| Subject | Date Asked | Expert |
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| vayechi haftorah | 12/1/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: My daughter will be bat mitzvah on Jan 10 2009 we are looking for a simple explanation and lesson ...
A: Unfortunately it is against policy to do an assignment for anyone, but I am delighted to provide ...
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| God's work in Israel 6-day war | 11/28/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I'm a 22 year old strong believer in Jesus Christ as the one and only Messiah, the son of God. I ...
A: You are entitled to your faith as a Christian, as I am permitted to hold a different faith and set ...
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| aliyah | 11/26/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I converted to Judaism under the conservative movement. I've heard conflicted reports that if I make ...
A: I would hope that you speak with your sponsoring Rabbi regarding your status as an immigrant to ...
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| The Hereafter | 11/26/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Does the soul survive?
A: The question is excellent; the answer is problematic: yes, no, perhaps, somehow. Sorry for the wide ...
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| Health | 11/25/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I am training to be a General Practitioner and am doing a presentation to our group regarding The ...
A: I would urge you to contact the Committee on Jewish Law and Standards of the Rabbinical Assembly, ...
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| Clothing... | 11/23/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: in my version of the Old testament, the law says you cannot wear clothing made of wool and linen ...
A: Hebrew Scriptures - Jews don't use the term "Old Testament" implying that there is a supercession of ...
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| Jew by Birth? | 11/20/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Rabbi Dov, I have a question that I'm not too sure is very easy to answer. Nonetheless, I hope ...
A: A person is "Jewish by birth" according to traditional Jewish law if their mother is Jewish by ...
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| ossuaries | 11/15/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: So we have the Caiaphas Ossuary, why does it look different than all other ossuaries? I have a ...
A: I really am not a trained archaeologist. I turned to various resources and I am going to attached ...
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| 1st century burial laws and customs | 11/11/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: according to oral Torah in the first century, could a non-related single woman accompany a dead ...
A: I wish you luck in your search. "Proper Halakha" from a Jewish point of view has long left the ...
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| Raising jewish children as a catholic mother | 11/10/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Ok I know this seems far fetched here. I have recently had an in depth conversation with my ...
A: Let's take the easier items first. A Jew is someone who is born to a Jewish mother [ by birth or ...
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| 1st century burial laws and customs | 11/9/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: according to oral Torah in the first century, could a non-related single woman accompany a dead ...
A: I don't know the answer at this moment and have begun a search. Be patient please. I'll get back ...
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| women in the temple | 11/5/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I read the answer to the question about women being allowed in the temple, wondering if it was part ...
A: If one is a literalist in terms of the Torah, there is some correspondence between the "layout" of ...
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| sin | 11/5/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Is it a sin for a wife to provoke her husband? ANSWER: Dear Rocky, Thanks for writing. I need ...
A: If you mean a sin in terms of violating God's "Word," you are speaking in a fundamentalist sense ...
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| stones on graves | 11/4/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: why do you put a stone on the grave stone when you visit the sight?
A: There are a variety of references and reasons for placing a stone on a headstone when visiting a ...
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| Second Temple education | 11/3/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: What was the role of the disciple in the first century? Can you clarify this method of education ...
A: We don't have as much information about the education system of the first century BCE and CE as we ...
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| Literal interpretation | 10/30/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I am Jewish but have often struggled with reconciling Jewish teachings that fly in the face of ...
A: Your thoughts and feelings are not unusual, but they are very important. Let's deal with first ...
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| Jewish backround | 10/30/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I found out that I had a Jewish grandfather on my mother's side. He and my grandmother was divorced ...
A: In terms of Jewish law, as you describe your family history, you would not be considered a Jew by ...
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| a few questions... | 10/30/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: is smoking considered a sin in judaism? what of masturbation? and the occasional glass of wine? ...
A: It would appear that you are a relatively ecclectic person in terms of religious rules and ...
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| gelatin | 10/30/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: i am interested in finding out the conservative view on gelatin and what is acceptable. Also, if ...
A: The responsum by Rabbi Isaac Klein zt"l held in 1969 that gelatin is kosher, although gelatin from ...
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| I wanna be a jewish | 10/27/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Im a grandson of a jew from morroco(Siboni)but my mother is cristian,Im 15 years old, Im from ...
A: First of all, I would urge you to discuss this with your family and with your priest/minister. ...
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| Re: Gentile wanting to follow Judaism | 10/24/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I'm not really with any religious affiliation, but I guess the closest thing would be identifying ...
A: Yes, there is a category of "B'nai Noah" which encouraged those living in proximity to Jews to ...
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| Holocaust victim tattoos | 10/14/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: and aware of the historical anti-semitism within our church. Although tattooing is not allowed in ...
A: No, there has not been such an organized effort to memorialize those martyrs of the Holocaust. I ...
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| couples who are not jewish wanting to join a conservative synagogue | 10/14/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: We have 2 couples who come every Friday night and they have asked us to become members. We have been ...
A: This is ultimately a decision for your Rabbi to determine. Assuming you are writing to me for a ...
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| Hannakah | 10/12/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: In our home we have a tapestry for Hannakah that has a menorah in the form of a tree and with the ...
A: :-) I'm researching it now and will be back with you soon - certainly before Hanukkah. By the way ...
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| Counting of the Omer | 10/9/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: With all the other tragedies that have befallen Jews, why is the period of mourning for 24,000 ...
A: My own sense is that because the period historically was the time that we brought the Omer according ...
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| stories | 10/9/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I am preparing a presentation for school childen on writing fiction. I want to explain to them that ...
A: I would imagine that you are looking for the Hebrew term "midrash" which technically is exegesis or ...
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| Services | 10/8/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I'm a 19 year old college sophomore, and a lifelong Christian. As part of my Intro to Religion ...
A: The simplest approach is that people will be dressed in at least slacks, tie and sports jacket. Most ...
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| plagues in the book of Exodus | 10/4/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I am 34 year old Christian. I'm in a Bible study at my church, we are studing the Book of Exodus. ...
A: I am unaware of any textual or scholarly treatment of the chronology of the series of plagues. It ...
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| art in the talmud | 9/29/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: how can I research art in the Talmud?
A: although this is a more technical subject. Sorry for the delay but as you know Rosh HaShanah took ...
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| The Amidah | 9/20/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Recently I've been finding myself looking for ways to get more in touch with my ...
A: You haven't asked a new question and I've answered it many times with the same answer: the Amidah is ...
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| Suffering | 9/20/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I am 54 years old, was raised Orthodox but since have left it to become agnostic but still searching ...
A: Your final paragraph says a great deal to me, and I would encourage you to indeed retain an ...
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| Death & funeral practice | 9/15/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I'm a convert to Conservative Judaism and am observant. I didn't convert for marriage, so there's ...
A: This should bring it to an end, but I thought I would explain. I garden a great deal, raising 50+ ...
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| Death & funeral practice | 9/15/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I'm a convert to Conservative Judaism and am observant. I didn't convert for marriage, so there's ...
A: I started to write - got half-way through and the system crashed. I didn't find a draft and so I'll ...
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| Death & funeral practice | 9/15/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I'm a convert to Conservative Judaism and am observant. I didn't convert for marriage, so there's ...
A: Did you receive my follow-up answer? Rabbi Dov Here is my retrieved answer that should have been ...
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| naming traditions for girls | 9/14/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: I have one Jewish friend who says that the name of the firstborn is chosen by the mother and that ...
A: In my opinion, there is no such law, and I've never heard of such a "rule." The basis for such a ...
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| Religious Object Burial (Genizah) Practices | 9/11/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Rabbi: Could you tell me what the tradional ceremonial practise would be for the burial of ...
A: My first suggestion and recommendation is that you speak with your Rabbi who is your congregational ...
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| Conception in the Torah? | 9/4/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Mashlom'cha In the Torah, does it state that conception is between a man, woman and God? Because ...
A: To begin with, there are metaphors in the Bible and then later Rabbinic writing that describe a ...
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| Next Life | 9/4/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: It has been a long time since I asked a question but one has been bothering me. Two part question. ...
A: Judaism believes that there is a world to come, but we can only speculate about the nature of that ...
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| REFORM CEMETERIES | 9/3/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: Looking for where I can find all the rules for running a reform jewish cemetery. I was asked to be ...
A: but I am a Conservative Rabbi. Consult your own Reform Rabbi, or if you temporarily without a ...
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| jews | 8/31/2008 | Rabbi Barry Dov Lerner |
Q: why did the Jews kill Jesus?
A: The Jewish People couldn't execute Jesus as they lacked the self-government authority for capital ...
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