Rabbi Azriel Schreiber
855 answers
Whenever possible, JewishAnswers.org tries to include the name of the author on every post. However, at certain times, we make significant changes to the answers posted. In that case, we will often sign the post with our generic “pen name” – Rabbi Azriel Schreiber. This “pen name” may also be used when a writer declines to have his name published.
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List of Holy Days
Besides the Sabbath, on which days of the year is creative work forbidden? The Holy days when creative work is forbidden are: Pesach – Festival of Passover – the 15th of Nissan and the 21st of Nissan (7th day of…
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"Spreading a sheet" to prove virginity?
I was told that according to Jewish custom, when a man married a woman (contracturally) after the consummation of the marriage, the father of the bride was given a blanket soiled with the blood from the brides broken hymen which…
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Melave Malka
What is a Malave Malka, and what happens at one? "Melave" means to "escort" and "Malka" means "queen." The Shabbat is often compared to a queen in traditional Jewish sources, because it is a day that we honor as if…
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Tzedekah/reason
Could you explain why Tzedekah is both a religious and a moral obligation for Jews. Thank you for your help. Much appreciated. Hayley Dear Hayley, All religious obligations are moral in Judaism and as such it is difficult to understand…
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"Work" on the Sabbath
What is considered "work" on the Sabbath? In the context of the laws of the Sabbath "work," or Melacha, means creative work. An example of creative work would be lighting a fire. Moving a heavy table across the room would…
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Rabbis
What is a Rabbi? A Rabbi is a person who has studied Torah extensively and is qualified to make decisions about Torah-related questions.
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The Title “Rabbi”
What is the origin of the title “Rabbi”? The title “Rabbi” wasn’t used until Talmudic times (first century BCE), when it was applied to ordained Torah scholars. The use of the title to refer to the spiritual leader of a…
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How a Person becomes a Rabbi
How are Rabbis ordained? Traditionally, a Rabbi is ordained by his teacher(s). The first example of this was Moses ordaining Joshua (Num.27:16-23). Nowadays, Rabbis are usually ordained by Rabbinical schools (Yeshivos), whose faculty are of course Rabbis. Most Rabbis have…
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The Instructions about Building the Tabernacle
When Moses was given instructions about building the Tabernacle, he didn’t use exactly the same words in transmitting these instructions to the people. Why did he change the wording? In particular, why did he add “vavs” to the list of…