Question
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!

Question
Hi Rabbi, May a person with a tattoo be buried in a Jewish cemetery? I am asking for a friend. Thank you.

Question
A relative of mine who is not observant recently took an overseas trip. She brought me back as a souvenir an idol that is worshipped by the people of the land where she traveled. In her eyes, it is nothing more than an interesting tchotchke. She wants to give it to me the next time I see her. She also bought one for herself that she plans to display in her living room. What is the appropriate way to deal with this? Should I take this gift from her or refuse it? Or take it and destroy it myself? And since she has one in her house now, is it a problem going over there?

Question
Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thanks for answering my last question. Would it be permissible for a man to put on women’s deodorant such as “Dove,” since the primary purpose of deodorant is to mask odors, or would this be assur because it would be a transgression of “lo silbash” as the deodorant has a distinctly feminine smell. Thanks a lot.

Question
The Torah, in DT 4:1-2, says to live according to God's laws, not adding to them nor removing from them. In Judaism, many traditions have been developed that seem to have become laws that override the Torah. For example, the written law of God says to let the farmland be fallow for every seventh year. Tradition provides a way around the law by allowing people to sell their land for one year to a non-Jew, enabling the farmer to claim, 'I did not farm MY land, so it is OK.' If the land belongs to God, that farmer would still responsible for not having let God's land rest. In fact, according to 2 Chronicles 36:21, because Israel did not keep the shmitah year for 490 years (70 shmitah years), the exile to Babylon was likewise 70 years, to give the land the rest it had been denied by the religious leaders of those days. The same is done during Pessah, selling the Hametz. so you can say, "It's not MY Hametz in my house". These manipulations must be disgusting to God who said not to do them!