Reward and Punishment
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Age of Spiritual Accountability
At what age does God consider a child to be responsible for his/her own soul and not the parents? Answer: That is an important question. A young boy begins his accountability at thirteen, while a young girl begins at twelve.…
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Golden Calf Casualties
At Mt Sinai what happened to those who built the Golden Calf. I understand they were all destroyed when the earth opened up. Are their souls also now in the earth? Was that the punishment for not believing in G-d…
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Why do we mourn if we should be content with Gd’s judgment?
We practice a period of mourning after a death of someone close. How does that work with the approach of accepting Gd’sactions? One would think when we accept Gd’s actions we would be content with the way the world is,…
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Suffering of the Innocent
[A Doctor living in Jerusalem who had close contact with those who suffered from the recent bombing at the Jerusalem bus station sent the following comment and question:] … I imagined the pain the father must have felt. A pain…
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Suffering and Tests
Many Jews suffer so much. Sometimes they are told that they deserve their suffering or that the suffering is a test. I believe such counsel is arrogant and counterproductive – it leaves the sufferer even more depressed. How is one…
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Daily Excursion of the Angel of the Death
I am trying to recall or find the teaching about the Angel of Death that says “Each day G-d sends the Angel of Death to destroy the earth, but each day G-d [calls it back ?] on account of [?]”Can…
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Blessings Promised to Abraham
How is it possible that G-d says to Abraham “Go for yourself,” and then Abraham comes to Canaan and finds hunger there? What are we suppose to learn from it? Where is G-d’s promise: “I will bless you. You will…
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Satan: Not a Being, but a Challenge
I was watching a movie today and I heard the mother of the Victim (Jewish girl), say: ” There is a sentence in the Torah that says, “Even Satan wouldn’t create a child murderer”. I was disturbed at this statement,…
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Does G-d Punish With Disease?
I was having a discussion with a friend at a study get together and the comment was made, “G-d does not punish people with disease.” To which I responded then what about Numbers 12? G-d clearly punishes Miriam with a…