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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Lessons From the Eagle
How is the eagle and its symbolism significant in Judaism? I am assuming you are referring to the animal known in Biblical Hebrew as the Nesher. I say this as there is good evidence that in fact the proper identity…
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Judah Maccabee’s Family
Who are the sons of Mattisyahu? The most prominent was the third son, Judah Maccabee. His brothers were Jonathan, Elazar, Shimon, and Yochanan.
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Fire in the Temple on the Sabbath
Why were they allowed to light a fire on Shabbat in the Temple for the sacrifices if the Torah says not to light fire on Shabbat? That is not the only Shabbat prohibition allowed in the Temple. Another example is…
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Dreams II
What is a dream? What is the meaning of dreams according to Jewish beliefs? Dreams certainly are significant in Jewish belief. According to our Sages a dream is 1/60 of prophecy. In Tractate Brachos of the Babylonian Talmud there is…
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Salt on Challah
On Friday Night why is there a tradition to sprinkle salt on the challahs and is there a preferred procedure for doing this? The Talmud (Brachos 55a) states that in place of the Bronze Altar, which stood in the Temple…
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Judaism Passed Through the Mother
What is the reason that a son of a non-Jewish woman and a Jewish father is not considered Jewish? The Talmud (Kidushin 68b) traces the source of this law to Deuteronomy 7:3-4. This verse specifies that intermarrying with non-Jews is…
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Being on Time (to the synagogue)
Is there something in the Torah that talks about how important it is to be on time, rather than to be consistantly late for everything? I am certainly aware of Torah ideas connected to “zrizus”, or alacrity, for doing mitzvos.…
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Challah Customs
Why do we dip Challah (traditional in salt or sprinkle it on after making the blessing? Why is the knife drawn across the challa before the blessing is made? The Talmud (Brachos 55a) states that in place of the Bronze…
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The Oral Law
What was the oral law that was given to Moses along with the written Torah ? Did it contain instructions about when a particular law was to be applied or did it contain another set of laws that were so…