Rabbi Yoel Spotts
46 answers
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Animals Banished from the Garden of Eden
Were the animals also banished from the Garden of Eden? If yes, why? For what sin? Answer: Man contains within him the sum total of all of creation. As man goes, the rest of creation goes. Thus, when man was…
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Jewish Civil Rights
Please tell me why Jewish people as a whole seem not to defend their civil rights in America? I have noticed this in my experience with fellow Jews at our town meetings. I won’t go into the details, but I…
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Torah Source for Chanukah
When did the celebration of Chanukkah begin? Is it in the Torah? If so, what portion of the Torah is the story located? Answer: The celebration of Chanukah occurred too late chronologically to be included in the canon of the…
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Commercializing Chanukah
Is Hanukkah considered a significant and important Jewish holiday or is it recently commercialized to compete with Christmas? Answer: Your question highlights a very important point. To be short, Hannukah is an extremely important Jewish holiday. The messages inherent in…
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G-d as the Only One
I don’t see how G-d is the Only One in existence — I know that I exist (“I think, therefore I am”) and I know that other people, etc. exist. However, I can accept that there’s only one all-encompassing Creator…
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Babylonian Exile
I am a little confused as to when the Babylonian exile began and ended. Did the seventy years prophesised by Jeremiah begin whith the destruction of the Temple? What were the years of the exile (from when to when)? When…
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Purim During a Leap Year
Why is Purim celebrated twice in a leap year when we have 2 months of Adar? In the book of Esther the 12th month is mentioned as the day that King Xerxes and Haman plotted against the Jews. I thought…
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The Oral Tradition of Chanuka
Why can’t I find anything written in the Torah about Hanukkah? I was told that the events of Hanukkah occurred after the Torah was written but how do people know about the story? Was the story of Hanukkah only verbally…