From: Reuben Rosenberg Dear Rabbi, Based on my limited knowledge of Torah, it appears that an improperly done mitzva receives no merit. For example: From what I understand, there are no degrees of kosher and treif food; either the food is kosher or it isn’t. If the food is kosher and you’ve said a proper[…]
From: David Bressler Dear Rabbi, One of my friends recently asked me if I liked a certain singer. When I told him that I do not listen to non-Jewish music, he asked me why. What do I tell him? What makes music Jewish? Especially now, when many introductions for songs and sometimes the songs themselves[…]
From: Hank Dear Rabbi, Since an important part of fulfilling the mitzvot is having the right intention while doing so, how come we do brit milah on boys when they are infants when they have no say in the matter (in fact, if we asked them, they’d probably refuse)? Wouldn’t it be better for men[…]
From: Allen Dear Rabbi, I saw in the media recently (as in the past) demonstrations on the part of the Charedi Orthodox which involved burning trash bins, throwing garbage in the streets and various forms of violence against the police. How can this be tolerated? Can the rabbis possibly condone such wild behavior? And how[…]
From: Benny Dear Rabbi, If Moses received the Torah at Mount Sinai seven weeks after the Jews left Egypt, how does the Torah describe events that took place long after that during the forty years that the Jews wandered in the wilderness? Dear Benny, This is a very good question and one which the sages[…]
From: Sheldon Dear Rabbi, Judaism is important to me, but I am not observant. I think the Jewish People should be united, despite differences between them. There are enough who hate us from without that we don’t need hate from within. That’s why it irks me so to see Orthodox Jews who are so stand-offish[…]
From: Shira Dear Rabbi, In high school there was a girl who was not particularly popular or successful who tried to become friendly with me but I pushed her off. Now, some years later, without going into too much detail, it turns out that we both have similar positions but she is much more “popular”[…]
From: Benji Dear Rabbi, When things are going well for me, I feel happy and close to G‑d. When things aren’t going so well, I don’t feel as close to G‑d and that bothers me. I know that everything, good or bad comes from G‑d for our own good. But I’m having trouble internalizing or[…]