Question: Why do we fast on the 17th of Tammuz which is coming up soon? Thanks. AskTheRabbi.org answered: The 17th day of Hebrew month of Tammuz is a date on which terrible national tragedies happened to the Jewish People. Therefore, we fast during the daytime on that date (see “The Purpose of Fasting”). We fast…
Question: I have an ethical dilemma. I saw a good friend pick up an item in a store and walk out with it without paying. According to Judaism should I say something to my friend about it? AskTheRabbi.org answered: There is an important concept in Judaism known as “judging favorably”. This is a legal concept…
Question: I’ve heard reasons why we keep kosher, and therefore understand why kosher animals were created. But I have no idea how to explain to a 10 year old public school student, whom I tutor, why God created non-kosher animals as well. Please help! Thank you!! AskTheRabbi.org answered: I think that you should your student…
Question: Hi Rabbi, I’ve started saying “Birkat Hamazon” (Grace after Meals) after eating. I enjoy saying and singing it almost as much as I enjoy eating the meal. But there’s a part at the end that I don’t understand, where it says “I was young, I also aged, and I have not seen a righteous…
Question: Why was the Torah given to us on Shavuot and not right after leaving Egypt or some other day of the year? Thank you. AskTheRabbi.org answered: Good question. There was a key ingredient that was still missing after the Exodus to merit being given the Torah — complete “unity” amongst the Jewish People. Let…
Question: What is “Jerusalem Day” all about, when is it, how is it celebrated and what is it called in Hebrew? Thanks. AskTheRabbi.org answered: Jerusalem Day – “Yom Yerushalayim” in Hebrew – is an Israeli holiday that commemorates the date when the Old City of Jerusalem and the Temple Mount returned to Israeli and Jewish…
Question: What is the holiday of Lag B’Omer all about? And when is it this year? Thank you. AskTheRabbi.org answered: Please allow me to answer your second question first. This year, 2017, Lag B’Omer is celebrated beginning Motzei Shabbat May 13 and continues on Sunday, May 14 until nightfall. And what is Lag B’Omer all…
Question: I have a moral dilemma and want a Rabbi’s point of view please. As a police detective can I trick the person I’m interrogating to think that I’m his friend – a “good cop” – so that he will cooperate and hopefully confess if he’s guilty? Is it morally okay to trick him in…
Question: When is Israel’s “Independence Day” this year? Also, what is it called in Hebrew and how is it celebrated? AskTheRabbi.org answered: I assume you’re referring to the State of Israel’s date of declaration of independence in 1948. This date was on May 14, 1948 when Israel’s first Prime Minister David Ben Gurion declared Israel’s…
Question: I’ve heard of Sefirat Ha’omer – counting the Omer. What is this? AskTheRabbi.org answered: The Torah emphasized the link between Passover and Shavuot, the very beginning of the redemption from Egypt and its culmination, through the commandment of Sefirat Ha’omer. We count the days and weeks from the second day of Passover until the…