Prayer and Religious Articles
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42 Lines of the Torah Scroll
Rabbi, Why is the Torah Scroll written with 42 lines per page? Answer: Hi! Thanks for your interesting question. Sometimes you find that things can be done in many different ways. Over the course of time, sometimes we settle on…
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Mourning for Fallen Soldiers
When should the Goldwasser and Regev families sit shivah for their murdered son/brother/husband? It could be two years since their deaths, but it was only confirmed today… Answer: That is a good question, although it is tragic that it must…
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Requirements to Lead Prayers
What are the requirements to be a proper baal tefila (leader of prayer services / cantor), and can you provide the sources for your answer? Thanks! Answer: The main requirement for someone to lead the services is that he should…
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Purpose of Prayer II
We are suppose to believe that everything God does is for the best, and I do believe that. Therefore, I accept what He gives me because it’s the best (even though I can’t necessarily see it). But then, am I…
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Washing hands of the Kohen
Before duchaning (the priestly blessings in synagogue), the Levites pour water on the hands of the kohanim. Who should pour the water if there is no Levite present? Should the kohen do this by himself? If there is more than…
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Blessing Before Planting a Vegetable Garden
Is there a blessing to say before I begin planting a vegetable garden? Answer: That’s an interesting question. Although the Rabbis did institute blessings before benefiting from this world and before performing many commandments, they did not institute specific blessings…
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Ten in a Minyan
Is there anything in the Torah which explains why a minyan is made up of ten men? Answer: The Talmud (Megila 23b) learns the need of a minyan for any “matter of holinessâ€? (i.e., kaddish, reading the Torah etc) from…
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DNA Testing and Praying for Gender of Fetus
I know that you are allowed to pray for a baby to be either a boy or a girl up to 40 days from the moment of conception. It is true that the physical characteristics of the sex of the…