From: Ken Lipworth Dear Rabbi, I am puzzled as to how the Israelites produced the golden calf. These people were slaves. It seems totally incongruous that, as slaves, they would have owned any gold jewelry. In a similar vein, from where did the Jews get swords to fight the battle against Amalek? It would seem[…]
From: Rabih Sarieddine in Switzerland Dear Rabbi, It seems to me that universality is one of the main topics in Judaism. However, in Judaism, conversion is a long process that needs human validation. Now take someone who really wishes to become Jewish. It happens that he takes a voyage on the sea and the[…]
From: Holly in Scotland Dear Rabbi, Who were the first Jews? If Adam and Eve, then all mankind is Jewish. If Abraham (or the other patriarchs and matriarchs), since they came from non-Jewish families, where do we find they converted? And if they did, then were Ishmael and Esau (and their descendants) Jewish? If the[…]
From: Anonymous in NYC Dear Rabbi, I have been friends with a guy since we were kids. We were brought up traditional or modern Orthodox. In high school, we were not exactly the best example of Jewish behavior. Now we go to college together and room in the same dorm. I can’t say we’ve gotten[…]
From: Ayelet in Jerusalem Dear Rabbi, Living in Israel, and in Jerusalem, like everyone else here, I feel unfortunately too close to terrorism and the possibility, G‑d forbid, of there being an attack. Since it seems that it could happen at any time and any place, I feel like I’ve developed a suspicion and fear[…]
From: Mark in Worcester, MA Dear Rabbi, According to my understanding, philosophy addresses a lot of the questions that Judaism does, so what advantage does Judaism have over philosophy? Dear Mark, Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi addresses your question very directly and cogently in his work “The Kuzari” that was written in 11th century Spain. The book[…]
From: Todd in Baltimore Dear Rabbi, Would you please share any ideas you might have about how the Torah might relate to the current situation with the war against Hamas. Perhaps more specifically, what is the Torah’s attitude toward retaliation in self-defense? Dear Todd, Ideally, a Jew would rather have peace than war. However, not[…]
From: Manny in Austin, TX Dear Rabbi, With all the discussion on the causes of the current financial crisis I can’t help but wonder if there aren’t additional reasons going on behind the scenes. Can you offer any insight into this aspect of the crises? Dear Manny, Contrary to popular belief, I am not a[…]