1. Home
  2. /
  3. Ask Rabbi Mendel
  4. /
  5. Page 6
no comments

Q. Why does the verse repeat: “Moses, Moses..” and “Abraham, Abraham…”? 

A. While Moses had a speech impediment, it doesn’t say he was hard of hearing. The Talmud says this double expression is an expression of endearment. Usually this is reserved for when the calling is of tremendous significance, with Abraham … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. Is a kippah/yarmulka head-covering required to have separate inside and outside layers?

 A. It’s not required, and many kippas do not have them, but I know where you are getting that from since the yarmulkas I wear have that double-layer. Think of it as a spiritual form of atmospheric layers. There’s that … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. Why do we check for bloodspots in raw eggs but not in hard-boiled eggs?

 A. You’re right. While most observant Jews check raw eggs, they don’t check hard-boiled. (Some do check the inside of the whites, but it’s rare). Here’s the reason: Halachicly we’re allowed to assume the statistical fact that the majority of … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. I found my grandfather’s Tefillin. I heard you can tell whether he was a Chassid or not simply by looking at the straps? 

A. The clue is in the knot by the hand-tefillin, not the straps themselves. Most Sephardic Jews and Chassidim wind their Tefillin arm straps outward, while most non-Chassidic Ashkenazic Jews wind their arm straps inward. The inward or outward wrapping … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. Chassidic Rebbes often wear different, distinctive garb than their followers, did the Lubavitcher Rebbe?

A. The Lubavitcher Rebbe wore the same black fedora hat and long black suit-coat (Kapote) as customary by the Chabad-Lubavitch Chassidim, only that the Rebbe wore it all week, while most Chassidim only dressed like that on Shabbos.… Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. Do “share-holders” actually own the new Shabbos House?

A. In a spiritual sense they do, but legally Shabbos House isn’t set-up as a public corporation – it’s a religious non-profit, a 501(c)3. In promoting support for the Building Fund, we called gifts of $1,000 “shares” for it is … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. I cooked pasta in a clean meat (Kosher) pot. Can I add cheese to that pasta once it’s on a plate? 

 A. No, you can’t add cheese directly to the pasta, because it absorbed some “indirect-flavor” from being cooked in a meat pot, even though it was a clean pot with no meat in it at the time when you cooked … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. My grandmother passed away and my wedding is scheduled within a few months of her passing. Can Mom celebrate? 

A. Mom is within her year of mourning of the passing of her mom, so there are some restrictions on her participation in celebratory events like a wedding. But no doubt, Mom should be at your wedding. Speak to your … Read the rest

...
no comments

Q. I’m curious about why people bend their knees before bowing during the Amidah prayer? 

A. Check out the translation of the first paragraph of the “Aleinu” prayer: “we bend our knees and bow…” The concept may come from Temple times when Jews actually kneeled down and prostrated themselves (as it is done even today … Read the rest

...
1 comment

Q. Are we required to eat meat or chicken on Shabbat? 

A. The Code of Jewish Law says that we should enjoy the finest foods with which take pleasure in on Shabbos. Meat and wine were (and still are) considered rich foods of pleasure and enjoyment. Back in the day, many … Read the rest

...