Question: My question concerns food, since I am a chef. And so far, no rabbi was able to explain this to me to my satisfaction. My question is: Why do we consider chicken “meat”? When it comes to the verse “Do not cook a calf in its mother’s milk”, well, chickens don’t produce milk! Even…
Question: Hi Rabbi. With all the current news of the tragic flooding in Texas as a result of Hurricane Harvey, it reminds me of the Great Flood at the time of Noah, and a question popped into my head: What happened to the fish in that Biblical flood? Thanks! AskTheRabbi.org answered: Very interesting question! Before…
Question: Hi Rabbi, I have a big question. A class I went to taught me that a major purpose of my life is to “work on myself” to make myself a better person than I am. But, I like who I am, what I am! As Lady Gaga’s song goes, “I was born this way!”…
Question: I’ve heard that the longish curls which Orthodox Jewish men wear are called “Peyot”. Why do they have them, why are they called peyot, and are they related to peyote? Thanks. AskTheRabbi.org answered: The Torah teaches: “Do not cut off the hair on the sides of your head…” (Leviticus 19:27). A Jewish male must…
Question: What does Judaism say about dreams? AskTheRabbi.org answered: Judaism says a lot about dreams. Jacob dreamt of angels ascending and descending a ladder reaching to heaven, revealing to him the site of the Holy Temple. Joseph dreamt that the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed before him, portending his future greatness. King Solomon also…
Question: I’m Jewish and was invited by a relative for my first Shabbat meal last weekend. It was fun and gave me a lot to think about. It raised a lot of questions but they did something that especially bewildered me. The host dipped the Challah in salt before passing it to family and guests….
Question: I work for a very small company. My boss wants the company to appear bigger than it is. Therefore he wants me to use made up names when dealing with vendors and clients so people think we have a larger company. Some people are afraid to do business with small companies. Please advise. Thanks…
Question: What is the meaning of “Tisha B’Av” and when is it this year? AskTheRabbi.org answered: Tisha B’Av literally means “The Ninth Day of Av” (a Hebrew month). It is the date of the greatest tragedies in Jewish history, and is commemorated with signs of national mourning – in particular fasting, reading the Book of…
Question: My daughter lied about taking a large amount of candy from the pantry that I had bought for another purpose. She wanted to bring it to school to help entertain her friends on a long field trip bus ride. She lied outright saying, “I promise I didn’t take it!” A little later we spoke…
Question: I read that something called “The Three Weeks” is coming soon. What does this mean? I assume it refers to a special time in the Jewish calendar. Thank you. AskTheRabbi.org answered: Good question and good guess! Yes, “The Three Weeks” refers to a three-week period of time in the Jewish calendar. This year —…