Weekly Email by Rabbi Moss

Should Jews be Alarmed?

Friday, January 30, 2015 - 2:57 PM

Question of the Week:

With all this terror around the world, my husband and I were discussing ways to keep our home safe. I lean more toward spirituality than he does, so I say we need to get our mezuzas checked, and make sure we have them on every door. He says we should get our alarm system checked and make sure we have sensors on every window. But you can have all the alarms in the world, in the end it just boils down to having faith. And if we have faith, aren't mezuzas enough?

Answer:

You are right. So is your husband. Installing an alarm system is as much an act of faith as installing mezuzas.

I can think of no better example of a man of faith than the Rebbe. And the Rebbe always told people to check their mezuzas, because a… Read More »

A Sports Fan's Crisis of Faith

Friday, January 23, 2015 - 12:12 PM

Question of the Week:

I wanted to ask you for your opinion on the topic of sport and G-d. My husband is quickly losing his faith in G-d due to his team not winning. Every time his team loses, he loses his faith more and more. I want to try and give him a way of looking at it differently and rather than blaming G-d for another losing game, blaming the players, and perhaps just watching less sport???

Answer:

How about telling him this. It is not a rational reaction to lose faith because your team is losing. Rather than switch beliefs, it would make more sense to switch teams.

After all, surely fans on both sides of any game are praying for their team to win. Only one of those prayers can be answered affirmatively. If your… Read More »

The Kabbalah of Immigration

Friday, January 16, 2015 - 12:14 PM

Question of the Week:

The immigration experience has been much harder than expected. I am here already for a year and not at all acclimatized. Don't get me wrong, I have been welcomed with open arms into this community, and people have been great to me. But I miss home, still don't really feel I fit in, don't get the mentality and am still very much a foreigner. Jews have moved around a lot in history, so is there a Jewish approach for adjusting to new country?

Answer:

Your difficulty is not uncommon. In fact every soul goes through a similar process on its journey to higher worlds.

Death is the ultimate immigration experience. The soul leaves this world and moves into the spiritual realm. This is most unsettling. Having become accustom… Read More »

Are Rabbis Too Ethnocentic?

Friday, January 9, 2015 - 12:15 PM

Question of the Week:

Dave Asks:

The problem with rabbis like you is your narrow view of the world. You always talk about the Jewish future, Jewish continuity, Jews marrying Jews, having Jewish children. What about the rest of humanity? Why do we have to always divide between people? Can't we speak of humans rather than Jews?

Rabbi Moss answers:

You have a good point. Maybe I should broaden my perspective and be concerned about more global issues and not so pre-occupied with Jewish particularism. So if you don't mind, I would like to hear your point of view on one such issue: The hairy-nosed wombat.

I have been approached by an organisation that is dedicated to saving endangered species. They are campaigning to save the h… Read More »

Cannabis and Kabbalah

Friday, January 2, 2015 - 12:17 PM

Question of the Week:

Did you read the news about a new-age "Kabbalah" teacher who was arrested for growing cannabis in her living room? This caught my attention, as I　have always had two loves in my life: Spirituality (not always the Jewish type) and getting high on cannabis.　I really believe that both of them are connected and they both need to be enjoyed together, but　I never thought I could do that in a Jewish context. I know you teach Kabbalah - do you offer such a combined spiritual high, or would you consider trying?

Answer:

Many spiritual paths promote escaping the here-and-now to find something higher. Whether it be heaven, nirvana, or some other transcendent state, the aim is to　reach beyond　the confines of the body a… Read More »