Question
Shalom aleichem Rabbi Lauffer. Thank you for answering my last question. When saying hallel with the minyan, are you supposed to say "hodu lashem ki tov ki l'olam chasdo" after the chazzan says the last line, even though that is the end of the little poem there and there is nothing else to say after the chazzan says that last line? Thanks.

Question
I am ethically Jewish and was not at all raised religious. My family stopped practicing because of immigrating and the Holocaust. I’m currently in college and have recently learned about Chabad On Campus. I have started attending events as I am drawn to returning to my heritage as I find truth in the Torah. Despite already being a Jew, I feel like I’m an imposter and I feel like I don’t truly belong. I feel like I don’t measure up to people who were raised religiously. I feel embarrassed knowing that I don’t have the same knowledge as everybody else. What do I do?

Question
My cousin is transgender. We are planning on having her at our seder. She was born a boy and became a woman through a series of surgical procedures when she grew up. She now looks and dresses feminine and is hard to distinguish from any other woman. We plan to have exactly two males above 13 at our seder, me and our oldest son. Does Jewish law still consider her male for ritual purposes? Can we include her as a ‘male’ for the third person in a zimmun?

Question
Dear Rabbi, Why do many people sway back and forth while praying? I’ve seen others who do not and this seems more respectful to me. Is either way the correct way or the better way? Thank you

Question
When davening at home, I know I don’t say Kaddish, no repetition of the Amidah, and certain pesukim where the Siddur indicates to skip if not with a minyan. But do I skip everything where it says “the Ark is opened”? What about where it says “the Leader and the Congregation” and similar instructions? Do I skip the entire Repetition? On Rosh Hashana, etc. so much of the significant pesukim and piyutim are in the repetition and it seems it would be too much to skip the entire repetition. On Mon/Thur/Shabbat do I just read the Parasha from a Chumash with no blessings, etc.? Is it permissible to include some parts of the repetition (and how do I know these – if any)? The general guidelines I learned don't seem to address these questions. Thank you.

Question
2 people made hamotzi, one said shir hamaalot and wants to make a zimmun, could a third person eat now and answer the mezuman?