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: 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: 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,[…]
From: Wanda Dear Rabbi, Would you please clarify for me what a woman’s obligations are in prayer? Is it the same as for men, or different? Might it vary depending on whether she’s single or married, with children or without? Dear Wanda, This is a very interesting question, with varying approaches in the classical commentaries[…]
From: Ari Dear Rabbi, With all due respect, is it necessary or encouraged to consult with a rabbi for everything? Can’t a person have some independence and make decisions for himself? And even if he ends up making the wrong decisions, he’d learn from his mistakes and at least develop the ability to make the[…]
From: Anthony Dear Rabbi, I have found Torah study to be very interesting and challenging. I have told my parents that I would like to take a year off from college in order to study in a yeshiva. They are opposed. They say that as far as the Torah is concerned, I am required to[…]
From: Jonathan Dear Rabbi, About 10 years ago, before I became religious, I borrowed a significant amount of money with interest from a Jewish acquaintance not knowing at the time that interest is forbidden. Now that the loan will be due in the summer, I’m prepared to pay back the loan, but the person demands[…]
From: Monte Dear Rabbi, What language did Adam and Eve speak? Was it Hebrew? Dear Monte, We see evidence that Adam spoke Hebrew because he referred to Eve using two words that make sense only in Hebrew. In the one instance (Gen. 2:23) he called her isha (woman) because she was taken from ish (man).[…]
From: Stephan Dear Rabbi, Apparently, King David said about himself, “I am a worm and not a man.” I don’t get this. Was this some form of exaggerated humility? Is it to be understood metaphorically? What was he getting at? Dear Stephen, You are correct, King David wrote in Psalms 22:7, “I am a worm[…]