A. I don’t know of an algorithm, but Chabad.org has a date converter tool to figure these type of things out. I’m not sure how they do it. Back in our yeshiva days we had a classmate who had a … Read the rest
...Q. That’s a careful reading of the Chumash! You are right: Leviticus (Parshat Shmini) spells out the permissible of (certain) locusts, while Deut (Parshat Re’ah) does not.
And yes, it is true that certain species of locusts are permitted by … Read the rest
...A. No doubt, the horrifying horrors of the Holocaust and the magnitude of its devastation leaves much questioning about why bad things happen to good people, and where was G-d, among other such legitimate and oft-asked questions.
But here’s something … Read the rest
...A. “Gilgul” is a Kabbalistic term for reincarnated souls, who have been to this world before in different bodies and returned to this world in new bodies to continue their mission. It’s an abstract esoteric concept, but one that troubled … Read the rest
...A. Funny to hear it from your perspective running a laundromat in the vicinity of several Jewish summer camps. Yes, there’s a sudden boost in business in the few days leading up to “The Nine Days” which begin on the … Read the rest
...A. Yes, yes, it’s a Mitzvah! There is Halachic dispute about organ donation if one can not live without that organ (this is a complex issue that has to do with the official designation of death, brain death or cessation … Read the rest
...A. Translation: BT’s are Baalei Teshuvah (Jews who have made life-transformative choices to return to Jewish observance on their own, later in life) while FFB’s stands for Frum From Birth (Jews who were born to observant families and raised that … Read the rest
...A. How about this analogy: Think of G-d as the god of computing. There are Apple computers and PC’s. Think back to the day when these two systems were more unique and distinct and less compatible (when Macs couldn’t run … Read the rest
...A. Many Orthodox men DO wear wedding rings. There is nothing wrong and many things right with men wearing a wedding band to show fidelity, love, commitment etc. Although I must add, there’s no double-ring ceremony under the Chuppah in … Read the rest
...A. The Code of Jewish Law advises against it, especially if it is flashy and bright. There may be a number of historical factors here (based on various Rabbinic texts): Red (back when clothing dyes were expensive) was considered to … Read the rest
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