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Weekly Email by Rabbi Moss

Thousands of people enjoy the wisdom and inspiration of Rabbi Moss' weekly emails.

Cancel Culture in Shul?

 

Question of the Week

My friends have been asking me to join them for a synagogue service for months.  I don't believe in G-d. I never pray. What could I possibly gain from attending synagogue?

Answer

You are implying that people go to synagogue to pray. Where did you get that idea from?

True, you will often see people praying in synagogue. But people also pray at home, in the street, at an airport or in a foxhole.

You don't need a synagogue to pray. And you don't need to pray to go to synagogue. This is clear from the very name "synagogue."

Synagogue comes from the Greek sunagoge which means "bring together." And if that's all Greek to you, the original Hebrew term is… Read More »

Are We Reunited In Heaven?

 

Question of the Week

Upon leaving this earth and hopefully ascending to heaven, are we reunited with our parents and family members who have predeceased us? I really want to be close with my loved ones again. But once we leave our body, how do we recognise who is who? Souls don't have faces, do they?

Answer

One of the most boring things to listen to is someone else's dream they had last night. That's probably because dreams are very personal. Only you can relate to your own dream. To anyone else, it's all nonsense.

I am sure you have had the experience in a dream where you are talking to someone, and you know who they are, even though they don't look like themselves. For example, there's&n… Read More »

Judaism Doesn't Turn You On?

 

Question of the Week

Judaism doesn't do it for me. I've been there done that. I was star pupil of my bar mitzvah class, spent my teenage years at a Zionist youth group, did the Israel thing after high school, even took Judaic Studies in college. And after all that, nothing has turned me on. What do you say to people like me who simply are not inspired by Judaism?

Answer

You remind me of the story of the poor man's cheese blintzes.

A poor man was once walking the streets, feeling hungry, when he was struck by a delicious aroma. From the kitchen window of a huge mansion wafted the smells of a rich man's breakfast. Looking through the window, he watched carefully as the cook mixed the ingredients and p… Read More »

How to Explain Death to Kids

 

Question of the Week

My seven year old is asking a lot of questions ever since her grandfather died. What happens when you die? Where do you go? Is it scary? Can you explain death to a seven year old?

Answer

Remember when your little brother was born? After being in your mother's tummy for such a long time, he finally came out to be with you and the family. How exciting. You'd been waiting for so long to meet him and play with him, and then he finally arrived.

Your baby brother was very comfortable inside mummy's tummy, where it's warm and he had everything he needed. But he couldn't stay there forever.  When it was time, he came out to be with you.

In a strange way, death is si… Read More »

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