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Life’s Not Fair (when the innocent suffer)

Dear Rabbi Simon, People often ask why children suffer and sometimes even die when they have done nothing wrong. I am thinking about the Manchester teen concert bombing atrocity and more. Rashi on this week’s Parsha (Korach, see Num. 16:27) attributes it to machloket (internecine strife). Rabbeinu Bachye says the fate of all the co-conspirators of Korach (and their families) can only…

29 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Reincarnation

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Dear Rabbi Simon, In this week’s Torah Reading 31:24, Rabbi Moshe Alshich (Safed, 1508-1593) implies that reincarnation is worse than Gehinnom (Purgatory). How can this be so? What’s the source for reincarnation. Why is it not in the Gemoro? Shavua Tov, Alistair Dear Alistair The doctrine of reincarnation, while now quite commonplace in Jewish Thought, is actually the subject of much…

25 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

‘Tis the Season: December Festivals in modern Britain

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Dear Rabbi Simon, It of course is the festive season and my office and in particular my department team is organising x-mas events (in particular they are not end of year events but are “x-mas” dinners and events). As a Jew, would it be right to go to such events? I feel uncomfortable going generally to anything that has to…

25 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

Holocaust Theology

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Dear Rabbi Simon I am going to write an article to address the question of where Hashem was during the Holocaust. Can you refer me to any resources? Do I need to read a book about Emuna [Belief in G-d]? Sincerely, Ariel Hi Ariel, This is indeed a difficult subject, both theologically and emotionally. Two books I can recommend on…

11 Jun 0Comments 0Likes

A 7-year old asks about G-d

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Dear Rabbi Simon, Yehudah (aged 7 in year 3) asked me how G-d communicates if He has no body. He also wondered what Moshe saw on Sinai in where it appears he saw G-d’s back. He then asked me to talk about dinosaurs in order to change the subject. Do you have any suggestions on how to address this question…

19 May 0Comments 0Likes

Valuable book, questionable source

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This Q&A took the form of a text message exchange YHA: Hi Rabbi Simon. I was just recommended this book [Cheshbon HaNefesh] but wondering if the author (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Levin of Satanov) is questionable. I’ve found that he was an early haskalah founder. It seems he was also very down on Chassidim and kabbalah. Rabbi Rashi Simon: True. The…

19 May 0Comments 0Likes

A Credo for “Working on Shabbos”

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Dear Rabbi Simon I was listening to an audio shiur of yours. You mentioned the aphorism, אין קדושה בלי הכנה (there is no sanctity without preparation). Where is the source for this pithy saying? Regards Yechiel Pinsky Milwaukee Dear Rabbi Pinsky I saw it quoted many years ago in the name of Rabbi J B Soloveitchik (of Yeshiva University). It…

11 May 0Comments 0Likes

Who Am I? Usefulness of DNA Testing

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Dear Rabbi Simon, How do Jewish people brought up in a traditionally religious Jewish family generally score on DNA tests such as from “My Heritage”? Dan Dear Dan Thank you for your enquiry. I do not know the answer to your question, as I am not aware of any research that has been done in this area. It is not…

11 May 0Comments 0Likes

Impact of Exile

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Dear Rabbi Simon, I would like to know about the reforms in Jewish culture during the period of the Babylonian Exile. I have read that it was the time when the Hebrews compiled and revised the text of what became the Tanakh. In particular what brought about the rise to prominence of the Rabbis (or Sages) as determinants of Jewish…

05 May 0Comments 0Likes

Raavad of Posquires

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Dear Rabbi Simon I noticed you have some lectures on the Meforshim. My question is about the Raavad of Posquieres. Is he recognized as being as great as (or greater than) the Rambam – at least in terms of Talmud/Halacha? With best wishes Shimon Dear Shimon Raavad of Posquires is best remembered for his terse, sometimes almost exasperated-sounding, hasagot (animadversions)…

Questions & Answers

this week

Questions and Answers

Ask the Rabbi: Quinoa on Pesach

Dear Rabbi Simon,
Where do you stand on quinoa (and the kitniyot ban) for Pesach?
Many thanks,

Tzippy

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Dear Tzippy,

In line with other American authorities, I am in favour of quinoa. Although I reject completely the voices (mostly from Israel) seeking to abolish the ban on kitniyot entirely, IMO we do not need to include in the prohibition pseudo-grains that were unknown in the Old World until modern times. Best to buy with a Pesach hechsher though, to be free of any possible wheat contamination.
Rabbi Rashi Simon

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