From: Anonymous Dear Rabbi, There is an organization in our community that collects money for orphans or children from broken families for the purpose of helping pay wedding costs. I don’t think anyone would deny that this is a good thing, but the weddings this organization provides for are, in my opinion, overly-lavish – often[…]
From: Leonard Dear Rabbi, I know it is important to learn on Shabbat, and particularly with one’s children. But in my case, I am so tired from work by the time Shabbat comes around, that I find it very hard to learn with my children instead of relaxing or napping. Anyway, my kids aren’t thrilled[…]
From: Alex Dear Rabbi, I live in Israel where it seems to me that all the shuls face toward Jerusalem. Recently I was in England and the U.S. where it seems all the shuls face East, even though from there, East is not toward Jerusalem. I would have expected the shuls to face southeast in[…]
From: Boris Dear Rabbi, We are told that that we should serve G‑d without thinking of the reward. This makes sense to me, since it seems more sincere. But is this really the case in Jewish teachings? And if so, how can one do this practically? And what about other thoughts that come to mind[…]
From: Terry Dear Rabbi, I am a friendly and outgoing person. I get along very well with most people. It’s natural for me. I have a friend who’s upset about that. She says it’s not right that I get all of the attention. She asked me to be less outgoing, to be more “modest” as[…]
From: Marty Dear Rabbi, I have had a problem while traveling of what to do with my tefillin when needing the restroom. I can’t leave them outside of the bathroom unattended; but I can’t bring myself to taking them inside the bathroom either. What do people do about this, and what should be done? Dear[…]
From: Marcello Dear Rabbi, Could you please present a brief and convincing proof for the existence of G‑d? Dear Marcello, In a nutshell, you’re asking for a lot. But even if I weren’t constrained by your request for brevity, I couldn’t give you a conclusive proof for the existence of G‑d. That would fundamentally negate[…]
From: Peter Dear Rabbi, What is so significant about the city of Safed in Israel, and what major events took place there? Dear Peter, The Hebrew name for the city of Safed is “Tzefat”, which has several connotations relating to the significance of the city’s location, character and essence. The most obvious and literal meaning[…]