Rabbi Yerachmiel Fried Archives - Page 11 of 15 - Dallas Area Torah Association

Is the Term “Chosen People” Racist?

July 20, 2023 No Comments

How can we claim that we were chosen by God to be his special nation without saying it’s a racist idea? Conceptually how is this any different from Hitler saying the Germans are the pure race or any other race or religion claiming they are the “special ones”. Granted we are not out there murdering those who don’t believe as we do, however it seems impossible to claim that we don’t see ourselves as better.
I never felt comfortable with this concept and never got a satisfactory answer.

Chanukah: Continuing the Celebration

July 20, 2023 No Comments

Two questions:
how do we preserve the message of Chanukah throughout the year?
Secondly, I was studying last week’s Torah portion, and was bothered by a question. When relating the story of Joseph and his brothers, the Torah says that they threw him into a pit, “…the pit was empty, no water was in it”. I have always been taught that the Torah doesn’t use extra words; if the pit was empty, obviously there’s no water in it. Isn’t this statement redundant?

Chanukah: Celebrating in the Hard Times

July 20, 2023 No Comments

I’m having a hard time feeling joyous and to celebrate Chanukah with so many fellow Jews being murdered and maimed and living with fear in Israel. Should we perhaps not celebrate Chanukah this year, or at least consider it a solemn day instead of a joyous one under the circumstances?

Chanukah and Christmas

July 20, 2023 No Comments

As a mother, every year I am challenged by the proximity of Chanukah to Christmas. How can we possible compete, lighting our candles, with their stunning display of colorful lights filling the malls, decorating their houses and their trees? What do I say when the kids ask me if Chanukah is the Jewish Christmas?

Chanukah: Lighting Outside or Inside the House

July 20, 2023 No Comments

I spent Chanukah in Jerusalem this year and noticed that most people lit their menorahs in glass boxes outside their doorways or at the entrance to their courtyards. I’ve never seen that done back home, we have always lit inside in the window or just on the dining room table. Why the discrepancy between Israel and the Diaspora?

Brit Mila, Pt. 2

July 19, 2023 No Comments

A friend of mine was curious why God chose the brit mila as a sign to seal the covenant. He asked me: “why not an earring or a tattoo or something?” He even told me that he looked up “rabbinic sources” online but did not find a satisfying explanation. I was surprised to find myself at a loss to answer this simple question. What should I tell him that would help him and his class see the meaning of bris mila?

Brit Mila, Pt. 1

July 19, 2023 No Comments

We have been blessed with a baby boy and held the bris this week, and have some questions in that regard. Why is there a mitzvah to cut the foreskin of a baby? Also, if God is perfect, why would he create us in a way that is imperfect?

Anti-Semitism, Missionaries and “Passion” Film

July 18, 2023 No Comments

I, as many in the Jewish community, am very concerned about the upcoming Mel Gibson’s “Passion” film. Personally, I’m more concerned about all the talk about stepped-up missionary activity than I am about anti-Semitism that may come as a result of the film. What do you feel should be the response to that issue, and how can we effectively fight it to protect our children and other unsuspecting Jews from that missionary activity?

Questions on the Census

July 13, 2023 No Comments

My husband and I have refrained thus far from filling out the census forms sent to us by the government as we know the Torah forbids Jews taking part in a census. Does this prohibition also apply to the census from the US government or is this permissible and why?

Why do We Need A Bris?

July 7, 2023 No Comments