Question
Hi Rabbi, In the American Declaration of Independence, it famously states: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights; that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." Is this the view of the Torah? Thank you

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Does prayer on an airplane require a minyan and standing, as is done in the Synagogue? A colleague at my workplace asked me this and I told him I’d check with a rabbi. Thanks.

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Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thank you for answering my last question. It has been said that ritual washing of hands can be done in modern bathrooms. Does one have to wait, however, for the excrement to be completely flushed down before beginning to wash his hands, or can he wash his hands immediately after flushing the toilet, without waiting for the excrement to be completely flushed down before he starts washing his hands? Thanks a lot.

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Hi Rabbi, I wanted to know why we respect our elders. One reason I heard is because they’re “closer to Sinai.” But why is this a reason to merit special respect? Thanks.

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Dear Rabbi, People make fun of my weight (I admit I am overweight). A friend suggested hypnotherapy for weight loss. Since I am beginning to be religiously observant, my question for the Rabbi is: Does Judaism permit hypnotherapy? Thank you!

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I read somewhere ( can’t remember where) that there’s a problem in going to a mixed ice skating ring - is this true?

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Someone told me a story that I’d heard before and I really didn’t want to waste my time hearing it again. But I didn’t want to offend the teller who was enjoying telling the story and decided to listen politely. Is that what Judaism teaches?