Let’s Ask the Rabbi – Rabbi Apple’s latest book
“It is indeed a unique contribution to responsa literature and strongly recommended to all – whether you consider yourself knowledgeable in halachah or are stepping into the waters of halachic literature for the first time” – Yossi Aron, Australian Jewish News
Let’s Ask the Rabbi (ISBN 9781456772697) is a compendium of Rabbi Apple’s popular “Ask the Rabbi” features from his weekly OzTorah emails. Rabbi Apple explains:
“People constantly asked when I was going to make a book out of selections from OzTorah – and finally I have done it: over 300 pages of ‘Ask the Rabbi’ answers listed from A (‘Abortion’) to Z (‘Zionism’).
“I think it’s a good piece of writing, but then I’m biased. I believe it’s a moral voice in an uncertain society, bringing Jewish wisdom to bear on dozens of issues of current concern.
“Readers often ask, ‘Are they real questions you deal with in OzTorah, or do you make them up?’ The answer is, ‘Some of each’. But all are real questions in the sense that they show what has exercised thinking minds over these two decades – climate change, cloning, politics, whistleblowing and many more.
“None of the answers are pontifications from a papal chair. They arise out of real problems and though I do my best to apply my Jewish and general knowledge and experience, I am still agonising over many issues and am not always able to find definitive answers.
“How good I am as a spiritual and ethical guide, others will have to judge. (A Christian journalist once told me he wished I was an archbishop!)
“Readers of Let’s Ask the Rabbi will decide for themselves whether I have brought them help, comfort and inspiration.”
Let’s Ask the Rabbi is available from the publisher and Amazon.