From: Brandon Dear Rabbi, What was the significance of the two angelic figures that faced each other on the Ark of the Covenant appearing as children? Dear Brandon, The two angelic figures you refer to, the “cheruvim”, were part of the lid of the Ark in which was placed the tablets of the Ten Commandments.[…]
From: Laura Dear Rabbi, There’s something that’s bothering me which I hope you can clarify. I’m uncomfortable with the strong emphasis on punishment and Divine retribution in the Torah. Does the reason for doing G‑d’s will have to be so based on fear? Can’t we serve G‑d out of love? Dear Laura, This is a[…]
From: Helen Dear Rabbi, I am Jewish but not religious. I have seen mezuzas as pendants on necklaces and in Jewish homes, but don’t really know much about what a mezuza is. A few questions come to mind, but any knowledge you could share would be appreciated: What is a mezuza, is there anything inside,[…]
From: Jennifer Dear Rabbi, With so many horrible things happening in the world, I’m having trouble making sense of it and wondering where is G‑d in all this? Do you have any suggestions for coping? Dear Jennifer, The essence of being a Jew is to give thanks. That’s what the name for Jew in Hebrew[…]
From: Alan Dear Rabbi, I have had some introductory exposure to learning Torah. Some has been more in-depth, other learning focused more on breadth. I was wondering, which approach is preferable? Dear Alan, This is a very important question, and one which is discussed in many sources. There are several advantages to learning in-depth. It[…]
From: Coby Dear Rabbi, The Torah tells us that G‑d accepted the sacrifice of Hevel, but not that of Cain. There doesn’t seem to be any reason given as to why, just that G‑d admonishes Cain and warns him to mend his ways. The only obvious difference between what they brought was that Cain brought[…]
From: Ben Dear Rabbi, I find that often when I daven, rather than having an uplifting experience of holy thoughts, I actually get a flood of distracting mundane thoughts. It’s like all of a sudden I remember something I was supposed to do, or somewhere I am supposed to go, or some solution to a[…]
From: Joel Dear Rabbi, Since so many years elapsed between when G‑d gave the Torah at Sinai and when the Oral Torah was later written down, how do we know that the Talmud is an accurate account of what G‑d originally taught Moses? Dear Joel, You are right that a lot of time elapsed between[…]
From: Misha Dear Rabbi, It’s my understanding that according to Judaism, everything has a potential good side and bad side. Could you elaborate on what might be both the good and bad sides of both memory and forgetfulness? Dear Misha, This is a very unique and interesting question. I don’t remember ever being asked this[…]
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[…]