From: Charles in Melbourne Dear Rabbi, What is the fast of firstborns and why is it done? Dear Charles, It is customary for Jewish firstborns to fast during the day of the Eve of Passover. It commemorates the miracle that saved the Jewish firstborns from the plague that slew all the firstborns in Egypt the[…]
From: Hilary in Austin, TX Dear Rabbi, On Purim there are two mitzvot of giving: 1) to the poor and 2) to friends and acquaintances. I understand the first: to enable the needy to participate in and enjoy the holiday. I don’t understand the second. Why give to people who already have? For one, it[…]
From: Alex in Toronto Dear Rabbi, I understand that Chanuka is in the winter months because that’s when the world is darkest and Chanuka is about bringing light into the darkness. Are there other, more text-based reasons for Chanuka occurring when it does? Dear Alex, Surely, the fact that Chanuka, called the Festival of Lights[…]
From: Bradley in Milton, MA Dear Rabbi, Can one play a game like Scrabble, Monopoly or Chess on Shabbat? Dear Bradley, Let’s start with Scrabble. Does the forming of a word by placing letters next to each other on a Scrabble-board transgress the prohibition against “writing” on Shabbat? In addition, since people keep score when[…]
From: Wendy in Westcliff, UK Dear Rabbi, When counting Sefirat HaOmer, some people say l’omer and some say b’omer. Which is right? Doesn’t the fact that everybody says “Lag b’Omer” prove that “b’omer” is correct and not “l’omer?” Dear Wendy, Rabbi Nachman Bulman, of blessed memory, explained that the custom to call the day “Lag[…]
From: Debra Dear Rabbi, What is the difference between hand-made and machine-made matza? Dear Debra, Since the Exodus, Jews have zealously carried out all the fine details concerning the baking of the matza, whose method has remained basically unchanged for all those years. Careful and agile hands have performed each process from making the dough[…]
From: Mark Dear Rabbi, I have heard that the names for the months of the year are not from the Torah but rather were acquired during one of the exiles, so that Nisan is not the ‘real’ name of the month. What then is the Torah’s name for the month that Passover is in, and[…]
From: Mark in TX Dear Rabbi, I remember something about the occurrence of the number seven in connection with the Succot Holiday. Would you please refresh my childhood memory? Dear Mark, Succot occurs in the month of Tishrei, which is the seventh month of the year. Like other sevens in Judaism, this indicates the elevated[…]
From: Andrea in St. Louis Dear Rabbi, I know there are certain times and holidays when it is appropriate to recall the memory of the departed. I was wondering if Yom Kippur is one of those times since we ask of G‑d’s forgiveness, or if Yom Kippur applies only to the living. If appropriate, I[…]
From: Naftali in Denver Dear Rabbi, Is Rosh Hashana important only because of its being the Day of Judgment, or is there some other significance to the day as well, such as we find regarding other holidays where several important things happened or are associated with that day? Dear Naftali, Rosh Hashana is on the[…]