|
|
Am I Wrong To Forgive a Murderer?I am the mother of a murdered daughter who has written a book as a dedication, memoir and hopefully, work of inspiration...With time, I began to feel a sort of forgiveness toward the killer. Not for his horrid crime, but for his flawed humanity. I wanted to keep hating him, but I could not. |
Why Not Just Follow the Book?Question: Many--if not most--of the customs and traditions that comprise "Judaism" are not mentioned anywhere in the Bible. Why can't we just follow what's written there? Really, isn't it heresy to add on to G‑d's word? Response: You can go ahead and just follow your own literal understanding of the Five Books of Moses, but it may make life a little uncomfortable. For one thing, a lot of people will have to be stoned to death—for such matters as breaking Shabbat, adultery, etc.. And an awful lot of teeth and eyes are going to go missing, too. You may have a hard time finding all the sheep necessary to sacrifice to atone for other sins. Also, better find a kohen who will take all your tithes. Then come all the laws of impurity, which may make marriage quite a feat nowadays. And you'll have to sit in your house all day every Shabbat—in the dark and cold. Or you could follow the traditional reading of the Torah, one that explains "an eye for an eye" as monetary compensation and renders a |
Is Haiti a Jewish Cause?Question: I would really like to send a check to help the people suffering after the earthquake in Haiti. But some of my friends say how could I do that? They say, look there are children going to sleep hungry in Israel. There are families from Gush Katif still waiting for proper housing. The rest of the world isn't rushing to help them. All they have is us. Shouldn't we be helping our own before we help others? Response: It depends. If the entire mandate of the Jewish People is to preserve itself, then it makes no sense to squander valuable resources on saving other people's lives. But let's ask a question: When G‑d promised Abraham, "In your children will be blessed all the nations of the world," is this what He had in mind? Was this what Abraham envisioned, that in 3700 years time he would have a museum to preserve his relics? Or was it Abraham’s dream—and Moses’ vision, and G‑d’s destiny for us—that we would be a force of goodness and kindness in the world, proclaiming to the world |
Can We Pick Our Child's Gender?Question: Both my wife and I agree that we would like to have a little girl. I have recently learned about "pre-implantation genetic diagnosis" or PGD, a procedure in which parents who are undergoing IVF can screen embryos for certain characteristics (such as genetic diseases and gender). Is it okay for us to do this? We really do want to make sure that our next child is a girl... Response: Here is an information sheet produced by the PUAH Institute, an organization devoted to helping couples suffering infertility conceive in halachically approved ways. Basically, if you are already using PGD due to genetic concerns, the rabbinic authorities with which Puah consults consider gender selection to be permissible. On the other hand, to use PGD for gender selection alone raises a host of yet-unanswered issues. In such matters, each case must be dealt with individually, on its own terms. The distinction is that in the case of fertility, we have the Torah's express permission to use the metho |
How Much Can I Get For My Brother?Question: I read in the parsha that Joseph's brothers sold him for 20 silver pieces. I also have a nudnik brother and I could use some silver. How much do you think I could get for him? Response: I think you could be on to something here. I have no clue of modern prices, but I do have some knowledge of ancient prices, so let me see if I can help you. There's been a lot of inflation since Joseph. In the laws of Hammurabi, one-third of a mina (the equivalent of 20 silver pieces) is stated as the typical price for a male slave. Similarly in the records we have discovered of real-life transactions in nearby Mari, 20 silver pieces exactly is given. In other Old Babylonian documents, prices range from 15-30 shekels, averaging at 22 shekels. Before this period, like under the Third Dynasty of Ur, the common price was 10 shekels. But afterwards the price went higher and higher. By the time of Moses, we find slave-trade documents in Nuzi and Ugarit with an average price of 30 shekels. You might |
Who Needs Darkness?Why does our Creator plunk us down into despair, misery and sorrow and then ask us to struggle toward the light? Why not put us in the light in the first place? |
|