texts:
RASHI on BERAISHIS 18:9 (end of ויאמרו אליו) quotes Gemara in Baba Metzia 87a

  רבי יוסי ברבי חנינא אמר כדי לשגר לה כוס של ברכה - Rabbi Yosei, son of Rabbi Ḥanina, says: They [the Angels] inquired about her [Sarah] in
  order to send her the cup of [wine of the] blessing.

The Sifsei Chachamim there (20-כ) says:

  ואברהם לא היה רוצה לשלוח לה לפי שפרסה נדה ולא תטמא המשקין עם הכוס,
  והוא לא רצה לגלות שפירסה נדה לכן לא רצה לשפוך לכוס אחרולשלוח לה.
  - Avraham Did not want to send her [the  the cup of wine of the blessing, by himself], because she had begun to menstruate, and so
  that she should not cause the wine and the cup to become tamei
  impure. And he did not want to publicize that she had begun to
  menstruate, therefore he did not want to pour it [the wine] into
  another cup (saving his own cup from becoming tamei), and send it to
  her:

Question: Even if the suggestion of the Sifsei Chachamim of pouring the wine into another cup would have solved the issue concerning the wine and cup becoming tamei, Avraham should also have been concerned about the Rabbinical prohibition of a husband sending his wife wine while she is a nidah? And this could have been the reason why he did not use the idea suggested by the Sifsei Chachamim  to pour it [the wine] into  another cup and send it to Sarah, because pouring into another cup especially for her is prohibited when she is a nidah.

See My question here asking whether Avraham kept harchakos of niddah.


texts: How did the Israelites borrow garments from the Egyptians?

texts:
It is written1 that the Israelites kept their uniqueness by keeping their language, names and their dress. Why then did the Bnei Yisrael borrow from the Egyptians their clothes if they kept their unique Jewish dress?
Source: Exodus 12:35

ובני ישראל עשו כדבר משה וישאלו ממצרים כלי כסף וכלי זהב ושמלת
The Israelites had done Moses’ bidding and borrowed from the Egyptians objects of silver and gold, and clothing.

1 One of the sources for them not changing their language, names and their dress is in Midrash Song of the Songs.


texts:
In Ezra 2:65-67 it says:

מִ֠לְּבַד עַבְדֵיהֶ֤ם וְאַמְהֹֽתֵיהֶם֙ אֵ֔לֶּה שִׁבְעַ֣ת אֲלָפִ֔ים שְׁלֹ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וְשִׁבְעָ֑ה וְלָהֶ֛ם מְשֹׁרְרִ֥ים וּֽמְשֹׁרְר֖וֹת מָאתָֽיִם׃ סוּסֵיהֶ֕ם שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וְשִׁשָּׁ֑ה פִּרְדֵיהֶ֕ם מָאתַ֖יִם אַרְבָּעִ֥ים וַחֲמִשָּֽׁה׃ גְּמַ֨לֵּיהֶ֔ם אַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים וַחֲמִשָּׁ֑ה חֲמֹרִ֕ים שֵׁ֣שֶׁת אֲלָפִ֔ים שְׁבַ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת וְעֶשְׂרִֽים׃

The verses describe the possessions of the families who returned to Judea during Shivat Tzion. All of the different types of possessions are written with "יהם" at the end, meaning - "their X", except for the last type, the donkeys, which are merely called "חמרים" and not "חמריהם" - "their donkeys". Why is this so?1

1 As for the singers that came with them, it doesn't sound like they were considered property. And so it sounds like from the commentators (at least those brought on Sefaria).


texts: 1 day Yom Tov in Eilat or anywhere in "Israel" outside biblical boundaries

texts: does anyone know the Halacha regarding one day of yom tov in areas where currently they keep one day , but are not in the "real", biblical borders of eretz yisrael.


texts: Why we do we say אבינו מלכנו on שבת during נעילה?

texts: According to the Ashkenazic minhag, why do we say אבינו מלכנו on שבת during נעילה if we don't say it during all other Yom Kippur תפילות?


texts: How does Tum'ah ("Ritual Impurity") work?

texts:
What are the mechanics by which Tum'ah works?

How does one detect it, or diagnose someone as Tamei?
Certain materials can contract and transfer Tum'ah.  Why do these material do so, but others don't?
How does Mikvah immersion remove Tum'ah?  Why don't other immersions (ex. in non-Mikvah water) remove it?

Related: What is Ruach Rah , What is "בלי עין הרע"?


texts: What is the source for this sukkah halacha?

texts:
What is the source that one must ride an elephant to shabbat evening meals served in a sukkah when the sukkah is to the northwest of your house?
...let's assume that Double AA is on-topic.

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


texts: Source and Halacha? When does a minyan need to form?

texts: If 10 people gathered for a minyan for the repetition of the amida, but 10 were NOT present for the silent Amida - may a repetition with kedusha be recited or not?


texts:
In my King James Bible, I Kings 11:40 "...Solomon therefore sought to kill Jeroboam: but he arose, and fled into Egypt to Sesac the king of Egypt, and was in Egypt till the death of Solomon..."

My questions: What happened in Egypt with Sesac the king of Egypt? What was the relationship between Solomon and Sesac? How long was Jeroboam in Egypt? How did King Solomon Die?

Thank you for helping me with this.


texts: Returning from hospital on Shabbos if it is beyond the Techum

texts:
In this question: Returning after driving someone to the hospital on Shabbat the questioner asked whether on may go back home by car on Shabbos after taking someone to the hospital. The accepted answer seems to only answer regarding a Hatzala member.

My question is if a private individual may walk back from the hospital if he will violate Techum Shabbos?


texts:
Recently the rav at my local schul made a highly innapropriate remark on Facebook which would be considered lashon hara as well as sinat chinam. As the schul is a shlichut of Chabad (it is the only fromm schul within walking distance) the rav is not appointed by the community. What is the proper recourse to such an action and does Chabad have any way to deal with such public aveirot?

Usually, this issue would fall under CYLOR, however, that is not really an option in this case.


texts: 3 tefachim minimum height for candles on Chanukah - from the flame itself, or base of the chanukiyah?

texts:
For Chanukha Shulchan Aruch (תרעא:ו) writes:

...מניחו למעלה משלשה טפחים

To which the Mishneh Berura writes:

דכל למטה משלשה כאלו הניח בקרקע ואין ניכר שבעל הבית הניחו שם
"For anything below three tefachim its as if one placed it on the ground and it is not noticeable that the house-owner placed it there"

Is the three tefachim counted from the flame itself or from the base of the chanukiyah? If it is from the base then the flame could much higher than is acceptable (and no 'eye would notice it'). If it is from the flame then one could put your chanukiyah on the floor directly, as long as the flame is higher than 3 tefachim.
And finally, if the flame is the defining height would it need to be above 3 tefachim for the duration of the 30mins that the candle needs to be lit (i.e. as the flame burns the candle gets shorter) or as long as it starts above 3 tefachim then it's ok?


texts: What is the status of a Kli Shemelachto LeIssur that's only used for Pikuach Nefesh?

texts:
What is the status of a kli (object) whose primary use would be forbidden on Shabbos, but it is only used in a case of Pikuach Nefesh (danger to life, where all Shabbos restrictions become allowed) -- is it a Kli Shemelachto LeIssur (vessel whose primary use is forbidden) or Kli Shemelachto Leheter (vessel whose primary use is permitted)?

Examples:

Defibrillator - it uses electricity (so it should be a kli shemelachto leissur), but the only time it's used is when someone is in a state of pikuach nefesh (so it should be a kli shemelachto lhetter). I heard that there is a machlokes (disagreement) if a kli shemelachto leheter can become muktza machmas chisaron kis (lit. "muktzah due to loss of money;" an object that wouldn't be used for anything except its [forbidden] use [sometimes due to expense]).
Gas Mask (possibly) - it could be a kli shemelachto leisssur (it could be borer (sorting/filtering; a forbidden melacha on Shabbos), similar to a water filter). On the other hand the only time it's used is when there is a sakanas nefashos (danger to life).


texts: Where can I find the uncensored Mishneh Torah online, or cheap in print?


texts:
What is the source for people who always remove the peels of fruits before eating the fruit. I've seen some ultra-Orthodox Jews do this and I was told by one of them that it is not a kashrut issue due to chemicals on the peels but based on some idea (kabbalistic?) of avoiding klippot which can be spiritually dangerous.
Does this tradition differentiate between different types of fruits/peels and why?


texts:
According to the commentary at the bottom of the Artscroll TaNa"Ch, in the beginning of the book of Ruth, Na'omi attempted to dissuade her daughters-in-law from following and staying connected to her because she was being punished severely for her sins, and they'd only suffer by their association with her. The commentary states (1:13):

  Realizing that they wanted to go with her, Na'omi said, "I cannot bear to see you suffer on my account, for you are sinless; it was for my sins that [G-d] has been punishing me."

This does not seem to be the plain meaning of the verse. In fact, even the Artscroll's own translation renders it:

  ...I am very embittered on account of you, for the hand of Hashem has gone forth against me.

1: Where does Artscroll get that she is stating that her life is bitter because of her sins and that it would harm her daughters-in-law to stay with her?

2: What were her sins? According to a plain reading of the first few verses, Elimelech is the one who took the family out of Eretz Yisrael. The Alshich* and the sources he cites explain why Elimelech's actions were so bad as to deserve death. But nowhere do I see (yet) anything making the case that Na'omi was his co-equal sinner. The closest I've seen so far is that she is kept alive so that she can be a mentor and guide to Ruth, whose family tree will eventually yield David and the royal family. So what exactly did she do wrong?

*(I've only looked in the Alshich so far, because Artscroll quotes him quite a bit in its commentary, and it also happens to be the only other commentary I have handy.)


texts: Since Jews don't believe in hell for unbelievers, what will happen to Satan? Will he be punished for eternity?


texts: In regards to kosher supervision, what is the largest single gap that a mashgiach can leave the premise and still be considered practicing יוצא ונכנס?


texts:
I saw a dvar Torah on a site that was talking about Shelach and the sin of the spies.  The piece was titled "Relating to a Vengeful God".

My first reaction was outrage - it's seemed blasphemous.  Hashem is a loving God and even when he needs to punish it's not out of vengeance but justice and rachamim.  But perhaps my perspective is just an candy coating - and it is accurate to say such a thing.

What is the correct perspective?  Please provide any references you have.


texts: If you're not overweight, can you still use a food scale and an app to count calories during Chol Ha'moed?

texts:
Background

During Chol Ha'moed, more food than usual is available. The relevant science suggests that, when there's a lot of food variety available in our homes, we're more likely to overeat. Still, food logging may slightly lessen the likelihood of this overeating.

My question

Imagine that you're neither overweight nor underweight, but at an average weight. Still, you'd like to lose another ten pounds or so.

Electronically counting calories requires multiple steps:

Weighing all the food you eat for a meal. (E.g. 200 grams of "chulent" stew, 150 grams of "challah" bread, and 500 grams of vegetable salad.) I use a digital food scale.
Entering this food (stew, bread, and salad) into a free calorie-counting app. I like the Nutritionix app, which has a more-accurate food database than many of its competitors. But some people prefer MyFitnessPal or one of the numerous other options out there.

Once you've done these steps, the app will calculate the total calories for the meal and add them to your daily total.

Is it permissible to do the above steps during Ḥol Ha'moed?

When you answer, please explain your reasoning. Thanks in advance!

Postscript

Calories count, but they're not the whole story.

Caloric restriction isn't especially pleasant. Most of my weight loss has been from modified fasting with fluid and electrolyte supplementation; unfortunately, you may not find that fasting brings you any Chol Ha'moed joy.


texts: Is there a prohibition on eating meat and poultry together?

texts:
Although I knew about the prohibition of eating fish and meat together, and also about the quite serious restrictions in my community on eating dairy and fish together, I had never heard that we are prohibited from eating meat and fowl together...until now. Is this prohibition observed today, how strict is it, and what must be the separation between meat and fowl? (Do you need to have, say, something solid to eat and a glass of whiskey to drink as we are supposed to between fish and meat?)
^Bonus: why does nobody seem to do this last part?


texts:
Shalom,
Well to start off, since a very young age I have suffered from quite severe and crushing OCD (as the title would suggest). Now of course I am used to having such a wicked condition interfere with my life in many aspects, I have been since childhood.
However, one aspect of my condition is having to deal with intrusive thoughts. Most often these are the most unpleasant and uncomfortable thoughts the mind can torment someone with, and will continue to do so.
Please understand that these thoughts do not represent someone's character, rather they are often in direct opposition to it and quite distressing most of the time. I've often nicknamed my condition "Satan" for this among many other reasons.
Now I also have a habit of rambling on so I'll get more to the point. Lately these intrusive thoughts have been disturbing me during prayer more than any other time. Now this is nothing new, but prayer has often been somewhat a safe haven from this, but now the floodgates have opened and I'm struggling to shut them back up.
Basically the thoughts are getting so bad that I struggle to even pray sometimes, and doing so has became distressing in itself because of it. In particular (and as I asked please do not judge, as these thoughts are in opposition to myself and character) I keep getting images stuck in my mind of idols, sexual acts and sights, gruesome images and even outright blasphemy against HaShem (may he forgive and have mercy upon me).
It has gotten to the point where I have even started to worry that my prayer is invalid because of this, worthless even. Perhaps I'm being irrational, but aside from constantly breaking my Kavanah, I feel like my words and actions are ruined and defiled by these thoughts, to the point where I wonder if I should even bother. My joy has become my sorrow.
Anyway apologies for the lack of any actual question yet, so what I would like to ask is basically what should I do? I understand these thoughts are out of my control and that surely HaShem knows and understands this also, but I still can't shake that feeling of worthlessness, shame and even wrongdoing because of them.
My intent and thoughts are obviously not one and the same, but how can one maintain Kavanah with such evil plaguing his mind? I can barely even focus on the words at times.
I'm sorry if this is not the most clear or appropriate question, but I didn't know where else I should ask. My condition is quite embarrassing for me, and I do feel great shame in having it never mind talking about it, especially this.
Thank you for any help and/or advice, it's greatly appreciated!


texts: Give money to defendants to pay their claims? Won't that increase theft?

texts:
Avos d'R' Nasan, 33:1:

… Not only that, but our father Abraham did tz'daka (≈social justice) first and thereafter mishpat (≈justice), as is said [Gen. 18:19] "for I know him, for he will command his sons and family after him to do tz'daka and mishpat". When two litigants would come before our father Abraham in a matter of judgement, and one [of them] would say about his fellow "he owes me a mane", our father Abraham would take out a mane of his and give it to [the defendant] and tell them "arrange your case", and they arranged their cases. If [the] one was found liable to his fellow, [Abraham] would say to the one holding the mane [he had given him] "give the mane to your fellow";  if he was not [found liable], [Abraham] would tell them "split [the mane] and depart in peace".
But King David did not do thus; rather he would do mishpat first and thereafter would do tz'daka, as is said [Ⅱ Sam. 8:15] "David would do mishpat and tz'daka for all his nation". When litigants would come before King David for judgement, and one [of them] would say "he owes me a mane", [King David] would tell them "arrange your case" and they would arrange their case. If [the] one was found liable to his fellow for a mane, [King David] would take out a mane if his own and give it to him; if not, he would tell them "depart in peace".

It seems like anyone who knew about this policy of Abraham's or of David's could simply refuse to pay his debts, or could steal or damage property, or the like, and know that the damages will be paid for him. With that in mind, how do we explain these policies of theirs?


texts: Would a gentile child that sees/touches wine make it into Yayin Nesech?

texts: Would a gentile child - under the age of 13 (male)/12 (female) - that sees/touches wine make it into Yayin Nesech? Or can only an adult make it into Yayin Nesech?


texts: Chazzan forgot to say Tachanun during mincha - how to proceed?

texts:
While at shul for mincha the other day, the chazzan began to say Kaddish after finishing *Chazarat Hashat"z' (Shemoneh Esreh repetition). Ata bout the point people answered Yehei Shmei Rabba, people yelled at him - "You forgot to say Tachanun!"

The Chazzan answered - "I forgot. Too late, now" and continued with the rest of Kaddish and no one said Tachanun.

What should be done in such a situation?

Continue Kaddish without Tachanun, as we had done?
Finish Kaddish, then say Tachanun then aleinu without repeating Kaddish?
Stop Kaddish in the middle, say Tachanun and repeat Kaddish, then Aleinu?

Other factors to consider:

Someone had told me that if you say Mincha past a certain time when it is close to nightfall (I'm not sure exactly what the break point is - I guess about 10 minutes before tzet?) then you wouldn't say Tachanun, anyway?
Does it matter how much of Kaddish had already been said to decide if to go back to say Tachanun or not?


texts: How does Rav Moshe calculate the "50 minutes" between שקיעה and צה"כ?

texts:
For New York, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein maintained that the time between שקיעה and צה"כ is 50 mins (corresponding to walking 4 mil), unlike in Europe where it is 72 mins (see here):

  ... the calculation of  the 4 mil between sunset and tzeis.  His essential  thesis  is  based  on  personal  empirical observation.  Rav Moshe recalled that when he was in Europe, they waited 72 minutes in following the shita of the R”T.  Rav Moshe then claims that when he observed the  sky  in  New  York,  New  Jersey,  and  pashtus, the Catskills, the night sky resembled the 72 minute European night sky after only 50 minutes.  Rav Moshe then deduced that the 4 mil of the gm in pesachim are actually 50 minutes in duration.

I have a few questions on this:

1) how does Rav Moshe get to the 50 minutes between שקיעה and צה"כ, is it an average of all times across the year?

2) in reality, there will be occasions where stars come out early or later than 50 minutes. He obviously weighed up the problem of making a blanket 50 minute rule. What are the implications of this?

3) at what latitude can the fluctuation of שקיעה to צה"כ not be averaged in this way?

4) is this method of calculating used anywhere else in the world?


texts:
I have heard (without a source) that some who were makpid to purchase only wines with hashgachot would consume wine from Champagne without a hechsher, probably because gentiles typically do not use such wines for religious purposes. Is there any basis for this custom, if ever it actually was documented?

Addendum: According to the reading that I have done on the subject, it was common to use particular sweetened wines*, such as the Italian Vin Santo, for sacramental purposes among Christians, as it was less of an acquired taste.

*I will not use sweetened wine for kiddush.


texts: reason for tefilin and connection to black square boxes

texts:
What is the reason for wearing tefilin?

is it to induce a person to study torah? Or perhaps in order to remember the exodus from Egypt?

If so, what is the connection between this to wearing black leather boxes with straps hanging down?


texts: May a Jew live in a town with no other Jews?

texts:
Are there any Halachot pertaining to a Jew living in a community with no other Jews? Is it permitted for a Jew to live in such a community?  I need sources!

I'm not talking about keeping kosher and observant.  I'm talking about physically living where there are no other Jews and perhaps with family that is not Jewish.


texts: Source for the story about the Satmar Rebbe

texts:
I remember a story about a maskil who approached the Satmar Rebbe, and who lamented the fact that Hungarian Jews don't differentiate between the samekh (ס), the sin (שׂ) and the sav (ת). The Satmar Rebbe's response was, "וכסילים מתי תשכילו" - a quote from Tehillim 94:8, meaning "O fools, when will you gain wisdom?" Brilliantly, of course, this passuk features all three of the consonants to which the maskil was referring.

I don't remember where I first heard this, but I very recently heard it again in this lecture by R' Aharon Kahn (at the 6:50 mark).

Does anybody have a printed source for this story?


texts: Source for tradition of discussing Halachic dead ends

texts:
Many times while discussing a possible interpretation of a Mishnah, the Gemmorah tries to offer "dead-end solutions" - possible ways of explanations that are knowingly false.

NOTE: I don't ask WHY the Talmud does it, I don't judge it. I also don't ask about valid alternative Halachic solutions (Machlokes).

I'm trying to imagine Moses teaching Yehoshua: "Guess the minimum Succah height? You might say three Tefahim just like Channukah candles? No, it's wrong. You might say one Amah is sufficient for a person? You're wrong again. You might say 3 Amos, like a Mikve - you're wrong" etc. It doesn't make sense to me. I assume the passing of the oral law was pretty much straightforward - a Rabbi tells his students what he knows, so Moses told Yehoshua - "the minimum height is exactly 10 Tefochim, no less and no more."

It appears that this method is specific for the Babylonian Talmud, I don't see it being used in Midrashic literature for example. I presume here that the methods of learning are also traditional just as its content.

Question: what's the source for learning by intentionally misleading a learner offering him dead-end solutions?


texts: Which etrog is closest to the gemara's description of "the taste of the tree trunk and its fruit are alike"?

texts:
The gemara in Sukkah 35a describes one of the characteristics of the etrog as

  a tree that the taste of its tree trunk and the taste of its fruit are
  alike

dinonline expands

  The Kapos Temarim (cited by Shut Chasam Sofer, Orach Chaim 207)
  explains that an esrog is unique in that it has little or no pulp,
  unlike other edible citrus fruits. The main part of the esrog is
  therefore its “rind”, which bears a much closer flavor to its bark
  than does the pulp of any other fruit.

I am aware of at least four common types of etrogim grown today: Moroccan, Hazon Ish, Calabrian and Teimani.

Which of these types of etrogim corresponds to the gemara and Kapos Temarim description?


texts: How is צָרַעַת (skin disease) like snow?

texts:
צָרַעַת, traditionally translated as leprosy, (perhaps skin disease is more accurate) is compared to snow in three locations:

Exodus 4:6 (ESV) 6 Again, the Lord said to him, "Put your hand inside
your cloak." And he put his hand inside his cloak, and when he took it
out, behold, his hand was leprous like snow.
Numbers 12:10 (ESV) 10 When the cloud removed from over the tent,
behold, Miriam was leprous, like snow. And Aaron turned toward Miriam,
and behold, she was leprous.
2 Kings 5:27 (ESV) 27 Therefore the leprosy of Naaman shall cling to
you and to your descendants forever." So he went out from his presence
a leper, like snow.

Some versions, such as the NIV, translate “white as snow” although the Hebrew lacks the word “white”.
Regarding this comparison, the IVP Bible Background Commentary Old Testament on 2 Kings 5:27 states:

Comparison to "snow" most likely concerns the flakiness rather than
the color.

How is leprosy like snow? Its color, its flakiness, or both? And what is the evidence for making such a claim that it only refers to its flakiness?


texts: What kind of "tikun hamiddos" is advocated by the Torah?

texts:
Does the Torah require a person to

1- uproot and change the source of bad middos (and not simply to deny and suppress his desires)

or

2- deny and suppress his desires and behavior (but not necessarily to uproot the source)?

(I know that I'm simplifying what should be a more subtle and nuanced concept(s), and my question might be setting up a false dichotomy, but I'm asking the question this way anyways for the sake of simplicity.)


texts: Why did God need to command the Jews not to kill?

texts:
There is a principle 'svara lamah li krah i.e. if a certain idea is logical and self evident to the average healthy mind, the Torah does not need to teach that idea. Additionally, what seems to be correct behavior to the average healthy mind is itself binding, that is why people can be judged and punished by God before the giving of the Torah (the mabul, dor haflaga, etc.).
That being the case why does the Torah need to command not to kill? (and why does the Torah have to command us not to steal, to honor our parents, etc, etc, etc......)

[As a source for the second point you can see the following article by Rav Avraham Grodzinski: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bwwd92aBnfAuNG1qYkltS1lfR3M ]


texts: The Neviim - Caves, solitude, hitbodedut - how much were they separate from the masses?

texts: Can you assist me in understanding if the neviim did in fact go into their caves specifically for hitbodedut, to not be overwhelmed by the throngs of people needing their visions, or just to collect themselves and be at one with Hashem.


texts: Why do Rabbis recite HaZikaron prayers with their backs to the Kotel?

texts: Each year on Yom HaZikaron it strikes me that Rabbis and Chazzanim recite prayers like Kaddish and Yizkor with their back to the Kotel and while facing the public. To me this looks completely contrary to the custom of praying in the direction of the Sanctuary. Even more so, because the square before the Kotel has the halachic status of a Synagogue. Why then do they turn their back towards the Kotel? The reason can hardly be to face the public, for today there is no public because of the Corona lockdown. But even if this would be the reason it seems wrong. For in the Synagogue they don't face the public but the Aron HaKodesh. It seems therefore that they should face the Kotel.


texts: I poured Starbucks Milk Chocolate Latte into my chicken soup. Shouldn't it still be kosher, even if it wasn't so much soup?

texts:
This week I was cooking my favorite meat soup when accidentally my Starbucks Milk Chocolate Latte tipped into the pot. At first it was just a little drip, but I lost the handle on the cup and eventually the whole thing fell in. Now, I once learnt some laws of bittul, and of course you need the dish to have 60 times what fell in to nullify it.  But I  also distinctly remember another law, "Batla miktzasa batla kulah" - "if some of it was nullified, the whole thing was nullified." Once the initial drops were nullified shouldn't the whole cup be?

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


texts:
As i say in this Purim Torah answer, we can't use smartphones because "The vaad found out that Siri's not a guy". (From the song Hang Up the Payphone by A.K.A Pella.)

However, that inspired a Siri-ous (groan) question.

According to answers to Are men allowed to listen to women on the radio?, some hold that it is forbidden to listen to women on the radio (and presumably recorded as well), due to the prohibition of "kol isha" (a man hearing a woman's voice).

But what about something like Siri, which is computer-generated female-sounding speech synthesis?

While hearing a woman simply speak is obviously permissible, it is possible to get Siri to sing by telling it "sing to me" (though the only song it knows is If I Only had a Brain, which it "sings" quite tunelessly).


texts:
I've looked in the Jewish Languages dictionary and other places but I can't find anyone who gives a Hebrew spelling of the word maila, meaning positive quality, opposite of חסרון. I'm guessing that it is מעלה from the root עלה meaning upwards or high quality, but I can't seem to find it a dictionary.
Thanks!
[To the person who deleted this, I hear the point, but this is a question about a spoken word in Yeshiva culture, not about Hebrew generally, so I think it is germane.]


texts:
Who wrote the anonymous explanations of Rashi printed within the text of Rashi? Sometimes when reading Rashi's commentary on the Torah one finds comments in parentheses that say things such as:

ס"א, (another text of Rashi, = ספר אחר) or גי' רא"ם (the version of the Mizrachi, = גירסת רבינו אליהו מזרחי)
A brief explanation of Rashi ending in וק"ל (and easy to understand, =וקל להבין) or ודו"ק

It seems remarkable that all of these comments are retained in most editions of Rashi (HaMa'or edition being a notable exception). For example, in Rashi to Shemos 22:22, the same gloss is contained in these many, many, many, many, many, many editions.

Who wrote these? (He obviously lived after the time of the Mizrachi, who lived in the fifteenth and sixteenth century.) It's a little unusual to give over a Dvar Torah in the name of Reb Anonymous.


texts: Why no addition to me'ein shalosh for Purim (and Chanukka)?

texts: We add a paragraph to birkat hamzon for Purim (and for Chanukka).  Why is there no phrase added to the me'ein shalosh (the bracha acharona) for Purim (and Chanukka)?


texts:
Poroshas beĥukosai begins with the words אם בחוקותי תלכו which rashi, somewhat famously explains, based on toras kohanim that this means 'if we will be עמלים בתורה'.

This is a commonly quoted rashi in many a mashigach's schmooze. I personally have heard this used to refer to gemara b'iyun, constantly thinking about Torah and amount of time spent learning amongst other thing which I can't remember at the moment. There are many aspects of Torah learning to which this phrase could refer.

So my question is what exactly is the toras kohanim's intent when it refers to עמלות בתורה?
I don't what to hear what some recent mashgiach said. I'd prefer early sources, I.e. ראשונים but am willing to hear about anything pre-1750 that may be of interest.


texts: why does the chazzan stand for the entire davening?

texts: From what I have seen, other than tachanun (nefilat apayim) the chazzan stands for the entire davening. Why is this so? Why not sit for things like krias shema?


texts: How are Sephardi Sifrei Torah assembled?

texts:
I rarely daven in Sephardi shuls, so I'm curious as to how Sephardi Sifrei Torah are "assembled" from the time it is written on parchment until it is put into the case.

Ashkenazi Sifrei Torah are "simple" by comparison. You put the parchment on atzei chayim and it doesn't matter much how tall, thick or heavy they really are, as long as the length is taller than the length of the parchment.

But I'm curious how the Sephardi ones are planned and assembled. There are no atzei chayim I gather as they are placed inside the case. Do they "custom size" the case to for the size of the parchment? What is the parchment attached to and then how does it stay standing upright in the case?

Please explain the "assembly" process.


texts:
Shemot 25:21 says:

  And you shall place the ark cover on the ark from above, and into the ark you shall place the testimony, which I will give you.

This seems to be reaffirmed in Melachim I 8:9:

  There was nothing in the ark save the two tablets of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when the Lord made (a covenant) with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.

But the Christian scriptures say that at some point there was more. Hebrews 9:4 says:

  This ark contained the gold jar of manna, Aaron's staff that had budded, and the stone tablets of the covenant.

Since Hebrews was probably written by a Jew, and was definitely written to Jews, it would seem strange to me if this notion was different from Jewish thinking of the time of writing.

So do any Orthodox Jewish sources say either that there was only the testimony, or that there were other items?


texts: Why 72-minutes for Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, and Northern European Jews?

texts: I am a Swedish Jew and want to know why we wait specifically 72 minutes after eating meat/flaysh before eating miklhigs. A lot of people say it is an hour, but my understanding is that a one-hour waiting time is actually Rabbeinu Tam (though is so frequently mis-cited as Northern European custom that you can find that everywhere on the internet), and the proper Swedish custom is 72-minutes. Why 72 minutes specifically?


texts: Halacha for a lending library dealing with publishers' stipulations

texts:
I operate a free book-lending library which is funded by donations of money and of books.  Somebody donated some books to the library that state inside that it is not permissible for libraries to lend these books out without the publisher's permission.  I called the publisher of one of the books and he said that since this book is out of print for quite a few years it is not a problem, but all books that they publish that are still in print are not allowed to be loaned out.

What is the Halacha on this concept? Can a publisher prevent a lending library from lending out books that it published?


texts: Which Rabbi Chanina is stam Rabbi Chanina?

texts: In the Talmud when it says, "Rabbi Chanina says ...", which Rabbi Chanina is it referring to, Rabbi Chanina Ben Dosa, Rabbi Chanina ben Hama, etc..


texts:
B"H
Hi
It's well known that every number has some significance in the Torah, so what is the significance of the number 600 (represented by final mem according to one system of gematria)?
Blessings and success


texts: What are the correct Jewish procedures for finding someone to marry? Like does "dating" have any Jewish connection?


texts: Is the book 'Gatherings of Conversations', containing transcriptions of speeches by Rebbe M.M. Shneerson, available anywhere?

texts:
From 'Jewish Fundamentalism in Israel' by I. Shahak and N. Mezvinsky we read ...

"The ideas of Rabbi Schneerson that appear below are taken from a book of his recorded
messages to followers in Israel, titled Gatherings of Conversations and
published in the Holy Land in 1965."

Is this book available to see, download, or purchase, anywhere?  Are the recordings available?


texts: May I discuss my friend's unabashed un-Halachic behavior?

texts:
Suppose Shmeryl regularly and unabashedly eats at McDonald's (not the Kosher one in Israel!), or engages in some other unambiguously un-Halachic behavior. Shmeryl doesn't believe that there's anything wrong with this or that there's any reason to hide it. Assume that Shmeryl is not a public figure.

If Shmeryl's friend Beryl, in the course of a public internet conversation, wants to mention what he heard about McDonalds from Shmeryl, may he? Does it matter whether he mentions Shmeryl's name? Assume that there's no pressing need to mention this information, but it's useful in the conversation.


texts: Where did the book Otzrot Hayyim come from?

texts: I've seen the book Otzrot Hayyim recommended as the best first text to use when starting to learn the system of the Ari. When was this book published and where did it come from? References to Kitvei Ha-Ari in seforim usually cite Eitz Hayyim or Pri Eitz Hayyim. Wikipedia says that an additional set of books called the Shmoneh She'arim were published relatively recently, after previously circulating only in manuscript and only in Eretz Yisrael. But Otzrot Hayyim does not seem to be one of the works that made up the Shemoneh She'arim.


texts: When someone is gifted a divination object

texts:
A very good friend of mine gave me a divination object for a present. She spent a few years in the Peace Corps in Mongolia, and brought me back a little hide box with sheep and horse ankle bones, which the people of Mongolia use for divination. Well, i don't believe in divination, nobody i know does, and even if i happened to meet someone who believes in divination, i think it would be rather unlikely they would know how to use the small trove of ankle bones to achieve anything.

So as a history major, i find the bones fascinating, i don't mind having them around, however, since i'm religiously Jewish, this seems like it could be prohibited. And therefore it makes me curious. Since the Torah seems to be mostly concerned with people believing that idols or divination objects worked, i'm not sure that logic applies anymore.

i know we aren't allowed to practice divination, and i imagine we would therefore be prohibited from having divination instruments. But since beliefs have changed so much throughout the centuries, i'm wondering if the more recent poseqim have commented on the following situation: if someone's entire household doesn't believe in divination, and even if they did, wouldn't be able to use the object for it, is an object still prohibited for them to keep?


texts: What is the origin of giving “Pesicho” to the expectant husband?

texts: What is the origin of the practice of giving “pesicho” (the honor of opening the Ark) to the husband whose wife is expecting a baby?


texts: Is it permissible to travel to a 'dangerous' place, if so, what is the shiur?

texts:
There is a mitzvah to guard your soul diligently. I am pretty sure this is applied to guarding your physical body from injury.

My question is, may one travel to a place that others may consider dangerous?

If so, what is the barometer/shiur for judging as to what is permissible and what is not?


texts: Should a Jewish cashier scan treif items?

texts: On the basis of Vayikra 11:8, is it permitted to work as an employee at a grocery store as a cashier (not the owner of the business), which would entail touching packaged yet non-kosher food items when you need to scan them? I am asking solely from an employee vantage point, not an owner – the employee making no direct benefit from the transaction other than an hourly wage to scan items and work the till.


texts: What are these words on the back of a קלף?

texts:
I recently saw a piece of קלף that had these words on the back:

Note: I'm talking about the words towards the bottom of the parchment, not Hashem's name.
Notice how the words are written facing the other direction from the regular words.
I have 2 questions:

Does anyone know what these words say/mean?
What is the source for writing them on pieces of קלף?


texts: Would a non-Jew wearing the Star of David together with a cross be offensive?

texts:
I am not Jewish, although I come from a Jewish heritage.  My great-grandmother was Jewish.  I have, since childhood, found the religion fascinating, even though my belief in Jesus has firmly placed me in the Christian camp.

However; I recently purchased a Star of David that has a cross in it, which I love because to me it represents my Jewish heritage and my Christian religion.  It has led to interesting questions and, because the cross is small, assumptions that I am Jewish.

I just wonder if a Jewish person would find it offensive and if I would be offending someone by wearing it?


texts:
There was a certain schul that I hate and I rented a dragon to devour the rabbi and the congregants.
When the dragon returned from its reign of terror, I find out that it didn't eat all the people, it only ate the Rov!
Is eating the rov considered like eating the whole thing or can I claim some of the money back from the lessor?

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


texts:
I was once told in the name of R' Hamburger שליט”א that the practice of waiting between meat and milk is, for Ashkenazim, a minhag. I was told that nonetheless, as we are accustomed to wait and following his understanding of מנהג אבותינו תורה היא (The custom of our fathers is Torah) we must continue to wait.

Regardless, does a source exist amongst the Ashkenazi rishonim which agrees with what I've said above?


texts:
Where can I find a diagram or timeline showing the chronology of the Shofetim according to different commentators?

For example Rashi on Shofetim 11:26, Ralbag nearby and Abarbanel on Shmuel 1 chapter 13 offer different opinions.

Modern scholars suggest the 40 years are non-literal or that the period of the judges coincided as they were in different areas of the country.


texts: Why is manna not a part of the celebration of Sukkot?

texts: Manna was an important feature of the daily lives of the Jews in the 40 years in the midbar.  Why is this daily miracle not even mentioned during the celebration of Sukkos?


texts:
Is it possible for a man to convert to Judaism without circumcision?

I'm not talking about where medical reasons would prevent circumcision; I'm curious to know if an uncircumcised gentile can convert to Judaism without going through circumcision -- a man who doesn't want to get a circumcision, but is otherwise capable of doing so without medical risk.


texts:
It's Yom Kippur. Mr. Ploni is at home, praying the Amidah prayer with great emotion. He's crying, and his nose is dripping. Although it's a fast day, he wants to lick the snot off his upper lip.

If there's no tissue within arm's reach, may he do so?
If there's lots of tissue within arm's reach, but he wants to save time and/or money, or he prefers not to use a tissue, may he do so?


texts:
I have been told that there are Pirushim on the Torah who speak of werewolves.

Can anyone locate them?


texts: What are the parameters of hachnassat orchim?

texts:
I have always believed in having a home open to guests, whether for Shabbat, hagim or for their secular needs, involving guests sleeping over.

However, recently my guests have inadvertently caused me damages that ran into a lot of expense for which I would not charge them.

This makes me feel that I have to become much more limited in how I have guests or not at all (to sleep over).
So I'm curious what the halacha has to say about this.


texts: Looking for "The Jewish rite of circumcision" (1873) by Asher Asher

texts: A Google search doesn't come up with any proper results at all. A jstor link and a University of Glasgow biography of Asher Asher didn't offer a link to the entirety of this publication.


texts: How does the phrase מנהגא מילתא היא relate to halachic Jewish life?

texts:
I have seen the phrase מנהגא מילתא היא mentioned in the halachic works of various Rishonim.

Neither it's plain meaning in these works nor it's connotations in relation to the significance of custom in deciding halachic issues is clear to me.


texts: Why is mevushal wine good enough for kiddush, but not good enough for avoda zara?

texts: So the reason why we use mevushal (cooked) wine is that it's seen as a wine inferior and incapable of being offered to an idol (Shulchan Aruch, YD 123). I understand why one can drink mevushal wine in this sense, but why is it good enough for kiddush? Are the requirements for kiddush less stringent then that of idol worship? Furthermore, the mevushal wine we drink today isn't exactly poor-quality. I've heard that even Catholic churches buy Rashi wine for their communions. Isn't there a problem with mevushal wine, at least now?


texts:
How do you translate the following Hebrew words into English?
"Ba’al Simchah"


texts: Does anyone know of a website like this that has the text (not PDF) of seforim posted on their website for free?


texts: Al Tarbeh Sicha Im Haisha- including Text Messaging?

texts:
The Mishna in Pirkei Avot says "Al Tarbeh Sicha Im Haisha", do not converse excessively with a woman.

Does this apply to text messages as well?


texts:
A woman I know mentioned that she is redeeming her firstborn son. This got me thinking. A Pidyon HaBen is mandated for the first male child to "open" the mother's womb. But whose Mitzvah is it?

The Pasuk is in the masculine. Does that mean it is the father's obligation? Do both parents share the obligation? EDIT (NEW SUB-QUESTION): Can the mother fulfill it if it's the father's responsibility?

There is a famous story that a famous rabbi (the GR"A, perhaps?) would, whenever he made the acquaintance of a Kohen, ask immediately for the opportunity to perform a Pidyon for himself (because of a safek that he felt existed in every Kohen's lineage).

Assuming the Safek was strong enough that the rabbi had reason to fear that his previous Pidyon(im) did not fulfill the Mitzvah, was it his responsibility to seek out more Kohanim to try again, or was that the sole responsibility of his father (or parents) to be fulfilled when he was a minor?


texts: PTIJ: What is the Torah preferred brand of cell phone?

texts:
I have heard of Kosher phones. What do the classic sources (preferably Rishonim or earlier) say about the preferred type and brand of cell phone?

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


texts: Why does "like the days you went out Egypt I'll show him wonders" change subjects?

texts: In Michah 7:15 it says "Like the days you went out of Egypt I'll show him wonders", why does the verse start off in the second person with "... The days you went out" and finish in the third person (either singular or plural) "I'll show him {or them} wonders", why didn't it say "I'll show you wonders"?


texts: Where is there a discussion where one can or can not injure or kill anybody who trespasses one's property?


texts: What is the punishment of suicide according to Jewish sources?

texts: If a Jew committed suicide, what will be the punishment ? Is it the same for a non Jew ?


texts:
In Parashat Korach we read that the Jews distanced themselves from the tents of Korach, Datan and Aviram (Bemidbar 16:27), and then the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up Korach and his company (16:32). Yet in Devarim 11:6 it is written:

וַֽאֲשֶׁ֨ר עָשָׂ֜ה לְדָתָ֣ן וְלַֽאֲבִירָ֗ם בְּנֵ֣י אֱלִיאָב֮ בֶּן־רְאוּבֵן֒ אֲשֶׁ֨ר פָּֽצְתָ֤ה הָאָ֨רֶץ֙ אֶת־פִּ֔יהָ וַתִּבְלָעֵ֥ם וְאֶת־בָּֽתֵּיהֶ֖ם וְאֶת־אָֽהֳלֵיהֶ֑ם וְאֵ֤ת כָּל־הַיְקוּם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּרַגְלֵיהֶ֔ם בְּקֶ֖רֶב כָּל־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃

And what He did unto Dathan and Abiram, the sons of Eliab, the son of Reuben; how the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed them up, and their households, and their tents, and every living substance that followed them, in the midst of all Israel.

Why is Korach omitted here? I couldn't find anything about it in Rashi. Does it matter that only Datan and Aviram came out from their tents, while Korach is mentioned separately in verse 16:32?
Some ideas here


texts: May one learn / talk after Yishtabach when waiting for the Chazan to start Birchos Krias Shema?

texts: I know you can't talk during פסוקי דזמרה, and certainly not during ברכות קריאת שמע. What about between them? And if not talking, what about דברי תורה?


texts: Shomer Nagia - How old should a girl be before she becomes shomer

texts:
At what ages do girls need to apply the rules of "shomer negia" (restricting contact between members of opposite gender)?

Is there a difference between Ashkenazim and Sepharadim?


texts: My mother is Jewish and I was raised Jewish. My dad converted in the reform tradition and I know what that means. Recently he's become ill, I am scared of what that means. I am incredibly close with both of my parents. They have been married just over 45 years and I am struggling to come to grips with their mortality as they age. How do I daven for a non-Jew in times like these. To put it into context, my father is seeing an oncologist tomorrow and I have a good idea of the outcome. Any wisdom or guidance would be helpful.


texts: Where is the source of the Minhag to burn the oil, wicks of the menorah/Chanukiya after Chanukah?


texts:
During a lecture addressing the Torah perspective on the Holocaust, a Rosh Yeshiva mentioned a letter which Rav Aharon Kotler z"tl wrote telling someone to remain in Europe because the war would blow over. This Rosh Yeshiva said that there are times when our actions as a nation may cause Hashem to remove certain foresight from Gedolei Yisroel.

Where is this concept mentioned?


texts: Saying the Amidah, you discover it's unsuitable to daven

texts:
Lets say you're saying the Amidah when a condition that would make davening unsuitable, i.e. ervah, tumah, ruach ra, a mirror or some sort of picture in front of you, suddenly enters your purview.

What should you do? Can you/should you interrupt your tefila? Move? How far?

Related: Saying the Amidah, you find yourself in yichud


texts: What are the mitzvot that a gentile is forbidden to do?

texts:
I know that some mitzvot like keeping shabbat, putting tefillin are forbidden for a gentile to do because they are a sign of the covenant between Israel and HaShem.

What are the full list of the forbidden mitzvot ?


texts: Why does Rav Saadia Gaon say to make a bracha by Orchatz and Borei Nephashot after Karpas?

texts: In the Siddur of Rav Saadia Gaon on page 136, where he discusses the Pesach Seder, he says that when we do Orchatz we are supposed to make a bracha, and after Karpas to say Borei Nephashot. However, Ashkenazim and Sefaradim do either. If to do this was the norm then, why do Ashkenazim and Sefaradim deviate, and if what they are doing is correct, why does the Rasag deviate? And if there is an inconclusive machloket, what are rationales of each side?


texts: After Yom Kippur, are there regular weekday Maariv services?

texts: After one goes to shacharit, mincha, yizkor, n'ilah services on Yom Kippur, there is a festive meal in the form of a break-fast. Are there still normal weekday maariv services afterwards, and would it be after breaking the fast or before?


texts: Is one obligated to believe a fellow jew?

texts:
I seem to recall that every jew has a chezkat kashrut unless you know something would would remove it, and therefore you are obligated to believe them if they told you something (i.e. they are poor and need money). I don't know where I heard that, or if its true (if false, the remainder of the question is moot) so a source would be appreciated.

Would that make you o'ver on the lo ta'aseh of "lo posheh yado" in Devarim that says that one cannot not give to the poor if asked?

And as a more general question, does one have to believe the person if they say they are a Jew (assume they say that there is no doubt they are jewish and frum)?


texts: Can a service dog enter a Temple during service?

texts:
At Rosh Hashanah service today, a congregant brought his service dog with him. He's not blind, the service dog vest said it was for hearing.

Is the temple being kind, or are they required to permit a service dog?


texts: Does God discriminate between Jewish and non-Jewish people?

texts: I often wonder if God has a different attitude towards people who are not Jews. Why Jews are consisdered to be most favored nation? Does that mean that all other people are inferior to Jews? Wouldn't that be racism? Please explain


texts:
Who knows Ruach?
רוח - מי יודע?
The traditional and therefore ubiquitous Jewish camp! chant@

Call: We've got Ruach, yes we do! We've got Ruach, how 'bout you?
Response: We've got Ruach, yes we do! We've got Ruach, how 'bout you?
Repeated ad raucedinem

implies an obvious presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be found in the identification of people or groups thereof who have attained the quality of "got Ruach." This quality presumably refers to a deep understanding of the concept of Ruach, as the chant directly echoes the question expressed in less "hip"# language in Ecclesiastes 3:21:

?מִי יוֹדֵעַ רוּחַ
Who knoweth Ruach?

Thus, we come to the following avenues for investigation:

What is this "Ruach" so emphatically to which this chant refers?

What is the significance of those who have "got Ruach," as sought in Ecclesiastes and in this traditional chant?

Who, indeed, has got Ruach? How 'bout# you?

!) And also, to the surprised observations in recent years of this observer,
school
@) Trigger warning: Noisy children
#) This observer apologizes to the reader for this indulgence in contemporary colloquialism, excusing it in the spirit of the impending holiday and the subject matter at hand.

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


texts: How does an outsider know how to dress for a particular Orthodox community?

texts:
Standards of dress (at least for women) aren't nearly as consistent within Orthodoxy as we might wish.  Wearing exactly the same halachically-correct clothing I have been under-dressed in some places and over-dressed in others, because I didn't necessarily know how minhag Young Israel is different from minhag Modern Orthodox or minhag Chabad or the others.  For any particular community I can take a cue from others -- if in fact other women are present, not always a safe bet -- so I can get it right the second time, but is there some set of clues I can use to get it right the first time?  And how do the expectations change for Shabbat services versus Shabbat-afternoon shiur versus weeknight shiur?

If I am going there in response to an invitation of some sort (e.g. a bar mitzvah) then clearly I can ask the people who invited me for guidance.  I'm trying to navigate the challenges of wanting to go to an interesting-sounding shiur or to daven at a place I've never been before where I don't necessarily know anybody, without feeling uncomfortable (or making anybody else uncomfortable) the whole time I'm there because I guessed wrong.


texts: Why is there a change in wording between "great" and "hard" in Shemot 18:22 and Shemot 18:26?

texts:
Exodus 18:22:

  וְשָׁפְט֣וּ אֶת־הָעָם֮ בְּכָל־עֵת֒ וְהָיָ֞ה כָּל־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַגָּדֹל֙
  יָבִ֣יאוּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ וְכָל־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַקָּטֹ֖ן יִשְׁפְּטוּ־הֵ֑ם וְהָקֵל֙
  מֵֽעָלֶ֔יךָ וְנָשְׂא֖וּ אִתָּֽךְ׃

  They shall judge the people at all times; and it shall be, that
  every great matter they shall bring to you, and every small matter
  they shall judge themselves; so shall they make it easier for you and
  bear the burden with you.

Compare with Exodus 18:26:

  וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת אֶת־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַקָּשֶׁה֙ יְבִיא֣וּן
  אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְכָל־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַקָּטֹ֖ן יִשְׁפּוּט֥וּ הֵֽם׃

  They judged the people at all times: the hard matters they brought to
  Moses, and every small matter they judged themselves

Why is the word "great" used when Yitro is advising Moses, but the term "hard" is used when describing what happened? Is there a difference in meaning or nuance, here?


texts: Did Moshe see Paro's face again after all?

texts:
After the ninth plague Paro once again offers to let the people go and then recants.  At the end of this conversation Sh'mot 10:28-29 says:

  28 And Pharaoh said unto him: 'Get thee from me, take heed to thyself, see my face no more; for in the day thou seest my face thou shalt die.'
  29 And Moses said: 'Thou hast spoken well; I will see thy face again no more.''

Then God speaks to Moshe about the final plague, and Moshe speaks about it in 11:4-8, ending with:

  And he went out from Pharaoh in hot anger.

What is the timing here?  While we don't take predictions of the future from Paro seriously, when Moshe says something will (or won't) happen, since God has chosen him as a prophet we usually expect him to be right, and I would expect that God and Moshe would be especially careful in this ongoing contest with Paro.

So were these one conversation, with Moshe saying (basically) "I won't see you again -- and one more thing before I leave..."?  If so, did God's revelation about the final plague interrupt this conversation, or are we to understand that it had happened earlier?

Or were these two different conversations, but somehow Moshe didn't see Paro's face the last time?  After the plague the text tells us (12:31) that Paro called for Moshe "by night", which one midrash I heard means they were out in the dark street, but this is not that conversation.

I didn't find any commentaries on this in the Cohen or Eitz Chayim chumashim, nor in Rashi.


texts: If someone wakes up and touches another object before washing his/her hands, does that object get some level of tumah as well?


texts: If dipping was common, why does Mah Nishtana suggest otherwise?

texts:
The Gemara (Shabbat 111a) mentions "טיבול", literally "dipping", which Rashi explains is the meal, which featured lots of dipping.

In the Pesach classic, it says "on all other nights we do not dip even once".

Why so?

Could it just be a different culture from Mishnaic Israel to Talmudic Babylon?


texts: Sometimes a woman is bleeding but is not having a clear period. What amount of blood (on colored clothing) would no longer be considered a kesem but would make the woman a nidah through a presumed Reiyah?


texts:
Seems to be a minhag that a fiance shall not sleep at his future in-law's house. Even just as a guest for one night. And obviously, even if there is no problem of yichud.

Is there a reference in posqim about this minhag?


texts:
In relation to the following question:Kulo Tov, I wondered who wrote the
hatov v'hameitiv and what its origin is.

(Looking for sources that state that HaShem is [all/completely] good)


texts: Had Shechem ben Chamor been a 1st born would he have required to be redeemed by using a sheep?

texts:
Exodus 34:20:

וּפֶ֤טֶר חֲמוֹר֙ תִּפְדֶּ֣ה בְשֶׂ֔ה וְאִם־לֹ֥א תִפְדֶּ֖ה וַעֲרַפְתּ֑וֹ

The first born of Chamor should be redeemd with a sheep, and if it is not redeemed, you should break its neck.
In Breishit 34, we read about Shechem, the son of Chamor wwoing Dina, the daughter of Ya'akov. We don't know if Shechem was Chamor's first born, but, if he were, would he require either redemption using a sheep (instead of 5 silver shekalim) or breaking his neck if he refused to be exchanged for the sheep?
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts: Why is the first mishna of Brachos included in the Ein Yaakov?

texts:
Rav Yaakov ibn Habib collected aggadeta from the shas bavli and yerushalmi. He called this collection Ein Yaakov. He also wrote a commentary on a bunch of it which is called HaKoseiv.

The very first mishna/gemara of the Ein Yaakov is the first mishna of mesechet brachos along with the gemara which discusses why the mishna included a law about cohanim. There is no apparent reason to include either the mishna or this piece of gemara in his collection of aggadeta. Additionally, Rav Yaakov does not write any commentary on this.

The question is: why would he include it then? why not just start with the second piece which he does comment on?


texts: Is there a source for not counting your money?

texts: I heard that you shouldn't count your money because of the ayin hara (Evil Eye) or something like that. Can anybody bring the source for it?


texts: What shevet did a convert in the midbar belong to (if any)?

texts:
During the time in the midbar or when the land of Israel was apportioned by shevet, if someone converted what tribe (if any) would s/he belong to?

The purpose of this question is to deduce a converts status in the midbar in relation to things like where they camped (h/t @ari a) whom they could marry, etc.


texts: Why is the principle of faith about Moshiach constructed as a rhetorical argument?

texts:
Why is the 12th principle of faith in the Ani Maamin poem about Moshiach constructed rhetorically - on a circumstantial situation "even if / in spite of that!"? In other words, the author says "I believe by complete faith in the coming of the Messiah, and even though he tarry in waiting, in spite of that, I will still wait expectantly for him each day that he will come"

Compare this formulation to the other principles - he doesn't say "Believe in G-d even if you don't see Him and have no inkling that He's there" or "Trust that G-d rewards the righteous and punishes the wicked even though a long time passes without justice." Why does Moshiach have this twist?


texts:
Is one allowed to join an army (let's say not the Israeli one) as doing so is putting oneself in a place of sakana?
If one is not allowed to join an army in general, is one allowed to join an army for "good cause" (let's say in World War 2 to fight the Nazis)?
Is one allowed to dodge the draft (assuming he won't be caught and won't cause Eiva)?


texts: Metsudah Publishers - Do they have an official webstore?

texts: Does Metsudah Publishing Company have their own official webstore? I can only seem to find private Judaica and book webstores that sell their products, but not an official Metsudah webstore. Can someone help, please?


texts:
Can a Jew join Christians in saying grace before meals? I'm asking about any text, from the religious texts here to "This food smells good".

Also does whether Jesus is invoked make a difference?

This question is assuming there is no problem with the food's kashrus.


texts: Specifically, I am looking at Israeli Kif Kef bars - the ones sold in the States. Presumably they are identical to the ones from Israel. See picture. The hechture is Bedatz.


texts:
Do modern Jewish cemeteries separate the "righteous" from the "wicked"? I have read in various sources that "we don't bury rashim near tzadikim"--that people must be buried near others of similar righteousness. From this page:

"The halachah states that one should not bury an evil person near a tzaddik, nor even a very wicked person near a mildly wicked person, nor a good person near an outstandingly pious individual (Sanhedrin 47a; Rashi, ibid.; Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah 362:5)., [...] The Gemara explains that there were therefore different cemeteries even for different levels of rishut, evil. For example, there were different burial areas for those killed by beit din via stoning and those killed by sword.
"[...] Those of similar religious and moral stature should be buried next to each other. If, however, a tzaddik and a rasha are buried next to each other, it may not be necessary to move the rasha, although some separation, such as a halachic partition, is usually advised (see Gilyon Maharsha, Yoreh Deah 362:5; Shu”t Chatam Sofer, Yoreh Deah 341; Minchat Yitzchak 6:136; Shevet HaLevi 7:193). [...] Rabbi Shmuel Engel (Shu”t Maharash, 3:65) permitted one to move his wife’s grave when it was discovered that she was mistakenly buried in a section of the cemetery reserved for Shabbat desecraters. [...]
Thus, only in a Jewish cemetery does one find separate burial sections for societies of like-minded individuals."

Are these distinctions imposed in today's Jewish cemeteries, and to what extent? For example:

Are there still separate sections for those guilty of different violations, such as Shabbat desecrators and suicides?

Are "burial societies" based on level of religious observance and righteousness actually common practice?

Is care still taken to ensure that a tzaddik is not buried next to a rasha, and would the graves of a tzaddik and a rasha be separated by a halachic partition even today?


texts:
Is it allowed for one to travel by car on Hoshana Rabbah?
If so, what are the sources for this?


texts: Why is מקראי קדש not נסוג אחור?

texts:
In Parshat Emor, Vayikra 23:2:

  דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֵ֥לֶּה הֵ֖ם מוֹעֲדָֽי׃

And also 23:37:

  אֵ֚לֶּה מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם מִקְרָאֵ֣י קֹ֑דֶשׁ לְהַקְרִ֨יב אִשֶּׁ֜ה לַיהוָ֗ה עֹלָ֧ה וּמִנְחָ֛ה זֶ֥בַח וּנְסָכִ֖ים דְּבַר־י֥וֹם בְּיוֹמֽוֹ׃

In general, when a word (קדש here) is accented mil'el and the previous word is connected with conjunctive cantillation (מקראי with a munach), the preceding word will be nasog achor, accented on an earlier syllable. There are rules that are exceptions to the rule, such as if pulling it back would cause consecutive accents with the second preceding word, or if it ends with כם/כן/הם/הן. This does not seem to match any of the exceptions listed in Tikun Simanim.

Why then does it not apply here?

(23:4 has a tipcha which is disjunctive on מקראי so you wouldn't expect it to be nasog achor.)

  אֵ֚לֶּה מוֹעֲדֵ֣י יְהוָ֔ה מִקְרָאֵ֖י קֹ֑דֶשׁ אֲשֶׁר־תִּקְרְא֥וּ אֹתָ֖ם בְּמוֹעֲדָֽם׃

I'm sure there are other cases where you would expect nasog achor and it isn't there, but i'm asking about this specifically because i feel like i have seen these words with nasog achor somewhere, but i can't find it right now.


texts: Which Seforim is Rav Chaim of Volozhin speaking of?

texts: In the beginning of Sha'ar Daled of Nefesh HaChaim, Rav Chaim of Volozhin criticises those people who do not engage in classical learning, but instead spend time studying "Sifrei Yirah U'Mussar." Which seforim might he be referring to? Were there particularly popular Seforim being learned during this time?


texts:
Why doesn't the Rambam mention the Brochah on Tevillas Keilim? Even if he holds its a Mitzve Drabanon (as this is subject to an argument), but by others he specifies the Brochah.

So why is it different here?


texts: Publisher prohibiting purchaser from sharing

texts:
Tradition articles are downloadable from the Tradition Online website, which prohibits further distribution of the materials. On each download page there is the following warning:

  It is strictly forbidden for both subscribers and article purchasers to share article downloads with others.

On what basis does the magazine (or the RCA, which publishes the magazine) retain such a right to prohibit any type of sharing?  Surely even Copyright Law allows the purchaser of a published work to share it with others.

To clarify, my question is whether that statement is:

reflective of law and therefore Halachah;
effective of Halachah (like a sale 'Al Tenai, or a Neder, perhaps?); or
meaningless.


texts: Renting digital services to Jews who are known to work on Shabbes

texts:
Given the following scenario:

A Jew is the sole owner of a digital business which rents its services (a digital platform that does not require human intervention from part of the owner) for a monthly fee. The owner of the company is shomer Shabat and no one in the company works on Shabbes.

Within the pool of clients there are some who are also Jewish, but use the rented system on Shabbes.

What halachic and moral considerations should the owner take into account for the previous case? What is the responsibility of the owner towards his Jewish brothers in such circumstances?


texts: At what age should we start teaching the distinction between Midrash and Text?

texts:
At a very early age children learn the history of the world and the Jews through the enthralling stories found in many varied sources.

They learn that the world was created in six days; that Avraham knocked down the idols in his father's store; that Hashem told Avraham Lech Lecha and Avraham and Sarah traveled away from their homeland; that Issac married Rivka at the age of three; etc.

The problem with teaching in this way is, in my view, children don't differentiate text based stories and Midrashim.  This may no seem to be a problem on the surface, however just from the list above we have a two-fold problem.

First, when the student begins to be able to read the chumash on their own some famed and loved stories do not appear even as the student spends hours searching and becoming discouraged at the text and his/her teachers. I have adult friends who still remember being very confused that Avraham's father's idol shop appears nowhere in the text.

Second, several Midrashim can be found on certain issues, including that of how old Rivka was when she got married, so once the student can reconcile him/herself to the fact that his/her teacher has some how mixed everything up in his/her head (if they can reconcile themselves) the student now has to deal with the fact that he/she was taught only one of many possible stories and therefore needs to explore why the teacher chose that one to teach and how will he/she now be able to reconcile all the differences of the rabbis with the over riding bias that the teacher gave him or her at such an early age.

Therefore, when should we be teaching the differences between Midrash and Text and what can be found in each? How do we help both students and teachers with how to incorporate both into teaching without causing students undo difficulty while still receiving a complete Jewish education.


texts: Adopted and raised as a Jew. Conversion still needed as an adult who is observant?

texts:
Shalom,
I was adopted before my birth, (birth by a non Jewish mother), into a Jewish family with a Jewish Mother, Father and sisters.  I was raised as a Jew, had a Bat Mitzvah and have since become observant.  I am Shabbos observant, eat Kosher (although my kitchen still awaits kashering).  The family laws of purity, (niddah), I have been told don't apply to me as I do not menstruate.
Here's my question:  since my parents raised me as a Jew, but didn't have me immersed in a mikvah, do I still need to "convert?"  What does that entail?  I am heartbroken as my Neshamah has been rising up the ladder to Hashem, only to fall down the rungs of the ladder. Todah, Shirah


texts: Reading this week's Torah portion (וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ), amongst the various storylines The Israelites moved and dwelt in the land of Goshen.  What does the name גֹּשֶׁן mean? Is there a connection between that and the name of this particular Parsha, וַיִּגַּ֨שׁ? Todah Rabbah.


texts: R' Yehoshua and the Athenian Elders: The lender and the woodchopper

texts:
This is part of a series of questions on the Gemara in Bechoros 8b-9a. Below is a summary of the relevant parts of the Gemara. After being challenged by Caesar, R' Yehoshua went to Athens to defeat the Athenian Elders in a battle of wits.

In the process of their debate, the Elders asked the following question: "If a man had a hard time recovering money from one of his borrowers, should he lend money again?"

R' Yehoshua responded with what seems to be a mashal. "If a man chopped wood and can't lift what he chopped, should he not cut more? Eventually someone will come along and help him carry."

How is this a response to the Elders' question? In their question, the Elders are assuming that most borrowers wouldn't be able to pay back. R' Yehoshua doesn't seem to debate this point; all he says is that someone will be able to help him if he gets into trouble again.


texts: Philosophically, why does the death of an understudy kohen allow a manslaughterer to leave the City of Refuge?

texts:
Rambam, Laws of the Murderer and Preservation of Life 7:9.

ואחד כוהן גדול העובד, ואחד הכוהן שעבר
[The person guilty of manslaughter -- rotzeach beshogeg -- is no longer exiled to a City of Refuge upon the death of the kohen gadol. This applies whether it's the currently-acting Kohen Gadol, or one who once served in a temporary capacity as such.

This means if any of the following people died, the exile is over:

The person who was kohen gadol the day of the fatal accident, even if he retired long ago for health reasons (e.g. he developed cataracts)
A person who was an ordinary kohen the day of the accident; six months later the kohen gadol broke his arm and had to be out for a few weeks, so this fellow served as kohen gadol in an "understudy capacity" for a month, then returned to being a normal kohen when the kohen gadol returned. He dies thirty years after having ever touched the bigdei kehuna.
A kohen who had briefly acted as kohen gadol at some point before the fatal mistake.

Okay, now philosophically, what seems to be the explanation given on why the kohen gadol's death helps the situation?

Gemara Makos 11b -- it's the kohen gadol's fault to a certain degree, "he should have begged for mercy for the generation."

I can understand why anyone who ever touched the bigdei kehuna is expected to feel responsible for the people for the rest of their life ... but how would that extend to that second bullet -- someone who, at the time of the accident, had never been anything other than a totally normal kohen?
Someone on Makos must ask this, no?
(Bonus points -- the Moreh Nevuchim's explanation -- "the people will be united by grief and the blood rage will subside" -- works well for anyone who's ever been kohen gadol; Chizkuni's explanation -- "people will gripe on the kohen gadol for not carrying out justice" ... raises a similar question to the Gemara's reason.)


texts: Is it permissible for a woman to learn Pirkei Avot & Shulchan Aruch?

texts: Is there anything prohibiting/restricting a woman from reading Pirkei Avot or the Shulchan Aruch?


texts:
The term established itself in one way or the other in many different languages as early as the dark age. The question: why is that?

I thought it to be somewhat of a misnomer. After all, Yaakov had 12 children that formed the 12 tribes of Israel. Why is it that we are (pretty much) globally known after the fourth son?

Disclaimer: I've read an explanation on chabad.org which dwelled on the linguistic aspect of it, what the root meant in Hebrew and the like. But it didn't really answer this question.


texts:
Are you allowed to take a shower on a fast day, and is it suggested?
Once we are talking about bathing, what about going to the Mikvah on a fast day?
Does it make a difference if one goes daily, and/or one is a Mohel on that particular fast day and the custom is to go to Mikvah the day you preform a Milah?


texts: We are instructed to cover our thumbs during shmoneh esrei (Mishnah Berurah 95:6 quoting Ramak), havdalah (Mishna Brura 298:10) and in the beit hamikdash as these would select the kohen to do the avodah. What is the significance of covering the thumb and are there other times where one must do so?


texts: How do we determine whether a dish is clean?

texts:
There are situations in which the question arises in halacha (specifically, the laws of kashrus) whether a piece of flatware or a dish is clean — by which I mean whether it lacks any remnant of food or the like.

(Such a situation might be as follows. One can (citation needed, and CYLOR) use a cold, clean, non-kosher cup for a cold drink. But he cannot (c.n., a.C.) use a cold cup that contains non-kosher food remnants (because אין מבטלין אסור לכתחלה).)

My question is how one determines whether there are any remnants in the dish or on the cutlery.  For example, is it sufficient to glance at the dish? Does one need to look at each square inch of it carefully? Perhaps run a fingernail along it to feel for adhesions? Or what?


texts: Is it disrespectful to say a blessing while the man reciting is without a shirt on the top?

texts: If a situation making the man to take off his shirt (e.g. the weather is very hot), is it disrespectful if he said a blessing over bread, fruits, etc.... ?


texts: Providing services to a forbidden ceremony

texts: If a secular society criminalizes discriminating against a ceremony (e.g., a wedding between arayot [forbidden sexual unions, e.g., incest, bestiality, or homosexuality] or an idolatrous ritual), is a Jewish business allowed to provide a service, such as acting as an officiating Rabbi  for the service, baking a cake (custom or neutral), catering the ceremony or designing it? If not, would a kashrut agency be allowed to certify a caterer that, under duress, did? Do we distinguish between Jew and Gentile regarding this halacha?


texts: Ma'ase avos siman l'banim - prescriptive or descriptive?

texts:
The concept of the actions of the forebears being an indication of their descendants' actions is referred to by many commentators and midrashim, including the famous Ramba"n on B'reshis 12.

What is the idea intended by this rule? On one hand it seems to be a matter of information - i.e. that we know about the things our predecessors did and can observe that our actions and circumstances are similar to theirs and possibly even compare the two. On the other hand it could be used as a guide - i.e. the implicit instruction to do the same things they did.

In either case, is this idea limited to the avos per se, or does it mean all earlier people?


texts:
It is a known rule that the halacha is like Beis Hillel unless explicitly stated.

The Gemara (Eiruvin 13b) says Beis Hillel and Beis Shammai argued for three years until a bas kol called out and said the halacha was like Beis Hillel. The reason is because Beis Hillel were humble and modest (נוחין ואלובין) and would present the opinion of Beis Shammai before their own.

In Pesachim 114a, it is specifically written that the halacha is like Beis Hillel (והילכתא כדברי ב''ה). The Gemara asks why it was necessary to state this. Isn't it obvious (פשיטא)? The Gemara says you may either say two things:

That this mishnah was written before the bas kol spoke, and therefore found it necessary to state that the halacha was like Beis Hillel.
That this mishnah was written after the bas kol spoke, but we follow like Rabbi Yehoshua who said we never follow a bas kol when deciding halacha, because "the Torah is not in Heaven" (לא בשמים היא). (See Bava Metzia 59 for the whole story there.)

If we don't pasken from a bas kol like Rabbi Yehoshua said, then why is the halacha like Beis Hillel? Can it really be because Beis Hillel had good middos and were humble and modest? And if we do follow the bas kol, why do we still follow Beis Shammai in a number of dinim?


texts:
I've heard that there is a connection between "שלום" - "peace" and "שלם" - "complete".
Does anyone know what the source of that is? Thank you so much.


texts:
A famous Kohlberg dilemma goes something like this:

Heinz’s wife is dying and there’s a drug that may be able to save her. Jack cannot afford the drug.

Can Heinz steal the drug to treat his wife?
What’s the Halacha in this case?


texts:
In the Priestly blessing (במדבר ו:כד-כה), for the word וישם, is the the root שים or is the root ישם?

ישם -'Implement', https://pealim.com/dict/864-leyasem
שים - 'Put', https://www.pealim.com/dict/45-lasim/


texts: Which version of Rashi is learned on M'nachos chapters 7–10?

texts:
Four chapters of Bavli M'nachos (chapters 7–10 in the Bavli's order) have two versions of Rashi printed alongside in the standard edition. Toward the top of the page is  Rashi printed in regular Rashi script. Toward the bottom is a commentary labeled "manuscript Rashi" and printed in smaller type. At the beginning of the "manuscript Rashi" commentary is a note inserted by the publisher to the effect that the Shita M'kubetzes had said that the other commentary was not Rashi at all and had found a manuscript copy of the "manuscript Rashi" version.

Which version is typically/traditionally studied when learning those chapters?


texts: Is the Story About Members of Beis Shammai Killing Members of Beis Hillel True?

texts:
The Yerushalmi Talmud at Shabbos 1:4 has a mysterious passage speaking of a time when Beis Shammai literally violently out-dueled Beis Hillel:

  Mishna: These are the laws they said in the attic of Hanania ben Hizkiya ben Gurion, when they went in to visit him. They voted and Beit Shammai was the majority over Beit Hillel, and they decreed eighteen things in that day.

  Gemara: That day was as hard for Israel as the day the golden calf was made... Rabbi Joshua Onaya taught: The students of Beit Shammai stood at the bottom [of the stairs], and they killed the students of Beit Hillel. It was taught: Six of them went up [to the attic], and the rest of them attacked them with spears and swords. It was taught: For eighteen things they decreed, and in eighteen they were the majority.

According to the Korban HaEda, this passage neither means that Beis Shammai outnumbered Beis Hillel or that, G-d forbid, Beis Shammai members actually committed murder.  But during a number of votes, they did block access to Beis Hillel members to the beis midrash as votes were taken.  Over centuries there has remained much dispute as to the meaning of this passage, for example the Karraites took up the passage with Rav Sadia Gaon who denied it ever happened.  How have later commentators treated this passage?


texts: I saw "Pythonic Sorcery" mentioned on a list of things that would merit the death penalty in ancient Jerusalem. But, when I went to Google it, all I found are...more readings about the capital punishment in Judaism. So what is it? Where does this concept originate?


texts: Why did we keep the tradition of blowing shofar but not silver trumpets?

texts: The Torah mentions blowing both shofar and hatzotzrot (e.g., http://www.templeinstitute.org/trumpets-gallery.htm) on various occasions during the year, but today we blow only the shofar and only on the yamim noraim.  Why did the tradition keep only the shofar and not the silver trumpet blowing?


texts: Source for: Abstaining from sin being considered a mitzvah in Talmud Bavli

texts: I remember seeing a passage in Talmud Bavli saying something along the lines of: "every moment that a person sits and does not engage in sin, he is considered to be doing a mitzvah." I'm not able to find it again and looking for the tractate and the page.


texts: Splitting up Shacharis between two Chiyuvim

texts: I have Davened in a few Shuls where they have split up Shacharis between two Chiyuvim. (One Davens until Ashrei after Tachanun / One davens from Ashrei until the end.) What is the source for doing so?


texts:
Someone once told me the Rogochover says that Muslims are idol worshippers, as they secretly worship the moon.

I couldn't find where the Rogochover actually writes this. This article (fn. 20) says this claim is brought in HaRogochovi by Yair Bochorov, on p. 176, that it's מפי השמועה (an oral tradition). Apparently the sources for this tradition are found on p. 419, but I don't have access to it. This book also says that the Rambam only wrote otherwise because he lived under Muslim rule.

I would like the sources which report this claim, and sources which discuss reputability (ie: if he actually said it) or dispute it (ie: quoting the Rogochover and explaining why he's wrong).

Note: In case it's not obvious, I'm in no way advocating such a position. Anyone with a little exposure to Islam knows they're purely monotheistic. I merely seek sources regarding the position of the Rogochover.


texts: Sadducee kohanim gedolim dying on yom kippur

texts: There were a few hundred kohanim gedolim in the second bais hamikdosh many of whom died on 'the job' on yom kippur in the holy of holies. Knowing this, what induced them to become a kohen godol which seemed to be for some (the tsdokim) a certain death?


texts:
When people ask me what’s on my mind, they’ll say “a penny for your thoughts.”
When I take the initiative to tell them what’s on my mind, it’s putting in my “two cents.”
We’re commanded not to overcharge or undercharge by more than a sixth (see the fourth perek of Bava Metzi’a). Isn’t this clearly a violation of that, in that I’m giving something worth two cents when he only is offering one?
This assumes that all amounts discussed are at least a shava perutah.

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


texts: What was the Chiddush (novelty) in the 10 commandments?

texts:
I'm trying to imagine myself exiting Egypt and arriving at Matan Torah. I expect that for 49 days the Jewish people expect G-d to give them something they didn't already know. Instead, G-d recites the 10 commandments that are already well known:

אנכי + לא יהיה - self-apparent, repetition of Pesach
שבת + כיבוד אב were given at Marah
לא תרצח, תנאף, תגנוב - very old
לא תשא + לא תענה + לא תחמוד seem new.

I value the magnitude of the event and people having an unimaginable experience of seeing their G-d, but information-wise I can't see many Chiddushim here.

From the Mitzvos point, what were the big Chiddushim of the 10 commandments?


texts:
A theoretical question:
Someone was making a dough and in the process a large piece fell out from the mixture onto the floor. They had made exactly the right amount in order to take challah with a bracha. The part that fell onto the floor they now no longer want to use as part of the dough. Therefore the mixture is now missing a proper "shiur" (amount) in order to take challah with a bracha. Can a bracha still be made when challah is taken from the dough in such a case?

To begin with one could ask, when does the dough become chiyuv in general in taking off challah? Does it help in this case that the piece of dough is still around and can be put together with the entire mixture, then separate the challah with a bracha, even though the person will not use this piece and throw it away. Would it make a difference if the piece of dough that fell off was no longer around at all?


texts: Other reasons to start teaching children with Vayikra

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The Midrash (Tanchuma Tzav #14, Vayikra Rabbah 7:3) advises one to start teaching their children with parshas Vayikra, since the korbonos are pure, just like children are pure. This is brought by the Kol Bo #74 as the minhag,
subsequently brought by the Shach to Yoreh Deah 245 s.k. 8, and Be'er Heitev ad. loc.
Aruch HaShulchan ad. loc. seif 11 brings it as well, and writes:

כדי שיבואו טהורים ויתעסקו בטהרות, ועוד טעמים יש בזה.
so that pure ones will go delve with purities. And there are additional reasons for this.

What other reasons for this minhag is he alluding to? The above Tanchuma adds one more, that it's to teach us that reading about korbonos is as if we brought them. Are there any others?


texts: What is the source for the custom of kissing one's hand after shaking another's?

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There is a common custom in Israel (mostly in Sfardic communities) that after you shake someone's hand, you kiss your hand. Generally people kiss their thumb or first two fingers, in my experience. (For another question mentioning this custom, see Kissing the hand to catch a cold?.)

What is the source/origin of this custom?
Was it started by some rabbi? If so, who? And when?
Also, is it attested to in any writings? (i.e. reasons for doing it)


texts: Looking for the Lost tribes : Are Bantus speaking Ancient Hebrew?

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On YouTube many videos link the Bantu languages to the ancient Hebrew. Would you know if any scholar ever studied the link between both languages do understand how they influence each other? Could the Bantus be some of the lost tribes of Israel/Judah...?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=2&v=VFwdfelR5bE&feature=emb_logo
Zephaniah 3:9 to 3:10
"For then will I turn to the people a pure language, that they may all call upon the name of the LORD, to serve him with one consent.
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, even the daughter of my dispersed, shall bring mine offering."
Bantus do live beyond the rivers of Cush/Ethipia.
Also, have you ever heard of the Hebrew Israelite movement? Could it be that some of the Bantu tribes and some of the African American are descendant of Israel or Abraham?


texts: Tearing keriyah for ladies mourning in public

texts: Is it considered to be "un-tznius" (immodest) for ladies to tear keriyah (rip their clothes in mourning) in public?


texts: The Mishnah in Pesachim 39a lists five types of vegetables that can be used for marror. Where did the Sages derive this list from? Is it some kind of Halachah L'Moshe MiSinai, or Chazal figured out that these species best fit the description of מרורים stated in the Torah, or some other reasoning?


texts: הכל בידי שמים אף יראת שמים? Is this just the Mei HaShiloach's Chiddush?

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The Mei HaShiloach writes regarding Sarah Eimeinu's denial of her Laughter
(Partial Quote; see in full for context)

עומק הענין בזה, כי מה דאיתא בגמ' (ברכות ל"ג:) הכל בידי שמים חוץ מיראת שמים הוא רק לפי גבול תפיסת שכל האדם, אבל באמת הכל בידי שמים ואף יראת שמים ורק בעוה"ז הסתיר הש"י דרכו.

The (subject) matter is very deep with this (verse), for when the Gemara says (Brachos 33b) "Everything is in the hands of heaven except for the fear of heaven" is only (true) according to the grasp of the human intellect. But in truth "everything is in the hands of heaven"- even fear of heaven- and it is only in this world that H-Shem has hidden his ways...

My Question
Are there any other sources who talk about this idea, or is this the Mei HaShiloach's chiddush alone?


texts: How to Reconcile if/when the Jewish Day Was to Begin at Sunset?

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Question:

Are there any historical documents that detail the differences in opinions on when the "Jewish Day" began? (Perhaps between Sadducee and Pharisee/Rabbinic definitions, etc).
What the earliest - explicit - references to the Jewish day beginning at "Sunset"?

Note: Explicit historical or Scriptural References would certainly clarify the confusion:

Closely Related:

https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/69660/in-lev-2332-why-isnt-it-from-evening-until-evening-until-evening-thr
Is there really evidence that the Rabbis changed the day's beginning from sunrise to sunset?


texts: What purpose does the repetition of the Shemoneh Esrei (Amidah) serve?

texts: Does the repetition serve to ensure that everyone present has fulfilled the mitzvah of tefila? If so, does saying "amen" to all of the blessings work in substitution of the silent Shemoneh Esrei, in a time of pressing need? Why do we repeat the Shemoneh Esrei out loud?


texts: Sephardim following Ashkenazim in Halacha on modern issues

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I heard that if there is no argument between the Remah and the Mechaber, then a Sephardi can follow Rav Moshe Feinstein for instance.

How does it work?
I try my best to strictly follow HaRav Ovadia Yosef, but there was a case when my shaver may not have conformed to what HaRav Ovadia writes, but it was okay according to Rav Willig and Rav Moshe Feinstein, I asked my Rav what to follow, he said that you can follow the Ashkenazim, is that because where there isn't a Machloket mentioned in the Shulchan Aruch, and only modern day, we can go along with who we like?


texts: Are there any Lubavitchers that believe that their Rebbe more than mortal

texts: I have heard that many people think that some Lubavitchers (obviously mistakenly) think that their rebbe is somehow more immortal than everyone else. Does anyone know if this is true and to the extent that it is, how many people we are talking about?


texts: Someone told me to sit for grace after meals (the series of benedictions recited after eating a bread meal). Is that true?  I mean, is there such an halachic obligation? or is it, at least, a nice thing to do? And what about other post-food benedictions (not after bread)?


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There are few versions of the age of the Earth Wikipedia Article but they seem to be mostly (all?) from christian interpretations. Are there estimations from the Tanakh, with Jewish interpretations?

This question is asking for a religious answer, without regard to scientific evidence or lack of same.


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Can (or has) the Sanhedrin be (been) halachically established today?

If those whose answer imply that the Sanhedrin does not yet exist, then what are we to think of the so-called Sanhedrin that claim to now exist in Jerusalem?


texts: Explain halachic purposes of parts of Jewish marriage

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I am trying to understand the purposes of these parts of the Jewish wedding:

Tana'im (Some document is read and the 2 moms break a plate)
ketubah
kiddushin (chatan places ring on kalah's finger)

Questions:

Are all 3 required for the couple to be halachically married?
What does each one accomplish with respect to the marriage that the other 2 don't?
Must all 3 of these be done at the same time / same day / same place?
Do all 3 require witnesses?
Must Kiddushin be done specifically under a chuppah or can it be done, say in a rabbi's office or anywhere else with 2 witnesses?
Do any of these witnesses who attend one event need tp be present at any other event?
Must both witnesses be present at the same place at the same time? I understand that you need two witnesses - or is just one acceptable b'dieved - for any of the 3 items mentioned?


texts: Why would G-d let angels speak on His behalf?

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In regards to this question of mine I would like to ask:

In Genesis/Bereshit 18:10 it seems that one of the men/angels visiting Avraham is saying that Sarah will give birth to a son, while in Genesis 18:14 it’s G-d speaking. At least that’s how some like Rashi or the Rashbam seem to explain it:

But why would G-d speak through one of the messengers/angels in one case, but personally in another, while speaking about the exact same matter? If these angels are speaking and acting through the agency of G-d (like a shaliach), why couldn’t they speak out those words on behalf of G-d the second time as well? I’m not doubting what Rashi and the Rashbam say about these verses, I’m just trying to figure out why this would be the case (why G-d Himself speaks directly the second time around in opposite to the first time this message is delivered).

If someone could help explain the logic behind it, that would be great.


texts: When is the latest that one can have coffee before reciting the kiddush on Shabbat morning?

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One is not allowed to partake of any food or drink before reciting or hearing the kiddush of the day. However, because coffee helps with concentration during prayers, there's a leniency to allow one to drink coffee before the morning prayer.

Until when does this leniency extend? Is it only before the beginning of shacharit? What about before mussaf or during the Torah reading?


texts: Although there are many sources for eating fish on Shabbos, are there any Torah sources which encourage one to eat fish on Yom Tov?


texts: Understanding places where the Torah writes היא instead of הוא

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In most cases in the Torah, the feminine 2nd person word (equiv. to "she" or "her" in English) is written as  הוא using a ו and pronounced הִוא .

Avot Derabbi Natan 42:5 lists 11 places in the Torah where the word is written as היא with a yod. (Of notable interest is the 2nd verse that combines writing the word both with a vav, with a yod and the form with a vav used in the masculine form.)

Is there a reason why these situations are made the exceptions? Does anyone discuss a hidden meaning (Midrash, etc.) as to why this happens?


texts: In Megillas Esther it says that Haman told the ones who loved him, and zeresh, about his wealth and his many children. Why did he have to tell zeresh about his many children? Hadn’t she birthed them? Can we learn from here that haman had more than one wife?


texts: I saw somewhere recently that when Tzidkkiyahu was blinded, he was invalidated from hypothetically returning to rule over Judea as king, because he now had a halachic blemish (מום). Is this true, that someone with a blemish cannot be king?


texts: Are you allowed to play basketball on Shabbos? Can a boy under 13?

texts: And yes it is an enclosed area (has an eruv) and it is not leveled to the ground like soccer.


texts: When is the word *LEV* לב first mentioned in the Torah?

texts: I was not able to find this information anywhere, so am positing the question here. Thank you in advance.


texts: where do we learn about the importance of Ahavat Yisrael?

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I'm looking for two specific sources related to this topic.

where is it written that when the Jews were all "keeping TORAH" but didn't have Ahavat Yisrael, they lost all battles.
where is it written that when the Jews were all idolaters (but i think that this wasn't all the Jews, just the kingdom of israel) but they had Ahavat Yisrael and won every battle.

My details are probably a little off.


texts:
What can people feed their fish over Pesach?
Is it possible to feed them regular flakes, even if they contain chametz, since it is inedible anyway?


texts: Where can I find Prenumeraten/Prenumeranten?

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A few years back I found an on-line source for "prenumeraten."  Just to enlighten those who don't know, before a sefer was published years ago, it would seem that feelers were sent out to find out who in the various Jewish communities would be interested in purchasing such a sefer.  So these lists were published "somewhere."

It is apparently a useful genealogical resource, and thanks to Daniel Polakovic of the Jewish Museum in Prague, he was able to find my grandfather (Rabbi Leopold GOLDSTEIN) in the town of Kezmarok, Slovakia, on one such list of prenumeraten a few years ago.  These lists were not always 100% correct, since they misspellings, etc., but one can figure them out.

I would like to see if his name (or any other friends/family members) appears on other such lists, but can no longer find that source, despite having "googled" to the best of my ability, and I'm a pretty good googler!

So can anyone help?

Thanks in advance.


texts: What happened to the Eirev Rav upon entering Israel?

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What happened to the Eirev Rav after the Jews entered Israel? They were open trouble makers in the desert, yet nothing was mentioned of them later?

Did they clean up their act? Did they die out?


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Regarding the prohibition of deriving benefit from a murderous animal (shor haniskal), the gemara (e.g. Bava Kamma 41a) suggests (in an initial interpretation) that, from the fact that the Torah uses the term "יאכל" (lit: eat) instead of "יהנה", the prohibition must be from the time of conviction rather than just after the execution (when consumption would have been forbidden anyway since would be a nevelah).

Without getting into the details of the analysis, is the word הנאה and its variants a biblical word that the Torah might have used it?

When does the word first appear?


texts: What is the Significance of Saying the Parshas Haman on the Tuesday of Beshalach and how is it done?


texts: Does the State of Israel fulfill the coming of the Messiah?

texts: Jews believe that the Messiah has not yet come yet; we see that most of the Jews of the world have already gathered in a geography which they claim to be Israel, so the exile has practically ended. They have constructed  a nation and named it Israel. So does that mean that the first prime minister(Head) of the  current Israel could be the awaited Messiah the succeeding ministers being the successor of the Messiah ?