From: Mordechai Dear Rabbi, Is there such a thing as special rocks from Mt. Sinai? I heard that there is an image of a bush ingrained in the stones of Sinai that are supposed to be reminiscent of the burning bush. Is there such a connection between Sinai and the bush? Have you actually seen[…]
From: Lenny Dear Rabbi, Would you please explain to me why the Land of Israel is considered more important in Judaism than other lands and why Jews consider their connection to it to be unique? Dear Lenny, Judaism considers the Land of Israel to be unique, and uniquely related to the Jewish People, for many[…]
From: Alicia Dear Rabbi, I have a question about the Jewish notion of time. We reckon the days by number, 1 through 7, where 1 is Sunday and 7 is Saturday. But most of the world uses names to identify the days of the week. That makes more sense to me. For one, names are[…]
From: Melissa Dear Rabbi, I am hosting my first Shavuot meal this year and I’d like to know what to prepare. I know each holiday has its own special cuisine and featured foods, but I thought the basis for Shabbat and Holiday meals was always meat or poultry. My sister said that Shavuot is different[…]
From: Mordechai Dear Rabbi, I have trouble accepting the idea that everything comes from G‑d, and that even the bad things that happen in life are for the best. Would you please elaborate on this idea for me and how one can actually integrate this idea into his life? Because, to be honest, I think[…]
From: Jackie Dear Rabbi, Like everyone, I mess up sometimes and do things I know I shouldn’t be doing. The problem is, rather than doing teshuva and relying on G‑d to forgive, an inner voice convinces me that after what I’ve done, it would be a chutzpa to serve G‑d. And that rather than getting[…]
From: Ted Dear Rabbi, I have seen over and over in many shuls that toward the end of davening people tend to wrap up their prayer early and gather toward the exit door in anticipation of making a quick exit at the end of the service. It seems to me that this can’t be right.[…]
From: Harry Dear Rabbi, All the recent events regarding the Temple Mount in Jerusalem have peaked my interest as to what role the Temple played in our past. As the holiday of Passover approaches, could you perhaps describe what it was like in Temple times? Dear Harry, The number of people who went up to[…]
From: Anonymous Dear Rabbi, I need advice about my marriage. When we were first married, my wife and I got along fine. Over time, I started to feel unhappy with the relationship, mainly because I felt it became dull, and also because I expected more attention from my wife, but she always complained that I[…]
Jewish Dress From: Nathan Dear Rabbi, It seems to me that if there is such a thing as Jewish appearance, it’s not about dress or style but about the visual appearance of specific mitzvot such as tefillin, or actions in general according to Torah commands. Even what many might consider to be “Jewish dress” is not really Jewish, such as black and white among Ashkenazim, or[…]