Rabbi Daniel Fleksher
58 answers
I am an open-minded person with a great love and respect for the Torah, our traditions, and our leaders. I also see great value in secular knowledge and am always looking to synthesize the two.
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Hijacking Jewish Genealogy
I have recently encountered a few individuals who claim that modern Jews are not the true Israelites. There is one group calling itself the Black Hebrews that claims that Ashkenazi Jews are not of Israel because they descend from converts;…
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Organ Transplantation
Is organ transplantation permissible for the prolongation of human life? Answer: Organ transplantation is an important, yet complicated, part of Torah law. There are many details and nuances, and each specific case must be dealt with accordingly. In concept, though,…
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Purpose of Planets in Outer Space
What’s the purpose of other planets? Some say that people get a certain kind of “energy” from other planets. I thought that everything came, and will always come, from G-d! Answer: I think that when dealing with the “purpose” of…
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Overview of King David
I am interested in learning about the life of King David. Is it possible to give a short summary about his life and recommend some books I can read about him? King David is best known for his humility, sensitivity,…
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Wrapping Tefillin Straps Around the Finger
Why do we wrap the tefillin strap around the middle finger 3 times? First of all, it is important to note that there are several accepted traditions as to how exactly the tefillin straps should be wrapped around your hand.…
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Silence After Washing Hands for Bread
Can you explain the origin of the custom not to speak between washing your hands and saying the blessing over the bread on the Sabbath? Basically, our Sages ruled that people should not do anything at all distracting after washing…
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Alligators and Hebrew Translation
I just found a strange translation for something in Genesis 1:21 – it translates “Taninim” as “sea cretures” or “sea monsters” or even ” whales”. I couldn’t find even one translation that called them alligators or crocodiles as this is…
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The Terms “Kosher” and “Treif”
What is the difference in meaning of the words “kosher” and “tahor” . “Tahor” seems to be the word the Torah uses for “Kosher”. That is a great question! Kosher or “Kasher” is used throughout the Mishnah and Talmud and…