Posted on Apr 23, 2015 |
Question submitted to “Ask the Rabbi” by: Name: Zachariah City: Annapolis, MD Age: 27 School: Public school Full Question: “I have a fully Jewish mother but a Christian father. I do know that Judaism is passed on maternal lines, and I was raised Jewish, but being the product of a mixed marriage, does that make me any less Jewish? Going to synagogue, when I say my last name, I often get the impression ‘something isn’t right.’ Yet, if my father was Jewish, and my mother was Christian, I wouldn’t be Jewish but would have a Jewish last name, and my Jewish identity would be seemingly less questionable. What are your thoughts?” Rabbi Tully Bryks responds: As you correctly pointed out, one’s Judaism is defined exclusively by the mother (or through a proper conversion). Perhaps one of the reasons is a recognition of the greater impact that the mother typically has on the home. An amazing study was done by a major magazine asking people to consider who, among all candidates, from presidents to dictators to doctors to business leaders, had the greatest impact on their life? Remarkably, most people replied that “the single person who had the greatest impact on my life was my mother.” But regardless of the reasons that G-d established it this way, it is clear that you are just a much a Jew as someone who is born to two Jewish parents. And if your mother was not Jewish, even if your father was and you had a Jewish last name, you would not be Jewish. It is also important to note that, who you really are, and what you amount to, is really in your hands. Ultimately, our greatness is not measured by our lineage and not by the skills and talents that G-d has given us. Rather, G-d is looking to see what we do with those gifts and what we make of...
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Posted on Apr 20, 2015 |
Question submitted to “Ask the Rabbi” by: Name: drkae Profession: CE Full Question: “how do Jews who are meambers of peta and/or vegans handle Passover lamb slashing?????????????” Rabbi Tully Bryks responds: While there may be some observant Jews who are vegetarians or vegans, such a choice is perfectly acceptable due to health reasons or personal taste preference. However, meat should not be rejected due to any moral stance against eating animals. As believers in G-d and the Divine origin of the Torah (Bible), our sense of right and wrong is not determined by the (often changing) subjective values of a particular society or generation. Rather, we believe that the Torah is the absolute source for morality. As such, Jewish law is very clear that both animal sacrifice (in Temple times) and animal consumption are permitted, and sometimes even commanded. For more details about this topic, please see my article on Animal Sacrifice. Regarding Shabbos (the Sabbath), we are supposed to eat foods that we enjoy. As such, meat and fish are recommended. However, if someone does not like the taste of meat at all, it may be permitted for them to consume alternative foods. On Yom Tov (Holidays), it could be that the meat requirement is not dismissed as easily simply due to subjective taste preferences. But even then, if there are potential serious health issues, ensuring one’s safety would take...
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Posted on Apr 2, 2015 |
Question submitted to “Ask the Rabbi” by: Name: Anonymous City: Minneapolis, MN Full Question: “I am looking the reasons why we search for Hametz in our home before Pesach, and what are the reasons we do those rituals? Thank you for your Help.” Rabbi Tully Bryks responds: The prohibition of Chametz (unleavened bread) on Pesach is not limited to eating it. We are also not allowed to own any Chametz or benefit from it in any way during Pesach. So to this end, we are required to search our house for Chametz the night before Pesach. We are only required to search rooms where Chametz might be found, so bathrooms in most homes would be exempt. Since a proper search of the whole house usually requires more than one night, it is advisable to start cleaning and searching many days, or even weeks, ahead of time. The climax of that cleaning effort would then take place on the night before Pesach. A Bracha (blessing) is recited and the search begins. There is a rule that we are not allowed to recite a Bracha in vain, as it contains G-d’s name. So what if someone cleaned their house really well in advance, recited the Bracha at the proper time on the night before Pesach and then could not find any more Chametz? In such a case, they would have said G-d’s name in vain. To avoid this issue, we place 10 pieces of bread around the house before the search begins. As a result, even if someone did not succeed in finding any more Chametz, they would still “find” the 10 pieces of bread and the Bracha would not be in vain. It is important that a person does not get mixed up and focus their search on the 10 pieces of bread and not on any hidden Chametz that might have been missed in the earlier cleaning effort. Contrary to what some might think, the main goal is to find unknown Chametz, while the 10 pieces of bread are only there as a precaution. Wishing you and your family a Chag Kasher and Chametz-free...
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Posted on Mar 31, 2015 |
Question submitted to “Ask the Rabbi” by: Name: Jonathan Stadler City: Lincoln, NE Full Question: “This yr is 5775. Is that computed from Noah or Abraham?” Rabbi Tully Bryks responds: Neither. Noach (Noah) was born in the Jewish year 1056 and died in 2006. Avraham (Abraham) was born in 1948 and died in 2123. 5775 years is the count since Adam and Chava (Eve) were born, which was towards the end of the 6th “day” of creation. So on the first day of the current year, the age of the universe was essentially 5775 years old plus 6 1/2 “days”. For potential definitions of those original “days” and a few different approaches to computing the age of the universe, please see my article on Science and...
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Posted on Mar 29, 2015 |
Question submitted to “Ask the Rabbi” by: Name: Hope City: Bakersfield Full Question: “We have been discussing the first sin. The English version of the Torah states that Eve gave to Adam who was with her in Genesis 3. Was Adam present with Eve during the conversation between Eve and the Snake (Satan).” Rabbi Tully Bryks responds: Adam was not present during the conversation between Eve and the snake. Once she had eaten from the tree, she brought the fruit to Adam to eat as well. In terms understanding the meaning of, “She gave it to her husband who was with her,” some of the commentaries explain that the Torah is conveying that Adam was “with her” in guilt. He shared the blame and the consequences for committing the first sin. For more information about the first sin, please see my article on Adam and...
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