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Dear Rabbi, What is the Jewish view of laziness? Does God abhor laziness? To be honest, I am a very lazy person myself. I know I should do more Jewish things but I guess I’m just too lazy. I know many other religions consider laziness a serious sin and, in their view, I would be a terrible sinner. Thank you, Rabbi, as always, for your guidance.

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Dear Rabbi, I’m a 15 year old male that was raised as a Muslim, and I have started looking into Judaism and I really feel like that it’s the right way for me. I know that I am still young and might not be able to properly understand but I have been reading the Torah while also learning about the religion by watching rabbis on YouTube and researching on different sites. I am writing this to ask about conversion to Judaism; how, when and what do I need to do and learn in order to convert. I’ve also heard that Judaism doesn’t encourage conversion and it could please elaborate on that as well. I know that you get asked this same question many times so I hope I’m not wasting your time. Best regards, *My name withheld

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Dear Rabbi, I turn to you for guidance about how to make decisions for the future. In particular my concerns are how to view financial worries together with the importance of my personal and family’s happiness. Thank you

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I used to work for a collection agency and therefore I know a lot about how they work that many people do not know. Also, I am Jewish and I wonder what a Jew’s obligation is toward paying a collection agency when slapped with a bill from one, considering what I know. The reality is, if one has a debt that has been sent to a collection agency, making a payment to the agency will hurt one’s credit rating even more than simply ignoring the debt. It is unusual for a collection agency to sue a debtor. After three years, the debtor cannot be sued, and after seven years, the debt cannot cause any further harm to one’s credit. In other words, it is usually to a debtor’s advantage to simply ignore the debt and the agency’s demands and repeated phone calls. And collection agencies don’t want debtors to know that. Most people who have a debt sent to collections cannot afford to make payments. The collection agency industry is lucrative between the minute amount of debt that is actually paid by debtors who think they are doing themselves a favor and the sale of the right to collect delinquent accounts between collection agencies. When a debtor makes a payment to a collection agency, they are not giving money to the original creditor at all. What they do not know has already happened is the original creditor sold their debt to the collection agency for a fraction of its original value and resigned itself to collecting only that amount. From then on, it is in the hands of the collection industry to try to collect on what remains of the balance. The collection industry really exists not to help creditors recoup money they are owed, but it’s a bunch of entrepreneurs exploiting the fact that some people just don’t or can’t pay their bills.

Question
Dear Rabbi, I am a teacher with an ethics dilemma. I have a student in high school who desperately wants to go to college but needs a B average qualify for an academic scholarship. He is from a broken home and works after school to help his mother pay the bills - and claims that this doesn't allow enough study time to get the needed grades. But he is very close. I'd like to give him a B to help him have a better chance, but according to his tests he really should get a C+. Is there any guidance in Judaism to help me decide what to do in his case? Whatever decision I make could be the difference between him building a good life or really struggling to manage - both he and his mother. Thank you!

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Hi, I know that marriage between jews and non-jews is prohibited and saw its source in Deuteronomy. I was however asked about whether there would be any halachic implications for a man to have relations with a non jewish woman. While I imagine that would also be frowned upon, I realized I'm not 100% sure of that answer nor would I know where to look for sources on that. Thank you!

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It has been asked about the call of Ahmed Alhasan, the messenger of Elijah, on your website: https://www.asktherabbi.org/question/messenger-of-elijah/ And you wrote a reply: “They are not “giving reasons from the Bible” they are simply citing a list of Biblical sources that neither advance nor prove his claim.” No! It is not correct. With blessings of the knowledge of Ahmed Alhasan and his enlightenment, I will write a more detailed answer and wait for your response. We read in Isaiah 11:1, ✶ And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Yishay, and a branch shall grow out of his roots ✶ the rod and the branch are two different people. Ahmed Alhasan is the very branch and the rod is Muhammad son of Al-Hasan or Imam Mahdi; Muhammad son of Al-Hasan is the twelfth imam for Shia Muslims. Ahmed is from the lineage of Imam Mahdi. Imam Mahdi's ancestry goes back to Yishay through his mother Narjis. The twelfth imam of Shias has a long life and because of this Daniel recalled him with "the ancient of days". We read in Daniel chapter 7: ✶ I saw in the night visions, and, behold, one like a son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. ✶ (Daniel 7:13). "One like a son of man" is Ahmed Al-Hasan. These two are recalled with "rod" and "branch" in Isaiah 11:1 and here with "the ancient of days" and "one like a son of man". Imam Mahdi is the king of the world; in Psalms, we read about him: ✶ 2 My heart is astir with gracious words; I speak my poem to a king; my tongue is the pen of an expert scribe. [...] 15 They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king. 16 Your sons will succeed your ancestors; you will appoint them princes throughout the land. 17 I commemorate your fame for all generations, so peoples will praise you forever and ever. ✶ (Psalms, 45). The fathers of Imam Mahdi did not rule; They were deprived of their right, meaning ruling; instead, his sons, the other twelve Madies that Ahmed Alhasan is the first of them, will reach the ruling. ✶ Dominion, glory, and kingship were given to him; All peoples and nations of every language must serve him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that shall not pass away, And his kingship, one that shall not be destroyed. ✶ (Daniel 7:14). I believe no fair human would reject these many texts about them and the certain compliance of these texts to them unless he wanted to draw the sword of enmity against God and his messengers and prefer the mortal world to the hereafter. Back to Isaiah, chapter 11. It is stated in Isaiah 11:2, ✶ and the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; ✶ It should not be hard for you to read the words of Ahmed Alhasan! You will see the divine knowledge and wisdom in them. I highly recommend reading Ahmed Alhasan's book, as you will see the divine knowledge and wisdom in them. He has published many books such that you will find the answer to many questions in only one of his books which is "The Atheism Delusion". Such as these questions: In which exact location has the flood of Noah happened? How has it happened? Have all the living creatures on earth, aside from those with Noah, died of the flood? Have the sons of Adam married their sisters!? What's the truth!? Would it be impossible for God to make the situation otherwise? What was the role of homosapiens at the time of Adam? Has Eve, as mentioned in Torah, been created of Adam's rib? What does this mean scientifically? Have our ancestors migrated from Africa? Do religious scripts comply with scientific findings and the theory of evolution? What's the complete story of the creation of Adam? What do you know of evolution? Did you know it's purposeful!? Did you know that natural selection, aside from being NOT accidental, is purposeful for a long period? Isn't it like this that when something is proven to be purposeful, the existence of an intelligent cause would be confirmed? Could the second law of thermodynamics comply with the appearance of the earth and life on it AND deny evolution? Is this idea of the ancient Middle Eastern history experts that religion was a result of human nature true? Where is the legacy of Adam and Noah? What do Sumerian histories contain? What is the cause of the GREAT jump in human culture in the era of Sumerians? Is Richard Dawkin's interpretation -of pioneer atheists- of genuine altruism true? Is all aspects of altruism genuine? Does the selfishness of genes cause genuine altruism or oppose it? Are Zakaria Sitchin and Moris Chatlin's hypotheses that extraterrestrial beings have been our forefathers true? Etc. On the other hand, David says: ✶ 15The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous; The right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. 16The right hand of the LORD is exalted; The right hand of the LORD doeth valiantly. 17I shall not die, but live, And declare the works of the LORD. 18The LORD hath chastened me sore; But He hath not given me over unto death. 19Open to me the gates of righteousness; I will enter into them, I will give thanks unto the LORD. 20This is the gate of the LORD; The righteous shall enter into it. 21I will give thanks unto Thee, for Thou hast answered me, And art become my salvation. 22The stone which the builders rejected Is become the chief corner-stone. 23This is the LORD’S doing; It is marvellous in our eyes. 24This is the day which the LORD hath made; We will rejoice and be glad in it. 25We beseech Thee, O LORD, save now! We beseech Thee, O LORD, make us now to prosper! 26Blessed be he that cometh in the name of the LORD; We bless you out of the house of the LORD.✶ (Psalms, 118). It is obvious that the stone which is the right hand and savior and placed in the corner of the house of God is the very savior branch that we read about in Isaiah chapter 11. Before mentioning an important topic regarding this stone, you might also believe that the meaning of this stone is David, like most of the Jewish commentators, but answer to these questions: Was David known to be the cornerstone in the house of the Lord? Or was he mentioned in another place to be the cornerstone in the house of the Lord? And is there a stone placed in the corner of the house of the Lord or the Temple that indicates David? The truth is that there is no such thing, but there is such a thing in the other nation from the children of Abraham and in the house of the Lord built by Abraham and his son Ishmael℗, and it exists in the corner, and in particular, the corner named the Iraqi corner; and all these matters indicate one thing, which is the Savior who comes at the end times or the one who was referred to by David in the Psalms to be the cornerstone and the one who comes in the name of the Lord. To emphasize more that this savior comes in the end-times and from Iraq we recommend you to refer to Babylon's (Iraq's) king's dream in Daniel 2:31-45! ✶ But there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and He has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what is to be at the end of days. This is your dream and the vision that entered your mind in bed: ✶ (Daniel 2:28). Ask yourself why does God show this vision of stone to the king of Iraq? A vision related to the end of times! The topic is clear enough; The stone comes from Iraq and the mysterious words said by David also confirm this truth; Ahmed Alhasan, the very savior and the right hand of the ancient days or Imam Mahdi has come from Iraq at the end of times. Even if you are interested in numeric calculations, the number of stone in Hebrew אבן is 53, and the number of the word Ahmed אחמד is also 53. Has come from Iraq. But exactly where? From Basra! ✶ 1Who is this coming from Edom, In crimsoned garments from Bozrah— Who is this, majestic in attire, Pressing forward-a in His great might? “It is I, who contend victoriously, Powerful to give triumph.” 2Why is your clothing so red, Your garments like his who treads grapes? 3“I trod out a vintage alone; Of the peoples-d no man was with Me. I trod them down in My anger, Trampled them in My rage; Their life-blood bespattered My garments, And all My clothing was stained. 4For I had planned a day of vengeance, And My year of redemption arrived. 5Then I looked, but there was none to help; I stared, but there was none to aid— So My own arm wrought the triumph, And My own rage-f was My aid. ✶ (Isaiah, 63). The attributes are completely aligned with the savior. He is the savior stone! The one who will not be accepted by people. The text says he comes from Basra: בצרה It was already determined he comes from Iraq, now more accurately! Ahmed Alhasan was born in Basra in Iraq. Yes, he starts from the East! And also this text shows that the savior starts from the East: ✶ Thus says the Lord of hosts; Behold, I will save my people from the east country, and from the west country; ✶ (zechariah 8:7). In short, the religion of God spread from the East and in particular from Iraq, even you see Abraham coming from Iraq (ref. Genesis 15:7) Therefore, the sage God that non of His works is vain and speaks with the human through everything, brings the savior of the end of times from the East or Iraq. The one who spreads God's religion, and states the truth. Pay attention to this text according to Isaiah 63: ✶ 16He saw that there was no man, He gazed long, but no one intervened. Then His own arm won Him triumph, His victorious right hand supported Him. 17He donned victory like a coat of mail, With a helmet of triumph on His head; He clothed Himself with garments of retribution, Wrapped himself in zeal as in a robe 18According to their deserts, So shall He repay-e fury to His foes; He shall make requital to His enemies, Requital to the distant lands. 19From the west, they shall revere the name of the LORD, And from the east, His Presence. For He shall come like a hemmed-in stream Which the wind of the LORD drives on; 20He shall come as redeemer to Zion, To those in Jacob who turn back from sin —declares the LORD. 21And this shall be My covenant with them, said the LORD: My spirit which is upon you, and the words which I have placed in your mouth, shall not be absent from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your children, nor from the mouth of your children’s children—said the LORD—from now on, for all time. ✶ (Isaiah, 59). And here we observe him again and in the last verse it is clear that there are sons of him who are the divine messengers. Compare it with what we read in Psalms, chapter 45. ✶ 1Listen, O isles, to me; and hearken, O people, from far; The Lord has called me from birth; from the bowels of my mother has he made mention of my name. 2 And he has made my mouth like a sharp sword; in the shadow of his hand has he hid me, and made me a polished shaft; in his quiver has he hid me; 3and said to me, Thou art my servant, Yisra᾽el, in whom I will be glorified. 4Then I said, I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain: yet surely my judgment is with the Lord, and my reward with my God. 5And now, says the Lord that formed me from the womb to be his servant to bring Ya῾aqov back to him, that Yisra᾽el should be gathered to him, and I was honoured in the eyes of the Lord, and my God was my strength. 6And he said, It is too slight a thing that thou shouldst be my servant to raise up the tribes of Ya῾aqov, and to restore the preserved of Yisra᾽el: I will also give thee for a light to the nations, that my salvation may be to the end of the earth. 7Thus says the Lord, the redeemer of Yisra᾽el, his Holy One, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant of rulers, Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall prostrate themselves, because of the Lord who is faithful, and the Holy One of Yisra᾽el, who has chosen thee. ✶ (Isaiah, 49). There are important points in this passage. Some of the points: This person is the very savior. He is been called "Israel" from God. This is the nicknack of Ahmed Alhasan! Even we see his innocence in verse 7. Many oppressions have been done to Ahmed Alhasan by the government and people. As far as religious priests proposed a killing verdict (Fatwa) for him and the Iraqi government does not stop enmity against him. In addition pay attention to these verses: ✶ 8Thus says the Lord, In an acceptable time have I answered thee, and in a day of salvation have I helped thee: and I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to restore the land, and to assign desolate inheritances to their owners. 9That thou mayst say to the prisoners, Go forth; to them that are in darkness, Show yourselves. They shall feed in the ways, and their pastures shall be on all high places. ✶ (Isaiah, 49). And like this is stated in Chapter 42: ✶ 6I the Lord have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thy hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the nations; 7to open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house.✶ (Isaiah, 42). There are connected to each other; so the one who is mentioned in chapter 42, is Ahmed Alhasan. We read in this chapter: ✶ 19Who is blind, but my servant? or deaf, as my messenger that I sent? who is blind as he that is perfect, and blind as the Lord’s servant? 20Seeing many things, but thou observest not; opening the ears, but he hears not. ✶ (Isaiah, 42). This is Ahmed Alhasan's attribute. The one who has socialized with him knows that when he is present in a group and the topic becomes related to worldly matters, he will not say a word! His ears and eyes are always paying attention to God and worldly matters have no value to him. He always tries to connect people to God so that they also become like the messengers of God, their eyes and ears get purified and be connected to Almighty God to see and hear the words of God through everything. And pay attention to this text: ✶ 26And he will lift up a banner to the nations from far, and will whistle to them from the ends of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: 27none shall be weary or stumble among them; none shall slumber or sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: 28whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like the whirlwind: 29their roaring shall be like a lion, they shall shout and roar like young lions: and shall lay hold of the prey, and carry it away safe, and none shall deliver it. 30And in that day they shall roar against them like the roaring of the sea: and if one look to the land, behold narrow darkness: the light also is darkened in its heavens. ✶ (Isaiah, 5). This person is the savior; like that is available in the following scripture: ✶ 10And in that day it shall be, that the root of Yishay, that stands for a banner of the peoples, to it shall the nations seek: and his resting place shall be glorious. 11And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to re-cover the remnant of his people, that shall be left, from Ashshur, and from Miżrayim, from Patros, and from Kush, and from ῾Elam, and from Shin῾ar, and from Ḥamat, and from the islands of the sea. ✶ (Isaiah, 11). I should say in advance that we read in Isaiah about the Savior: ✶ and his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord: .... ✶ (Isaiah 11:3). Who fears the Lord, is definitely willing the sovereignty of God; Sovereignty of God means the right to legislating and setting rules is for God and the executor must also be selected by God. I will bring some examples for that: ✶ 1And the Lord spoke to Moshe, saying, 2Speak to the children of Yisra᾽el, and say to them, I am the Lord your God. 3After the doings of the land of Miżrayim, in which you dwelt, shall you not do: and after the doings of the land of Kena῾an, into which I bring you, shall you not do: neither shall you walk in their practices. 4You shall do my judgments, and keep my ordinances, to walk in them, I am the Lord your God. 5 You shall therefore keep my statutes, and my judgments: which if a man do, he shall live in them: I am the Lord. ✶ (Leviticus 18) ✶ 25And the Lord heard the voice of your words, when you spoke to me; and the Lord said to me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to thee: they have well said all that they have spoken. 26O that there were such a heart in them, that they would fear me, and keep all my commandments always, that it might be well with them, and with their children for ever! ✶ (Deuteronomy, 5) Thus the person fearing God does not want the "sovereignty of people", the sovereignty that god disagreed with; in Hosea, we read: ✶ 3Yisra᾽el has cast off that which is good: the enemy shall pursue him. 4They have set up kings, but not from me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold they have made themselves idols, that they may be cut off. ✶ (Hosea, 8). Therefore the savior comes with the sovereignty of God and as the flag is the symbol of governance, the savior raises the flag of the sovereignty of God, and it is not far that the savior, with his knowledge, defends from the sovereignty of God and call people to that. Now I should say in the world that all have raised the flag of "sovereignty of people over people" or have accepted it, it is only Ahmed Alhasan that raised the flag of "Allegiance is to God"! Called toward the sovereignty of God and defended it and rebuked those who have accepted the sovereignty of people over people and elaborated the falsehood of it. (Refer to the book "Supremacy of God and not Supremacy of the People" written by Ahmed Alhasan.) Thus we see the messengers of God, through God, have spoken about Ahmed Alhasan. Have addressed his living place, his call, and his attributes. And you said: “However, having said that, if your friend wishes to believe that Ahmed Alhasen is the messenger of Elijah I don’t think that he needs to be proved wrong.” In reply I say: Do you have any criterion proving he is not true? I request you to say your reasoning. Also, you said “It will soon become completely apparent that Ahmed Alhasen is not the messenger of Elijah and at that point your friend won’t need to be convinced.” Regrarding this text also I say Based on what reason do you say this? I will wait for your reply.