Question
Dear Rabbi, I am Jewish but not Orthodox. I do not follow all 613 commandments. I do not say all the prayers and I don't keep completely kosher. Too often, I speak improper words and think improper thoughts. My question is this: Am I doing any good at all? Do abbreviated prayers, selective mitzvahs and acknowledged Jewish identity reap any reward at all? Or, by being "Jewish Lite" is it the same as if I were completely non-observant?

Question
If one counts the omer by saying the count only in English (or another language) and not Hebrew, is the mitzvah still valid?

Question
I live in the Philippines. I read that Daniel prayed 3 times a day facing Jerusalem while in exile. Where do I face if I also want to face the Holy Land, specifically Jerusalem. Thanks

Question
To relieve my anxiety, my doctor, who is an Orthodox Jew, wants me to play with a set of commercially marketed stones called ‘worry stones.’ They are sold in catalogs that sell a variety of small objects based on various cultures around the world. The idea behind them is you spend time rubbing them together and it supposedly makes you feel less anxious. I am not orthodox myself, but I am well connected with orthodoxy and I know enough to think it sounds to me like what is termed avoda zara. What do you think?