Chaim Ingram, at The Blogs

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Mar 3, 2021, 6:06 PM

Acute angles: Should Jews believe in good or back luck?

Rabbi. I read that in Adar it’s good to schedule a court case with a Gentile because it’s a lucky month! Surely Jews aren’t superstitious in that way? I thought the Torah didn’t believe in lucky times. (Lev. 19:26). ...

Feb 23, 2021, 12:27 PM

The Megila that came back in the nick of time. A True Story

My megila is amongst my most treasured possessions. I purchased it in Gateshead-upon Tyne, England, powerhouse of Torah learning, during the period in the mid-1980s that I was chazzan and assistant rabbi in neighbouring Newcastle. I bought it from...

Feb 18, 2021, 6:20 AM

Re-evaluating ex-President Trump

Well Rabbi, what do you say now about Trump? In the wake of the events of 6th January, do you still view him as “a breath of exceedingly fresh air” as you once wrote? Or do you now admit...

Feb 10, 2021, 11:03 AM

The curious names of our months

Dear Rabbi. I have always been puzzled about the names of our Jewish months. Apparently they were adopted from Babylonian culture and at least one is thought to have idolatrous associations. How can it be that we adopted them?...

Feb 3, 2021, 2:30 PM

COVID-19 AND Tu B’Shevat

Reflecting upon the deeper meaning of Tu b’Shevat last week helped clarify for me the meaning of a difficult passage in Sefer Yoel with which my Seniors group and I have been grappling. Joel 2:2, forecasting a mighty locust-plague (according...

Jan 28, 2021, 8:57 AM

The Unkindest Cut

Shechita has been banned again in a European country. So what else is new? Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland – and now Belgium! Jews are unwanted and unloved in mainland Europe. This has been painfully obvious for some time. Unfortunately...

Jan 20, 2021, 9:49 AM

The remaking of G-d in the image of man

Voltaire – among others – was fond of making the satirical observation that “G-D created man in His image and, ever since, man has sought to return the compliment!” This phenomenon will help us unravel an enigma in this...

Jan 13, 2021, 8:22 AM

Changing words of an anthem – a Jewish angle

There’s a Jewish angle to everything! Including changing the words of a National Anthem! For the benefit of non-Australians: as of January 1, 2021 an alteration was made in the first couplet of Advance Australia Fair, our Australian National Anthem....

Jan 6, 2021, 6:40 PM

Midrash Raba (Vayyikra 1:3), partly based on I Chron. 4:18, lists ten names for the man of whom the Torah testifies “never has there arisen a prophet like ”(Deut 34:10). They are: Yered, Heber, Yekutiel, Avigdor, Avi-Sokho, Avi-Zanoakh, Tuvia,...

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About Me

Rabbi Chaim Ingram is the author of four books on Judaism and honorary rabbi of Sydney Jewish Centre on Ageing.