Rabbi Yossi Adler
Pulpit rabbi and counselor.
4 answers
On the panel of
Answered
I've been struggling with belief in God since October 7th. Is it ok to be angry at God?
A short animation from Rabbi Jonathan Sacks on holding onto faith after catastrophe — and why anger and protest have always lived inside Jewish faith, not outside it.
1.3k likes · 2mo ago
Answered
My son wants to marry a non-Jewish woman he loves deeply. How do I handle this as a parent without destroying our relationship?
Lead with love, not with law. If your son feels he must choose between you and her you have already lost him; if he feels you will walk beside him no matter what, you keep the relationship that lets you stay part of his life.
944 likes · 2mo ago
Answered
What does Judaism say about therapy and mental health? Is it a lack of faith to need it?
Needing help is not a lack of faith — it is taking the body and mind God gave you seriously. We are commanded v'nishmartem me'od l'nafshoteichem, to guard our lives carefully, and the same tradition that tells you to see a doctor for a broken arm tells you to get help for a hurting mind. Going to therapy is not betting against God; it is using the healers God put in the world.
712 likes · 3mo ago
Answered
Is it ok to listen to music during the Omer?
The widespread custom is to refrain from live, joyous instrumental music during Sefiras HaOmer as a sign of mourning for Rabbi Akiva's students. Communities differ on the details — some are lenient with recorded music, a cappella, or for exercise and simcha-related needs — so the honest answer is: follow your family's minhag and ask your own rav for the particulars. The spirit of it is to carry a little restraint, a little awareness that these are days of mourning, into your everyday listening.
254 likes · 2mo ago