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Genesis 35:18 "And it came to pass, as her "soul" was departing, that she (Rachel) "called" his name Ben~Oni "son of my sorrow" but his father called him Binyamin "son of the right hand." Rabbi would you explain why Yaakov ignored Rachel's name for their son? Hebrew names are specific and descriptive regarding character or circumstance. Rachel experienced grievous labor with their son and died as a result. The baby indeed brought her much sorrow in childbirth. Of course, the name wasn't encouraging - however, many Hebrew names aren't always desirable, yet the are emeth, truth.

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Is it selfish to not want to get COVID? Before COVID existed, I used to do lots of nice things. I used to have people over for Shabbat meals, have people stay with me for Shabbat, give people rides where they needed to go, and help people in other ways. Now that COVID is here, I have quit doing all these nice things and said no to people making these very requests of me. The community at large doesn’t seem to understand why I’ve changed so much. I am fully vaccinated and boosted and not in a high risk category if I were to get COVID. I am just afraid of catching it. Am I really being selfish?

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Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thank you for answering my last question. The translation of Malbim on Esther by Rabbi Jonathan Taub, is that an unabridged translation of Malbim’s entire commentary to Esther? Thanks.

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Dear Rabbi, my question is: Does a Jew have an obligation to vote in an election? Thank you.

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Dear Rabbi, I hope you can advise me. Someone in school is constantly insulting me. I’m fat, I’m stupid, I’m a loser, blah blah blah. What does Judaism teach about how I should respond to such insulting behavior? Thank you so much!

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What do you think about me putting a mezuzah on my doorframe if I'm not Jewish? Would this be inappropriate? I believe in HaShem, and I don't believe in Christ. I don't eat kosher (but at least I don't eat pigs or shellfish). Thank you.  

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Judaism says that Jews have to keep much bigger number of mitzvahs (613) than gentiles (only 7). This is strange because the members of a prestigious and chosen group nor,ally and traditioanlly have fewer obligations than a non-chosen people. For example, noble class people did almost no work, but had big property rights in the time before French Revolution. So, why do Jews have to keep much more mitzvot than gentiles if Jews are a chosen people?

Question
Genesis 7:11 In the second (Iyar) month, the seventeenth day of the month the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up,and the "windows" of heaven were opened. Genesis 8:4 And the (Noah's) ark "rested" in the seventh (Tishrei) month on the seventeenth day of the month upon the mountains of Ararat. In these Torah passages heaven's windows opened in the month of Iyar (healing time) and the flood mabbul~ Mem~Bet~Vav~Lamed began. The ark also "rested" in the seventh month [Tishrei "head" of the year ushering in the High Holidays, Rosh Hashanah, the Ten Days of Repentance, Yom Kippur, Sukkot and Simchat Torah]. Both of these extraordinary events occurred on the seventeenth day of the month. Will you connect the dots for me? Why Iyar seventeen? Why Tishrei seventeen? Does number seventeen have spiritual significance? Thanks, for all your invaluable insight.