Question:

Is pornography bad? If so could you please explain why it's bad and how it affects a person's life?

Answer:

Good question. Too often we just assume something is bad because everyone says it's bad, without thinking into the reasons.

Everyone knows that child pornography is bad because it's been demonstrated over and over that people who look at that stuff end up acting it out—and really destroy people's lives. That's beyond the unconscionably cruel exploitation of the children involved.

Other forms of pornography are harmful for a similarly oft-repeated reason: Pornography makes women into objects of desire rather than real people. We want to have relationships between person and person, not person-to-object.

Question:

A high administrative official in our synagogue swindled a great sum of money from congregational offerings. He is well versed in Torah and certainly knows the difference between right and wrong. What would be the proper application of Torah in this situation?

Answer:

I'll answer with a story.

Rabbi Chaim of Sanz (Polish chassidic master, 1793-1876) once sought an honest man in the marketplace. First he stopped Yossel and asked, "Yossel! If you found a wallet on the street, what would you do?"

"Of course, I would return it to its owner!" replied Yossel.

"Yossel, you are a fool!" exclaimed the rabbi. "Now stay here."

And the rabbi called over another man.

"Feivel, if you found a wallet on the street, what would you do?"

"Rabbi, you know me," answered Feivel. "I would probably keep it for myself. I need the money badly, and I'm not such a good Jew."