Ask the Rabbi

Abraham Bowing - When the three angels came to Abraham posing as guests, he bowed before them. He did the same before the Hittites when he purchased a burial site for Sarah. Isn’t bowing a form of idolatry? More »

Ahaziah’s Age When He Became King - How old was Ahaziah when he became king? II Kings (8:26) states he was 22, while II Chronicles 22:2 writes 42. The latter seems to definitely be wrong since his father Jehoram was only 40 when he died (II Kings 8:17 &... More »

Aliyah Difficulties - We recently moved to Israel, fulfilling a life dream, but so many things have gone wrong since we arrived – in terms of the lift, our apartment, my job options, and more. I’m hoping the worst of our issues have been... More »

Are Jews Against Whistling? - I see a lot of Orthodox Jews object to whistling. Do you know any reason why? More »

Ascent to Jerusalem for the Three Festivals (Aliyah L’Regel) - When the Temple stood, all males had to appear before the Lord for the three festivals (Exodus 23:14-17, 34:23-24, Deuteronomy 16:16). At what age did they have to come – at 13? 30? Also, did they have to come from the... More »

Awaiting the Messiah - Is there any obligation to await the Messiah’s arrival or to do anything to bring him? Or is the Messiah’s arrival just a general concept – something we know will one day occur but not really relevant to our everyday... More »

Blessing on Chewing Gum - Do we recite a bracha on chewing gum, being that we never actually eat it? More »

Children Punished for Sins of Parents - How do we understand verses such as Exodus 20:5 (in the Ten Commandments) that God punishes not only sinners, but their descendants till four generations? How is it possibly fair to punish children for that which they... More »

Cup Used for Washing, Disposable Cups - I live in a location where it is impossible to buy Judaica, so I do a lot of improvising. What do I need to know about the cup used for washing my hands (both in the morning and before eating bread)? I haven’t been... More »

Divorcee – Husband’s Customs - I am divorced now. Do I still have to follow the customs of my ex-husband – such as not eating out on Passover? More »

Guilt Over Past Sins - I committed some sins when I was young and not yet religious which were very serious, and carry the punishment of karet (excision). Although I fully regret my past actions, I am still haunted by my past sins. I heard... More »

Heating up Food in a Non-Kosher Oven - Is there a way I can use the toaster oven at work to heat up food? More »

Hebrew Name – Non-Jewish Father - A new member in our synagogue has a Jewish mother and non-Jewish father. I know he is legally considered Jewish. My question is how to call him to the Torah where a person is usually called as X the son of (“ben”) Y.... More »

How to Forgive Ourselves - With the High Holidays approaching, I’m trying to come to terms with a lot of my past life choices and mistakes. One recurring issue is that I live with a lot of guilt over some of my past choices. I’m not talking... More »

Is the Oral Torah a Later Development? - My parents were both of the belief that only the Torah itself is sacred, and that the Talmud and the Oral Torah were developed much later. They were the attempt of self-appointed rabbis to interpret the Scripture, but... More »

Jacob’s Incomplete Name Change - I noticed something very curious. Abraham’s name was changed from Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5) and that’s how he became permanently known. Likewise Sarai became Sarah (17:15). But God changed Jacob’s name to Israel... More »

Judaism and Snakes - I have always had the impression that snakes are inherently evil. I’m sure it’s an idea I picked up from the Genesis account of the Serpent tempting Adam and Eve to sin. Is there any accuracy to this? In fact, when I... More »

Mincha and Ma’ariv Together; Earliest time for Ma’ariv - Our synagogue says Mincha shortly before sunset and Ma’ariv almost immediately after. I’m wondering if there is any issue doing so. It is only beginning to get dark when Ma’ariv is said. What is the earliest time for... More »

Mourner Wearing New Clothes - I am in mourning for my mother this year. Am I allowed to buy new clothes if I have a need for them? More »

Orphan Visiting Cemetery Before Wedding - Should my fiancé visit her grandfather’s grave in the week before her wedding? I have heard there is such a custom. More »

Overcharging – Lemonade Stand - My brother and I opened a lemonade stand and charge $1 a cup. This is actually about three times what each cup actually costs us to make. Is that allowed? More »

Pidyon HaBen After Miscarriage - I am a firstborn son, but my mother had a miscarriage before me. My family wasn’t aware of the mitzvah of redeeming the firstborn when I grew up. Should I have it done today? More »

Reciting Tehillim on Shabbat - I’ve heard that we should not say Tehillim (Psalms) on Shabbat. Is there any issue with this? More »

Same Pot for Meat and Fish - Is there an issue with using a meaty pot to cook fish? I know meat and fish should not be cooked or eaten together. More »

Separate Tablecloths for Meat and Milk - Is there such a thing as meat and milk tablecloths? Or can we just wash them in between use and switch from one to the other? More »

Special Places to Pray for Children, Zera Shimshon - My husband and I have been struggling to conceive for a few years now. We will be visiting Israel this summer. I know there are some places considered the “best spots” for certain types of prayers. Apart from the... More »

Tallit – From What Age? - Beginning at what age does one wear a large Tallit for prayers? More »

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

The Ceremony of Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal - Why were the tribes divided onto Mount Gerizim and Mount Ebal? What was the purpose of this ceremony? More »

Travel Agent – Booking Shabbat Travel for Jews - I work in the travel industry and regularly book flights and reservations for customers. Many of them I’m sure are Jewish but not religious. If a Jew wants to book a flight on Shabbat, am I allowed to do it for him?... More »

Using Diapers (Nappies) on Shabbat - What are the relevant laws I need to know about diapering a baby on Shabbat? I do a lot of babysitting and this will probably become relevant. More »

Visiting a Mosque - I know many people do not enter Churches. Does the same apply to Mosques? More »

Was Rahab a Prostitute? - Was Rahab, the woman in Jericho who hid the spies Joshua sent to the land, a prostitute or an innkeeper? More »

Was Shavuot Originally an Agricultural Holiday? - I am somewhat perplexed about the holiday of Shavuot. The Torah describes it as an agricultural holiday, celebrating the harvest. It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with the giving of the Torah. Did Shavuot become... More »

Were Adam and Eve Jewish? - Would we consider Adam and Eve to have been Jewish? More »

Why Do We Celebrate the Torah on Simchat Torah and Not Shavout? - Why do we complete the reading of the Torah and celebrate it on Simchat Torah and not on Shavuot when we received the Torah? Wouldn’t Shavuot make much more sense? What does Sukkot have to do with... the Torah? More »

Wool and Linen (Shatnez) in Separate Garments - Are you allowed to wear two separate clothes, one wool and the other linen, such as a linen shirt with a woolen sweater or pants? More »

Working on Chol HaMoed - Am I allowed to work on Chol HaMo’ed? Because of the High Holidays and Sukkot, I am almost entirely out of vacation time. More »

Yearly Parsha (Torah Reading) Cycle - As we come to the end of the cycle of reading the Torah. I am curious as to when and who divided up the Torah into its different weekly sections, and who gave them their names? More »

Zechariah 13:6 – Wounds Between Your Hands - How do Jews interpret Zechariah 13:6? “And one will say to him, ‘What are these wounds between your hands?’ And he will say, ‘That I was smitten in the house of those who loved me.’” I have heard Christians see it as a... More »