Rabbi Yoel Spotts
46 answers
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Noah, Tower of Babel, & Population Growth
It is explained that Noah lived through 2 generations, the floods generation and the tower of babel. At the risk of sounding disrespectful where did the other people come from if everyone perished in the flood? Or were people of…
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Coverered Eyes During the Shema Prayer
Why do we cover our eyes with our right hand while saying the Shema prayer ? Why not during the second line of “Baruch Shem Kavod…” ? Answer: Covering our eyes during the recitation of Shema is one of those…
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Abraham: First Jew? Convert?
Was Abraham the first Jew? Was he a Convert? Answer: You are asking a great question. In Jewish tradition, Abraham is indeed considered the very first Jew. This title is bestowed on him for he was the first person in…
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Ruth and Moabites
In the Deuteronomy 23:4, it says that a Moabite cannot join the “community of G-d” — even to the 10th generation. Ruth was a Moabite, and was allowed to join. Her descendants, Kings David and Solomon were less than 10…
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Is Poultry Considered Meat?
Is the reason we don’t mix meat and milk because it is written in the Torah not to cook a mother in her milk? If so, why don’t we eat chicken with milk? Chickens do not produce milk! You are…
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Accountability for Wrongdoings
Is there a fundamental difference between committing a sin after one was told it was wrong, and committing a sin without knowing it was wrong? In general, the level of responsibility one bears for a sin is directly related to…
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Poland and the Holocaust
What is the Jewish point of view on the the antisemitism of the Polish and the way they treated the Jews in the Holocaust? That is an excellent question. I believe that there are two perspectives, and although they may…
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The Author of the Book of Kings
When was the book of Kings written? Who wrote it? What was happening to the jewish people at that time? The Talmud records that the book of Kings was composed by the prophet Jeremiah. While it is difficult to determine…