Question
Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thanks for answering my last question. Would it be permissible for a man to put on women’s deodorant such as “Dove,” since the primary purpose of deodorant is to mask odors, or would this be assur because it would be a transgression of “lo silbash” as the deodorant has a distinctly feminine smell. Thanks a lot.

Question
Why is there an observance of the Sabbatical Year that recently began on Rosh Hashanah? All I know is that we should refrain from working the land in Israel and treat its produce in a special way. Thanks!

Question
Dear Rabbi, I read that there are three categories of people whose sins are forgiven: One who converts to Judaism, one who is promoted to high position, and one who gets married. I understand marriage and conversion have power to cleanse iniquities since they are like a new start and the person is transformed (and transforms himself) into a “new person” with a clean slate. But what is the connection between one's promotion and the forgiveness of his previous transgressions? Thanks!

Question
The Torah, in DT 4:1-2, says to live according to God's laws, not adding to them nor removing from them. In Judaism, many traditions have been developed that seem to have become laws that override the Torah. For example, the written law of God says to let the farmland be fallow for every seventh year. Tradition provides a way around the law by allowing people to sell their land for one year to a non-Jew, enabling the farmer to claim, 'I did not farm MY land, so it is OK.' If the land belongs to God, that farmer would still responsible for not having let God's land rest. In fact, according to 2 Chronicles 36:21, because Israel did not keep the shmitah year for 490 years (70 shmitah years), the exile to Babylon was likewise 70 years, to give the land the rest it had been denied by the religious leaders of those days. The same is done during Pessah, selling the Hametz. so you can say, "It's not MY Hametz in my house". These manipulations must be disgusting to God who said not to do them!

Question
Hi...I am trying to get information if there is a way to use a thermos on Shabbat to keep food hot without immersing it in a mikvah. For example, could there be a way to wrap the food so that it didn't touch the inside of the thermos? Thanks for your help!... Gary