From: Alex Dear Rabbi, I live in Israel where it seems to me that all the shuls face toward Jerusalem. Recently I was in England and the U.S. where it seems all the shuls face East, even though from there, East is not toward Jerusalem. I would have expected the shuls to face southeast in[…]
From: Boris Dear Rabbi, We are told that that we should serve G‑d without thinking of the reward. This makes sense to me, since it seems more sincere. But is this really the case in Jewish teachings? And if so, how can one do this practically? And what about other thoughts that come to mind[…]
From: Terry Dear Rabbi, I am a friendly and outgoing person. I get along very well with most people. It’s natural for me. I have a friend who’s upset about that. She says it’s not right that I get all of the attention. She asked me to be less outgoing, to be more “modest” as[…]
From: Marty Dear Rabbi, I have had a problem while traveling of what to do with my tefillin when needing the restroom. I can’t leave them outside of the bathroom unattended; but I can’t bring myself to taking them inside the bathroom either. What do people do about this, and what should be done? Dear[…]
From: Marcello Dear Rabbi, Could you please present a brief and convincing proof for the existence of G‑d? Dear Marcello, In a nutshell, you’re asking for a lot. But even if I weren’t constrained by your request for brevity, I couldn’t give you a conclusive proof for the existence of G‑d. That would fundamentally negate[…]
From: Peter Dear Rabbi, What is so significant about the city of Safed in Israel, and what major events took place there? Dear Peter, The Hebrew name for the city of Safed is “Tzefat”, which has several connotations relating to the significance of the city’s location, character and essence. The most obvious and literal meaning[…]
From: Gary Dear Rabbi, Is there any benefit to visiting deceased people at their grave? Since if anything is accomplished, it’s spiritual, does it matter that one is physically present at the place of burial. Anyway, after time there are no remains of the body in the ground. Why should we go there? Dear Gary,[…]
From: Shlomo Dear Rabbi, How come G‑d punished all the generations for the sins of Adam and Eve? The Torah says if the children do not continue with the sins of their fathers they will not be punished for those sins. Did their children continue the sins of Adam and Eve? And what about those[…]
From: Odelia Dear Rabbi, I have been religious now for several years. Lately, I have felt an urge to reconnect with some old friends of mine from before I became religious. I’m not sure why this is, and whether it’s a good thing or not. On the one hand, I feel that I’m in a[…]
From: Mordechai Dear Rabbi, How does one develop a relationship with G‑d? Aside from the technical aspect of learning and doing the mitzvot, how does one actually infuse the connection with content? Dear Mordechai, This is a very sensitive and perceptive question. I admire your sincerity and spiritual integrity. The Jewish belief is that, ultimately,[…]