Dear Jew in the City- Is there anything in Jewish texts from past plagues that could help us navigate the coronavirus? Sincerely, Jamie Dear Jamie- The Torah tells us (Exodus 21:19) that if one person injures another, the offender is responsible to pay the doctor’s bill to heal him. The Talmud (Brachos 60) points out […]
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 […]
Hi JITC- I’m a non-shomer Shabbos Jew. I go to shul a few times a month and keep mostly kosher. I would love to see a post about how shuls are changing their traditions in light of the coronavirus. Especially interesting to me would be kissing the mezuzah, drinking from the Kiddush cup that the […]
Dear Jew in the City- Can we ever sin in order to do good? On one hand, I know you can’t do an aveirah to do a mitzvah, but on the other, I heard that Queen Esther committed a sin for the good of the Jewish people. Which one is it? Thank you, L.E. Dear […]
Dear Jew in the City- Harry Potter was just translated into Yiddish but isn’t witchcraft prohibited in the Torah? How is this book okay to read? -MM Dear MM- Why should it not be okay to read? Witchcraft is prohibited in the Torah, reading about witchcraft isn’t. Along similar lines, murder is prohibited by the […]
Hi JITC- I grew up religious but haven’t kept Shabbos in ten years. How do I know that there is a World to Come if no one has ever returned? Keeping Shabbos does not make me feel better or more holy, why is it important for me to keep it? Thanks, N.T. Dear N.T.- Thanks […]
