Ask the rabbi. WHAT IS KABBALAH? Q. What is Kabbalah? A. From a root that means "to receive", Kabbalah ("tradition") denotes a system that is said to date back to ancient origins. There are mystic currents in Biblical and post-Biblical literature and the early rabbinic sources report a number of mystics and mystical experiences. By…
Ask the rabbi. JEWISH TIME Q. Why do Jewish events often begin late? A. We have a word for it – "Jewish time". When I mentioned this to a Roman Catholic friend, he said, "What are you talking about? It’s called ‘Catholic time’!" I didn’t bother to ask people from other religious faiths because they’d…
Ask the rabbi. A VEGETARIAN SHABBAT Q. Must a Jewish family eat chicken on Shabbat? A. Not necessarily. Now that non-meaty meat has been developed, many people will have to re-think their cuisine. Some of us (including me) are already there. My wife and I and some of our family are already hooked on Meatless…
Ask the rabbi. GOD AMIDST SUFFERING Q. How can I believe in God when there is so much suffering? A. The British philosopher, CEM Joad, was an agnostic for many years because of this problem. Then he realised he was not asking the right question. Instead of asking why there was no such suffering, he…
Ask the rabbi. THE JEWISH COUNT-DOWNS The countdown to Shavu’ot is the 49 days of the Omer. Beginning on the second evening of Pesach we formally count the days that link the two festivals. Not that this is the only count-down in Jewish practice and philosophy. Every time we are on the road to a…