Concise weekly answers to your questions about Judaism. If you are a wondering Jew, visit www.joidenver.com/dearrabbi (http://www.joidenver.com/dearrabbi) to submit your own questions.
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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a question many people wonder about: Why don't Orthodox Jewish men wear wedding rings? While I do know some Orthodox men who do wear them, traditionally many Orthodox men do not, and there's actually a specific reason.
In a traditional Jewish wedding, the man gives the woman something of value, typically a ring, as a gift. The key word here is "gift," not exchange. The entire foundation of a Jewish wedding is built on the concept of giving; the man gives to the woman to establish the marriage bond.
If the man were to give the woman a ring and the woman were to give the man a different ring in return, that would be an exchange, not giving. An exchange is fundamentally different from giving and doesn't align with how a Jewish wedding is constructed. Therefore, a man's wedding ring was never really part of the traditional Jewish wedding ceremony.
Additionally, there's a Torah prohibition against men wearing feminine clothing, which according to many opinions includes jewelry. Traditionally, Orthodox Jewish men don't wear jewelry at all, so a wedding band, which has no part in the Jewish wedding ceremony, was never included in the practice.
Some Jewish men do wear wedding rings today, often as a practical sign that they're married (especially in the workplace to signal to others that they're taken). But this is a modern practice separate from traditional Jewish wedding customs.
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1 Jul 2026
YouTube Title: Why Aren't Dinosaurs Mentioned in the Bible?
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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I tackle a fascinating question: Why don't we find any mention of dinosaurs in the creation story in the Bible? The answer reveals how we should read and interpret biblical texts.
First, let me point out that we also don't find any mention of oranges in the creation story, yet no one doubts that oranges exist. The Bible simply doesn't mention every single thing that was created. It provides categories and highlights certain creations, but it's not an exhaustive inventory of all creations.
However, there's an interesting possibility. In Genesis 1:21, the Bible describes the creation of animals and gives different categories. One category is "tannin." Gerald Schroeder, a brilliant MIT physicist, explains that in Exodus 3, the word "tannin" (singular of tannin) refers specifically to a snake. Since the general term for a snake or the category is "reptile," he translates "tannin" as "large reptiles," and the Greek word for a large reptile is "dinosaur." So Schroeder believes the "tannin" mentioned on day five of creation was actually a dinosaur.
According to oral tradition and the Midrash, these large creatures (tannin golem) were long extinct before humans came onto the scene. This aligns with what we know about dinosaurs from fossil records.
Dinosaurs do raise important questions about the age of the universe, which is a separate discussion. For deeper exploration of both topics, I recommend Gerald Schroeder's books, particularly "The Science of God" and his smaller work "What About the Dinosaurs?"
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10 Jun 2026
Why Don't Jews Mix Milk and Meat?
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In this episode of Dear Rabbi, I answer a fundamental question about Jewish dietary laws: Why don't Jews mix milk and meat? The short answer is simple: because God said so. But there's so much more to understand about this ancient practice.
I explain that kashrut laws are essentially a spiritual diet for our souls. Just as certain foods clog our physical arteries, there are foods that clog our spiritual arteries. God shares this with us because if we want to get the most spiritually out of life and be open to spiritual realities, we must ensure our diet is in line with that goal.
When we explore reasons for specific mitzvot, we need to understand that these reasons are layered, not definitive. The Hebrew word for reason is "tam" the same word as "taste." Just as God could have created bland food for survival but instead made magnificent foods with beautiful colors, tastes, and textures, the reasons for mitzvot enhance our intellectual and spiritual connection to them.
There are multiple reasons given for not mixing milk and meat. On the practical side, pagan idolaters mixed milk and meat, so by avoiding this practice, Jews distinguish themselves from pagan worship. On the kabbalistic side, milk represents life (it's white, representing purity and sustenance), while meat represents death. By keeping them separate, we acknowledge the clear distinction between life and death two fundamental forces we must never intermingle.
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