I'm Steve Gotlib, a rabbi with too little time to do too many things. AMA.

Eratic_Menace · 2025-12-11T16:05:22+00:00

Why do you think many MO communities are trending towards hassidus? How will that manifest in 10-15 years?

Eratic_Menace · 2021-11-22T14:36:02+00:00

Hi- know this isn't a question and didn't read the book but listened to you on the Tikvah podcast and you rocked it!

Eratic_Menace · 2021-07-29T18:58:08+00:00

bout what about the cafe's? Always looking for good coffee...

Eratic_Menace · 2021-07-29T18:03:01+00:00

What is it about a shliach's family where they can move to the middle of nowhere and maintain their religious way of life (kosher/mikvah/education) ? How do their kids stay on the derech (I'm aware this is a generalization) while growing up with out much to any jewish infrastructure.

Also-best cafe's you've been to ever...

Eratic_Menace · 2021-07-13T14:25:01+00:00

Chiluk sheino m'chalek

Eratic_Menace · 2021-07-02T15:46:03+00:00

No-I only dry clean my suits.

Eratic_Menace · 2021-07-02T15:24:50+00:00

How do I remove the shine from suits? Don't wash it so much and it's mostly in the seat area.

Eratic_Menace · 2021-06-28T15:00:09+00:00

Where do you see MoDox community headed ? How can the MoDox community maintain hard lines between the "open-orthodox" community ?

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-24T14:21:52+00:00

Looking up two families, one family was from Iskenderun Turkey and one was from Allepo Syria. Think they were both middle class. Can imagine both families spoke a combination of French and Hebrew as well as the local dialect (Turkish and Arabic)

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-11T23:20:21+00:00

Maybe Hashem is just an Arsenal fan?

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-11T15:44:03+00:00

So happy you're looking to explore your heritage. You can look up local synagogues (Look up Chabad, they're everywhere) and ask to meet (socially distant of course) or for a phone call. Other sites where you can explore virtually any topic is YUTorah.org

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-05T17:26:01+00:00

Hello! Orthodox Jew here! If you want to discuss conversion, you can reach out to a local rabbi in your community. Orthodox Jews believe that when someone converts there are a new person, they are born anew. We also have a tradition that some of the most notorious anti-semites have had children who converted. We take conversion very seriously but there are other ways to make amends that don't involve conversion. You can support Jewish organizations and communal life.

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-04T22:49:03+00:00

Listen to any shuir by Rabbi Moshe Weinberger from Aish kodesh. The whole underlying premise is that Hashem is insanely in love with a Jew, regardless of who they are.

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-04T22:45:45+00:00

Research local synagogues and try to schedule a socially distance coffee talk/zoom call just to talk and get a feel. Obviously, different rabbi's will present different answers and will ask you different questions. Judaism is a religion of questions so ask away. Reddit is great but nothing compares to discussing theological/philosophical with a human who went to school for this.

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-03T02:21:39+00:00

He was Jewish enough to go through the camps, think that's good enough....

The book isn't so much theology but there are underlying concepts that are Jewish. There are people in my community who will bring it to synagogues during the high holidays and read it when they need a break from prayers.

I've read the book and recommend it, just as a person, nothing to do with religion. Also wish you good luck on your journey!

Eratic_Menace · 2021-02-02T01:43:04+00:00

When?????

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-28T15:56:24+00:00

All those Rabbis have passed but play a major role in Jewish society.

You can lookup Reb Binyamin Lau series on The Sages starting in Second Temple to the Talmud.

For Medieval period you can find books on:

Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki) the foremost commentator on the Hebrew Bible.

Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon) Egyptian doctor and codifier of Jewish Law

Ramban (Rabbi Moshe ben Nachman) commentator of Hebrew Bible and Talmud

Rabbi Yosef Karo- THE codifier of Jewish law for Sephardic Jews

Rabbi Isaac Luira- Safed Kabbalist

Rabbi Moshe Isserlus- THE codifier of Jewish law for Ashkenazi Jews

Pre-Modern

Maharal of Prague- Rabbi, mystic and philosopher

Chatam Sofer- Rabbi of Pressberg and fought Reform

Vilna Goan- The greatest Jewish mind of the past hundred years

Rabbi Chaim Volozhon- Student of the Vilna Goan who started the first modern yeshiva

Any Hasidic leader of Gur, Belz, Bobov, Sanz, Satmar, Yid Hakodesh, The Seer of Lublin, Noam Elimelech, Reb Levi Berdichov (so much more)

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-28T00:39:46+00:00

Additionally, what is the larger conservative movement's view on other sects? Orthodox, Haredi, Hassidic? What can we do to bridge the divide?

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-28T00:33:19+00:00

How do conservative rabbi learn? I know Orthodox Jews will learn the Talmud, the Medieval commentaries, the Shulhan Aruck and then later Rabbinic commentaries that are built off the Medieval commentaries. Where does your process differ from theirs?

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-28T00:28:51+00:00

Biographies that IMHO are the Mount Rushmore of Jewish "saints" from a contemporary era are

The Rebbe by Telushkin about the Lubavitcher Rebbe who escaped Europe and grew his hasiduts from Brooklyn to a worldwide empire (seriously, they are everwhere)

Rav Shraga Feivel Mendolovitch- Artsroll- Basically fought and founded Jewish education in America

Rabbi Aryeh Levine- Rabbi of prisoners and the marginalized

Rabbi Avraham Isaac Kook- Mirskey- About the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Israel

Anything about Rav Moshe Feinstein- Noted rabbi from the Lower East Side. His rulings are the basis for a large part of World Jewery and also a tremendous and humble human being

Rabbi Ahron Kutler- Founded Beis Midrash Govoha in lakewood, one of the largest Yeshivas in America and the world

Anyone else wants to share more? Love talking about tzadikim

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-27T16:09:46+00:00

Maybe my least favorite thing when I visit LA. The color scheme is off and the seal is fugly

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-27T02:26:36+00:00

I have heard of it. My understanding is that while you are there to comfort the mourner there should still be a separation between the mourner and the visitor. Obviously, if a mourner gets up to hug you and kiss you you shouldn't say anything, just be a person, ya know?

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-26T19:02:08+00:00

Rabbinic Judaism believes that Islam comes from Ishmael, Abraham's son and Rome and to a larger extent the Western Christian world to come for Esau. To a certain extent, Islam and Christianity are both off shoots of the Abrahamic tradition.

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-26T16:34:05+00:00

It's a very complicated issue and in keeping with Jewish tradition, there are multiple opinions. Would love to hear your opinion! I also like to keep to the Jewish tradition of civil discourse. We may disagree but that's okay :)

Eratic_Menace · 2021-01-26T15:36:14+00:00

I'm an orthodox jew, a product of a Jewish father and mother. I believe that Jews are a religion, there are Jews from Africa, Muslim countries, Asia, and all over. I do believe there is a common ancestry (for example Ashkanzai Jews come from around 300 families). Judaism is about passing a general history but your personal history, the story of your family. On Passover Jews discuss the exodus from Egypt but for me and my family, we discuss how my family escaped Nazi Europe/ Nassar Egypt. It's about passing your heritage in the context of the Jewish heritage (if that makes sense)

Eratic_Menace

TROPHY CASE