LifeCycle Events
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Naming a Child for a Deceased Relative
My husband and I named our son for my grandfather, or so we thought, based on information given to us by a family member. After a recent visit to my grandfather’s grave, however, we learned that we got the middle…
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Reincarnation and Resurrection
The concept of a reincarnation intrigues me. What does it mean to have had a previous life? Is it mentioned in the Torah at all or is it just a superstition? Also, if my soul has been used more than…
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Obligation for a Husband to Please His Wife
Does a married man have a Biblical obligation to physically please his wife or is it just something he can choose not to do? Answer: A man does indeed have a Biblical obligation to please his wife – this is…
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Alzheimers and the Soul
What happens to the soul of a person with dementia or Alzheimer disease? Is it overwhelmed by the disease so nothing of the person is obvious or does it leave the body and is watched over by G-d? I work…
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Divorce and Grieving
Has Judaism developed any rituals or guidelines for guiding people through the grieving process after they divorce their spouse? I am thinking of a process parallel to the traditional rituals for mourning the death of a loved one. Answer: Sometimes…
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Visiting a Relative’s Grave
I remember reading or hearing somewhere that you’re supposed to go to the cemetery and invite the dead to family events, like weddings, but my mother doesn’t remember this and now I can’t find where I heard it! I know…
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Why Can’t a Kohen Marry a Divorcee?
I am a Kohen, and I know that I can’t marry a divorcee. But why not? Answer: The Torah states (Leviticus 21:7) that “…they [i.e. priests] shall not marry a woman who has been divorced from her husband, because he…
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Grim Reaper’s Jewish Name
What name do Jews call the Angel of Death? By this I don’t mean the scary grim reaper depicted in the media. Rather what angel accompanies a soul when person dies? Answer: Thank you for your question. Judaism teaches us…