Weekly Email by Rabbi Moss

Was My Divorce a Big Mistake?

Sunday, April 22, 2018 - 8:48 PM

Question of the Week:

After my recent divorce I have done a lot of thinking. Does the failure of my marriage mean that I didn't marry my soulmate? Or does it mean I did marry the right person, and now I have lost my soulmate...? In other words, was it destined to be, or not?

Answer:

People have free choice. We can marry Mr Wrong, or divorce Mr Right. We have to take responsibility for choosing a partner, even if things didn't work out.

And yet, when a marriage ends in divorce, it's not to say that it was not meant to be in the first place. Alongside the belief … Read More »

A Cure for Your Screen Addiction

Sunday, April 15, 2018 - 10:31 PM

Question of the Week:

I am 16 years old and I am an atheist. I attend a Jewish High School, and we have compulsory prayers every morning for about twenty minutes. I have argued that there is no point in me taking part due to my lack of faith, so I should be allowed to read a book. My teacher said I should ask you this question - is there any benefit for me to say the prayers? If you can somehow convince me that I am not wasting my time, I will consider it...

Answer:

I challenge you to try this.

When it's time for prayers, sit with your prayer book open and start reading. For the next twenty minutes, try not to take your eyes off the book. See if you are able to maintain focus and concentration for the entire duration of the praye… Read More »

How Will I Get Out of This One?

Tuesday, April 10, 2018 - 8:01 PM

Question of the Week:

My spiritual life has come to a standstill. Every time I try to take a step up, I get a hit. I have committed to keeping Shabbos, and now I am having trouble at work. I have started keeping kosher but my family is resisting big time. It seems my path is always blocked. Will this ever end?

Answer:

You need a Red Sea moment. You are like the Israelites being chased by the Egyptians from behind, blocked by the sea in front. Their past is haunting them, and their future is eluding them. You know what happened next? Well it can happen to you too.

In what seems to be a strange addition to the story of the splitting of the sea, the Talmud states that not only did the water of the Red Sea split, but i… Read More »