Yom Kippur Special Questions & Answers

0:14I'm going to let you guys log on. We're going to do some questions and answers. Okay. Okay. I'm going to let you guys join first, and then we'll start talking. Okay, so we can start. We can discuss Kabbalah. That's the one subject. That's it? That's what you want to talk about? God bless Am Yisrael. You guys are the best. You have Judgment Day past, the appeal is tomorrow, and people want to talk about the Zohar.

1:36Okay, so we've got some people. Make sure to drink a lot of water for the fast. Don't drink sweet stuff because it'll make you thirsty. But I don't think anybody ever died from... Oh, Tommy, how are you, buddy? I don't think anybody ever died from fasting for one day, at least not a natural death. Okay, so we have Yom Kippur coming up tomorrow night. Most places, most Batei Knesset are already having their Mincha prayer start in the afternoon. For example, the place that I go to over here starts Mincha at 3:30. Then everyone goes home and

2:52eats and eats and eats. And then the fast starts. You know, Kol Nidrei starts around 6:15 here. And that's it. That's the thing. So I guess tonight, the point of tonight is to answer any questions that anybody has, whether it's about Yom Kippur or something else. We'll try to do our best to answer all the questions. I think it's most important to know what to do about Yom Kippur, even though we did a couple of shiurim already this week about Yom Kippur. I think it's important to know anything that's missing. If there's anything you're not sure about, a lot of people are spending... time waiting in line right now for doing kaparot with the chickens. Personally, I think this is a waste of time. Number one, you're better off taking that money and giving tzedakah with it. It'll be much more useful. And number two, you should be using that time that you're waiting in line for learning Torah.

3:53So either way, people are going to do whatever they want. And Rabbi Yitzhak Meir Berdichev, Rabbi Levi Yitzhak of Berdichev, or Levi Yitzhak Berdichever, someone sent me a story, they say in his name, where anytime Yom Kippur fell on Shabbat, he wasn't worried. He wasn't worried because he said to Hashem, "You're not allowed to write on Shabbat simply because it's Shabbat. So if you're going to write, it should only be because you're writing all of Am Yisrael in the Book of Life." So everyone said, "Oh, so that means we shouldn't worry, right? We shouldn't worry according to the Rabbi. We shouldn't worry." That's very nice. It's a very nice feeling that people want to have. But the reality of it is, if you know a little bit more background about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev, you know that his whole life, his whole purpose in life, was to find a way to make Am Yisrael look good in front of Hashem. That was his whole purpose in life. So to give you another story,

5:25One time he had one of the simple people in his shul. He said, listen, I'm your rabbi, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, of course. I'm your rabbi. Okay, so listen. I want you to go now to the church and become a Christian. The simple guy thought he didn't hear right. The rabbi is telling me to go become a Christian. He ignored it. He goes, "No, no, I'm your rabbi. I'm telling you what to do. As the rabbi, I'm telling you right now, go become a Christian." The guy said to the Rav, "Hey, listen, I was born a Jew. I'm gonna die a Jew. I'm not gonna become some Christian." He was like, "But I'm your rabbi, you said. Go become a Christian." The guy got really, really upset. He took Rabbi Yitzchak, took him by the beard, and he pulled his beard. Took half his beard off. Hurt, pain. Rabbi Yitzchak, despite the pain, starts laughing and celebrating and takes the hair that he ripped out of his beard, goes to the Aron HaKodesh,

6:42puts it in front of the Aron Kodesh. He says, "Look, Hashem, look. Even the simplest among us are not willing to go against You. And he's almost to such an extent that he's willing to kill his own rabbi just not to go against You, Hashem. What other nation is doing such good things for You?" So, this was Rabbi Yitzchak of Berditchev's special way to make Am Yisrael look good in front of Hashem. So, uh, This other thing that people write in his name about if Yom Kippur ends up being on Shabbat, it's nothing to worry about—that's incorrect. Because in reality, you wouldn't be allowed to write on Yom Kippur anyway. Regardless of whether Yom Kippur is on Shabbat or not, you wouldn't be allowed to write on Yom Kippur anyway. But he didn't—it just happens to be that that year didn't have any other stories to make up for Am Yisrael, so he found this story. So that's really just Rabbi Yitzchak of Berditchev being creative. But either way, it's definitely a time for Am Yisrael to do teshuva. And as we said in last night's lecture, before I start taking some questions...

7:58Really, the whole point of Yom Kippur is not the fast. It's not about the few things that you're not allowed to do. You're not allowed to take a shower. You're not allowed to be intimate with your wife or husband. You're not allowed to wear leather shoes. You're not allowed to eat, and you're not allowed to drink. So, it's five things that you're not allowed to do. It's not rocket science. But that's not the point. That's not the point. In previous generations, the tzaddikim used to add to the ta'anit. Ta'anit means suffering. So, in the book of Leviticus, it talks about how we're supposed to suffer on this day. On Yom Kippur, we're supposed to suffer, add suffering to our life. Why? Because, number one, it's part of our repentance. And number two, even more so, we're trying to remove ourselves from the material world as much as possible and focus on the spiritual aspect because the spiritual aspect is what connects us to Hashem, what connects us to God. So the key is not the fast. Hashem doesn't care if you eat or not.

9:16doesn't care if you shower or not, doesn't care if you are intimate with your wife or not the rest of the year. It's all mitzvot, it's all good things to do. So why this day? Because Hashem is trying to give you as many tools as possible to remove yourself from the mundane, to remove yourself from the stuff that is, in some essence, making a distance between you and Him and And He's trying to get this relationship going and give you a full chance to really do teshuva because that's the ultimate purpose of Yom Kippur, for you to do teshuva. So that's really the key. So what does it mean to do teshuva? Teshuva means you have to check: what does the Torah say? What does the Torah say versus what are you doing? That's really the key. The Torah says to keep Shabbat. If you're a Jew, you have to keep Shabbat. So if you're not keeping Shabbat, you have a problem. You have to start keeping Shabbat. So now, many people come to Beit Knesset and they...

10:33pray. They even donate some money. They do a lot of different things. All wonderful things. But in reality, right after the holiday is over, they're back to their old bad ways. They're back to sinning against Hashem. They're back to going, you know, in the car on Shabbat, eating non-kosher, going out with non-Jews, doing a lot of things that the Torah specifically forbids us. So, if someone goes to Yom Kippur, and has no intention of doing teshuva. Yom Kippur does not help them. Yom Kippur. I'm going to say this again. Someone goes to Beit Knesset and they're praying. They're donating. It doesn't matter if they donate 5,000 or 500 million. It doesn't make a difference. It doesn't matter if they pray from the morning all the way from the evening before till the end of the next day. Doesn't make a difference if they're planning on continuing their sinful ways, continuing to violate Shabbat, continuing to go out with non-Jews, continuing to go against Hashem, continuing not to learn Torah, continuing to waste their life away on the mundane, and not spending any effort whatsoever on getting close to Hashem and not doing teshuva. Yom Kippur does not help those people at all; if anything, it hurts them.

11:50And the reason why is simply because Hashem is giving you an opportunity to do teshuva. You're coming to Him. You're saying, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. And two seconds later, you're spitting in His face. This is, you know, crazy. This is like a guy that, you know, is abusive to his wife. And he says, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. As soon as the wife says, okay, you know what? accept your apology. As soon as you said they accept your apology, you go and give another slap. What kind of apology is that? I'm sorry, you would have been better off if you had never said, "I'm sorry." It was better off if you never said, "I'm sorry," instead. So that's the thing people need to understand: the whole point of Yom Kippur is to do teshuva. You have to do teshuva. That's the point. Okay, see, the Satan is showing up with this video going sideways and... so let's see if we could fix that. Second, and now let's start taking some questions after. It's strange that the Satan cares so much about our videos.

13:19that he, a few minutes into it, makes it go sideways. I wonder what he gets out of it other than annoying me. And I'm sure annoying a few other people, causing them to stop watching. I guess maybe that's what. So really, the most important part of the video is for you to hear the words that I'm saying, not to see me. But whatever. Such is life. Is this going to work or what? Okay, so maybe we can do this. Ah, okay, I think I have a... I think I have a strategy here. I think I have a strategy. Aha! What do you think? Yeah, something like that. Sorry guys, but the Satan is very smart. Okay, the strategy worked, Baruch Hashem. I think. Okay, so let me see some questions. I think 16, let me see.

14:37I think the questions start from the top. I always get this wrong. All right. Sebastian, may you have an easy fast. You too, Sebastian. No, I think, actually, no, I think the questions start from the bottom. Okay. I don't even know where the questions start. Can I start from the top? Okay. Okay. Better. Better. What are Noahides required to do on Yom Kippur? Noahides on Yom Kippur, I mean, you're not really required to do anything. In general, it's always good to pray to Hashem in your own words. Make sure that you connect to Hashem. Make sure that you say, "I'm sorry" for any sins that you've made. Make sure that you are doing everything you can to connect to Hashem every day. This is a special day really more for Am Yisrael than it is for Noahides, but there's no specific law against you praying to Hashem and saying that you're going to use this opportunity to get closer to Him. When we use restrictions, we get closer to God, and when we are closer to God, we feel more free. It's a contradiction. ...the Noahides, but there's no specific law against you praying to Hashem and saying that you're going to use this opportunity to get closer to Him. When we use restrictions, we get closer to God, and when we are closer to God, we feel more free. It's a contradiction...

15:59Restriction, we feel closer to God, and when we're closer to God, we feel more free. No, I don't think it's a correct statement. The restrictions are not necessarily restrictions for the purpose of making us feel free. The restrictions, as far as not showering, not eating, not drinking, not doing all of those things... for you to remove more of the material from your life and focus more on the spiritual aspect of it. The more you focus on spirituality and make more room for Hashem to come into your life, the closer you are to Hashem. It's not a matter of feeling more free; it's feeling more secure that He's watching you. But at the same token, it should immediately make you feel yirat Shamayim (fear of Heaven). fear of the Almighty that He's watching you. While He's watching you to protect you, He's also watching you and expecting you to behave in a certain way. So, I don't necessarily think that the restrictions are for the purpose of you feeling more free. I think it's really about feeling closer to Hashem, but in essence, feeling more of His awe, more of an awe of Him and how you're commanded to do certain things.

17:27the parsha, Steve Levy, the parsha mentions on Yom Kippur, I don't know what Yom Kippur means, that you should not allow a non-Jew to work either on this day. Yeah, I mean, again, this is not a day that we work. It's the same thing as not allowing a Jew to work for you on Shabbat. It's the same thing as not allowing a cow even to work for you on Shabbat. You're not allowed to have a cow or donkey work for you on Shabbat and do your work and you benefit from it. The same thing, you're not allowed to have a non-Jew work specifically for you on Shabbat when you're the only one benefiting from it. So, it's the same thing with Yom Kippur. So, that's not a... Oh, Y-K means Yom Kippur. Thank you, Aliza. See, I didn't know. That should have been the one I could have got. Okay, Sarah Vogel. Yom HaKippurim is a day like Purim. The joy of Hashem is perfection; He doesn't need us. We need to repent for the betterment of His world. Sooner or later, cause and effect. Okay, I don't know if that's necessarily a question. But yes, Yom Kippur is a holiday.

18:49It's a good day because it's Hashem giving us an opportunity to remove our sins. Shalom from... Thank you, Libni. Hope you have a productive fast. I don't necessarily know if we're supposed to have an easy fast. I mean, technically, it's called a Ta'anit. Ta'anit means... suffering. You're supposed to suffer on this day. You're not supposed to have an easy fast. So, I mean, there's a Gemara in Masechet Ta'anit. There's a tractate in the Gemara that specifically talks about the fasts. And the fasts are all called Ta'anit. Ta'anit means suffering. So, I don't necessarily know. I mean, I know it's a common expression to say "have an easy fast," but I don't necessarily think that's the point. The point is for us to suffer a little bit because suffering makes us remember God. Okay. Sarah Vogel, where is the restriction in that? I don't know what you mean, what your restriction is. Mike said, sorry. Sorry too, Mike. I don't know what you're sorry about, but I'm also sorry.

20:16...uh, several again. Getting angry and harming another makes Hashem look good in our eyes and your eyes. Oh, okay, so you're talking about the story that I gave about Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev. Well, this was Rabbi Levi Yitzchak of Berditchev's way... ...of doing something called Mesirat Nefesh, which is self-sacrifice. And he was willing to die for Am Yisrael, which is something that most of us are not willing to do. We're not only not willing to die for Am Yisrael, we're not even willing to die for our spouses sometimes. That's a reality. So the tzaddikim were willing to die for Am Yisrael. They were willing to fast for Am Yisrael. They were willing to sacrifice their health, their money, their everything. So yes, even though having somebody beat up their rabbi is not exactly a mitzvah, it served its ultimate purpose. It served the purpose. Meaning that he said, "Look, Hashem, your nation loves you so much that they won't even kill their own rabbi."

21:34If the rabbi is going against you, meaning he's not really being a good rabbi, that's the point. It's not that he's advocating violence against rabbis or against anyone. He's promoting Am Yisrael picking Hashem over everyone. That's the point, Sarah. Let me see. Shalom to everyone. Okay. Shalom, Rabbi, what should I do? Oh, where did the question go? Where did the question go? No, the question disappeared. Sorry. if I miss your question, it's not my intention, you know. I don't mean to; it's just that I don't really know how this question thing works because they keep moving. Okay, what should we meditate on to bring us closer to one another and to Hashem?

22:41Meditate, I pray, pray about Hashem. Think about His significance. Think about how much you depend on Him. Think about how much you rely on Him. Think about how much you need Him. And think about how, in reality, He gives you everything even though we don't deserve it. We talked about it in last night's shiur. I mean, we ask Hashem non-stop for things, and in reality, we don't deserve anything, but He gives it to us. And that's because, aside from Him being a King, He's also our Father, our Father in Heaven. He's also our Father, our Father in Heaven. But that doesn't mean that we're supposed to take it, you know, take that for granted or take advantage of it for no reason. This is a time where we say, "Listen, Hashem, we know that we didn't do exactly what our end of the deal as we're supposed to, but give us another chance. We're gonna earn it." Same thing like a son comes to a father and says, "Listen, Abba, I know I didn't clean the garden out like you asked me to, but if you give me another chance, I'll do it this time." supposed to take it, you know, take that for granted or take advantage of it for no reason. This is a time where we say, "Listen, Hashem, we know that we didn't do exactly what our end of the deal as we're supposed to, but give us another chance. We're gonna earn it." Same thing like a son comes to a father and says, "Listen, Abba, I know I didn't clean the garden out like you asked me to, but if you give me another chance, I'll do it this time."

23:48And if the father wants the kid to succeed, he'll give him another chance. That's it. Is Hashem merciful and spiritually progressive? But Rachel, is Hashem merciful? Yes, because it's in the Torah; it says that He's merciful, and we see it because He has patience for us, despite us sinning against Him on a regular basis. But it's not a mercy to such an extent where, if someone dies, Hashem is not going to punish them if they're sinners. Or if someone is sinning against Hashem, and while he's alive, He's not going to punish them immediately. He's merciful, but the mercy means that He's going to give us more time, more opportunities to do Teshuvah. Eventually, we have to pay the bill. So the mercy itself... is not necessarily limited, like mankind has limited mercy. It's limited in a sense where eventually He has to deliver the other part. The other part of what He does and how He does it.

24:56because if His mercy was to such an extent like the Christians say and the rest of the goyim say in the world, where you don't have to do anything and Hashem is just going to forgive you just because some guy died 2,000 years ago or just because you're a nice person in your own eyes or just because people think you're funny or whatever other craziness people invent in their head, That's not a merciful God. That's a foolish God. And God is not foolish. So, everyone knows that there are laws in the world. And if you break the laws, you have to pay. If you don't get caught, eventually you're going to get caught. With God, you always get caught. It's just that He doesn't act all the time. That's really the mercy. The mercy means that we sin, God sees it, God catches us, but He doesn't actually punish us right away. He gives us another opportunity. Okay, tomorrow he's going to do teshuva. The next day he's going to do teshuva. This is why Jews, every time you wake up in the morning,

25:59You say, "Thank you, Hashem, for bringing back my soul based on Your own faith in me." What does it mean, "based on Your own faith in me"? It means that Hashem has faith that today is going to be the day you do teshuva. Because your neshama, your soul, when someone goes to sleep, that soul goes to Shamayim. Reports all the sins that the body is making and forcing the soul to be involved in, so the soul doesn't want to come back because the soul is a piece of God. It's pure, so the body is ruining it, damaging this pure soul. So, the soul doesn't want to come back. But Hashem loves you so much. He says to the soul, you have to come back. You have to go back there. So we say, "Thank you, Hashem, for bringing back the soul into our body based on your faith in us." What does it mean, "based on your faith in us"? You forced the soul to come back into our body.

27:02Because You had faith that today is going to be the day where we're going to be better than yesterday. Today is going to be a day where we do teshuva. You have faith in us. You have trust in us, and today is the day. So Yom Kippur is a day where we're supposed to make verbal promises both with our neshama and with our body. The two have to come together and become very spiritual and become very connected to Hashem. We say, you know what, this year is it. I know I've been joking around for a while. I know I haven't been doing good. I know I haven't been keeping tzniut. I know I haven't been keeping Shabbat. I haven't been keeping kosher. I haven't watched my mouth. I haven't done this. I haven't done that. I know I haven't done all of it. This is the year I'm going to improve. How? Pick a few things to improve in. I talked about a few suggestions last night in the shiur of what people should take on. But again, everyone knows their own thing. Some of the major sages say you should take on three really small things because at least you'll achieve them, and it'll give you momentum to do bigger things. So we'll go on with the next question.

28:04Where in Florida do people convert, and how did the hurricane affect the Jewish community? There is a Beit Din in Florida, in Miami, that people use to convert, but not necessarily everybody converts in Florida. I mean, sometimes people travel to different places. There is a list of recognized Batei Din. online on ITIM's website. One of the approved recognized Batei Din in the world is in Miami, but some people go to different ones. As far as the Jewish community, how was the hurricane affected? Some people were affected and hurt more than others. Some weren't hurt at all. Aliza, I've finally been able to forgive my sister and uncle with a pure heart. Baruch Hashem, good job. But what if they don't forgive me with a pure heart for things that I've done knowingly or unknowingly to them? Your forgiveness has nothing to do with their forgiveness, Aliza. Um...

29:07You forgive them, you have a clean heart. If they don't forgive you, it's a mistake on their end, but that means that you have to apologize at least three times. You have to apologize at least three times. If you've apologized at least three times, and they still don't forgive you, you've fulfilled your end. Let's see. Okay, Sebastian, how can you observe Yom Kippur if you're not close to a shul? you're not close to a shul, you observe it at home. You read from the machzor, the Yom Kippur machzor, at home and observe it there. I mean, I don't know what you mean by 'not close to a shul.' If you're within an eruv and you can walk to the shul, then you walk to the shul. If you can't, then you observe it at home, and obviously, move before next year's Yom Kippur. Okay, let's see. Learning about... okay, okay, learning about spiritual aspects. I was born free from the law and not a Jew, but leading to keep High Holidays. Learning with... okay, this will be my fourth year fasting. Okay, guys, please do me a favor. Let's just leave it to questions only and not personal stories because I have to read them, and it's just taking up time for other people who are asking questions.

30:30Boris, is it a sin for a person to have an easy fast or a bad sign? No, it's definitely not a sin for them to have an easy fast. If they have an easy fast, it's great. Have an easy fast, no problem. But I don't necessarily think it's intended to be an easy fast. I think it's intended for a person to do everything they can to... Show mesirat nefesh (self-sacrifice), so you're supposed to be in a beit knesset pretty much from the minute the holiday begins almost until the end of the holiday. We pray a lot, but even during the short break that you have during the day, you shouldn't be sleeping. You should be learning Torah. You know you shouldn't be sleeping during this day, just like somebody wouldn't be sleeping if they knew that they had a court case and the judge... was going to decide in this world, a judge of flesh and blood was going to decide whether he's going to give him a death penalty or not. You know, usually, people that have a court case for a parking ticket that's going to cost them a few hundred dollars or a speeding ticket that's going to cost them a few hundred dollars usually lose sleep the night before. Or if someone sues them or if they're suing someone else, they lose sleep. Here, we have a real court case with Hashem Yitbarach, with the King of Kings, and

31:55And our life is really on the line. Our life is really on the line, which actually the Rabbanit asked a very good question. She said usually during the year you're not allowed to pray for yourself on Shabbat. You're not allowed to pray for health or for money on Shabbat. You're supposed to, in essence, honor Hashem and honor the Shabbat. Every year and every day, every week. But on Yom Kippur that happens to fall on Shabbat, the whole prayer for Yom Kippur is praying for yourself—praying to stay alive, praying for parnassah, praying for good things. So it contradicts, especially praying for one's own health and for one's own life, and... So what's the answer? I spoke to Rabbi Ephraim, and he says, oh yeah, of course, that's because the Yom Kippur that’s on Shabbat means, means there's a legitimate life risk. So if there's a legitimate life risk, you're allowed to pray for that life risk at any time, on Shabbat and any other day. So if Yom Kippur is on Shabbat, that still doesn't remove the life risk. There's legitimately a life risk because Hashem is going to decide whether we live or die.

33:05So if you're praying throughout the entire holiday and whatever breaks you have, you're learning Torah and you're connecting to Hashem instead of connecting to Monopoly boards. You know, you're connecting to Hashem instead of just hanging out with the guys and just chit-chatting about nonsense. You're really connecting to Hashem either through prayer or through learning Torah throughout the entire holiday, and you're taking on certain things for this coming year that you're going to do to add to your connection to Hashem. Certain things for this coming year that you're going to do to add to your connection to Hashem. If you're serious about your teshuva, then you had a successful Yom Kippur. And if you really did it seriously, then you should have an easy fast, but a successful one. The most important part is to have a successful fast, a fast that's productive and... Brian McComas, we should always treat every day like Yom Kippur. I know it's the most special holiday, but I'm talking about the meaning behind repentance, trying to be good. Yes, every day should be a teshuva day. That's what the Gemara says. The Chachamim say that you should do teshuva every day. Ari Fisher, is it a mitzvah to die for your spouse?

34:14I thought we have a huge obligation for our own life first. No, it's not a mitzvah to die for your spouse unless your spouse is a major tzaddik, major talmid chacham, that many other people rely on. So, for example, you're right, your life comes first, your own life comes first, and you have to protect your own life first. But if a woman, for example, chas v'shalom, give me a theoretical situation, or even if it's not a wife, even if it's not a spouse, even if it's somebody who has a rabbi, and their rabbi is a very, very special rabbi that thousands or even millions of people depend on. Let's say one of the gedolei hador, one of the tzaddikim, you're allowed to die for them. And the reason why is because that one death to save his life is going to save many other lives as a result of it. But as far as a spouse dying for the other spouse for no reason otherwise, no, not necessarily. There's no commandment to do that.

35:14So, David is asking, how much time should we sleep on Yom Kippur before the last prayer of Ne'ilah? or do we really have to pray all the prayers of Shacharit, Mincha, Maariv, and Ne'ilah? Yes, like I said before, we have to spend as much time as possible in the synagogue. Preferably, don't leave the synagogue. Like, first night on Friday night, go to the synagogue and pray however everybody is praying. Finish the prayer, go home, sleep. If you can study a little Torah, study Torah. If you're already tired, go to sleep. Wake up early, go to Shacharit when it starts, not an hour later. Go to Shacharit when it starts, and pretty much don't leave the synagogue. Because even during the break that you have between Mincha or the day, you have an hour, two-hour break in the middle of the day.

36:22It's better that you learn Torah than go home and sleep. If you have to sleep, if you're really, really tired and you're not going to be able to pray unless you get some rest, then get some rest. But it should be a short rest. It shouldn't be one of those pleasant rests where you're sleeping for four or five hours and forgetting that today is Judgment Day. Again, remember, guys, this is Judgment Day. Our life is on the line. Our life is on the line. People don't understand. Our life is on the line every day. And Hashem makes miracles for us. You know, a person can be perfectly healthy, perfectly happy, very well off financially, but some crazy guy, some crazy guy decides that, you know, he doesn't want to contain himself, and he decides to drink and drive, and Hashem yerachem. takes away somebody else's life. Or some crazy guy that I saw recently, a guy didn't like that somebody else bumped into his car, so he hit the other guy on the head and almost killed him. So even though we're perfectly healthy and everything is fine, the reality is we need Hashem to make sure that continues. So Yom Kippur is a time when we're making that deal; we're relying on Hashem to protect us the whole year.

37:36So if you're going to make a deal for the whole year today, I'm sure you're not going to want to sleep during that day. So do everything you can. Okay, so the, I don't know, the Satan has thrown me offline, so I have to start a whole new thing. Okay, so let's continue with the questions. Carolyn Nicole Payne is asking, "Have you heard of Rav Mizrahi's story about Moshe Spechtel and his son Pinchas, who was a chazan?" Yes, I heard the story. It's an amazing story of how...

38:45Moshe Spechtel was one of the people in the Holocaust. He used to be religious, but after the Holocaust, he decided that God wasn't there for him. So he decided that he's not going to keep mitzvot anymore because, during the Holocaust, he lost his son. So he lived many years going against Hashem, not keeping any mitzvot. And then one day he finds out that not only is his son alive and well, but his son is actually a chazzan. So, of course, there's more details to the story, but I want to leave this more to its questions and answers. But yes, it's a very, very good story. Okay, El Mari. If one just started the conversion process, what does Hashem expect from these individuals on Yom Kippur? This would be my first Yom Kippur. I'm not sure what is required of individuals myself. Does Hashem judge me in the same light? Okay, so as far as someone that's in the process of conversion, they have to keep Yom Kippur 99% just like Shabbat. If they're in the process of conversion, they're not allowed to...

40:00...keep 99% of the holiday as if they're a Jew. By the same token, they're not allowed to simply ignore it because they're in the conversion process. They have to go through training; they have to know what they're getting themselves into if they want to convert. Their first fast is not supposed to be after they're Jewish; their first fast is supposed to be while they're in the conversion process... So someone that's in the process of converting needs to fast 99%, meaning that you break it at some point with a sip of water or juice or something like that. Don't break it with a steak, because that's just making a joke of the system. Let's break it with something small, like a sip of water or something like that, or even finish the fast earlier than you're supposed to. So, if let's say the fast ends at 7, finish it at 6:30 or something like that. So in essence, you're breaking the fast. You're just breaking it earlier than everybody else. You could do that. But you're expected to keep it 99%. The same thing as you do with Shabbat every week. You keep Shabbat 99%. You violate Shabbat in a small way every week. But once you're in the last stage of conversion, where you pretty much have a conversion date, where you already know which day...

41:23you're going to meet with the beit din to convert, then the beit din is going to tell you from now on, you have to keep whatever mitzvot, whether it's Shabbat or Yom Kippur or anything else, you keep it 100%. So if you're going through the conversion process, but you're still early on, Then keep it 99%. If you're in the last stages of conversion, then you keep it 100%. But you should know if you're in the last stages of conversion based on what the rabbis who are sponsoring you are telling you. Okay. Why is my soul not feeling the need to ask for forgiveness from one person? I sent her love. but I don't feel it. For others, it's uncomfortable. You don't have to worry about whether people accept your apology or not. If you apologize to someone three times and they still don't accept your apology, it's not your problem anymore. You did your best, that's it. Unless that person that you offended or hurt is a talmid chacham. If the person that you offended or hurt is a Talmid Chacham, meaning a Torah scholar, someone who is a righteous person who teaches Torah or learns Torah throughout their life, and is very serious—not just somebody who knows a few parshiyot—someone who is a serious Talmid Chacham, and you offended them, or a rabbi and you offended them, no amount of...

42:45Saying "I'm sorry" is enough; say "I'm sorry" for the rest of your life until they forgive you. But if it's a regular person, three times and you're finished. Can I utilize fasting to help break a calloused heart to help me bring teshuvah to Hashem? Yes, you can use fasting, but like I said, fast partially; don't fast 100%. Chewbacca is asking, "Shalom Rabbi, if you didn't get enough punishments and problems during the Yamim Noraim, could it be a bad sign that Hashem is not satisfied enough with your teshuvah?" No, absolutely not. Hashem does not need to punish you during the Yamim Noraim. If He wanted to punish somebody, He has plenty of other times to do it. Hashem doesn't want to punish you; He wants to give you the opportunity to do teshuvah. If He sees that you are already doing teshuvah... uh, then He may not want to punish you at all. He may just want to give you more time to do teshuvah so He doesn't have to punish you. It's not in His interest to punish you. He does punish when it's necessary, but it's not what He wants to do; He just has to do it when it's necessary.

43:57Jose Espinoza. Hello, Rabbi. Question regarding Yom Kippur. Number one, is wearing white and non-leather shoes required on the first night of Yom Kippur? Wearing white is a minhag. It's a custom. You don't have to wear white, but if you want to, you can. Quite frankly, Rabbi Ovadia said that people should not wear white in this day and age because it's not the custom of the past anymore. In the old days, people used to wear white, and it was normal to wear white. Today, people that wear white are wearing it more because of a fashion statement. So he said you shouldn't wear white. It's actually an obnoxious thing to do, especially since you see a lot of people that are not religious at all throughout the whole year. They don't go to shul at all the whole year. They don't keep any mitzvot at all, but they have white outfits, and they don't even know what this white outfit means. The white outfit is actually a representation of a white dove, a white dove that is pretty much unblemished. So, in essence, we're kind of trying to show ourselves that we're unblemished

45:03and really we're coming clean to Hashem, and we really deserve this forgiveness, Him to accept our teshuva. But somebody that violates Shabbat on a weekly basis, eats non-kosher every day, goes out with non-Jews, cheats in his business, is stingy, has bad middot, so he's pretty much a rasha every single day, wearing white on Yom Kippur is not helping him; it's hurting him. because making a joke of the system, it's making a joke. So, wearing white is just a custom, but rather, I said you should not follow this custom because most likely you don't deserve to wear white. As far as non-leather shoes, you're actually not allowed to wear leather shoes. Leather soles—usually what most people wear is either Crocs or slippers. That's what you wear. You're not allowed. That's halacha. It's one of the five restrictions on the holiday. You're not allowed to wear leather shoes on Yom Kippur. Second thing is, is it true for women not to bathe, use deodorant, brush their teeth, wear makeup, or earrings? It's true for men and women.

46:10to not shower, not use deodorant, not brush their teeth, and not wear makeup or earrings. For men, it's also true that they're not allowed to wear earrings the whole year round, not just on Yom Kippur. So yes, it's not a day that you're supposed to look and feel pretty. You know, so yes, it's not the most pleasant, but you're not there to talk to other people. So don't worry about whether you have bad breath or not. You're not supposed to smell so good because it's not a day that you're supposed to be intimate with your wife or husband. So these things that you're saying, these are the conveniences of modern society. But that's the point. It's a time of need. It's supposed to be suffering, not convenience. So yes, you are not allowed to do any of those things. Three, we only have a Conservative synagogue here in Colorado Springs. Do we go there? If you want to go to Gehenom, then yes, you should go to a Conservative or Reform shul, or even better yet, go to a church. If you want to go to Gehenom, then you should go there. If you want to go to Gan Eden, then no, do not ever, ever, ever, ever, ever, ever go to a church, a Conservative synagogue, or a Reform shul.

47:28A place that makes a mockery of God is not a place for a righteous person. Again, Conservative shuls are making a mockery of our Torah. Reform shuls are making a mockery of not only our Torah, but of God Himself. A church is outright idol worship. So to go to such a place... is not doing you any good. If that's the only place you have, stay home. Three, are we supposed to drive our car on Yom Kippur? Chas v'shalom, no, you're not allowed to drive on Shabbat, and you're not allowed to drive on Yom Kippur. Four, if we decide to stay home, which Yom Kippur prayer book do we use? There is something called a machzor for Yom Kippur. There's a machzor. You can go to a Judaica store and buy a machzor for Yom Kippur. It's very big, it's very thick, and it'll take a while to read all of it, which is the point. You're supposed to read it all day. So buy one, and it's not very expensive, but definitely you should do it the sooner the better, which means first thing in the morning because you're running out of time.

48:48Good questions. Very good questions. Thank you for asking the questions, Yosef. Elana, about the third commandment not to take Hashem's name in vain. Okay, what's the question? Don't use Hashem's name in vain. I don't know what the question is. I'm sorry. Emanuel. Rabbi, is there such a thing as an unforgivable sin in Judaism? Or can absolutely everything be forgiven as long as a person is alive? Technically, everything is subject to teshuva. You could do teshuva for everything. But the punishment, the punishment for certain types of sins could... Most sins you can receive the punishment for and atone for in this world. There is one specific sin where the punishment has to be after you die, which is chillul Hashem, the desecration of Hashem's name. But everything else you can do teshuva for in this world. Is there something that's unforgivable? No, but there are certain things that are very, very difficult to fix.

49:54such as wasting seed, violating Shabbat, or murder. Because you can't undo some of these things. But by influencing other people to keep Shabbat, you're making up for the Shabbat that you violated. By influencing other people to stop wasting seed, and you're making up for the seed that you've wasted in the past. By influencing people to leave idolatry, you're making up for the idolatry that you did in the past, and so on and so forth. So the fact that you are involved in kiruv, or anyone that's out there that's involved in kiruv, That is a very significant part of teshuva that everyone should be a part of, not just themselves. And for anything else, in general, if someone is very sincere about their teshuva, Hashem gives them an opportunity to repent for all of their sins in this world. Aliza, I thank Him every morning for giving me my life. Okay, next. Regarding the third commandment, not to take Hashem's name in vain, how do we know specifically which name of Hashem not to pronounce? Just use the word Hashem on a regular day-to-day basis. The word Hashem means "the Name," so it's not really using His name.

51:13And there is another word for it which is spelled A-D-O-N-A-I, and that you only say during prayer or during reading from scripture. Otherwise, the only thing you use is Hashem. Anyone that uses any other names, like many Christians or Messianics who like to use that other name that I mentioned, A-D-O-N-A-I, on a regular basis, is violating the third commandment. At least it's been a long day. A few things to get done before 5 a.m. Okay, good luck. Thank you for watching. Steven Levy. Okay, we already had... This afternoon, parashat talk about sexual conduct. What's your view? for it at this time of the fast, well, you know one of the five restrictions is that you're not allowed to have sex during Yom Kippur, or even hold your wife's hand, or even kiss, or anything. You're supposed to act as if she's niddah. Rob Johnson, have you ever decided to break with tradition and explore the New Testament of the Bible? I don't want to go to Gehinom, like all other idol worshippers, and like JC Penny. I choose not to follow the New Testament. Thank you for the question. You reminded me how much I hate idolatry.

52:33I don't want to go to Gehinnom, like all other idol worshippers, and like J.C. Penney. I choose not to follow the New Testament. Thank you for the question. You reminded me how much I hate idolatry. Okay, lost the feed, lost the feed, lost the feed. Okay. Rob Johnson again. Oh, another wonderful question. You see, Yom Kippur is a day where you can explore all religious traditions. Try some yoga, for example. You can try some yoga, Rob Johnson, and you can enjoy Gehinnom if you'd like. I don't want to go there. So, please, stop with the suggestions for idolatry. Steve Levy, what would the Rabbi discover? It plainly says multiple times in the Torah. man cannot be God. Okay, you're responding to the idolater, Rob Johnson. Okay, fine, thank you. All right, so I think this first set of questions I did... One second, guys.

53:57Okay, let's see. I thought Avodah Zarah was a death penalty. Please elaborate. Is this thing starting now? I never get this thing. Yes, Avodah Zarah is a death penalty. So, I don't know what you mean by elaborating. Yes, if somebody does Avodah Zarah, it's a death penalty. Sure. But we don't... we're not allowed to do the death penalty in our age because we don't have a Beit HaMikdash or Sanhedrin. Marina, I keep Shabbat, kosher, semi-Christian, yeshiva, ashrei, keep holidays, my husband does everything as I do, and much more, but I do not wear skirts. How bad is that? Is that something unforgivable? Well, Marina, the problem is that for a woman, the most critical mitzvah that she has is modesty. So when a woman is not modest, then she's failing her test miserably because that's, in essence, like, for example, if you have 100%, at least 51% for a woman is modesty. Like, for example, for a man...

55:12At least 51% is learning Torah. If he doesn't learn Torah, he's never going to know what's in the Torah, so he can't be a righteous person. But here you have a situation where a woman has a responsibility to be modest. If she's not modest, and even if she does everything else perfectly, she gets 49% completely; she failed the other 51%. So a woman needs to be modest. Now, when a woman wears pants, she's violating two different sins. Number one, pants are men's clothing. They're not women's clothing. They've never been women's clothing. In the history of mankind, women never wore pants until recent generations. So that's the first sin, that she's wearing men's clothing, which is strictly forbidden, just like a man is not allowed to wear women's clothing. The second sin is that when a woman wears pants, she's wearing... clothes that show the details of her body, her shape, which is not modest. This leads other men to have improper thoughts about her, even though she might feel that it's not her fault. It is our fault. Why? Because everyone is responsible for each other. So a woman needs to be modest. I made a short video about modesty...

56:30modesty. You should watch it, and the meshgiach will be so kind to post it on this thread. Recently, it's like a 10-15 minute video or clip, and So, a woman needs to be modest. Modesty means she has to wear not just skirts. Many women wear these short skirts, and it's better off if they don't wear skirts at all. They should wear pants because the skirts are too short and not modest either. What a woman needs to wear is a long skirt or a long dress that, at the very least, covers six inches beyond the knees, and after they sit down, meaning that after you sit down, you don't have to pull the skirt down to cover your knees because it's already covering them even without pulling it down. In reality, the ideal is to wear a skirt or a dress that goes all the way to the ankles, and the arms have to be covered to cover the elbows. and the neckline has to be covered. And the hair has to be covered with a scarf or a hat. That's modesty. I know that someone that's not ready for that level of modesty thinks that it's ugly, or it's not hip, or it's not this, or it's not that. But that's what God wants. That's what He wrote in the Torah. That's what He wants. And the reality of it is that the more you connect to modesty as a woman, the more you're going to connect to Hashem Himself.

57:57and the more blessing you're going to bring into your house. Because the Zohar HaKadosh says, and the Gemara also says, a modest woman brings blessing to her children. An immodest woman, unfortunately, brings curses to her children and her family. Also, for men to know, to encourage their wives to cover their hair and be modest, the woman's modesty also has a lot to do with parnasah. A woman that's not modest can hurt the house's parnasah. I understand this is not easy to go from immodesty to modesty. But there's no doubt you're going to succeed, and this is definitely one of the prayers that you should pray for during Yom Kippur: for Hashem to give you strength, that this year you're going to take on one hundred percent modesty, b'ezrat Hashem. Everyone here say amen. Why is the New Testament idolatry, Nancy Rodriguez? Because the New Testament says that God has three parts. That already is idol worship. It's in essence not only taking Hashem and saying He's more than one, that's 100% idol worship. The second thing is, they pray to Jesus, who is a human being that was actually wicked. So that also makes it idol worship. They turned a human into idol worship, and there are other reasons, but...

59:21The first one or the second one is already more than enough, Nancy. Please, if you are a believer in the New Testament, please. watch the debate by Rabbi Mizrachi against the Christian professor or watch my shiur which is, I believe, called "Exposing Christianity" or something like that. We prove that Christianity is 100% false. The New Testament is 100% false. It's 100% idolatry, and the only way to God, the only God, is through the Torah. Nothing else. Not the Koran, not the New Testament, not yoga, not boga, not nothing. The only thing is Torah. Aliza, still here. Shkoyach Aliza. Didn't God say, if only my children would humble themselves and call me by my name? So, are we calling Him by His name? His name, yes, only, no, you're not allowed to call Him by His name on a regular basis. He's not Aliza. He's not Yaron. You can't call Him by His name anytime you want. You have to use His name at specific times, which is when you're praying or when you're reading from scripture. But to just say it regularly, you're not allowed to do. That's actually violating the Ten Commandments. Yonatan Zevulun. Cool name.

1:00:43It's one of the 12 tribes. Shalom, Rabbi. I have a question about tattoo policy in the Torah. What are the consequences for a Jew getting one? And is it true that he cannot get buried in a Jewish cemetery? I've been getting different opinions about it, and I would like to know the facts. The facts are that the sin of a tattoo is getting a tattoo. You're not allowed to get a tattoo. That's because you're damaging a body that does not belong to you. You're marking a body that does not belong to you. The body belongs to God. So you're not allowed to mark that body. That's the big sin. Now, once you have a tattoo, you're allowed to keep it. as long as the tattoo does not lead to the desecration of Hashem's name, meaning if you have a tattoo that's in a discreet place, for example on your chest or on your leg where other people don't see it, then you don't have to get it removed unless the tattoo is something that's against Hashem, like a cross or a naked woman, or such a thing like that, or some type of other idol.

1:01:48If it's, I don't know, a tattoo of a motorcycle or some nonsense like that, or a dolphin, you don't have to remove it, and you'll still be able to get buried in a Jewish cemetery. But if it's a tattoo that's in a place where other people can see it, for example, on your face, or on your neck, or on your hands, then it can lead to chilul Hashem, to desecration of Hashem's name, and then you would actually have to get it removed. Um... Wow, this thing moved, so I don't know. I think I missed some questions. I think I missed some questions. Sorry if I missed your questions. One of these days, I'm actually going to have someone manage these questions for me. Alevai. Where are the questions? What happened to the questions? We're just going to go through this one. Okay, Marilyn Dorn. Dorn, I think. Yeah, I have this landlord who is a Christian and wants me to say that I'm... Where'd the question go? Why do they keep moving the questions?

1:03:19I'm sorry, but your question disappeared. So it didn't want me to read your question apparently. Aye, aye, aye. Okay, so let's go from the top then. All right. How is Yom Kippur a day of judgment if there's no justice when someone does something wrong and they go to court and they get punished? There are millions of Jews and others alike that do wrong, terrible things daily. You have to understand that judgment doesn't necessarily mean that Hashem punishes you on the spot. He could punish a person a year later, a day later, or even 20 years later for something that they did. So judgment from Heaven is not the same thing as judgment in this world, where someone gets caught for a crime and they punish them on the spot. Hashem could potentially give a person 20 years. time to do teshuva, and if they don't do teshuva, He gives them punishment. So, just because we don't get punished right away doesn't mean that there's no judgment. The reason why Hashem does it that way is because if He punished us right away, that would remove our free choice. If every single person that smoked cigarettes on Shabbat would have their heads blown up on the spot, or if everybody that turned on the car on Shabbat, you know, the car would explode, then no one would ever

1:04:46again, ever, on anything. No one would know. People would be so scared to move. They would never drive, not just on Shabbat, but on any day. They would never smoke, not just on Shabbat, but on any day. So, that would remove our free choice, which, in essence, is one of the ultimate purposes of us being in this world. So, the judgment from Hashem is given time, but that's something that we should take advantage of, not take for granted. The fact that you're still alive means that Hashem is still telling you that you have an opportunity to do teshuva. Robert Romero is asking, Rabbi, why is it that we do not shake hands with women? I think it's something to do with niddah. No, it has nothing to do with niddah. We don't shake hands with women who are not our spouses because it's not modest for a man to touch another woman who is not his wife. That's why we don't shake hands with women. Uh, Jesus, many of our men, men, Yivar, you’ve got to change your name. A man, uh, so the New Testament has many fables. Yes, the New Testament is a completely fake man-made document, and you should change your name because you're named after a wicked person who was a womanizer and is now in Gehinnom (hell). So you should change your name.

1:06:06Oh, so you know this. Okay, see, the rest of it comes. The New Testament was invented by St. Jerome, the Catholic priest in the year 300 CE. Okay, so you know that it's fake and everything. Okay, so there you go. So why would you want to be named after him? Change your name. Masito Nixon, he's a gentile, and I would like to be saved. Okay, you want to be saved. You have two options: one option is to become a righteous Noahide, which is to follow the seven Noahide laws because God said so, and all the ethical laws that are in the Torah. Or, two, you convert to Judaism and follow the Torah 100%. It all depends on what level of righteousness you want to reach. You can reach righteousness as a Jew and as a non-Jew. Obviously, the reward is according to the effort. Dorit Nachman, can you please explain the parashat Va'etchanan, "God pays His enemies to their face," and are there other sources in the Torah that are similar to that statement? Thanks. Yes. So when the Torah says that Hashem pays His enemies to their face, it means that when someone sins against Hashem on a regular basis,

1:07:17Eventually, the Rambam says in Shemoneh Perakim, in Shemoneh Perakim he says that the worst punishment, also in Hilchot Teshuva, in Mishneh Torah Hilchot Teshuva, he says that the worst punishment that a person can get in this world is when Hashem says, not only do I not want you to do Teshuva, I'm not going to allow you to do Teshuva. He closes the doors of Teshuva. And He does not allow the person to do teshuva, meaning that even though teshuva is still possible theoretically, all teshuva requires help from Hashem. Because we're weak, we need help from Hashem to do teshuva. So here, Hashem gets so angry at a person's sins to such an extent where He says, I'm not going to accept your teshuva. I'm not going to help you with your teshuva. If you're going to do teshuva, you're on your own. So in essence, theoretically, He's closing the gates of teshuva. And Now He starts paying him reward for whatever few things he did good or she did good in this life.

1:08:23whatever few things they did in this life. So let's say, for example, they laid tefillin a few times in their life as a kid. Or they ate kosher a few times. Or they did a few blessings a few times. Or they donated some money a few times. Hashem starts paying them that reward to their face. Meaning He pays them in this world. Why? Because the rest of the verse says to eliminate them. He pays them reward in this world. in order to eliminate them, where as soon as they're finished with their life here, after however many years they live in this world, when they get to Hashem, the judgment is clear: Gehinom, eternal punishment. So, this is the worst possible thing that a person can get. And yes, there are several other verses in the Torah that say the same thing. But for the sake of time, I think we've already answered the question with a couple of sources, including the Rambam, Mishneh Torah, Rambam Shemoneh Perakim. Also, in the Gemara, Masechet Rosh Hashanah, page 17. Masechet Rosh Hashanah, page 17. Hashem says,

1:09:25to the sages that there are certain types of people that are such big sinners, where even after Mashiach comes, and the righteous are saved, some wicked will have to suffer, but there are certain types of wicked people that even after the world ends, they're still going to suffer, meaning their suffering will never end. This is in Gemara, Masechet Rosh Hashanah, page 17, and a few other places. So that's what it is. Very scary when you know the details of what that suffering means. I think this thing is moving again. This is so confusing. You see, you can know Torah, but you can't know Facebook. Facebook has Satan in it. Torah is pure, Baruch Hashem. Okay, Elisheva asked a question. I don't think I answered this question. When we're praying for or saying Tehillim for the destruction of our enemies, does this put one in danger or cause judgment when they make Aveirot? You're not an enemy of yourself.

1:10:44You're praying for an enemy of Am Yisrael. You're praying for the enemies of the Torah, enemies of Hashem, to get punished. You're not an enemy of Hashem. So, you're not putting yourself at risk. Isaac Levy. Coming out to Yom Kippur, we open the Aron Kodesh and say, "Anu..." it's in English, uh, the most important day we have to, okay, as opposed to a regular day when the Mechalel Shabbat isn't counted, oh yes, yes. So, so uh, throughout the whole year, throughout the whole year, um, we are, if we're saying you have, if there's a minyan, there's a minyan Minyan is ten Jews that pray together. Now, ten Jews have to be righteous Jews, meaning at the very least they have to all be keeping Shabbat and keeping basic level mitzvot. So, in order for them to say Kaddish together, the prayer of Kaddish together, you have to have ten kosher Jews. But if there are, let's say, eight kosher Jews and two people that are Jews but don't keep Shabbat, then you're not allowed to count them in the Minyan; therefore, you're not allowed to pray as a Minyan, or you're not allowed to say Kaddish.

1:12:12But that prayer that Isaac Levy said, is that the reason why we include Avaryanim? Avaryanim means criminals against Hashem. Where Yom Kippur is the one day a year where you can include the Mechalel Shabbat as part of the Minyan. You can include them. That's why we say it. Why? Because maybe he's going to do Teshuvah today, finally. Joel Cohen, is it a mitzvah to prolong a little more the Yom Kippur? Is it a mitzvah? Yes, some people do. Some people work off of it. Rabbeinu Tam, who added some time to Yom Kippur. But I think if you have a meaningful fast that's full of prayer, crying, and learning Torah, I don't think you're going to need to prolong the fast. Um... Sebastian, Rabbi, can you explain the Azazel scapegoat and also under what circumstances can a person break a fast? So, breaking a fast—you can only break a fast if it's pikuach nefesh, if it's a life risk. If someone is at a point of life risk where they would potentially get into a life-risk situation, they're allowed to break the fast. But if they just don't feel good or they have a headache, it's okay, they have to continue fasting.

1:13:33it's okay; they have to continue fasting. A woman that's pregnant, by default, any issues are a life risk. So if a woman that's pregnant starts feeling major hunger and she starts getting to a point where she's suffering, then the tradition goes that the rabbis, one of the rebbetzins, whisper something in her ear, that it's Yom Kippur, in essence, talking to the baby. If the baby calms down, Then she continues fasting. If it doesn't calm down, then she's allowed to eat. She's allowed to break the fast. Why? Because a pregnant woman is considered at life risk at all times. But men, on the other hand, don't get pregnant, at least not yet in this crazy world. So their life risk is different. But only if there's a life risk are you allowed to break the fast. As far as the scapegoat, throwing the goat off the mountain, they did it because what they wanted as part of our repentance is to get the Satan to leave us alone. So the Satan inflicts pain; that's his job, to inflict pain, suffering, and so on.

1:14:57So when they threw the goat off of the mountain, the goat obviously faced major disaster and damage. In essence, we're showing the Satan, "Here, enjoy this suffering that you've inflicted on the animal, but don't inflict any suffering on us." That's the point of it. There are obviously more details to it, but I'm trying to keep the answers as short as possible so I can answer more questions. Jordan Segev. So is Yom Kippur basically referring to what's going to happen in the next world? Well, Yom Kippur is the appeal process for all of us who don't know how good our judgment is, which was already judged on Rosh Hashanah. So we have an opportunity to turn whatever decision was already made into a better decision. So, in essence, it is the last opportunity for us to save our own lives. Jose Rodriguez, do we pay for the sins of our ancestors or parents? So traditionally, no and yes. Meaning, if a parent is a sinner and the child continues the sin, then the child will pay for the sin of both, his own sin and the parent's sin. But if the parent is a sinner and the son is righteous, then the son does not pay for the sin.

1:16:21Emmanuel, last question. Sorry for the dark topic so far, Rabbi. I don't know what you mean. Does the punishment of people like JC Penny and the seventh level of Gehenom end at some point or is it for eternity? No, the seventh level of Gehenom does not end, ever. So, the first six levels of Gehenom end at some point. There's a specific amount of time for different sins, but the seventh level of Gehenom does not end, ever. The Gemara Masechet Rosh Hashana, page 17, specifies that this level of Gehenom does not end. The book Reshit Chochma, written a few hundred years ago, gives even more details of what happens in the seventh level of Gehenom, and trust me when I tell you, you don't want to know—and it doesn't end. I'm sorry, I don't know how to pronounce your name. Jagla Romero? Or Yagla Romero? Should a conservatively converted person observe Yom Kippur? In essence, I made a video about Conservative and Reform conversions. Conservative and Reform conversions are meaningless. It's as if the person never converted. But if the person truly wants to convert to Judaism...

1:17:35then they need to go through an Orthodox conversion, which means that they should keep 100% of Yom Kippur. But if they're not intending on ever converting to Orthodox Judaism, then they don't need to fast, they don't need to keep Yom Kippur; they should stay a non-Jew and be a righteous Noahide at least. I'll say, how can you follow the Torah 100 percent? Well, it's not a matter of Hashem telling you to follow the Torah 100 percent. He told you to try your best, meaning you can follow everything that you know about. So you have to learn everything, and everything you learn, you have to do everything you possibly can to do it. You get rewarded based on your effort, not necessarily based on the execution. But there are certain things that, you know, we can do, but we choose not to do. Why? Because we don't feel like doing it. So that shows that we're not putting enough effort into it. Do you read the... I guess you say the name Yeshu, not Jesus, but it's still spelled out Jesus. Do you read the Zohar? No. Do you practice Kabbalah? No.

1:18:52I don't practice Kabbalah; I don't read the Zohar, and there are very few people in the world who actually know how to do either one. And if they tell you they know how to do it, they usually don't. Yosef Soto, Rabbi, would you help me convert? Yes, I'd be more than happy to help you convert. I'd be more than happy to help anyone convert if they're a serious person. Meaning they're willing to make all of the necessary life changes to become a very religious, not somewhat religious, a very religious Orthodox Jew. They're willing to make all the necessary changes to become a righteous Jew and learn all the things they need to learn to be a righteous Jew. If you're willing to do that, I'm more than happy to help you. If you're not willing to do it, please don't waste my time because this service is provided for free. Free means I'm not charging you any money, but it doesn't mean that my time is not worth something.

1:19:52So if you're interested, then contact me, private message me, send me an email, go to my website, bezrasHashem.org. You can contact me through there and tell me your story. Why do you want to convert? Why should I help you? What makes you think that you should be a Jew? And so on and so forth. And if I think that you're a serious candidate, I'll start helping you. I'll tell you what to read. I'll tell you what to do. And if you're a serious person, We'll continue helping you. If you're not a serious person, then I'm not going to talk to you. Because again, like I told you, there are thousands of people who want to convert, and we're trying to help as many as possible. We don't have time to waste. But if you are serious, I'm more than happy to help you as much as I can. Now, as far as the help with converting... There are different levels of help that I can provide to different people. If someone is local, then I can not only help them by telling them what to learn and answering questions, but also I can bring them to the Beit Din myself and be a sponsoring rabbi. But if they live far away, for example, in a different country, I can't be a sponsoring rabbi because they live in a different country. However, I can talk to their local rabbi over there

1:21:03and vouch for them, write a letter for them, and do whatever I possibly can to encourage the rabbis that are local to them to help them. So, different levels of help for different people. your meow, Eugene Metcalf, I've been depressed for a long time, and my heart is calloused. Is there a crude way to break it? Fasting is not going to help depression. What will help depression is connecting with God, and the way to connect with God is to learn as much Mussar as possible and as much Torah overall as possible. So read the Five Books of Moses with commentary by Rashi and and also read as many Mussar books written by the Jewish sages as possible. Also, our lectures discuss all of this. You should watch them as often and as much as possible.

1:22:05Robert Romero, why does the fast begin after Shabbat? When does the fast begin? After Shabbat is over? No, this particular year, the fast begins before Shabbat begins, meaning that there is no Kiddush and you can't eat the whole Shabbat. What do I think about the Zohar or the Talmud books? Well, they're holy books. The Talmud is the foundation of our Oral Torah. The Zohar is the foundation of the mystical part of the Torah, and they're very critical parts of Judaism. I heard it's not part of the Torah. Well, Yeshua, you're getting your education from the wrong places, my man. Marina, what does it mean that we are in the time? If you're referring to the end of times, meaning that we're in a time right before the Mashiach is going to arrive, once the Mashiach arrives, there's no more teshuvah (repentance). Whatever you are, you are. Meaning that if you are a rasha (wicked person) and you're going against Hashem, that's how you're judged for eternity. If you're a tzaddik (righteous person) and you've at least exerted as much effort as possible to become righteous, He judges you based on that.

1:23:28What does it mean that we are in a time of Mashiach? I have been hearing this for a very long time. Meaning times of Mashiach, meaning that the Mashiach can arrive on any given day, even though that's always been possible. Based on the calculations that I mentioned in the Oral and Written Torah, we're definitely in the times of Mashiach now versus any other time because there's no more time according to the biblical clock. It has to happen in our generation, in our lifetime. The Moshiach has to arrive during our lifetime, during this generation. I've answered that question already. Okay, Mila Pink. What if we didn't get a chance to say sorry and ask forgiveness from everyone? Well, say I'm sorry to whoever you are given a chance to say sorry to. And whoever you're not given a chance to say I'm sorry to, then, you know, that's a different issue. But... don't worry about the things you can't do. Worry about the things that you can do, and that's the main thing that Hashem wants to know. That whatever opportunity you're given to fix something, you're taking that opportunity to fix it. And not being spoiled and saying, no, no, I'm only going to fix this after this, this, this, and this are fixed. That's the mentality of a wicked person. So we have to make sure that we're righteous people, and we follow the things that righteous people do, which means that

1:24:53if we're given an opportunity to fix something, it doesn't matter whether everything else is fixed or not, we fix it. So, if you have an opportunity to say, "I'm sorry" to somebody that you hurt, let's say, in your life, don't worry about what the rest of the friends are going to think, or what the rest of the people are going to think, or if everybody else, just worry about what's at hand, what's in front of you, do that, and make Hashem happy. Stephen Levy, don't you find it amazing how many parashiyot mention the death of Aharon's sons? Yes, they were very, very special people, but also it's a lesson for us that there is no special treatment in the Torah. Everyone is judged based on measure for measure. Even if they're as righteous as the sons of Aharon, this is a constant reminder that there's no special deals. A lot of people come to me and tell me, "Oh, you know, my grandfather was a big tzaddik, my grandfather was a big talmid chacham, my grandfather was this, my grandfather was that." My easy answer to them is that, "Yeah good, your grandfathers are in Gan Eden. But you, unless you change, you go to Gehinnom. So, you have to change. It doesn't matter what your grandfather is; it's not going to help you. You have to know that in reality, you...

1:26:01Esav, his father was the biggest Rabbi in the world. His father is Yitzchak, his grandfather was even bigger. And Esav, the Torah says, God hates him and he has no share of the world to come, even though his father, not his grandfather, his father's own father ...was the biggest tzaddik, his brother was the biggest tzaddik, and his grandfather was the biggest tzaddik. His brother is Yaakov, his father is Yitzchak, and his grandfather is Avraham Avinu. It doesn't get better than that. But he still has no share of the World to Come. Why? Because he himself was a rasha. So we're all judged based on us. Leora, I've been praying for something for a long time. It seems like Hashem is not answering me. Should I take something upon myself so that my prayer should be answered? Yes. Or it doesn't work like that. No, no, actually it does work like that. When you take something upon yourself, you are, in essence, encouraging Hashem to answer your prayer. In so many words, that's what Hashem is looking for. He's looking for you to do something to deserve something.

1:27:11your prayer is. Sometimes, when somebody prays, Hashem doesn't answer it because they didn't pray enough, or they don't deserve it based on the fact that they haven't sacrificed enough. Or the answer is simply no, He doesn't want to give it to you. So here, I think that if Hashem gave you the thought that you could potentially take something upon yourself, then that's definitely the answer. But make sure that whatever you're taking on yourself Something serious, not something that you know you have to do anyway. Take something serious on, b'ezrat Hashem, your prayers will be answered. I'll say, rather, please mention one Yom Kippur prayer book. It's called machzor. Machzor is spelled M-A-C-H-Z-O-R. Machzor Yom Kippur. If you go to any Judaica store, you tell them, "I need a Yom Kippur prayer book or machzor," they will give it to you. How do diabetics and pre-diabetics manage? Well, if you're diabetic, then it could potentially be a life risk. Then, if you have to do something, if you have to inject a needle, if you even have to eat something sweet, if you have doctor's permission because you're a life risk, then do it. If it's not a life risk, then no, it depends on your stage and level of diabetes.

1:28:30He said, "If I am sorry for the love, I don't know what you did, but you're saying, 'I'm sorry already.' What did you do? What I mean to say is, our file is open to see if we deserve to be punished for committing the same sin. Though we pray for enemies to be destroyed, oh okay, so destroy a thief while one steals time at work? No, no, no." You are not the judge and jury. You are Hashem's child, and you're not going to cause anyone else to suffer. No one's going to cause you to suffer. The only thing that's going to cause suffering to come is our own actions. So we pray for ourselves. We pray for our enemies—not necessarily enemies as in someone we don't like, but enemies meaning those who are enemies of Hashem, and enemies of us getting closer to Hashem. Um, so we, part of our teshuvah is to work on our character traits, make sure that we're honest, make sure that we're generous, make sure that we're, you know, doing what Hashem wants us to do, and Hashem is going to deal with the wicked people the way He's going to deal with the wicked people.

1:29:42Joyce, my daughter gave birth two weeks ago. I'm planning to spend Yom Kippur helping her take care of her kids. What are the woman's obligations on Yom Kippur? Any tefillah? Yes, you should pray. You should pray. But since your daughter gave birth two weeks ago, and in essence, she's still considered in a stage of pikuach nefesh because she's still very weak, I'm assuming, and she needs help. you should pray to Hashem as much as you can, at least one of the prayers of the day. At least one of the prayers of the day. Obviously, you have to fast. Obviously, you cannot use electricity. Obviously, you're not allowed to bathe. Obviously, you're not allowed to be intimate with your husband. So you're still not allowed to do those five things, but you don't have to go to Beit Knesset. You don't have to go to the synagogue. That's not your obligation. You just need to do everything else. Dorit. Just one thing to say to your listeners, Chacham Ovadia writes that a person should not break the Yom Kippur fast until the time of Rabbeinu Tam, because Yom Kippur is a de'oraita fast, and breaking it before is problematic. Okay, so yes, Chacham Ovadia said that people should keep Yom Kippur based on the timing of Rabbeinu Tam. Rabbeinu Tam, who I believe was the grandson of Rashi...

1:31:06Rashi, which has a different clock, is more restrictive and a little more difficult, longer than the standard. But Rabbi Ovadia, you're held by it. And the reason why is because Yom Kippur is the highest level of holiday. It's the highest level of fast of the year. It's the most important fast of the year. And if there's ever a time to be more stringent, this would be the time. Okay, Rabbi Ron. Ellen Wilcox, last question. How do we fix the sin of pronouncing in the past the name of Hashem in vain out of ignorance? Well, if you did it out of ignorance, then it's not a willful sin. It's not a willful sin to such an extent that it could even be not a sin at all because you didn't know at all. It's like running into the light switch on Shabbat. You didn't turn it on; you just ran into it. It's not even considered a sin. So now that you know, from now on, just either use the word "Hashem" on a regular day-to-day basis. You can say "Hashem" as many times as you want, or when you're reading scripture or praying from a siddur, you say the other word that I mentioned.

1:32:27Jordan Segev, if Yom Kippur erases your sins, why do we need to worry about Olam HaBa? Because we continue to make more sins. We continue to make more sins, and Yom Kippur does not erase all of our sins. It erases all of the sins we do teshuva for. If you're not going to do teshuva for a specific sin, then it's not erased. So, for example, if someone comes to the Knesset, and they're a Mechalel Shabbat, and after Yom Kippur they continue being a Mechalel Shabbat, then Yom Kippur didn't do anything for them. In fact, it made their situation even worse. Yom Kippur only helps those people who are actually doing teshuva for that specific sin. So, Jose Rodriguez, do you know Asher Meza? Is he legit? Yes, I know Asher Meza. Is he a Jew? Yes, he's a Jew. As far as "legit," I don't know what that means. He's a Jew. He has good intentions. I'm sure we have some things we agree on and we have some things we disagree on, just like any other human being. But as far as, you know, all the specific opinions, I don't really know what you mean by that, and I don't necessarily think this is a place for that. But he's a decent human being, and I don't have a problem with him. Saul Beinfeld. Beinfeld. If a girl washes and benches seven times Erev Yom Kippur, will it guarantee a shidduch? No. No.

1:33:52Why are we washing and saying Birkat Hamazon more times than you're allowed to say it? Even a mitzvah. You're not allowed to say Birkat Hamazon seven times. No, you're allowed to say it only once. The verse says, "You ate and you were satisfied, and you blessed Hashem, your God." Bless Him once, not bless Him seven times. bless Him once. So whoever told you that is just creating things out of thin air. It's probably some way to confuse you into giving them money because they're trying to tell you that doing more means you're more righteous. In fact, doing that would be a sin. It's using Hashem's name in vain. Isaac Levy, what is the rule of Asher Yatzar on Yom Kippur in regards to washing hands? I've heard different rulings for poskim, knuckles, full hand. If it got dirty, if it didn't, can you wash your hand per usual before tefillah? No, you're not allowed to wash your hands per usual. Asher Yatzar is a blessing that you do after you go to the bathroom. You're allowed to wash only up to, only in essence your fingertips, up to your knuckles. You're allowed to wash.

1:35:03after you go to the bathroom if it's necessary. But in general, you should refrain from washing unless it got dirty. If it got dirty, then obviously you have to wash it. If it got really dirty in different parts of the hand, then obviously you have to wash it. You're not allowed to walk around with filth on your hands. Jordan said, if Yom Kippur wipes away your... Okay, we already said that. I recently began the Rambam cycle and it seems... there were some tough consequences against goyim. Can you expand on this? Yes, the seven Noahide laws that the goyim have are much fewer than the 613 mitzvot that the Jews have. So it's much fewer mitzvot, but the consequence for violating the seven laws of Noah is much worse. The reason why is because if a Jew violates, for example, stealing, if a Jew steals and he gets caught, then he has to pay double. So if he steals 100, he has to pay 200. But if a non-Jew steals, a Noachide steals, the punishment is the death penalty. The reason why is because he had fewer mitzvot to keep, fewer laws to keep, and he even broke them.

1:36:18which means that he completely does not care about God, and therefore the consequence is much, much worse. Therefore, they need to do teshuva in this world because we don't have the death penalty in this world. So, therefore, Hashem is being merciful even on the goyim by not giving them a death penalty every time they steal or violate the seven laws of Noah. Therefore, they should do everything possible to do teshuva. Sylvia Lopez: I want to convert, but my boyfriend does not. What can I do? Leave your boyfriend if you want to convert to Judaism and your boyfriend does not want to convert. You have two options. One, the more likely option, is to try to educate him about Judaism and Torah and... to the point where they want to convert. Or two, leave them. I don't recommend leaving people right away simply because most people don't want to convert to Judaism. It's just a result of them not knowing anything about it, not because they're against it. But there are certain cases where someone is just not willing to do it. They just hate it.

1:37:23So that also depends on the marriage. For example, I have a student who ended up leaving her husband because he didn't want to convert and he was actually anti-Torah. She ended up getting divorced because of this, and she's a righteous Jew now, having made the ultimate sacrifice. I have another student that I keep telling not to leave her husband you know of the convert because he's a good husband even though he doesn't want to convert. He's not anti-Torah. He's a righteous Noahide. He just doesn't want to convert to Judaism because he doesn't think he's ready for it. So that's not a reason to get divorced. But here you're not talking about a husband; you're talking about a boyfriend. A boyfriend, or the, you know, in the secular world, boyfriends are replaced like underwear. So I wouldn't spend too much time with a guy that doesn't want to convert. I would give him an opportunity and If he wants to learn Torah, be righteous, good. If not, convert, become a righteous Jew, and I'm sure Hashem is going to send you a much, much better righteous Jew. Mila Pink, sorry for the lack of emotion, but you have an opportunity to become part of the chosen people. I wouldn't waste it on a boyfriend.

1:38:31Mila Pink, when we pray on Shabbat, are we allowed to pray reading a Tehillim book? Yes, you're allowed to pray from a Tehillim book throughout the day, because Shabbat is considered a day where pikuach nefesh, the preservation of life, overrides other prohibitions. So you're allowed to pray for life-threatening situations throughout the day from a Tehillim book, but you should also read from the Machzor if possible. If not possible, then read Tehillim, yes. Sylvia Lopez, what book do you recommend for you? Contact me privately if you're referring to conversion. There are a bunch of books that I'll recommend to you for conversion. Anyone that has helped convert or is in the process of converting to Judaism, I recommend a bunch of different books. "How to Be a Jew," the book about Shabbat, and so on and so forth. There are many books to read. Just contact me privately and I'll send you a list of books. Um, Crystal, thank you. You're welcome. Okay, Leora, again, I really truly feel that I need to stop wearing my wig. Amen. I mean, everybody say Amen. She doesn't, she shouldn't wear her wig. Amen. Okay, that's what I want to take upon myself. Yeah.

1:39:49Take off that avodah zarah. Take off the avodah zarah. Take off the avodah zarah from your head. Absolutely. Please. Please. Please take it off. Women, righteous women, are wearing avodah zarah on their heads without even knowing it. Please take it off. I'm telling you, people that have done it so far have experienced major miracles in their lives. One miracle after another. So definitely take off the avodah zarah. Replace it with a hat or with a scarf. You're bringing major blessings to your life. Major. Major blessings to your kids. Wear it on special occasions? No, don't wear it on special occasions. No, don't wear it at all. Throw it in the garbage. I want you to take it upon yourself to completely stop. I always feel guilty wearing it. Put it this way: wearing it on special occasions could potentially be worse than wearing it every day. And the reason why is because women who wear a sheitel every single day believe that they're doing the right thing. They believe that they're covering their hair and, you know, they're holding by certain rabbis, etc. They believe that they're doing the right thing. Women who wear it only on special occasions like weddings or bar mitzvahs, or parties, or events like that, in essence, they're doing much worse. Why are they doing much worse? Because they're saying, "I know it's wrong to wear it every day. I know it's wrong to wear it every day. That's why I wear it every day."

1:41:14But here, in this wedding, or this bar mitzvah, or this bat mitzvah, or this whatever, I'm going to wear it because I just don't care about Hashem. So, in essence, it's even worse to wear it on special occasions. It's mezid, it's a purposeful sin. Whereas the one that's wearing it every single day, she doesn't think it's a sin at all. She thinks she's doing fine. Wearing it once in a while, that is even worse. So definitely take that mitzvah on, replace that avodah zarah with a kosher mitpachat, just like Sarah Imenu, just like Rivka Imenu, just like Rachel Imenu. Just like all of our matriarchs who were righteous, wear a scarf or hat. With God's help, you will have many blessings in your life. Your children will be blessed. Your husband will be blessed. All the blessings in the Torah will come true in your life. Just get rid of that wig and throw it in the garbage. Garbage. If you can burn it, even better.

1:42:17I'm going to tell other people to do it also. There are several short clips about wigs that we've made. The mesh will be so kind to post them. You should watch these things because that will give you the hishtadlut you need to really get rid of this avodah zarah. Crystal Ramos, do we wear white tomorrow night and Saturday? No, no white, no white, and no leather shoes. That's old sages in the past used to wear white because they deserved to wear white. They really were sinless. We are not sinless. No white. Wearing white today is purely a fashion statement and it makes us look ridiculous. Don't wear white. Send your girl. Hi Rabbi. I'm here again both Hashem, and thank you. Thank you for coming. Jordan, second, so someone can do sins all his life, then come Yom Kippur, pray for all the sins, and be wiped away and do Kapparot? They all go to Olam HaBa clean? Absolutely not. Absolutely not. There's no such thing as getting everything forgiven just like that. You have to, you know, teshuva is a process. First, you have to stop sinning, then you have to say I'm sorry, and

1:43:30for sinning, say "I'm sorry" for sinning, and then you have to do multiple things for repentance. You have to learn why, you know, how to stop this. Ultimately, the Gemara says a person's teshuva is complete when they're faced with the same potential sin again, and they don't do it. So, for example, someone that sins with wasting seed. There's teshuva for wasting seed. But one day, he sees something, he thinks something, and he gets really, really aroused, and he doesn't sin, then he completes teshuva. But, if he sins again, he must start all over. So teshuva is a lifelong mission. You have to do teshuva every single day. Plus, also keep in mind, we continue making more and more sins every day. And sometimes we don't even know we're making sins. The only way you know how many sins you're making or what sins you're making is if you learn Torah. The more you learn Torah, the more you realize that there are certain sins that you're making and you don't even know you're making them. So you have to do teshuva for those things also. There's no such thing as a righteous person that doesn't sin. That's in a...

1:44:43It's a little one, Lindsay. How can a woman get closer to Hashem since we have so many other tasks? I know tzniut, but what others? The main thing for a woman to do is the following: Number one, pray to Hashem with tears. Number two, be extremely modest based on halacha. It doesn't matter if you're a Jew or non-Jew, you still have to be modest. One thing that a non-Jew is not obligated to do is cover her hair. She should cover her hair, but she doesn't have to. However, both have to be modest; both have to cover their legs, their arms, their neckline, and speak properly. Women have to be modest. So that's the second thing, being modest. Praying, being modest. The third thing is to encourage your sons, daughters, and husband, especially, to learn Torah as much as possible. You have to be the pillar; you have to be the foundation that boosts everybody to live a life of Torah. If you do these things, everything else follows Hashem.

1:45:59Angelica Malaieva, what do you do with a 16-year-old boy that does not want to attend yeshiva? He is currently home, doing online school. He learns Torah by going to lectures on Wednesday and Saturday. What should I do? He is a very strong-willed kid, and there is only one yeshiva in my city. Well, the question is, why doesn't he want to go to yeshiva, and... That's the question. Why doesn't he? He doesn't want to go to yeshiva because he had a bad experience there. He doesn't want to go to yeshiva because he's lazy. He doesn't want to go to yeshiva because he's scared. It depends on the reason why he doesn't want to go to yeshiva. It's not a one-size-fits-all. You have to get to know the kid a little bit. and see what's in his head. Why doesn't he want to go to yeshiva? Especially since he goes to shiurei Torah, which means that he believes in the Torah. He believes in God. You're not going to go every week to shiurei Torah if you don't believe in God. So if he believes in God, why wouldn't he want to learn more about Him? So there's something wrong with this yeshiva maybe. So let's talk to the kid. Angelica contacted me privately, and I'll talk to him whenever I get a chance after the holiday, to try to see what's going on in his head, why he doesn't want to go to yeshiva.

1:47:13How did people atone for sins before the Torah? Well, the Torah has always existed. It was just oral until Mount Sinai, it was only oral. But we've had the Torah since Adam HaRishon. And Teshuva was available from day one. You already hear about how Avraham, Yitzhak, and Yaakov used to pray. Noach used to pray. There are different verses in the Torah that show that they used to pray. And Adam HaRishon prayed. So prayer is one way of Teshuva, and they also used to do sacrifices. Sacrifices for Teshuva. Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov used to pray. Noach used to pray. There are different verses in the Torah that show that they used to pray. And Adam HaRishon prayed. So, prayer is one way of Teshuva, and they also used to do sacrifices. Sacrifices for Teshuva. Alex. Hi Rabbi, are we allowed to build sukkot before Yom Kippur? No, after Yom Kippur you have to build a sukkah. Um, Milagros Torres. I mean, you're technically allowed to build part of the sukkah before Yom Kippur, but the schach should be put on after Yom Kippur. So that's a better, more correct statement.

1:48:25Milagros Torres, Rabbi, Bnei Noach, can they celebrate Yom Kippur? Only to a limit. You can pray to Hashem, you can connect to Hashem, but you're not allowed to observe all of the halachot that the Jews are as a Bnei Noach. Betzalel, Man, it is Hashem's will. Call it, oh yes, yes, amen. Uh, Crystal, can a person still convert if they're separated and their husband is still trying to figure things out? They live separately and have been for several years. Children are involved. No, as long as the husband is still a husband and allowed to, they can't convert. The reason why is because husband can come back into the picture the day after the conversion, and we have an intermarriage situation. So, no, the husband either has to jump on board, or he's out of the picture. But be patient with them, be patient. Be patient with them, especially if they're good people. Lindsay, what can we do for ourselves if we still believe in JC? If you believe in JC, then you should

1:49:41Learn why JC is a false prophet, false god, everything. Or, if someone else you know believes in JC, learn why he is a false prophet, false god, everything. The best thing you should do is learn from the lecture that I did exposing Christianity. Learn from the debate that Rabbi Yisroel Zvi (Irving) Herczeg had with the Christian professor. Learn from all the lectures that Rabbi Tovia Singer has about Christianity, which is practically every single lecture he has. ...prophet, false god, false everything. Or, if somebody else you know believes in JC, learn why he is a false prophet, false god, false everything. The best thing you should do is learn from the lecture that I did exposing Christianity. Learn from the debate that Rabbi Yisroel Zvi (Irving) Herczeg had with the Christian professor. Learn from all the lectures that Rabbi Tovia Singer has against Christianity, which is practically every single lecture he has... Learn from the lectures that Rabbi Skobac has against proving Christianity is false also. You have so much material, so many proofs that prove 100%, without a doubt, that Christianity and the New Testament are 100% false. Learn all of it. And share it. Share it with your friends. Share it with whoever believes in it. And b'ezrat Hashem, pray to Hashem to help these others open their eyes.

1:50:44Isaac, thank you for all your answers. So far, I'm still feeling guilty for things I've done in the past. Good. You should feel guilty for things you've done in the past. That's the point. That's the point of teshuva. That means your teshuva is authentic. Good job. I've asked for selichot and mechila last year and the year before, and unfortunately, feeling guilty doesn't subside. Good. That means that the teshuva is working. Teshuva is working. You should feel bad. You should feel sorry. That means you're still alive. If somebody, for example, you know, did something bad, and they're a real person, they know just saying sorry doesn't make it go away. We're not three years old here, where, you know, the kid breaks something and you say, oh, say I'm sorry, I'm sorry, and everyone forgives. We're not three years old. Someone does something bad, it doesn't just go away because we said I'm sorry. We have to fix it. And, you know, fixing sometimes is not easy. But like my father says, what will take you ...a minute to break will take you a year to fix. So it takes time, but that's what Hashem wants. Hashem wants you to have this feeling because that is what's going to remove you from repeating the sin. That's what's going to get you to stop sinning in the future. So shake up your teshuva. It's real good job. Hashem doesn't want you to be sad. He just wants you to feel bad about sinning, so you don't do it again, okay?

1:52:10Is it wrong to ask for forgiveness for the same thing year after year? I was so excited about the first part of your answer that I forgot to read the rest. Is it wrong to ask for forgiveness for the same thing year after year? No. No, it's not wrong. Keep asking. Since then, I'm a chozer b'teshuva and I'm doing almost everything I can do to better myself. Keep doing it. Keep doing it. Keep doing it. You're doing good. Keep doing it. Uh, Yosef, will all the dead be resurrected one day to be judged? No, only the righteous will be resurrected. Only the righteous will be resurrected. The wicked will be judged without being resurrected; they go straight to the VIP section of Gehinnom. Angelica Malieva, he is not happy there. I don't know what that means, but okay. Vimez, thank you for putting this viewer about wigs. I appreciate it. This is a huge, huge eye-opener for many women, many righteous women who want to do the will of Hashem, who don't know that wigs are a form of Avodah Zarah if they're coming from real hair. I think I've answered all of the questions. Baruch Hashem. Wow. Amazing, guys. I had some good questions today.

1:53:32Let me see. I think I've answered all the questions. I thought I was behind. Did I really answer all the questions? If I didn't answer your question yet, type it again because according to what I see here, I answered all the questions. Here we go, Marina. My mother-in-law passed away two years ago. Sorry, my husband said Kaddish for a year and did everything that he had to as a son. As a son's responsibility, she did not keep Shabbat and mitzvot. Was she forgiven by his prayers? I'm not God.

1:54:36so I can't tell you whether she's forgiven or not, but I can tell you what the Torah says. The Torah says horrible things about people that die, Jews that die still being mechalelei Shabbat, horrible things. So I would continue saying Kaddish for her, I would continue doing mitzvot in her name, and I would continue doing everything you possibly can to improve her situation for the rest of your life, not just for one year. Forget my point. It's not a pleasant topic, but it's a reality. Yitzchak, why can we not use a cow for a shofar? Actually, the Gemara says that all shofars are kosher, technically. All shofars are kosher, but there are certain sages that preferred one over the other, but technically the Gemara says that all shofars are kosher.

1:55:37But there's, again, a difference of opinions on what we should use, what we shouldn't use, and so on. You know, people today like those really big shofars, but you should know very few people can actually blow those shofars properly. Nathaniel Smith, Yom Kippur. Is there anything important you can share? We've been on for a couple of hours, Nathaniel. You've been missing the boat, um, in so many words. There are five things you're not allowed to do. not allowed to bathe, not allowed to have marital relations, not allowed to eat, not allowed to drink, not allowed to wear leather shoes. Also, people should know that you shouldn't come to shul with a lot of fancy jewelry, because in reality, it's a mourning, it's not a morning, it's a holiday where you're supposed to say, "I'm sorry," not show off. to the whole community that you're rich. Or sometimes people are so clueless when they come to shul with special leather shoes, saying, "Oh yeah, I bought these special leather shoes for the holiday." Little do they know, they're not even allowed to wear them. Or women say, "Oh, I bought this special dress for the holiday," and the dress is not modest.

1:56:54So with this basic minimum level of mitzvot, we have to keep, and the most important part is to make sure that when you go to Beit Knesset, you go in an honorable way, and not just to show off to the people you haven't seen all year. Second thing is, the Beit Knesset is a place of prayer, not a place to socialize. If you're going to socialize, go home. Don't socialize in the Beit Knesset. Number one, it's a major disrespect for Hashem. You're disrespecting Hashem in His own house by talking in His own shul instead of praying and saying you're sorry. And number two, you're disturbing other people who are trying to communicate with Hashem. So it's really just a rude thing. The third thing is, if you have little kids that don't behave in shul, don't bring them. Don't bring them to shul and cause other people to be disturbed and suffer because your kids don't know how to behave. Keep them home or keep them outside. Don't bring them inside the shul to cause chaos, and no one can pray because of your kids. Again, I know people love to bring their kids to shul, but it's good as long as the kid can be quiet. But if the kid's going to be running around and, you know, causing chaos in the Beit Knesset, keep them home.

1:58:09I'm serious. It's a very selfish thing to do, to think that everyone else has to suffer because of your kid's lack of behavior. I have kids too. And again, it's not that I don't like kids. I love kids. But I also know that it's not appropriate to make other people listen to your kid's crying instead of the chazzan praying. So, people need to know, if your kids are at the age where they understand what's happening in the Beit Knesset, then you have to teach them how to be quiet, at least for a short period of time, and then take them out. They don't have to necessarily be there the whole day. You can keep them there for an hour and then take them home. Keep them there for a couple of hours, then take them home, or have the spouse take them outside. They don't have to be there all day. But as long as they're inside the Beit Knesset, they should be quiet. Polite and quiet and not disturb the prayer, not disturb the Beit Knesset. Because again, keep in mind, everyone here that's in a synagogue is in a life-risking situation. Everyone is fighting for their life. That's a reality. Whether people act like they're fighting for their life or not is irrelevant. Everything's at risk. Everyone's at risk.

1:59:26So if you were fighting for your life, the last thing you want to do is have some little kid that's not even your own kid disturb your argument with the judge. You understand? So that's the thing. So you have to be considerate of other people, and other people are praying to Hashem. Rabbi in Latin America and Europe, to greet with handshakes, kisses, and hugs to female friends or even female close relatives is part of the normal etiquette protocol. What do we do as men following the Torah? How should we deal with the situation? The way to deal with the situation is to simply not do it. I know it's not easy because everyone knows you from the past and used to handshake and used to kiss and used to hug, but you have to remove yourself from such situations as much as possible. It's not easy because everyone knows you from the past and used to handshake, used to kiss, and used to hug, but you have to remove yourself from such situations as much as possible. So as far as handshakes, the easy way to avoid handshakes is by carrying a bunch of books all the time, even if you don't need them. Always carry stuff in your hand so when someone wants to shake your hand, you can just, you know, pick up the books and say something like, "I'm sorry, I can't, I'm overwhelmed." You can't shake their hand; give them an elbow or something.

2:00:47So that's one thing that you can do. If it's a hug... Again, if it's your mom, then it's fine. But if it's somebody else, then you have to avoid it. By, again, carrying the books. People don't want to hug you when you have books in your hands. Or try to walk away, sneak away. Eventually, people are going to get it. Or you could just simply say, I'm sorry. If you have the... confidence in yourself and what you're doing, you could just say, "Listen, I'm sorry. I don't – I'm shomer negiah. I don't touch women that are not my wife, and that's it." People, at first, may be taken aback, but eventually, they'll respect you for it. But either way, you should know you're not allowed to do it, so that's the thing I... regardless of whether it's etiquette or not, I mean, that's the etiquette of Sodom and Gomorrah. So, even though it's a reality around the entire world, it's wrong. Actually, the Rambam in Issurei Bi'ah, the Rambam writes that even a brother kissing his own sister, even though it's allowed, it's a stupid, disgusting act. So even though a brother is allowed to kiss his sister before she's married...

2:02:12He said, you know, as a greeting. He said, it's a stupid, disgusting act. So, even that really shouldn't be allowed, according to the Rambam. Yisrael Amar, about Lavan B'Gadim, Yom Kippur. About, you know, he's asking about white clothes. We talked about it twice already. Don't wear white clothes on Yom Kippur. it's Rav Ovadia said it's not the minhag of today anymore; it's more of a fashion statement. In reality, it's an undeserved thing because the ones who invented this minhag were representing righteous doves that are sinless. We are as far from being sinless as can be. With all due respect to everyone here, myself included, we're not sinless, so Wearing white is not appropriate; most people don't even know why the minhag of wearing white was even started. Yet, they're wearing white. White clothing was representing sinless doves and so on, as we discussed before. So don't wear white clothes. It's actually chutzpah.

2:03:27It's all kosher, both of them, for having such scholars. Denise, thank you. I've mentioned before, Yom Kippur is so great. Okay, both of them. Charlie, can you say Birkat HaMazon even if you don't eat bread? No, you're not allowed to make a blessing. That's not appropriate. That's using Hashem's name in vain. It's violating one of the Ten Commandments. You have to pray certain prayers for certain things. If you eat an apple, you make a blessing before, of Borei Pri Ha'etz, and Borei Nefashot, or Me'eyn Shalosh, you know, after. If you eat bread, it's Hamotzi Lechem Min Ha'aretz, before, and Birkat HaMazon, after. There are appropriate prayers that the sages... said are for certain things. You can't just pick and choose which prayers to do there. And you don't have to eat a lot of bread in order to do Birkat Hamazon. You just need to eat the volume of an egg of bread to say Birkat Hamazon. It's already enough. And it can even be gluten-free if gluten is the reason why you don't want to eat bread. I don't know why somebody wouldn't eat bread. It's almost in every food.

2:04:48Crystal, medication during the fast. Can one take it with a sip of water and a cracker since required to eat something? It depends on the condition. If the condition is critical, then yes. If the condition is not critical, then they should take the medicine without water. If it's not at all necessary, they shouldn't take the medicine. So it depends on the level of the condition. Based on what I know, you could take it without water. It's a little uncomfortable, but it's possible. Yosef, this is off the Yom Kippur subject. I'm troubled that my mother has made it clear to me that she wants to be cremated when she passes. I'm troubled too that she wants to be cremated. The good news is you don't have to listen to her. Once she dies, she can't do anything about it. You can do what you want. You can bury her. She won't be able to do anything about it. You're not allowed to cremate people. It's disrespecting a body that's not yours. It's disrespecting Hashem's creation. It's not allowed. Michelle, when a person converts and makes a new life in a Jewish family, what happens to her sins from her past life?

2:06:02...the people she hurt, so it depends on what kind of sins. If it's a sin that you could still fix, then you should fix it. For example, if someone stole as a non-Jew, then once they become a Jew, they still need to return it. Why? Because they could still fix it. But if it's a sin that they did something in the past and they can't fix it... They can't fix it, then that sin is wiped out simply because when they convert, they get a brand new soul. According to the Rambam, he says in Hilchot Gerim that they get a brand new soul like a baby. So, the day they convert is officially their new birthday, and they're officially zero years old. If it's a sin they can't fix... it's gone. If it's a sin they can't fix, like stealing and such, then they should fix it. And they shouldn't necessarily fix it because the sin still counts on the existing soul; they should fix it because the sin can be renewed by someone saying, "Hey, look, this guy is a Jew. He used to be a goy, now he's a Jew, but he stole money from me." And that can create a new sin of Chilul Hashem. So that's why you have to fix it. It's not because the old sin counts.

2:07:25Steven Levy, there are a majority of women and rabbis that disagree with you concerning the wigs. I don't care what the majority thinks; I know what halacha is. Halacha is that you're not allowed to wear a wig. There are 117 poskim that were gathered by Rav Ovadia, Rav Elyashiv, and many others that looked into this specific issue. The Vilna Gaon, the Arizal, the Baba Sali. 117 of the biggest poskim in history said that wigs are not allowed at all, regardless of whether they are long, short, from India, or anywhere else. Not allowed to wear wigs at all, ever. That's 117 poskim. Only about a handful, five or so—five, maybe six poskim—said they are allowed only if they meet certain conditions: if it's fake hair, if it looks fake like straw, if it's short, if it's modest, and so on. But only a handful versus 117 that said no at all.

2:08:38The issue that we raised is not renewing this. The issue that we raised is that there's another problem. A problem that's being ignored, which is that most wigs today are real hair wigs. And real hair wigs, according to our research, are guaranteed, guaranteed 100%, to be from idol worship. Why? Because the vast majority, the overwhelming majority, of hair—real hair—comes from India as part of their idolatry. Someone that goes against that is not going against me or my opinion; someone that goes against that is going against the Torah. And guaranteed, guaranteed 100%, to be from idol worship. Why? Because the vast majority, the overwhelming majority, of hair—real hair—comes from India as part of their idolatry. Someone that goes against that is not going against me or my opinion; someone that goes against that is going against the Torah. And Because once something is idol worship, you're not allowed to benefit from it. So the fact that the majority of women and rabbis disagree with me means absolutely nothing. The majority of people are mechalel Shabbat. Does that mean that they're right? It means nothing. Again, it's not my opinion. If it was my opinion, I would tell you don't even listen to it. Who cares about my opinion? I'm telling you what the Torah says, and what the Torah says. That's it. It's not my... Rabbi Elyashiv said the same thing 10 years ago. Just no one wants to listen.

2:09:50We just confirmed what he already said. Next, Denise. It seems to be referenced in Pirkei Avot to purgatory. Does the Catholic doctrine of purgatory come from Judaism? Yes, the Torah does talk about Gehinnom, which is also named purgatory, which is also named hell, which is also named Sheol, and several names for Gehinnom. So yes, the Christians got Gehinnom from the Torah, from the Jews. uh, as long as it's not from idol-worshipping women, hair is fine. Women's hair is fine. I don't know if you're saying if that's your opinion. If you believe that a real hair wig is fine, then that's a chiddush that goes against Rav Elyashiv.

2:10:50uh, pretty much all the biggest sages in history, what you're saying is going against them. So, if you want to go against them, good luck. I can't help that. Ines nishmaso, during the blowing of the shofar, when you hear it, what must one do besides asking for forgiveness from Hashem. Ask for Hashem to help you do teshuva. Aside from forgiveness, ask for Hashem to help you do teshuva, give you the strength to do teshuva, and overcome all the sins, all the desires, whether it be wigs, or it be Shabbat violations, or taref, or anything else. Ask Hashem to help you, to give you the strength to do teshuva. Siyata Dishmaya to do teshuva. Avram, please tell us about the conditions and limits to fast. We talked about that already. You have to fast. As long as it's not pikuach nefesh, you have to fast. Angelica, you had a bad experience with a moving company and you said that there is no mitzvah to be a fool. What if you had the same situation with a brother-in-law? Do you go to war or how do you behave in this situation? Now, it all depends on emunah.

2:12:12It all depends on your emunah. If you believe in the pasuk that Moshe Rabbeinu says to Am Yisrael right before Kriyat Yam Suf in Shemot 14:14. Am Yisrael gets to Yam Suf and they're all scared because in front of them is the ocean. Behind them are the Egyptians that want to kill them, and they have nowhere to go. And Moshe Rabbeinu says to the people, "Hashem yelachem lachem ve'atem tacharishun" ("God will fight your battles and you shall remain silent"). Meaning, you have nothing to worry about. You have nothing to worry about. So, in essence, from here we learn the concept of the level of emunah that a person should strive for. If someone has 100% emunah, they're not going to waste a minute of their life fighting anyone that did them wrong because they know that God will fight their wars. If someone has less emunah, they will make a certain amount of effort. If someone has even less emunah, they will make more effort. If someone has no emunah, then all they're going to do is make an effort to fight the wars. So it all depends. The more you fight the wars, the less Hashem is going to help you.

2:13:28So if, for example, with the moving company that broke our stuff and so on and so forth, I evaluated myself, I talked about it with Merav, and I said, listen, to these people, I tried talking to them, and they're just dishonest criminals. So I could sue them, I could tarnish their name, I could publicize that they're the worst people on earth, ruin their business, and so on and so forth. I could do a lot of things. But all of those things require time. and I have to evaluate how much my time is worth. Now, if I tell the whole world their name, and, uh, what they did, they’re most likely going to sue me. Now, I'm not really worried about being sued; I'm only worried about wasting time. How much time do I have to waste on it? Or, for example, if I see them... For them to pay me back the money that they stole from me. Not only the payment that we paid them, but for all the stuff they broke and ruined. Just to clean the stuff that they urinated on cost me a few hundred dollars. So to go sue them, to go to civil court, it's going to take a certain amount of time. Forget about the money it's going to cost. It's going to take a certain amount of time. Time to me is more valuable than money. So it's going to take a certain amount of time. So let's say, for example, it's going to take 20 hours of my life.

2:14:5630 hours of my life, 40 hours of my life, what can I do with those 20, 30, 40 hours? In 20 hours, I could probably save a few Jews from going to Gehinnom. In 20 hours, I could save a few Gentiles from going to Gehinnom. In 20 hours, I could learn a bunch of Torah. In 20 hours, I could do a lot of things that Hashem wants me to do. That's worth a lot more than some idiot who's a criminal. So I decided, after talking to my Rav and thinking about it myself, that I'm not going to do anything. I'm not going to sue them. I'm not going to speak about them. I'm not going to mention their name. I'm going to do nothing. Why? God's going to fight the war. Let God deal with them. If I lost money out of it, God has to pay it back. It's His money anyway. And that's where I believe because I can use that time to do things that are much more productive for my and other people's olamim. Other people, it doesn't necessarily mean it's the right decision for everybody to do. If someone, for example, has a partner that cheated them out of millions of dollars, and they don't necessarily have complete emunah, then they should go to court. They should go to court and sue them and try to get the money back. But, you know, here this is a test that Hashem gave me that, Baruch Hashem, I think I could pass.

2:16:17know, obviously He knows I could pass, but I think I could pass also. So, I'm trying. That's my, uh, my opinion. So, as far as, uh, if you had a similar problem with a family member, the same applies to you. If you believe that Hashem ...only rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked, and He only does the right thing. Then that means that you have nothing to do; Hashem, you sit silent, don't do anything. Hashem will give you whatever you deserve. If you deserve whatever loss you experienced, He'll pay you back one way or another. It may not come from that person who took it from you; it may come from some other avenue. But what do you care how it comes, as long as it comes? Nathaniel, can we utilize a portion of Maaser money for special food to break the fast? No. Maaser money is Maaser money. Special food is something you need regardless. No. Yosef, what is the proper food to break Yom Kippur? Anything you want. I usually break the Yom Kippur fast with coffee.

2:17:24...and a cookie. Then my wife makes a big meal of some kind, or if I'm at my parents' house, my mom makes a very big meal. But usually, we break it with coffee or tea, and cookies or cake or something, or pastry, and then you eat a bigger meal. But there's no requirement; you can break it with whatever you want. You can break it with pizza, a burger; it doesn't make a difference. Alisheva, can you please explain the leniency of designating areas of shul for meals? which can many times encourage socializing in shul. I don't really know anything about designating areas in a shul for eating, unless it's a specific time for eating, but it has to be completely removed and away from the Sefer Torah, and even then, it's not exactly an ideal place to eat, because... Shul is not a place to socialize. So you're right, it is a problematic issue. Lindsay, I have a three-year-old daughter who loves bedtime stories. Where can I find bedtime storybooks for kids that are kosher? Send me a private message and I'll ask my wife, the Rebbetzin, to give me some suggestions and I'll send them to you. B'ezrat Hashem.

2:18:48Also, I think that Ellen has a few things that we've talked about before. Maybe you can contact her also and she'll send you some stuff. But either way, you can send me a private message and I'll try my best to send you some names and so on. Malka, if you're praying the Amidah in shul while holding a baby and the baby cries, what should you do? Well, first you should know that if you have a baby on you, they should be relatively clean first. So if the baby has, for example, number two in their diaper, you're not allowed to pray with them while holding them. You have to first change the diaper. So the diaper has to be clean. Now, if you're going to pray Amidah, really what you should do is have somebody else watch the baby. so there's no disruptions. If there's no other choice and you're praying Amidah, then pray Amidah and let the baby cry because the only way you are allowed to stop Amidah is if your life is at risk. Maybe crying is not life at risk. I'm sure some people are going to get annoyed, but while you are praying, also pray for mercy so the baby doesn't cry.

2:20:10Angelica, if men are allowed to shape their unibrow based on halacha, If it's a unibrow and it causes the person suffering of some kind, not shaping it, but just not having it, that's one thing. But most guys take it a step further and they start plucking out their eyebrows, shaving them, and waxing them. And that's considered a womanly act. So they're not allowed to do that. They're allowed to do a limited amount of grooming. On that part, you're still allowed to groom yourself. You're allowed to look like you want to look, but not to too much extent. Don't be a woman, so to speak. Matthew, I vape nicotine. Am I allowed to use chewing tobacco during the fast? No. I use Camel Snus on Shabbat regularly to avoid the use of electronic cigarettes. Thank you, Rabbi, for quitting. Very strong. Yes, I quit cigarettes after more than 20 years of smoking because I realized that it's not the will of Hashem and it is part of my teshuva.

2:21:22not allowed to chew chewing tobacco during the fast, you're not allowed to smoke during a fast, not allowed to vape during a fast, you're not allowed to put anything in your mouth during a fast, and the beauty is that you will survive. You survived before it; you'll survive after it. And that's actually the fasts and the holidays are usually the best... times to quit because you already passed one day, make another day, another day, and another day. Killing, how considers, or how does other cell in Yom Kippur We talked about this before, where they would throw the sheep off the mountain and they would call it, "Let this sheep go to Azazel," which is one of the names of the angels that went against mankind. And we do it because it's, in essence, to give the Satan something to do so he doesn't disturb us during the time of repentance, during the time of Yom Kippur.

2:22:31Crystal, what if a man bumps into you? Is there a prayer for that? A prayer for a man bumping into you? Bumping like it's a friend or bumping like it's an accident? If it's an accident, no, there's no prayer for that. Just, you know, watch where you're going, Carol. Carol. told by a scientist today that some very large boulders in the Bronx are 50 million years old. How do you explain this since the Jewish people believe that the earth is less than 6,000 years old? Well, the dating system that's used by scientists is proven, proven to be unreliable. Whether they use carbon dating or uranium dating or dating based on the trees, and so on and so forth, there are different types of, maybe a half a dozen different dating systems

2:23:36But they're all proven to be unreliable. That's why no two scientists agree on the dates. So one guy is going to say that the boulder is 50 million years old. The next guy is going to say, no, it's 55 million years old. That may seem like no big deal. It's only 5 million. But what do you mean only 5 million? You're 30, 40, 50, 60 years old. Recorded history is only... 6,000 years. 5 million years is not a big deal? It's huge. So their dating systems are hogwash. It's complete nonsense. And there's a movie called "The Fingerprint of Creation" by a non-Jewish scientist that proves that all of the dating systems are false. It's already been out for 20 years and no one has debated it because there's no way to debate it. He's proved it. So they could say whatever they want about 50 million and 50 zillion and 50 whatever, but it's all nonsense. Mashiach Matayev, hi Rabbi, are we allowed to brush our teeth on Shabbat? On Shabbat, yes, as long as you

2:24:46Know that you are not going to bleed, but if you know you're going to bleed, then you should use mouthwash. But this Shabbat, if you're talking about this Shabbat, this Shabbat happens to be Yom Kippur, you are not allowed to brush your teeth on Yom Kippur. Miriam, what prayer do we recite when we light candles tomorrow? A regular Shabbat or no? So you say the blessing of Shabbat, You say the blessing of Shabbat. You say that Hashem commanded us to light the candles of Shabbat on Yom Kippur, then light the candles. all of the candles that you want, and then say the blessing, and the holiday begins at that moment. Now, if you say the blessing of the candles of Shabbat and Yom Kippur, you are not allowed to light the candles.

2:26:00So you have to say the blessing for Shabbat on Yom Kippur, light the candles, then say Shehecheyanu. Because once you say Shehecheyanu, you've accepted the Chag; it has officially started. It has officially started. So this is a very, very good question, Marina. Thank you for asking. Ari Fisher, are we allowed to sign up for organ donation at the DMV? Are you allowed? Are you allowed? I mean, technically, yes, you're allowed, but why not donate to a specific Jewish organization? There's a Jewish organization called Renewal. And they, you know, will actually make sure that your organs go specifically, especially kidneys, will go to Jews, that you can help a Jew that is going to fulfill Torah and mitzvot. And the reason why is not because we don't like non-Jews, chas v'shalom, but because, number one, there's already plenty non-Jews that are giving their organs to non-Jews, number one. And they, you know, will actually make sure that your organs go specifically, especially kidneys, to Jews, so that you can help a Jew who is going to fulfill Torah and mitzvot. And the reason why is not because we don't like non-Jews, chas v'shalom, but because, number one, there's already plenty of non-Jews who are giving their organs to non-Jews.

2:27:10And not enough Jews giving it to Jews. And number two, what if your organ is going to go into an idol worshiper? Do you really want to help an idol worshiper continue living in this world and desecrating Hashem's name? So if you're already going to donate your organs, donate it to a Jew. There is a debate, though; there is a machloket about whether you're even allowed to donate and So it's not universally accepted that you are allowed to donate your organs after you die. But nonetheless, if you are going to donate, you should donate to a righteous person. What about bankruptcy? Is that stealing? Legally, bankruptcy is allowed if you have no choice—meaning if you don't have any money and you can't pay your debt, and the system allows you to declare bankruptcy, then you're allowed to declare bankruptcy. But if you're really hiding money... and you have the ability to pay, but you just want to take advantage of the bankruptcy system, then that is stealing and it's not allowed.

2:28:14Can we wear synthetic wigs? The problem with synthetic wigs is that if there is permission to wear them, it's only for Ashkenazim, number one. Number two, they have to be modest, meaning they have to be very short. And number three, they have to look fake; not just be fake hair, they have to look fake. So, in reality, it's almost impossible to find a wig that looks fake today because people intentionally try to make them look real. So, it's very difficult. But even if you find a leniency to wear synthetic wigs that look real, which I don't think there is one, it still has to be very short and very modest. And, you know, it still can't be the fancy-schmancy stuff that you see everywhere. And it's only if you are Ashkenazi, because there is no leniency if you're Sephardic. Michael, there's a video called The Young Age of the Earth by Dr. Robert Gentry that proves the young earth. Yeah, the same scientist, Robert Gentry, also has The Fingerprint of Creation. Jose, how are names selected for the new men, women, Jewish converts? You pick it. You pick it yourself.

2:29:38You know, pick a Jewish name. Jewish names are in the Torah. Pick one that you connect to, and that's what they'll go with. They don't pick a name for you. You pick it for yourself. Eliezer Katanoff, hi, I don't feel comfortable staying and praying all day in a synagogue during Yom Kippur. Can I pray some of the prayers at home? It's better that you pray in a minyan, especially on Yom Kippur. If you don't like your synagogue, you should just go to a different synagogue. Maybe go to two different synagogues during the holiday. But you should definitely pray in the minyan during the holiday as much as possible. If you can't... If you can't stay in the synagogue for health reasons, then, of course, yeah, pray at home. Chad Jewell. I was at a kosher restaurant in Orlando and they had your poster on the door and the food was excellent. Baruch Hashem. Baruch Hashem. What is the din for a non-Jew? What's the din of a non-Jew that is not in the process of conversion? If he observes the fast of Yom Kippur, isn't Yom Kippur specific for the Jews like Shabbat is? If yes, is the din the same as in that case? Yes, if a non-Jew that's not in the process of conversion, has no intention of converting,

2:31:01He's not converting. He just is what it is. He's staying a non-Jew, but he wants to fast on Yom Kippur, and he fasts on Yom Kippur and keeps all the other halachot of Yom Kippur. Then he violated the law of creating a new religion. And the punishment for that is karet, the heavenly death penalty. So he is an idiot for keeping a law that he's not allowed to keep. Isaac Levy, I've heard it's something really big to be in Uman during Yom Kippur. Rabbi Nachman promises some amazing things, but I don't think my wife wants me to go. How important is it? Is there a difference? Listen, the whole Uman thing only started 30 years ago. 1988. That's what they don't tell you. They make it seem that Uman started, you know, a couple of hundred years ago. It didn't. It started 30 years ago, in 1988. And there's no really big importance, nothing. It's stay home, stay with your wife.

2:32:11And you're only allowed to go if your wife allows you to go. If your wife doesn't allow you to go, you're not allowed to go. It's a sin. And again, even going to Uman personally, I don't recommend it because I think there are more problems that could happen there than there are good things. There's a lot of bad things that happen over there, not just good things. So I don't recommend it. And especially if your wife tells you no, then you're not allowed to go. Then you're not allowed to go. Why? Because you're not allowed to create Shalom Bayit problems for the sake of Uman or for the sake of anything. Carol, can someone who does not live near a synagogue drive on Yom Kippur? No, you're not allowed to drive on Yom Kippur under any condition unless it's a life risk, unless you have to go to the hospital. And even in that case, you should call 911. You shouldn't drive yourself. Cynthia, how can someone exercise while being modest? Can someone dress without a hair cover and pants with a long shirt, or only just while exercising? If you're exercising at home and no one is near you, then you could wear pants and not cover your hair if you're at home by yourself. But if you're going to a gym, you're not allowed to do it because it's not modest.

2:33:34So after I convert to Judaism, can I still get married? I was married once, and I have a grown-up son. Yes, once someone converts, then they're a brand new Jew, and they can get married. And if they're already married before conversion, then they get married again to the same person, because they're converting with you. But you can't marry your old husband or your old wife if they're not converting also. marry your old husband or your old wife if they're not converting also. Karen, what kind of incense was made in solitude for Lashon Hara on Yom Kippur? What kind of incense? Oh, you mean the Ketoret? The Ketoret was made by Moshe Rabbeinu. We can't make it anymore. Even if we had the ingredients, we wouldn't be allowed to. Jorge, if I broke my shoulder but I'm weaning myself off of pain pills so I can't drive to synagogue. No, you can't drive to synagogue. Do I still fast? Yes, you still fast because you broke your shoulder, not your, you know, just a shoulder.

2:34:50Oh, as far as taking pain pills, if you already took pain pills before the holiday, you should try not to. You should try not to take the pain pills unless you absolutely need them. And if you absolutely need them, then take them without water. You don't need water to take pain pills. Lisa Bulwark, Christian here. Oh, man. Why? Why are you still a Christian? Why? Why? Come back. Come back to Hashem. Oh, still at the beginning of a new journey. In Christianity, it's supposed to be the husband that is the head of the house. Some husbands treat their wives as weak. However, what I've been noticing in Judaism is that the wife is the pillar. I keep hearing respect for the wife. I never knew that. Yes, the Torah honors the wife, and in essence, the wife is considered higher spiritually than the husband.

2:35:57and the wife is responsible for the future of the kids. So, yes, Lisa, that's the beauty of Hashem, that when you learn the truth about Him, you realize that He actually loves women who are righteous and follow His ways. Unlike some people, such as atheists or feminists, who think that the Torah is sexist, it's completely wrong. The Torah is the most... fasting increases the chances of communicating through your spiritual eye and cleansing your body too, to some extent, yes.

2:37:14like, for example, a mortgage, then no, you can still give ma'aser because the mortgage is not a debt that's supposed to be paid right now. But if you have, let's say, for example, you owe a person $1,000, and you owe that person $1,000 and you want to pay that $1,000 for tzedakah, you can't use that entire $1,000 for tzedakah if the money that you owe is... If it's a major life risk, then yes. You're a person who owes $1,000, and you have $1,000, and you want to use that $1,000 for tzedakah. You can't use that entire $1,000 for tzedakah if the money that you owe is... If it's a major life risk, then yes. Always ask me why I don't believe. What's the best answer that I can give?

2:38:34Since his day, there has been more war in history from his own people, the Christians, than from any other civilization. There are many proofs that the Earth is not 60 million years old or anything like that. Another 10 minutes or so, 15 minutes, and we're finished. I think we've covered almost everything. Jordan, the best thing from science by Rabbi Mizrachi? Also, Torah, science, and ancient wisdom by us. We did it. Those will show you that You should see that there's a lot of wisdom in the Torah on a day-to-day basis. You should learn a lot of Mussar. Again, I would recommend Rabbi Mizrachi, myself,

2:40:15Learn from as many things as we possibly can do. Can you use a phone or text on the amud (pulpit)? No, you cannot use any electricity. You can't turn on the electricity. because how can you allow riding bikes without allowing you to fix them if it's known that they usually break? Therefore, you're not allowed to ride a bike on Shabbat. without a purpose of bringing birth to the world, then you are in essence destroying hundreds of millions of souls each time. You see him sleeping, and he's laying on his back; you have to wake him up. You have to wake him up. Why? Because he's much more likely to waste seed in his sleep when he's laying on his back. The sages said that one of the most important things

2:41:32as a favor to a man. Some people will disagree. There's enough leniency to say you're allowed. In reality, you shouldn't do it. created six years ago. Is there anything you can do to help his soul be elevated? You can pray for him, obviously. You can pray for him in his name and ask Hashem to forgive him and have mercy on him.

2:42:55They need to work on their redoubt. Number three, they need to donate money specifically for the purpose of tikkun for wasting seed. discussing why it's a big sin to waste seed, and why you shouldn't do it, and why there's a big punishment. There are several rabbis that talk about wasting seed, so you can recommend that, but getting disinformation, either by sponsors, or It's still a weird question. It's still a weird question.