JOI to the World

Welcome to Dear Rabbi, where we tackle your pressing questions about Judaism!

 🕍 In this episode, Rabbi Menachem Lehrfield addresses the intriguing topic of conversion in Judaism.

🌟Discover why Judaism doesn't actively pursue converts, unlike some other major religions. Learn about the Jewish perspective on being a good person, the responsibilities that come with joining the Jewish people, and the importance of authentic motivation in conversion. Whether you're considering conversion or simply curious about Jewish attitudes towards newcomers, this episode offers valuable insights into the Jewish approach to faith and community.

Watch Episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/PoBTfwXv0Gs

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📖 Parshat Va'etchanan This Week: We recite the Shema daily, wear it in tefillin on our arms, and affix it to our mezuzot on our doorposts. It's the most well-known Jewish declaration, but here's what most people don't realize: it's not a prayer. Prayer involves requesting, praising, or thanking God. The Shema does none of those. So what is it? It's our 'shematra,' our pledge of allegiance. It's the declaration we make to the world and to ourselves about what matters most: There is one God. His sovereignty rules all. Our lives have meaning. There is reward and punishment. Consequences matter. We matter. It's not asking God for anything; it's affirming our belief and commitment. When you recite the Shema, you're not praying. You're pledging. You're declaring who you are and what you stand for.
Shabbat Shalom. 📜

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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a question many people ask: What is the best way to get started in wanting to be more involved in Jewish life? The answer is refreshingly simple and accessible.

Luckily, Judaism is not all or nothing. It's better to do something than to do nothing at all. While that might sound obvious, it's not the way many Jews approach Judaism. I hear people say all the time, "Rabbi, why should I light Shabbat candles?" I don't keep Shabbos." But here's the truth: the fact that you might go to the movies after lighting candles does not invalidate the mitzvah you've done by lighting those Shabbat candles. This applies to all of our mitzvot.

My recommendation is to find those aspects of Judaism that speak to you personally. Find what's most meaningful, and if you're going to start somewhere, start there. But how do you know which aspects are most meaningful? The only way to really know is to begin learning more about Judaism. The more you study Torah, the more you discover what's out there and the different ways Judaism can enhance your life. Start studying, whether one-on-one with a rabbi or anyone who knows more Torah than you, or through resources like Aish.com, which has thousands of articles on every topic imaginable. 

Rabbi Akiva famously said in the Talmud that learning is most important because learning leads to action. You can't possibly do the mitzvot until you learn about them, what they are, how they work, and how they can enhance your life.

Keep the questions coming! If you have a burning question about Judaism,
Please email us at [email protected]📧

Tune in to Dear Rabbi and uncover the wisdom behind Jewish customs and laws. 🎙️🌟
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📖 Parshat Devarim This Week: 'You can't know where you're going unless you know where you've come from.' Before crossing into the Promised Land, Moshe takes the entire nation through their history in Egypt, the wilderness, the mistakes, and the victories. He's not dwelling on the past; he's reflecting on it. There's a crucial difference: rumination is going over and over the past in an unhealthy, unproductive loop. Reflection is examining the past to learn from it and guide your future. We don't live in the past; that's rumination. We live in the present always. But we reflect on the past. We learn from it. We extract wisdom from it. That's how you move forward wisely. Before you enter your next chapter, take time to reflect on where you've been. What did you learn? What will you do differently? Shabbat Shalom. 🔄

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📖 This Week’s Parsha: Parshat Masei The Torah enumerates all 42 stops the Jewish people made during their 40 years in the desert. Most are trivial, little more than pit stops, places where “nothing important happened. We read the names and think, Why does this matter? But don't you see when you look back on your own life? Those “filler” moments weren't filler moments at all. The waiting, the travel, and the stops that seemed to lead nowhere made you. They taught you something. They had prepared you for what was to come. The Torah has every single stop because every single stop was part of the story. You weren't wasting time in the desert; you were becoming. What you thought was just passing time was actually instrumental to who you are. Trust the process. Every stop matters.

Shabbat Shalom. 🛣️

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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a question many people wonder about: Why don't Orthodox Jewish men wear wedding rings? While I do know some Orthodox men who do wear them, traditionally many Orthodox men do not, and there's actually a specific reason.

In a traditional Jewish wedding, the man gives the woman something of value, typically a ring, as a gift. The key word here is "gift," not exchange. The entire foundation of a Jewish wedding is built on the concept of giving; the man gives to the woman to establish the marriage bond.

If the man were to give the woman a ring and the woman were to give the man a different ring in return, that would be an exchange, not giving. An exchange is fundamentally different from giving and doesn't align with how a Jewish wedding is constructed. Therefore, a man's wedding ring was never really part of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony.

Additionally, there's a Torah prohibition against men wearing feminine clothing, which according to many opinions includes jewelry. Traditionally, Orthodox Jewish men don't wear jewelry at all, so a wedding band, which has no part in the Jewish wedding ceremony, was never included in the practice.

Some Jewish men do wear wedding rings today, often as a practical sign that they're married (especially in the workplace to signal to others that they're taken). But this is a modern practice separate from traditional Jewish wedding customs.

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📖 Parshat Pinchas This Week: Zimri and Cozbi sin openly in front of the entire nation. The plague kills thousands. Moshe seems frozen. What's the right response? But Pinchas doesn't wait for permission. He acts decisively, takes a spear, and kills them both. The plague stops. God rewards him with peace and a covenant of priesthood. This is what separates leaders from followers: the ability to act decisively when it matters. Not recklessly. Decisively. In moments of crisis, we freeze. We hesitate. We wait to be told what to do. But real leadership isn't about waiting; it's about stepping up when no one else will, even when you're not sure. Pinchas didn't have a guarantee he'd be right. He just knew something had to be done. That's courage. That's leadership. Shabbat Shalom. ⚡

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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a fascinating question: Why don't we find any mention of dinosaurs in the creation story in the Bible? The answer reveals how we should read and interpret biblical texts.

First, let me point out that we also don't find any mention of oranges in the creation story, yet no one doubts that oranges exist. The Bible simply doesn't mention every single thing that was created. It provides categories and highlights certain creations, but it's not an exhaustive inventory of all creations.

However, there's an interesting possibility. In Genesis 1:21, the Bible describes the creation of animals and gives different categories. One category is "tannin." Gerald Schroeder, a brilliant MIT physicist, explains that in Exodus 3, the word "tannin" (singular of tannin) refers specifically to a snake. Since the general term for a snake or the category is "reptile," he translates "tannin" as "large reptiles," and the Greek word for a large reptile is "dinosaur." So Schroeder believes the "tannin" mentioned on day five of creation was actually a dinosaur.

According to oral tradition and the Midrash, these large creatures (tannin golem) were long extinct before humans came onto the scene. This aligns with what we know about dinosaurs from fossil records.

Dinosaurs do raise important questions about the age of the universe, which is a separate discussion. For deeper exploration of both topics, I recommend Gerald Schroeder's books, particularly "The Science of God" and his smaller work "What About the Dinosaurs?"
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📖 Parshat Balak This Week: King Balak hires the prophet Bilam to curse the Jewish people. Bilam opens his mouth to curse, but God transforms every curse into a blessing. 'How goodly are your tents, O Jacob!' Instead of destruction, he pronounces protection. Instead of weakness, he proclaims strength. The curse becomes a blessing. How often do we live this backwards? We're going through something difficult, a job loss, a rejection, or a setback, and we think it's a curse. We can't see past the pain. But sometimes hidden deep inside that difficulty is a nugget of blessing. The lesson that forced growth. The relationship that deepened through struggle. The strength discovered through adversity. Your curses might be blessings in disguise. Look deeper.

Shabbat Shalom. ✨

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What if giving money away was actually the smartest financial decision you could make? In this episode of Zero Percent, Rabbi Menachem Lehrfield sits down with his father Moshe Lehrfield to explore the Jewish philosophy of giving, tzedakah, and why generosity has always been the ultimate investment strategy.

From bar mitzvah money to business success, Moshe Lehrfield shares the lessons passed down through generations about tithing, charitable giving, and what happens when you make God your business partner. These are not just religious ideas. They are practical principles that have shaped real financial outcomes across a lifetime.

In this episode, you will learn:

• Why nobody ever lost money from giving
• The difference between giving 10% and giving 20% and why it matters
• How your income is divinely set and what that means for how you spend it
• Why, how you give matters just as much as how much you give
• The role of mentorship and Jewish education in building a successful life

If you're building a business, struggling with setbacks, or wondering what really matters when it's all said and done, this conversation will shift your perspective.

👉 Hit subscribe if you want more real conversations about entrepreneurship, giving, and making a difference.

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Join us as we uncover the treasures in our backyard and explore what makes the Jewish people extraordinary! 🕎📚🎙️