David Sedley
48 answers
I live in Jerusalem with my wife and children. I was formerly the Rabbi of BHH Shul in Leeds (England), and before that of EHC in Edinburgh (Scotland). I currently teach Halacha and Gemara at both Midreshet Rachel and Darche Noam Yeshiva. You can look at some of my other shiurim on my website www.rabbisedley.blogspot.com or my parsha blog www.parshatshavua.blogspot.com
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Placement of the Wedding Ring
Why is the ring placed on the forefinger of the bride, on her right hand? By accepting the ring the bride demonstrates her willingness to get married and she agrees to be her husband’s wife. Therefore she accepts with her…
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Preparing for Marriage
What should one do to prepare for engagement and marriage. Specifically, are there any traditions, customs, or laws regarding what a groom-to-be should be doing before asking a woman to marry? Such as, is there anything that references asking the…
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Dealing with Infertility
Could you recommend a prayer for a woman who is trying to get pregnenat with no luck for few years? I’m not sure which books you have available. There are some (e.g. Aneini) which have different kinds of prayers for…
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The Criterion for the Messiah
What are the conditions that need to be fulfilled that announce the coming of Moshiach (the Messiah)? What happens when he comes? I’m not sure that there is one simple answer to your question. The Talmud (mostly in the last…
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Tribal Lineage of the Messiah
Which of the kinds of Jewish people will the Messiah belong to — will he be a Levi or a Cohen? Thank you. The Messiah will be a descendant of King David, from the tribe of Judah. There are several…
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Fated to Suffer
Do you believe that there are people whose lives are meant to be only about suffering? And why would G-d make someone beautiful, talented and intelligent, only to take every opportunity away from them, even though they have so much…
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Beginning of the Jewish Calendar
When did the Jewish calendar start and why? Was it a special day? You are asking a very good question. The calendar was actually the first commandment given to the Jewish people just before they left Egypt. G-d told Moshe…
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Torah Portions
Deuteronomy (31:10-13) tells us to read the Torah once every seven years during the festival of booths. I also know that about a thousand years ago, a Rabbi decided that the people were forgetting what the Torah said so he…