Ahaziah’s Age When He Became King- How old was Ahaziah when he became king? II Kings (8:26) states he was 22, while II Chronicles 22:2 writes 42. The latter seems to definitely be wrong since his father Jehoram was only 40 when he died (II Kings… More »
Esther & Achashverosh- In the Purim story, how do we understand that Mordechai handed over Esther to Achashverosh? I remember in the synagogue years ago, no one could agree on just what their relationship was. But I have read on a few occasions… More »
King David Descended from Lot’s Daughters- Yesterday I was reading in Genesis the story of Lot’s daughters who bore children from him and begat the nations of Amon and Moab. It then struck me that since King David’s great-grandmother was Ruth the Moabite, it means that… More »
Ruth and Shavuot- I attended synagogue services on the holiday of Shavuot morning, and we spent a half-hour reading the Book of Ruth. Is there any special connection between Ruth and Shavuot? More »
Ruth's Conversion as Moabite?- I have a question about the Book of Ruth. As a Moabite, why was Ruth allowed to convert to Judaism, given the biblical injunction against accepting converts from the Moabite nation? More »
Ruth's Conversion for Marriage?- I have a question regarding the Book of Ruth. When Ruth's husband died, she had not yet converted. However, she still spoke about marrying Ploni Almoni. Why? Ruth wasn't even Jewish at the time! Another question has always baffled me.… More »
Should We Hate Receiving Gifts?- I often hear people quoting the verse “One who hates gifts shall live” (Mishlei (Proverbs) 15:27). This implies our attitude should be that we do not want to receive from others but should make do with what we have. Does… More »
The Book of Job and Satan’s Power- I recently began studying the Book of Job and several things strike me as strange right from the start. God praises Job before Satan, and Satan is unimpressed, claiming that he is only righteous because his life is so comfortable.… More »
The Seventy Weeks of Daniel 9- I’m curious to know the Jewish understanding of Daniel 9:24-27. It seems such a clear reference to Jesus that I don’t understand how Jewish scholars can disagree. It speaks of the Messiah who will live 483 years after Daniel’s time.… More »
What is the Behemoth?- Job 40:15-24 discusses the Behemoth – a massive, powerful beast. Someone suggested that this is a reference to the dinosaurs. Does the Talmud or commentators explain likewise? More »
Raise a Glass to Freedom
