Dear Rabbi
Concise weekly answers to your questions about Judaism. If you are a wondering Jew, visit www.joidenver.com/dearrabbi to submit your own questions.
Episodes
August 6, 2025 • 1 min
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address why Judaism doesn't require a blessing before giving charity, despite the general rule that we make blessings before performing mitzvot to thank God for the opportunity to partner with Him in making the world a more spiritual place. I explain that there's an important exception to this blessing rule: we don't make blessings before performing mitzvot that involve other people, because doing s...
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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I explore how Jewish religious leaders achieve the prestigious title of "Gadol Hador" (greatest of the generation) and explain why this process is fundamentally different from American political campaigns. I discuss how authentic Jewish leadership operates on the principle that the best leaders are often those who don't seek leadership positions but have leadership thrust upon them. Unlike political s...
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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address a fascinating question about Moses and humility: if Moses was truly humble, how could he write about himself that he was the most humble person who ever lived? I explain that this question is based on a common misconception about what humility means in Jewish thought. True humility doesn't mean thinking less of yourself or diminishing your abilities - it means thinking of yourself less and f...
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July 9, 2025 • 5 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I conclude the analysis of Ellen Gilad's interpretation of the meat and milk prohibition by demonstrating how clear biblical verses help us understand ambiguous ones. While acknowledging that the verses in Exodus might be unclear about whether they refer to cooking or ripening, I explain how the crystal-clear verse in Deuteronomy, which appears among dietary laws, definitively establishes that "bashel...
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July 2, 2025 • 4 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I examine Ellen Gilad's argument that the Hebrew word "bashel" (translated as "seethe") might mean "ripen" or "mature" rather than "cook," potentially changing our understanding of the biblical prohibition against mixing meat and milk. I acknowledge that this interpretation has precedent with fruits maturing and was even considered by the classical commentator Bechor Shor as an intellectual exercise. ...
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June 18, 2025 • 8 mins
In this episode of my ongoing response to Elon Gilad's viral video, I explain why Judaism requires both written and oral Torah components. I address the fundamental question of why the Torah wasn't simply written down completely, exploring how the Oral Torah serves as an essential living tradition that cannot be contained in text alone. Drawing on analogies from medical training and modern communication, I illustrate why Torah stud...
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June 11, 2025 • 6 mins
In this second episode of my series responding to Elan Gilad's viral video, I address his claim that Hebrew's lack of vowels creates uncertainty about the milk and meat prohibition. While acknowledging that Hebrew is indeed written without vowels, I explain how Judaism's Oral Torah tradition resolves this apparent ambiguity. I detail how the Oral Torah - distinct from rabbinic law - represents biblical teachings passed down in an u...
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May 28, 2025 • 8 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I continue to examine the biblical prohibition against mixing meat and milk by analyzing the placement of this commandment in various biblical contexts. I address why the verse "do not seethe a kid in its mother's milk" appears alongside temple sacrifice laws in Exodus, rather than with other dietary laws as in Deuteronomy. Through the lens of classical Jewish commentators like Rashi, Rabbi Moshe Dav...
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May 21, 2025 • 5 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I continue our discussion about why Jews don't mix meat and milk, focusing specifically on the biblical sources behind this kosher practice. I respond to claims made by Elon Gilad, examining each argument in detail while explaining how the Torah works with both written and oral components. I clarify how the three repetitions of "do not cook a kid in its mother's milk" in the Torah establish three dist...
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May 14, 2025 • 12 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address a viral social media video by Elan Gilad claiming Jews can eat cheeseburgers due to a biblical "misunderstanding." I methodically debunk this claim, pointing out that Gilad incorrectly states the prohibition against cooking a kid in its mother's milk appears twice in Torah when it appears three times (Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21). I explain how the Deuteronomy reference...
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May 7, 2025 • 1 min
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address the common question about why kosher restaurants typically have higher prices than non-kosher establishments. I explain that rather than simple price gouging, there are legitimate fixed costs that contribute to higher prices in kosher dining. These include specialized meat preparation requirements, meticulous inspection of fruits and vegetables for insects (as Jewish law prohibits consuming ...
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April 30, 2025 • 5 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I unravel the mystery behind those fishing wire-like strings that hang across streets in Jewish neighborhoods. These strings, an eruv, serve as a ritual boundary that transforms public areas into a unified domain for Sabbath observance. I explain how Jewish law prohibits carrying objects between public and private domains on Shabbat, and how the eruv creates a symbolic enclosure that allows observant ...
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April 16, 2025 • 2 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I continue our exploration of why Jewish tradition avoids directly counting people. Tracing this practice back to biblical times, I explain how even during desert censuses, Jews were counted indirectly through coin contributions. I share the cautionary tale from the Book of Samuel where King David's census led to calamity, and draw on commentaries from Rambam and Rashi about the "evil eye." More profo...
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April 9, 2025 • 1 min
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I explore the curious ritual a viewer observed when their rabbi was pointing at congregants while saying seemingly random Hebrew words before a Kaddish service. I explain that this was likely the rabbi counting to ensure there was a minyan (ten adults) present for prayer, but doing so indirectly. Since Jewish tradition discourages counting people directly, rabbis often use verses with exactly ten word...
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March 26, 2025 • 1 min
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I explain the deep significance behind breaking a glass at the end of a Jewish wedding ceremony. While many might think it's just a festive moment signaling the end of the wedding, the tradition carries a profound spiritual meaning. I discuss how even in our most joyous moments, we remember the destruction of the Temple and the suffering of others. By breaking the glass, Jewish couples and their guest...
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March 19, 2025 • 1 min
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address the frequently asked question about tattoos and Jewish burial. While Leviticus 19:28 clearly prohibits Jews from getting tattoos, I explain that there is no halachic (Jewish law) basis preventing someone with tattoos from being buried in a Jewish cemetery. I clarify that the prohibition applies only to getting tattoos, not having them. Though some communities historically may have refused bu...
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March 12, 2025 • 2 mins
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I address the common question about whether all Jews speak Hebrew. While Hebrew has experienced a remarkable renaissance as Israel's national language, and most Jews today do live in Israel, not all Jews are Hebrew speakers. I explain how historically, Jews have primarily spoken the languages of their host countries while developing unique Jewish dialects that blend local languages with Hebrew and Ara...
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March 5, 2025 • 1 min
In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I break down the similarities and differences between halal and kosher dietary laws. While both are religious food guidelines for Muslims and Jews, respectively, they are not identical. I explain that Kosher foods are generally acceptable for halal diets, but not vice versa. Drawing on the nuanced distinctions between these dietary practices, I provide insights into each tradition's overlaps and uniqu...
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February 26, 2025 • 2 mins
In this informative episode of Dear Rabbi, Rabbi Menachem Lehrfield answers a practical question about Jewish observance: when should one observe a yahrzeit (death anniversary) during a Jewish leap year with two months of Adar? After providing a concise explanation of the Jewish lunisolar calendar system and why leap months are necessary to keep holidays in their proper seasons, Rabbi Field discusses the differing customs between S...
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February 19, 2025 • 2 mins
In this thought-provoking episode of Dear Rabbi, we address a fascinating question about mortality during the Days of Awe - the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Rabbi Arkham explores how Judaism reconciles deaths that occur before the Book of Life is sealed, offering two traditional perspectives: that the previous year's judgment extends through these ten days, or that one's fate is determined on Rosh Hashanah but can...
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