In most RAM Q&A responses, the question is shortened or summarised before the answer is given. In this case, however, the letter I received carries an emotional weight and a narrative that would be lost if reduced to a few sentences. For that reason, I am including the full text of the letter, with only minor corrections to grammar, spelling, and flow so that the meaning remains exactly as intended. The Questioner writes: Question: “Nearly ten years ago, a chance meeting deve

Question: Is it permissible according to Halakhah to publicly celebrate the killing of an enemy leader? RAMI: No. According to Torah and Halakhah, publicly celebrating the death of any human being — even an enemy — is a serious moral failing. The Torah teaches: בנפל אויבך אל תשמח (binfol oyivecha al tismach – when your enemy falls, do not rejoice). This is not poetic advice; it is a directive shaping Jewish character. The Torah does not command emotional cruelty. Even when ju

Question: Why do we send gifts of food to other people on Purim? RAMI: The practice of giving food on Purim comes directly from מגילת אסתר (Megillat Esther, the Scroll of Esther). After the Jewish people were saved from destruction, the day was established as one of joy, feasting, and sending portions one to another. The mitzvah is called משלוח מנות (Mishloach Manot, sending of portions). At its simplest level, it ensures that every Jew has enough food to participate in the P

Question: If a mitzvah depends on a specific, commanded component and cannot be fulfilled through imitation — and if intention does not override objective halachic reality — how should we view the modern practice of some non-Jews affixing a mezuzah to their homes as a gesture of support for the Jewish people? RAMI: The principle drawn from מנחות לח א–ב applies directly, and with clarity. A mezuzah is not a decorative emblem nor a political statement. It is a covenantal sign r

Question: Can I write the Ineffable Name in a published article? In other words, it is the saying of the Name that is the issue, correct? RAMI: This is an important distinction. From a halachic perspective, the primary prohibition concerns pronouncing the Four-Letter Name ככתבו (as written). The Name is not to be articulated in its true form outside the service of the בית המקדש (Beit HaMikdash – Holy Temple). When reading Scripture, we substitute אדני, and in ordinary speech

Question: The Gemara (Megillah 28b) Forbids Looking at the Face of a Wicked Person. How Should this Prohibition be Understood and Applied? RAMI: The Gemara in Megillah 28b does not prohibit the mere awareness of evil, but rather the intentional engagement with it. The prohibition is not about accidentally seeing a wicked person, but about directing one’s attention toward them in a way that gives their wickedness space within the soul. There is an important distinction between

Question: Is it permissible to give a Torah scholar money in order to acquire a share in the Torah learning he has already completed? RAMI: No. One cannot retroactively acquire a share in Torah learning that has already taken place, nor in the reward generated by that learning. Torah is not transferable, saleable, or assignable after the fact. The Torah a person studies is acquired through his own effort, time, and dedication, and once that learning has occurred, its merit is

Question: While reviewing my nightly prayers before Tikkun Chatzot, I began reflecting more carefully on what I am saying and why. After reciting the Mourner’s Kaddish for individuals who have passed away within the last eleven months, naming each person and saying one Kaddish, I have the custom of speaking directly to G-D. In that moment, I ask that He protect the souls of Jews who have died defending Israel and those who were murdered by terrorists, and I recite a single Ka

Question: Is there a halakhic ruling for someone who is uncertain whether he mistakenly put on tefillin on Shabbat morning? If a person cannot recall whether he wore tefillin during Shabbat prayers, despite having a regular practice of consciously reminding himself not to do so, how does Halakhah address such doubt? Did our sages establish a presumption or ruling for cases where one fears an unconscious or inadvertent act on Shabbat? RAMI: Yes. Our sages did consider precisel