Rabbi's Blog

Please ask your questions here.

Dear Moshe:

While it is a very broad question and cannot be done full justice in this forum, I will respond as follows:

Every Jew, no matter the manner of lifestyle he/she leads, even if in opposition to Torah, must be loved and always dealt with in kindness as you would treat your own brother/sister.

Nevertheless, where such employment can hve a direct adverse affect on the job required, such as teaching in a Jewish school, where said teacher must be an illustration and living example of the content he/she teaches, the answer would obviously be in the negative. The same would apply in the case of a rabbi, or any position of leadership and responsibility, within a religious and Torah context.

This, by the way, is not limited to someone who is gay. It includes anyone who openly flaunts or rejects Torah prinicples and rules. Therefore, by definition, you cannot hire a rabbi or teacher who is openly "mechalel Shabbat" either. Hopefully, when realizing the beauty and righteousness of Torah, one will return and change his/her ways, thus being qualified to fulfill such positions.

Rabbi

Dear Yochanan:

Thanks for the thumbs up! "Kol ha'mevarech misbarech..."

Rabbi

Dear Merliner:

The situation as is, is a crying shame, it is a repeat of old and faulty history from the past war in Lebanon. They never finished the job then and as a result had to suffer now, and they're making the same mistake all over again. This time, who knows when the ugly results may rear its ugly head.

Israel has an obligation to think of its own defense and the security of its people before it bows to pressure from the UN or other "friendly" allies. G-d Himself was telling us this when he allowed for the miraculous and open support from America for so long (never before having happened in history), basically telling the Israeli government to go in and "clean house." Yet, as always we never take the offers handed to us on a silver platter. We seem to have this chip on our shoulders which doesn't allow us to live in peace and security.

All we can hope for is G-d's continued miracles and protection (although, we seem to be testing Him to the limit). We must cease worrying about "what the nations will say," and more correctly worry about what the Torah says. And here, Torah is unambiguous, we must defend the lives and security of every Jew, even if it means going to war to defend ourselves. We must permanently clean house so the same scene doesn't keep repeating itself over and over again, and meanwhile, we lose valuable Jewish blood we can ill afford to do.

Rabbi

Dear Anonymous:

Visiting a website emanating from Israel is no problem even though it is already Shabbat there. Since no one is doing anything directly related to or as a result of that visit, there is no reason why you couldn't do so, as long as it is still not Shabbat where you are [obviously].

Rabbi

For our first post we are inviting the community to ask the Rabbi any question relating to Judaism.