General

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…

Dear Rabbi Simon Can you please explain the difference, in Jewish thought, between luck and hatzlahah? Leib Dear Leib Thank you for your interesting (though slightly amorphous) question. “Luck” in the sense of happenstance is the subject of controversy in Jewish thought, as many authorities are of the view that all human affairs are subject to continuous and specific divine…

Dear Rabbi Simon Can you please tell me whether we are commanded to work? Meant to work? What about someone who has enough money to live on (eg through inheritance, savings, successful investments, or similar)? Thanks Ashir Dear Ashir Thank you for your question, which is, however, a little oblique. At one level, “work” may be seen as a necessary…

Dear Rabbi Simon What does it mean to feel that “Holy Electricity” that runs through one’s body, such as during a particular part of a sermon, or when someone speaks words of kindness and encouragement intentionally and directly to you? Many thanks Chloe Dear Chloe I am not familiar with the expression “Holy Electricity”, and I suspect it is a…

Dear Rabbi Simon, We often hear the saying ‘fake it until you make it,’ but I was wondering how does this saying apply to the virtue of humility – if one attempts to conquer one’s pride by practicing the opposite virtue (ie humility), is it not at the risk of being mistaken for a conceited person? I trust you don’t…

Dear Rabbi Simon, I’m invited to the wedding of a good friend’s daughter in Israel in August. When I told my mum, she got very sad and worried that I’m considering travelling to a war zone!  What’s the right thing to do? To honour the couple / my best friend? To be a good Zionist / Jew and not to…