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 »
Abraham & Independence- I notice that the first “command” given to the first Jew, Abraham, is to "Go for yourself from your land, from your relatives, and from your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Genesis 12:1) Is this… More »
Avraham Serving the Angels- In Genesis 18:8, three angels appear to Abraham. It says that Abraham served them milk and a calf. I realize that the laws of kashrut prohibiting mixtures of milk and meat were not given until 500 years later, but wouldn't… More »
Chosen People Racist?- What’s behind the whole concept of the Jews as the Chosen People? Isn’t this idea racist? More »
Environmentalism- I am looking for Torah sources that speak about nature, respect for life and animals, sustainability, etc. Do we as Jews have a responsibility to nature and to preserve the other species of life on this planet? I am particularly… More »
Evolution and the Bible- Darwin seems to be well-accepted scientific fact. But given the Creation account in the Bible, is it reasonable to assume that Moses missed evolution? More »
Isaac’s Age at the Binding (Akeidah)- How old was Isaac when Abraham brought him to Mount Moriah and almost sacrificed him? Was he young enough that Abraham could overpower him? Did he understand what was happening? More »
Jewish Claim to the Land- I have heard a lot of anti-Israel sentiment from my friends who support the Palestinians. A good client of mine questions the validity of Israel’s existence, saying: “How do you justify inhabiting an already populated land through force? How can… More »
Jewish Overachievers and Why God Chose Abraham- Why is it that the Jews contribute so greatly to the world in so many areas? They are on the forefront of almost every intellectual and social area – in medicine, science, the arts, entertainment, finance, etc. People always talk… More »
Overnight Lodging- In Parshat Chayei Sarah when Eliezer was asking for lodging for the night, why is there a difference in the spelling of the word La-lin (Genesis 24:23) and La-lun (24:25)? More »
Reason for Slavery- In the Bible, God tells Abraham that his descendents will eventually become slaves, which was fulfill during the awful years in Egypt. Why would God make such a prediction? More »
The Borders of Israel Promised to Abraham- What exactly is the extent of the land promised to Abraham in Genesis 15:18-21? It doesn’t seem to be identical to the Land of Israel God later promised to Israel and outlined in Numbers 34. More »
The Name "Eliezer"- My Bar Mitzvah is coming up in a few months, and I have to prepare a speech to say in front of the whole congregation. The rabbi suggested that I talk about the meaning of my Hebrew name, Eliezer. Can… More »
Three Angels- The Torah recounts that three angels appeared to Abraham (Genesis 18:2). Later, only two angels go down to Sodom. What happened to the third angel? And what is the significance of three versus two? More »
What Happened to Abraham’s Converts?- I’ve always wondered what happened to the many people Abraham and Sarah taught about God? I understand that they spent years spreading the faith far and wide. But we never seem to hear of these people afterwards. Were there more… More »
Where Was Salem?- Do we know anything about the city of Salem – where Abraham came to after his battle against the four kings (Genesis 14:18)? Melchizedek, its king, is described as a priest to “the most high God.” He brought out bread… More »
Identifying as a Jew
