December 28, 2023
Overview of Course – Instilling a Lasting and Passionate Commitment to Yiddishkeit in our Students
Basics For Successful Chinuch
Torah: A Journey Towards Closeness With Hashem
Introduction
Questions about Hashem
Questions in this post
- How can you prove to me that there is a G-d?
- Who created Hashem? How was Hashem created?
- How do we have free will if Hashem already knows what we’re going to do?
- Why does Hashem do bad things to good people?
- I see people doing Aveiros all the time and they aren’t punished. Why should I do Mitzvos?
- Why do terrible events like the Holocaust, September 11, and the Tsunami happen?
- Can Hashem create a rock that He cannot pick up?
- How can I connect with Hashem if I have never seen him? How do I feel closer to Hashem?
Creation
Questions in this post
- Explain creation vs. big bang theory.
- Why does it seem that the earth is millions of years old, when it’s not?
Tefillah
Questions in this post
- Why should I Daven, if I don’t get what I ask for?
- When something goes wrong, why are we always told to daven, even though it doesn’t help?
- If davening is about my relationship with Hashem, why can’t I daven when I feel like it and not when someone tells me to?
- Why daven if I don’t understand what I’m saying?
- Wouldn’t it be better to be able to daven less and concentrate more? Why is it necessary to say so much, if we’ve already admitted that we need Hashem for everything?
- Why is Davening with a minyan so important?
Torah and Learning
Questions in this post
- How do we know that the Torah is really true?
- Why should I follow what the Torah says? Why is it binding on me? Why can’t I make up my own version?
- Where do Meforshim get their information from? How do we know they are correct? Why should I follow laws that are D’rabanan?
- Why should we trust what the Rabbis say?
- Why does Yiddishkeit have to be involved in every aspect of my life?
- How can two opinions be right?
- Why learn so much, especially about irrelevant issues or interesting (ie. Yevamos, Bava Kama)?
- What are the benefits of learning – why shouldn’t I go to work and support Torah learning?
- Why do I have to listen to my rebbe if I think I’m right and he’s wrong?
- Why is it important to know how to learn Gemara – I’ll use an Artscroll?
- Why is Halacha so detailed?
Moshiach
Questions in this post
- I am scared/not excited for Mashiach to come. I’m comfortable with my life, why should I long for him?
- What will happen when Mashiach comes?
- Why be good, if most of us won’t make it to Yemos Hamashiach anyway?
Middos, Reward & Punishment
Questions in this post
- How is it possible for a person to control certain impulses, like anger, jealousy, Gaavah, improper relationships between boys and girls, etc.?
- How can I have good middos without other people taking advantage of me?
- How can one motivate oneself to withstand temptation if he knows with certainty that what he is doing is wrong?
- For what exactly does one go to Gehinnom?
- Why should I more careful in Mitzvah observance than my parents?
- Why and how does Hashem punish those who commit suicide?
- Do I have a Tafkid in life? How do I know what it is?
Tznius/Women’s Issues
Questions in this post
- Why do we need a dress code (boys and girls)?
- Why are schools so “obsessed” with Tznius? Why is it so important?
- Why does the school present Chumros as Halachos in regards to Tznius?
- Why is that we must exceed the Halachic Tznius standards in our appearance?
- Why do girls have a stricter level of Tznius than boys?
- Why can’t woman lein or get an aliyah?
- Why do married women have to cover their hair?
- Why can’t girls learn Gemarah if they are just as smart as boys?
Shabbos
Questions in this post
- Why can’t we do work on Shabbos? If we find shopping enjoyable and relaxing, why can’t we do that? We find Shabbos to be boring.
- If the punishment for not keeping Shabbos is so severe, why do I know so many successful people who don’t keep Shabbos?
Eretz Yisroel
Questions in this post
- Why is there so much violence in Eretz Yisroel?
- What’s wrong with Zionism?
1-It’s All About Happiness
Jewish Community
Questions in this post
- Why is there so much strife in the Jewish community?
- Why are mainstream frum Jews so judgmental? Why do they attribute so much importance to externals?
- Why do we look down on non-Jews?
- What difference does it make in me as a frum person not to follow the hat-and-jacket dress code?
- Why do religious people keep themselves so sheltered from the secular world?
1-The Critical Importance Of A Relationship With Hashem
2-They Must Know How Much Hashem Loves Them
3-The Paralyzing Effects of Fear
4-The Power Of Loving Hashem
2-Happiness Continued
Respect For Talmidim