From: John Thundercloud Dear Rabbi, Might Judaism or Jewish people have special sympathy for the plight of Native Americans insofar as the Indians are also ancient peoples who were forcibly exiled from their ancestral land by a mighty European nation intent on eradicating their unique belief system, way of life, culture and language? Dear John[…]
From: M.S. Dear Rabbi, I have a question about the description of the circular brass pool in the Temple as stated in verse I Kings 7:23. The verse says that this pool was 10 cubits across and 30 cubits around. If so, then either G‑d doesn’t seem to know the value of “pi”, or the[…]
From: Jo Anne Dear Rabbi, Shalom! Can you please give me some information on the origins and history of Sefardic and Ashkenazic Jews? Though I am not Jewish, I enjoy your posts, and think they are very informative and thorough! Blessings and thanks. Dear Jo Anne, Thank you for your interest, encouragement, and kind words.[…]
From: Paula Dear Rabbi, According to Judaism, is physical beauty a quality to be valued for women, or is the main thing to be righteous? If it’s righteousness that is to be valued, then why does the Torah praise Sarah for her beauty? Dear Paula, One of the well-known verses of the chapter of Proverbs,[…]
From: Vicky Dear Rabbi, As we approach the holiday of Shavuot commemorating the receiving of the Torah, would you please explain how and when the first Torah scroll was actually written? Dear Vicky, The Talmudic Sages (Gittin 60a) actually differ about this point. In the view of one opinion, the Torah was written on separate[…]
From: Michael Dear Rabbi, Mother’s Day is coming up and I’m wondering if there’s any Jewish basis for celebrating the day in the customary fashion. Or maybe the way Mother’s Day is celebrated is not the Jewish way. Dear Michael, First, let’s briefly explore the history of the modern holiday of Mother’s Day. It was[…]
From: Natan Dear Rabbi, I am a bit bewildered about the “quality” of water. Sometimes it’s associated with base passion or indulgence. Yet it is also very widely associated with the Torah. What is the resolution of this seeming contradiction? Dear Natan, You are right; water is described as having both qualities. Water is often[…]
From: Russell Dear Rabbi, Would you please discuss the mitzvah of reclining at the Seder meal? Dear Russell, While partaking of the four cups of wine, and the matza at the beginning of the meal, and the korech “sandwich” (of matza, maror, and charoset), and the afikomen matza at the end of the meal, one must do so in a reclining position. This may[…]