Torah Cafe

Whenever we turn on the TV or open a newspaper, we are inundated with stories of public officials who were caught up in scandals. Should we care? Are public officials always expected to make ethical decisions? Do they serve as our role models? Should bad actions lead to punishment or firing of public officials? Should we just leave them alone to do their jobs? Do the details of the scandal matter?...

Since Charles Darwin published the Origin of the Species more than 150 years ago, Jews (as other religions) have struggled to reconcile the theories of evolution with the traditional Jewish views of creation. A discussion of the Jewish perspective on the ongoing debate between Creationism and Evolution.

Historically Jews have always been recognized as a smart people and a people of knowledge. Key to that knowledge was the lifelong quest for study in Jewish life throughout our history. When most of our neighbors were still illiterate, our ancestors were studying daily. What is the secret to the Jewish passion for study and knowledge?

According to the teachings of the Zohar and Kabbalah, every day of Sukkot another one of our Jewish biblical figures joins us in spirit in the Sukkah. A discussion about the Ushpizin, the mystery Sukkot guest, why they come, the significance of each one and how they impact us.

One of the most central prayers on Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is the Aleuni prayer that is also recited at the end of each daily prayer. This ancient prayer expresses some of the most important principals of Judaism but has also drawn the ire of other religions who found the prayer offensive. Learn about the Aleinu prayer, its history and the controversies surrounding the prayer.

Blowing the Shofar is the most central Mitzvah on Rosh Hashanah. Why do we blow a Shofar, an instrument that has only one note and cannot play a tune?

The Written Torah consist of Five Books split into 54 parshas (portions), 669 paragraphs, 5,845 verses, 79,976 words and 304,805 letters all contained within the Torah scroll. A full overview of the Torah with all of it's books and parshas explained.

The Torah prohibits us from wearing clothing that are mixed with wool and linen, called shatnez. Why does the Torah prohibit wearing shatnez? Are clothing made with wool and linen today? How do you know if your clothing has wool and linen?

Free choice is fundamental to Judaism and essential to the entire structure of society. But how do we understand that in a world where everything works on the laws of physics and with a belief in G-d who is total control of our world and knows how we will behave An analysis of the paradox of free choice and the philosophical dilemmas surrounding it that our ancestors have grappled with for thousan...

Having a democratically elected government that is answerable to people in free and fair elections, is a key principal in the United States constitution and central to the modern nothion of freedom and liberty. Does Judaism advocate for democratically elected government? When Jews lived in Israel as an independent nation, we were mostly ruled by monarchs. Is monarchy, the Torah's preferred fo...

When we think of kosher we often thing of rules about preparing meat, fowl fish and other animal products. What about fruit and vegetables? Are there Kosher rules for them? Are all fruits and vegetables automatically kosher? A discussion about the rules of Kosher for fruits and vegetables.

 The Torah warns us time and again to keep away from idol worship. The Jews were told that when they enter the Promised Land they must destroy all idols, altars and temples and obliterate any trace of idol worship from the land.  Why is Judaism so intolerant? Shouldn't we respect other beliefs and cultures even if we think they are wrong? A discussion on the Jewish view of idolatry and t...

About 60 years after the destruction of the second temple, the Jews in Israel rebelled against the Roman Empire led by a charismatic leader and warrior Shimon Bar Kuziba also known as Bar Kochba. While the rebellion succeeded at first, the Romans crushed the rebellion, devastating Israel and destroying Beitar where Bar Kochba and his men took their last stand. 

It can be confusing. Some Jews pronounce the word Shabbat while others say Shabbos, some say Bat Mitzvah while others say Bas Mitzvah, some say Matzah while other says Matzo. Which pronunciation is correct? Over the years different Jewish communities have varied in how they pronounce Hebrew. How did these differences come about? How many different pronunciations of Hebrew are there? Who is closest...

G-d promised the Land of Israel as a gift to his Chosen People, the People of Israel. While the general geographic location of the Promised Land is clear, the exact location is not clear at all.  Where are ancient Israel's borders? Are those the same as the borders promised by G-d? Do they match the borders of modern Israel? Do we even know for certain where ancient Israel was?

 Judaism rejected Christianity from from its earliest days almost 2,000 years ago. Yet, Jews have lived as a minority in Christian lands for over 1,000 years. We've had to contend with a hostile Christian majority that for hundreds of years that persecuted us while trying to persuade us to convert to their religion. Yet Jews always rejected Christianity. What is the Jewish view of Christianit...

Almost 2500 years ago, we were exiled from our land, the Land of Israel for the first time. Since then, a majority of Jews have lived as minorities in other countries outside the Land of Israel. Yet wherever we lived, we were always accused of being outsiders and having dual loyalty, a charge we often suffered from greatly. Where should a Jew's loyalty lie, with Israel or their home country? Are w...

 Daniel, is a book in Tanach (the Jewish scriptures) about Daniel, a Jewish leader who interpreted strange dreams for the Babylonian emperors and then had dreams of his own predicting the future. A fascinating overview of the most difficult and cryptic book in Tanach predicting the future. 

 The Kaddish prayer is one of the most important and well known Jewish prayers. However, Kaddish can be confusing, there are many different types of Kaddish said on different occasions and at different point during the prayer. Some Kaddish are said only by the cantor while others are said by mourners.  A fascinating discussion about the Kaddish prayer, it's history, connection with death...

When the Children of Israel left Egypt over 3,000 years ago, they were split into 12 tribes. When they entered the land of Israel, each tribe settled in a different are. While the tribal identity remained for hundreds of years, over time, most Jews lost their tribal identity. What was the significance of the 12 tribes of Israel? How did their history and stories differ? How did we lose the tribal...

Ruth was a Moabite princess who followed her poor mother-in-law Naomi to convert to Judaism in the only detailed conversion mentioned in scripture. Eventually she married Bo'az, a Jewish leader becoming the grandmother of King David. The fascinating story of Ruth and how she converted to Judaism.

What is the Jewish belief about heaven and hell? Do they exist? If yes, what are they like? What happens to us after we die? Should we be afraid of going to hell when we die? Should we hope to go to heaven? A fascinating discussion about the Jewish view on Heaven & Hell

The Jewish people have dominated finance wherever they lived for thousands of years building complex financial instruments long before most people could read or do basic arithmetic. The Jews dominated finance though the Torah forbade us from lending with interest, the most common form of finance. How did Jews succeed in finance while avoiding loans with interest?  A fascinating discussio...

Many religious Jewish men have beards. In most Jewish communities throughout history, Jewish men generally had beards. Why have Jewish men grown beards? Does Jewish law allow shaving? Does it allow beard trimming? Why do many religious Jewish men and even rabbis not have beards?  A fascinating discussion about the role of beards in Judaism.

 Do we believe that there is such a thing as Satan? If yes, what is Satan? Is G-d responsible for the bad things that happen to us? Do evil forces such as Satan exist? If they do, do they work for G-d or against G-d? All about the Jewish belief in Satan and G-d's role in evil.