Ask the Rabbi (Page 1)

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Rabbi David E. Eidensohn

ASK THE RABBI

Is a man required to obtain a get, Orthodox divorce paper, in order to remarry?

I realize this is required for a woman, but it's not clear to me whether it is needed for the husband.

crk

Reply:

In the event that a Jewish man is married to a Jewish woman in a manner recognized by Orthodox Jewish law, a GET divorce paper is required for man and wife to remarry. What constitutes a valid Orthodox Jewish marriage is something that can be determined only when we know all of the facts.

Shalom,

David Eidensohn

Dear Rabbi:

A friend of mine told me that Daniel 10 is speaking about spiritual warfare between the evil demons and an angel of G-d. I am a Noahide and I bleive that there is only G-d. G-d controls everything. Could you explain what this is talking about. Specifically, why does the angel have to do battle with the "heavenly Prince of the Persian Kingdom" v 13, before he could answer Daniel. This seems like a story line that could be used to support a version of Satan and demons working against G-d. Shalom,

Chris

Reply:

Chapter Ten in Daniel simply tells the story of how Daniel was told of the great struggle between Persia and Greece. Greece under Alexander defeated Persia. The defeat of Persia coincided with the Jewish return to Israel and the building of the Second Temple, although that was begun under Persian rule, its full glory was not attained until the Greek period, when Alexander befriended Simon the High Priest, and ushered in a short period of prosperity. These empire shattering times are frightening, and Daniel, when seeing the incredible wars and struggles between Persia and Greece, trembled and had no strength. There are no demons or devils in this story. Each nation has its angel, appointed by G-d, and the Jews have to somehow survive amidst the terror of the mighty nations and their wars.

There are angels in heaven and mortal deeds give strength to good angels or the opposite. A sin creates a bad angel and a good deed creates a good angel. Each of us have many deeds, words and thoughts that are good or bad. They all create angels, or forces, that are eternal. One day, in a hundred and twenty years, we will stand in divine judgment and will see all of the angels that we made.

G-d designed heaven in a manner that people would understand, and in the system of good and bad forces. None of these forces exist on their own, they are all creations of G-d. Ultimately, all evil forces will become good, but in the interim, in order to have a world whereby there are good and bad, reward and punishment, there are prosecuting angels, there are good and protective angels, there are also angels for everything in the universe, including countries. These angels are the heavenly attornies for their perspective countries. We cannot know exactly what heaven is, but the bible allows us to glimpse something of its nature, by describing the good forces as good angels and the angels for Persia as just that.

Question: What is the difference between Judaism and other religions?

Reply: Judaism is not a mortally invented religion. No prophet or saint or elder may declare Jewish believe or dogma, only G-d at Sinai could do that. Other religions invent deities and dogma, and others come and disagree, then they war or argue, and much religion is rooted in the sword rather than the soul.

Question: It seems that in Judaism that there is not a big emphasis on what you believe. I don't mean that there aren't certain things that all should believe, it just looks as if many of the rabbis have different opinions on certain texts and beliefs. In chr-stianity people will tend to break apart and form a whole new denomination, whereas in Judaism the disagreement might strengthen the belief and just be another way of looking at the same thing. Chr-stians tend to put an emphasis on what you believe and if you don't believe it then you're doomed. As an example, I have read a few opinions on Job. One Rabbi might say that Job was a real person and another Rabbi would say that the story of Job was an allegory, what both Rabbis would agree with is what you do with the story and how you apply it to your life. When I was a Chr-stian I was constantly concerned with what I believed and if I had enough faith. If I didn't believe the right doctrine or have the proper amount of faith the consequences where very grave. As a Noahide it seems my behavior is more important than what I believe.

Reply,

Jews have a Law given by G-d. At Sinai all Israel saw G-d give the Ten Commandments. At Sinai Moses received the Law and the basics of Judaism. Other religions were invented by people, mortal preachers, who argued and battled until their ideas were accepted. Judaism has G-d's Text, the Torah, the Five Books of Moses. There is also an Oral Law, or rabbinics, to interpret the Text, and to produce laws to protect the Torah Text. There are many interpretations of the Texts. The divine Law shines as a prism, refracting light to millions and billions of people, with infinite power. It is thus that many people can interpret the bible, and they all have valid points. Sometimes we think that two opinions can't be resolved, but really, they could be. The first step in Judaism is to know that there is a Law, and that it is a divinely given law. Other religions evolved by mortal assemblies, by the different opinions of "prophets" and "preachers" which were usually settled by wars, politics and conventions. As a Noahide you know the basic ideas, just as Jews do, that G-d gave a Law to people. Exactly what the Law is we know pretty well, but it has its various interpretations, and we are comfortable with that. Our religion will never be declared out of style, because it is the same religion that Moses knew, and before him Abraham and Isaac, and before them, Adam and Noah. Other religions were invented by people, and are constantly reinvented.

Rabbi Eidensohn,

I am studying the issue of gay marriages. What is the Jewish position on this?

Response:

The bible says in two places, Leviticus 18,22 and 20,13, that homosexuality is an abomination. This refers to male homosexuality. Female homosexuality is mentioned in the Talmud as an evil thing, but it is not a capital crime as male homosexuality is. The sin of homosexuality is mentioned in the Talmud in trachtate Sanhedrin, and in Maimonides Kings chapter 9. Homosexuality is forbidden to Jews and gentiles, and is an abomination before G-d.

On the other hand, homosexuality is a terrible problem, and those who have the tendency are heroic if they control themselves. It is one thing if they want help, but if they are the gay lobby, and want to make a biblical abomination into a social norm, this must be resisted.

The gay lobby is one of the most pernicious problems in America. They, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union, and other liberal forces, got the HIV Confidentiality Laws passed in many states, which took away from public health doctors the power to stop HIV/AIDS. This has led to the unnecessarily illness of about a million Americans. The financial cost of HIV/AIDS is tremendous, and has forced New York State to subsidize private insurance plans. Even so, millions have no health insurance.

The gay lobby thus caused the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and then demands, and gets, higher funding for medical research for AIDS then for heart disease, high blood pressure and cancer. We still don't know what causes high blood pressure, although it effects a very large portion of the population, because all of the money is going to the gay lobby.

The gay lobby and those who want to legalize gay marriages, really want a total change in American morality. Because 68% of Americans feel that "homosexuality is always wrong" the gay lobby is working to get nursery schools and lower grade children to be brainwashed that homosexuality is good. In New York City little children are taught "Heath has two mommies" about lesbians. The gay lobby is working to lower the age of consent, because they want little cute children. The American Psychological Association is very much influenced by the gay lobby, to such a degree that it is making it hard to get therapy for homosexual children, and ultimately may decide to back the gay demand that all counseling for homosexuality is bigotry. The ones hurt by this are the homosexuals, the closet ones, but the gays want to publicize all homosexuals, and homosexual privacy and civil rights mean nothing to them.

Because the bible is the main source of the prohibition for homosexuality, the gay lobby tries to discredit the bible. It wants a society without the bible. Its friends the therapists, are trying to work together with the schools, to control the minds of children on this and other issues. In New York State, the therapists and teachers work together. The text books in New York State are full of message to challenge traditional ideas of family, gender and sexuality.

Rabbi Eidensohn,

Can you tell me the thirty-nine major categories of work forbidden on the Sabbath?

Reply:

There are thirty-nine works learned from the building of the Tabernacle. These have many sub-categories. There are also rabbinical prohibitions. The thirty-nine major works are:

planting
plowing
harvesting
gathering the cut grain or food into a pile
threshing the husks
winnowing the chaff in the wind
removing impurities from the food
grinding the wheat
sifting the flour
kneading the flour with water
baking
shearing wool
washing it
combing the fleece
dying it
spinning it into thread
arranging the weaving machine with threads
throwing the ball of thread into the weaving process
weaving two threads
removing two threads, the horizontal or the vertical weaving threads
ting a knot
untying a knot
sewing two stitches
tearing in order to sew two stitches
hunting
killing an animal
skinning it
processing the hide
planing the hide
cutting the hide into an exact size
ruling lines on the hide
writing two letters
erasing a space that can be used to write two letters
building
destroying a building
extinguishing a fire
making a fire
banging with the hammer on the anvil at the conclusion of a large task
carrying from a private domain to a public domain and vice versa

Rabbi Eidensohn,

Please give me a general idea of Jewish history in terms of ages and eras.

Reply:

The world began at the Creation. Adam and Eve were about six thousand years ago, a bit less than that. Two thousand years after the Creation was the beginning of the Jewish people with Abraham, in the year 2,000 after the Creation. The Jews entered Egypt and after several hundred years of slavery they left in the year 2,448 after Creation. Forty hundred and eight years later Solomon built the First Temple. It lasted 410 years. The Babylonians destroyed the First Temple and for Seventy Years the Jews were in exile in Babylonia and Persia. During this period we have the miracles of Daniel in the Lion's Den and the story of Esther. After seventy years the Temple was rebuild by the Persians and Ezra the Scribe, a High Priest. The Greeks conquered the Persians right afterwards and under Alexander entered Jerusalem. The Second Temple was built about one thousand years after the Law was given at Sinai in the time of Moses. This was about 3448 after Creation. The Second Temple was destroyed after 420 years, in the secular year 70.

Shalom,

David Eidensohn

Rabbi,

Does it not say "the sons of the stranger" will keep the Sabbath (Isaiah 56). If so, don't Noahides have to keep the Sabbath?

Sir,

It says, "the sons of the stranger" but not the stranger. That is, one who comes from a strange people who converts to Judaism will be part of the Jewish people. Noahides are G-d's community although they are not Jewish. They therefore do not have to keep the Sabbath.

Rabbi,

Does it not say that the "stranger" may not eat blood? Does this not mean that Noahides and gentiles may not eat blood?

Reply,

That, according to the authoritative rabbinical and Talmudic interpretations of the bible, refers to a GER who is a convert to Judaism, not a Noahide.

Shalom,

David Eidensohn

Rabbi Eidensohn,

First, thank you for this forum. I appreciate your taking time to read this. I am Rev. .... an ordained Catholic Deacon in the Church of .... My niece has a religion art project that includes drawing a picture of King Saul with a crown. Her teacher says that it was a “war crown.” I have checked quite a few sources so far but to no avail. The Scriptures do not mention it explicitly. No commentaries I have found refer to one. No descriptions of early Israel talk about it – at least those I have checked.

I happened upon your website and hope you can be a valuable source of information about this. Can you help my niece and me in this search for King Saul’s crown -- did he have one? if so, what could it have been like?

Where can locate more information about this?

I appreciate your consideration in this.

Peace,

Reverand,

Thank you for your question. The crown of Saul is referred to as a NEZER in Samuel II chapter one passage ten. There are various crowns in the Hebrew language, KESER, ATORO and NEZER. KESER is a word related to "circling, surrounding" and indicates a low crown around the head. NEZER is a half crown. These two are for kings. Another crown is ATORO which is high and surrounds the head. This was for anyone, any important person could wear it. It may seem strange that the best crown was for everyone, whereas Saul wore only a half crown, or a crown around the head which was low. But in Jewish law the king had to constantly show that he was before G-d. He had to carry a Torah scroll with him to remind him not to become arrogant. He had to pray prostrated even though others could stand normally.

I hope I have been helpful. My source in this is the MALBIM, a great biblical scholar who lived two centuries ago.

Shalom, please write soon,

David Eidensohn

Rabbi

In the prayer, the "Shma", why does G-d find it necessary to remind his people that the Lord "is one"? Was it not obvious that there was only one god?

Thanks

The pagans felt that G-d was too lofty to be involved with people. Just like a king must have intermediaries (you can't just pick up the phone to call the president) so it was felt that angels would receive prayers and transmit them, or act upon the requests with their powers. The Torah therefore tells the Jews that G-d is One, He is not a deity with intermediaries. The Christians decided to compromise between Judaism and paganism. They believed in a deity, but joined to it a person. A ferocious battle resulted from how this was to be achieved, blood flowed, politics erupted, and things went back and forth. So, you can see that this is a serious issue. The Torah tells us there is only G-d, One G-d, no Triad, as the Egyptians believed, no Trinity as the Christians believe, just one perfect G-d.

I hope that I answered your question. Please write again, soon.

Shalom,

David

Dear Rabbi,

Why did Moses not merit to enter the Holy Land?

Reply:

Moses became angry at the Jews and called them "rebels." A leader cannot be angry with people, even if they are trying. G-d felt that Moses had led the past generation, and that the generation that would enter Israel could benefit from Joshua, the disciple of Moses.

Dear Rabbi,

Would you mind suggesting a few dishes which might be prepared during the days of Sukkot?

REPLY:

There is a difference between the Sabbath and the major holidays such as Sukkot. On the Sabbath one eats whatever makes them happy or gives them pleasure, although most people eat fish and meat, and a hot stew. On the holidays it is appropriate to drink wine and eat meat. The difference is that the Sabbath is a gift to enjoy, and enjoying is the thing. But the holidays are more solemn and there are formal strictures to the enjoyment. Actually, the clothing worn on holidays is fancier than the Sabbath fare, precisely because of the above. The holidays are actually days of judgment, as the Talmud states, and we are festive only with that in mind, so things are more formal. Sabbath is a day of rest and enjoying and things are more relaxed and less stricture is there.

Hi David,

OK, to clarify myself: I believe (but how could I know for sure?) that people of all religions have experienced miracles and spiritual enlightenment. I think that my beliefs are right, but equally, I can't say that other beliefs are wrong. My beliefs will seem false to some, as their beliefs may seem alien to me. We live in a world where "agreeing to disagree" is the accepted and respected way to deal with such questions. In the Bible (and maybe I'm taking it too literally here, and I do realize that times have changed) there is no "agreeing to disagree". I'm just uneasy in trying to understand how so many groups of people can all have religious experiences and yet one is 'right', and wars may be fought because of these theological ifferences. I pray at night, and in my mind I sometimes ask myself whether I should want others to come to their senses and recognize the 'truth', my truth, or whether I should want them to come to terms with G-d in their own way.

I hope I've explained myself a bit, otherwise please ask.

Peter

REPLY:

Achieving spirituality or even experiencing things which seem supernatural and have no logical explanation are indeed the basis for the major world religion. Judaism is not a religion because it offers spirituality and it is not a religion because it shows miracle, although of course it does have spirituality and it does show miracle. As Maimonides points out, Judaism is a historical fact. Millions of people saw the Egyptian Exodus, the Ten Plagues, and more important, the entire Jewish nation heard from the mouth of G-d the Sinaitic Commands. This is not mere spirituality and it is not mere miracle. It is simple fact, basic history, one which has been faithfully passed down. The basic historical fact that Jews heard G-d speak at Sinai, and that no other religion makes any similar claim, is accepted by all major religions.

On the other hand, Judaism has great flaw. It is simply too hard for the vast majority of people in the world. The Jewish Noahide system has never caught on, as those gentiles who could have been clergy to Noahides may have preferred converting to Judaism rather than remaining Noahides. At any rate, there has never been a viable, international Noahide movement that I know of, and this has forced millions of people to somehow adapt their lives, often steeped in paganism, to the Ten Commandments and the experiences of Israel, without becoming Jews.

Those of us who are Jews or Noahides are proud of our historical traditions, and yet we can appreciate the predicament of others who must manufacture a religion where none exists. The challenge of course is to establish the Noahide movement so that the Jewish historical facts can bring spirituality and miracles to everyone, not just Israel.

QUESTION: Thank you for your answer to my questions. When you say: "A gentile may have dolls and pictures, if they are secular and not idols" what exactly do you mean? What is a secular image?

REPLY:

A secular image is a statue of an important person. It is not made for worship but to honor someone. A religious image is worshipped or relates to worship.

QUESTION:

The other day I forgot to buy a ticket for public transport. Although not deliberate, not paying for a service which I used is stealing. I'm interested to know, what should I do in this instance? Simply not repeat the same mistake, or give them the money I would've spent on the ticket?

REPLY:

If you take money from someone, or even a corporation, or a municipality or governmental body, you must return it. The problem is that there is often no way to do this. Today's large corporations or government just don't have a box where you put the money in. They have very structured systems of taking in the money and you just can't mail in something. Therefore it might be advisable to buy two tickets next time and destroy one of them.

QUESTION:

Hi. What about adoption? I was adopted at birth. Named w/my Hebrew name in temple....etc? No one ever answers this. Would like some insight.

Thanks,

REPLY:

Nice to hear from you. In Orthodox Jewry all depends on the biological mother. If she is Jewish you are Jewish, and if she is not Jewish, you are not Jewish. This is a serious problem for Reform and Conservative congregations because nearly every family in the congregation has non-Jewish spouses somewhere. So they changed the law to make it easier to become Jewish, and they are now even accepting people who refuse to call themselves Jewish, so the Temples can continue. There are simply not enough Jews to keep them going. So, if you want to be Jewish as Jews always believed, that one is only Jewish with a biological mother, you will have to find out about your biological mother. If you can't find out, or if you biological mother is not Jewish, you are not Jewish. If that is a problem for you, write to me and we can discuss it.

Shalom,

David

QUESTION:

I wanted to ask you about the seven laws, as I've started to look at them again in a bit more detail. I came across an outline on how to not break the law of idolatry and I don't quite understand some parts, maybe you can help:

"Do not make graven images (bas relief or full relief images)"

One should not read books [about idol worshippers or their rituals] nor

should one think of them nor speak of them."

I wondered how this applies to the other religions of the world.

REPLY:

The issue of graven images is very complex. There are many opinions. Gentiles do not have these problems, but Jews have problems if they want to make images. Some even forbid dolls which look like people although most people are not so stringent. A gentile may have dolls and pictures, if they are secular and not idols. It is forbidden for a gentile to worship an image even if the image is a Torah scroll or something truly sacred. There is no permission to worship anything except G-d. But a gentile may make statues of a secular nature. There are Noahide works on the web and elsewhere which confuse Jewish laws with Noahide laws. The Jewish laws are much stricter and not all apply to Noahides. The classic Rokeach says that Noahides have those Jewish laws which are logical, such as charity, kindness, honoring elders, etc. Jews have commands which are disciplines, but not required by logic, such as the wearing of fringes and keeping dietary and holiday laws. The prohibition to study paganism and to be interested in it could quite logically apply to Noahides as well, as this makes sense logically.

QUESTION:

What is the deeper meaning of the Burning Bush, when G-d spoke to Moses from the fire of the bush which burnt but was not consumed.

REPLY:

The Burning Bush is a symbol of human suffering. The brain breaks down and there are no answers. At that point the soul switches gears, away from ordinary finite thought, and enters a heavenly infinite knowledge of G-d. The Jewish people are fashioned in suffering, they always have suffered until the Redemption. But this suffering simply strengthens them in their knowledge of G-d and their faith in the End. The same is true of all people who accept the will of G-d amid difficulty, which is all of us. The Burning Bush is Life, and we must find G-d inside of it.

QUESTION:

I want to honor the memory of my mother. How do I do this?

REPLY:

The important thing is to realize that your mother is alive, in heaven, where all people go for Eternity. Each year, the soul is judged to see if it is worthy to achieve a still higher level of heaven. This is YARTSEIT, the year anniversary of the death. Children honor their parents by doing good deeds after the parents are in heaven, so that the parents are rewarded for having good children. People give charity, pray, and do good deeds on the YARTSEIT. Some fast and study the holy Law. A candle is lit on the YARTSEIT, as the bible says, "The soul of man is the candle of G-d." But we can always light candles, before the Sabbath and holidays, and bring light the world, the light of the Other World into this world, and the power of good deeds in this world, to the Higher World.

QUESTION:

I am Jewish and have always been proud of my religion, but my husband is not. Are my children Jewish?

REPLY:

Yes, your children are as Jewish as my children are.

For thousands of years since Sinai Jews have been defined as one born to a Jewish mother. In recent years, due to the fifty percent intermariage rate in its element, Reform Jews have been pressured to recognize as Jews anyone who is born from any Jewish parent, father or mother. Not to do that would mean that many of their congregants are not Jewish. But Jews have always been defined, by the will of G-d, as one born to a Jewish mother, or as one converted in an Orthodox rabbinical court. The definition of who is a Jew is going to become a very serious point of contention, as non-Orthodox Jews increasingly intermarry and are forced to redefine who is a Jew, and the Orthodox, the most dynamic and fastest breeding of the Jewish elements, refuse to recognize them as Jews. This will ultimately lead to situations where Jewish groups like the Presidents Conference will have a president who is considered a non-Jew by the Orthodox and others who don't recognize as Jewish anyone but someone born to a Jewish mother.

Children need religion, and you can raise your children as Jews, as a pride to your family and community.

QUESTION:

Why do you not spell out the name of (G-D) please help me to understand? Secondly why are so many Jewish people opposed to black people who claim to come from a lost Jewish tribe. I hope I have this right. And also can a person who is not Jewish convert to the religion and G-D still recognize that persons into heaven, or will their efforts be for naught.

REPLY:

It is not a sin to spell out the word, but I write G-d, because this increases our awe of the Divine Name. If we write it out it is a holy thing, even holier than than we abbreviate it. If we write it out on paper the paper can get lost and fall on the floor. So it is better not to spell out the word out of awe of the Name. There was a time when all Jews wrote on every document they recorded “with the help of G-d” and they wrote it out. The rabbis fought against this and it was stopped.

Your second question is probably about the blacks in Africa who claim to descend from Jews and thus claim to be Jews. They came to Israel and the rabbinate realized that this sect had for perhaps thousands of years been cut off from other Jews. They intermarried, performed conversions, not rabbinically correct, and thus many of them were not Jews. Nobody knows for sure what they are. It could be that they never were Jews but somehow were a group of people who adapted Jewish ideas from somewhere. You can’t find these things out clearly, so the rabbis suggested that the group make things easier by converting officially to Judaism and thus they surely were Jews. Some converted and some refused to convert. Those who refused to convert maintain that they are Jews but how do they know? In Jewish law someone who is born from a Jewish father and non-Jewish mother is not Jewish. So many of these people who intermarried with non-Jewish women had children who are not Jewish.

Every good person will be together with G-d in the Future World, but only G-d knows how good a person really is. Judaism believes that a convert is closer to G-d than a Jew is. Surely a convert is going to be in Paradise. The greatest rabbis in Jewish history were converts, such as Unkelus, the nephew of the Roman Emperor, whose translation of the bible is read by pious Jews every week, Shemaya and Avtalyon, one the Prince of the National Academy and the others the Head of the Court of Israel about two thousand years ago. Those great rabbis descended from converts are Rabbi Akiva, Rabbi Mayer, and others who are the pillars of Jewish rabbinics.

Question:

I am a Jewish adult born Jewish and proud of it but I don't practice because I know little about my religion. How do I begin to become more Jewish?

Reply:

Now is the High Holiday season and it is a time for all of us to become more religious. You can begin by going to your bookstores and buying up some good books, the most popular are the biblical books from Artscroll, and there is also a treasure of work published by Feldheim and others. Learn facts, don't get too much involved in the eighteen different philosophical interpretations of this or that. Most Orthodox books are not argumentive, they just teach the Talmud and the works of the rabbis. Other works want to put a "new spin" on the Jewish ball, and it just makes me dizzy. There is plenty of time after you learn a few basics to get into the intellectual fireworks which is the heart of Orthodox Judaism.

You need social contacts. This can probably be done by finding out who in your area has an Orthodox outreach going on. You can call any Orthodox synagogue and ask them. There is also a wealth of good material on the web from authentic Orthodox sources, along with the most incredible ignorance from others.

Please let me know how it is coming, and do have a good New Year.

QUESTION:

I am Jewish and have always been proud of my religion, but my husband is not. Are my children Jewish?

REPLY:

Yes, your children are as Jewish as my children are.

Children need religion, and you can raise your children as Jews, as a pride to your family and community.

QUESTION:

REPLY:

Question:

I am a Jewish adult born Jewish and proud of it but I don't practice because I know little about my religion. How do I begin to become more Jewish?

Reply:

Please let me know how it is coming, and do have a good New Year.

Question:

<<Could you please explain further on what you wrote: "The rabbis taught that this teaches that the world was created with darkness, there would be destructions, exiles, difficulties. But as we struggle with darkness, we create a light.">>

REPLY: The first passages in Genesis inform us that G-d's Creation was of a world with "waste and void" and "darkness upon the face of the deep." This means that the world is full of tests and questions. It is the task of the created human being, blessed with a divine soul, to struggle and find light in the darkness. Indeed, it is the task of the human being to create light where none seemed to exist. But all that we do when we create light is to reveal that all was light, and darkness is an unnatural condition in G-d's world, where all is Good. In short, we come into the world to struggle. This struggle is in darkness. It produces light, and this light is the purpose of creation, and it is our reward. The more light we create, the more reward we receive in the Future World.

Question:

<<Here is another passage from Ecclesiastes: 4:12 "Two people can resist an attack that would defeat one person alone. A rope made of three cords is hard to break.">>

REPLY:

It of course means what it says, that two are better than one. A deeper meaning is that in life we cannot survive alone, we need family, friends, society. A still deeper meaning is that as we join with other people and eschew selfishness and isolation, we ourselves increase our own strength. The "rope of three cords" refers to the Bible, which has Torah, Prophets and Writings. The Torah was given at a time of great light, in the time of Moses and Sinai. Prophets were given during the time of the First Temple and even before, where there was still great light, but the beginning of the decline and exile was obvious. The Writings were made in struggle, such as Job, Daniel, Ezra, and even the writings of Psalms were shouts of pain. Proverbs was included in this which is exhortations but in general the Writings are not about great and revealed miracles but rather the struggle of people against great evil and darkness. There are many other interpretations for the "three" cords, but this is one of them.

QUESTION:

I have a poor relative. May I give them money which I have set aside for charity as tithing funds?

REPLY:

Not only may you support a relative who is poor with tithing funds, you must. "The poor of your city must be supported before the poor of another city." (Unless the other city is in Israel.) It also says, "From your relative do not remain aloof."

QUESTION ABOUT CONVERTING TO JUDAISM

I want to convert to Judaism. How long does it take?

REPLY:

The rabbis who perform the conversion will determine how long it should be. With young people it should take longer than with older people. There are various reasons why people convert. The highest level of convert is someone who realizes that there is a G-d and that G-d spoke only to Israel, so this must be the true religion. And yet, even such a person need not become Jewish. They can become Noahides, gentiles who perform the basic laws given by G-d to Noah. Noah was to the gentiles what Moses was to the Jews, and both had very high souls. Some convert because they respect the Jewish lifestyle. Some do so because of some anger at another religion. Some do so because they admire Jewish people and want to be Jewish. None of these reasons is sufficient to accept a permanent, non-alterable commitment to become Jewish. If a rabbinical court converts someone and they later change their mind, every sin that the convert does will cause great pain and anguish to the rabbinical court. So they are wary to begin with. A young man once came to me and asked to convert. I told him that every few generations thre is a Hitler. Hitler would not bother his progeny, but he would kill a Jew. Does this change your mind? The young man never came back. On the other hand, the Medrash says that a pious convert is extremely close to G-d, perhaps closer than Jews. From their progeny will come Torah scholars and elevated Priests COHANIM.

QUESTION:

Thank you so very much for you attention to my first question. If you please, I would like to ask another. Can you give me some background on the Dead Sea Scrolls?

REPLY:

The period of the Dead Sea Scrolls two thousand years ago was one in which various forces were working in the Jewish community. They had to do with the acceptance or rejection of a) rabbinical authority to interpret the bible and 2) the acceptance of the Greek philosophical system which refused to allow religion as Jews knew it into the philosophical base. These conflicts produced a) the hardened rabbinical community, known as the Perushim, or Pharasees, and it also produced sects of very sincere Jews who rejected rabbinical authority in some way or another, and these groups caused great destruction to Israel.

One group which was Orthodox but rejected the rabbis were the Biryonim, and they believed in miracle if only Jews would fight Rome. They burned the supplies of food in beseiged Jerusalem so that Jews would go out and fight and merit miracle. When the rabbis disagreed with them they killed a senior rabbi and terrorized others. Another sect was the Baysusim, and some of their members refused to allow people to profane the Sabbath even if human life was at stake. When they saw Jews helping a very ill person they would scream insults at them for profaning the Sabbath. The sect of the Scrolls was another fanatic sect which broke off from the rabbinica influence. They refused to marry and procreate, and they had other ridiculous customs, but they were pious and fanatic, as was the custom for many of these strange sects. From this atmosphere came another sect which eventually became Christianity. The same attitude of fanaticism prevailed, such as forbidding priests to marry which is totally opposed to rabbinical Judaism. Other fanaticism eventually moved the church to murder millions of people who refused to accept them.

I hope that I have been of some help. Please write again soon. Your questions and my answers go onto the website at http://users.aol.com/Eid111/hp8.htm so that others can share in this question and answer. I have not put your name there, but if I have your permission, I would. If you would rather not, fine.

QUESTION:

Do Jewish people believe in a coming Messiah? If they do, do they believe that the Messiah is the essence, or person of YWHW? Thank you.

REPLY: The terms Messiah in the bible is used as one who saves the Jewish people with his leadership. The word Messiah in Hebrew is MOSHIACH which is related to the word "annointing". This is the pouring of oil on the head of someone who is given greatness, such as the king. Thus, Messiah is a word used for a great leader, a king, etc.

King Saul was the first annointed king. He was not a Messianic figure, but he is called "the annointed of G-d" in the bible.

Jewish tradition says that in the End of Days, which we approach now, Jews will suffer terribly but will be saved by G-d, returned to Israel, and the Temple will be rebuilt. They will be ruled by a Messiah, a king. This king is a human being but one great in spiritualty, on the level of Moses in holiness and learning and on the level of Solomon in wisdom.

Every Jew, through the power of Torah, is filled with the radiance of the Torah, which is the light of G-d. Indeed, every good person can reveal the light of Goodness. Messiah will perhaps have more light than others, but the connection to G-d and the radiance of G-d's Presence is something which is available to all people, not just the Messiah. Surely, Messiah and nobody is part of the deity in the sense that they are godlike. This is a pagan idea and has no place in Judaism.

Thank you for writing, and please do write again.

Shalom,

David

HI RABBI:

I HAVE A BROTHER WHO LEARNS IN A KOLLEL AND HE DOES NOT DO GOOD FINANCIALLY.

DO I FULFILL MY MITZVAH OF MA'ASER IF I GIVE IT TO HIM?

ADAM FISHMAN

Adam.

You most certainly fulfill your mtisvah of maaser if you give to your brother in Kollel. This is the tradition mentioned in the Mishneh in the beginning of Zevochim Chapter One Mishne One: Shimon the brother of Azariah says.." The gemora explains why he was called by his brother's name and not his father's name. Because Azariah supported Shimon so that he learned Torah. It is thus when we say an opinion of Shimon in Torah we must mention Azariah who is responsible for supporting Shimon and thus merits to have a partnership in Shimon's Torah.

Even if it is not your brother you are fulfilling the obligations of Yissochor and Zevulun, two tribes who made a partnership that one worked and one learned. If you support a poor Talmid Chochom, even not your brother, you have an enormous mitsvah.

Question:

Thank you for your quick response. I realize that my Bible may be misleading in its translation; the wording seems to be completely different compared to what you quoted (ie. "above the sun").

Is Ecclesiastes regarded to be an all-encompassing summary of life, or is it only one possible world-view?

Anyway, I have another passage: 3:15. I'll quote my Bible, although I realize the wording may be utterly different to what you are familiar with (my Bible may not be brilliant, but it is easy very accessable):

"Whatever happens or can happen has already happened before, G-d makes the same thing happen again and again."

Thank you very much for all your help.

All the best,

Peter

REPLY:

Ecclesiastes is the work of the "wisest of men" and is very deep and encompasses many ideas and perspectives. Each person takes from it what they can. Thousands of interpretations can be correct, and many translations. It is fun each time to take a new look at it. I have learned it for years and it is as new as ever.

My translation is: "That which was, was already. That which was to be, was already. And the L-d will seek out the pursued." G-d's Greatness is not always revealed in the darkness of this world. There are many troubles, a lot of suffering, especially for good people, especially for Israel. But all that happens is really part of a divine plan. The good people are pursued in this world by the wicked, but this is the purpose of Creation. The darkness will reveal an opportunity to serve G-d with struggle, and in the end, this is the purpose of it all. The Creation is for the "pursued" the righteous who struggled with the darkness.

Question:

Ecc. 10:8-11:

"If you dig a pit, you fall in it; if you break through a wall, a snake bites you."

I am a Noahide who enjoys reading the Jewish bible. Can you please explain to me what Solomon meant in the above passage? Many thanks.

Answer:

The rabbis interpret the above passage "if you dig a pit" for someone else to fall into, "you will fall in it." This means that when we plot against another person, the evil we do will turn against us and hurt us more than the other person. One reason is that the anger and fury which is in our hearts hurts us more than we can hurt the other person. We know now that someone who is excited and under stress releases cortisone which enters the brain and damages our health. Any hate, stress or anxiety can consume us emotionally and even physically. Therefore, don't go around digging holes for people to encourage your hate.

Another interpretation is that G-d will punish the perpetrator, he who damages another person, in the style used by the wicked person. When Pharoah in Egypt drowned Jewish babies, G-d caused Pharoah and the Egyptian army to drown at the Red Sea.

The passage about snakes and walls refers to rabbinical laws. The rabbis protected the biblical laws by making "fences" or additional rules and prohibitions so that people would be far removed from sin. This practice made life harder for Jews and was opposed by some Jews thousands of years ago. Eventually these Jews left Judaism. Only the rabbinical type of Jew survives. One who breaks a fence allows the snake in. A fence keeps the snake out. One who breaks the rabbinical "fence" allows the "snake" or evil force to reach the Jewish people and cause them to sin. Without fences Jews leave the Torah eventually as has happened with such sects throughout history.

QUESTION:

I wondered if you could help me.
I was reading the book of Ezra in my Bible when I suddenly realized that
part of i (8:15-9:15)t was written in the 1st person, which is quite a
departure from the written style of the previous books I had read. I'm
curious as to why Ezra suddenly becomes the narrator, and if this is
significant.
If you know, or know where I might be able to find out, I'd appreciate it.

REPLY:

The Book of Ezra chapter seven is geneology. In Jewish law one is not believed on his own to declare that he is a COHEN, or priest. So Ezra in chapter Seven declares his status of COHEN, or priesthood, in the third person, as if others are testifying, as is the law.
Thus, the geneology is in the third person there and is followed by another quotation, from another document, this time from the Persian King. Chapter Eight begins once again with geneology, again in the third person, as if quoting an earlier document or the words of witnesses, and once that is done, Ezra continues with his book, which is basically his story of the rebuilding of the Second Temple in Israel.

QUESTION:

Please share any insights you may have about the significance of the dream Jacob had in which he saw a ladder (or stairway) extending from earth to heaven with angels accending and descending. Also, can you comment about the character of Jacob--seems to be a first class wheeler dealer. When God graciously offered a covenant, Jacob temporized with IF you will do such and such, then you will be my God and I'll give you a tenth of my possessions. What effect did the behavior of his mother have on Jacob? She seemed to be a sweet young girl, offering water to a stranger and even watering his camels. Next we see her as a schemer, playing favorites between her sons. How did this happen? Did Jacob learn his clever tricks at her knee? I would appreciate any help you can offer. I have to teach a class on the incident of the ladder on August 1. Many thanks.

ANSWER:

The Covenant with Jacob was not with him per se, but rather with his progeny. Jacob himself had a small use for the Covenant, but the main one was for his children. He therefore insisted that a Covenant include a promise for sustenance. There is, however, a problem. There are two worlds, this and the next, and it was divided between the two brothers, Jacob and Esau. Esau was given this world and Jacob the next. Esau is the progenitor of Rome in Jewish tradition, and Jacob of Israel. The Covenant of G-d with Jacob could not take away this world from Esau. If so, where would Jews get sustenance, if sustenance is a this-world thing. Therefore Jacob accepted the Covenant for the Future World which required a Jewish people who would have much suffering in this world, but he did not accept a Covenant whereby the Jews would have to take their sustenance from Esau in terms of alms and charity. He insisted that G-d Himself give sustenance. He added that when the Jews did get money from G-d, that the Israelites would practice charity with it, which would make wealth a spiritual rather than material matter. If so, this would not detract from the rights of Esau to this world, because this way wealth would be spiritual.

Rebecca realized that it was inevitable that the two brothers divide up the two worlds, as really this was G-d's will, as conveyed to her by the prophet mentioned in the bible. Isaac was not given this prophecy, so he naturally tried to bless Esau. But Rebecca did have the prophecy from the days of her troubled pregnancy, and when the aged Isaac blessed his children, she intervened.

There is much more on this subject, and it intrudes into the metaphysical realms. Most of the bible, taken at face value, is a horror. But when you study the biblical system, especially the Codes and mystical works, things start to make sense. I just wish there was some way to write all of this, it is my challenge, not yours. I thank you for the impetus to think about this most important project, to explain the real meaning of the bible.

QUESTION:

Thank you so very much for taking the time to reply to my query about Jacob. I especially appreciate your reminder that Rebekah was told, "Two nations are in your womb. Two people shall be separated from your body; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger." I can see that she might have felt impelled out of fear to make this prophecy come true by manipulating the giving of the blessing. Also, in fairness, it did seem Jacob thought up the selling of the birthright without his mother's assistance. You have helped me have a more favorable picture of Rebekah.

P.S. It is very sad that while Rebekah thought Jacob would be gone only a little while, he didn't return for about 20 years. Evidently she died without seeing her beloved son again.

ANSWER:

Esau clearly did not feel spiritual, and after he sold the birthright, it says, "And Esau despised the birthright." Can we blame Jacob for wresting this role from someone who could only falter in it, from someone who demeaned spirituality and pursued the pleasures of the sword and field? The bible clearly states that the wives of Esau were wicked and caused greart anguish to Isaac and Rebecca. What kind of children would emanate from such a house? A father who loves to kill, wives who like to do evil, and won't the children imitate them? Jacob saw this and acted, and obviously he did not do the wrong thing.

Of course, Esau eventually rued his foolishness, but it wasn't really foolishness, that is how he lived, and he was certainly not designed for spiritual living.

QUESTION:

What is the Kesubo used at a marriage ceremony?

Answer: The Kesubo is a monetary promise the husband makes to the wife that in the event that he dies or divorces her, that she will receive such and such. The woman may not enter the marriage until she receives the document of the Kesubo.

Question: How is the Kesubo made?

The husband agrees to the terms of the Kesubo and witnesses sign that he has accepted them. To signify the acceptance, the custom is that the husband takes some object such as a pen, or a belt, from one of the witnesses, and when he accepts that object, he conveys the obligation of the monetary sums, etc. in the Kesubo.

Question: May the Kesubo be written in English?

Answer: Yes. It is actually preferable to write it in English. The whole purpose of the Kesubo is to give the woman peace of mind. If the document is in English, and written to be valid and binding in secular law, she has more peace of mind. But since not everyone knows how to translate the Kesubo properly, the custom in many places is to sign the Hebrew document, often written with fancy professional scribe letters, and signed by witnesses, and then, on the back, the husband can write in English: "I hereby accept upon myself the obligation of the Kesubo as stated on the other side in Hebrew." Signature.

Question: I am not Jewish, but I saw your website and want to ask you, what is the Jewish concept of Redemption?

Answer: The world is designed for the "exile" or "waste and void" mode; we are born to be tested. After the period of testing comes the great Redemption, and evil will be banished. There are cycles of suffering and happiness on the individual, community and national and international levels. Each time the cycle moves from darkness to light, there is some kind of "redemption" going on.

On a more specific note, Jews do not accept that their souls need the intercession of another human being, or intermediary, to be redeemed by God. God's love is not one which requires an intermediary.

Question: I am not Jewish, but am doing a term paper about the Pharisees. Who were they?

REPLY: In ancient Israel, over two thousand years ago, during the Second Temple period in Israel, some sects arose which denied the traditional concept of the Torah, or Law, or bible. Traditionally, from the time of Moses at Sinai, Jews had always accepted a Written Law and an Oral Law, both brought from Sinai to Israel. During the Second Temple period, perhaps due to the influence of the Greeks, perhaps due to the cessation of prophets and prophecy, some Jews rejected the Oral Law and accepted only the Written Law. The traditionalists were called Pharisees. After the Temple was destroyed the Pharisees controlled the remnant of Israel and the deniers basically disappeared from the Jewish nation, although even today there are tiny remnants here and there of groups which split away from the traditional body of Israel.

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