Dear Jew in the City, Why do we eat dairy on Shavuos? Thanks, Maya   Dear Maya, Thanks for your question. You know, I’ve been fielding questions on Jew in the City for a decade this August and this is the first time this has come up! Frankly, I’m surprised. Eating dairy on Shavuos is not […]

Dear Jew in the City, Were the Jews forced to accept the Torah? It was literally held over our heads and could seem to be given in such a way where we had no choice but to accept it. Sincerely, Simon   Dear Simon, Thanks for your question. Let’s explain it. Exodus 19:17 says that […]

While mikvahs are used by Jewish women all the time for the observance of Family Purity, they are also the special place where a non-Jew completes his conversion, as Rus did in the megillah we read every Shavuos. One of Hashem’s names is Mikvah Yisrael, not only because mikvah means hope and God is our […]

Dear Jew in the City- What does it mean that every soul was at Har Sinai but there are more Jews today then there were then? Thank you, Shanie Dear Shanie- Thanks for your question. You seem to understand that midrash to suggest that all the souls were there bodily but I don’t think that’s […]