Articles

RABBI SHLOMO COHEN 11/14 This is probably the most controversial article I’ve put on the web. You may very well disagree with me, however, you’ll have a tough time taking the opposite viewpoint. Over the years I have received many phone calls from mothers with a problem child. On many occasions, upon hearing the nature … Continue reading TO SPANK OR NOT TO SPANK: THE VIEW OF HALACHA REGARDING CORPORAL PUNISHMENT

RabbiShlomo Cohen  www.HIQJEW.com  Anyone involved in Outreach has had to enter discussions regarding the merits of evolution in light of a belief in Hashem. Each person eventually settles on certain arguments. There are many to choose from. The purpose of this article is to outline as many of these arguments as possible. Only the highlights … Continue reading Part one – Counter Evolution

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.hiqjew.com Having surveyed the arguments against evolution, we are left with only one approach which science, per se, is unable to deal with, being outside the realm of scientific inquiry- a Prime Mover, Hashem. We have quoted eminent scientists who have remarked on this problem.  Accepting Hashem, the orthodox Jew must either: … Continue reading Part Two – SOME LITTLE KNOWN JEWISH SOURCES

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com This article was originally meant as an approach to Christianity to be read by Jews. Jews who have questions, Jews who are searching in the wrong places for their answers, Jews who know others that need an intellectual, rather than emotional, approach to a particularly Jewish understanding of Christianity. Since it’s … Continue reading A Few Thoughts on Christianity

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen WWW.HIQJEW.COM Many others have addressed the issue of suffering. The following merely purports to raise an interesting option to the question. In effect, rather than any given situation being regarded as punishment, there are a number of other possibilities that must be considered. It may well be that much of our thinking … Continue reading WHY AM I BEING PUNISHED? Suffering in Jewish Thought

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com We often need a reminder of who really is in charge. Overt miracles are rare, yet, if we were to really be aware of reality, they are all around us. We see this reflected in the Yiddish saying “a mon tracht un Gott Lacht’, a man plans and Hashem laughs. Saddam … Continue reading REFLECTIONS ON THE PERSIAN GULF WAR

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen WWW.HIQJEW.COM More frequently than you might suppose the scientific community discovers something which turns out to be something that Chazal had already said 1,500 years ago. Sometimes this may be chalked up, by those who don’t believe in Mesora, to fortuity or a good guess. However, these statements turn up with such … Continue reading HOW COULD THEY HAVE KNOWN? The Number Of Stars reported in the Gemora

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen HIQJEW,COM Miracles are a topic we’ve all thought about. How are we to begin understanding them?  One individual went so far as to say to me, “I’m not a believer, however, if G-d would come down right now and perform a miracle then I’d believe.” I had to point out that if … Continue reading WONDER OF WONDERS, MIRACLE OF MIRACLES

  Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com Conservative Judaism makes a claim to being the true keeper of the Judaic tradition. Your leaders claim to walk in the path of the prophets of old. Your movement, reminiscent of the Sadducees, Hellenists and Kairites, have maintained that, while they believe in the Written Law, they have chosen to … Continue reading A Letter to a Conservative Jew. Some things your Rabbi never told you

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com Bible criticism has been around for a little over 125 years. Today, while not widely known, it is often given as a college class and is often mandatory and, of course, only one side of the issue is mentioned. Unfortunately, academic freedom and intellectual honesty are in short supply on college … Continue reading DOCUMENTARY HYPOTHESIS DEBUNKED An Analysis of Bible criticism

  Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.HIQJEW.com With the advent of the feminist movement in the late ‘60’s Judaism came under fire, along with just about every other ‘sacred cow’, for its purported negative view and treatment of women. In the intervening decades the vitriol has gone out of the movement and the invective has toned down … Continue reading WHAT DO RABBINICAL SOURCES ACTUALLY SAY ABOUT WOMEN?

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen WWW.HIQJEW.COM There are many today who “want Moshiach now!” I often relate two pieces of advice for those who profess the ‘want’ with little understanding of the ramifications. 1- INVEST YOUR MONEY IN BUYING STOCK – Hard to believe I’m saying this. Remember, originally Wall Street was an area at the very … Continue reading On Moshiach and Olam HaBa

  Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.hiqjew.com Feb. 2014 Secular scholars posit an additional 165 years in Jewish history, based on a list of Persian kings, which disagrees with Jewish history as given by traditional sources such as Seder Olam Raba, Tzemach Dovid or Seder HaDoros. Jewish chronology gives 410 and 420 years for the 2 Batei … Continue reading THE “LOST YEARS” HAVE BEEN FOUND

Rabbi Shlomo Cohen www.hiqjew.com Jan. 2014   Ask any yeshiva person, “Who built Torah in America?” and you will hear that Rav Aaron Kotler and Mr. Shraga Feivel Mendelowitz were the ones. Is this really the case? Did they build what we see today single-handedly? Not, Chas V’Sholom, to take away the fantastic credit due … Continue reading Hashem’s unlikely partners