Visiting the Sick- I work near a hospital and on my lunch hour I have been volunteering to visit the Jewish patients. Are there any specific Jewish traditions regarding visiting the sick? More »
Aging and Youth- I've seen and heard lots of talk recently about attempts of the increasingly aging population to "stay young." To me, as a baby boomer, some of it seems enticing but some of it feels inappropriate. Does Judaism have anything to… More »
Body Piercing- Everybody in my high school is getting their body parts pierced. I think some of the piercing is attractive – like multiple earrings or the navel. But some of them are gross – studs in the tongue or pierced eyebrows.… More »
Feminism- I grew up in the era of feminism, and while I am thrilled at the vistas of opportunity it opened up for me and so many others, I have grown somewhat disenchanted after having seen so much negative fall-out: the… More »
Fixing the World – Tikkun Olam- I often feel like I’m just spinning my wheels in the daily grind: Get up, shower, eat, go to work, come home, eat, go to sleep. And then do it all over again. Isn’t there more to life? How do… More »
Gun Ownership- There’s a lot of talk about restricting gun ownership in the U.S. What does Judaism say about this? More »
Jumping from the Tower- In the terrible 9-11 terror attack on New York, some people jumped from the burning tower. On one side was a raging fire with no escape, and on the other side was a jump to near-certain death. What does Jewish… More »
Life in Perspective- I'm in high school and am starting to think about life. Everything seems so superficial - relationships, the media, fashions. I don't want my life built around that. What advice can you offer? More »
Lying, Providing False Information- I’m trying to open a certain computer account and it’s asking for my age. Is there anything wrong with lying to a computer? More »
Marijuana- I have always smoked marijuana. I find it to be less harmful then alcohol. I want to know if there is any Jewish law against doing this. I feel the civil laws against this are ridiculous. I know three cancer… More »
Men's and Women's Clothing- I was in a vintage clothing store and saw a great shirt that looked comfortable. I was about to buy it and the salesperson said, "Is this for you? You know, this is a woman's blouse." I was surprised, and… More »
No Touching!- I was raised in an Orthodox home and the idea of being physical with guys was discouraged until after marriage. Now I met a guy at school and I figure that some innocent hugging would probably be all right, I… More »
Overcoming Hatred- I've been thinking a lot about all the strife in this world - between individuals, between countries, between races. I understand that hatred occurs when there is hostility between two people, and neither have a desire to see the positive… More »
Overcoming Jealousy- Society seems so driven by materialism. Who can get ahead of who! I try not to get caught up in this, but I frequently find myself getting jealous of what others have. How do I stop being jealous of them? More »
Rape- I was reading in an online forum that Judaism advocates that a rapist marry his victim. This sounds so backward and oppressive, and difficult to reconcile with the compassionate Judaism that I know and love. Is what I read accurate? More »
Responsible One for Another- I am involved in Jewish communal work and it really makes me crazy when I see one Jewish group disparaging another. Even worse, people will look at a situation of need and say, “Oh, that’s not my problem!” Why can’t… More »
School Shooting- I have often thought about the tragedy in Columbine and other schoolyard shootings. My impression is that these boys want to create an awesome experience, to impress the world with their power, their genius. Maybe they had it backwards. They… More »
Self Discovery- I grew up in the United States and at around age 20 became disillusioned with society. I just felt that the materialism and commercialism was breeding too much greed and corruption. So I have been traveling the world, looking for… More »
Shooting Down the Plane- Shortly after the September 11 terror attacks, I read that if U.S. intelligence had known that a commercial plane was on a mission to crash into the White House, they would have shot down the plane, thereby killing the passengers,… More »
Should We Hate the Wicked?- Although I am not Jewish, I have a lot of regard for Judaism. I would like a rabbi’s perspective on the following question. Is it wrong to hate the wicked? Should we love all mankind regardless of who they are… More »
Surrogate Motherhood- The issue of surrogate motherhood came up in discussion last night. Does Judaism have a position on this? More »
Waging War- After 9-11, the U.S. went into Afghanistan and killed a lot of people, with the President declaring a “war on terror.” The Bible itself seems to condone going in and wiping out nations that we don’t like. Why does everything… More »
Waging War Against Canaan- In 2009, when Israel went into Gaza and killed a lot of people, I was discussing religion with one of my friends, and he said that in the Torah, God told us to go out and murder people that we… More »
Whose Blood Is Redder?- I recently read that one person may not take another's life to save his own (other than in self-defense), because we can't judge another person, and can't possibly know which of the two is more precious to God. Could you… More »
You Know More Hebrew Words Than You Think
