General

Dear Rabbi Simon Isלעשות לך רב  a rabbinical injunction and if so, what is your view on this Rabbi AI invention? Should people really be consulting Artificial Intelligence for matters of Torah, Jewish Law, Philosophy, etc.? I would appreciate your thoughts on this. Abraham Isaac Dear AI Thank you for your question. The mishneh (Avot 1:6) says aseh lekha rav,…

Dear Rabbi Simon Here is an awkward one: I have a friend who converted to Judaism through non-Orthodox channels (not in the UK). He subsequently moved to Israel, where he lives in a community in the area known as Yehuda and Shomron, ie the Administered Territories (or what the UN calls the West Bank). He loves the Land of Israel…

Dear Rabbi Simon, Now that I am finished geirus, should I or am I allowed to celebrate my secular birthday, or should I only mark it by the Hebrew birthday milestone date (which I am assuming is the date of my Mikvah)? Thanks, Mikki Dear Mikki Thank you for your question. It is nice to mark/celebrate the anniversary of your…

Dear Rabbi Simon, What’s the correct way to dispose of tzitzit (garment and tzitzit). Thank you Ariel Dear Ariel, Thank you for your question. Fringes should be removed and ideally places in genizah (or buried in your own garden, if you like). Garment can be placed in a bag and discarded, or recycled for the save-the-earth factor. עם ישראל חי…

Dear Rabbi Simon, I have a question about bringing a child under bar or bat mitzvah to a cemetery for a funeral or stone-setting. What is the halacha (or minhag)?  In South Africa it is not done but is this just a custom?  I am also aware that at a cemetery there is a whole lot of stuff happening in…

Dear Rabbi Simon, Given the focus on the Land of Israel in all our prayers and the constant yearning the Jewish people have for the country, how can we justify not living there? Izzy Dear Izzy This is a conundrum acknowledged already in The Kuzari by Rabbi Yehudah Halevi in 12th c. Spain, and more recently addressed by the Hassidic…

Dear Rabbi Simon, How do you guard your eyes in this world? Ira Dear Ira Thank you for your question. Your recognition of the challenge is the beginning of the solution. Temptation borne of straying eyes is a feature of the human condition since time immemorial (think of the Garden of Eden), but the lure, availability, and consequences are probably…

Dear Rabbi Simon My beloved aunt recently passed away. She loved to shop and buy herself beautiful clothes and accessories and the family gifted me a pair of her shoes! My understanding is that according to Jewish practice, I cannot wear them. What can I do with them? From my research, I see the custom/restriction (superstition?) can be interpreted in…

Dear Rabbi Simon In present day Judaism can I request a kofer payment for an actual violation of Ex. 21:24-25 & Lev. 24:19-21 by a care provider that resulted in complete teeth loss? Thanks, Sheina Hi Sheina, I am sorry to hear about a case of “complete teeth loss.” A tooth is very easy to take for granted unless and…

Dear Rabbi Simon I’m sending my teenage daughter for a haircut (wash, cut and dry). The male hairdressers are cheaper than the female hairdressers. Is it better for her to have lady hairdresser or is it OK for her to have a male hairdresser? Thank you! Harriet Dear Harriet Thank you for your question. It is preferable for your daughter…