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Last answer posted on: 2 Sep 2010

Questions answered to date: 1675

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Showing Questions in 'The Nations'

Question No.	1703
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	4 Oct 2009
The Question	what diffrentiates us from the goyim? and what happens to a typical goy after he dies? —Anonymous, brooklyn ny
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1664
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	24 Jun 2009
The Question	I recently read a talkback by a guy named Ahmet which read: Yes, Orthodox Judaism preaches hatred for goyim. Shimon the Tzaddik said "the best of the gentiles, kill'em' Are you able to shed some light on this for me please? Thank you. —Bill Wilson, Montana
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1589
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	6 Jan 2009
The Question	Dear Rabbi Leff, Does the rabbi think the Palestinian conflict can be solved amicably? To me it looks like it's an eternal conflict that traces its origin back to Bereishis and will only be resolved with the coming of Moshiach Tzidkenu. Is this view correct? —Anonymous
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1511
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	22 Aug 2008
The Question	I have heard that every unborn child is taught the whole Torah by an angel while in the womb. Before birth, an angel touches the baby's upper lip, leaving an indentation clearly seen in most people, and the learned Torah is forgotten. Is this true? If so, non-Jews also have this indentation above the upper lip - why would a non-Jew be taught the entire Torah if the Torah was given by Hashem only to Am Yisroel? —Gabi
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1505
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	3 Jul 2008
The Question	I heard your shiur on the role of goyim in Torah, which raised an issue that I have often tried to understand. There are really two related questions: How is it that the Torah is the Divine truth given to mankind, when the Torah was given in a small corner of the world and when the vast majority of the world couldn't have known about it. Indeed, there is probably still a majority of people in the world who know absolutely nothing about Torah/Judaism and have maybe never heard of Jews at all. So what was the point of such a limited revelation? Secondly, the fact that the Torah prescribes 7 mitzvos bnei noah just compounds the question - how can the Torah expect goyim to keep them if it is unlikely they will ever know about them? —Anonymous, Israel
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1443
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	22 Dec 2007
The Question	Where did the Star of David come from? What is its origin and how did it become associated to his name. Also, could you explain the 7 Noahide Laws and where I can find them in the Tanakh. I acknowledge that the Noahide Laws are not all in 'one-place' like the ten commandments, but where can I find them, even though they are distributed across the Tanakh (I am not a Jew but have been reading the Tanakh translation Jewish study bible) —Michael, London
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1373
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	12 Jul 2007
The Question	Is it permissible for someone to buy a non-Jew as a slave (in a country where slavery is permitted) and then free them, thereby getting around the geirus problems? —Shalom, New York
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1362
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	15 Jun 2007
The Question	Is it a problem of Chukos Hagoyim to eat turkey, etc. on Thanksgiving? —Anonymous, USA
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1297
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	7 Feb 2007
The Question	Reading Ta'anit Daf 30, I do not understand how many died each year. I read Mefarshim that calculated simple. 60 Ribbo / 40 years = 1.5 Ribbo a year = 1,500. Then I read Tossafot that says 21,000. Where can I find one? One of the explanations I heard is that the 40 years are calculated from leaving Egypt. As the spies were sent on the second year, and the gezera was made this year, then we have 38 years left. The last one was forgiven, now 37. 9 years out of the 40 Tish'sh B'Av fell on Shabbat, and as they were not allowed to dig graves on Shabbat, we have 37 - 9 = 28 years. 28 years x 21,000 = 588,000. 630,000 left Egypt. 630K - 588K=24,000. 24,000 / 28 years = 860 , and this is the "protrot" that Tosafot talks about. Am I right? thanks, —Aaron, USA
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1247
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	28 May 2006
The Question	Dear Rabbi Leff, shlita, Is it a mitzvah chiyuvis (obligation) or a mitzvah kiyumis (voluntary mitzvah) to teach a non jew the sheva mitzvot bnai noach and the speficis to it (the sublaws pertaining to the main 7)? I have heard that the Lubavitch Rebbe, ztl, said that the Rambam said it is a mitzvah to teach non jews the sheva mitzvot bnai noach but others say the Rambam meant it is only a mitzvah to teach them only "after" the moshiach has revealed himself? Can you please clarify? Thanks. —Kim, USA
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1187
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	15 Feb 2006
The Question	A non-Jew who fulfills the Seven Noahide Laws is called one of the "Hassidei Ummot HaOlam" (Pious Gentile). My question is, why is the term Hassid (Pious) used here, and not Tzaddik (Righteous). My understanding is that a Tzaddik does 100% of his requirements, whereas a Hassid has already attained the status of Tzaddik and now goes beyond the call of duty and conducts himself more with added chumrot besides the ikkar ha'din. I believe this is basically found in Mesilat Yesharim chapter 11 or 12, and Pele Yoetz vol.1 Chapter "Hassid", and other sources. So if these seven laws are for non-Jews, why would they be called Hassid for doing them? Wouldn't they just be doing what they are supposed to anyway? And why call them Hassid, implying they are already in the category of Tzaddik? Thank you in advance for enlightening us. —Stephan, Brooklyn
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1157
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	19 Dec 2005
The Question	Instinctively we feel deep anger at suicide bombers yet when one thinks a bit deeper we see that in the Torah there is a mitzvah to eradicate Amalek because he is the enemy of G-d. Without any sympathy Chas veshalom to these reshaim, can the Rov explain how we differentiate their claim of killing in the name of G-d to lehavdil our mitzvah? We all know there is a great difference but can we put our finger on it? Thanks for this incredible website. —Anonymous, Philadelphia
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1072
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	6 Oct 2005
The Question	In the Christian bible 1 Corinthians 14 :34,35 it talks about women keeping silence in the church and it mentions they are comanded to to be under obedience as also saith the law. Are women to keep silece in church? And was it the law for women to keep silence in the synagogues? —Rocky, Dunedin, FL
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	1042
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	19 Sep 2005
The Question	HaKavod Harav Leff, Would one be able to say the 3 oaths no longer stand as the non-Jews broke their side of the oath by "overly persecuting us", e.g., the Holocaust? Thank you —Anonymous, London
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	925
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	31 Jul 2005
The Question	Where do the other 99.9% of the world fit into the cosmic picture? Are they (the goyim) here just to tempt us with their decadence and to create that aspect of choice in the world? Are they unable themselves to forge a connection or lead lives of meaning because they were born non-Jews? Are their attempts futile if only a Jew is able to attain any type of real meaning and connection? We were given the blueprint of how to live correctly, they weren't - so are 99.9% of the world walking around the world aimlessly? What is the nature of their lives? Is their task to "see the light" and convert to Judaism? Is it to strive for perfection in their own religions even though they are false and will bring them nowhere? We know they are rewarded for their efforts and for following the noachide laws, but can they reach the same level of reward and connection as a Jew through this? —Devora, FL
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	911
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	26 Jul 2005
The Question	It recently came up in my church that Apostle Paul had to be married because he was a member of the Sanhedren is this correct? —Joy, alabama
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	669
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	17 Jan 2005
The Question	In regard to the question about killing Amalek (Question No. 638) can it be explained that even though the baby didnt do anything wrong and its so cute with its blond hair and blue eyes, one day it will grow up to be Nazi, Germany? —Anonymous, new york
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	655
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	9 Jan 2005
The Question	Iv heared many interesting stories of religious cult leaders, such as the Dali Lama, shinto/shaolin monks in the far east, that when they disscuss Jews or Judaism, they say things like "Jews keep the world running" or "Judaism is the right religion, why settle for silver when you can have gold". Is there anything in Judaism that has been written to achknowledge this by Rabbonim or anything that has refered to such a thing in ancient scriptures. Thank you. —Anonymous, London
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	638
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	30 Dec 2004
The Question	How are we able to understand the obligation to destroy Amalek, knowing that this includes infants that have not had a chance to express their bechira yet? What did they do to deserve death? —Asher K., Bayit Vagan
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

Question No.	531
Category	The Nations
Date Posted	23 Nov 2004
The Question	Does Hashem hear the prayers of non-Jews the same way He hears Jews' prayers? Anonymous, Philippines
The Answer	Click here to listen to Rabbi Leff's answer.

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