Ask the Rabbi

Due to limited resources, the Ask the Rabbi service is intended for Jews of little background with nowhere else to turn. People with questions in Jewish law should consult their local rabbi. For genealogy questions try JewishGen.org. Note also that this is not a homework service!

Ask the Aish Rabbi a Question

Why Do We Shake the Lulav?

Why do we shake the lulav in different directions? What is the significance of it? »

Mitzvah to Live in Israel

I'm trying to get clarity on whether it is considered a mitzvah to live in Israel. Should a believing Jew live in Israel, or are other countries... »

Ashkenazi versus Sephardic Jews

Can you explain to me something about the difference between Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jewry? What exactly do those terms mean and what are the... »

Tefillin on Chol HaMo'ed

Do we wear Tefillin on Chol HaMo’ed (the intermediate days of the major festivals)? »

Recommended Tehillim (Psalms) Lists

I have several frustrating issues going on in life today, as well as a relative who is really not well. I’d like to recite Tehillim. Is there a... »

Why is Sukkot Celebrated in the Fall?

I noticed that of all the major holidays, Sukkot does not really seem to correspond to the time of year we celebrate it. The Torah states that we... »

Earliest Time for Morning Prayers (Shacharit)

I’ve noticed that our synagogue has morning services (Shacharit) quite early during the workweek, after which most of the congregants hurry off to... »

How an Imprisoned Jewish Doctor Invented a Typhus Vaccine in Buchenwald

John Lennon, My Father and Me: Imagine and Jewish Universalism

We All Want to Fly: Two Short Messages for My Kids

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