Dear Jew in the City- Are there Torah sources that encourage the idea of having a clean home? Thank you, Hailey Dear Hailey- I love this question, so I’d like to cast the net a little wider. Namely, I’d like to address personal hygiene, laundry and then clean homes. For starters, forget that old chestnut […]

Dear JITC- I was told by my rabbi that the fifth book of the Shulchan Aruch is seichel, but what sources tell us that we should use seichel (our common sense)? Thanks, Malky Dear Malky- If you want to see a source that we should use common sense, look no farther than the Torah itself. […]

Dear Jew in the City- Since the election, it is clear that both political sides doubt each other’s integrity. It made me think about the requirements for Jewish leaders according to Torah. What kind of qualities did leaders have to have to sit on the Sanhedrin or be a judge? Thank you, Steve Dear Steve- […]

Dear Jew in the City- Moshiach hasn’t come for thousands of Tisha b’Avs so far. How do we not lose hope? Thanks, CM Dear CM- Thanks for your question. I think you’ve hit the nail on the head. Before I explain what I mean by that, a quick refresher on moshiach, culled from the Rambam’s […]

Dear Jew in the City- Should a rabbi meddle into someone else’s personal life? Thank you, R.B. Dear R.B.- Thanks for your question. First, let’s clarify what you mean by a “rabbi.” In the Orthodox community, becoming a rabbi is not the same as becoming a priest in Catholicism. In many ways, it’s more like […]

Dear JITC- We see people who insisted on davening with a minyan now catching and spreading this virus. What Jewish laws are people breaking when they act like this in these challenging times? Do Jewish texts give other examples of misplaced piety? Thanks, Yoni Dear Yoni- You’re being generous by referring to it as “misplaced […]