Question
Usually we read from the same Torah each week. When the Torah is opened the following week, we are at the correct point for the current parasha. If a different Torah needs to be taken out to read the current parasha, it probably will not open to the correct section. Therefore, the Torah needs to be scrolled until the correct place is located. Since the Torah has no vowels, no trope, no chapter/verse numbers, how does the Torah reader know when he/she has reached the right spot? Thanks.

Question
Traditionally, tips in a restaurant are not legally required, but it is rude not to pay them. Common etiquette says if you can’t afford to tip, don’t eat at that restaurant. I find that hard because of social pressure. What does Halacha say about tipping? I am not well off, but I often find myself forced by social circumstances to eat in a restaurant and pay for my own meal. Affording a tip no matter how small is a struggle for me.

Question
Are there any blanket exemptions for fasting in certain geographic locations for safety? I just moved to a very hot climate where constant hydration is necessary for survival. I naively thought I could fast like normal. Turns out fasting is not only difficult; it is dangerous. Staying sufficiently hydrated does not only require drinking but also some eating, I have been advised by locals familiar with the climate. Because I am so new, I have not met the Jewish community yet. There was a public fast day on just my second full day here (17 Taamuz) and I was overcome by the heat and found I had no choice but to break the fast for dear life. I was literally ready to pass out and my non-Jewish colleagues thought I was crazy fasting. The only Jew I have met here so far told me she never fasts even on Yom Kippur because she feels it’s too dangerous. Tisha B’Av is coming up in a few short weeks and I will be faced with the same predicament, but for a 25 hour fast. I plan to live here for many years, perhaps the rest of my life, and it seems as if now fasting is impossible in this climate. I had this problem even though I am young and generally in good health.

Question
I’ve heard baking Shabbat challah is a mitzvah reserved for women. Can a man fulfill the mitzvah instead? I know how to do it better than my wife does, and I enjoy it much better and have more spare time. My wife prefers when I do it.

Question
Dear Rabbi, Why does Shabbat begin on Friday evening instead of at midnight? Thank you