A. Tanya (end of chapter 34) quotes the Zohar “Joy is lodged in one side of my heart, and tears in the other”. We are capable of two (even) opposite emotions, as long as they are for different reasons. We … Read the rest
...A. Many things: (1) We must give our own lives rather than take the lives of another. (2) Though we do believe in the spiritual Afterlife, and the World to Come, the ultimate Jewish opportunities and Torah’s Mitzvahs are to … Read the rest
...A. First of all, nowadays in the Jewish exile (even in Israel) there are many Mitzvos which we can not fulfill, especially those pertaining to the Temple and many of the laws of Purity. Once we already have a set … Read the rest
...A. Some people think so, but the Rebbe was a big advocate and pioneer for “one Mitzvah at a time.” Each Mitzvah has it’s own merit and spiritual value, so even doing one without another, is very OK. The Rebbe’s … Read the rest
...A. According to our historic tradition, from the time of Moses until the Rebuilding of the 2nd Temple, we enjoyed an era of Prophecy. (While this era did end, prophetic individuals and Jewish leaders throughout the generations are an important … Read the rest
...A. Absolutely not! A Jew, is a Jew, is a Jew. Although in no way is Torah justifing his/her actions, there is nothing we can do (even conversion) that would change the Torah’s view of us as Jews. “Even though … 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: 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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