Question
Decades ago I read a Jewish scripture that meticulously listed the possible causes, or contributors, of sin, two of which were stipulated and enumerated, among others, as: lack of sleep too much travel among, as I say, other causes or contributors. Do you know which scripture this might have been? I would be grateful to be reminded because I can't for the life of me, recall which book it was. Thank you, kindly, Robert

Question
Hello, I hope you are well. I have been searching for an answer to a literary question. It's one that has various answers across the internet and I cannot find a consensus. It's regarding Steinbeck's East of Eden. In the book, he threads the idea of a word he claims has been mistranslated in Christian bibles, Timshel. He says that some scholars translate it as, "thou shalt," and others as, "do thou," but the true translation is "thou mayest." The word appears in Genesis 4:16 according to Steinbeck. Here is a link to the passage in the book, http://timshel.org/timshel.php In my research, I've had scholars tell me that he's correct, or that "thou shalt" is the correct translation, and even that the word Timshel is not a real word in Hebrew. I love the passage and the sentiment in the book and would like to know if I should love it from a historical/faith perspective or only a literary perspective. Thank you for your time

Question
Hi Rabbi, A friend showed me a verse in the Torah that says: “All God asks is that you do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God.” I am not Orthodox but am trying to learn about my Judaism and want to understand what would make me a good Jew. Is it really enough to “do justice, love kindness and walk humbly with God” to be a good Jew? Thanks!
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