LifeCycle Events
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Fish and the Angel of Death
Does the angel of death come when domestic fish in an office fish tank die? Only if it’s a Gefilte fish… Actually, animals do not have the same kind of “soul” as the one which G-d breathed into humans. There…
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Kaddish for an Uncle
My uncle passed away this week and I am almost certain that there will not be anyone saying Kaddish for him. Can a nephew say Kaddish for him? My parents are already in the next world. It would be a…
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Searching for the Hebrew Name
My mother passed away in 1991. I have been trying to find out her Hebrew name but I’m not having any luck. I called the funeral home but they don’t have it on record. How would I find out what…
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Blood and Organ Donation
Can Jews donate blood? Or would this be a no as it might be viewed along the similar line of an Orthodox Jew donating an organ? According to my teacher, organ donations are not permitted because the way G-d made…
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Afterlife and the Pine Coffin
I never understood what the jewish belief is about the afterlife. I’ve heard that Jews were to be buried in a plain pine box so that a return to life would be that much easier (as opposed to an impenetrable…
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Circumstances for Divorce
Under what circumstances can/should a man divorce his wife? What does the Torah consider as a good reason? This is a very serious issue best discussed with a competent, caring and sensible Rabbi. The Talmud (Gittin 90) gives various opinions…
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Kaddish, a Brief History
When was the Kaddish written, and what was the circumstances that led to its being written? Kaddish was written by the Anshei K’nesses HaGedola, the Men of the Great Assembly, which was the first Sanhedrin (Supreme Torah Court) established by…