashem.

(Originally featured in Family First, Issue 747)