texts: A mourner who is having an operation, or travelling, or any other reason that makes it impossible for him to say Kaddish at a particular Tefila. Is there anything the mourner should do to make up for the missed Kaddish?


texts:
What are all the times when we say the t'fila beginning with the words "עלינו לשבח" commonly known as "Alenu"?

Clearly, saying it at the conclusion of things is a theme. But hopefully more specificity can be deduced from consideration of all of its recitals. As @Dave pointed out, its original placement within the amida of Rosh Hashana was not the conclusion of a service, but the conclusion of a subsection thereof.


texts: Can I use kibud av v'em to get my son to date somebody?

texts:
Our son is getting older and still has this wild idea from his 20s and 30s that he will find a model who knows shas!  We try to explain that it is getting harder as he gets older, to no avail.  There is a single woman that everybody who knows the both of them say they are an ideal couple.  Recently I asked him to date her four times with the intention of getting married - I would pick up the tab for the dates.  I want him to look at her as a wife, and focus on the good points.  Will she be a good mother?  Will she give back to the community?  Can they agree on how to raise children and how to handle money?

I plan on asking her to do the same (we have been working with her also for marriage).  He has been "processing" this request for weeks.  So, my question is can I use kibud av v'em to get him to listen to me?


texts: How do you know what God wants without prophets now to tell you?

texts:
I have been told that there have been no further prophets since the last of the Hebrew Bible was written ~2500 years ago.  Without prophets, how do you know God's will?  Who is a valid messenger of God -- whom do you trust?

I ask this question out of curiosity and do not intend to be disrespectful.


texts: Why don't Sefardim use Honey on Rosh Hashanah?

texts: I was told there are Sefaradim who do NOT use Honey on Rosh Hashanah. What is the reason for this custom?


texts: In the Rosh Chodesh leining, why is "Shabbas b'Shabato" pronounced with a pasach?

texts:
Recently, I paid attention to the Rosh Chodesh Torah reading (Bamidbar/Numbers Chapter 28) and noticed that in verse 10, "olas Shabbas b'Shabato…", the word "Shabbas" is vowelized with a pasach (short o as in "pot") under the bais. Usually, the word has a kamatz (short u as in "dug") under the bais, being read "Shabbus", and transliterated as "Shabbos."
A pasach in this manner usually indicates a s'michus, meaning that the word is connected to the following word, typically as a description. Here, though, "Shabbas" does not appear to be describing the next word, "b'Shabato".

So why the unusual vowelization?


texts: Have Jews believed that Ezra was the son of God?

texts:
In reading the Qur'an, I noticed this passage:

  Qur'an 9:30 The Jews say, "Ezra is the son of Allah "; and the Christians say, "The Messiah is the son of Allah ." That is their statement from their mouths; they imitate the saying of those who disbelieved [before them]. May Allah destroy them; how are they deluded?

Is there any basis for the claim? Did Jews believe Ezra to be the son of God when the Qur'an was written?


texts: Which rabbinic or mishnaic source is quoted as having stated that men are to be married at nineteen and fathers at twenty-four?

texts:
I've seen someone quote a certain Jewish text here and there in my readings on the internet where it says something along the likes of, 'eight for the Torah, thirteen for the study, nineteen for marriage, twenty-four for fatherhood, and forty for grandchildren.' I knew who wrote this a couple months ago, but now as I'm trying to dig it up again I'm not having any luck.

Could someone help me out here with a hint or something?


texts: Does Jewish tradition report a narrative on what happened to the original manuscript of the Pentateuch?

texts:
I'm an Italian gentile believer in HaShem, who commits himself to observe the Noahide Laws, as commanded by the Creator in the Torah.

If I'm not mistaken, according to Jewish sources, the Pentateuch was written by Moses on the dictation of HaShem.
Does Jewish tradition report a narrative on what happened to the original manuscript?
I think I understood that this text was kept in the first Temple: was it destroyed during the fall of Jerusalem by the Babylonians?


texts: Why are there so few sources available from post-Tanach, pre-Mishnah?

texts:
Why are there so few sources available from the Anshei Knesses HaGedolah?

We have some Sifrei Tanach from them, written with Nevuah (Trei Asar) or Ruach HaKodesh (Ezra, Esther, Chronicles). We have some oral traditions which were later written down as a part of the Mishnah (Avos 1:1-2, for example) or left as Braisos later recorded in the Gemara (Megillah 17b, for example).

Why was more not recorded from their period? Why didn’t the same rationale for recording the Mishnah not apply to them, that they could have written down more of their enactments? For instance, I can’t find a source earlier than post-Talmudic with the exact text of Shemoneh Esrei.


texts: Is there a concept of shvus dishvus  with an added shvus making it a rabbinic prohibition 3 times removed. For example if it's yom tov sheini, and the action is rabbinic such as Nolad (turning on a flame on yom tov is prohibited from Nolad), and doing it with a Shinui. Does this make it permissible because it's so far removed?


texts:
I was recently sent by a friend this article which contains the following quote:

  The temple altar, the Talmud says, weeps when a man divorces his wife. When a revered rabbi got divorced, his students came to him and asked: “How can this be? Does our tradition not teach that the altar weeps over a divorce?”
  The rabbi looked at his students. “Better the altar should weep than should I.”

This was a charming little anecdote, but I couldn't recall ever encountering it before.  I did a quick survey of Gittin (which I thought would be the most likely place to find it) and found nothing, but knowing the Talmud, this could be anywhere.  Is anyone aware of where in the Talmud this anecdote appears? Does it come from the Talmud at all?

EDIT: I should add that I'm looking not for a source on the altar weeping, but rather on the discussion between the rabbi and his students where the rabbi justifies his divorce by saying "Better the altar should weep than should I."

EDIT 2: It seems that that what I'm looking for isn't in the Talmud, but does it have a source in another text? Or did this person totally make it up?


texts:
There is an idea that one can an appoint a shomer (guard) to daven maariv (shma) and some achronim extend this idea to lighting the menorah. What this does is allows one to do work and eat something prior to performing the mitzvah and the shomer is there to ensure you don't forget about it.

A shomer is an actual person who reminds you. Is it acceptable to set an alarm clock which will remind you to perform the mitzvahs mentioned?


texts: Source for believing the world was created for me

texts:
I believe there is a Gemara or Mishna that says that each Jew should believe that the world was created for them alone.
Does anyone know where this source is.


texts: What is the basis for the custom to stand or sit by Vayivarech Dovid?

texts: What is the basis for the customs to either stand or to sit for Vayivarech Dovid?


texts:
I heard that breaking off an engagement to marry is bad. Is this true?

I see that there are reasons that allow one to break an engagement: Chelkas Yaakov (EH 80)

So is it not permitted to break it without a reason? Or, is it just that you do not need to pay a cancellation fee (if you had one) if you have a real reason?

I heard that you need to ask for forgiveness if you break an engagement. Is this true?

Please provide sources for you answer, as well as where can I read more on this subject in Hebrew or in English.


texts: Would buying kosher meat serve as identifying one as being a "religious jew"?

texts:
Suppose if one is shopping at a grocery store and is checking out with food including kosher meat. If that person isn't wearing any other Jewish signs (e.g tzitzis, kippah, etc.), is that enough to "assume" that person is a religious jew?

If something may have been done "unsightly", is just shopping for Kosher meat be enough of a "chazakah" to warrant chillul HaShem.


texts: What's the origin of the Conservative recititive?

texts:
I've noticed that people who learned to daven in the Conservative movement have a particular recititive which they use for weekday nusach and another for Shabbat nusach (this is among those who learned from chazzanim who knew the difference). What is the origin of this nusach?

[recordings to be made and linked]


texts: Why did Hashem change Adam’s creation specifically because Chiram declared himself a god?

texts:
Bava Basra 75a-b (translation mine, bracketed insertions follow Rashbam ad. loc.):

  מאי (יחזקאל כח, יג) מלאכת תופיך ונקביך בך אמר רב יהודה אמר רב אמר לו הקדוש ברוך הוא לחירם מלך צור בך נסתכלתי ובראתי נקבים נקבים באדם ואיכא דאמרי הכי קאמר בך נסתכלתי וקנסתי מיתה על אדם הראשון

  What is “The worksmanship of your drums and of your holes”? Rav Yehudah said that Rav said, G-d said to Hiram king of Tyre: In you did I peer [I saw that you would declare yourself a god] and I made many holes [referring to the digestive tract] in man. Others explain that this is what He was saying: In you did I peer and I decreed death on Adam.

There were others in history who declared themselves gods. Shemos Rabbah 8:2 notes that four in Tanach declared themselves gods: Chiram (as above), Nevuchadnetzar (Yeshaya 14:14), Paroh (Yechezkel 29:3), and Yoash (Divrei HaYamim 2:24:17). So why is it specifically on Chiram’s account that Hashem added a digestive tract or decreed death?


texts:
This question came about from learning  Gemoro Brochos 21b but the question is not limited to this daf.

The Gemoro Brochos 21b  quotes Rebbi Yehoshua ben Levi as expounding verses Devorim 4 (9 & 10) because they are close to each other (סמוכים).

The first exposition is to suggest that a baal keri may not learn Torah (which as we know is the takkono of Ezra):

  והאמר ריב"ל מנין לבעל קרי שאסור בדברי תורה שנאמר והודעתם לבניך ולבני
  בניך וסמיך ליה יום אשר עמדת וגו' מה להלן בעלי קריין אסורין אף כאן בעלי
  קריין אסורין

  Didn’t Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi say: From where in the Torah is it
  derived that one who experiences a seminal emission is prohibited from
  engaging in matters of Torah? As it is stated: “Just take heed and
  guard your soul diligently lest you forget the things your eyes have
  seen, and lest they depart from your heart, for all the days of your
  life, and you shall impart them to your children and your children’s
  children” (Deuteronomy 4:9), from which we derive, among other things,
  the obligation to study Torah. And, juxtaposed to it, is the verse:
  “The day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb”
  (Deuteronomy 4:10).

Later on in the daf, the second is to show that one who teaches his son Torah, the verse ascribes to him credit as if he received the Torah from Mount Horeb.

  והני סמוכין מבעי ליה לאידך דריב"ל דאמר ריב"ל כל המלמד לבנו תורה מעלה
  עליו הכתוב כאלו קבלה מהר חורב שנאמר והודעתם לבניך ולבני בניך וכתיב
  בתריה יום אשר עמדת לפני ה' אלהיך בחורב

  but he requires these juxtaposed verses in order to derive another
  statement of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, as Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said:
  One who teaches his son Torah, the verse ascribes to him credit as if
  he received the Torah from Mount Horeb. As it is stated: “And you
  shall impart them to your children and your children’s children”
  (Deuteronomy 4:9) after which it is written: “The day that you stood
  before the Lord your God at Horeb.”

The Gemoro deduces from this (in the words of the Sefaria translation)

  Therefore, Rabbi Yehuda cannot derive from that same juxtaposition a
  prohibition banning one who experienced a seminal emission from
  engaging in matters of Torah.

The Gemoro implies that only one deduction can be made from a set of juxtaposed verses (סמוכים).

Are there accepted rules for the exposition of a set of juxtaposed verses (סמוכים)? How binding are the outcomes of these  expositions?


texts: Why don't we celebrate Ben Drusai's Yahrtzeit?

texts:
Ben Drusai was one of the most influential figures in the history of halacha. His minimal contributions to the talmud grew over the years to entire sections of hilchos shabbos and there are even piyyutim composed in his honor such as

בן דרוסאי רדפנו אחריך להשיב לנו גזליך
and
ואמרתם כה לחי אדונינו בן דרוסאי

That being said, why do we not celebrate the yahrtzeit of such an important figure? (Fragments of these piyyutim were recovered from the Yehupitz Geniza containing most of the verses. If anyone thinks the verses would help answer the question, please comment saying so).

This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts: Shiras HaYam - why specifically by this miracle?

texts: Out of all the nissim (miracles) that HaShem did for Klal Yisrael (the Mann, Makkos, Bar Miriam, etc) why was it specifically by this miracle that Klal Yisrael sang Shira?


texts: Why can we do some melachos for eating on Shabbos but not others?

texts:
I learned that certain melachos are permissible on Shabbos in the course of eating or for the purposes of eating. For example, the question of borer in light of "derech achilah"/"derech melacha" is discussed here. It seems that certain permissible forms of food preparation, such as making a salad, are also permitted for this reason. (If not--if these were permitted because there is no melacha involved--I would wonder why some stipulate that the salad needs to be made shortly before eating. And, more generally, it seems clear that some of these permitted forms of food preparation, such as peeling vegetables, do involve what would otherwise be considered a melacha.)

If this is the case, and if we are in fact more lenient on many melachos because of derech achila, then why wouldn't cooking on Shabbos be allowed for the same reason? Although it is obvious enough that cooking is stringently prohibited on Shabbos, a secular Jew recently asked me this question, and I didn't know how to answer.


texts: Did manna really fall from heaven according to Rambam or Gersonides?

texts: What does the Rambam or Gersonides, who were both rationalists, have to say on the miracle of manna falling from heaven? Did they believe such an event took place?


texts: I have heard that some people do not allow a child to see his or her reflection in a mirror before they can speak (or say their name, possibly). Is there any traditional source for this practice?


texts: Why did the Rambam poskin that a Woman can’t be a King of Yisrael or Moshiach?

texts: We know that many woman were Prophets, Judges, & Warriors, all qualities necessary to rule, so why did the Rambam determine that a girl cannot become a King or Moshiach? What’s the logic behind his decision & do any Rishonim or Achronim dispute this?


texts: Figuring out a K'zayit by weight/volume of ingredients

texts:
In this question, I learned that one measures the amount of flour used to determine whether challah separation is necessary. Here I learned that there is a difference of opinion between (some) Sefardim and Ashkenazim whether a K'zayit is measured by weight or volume.

My question now is, can one use the amount of ingredients in a recipe to calculate how much of the prepared food is a K'zayit? This would be useful when determining how much is needed to eat to make a blessing over the hand washing, and say the Grace After Meals.

Here's an example which focuses on the volume, but the same question would apply to weight if the igredients were weighed instead of measured by volume. For the sake of simplicity we'll assume that all parts get distributed equally:

I adapted this recipe to make 8 equal size flour tortillas. Here is the recipe I used. I used this website to convert the cups to cubic centimeters, and put the number in parenthesis:

2 cups of flour (473.1764725 Cubic Centimeters)
a dash of baking powder
1/2 a cup of oil (118.29411812499998 Cubic Centimeters)
3/4 of a cup of water (177.4411771875 Cubic Centimeters)

According to this article, R' Avraham Chaim Na'eh holds that the stricter definition of a K'zayit is 27 cubic centimeters, while the Chazon Ish holds that it is 47.5 cubic centimeters.

So my question now is, can I add up all the cubic centimeters used in the recipe, divide by 8 and use that information to determine how much of the tortilla is a K'zayit? If I add it all up, the recipe calls for a total of 768.911768 cubic centimeters. This means that each tortilla uses 96.113971 cubic centimeters of ingredients.

Can I therefore say that one tortilla is 2 K'zaytim according to the Chazon Ish, and 3.5 K'zaytim according to R' Avraham Chaim Na'eh? Is this a valid halachic way to determine the volume of a food item, or are there other factors that must be taken into account?


texts: Can you taste meat made for Shabbos of the Nine Days?

texts:
I saw this question and was inspired to ask about the opposite case.

If one made a fleishig dish for Shabbos of the Nine Days, can he taste (and swallow) of the dish to make sure it tastes good? Since it’s for Shabbos, is that okay?


texts: Saying l'shem mitzvas tzitzis in bathroom

texts: Can one say l'shem mitzvas tiztzis in a bathroom? I was thinking of a case of tying the knots or fixing it. Since tiztzis is not a davar shebikedusha maybe it should be fine, or maybe since its mitzva related we want don't want you to think Torah thoughts in a bathroom.


texts: What should one do with hot coffee during a meal?

texts:
Say one finished a meal consisting of bread and poured oneself a hot cup of coffee. This person wants to get up and go to a different room or outside but needs to bench for the bread.

Do you say Bikat Hamazon and then a shehakol on the coffee afterwards? Or do you wait to finish the coffee--wherever you end up--and then say birkat hamazon?


texts: When did Israel stop having giant fruit?

texts: Chazal tell us that the fruit the spies came back with from the land of Israel were huge. But I don't recall hearing mention of these giant fruit after the people entered the land (e.g. during the time of the judges). When did the giant fruit disappear?


texts:
Related question

Has any Ashkenazi posek or commentator written glosses on the Yalkut Yosef with opinions according to Ashkenazi minhagim (where they differ of course)?


texts: Why do we not use the original language of בִּרְכַּת הַמִּינִים?

texts: The language we currently use in the amidah for בִּרְכַּת הַמִּינִים is different from that found in the earliest siddurim. The gemarah (Berachot 40b) teaches us that "If one alters the formula laid down by the Sages in benedictions, he has not performed his obligation". I realize that in the past using the original text of בִּרְכַּת הַמִּינִים may have posed a danger to life, however for many or perhaps all people today that is no longer the case. I would like to know why we do not revert to the original text of בִּרְכַּת הַמִּינִים.


texts:
We are currently in the beginning of the 2012 Mi Yodeya Moderator Election.

To what extent can one avail oneself of the exception of "to'elet"="for a purpose" to the standard rules of Lashon HaRa' (slander) in discussing different candidates' qualifications for being a community moderator?

Background: the exception of To'elet is best roughly illustrated by referring to the story of Gedaliah ben Achikam. A friend of Gedaliah named Yochanon ben Kereach warned him that Yishmael ben Netanya was coming to kill him but Gedaliah refused to listen because it was Lashon HaRa' and ended up being killed (Jeremiah 40:13-41:3). However, Gedaliah was mistaken and should have listened to Yochanon because the Lashon HaRa' was told with a To'elet: to save Gedaliah's life.


texts:
Inspired by this answer and it's comments.

Early on, it was standard to refer to great Rabbis who had passed away with the appellation "Zal" - "zichrono/ah livracha "May his/her/their memory be a blessing" (see here). Over time, people started using the appellation "Zatzal" - zecher tzadik livracha "May the memory of this tzaddik be a blessing" - when talking about great rabbis who have passed away.

When did this trend start? When was the shift made from "Zal" to "Zatzal"?


texts:
It's been previously asked why the Chachamim were called the "Perushim," those who are separate. As I answered there,

  Bartenura to Mishnah Yadayim 4:6 explains the name as follows:

    פרושים. לחכמי ישראל היו קורין פרושים, לפי שאוכלין חוליהן בטהרה ופרושים ממגע עם הארץ, דתנן בגדי עם הארץ מדרס לפרושים:

    To the Sages of Israel [the Tzedukim] would call Perushim [lit. “those who separate”], for they would eat their non-sacred food in
    purity and separate from touching Amei Ha’aretz. As we taught in the
    Mishnah (Chagigah 2:7): “The clothing of Amei Ha’aretz [contaminates
    by] treading for Perushim.”

Originally, when I read this Bartenura, I interpreted it to mean that the Tzedukim came up with the name; perhaps they meant it disparagingly, that the Chachamim think they're so great, they don't have to mingle with the common people. The Chachamim, on the other hand, took the term as a symbol of pride.

That's what I thought, until I was reminded of Kiddushin 66a, recalling an incident involving several Chachamim who were killed at a banquet held by King Yannai, which began with this comment:

  ויאמר אלעזר בן פועירה לינאי המלך ינאי המלך לבם של פרושים עליך

  And Elazar ben Po'irah said to King Yannai, "The hearts of the Perushim are against you."

King Yannai was Shimon ben Shetach's brother-in-law, Shimon ben Shetach was Antigonos Ish Socho's teacher, and Antigonos was Tzadok's and Baisos's teacher. Thus, the term "Perushim" was in use two generations before Tzedukim even existed!

My question, therefore, is twofold:

Who first used the term Perushim to refer to the Chachamim?
What was their motivation in doing so? That is, very nice that the term refers to that they separated themselves from Amei HaAretz, but why did this person feel the need to come up with this name? Did they mean it disparagingly, or complimentary?


texts: Upon whom lies the obligation to seek out the most reasonably priced repairman for damages done?

texts: If someone damaged someone else's property, and it can be repaired, upon whom lies the obligation to seek out the most reasonably priced repairman, on the person who did the damage, (the מזיק), since it is in his benefit as the one who is paying, or on the person who was damaged (the ניזק), since he must be sure that he is not overcharging the damager, or maybe it is the job of the Bais Din (rabinicle court) to verify the amount of the damages, as part of their job in carrying out the due process of the law?


texts: Can I make a bracha on smelling roses that may be orla?

texts: Roses are considered "Atzei Besamim" so does orla apply to them and if so do I make a bracha on smelling orla roses?


texts:
It seems that the more religious one is, the less likely one is to commemorate(?) the Holocaust on Yom HaShoah.

To what extent is this true?
Which groups do and do not observe Yom HaShoah as their primary (or other) Holocaust remembrance day?
How, and to what extent, do various groups for whom Yom HaShoah is not the primary day of remembrance acknowledge (or disacknowledge) Yom HaShoah?


texts: Kosher glycerin automatically safe to eat

texts:
First of all, I would like to apologise for my ignorance; as a Christian, for me the purpose of the Law is to bring us closer to understanding the mentality, so to speak, of the Almighty, and therefore it is not of direct application to my life. So I'm sorry if I ask a silly question.

I have just purchased a bottle of glycerin for various purposes, cosmetic and medicinal also. The latter would mean it would be ingested internally---by a six month old, specifically! So I really want to be safe about this.

This glycerin is derived from non-GMO vegetable oil (NOT animal fat in any way) and is stated to be Kosher. However, it is also stated that the safety certifications allow its use for cosmetic purposes.

My question is---does the fact that it is Kosher automatically make it appropriate for internal consumption? Or can Kosher also be for things you put on your body, for instance? Are these laws only for dietary concerns?

Thank you very much in advance!


texts:
Lot's Wife: The Salt Lady
What was the name of Lot's wife?


texts: Would someone explain the requirements to daven (pray) in a minyan, when the minyan is needed and what can't one do absent a minyan? Where can I confirm this? Thanks.


texts: what are the origins of the requirement for a minyan?

texts:
From what is the requirement for ten adult Jewish males for certain prayers derived?

I kind of assumed this may be in some way related to Abraham's struggle to find the righteous males in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah but I could be wrong.


texts: May a builder skip "13" when numbering floors on a building or rooms on a floor

texts:
Rabbi Kaganoff discusses the prohibition of nichush (superstitious omens) and starts the discussion with the question

  “May a frum builder skip the number 13 when naming the floors of a building?”

However, he does not explicitly answer the question. Consider that the clients of this builder, such as renters in an office building or clients in a hotel, would be reluctant to actually rent there. Would this indeed be nichush or would it be a legitimate (and mutar) business decision recognizing that others are superstitious.

An example of this line of reasoning is Yonasan and his armor bearer attacking the Pelishtim Shmuel I 14:8-10. Tosfos and the Ran (Chullin 95b) explain that Yonasan used the "omen" to reassure his armor bearer.

Bottom Line Conjures Up Realty's Fear Of 13

  Based on records of buildings with Otis brand elevators, as many as 85
  percent of the high rises in the world don't have a 13th floor, says
  Dilip Rangnekar, spokesman for the Farmington, CT-based elevator
  maker.


texts: Is it allowed to suck blood from a wound?

texts:
A natural reaction when cutting oneself (e.g., on a finger) is to suck out the blood. However the Torah writes (Vayikra 17:12-14 and other places)

"עַל־כֵּן אָמַרְתִּי לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל־נֶפֶשׁ מִכֶּם לֹא־תֹאכַל דָּם וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכְכֶם לֹא־יֹאכַל דָּם׃ "
Therefore I say to the Israelite people: No person among you shall partake of blood, nor shall the stranger who resides among you partake of blood.

Is it forbidden to suck a wound? Is that considered "eating the blood"?


texts: Counting years according to the solar calendar

texts: I once heard there is an opinion in Rishonim (maybe Gaonim?) that says we count ones years of life according to the solar calender. So for example a boy would become bar mitzvah when he would turn 13 years old according to the solar years. Where is this opinion brought if at all?


texts: Is the way of tying Tzitzit strings essential to the posek of each shita?

texts:
What I mean by my question is:
We know there are different ways to tie tzitzit; this can mean the way the knots are tied (i.e. the wraps between each knot) or the amount of knots.
So, to the author of each shita, do they consider their way to be miakev to the mitzvah, i.e., a necessary component to completing the mitzvah, or would they agree that the other ways still fulfill the mitzvah but not the best way possible?


texts: Why is the second kaf hard in שעשה לי כל צרכי?

texts: In the daily berakhah for having shoes, שעשה לי כל צרכי, why is the letter kaf pointed with a dagesh kal? I.e., why is the word pronounced tzorki rather than tzorkhi? My sense is that similar forms of the word are pronounced with a soft khaf, e.g., צרכי ציבור.


texts: Why did HaShem punish the Benei Yisrael through quail in particular?

texts:
According to the Midrash, the Benei Yisrael in Bamidbar 11 wished to have illicit relations with close relatives. In response, HaShem punished them with death via eating quail.

Why was this an appropriate punishment for this particular sin? In general, HaShem punishes measure for measure1. What was the measure for measure in this case?

Note that I am asking specifically according to the Midrash's understanding of this incident. For the purposes of this question, I do not care how anyone else understands what the sin was.

1Shabbos 105b derives this principle from Yeshaya 27:8, and Sanhedrin 90a derives this from Malachim Beis 7:1,2,20


texts: What is the proper greeting for Yom HaShoah (Holocaust Day)?

texts: Here in Israel, there are many customs surrounding Yom HaShoah; the morning siren, ceremonies, storytelling from survivors, etc. However, I'm not sure I've ever heard a way to greet someone that acknowledges this solemn day. Does anyone know or have any suggestions?


texts: source for lighting candles on zayin adar?

texts: I was told that the Ben Ish Chai says to there is an inyan to light candles on zayin adar. Where does he say this and what is his source?


texts: Must someone be called to the Torah at all?

texts:
A followup to this question.
One of the practices I have seen in this pandemic age is that one individual gets all the aliyot (often the one doing the laining). In that case, not only is there no question about who gets the next aliyah, but there needs to be no notification of it. Does each aliyah have to be announced in any form or can the reader just go from making the "closing bracha" for one aliyah right into making the "opening bracha" for his next aliyah? Is there some independent purpose or need for announcing the aliyah?


texts: Scheduling Email for 3AM and Gneivas Daas

texts:
Is is permitted to schedule an email for the wee hours of the night, like 3AM, to give the impression that you were working late?

Is it significantly well known that there are services like Boomerang and Outlook that support delayed emails so that whoever is mislead should know better, or, is this tantamount to engaging in misleading practice and is forbidden due to Geneivas Daas?


texts: Are the letters on a dreidel supposed to be in any particular order?

texts:
This is a little silly, but...

Should the letters on a dreidel be in order? Like, if you turned it right to left, should it go nun - gimel - hey - shin, because of "nes gadol haya sham"? Or are there no rules because it's just a traditional toy and not a ritual object?


texts: In Melachim (Book of Kings) Chapter 19: What is actually going on in paragraph 11

texts:
What is g-d trying to show Elijah, What is the whole point of the boulders being broken and fire and chaos that Elijah beheld, I don't get it because it then continues to also say "but g-d was not in the wind or fire etc...

Can somebody please explain what is actually going on here, What is g-ds objective or was this occurrence just happenstance?


texts: What are the 49 curses and the 98 curses?

texts:
Specifically, I am looking for an official list and breakdown of both sets of curses so I can compare the two. And ideally an existing comparison of both.

I know there are 49 in Vayikra (parsha Bechukotai starting with 26:14) and 98 in Devarim (parsha Ki Tavo starting with 28:15), but I can't seem to find a list in any of the commentaries.


texts: When saying Shema Yisroel as your last words, should you say "בָּרוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד"?

texts:
Ad 120

Since the "Baruch shem..." that follows the statement of "Shema yisroel" was collocated to "Shema yisroel" by rabbis, and is subordinate to the extent that we say it in an undertone, must it definitely be said as part of the "Shema yisroel" before death?

Or should "-- Echad" be your actual last words?

Please provide authoritative sources for your answer.


texts: If a lamb gets lost in a flax field, does it become shatnez?

texts:
What do Sha'ul Hamelech (before he was king) and Little Bo Peep have in common? Their sheep got lost.
If their, or someone's sheep got lost in a flax field, and rolled around or ate some of the flax, is it now possible that since the sheep has wool, that sheep might now be shatnez? If so, how would you get rid of the shatnez, if you could?
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts: What does the Gemara mean by שֶׁמְּמָאֲנִין אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה?

texts:
Brachot, Perek 4, daf 27, amud A, says

רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן בָּבָא הֵעִיד חֲמִשָּׁה דְּבָרִים שֶׁמְּמָאֲנִין אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה וְשֶׁמַּשִּׂיאִין אֶת הָאִשָּׁה עַל פִּי עֵד אֶחָד וְעַל תַּרְנְגוֹל שֶׁנִּסְקַל בִּירוּשָׁלַיִם עַל שֶׁהָרַג אֶת הַנֶּפֶשׁ וְעַל יַיִן בֶּן אַרְבָּעִים יוֹם שֶׁנִּתְנַסֵּךְ עַל גַּבֵּי הַמִּזְבֵּחַ וְעַל תָּמִיד שֶׁל שַׁחַר שֶׁקָרֵב בְּאַרְבַּע שָׁעוֹת
Rabbi Yehuda ben Bava testified on five things: That they instruct a
minor girl to refuse, that we may remarry a woman on the word of one
witness that her husband is dead, that a chicken was stoned in
Yerushalayim because it killed a person, That forty-day old wine was
poured as a libation on the altar, and that the morning daily offering
was once brought at four hours.

What does the Gemara mean when it says "שֶׁמְּמָאֲנִין אֶת הַקְּטַנָּה"? I know Rashi explains but I tried read the Rashi but I could not understand it.


texts: Can fiances take on each other's customs before marriage?

texts: Can two people who are engaged take on each other's customs before marriage? At what point in the marriage process do they take on each other's customs?


texts: Can I cause a Melacha to happen in a place where Shabbat has already started? For example, if I live in New York, could I send a fax (causing the machine to print a document) to Israel on Friday afternoon, before it is Shabbat for me, but after Shabbat has started there?


texts: Are there any Rishonim who believe that God´s existence cannot be proven rationally?


texts: In the standard edition of the Tanya, the Mare Mekomot are not given accurately, e.g Avot Person 2, Nidda Peek 5. Is there a way to reach accurate Mare Mekomot?


texts:
Rashi, on Shemot 21:6 that talks about an Eved-Ivri extending his servitude, writes:

  What is the reason that the ear had to be pierced rather than any other limb of the servant’s body? Rabban Jochanan ben Zaccai said: That ear which heard on Mount Sinai, (Exodus 20:13) “Thou shalt not steal” and yet its owner went and stole and was therefore sold as a slave — let it be pierced! Or, in the case of him who sold himself from destitution, having committed no theft, the reason is: That ear which heard on Mount Sinai what I said, (Leviticus 25:55) “For unto Me the children Israel are servants” and yet its owner went and procured for himself another master — let it be pierced! (Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 21:6:3; Kiddushin 22b). Rabbi Simeon interpreted this verse like a jewel (i. e. giving it an ethical signification): In what respect are door and doorpost different from all other objects in the house that they should be singled out for this purpose? God, in effect, said: door and doorpost that were eye-witnesses in Egypt when I passed over the lintel and the two doorposts, freeing Israel from slavery, and when I said, (Leviticus 25:55) “For unto Me the children of Israel are servants” — servants to Me but not servants of servants (of human beings), and yet this man went and procured another master for himself — let him be pieced in their presence (i. e. let them be eye-witnesses now when this man voluntarily prolongs his state of slavery)! (Kiddushin 22b.)

And then on the same verse writes:

  AND HE SHALL SERVE HIM FOR EVER — This means until the Jubilee.

Given that lengthening one's servitude was greatly frowned upon, so much so that it seems to be a transgression of the whole concept of "Eved Hashem", would such a slave, once freed by the Yovel, need to do Tshuva on this? And if yes, would this require a korban?


texts:
I’m trying to quit smoking and have a few packs left over. I would like to know if I can give them to a smoker I know or even someone off the street. I would hate to just throw them out - at least someone can enjoy them.

Is this considered under the category and prohibition of “Do not place a stumbling block in front of your fellow man"?


texts: Can one feed the sheep / goat at the petting zoo sheep "pellets" on Hol Hamo'ed Pesach?

texts:
Some petting zoos have a small dispenser containing sheep food. They look like small pellets that I believe are a chametz mixture.

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 442:1 says:

. אבל דבר שיש בו תערובת חמץ ואינו ראוי לאכילה מותר לקיימו בפסח, כגון: עריבת העבדנין שנתן לתוכה קמח ועורות, אפילו נתנן שעה אחת קודם זמן הביעור הרי זה מותר לקיימו.

Part of my question relies on the translation of ראוי לאכילה - Does this mean "cannot ever be eaten by humans" or just "humans usually would not eat it"? I've never eaten these sheep pellet food, but, perhaps, it's edible?

If we assume the "lenient" definition, that humans would not eat this food, can one feed the sheep with it on Hol Hamo'ed?


texts: Can any kohanim trace all the way back to Aaron?

texts: Can any kohanim alive today trace their lineage all the way back to the High Priest Aaron? If not, who can go the farthest?


texts: If G-d is the final judge, what's the point of human courts?

texts:
If G-d is the final judge, what's the point of human courts in Judaism? Aside from their obvious function in practical matters like divorce that need to be taken care of here and now and not decided later, what function do they serve if G-d is the final judge?

For example, if someone is suspected of committing murder and then convicted, we need to remove that person from society, but G-d will punish them anyways, so what's the point of humans doing it as well?

Furthermore, unlike G-d, human courts can always get the facts wrong and convict innocent people. Of course, dangerous individuals need to be removed from society, which is another function of human courts, but courts deal with many issues that aren't life threatening as well.


texts: What prophets are referred to in Deuteronomy 34:10?

texts:
Deuteronomy 34:7-12

Moses was one hundred twenty years old when he died; his sight was
unimpaired and his vigor had not abated. 8 The Israelites wept for
Moses in the plains of Moab thirty days; then the period of mourning
for Moses was ended. 9 Joshua son of Nun was full of the spirit of
wisdom, because Moses had laid his hands on him; and the Israelites
obeyed him, doing as the Lord had commanded Moses. 10 Never since
has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew
face to face. 11 He was unequaled for all the signs and wonders that
the Lord sent him to perform in the land of Egypt, against Pharaoh and
all his servants and his entire land, 12 and for all the mighty deeds
and all the terrifying displays of power that Moses performed in the
sight of all Israel.

Can we assume from the text that it refers to prophets from the time of Moses's death till the time of the author of the text, that had arisen but weren't like Moses (as mighty as him)?
Or maybe Joshua was inspired to say that after Moses died up till the moment he was writing this verse (some decades), never since has there arisen a prophet in Israel like Moses,(as mighty as him)
Means that though he himself "Joshua" was the only prophet that has been risen up till this moment but he can't be compared to the rank of the mighty Moses?


texts: How to pronounce "nechamasa" in kaddish?

texts:
In most siddurim I've seen, the word "ונחמתא" in kaddish is written "וְנֶחֱמָתָא," with a סגול ("eh" sound) under the ח.

However, someone recently told me that a certain (very trustworthy) rabbi believes that the word should be pronounced with a קמץ (an "uh" sound) under the ח.

Is either nikkud more correct? If so, why?


texts: Did Rav Moshe Feinstein pronounce his last name "Feinstain" or "Feinsteen"?

texts: And, as a follow-up, does having the answer to this question dictate how we should say it?


texts: Although often associated with the Winter Solstice, Tekufas Teves is an independent date. How is Tekufas Teves, or the other Tekufos (?) determined?


texts: Piyyutim on Yomim Noraim. Why do we split phrases against their meaning?

texts:
Why is it that in the davenning for Yomim Noraim, we split up the phrases in many of the piyyutim against their real meaning?
For example, in “Vechol maaminim shehu…” (p 538 Artscroll Machzor For Yom Kippur): we say “Hoochaiz beyad midas Mishpot” (1) alone. We then go on to say “Vechol maaminim shehu kale emuno” (2)  together with “habochain uboaik ginzei nistoros” (3) which is really the beginning of the next “verse”.
(1) and (2) really belong together. See the Artscroll commentary which notes the practice but does not explain it.


texts: Why were Nazarites forbidden to touch anything made of grapes, but we make a brocha over wine on Sabbath?

texts:
In numbers 6:1-21, there are a number of requirements for somebody who takes a Nazarite vow.  Among them are that the Nazarite
"... shall abstain from wine and strong drink: he shall drink no vinegar of wine, or vinegar of strong drink, neither shall he drink any liquor of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried.  All the days of his Naziriteship shall he eat nothing that is made of the grape-vine, from the pressed grapes even to the grapestone." (JPS translation).

However, today we say a blessing over the wine on Friday evening, again at the synagogue at the end of the service, and Saturday morning after the service.  Furthermore, at the Passover seder, we drink 4 cups of wine.

When in Jewish history did the grape go from something that was not holy to something that was highly venerated?  What was the process, what was the discussion, that caused the transition?

And what happened to the Nazarites?  Maybe I've been sleeping under a rock, but I do not recall ever having seen a Nazarite or heard of a Nazarite.  Actually, that's not quite true: Samson was a Nazarite (Judges 13:1).  Wikipedia says that Samuel was a Nazarite, but it isn't clear to me that that was so, because he doesn't make the vow, his mother makes the vow for him.  I'm not sure that counts.  But then Hannah takes some wine for a sacrifice (Samuel 1:24) after Samuel is weaned.

I think my question is similar to but slightly different from Why wine for kiddush?

Thank you


texts: May I rely on the shaliach tzibur to fullfill my mitzvah of tefilah, even if I know how to pray?

texts:
In this question , the accepted answer explained that we have a shaliach tzibur in minyanim today, even if everyone knows how to pray, for two reasons:

Minhag
We don't want to embarrass someone by asking if anyone needs a shaliach tzibur, so we always have one, and if someone doesn't know how to pray, he can fulfill his mitzvah of tefilah through the shaliach tzibur.

Can someone fulfill the mitzvah of tefilah by listening to the shaliach tzibur and answering "amen", even if he knows how to pray?


texts:
The National Academy of Sciences (...) has concluded there is no safe level of trans fat consumption. There is no adequate level, recommended daily amount or tolerable upper limit for trans fats.

V'nishmartem meod l'nafshoseichem! How can kashrus-organizations endorse percentages that many governments have forbidden?


texts: Sources in Gemara that a person should not marry a convert?

texts:
The Gemara says in Pesachim 112b that a person should not marry a convert. The Gemara is clearly implying a marriage between a female convert and a Jew who is not necessarily a Kohen.
Are there any other sources in the Gemara which say or suggest that a Jew should not marry a convert?


texts: Being a houseguest in a non-frum or non-Jewish home

texts:
I'm Jewish, so I have to keep many laws in mind. Kashrut, tefillin, yichud, kol isha, and more.

When staying as a houseguest in a non-frum or non-Jewish home, what are some of the issues I might face? What's your advice on dealing with these issues?

[Edit: Assume that the point of my trip is to attend a computer conference. Assume that my host is a quiet guy who's not attending the conference.]

Sources, links, and personal experiences are all welcome. Please tell us what web search terms you used, if any.

CYLOR.

Related, regarding kashrut:

Drinking cold kosher beverages in a non-Jewish relative's house.
When staying in a hotel, is it allowed to use the drinking glasses they provide you with?
Kashering a microwave.
Can I trust a non-kosher home's coffee pot?
Using a treif toaster oven.
Eating in less-religious homes.

Related, regarding tefillin:

Best practices for praying in public with talit and tefilin.


texts: Has the majority of Jews followed the decrees of the sages by the 7th century?

texts: Can we say that the majority of Jews followed the decrees of the sages by the 7th century? Maybe earlier? Any proofs?


texts: Does Jacob's Well in present-day Nablus/Shechem have a Jewish tradition associated with it?

texts:
There's a well in present-day Shechem (Nablus) called "Jacob's Well."  It has an Orthodox Christian church on top of it right now.  I was wondering if there is any Jewish tradition that Jacob dug this particular well or if it's only a Christian religious site.  (I'm aware that he buys land in Shechem in Bereshit 33:19, but it says nothing of digging a well there.)

Wikipedia lists a source that says Jewish tradition does associate this well with Jacob, but it's not a Jewish source.  I've done a bit of research but can't find anything reliable – though I also don't know Hebrew.


texts: Why does the torah on injured slaves call out eyes and teeth but not other damages?

texts:
In Parshat Mishpatim (Sh'mot 21:24-25) the torah tells us that if a man injuries another person he owes compensation: eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, and so on (listing several more).  It then goes on (21:26-27) to talk about when a man injuries his slave, saying that if he damages the slave's eye or knocks out a tooth he must set the slave free on account of the injury.  It singles out eye and tooth but makes no mention of hand, foot, wound, and so on.

Rashi explains why both eye and tooth are needed for the slave case but doesn't talk about other injuries.

Does the injured slave go free on account of a hand or foot too?  These, like the eye and tooth, are permanent injuries.  What about a wound or burn (which might or might not heal to full function)?  If he goes free for any of these too, why does the torah not enumerate all cases like it does in the earlier verse?

Perhaps the eye and tooth are seen as lesser damages than the hand and foot, so if a slave would go free for an eye or tooth then surely he would go free for limbs and so the torah does not need to say so.  On the other hand, since the torah could have enumerated all the cases that it intended to cover, maybe it's really only about eyes and teeth.  That seems counter-intuitive to me, but I'd like to find something better than my gut feeling for why other damages should result in freedom too.


texts:
I heard someone mention the folowing:

The Ramban in the writings on sefer koheles make an interesting diyuk. Koheles (1:4) tell us, “A generation goes and a generation comes.” The Ramban tell us that posuk should have stated, “A generation comes and a generation goes?” The Ramban quoting the Medrasho shel ר' נחוניא בן הקנה:
אמר רבי עקיבא דור בא שכבר בא בגלגול שעבר. The Ramban refers to this as the Sod Ha’Iber, which is the Sod HaGilgul.

Does anyone know where the Ramban gets his question from?
Does anyone where the text of אמר רבי עקיבא דור בא שכבר בא בגלגול שעבר, can be found?


texts:
Regarding the death of Nadav and Avihu, the Torah says it happened when they brought a foreign / unauthorized fire into the Mishkan.

Concerning their death, Rashi brings up Rabbi Eliezer's opinion that they died because they gave halachic decisons in front of their teacher Moses. Rashi also brings Rabbi Ishmael who says they died because they entered the Sanctuary intoxicated by wine.

Obviously Nadav and Avihu were not a couple of drunkards who made a mistake after partying once the Mishkan was inagurated, for later on Rashi tells us how Moshe said that "Now I see that they (Nadav and Avihu) were greater than I or you!” regarding himself and Aaron.

So what really happened here? What is this "foreign fire" that they brought, and what is the significance of Rabbi Eliezer's and Rabbi Ishmael's comments regarding this situation?


texts:
Rashi says that Korach saw with ruach hakodesh (divine inspiration) that the prophet Samuel would descend from him. Yet Rashi also implies he had the bad traits of jealousy and arrogance.

How could he have ruach hakodesh if he had the bad traits of jealousy and arrogance?

it seems one must be clean of all bad traits before reaching this level as explained in the book Mesilas Yesharim


texts: Is there a real halachic source for the widespread practice not to speak while wearing tefillin? Of course, one is required to keep his mind on the tefillin, and may not get drawn into conversations that will distract him. But what about short, non-frivolous statements? Very often these fall into the category of gemillus chasadim; e.g., wishing someone good morning, giving directions, informing what time mincha is, etc. I wonder whether there is a basis to forgo these chesed opportunities on account of what seems to be merely a safeguard rather than halachah.


texts:
I was looking online for a list of people famous for deciding or influencing halacha, who currently wear Ptil Techelet Techelet ("Murex")
However I could not find one.

Does such a list exist?  If not, could someone provide a list here?

Update:

It seems that this page here "might" have a list of "famous" people who wear techelet, but I can't tell exactly. Certainly some of the rabbis in the halacha section say that you don't have to wear techelet, and they themselves don't. tekhelet.com/pub.htm However, there is too much nuance there for me to get a list from it, easily.


texts: Is it permissible to eat cereal in cold milk on Shabbos? I am aware that oats and finely ground baby food is permissible if done in a certain way. I am referring to chunky cereals such as corn flakes for example.


texts: How obligated is one to say Kaddish for a deceased relative?

texts:
People often talk about an obligation -- Chiyuv -- to recite Kaddish at every opportunity for some time after the death of a relative. (Which relatives are obligated and for how long does not seem particularly relevant to this discussion, though if you feel it is please include that in your answer.)

The obligation to attend a minyan ordinarily for prayers is quantified by the time one must travel to attend: 18 minutes (1 mil) out of one's way or 72 minutes (4 mil) in a direction one is already traveling anyway. (Shulchan Aruch OC 90:16) (How to best convert between mil and minutes is also not particularly relevant to this discussion.)

Does anyone quantify the obligation to recite Kaddish? Must one go further out of one's way to attend a minyan in order to recite Kaddish than one would have had to otherwise, and if so by how much? Is there some other metric to use?


texts: Should a minyan that never recites Tachanun at Mincha say Tzidkatcha Tzedek?

texts:
This site states:

  The minhag of many Chassidish kehilos is not to say tachanun at
  mincha. This minhag is recorded in many Chassidic and Sefardic
  sources. A number of explanations are offered:

  1  they often daven until after shkiya, and according to many opinions
  tachanun may not be said after shkiya, so a blanket rule was
  instituted so as never to come to saying after shkiya, which in some
  kabbalistic sources danger is associated with this practice.

  2  tachanun by mincha requires intense concentration, which most
  people don’t have in the middle of their day

  3  after it is night in Israel tachanun should not be said even in
  other parts of the world

In numerous siddurim that I have seen, there is an instruction next to Tzidkatcha Tzedek (said after the Chazan's Amidah repetition of Shabbat mincha) that says that Tzidkatcha Tzedek is omitted on occasions when tachanun would be omitted. I understand this means Erev Yom Tov, Hol Hamo'ed, Rosh Hodesh, etc. But, would this include those places that never recite Tachanun at mincha, as well?

In viewing the above reasons, I can see not saying it if either it is after Sheki'ah in your local area on Shabbat, or if you wish to follow rule #3. (According to rule #3, it seems that in North America, you'd never be able to say it as even at the earliest time allowable for mincha, it's already night in Israel.) But rule #2 seems vague. I don't know what the "intense concentration" aspect is, here. Do they mean specifically business concerns or is it something else?

If places do / should say it, please explain why this is not a "contradiction".


texts: Why does the Gemara often mention that certain Amoraim were asleep?

texts: I've noticed that in the Gemara you often see a pattern where two people are discussing an issue in front of an Amorah (e.g R' Yirmiyah) while he was asleep. After their discussion he wakes up and gives his opinion.  Is there any solid source for why the Amoraim would be conducting a discussion in such a manner?


texts: The story of the Minim and Boethusians; trying to fix the festival of Shavuot on Sunday

texts:
I've found different sources like the Mishnah, Babylonian Talmud (tractate Rosh HaShanah), Jerusalem Talmud, Tosefta etc., talking about the Minim and the Boethusians who wanted to fix the festival of Shavuot the day after the Shabbat, i.e. on Sunday.

I would really like to know what are the earliest sources known about this topic, and what's the whole story behind this.

Please, feel free to edit.


texts: Why is that when you wake up you put on a Tallit Katan and then you go to shul and put on a Tallit Gadol?  How is it that you can say two different brachot? If it is in fact, that each peice of clothing gets the the chance for a new bracha, are there any other mitzvot, aside from food, where we recite a bracha each and every time we do the SAME action?  Of those allowed are there any we commonly do multiple time as we do with the Tallit?


texts:
Having walked around Brooklyn, I know that religious Jews never pay attention to others, and won't even reply to a friendly "hello" on the street. However, last year around this time it was even worse. I said "Hey, man" to someone and he started to boo! He even pulled out something that looked like a really fake gun and started waving it!
What did I do wrong that was so offenseful? How can I deal with religious Jews in a way that they will respond to??

This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts: Explain Rashi quoting Mechilta on Shemot 24:3

texts:
In Shemot 24:3, regarding the term mishpatim (logical laws), Rash"i citing Mechilta includes a list of items. Among them, he includes parah adumah (the laws of the red heifer.)

This is puzzling. The beginning of Parshat Chukat refers to the laws of parah adumah (Red cow) as a chok (illogical law that we perform for the sake of G-d), not a mishpat(logical law).

So, why is Mechilta including this among the mishpatim, here?


texts: Is there a book that explains the large and small letters in the Torah?

texts: I am seeking a book, in English, that lists and explains the reasons for the large and small letters in the Torah.  (A similar question on this topic did not specify English and did not elicit any references in English.)


texts:
I know I've learned somewhere that you can't kasher a meaty pot for use with dairy (except for Pesach), but I can't find a source for it now.  Can anyone provide a source?  (The sauce would be a light Alfredo; the source would be somewhere in Yoreh Deah I expect...)

Following on from that, and hopefully to be found in the same source, is my more practical question: can you kasher a pot from meaty to pareve, so that you could cook pasta to be eaten with that yummy Alfredo sauce?


texts: Was Achashveirosh feeling unwell in beginning of chapter six?

texts:
In the beginning of chapter six it says that the king couldn't sleep and he was told a story of how Mordechai saved him, etc. And it them says that Haman was coming to tell the king about his plan.

Question: Did the king happen to go to sleep extra early that night or what? Did he have a headache? I don't think Haman would come to wake up the King.


texts:
We say in the V'hi She'amda passage of the Pesach Hagaddah that in each and every generation there have been those who rose up against us to destroy us, but Hashem saves us from their designs. Is this literally true?  Has anybody ever complied a list identifying who the Jews' major oppressors were in every generation?  The focus here is on those who rise up against the Jewish people as a whole, not on individual antisemites.  Or are we to understand "in every generation" more informally, like the colloquial "all the time"?

Moderator's note: Note that the question does not ask answerers to list oppressors. (That question is not suitable for SE.) It asks whether any commentaries on the hagada (or the like) have already compiled such a list. So concerns that the category "oppressors" is ill-defined or too large are irrelevant: they are good reasons not to compile such a list, but that doesn't mean no one ever did so.


texts: Ashkenazic Rabbanim who hold Kitniyot are batel berov lechatchilah before pesach

texts: Are there any Ashkenazic poskim who hold, like R.Yitzchak Abadi, that kitniyot are batel berov lechatchilah before pesach, thus allowing Ashkenazim to drink regular coke with corn syrup, for example, as well as many other foods?


texts: Is/Where is Tefillot (or Tefillah) ever spelt with a yud?

texts:
I have almost always seen the word Tefillah and I suppose Tefillot, spelt with no Yud.

Tav, Feh, Lamed, Vav, Tav. (Tefillot)

Tav, Feh, Lamed, Heh  (Tefillah)

But the Sacks singers siddur  spells it with a yud (this is clear on its front cover, and presumably consistently throughout. I see it for example in tefillat haderech(prayer for rain) and tefillat tal(prayer for dew), all with a yud.  The Singers siddurim before that spelt it with no yud.  I have heard that this(with a yud, as the Sacks Singers does) is a spelling mistake "slap bang"(as the brits would say) on the front cover, and was too late for them to change it once it was published.

Is anybody brave enough to say this is a spelling mistake(can one even say that with great certainty?), or point to where else it is ever spelt with a yud? or confirm if it's ever or never spelt with a yud in tenach or other jewish sources?


texts: How life stories turned into Halachot - Mishnaic examples?

texts:
The first Mishna in Brochos states:

מעשה ובאו בניו מבית המשתה אמרו לו לא קרינו את שמע אמר להם אם לא עלה עמוד השחר חייבין אתם לקרות
There was an incident where Rabban Gamliel’s sons returned very late from a wedding hall. They said to him, as they had been preoccupied with celebrating with the groom and bride: We did not recite Shema. He said to them: If the dawn has not yet arrived, you are obligated to recite Shema.

This looks weird to me that a minor incident made its way to the Mishnah - the Oral Law - straight without any discussion, arguments or review.
What is so exceptional, smart, necessary/obligatory in Rabbi's decision to write the story whole in the Mishnah for generations: R"G's sons, coming late, from a party, instead of just stating the conclusion (following) - "wherever the Sages say until midnight, the Mitzvah may be performed until dawn."? Would the Mishnah really be lacking any clarity or information had this story not be included?


texts: Why is it forbidden to eat and drink before Qiddush?

texts:
The Shulhan 'Arukh (Orah Hayim 271:4) states (my translation):

אסור לטעום כלום קודם שיקדש אפילו מים
Is it forbidden to taste anything, before reciting  Qiddush, even water

This is also brought as Halakhah LeMa'aseh in the Mishnah Berurah as well as Qizur Shulhan 'Arukh - Yalqut Yosef.
Why is eating (and drinking) forbidden before Qiddush?


texts: What's the minimal requirement required to nullify chametz kept in a public fridge?

texts:
Let's say someone keeps chametz in a shared office fridge. The fridge is used by both Jews and non-Jews.

On the morning of Erev Pesach, prior to the time that it is prohibited to own chametz, the owner nullifies the chametz in his mind as well as verbally says (not in front of others) that he no longer owns the chametz and it is no hefker. Furthermore, he will not be going to work during Hol Hamo'ed, so there is no concern that he may accidentally see the chametz during Pesach.

Is this sufficient nullification of the chametz, or must he physically give the chametz to a non-Jew or throw it away / flush it down the toilet / burn it, etc.


texts:
Every Pesach, I see candy by a company called Joyva. This would not be exceptional, except for the note on the back which in paraphrase, reads:

Note: this product contains liquid derivatives from kitniot (henceforward, shemen kitniot), which are kosher for Pesach according to the opinion of R' Yitzchok Elchonon Spektor זצ”ל.

How does R' Spektor permit shemen kitniot?
Who agrees with him that it is permissible?
Do any Ashkenazi* communities hold by this leniency in this day and age?
Who is the mashgiach on Joyva's products, R' D.I. Scheinkopf?

*Here, unlike in many of my questions about German nusach and minhag, Ashkenazi refers to the general European populace, with the obvious exception of the Sephardi and Balkan kehillot.


texts: Why in the past 150+ years did ashkenazim stop reciting the majority of selichot at shacharit, mussaf, and mincha of yom hakkipurim and only start selichot from the psukim before the chatanu or shma koleinu?


texts: May someone enter a mikvah with a wheelchair?

texts:
I think my question would be more applicable for women than men, as women's mikvah is obligatory.

If a person is disabled and, say, has no one to assist going into the mikvah. S/he has a wheelchair and the mikvah has a ramp. Can s/he go with it into the mikvah, or is that considered chatzitza (intervening item)?


texts: Does Amorayim read berayta in Gemara rather than recite it

texts:
I noticed a very atypical expression on Yevamot 40a:

יתיב ר' חנינא קרא קמיה דר' ינאי ויתיב וקאמר הלכה כר' יהודה א"ל פוק קרי קרייך לברא אין הלכה כר' יהודה תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן אין הלכה כר' יהודה א"ל אלא כמאן כרבנן פשיטא יחיד ורבים הלכה כרבים א"ל אסמייה א"ל לא את הלכה אתנייך ומוקשה הוא דאקשי לך ואפכת ולמאי דאפכת שפיר אפכת:
Rabbi Chanina was reading before Rabbi Yanai, he did read and said The Halacha is ruled as Rabbi Yehuda. He (Rabbi Yanai) said him go out to read your reading. The Halacha is not ruled as Rabbi Yehuda. A reciter did recite before Rav Nachman The Halacha is not ruled as Rabbi Yehuda. He (RN) said him so how did it be ruled? it's obvious that Halacha is ruled following the majority against Rabbi Yehuda. So, he said cancel this Berayta. They taught you Halacha is ruled as Rabbi Yehuda and it was not understandable for you, so, not consciently, you changed the words and inverted the rule they taught you. But indeed halachically speaking you are right.

It seems that in the first part of this Gemara it seems that Halacha the Berayta was written. But in the second case of the Gemara the story shows that for the Tana of Rav Nachman it was orally transmitted.
Can we infer from this Gemara that beraytot were written in a book?


texts: "Oseh HaShalom" during 10 days of Teshuva

texts: There is a minhag to say at the end of Shemoneh Esrei and Kaddish during the 10 days of teshuva, "oseh hashalom" instead of "oseh shalom". This is mentioned in the Mateh Ephraim in Siman 582 as well as the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in Siman 192. Is there any other place where this minhag is brought down? Does the Mishneh Brurah bring this at all? What's the earliest makor (source) for this minhag (custom)?


texts: Can a gentile work for a Jew on Shabbat?

texts:
There is a rabbinic decree that a Jew may not ask a gentile, right before Shabbat, to do work for him because he might do it on Shabbat [Gittin 8b].  But in the Mishna [Shabbat 1:8] Hillel allows it, "as long as the sun is still shining".

What was Hillel's reasoning?


texts: What is the point of praying if your fate is already decided on Rosh Hashana?

texts:
It says in Mesechta Rosh Hashana

  "On the New Year, [first of Tishrei] all who have entered the earth
  pass before Him, one by one, like young sheep, as it says: “He that
  fashioned the heart of them all, Who understands all their deeds”

  "All are judged on New Year and their doom is sealed on the Day or
  Atonement."

So if your fate is sealed on Yom Kippur then why do we pray or give tzedakah or even do teshuvah and try to change our fate if it is already sealed.

For example in Shemona Esray we pray that the crop should turn out good this year, but what is the point if it has already been decided how much crop or פרנסה one will be receiving.

So why do we pray for all those things if it is already decided on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur


texts:
Where does it say in Chazal that one doesn't have to teach their children how to daven until they are old enough to understand what they are saying?

My basis that this is found in Chazal is because of an aritcle I read written Rabbi Bechhofer Shlita. See here where he writes:

  I "demand" that children not be taught to daven until they are old enough to understand what they are saying. (By the way, this is what Chazal teach as well.)

In response to a comment made by Dan I'll add some more from what the article says:

"I "demand" that the emphasis on Tefillah education be moved from a Halachic based model to one that emphasizes and models the meaning of Avodah She'Ba'Lev. Even teaching the meaning of the words of davening, vital as that is, needs to be subordinated to the very foundation of Tefillah itself."

"I "demand" that the concept of Tov me'at b'kavanah, that it is better to cover less ground in the siddur and to do so with a real connection to Hashem, rather than getting through the prescribed daily Tefillah but lacking any relationship with Hashem, be emphasized in all schools and shuls."


texts:
Does anyone know of a book of minhagim (practices) or a sidur (prayer book) of the chasidim of Dzikov (דזיקוב, sometimes דז׳יקוב)? (Or anything that would show their minhagim.)

Hebrewbooks.org doesn't seem to help: I've turned up some volumes apparently from the rebbeim of Dzikov, but no book of minhagim. Likewise, I'm not seeing anything at Google Books.


texts:
I encountered an interesting sugya today (Bava Qama 102b), in which we are told that, "in the west", the rabbonim laughed at the interpretation of Rabbi Yohanan. Presumably, this is a reference to Rabbi Yohanan bar Nafcha, who headed the academy in Tiberius.

In the Aramaic:

  מחכו עלה במערבא לר' יוחנן אליבא דר' יהודה

In the translation of the Koren edition, this reads as follows:

  The Gemara notes that they laughed at it in the West, Eretz Yisrael, at the explanation of Rabbi Yohanan, who said that according to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda, a deviation by an agent from the terms of his assignment does not result in the acquisition of the item for the agent himself.

What follows is a short back-and-forth as various rabbonim attempt to make sense of Rabbi Yohanan's opinion, but I am struck by the image of their laughing at him. Really? One of the greatest sages of his generation, a student of Rabbi and the teacher of so many other scholars - including some of the ones who are named within this sugya. What does it mean to suggest that they laughed at him? How is that not disrespectful?


texts: Can someone tell me how many mishnayos are there per Perek and how many perakim per masechata, as well as total mishnayos per Seder and perek per seder?


texts: Why is being religious a duty if God chose to not have a proof to his existence in this world?

texts:
According to the answers to the question "How do we know that God exists" it seems some (if not most) Jews on this site believe there is no way to verify whether or not God even exists.

If this view is correct, how can God expect people to view religious service as a duty and be subject to punishment in the afterlife for failing to live up to it.

After all, there is no way to even know whether He even exists. Are we expected to be religious out of doubt? How could God expect us to devote ourselves 100% to Him (pray to Him, trust in Him, give up our lives for Him if needed, etc.) if we cannot be sure He even exists?

(note that I personally totally disagree with this view, but I am asking according to it.)

I am not asking for proofs of God or Judaism.


texts: Must baal keriah be in same reshut as congregation

texts: Due to corona virus, I've seen some shuls are arranging davening such that everyone is outdoors except the Torah reader who is indoors and a door or window is opened so that the reader can be heard outside.  Rav Herschel Schachter here talks about how one who says any davar sh'b'kedusha must be in the same reshut as the minyan.  So for example one standing in a different room or with a permanent immoveable mechitza cannot lead kaddish.  So how can the baal keriah be inside alone reading the Torah while the entire minyan is outside listening?


texts: How certain do I need to be that my Yom Kippur shoes are leather-free?

texts:
Okay, no leather shoes for Yom Kippur (or Tisha B'Av).  I always assumed if the label said ALL MAN MADE MATERIALS or 100% CANVAS or something like that, that we could trust the label.  (Would they really sneak leather in?  It's more expensive, right?)

What is the Halachic standard for how certain I need to be that a pair of shoes is actually leather-free, particularly with today's complex market for manufactured shoes? Is there Halachic literature on this, or can you report any verbal response you've received on it?


texts: In the Talmud, how is the Tetragrammaton rendered?

texts:
Did the authors of the Talmud substitute the Tetragrammaton with something else?

I'm wondering if the practice extant in the LXX of using a title other than the Tetragrammaton where the name appears in the scripture. IE: If they quote a scripture containing the name do they instead say something equivalent to "the LORD"? Or do they use the Tetragrammaton as it is in the Hebrew?


texts:
In many locations in the Mishna, it is mentioned what should be done if something has an exact measurement. For instance in Shekalim:

Coins which were found between the [chest inscribed] “shekels” and the [chests inscribed] “freewill-offerings: Nearer to [the chest inscribed] “shekels”, they go to the shekels; [Nearer to the chests inscribed] “freewill-offerings”, they go to freewill-offerings; Half way in between, they go to freewill-offerings. [Coins which were found] between [the chest inscribed] “wood” and [the chest inscribed] “frankincense”: Nearer to [the chest inscribed] “wood”, they go to the wood; [Nearer to the chest inscribed] “frankincense”, they go to frankincense; Half way in between, they go to frankincense. [Coins which were found] between [the chest inscribed] “bird-offerings” and [the chest inscribed] “young pigeons for burnt-offerings”: Nearer to [the chest inscribed] “bird-offerings” they go to bird-offerings; [Nearer to the chest inscribed] “young pigeons for burnt-offerings”, they go to young pigeons for burnt-offerings; Half way in between, they go to young pigeons for burnt-offerings. [Coins which were found] between non-sacred [money] and [second] tithes [money]: Nearer to the non-sacred [money], they go to common [money]; Nearer to the [second] tithes [money], they go to [second] tithes; Half way in between, they are considered [second] tithes. This is the general rule: the go to that which is nearer [even if this] is lenient; but if half way in between, [they must go] to that which is the more stringent.

Also, in Taharot or Makhshirin there are many discussions of what happens when congealed Tamei liquid that is exactly the size of an egg becomes liquid again (it is Tahor, but if it is even a tiny bit larger it is Tamei)
But if space is continuous, there is no such thing exactly halfway in between two objects or exactly the size of an egg. Is there some point at which we say the measurement is exact even if a precise measurement might show it is a bit bigger or smaller? Or is there some other way of understanding this?


texts: I once heard a shiur which quoted a gemarah (I think) about two trees. One of the trees was uprooted and taken elsewhere and the other tree started to get sick. The explanation was that the trees were in love. I may be off on some of the details here. What is the source for this story?


texts: To what extent should one not sell unkosher goods?

texts: I know that, as a Jew, I shouldn't sell unkosher goods. So, does this mean I can't directly make profit from selling unksher goods? For example, if I work for Walmart, and some one buys pork while I am at the register, am I allowed to sell it to them? Then, what if it was even less direct? What if I own a business who hires people to sell, for example, but not limited to, pork? Would I, as the owner, have to stop the sale of unkosher goods? Finally, what if I don't own the company, but I am in charge, like a boss or CEO?


texts: Are there any verses in the Hebrew bible (or just the Torah) that show that God is indivisible?

texts:
There are some monotheistic religions that believe that there is one god, but there are (or can be) parts to him (christianity is a good example). They don't believe that god is one and complete and indivisible.

Are there any verses in the tanakh or just the torah that prove that god is indivisible?

Some people use the verse "Hear o Israel: The Lord thy God is one god" as proof that god is one. But it doesn't necessarily contradict the idea that he can be divisible.


texts: What is the earliest reference or source for wishing Shavuah Tov or A Gutte Vuch on Motzai Shabbos?


texts: Why in Sidra Ki Tavo G-d is intended to curse the source - trees and not the product (oil and wine)

texts:
In Sidra Ki Tavo, Book of Deuteronomy 28:39-40. It is mentioned that if the sons of Israel won't obey G-d commands and Mitzvot they will get punishments.
כְּרָמִים תִּטַּע, וְעָבָדְתָּ; וְיַיִן לֹא-תִשְׁתֶּה וְלֹא תֶאֱגֹר, כִּי תֹאכְלֶנּוּ הַתֹּלָעַת.  מ זֵיתִים יִהְיוּ לְךָ, בְּכָל-גְּבוּלֶךָ; וְשֶׁמֶן לֹא תָסוּךְ, כִּי יִשַּׁל זֵיתֶךָ.
The punishment mentioned here is that the olive trees and grapes will be destroyed. This punishment is less severe than the wine will be missed and the olive oil will be spoiled. Since it means that the person didn't invest time and money in harvesting nor producing the grapes and olives. So it is not severe from this perspective. So why G-d chose this approach for punishing so the person won't feel the his work was ruined but only the source for production.


texts: May a male use a female for massage or vice versa?

texts:
There is a related question In a non-life-threatening emergency, can a female doctor do a hospital procedure on a male or vice versa?. The answer to that question, addresses limited situations, and I don't think answers my question, here.

Can a male use a female for a massage or female use a male for massage? I would be doing this at home when my wife is present or in a spa where there are other customers, so I don't think that are issues of yichud.

By "massage", I'm addressing two aspects. Some people have massage for relaxation or to feel good. Others require massage therapy as part of chiropractic or other muscular or physical problems. (I am unfamiliar with the various massage techniques, so I can't reasonably ask about how halachot may apply to the various massage techniques.) Is there any difference in halacha if the reason for massage is medically necessary or for pleasure?


texts: Why and by whom was there a yud added to make "ירושלים" instead of the original "ירושלם"?


texts: what are the duties of the two gabbaim on the bimah?

texts:
One gabba calls people up, is there a term for that?

Is there another gabba that instructs the gabba that does the calling up, as to who to call up?  I've heard of a situation where one gabba may have it written down and tell the other who to call up, the name, like off cards. I've only heard of it once and not seen it. Is it common? Is there a source for it? Has anybody seen it?

I've also heard that one gabba calls up while the other does nothing. And i've heard that one calls up and the other is a "segun" he just checks that the reading is done properly, though i'd have thought they all check it.  I found a source for a sgan http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabbai  but does anybody know of a proper jewish source for the concept? like, shulchan aruch for example?


texts: Is there a requirement to stay around after lighting Chanuka candles?

texts:
When lighting the Chanuka candles, I understand that they generally need to burn for a minimum of 30 minutes. Is there any requirement for the person who lit the Menorah to stay around for a certain amount of time? Or can s/he just leave immediately?

(safety issues aside; let's assume others will be watching the fires)


texts: What was the name of the wife of Elozor HaCohen? (Assuming she was the sister of tzipporah and daughter of Yisro)


texts: Empty seat at the head of the table after the parent is dead

texts:
My mother, grandmother and aunts had a rule that no one was allowed to sit in the seat at the head of the table that was previously occupied by their (now) deceased husbands. They said that this was in accordance with respecting one's parents. (I.e. their children were not allowed to sit in those seats. By extension, they reasoned that if their own kids couldn't sit in the seat, any non-direct family member was forbidden to this, also.)

I know that one must respect their parents even after their death. However, does this respect apply to not sitting in their seat as well? If this is not halacha, is there any source that lists this as a common minhag?


texts:
In the United States (and other countries), there is the notion of the freedom to contract. This is the idea that two people of sound mind have the right to enter into any contract with one another that they wish. The law honors this idea, but places limits on it. For example, unconscionable contracts and certain other contracts that violate public-policy ideals are unenforceable; for practical purposes, such contracts are invalid, as if never entered into. (IANAL.)

I'm wondering about the existence of a freedom-to-contract notion in Jewish law. Specifically:

Is there a statement of chazal or another authority that, in general, people have the freedom to contract?
If so, what's the earliest authority to say so? What major authorities have said so? Citations, please.

(The reason I mention, above, the limits on the freedom to contract is to clarify that I'm not asking whether Jewish law recognizes an absolute freedom to contract, one without limits. I know that that's not the case: the rule of onaa is a counterexample, and commenters on this question have listed more, like the prohibition against gambling. I'm asking, rather, about the notion of the freedom to contract, however limited it may be in practice.)


texts: Eating certain cereals during Aseres Yemei Teshuva

texts: Orach Chaim 603 says that a person should avoid eating Pas (bread/baked goods) made by Kuthim (or non-Jews, Mishnah Berurah, ad loc.) during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva. Does this include cereals made from the 5 grains? (Cheerios, Shredded wheat, Honey Bunches of Oats, Fiber one, etc.) A sourced answer with an explanation would be appreciated.


texts: Sefer about the writing of Neviim and Megillos

texts: What sefer discusses the details pertaining to the writing of Nevi'im and Megillos (i.e., how the paragraphs are broken up, where there are "special letters", etc.)?


texts:
In Numbers 7, we are told about the special offerings the princes of the Tribes brought to the Tabernacle. This is not the only time we hear of this position. Princes are present in Joshua 9 also, for example.

How many princes were there per tribe? Was there one per tribe? Per family?

Please source you answers!


texts:
After the meraglim gave their negative report on the Land of Israel, the Torah says (translations from Sefaria)

  Numbers 13:30

  וַיַּ֧הַס כָּלֵ֛ב אֶת־הָעָ֖ם אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה

  Caleiv hushed the people before Moshe

Rashi, citing Sotah 35a explains

  אל משה. לִשְׁמוֹעַ מַה שֶּׁיְּדַבֵּר בְּמֹשֶׁה, צָוַח וְאָמַר "וְכִי זוּ בִּלְבָד עָשָׂה לָנוּ בֶן עַמְרָם?!" הַשּׁוֹמֵעַ הָיָה סָבוּר שֶׁבָּא לְסַפֵּר בִּגְנוּתוֹ, וּמִתּוֹךְ שֶׁהָיָה בְלִבָּם עַל מֹשֶׁה בִּשְׁבִיל דִּבְרֵי הַמְרַגְּלִים, שָׁתְקוּ כֻלָּם לִשְׁמוֹעַ גְּנוּתוֹ, אָמַר "וַהֲלֹא קָרַע לָנוּ אֶת הַיָּם וְהוֹרִיד לָנוּ אֶת הַמָּן וְהֵגִיז לָנוּ אֶת הַשְּׂלָו!":

  אל משה means he silenced them that they should hear what he was going to say about Moses. He cried aloud saying: “Is this the only thing the son of Amram has done to us?!" — One who heard him thus speaking believed that he was about to speak to his disparagement, and because they had something in their mind against Moses through the spies’ statements, all of them kept silent to hear his disparagement. He, however, said: “Did he not divide the Red Sea for us, and bring down the Manna for us, and collect the quails for us?!”

My question is why did Caleiv mention the שליו, or quail? I assume he's referring to the incident in last week's parsha with the quail (Numbers 11:4-35), that wasn't for their benefit like the other miracles he's describing. That was a punishment that killed members of the Jewish people

  Numbers 11:33

  הַבָּשָׂ֗ר עוֹדֶ֙נּוּ֙ בֵּ֣ין שִׁנֵּיהֶ֔ם טֶ֖רֶם יִכָּרֵ֑ת וְאַ֤ף יְהוָה֙ חָרָ֣ה בָעָ֔ם וַיַּ֤ךְ יְהוָה֙ בָּעָ֔ם מַכָּ֖ה רַבָּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃

  The meat was still between their teeth, nor yet chewed, when the anger of the LORD blazed forth against the people and the LORD struck the people with a very severe plague.

Now you could argue he's referring to the first appearance of the שליו in Exodus 16:12-13, and while their request there for meat was inappropriate we don't see that שליו as being a punishment. However I find that highly unlikely, considering the proximity of this parsha's incident and the שליו of punishment, mentioning it should upset the people not make them grateful to Moshe.

Important to note Rashi adds on the gemarra, which doesn't mention the שליו, so this is more a question on Rashi than the gemarra


texts: Why doesn't the chatan sign the ketubah?

texts:
Perhaps, I may not completely understand the purpose of the ketubah in terms of it being a halachic legal document or a "shtar*. Aren't all legal documents supposed to be signed by the person drafting or responsible for its rules?

My understanding - if I draft a promisory note to pay someone a certain amount by a certain time, I gather that I would have to sign it, right?

The ketubah has many details on what the groom is obligated to compensate the bride. Shouldn't he be required to sign it?


texts:
Yaakov told Rachel that " וַיַּגֵּד יַעֲקֹב לְרָחֵל כִּי אֲחִי אָבִיהָ הוּא וְכִי בֶן רִבְקָה הוּא וַתָּרָץ וַתַּגֵּד לְאָבִיהָ:"

  And Jacob told Rachel that he was her father's kinsman and that he was Rebecca's son, and she ran and told her father.

Rashi explains:

  כי אחי אביה הוא: קרוב לאביה, כמו (לעיל יג ח) אנשים אחים אנחנו. ומדרשו אם לרמאות הוא בא גם אני אחיו ברמאות, ואם אדם כשר הוא, גם אני בן רבקה אחותו הכשרה:
  that he was her father’s kinsman: Heb. אִחִי אָבִיהָ, lit., her father’s brother. Related to her father, as (above 13:8):“we are kinsmen (אַחִים)” (Pirkei d’Rabbi Eliezer , ch. 36). Its midrashic interpretation is: If he (Laban) comes to deceive me, I, too, am his brother in deception, and if he is an honest man, I, too, am the son of his honest sister Rebecca. [from Gen. Rabbah 70:13]
  (emphasis mine)

How was Yaakov Lavan's brother? There were two cases of trickery:

Rochel and Leah - Yaakov got tricked. True, he had a good counter-plan, but not good enough to avoid either marrying Leah or embarrassing her.
His wages - If not for a miracle, Yaakov would have gotten nothing. Doesn't seem like a good plan. Moreover, he doesn't even arrange a wage from before. He knows he's dealing with a liar (he was already tricked with Rochel and Leah by this point). Especially the Torah says that if one doesn't set a wage he has the lower side of the bargaining table (Yado al hatachtona). Doesn't seem to be so cunning.

How does this Medrash work? What did Yaakov trick Lavan with, or what trickery did he use to avoid Lavan's tricks?


texts: I heard the guys aren't allowed to touch themselves because its wasted seed but what about girls. Would that be okay?


texts: Is a renter allowed to withhold rent if the landlord does not fulfill his duties?

texts:
If a landlord drags his feet on fixing things in his property, is the renter allowed to withhold rent until he does so? Alternatively, may the renter bring someone to fix it himself and pay from the rent?

Are there any sources which discuss these matters?


texts: Someone recently asked me whether the Rambam had any students. In addition to the Rambam's son and the student for whom he wrote the Moreh Nevuchim, I could think of only one other student. (רבינו פרחיה who wrote a commentary on שבת is a talmid, I think, but I would appreciate information about him too.) Does anyone have any information about other students and whether the Rambam had a yeshiva, etc.?


texts: Does asking a righteous deceased and/or an "angel" to intercede with HaShem in favor of a living person violate the Noahide Law or not?

texts:
Among Catholics and Orthodox Christians, the tradition of asking Mary (the mother of Jesus), "angels" and saints to intercede with HaShem in favor of one or more living people is very widespread.
Now, I consider this activity very questionable (and among other things I don't believe in the real existence of the "angels" which I consider, in accordance with a consolidated Jewish tradition, only apparently real manifestations of HaShem's will), but I have a lot of doubts about the fact that it violates noahide prohibition against idolatry.
It seems to me that this conduct falls within the "dorèsh el hametìm", and therefore prohibited to Jews by the Torah:
Rambam's Sefer HaMitzvot - negative commandment No. 38
The 38th prohibition is that we are forbidden from inquiring information from the dead - as is imagined by those who are truly dead, even thought they eat and feel - that when one performs certain actions and dresses a certain way, the deceased will come to him in his sleep and answer the questions he was asked.
The source of this commandment is G ‑ d's statement (exalted be He), "Among you there shall not be found anyone ... who attempts to communicate with the dead."
Our Sages said in tractate Sanhedrin, "The verse, 'who attempts to communicate with the dead,' refers to someone who starves himself and sleeps in the cemetery in order that an impure spirit shall rest upon him."
One who transgresses this prohibition is punished by lashes.
However it seems to me a very different prohibition from idolatry, so much so that his transgression is punished only with by lashes; therefore it does not seem to me to be part of the Noahide Law.
Are there any pronouncements on the matter by the rabbinical authorities?


texts:
Hi I'm looking for good set of SHULCHAN ARUCH in English, Not K'tzur I need SHULCHAN ARUCH.

Can someone please advise me on set that I can buy ?


texts: Is it permissible to say a prayer in a restroom (or bathhouse), assuming one does not use a name of God (including things like shalom) or a quotation from Torah? I'm thinking of things likesaying "thank you" (to God) or "baruch hashem" after, say, not falling in the shower when you thought you would; andwishing your kid "r'fua sh'lema" after applying a Band-Aid.Sources, please, if possible.


texts: Source for the "gra's" calculation of pi

texts: I am looking for a textual source for this famous GRA which corrects the מקרא calculation of Pi from 3 to 3.1415 based on the kri and ksiv of קו vs קוה. Based on my research there may not be a written source in the Gra. If not, does anyone know the actual text that suggests this correction?


texts:
I am in possession of this mysterious painting with Hebrew characters, but I do not know what words mean. I suspect that they may provide a clue to what is being represented in each of the painted panels, which I cannot figure out on my own.

One of my friends mentioned that the one in the lower left is "charity", but was unable to answer the rest of the painting.

What is the meaning of this painting?


texts:
Can a Jew lose their status as being a Jew by performing any action (example: performing idolatry, disavowing core beliefs, converting to another religion, etc)? Or once a person is a Jew then they keep this status no matter what?

And if a person would always maintain their status as a Jew (in terms of other Jews viewing that person to still be obligated to follow the commandments), then what in practice would be the significance of a Jew converting to another religion?


texts: Is there any negative implication or any negative result from a child that was born out of wedlock from 2 jewish parents? On a follow up question to that, would there be any difference if the parents marry subsequent to (1) the mother finding out that she is pregnant? (2) the child being born? My question not only relates to halachik impact and restriction but even as it relates to customs, yichus, and how the child would be viewed by even the strictest of authorities on any level whatsoever.


texts: Was the sefer Ein Yehosef ever reprinted?

texts: You can see the sefer Ein Yehosef here ein yehosef and here ein yehosef 2. I want to know if it was ever reprinted and if not where I can purchase an original copy?


texts: Halacha that a woman may not speak to her husband in the presence of others

texts:
I found this in the Rashi on Ki Seitzei (Deuteronomy 22:16):

  And the girl’s father
  shall say [to the elders]: [The father, but not the mother.] This
  teaches us that a woman is not permitted to speak in the presence of
  her husband [when others are present]. — [Sifrei 22:91]      ואמר אבי
  הנערה: מלמד שאין רשות לאשה לדבר בפני האיש:

I had never heard of this idea in Jewish law. Does such a halacha exist, and what is its status today? I am most interested in sources which discuss whether and to what extent this particular detail must actually be observed in our era.


texts:
according to the law God commanded the Israelis to bring tithes of the land.
Deuteronomy 14:22 KJV
22 Thou shalt truly tithe all the increase of thy seed, that the field bringeth forth year by year
Deuteronomy 26:1-2 KJV
1 And it shall be, when thou art come in unto the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance, and possessest it, and dwellest therein;  2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
But when some Jews became poor tended to mortgage their land to the rich and I have heard that tithing such a land was not allowed according to Jewish tradition
Were tithes allowed to be paid in such environment?


texts:
Why learn either Rambam or Shas being that we don't pasken straight from a Gemara nor do we Ashkenazim from the Rambam? And being that the Rambam says in his introduction that his work (Yad Chazakah) is all the final rulings throughout Shas.

So then what's the point in learning Gemara, Rashi Tosfos when we could just learn just straight from the Rambam?

Alternatively, if there is a benefit in learning Gemara, Rashi, Tosfos all day, is there a point in learning straight Rambam?


texts:
Are there any halachic implications from the Torah's choice of the terms Shabbat, Shabbatot and Shabbaton? And to what are they referring?

And what does the Torah mean when it calls the Shabbat a "Shabbat-Shabbaton" Vayikra 23:3 for example?

What does the term Shabbaton add to the term Shabbat in its meaning?


texts:
Chazzanim Avraham Baer z"l and Louis Lewandowski a"h created some of the most important books of chazzanut of the 19th century. בעל תפלה oder Der Praktische Vorbeter and Kol Rinnah U'Tefillah recorded for the first time, the oral traditions of the chazzanim of Western Europe. I have both, however my sight-reading is poor. Is there anyplace where I can find recordings of these nuschaot, in particular those of Baer, online?

I'm looking especially for niggunim for the Yomim Noraim (minchah, maariv, and Shabbat Shuvah).


texts: Three reasons not to enter ruins (Berachoth 3a)

texts:
In Berachoth (3a) a Beraitha states that there are 3 reasons not to enter ruins - that it is unseemly, that walls might collapse, and that unsavory characters might lie in wait and harm the person. The Gemara goes on to discuss whether three reasons are really needed, and it justifies each reason.

For some reason, the objections raised against the third reason are so great that the Gemara has to limit the scope of the Beraitha. The Gemara finally adds, "I Ba'ith Eimah" (if you want, you could say, ie., an alternative explanation is) there's one person all alone, in restored ruins in a remote field, so there's no concern about it collapsing, and there's no suspicion that he will do anything unseemly because it's so remote the odds of finding a prostitute are zero, but unsavory characters do lie in wait and might attack.

Why? Why does the Gemara feel compelled to scrutinize and justify each reason, and why does it object so strongly to the last justification that it has to come up with this isolated scenario? Why can't it just accept that these are all valid reasons not to enter ruins? In fact, I'm actually surprised it didn't go into a round of different Amoraim each adding a new reason.

EDIT
It has been suggested in the comments that perhaps the Gemara sees a practical difference (Nafka Minah) in the reasons. Is that so?


texts: Ma'ariv vs. Arvit - when did these terms first appear?

texts:
I have seen two terms used to refer to the evening prayer Ma'ariv and Arvit. If I recall correctly, Arvit seems to be the more common Talmudic term esp. in Talmud Brachot. Ma'ariv is used near the beginning of the first blessing of the evening prayer.

Both words seem to emanate from the same Hebrew root form  ערב ("evening").

Is there any difference in meaning of these 2 words or is it that one is a noun and another a verb (or something similar)?

When did these terms first originate? Both around the same time? In the Talmud or other scholarly writings (Siddur included, of course), is there a preference or situation where one term is used over the other?


texts: If a man sees his wife cheating, can he kill both on the spot?

texts: In Judaism, if a man walks into his wife having sex with another man, is he permitted to kill both, the other man and his wife, on the spot?


texts: Source that there's timtum halev on a derabanan

texts:
The Rema Yoreh Deah 81:6 writes:

  לא תאכל המינקת אפי' ישראלית דברים האסורים וכן התינוק בעצמו כי כל זה מזיק לו בזקנותו

  The wetnurse, even a Jewish one, shouldn't eat forbidden foods. Similarly the child themself, since this is damaging to them in their adult years.

My question is on the latter part of this statement. The Shach (§ 26) explains that although if a child eats something that is not permissible, there's no obligation to stop them, nevertheless, the father should. Even if it's only Rabbinically forbidden, the father should stop the child, because the child eating it will cause timtum halev (some sort of psychological or spiritual damage).

There seems to be the concept of timtum halev with regards to foods the Torah forbids (see for example Rabbeinu Bachaye). But how do we know that this applies to Rabbinically forbidden foods as well?

It's not clear to me if the Shach understands this to be the Rema's intent. I couldn't find this latter statement in the Darkei Moshe, so I don't know his source. What is it?


texts: Rashi to Devarim 11 (11). In what way is mountain land superior to the land of the plain?

texts:
Rashi on Devarim 11 (11) "But the land, to which you pass to possess, is a land of mountains and valleys and absorbs water from the rains of heaven” says

  The mountain land is superior to the land of the plain: On the plain,
  in an area of land that would produce a kor [a measure of grain], one
  would actually sow only [enough seed to produce] a kor . On the
  mountain, however, from an area of land that would produce a kor, one
  could take out of it five kors, four from its four slopes and one on
  its summit. — [Sifrei 11:11]

Artscroll Sapirstein quotes Be'er Mayim Chayim to say the measures should not be taken literally. This just shows that mountains have more arable land than plains.

Can someone explain this please? Is it just geometry or is it productivity?


texts:
This question asks who b'nei Noach turn to for psak. The answer to that question was that there are a few rabbis who are involved in the b'nei Noach movement who rule on the law for non-Jews.

Now I am asking whether it would be considered permissible for a non-Jew to rule on the halacha according to the sheva mitzvot b'nei Noach for non-Jews. My inclination tells me that it would be permissible (since one of the 7 mitzvot is to set up a system of courts), but I am not sure.


texts: Converts to be treated as if they were born Jewish

texts: There is a scripture in the Tanakh where G-d clearly says a convert to Judaism is to be treated,as if he were born a Jew. I've seen it but can't seem to find it. Perhaps one more knowledgeable then I would know.  Thank you