Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Baruch HaShem!! Been a little under the weather all week, so not so much cigar smoking. I have been making some contacts for fundraising for my new project, so that is good.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Then, yes, there can be to quote you: "the spirit of a dead person, especially one believed to appear in bodily likeness to living persons...", many very righteous people see their ancestors in this way and this is deemed positive, while it can be frightening/awe inspiring.

Everything except for the 'haunt' part. That is more like the aforementioned 'dybukk', which is much different, where a soul would possess a person, G-d forbid. This rarely happens.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Yes. They usually have a hecksher (a Jewish symbol of Kosher certification), so if they have that, it is okay.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

So more on possession--Do you have a ritual for exorcisms?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Firstly, let us not confuse human rationalization for the existance of Kosher dietary laws (or any other G-d given Law in the Torah), with the true reason the law was given. The Laws of the Torah were given by G-d to the Jewish people to observe because they are His Will, certain laws we can understand perfectly (aka "Don't Steal", "Don't Kill" etc.), others we can kinda understand (keep Shabbos - a day of rest), still others we have no logistical explanation according to human logic, we only know the spiritual ramifications. Kosher laws really fall into the last category. So we need to be careful when trying to come up with human rationalizations for Divine commandments. So there might not be a "Why?"...

ahhhhhhhhh... that being said a good place to start is probably here:http://http://www.chabad.org/generic...ish/Kosher.htm and this book might be the best in english for Kosher laws
The Laws Of Kashrus
A comprehensive exposition of their underlying concepts and application
By Rabbi Binyomin Forst

and the best Kosher cookbook is

Spice and Spirit: The Complete Kosher Jewish Cookbook (A Kosher living classic) Esther Blau

Hope this helps.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

No. Only truly righteous Rabbi's - Tzaddikim have healed those afflicted with a dybukk. Since the learning of the Chassidus of the Baal Shem Tov has truly permeated the world, many negative forces have been nullified, so these instances rarely, if ever, occur anymore.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I would like to post an anonymous question...

Rabbi -

I have seen you have been extremely busy answering everyone's questions and you do a great job of answering every single one so here is mine:

What is your address?

I would like to send you a special bomb of my favorite cigar that tastes like 7-year old Madagascar vanilla and some ol' Cuban Davidoff I just happen to have lying around...

j/k:fu

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

we are on page 6 with 100 plus posts already...

:bx

keep 'em comin'

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Ahem...I have it.... :D Only in the interest of showing our appreciation to a fabulous teacher!!!

:tpd:
This is great! I know we have more questions to ask!!!

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I got a question Rabbi, "How far is heaven"

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

in the words of the hairband Warrant:

"Heaven isn't too far away, it gets closer to me every day, no matter what your friends might say, we'll find our way"

or

500 spiritual years to the first firmament

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Do the Jewish have an eschatology similar to Christian eschatology?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Maybe the Los lonely boys need to read the words of the wise Rabbi>:ss

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Who/what was Moloch?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

First, this is a great thread Rabbi! I have been gone for a week; this is the first thread I've caught up on.

I was reading an interview and the interviewee is Jewish. They kept referring to zedeka (sp?). I'm sure that I didn't spell that right, and I think that there was a "T" in there somewhere. From the context, it sounded like the word refers to charity or PIF. Is this correct? Sorry again for the spelling errors.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Question sent via pm

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Perhaps.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Yes there is phrophesy about the ''end of days", and No it is not similiar.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

A Moloch is the term in hebrew for an Angel. yet, the common concept of Angel is not the same as the Jewish concept of a Moloch (or Malach) angel.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

How do the concepts differ?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I've searched through the Old Testament and have never found this name: Azrael, the avenging angel. Where does this come from?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

You are correct. Tzedaka is the word in hebrew for "Charity" or even better translated exactly as "Righteousness" or "Justice" - meaning a righteous act (not in the Bill&Ted sense:))
Tzedakah is more than a Charitable act. It is sharing with others what G-d in His kindness has given us.

Tz is the letter Tzaddi(k) in hebrew, sometimes transliterated as Z, but it makes a tz sound as in "Hertz"

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I always thought that Moloch was the name of an Old Testament regional deity that called for some form of child sacrifice by its followers. Or was this a case of a deity being generically referred to as "Moloch", like the deity whose followers were challenged by Elijah was called "Ba'al"?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I can just tell you what a Malach is. A Malach is an almost completely spiritual being, but is not sentient, meaning they have no free will of their own, but rather do G-d's bidding, and are spiritually sationary, in that they don't have bad days and good days, cannot ascend to higher levels or fall down to lower ones but remain within certain parameters, but rather fulfill their task wholeheartedly, without fail, accepting the yoke of Heaven. They do not resemble humans (as they are not physically oriented) and they are spiritually giant awe inspiring beings.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

noted and will be answered.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

:tu
Thanks.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I don't believe this name has source in Judaism. But it is in the Smurfs!:D This can be confused with the Hebrew name Azriel which is a conjunction two words Ozer and Kel, it means G-d will help me.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

:r
There is also a character in the Batman universe by this name. They claim it is a name that came from the Bible, but I've never heard of it or can I find any info on it. Unless it's a Catholic thing that I don't know about, then I don't think it has Christian roots either...

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Correct. Moloch was an idolotrous cult, like Ba'al.

With transliteration from Hebrew it is sometimes hard to derive the questioner's intended reference. Often the word is spelled VERY differently in Hebrew, but is tranliterated similiarly in English. So I try to go with the most common usage of a term or name.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Yes. It is used in Batman too!
:D

I believe it is Islamic in origin.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Great thread, keep up the good work Rabbi! :tu

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Thanks bro!

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Hey, check out my Corona Gorda Thread, no questions like "Hey Rabs, why don't we have a Tat Brown CG yet?" :)

or "What kinda screen name is TomHagen for a Rabbi?"

okay, so I loved Robert Duvall's charachter and thought it was cool, relatively anonymous name...
a peace-loving consigliere!

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Good evening! Lila Tov! Gut Nacht! I'm out.

be back tomorrow...

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

all's quiet on the front...

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Here's a question: Say a fellow BOTL came to me in the hopes of showing certain special Rav his appreciation. Would it be bad for me to help this mensch out by possibly providing an address? :D

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Ok so a bit more on angelology. I know Michael was the angel of Israel (or rather, I believe that I have read that, correct me if I'm wrong). Do jews have personal guardian angels?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Granted I'm not a Rabbi or play one in real life but I believe for Jews and specially boys/men their guardian angel is their mother's or so they believe, the mothers that is. :r

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Malach Michoel is not necessarily the angel of Israel, just a very, very high level Malach that has been tied to many Jewish events.

No. Jews do not have personal guardian angels. G-d is our only guardian, who neither slumbers, nor sleeps.

Here is a nice piece on "angelology":

http://www.chabad.org/library/articl...els-and-Us.htm

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

as long as it is not my mother-in-law!!:tg

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I am doin' this pro-bono for my bro's here at CA, so no payment is necessary and I enjoy it!

Yet, tokens of appreciation would be much appreciated. :ss Thanks!!

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Notice I said mother's not M-I-L. :)

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

phew...

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

calling it an early evening? :bx let's go!

seriously, you guys have had some great questions so far!!

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

OK, how about a non-secular question:
What music do you enjoy listening to when enjoying a cigar or otherwise?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Good Question!

If you had to be any animal, what would it be and why?

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I think you meant a secular question...

Truth be told, I really don't listen to music when smoking. Usually reading, studying, shmoozing or watching a baseball game.

I was more into music when I was smoking other stuff... :ss





...like cigarettes, c'mon!:D

I worked in the music industry for 4 years and saw perhaps a thousand concerts. Now I mostly listen when driving to Niggunim (google it), Andy Statman and Aaron Razel.

I used to listen to: (no order short list :))

Bob Dylan
Funkadelic
Led Zep
Townes Van Zandt
Frank Zappa
The Band
Tony Rice
Lots of "New"Grass, David Grisman, Bela Fleck, Mike Marshall, VassarClements
Grateful Dead
Muddy Waters
John McGlaughlin (& other Jazz Fusion)
Hendrix
Neil Young
Blind Melon
Lakota PowWow Chants
Django Reinhardt
Moby Grape
Tony Bennett
The Black Crowes
Billy Holiday
Ray LaMontagne
Hank Williams
CSN&Y
Sinatra
Old and in the Way
Ben Harper
Brother Iz Kamakawiwoʻole
Tom Waits
Otis Redding
Allman Bros.
I could keep going, but I really was into music, lots a vinyl...

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

I would have said a bear when I lived on a Native American Resevation, but now I would probably go with a cow or fish.

One of the few foods I don't like is fish. But they just seem so fresh, flexible and natural - kinda tapped in - living and breathing in water and connected to their environment. They strike me almost like vegetation but moving all the time freely.

Cows just seem to chill. But they don't look up, so that kinda stinks.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

Two very fun questions. Nice work gentlemen.

Re: Ask The Rabbi!!
 

How about a favorite meal menu? Awesome thread BTW! :)