texts: Is one allowed to take advantage of free-trial offers without the intention to actually purchase?

texts:
Many products and services (especially digital ones) are often sold via the so-called free-trial offers which allow customers to use the offered services and products for free during the specified timeframe at the end of which they are charged the full cost of the product or service. Such offers also allow to cancel the free trial without any payment.

This arrangement basically allows people to benefit from the offered services and products without paying for them if they cancel their free trial at the right time.

Therefore, my question is: Is one allowed to use such a free trial offer if one intends to cancel it before the trial ends and has no intention whatsoever to actually pay for the services or product offered?

In particular, what would be the halacha in case with digital products (online courses, etc.) where the seller does not seem to  experience any loss due to the free trial he offers?


texts:
Rashi in parshas Pinchos (Bamidbar 26,13) with regards to a son of Shimon which was missing from the previous count in Parshas Bamidbar quotes the Yerushalmi which addresses this question:

  משפחת אהד בטלה וכן חמש משבט בנימין שהרי בעשרה בנים ירד למצרים וכאן לא מנה אלא חמשה וכן אצבון לגד הרי שבע משפחות ומצאתי בגמ' ירושלמית שכשמת אהרן נסתלקו ענני כבוד ובאו הכנענים להלחם בישראל ונתנו לב לחזור למצרים וחזרו לאחוריהם ח' מסעות מהר ההר למוסרה שנא' (דברים י) ובני ישראל נסעו מבארות בני יעקן מוסרה שם מת אהרן והלא בהר ההר מת וממוסרה עד הר ההר שמונה מסעות יש למפרע אלא שחזרו לאחוריהם ורדפו בני לוי אחריהם להחזירם והרגו מהם שבע משפחות ומבני לוי נפלו ארבע משפחות משפחת שמעי ועזיאלי ומבני יצהר לא נמנו כאן אלא משפחת קרחי והרביעית לא ידעתי מה היא

In summary 11 families in total perished.
1 from Shimon: Ohad
1 from Gad: Etzbon
5 from Binyomin: Becher, Ard, naamon, Geira, Rosh
4 from Levi: Shimi, Uziel, ?

My question: If Rashi says only Korach was left out of the sons of Yitzhar, since Yitzhar had 3 sons that leaves 2 families Nepheg and Zichri missing, plus the 2 families of Shimi and Uziel which adds up to 4.
So why does Rashi say he only knows 3 families?


texts:
Currently the cost of the salt (for human consumption) is practically negligible, mostly around $1/kg.

But it wasn't always so. There were centuries as salt mining and selling was a governmental monopoly, and the government used it as some type of a "luxury tax" - similarly, as we can today see in the case of the benzine in some countries. This made salt prices irrationally high.

But making kosher meat requires a lot of salt.

What should be done, if a kg of salt would cost a hundred dollars?


texts: Connection between Tehillim 22 and Purim?

texts:
A few years ago, I started hearing around Purim-time the song "Keli, keli, lamah azavtani" - ק-לי ק-לי, למה עזבתני, which comes from Tehillim 22:2:

  אֵלִ֣י אֵ֭לִי לָמָ֣ה עֲזַבְתָּ֑נִי רָח֥וֹק מִֽ֝ישׁוּעָתִ֗י דִּבְרֵ֥י שַׁאֲגָתִֽי׃

The version of the song I've heard has a happy, empowering sort of tune (can be heard here, for example), which has always struck me as something very strange, in particular when it's supposed to be a Purim song. In Purim, yes, there was a "Hester Panim" (for example), Hashem hid His face from us, seemingly abandoning us - but from there we also saw the greatness of the miracle: We discovered that Hashem hadn't left us after all! Yet all the verse that's sung is just about Hashem leaving David/any person saying the chapter, nothing about Hashem returning to us! How does that relate to Purim?

Furthermore, I'm not quite certain how someone can sing about Hashem seemingly abandoning him. This may just be how I feel and not everyone can relate, but I've never felt abandoned chas v'shalom by Hashem. At times, yes, there may have been some distance, but I think that was more my fault. And yet this song is sung with great happiness and enthusiasm, as though people are happy that Hashem has abandoned them! That's something I'm currently unable to grasp. Why is this song a happy song?

To sum up:

What does this song have to do with Purim?
Why is this song supposedly happy?


texts: Can the Rav enforce his own made-up rule as a "penalty"?

texts:
Several years ago, while making a trip to the Catskill area, I stopped near the large shul in Woodbridge, NY (I forgot its name). The rabbi has a reserved parking spot across the street from the shul.

The sign in front of the spot says:

"Reserved for the rabbi. Violators will have to deliver the sermon on Shabbat."

I must admit, it is a memorable humorous sign. I love it. But, I'm curious. Could the rabbi halachically impose his own made up "penalty"?

Offhand, I think he was being funny, but, let's say he really wanted to teach the violator a lesson that he shouldn't park there again. Is the rav allowed to impose any penalty he wishes for the purposes of "teaching a lesson"?


texts: What is the precise difference between Kakatuv and Shene'emar and

texts:
The davening on the Yamim Nora'im references many verses and the machzor introduces those verses in a variety of ways.

A quick glance at the davening for Yom Kippur shows

v'ne'emar

she'ne'emar

kakatuv

kma shekatuv

ka'amur

ka'asher amarta

I have found no consistency in the application of some of the answers I have found, such as "one is used only for terms in nach, and another is only for the Torah" and "one is for explicit mentions and the other for inferences."

I do see that "kakatuv often is followed by the type of source ("al yad n'vee'echa", "bdivrei kodshecha" or "b'torato" or "b'toratecha") but I was wondering if there was any overriding set of principles applied to the construction of tefillah.


texts: If copper mirrors were good, leave them?

texts:
Torah (Shemot 38:8) tells us that the Kiyor was built with the copper mirrors brought by women. The Midrash (brought in Rashi ad loc) explain that, at first, Moshe wanted to reject the gifts, but Hashem told him to take them, because they were great. Why? Because they helped the Bnai Israel to multiply.

So, why take them now? Wasn't better to leave them to the women, so that they could use them again and continue to multiply?


texts: What can be done to ensure that a lulav stays green and does not dry out?


texts:
Looking at the words יצאת לישע עמך לישע את משיחך from Habakkuk 3:13, I noticed it was translated as: ‘Thou art come forth for the deliverance of Thy people, for the deliverance of Thine anointed (mechon-mamre translation)’, and as ‘You have come forth to deliver Your people, to deliver Your anointed (sefaria translation). Thus referring to Israel two times. While it could also be understood to mean that Adonai will come forth to deliver His people (Israel), to deliver with His Mashiach.

Are there any commentaries claiming G-d will come to the rescue/aid/deliverance with His Messiah, according to Habakkuk?


texts:
This question has two parts:

In the Diaspora, is Megillat Ruth read on the first day or the second day of Shavuot?
At what point in the service is it read:  before Hallel, after the Haftarah, at the end of Musaf...?

It may very well be that customs vary, in which case I would be satisfied with a discussion of a range of practices.


texts: Why weren't Tzaddok and Baytos put to death?

texts: Why weren't Tzaddok and Baytos, fathers of the Tz'ddokim and Baytosim, put to death as z'kenim mamrim?


texts:
In siddurim[1] , in the passage of veshammeru, even when reported with full teamim, אוֹת הִוא לְעֹלָם is always converted to אוֹת הִיא לְעֹלָם, with the yod instead of the vav.

Why is the original text changed, even if the pronunciation is the same?

[1] I checked six: Panzieri's Italian siddur, Machazor Bologna, Piattelli/Sermoneta's Italian siddur, קול אליהו, Artscroll Aschenazi Siddur and "Tefillat Yesharim" (Sephardic)


texts: What is the source for reciting blessings on the haftarah?

texts:
I understand that the public Torah reading is a mitzvah and therefore we recite a blessing upon it's public recitation. However, the haftarah is not a separate mitzvah. I learned that it was used in place of the public Torah reading during a time of persecution when Jews were not allowed to publicly read the Torah. So...

1) Why do we recite blessings on the Haftarah reading?

2) Why are both the Torah aliyah blessings and the haftarah blessings not formulated as "al mitzvat...."


texts: Does birchat hachodesh need three people?

texts: Does birchat hachodesh need three (or four) people preferably as a commemoration to Beth Din?


texts: Should a Siyum Mishnayot for Avot be done after the 5th or 6th chapter?

texts:
Pirkei Avot has only 5 chapters. The 6th chapter that is customarily recited on the Shabbat before Shavuot (and 3 more times during the summer), is actually a collection of Braitot.

If someone wanted to make a siyum on Mishnayot Seder Nezikin, can he do it if he only finished the first 5 chapters of Avot, and would this be the preferable way to do it, or should he include the 6th "chapter"?


texts: Gender and "Seeding" - Just Torah-Derived or Common Belief?

texts:
Niddah 31a writes (Davidson Edition translation):

אמר רבי יצחק אמר רבי אמי אשה מזרעת תחילה יולדת זכר איש מזריע תחילה יולדת נקבה שנאמר (ויקרא יב, ב) אשה כי תזריע וילדה זכר
Rabbi Yitzḥak says that Rabbi Ami says: The sex of a fetus is determined at the moment of conception. If the woman emits seed first, she gives birth to a male, and if the man emits seed first, she gives birth to a female, as it is stated: “If a woman bears seed and gives birth to a male” (Leviticus 12:2).

Was this simply something that the Rabbis derived from the above verse, or was it also a common belief at the time? Is it found in contemporary or earlier "scientific" works?
This would have ramifications on what they might mean by this statement (and perhaps how it should be viewed from the perspective of believing it).


texts: Dishes were used without tevilat keilim; can one just do tevila now or is something else needed?

texts: If dishes have only ever been used for kosher food but they were not toveled (immersed), what steps must be taken per halacha to be able to continue using them?  Can one just take them to the mikvah now, or do you have to treat them as if they had been used for non-kosher food and start over (if possible) with boiling, heat, etc to kasher them first?


texts: what is permitted to be consumed before shacharit?

texts:
Since tea and coffee are permitted before shacharit, is it safe to assume that all liquids are permitted? Otherwise why is it okay to add milk and sweeteners to the tea? Or is tea and coffee only permitted to help you pray better?

Are things such as honey and yogurt considered liquids and therefore permitted before shacharit? I know solids are not allowed.


texts: What is the minimum number to comprise a band (גדוד)?

texts: At the end of parsha 20 in Pesikta Rabbati, it refers to various bands (גדוד) of angels being shown to Moshe. Is there any minimum number as defined in Torah as to how many comprise a band?


texts: Talking on the phone when it's shabbos for the other person

texts:
I am  not religious, but I have relatives who are. I live in the US and some of my relatives live in Israel.
Can they talk to me when it is after shabbos in Israel, but it's still shabbos in the US?

They would not be causing me to violate shabbos, I never keep it anyways. I really want to talk to them, and it's hard to find a time to do so because of the time difference.

Thanks!


texts: Is becoming drunk a sin? If yes, is it a Torah prohibition or a rabbinical one? Please give a lot of details. And also sources.


texts: Was the fast of Tisha B'av in effect during the second temple era?

texts: As the Beis Hamikdash was rebuilt at that time was the fast of Tisha B'Av in effect during the Second Temple Era?


texts: who makes brocha by bar mitzva if no dad?

texts: If someone's father passed away, who makes the brocha of baruch shepotrani when he gets his aliya at the torah by his bar mitzva?


texts: Does one who does two things which independently obligate him in Birchas HaGomel say one beracha or two?

texts:
One says Birchas HaGomel on surviving a dangerous situation, particularly one who survives prison, a dangerous illness, a trip over the ocean, or a trip through the desert (SA OC 219; see §9-10 there regarding if this list is exhaustive).

What if one survives multiple of these situations before having a chance to say HaGomel?

I see two possible types of situations in which this could apply: when they overlap (ex. one who becomes terminally ill in prison, or one who is terminally ill and goes overseas for treatment), or when they are in immediate succession without a chance to say the beracha in between (ex. one who becomes terminally ill immediately upon completing his trip/imprisonment).

Does one say HaGomel once or twice in these kinds of situations?

On the one hand, each one is a miracle in and of itself, and so even if they overlap, one should say on each one. On the other hand, maybe it’s counted as one miracle (one act of saving) if they happen at once, and therefore require one beracha, but if they happen sequentially, it’s two miracles and would require two berachos. On the third hand, maybe one beracha can satisfy both, similar to how making a beracha on one food can satisfy all foods requiring that beracha.


texts: What are your suggestions for learning Yiddish?

texts: I would like to learn Yiddish in order to further my understanding of Chassidus and other Torah topics that are presented in Yiddish. What are your suggestions for sources to use that would focus on the type of Yiddish I would expect to find in those places? Books, online and interactive programs are all helpful.


texts: What to do if you said the morning Brachot out of order?

texts: Halachipedia here states that the Shulchan Orach and Mishneh Berurah write that if one accidentally says Zokef Kefufim before Matir Assurim, it might not be best to go back and say Matir Assurim. While this seems clear, I am curious on the process if one says the other morning brachot our of order; i.e., if one said Shelo Asani Isha before Shelo Asani Goy, or if one said Matir Assurim before Malbish Arurim. Are there any soucres on that?


texts: Where can I find the Halacha that a scribe who is unsure of a letter on a sacred text, can ask the opinion of a young child versed in the aleph-Bet?

texts: I was told about a law that a scribe who is unsure about a letter in a mezuzah/Torah/tefillin, can ask a child who is versed in Aleph-Bet if it is Kosher or not. Where can I find it?


texts: Getting something that requires you to be over 18 when you’re not

texts: Are there any sources that would constitute the following as stealing/gezel: If one buys a product that the website requires one to be 18 years or older to purchase and is underage? So let’s say you try to buy a pencil and the website requires you to be over 18, and one buys it but is under 18. Is this stealing?


texts: What is "the door of the tent of meeting" in Leviticus 1:3?

texts:
Leviticus 1:3 and many following verses specify that burnt offerings (and various other offerings) are to be brought to "the door of the tent of meeting."

What, exactly, is "the door of the tent of meeting" specified here?

Is it the entrance to the courtyard of the Tabernacle? or
Is it the entrance to the Holy Place?

Please provide specific references to the Tanakh, preferably to the Torah, to support your answer.

Though this may be a simple question (and I think I know the answer), I am looking for definitive references to support it based on the construction and use of the Tabernacle as commanded and described in the Torah.

In particular, I am looking for references that clearly show that it is one, and not the other, of these two possibilities.

Thank you.


texts:
In the Mesilat Yesharim, the Ramchal brings the talmud in Shabbat 31b:

  "Hen fear of God - this is wisdom" (Job 28:28). Our Sages of blessed
  memory commented (Shab 31b), "'Hen' [hints to] 'one', for in Greek
  'one' is designated as 'Hen'".

The Ramchal interprets this:

  Behold, that fear of G-d is considered wisdom - and this alone is
  [true] wisdom.

In original Hebrew:

  והנה הכתוב אומר (איוב כח, כח): הן יראת ה' היא חכמה, ואמרו רבותינו ז"ל
  (שבת לא): "הן" אחת, שכן בלשון יוני קורין ל"אחת" הן. הרי שהיראה היא
  חכמה והיא לבדה חכמה

In what sense is fear of God alone wisdom?


texts: Is it a discouraged or an unacceptable practice for a Gentile to keep the Sabbath?

texts: According to Jewish Law and tradition, is it acceptable, discouraged or totally unacceptable for a Gentile to keep the Sabbath according to the regulations spelled out in the Torah and the Talmud and expounded upon by the Rabbis?


texts: Do the rules of "tircha detzibbur" apply to the reading of Nesi'im during the beginning of Nissan?

texts:
Some congregations have a minhag of reading a section from parshat Nasso at the beginning of the month of Nssan. The section read is related to the offerings that each tribal leader gave to the dedication of the mishkan. Some congregations read this section from a Torah.

I know that there is a rule of tircha detzibbur regarding congregational Torah reading. I.e. - we try to avoid or mitigate a pause for the congregation by verifying that the Torah scrolls are rolled to the right place. This explains why this Shabbat, we use 3 Sifrei Torah.

For those shuls that make a congregational reading from Nasso, as described above (usually, this is done at the end of davening), do they need a 4th Sefer Torah to avoid "tircha detzibur", or does it not apply in this case, and they can roll one of the 3 (sounds like the 2nd one which ws read from Pinchas would make the most sense) used in the morning service?


texts: Can one daven (pray) with dirt or urine on his clothing? I would like to know the exact laws because I have heard different peshutim on this. Please list sources.


texts: Can you do benching for 3 people when one person does not know what to say in response?

texts: When you have at least 3 men who ate a meal together, you can bench using the formula "Rabbosai Nivorech", at which point the other men at the table respond "Yehi Shem..." and so on. However, what happens when you have 3 men at the table, but only two of the men know what to say; one of the men leads the benching, and the second man responds, but the third remains silent because he doesn't know what to say. Are you allowed to continue? I ask because I remember reading a gemara (I think in Berachos) where the whole point of the wording of "Let US bless" is that there is one person who calls to at least two other people to offer the blessing.


texts:
Basic Background:

Following the shemona esre prayer, the sages instituted concluding the prayer with the verse "yihyu leratzon" followed by "petira"- symbolically exiting from before G-d through taking 3 steps backward.  There are other customs as well, such as additional supplications prior to "petira" and prayer for the rebuilding of the temple following "petira".

Directly following the "petira" we say a prayer "ose shalom bimromav", that G-d should grant us peace.  While saying this prayer, it is customary to bow to either side and forward.  My questions are:

Questions:

Why is this prayer here?  It seems to end other prayers as well such as kaddish and the harachamans following bentching.  Is there a common thread?
Why would we need to pray for peace here if we just ended the shemona esre with a blessing for peace?

Any history behind the institution of this prayer in general would be helpful as well.


texts:
what exactly is the difference between the rationalist approach and the non-rationalist approach in Judaism. Have heard the Rambam as belonging to the  rationalist side.

I assume both believe in miracles.


texts: The level of the man is determined by his wife Talmud

texts:
I remember learning something like the following in Gemara shiur.

That if the man is not good and his wife is good, he will be good
And that if the man is good and his wife is not good, he will be not good

Please help me with the source (and the exact statement).


texts: Looking for the source concerning a claim made about Yosef and his brothers

texts: Here, HaRav Zev Leff makes the claim that the quarrel between Yosef and his brothers was primarily about the legal or covenantal status of the sons of Israel. The author claims that Yosef’s brothers believed themselves to be already Klal Yisrael, while Yosef, following his father, knew them to be ‘in transition’ from the status of B’nei Noach. Unfortunately no source is provided for this claim, so I was wondering if someone could provide me with one.


texts: Is it better to say a blessing quietly or loudly?

texts:
Often I have lunch with colleagues, most of whom are not religious (and sometimes some of them are not Jewish). When I say the short blessing before eating, is it better to say it loudly or quietly?

Usually I say blessings loudly, because I feel it creates an "atmosphere" of blessing and thankfulness (and lets the hearers say Amen).

However, since my colleagues are usually engaged in conversations or just in their own thoughts, I feel it might disturb them to hear a blessing.

On the other hand, whispering makes me feel like I have to hide my belief, which is also not a nice feeling.

What is the best option?


texts: What is the logic of the Shushan Purim davening and brachot?

texts: Why is it that on Shushan Purim, when we do not say tachanun, we do not add the Purim paragraph to the amida or to the birchat hamazon?  Why do the two not go together?


texts: May one learn Torah from an unacceptable source on Tisha B'Av in the context of a source that is permissible?

texts: For instance, Midrash Eichah is on the list in the Mechaber (OC 554:2). One piece in there discusses the comparison between the Eichah's mentioned by Moshe, Yeshaya, and Yirmiya (Eichah Rabbah 1:1). Let's say I want to understand the Midrash a little better, so I want to look at those three passages inside. Obviously the one said by Yirmiya - Megillas Eichah - is okay, but are there any leniencies to permit reading the passage in Devarim 1 and Yeshaya 1, where those Eichah's are mentioned, in order to better understand the text at hand?


texts:
I keep hearing all these critical remarks from orthodox Jews about what we should and should not do. Then I hear the Rabbi from time to time give a speech where he reiterates "Once a Jew, always a Jew". I do go to an orthodox temple, but I'm not that great in following the guidelines.

Does this mean that you don't have to be excellent at keeping traditions and following these guidelines like keeping kosher to stay Jewish? Your existence is sufficient?


texts: Are you allowed to work hol hamoed if you enjoy your job?

texts: If you're bored and do freelance. If this freelance is a hobby as well (art, programming, web design, etc), can this sort of work be done during hol hamoed?


texts: Why has it not become customary for people to wish each other "Good Yontiff" on Purim?

texts:
I can't recall people wishing each other "Gut Yuntiff" (or similar, like "Good Yom Tov") or any reference to Yom Tov on Purim. (Maybe someone does, but I'm unaware of this.)

Why don't people do this considering that Esther 9:19 and 9:22 both refer to the 14th day of Adar (Purim) as יום טוב?


texts: How can we say "it would have been enough" when Hashem had already sworn to do it?

texts:
In Dayeinu, there are a few stichs which make no sense: how can we say "it would have been enough" without these promises, when Hashem already promised that He would have given them long before we even left Mitzraim?

  אִלּוּ הוֹצִיאָנוּ מִמִצְרַיִם וְלֹא עָשָׂה בָהֶם שְׁפָטִים, דַּיֵּנוּ.

  If He took us out of Mitzraim and not done judgements in them, it would have been enough for us.

Yet Hashem already promised to punish the Mitzri'im (Bereishis 15:14):

  וְגַם אֶת־הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲבֹדוּ דָּן אָנֹכִי

  And also the nation which they will serve I will judge.

  אִלּוּ עָשָׂה בֵאלֹהֵיהֶם, וְלֹא הָרַג אֶת־בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

  If He made [judgements] on their gods and not killed their firstborn, it would have been enough for us.

Yet Hashem already promised to kill their firstborn (Shemos 4:23):

  וָאֹמַר אֵלֶיךָ שַׁלַּח אֶת־בְּנִי וְיַעַבְדֵנִי וַתְּמָאֵן לְשַׁלְּחוֹ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי הֹרֵג אֶת־בִּנְךָ בְּכֹרֶךָ׃

  And I say to you, 'Send My son and he will serve Me,' yet you refuse to send him; behold, I [will] kill your son, your firstborn.

  אִלּוּ הָרַג אֶת־בְּכוֹרֵיהֶם וְלֹא נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־מָמוֹנָם, דַּיֵּנוּ.

  If He killed their firstborn and not given to us their money, it would have been enough for us.

Yet Hashem already promised to give us Mitzraim's loot (Bereishis 15:14):

  וְאַחֲרֵי־כֵן יֵצְאוּ בִּרְכֻשׁ גָּדוֹל

  And afterwards, they will leave with much wealth.

  אִלּוּ נָתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַשַׁבָּת, וְלֹא קֵרְבָנוּ לִפְנֵי הַר סִינַי, דַּיֵּנוּ.

  If He had given to us Shabbos and not brought us before Har Sinai, it would have been enough for us.

Yet Hashem already promised that we would come to Har Sinai (Shemos 3:12):

  וְזֶה־לְּךָ הָאוֹת כִּי אָנֹכִי שְׁלַחְתִּיךָ בְּהוֹצִיאֲךָ אֶת־הָעָם מִמִּצְרַיִם תַּעַבְדוּן אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָהָר הַזֶּה׃

  And this will be the sign to you that I have sent you: When you take the people out from Mitzraim, you will serve Hashem on this mountain.

  אִלּוּ נַתַן לָנוּ אֶת־הַתּוֹרָה וְלֹא הִכְנִיסָנוּ לְאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל, דַּיֵּנוּ.

  If He gave to us the Torah and not brought us into Eretz Yisrael, it would have been enough for us.

Yet Hashem already promised to give us Eretz Yisrael (Bereishis 13:14-17):

  שָׂא נָא עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה מִן־הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה שָׁם צָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה וָקֵדְמָה וָיָמָּה׃ כִּי אֶת־כָּל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־אַתָּה רֹאֶה לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה וּלְזַרְעֲךָ עַד־עוֹלָם׃ [...] קוּם הִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ לְאָרְכָּהּ וּלְרָחְבָּהּ כִּי לְךָ אֶתְּנֶנָּה׃

  Raise your eyes and see from the place where you are there – north, south, east, and west – for the entire land which you see, to you I will give it, and to your children forever. [...] Get up, walk in the land to its length and its width, for to you will I give it.

Unlike, say, giving the mann, Hashem had already promised to do these things long before they actually happened. The mann was only promised in response to Bnei Yisrael requesting food; all of these things listed above were not in response to a need for them, and were in fact promised long before they actually happened (by several centuries in some cases). How, then, can we say "it would have been enough" if Hashem didn't fulfill His promises?


texts:
As I have seen here, some say that only Jews have a neshama, others say that all humans have one. There was a reference there only of the former opinion (Jews only), and I know from elsewhere that that is indeed what the book of Tanya says.

Are there indeed kabbalists (as this meaning of neshama is specific to the Kabbala) who hold
 that all humans have neshamot? If yes, is there a specific division (e.g., Sefaradim / Ashkenazim)?


texts: Looking for a nice edition of Sefer Hasidim

texts:
I have a copy of Sefer Hasidim at home - it's a beautiful text, but my edition is terrible. The chapter/paragraph numbers don't correspond to those that are commonly in use, meaning that I cannot use it to look up a reference. It's also a "bare bones" edition, which is fine, but it would be nice to see some commentary - specifically something that notes parallels with other examples of rabbinic literature.

Can somebody recommend a nice version of Sefer Hasidim that satisfies these two requirements? (Something online would be phenomenal, but not necessarily possible.)

Note: I am referring to the Sefer Hasidim that was likely authored in 13th/14th century Ashkenaz but an unknown author, usually associated with the school of R' Yehuda the Hasid (possibly by R' Yehuda himself).


texts:
I'm trying to understand the meaning of this quote from טעמי המצוות by מנחם בן משה הבבלי: (I think I understand all of the words, and I'm just not able to string them together, but that could be wrong since my Hebrew's not great)

  שלא לאכול בשר בחלב שנאמר לא תבשל גדי בחלב אמו: טעם מצוה זו לאסור בהנאה ולאסור בבישול ולאסור באכילה מדלא קאמר לא תאכל בשר בחלב דמשמע בכליון חרוץ: ואמר לא תבשל שעדיין נשאר צורתווטוב מות שמאל דוחה וימין מקרבת אמר שמ"מ אל תכלהו משהו עם הרחמים שהבשר (דין) (ולהכי הזכיר גדי אע"פ שכלם במשמע:) והחלב רחמים תדע דחדוש הוא שחידשה תורה לאסור אפילו שלא בדרך הנאתו בישול גדי בחלב אמו

Can someone translate and/or explain the  meaning please?


texts: B'nos Tzelofchad, Yerushah and "Nitnah Torah V'Nitchadshah Halacha"

texts:
In the middle of Bava Basra daf 110b the gemara debates the source for the primacy of sons inheriting their father over the daughters. One of the sources brought is from B'nos Tzelofchad who say

  27:4 Why should the name of our father be done away from among his family, because he had no son? Give unto us a possession among the brethren of our father.'

The implication being that had their father possessed a son, that son would receive the inheritance due to the father and not the daughters. The gemara disposes of this proof by stating that we cannot learn from them because "nitnah Torah v'nitchadsha halachah" - we cannot learn halachic proofs from situations occurring before the giving of the Torah. The commentary on the page states that this is referring to the later parshas nachalos in that very chapter (and disposed of as a proof earlier on the daf). However, that parshah is clearly stated as a direct response to the claims of B'nos Tzelofchad and confirms their understanding of how the inheritance process should operate.

On its face, the concept of "nitnah Torah v'nitchadsha halachah" seems to be a strange response. According to Rashi at the beginning of Parshas Behar (quoting Toras Kohanim), Chazal understand that all particulars of the Torah were transmitted at Sinai. The story in question clearly took place at the end of the 40 years in the wilderness, and thus long after Matan Torah.

One option that remains is that while the corpus of law was given orally at Sinai, the completion of the narrative happened only upon the death of Moshe, which has implications regarding how the written Torah was given (whole vs. piecemeal). It would also mean that NO story in Chumash can be considered halachically definitive, since they all take place before the canonization of the written Torah.

Does anyone provide a clarification of the concept of "nitnah Torah v'nitchadsha halachah" that grapples with some or all of the above points?


texts: Is it better to pray at a synagogue where you feel comfortable praying, or to go where your father prays?

texts:
This is a common problem with guys living near or with their parents.

Do you fulfill Kibud Av Ve'aim and go to shul with your father, or is it preferred to pray at a place where you feel more spiritual and can pray with more kevanah and motivation?


texts: Maps of Biblical Israel according to different authorities

texts:
After learning through Sefer Yehoshua with a variety of commentaries, I noticed that there seems to be alot of differing opinions in how the land was divided up amongst the Shevatim and the shape of their borders. That being said, I was wondering if there exists maps according to the differing opinions of the classical commentaries on Neveiim.

I the one in the back of the Artscroll Tanach such a map, but it does not seem to site which opinion it is going like, (I presume it was like Rashi).

Does there exist other maps in accordance to the opinion of others, such as the Malbim, Metzdos, Radak etc. ?


texts:
In Tehillim 114:2 [MT], we are told after the Exodus that : " Yehudah became His Sanctuary, Yisrael His dominion (הָֽיְתָ֣ה יְהוּדָ֣ה לְקָדְשׁ֑וֹ יִ֜שְׂרָאֵ֗ל מַמְשְׁלוֹתָֽיו)".
The interlinear Schottenstein Edition of [Psalms] by ArtScroll shows a Commentary - related to the statement " Yehudah became His Sanctuary " ( הָֽיְתָ֣ה יְהוּדָ֣ה לְקָדְשׁ֑וֹ ) in [Tehillim 114] verse 2, stating :
God singled out the tribe of Judah to be the family of royalty, because they sanctified God's Name at the Sea of Reeds. Led by their prince, Nachshon ben-Aminadav ( נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּֽינָדָֽב ), this tribe was the first to jump into the threatening waters.

In the desert [Bamidbar 1:7], Nachshon ben-Aminadav ( נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּֽינָדָֽב ) is mentioned as the Prince of Yehudah. - Yet the Torah does not mention Nachshon's jump into the Reed Sea.
How did Nachshon ben-Aminadav ( נַחְשׁ֖וֹן בֶּן־עַמִּֽינָדָֽב ) originally get linked to Tehillim 114:2?


texts: Rava and Rabbah? Differentiating between two (?) amoraim

texts: Inspired by this question, I have often heard people pronounce the name רבא as Rava and the name רבה as Rabbah. Is there a basis for this differentiation? Does anybody know where it comes from?


texts: I need to become kohen eligible for marriage

texts: I am wondering what the process is to be eligible to marry a kohen.   I converted a few years ago and I believe my heritage is Jewish but i have not completed my family history.


texts: When the Moshiach establishes the messianic kingdom of Yisroel, will the halacha binding on every Yehud be Sephardi, Ashkenazi or something else?

texts: When the Moshiach establishes the messianic kingdom of Yisroel, what type of halacha will come into force over the nation? Sephardi, Ashkenazi, Mizrachi, psak Rambam, or something else? Or will multiple shittot apply to different groups (tribes?) of Yehudim, as is the case in today's Medinat Yisroel?


texts: Where was the Sanhedrin in the Purim story?

texts:
I'm trying to understand the "chain of command" in the story of Megillat Ester, and I see Ester as a prophetess, Mordechai as a prophet and a sage but what's missing is the 70 elders - the Sanhedrin.

The lives of all Jews were at stake but I don't recall the decisions being made by the big council.

Was the Sanhedrin functioning in the times of Purim and didn't Mordechai need its agreement on his decrees?


texts: Post-Korach altar cover: how was it made and used?

texts:
Numbers 17:2-5 describes the covering that was made for the altar from the fire-pans of Korach's rebels:

  [...] 4 And Eleazar the priest took the brazen fire-pans, which they that were burnt had offered; and they beat them out for a covering of the altar,
  5 to be a memorial unto the children of Israel, to the end that no common man, that is not of the seed of Aaron, draw near to burn incense before the LORD; that he fare not as Korah, and as his company; as the LORD spoke unto him by the hand of Moses.

From v.5 it sounds like this was a covering for the incense altar, not the bigger one.  From v.4 (and earlier) it sounds like the fire-pans were beaten flat and joined together somehow.

My questions:

Was this formed into one big sheet or was it individual plates joined (hinged? linked?) together?
Did this cover stay in place while incense was being offered, or was it just a cover during "off" times and it was removed when the altar was to be used?
Was it used only in the Tabernacle or was it brought into Israel and used in the Temples as well?
Can 250 fire-pans be turned into a cover of that size?  (How big is a fire-pan, anyway?)

(This question arose out of today's parsha chat.)


texts: Are Sephardic Jews allowed to dress up in costumes on Purim?

texts:
The custom of dressing up in costumes on Purim originated from Ashkenazic communities in Europe and has become a popular custom today for Ashkenazim (cf. Rema in Shulkhan Aruch Orach Chaim 696:8).

Is there anything prohibitive (in rabbinic literature) for a Sephardic Jew (or any other non-Ashkenazic Jew) to dress up on Purim?

From the outset, I would think there are two main challenges for Sephardic Jews in accepting this new custom:

The questionable origins of Purim costuming and the prohibition to not accept the customs of foreign nations, as has been discussed previously, might be inhibitive for someone newly taking on the custom.
By dressing in costumes, Sephardim might be forsaking their already established custom to actually dress in nice holiday clothes (cf. Ben Ish Chai, Hil. Purim #22).

If Sephardim can dress up, I would like to know how this is possible given these apparent issues.


texts: Considering that we do not know God's ultimate plan, and we know that things that seem good now can actually turn out to be for the better down the road, we must also assume that things that seem good now can also turn out to be bad down the road. Thus, how can we thank God for anything good that happens to us if it could really be a mixed blessing, or even a curse in disguise?


texts: On which evening should we start saying "V'tein tal u'matar li'vrachah"? (The ArtScroll siddur disagrees with The Book of Our Heritage.)

texts:
If a Jew lives outside of Israel, they should start saying "וְתֵן טַל וּמָטָר לִבְרָכָה" ("And give dew and rain for a blessing") during evening prayers on a certain evening in December.

Various sources disagree on which evening this should be.

The two competing opinions are as follows:

From an Ohr Somayach website article, it looks like we should usually start saying the words during the evening of December 5, just like The Book of Our Heritage says to do.
But I also looked at a blog article by Michael Laitner, which quotes Philip Baigel and Russell Grossman. That article seems to imply that we should usually start saying the words during the evening of December 4. I looked inside The Expanded ArtScroll Siddur (Sep. '10) and it agrees.

TotalBen LLC
 offers a chart by Moishe Miller, but it isn't so helpful because it uses the ambiguous word "eve" in the top row.

I looked at two prayer books on Sefaria's website, but their instructions just use vague words like "winter".

I haven't yet checked the online Metsudah siddur.

In practice, on which evening should we start adding the words "Vtein tal umatar livrachah" to our prayers?

Edit: Why I think this question should be reopened

I see that msh210 believes that this question is a duplicate of "How to calculate 60 days from tekufat tishri for any given year". Unfortunately, I've looked at yydl's answer there but am still confused.

That thread is good for more-technical readers. Still, I think we should leave this thread open for simpler folk like me, who want a simple, easy-to-understand answer. We can mark this thread as related to that one, instead of marking this thread as an exact duplicate of that one. (I've done so already; please see the "Related" section at the bottom of this post.)

Second edit: More reopen reasons

I don't need a fancy algorithm which will work for centuries; I'd just like simple instructions which will work for at least a decade or two.

This question isn't an exact duplicate of any other question; it's only similar. And the "Dr. Strangedupe" blog post by Jeff Atwood makes clear that it's okay to have a small number of open duplicates of a question, as long as the duplicates are similar but not identical.

Related

Please see also the related thread: "How to calculate 60 days from tekufat tishri for any given year".


texts:
I know that traditionally, Judaism doesn't put much emphasis on 'love' as in experiencing those romantic feelings and it's rather focused on building a big Jewish family, having a compatible partner and keeping the Mitzvots (which is beautiful and the right thing).

What is the Jewish view on this topic?
What is the Talmud's point of view on this topic? Does Jewish scripture give any advice on how to ease the pain?


texts:
Does the Hebrew word "Torah" originate from BOTH the words “Hora’ah” (meaning, Teaching) and “Orah” (meaning, Light)?

The accurate meaning of “Torah” is twofold. Firstly it comes from the
word “hora’ah,” which means teaching .... The second ... is from
the word “orah,” which means light.

This is the teaching from a rabbi https://www.aish.com/atr/What-is-Torah.html
But this rabbi does not reference his "answer from a reputable source", which is what I am looking for; that is, any source that is accepted here at miyodeya.
Here at miyodeya, there are a number of questions in regards to the meaning of the word "Torah"; such similar questions were not noted as duplicates, because of the various angles, in which it was asked; my hereby question is seeking an authoritative answer about the derivation of the Word "Torah" from BOTH “Hora’ah” (meaning, Teaching) and “Orah” (meaning, Light).


texts: There's a doubt I have about the story of Noah that I can't explain. If Noah's ark landed about 4000 years ago in what is now Turkey, how could some land animals get to places such as Australia or other islands? How can there be kangaroos in Australia, elephants in Sri Lanka, and bears in Japan? I know there must be an explanation, but this is really confusing and puzzling.


texts: Is there a minhag to the order of eating fish & meat during Shabbat meals?

texts:
I've seen many people eat fish in addition to eating meat during a Shabbat meal. (See this for the origin of the fish minhag.)

Almost every place I have attended as a guest (both Ashkenazim and Sefardim) tend to eat the fish before the meat.

Is there any minhag or halacha that mentions this as being the preferred order?


texts: Is one allowed to embarass idolaters and atheists in public?

texts: From the story of Yehudah and Tamar, we know that it's better to die than embarass a fellow Jew in public. However, I've heard multiple times that Torah permits embarassing and insulting idolaters (and I assume atheists as well) in public? Is it true?


texts: Listening to a Jewish broadcaster in the US after Shabbat ends in Israel

texts:
Many baseball games (for example) take place Saturday afternoon in the US. This generally corresponds to beginning (or mostly taking place) after Shabbat ends in Israel. If the broadcaster of one of these games is Jewish, can you listen to the game?

It is still Shabbat for them, but not for you. They are not broadcasting specifically for your benefit.

Sports is lav davka here, it's just a common occurrence (and the one that's practical for me). It could equally apply to a talk show, or anything else being broadcast live.


texts:
My wife and I we are Gentile, and we will adopt a (frozen) embryo, probably in Israel.

If the ovocyte of the embryo comes from a Jewish woman, and later my wife  gives birth to this baby, can the baby later embrace the Jewish religion, without having to convert?


texts: Why were Mishmarot a concern in the Qumran calendar?

texts:
I'm researching various sources regarding the Qumran calendar. I don't understand why there was a concern for incorporating the 24 priestly "watches" (mishmarot) (Refer to I Chronicles 4 for the names.) as part of the calendar arrangement.
Where these people Cohanim, or was there some other belief or motive that this needed to be included?
Refer to this article for an overview of the Qumran calendar structure.


texts: Is abortion of a gentile child of a Jewish father permissible?

texts: If a Jewish man were to father a child with a gentile would they be allowed to consider an abortion or would that be disallowed in the Halachic literature ?


texts:
I have at times noticed that there are disagreements in the grammar of certain brachot in Birchot haShachar. For example, the first brachah is "אשר נתן", one of the later ones is either (depending on custom) "אשר הכין" or "המכין", and the last short one is always "הנותן". From my limited knowledge of Hebrew grammar, these conjugations do not agree. I find that many read these brachot as a litany, which brings to mind the idea of grammatical agreement. If it makes any difference, my main siddurim are the Rödelheims, Koren, and Rinat Yisrael, all of which are Nusach Ashkenaz. However, I have also noticed this in assorted Edot Hamizrach and Sephard siddurim.

Why does the grammar of the different brachot not agree?


texts: Underneath questions on Stack Exchange sites there is a "share" link which allows one to share the question one is viewing on Facebook, Google+, or Twitter. Is it permitted to use this feature on Mi Yodeya if one has non-Jewish contacts on these sites? Does this violate the dictum of the gemara in Chagiga 13a which states "אין מוסרים דברי תורה לעובד כוכבים" ("one may not teach Torah to idolaters")?


texts:
If a Jewish man marries a non-Jewish woman, their children are not considered to be Jewish. (Some Jews don't, or didn't, agree). Presumably, if the man was a Kohen, any son he had would not be a Kohen because the son wouldn't be Jewish.

If the son converts, could he be a Kohen? I assume that the father, although disqualified from service because of intermarriage, never stopped actually being a Kohen. Could the son claim his patrilineal heritage upon becoming a Jew?


texts: What are the Jewish names for each of the week days?


texts: How a father is allowed to cause embarrassment to his underage daughter?

texts:
In Ketubot 40b the Gemara says that we see that the father gets his daughters (child) embarrassment and degradation payments from the fact that he can marry off his daughter to someone horrible, causing her embarrassment and degradation. Rashi seems to explain that its because he could marry her off to this guy.

But why is he allowed to, if this causes embarrassment and degradation? Shouldn't we say that technically he can marry her off except because of embarrassment and degradation? And why not just say it's the marriage itself to him causes the embarrassment?


texts: Minhag not to return home directly after shiva visit?

texts:
I was doing a shiva visit today and, when leaving, someone said we shouldn't walk home directly but instead should take a stroll before returning home. I had never heard of that minhag - but it might be Sefaradi.

Is this minhag known by others? Does it have sources in halacha?


texts:
I've always imagined that Berit Ben Habetarim was done in Eretz Yisrael, but someone recently told me it happened in Haran.

Anybody have any sources for either?


texts: Where can I find Maimonides' commentary to the Mishna in a Hebrew translation online (for free) as text?


texts: Why Counting Months (first, second) is not a Mitzvah from Torah?

texts:
This is not a duplicate, the other question asks about adopting the Babylonian calendar system, please remove the notice.
The original names for Hebrew months, as they appear in Torah - are just serial numbers, counting from Nissan, being the first month, Iyar the second etc. As in:

"ויסעו מרעמסס בחודש הראשון, בחמישה עשר יום לחודש הראשון" (Num 33,3)
"בשנת הארבעים, לצאת בני-ישראל מארץ מצריים, בחודש החמישי, באחד לחודש" (ibid 28)

Many interpreters mention that this is one of the ways of a remembering the Exodus.
This is consistent with the ruling of the Gemmorah that "ישראל מונים ללבנה", which literally means "Israel count months". However, the current names we use were brought from the Babylon exile, and those names are proper names, lacking the serial counting, and, therefore, remembering Nissan and the Exodus.
How come such a big Deoraisoh issue was forgotten, and the Sages decided to override the naming of the Torah and the remembrance of the Exodus in counting Hebrew months?


texts:
This question is a followup to these comments

When the Shulchan Aruch brings two opinions as to what the halacha in a given situation is, the first is brought without a name, and the second is brought as a "yesh (omrim, osrim, matirim)," and does not specify which opinion he prefers (like by writing ונראין דבריהם or וכן נוהגין or some similar wording), which opinion should be followed?


texts: Why do accidental killers sent to arei miklat go free after the Kohen Gadol dies?

texts: When someone kills accidentaly he is sent to live in an ir miklat ("city of refuge") until the Kohen Gadol ("High Priest") dies. This seems like an arbitrary time. What does the Kohen Gadol's death have to do with manslaughter? What's the connection?


texts:
This article has a line in a recipe that suggests that chopping an ingredient will make it Kitniyoth.  The entire recipe is below with the line in question highlighted:

JICAMA APPLE SLAW
From Shaya Klechevsky
½ medium Jicama, peeled
and julienned (slaw)
2 Granny smith apples (green),
julienned
1 small red cabbage, cut into
thin strips (slaw)
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
1 medium red onion,
thinly sliced half-moon
½ bunch fresh parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup dried apricots, chopped
¼ cup walnuts, toasted,
chopped (for those who eat kitniyot)
1 lemon, juiced
½ tsp Cayenne pepper
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper
Combine the jicama, apples, cabbage, carrots, red onion and parsley and toss thoroughly to get an even mixture.
In a small bowl, combine the lemon juice, cayenne pepper, and olive oil and whisk. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper). Set aside when ready to use.
Toast the walnuts in a skillet over medium-high heat until they begin to release their oil and the nutty aroma is released. Immediately transfer to a plate and allow to cool (about 10 minutes).
When ready to serve, add the chopped toasted walnuts and chopped dried apricots to the slaw and toss. Whisk the dressing and pour over the slaw and toss to evenly coat all the ingredients.

Is this a typo or editing mistake?  Is there some reason this could be the case?


texts:
Ⅰ M'lachim, chapter 6, describes part of the building of the first bes hamikdash. What follows is a rough translation in line with the commentaries.

First, though, note that the structure was divided into two rooms, an inner room (which we usually call the kodesh kadashim) and an outer one (the kodesh). The two rooms were separated by a partition called, in this chapter, the d'vir. The inner room was 'inner' only in the sense that you went through the outer room to get to it: in fact, they were parallel to one another, each occupying the full width of the structure, the outer room first and the inner room second as in a shotgun house. The inner room was twenty cubits deep from front to back.

  [After building the actual structure, which was stone,]
  15 he built the walls inside of erez-wood planks: from floor to ceiling he coated [the stone walls] with wood inside. And he coated the [stone] floor with b'rosh-wood planks.
  16 The end of the structure, the last twenty cubits, he built with erez-wood planks from floor to ceiling.…
  18 The erez wood inside the structure was decorated with [shapes]. All was erez wood: no stone was visible.…
  20 Beyond the d'vir… he coated with purified gold….
  21 Sh'lomo coated the inside of the kodesh with purified gold.…
  22 He coated the entire structure with gold, the entire structure [=even the ceiling].…
  29 He decorated the [wooden planks covering the] walls of the structure with [shapes], both in the inner room and in the outer room.

What's with all the repetition?

Verses 15 and 16 could easily be combined to say he covered the walls of the whole structure (both rooms) with wooden planks.
Likewise, verses 20 and 21 could be combined to say he gilded the walls of the whole structure (both rooms).
More so, why does verse 22 repeat that he gilded the structure after verse 21 says so? Sure, the commentaries say verse 22 is singling out the ceiling. But why does it need to single out the ceiling instead of discussing it with the walls?
Most of all, why does verse 29 repeat what verse 18 said already? Again, verse 18 is (seemingly) speaking of only the outer room whereas verse 29 speaks of both rooms, but (a) it's repeating verse 18 with respect to the outer room and (b) anyway, why discuss them separately? They can easily be combined into verse 29.


texts: Rabbeinu Gershom, whose takkanot are considered binding by many Ashkenazim, is often the earliest name which I hear being cited in relation to the Ashkenazi mesorah. From whom was his mesorah, if known? Can it be traced back to Chazal?


texts: Searching a text about story of chasididus

texts:
Somone knows where can I found this text online for free, the whole text or some parts of it:

  Samuel C. Heilman, Who Will Lead Us?: The Story of Five Hasidic Dynasties in America. University of Califronia Press, 2017. עמ' 220-221.


texts: looking for english of kli yakar on noach 11:1

texts: I'm looking for the English of the Kli Yakar in Parshas Noach, 11:1. or even just a summary. Can anybody help me with this?


texts:
Traditionally, the Yerushalmi kaftan (silk golden robe with blue stripes) has been custom-made by some of the ladies (and men) for the community. For many people, this is still the case:
https://www.kikar.co.il/283683.html
However, with the fast growth of numbers of those who dress this way (Breslov, Toldos Aharon etc.), an off-the-rack polyester version became an affordable alternative.
Question: Where can one buy such a ready made kaftan, particularly the white (yamim noraim) version?


texts: PTIJ: Is the genie's lamp considered Metaltilin (movable objects) or Karka (land)?

texts:
The genie (from Aladdin) lives in a lamp. Assuming the lamp has living quarters, does one need a Chazakah of living there for 3 years to own the lamp (or require a document of sale), or is it Metaltilin, and by merely possessing it, others have the burden of proof to counter it (Hamotzei M'Chavero Alav HaRayah)?

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


texts: Woman wearing her husband's comfortable clothing

texts:
Is there any printed discussion about a woman wearing her husband's comfortable clothing?

While there is an Isur for a woman to wear a man's clothing, I've read in several places that this is about a woman specifically trying to look like a man.

On the other hand, it is quite common in American society for women to wear the clothing of their husbands (or boyfriends), for reasons ranging from comfort to status symbols.  The least appealing, from a religious perspective, is probably a girl or young woman wearing her boyfriend's clothing - jacket, sweatshirt, etc. - to show off that they are a romantic item.

What about a married woman wearing her husband's sweatshirt or sweatpants as sleepwear, or as loungewear around the house for warmth, or to exercise in because they are loose-fitting and comfortable - and not as revealing as standard women's fitness-wear?


texts: If you say mezonot on rice AND one of the five grains do you make two after blessings?

texts:
Mezonot is said on rice and a product of the five grains. However rice gets boreh nefashot as the after blessing while five grain products get al hamichya.

If you said one mezonot to cover both rice and 5 grain products, do you say a single al hamichya or do you add a boreh nefashot for the rice?

Lets assume you ate more than a kezayis of each and that the products or cooked or prepared in a way that would require you to make a mezonot on both.


texts: Would talking to a friend about someone who is annoying to you be considered lashon hara?

texts:
I’ll expand the question in the title.
Suppose someone is being annoyed by somebody else or has certain doubts about how to proceed regarding somebody else’s behavior and is looking for advice. Not referring to any serious matter but definitely a cause for concern to them.
The question is twofold: Would asking for advice from a friend be permitted? Would they be allowed to simply talk about it in a cathartic way?
Would this incur in lashon hara, since it is certainly speech of an unwelcome or negatively seen behavior?
Of course, in the intent of not committing lashon hara you may assume that this person does not want to just communicate insults or exaggerate the situation, but merely report it as it is felt to them, as it is causing a moral burden or dilemma. However, my limited view of lashon hara would forbid this person from basically any kind of talking about somebody else, but I guess that point would be best approached in a separate post.
Thank you. Authoritative sources are especially appreciated.
I’m new to this site so apologies in advance if the tags are not appropriate.


texts: "Saving up" an explanation on Orlah 3 (Tosafos Yom Tov)

texts:
The third chapter of Orlah lists several cases in which some illegal orlah produce needs to be destroyed to prevent it from being consumed or profited from. In the penultimate mishna, the last case with such a ruling is presented and the Ra"av explains why such an extreme measure as burning was needed rather than essentially giving away the prohibited material, for which their is precedent in a mishna in Avoda Zara.

The Tosafos Yom Tov, calling attention to Ra"av's proffering of this explanation at the last opportunity rather than the first one says

  אכוליה פרקין מהדר לשנויי ונטר ליה עד הכא

which I take to mean

  he is turning back to teach this about our whole chapter but saved it until now.

(The rest of the comment has to do with resolving the main matter at hand - i.e. the difference between the cases in our chapter and the one in Avoda Zara.)

What is Tosafos Yom Tov adding with this comment? Is he trying to clue us in as to why Ra"av "saved" this explanation? It is obvious from the Ra"av's own words he didn't mean to limit his analysis to only the case in the 6th mishna, as he says "משום דהכא חיישינן בכולהו", so that can't be it.


texts:
What is the name of this week's parsha? What about the sefer?
The text clearly says "Bemidbar" (or B'midbar), but many call it Bamidbar. Is this a grammatical or traditional difference? Could one ever say "Bamidbar Sinai"?


texts: How  do you know when to daven Shachris  on a plane?


texts: Should an adoptee mourn his Jewish biological parents?

texts: I was adopted at birth from a Jewish biological mother into a Jewish adoptive family.  Should I observe mourning for my birth mother when she dies, and otherwise honor her as a parent?  Thank you.


texts: If I accidentally write Hashem's name, can I fix it?

texts: Specifically, if  I intended to write a tzadei (צ) and I begin by making the two top yuds (') [Hashem's name] - can I complete my tzadei?


texts: What would the halachic issues be (if any) regarding a Jew who wants to trick-or-treat on October 31st?


texts: What's the difference between "Jew", "Israelite" and "Judaizer"? Can these three terms be used interchangeably? Can only one or only two of these terms be applied to one person?


texts:
Is feeling remorse, praying for forgiveness and studying Torah enough to rectify the heavy sin of wasting seed ?

I know that every sin has its own unique way of "correcting" or rectifying it.

And since I can't marry currently, I can't do other than that to correct what I did.

And what makes me concerned even more is that I did read in a Jewish website that  "Wasting seed is more severe then manslaughter, for here he is spilling his own blood and the blood of his children. In the Zohar parshas vyache it says all evil people can repent except those that commit this sin."

P.S: I am not a Jew, but let's consider that I am a Jew in this instance.


texts:
Who knows one hundred three?
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:
Would Adam and Eve have lived forever if they didn't eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?

"but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die." Genesis 2:17


texts: Midrash about Abraham , Moon and 14 generations?

texts:
I heard one rabbi tell a story connecting Abraham , and cycles of the moon and generations it takes to David from Abraham!

Is anyone familiar with this story and where can i find it?


texts: How early in the cycle can a woman who is undergoing IVF go to mikvah?

texts: How absolutely early can a woman undergoing IVF (in vitro fertilization) go to mikvah: is there a limit to the 7 deoraita days or is it even earlier like after five or six days, when she would still be in her deoraita nida days?


texts: May a person perform or otherwise participate in experiments on live animals which will cause the animals pain? I would assume this is forbidden under tzaar baalei chayim. But perhaps there is a heter for scientific purposes?


texts:
Chacham Ovadia Yosef is shown below wearing tefillin. I've never seen this style of tefillin wrapping. Is this of a particular group or minhag?

"Ovadia Yosef, 2007" by Talsardar at the Hebrew Wikipedia, used with permission under CC BY-SA 3.0


texts: Can a father dissown his oldest son and make his younger son the bachor?

texts: It is well known Esav sold his 'birthright' to Yaakov. Can a father decide arbitrarily which son he wants to favor as his bachor? If so -under what conditions?


texts:
I realize this is a very common question, but the problem of evil is an important one, and as far as I can tell, has not been asked here.

In short, why does G-d allow evil to exist?


texts:
I recently called an exterminator to remove a hornets' nest in a tree overhanging my roof. Since my roof is slanted, with no direct access to it, and it starts at about 9 feet off the ground and peaks at about 15 feet, and the tree branch overhanging the roof is about 20 feet above that, we had a lengthy conversation about what it would take to deal with the nest. While we were talking about how this might be accomplished, he told me some of the crazy things that he would not do for the sake of the job, including standing a ladder on the roof.

This got me thinking: I don't have a fence around my roof. Do I need one? I assume not, because nobody in my community, including the rabbi, has one.

Why don't the houses in my community (which are similar to mine) need fences around their roofs?


texts: What criteria allow rabbis to use the "Shomer Petayim" principle?

texts:
There is a principle called shomer petayim (Meaning "G-d protects the simple". Based on Psalms 116:6.) which rabbis occasionally use to allow people to do something that would probably be considered dangerous. The rabbis make the activity permissible if it becomes evident that a significant populace is willing to take the risks.

For example, Rav Moshe Feinstein ztz"l used this principle to allow smoking despite the large evidence available explaining the dangers. See this article for details.

What criteria allows rabbis to use this principle to permit something? Can they freely use this for anything whatsoever that shows "societal normalcy" (i.e. society accepting the dangers?) For example, numerous people speed or weave on the highway. It's become the "norm" for people to exceed the speed limit by 10 - 20 MPH. There's sufficient evidence that increased speed causes increased as well as more severe crashes. But, since it has become societal norm, can rabbanim use this principle to allow people to do this? (I'm asking only about the halachic aspect of using this principle, here; not about prohibiting it b/c of Dina Demalchuta - i.e. one violates the law by exceeding the speed limit.)

The above is an example. I'm sure there are numerous others where this rule is applied.


texts:
B"H

I constantly read about Orthodox conversions which are retroactively nullified by the Israeli Rabbanut, sometimes affecting multiple generations. I am not writing this question to express nor solicit any opinions on the matter (I believe there may be strong arguments in both directions, but that it is our religious duty as Jews to trust the rabbinate). However, I am interested in the mechanism by which this works.

What is the role of "revised psak" and what are its parameters?
Is it possible to pasken retroactively about the no-longer-living? How, if at all, does the existence of a previous psak by the rabbis of their generation limit the reach of the rabbis in ours?

If it is a question of "new information" entering the case -- such as, G-d forbid, a question about the righteousness of the converting rabbis -- why aren't rabbonim constantly reevaluating past piskei din of all kinds in the light of "new information"?

Note: I am aware of these two questions and strongly believe this is not a duplicate.


texts: How come Torah does not have a distinctive word for "wife"?

texts:
[Edited] In Bereshit, Torah says the woman will be called Isha, that comes from Ish and is parallel to Ish. Later, Torah says Adam gave to אשתו a new name Chava. Now אשתו appears (out of nowhere) as "his wife", not as her name.
Ish is used as man and Baal is used as husband, but Isha did not change and means both.
Interestingly, both Targumim bring a different interpretation on the pasuk "כי מאיש לקחה זאת" - Onkelos proposing "מבעלה" and Yonatan "מגברא". Both oppose Rashi's view that "לשון נופלת על לשון".


texts:
Are there any Torah sources that indicate where Yishmael (ben Avraham) is buried?
I have not found anything that mentions his place of burial


texts: How bulky would the original autograph of the Torah been?

texts: Given the technology of the times what would the medium be in which he wrote his text and how bulky would it have been to carry, for example?


texts: Honor of old people vs. honor of parents

texts:
Who has precedence in honor: A father or an old person? It seems that the answer would be a father; (*) however, there is a midrash that implies otherwise:

Yalkut Shimoni, end of Bemidbar 752

  שבשעה שהיו יושבין אצל קרח אביהן רואין את משה וכובשין את פניהן בקרקע,
  אמרו אם נעמוד מפני משה רבינו נוהגין בזיון באבינו וכבר נצטוינו על כבוד
  אב ואם, ואם לא נעמוד כבר כתיב מפני שיבה תקום, מוטב שנעמוד מפני משה
  רבינו אע"פ שאנו נוהגין בזיון באבינו

Rough translation:

  At the time that [the sons of Korach] were sitting by Korach their
  father, they saw Moshe, and they covered their faces in the ground.
  They said: If we will stand before Mosheh Rabeinu, we are disgracing
  our father, and we have already been commanded about kibud av va'em;
  but if we don't stand, it is already written "Before old people stand
  up"! It is better that we stand up for Mosheh Rabeinu, even though we
  are behaving disgracefully to our father.

The midrash continues and praises them for their decision. (They probably didn't consider the commandment to honor talmidei chachamim, because it wasn't commanded yet, because that is learned from "Fear את Hashem, your G-d," which is in Devarim.)

My question: How did honor of old people take precedence? Is this the halachah in the Shulchan Aruch that we go by? And what is more, not standing up would have been a "sheiv ve'al taaseh" (sitting down and not doing anything), and so would seem to be preferable.

So is this truly the halachah?

(*) The Taz YD 242:1 quotes the Tur that a rav gets more respect than a father because the father brings you into olam hazeh while the rav brings you into olam haba. An old person brings you into neither of them.


texts: If you sleep past Sof Zemin Kerias Shema (the latest time to say Shema in the morning) and you are davening by yourself, do you need to make any change to your prayers?


texts: Can one use a different date system at the beginning of the Ketubah?

texts:
The following is an excerpt in English translation from the beginning of a traditional Orthodox and Conservative ketubah taken from this site:

On the ______day of the week, the _________day of the month ______ in
the year five thousand seven hundred and ______ since the creation of
the world

The bolded phrase is what is called Anno Mundi which assigns the number of years from the creation of the world. This phrasing seems to be the most common usage in ketubot.
However, would it be legal (a valid ketubah) if someone decided to use a different system of counting? For example, instead of listing the Anno Mundi year, which is currently 5776, someone used the Machzor kattan counting. For this year it would be the 19th year of the 304th cycle (based on the 19 year Metonic cycle that is used for positioning Judaic leap years). Or what about if they used the secular date (2016)?
Note: If using the Gregorian date (or Julian, as well), the entire date would need to be changed to a transliterated form that would correspond to say, "June 7, 2016". (Transliteration is already commonly used in the ketubah when mentioning the town / city name.)
You would also eliminate the "creation of the world" phrase and substitute, perhaps, (AD or CE)


texts: Is there any non-dairy (or chalav yisrael) substitute for Carnation Instant Breakfast?


texts: Where can I find a discussion about the roots of modern nations, in the Umos Haolam mentioned in the Torah and Chazal?


texts:
In Shmot 12:41, we are told that the people left Egypt on that very day

  בְּעֶצֶם הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

with Etzem referring to the specific and exact day.

Later, 12:46, in the laws of Pesach, we are commanded not to break any bones (the meforshim seem to indicate that doing so would indicate a level of hunger not appropriate for the Paschal sacrifice -- Chizkuni, that this is not the way free people eat -- Shadal, or a slowing down not appropriate when one is hurrying out of Egypt -- Bechor Shor).

  וְעֶצֶם לֹא תִשְׁבְּרוּ בוֹ

Are there any commentaries or discussions which connect the word Etzem used in the two contexts? I can intuit that etymologically, they both relate to the essence of something, but is their use here purely a coincidence or is there any (even homiletic) connection made?


texts: Where did the converts camp in the desert?

texts:
When the Bnai Yisrael left Egypt, many converts left with them.
Shmot 12:38:

וְגַם עֵרֶב רַב עָלָה אִתָּם וְצֹאן וּבָקָר מִקְנֶה כָּבֵד מְאֹד:
And also, a great mixed multitude went up with them, and flocks and
cattle, very much livestock.

Rashi:

ערב רב: תערובות אומות של גרים
a great mixed multitude: A mixture of nations of proselytes.

Now parshat Bamidbar spells out in great detail exactly how the 12 tribes camped:
Starting from Bamidbar 2:2 (and onwards)

אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַחֲנוּ:
The children of Israel shall encamp each man by his division with the
flag staffs of their fathers' house; some distance from the Tent of
Meeting they shall encamp.

So that made me wonder: where did the converts (erev rav) camp? Do any of the meforshim ask this question?
(Just thinking out loud:)
On one hand it seems hard to believe that they were 'shunned' outside all the camps since we see that the erev rav had somewhat of an influence on the Bnai Yisrael - e.g. Regarding the sin of the golden calf: See Rashi on Shmot 32:7 ..."They have acted corruptly and have corrupted [others]"
(Edit: It just hit me that the golden calf incident happened before the Bnai Yisrael were commanded how to camp.... so I'm not sure about the above paragraph.)
On the other hand, it seems hard to believe that the tribes would let converts camp in their camp - take the account of the mekallel - Rashi on Vayikra 24:10 -

The Baraitha states: He “went out” of Moses’ tribunal [with a] guilty
[verdict. How so?] He had come to pitch his tent within the encampment
of the tribe of Dan. So [this tribe] said to him, “What right do you
have to be here?” Said he, “I am of the descendants of Dan,” [claiming
lineage through his mother, who was from the tribe of Dan (see verse
11)]. They said to him, “[But Scripture states (Num. 2:2): ‘The
children of Israel shall encamp] each man by his grouping according to
the insignias of his father’s household,’” [thereby refuting his
maternal claim]. He entered Moses’ tribunal [where his case was
tried], and came out guilty. Then, he arose and blasphemed. — [Vayikra
Rabbah 32:3]


texts: Are shin and cin considered different letters?

texts: Halachically is ש a single letter with two pronunciations or are there 2 different letters in the Hebrew alphabet (shin and cin) which happen to be draw the same in the torah, have the same gematria etc.  For example if the wrong letter is used in a legal document would the document validity be in question? Or if a scribe writing a torah intends to write a cin instead of a shin for God's name (sha-kai).


texts: Here is a source where the ketubah is vowelized. Would a vowelized ketubah be halachically valid?


texts: How did Paro know that "...that they may serve Me" meant sacrifices and not some other form of service?

texts:
During the confrontation with Paro Moshe repeats God's demand several times: let my people go that they may serve Me -- שַׁלַּח עַמִּי וְיַעַבְדֻנִי .  During the plague of frogs Paro makes this offer (Shemot 7:4):

. וַיִּקְרָא פַרְעֹה לְמשֶׁה וּלְאַהֲרֹן וַיֹּאמֶר הַעְתִּירוּ אֶל יְהֹוָה וְיָסֵר הַצְפַרְדְּעִים מִמֶּנִּי וּמֵעַמִּי וַאֲשַׁלְּחָה אֶת הָעָם וְיִזְבְּחוּ לַיהֹוָה:
Thereupon, Pharaoh summoned Moses and Aaron, and said, "Entreat the Lord that He remove the frogs from me and from my people, and I will let out the people [of Israel] so that they may sacrifice to the Lord."

This morning I had the chance to ask somebody who's spent a fair bit of time studying ancient cultures if animal sacrifice was part of Egyptian religious practice at this time.  He said it was not (humans yes, animals no).  I didn't grill him for sources.  (But Google doesn't seem to disagree with him, from what I've found.)
Moshe never said anything about the form of the divine service for which the people needed to be released.  Where did Paro get the idea that it would be sacrifices and not something else?
Rashi has nothing to say on this, nor did any of the miscellaneous chumashim we had on hand.


texts: Will erasing G-d's name even in a Tanakh book render it not fit for use?

texts: I know that erasing G-d's name from a handwritten tanakh scroll, will render it non-kosher, but will accidently erasing G-d's name in a printed tanakh render it not fit for use? If so, does this apply even for non-Hebrew texts?


texts: Trying to find a mekor that if someone is leaning on something, it's considered as if he is fully standing on it

texts:
I'm learning the gemara in Zvachim 19b that says that if a Kohein is leaning on another Kohein, his avoda is kasher if not for the din amida of לשרת. My question is if this is considered like he is standing on the ritzpa or not, since he is leaning on the Kohein, maybe it's considered as if he is fully on the Kohein and not standing on the ritzpa at all (which is needed for avoda).
I want to be תולה this in a חקירה that I have about the din עמידה על הריצפה, I have a צד that the kdusha flows through the Kohein, so maybe it can flow from one Kohein to another.... but if it's just a din amida, that the Kohein should be standing on the ritzpa, then maybe this wouldn't be good since he's on the Kohein and not on the ritzpa.
Hence my question. Any insight about the question and my חקירה in general much appreciated :)
Edit - I have since found a Gemara that says explicitly that a kohein can’t stand on another kohein and do avoda


texts: Are you allowed to study (not Torah) on Tisha Bi'Av

texts: For example if someone has a big math test on Yud Av, is he allowed to study math (my question was applied to math but goes to learning anything besides Torah) on Tisha Bi'Av?


texts:
I was reading through this passage in Isaiah 56:

  4 For thus saith the LORD concerning the eunuchs that keep My
  sabbaths, and choose the things that please Me, and hold fast by My
  covenant. 5 Even unto them will I give in My house and within My walls
  a monument and a memorial better than sons and daughters; I will give
  them an everlasting memorial, that shall not be cut off. 6 Also the
  aliens, that join themselves to the LORD, to minister unto Him, and to
  love the name of the LORD, to be His servants, every one that keepeth
  the sabbath from profaning it, and holdeth fast by My covenant.

My question is, are these aliens those who converted to Judaism or are these just the people who worked for the Jewish people in Judah at the time? My understanding is that the Gentiles are not supposed to keep the Sabbath, so this must be one or the other.

What does the Rabbinic teaching on this say about who these aliens are?


texts: Would a replacement kohen gadol be anointed on yom kippur?

texts:
Here is what I know:

When a kohen gadol dies we replace him. In fact we've got a replacement kohen gadol waiting in the wings on yom kippur just in case
Any kohen who becomes kohen gadol gets anointed with oil
There are 5 types of things which are forbidden on yom kippur including anointing and bathing (Yoma 8:1)
Someone who already is a kohen gadol, on yom kippur must immerse in a mikvah

My question is if a kohen becomes a kohen gadol on yom kippur does he get anointed with oil or not?


texts: Is it better halachikally (according to jewish law) to have the beged (garment) of your tzitzis to be made from wool as opposed to cotton? Is it a chumrah?


texts: Is it perfectly fine halachically to put up the schach first and then tie down the canvas walls?

texts: If one has a sukkah with canvas walls that sway in the wind, can he put the schach on top of the sukkah before tying down the canvas walls so they won't sway, or would it be a problem of "Taaseh v'lo Min Haasuy"?


texts:
Where are modern she'elot and tshuvot that deal with circumstances surrounding bug checking?

Looking for sources that talk about things like freezing and blending.

Where can I find such things?


texts: Is one allowed to go to a funeral on moed?

texts: Is someone who is not a relative of the deceased allowed to go to the funeral on moed or is it forbidden because of אסור לעורר עצב ברגל? (One may not invoke sadness on a festival)


texts:
Are there any sources that say explicitly that the Mashiach will NOT be a woman?

I am specifically asking about the person who is to be crowned Mashiach (either ben Yosef or ben David) at the end of days.

I am not referring to people who embodied attributes of mashiach in their respective times. As the students of the Vilna Gaon in Kol HaTor (2:8) have already suggested that women such as Queen Ester manifested MBY in her generation. (They also include other women such as Shifra and Puah (see Kol HaTor 2:2) Devorah (ibid can't remember where…) , Chuldah (ibid 2:75),


texts:
As you may know for the bread to be hamotzi it has to be made of one of the 5 minim (wheat, barley, oat, rye, and spelt). The problem for celiacs like me is that we can't eat 4 of them, the oats being the exception when certified Gluten Free.

I used to make bread with GF-certified oats for Shabbat, with a recipe I made with a rav a few years ago, but right now I can't reach him. However that recipe is not very good as when you are making breads without gluten you have to replace it with other additives and mix of flours + starches.

I now have a good recipe for bread, that I learnt a couple weeks ago, which I want to be able to do with oats so it can be hamotzi

So my question is what are the conditions for bread to be hamotzi?
I know that the oat has to be distinguishable in the taste of the bread, but I believe there are some things about minimum quantities that I can't remember right now. I’m Sephardi if this makes a difference.

Please quote sources so I can study this further.


texts: How does one who can hold his liquor afflict himself on Purim?

texts:
According to the answers to this question, one is obligated to afflict himself on Purim. The achroynim say that one fulfills this obligation by getting drunk.
However, the true affliction only occurs on the fifteenth of Adar when the hangover sets in. Is the mitzvah really to afflict oneself on the 15th, or is there something else we must do on fourteenth in order to fulfill the mitzvah?

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


texts: Does anyone know of a Source  for Pesicha for Neilah being a segulah for Parnassah? Its something I have heard said is there a source anyone can send me to it would be appreciated?


texts: Voting for a person that will not uphold Torah values

texts: It is well known that Rabbi Avigdor Miller Zatzal strongly condemned those that voted for candidates that would not uphold Torah values. Yet there were many Gedolim that had no problem voting for such candidates or endorsing them if they felt there were other benefits for the Tzibur. Coming up on this years midterm elections, Is there any Issur according to Halacha to vote for any candidates, or is it all dependent on what is overall best for us?


texts: Is a Yohrtzeit or Yizkor candle which is lit 2 days before a yohrtzeit, or Yom-Tov as good as 1 lit on (or just prior to) the yohrtzeit or YT itself?

texts:
When Yom Tov begins right after Shabbos (as with Shavuos of this year), can one light a 2-day Yizkor candle before Shabbos and have it continue burning until Yomtov, or there is no purpose in doing so because the candle was not lit on or just prior to the Yizkor day?

Would A candle lit for a Yohrtzeit have the same rules as a Yizkor candle?

If one may light it even 2 days before, is this Lechatchila anytime, or only when it cannot be done otherwise, as in the case of Shabbos?


texts: If kings get up at 3 hours past sunrise, wouldn't they need some extra time to say Shma?

texts:
Mishna Brachot 1:2 gives the times for saying Shma in the morning.

  מאימתיי קורין את שמע בשחרים:  משיכיר בין תכלת ללבן; רבי אליעזר אומר, בין תכלת לכרתן.  עד הנץ החמה; רבי יהושוע אומר, עד שלוש שעות, שכן דרך בני מלכים לעמוד בשלוש שעות.  הקורא מכאן ואילך, לא הפסיד, כאדם שהוא קורא בתורה.

According to רבי אליעזר, it must be finished by sunrise, presumably because that's when people get up. רבי יהושוע gives until 3 halachic hours into the day, because that's when kings get up.

However, if that is when people get up, wouldn't they need time to get up, wash, dress, and say whatever davening comes before it? How could it be set at the time that people get up?


texts: Where does the idea of making a kiddush (party) Shabbos morning when a girl is born come from? How far back does this practice go?


texts: What is the etymology of the word "Kvater"? Kvater is what we call the person that carries the baby boy into a Bris.


texts: Why are many conversations in Tanach between two parties exclusively

texts: Inspired by a comment on this question it seems the vast majority, if not the entirety, of conversations in Tanach are between two and only two parties. I would like to understand conceptually why this would be the case.


texts: Are there contemporary apologetics for the Mishnah (Niddah 44b) that a girl of the age of 3 can be married by sexual relations? (It seems difficult to accept that such a thing is even allowed in principle, even if not in practice.)


texts: What is the point of having a rapist marry the woman he raped?

texts:
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (JPS)

  28  If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 29 then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver, and she shall be his wife, because he hath humbled her; he may not put her away all his days.

In today's (American, at least) culture, the idea of having a woman marry her rapist is utterly ridiculous and reprehensible. In addition, this has been mentioned multiple times in connection to the debate over homosexuality, particularly homosexual marriage, and always in a negative light. (That is a tangential discussion and is only marginally relevant to this question.) However, I have heard that this practice actually protected the woman as she would now have someone legally responsible for her.

So, my question is: what's the point? Why institute this law?


texts: Which parent names the first child according to current custom?


texts:
Who knows forty-three?
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: Where can I find examples of R. Yishmael's 13 talmudic rules?

texts:
We read Rabbi Yishmael's 13 principles of interpreting torah in the shacharit service and many of the explanations seem fairly straightforward, but I am not a very advanced student and I find I don't really know how some of them work.  The only ones I routinely, explicitly encounter with my chevruta seem to be kal v'chomer and gezeirah shava.  Presumably I'm encountering the others too but they aren't necessarily called out and I don't recognize them.

What I'm looking for is a straighforward example of each -- an argument that uses only binyan av and one that uses only kelal u'perat and so on.  These should be "clean" examples, ones that most people would agree are good examplars of each technique.  Where can I find such examples?

(For reference, here is the list and some explanations (not complete) from Wikipedia.  Their external links seem to be broken so I can't tell if the two sources they cite would be helpful.)


texts: I recently found out I have Jewish ancestry. I want to learn more about Judaism, but what is appropriate?

texts:
I recently found out I have Jewish ancestry through a DNA test (Ashkenazi; it helped to explain why I got bowel cancer at a young age since the risk is high in that group). Apparently my grandmother knew, but didn't tell my father. Previous to this, all my Jewish ancestors were open about their faith. My father and his siblings were not raised Jewish, but were socialised with Jewish children. I suspect my grandmother was keeping this a secret from my grandfather who was an atheist, but still had a desire to pass on something, or at least raise her kids so they weren't anti-Semitic. Whatever the reason, I feel a bit sad that this heritage was lost, and would like to know more about Jewish history, culture, and religion. I'm not interested in converting.

After some digging, my father and I found out that our original Jewish ancestor was kidnapped by the British navy in the late 1700s and pressed into service. He escaped to Canada a decade later and never returned to Britain. It's a shocking bit of history. (In an interesting coincidence, as a Canadian immigrant to Britain, I now work a five minute walk from where he lived in London as a cloth merchant.)

I've been learning more about Jewish history in Britain specifically, but most of what I've been reading has been academic. I'd like to connect to the Jewish community here in order to learn more, but I don't know what's an appropriate way to approach it, or where, who, how, or even if I should. Any suggestions or advice?


texts: Is this app really safe to use on Shabbat?

texts:
http://www.shabbosapp.com/

It is an interesting approach - trying to satisfy the major halachic issues, while skirting the stringencies. Halachically, what would be the status of using this phone on Shabbat? Obviously it violates the stringency of muktzeh etc. but I am curious to hear an analysis taking into account the benefits listed on that page. In particular, if one keeps the app just to receive potential messages from elderly etc. and only uses it in emergencies it may actually come under the heading of "desecrate one shabbos to keep many," especially since the desecration is only of rabbinical stringencies?

I am curious as to the various halachic issues with using this app on Shabbat.


texts: Looking for a kosher hot plate for Shabbos and Yom Tov

texts:
Does anyone know of a kosher hot plate that can be safely left on for the duration of Shabbos, Yom Tov, or a 3 day Shabbos and Yom Tov and will not become a fire hazard?

Every product should be and can be a kosher product.

Bringing any product to market requires competent halachic supervision:

http://www.kosherimage.com/approval.html

Gaining rabbinic approval for a product is critical:

http://www.aish.com/sh/l/48970106.html

There is a huge difference between a product that is manufactured without halachic supervision and a product that is manufactured with proper, competent, orthodox halachic supervision.


texts:
Some people, although listening to another's kidush (Friday night), sing part of it along with him: specifically (in my experience), the lines starting "ki vanu vacharta" when recited with this tune. This seems to me arguably not to be a problem (see e.g. Mishna B'rura 690 s'if katan 13–14; but see the comments on this question). But I'm wondering whether there are any sources that discuss the issue.

As always, for practical halacha, consult your rabbi.


texts: Do you have an obligation to go to the mikvah erev Yom Kippur.


texts: How old were Rochel and Leah when they got married to Yaakov?

texts: To my recollection I have never seen an answer to this or have known anything regarding Rochel and Leah's ages at marriage. Are they known?


texts: How should a neophyte learn to play the shofar?

texts:
What steps should a person take to develop initial competence in sounding the shofar?

Are there online or other training materials available? Any tips specifically for a neophyte?


texts:
-The Talmud says that Abraham followed halacha [derived from Genesis 26:5].

-The Torah outlaws child sacrifice.

-So:  On what grounds did Abraham agree to perform God's command to sacrifice his son Isaac?  The rabbis quote the Torah itself: "lo bashamayim hi" ("the Torah is not in heaven") to justify refusing to do something against halacha, even at God's direct command.

-I heard it said that Abraham could do it because he was a prophet, and a prophet has the right to suspend a law in certain cases [Sanhedrin 89b-90a].  Is this correct and who said that?


texts: May I fulfil all or part of my maaser requirements with the amount of tax that I pay that goes to welfare, medicaid and food stamps?

texts: משום דרכי שלום, tzedakah can be given to all people. Welfare and food stamps should be then defined as tzedakah as it's given to all people under the poverty line, Jewish or not. Medicaid should generally be considered tzedakah too (although I'm not sure about the LTC part). If it's tzedakah, is it considered maaser?


texts: Making a pikuach nefesh phone call on Yom Kippur - mitzva or something to be avoided?

texts:
Outside of our synagogue on Yom Kippur, someone fainted and a doctor present decided to call an ambulance. At that time, there were multiple people present and one phone.

Should people have jumped to "grab the mitzvah" and be the one to call emergency services? Or would it have been better for the individuals involved to be passive and wait for someone else to make the call?

In other words, is making such a call

a mitzvah to grab?
something to do only if that is the only solution?
something to be avoided unless really needed?
something else?

Remember to please provide sources.


texts: How to understand the texts that litterally speak of other gods and compares to G_d

texts:
Psalm 97:9

  9 For You, O Lord, are Most High above all the earth; You are very
  much exalted above all gods.

There are many similar indications, that the Jews (at least in the time of the king David) thought, that other gods do exist, but Hashem is the greatest one.

Is it true?


texts: According to a questioner on this page, the Rambam in the Pirush HaMishna contradicts the Rambam in Hilchoth Tzitzith regarding whether we can dye tekheleth due to uncertainty about the color. Where are these references specifically?


texts: Why don't we say Baruch Hu UVoruch Shmo more often?

texts:
I notice in Minyanim that I participate in that when the Chazan repeats the Shemonei Esrei and gets to "Baruch Ata Hashem", nearly everyone says "Baruch Hu UVoruch Shemo".

Yet, those same people skip other places where Hashem's name is said. Why, for example, doesn't "Refaeinu Hashem" get a "Baruch Hu..."?

Moreover, why don't people say it when hearing someone is saying Birkos Hanehenin/Tachanun/Shir Shel Yom (all places where one can interrupt)?


texts: I was recently wondering if I am saying the bracha on my tallit katan at the right time (I'm not married and don't wear a tallit gadol). When should the bracha on the tallit katan be said? Before it is put on? After you are fully dressed? At the beginning of davening?


texts: What is the best English translation of the Tanakh (hard copy, not online)?

texts:
I'm looking for the best available English translation of the Tanakh, and because I prefer to hold an actual book in my hands, I'd rather have a hard copy as opposed to an online version.

Some insight on what I'm looking for: The most important factor is the accuracy of the translation in relation to either the best extant early manuscripts or the most widely accepted version of the text.  If I have a choice between accuracy in a "word-for-word" sense and a "thought-for-thought" sense (this is one of the ways Christian bibles are distinguished from one another - rendering each word as accurately as possible versus rendering each idea as accurately as possible), I would prefer the former.

I would also prefer a version that provides insightful commentary from respected textual critics who are reputable and well regarded, but this isn't strictly necessary.

Is there a good English translation available?


texts: If husband becomes Jewish during pregnancy of Jewish wife, is he considered the baby's father?

texts: I know about a case of a non-Jewish husband who converted to Judaism while his Jewish wife was pregnant.  The beit din rushed to finish the conversion process before the baby was born, and I don't quite understand why.  I am under the impression that fatherhood (unlike motherhood) is determined at conception according to halakha, so that the father would not have a halakhic father-child relationship with the baby regardless whether he converted before or after its birth.  I'm not 100% positive --- but if I'm right, why was it important for the conversion to precede the birth?  Clarification would be appreciated.


texts: Is singing a gramman considered kol isha?

texts: Is a gramman considered "singing", with regards to kol isha? On the one hand, it is more of a reading of a poem with intonation and a chorus of na na nas interspersed. On the other hand, it has the ring of a song.


texts: Is it preferable to learn torah related to biblical obligations over learning torah related to rabbinic obligations?

texts: If all things are equal is there any reason to give preference to studying torah about a biblical obligation over studying torah about a rabbinic obligation? In general we give precedence to biblical obligations over rabbinic ones, I would like to know if that extends to the study of those subjects in general.


texts:
A standard Ashkenazi kesuba is a document no different to a post dated cheque; there is nothing religious or holy about it. It says that the man will pay his wife upon divorce or death the sum of 200 silver German marks (or zekukin). This amounts to 100 lbs in total or 230 grams per mark. This was instituted when the Jews lived in Germany most likely in the times of Tosfos, nearly one thousand years ago. See my comment that unlike RMF it is more likely the French mark which was 244 grams and more than the 100 lbs quoted by RMF.

At the time, everyone who got married in Germany would know exactly what was written there, like today everyone knows what dollars are. Later as the Jews moved eastwards it was considered too much and the women had to agree (reluctantly!) to forgo quite a large part of it, like in Russia where she only ended up with roubles to the value of forty dollars. This in no way means that the amount the man offered changed at all but only that she couldn't collect.

The Shulchan Oruch in CM writes regarding a shtar (document) that if the man does not know what is written there (and you believe him) he does not have to pay it. It gives the example of a Sefardi Kesuba which does not have a standard amount. The Chochmas Shlomo at the side says it depends if he himself signed it or not. A man can sign a paper and let someone else put any limitless amount he fancies, but not witnesses.

Today when not everyone reads this blog and very few people know what the 200 zekukim are, even rabbonim, much less the value of them being 100 lbs of silver, how can a kesuba be kosher? If it was a shtar it would not be unless it was signed, which not all kesubas are. Just because it is in a standard form should that make a difference?
As I have proven, it was not always like this, since when it was instituted in Germany everyone knew what a German mark was.

My second question is: Rabbi Moshe Feinstein says the custom in Russia was to give the value of forty dollars. Since there doesn't seem to be any custom today, what right does an individual bais din have to decide for themselves, often based on the couple's worth, of how much the woman has to forgo?


texts: Hebrew books does not have Ba'al Shem Tov on the Torah. Does anyone know where I can find the Ba'al Shem Tov on the Torah online?


texts: Source in the Gemara about seven qualities of an individual's personality

texts:
I recently heard a Torah lesson in which the speaker mentioned that according to the Gemara there are seven different sections or aspects of a person:

How people view you
Your deepest emotional needs
How you think, learn and, communicate
How you behave in relationships
How you manifest anger
Your natural strengths/skills
Natural weaknesses, challenges, things you need to fix

Unfortunately, this speaker didn't mention where in the Gemara this is. I was wondering if anyone has any idea?

Perhaps, it would have been in the context of the sefiros or the days of the week?

I have no way to contact the person who gave over the lesson.


texts:
מִן־הַ֖מֵּצַֽר קָרָ֣אתִי יָּ֑הּ עָ֜נָ֗נִי בַּמֶּרְחָ֣ב יָֽהּ
From the straits I called God; God answered me with a vast expanse.

I put הַ֖מֵּצַֽר into a contemporary Hebrew dictionary and it does come out as "straits, isthmus", but I'm still unclear on the meaning of the passage.
I'm reading the Tanakh on Chabad's website (where there's an option to toggle Rashi), but Rashi doesn't explicate it.
I was wondering where you guys go to get explanations of what things mean?
Why would this particular metaphor have been used, and what is it getting at?


texts:
Who knows two hundred eighty-four?
?ארבעה ושמונים ומאתים - מי יודע
In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 284.
I don't know if it's worth chasing after a lazy gematria for this one.
Check out mi-yodeya-series for the previous two hundred eighty-three entries in this ongoing series.
Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.