texts: Source why ביאה is not an option for שליח קידושין

texts:
This might sound a bit silly, but "that's the Torah and I need to learn it" (R"A).

A woman can be Mekudeshet in three ways which Halachah-wise are all equal (neither makes a better Kiddushin).
A messenger can do the work on behalf of the sender either by money or a bill, but not ביאה (Kesubos 74a).
We also hold that there does not have to be proof of the מעשה, only ראוי למעשה, so the witnesses only see them entering and exiting (and zipping up). So theoretically we could allow the messenger to seclude with the bride on behalf of the groom without doing the מעשה.

To remind that that ביאה is for Kiddushin only and is different from the second ביאה for Nissuim.

I need a source that speaks explicitly about why not the last. Thank you.


texts: Is it Lashon Harah to tell someone's wife that you found her husband's wallet, since this might cause her to get upset with him for being careless?

texts:
Is it Lashon Harah to tell someone's wife that you found her husband's wallet, (if the husband did not publicize the loss, and you can tell the husband himself), since this might cause her to get upset with him for being careless?

(Does it depend on how likely it is that she will get upset with him? – Does it depend on whether she will / might express her disapointment to her husband?)


texts:
I'm looking for a new pocket Chumash to keep in my tallis bag for following along during leining. While there are a few features I'd like, but I'm fairly loose on some of them, if not all are available in one edition.

Hebrew-only or with English commentary
Text vocalised like the Keter Yerushalayim or R' Wolf Heidenheim, especially with regards to chataf vowels
hardcover
multiple haftarah traditions (eg. Ashkenaz, 'Edot haMizrach, Frankfurt a/M)
margins sufficiently large to annotate alternate breakups of 'aliyot.
clean type, not an nth generation offset
Not a shnayim mikra edition


texts:
As we know in our today's world, a sentence can be understood if the vocabulary of the words which are in that sentence is also already understood.

But if there is a vocabulary which is not already understood in a sentence, then the listener most likely beg a question about that vocabulary to understand the whole sentence. For example :

A parent say to their 6 years old son, "tomorrow we will bring you to a doctor to be circumcised". Assuming the son understand each vocabulary but the "circumcised", then most likely the son will ask "what is circumcised ?".

In the Christian Old Testament Genesis 17:10-11

  (10) Every male among you shall be circumcised  (11) You are to
  undergo circumcision

To me, it seems that Abraham directly understood the word "circumcision" and I understand that God didn't utter "circumcision" but another vocabulary according to the language used in Abraham's time, but still it's a vocabulary (for example, God uttered "pyoquerxtiv" to Abraham).

I read somewhere in the internet that the first person on earth who has his penis circumcised was Abraham.

Assuming what internet say is agreed by Judaism, my question:
Is there any explanation according to the Jewish Tradition on how did Abraham understand that "pyoquerxtiv" uttered by God is to remove the retractable roll of skin covering the head of the penis ?

Please ignore my question if Judaism does not agree that Abraham was the first person on earth who has his penis circumcised.


texts: Must a ketubah be rewritten if, many years later, the date is discovered to be wrong?

texts:
Theoretical, perhaps:

On their 25th wedding anniversary, a couple makes a big celebration, and displays their framed ketubah in the party hall. Someone notices the date on the ketubah and remarks to the couple, "The date on the ketubah is wrong. Yes, you were in the catering hall on Sunday afternoon, but since the chuppah occurred after sunset, the date should have been changed to Monday, a day later."

Do they need to change the ketubah? Are there any other halachic problems with their marital status retroactively having co-habited with an invalid ketubah all these years?

Related question - What if only part of the date was wrong. Let's say correct Hebrew date but wrong day of week or vice versa?


texts: What to do after sh'mone esre before Sh'ma

texts:
Shulchan Aruch, OC 236:3:

  If someone discovered a group that had already read [the evening] "Sh'ma" and is about to say amida [of maariv], then he should say amida with them and then say "Sh'ma" with its blessings.

Is there any reason for him to say or hear "Bar'chu" before he says the blessings of "Sh'ma"? Any reason not to? Sourced answers only, please. (I know OC 69 discusses the somewhat similar rule of pores al "Sh'ma", for which one says "Bar'chu", but I'm looking for a source that explicitly says whether or not to say "Bar'chu" in the case discussed in OC 236:3.)
The community will be saying kadish and "Alenu", which under normal circumstances a bystander would respond to. But our latecomer is between sh'mone esre and the blessings of "Sh'ma". Must he reply? Must he avoid replying? In general, is there any reason for him to avoid interruptions between sh'mone esre and the subsequent blessings of "Sh'ma"? What, for example, about chatting with his friend? (I know there's a general rule of avoiding delay before saying "Sh'ma" (Mishna B'rura 235:17), but I'm asking about cases where the general rule permits delay but there may be some rule specific to our latecomer's situation that bars interruption/delay.)


texts: Which books of the Ramchal did he publish himself?

texts: I read that the Ramchal published the Mesilas Yesharim but not too many other books. That got me wondering, how many and which books that we have of his did he himself publish and which ones did someone else publish (most likely after he passed away, I assume)?


texts: Is there any current rav or authority that issues conditional gittin?

texts:
I understand that King David would ask his warriors to give a conditional get (divorcec) to their wives prior to leaving for war. This way, if the wives did not hear about their husbands after the war was over, the wives would not remain agunot (women who can't remarry because their husband disappeared without giving a get), as the get would take affect at a certain time.

Someone I know is a Jewish army chaplain who is frequently sent to dangerous areas such as Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, Iraq and other similar places. Occasionally he is with the troops during battles. He is away from home for months, sometimes a year at a time. He has considered the idea of giving his wife a conditional get, knowing well, that if he appears home after the time in the get, it would mean that his wife is divorced or even married to someone else. He knows that risk. He is wondering if there is anyone who currently can facilitate authorizing a conditional get.


texts: Why doesn't our decrease of joy extend beyond Tish'a B'Av?

texts:
Citing from here

  There is a famous Mishnah that is cited towards the end of Masechet
  Ta’anit (4:6) that states:

  “Mishenichnas Av, Mema’atin Besimcha”

  “When the month of Av arrives, we decrease our happiness”.

It seems that once Tish'a B'Av is over (well, in a sense, the afternoon of the 10th) joy increases significantly. People resume eating meat and drinking wine; people bathe / swim; people listen to music. Essentially, it seems that people resume all activities that they did prior to the start of the Three weeks.

Is there anything that says or implies that the statement from the Mishnah doesn't apply to the entire month? It does explicitly state when to start, namely the beginning of Av. But, there is nothing that states when the lessening of joy should end.


texts: Why the Dohany Street Sinagogue (Budapest) is decorated with eight-pointed stars?

texts:
I recently visited the Dohany Street Synagogue, and I was puzzled by the eight-pointed stars that decorates a great portion of the exterior of the main building (notice the star is within another "star-like" shape, also with eight points).

I have found no explanation for such pattern, beside some "dubious", perhaps unrelated information online about esoteric reasons (e.g. here or here). The Wikipedia article makes not mention of it. Maybe the Hebrew version does (there are some more closed-up pictures there), but I cannot read Hebrew. I took the tour, and the person said that the synagogue was neolog, which introduced new elements. Would this be a "new element"?

PS: to be fair, this is the first synagogue I ever visit, so maybe this is an obvious thing that requires no complex explanation.


texts:
Tehilim 146 verse 7-8 says as follows:

  עֹשֶׂה מִשְׁפָּט לַעֲשׁוּקִים נֹתֵן לֶחֶם לָרְעֵבִים ה׳ מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים׃
  ה׳ פֹּקֵחַ עִוְרִים ה׳ זֹקֵף כְּפוּפִים ה׳ אֹהֵב צַדִּיקִים׃

However in the morning Brachos, according to Siddurim I am familiar with such as Artscroll, Metsudah, Koren, פֹּקֵחַ עִוְרִים is prior to מַתִּיר אֲסוּרִים. Why was the order changed for the morning Brachos?

Siddur Hagra

Siddur Bais Yaakov


texts: Where can I find Sefer Hatishbi with Hagahot Ragle Mevaser?

texts: I am trying to locate, electronically or otherwise, a copy of Sefer Hatishbi with Hagahot Ragle Mevaser, for purchase or otherwise.


texts:
I realize in most situations to have a factory line be "cooked by a Jew" an observant Jew would have to turn the oven on, stove on, or something along those lines.

This morning I saw this article here (Ars Techica) and while the food prepared in the article is obviously not Kosher (clearly), I was wondering if an observant Jew programmed the robot - would that be considered the same as turning on the oven or stove? Obviously this is not being cooked by a gentile, but maybe a Jew still needs to turn on the stove before the robot can do its thing, regardless of who programmed it?


texts: The liturgical poem beginning "Adon olam" is often sung (including as part of prayer services) to the same tune as "The Poet and the Prophet". Was that tune originally to (i.e. written for) Adon Olam? If so, who wrote it and when? If not, who put it to Adon Olam and when?


texts: Why don't we kiss the tzitzit during the Vayomer section of shma of maariv? I would think we would since we are reading the same text as we do for shacharit.


texts:
I have heard from many Christians that in their religion, it is common for a family to have a fine-bound edition of their scriptures which is given down to successive generations.

Is there any analogous custom in our communities to have seforim (for argument's sake, let's say a Tana"ch) which are given as heirlooms to successive generations?


texts: Why mention the tzitzit in the evening service?

texts:
In the morning and evening services, we recite the part of the Torah dealing with tzitzit:

  And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, Speak to the people of Israel, and have them make fringes in the corners of their garments... and you will see [the fringes], and remember all the commandments of the Lord, and do them; and not explore [what] leads you astray... [Num. 15:37-41]

But we don't wear tzitzit in the evening.  That's because the Torah says, "Ur'item oto -- And you will see [the tzitzit]" and thus remember the commandments. The rabbis concluded that this mitzvah is only for the daytime, when you can see clearly.

So why do we recite this section at night also?   Because it's part of the full Shema, which we must recite twice a day.  And why is it part of the full Shema?  The Talmud says:

  Rabbi Yehudah ben Habiba said: They included the section on fringes [in the Shema] because it makes reference to ... the Exodus from Egypt, the obligation of the commandments, and [a warning against] being led astray.
  [Ber. 12b]

Why didn't the rabbis write a substitute passage that mentions these things, but does not mention tzitzit, since they are out of place in the evening service?


texts:
Is there any issue with women using tampons before marriage? I would appreciate sourced answers discussing this either saying it's ok or not ok.

My thought is that since the use of a tampon requires inserting something through/past the hymen, the hymen could be stretched (or removed entirely, so to speak) and perhaps there as an issue with doing so before marriage. The only possible issues that I know of are:

She may become a mukat eitz which affect the value of her kesuba
There being no sign of the woman's virginity, which might have its own halachic implications.

(Even though the question could be boiled down to these 2 points in principle, I'm looking for a specific discussion about the use of tampons.)


texts:
Parashat Tetzaveh discusses the various offerings and sacrifices that are to be regularly given. Of these, two animal sacrifices must be enacted every day of the week:

Thus you shall do to Aaron and his sons, just as I have commanded you. You shall ordain them through seven days, and each day you shall prepare a bull as a purification offering for expiation; you shall purge the altar by performing purification upon it, and you shall anoint it to consecrate it.
Now this is what you shall offer upon the altar: two yearling lambs each day, regularly. You shall offer the one lamb in the morning, and you shall offer the other lamb at twilight. (Exodus 29:35-39)

(This is taken from the 1985 JPS translation, which is what I had been working with.) How does this work with the halacha around Shabbat? As far as I can tell, that it is a burnt offering does not matter, as the fire of the altar is never ignited or extinguished, but how about preparing the animal for sacrifice? Isn't butchering a melacha?


texts:
I'm learning now Pesachim 115a. On this page it reads:

בסוריא עבדי כרב הונא
In Syria, they acted in accordance with Rav Huna

This spelling is used in the Oz veHadar edition, on Mechon Mamre and Sefaria. Soncino, Sefaria translates it as in Syria. However, Artscroll (at least the first edition) and the Steinsaltz commentary use בסורא spelling in the translation meaning in Sura, the famous city in Babylonia. Actually the second one also makes sense, but I suppose it might be a typo. Dikdukei Soferim doesn't mention these variants. Are there any commentators discussing this? Was it changed in later editions?


texts: What is the position with saying selichos (end of Elul and Aseres Ymei Teshuva) with a minyan that starts straight after maariv at say 10:30 or 11pm?


texts: Why do we think of the korban pesach as a sheep, not as a goat?

texts:
Ask many a grade-schooler (and many an adult, for that matter) what animal the korban pesach is, and he'll tell you "a sheep".[1]

In fact, it can be a sheep or a goat. (It's explicit in chumash (pesach MItzrayim) and halacha (pesach doros).)

Do we have some tradition (or historical evidence) that it was usually a sheep? If not, how did it happen that people associate the korban with a sheep?

[1] I have no empirical evidence to offer as far as asking people: it's just my impression. But all I can find using Google (that discusses the pesach as a goat without mentioning that it can be a sheep) is discussing individual cases in which someone brought a goat (including, of course, the case in parashas Tol'dos), plus one blog post. On the other hand, there is much mention of the pesach as a sheep without mentioning that it can be a goat; see e.g. a vbm-torah.org article and a torah.org article.


texts: Crumbs of chametz that will not be eaten on Pesach but are easily accessed

texts:
Am I obligated to clean/remove chametz (less than a kazayis) from my house if there is no chance of me coming to eat it during Pesach even if these crumbs are in plain sight and easily accessed? E.g. crumbs at the bottom of a drawer that will be used during Pesach or crumbs in the corner of a room that you will use during Pesach.

For chametz that is not easily accessed (like chametz behind/under a fridge) see here: Moving the fridge for Pesach cleaning


texts: Why extra phrases in the full kaddish in the Artscroll siddur?

texts: The Artscroll siddur has 3 one line congregational responses after parts of the tiskabel kaddish (e.g., kabayl brachamim uv'ratzon es tefilasanu).  The siddur says these lines are said by the congregation.  There is no indication that the responses are optional or said by some.  I have never heard them said and they do not appear in other major siddurim (Birnbaum, Sacks, Metzuda).  What is the source of these responses and why does Artscroll give such strong direction that they be said?


texts: The literary output of Rabbi Jack Simcha Cohen

texts:
I just read and enjoyed a long piece by Rabbi Jack Simcha Cohen. The little biog attached said he was a "prolific author", but doesn't give any indication of whether all of his output has been in a similar vein (eg examining Modern Orthodoxy's approach to halacha)
Looking through the catalogues of online retailers, his output seems to consist mostly of collections of answers to specific questions. For example, here is a quote from the blurb to How Does Jewish Law Work? -

....provides both the answers to questions of Jewish law and a look at the process by which the answers are derived. According to Rabbi Cohen, "Halachah, the distinctly unique Jewish legal system, crystallizes the guidelines of Judaism. It makes us into Jews and marks us as Jewish. As such, an understanding of the halachic process provides insight into the inner soul of Jewish life itself."
In this book, Rabbi Cohen explores issues surrounding charity, Jewish communal concerns, repentance and rebuke, marriage and family life, rituals, Sabbath and holiday observances, and prayers.
A companion volume to his previous best-seller, Timely Jewish Questions, Timeless Rabbinic Answers, How Does Jewish Law Work? clearly presents each question and carefully details the process of finding its answer. Through explication of verses from the Torah, talmudic passages, and other sources, the reader receives the answer to the question and is also given the background information to see how a rabbi arrives at the halachic decision.

Volumes identified:
Timely Jewish Questions, Timeless Rabbinic Answers
How Does Jewish Law Work
How Does Jewish Law Work II
Shabbat, The Right Way
Jewish Prayer, The Right Way
Intermarriage And Conversion
The 613th Commandment
The Jewish Heart
Jewish Poverty Issues
Do any of these volumes have an especial reputation?


texts: If I have peanut shells on the table on Shabbos, and they are Muktzeh, what can I do to dispose of them when there is no tablecloth?


texts: Who first said "You're being machmir on pikuach nefesh"?

texts:
I've been hearing the phrase "This is not being meikil1 on Shabbos, this is being machmir2 on pikuach nefesh3" for a long time. I've heard it quoted from R' Chaim, from the Gra, and from various and sundry other sources.

It has also been, in my experience, applied to eating on Yom Kippur and other instances of pikuach nefesh, but I've always understood that the original quote was said about Shabbos.

Who was the originator of this line? Can I find it anywhere, "inside"?

1 lenient
2 stringent
3 the obligation to preserve one's life, which overrides Shabbos and most other mitzvos


texts: What is Chassidut meantioned by the Misilat Yeshorim?

texts:
The Misilat Yeshorim writes:

There are many who deal with Halachic  discussions,  others  with  Midrash  and  others  with  legal  decisions. There are few, however, who devote thought to true Chassidut.

What does Chassidut mean? Why is it so important? and Why isn't it popular?


texts:
Who knows one hundred thirty-nine?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts:
A friend and I were discussing this. Generally speaking, it seems that it should be impossible for a person to be a kohen (rather than a chalal) and also a mamzer, because the set of women whom a kohen is forbidden to marry, and by whom his children would be chalalim, includes all of the arayos (Shulchan Aruch, Even Haezer 6:8).
However, in 7:14 it says that if a kohen impregnates such a woman the first time they have relations, then indeed the child is a mamzer but not a chalal. Chelkas Mechokek (:24) and Beis Shmuel (:37) point out that there's no real practical difference until the next generation: if the result of such a union is a daughter, and eventually a kohen wishes to marry her, he will be warned that she is forbidden to him as a mamzeres rather than as a chalalah.
So the question: is the child indeed a kohen in that case (which would seem to be implied by the statement that he is "not a chalal")? If so, then isn't there a greater practical difference - that if the child is a boy, he'll have to keep all of the laws of a kohen, and can perform birkas kohanim?
Another data point is that when checking family lineage, "we don't need to check beyond the altar" (Rambam, Hil. Issurei Bi'ah 20:2 from Kiddushin 76a), because any kohen who served in the Beis Hamikdash will have been thoroughly vetted. But if there can be a case, as above, where a person is a mamzer but still a kohen, why wouldn't he be able to perform the avodah?


texts: Can we use archaeology to determine halacha or mesorah?

texts:
Can archaeology be used to determine the proper halacha or mesorah in certain cases? For instance, what if we found a Sefer Torah from the times of Moshe Rabbeinu and it differed from our mesorah. Would we be able to change our Sifrei Torah to match the finding?

On one hand, it would be a Sefer Torah from the times of Moshe Rabbeinu. On the other hand, would we be able to accurately tell whether the scroll was ever kosher? (Maybe it was buried because it was passul).

I think we might have had a question similar or exactly like this on this site already. If someone could find it that would be great.

This question could also be used to answer the great techeiles debate, if you get what I mean.

Related: If a Mesorah for letter pronunciation is rediscovered, would we have to change our pronunciations? and Using archaeological findings for determining weights and measurements


texts: Menorah lighting at work and saying shechechiyanu

texts:
According to European/Ashkenazi customs, if one is asked to light the menorah at work approximately 10 minutes after sunset, Is it a problem:

to say the blessings at work
to say the blessings again at home with ones wife and kids, including the shechechiyanu blessing


texts: If one entices someone to sin (i.e mesit) are they liable to induce them to not commit the sin and/or follow the commands as part of repentance?

texts: If someone was a mesit (i.e an enticer) and tried to influence someone to commit a sin, as part of that person's repentance, are they liable to track that person down and try and convince them not to sin? What about if the person didn't actually commit the sin? Is it different if the subject of the enticement was a jew or a non-jew?


texts: Just confirming that there doesn't exist anywhere in Tanach a final Pay (not Fay but rather a ף with a Dagesh). If so, it is a fascinating that it doesn't.


texts: Is an item (i.e., scissors) not muktzeh if it's usable for a destructive purpose on Shabbos?

texts:
Many are makpid to make a hole in a re-closeable bottle before opening it for the first time on Shabbat. The purpose is to avoid makeh b'patish from making a new vessel when one opens the bottle.

However, in order to make the hole, one would presumably need to use an object ordinarily thought of as muktzeh, such as an awl(?) or scissors. I realize there are alternative solutions, but, in theory, would such puncturing tools still be considered muktzeh, insofar as they could be used on Shabbos for this destructive purpose? Would one be allowed to move/handle such items in general--insofar as they have this possibility--or only when one is using them for this purpose?


texts:
Is saying "אתה חננתנו"/הבדלה on מוצ''ש is it מן התורה or not?

On one hand I remember hearing it is מן התורה as it part of "זכור" but on the other hand I've heard its only מדרבנן

Please provide sources.


texts: Hashem's will is not "nihilo", so why is it "creatio ex nihilo"?

texts:
The traditional objection is to any material having existed prior to the creation of the Heavens and the Earth, but then why not call it "creation without material"? The will of Hashem is not "nihilo" - "nothing."

Just because we don't comprehend how His will can translate to materials and the laws within which they act, should that allow us to equate His will to nothing?


texts: Shemona Ve'arba'im Umatayim - mi yodeya?

texts:
Who knows two hundred forty-eight?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:

Upvote all answers I consider relevant and interesting.

Accept the what I think is the "best" answer.

Go on to the next number.

The Race to Ramach starts now.


texts:
It says in Shulchan Aruch that one may not lean on anything while reciting sh'mona esre. (OC 94:8) The Mishna B'rura defines "leaning" as placing one's weight on another object such that if the object were removed the person would fall over. (ibid. 22) How is this definition to be understood? If a person places almost any amount of weight on an object without exerting any other force on it, he has necessarily shifted his center of mass to a point closer to the object than it was when he was free-standing. Should the object be removed and the person not compensate by shifting his center of mass back, he will fall over. Could it be that even the slightest of "leanings" fits the Mishna B'rura's definition?

Alternatively, if we allow for shifting of mass following the object's removal, then how do we understand the basics of the definition? I could be leaning to an extreme angle and still catch myself by proper placement of an arm, a leg or a torso.

Is there a middle ground? I have always had trouble with this concept and have never received a satisfying explanation.


texts:
I am aware that there is more than one author known as the Ra'avad (ראב"ד). Is the Ra'avad with glosses to the Rif and the Ma'or the same Ra'avad as the one with glosses to the Rambam?

If they are the work of the same author, did the other Rishonim have access to both? (I ask because there seems to be a contradiction between the two, and several Rishonim quote one of them and aren't bothered by the other.)

In any case, what was the full name (with father's name if possible) and time period of each one (or just him, if it's the same person)?


texts: Prophecies refering or relating to one occassion or more?

texts:
Do prophecies only find their fulfillment once, or is it possible for them to be fulfilled more than once?
Do they only relate to one moment or one situation or is it also possible that they relate to several things?
Some things take place repeatedly in history or, in addition to the historical context, sometimes also seem to relate to later times.


texts: Both Ashkenazim and Sephardim add various psalms to Pesukei deZimra on Shabbath and on holidays. Rambam mentions Psalm 92, 136, 121–124, but are there any sources why these particular psalms were selected and why in their particular order?


texts: Who is the Aramean and what did he do to Jacob?

texts:
A variant of this issue was discussed before, but it does not fully answer my specific question.

-Deut. 26:5 says: אֲרַמִּי אֹבֵד אָבִי.

-It is frequently translated as: "My father was a wandering Aramean."

-But more and more you see the translation: "An Aramean tried to destroy my father."  The Aramean in question is Laban and the father is Jacob.

My question is: In what way did Laban try to destroy Jacob?  Sure, he tricked him repeatedly, exploited him, tried to take everything away from him, and so on.  But destroy him?  Isn't that a bit strong?  Wasn't Jacob the father of his grandchildren and the husband of his daughters?  Some will say creatively that what he did amounts to destroying his "soul", his "independence", his stewardship of the Jewish people, and some such, but I am not convinced.  Why is it necessary to reject the first translation/understanding?


texts: What are the specifications of Dina Dimalchusah? A more targeted question to answer would be: If I ripped off the label of my mattress — the label that says its removal is punishable by federal law — am I also doing a sin? If so, why; if not, why not?


texts: Continuing to eat in a place that is visible from the initial eating place

texts:
The Shulchan Aruch Harav brings in Orach Chaim 178:1

  א) היה אוכל בחדר זה ונטל המאכל בידו והלך לחדר אחר לאכול צריך לחזור
  ולברך שכיון שעמד והלך למקום אחר עמידתו זו היא גמר אכילתו וזו אכילה
  אחרת היא וטעונה ברכה בתחלה  אע"פ שלא הסיח דעתו בינתיים ואפילו חוזר
  למקומו לאכול צריך לחזור ולברך שכיון ששינה מקומו בינתיים הפסיק אכילתו
  ....
  ... ומכל מקום אם במקום שאוכל יכול לראות את מקומו הראשון שאכל שם אפילו דרך חלון ואפילו מקצת מקומו אין צריך לחזור ולברך אפילו מבית לחצר
  ואפילו לא היה כן בדעתו כשבירך ...

What this is saying is that if you eat something whose after blessing is Borei Nefashot - then if you leave the room/house and continue to eat in place #2 then this is considered an interruption, and if you want to continue eating (in place #2) what you started to eat (say) - you'll have to bless again.

[regarding room-to-room: prior intention helps, as apposed to house-to-house: intentions prior to the initial blessing to cover house #2 won't help]

However: when does the above apply? If you can't see from place #1 to place #2.

If you can see place #2 from place #1 - even partially - then going to place #2 is not considered an interruption and you could continue eating there without an additional blessing. (even without prior intentions to include place #2 in the initial blessing)

My Question:

According to Shulchan Aruch Harav, if I'm standing on a high place with a massive view: does this mean I could continue eating throughout the whole area of the view. Can this be compared to the case brought in Shulchan Aruch 'MiBayit LaChatzer'?


texts: I heard that hasadim put on black hat but I also see some not putting; what are their differences?


texts: Does one need to kasher a pot that is kosher in all aspects except that kosher meat that is not glatt was cooked in it?

texts:
If one does eat strictly glatt kosher and cooks non-glatt kosher meat in a pot. Later on, a different dish with glatt kosher meat is made. Would someone that adheres to glatt kosher standards require the pot to be kashered in between to continue to uphold glatt kosher standards.
Essentially if non-glatt kosher meat is cooked in a pot, and then glatt kosher meat is cooked in it without kashering in between, would the glatt kosher meat dish be considered non-glatt kosher?


texts: Please explain the "apparent omission" of not including the women as the ones going into Cana'an after the 40-year wandering in the desert

texts:
I saw the explanation of how we know women entered Cana'an as listed in the answer to this question. My question is regarding what seems to be an omission. The original complaint of the people in Bamidbar 14:3

  ...Our wives and our little ones will be a prey

But, in Bamidbar 14:31, when God explains the punishment, HE says:

  But your little ones, that ye said would be a prey, them will I bring in, and they shall know the land which ye have rejected.

The 2nd verse only mentions the little ones but not the women. Why did God omit explicitly mentioning the women in this verse, since he stated in verse 28:

  Say unto them: As I live, saith HaShem, surely as ye have spoken in Mine ears, so will I do to you:

Well, the people did specifically say that the women would also be a prey, but God does not specifically mention the women being rewarded.


texts: Jacob Neusner's talmud bavli and yerushalmi

texts:
How does Jacob Neusner's translations of the talmud bavli and yerushalmi compare to artscroll's, koren's, and soncino's?

I have never seen Neusner's in a shul or bais midrash unlike the other three mentioned; is there a reason for that? Is it an accurate translation?


texts:
The Gemara (Gittin 79b-80a) says that we need to write the date of the malchus (kindgom) of the place where a get (bill of divorce) was written, on the get, for שלום מלכות (so that we don't upset the rulers).

What is written on gittin in America, today?
There are no kings in America -- does this mean that we don't write an "American" date at all? Do we write the number of years that the current president has been in office? The number of years since the country was founded in 1776?
How is this rule observed today?

( I'm especially curious because the gemara says that "כל המשנה ממטבע שטבעו חכמים בגיטין הולד ממזר" if any piece of the get was changed from the wording that the rabbis introduced, that it is invalid and the child (from the next marriage) is a ממזר (is illegitimate), so this appears to be a pretty important rule...... )


texts: Are there any ma'amrei chazal on תּוֹלָע בֶּן-פּוּאָה?

texts: תּוֹלָע בֶּן-פּוּאָה was the shofet from Yissachar (Shoftim 10:1-2). I have not been able to find any information on him anywhere. Do chazal or any later commentators mention anything about him?


texts: Rav Kook's interpretation of the "wise Gentiles" in Mishneh Torah-Hilchot Melachim 8:11

texts:
I am an Italian  Noahide

As it is known, in Hilchot Melachim 8:11  Rambam states:

“Anyone (Gentile) who accepts upon himself the fulfillment of these seven mitzvot and is precise in their observance is considered one of “the Righteous among the Gentiles”, and he will merit a share in the World To Come.
This applies when he accepts them and fulfills them because the Holy One, blessed be He, commanded them in the Torah and informed us through Moses, our Teacher, that Noah's descendants had been commanded to fulfill them previously.
However, if he fulfills them out of intellectual conviction, he is not a “gher toshav”, nor one of “the Righteous among the Gentiles”, nor/but one of their wise men”.

If I understand correctly, the orientation prevalent today among Jewish and non-Jewish scholars is to read "but one the their wise man", in accordance with the lectio present in the Yemeni manuscripts of the Mishneh Torah, and not "nor one of their wise men ". Except for my mistake, the rabbis and the scholars maintain however that,according to Rambam, these "wise Gentiles"will be rewarded by HaShem during their lifetime,  but they will have no part in the World to Come, in line with what appears to be the source used by Maimonides in this passage, namely" Pirkei de Rabbi Eliezer ".

However, I have found this fascinating comment written on this passage by the authoritative Rav Avraham Yitzchak HaCohen Kook,according to whom Rambam believes that the "wise Gentiles" even have a higher status than the "Righteous among the Nations":

“Behold the correct version is "but (ela) one of their wise men.My opinion is that the intent of Maimonides is that the status "meriting a share in the World to Come" is a very low level, even though it is also a great good. Since, however, even Jewish sinners and ignoramuses merit this status, it is a low status amongst spiritual values. Maimonides reasons that ideas improve man much more than does righteous behavior. Therefore he reasons that the level of "meriting a share in the World to Come," is a status specifically for Righteous Gentiles, who were not superior in their ideas but accepted faith in whole- hearted purity and acted in an honest way because they accepted that their commandments were so given by God. However, he who through his rational conclusion merited acquiring the seven Noahide commandments, he is truly wise of heart and full of understanding. He is considered "of their wise men," for the status of wisdom is very great, and there is no need to state that they "will merit a share in the World to Come." Rather he stands on a level of holiness (kedusha) that requires interpretation in an expression greater than the language of "meriting  a share in the World to Come.”

Is this peculiar exegesis of Rav Kook regarding Rambam's position a subject of a specific study in the Jewish world?


texts: Can you ask/instruct a robot on shabbos to perform melacha on your behalf? Would this fall under the same category as amirah l'akum?


texts: It is generally assumed that one is not allowed to bring a sefer into a bathroom, at least while the bathroom's in use (see Shabbos 127b, Rambam Hilchos Sefer Torah 10:5, Shulchan Aruch YD 282:6, Magen Avraham 43:14, Pri Megadim Eishel Avraham 14, Be'er Heitiv 11, Maharsham 3:357, Mishna Berura 43:25; see http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/weekly_torah.php?id=250). However, it is a common practice to put a potty  for a toddler in a room other than a bathroom (when necessary) without necessarily first removing or covering all the seforim in the room. Assuming the child will not only be urinating, is there any basis for this leniency?


texts: Does Judaism advise us to do one thing at a time?

texts:
After reading this article in Aish by a Professor of Jewish Studies at Yeshiva University, sadly and surprisingly bereft of Jewish sources, I asked myself:
Is there a general Jewish teaching that says: "Do only one thing at a time." ?
I know the answer depends on what "things" we are talking about.  But I am asking if there is such a general drift in Judaism.
Judaism is definitely against many forms of mixing:

-En me’arvin simchah besimchah — do not mix rejoicing and rejoicing. Do not try to enjoy two different things at the same time.
-We can’t mix milk and meat in our food
-We can’t mix wool and linen in our clothing
-We can’t sow a field with two different kinds of seeds
-We can’t plough with two animals of different species
-We can’t mix the holy and the secular in our activities (we switch from one to the other after a Havdalah ceremony).

Each activity must be experienced exclusively, and not shared with another activity.  Don't eat a good meal while watching TV.  If something goes wrong with one activity, it does not spoil another activity.  Avoid two-track relationships: When a problem develops with one track, you end up losing both tracks.
These are specifics.  But is there a corresponding generality?


texts: Why don't Rabbinic fasts end by Ben Hashmashot?

texts:
There's a doubt in the Gemara when the new day starts, at sunset or at three stars (Ok, and there's Rabbi Yossi's opinion).

When it comes to Shabbos (or any other biblical time), we have to be strict since "Safek Deoraisa LeChumra".

Fast days are DeRabanan, however. Why don't we start 9 of Av by three stars and end all fast days by sunset?


texts: Signifigance of the foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah?

texts: What is the Significance of the foods eaten on Rosh Hashanah,now i know the gemara brings them down but why did the Gemara choose these particular ones also the apple in honey whats the significance of that I know sweet year but why apple and why Honey and not Sugar?


texts: Do you need kabolo (permission/licence) for checking the lungs

texts:
I understand (from simla chadasha 1.5 )  I need kabolo for shehita (I am not allowed to shecht without permission from a Rav, the rabonim made a hairum that people are not allowed to shecht without kabolo)
But do I need one for bedika (the mitzva of the checking of the lungs)?
Or something similar to it


texts: Which translation is the most accurate for the phrase "העוֹנה לתפלת חסיד ידשׁן בּטוֹב חיינוּ ושׁנה טוֹבה ישׁלח לבית ישׂראל עמנוּ"?

texts:
My suggestions:

העוֹנה לתפלת חסיד

The response/answer to the prayer of a righteous person
The return to prayer of a righteous person
The season of prayer of a righteous person

ידשׁן בּטוֹב חיינוּ

is a good thing in our lives
is the goodness in our lives
is the best in our lives

ושׁנה טוֹבה ישׁלח

and He will send a good year

לבית ישׂראל עמנוּ

to our people, the House of Israel.


texts: Is it a good sign or a bad sign to face downwards upon one’s death?

texts:
Kesuvos 103b says:

  תניא מת מתוך השחוק סימן יפה לו מתוך הבכי סימן רע לו פניו למעלה סימן יפה לו פניו למטה סימן רע לו פניו [...]

  It was taught in a Braisa: One who dies amidst laughter, it’s a good sign for him; amidst crying, it’s a bad sign for him. His face upwards, it’s a good sign for him; his face downwards, it’s a bad sign for him [...]

Yet, in Avodah Zarah 20b, we’re advised:

  ממנה מסריח מסייע ליה לרבי חנינא בר כהנא דא"ר חנינא בר כהנא אמרי בי רב הרוצה שלא יסריח מתו יהפכנו על פניו:

  ”From [a drop from the Malach HaMaves’ sword that falls into one’s mouth, the deceased] decays.” This is a support for R’ Chanina bar Kahana, for R’ Chanina bar Kahana said, “They said in the academy of Rav, ‘One who wishes that his corpse not decay, he should turn on his face.’”

The Gemara in Kesuvos says it’s a bad sign if one dies face-down, yet the Gemara in Avodah Zarah says one should do so to prevent his corpse from decaying!

Certainly the academy of Rav cannot argue on a Braisa; while Rav himself was sometimes considered a Tanna, that doesn’t extend to his students. Are they facetiously suggesting this, but that really one shouldn’t flip over on his deathbed?


texts: Why are the laws of honoring parents in Hilchos Mamrim?

texts:
The Rambam places the laws of honoring parents in Hilchos Mamrim (5th and 6th chapters).

Why there? What does כיבוד אב ואם have to do with Beis Din?


texts:
The Talmud (RH 24b; brought also in Sh.Ar. YD 141, 7) says it is forbidden to make a shape of sun, moon or stars.

  לא תעשון כדמות שמשיי המשמשין לפני כגון חמה לבנה כוכבים ומזלות

So, is it permitted to type an asterisk?


texts: How do we treat a י"א in the Shulchan Aruch?

texts: Is there a general principle for how we treat a י"א = יש אומרים (yesh omrim, "some say") cited in the Shulchan Aruch for the purposes of determining halacha? If not, are there examples of two halachos where we use different approaches towards a י"א (e.g. following one but not the other, treating one as going l'chumra and one as going l'kula, etc.)?


texts: Full Niddah separation after be'ilat mitzvah?

texts:
I was looking at Sefer HaRaavyah with regard to a couple of subjects pre-Pesah.

As I was paging through, I saw that he seems to be poseq that the halakhah regarding be'ilah rishonah (the initial act of consummating the marriage) and the [usual] attendant bleeding does not require her to separate from her husband completely as in a usual state of nidduth. Rather, they must sleep clothed and abstain from tashmish only.

This was shocking since I had always understood that after a newlywed couple is intimate for the first time, they must separate as if she is a niddah with all of the required and traditional harHaqoth.

Does anyone posken like or similar to the Raavyah today - halakhah le-maaseh?


texts: What is the source of the Birkat Habayit?

texts:
What is the source of the text of the Birkat Habayit:

  May this house be a place of happiness and health, of contentment,
  generosity and hope, a home of creativity and kindness.
  May those
  who visit and those who live here know only blessing and peace.

I've seen them written on a hand, and some come with garlic, multi-colored beads, and some other strange objects.

Inspired by: http://chat.stackexchange.com/transcript/message/4423114#4423114


texts: What is the source of the custom to pray on graves of Tzadikim?

texts:
The Galilee has several such locations where people visit and pray asking for what their heart desires.
What is the source of this custom?
How does it align with graves being in general a source of inpurity?

EDIT:
Here is a question covering the legitimacy of praying to the dead, Do Jews pray to deceased forefathers?


texts:
Yaakov had to marry Leah by surprise/error. But why?

Why not making such that he wanted to marry both Leah and Rachel, and everything nice?

An answer given somewhere(?), is because Leah represents the Oral Law, vs Rachel the Written Law. (So what?)

Has anyone an answer, or source/explanation for the mentioned one?


texts:
I was wondering what the rabbinical context for Lilith currently is. As far as what I understand of the oral tradition Lilith was Adam's first wife, equal in that she was also made of clay, but she betrayed him with the Serpent. She was then cast from the garden, became an evil to plague mankind, and Adam then was given Eve created from a rib instead of clay.

Is there still a common belief in Lilith? Is this considered canon?


texts:
The documentary-hypothesis implies that Moses wasn't the writer of the Torah verbatim, but he could have transmitted it before it was written down. Evidence in the text shows several sources and that is was written down after Moses (i.e. Bereshis 12:6 "The canaantites were then -as opposed to currently- in the land" and the writing of the death of Moses). The Torah would have been stitched together from several scrolls by the scribes of Ezra, and a syncretism of various types of pre-Ezra Judaism. Is there a place for the documentary-hypothesis in observant Judaism?

This would put the Oral Torah into question, and make the Sages of the Talmud part of a larger debate in the approach to the Torah, including some views which are vilified in the Talmud and commentaries.


texts: What is the hebrew name verse for the name טלי (Tali), there isn't one in the artscroll


texts: Question on Terminology used in the Teaching of the Ari regarding Levels within the Highest Emanation

texts: In Otzrot Hayyim, Sha'ar Tant"a (Ta'amim Nekudot Tagin Otiyot), in a description of Adam Kadmon, the first form taken by the line of light of the Infinite that enters the vacated space, it says that there are four aspects to the internal being of Adam Kadmon, refered to as 72/Av, 63/Sag, 45/Mah, and 52/Ban, or as Ta'amim, Nekudot, Tagin, Otiyot. It seems that each of the four is again divided into four sub-divisions to make 16 aspects. These are not fleshed out. But in the case of the one level (Sag/Nekudot) that is described in further detail, it is a sub-division into three that is described, with the three aspects referred to as ta'amim elyonim, emtsa'iyim, and tahtonim, i.e, the cantillation marks in a text of the Bible that have their place above the line, those that have their place in the middle of a line, and those that have their place below the line. Why the sub-division into three rather than four, when it seemed like the principle was that the structure would sub-divide into components that mirrored the whole? If there's no room for a fourth level in the representation based on the types of ta'amei ha-mikra then why is that representation used?


texts: Source for R' Soloveitchik's teaching about why we don't stand for a baby in utero?

texts:
There's a famous teaching from Niddah 30b that a baby is taught the entire Torah in utero.

Someone once referenced this gemara and asked The Rav, if that's the case why don't we stand for a pregnant woman whenever she enters a room- aren't we supposed to stand for someone (ie the unborn baby) who knows kol HaTorah kula?

To which The Rav responded, that's not Torah that was acquired by "עמילות" i.e. "exerting oneself."

Anyone know the source for where I can find this teaching?


texts: Why does the mishna prescribe an indirect measure of whether somebody knew about a court ruling?

texts:
The mishna in Horayot 1:2 discusses a case where a court made a ruling that something is permitted and then later rescinded the ruling.  Meanwhile, somebody did the thing they initially said is permitted -- is he liable?  R' Eliezer says that one who is sitting at home is liable and one who has traveled overseas is not, and Ben Azzai explains that this is because the one who's sitting at home could have heard about the updated ruling while the traveler probably could not.

This explanation makes sense in general, but there are cases where somebody who's at home would nonetheless not hear about the updated ruling (for example, someone who is home sick), and we can imagine cases where somebody who's traveled far away could nonetheless hear about the ruling (for example, from someone else who later joins him in that location).  I grant that the usual cases (in this time, not in our connected world) are as Ben Azzai explains, but it makes me wonder: why the indirection?

Instead of evaluating people's liability for transgressions based on assumptions rooted in geography, why did Chazal not make a more direct ruling: one who has heard about the update is liable, and one who has not is not?  The practical effect seems to be that one who knowingly violated the court's (amended) ruling must bring an atonement offering, but that's something that the individual decides and does anyway, not something the community can compel, right?  The person who knew but cites his overseas trip is still going to be held accountable before the divine court, isn't he?  And is the one who didn't know, but was at home, really going to be held liable?


texts: Does Bi'Kdei Sh'Yaasu apply beyond Shabbat?

texts:
I know that certain things are forbidden on the Sabbath and if a non-Jew does them, a Jew can only benefit from them if he waits a certain length of time. This has been covered in this question and this one. So if a non-Jew (unbeknownst to me) calls a cab to arrive for me at the end of the Sabbath, I have to wait to get in for the amount of time that it would have taken me to call, and him to arrive. And if the non-Jew turns a light on for me intentionally on the Sabbath, I have to keep my eyes closed.
But does the same logic hold in areas beyond the Sabbath? For example -- one is forbidden to think Torah thoughts in the bathroom. But what if my mind wanders while I am in there, and I think of a great chiddush! Do I have to wait after I exit for the amount of time it would have taken me to think of it outside the bathroom before I can tell anyone?

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


texts: Eicha - why are the Pesukim with the פ before the Pesukim with the ע?

texts: The first 4 Perakim of Eicha are written in the order of the Aleph Bais. However in Perek 2, 3, & 4 the Pesukim for פ are written before the Pesukim with the ע. Why? And then why in Perek 1 is it in the correct order?


texts:
I recently prayed mincha on a fast day where no talis was present. The kohen present did not bless us, since he could not cover his hands with a talis. (No one called him to do so, so he wasn't in violation of refusing to bless when called to do so, which I understand is the main problem with not blessing. Still, had there been a talis, he would have blessed.) What should he have done?

Not blessed us.
Blessed us without covering his hands.
Covered his hands with something else and blessed us.
Something else. (What?)


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Why did Avraham take gifts from Pharaoh, but not the King of Sodom?

After Avram saved Lot and the people of Sodom from the 4 kings, the king of Sodom offered him the possessions or spoils for himself in exchange for freeing the people....to which Avram replied:

  כג. אִם מִחוּט וְעַד שְׂרוֹךְ נַעַל וְאִם אֶקַּח מִכָּל אֲשֶׁר לָךְ וְלֹא
  תֹאמַר אֲנִי הֶעֱשַׁרְתִּי אֶת אַבְרָם

  Neither from a thread to a shoe strap, nor will I take from whatever
  is yours, that you should not say, 'I have made Abram wealthy.'

on the other hand, Avram did accept presents from Pharaoh (Bereshis 12:16)

  And he benefited Abram for her sake, and he had flocks and cattle and he donkeys and men servants and maid servants, and she donkeys and
  camels.

so why wasn't Avram worried that Pharaoh would say 'I have made Abram wealthy'?


texts:
The mishna, Tamid 5:3, indicates that those kohanim who had gotten dressed for the day's work but were not needed for it would be stripped of their kohen-clothes by the Temple workers.

My kid asked: Why didn't they undress themselves?


texts: Do things that, when written in print, require placement in sheimos (such as shem Hashem and divrei Torah), need to be placed in sheimos when written in Braille? Would we say that since most people can't read it, it doesn't need to be put into sheimos; or, would we say that since a large portion of the population can read it, that it would require placement in sheimos?


texts: What's the practical difference between Mitzva Diorisas that Are listed as one of the 613; And those Not listed as one of the 613?

texts:
What's the (general) practical Difference between one of the 613 Mitzvahs ,counted by the Monay Hamotzvos,whether its an Asay or Lo-Tasay and an (Asay or Lo-Tasay) that isn't part of the 613 Mitzvahs?
Surely, with the harsh Machlokisim, and (esp. The Rambam's ingenious calculations and the fact that he felt it necessary to correct one of the Gaonim based on that establishing his 14 Rules) There are differences both quality and quantitatively.
But what are they?


texts: Does the shemita year cancel a loan of a sefer?

texts:
Every seventh year, in the shemita year, all loans are cancelled.
If I lent my friend a Sefer, does that get cancelled by the shemitta year?


texts: The blessing over drinking fresh orange juice

texts: Before someone drinks a fresh orange juice, which of the following blessings is required to be said? Should the blessing be "shehakol"? "borai pri ha'etz"? or both?


texts: The tamid as well as the tamid in Rosh Hashana Musaf?

texts:
In the musaf amida of Rosh Hashana, at least in Nusach Ashkenaz, the list of the day's offerings concludes with the following two lines.

ומנחתם ונסכיהם כמדבר שלשה עשרנים לפר ושני עשרנים לאיל ועשרון לכבש
ויין כנסכו ושני שעירים לכפר ושני תמידים כהלכתם
מלבד עלת החדש ומנחתה ועלת התמיד ומנחתה ונסכיהם כמשפטם לריח ניחח אשה לה

The second line is a quote from Numbers (from the same passage as the main list which has just come) and the first is a prayer-book formula similar to those in other musaf prayers.
These two lines as a pair sound jarring when read together, because they seem to mention the tamid twice. Jarring in particular because the referent of biblical "מלבד" seems to be transposed to the previous sentence instead of the verses which were quoted before that.

"...and two tamids according to their rule. Apart from the new month offering and its meal-offering and the tamid and its meal offering..."

Are there any explanations of this paragraph which explicitly mention this oddity? Or have I misunderstood these words entirely? Or do any authorities suggest changing these words?


texts: Where can I find an Android siddur with adjustable font size?

texts:
I've searched for a siddur app for my Android phone and have seen this question, but so far I haven't found one that will let me increase the font size (including Tfilon, recommended there).  Ideally I want something that will zoom and redo the page layout to adjust, like well-behaved web pages on the phone do, as opposed to something that will involve a lot of horizontal scrolling (like a PDF does).  I'm in the diaspora with Ashkenazi nusach and I'm interested in weekday t'filah and bentching.  I wouldn't be using the phone on Shabbat or Yom Tov anyway so I don't care about coverage there.  I would find it helpful if any special instructions (choreography, when to say variable text, etc) are available in English.  (For the prayers themselves Hebrew is just fine.)

I'm looking for an app rather than a web site because I don't want to be dependent on having service.

Is there an Android siddur that's a little easier on users with less-than-keen vision?


texts: May one allow children to play in water on minor fasts? Are the rules the same (depending whom you follow) as for an adult?


texts: Why does Rabba bar Mari in the Talmud quote Ben Sira as a part of “the Writings” when it is not in the Ketuvim section of the Tanakh?

texts:
As revealed in the answer here, in Bava Kama 92b, Rava asks Rabba bar Mari for the source of a popular saying, and Rabba bar Mari answers with five different sources for it. The third verse, which is attributed to "the Writings," is from the Book of Ben Sira 13:17

  א"ל רבא לרבה בר מרי מנא הא מילתא דאמרי אינשי מטייל ואזיל דיקלא בישא
  גבי קינא דשרכי אמר ליה דבר זה כתוב בתורה שנוי בנביאים ומשולש בכתובים
  ותנן במתניתין ותנינא בברייתא

  Rava said to Rabba bar Mari: From where is this matter derived whereby
  people say: A bad palm tree strolls and goes to be among a grove of
  barren trees, i.e., bad people seek out other bad people? Rabba bar
  Mari said to him: This matter is written in the Torah, repeated in the
  Prophets, and triplicated in the Writings, and we learned it in a
  mishna, and we learned it in a baraita.

  כתוב בתורה דכתיב (בראשית כח, ט) וילך עשו אל ישמעאל שנוי בנביאים דכתיב
  (שופטים יא, ג) ויתלקטו אל יפתח אנשים רקים ויהיו עמו ומשולש בכתובים
  דכתיב (בן סירא יג, יד) כל עוף למינו ישכון ובני אדם לדומה לו תנן במתני'
  כל המחובר לטמא טמא כל המחובר לטהור טהור ותנינא בברייתא רבי אליעזר אומר
  לא לחנם הלך זרזיר אצל עורב אלא מפני שהוא מינו

  Rabba bar Mari explains each of the sources. It is written in the
  Torah, as it is written: “And so Esau went to Ishmael” (Genesis 28:9).
  It is repeated in the Prophets, as it is written: “And there were
  gathered vain fellows to Yiftah, and they went out with him” (Judges
  11:3). And it is triplicated in the Writings, as it is written: All
  fowl will live with its kind, and men with those like him (Book of Ben
  Sira 13:17). We learned it in a mishna (Kelim 12:2): All that is
  attached to that which is ritually impure is ritually impure; all that
  is attached to that which is ritually pure is ritually pure. And we
  learned it in a baraita: Rabbi Eliezer says: Not for naught did the
  starling go to the raven but because it is its kind, as it too is a
  non-kosher bird.

Unlike Catholics and Orthodox Christians, Jews do not count the Book of Ben Sira as canonical Scripture. It is not included in the Ketuvim section of the Jewish Tanakh. Why, then, does Rabba bar Mari in the Talmud quote Ben Sira as a part of “the Writings”?


texts: Which rabbi was it who checked a person's identity by asking where he sat in shul?

texts:
The story goes something like ...

  A few days after his wedding, a man disappeared without a trace.  Many years later, a mysterious man showed up back in town, claiming to be him.  He looked different, but he revealed to "his" wife all sorts of private details that presumably only her husband would know.  The rabbi took him to the shul and asked him to identify where he used to sit, and he couldn't.  The rabbi concluded that this fellow was a charlatan who'd found out all sorts of material about the real husband, but as a crook, never thought to ask about his ritual habits.

I've heard several different names of who was the rabbi in this story.  What have you heard, and does anyone have a source?


texts: Why would God forsake us when we are old?

texts:
In the Shema Koleinu prayer that we say during selichot, one of the lines goes like this:

אל תשליכנו לעת זקנה, ככלות כוחנו אל תעזבנו
Do not cast me away in the time of my old age; when my strength fails, do not forsake me.

Why would we be concerned that God would forsake us when we get old? What about old age are we worried would make us less desirable to God?


texts: Difference between idol worship and Shrine worship

texts:
What is the Jewish doctrinal  difference between an Idol housed in a temple and a grave housed in Mausoleum or Shrine  with all or some of the following activities carried out by the visitors in both the cases towards the Object (Grave or Idol):
The Visitors:

believe in one God of Moses and consider the Object or the dedicated person to be near to God.

revere the Object with clothes, flowers, incense, golden artifacts and enclosures to glorify it.

read some mantras from their religious scriptures in the vicinity of the Object.

Update:
Just clarified my question, stating further assumptions:

Visitors believe that the object does NOT have power of its own in the same way a Hindu idol worshiper does not believe the idol to have any intrinsic power and is mere a center of focus

Visitors occasionally would also invoke the Object not necessarily at that place.
This question is based on my assumptions that Jewish texts allow constructions of buildings and shrines \ Tombs over the graves of pious people, if it does not allow then question would be re-framed.


texts: Does one make a siyum on finishing Avos D'reb Nosson?


texts: Why a (enda)mem sofit לםרבה in Yishaya 9:6

texts:
I noticed during the reading of the haftorah of parshas Yisro that the word למרבה is spelled לםרבה,this is certainly a strange phenomenon since a mem sofit everywhere else is always at the end of the word.  Why is it written this way and what is it teaching us?

Passuk 9:6 :

לםרבה [לְמַרְבֵּ֨ה] הַמִּשְׂרָ֜ה וּלְשָׁל֣וֹם אֵֽין־קֵ֗ץ עַל־כִּסֵּ֤א דָוִד֙ וְעַל־מַמְלַכְתּ֔וֹ לְהָכִ֤ין אֹתָהּ֙ וּֽלְסַעֲדָ֔הּ בְּמִשְׁפָּ֖ט וּבִצְדָקָ֑ה מֵעַתָּה֙ וְעַד־עוֹלָ֔ם קִנְאַ֛ת יְהוָ֥ה צְבָא֖וֹת תַּעֲשֶׂה־זֹּֽאת


texts: Why is Moshe concerned what the Pharaoh's astrologers will think of him in Shemot 11:4?

texts:
In Shemot 11:4, Moshe tells Pharaoh that the plague of the 1st born will begin at approximately midnight.

Rashi explains that the reason Moshe said "approximately" is that if Moshe said exactly at midnight, and the astrologers calculate it differently, they would think that Moshe was a false prophet.

I read Sifsei Chachamim's explanation as to why Moshe would care what others thought. I still don't get it, though.

G-d is trustworthy, and He knows exactly when He will do things. I also assume that Moshe had full faith in G-d. So, with all these factors, why doesn't Moshe just state outright that the plague will happen exactly at midnight knowing full well that if the astronomers erred, they would just be mistaken?


texts: What exactly is "Psik Reisha"? I know this has something to do with the laws of Shabbat, and possibly something to do with unintended consequences that are allowed, but what exactly is it, and in what kinds of situations is it applicable?


texts: As per the teaching of the Besht I’ve been really meditating on the letters as I daven but I realized that the true shapes of letters as they are written in a Torah or mezuzah which includes the tagim or the chatoret of the Ches for example are not in any of the siddurim I’ve seen. Is there a siddur which includes the letters as they are written in a Torah?


texts: Where can I find Chovoth haLevavoth in Arabic?


texts: Why was Aharon not liable for issuing a ruling around his teacher?

texts:
The Chumash (Shemini 10:16 and onwards) describe an argument between Moshe and Aharon.

Aharon's two sons died by the hands of Hashem and he became an Onen who cannot eat sacrifices. Moshe gave him an instruction from Hashem that in that case he must continue serving on the Mizbeach.

Aharon interpreted that instruction as applying only to the special sacrifices offered during the inauguration and not to his regularly-scheduled sacrifices. Therefore, he burned the Rosh Chodesh Musaf. Moshe Rabbeinu got upset until Aharon explained his reasoning to him. After that Moshe calmed down and admitted that he was right.

How was Aharon allowed to issue this ruling to begin with? Why isn't he considered to be one who issues a ruling in the presence of his teacher (who is liable to the death penalty at the hand of heaven)?


texts: Is there a problem wearing 72 Names of God pendants? Or unlike the sacred Name of God from the Torah it is allowed? The sacred name in the Torah is YHVH (in Hebrew letters Yud Hey Vav Hey) and as far as I know it is not only forbidden to pronounce it but also to wear it as a jewelry of any kind.


texts: A person Below 20 as shliach tzibbur for tefillat Musaf

texts:
Is there any law that a person below the age of 20 cannot lead the congregation at tefillat Musaf?

I heard someone (Not a Rabbi but a self-learner) doing a shiur, that since the half shekel at the time of the Mishkan was contributed only by men over 20, and tefillat Musaf can be alluded to the same, and because of that reason, a boy below the age of 20 couldn't do the same.

I don't know whether he was saying what he was thinking or whatsoever. But is there any contradiction to his statement?


texts: How did Tur and Mechaber omit explicit Mitzvos?

texts:
When answering to "is-holding-memories-considered-bearing-a-grudge" I noticed that while נקימה ונטירה (revenge and grudges) are two explicit Mitzvos DeOrayso counted by Rambam, Smag, Chinuch, etc, both Tur and Mechaber omitted them.

As far as I know, those Miztvos should be relevant to our times. On the other hand, we know they had Rambam and Chinuch, so they were perfectly aware of these Mitzvos.

I heard some say Tur in his earlier editions included the reprint of Rambam's Hilchos Deos, but later it was removed. Anyway, Mechaber ignored them almost completely.

What could be the reason not to include explicit Mitzvos in a Halachic compendium?

NB: this question is very specific about those two Mitzvos. There's another question of mine about the general approach: "what-does-it-mean-halachicly-hamechaber-omitted-those-halochos".


texts: Would speaking Lashon-harah (slander) for the sole purpose of "venting" be considered *L'Toelet* - for positive Benefit - and thus be permitted?

texts:
Would speaking Lashon-Harah (slander) for the sole purpose of "venting" be considered L'Toelet for a positive Benefit- and thus be permitted (as per the necessary conditions)?

If not, why not?


texts: If someone's foreskin grew back, would he need a second Bris Milah?

texts:
Theoretically speaking, if someone's foreskin grew back after his Bris Milah, would he need another Bris Milah? Is the idea that the Bris be permanent, and if the foreskin were to grow back, it would have to be cut again? Or is the idea that it be cut for the sake of the Bris Milah, so if it were cut once for that intention, that would be enough?

If it's the latter, what if someone drew out his foreskin? If the idea is that it's cut for the sake of the Bris Milah, his was, and perhaps even though he drew it out, he doesn't need to have it cut again. Or perhaps since he drew it out, he's intentionally undoing his original Bris, and so he needs a new one (as opposed to a case where it naturally grew out, in which case he's not intentionally removing it)?


texts: Is there a source to require eating meat at the Hanuka meal?


texts: When did "Musaf Rashi" on Talmud Bavli begin being added to the on the page? Did Tosafos ever refer to any of the Musafim?

texts: On some editions of Talmud Bavli, there is a section entitled, "Musaf Rashi." When were these additions to his commentary found, and are there any references to it in Tosafos?


texts: Must a non-Jew who eats trief or a nevaila immerse himself?

texts:
Vayikra 17:15:

  And any person, whether a native or a stranger (gair), who eats carrion (nevaila) or what was torn (trief), shall immerse his garments and immerse himself in the waters, and shall remain unclean until evening, and then he shall become clean.

Why is the stranger included in this requirement to be purified after eating non-kosher meat?

EDIT: If "gair" means convert in this case, why does it even need to mention whether or not the person is a convert? Additionally, how do you know when the word means convert and when it means non-Jew? For example, Devarim 14:21 says:

  You shall not eat any carcass. You may give it to the stranger (gair) who is in your cities, that he may eat it...


texts: Is believing in G-d guided evolution a valid belief in Orthodox Judaism?

texts: Like the title dictates. Does the theory of evolution hold legitamacy in light of Maaseh Bereishis? That being said, are there ramifications of having that understanding towards one's Avodas HaShem? If so why or why not?


texts: Minhagim for removing tefilin on chol hamoed

texts:
I daven in a minyan with a significant number of people who don tefilin on chol hamoed. The way I have always thought the minhag was practiced was that the tefilin are removed before halel; however, today I witnessed a few variations of this minhag.

Removing the tefilin immediately after halel
Removing the tefilin after kriat haTorah before ashrei.
Removing the tefilin after uva letzion, immediately before musaf (I only saw one person do this)

Has anyone else seen this? What is the reason for these differences in practice?


texts: The words "Sheheim Mishtachavim Li-Hevel Voryk Umispallelim El Eil Lo-Yoshiya" - Was this originally part of Aleinu and then removed, or was it added later to Aleinu? Why was this done?


texts: Should a get be sought from the Movement that did the wedding?

texts: In a situation where both spouses live in the USA and want to dissolve a Jewish marriage with a Get (i.e, a document of divorce), what are the advantages and disadvantages of going to a beit din from the same movement as the rabbi that officiated at the wedding?


texts: Parshas Korach: Why does the Torah say Moshe got very angry, and Rashi translates it as Moshe got very distressed or pained

texts:
In Parshas Korach (Bamidbar 16:15), the Torah says ויחר למשה מאוד. Rashi translates it as Moshe was distresed a lot. Rashi doesnt say Moshe was very angry.

Why doesnt Rashi translate it the way the verse wrote it? What did Rashi gain by saying Moshe was distressed a lot instead of very angry?  If Rashi feels the verse means Moshe was very distressed why didnt the verse use a different word instead of ויחר?


texts: Probabilistic artificial intelligence on Shabbat

texts:
I have coded machine learning algorithms and have seen a number of posts about artificial intelligence such as Alexa or a system that monitors movement to turn on ventilation in rooms that are entered. I have a variation that I wanted to see if it is allowed.
Assumptions:
-Everything is turned on before Shabbat.
-The model is pre-trained so there is no computation of a new algorithm going on.
-There is no internet connectivity.
-The device does not save logs and actions committed.
-The device does not display any output.
If the device randomly computes an unpredictable period of time to wait until it processes the current input from the video stream and then has a random probability that it will process the input and then another random probability that it will do any action based on the input, would this camera observation system be allowed on Shabbat?


texts:
The Rambam writes the following

  הגדל בעציץ אע"פ שהוא נקוב והגדל בספינה אינו מביא ממנו כל עיקר שנאמר
  בארצם. אבל מביא מן הגדל בגג או בחורבה

— essentially saying that bicurim is not brought from something that grew in a pot, even if the pot had holes inside of it. Normally, I thought, we say a pot with holes is "yonek" (derives from the ground), and therefore we look at it as if it's part of the ground (in regards to trumos, maaseros, shvi'is). Why not also here? Is it because of the limud of "b'artzam" as the Rambam points out? Is perhaps my understanding of the halacha of a pot with holes in it not true or not according to all opinions (perhaps the Rambam disagrees)? When does the din of a "pot with holes" apply that we look at it as part of the ground and why not in this case?


texts: Why not cook a z'roa just for the seder plate, in light of mitoch?

texts:
It's customary to have a bone (with some meat on it) on the table for the Passover seder. Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 118:5 (as cited in the answers to another question on this site) writes:

  Once the Temple was destroyed, the rabbis established that, at the time the hagada is recited [at the Passover seder], two types of cooked food be on the table…. People have practiced that one of the cooked foods is meat, from the limb called z'roa….One must roast or cook them [before the holiday starts]. If he forgot…, he should roast or cook them at night, but must eat them the first day of the holiday. [The "day" runs from nightfall to nightfall.]  Likewise, for the second night [seder], he should roast or cook them and eat them [all] on the second day of the holiday. This is because we do not cook on [a day of] yom tov for another, nor on yom tov for a weekday. (And, since we don't eat roasted meat these two nights, he has to eat the z'roa by day specifically.)

In other words: One can cook on yom tov, but only for the use of that same day of yom tov. So don't cook the bone on the first night of Passover unless you'll eat it the first day.

But I'd think that one could cook it the first night of Passover, and rely (for "use it the same day" purposes) on the placement on the table in fulfillment of the custom to do so. That itself would seem to be a use. Indeed, when KSA itself codifies the rule that cooking — and likewise lighting a fire — on a holiday can be for the same day only, it says (101:2):

  Likewise, it is forbidden to place the lamps in the candelabrum… on the first day of the holiday for the [following] night, unless he needs to use them before nighttime also or for the honor of the synagogue.

This means that lighting candles in a synagogue, even by day when the light is not needed, is a perfectly good use of lighting a fire on the holiday, since it's for the honor of the synagogue. (See also KSA 13:1.) And in general (though I cannot find this in KSA) we say cooking and lighting are permitted for any activity necessary for yom tov, not only for eating (a principle called "mitoch").

Nonetheless, displaying a cooked bone at the seder is not a sufficient use to permit cooking on the holiday. Why not?


texts: I Kings 21:29 "but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house" Where is the logic?

texts:
I Kings 21 .29 'Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before Me? because he humbleth himself before Me, I will not bring the evil in his days; but in his son's days will I bring the evil upon his house.

Would like to understand this verse.

Why upon the house of the son,he has nothing to do with it?(it seems)


texts: Are there any Jewish sources which discuss the existence of auras or energy fields? Is it permissible to learn about them and be involved with them for healing purposes?


texts: Where can I find help with Mishnayos learning?

texts:
I signed up to learn Mishnayos for someone's Neshama, but then I pushed it off for too long. I now only have less than a week and I don't know if I'll be able to finish on time.
I have 2 questions.
1. Is there any website where I can go with people who can help me complete the learning on time?
2. Are there any Heters to make the learning easier for me? (ex. Just reading the Mishnayos without understanding them?)


texts: Can a Gentile shovel / plow snow from your driveway on Shabbat if he has been paid for general work?

texts:
I read in Kitzur Shulcah Aruch (סימן צ - דין עשית חפציו בלא מלאכה ומלאכה על ידי גוי) that even if a person prepays a Gentile before Shabbat, he cannot tell him to specifically do work for him specifically on Shabbat. There is a rule that a Gentile cannot do work specifically for you without having some benefit for himself.

Let's say you tell the Gentile, "I am paying you a flat fee for the winter season. Whenever there is a lot of snow, I want you to shovel or plow my driveway." It snows on Shabbat. Can the Gentile shovel or plow your driveway in this situation? He gains no personal benefit from shovelling the snow, but, in this case, you did not specifically say that he must come and work on Shabbat, either. He showed up because it happened to snow that day.


texts: Why is Bethuel referred to as "Son of Milkah" and not "Son of Nahor"?

texts:
Several times in the Parasha Bethuel is referred to as "Son of Milkah" and not "Son of Nahor", for example:

... וְהִנֵּה רִבְקָה יֹצֵאת אֲשֶׁר יֻלְּדָה לִבְתוּאֵל בֶּן־מִלְכָּה אֵשֶׁת נָחוֹר...׃ (... Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, the son of Milkah the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor) Genesis.24.15

We already know who's son Bethuel was, but he's still called "son of Milkah". And so says Rivkah: "וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו בַּת־בְּתוּאֵל אָנֹכִי בֶּן־מִלְכָּה אֲשֶׁר יָלְדָה לְנָחוֹר׃" (She replied, “I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor.”
Why?


texts: Is it allowed to say the country name "El Salvador"?

texts:
שולחן ערוך יורה דעה סימן קמ''ז says that it is forbidden to even mention the name of an עבודת כוכבים. Assuming that "Jesus" counts as this, is one allowed to say the name of the country "El Salvador"?

This question is based on the fact that "El Salvador" is referring to Jesus as "the saviour" according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Salvador.

The reason this is unique is that this is the name of a place, which leads me to believe that this might be different to סתם mention Jesus's name.


texts: Nigei Batim / Tzara'as of houses with a house and another level (aliya)

texts: If one person owns the bottom floor of a house and another owns the floor on top, what happens when the one on the lower floor has tzara'as in their house and the house needs destroying? Assuming the upper floor can't stand without the lower floor, does the person on top just lose their home?


texts: Do you have to follow all of your parents' wishes after their death?

texts:
I am not sure what the extent is of honoring your parents after their death. Do you have to honor all their wishes (except for those that violate Torah law, which you would need to disobey even while they are alive.)

A specific example:

A parent tells you not to be in contact with someone because they harmed the parent in some way (financially, emotionally or physically.) Do you have to follow these wishes? Does it matter if your parent tells you to cease contact with a sibling or other relative (unlce) or if it was a friend of your parent?


texts:
The Torah in Bamidbar 13-14, describes the story of the 12 spies in which 10 of them deceit Am Israel speaking slander about the land. This causes the people to fear and cry for no reason, leading to the punishment of having to wait 40 more years in the desert until a their generation was replaced by a new one.

After reading this, it becomes clear that it's an extremely serious sin to talk bad about the promised land. But this got me thinking, to what extent is it wrong to talk bad about this land nowadays? There are two hypothetical situations which I thought about:

1)Let's say I'm talking with some friends about studying/living in Israel, can I say, for example, that I think the weather there is bad, or that it's not as pretty as another country?

2)What about saying that the economical or political situation in Israel is bad? Or that the people there are not nice, for example?

Note: The contrast between the two points is that the first one refers to the physical aspect of the land, while the other refers to ideological or social aspects of the State of Israel. Also, just want to make clear that I don't hold this views of the country, it's actually the opposite in both aspects, this is just an hypothetical question.


texts: Can one use a year-round warming tray for Pesach? How?

texts: Year-round, pans of food and foil-wrapped food are placed on an electric warming tray; the foods within are not kosher for Passover. What's the easiest way to permissibly use the tray for Passover? Can one just use it as is, since the food doesn't touch it directly? If not, can one use it covered with foil? Or what?


texts: What is the origin of Hasidic pronunciation?

texts:
Does anyone know when and by whom the Hasidic pronunciation started?
I mean "burich" as opposed to "boruch". The same goes for Yiddish.. "vus" as opposed to "vos".
I've heard that it was in opposition to Maskilim.
Can anyone quote a rabbinic text? Is there a single person that introduced this?


texts: replacing a used borrowed item which broke with a new item which is more valuable

texts: If a person borrowed an item from a neighbor (such as a plastic chair) and the item broke due to negligence by the borrower. Can the borrower purchase a new identical item and give that back to the lender or since the item is more valuable than the borrowed one (because it is new instead of used) then this would be a problem of ribbis (interest).


texts: Does G-d have expiration on His tolerance?

texts:
וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁה עַד־אָנָה יְנַאֲצֻנִי הָעָם הַזֶּה
  וְעַד־אָנָה לֹא־יַאֲמִינוּ בִי בְּכֹל הָאֹתוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי בְּקִרְבּוֹ׃

  And the LORD said to Moses, “How long will this people spurn Me, and how long will they have no faith in Me despite all the signs that I have performed in their midst? (Num 14,11)

This pattern of G-d complaining about His patience expiring is very common in the Torah. Moreover, it appears that people suffer harder punishment from G-d when sinning for another time. This appears contradicting the idea of "מלך בשר ודם" vs "מלך מה"מ" - G-d being ultimately just, and contradicting our current state of Halacha.

G-d does not have (shouldn't have) tolerance or patience, not mentioning it to expire, IMHO.

Does G-d have an expiration on His tolerance? (and if yes,) Why does Torah picture G-d as such?


texts:
Who knows forty-eight?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point in the next few days, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: Does NY state hold that a ketuba is a marriage license?


texts: Contradiction in 2 Kings and 2 Chronicles?

texts:
In 2 Kings 24:8 it says "Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem, and his mother's name was Nehushta the daughter of Elnathan of Jerusalem."
Then in 2 Chronicles 36:9 it says "Jehoiachin was eight years old when he became king, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem, and he did that which was evil in the eyes of the Lord."
How is this reconciled?


texts: When to bentsch gomel for a chronic illness?

texts:
Suppose one has a chronic, ongoing illness with occasional flare-ups requiring hospitalization or other emergency intervention.  After the immediate crisis caused by the flare-up is over, should one bentsch gomel?

On the one hand, it seems appropriate for the sick person to give thanks to Hashem for saving him or her from the immediate crisis.  On the other hand, it seems odd to thank Hashem when the underlying problem persists and has not been resolved.

What is the halacha regarding whether to / when to bentsch gomel for a chronic illness?


texts: Is a bottle or jug of 100% pure maple syrup kosher without certification?

texts:
There are several farmers' markets scattered around the New York City area. Many of them carry bottles or jugs of 100% NY State or Vermont maple syrup. Occasionally I find Canadian maple syrup. (For you Canadian readers - excellent product!!!)

My questions:

Is all 100% maple syrup kosher without certification? (It is a natural product, but I don't know what might occur during processing & packaging. AFAIK, these products are package on the farm and come directly from that farm.)
If someone knows about specific regulations as it applies to the 3 places that I mentioned, that would make it OK or not OK, please inform us what the problem(s) are.


texts: Do the fruit-flavored tobaccos that are widely used in hookahs require a Kashrut certification similar to foodstuffs? If yes, why; if not, why not?


texts: Where can maaser sheini be eaten? (Size of Jerusalem)

texts:
Maaser sheini must be eaten in Jerusalem. For this purpose, halachic Jerusalem is the same size as when it was set by the Sanhedrin ~2000 years ago.

On today's map, what is included? (An image with a border would be very helpful).


texts: Can a man answer amen with his head uncovered?

texts: Is there a halacha that a man's head must be covered in order to answer amen to someone else's brocha?


texts:
In the intro to his commentary to Mishnayot the Rambam writes

  אך על דרך כלל יש לדעת, שכל הנמצאים שתחת גלגל הירח נמצאו בשביל האדם
  לבדו. וכל
   מיני החיות, יש מהם למאכלו, כצאן ובקר וזולתם, ויש מהם לתועלתו בזולת
  המאכלים,
   כמו
   החמור, לשאת עליו, מה שלא יוכל להוליך בידו, והסוסים, להגיע בהם מהלך
  דרך רחוקה בימים מועטים. ומהם מינים שלא נדע להם תועלת, ויש בהם תועלת
  לאדם, ולא יכיר אותם

The Rambam here asserts that animals were created solely for mankind.

However, if we read the Moreh (3:13) carefully i think a very different picture emerges,

  ובגלל הדבר הזה הדעת האמיתי אצלי, לפי האמונות התוריות והנאות לדעות
  העיוניות,
   הוא, שלא יאמן בנמצאות כולם שהם מפני מציאות האדם, אבל יהיו גם כן שאר
  הנמצאות כולם מכוונות לעצמם, לא מפני דבר אחר
  ותבטל גם כן שאלת התכלית בכל מיני הנמצאות, ואפילו לפי דעתנו בחידוש
  העולם
   שאנחנו נאמר, כל חלקי העולם המציאם ברצונו - ומהם מכונים לעצמם ומהם
  מפני דבר אחר, האחר ההוא מכון לעצמו

  I consider therefore the following opinion as most correct according
  to the teaching of the Bible, and best in accordance with the results
  of philosophy; namely, that the Universe does not exist for man's
  sake, but that each being exists for its own sake, and not because of
  some other thing. Thus we believe in the Creation, and yet need not
  inquire what purpose is served by each species of the existing things,
  because we assume that God created all parts of the Universe by His
  will; some for their own sake, and some for the sake of other beings,
  that include their own purpose in themselves.

  Maimonides, Moses. The Guide for the Perplexed (p. 231). Translated from the original Arabic text By M. Friedländer.

This seems to contradict what has been said before that everything under the heavens was created solely for the man. The only exception to this rule are plants to which he clearly states (in the same chapter) that they only exist to serve the animals (since they cannot live without it). But since the animals are not included in this list, it is reasonable to assume that they too exist for their own sake (since they are all part of the universe. Am i being too analytical here?), thus contradicting what he wrote in his commentary to Mishnayot!

How do we reconcile these contradictory sayings?


texts:
Do to its weight, lifting a sefer torah can be challenging without proper technique. Practicing on an actual sefer torah isn't an option for most people due to lack of access. (Most synagogues would be understandably reluctant to allow someone to practice on their seforim.)
Many people never do hagba because they don't want to have do it for the first time in front of an audience at shul.
With that in mind, are there any methods of practicing hagba at home? Are there any common household items that perhaps can be used to approximate the weight and balance of a sefer torah?


texts: Under what conditions may one leave Eretz Yisroel?

texts: According to many Rabbinical Authorities you are only allowed to leave Eretz Yisroel if you have a valid reason. For example Parnasa (livelihood). What other reasons are valid for one  to be able to leave Eretz Yisroel?


texts: Making restitution for a "missing" ox: a question on the Mishna

texts:
There are four classes of people who are entrusted with items of value (Bava Metzia 7:8, Shevuot 8:1): one who looks after it as a favour, one who does so for a fee, one who borrows it and one who pays money to rent/hire it. Of these four, the one who looks after it as a favour to the owner is the least responsible for what subsequently happens to it, but his having been entrusted with it still denotes some responsibility.

The Mishna (Shevuot 8:3) discusses a case in which a man's ox is being looked after as a favour, but when the owner asks to get it back the guardian swears that it went missing. Witnesses are brought and it is demonstrated that the guardian had actually eaten the ox, making him liable to the owner for the ox's value. Such is not the case if the witnesses testify to his having "stolen" the ox, in which case he is liable to the owner for twice the ox's value, in accordance with the laws of making restitution for theft. Should they testify that he not only stole the ox but that he also slaughtered it, he is liable to the owner for five times the ox's value.

These laws are discussed in more detail in Bava Qama 7 (and a similar scenario is brought in Bava Qama 9:7-8), but the circumstances in this particular mishna are strange to me. A guardian who is discovered to have eaten the ox is liable for the principal only, while one who is discovered to have "stolen" the ox and to have slaughtered it is liable for five times that amount. My question is: how is the consumption of somebody else's ox not in itself an act of theft? Furthermore, how is it possible to consume somebody else's ox without having slaughtered it first?


texts: With what packaged foods is there a concern of bishul akum?

texts: I have heard that foods fit for a king's table ("oleh al shulchan melachim") must be bishul yisroel; however, I am wondering to what extent this applies to packaged foods, if at all. Are any packaged foods considered fit for a king's table? What types of packaged foods are those who are makpid on this issue careful to avoid?


texts: Chametz owned by a Jew on 8th day of Pesach -- status after Pesach?

texts: Lets take the example of chametz gamur bought on the the 8th day chas veshalom -- does the fact that the 8th day is rabbinic cancel out the prohibition of eating chametz, after passover, that was owned on passover?


texts: The pasuk that speaks about a Sotah being unfaithful says that she committed meilah against her husband (bamidbar 5:12). I am only familiar with that term being used in connection with stealing or using something that belongs to God or the temple. Most translations I have seen explain it as something like breaking faith. Why is the term meilah used by a sotah?


texts: What is the status of a man who has one or both testes removed due to cancer or some other condition?

texts:
In Ki Teitzei it says (Devarim 23:2) that a man whose testicles have been crushed or has his member injured cannot enter the congregation of G-d.

A) Does a man who has had one or both testes removed due to cancer or some other condition fall into this category?

B) What is the implication of not being in the congregation of G-d? Does he have the status of a Gentile? Are only certain things forbidden to him? Most importantly, what is the significance spiritually?

C) What if the man was married to a Jewess and has children before having had his testes removed or crushed? Does this affect them or his interactions with them?

D) What counts as "crushed" or "injured" for the testes and member?


texts:
In Shmuel Alef chapter 15 Shaul HaMelech  (King Saul) loses his kingship because in his battle against Amalek he failed to kill King Agag and saved livestock to offer as sacrifices.

Later we find that not only did Dovid keep plunder after battling Amalek (Shmuel Alef chapter 30) he institutes regulations about how to divide plunder.

Why is Dovid [apparently] not censured while Shaul lost his throne?


texts: I heard that the Be'er Moshe (Debreciner Rav) wrote that one should not read the Torah of the Rav since it can bring one into the wrong haskafos. Does anyone know where this can be found in his teshuvos (if he indeed write that)?


texts: Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach and Minhag Avoisenu

texts:
Rabbi SZA held (in I believe Meorei Eish) that electricity is only forbidden on Shabbos because of Minhag Avoiseinu.

Double AA also says that he heard orally that Rabbi SZA held that certain utensils are only forbidden because of a similar Minhag.

However, why is this not a Minhag Shtus (foolish tradition)?

Clarification: If it only began because people believed/held its forbidden (in regard to electricity) according to Rav SZA. Is he saying this (electricity Minhag) is LIKE a Minhag Avoiseinu that we should still do it but don't really have to? Or is it actually binding, and if so why?

Clarification #2- I'm talking about just the electrical current. There are other issues like Eish with incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs. Or if it makes lots of noise it's Assur Drabbunun. But I'm talking about just the current itself, not specific appliances.


texts: Davening with a Hat and Jacket or Tefila BeSibur

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  hat and jacket during davening

I once a read Pesak from HaRav Shelomo Zalman Orbach where he said it was better to miss Tefila BeSibur then Daven without a hat and jacket. I read it in Mishna Berura Dirshu (Siman 90 or so) notes but they didn't say exactly why. Does anyone know why the Gaon Paskened this way?

CYLOR


texts: For the recent approval of pilegesh in the circumstance of a married man unable to procreate, is kiddushin required?

texts:
Recently a Rabbinical Court in Jerusalem approvied a pilgesh in certain situations where a man cannot reproduce with his wife.

The Vilna Gaon and others (including Jerusalem Talmud, possibly Bavli with other girsa?) prohibit pilegesh without Kiddushin. Does this court approve of pilegesh with or without kiddushin?


texts:
Who knows one hundred twenty-seven?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: Is women saying Kaddish an issue of Kol Isha?

texts:
I have seen it discussed whether or not there is an issue of kol isha by kriyas haTorah, but I have not seen any sources addressing whether there is an issue of kol isha by kaddish, specifically...? Any help with finding sources?

I remember seeing a Gemara something to effect of "something that has men answering to women would be a problem", which would seem to imply that kaddish would be a problem, and thus one would not be able to draw a kal v'chomer from kriyas haTorah to kaddish.

Anyone see any sources that specifically address the issue of kol isha by kaddish?


texts: Designating an item before shabbos for others- Snow Cones!

texts:
If I designate an item before Shabbos for an acceptable purpose, it can become not muktza for me. Can another person, who I did not have in mind when I made my initial declaration the use that item?

My specific case is that snow fell on Friday and I designated that I would be using the fallen snow to make snow cones (snow+grape soda!) on Saturday. No additional snow fell between designation and consumption. Some were hesitant to try one due to muktza concerns.


texts:
Can consummation validate a one-witness Kiddushin?

Halacha states, something like: "When a man consecrates a woman in the presence of a single witness, the kiddushin is not binding."

But Halacha also says, something like, "If a man consecrates a woman through sexual relations (no matter how much such action is frowned upon) ... the kiddushin is binding."

My question: is the second statement a Halacha loophole against the first one; that is / or, if a-man-and-a-woman so unfortunately have only one witness, then should they go ahead and have sex (or consummate), in order to have a binding kiddushin?


texts: Who were the Jewish Governors during the Persian Era?

texts: Has an approximate line of Jewish governors been identified during the period from Cyrus to Alexander? The only names I have are Sheshbazzar, Zerubbabel and Nehemiah.  I am referring to governors - not to high priests. Are any other governors known?


texts: "Amar Rabbi Yitzchak" - Who is Rabbi Yitzchak?

texts:
Rashi opens his commentary to the Chumash with the words Amar Rabbi Yitzchak, "Rabbi Yitzchak said." However I am unsure the identity of this Rabbi Yitzchak. I have been unable to find a source for this question in the Talmud, Midrash, etc. Was this Rabbi Yitzchak actually Rashi's father?

(I am aware of what Siftei Chachamim says regarding this, and although they dismiss the idea that Yitzchak, Rashi's father, was an unlearned man, they do not necessarily rule out that the Rabbi Yitzchak mentioned here was Rashi's father.)

Who is the Rabbi Yitzchak mentioned here?


texts: May one wrap tefillin shel yad over one's wedding ring?

texts:
I have read that one should not have any material between one's tefillin shel yad and one's arm (e.g. bracelets, wristwatches). I always wear a wedding ring on the fourth finger of my left hand. I was taught to wrap the tefillin shel yad strap twice around my third (middle) finger, then once around my fourth (ring) finger. That means that the ring is between the strap and my finger. Is this permissible?

Somewhat related: Red string on Tefillin arm?


texts:
I have heard a proof that hearing is nothing in compared to seeing, and the proof is from Yitro: that even though he had heard about all the great miracles that had occurred to the Jews and their encounters with the Egyptians and Pharaoh, it was only after coming to the desert to meet his son-in-law Moshe (Exodus 18:5) that he said (Exodus 18:11):

  עַתָּ֣ה יָדַ֔עְתִּי כִּֽי־גָד֥וֹל יְהוָ֖ה מִכָּל־הָאֱלֹהִ֑ים כִּ֣י בַדָּבָ֔ר אֲשֶׁ֥ר זָד֖וּ עֲלֵיהֶֽם

I'm looking for the source for this idea. Have you seen this anywhere?


texts: It is well known that Jews of all strands are more stringent about Bishul Akum than Pat Akum. If someone holds that Pat Akum is acceptable, does that mean pat akum can be bought from a restaurant that regularly makes large amounts of bread? An example would be naan. Given that naan is always made with kosher ingredients, would it be acceptable to purchase some that was made by a restaurant? Preference for Sephardic opinions.


texts: Replace tzitzis on Tallis with no broken strings? just because the new strings are nicer?

texts:
My friend gave me his tallis with a set of new strings to tie. however, I was once told that its better not to remove tzitzis from a garment unless the strings actually need to be replaced.

Can I replace the strings on this tallis with the new thicker/nicer stings, even the the existing strings are mostly fine?

(only 1 sting on 1 corner is broken below the bottom knot with 1 inch still remaining)

Thank you!