Dear Jew in the City- At the end of his life, Yishmael did teshuva. According to Jewish sources, will there ever be peace between Jews and Arabs? Sincerely, Steve Dear Steve- There’s a lot to unpack here so let’s start with Yishmael. When Avraham and Sarah didn’t have children, Sarah suggested that Avraham conceive with […]
Hi JITC- What is the Torah view of Marijuana use? Is there a difference between medical and recreational use? Thanks, T.K. Dear T.K.- This past summer, my wife and I vacationed in Utah. One of the tourist destinations recommended online was the Brigham Young University Museum of Paleontology (which is really fun to say). My […]
Dear JITC- Can a tzaddik make a mistake? Thanks, Shevy Dear Shevy- Of course! We see that our greatest, most righteous leaders were capable of errors of various kinds! This can include both factual errors and errors in judgment. Just a few examples include: Avraham and Sarah disagreed about how to handle the situation involving […]
Dear Jew in the City- I just don’t feel Jewishly inspired. What can I do? Thank you, Jackson Dear Jackson- Thanks for your question, though I don’t think it necessarily plays to my strengths. There are people who have more spiritual inclinations towards religion and people who have more rationalist inclinations towards religion. (These are […]
Hi JITC- What is the point of inviting these guests to our sukkah? Thanks, Max Dear Max- Thanks for your question. I see from the subject line of your message that “these guests” refers not to your corporeal yom tov guests but to the Ushpizin. “Ushpizin” is an Aramaic word that means guests. Aramaic is […]
Dear Jew in the City- Why do we read the book of Koheles on Sukkos? Sincerely, Ariella Dear Ariella- Thanks for your question. Tanach, the Jewish Bible, includes five megillos (scrolls), which are read on various occasions. The most famous (and obvious) of these is the book of Esther, which tells the story of Purim […]
