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 »

Being Conspicuously Jewish - Please help me understand why Jews continue to identify themselves publicly. With all the violence towards Jews for thousands of years shouldn't we stop making ourselves a target? More »

Buckwheat Bread - What bracha (blessing) is said on buckwheat bread? And let’s say it is mixed with whole wheat flour? 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 »

Damages Done by Children - Our neighbor’s 8-year-old son borrowed a toy and broke it. Should we make an issue of it? Are our neighbors obligated to pay us back? More »

Determining Relative’s Hebrew Name - Our father passed away recently and we want to determine his Hebrew name for his tombstone. He was entirely secular and none of us know if he even had a Hebrew name. What should we do? More »

Did Judaism Use to Practice Patrilineal Descent? - I just made a bet with a friend for a cup of coffee. He is asserting that Judaism used to be a patrilineal religion in the beginning, and then changed to being matrilineal. I never heard this and find it hard to... 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 »

Haftorah – Source for the Custom - What is the source of the custom to read from the Prophets on Shabbat and other occasions after reading from the Torah? Is it a recent custom? 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 »

Keturah’s Origins - Who was Abraham’s second wife Keturah? The Torah writes nothing about her background and origin – although if she was a wife of Abraham and mother to six of his children, she must have been a pretty... important person! More »

Mayim Acharonim – Washing Before Birkat HaMazon - I was reading that the Hassidic practice is to wash one’s hands at the end of a bread meal, before Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals). What is the basis for this and do you recommend I do it? 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 »

Opening Folding Bed on Shabbat - I live in a small apartment and I want to have guests who may stay overnight. Would I be allowed to open a sleeper sofar for them on Shabbat? (Because my apartment is small, there isn’t room to keep it open the entire... 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 »

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 »

Studying History (Weekday and Shabbat) - I’ve heard that some classic Jewish sources write that the study of history is a waste of time and should not be done, in particular on Shabbat. Is this true? 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 Book of Jasher - Is the Book of Jasher a reliable work? Are the dates and information in it accurate? It looks interesting and I’m wondering if it would be worth my time to study it in depth. 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 »

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 »

Yizkor at Home - Our local synagogue is closed because of the coronavirus. How can I say yizkor this year in memory of my father? 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 »