Miscellaneous

We were baffled to find a mysterious trend of people Googling whether or not Jews bury their dead standing up.

Since the mid-20th century, a Shabbaton has come to refer to a weekend retreat that extends over Shabbat (the Jewish day of rest).

For many people, there is nothing more "Jewish" than pastrami on rye. But is it really so?

How did it become the go-to drink at every Kiddush, bris, wedding and Shabbat meal?

This amulet of a hand, often with an open eye, is common in some Jewish circles. Is it kosher?

Shomer (plural shomrim) is Hebrew for “guard” or “keeper,” and it is used in a variety of ways and contexts in Judaism and Torah.

There is no tradition banning sunglasses. Several factors may have contributed to their unpopularity.

If your grandmother is Polish, Russian, Hungarian, Romanian, or Ukrainian, there is a good chance she grew up with this superstition.

Throughout the Torah various people have their names changed. Abram becomes Abraham, Sarai changes to Sarah and Hoshea to Joshua. Jacob even gets an entirely new name: Israel. What is the significance of these changes?

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

My four-year-old asked me some hard questions that I wasn’t sure how to answer, like “Why did G‑d make people deaf? Did they do something bad?”

I often get déjà vu, the sensation that I have already lived this moment before. It has happened when I travel to new destinations with people I have never met, and I feel that I have been there in that place, with the same people, hearing that very conversation before. Is there a Jewish explanation for this?

Learn the answer to this simple-seeming question in the light of history, Jewish law, and kabbalah.

Is it wrong for a Jew to say “I’m keeping my fingers crossed” for good luck? And if so, is there a Jewish equivalent to crossing fingers?

It is a beautiful and colorful aspect of G‑d’s world, but it’s also a reminder of tragedy. We are taught not to stare at it, but we do make a special blessing when it appears in the sky. Let’s see what the Torah has to say about the rainbow.

Of the hundreds of e-mails we receive every day at Chabad.org, many are from adventuresome, idealistic young men and women seeking to work at a Chabad house in an exotic location.

Every time his team loses, he loses more of his faith...

I've heard that some rabbis have "banned" the internet and consider it one of "Satan's tools." Obviously, however, Chabad does use the internet as a tool to serve G‑d. What does the Torah say about using this medium?

When I look at myself and my life I see plenty of reasons to be miserable. Am I supposed to be able to just switch on happiness at will?

Is it possible for someone to have bad luck? I am a college graduate, a learned man, but cannot seem to make any money...

Fighting your ego is like trying to think about nothing: the harder you try, the further you get from your goal

Aren't you a bit cut off from reality? How do you know what's going on in the world without a television in the house?

I've heard that certain tribes used various narcotic substances to help achieve a mystic state. Is there room for this in Jewish practice?

Repression or sublimation? What is the Torah perspective on how to deal with deep-seated feelings of anger, sadness and anxiety?

There are similarities between the Freudian model of the human psyche and that described by Rabbi Schneur Zalman in his Tanya. But there’s also a major difference with serious impact: where Freud sees the underlying force within man as his sexual drive, the Tanya sees it as his G-dly soul.

Will I be content and happy to live as a wrinkly old woman whom no one looks at?

I know its origins aren't very "Jewish," but I'm worried that my kids will feel left out if they can't go trick-n-treating in the neighborhood...

In ancient Egypt, it was called "ma'at," in Greek, "heimarmene" or "fate" and in Germanic, "wyrd." Basically, the idea is: You can't escape the system

I don’t mean to be rude, but is this type of reverence for a human being appropriate?

Would the discovery of ETs (extra-terrestrials) threaten organized religion?

You are one of the luckiest people around. Selfish desires or sinful thoughts? That's fantastic!

Our dream to move to Israel is finally becoming reality. We are making aliyah next month. I know it will be challenging. Any advice?

I just received an invitation from my friend to her son's Bar Mitzvah. Unfortunately, a few years ago, we had a bad fall out. Should I go?

My partner tells me I should spend more time chilling out, relaxing, and just enjoying life. And that I should do things purely for entertainment value.

When I try to approach my friend or encourage her to do more, she gets hyper-sensitive and tells me that I am pushing her...

Did you see the video of the tribe in Papua New Guinea singing the Shema Prayer in Hebrew? I found it fascinating!

I don’t know what will happen in 2012 but I do know that the world will not end.

I’m studying for my Bar Mitzvah and really need some motivation for learning to read Hebrew. I'd rather stick to English...why should I bother reading Hebrew? Besides, I don't really understand it.

If everything does have to make sense, what’s the criteria for making sense? And if some things don’t have to make sense, how’s human being supposed to know what’s right and what’s wrong?

If something is beautiful, is it true? Is a beautiful symphony as true as a scientific fact?

Each and every one of us needs a spiritual teacher and mentor to help us maximize our soul’s potential in divine service...

I have been having nightmares for years, sometimes in batches several days together, about myself, various friends and relatives. They are never true, yet they have greatly tortured and complicated my life. They make me scared, and many times have paralyzed me to inaction.

Understand the Talmudic reasoning behind the date - Adar 7.

Some call it “Cheshvan” and others say “Marcheshvan.” To complicate matters, on your own site, you have it both ways.

The Tree of Life first appears in the Bible in the story of Adam and Eve when they were in the Garden of Eden.

Since the Jewish day changes at nightfall (and the night generally begins when the stars come out), this brings to mind a number of halachic challenges for observing mitzvot.

Hi Rabbi. A friend of mine who is trying to get married told me that he went to the Ohel to pray. Since when do Jews ask human beings (living or otherwise) for blessings? Don’t we just pray directly to G-d?

Simply put, this means a candle or flame that was kindled before the onset of the holy day and has been burning since.

This issue was the subject of a complex letter written by the fourth Chabad Rebbe.

Shalosh Regalim literally means “three feet” and refers to the three times when every Jewish male was obligated to appear before G-d in the Holy Temple.

With much of the East Coast under blizzard warnings, the children are thrilled; the parents a little less so.