A. Electric Menorahs serve a great purpose of getting the Chanukah message out, and as the Talmud says: “publicize the miracle”. But sorry, an electric menorah is no substitute for good ol’ candles or oil. They’re closer to the original … Read the rest
...A. One of the Ritual Slaughter’s (Shochet in Hebrew) main skills is to be able to sharpen/hone his blade to be perfectly smooth, even the slightest nick disqualifies the knife. The cut is to be as quick and painless as … Read the rest
...A. Plenty. Here are 3 quotes.
1) If someone says: “I’ve tried, but not succeeded” Don’t believe him.
If someone says: “I haven’t tried, but I’ve succeeded” Don’t believe him either.
Only someone who says: “I’ve tried and succeeded” should … Read the rest
A. These 2000 years count back to someone Jews don’t believe in. So this number doesn’t have much significance to us. On the other hand, the secular/non-religious hype isn’t traif (non-kosher). Jews love to utilize and channel all neutral things … Read the rest
...A. Why bad things happen to good people is an old question. But we can only ask that question, if we believe in G-d. If we, and the world we live in, is only a statistical improbability that came about … Read the rest
...A. Not really. Due to the high stakes and irrational risks involved, few give up their money whole-heartedly. Exceptions include when (smaller amounts of) monies go toward a charity, people are more willing to give it up as goes to … Read the rest
...A. My mother taught me: Don’t touch what doesn’t belong to you. Where I come from, all physical affection takes place in private, and is reserved to the person we’re married to. It’s just a handshake, you say? That’s the … Read the rest
...A. It’s a continuation of the ritual washing the priests did in the Temple. Eating can be more than wolfing good food down, with the proper perspective and setting it can become a noble, holy service. We dip our bread … Read the rest
...A: Absolutely! Tefillin and Prayer are separate Mitzvahs (commandments) that are best done together. Tefillin itself shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes (wrap on, say the 1st part of the Shema and wrap up). POT! (Put On Tefillin) – it’s … Read the rest
...A: Not the hell others believe in. Belief in the Afterlife and in Reward & Punishment (consequence of our choices) are in Maimonides’ basic 13 Principles of Judaism. But there’s no eternal damnation in our books, and hell is more … Read the rest
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