Dear JITC- Are hobbies allowed according to halacha? Thanks, Margaux Dear Margaux- Thanks for your question. I assume your starting point is the statement of the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh Deah (246:25) that anyone who is able to engage in Torah and neglects to do so is guilty of “despising” the Torah. This is actually […]
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 Jew in the City- Now that the summer is here, I have a question. Is it proper for an Orthodox Jewish married woman to wear sandals/open-toed shoes in public? Thanks, JJ Dear JJ- Thanks for your question, though I’m not sure where marital status enters into it. (The only law of modesty that hinges […]
Dear JITC- In Netflix’s “Unorthodox,” the husband, Yanky, makes a comment to his soon to be wife, Esty, indicating that a woman would never play an instrument in front of men. Are women allowed to play instruments in front of men according to Jewish law? Thank you, Shiri Dear Shiri- Thanks for your question. Women […]
Dear Jew in the City- I heard that the Kabbalah was written by Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai. Is that the only opinion or are there other approaches? Thank you, Jake Dear Jake- Thanks for your question. Bar Yochai isn’t credited with writing “the Kabbalah” – kabbalah is the entire corpus of Jewish mysticism – he’s […]
Dear JITC- As the world considers opening back up again in the middle of a pandemic to stave off economic doom and mental health and domestic violence deaths, is there any wisdom we can turn to in Jewish ethics to decide what’s the least bad way to proceed? Best, J.W. Dear J.W.- The situation you […]
