Rabbi Michoel Reach
145 answers
Rabbi Michoel Reach was a member in the Yeshiva Derech Chaim
Kollel in Brooklyn, NY and the Ner Israel Rabbinical College in
Baltimore, MD for many years. He has taught advanced classes on the
Chumash (Five books of Moses) for three years in Baltimore and is the
author of a not yet published book on Chumash. He also has a Bachelors
in Physics and Math from the California Institute of Technology and a
PhD in Math from the University of California Berkeley with a
Dissertation on the Recursion relation for K-Soliton solutions to the
Schroedinger Equation. He is presently a database consultant for the
Pathology Data Systems Department for the Johns Hopkins School of
Medicine.
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Punishment for Neglect of the Sabbatical Year
At any time in Biblical history did the Jewish people neglect the sabbatical years and have judgment laid on them for this? If so, could you cite the verses where this can be found? Answer: When Rashi (Leviticus 26:35) points…
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The Preservation of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin
What were the merits of Benjamin, so that his tribe, in addition to Judah’s, was preserved into modern times? Answer: Thank you for your interesting question! I think it’s important to point out that all the tribes were preserved. The…
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The Fate of Queen Vashti
Was Vashti banished or was she murdered? Answer: The book of Esther (1:19) only says that Vashti should “no longer come in to the king”, which might mean being banished or whatever. Our sages explain, though (see Rashi on that…
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Sacrificing One Life to Save Many
Is there a precedent in Jewish law for a case where someone is either forced to kill one person in order to save a group of people? A precedent is found in Shulchan Aruch 157:1, in the glosses of Rabbi…
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Fringes on a Tallit
In Deuteronomy 22:12 the Torah states, “You shall make for yourselves ‘gedilim’ [fringes] on the 4 corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.” Are these gedilim the same as the tzitzit [fringes] found in Numbers 15:38-39? My tallit,…
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Moses, Aaron, and Exodus 2:1-2
Exodus 2:1-2 states: “And a man of the house of Levi went and took as wife a daughter of Levi. So the woman conceived and bore a son. And when she saw that he was a beautiful child, she hid…
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Joshua, Jericho, and the Sabbath
In the Book of Joshua, when the Jewish people were surrounding the walls of the city and marching and blowing trumpets, etc. for eight days, what happened to the Sabbath (during which time Jews are prohibited from carrying in public…
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Ability to Persevere
How is perseverance connected with self-control or hard work (Mesirut Nefesh) or repentance (Teshuva)? How we can acquire it and develop it? How do you connect perseverance with all the Jewish history? How do you apply perseverance in Jewish life?…
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Infinite G-d & Finite World
If G-d’s light is eternal how can it be that in the first words of the Torah it says “in the beginning” ? Hi! Thank you for your fascinating question. I have to tell you that these kinds of issues…