Mitzvos (Commandments)
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Washing Hands Before Eating Bread
Why is it that we have to wash our hands before eating bread but not for other food? I’ve heard that the reason for washing our hands is because “physical cleanliness is a prerequisite for spiritual holiness.” If the reason…
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Waste of Utilities
Many times, I am perturbed when I need to tell people to be considerate and shut off the lights in the house when they walk out. I am usually ignored and it does not seem to sink in, no matter…
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Sending the Mother Bird
Why is it forbidden to take the eggs or non-flying chicks of a kosher bird if a kosher mother bird is above them, but it is permissible to kill them in front of the mother? I thought the whole purpose…
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10 Commandments and References to all 613
How are the 613 commandments derived from the popular 10 commandments? Answer: Great question! Many commentaries, going back about a millennium, elaborate on this idea, which was first recorded, in written form, even a millennium before that (in Midrash Rabba,…
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Buying Fresh Fish From a Non-Kosher Market
In the area we live, there are no purveyors of kosher fresh fish. The one kosher meat market carries no fresh fish at all (only frozen). Local markets carry lots of fresh fish, but law requires that they “dress” even…
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Want vs. Need
Why doesn’t the prohibition against coveting include soliciting money? How can poor people collect money? There is a clear difference between “need” and “want.” Coveting is defined by seeing what someone else has and wanting it. On the other hand,…
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Spiritual Basis of Caring for the Elderly
I need a source for the requirement to help the elderly. Can you please help me? There are 2 mitzvos in the Torah that you could use as a source for helping the elderly. Firstly, there is a general mitzvah…