From: Allen Dear Rabbi, Recently I heard of the musical role of the Levites in the Temple and it reminds me of the role of musicians and music in the aristocratic courts of Europe throughout the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. I was wondering what your thinking on this would be. Dear Allen, While I[…]
From: Raizy Dear Rabbi, Our prayers are verbal, linguistic and very expressive. This is especially true for the High Holiday liturgy. Still, the pinnacle and highlight of the Rosh Hashana prayers is the wordless, raw, and simple sound of the shofar. What is the explanation for this? Dear Raizy, You are right. While the shofar[…]
From: Jay Dear Rabbi, I was recently confronted with the idea that one’s departed parents continue to live in the form of a soul in Heaven, that they are aware of what their surviving children do for good or for bad, and that “Jewishly speaking”, the children’s actions have an effect on their parent’s status[…]
From: Sharon Dear Rabbi, I’m fascinated by the imagery of light in spirituality. Particularly regarding humans, and the description of “enlightened” people as reflecting light. Would you possibly elaborate on this? Dear Sharon, This is a scintillating question and I’d be happy to shed some light on the topic! Clearly, G‑d is viewed as the[…]
From: Henrietta Dear Rabbi, When we observe the animal world, it appears that there is a great degree of meanness and viciousness. A predator tears and mutilates its prey. How can a compassionate G‑d sanction this? And if it is nevertheless acceptable to G‑d, why is this behavior not condoned in mankind. Contrarily, if G‑d[…]
From: Robert Dear Rabbi, I recently bought a new house. In anticipation of placing mezuzot (which I’ve learned are not the decorative boxes but rather the handwritten Torah passages on parchment placed inside the boxes), my family and I were discussing possible meanings for affixing mezuzot on the doorposts of one’s house. I suggested that[…]
From: Alexy Dear Rabbi, I was in an airport traveling with my family and saw a rabbi praying in the departure area before the flight. I explained to my son that a rabbi is a holy and learned person, and that it is important to show respect to the rabbi. I also told my son[…]
From: John Thundercloud Dear Rabbi, I appreciate your informative and straight-forward answer to my question about Judaism and Native Americans. I don’t necessarily agree with everything that you wrote, but I was certainly intrigued by your perspective. In fact, I have a follow-up question on your conclusion regarding Judaism’s non-acceptance of the pantheistic nature of[…]