The Prophets and Writings
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Hulda the Prophetess and King Josiah
Hulda told King Josiah to refuse Pharaoh’s request to cross Israel to fight other enemies; this led to the King’s death. I also read, I don’t remember where, that she advised Gedaliah not to worry about an assassination threat. According…
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Achan’s Family
Why were the children of Achan (Book of Joshua, Chapter 7) killed for his crime? According to our understanding Achan’s children were not executed. They were brought to the valley to witness their father’s execution as were everyone else. If…
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Isaiah 54
I heard that Isaiah 54 is never read in any synagogue service or any Jewish feast. Is it true that this is because it somehow shadows the validity of Jesus’ claim as the Jewish messiah? There is no source anywhere…
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Singing the Psalms
What Psalms do Jews sing? A friend tells me that Jews only sing the Hallel Psalms. Is this true? Psalms was composed by King David and others to be a vehicle of expression, praise, song and prayer to God. It…
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Prophecy Today
2500 years have passed since the last prophet (Malachi). Have there been others, and if not, why this long silence? Thank you for your perceptive question.We have a tradition that prophecy is only possible to achieve under certain conditions, which…
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Mount Carmel
How important is Mount Carmel in Jewish practice? Mt. Carmel is important only for its historical relevance. It is not a holy place. Tradition has it that there is a cave there in which Elijah hid from Jezebel. Some people…
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Mistranslations and “gods”
In Psalm 82, the author mentions G-d holding council in the midst of “the gods,” and identifies others as, “gods, sons of the most high.” Since Judaism is a monotheistic religion, what is meant by, “gods?” Hi, Thanks for asking…
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Human Suffering – Some Resources
The Jewish scriptures give no satisfactory explanation for human suffering. I wanted to hear your view on the matter. Answer: Hi! I guess it depends on what you mean by “satisfactory”. No explanation will make the suffering go away. But…
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Marriage Verses
My daughter is getting married. She would like me to read a message in english from the torah that would have meaning to “marriage”. While not from the Torah section of the Bible per se (but rather from the Prophets)…