AskTheRav Marks 7 Years of Global Halacha Revolution

AskTheRav celebrates seven years of a global revolution in providing clear, reliable halachic guidance for Lubavitchers in Crown Heights and beyond, having fielded nearly 50,000 questions on virtually every topic — from kashrus to Shabbos, taharah, and business — with major upgrades and expansions now underway.

As the Yom Tov of Shavuos approaches, AskTheRav celebrates seven years of a global revolution in providing clear, reliable halachic guidance to Lubavitchers in Crown Heights and around the world.

Launched under the guidance of Harav Yosef Braun of the Crown Heights Beis Din, AskTheRav has functions as a virtual beis hora’ah and has to date fielded close to 50,000 questions on virtually every halachic topic — from kashrus and business to Shabbos, taharah, family matters, and more.

What began as a service for Crown Heights locals has grown into a trusted international address for halachic clarity, used by Lubavitchers around the globe — and even many outside the Chabad community.

The site’s growing archive now contains tens of thousands of answered shailos, all searchable by topic, date, lifecycle event, or section in Shulchan Aruch – making it one of the most user-friendly and reputable halachic resources available today.

Users can submit halachic questions on any topic and receive a thorough, sourced response within 24 hours. Submissions are free, with special priority given to urgent questions, shluchim, and paying members.

“AskTheRav is an incredible resource,” says longtime user Menachem Weiss. “I use the site to find answers to almost any question, and when I ask my own, I get a clear response with sources and depth. It’s the most reputable, reliable, and easy-to-use resource out there.”

Last year, AskTheRav introduced yet another revolution: the AskTheRav Hotline. Since its launch, the hotline has answered thousands of questions, providing live, direct, and immediate access to halachic guidance. It has quickly become a vital resource for anyone seeking prompt and authoritative answers at almost any hour.

The hotline operates:

• Sunday–Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM EST
• Friday & Erev Yomtov: 9:00 AM – 1 hour before candle lighting
• Motzei Shabbos/Yomtov: 1 hour after until 10:30 PM

Both the website and hotline are overseen by Harav Braun, who personally reviews every online response to ensure accuracy and maintain the highest standards of halachic integrity.

Under his guidance, a dedicated and experienced team of expert rabbanim respond to shailos with patience, empathy, and expertise.

In honor of Shavuos – known in Lubavitch as Chag Hamatzos, the festival of rabbonim when rabbonim traditionally traveled and travel to the Rebbe – AskTheRav will be uploading thousands of previously unpublished questions and answers to its online database. For this purpose, AskTheRav has recently hired additional employees for website maintenance and uploads.

In addition, major upgrades are planned for the site’s overall performance and search functionality, making it faster and easier to efficiently find any desired topic.

To browse the archive or submit a question, visit AskTheRav.com.

To speak to a Rav, call the AskTheRav Hotline at 718-694-8000 ext. 5 during the hours listed above.

AskTheRav is always looking to grow — expanding both its reach and availability, including extended hotline hours to ensure everyone can get timely, important answers when they need them. Everyone is welcome to help support the platform or share ideas by reaching out at Join@AskTheRav.com.