From: Donny Dear Rabbi, Growing up, I came from a very humble background. But I was always well-liked and seemed to get along with all different types of people. Because I became quite popular, I was able to overcome a lot of the barriers to success that people from my background suffer. Over the years,[…]
From: Vanessa Dear Rabbi, If G‑d wants us to serve Him properly, why does he bring sickness upon people which just hinders their ability to do His will? Dear Vanessa, According to Jewish belief, not only did Adam and Eve have all their needs taken care of in Eden before the sin, there was no[…]
From: Olivia Dear Rabbi, I want to educate my children properly, but I am having difficulty with the concept of the “yetzer hara” or evil inclination. On the one hand, attributing bad behavior to the “yetzer hara” avoids giving children the impression that they, in essence, are bad when they do something wrong. But on[…]
From: Name Withheld Dear Rabbi, I am a film director. I work in advertising. After much pressure and considerable preparatory work on my part, I reluctantly agreed to direct a TV advert. I felt very uncomfortable about my decision at the time but agreed nonetheless – partly because I had already invested much time, and[…]
From: Jonathan Swartz Dear Rabbi, I heard that Abraham’s parents were not Jewish. I was wondering then how Abraham was considered the first Jew? If he was the first Jew, what other religion was there? Christianity, right? I guess my question is if no one was Jewish, how could anyone be Christian? What separated the[…]
From: Alexy Dear Rabbi, Did Moshe have a speech impediment? Dear Alexy, From a simple reading of the Torah verses and Talmudic teachings, it would seem that he did. However, we’ll see that’s not necessarily the case. When G‑d charges Moshe through the burning bush to demand that Pharaoh let the Jewish People go, Moshe[…]
From: Anonymous Dear Rabbi, I will be honest. I have a problem with arrogance. What I mean is that I know I am conceited and I feel bad about it. I see it affects my relationships (or lack thereof) but I find it hard to change because I have gotten used to acting in a[…]
From: Morgan Dear Rabbi, I get stressed-out over all the things I have to do. It gets so overwhelming that I just get confused and lock-up. I was wondering whether there might be any particular Jewish way of dealing with and managing this type of stress. Thanks for any help and insight you may be[…]