Question
Dear Rabbi, I’ve been having a problem that’s been troubling me for the past year. An acquaintance of mine refused to get the COVID vaccine because of political disinformation he received. His family and friends begged him to get it, but he refused. Last year, he caught COVID and died. Had he gotten the vaccine, he probably would have survived or not even gotten it. He was only 44 years old and left behind a wife and children. He almost certainly got it from me. Several days before he got sick, he and I were at the same gathering. On that day, I was having a slightly runny nose. I did not want to miss the event, and I was in denial it was COVID, and I convinced myself and others it was allergies. My symptoms later worsened and I took a home test and it was positive. At least two people caught it from me, and he was one of them. From a Jewish moral standpoint, who is at fault for his death? Is it him, for failing to obtain a vaccine that would have prevented his death? Or is it me, who transmitted the disease to him. Does this make him a fool or me a murderer?

Question
Suppose one boards a plane expecting it to land in plenty of time for Shabbat. But the flight gets severely delayed and is in the air when Shabbat begins. What is one supposed to do then about being on the plane during Shabbat, and about the fact they will legally be required to exit the plane as soon as it lands, possibly go through customs (which might involve writing), and exit the airport and use ground transportation as soon as they obtain their luggage?

Question
I have a stairway in my home, which has entrances on each side. One ascends a smaller, 3-stair set, passes into an entranceway (essentially a lintel perpendicular to the stair entrance.) then turns to ascend the stairs. Picture an arch with a stairway initiating from inside of it. Do both sides get a mezuzah? Thanks in advance!

Question
Are we supposed to refrain from reciting our own personal petitionary prayers and just trust that Hashem is doing everything for the best, even when it seems like we are down in the dumps? A video I just saw from a rabbi not known to me sounds like that.

Question
Hello Rabbi, I hope this message finds you well. I've been grappling with a tough question for a long time now, and I'd really appreciate your insights. Here's my struggle in a nutshell: I'm struggling to understand how there's so much evil in the world if God is all good. The typical response that we can't fully grasp God's plans doesn't sit well with me, especially when I think about events like the Holocaust or recent wars. They're just too terrible to accept as part of any good plan. I found some comfort in Rambam's words about free will, suggesting that evil exists because people can choose to do wrong or because of natural laws that sometimes have bad outcomes. But this leads me to a bigger question about prayer: If we can ask God for things through prayer, it means we're asking for God's intervention in the world. But if God doesn't always intervene, how can I pray and ask for help? and if he is helping through prayer, why we almost never see this? especially considering that horrible events have happened in the past, even when people were fervently praying, and yet were losr (like the Holocaust). Rabbi, I'm feeling really lost and would greatly appreciate your perspective and guidance. Thank you for taking the time to read my thoughts. Warm regards, Ori