Today I’m going to answer a question that nobody asked. But first, some background. There’s something that people do whenever these articles are posted on social media. When Allison (or whoever handles social media on her behalf) posts the articles, the question that I’m answering is always part of the post. What some people invariably […]

Dear Jew in the City, I automate a lot of things in my house and it seems that a lot of what I do could circumvent the rules of Shabbos. For example, you can automate lights going on and off, my humidifier, television, and my thermostat. I was wondering, is there any rule against voice […]

Dear Jew in the City- Jacob Steinmetz and Elie Kligman both just made history as the first Orthodox Jewish players to be drafted to the MLB. Steinmetz plays baseball on Shabbos but Kligman doesn’t. How can both be considered “Shabbos observant” with this difference? Thank you, JL Dear JL- The answer to this question is […]

Dear Jew in the City- What is Shabbos Nachamu? I know it’s the Shabbos after Tisha b’Av but what’s the point of it? Are you supposed to do anything on it? Thanks! Sincerely, Cici Dear Cici- For the three Shabboses leading up to Tisha b’Av, we read haftaros of admonition – two from Jeremiah and […]

Dear Jew in the City- I believe in a supreme being that would create the Universe, but it’s hard for me to believe that this all-powerful being would give us these laws and care about whether we keep them or not. Does God really care if I flick a light switch on Shabbos? Sincerely, B […]

Dear JITC- I heard that people don’t cook food on Shabbos. So do you have to just eat cold food the entire day? All the best, Karen Dear Karen- Thanks for your question. Before we discuss cooking, I’d like to discuss fire in general. To do that, I’ll quote myself, from The Taryag Companion: “The […]