[Be-Ahavah U-Be-Emunah – Terumah
5774 - Translated by R. Blumberg]
1. Fundamental Questions of Faith: Don’t ask
in a SMS why evil was created in the world, why man was created, why the
Holocaust occurred, how do we know that G-d exists. Doing so shows a terrible disrespect for such
questions.
2. General Halachic Questions (they are too
complex for a short answer): Don’t ask why the Chief Rabbinate forbade
ascending the Temple Mount; whether a soldier can refuse orders; how we know
whether food is Kosher.
3. Questions in Torah Learning: Don’t ask in
an SMS for help with understanding a text from the Talmud, Rambam or Shulchan
Aruch. This is not how one learns Torah.
4. Sources: In an SMS, don’t ask for sources,
either to help you with homework, a university assignment or out of general
interest. This is not an "information booth".
5. Education and Marriage: In an SMS, don’t ask
questions about education or marriage. That shows disrespect for these
important topics. Make a phone call.
6. Halachic Surveys: We ask Rabbis halachic
questions in order to abide by the answers. If you are just asking out of
curiosity, be honest and say so in advance.
The Rabbi can then decide whether to answer, and how to answer. When
questions he is asked have practical relevance, he works hard to answer them.
Don’t burden him for no reason.
7. Another Rabbi’s Opinion: Don’t ask Rabbi A
what Rabbi B thinks. Ask Rabbi B, or one his students, directly.
8. Collation of Opinions: Don’t ask what are
the opinions of all the Rabbis on a particular topic. An SMS is not an
encyclopedia or a Torah lecture. The Rabbi answering only provides his own
view.
9. Yeshiva Students: If you are a high school
or post-high school Yeshiva student, ask
your Rebbe or Rosh Yeshiva. Don’t bother someone from the outside.
10. The Local Rabbi: With questions that relate
to a specific place, ask the Rabbi there: In a particular yeshiva, ask the Rosh
Yeshiva. In a city or town, ask the local Rabbi. In a synagogue, ask the
synagogue’s Rabbi. In a youth movement, ask the movement’s Rabbi, or the Rabbi
of its local branch.
11. Mistakes: Before you send a Rabbi an SMS,
make sure that there are no mistakes and that the language is clear. Such
inaccuracies can make the question unintelligible and the answer will be wrong.
12. Don’t start a dialogue: Ask your question
with all the facts and don’t disclose details bit by bit in more and more
SMS’s. Don’t follow up your question with, “Does that apply to Ashkenazim, too?
To Sefardim?” Ask up front. If you don’t, assume the answer is all-inclusive.
13. Clarifications: Don’t respond, “I don’t understand,”
because it is impossible to guess what you didn’t understand. Also, in the
midst of hundreds of questions, it is impossible to guess which question was
yours.
14. Rationale: Don’t respond, “Why?” As above,
amongst hundreds of questions, the
Rabbi cannot guess to which question you were
referring. If you want an explanation, ask for it in advance. You can also
peruse the published response of the Rabbi in question.
15. Urgent!: Don’t write “Urgent!” Once the
Rabbi sees it, he will answer it immediately. Before he sees it, when he is
dealing with a hundred other questions that arrived first, he cannot guess that
there is question marked “urgent”. If it’s urgent, call.
16. Repeat Questions: If you were not
answered, don’t send the same question several times, and don’t send a demand
for an answer. It won’t help. Either the Rabbi has not yet gotten to the
question, or he has decided not to answer it for one reason or another.
17. Hatred: Don’t ask questions about whether
it is permissible/appropriate/a Mitzvah to hate evildoers/Leftists/Rightists/Charedim/secularists/National
Religious/politicians – in short, anyone who is not exactly like you. The
answer to all those who crave hatred is, “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Vayikra
19:18). "As yourself" means without discriminating or making exceptions,
without any tricks or plotting. Literally,
“as yourself” (Mesillat Yesharim 11).
18. Closing the Door: Many Rabbis have stopped
answering SMS’s due to the plethora of unjustified, foolish or insulting
questions. The result is that even those who truly need this important, vital
service like the air they breathe, are left without it. Therefore, don’t cause
the door to close. Love your neighbor as yourself.
19. Squandered Time: Many Rabbis have likely
stopped answering because it causes them unjustified loss of their
Torah-learning time. Only a Mitzvah that cannot be done by others justifies our
forfeiting Torah-learning time (Moed Katan k9:1-2). So consider well whether
this Mitzvah and this kindness that you are asking for has to be performed in
this manner.
20. Thank you: Some petitioners say thank you,
while others do not, thinking this is a service that is due to them. In any event,
the Rabbis forgive them in advance.
