From: Jonathan Swartz Dear Rabbi, I heard that Abraham’s parents were not Jewish. I was wondering then how Abraham was considered the first Jew? If he was the first Jew, what other religion was there? Christianity, right? I guess my question is if no one was Jewish, how could anyone be Christian? What separated the[…]
From: Alexy Dear Rabbi, Did Moshe have a speech impediment? Dear Alexy, From a simple reading of the Torah verses and Talmudic teachings, it would seem that he did. However, we’ll see that’s not necessarily the case. When G‑d charges Moshe through the burning bush to demand that Pharaoh let the Jewish People go, Moshe[…]
From: Anonymous Dear Rabbi, I will be honest. I have a problem with arrogance. What I mean is that I know I am conceited and I feel bad about it. I see it affects my relationships (or lack thereof) but I find it hard to change because I have gotten used to acting in a[…]
From: Morgan Dear Rabbi, I get stressed-out over all the things I have to do. It gets so overwhelming that I just get confused and lock-up. I was wondering whether there might be any particular Jewish way of dealing with and managing this type of stress. Thanks for any help and insight you may be[…]
From: Name Withheld Dear Rabbi, Hi. I take antidepressants, and it has helped me a lot. The only problem is that, truthfully, I do not feel the same connection to G‑d now as I did when I was depressed. Sometimes I used to pray with tears. I guess you could say that medication has made[…]
From: Arthur Dear Rabbi, Would you please explain to me the reasons for keeping kosher? Dear Arthur, First of all, as regarding all mitzvot, we keep kosher because G‑d commanded to do so in the Torah. And even though Rambam writes that one should meditate upon and search for the meaning of mitzvot, he concludes[…]
From: Michal Dear Rabbi, My husband and I are not really sure what’s appropriate gift-giving for Chanuka. Clearly the kids will be there when we light the menorah every night, we’ll tell them about Chanuka, and get them some books. But are they supposed to get gifts/gelt/how often/how many? What’s too much and what’s too[…]
From: Alex Dear Rabbi, I have been invited to a kosher wedding but I’m not sure I want to go. For starters, I’m single and a bit frustrated and feel like I might be jealous if I go. Secondly, I’m not sure it’s the best use of my time. I mean, I could be learning[…]
From: David Dear Rabbi, I had a very embarrassing situation recently. There was a well-known rabbi visiting our community who I ended up treating not particularly politely because I didn’t know who he was. To be honest, the friction was really not his fault at all, but mine. So when I saw it was him[…]