Weekly Email by Rabbi Moss

Does the Broom in the Tree Work?

Sunday, November 25, 2018 - 6:02 PM

Question of the Week:

I am planning an outdoor event and really hope it doesn't rain. I have heard a superstition that if you put a broom in a tree at the venue it won't rain. Is there a Jewish trick to prevent rain?

Answer:

The Talmudic sage Rabbi Yochanan taught:

There are three keys that G-d holds, and never hands over to anyone else. They are the key to rain, the key to childbirth, and the key to revival of the dead.

No matter how advanced our society becomes, no matter how much progress we make in technology and science, and no matter how many superstitious magic tricks we perform, some things are simply out of human control.

The mystery of creating new life still baffles us. The greatest doctors cannot explain wh… Read More »

Do We Go to Heaven or Reincarnate Back to Earth?

Sunday, November 18, 2018 - 9:46 PM

Question of the Week:

If we believe in reincarnation, why do we say that souls go to heaven for their final rest after they pass away? What's the point in praying for a soul if they might be right next to us down here on earth?

Answer:

I remember at school a friend failed his end of year exams and had to repeat a grade. He stayed back for a year and was no longer in our class, but rather the class below. We all moved on but he was held back.

Some think reincarnation is like repeating a year at school. While some souls graduate to the next world after their life in this world, others are sent right back down to get things right in another life.

That is not quite how it works.

A better metaphor would be a mobi… Read More »

Why Are My Feelings For Her Blocked?

Sunday, November 11, 2018 - 10:15 PM

Question of the Week:

I need some urgent dating advice. I have become very close with a girl who really seems to have everything I'm looking for in a wife. We get on well, we want the same thing out of life, and all the boxes are ticked. This is the first girl I have met that I can really imagine being married to. The problem is my feelings. They seem to be blocked. I definitely like her very much, but that overwhelming, deep and intense feeling of love just hasn't come. I know what it is because I have had it before. I don't want to give up this relationship, so what can I do to kick-start my heart?

Answer:

Love can only blossom in an open heart. When our heart is closed we cannot feel affection, even when that affection r… Read More »

The Danger We Face After Pittsburgh

Sunday, November 4, 2018 - 7:41 PM

Question of the Week:

We have all been deeply affected by the shooting in Pittsburgh. I think the fact that it happened in a shul makes it much closer to home. It makes me wonder if it is safe to take my family to shul this Shabbos. I know rationally that this week is no different to any other. But at the same time, I don't want my kids to feel they are in danger. We don't go every week anyway, so maybe this week we should give it a miss?

Answer:

There is a great danger this Shabbos, more than usual. The danger is that Jews become intimidated into hiding away. In the wake of such a tragedy, avoiding shul is far riskier than attending. You risk giving your kids the wrong message.

I will never forget something that happened when I… Read More »