Miscellaneous
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Caring for Those From Broken Homes
Why does the Bible often say that people should be careful towards orphans and widows – but never mentions those people who grew up in a family in which the parents were divorced? Is G-d unconcerned with those people who…
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Ability to Persevere
How is perseverance connected with self-control or hard work (Mesirut Nefesh) or repentance (Teshuva)? How we can acquire it and develop it? How do you connect perseverance with all the Jewish history? How do you apply perseverance in Jewish life?…
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Changing Your Name
Is there any position taken by the Torah which forbids the changing of one’s name? Being that Abram was changed to Abraham, Jacob to Israel, etc., it would appear to be an innocuous act, unless the ‘Jewishness’ of the name…
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Resource for the High Holidays
I want to have a discussion with my family during Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. Therefore, I would like some topics and info. re: these holidays. Answer: Have you seen the Rosh Hashana/Yom Kippur Survival Kit, a book by Shimon…
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Length of a Generation
What is the time period that the word generation refers to? Is it 100 years, 1000 years, longer? The term “generation” (“Dor” in Hebrew) is used in a Biblical and Talmudic sense in many different contexts. There are two primary…
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Torah Study in the Bathroom
A read in an article that it is forbidden to think about Torah in the bathroom. What are the reasons for this? The negative associations of elimination are obvious but seem judgemental of the natural process. Having struggled with this…
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Music, TV, and Moving Towards a Religious Life
I am in my early thirties and just recently started my journey of becoming a more observant Jew i.e., wearing Tzitzit, Yarmulke, attending services, Torah study, etc. However, there are certain issues that I need immediate help with: What type…
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Dreams and Nightmares
I had a nightmare. Should I be worried that it was a sign that I did some terrible thing that would deserve the kind of punishment I had in the dream? Also, what do we know about dreams? I’ve heard…
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Rabbi Yosef Caro
Can you give me a brief biography on Yosef Caro? Rabbi Yosef Caro was born in Toledo, Spain in 1488 and died in Safed, Israel in 1575. As a child he fled with his family to Constantinople, Turkey, due to…