LifeCycle Events
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Reincarnation
In his books, Dr. Brian Weiss, a Jewish Psychiatrist, determines that his patients have experienced past as well as future lives. And they can recall them under hypnosis. What is the Jewish view on reincarnation? Do our spirits continue to…
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Two Religions In One Family
Is it ok for me to marry a catholic men? He wants to marry me in front of an catholic church. First, thanks for asking this question. It must have been hard to realize that the question needed to be…
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Honoring the Deceased
I live in an area where there is not a daily minyan. I am saying Kaddish for my father. Is there an on line minyan that I can plug into so that I can say Kaddish in the virtual presence…
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Kohen and a Funeral
This might be a strange question, but what would be the best way to explain to a friend of mine why i can not attend the funeral of his mother – as i am a kohen? (i just know that…
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Breaking a Glass
Why is a glass broken at a wedding? As a reminder of the destruction of Jerusalem, which we should remember at times of joy (Psalms 137:6); and so that our rejoicing should be tempered with trembling (Psalms 2:11).
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Abbreviations on Tombstones
What do the Hebrew abbreviations on tombstones stand for? “Peh nun” is an abbreviation for “po nitman” – “here is hidden” (i.e., buried). “Tav nun tsadi bes hei” is an abbreviation for “tehei nafsho tzerurah bi-tzeror ha-chayim” – “may his…
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Burial Outside Israel
What happens to people who are not buried in the Land of Israel? Those who are buried outside Eretz Yisroel are transported there through tunnels. This is alluded to in the Gemara (Kesubos 111a), and is stated explicitly in the…
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Festivities for a Week
Why do wedding festivities last for a week? The origin of the seven-day celebration of a wedding is Gen.29:27-28, where Jacob waited a week after marrying Leah before he married Rachel.
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Visiting a Cemetery
When is it customary to visit a cemetery? It's customary to visit the cemetery on fast days (Shulchan Aruch Orach Chayim 559:10) and before Rosh Ha-Shanah and Yom Kippur (581:4, 605).