texts:
If someone is very unsure about Torah, enough to be agnostic, yet accepts the possibility that Torah may be true and chooses to follow Orthodox halacha... then what would you say are some major challenges, and what are some answers to these?

For example, davening with honesty; ethical dilemmas regarding humaneness to humans or animals on Shabbat etc. (if unsure that the Torah approach is necessary).

How can such a person present honesty in some of the liturgical prayers? Is it by thinking of theirself as davening in the voice of the nation, rather than of theirself individually, or separately stating that these prayers are with the intention that they may be right? And what to do when ethical questions arise that aren't answered even by halachically acceptable leniency... if one isn't sure which value system to follow?

I guess that in this day and age, this is more likely to apply to animal suffering or shortening an animal's end of life suffering, if no gentile is present, on Shabbat or such. But there is also the question of spending money on halachic responsibilities rather than charity or other responsibilities.


texts: Should you make an extra effort to pronounce prayers and blessings clearly?

texts:
Should someone make an extra effort to pronounce prayers and blessings clealry? Someone I know commented on how I "pronounced each word very clearly and didn't slur" (to put it in their own words) and I replied that I trained myself to do this years ago as I was told that it is commendable to pronounce each word carefully, making sure to enunciate each syllable and separate each word without slurring.

Obviously, it would be easy to say this would be a good idea, because it aids in kavana, etc. but is there actually any source to this? Please note that I am not speaking of "correct" pronunciation of Hebrew (havara). In all honesty, I use a very Lithuanian accent.


texts: Who was "a man of G-d" in Divrei Hayamim II 25:7?

texts:
In Divrei Hayamim II 25:7 we read how "a man of G-d" came to the king of Judah, Amaziah, to warn him not to take soldiers from Israel with him to the battle against Edomites :

  And a man of G-d came to him, saying, "O king, let not the army of Israel come with you, for the Lord is not with Israel, even with all the sons of Ephraim.

Who was this man of G-d?


texts: Is ther an English version of R' Hirsch's journal, Jeschurun available? While I am currently learning German, I am far from being competent enough to understand the works of R' Hirsch in the original.


texts: Why Doesn't Rasag Mention Spices As Part Of Havdalah?

texts:
In his siddur, Rav Sa`adya haGaon (Rasa"g) goes through the entire service for havdalah and never mentions besamim. He also doesn't mention it when discussing havdalah for Mossa'ei Yom Tov and what is not used - as opposed to Mossa'ei Shabboth. There he only mentions that we do not use fire; again, no mention of spices.

Question: Is there a source that does not require the smelling of spices during havdalah?


texts: What is the sof zman kriat shema according to Hacham Ovadia Yosef?

texts: What is the is the sof zman kriat shema according to Hacham Ovadia Yosef? Please provide your source.


texts: Would an Israeli staying in Diaspora need to make Eruv Tavshilin?

texts:
I understand that if an Israeli is outside of Israel during Yom Tov, he may not perform melachot on the 2nd day of Yom Tov.

Does this include hachana (preparing on Yom Tov for the next day or for Shabbat?) Specifically, if the 2nd day of Yom Tov were to be on a Friday, would the Israeli need to make Eruv Tavshilin? Or do the rules of hachanah not apply to him as it is not actually Yom Tov for him, but he is not doing melachot because he must follow the minhag of where he is?


texts:
How many generations back is one allowed to go to identify himself as being Jewish? If a Jew converts to another religion, he is still Jewish and his descendants are Jewish.

Does this mean that if someone can prove that he can trace his ancestry to Jacob, even though, somewhere, say, 10 generations following Jacob, his ancestor became Hindu, this person would still be Jewish?

(Please assist in tagging.)


texts:
Is fasting on Taanis Esther considered as if one drank Ad Dlo Yada on both Purim and Taanis Esther? Just like we find eating on Erev Yom Kippur is considered as if one fasted on both that day and Yom Kippur.
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts:
I've always believed cursing people is forbidden in Judaism, but I recently read the following on the Gemara:

Berakhot 13b
והא רבי יהושע בן לוי לייט אמאן דגני אפרקיד
For lo, R. Joshua b. Levi cursed anyone who slept lying on his back!

This kind of shocked me, how could a rabbi of such greatness curse fellow Jews for just sleeping on their back?
I wanted to know if there were other cases of curses made by rabbis in the Gemara so I searched for the word "לייט" in Sefaria.org. I was baffled when I realized there were dozens, even maybe hundreds, of this cases. Here are some others;

Berakhot 15a
דהא רב חסדא לייט אמאן דמהדר אמיא בעידן צלותא והני מילי לק"ש אבל לתפלה מהדר
And lo, Rab Hisda cursed anyone who went about in search of water at the time of prayer. This, however, applies only to the reading of the Shema', but for the Tefillah one may go for water.
Berakhot 29a
לייט עלה אביי אמאן דמצלי הביננו
Abbai cursed him who says the prayer "Give us understanding."

How can Rabbis curse other Jews? Isn't this forbidden?


texts:
There is a Jewish law forbidding putting a michshol, a stumbling block, in front of a blind person. This is extended also to mean that one should not lead others into sin, including providing the means for a non-Jew to practice idolatry.
In the creation account, the plural verb is used in Bereishit 1:26 ("na'aseh adam", let US make man).
When asked about the plural and that people might conclude from it that there are multiple separate powers at play here, Hashem says (Midrash Aggadah 1:26:1)

אמר הקב"ה למשה כתוב מה שאני אומר לך, וכל הרוצה לטעות יטעה
Hashem said to Moshe "write what I tell you to write -- whoever wants to err, will err"

[my translation]
Since there are opinions that even shituf is forbidden to non-Jews, wouldn't Hashem's allowing people to draw the simple conclusion that there are multiple actors/powers be a michshol that he is putting in their way, leading them to a sinful behavior?


texts: Can a Nazir drink wine if it is part of a holiday observance?

texts:
One who takes a Nazarite vow cannot drink wine (or partake of product that uses grapes). I understand that this is to help the Nazir remain focused on God instead of being overcome by other forces (such as being drunk and doing whatever drunkenness entails, i.e., losing inhibitions, not thinking before acting, etc.).
As a Jew though, can a Nazir drink wine if it is for ritual purposes and not solely personal enjoyment? For example, what comes to mind is wine that is a part of the Passover meal, and also Kiddush.

(Side note: I'm not sure if wine was part of Pesach in the Torah, perhaps it was instituted by Rabbis post-Torah? Perhaps all the incorporations of wine were instituted post-Torah by the Rabbis?)


texts: Why would God need to introduce Himself when revealing to forefathers?

texts:
וַיֵּרָא אֵלָיו ה' בַּלַּיְלָה הַהוּא וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אָבִיךָ ...׃ - That night the LORD appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. ...” Genesis.26.24

This is a very common way of God introducing Himself first when appearing to our forefathers and other righteous (see Genesis.46.3, Exodus.3.6).
Why would God need to introduce Himself, would the forefather suspect that there's a different deity speaking to them?


texts: Which Raban Shimon ben Gamliel was it who was martyred?

texts:
The Ten Martyrs liturgy describes Rabbi Yishmael the High Priest and Raban [=nasi or "chief rabbi"] Shimon ben Gamliel as killed by the Romans at the same time.  Rabbi Yishmael served as cohen gadol in the Temple's last years (~70 CE), and was killed some times afterwards.

If my understanding of the period is correct, around the year 60-something, it was Raban Gamliel who was nasi, but he fled Jerusalem for Yavneh, leaving Raban Yochanan ben Zakai as emergency (acting?) nassi; Raban Yochanan ben Zakai led the people during the destruction, including negotiating for Raban Gamliel's safety.  It seems that a few decades later (the "classic" Mishnaic period), Raban Yochanan has given back his title; Raban Gamliel is nasi in Yavneh; and Rabbi Akiva (who had been a young barely-literate man around the year 70) has just emerged as a scholar.

So who was this Raban Shimon ben Gamliel who was martyred sometime between oh, 70 and 100 CE?  Raban Gamliel's father?  He would have been an old man, and a retired nasi.  Is that right?


texts: Did Melchizedek have a yeshiva which he used to teach Torah to people, including Avraham?


texts:
May a Kohen, who is not allowed to be around dead bodies and the like, become a doctor?

Please mention only sourced answers, and I realize that there are some programs that don't require work with cadavers, but please leave those out of the answers.


texts: Is there a method for evaluating authenticity of revelation to other nations?

texts: Are we provided with a method, measure or test for the validity or authenticity of prophecy or revelation given to other nations, speaking more specifically about revelations given to non-Jewish prophets in a message independent of Judaism.


texts: What is the valley of deep darkness (or shadow of death) in Psalm 23?

texts:
In Tehillim 23, David says "Even when I walk in the valley of darkness, I will fear no evil for You are with me".  Someone asked me if this "valley of darkness" is metaphorical or physical and, either way, what it refers to more specifically.  I consulted Rashi on Tehillim 23:4, who says:

  in the valley of darkness: Heb. צלמות, in a land of darkness. He alludes to the desert of Ziph (I Sam. 23:13 28). Every [mention of] צלמות is an expression of darkness. Dunash ben Labrat defined it [in this manner].

I Samuel does talk about the desert of Ziph (23:24).  But according to Strong's concordance (Christian web site, only concordance I could find online) the word צלמות occurs several other times in Tehillim too: 44:20 ("you covered us with darkness"), 107:10 ("Those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, prisoners of affliction and iron"; Rashi compares to people in dungeons), 107:14 ("He took them out of darkness and the shadow of death").  Those other uses of the word appear to be more general, not referring to particular events.

The other psalms that use this phrase, and 23 otherwise, seem to be more general praise of God.  If 23 does allude to a specific event as Rashi says, where do we learn this?


texts: What's wrong with "we want moshiach now"?

texts:
Tzivos Hashem, the international Lubavitch youth group, has "We Want Moshiach Now!" in its logo, and Lubavitch children are taught to say and sing that phrase.

I have heard that some authorities have publicly expressed disagreement with, even protested, the use of the phrase.

On what basis? (Citations, please, where possible.)
How do they reconcile their disagreement with our constant prayers for mashiach now? For example, in sh'mone esre we say "וקבצנו יחד מהרה… לארצנו" and "ומלוך עלינו מהרה" and "וכסא דוד עבדך מהרה לתוכה תכין" and "את צמח דוד עבדך מהרה תצמיח".


texts: Can I sell my chametz via eBAY? I have no expectation that I want to buy it back. I would pack it and ship it before Pesach, so it's definitely not in my posession during Pesach. Is this problematic as there is a "built-in" eBAY policy that the buyer may return any product that he is unhappy with?


texts:
Tumtum and androginos are two sexes which are distinct from male and female in halacha. While in practice, they are rarer today due to advances in medical technology, it would still be possible for them to exist.

Assuming this, where would a tumtum or an androginos sit in schul?


texts:
In Kings II ch. 15, עזריה, Azariah son of Amaziah is said to reign over Judah. During his reign he is stricken with leprosy and lives out his days in this state, while his son Jotham rules in his stead.

Chronicles II ch. 26 Gives more detail, explaining that this kings was stricken with leprosy because in arrogance he tried to perform the priestly service by burning incense on the inner altar. However, in the Chronicles account, he is named עזיהו, Uzziah! He is also named this in Isaiah.

Why is this king's name different in Kings than it is in other texts?


texts: A shomer chinam whose bailor never returns

texts:
Suppose someone gives me something to watch. "Watch this for me, and I'll be back soon," he says, perhaps specifying a time, and I agree. And then he never returns and I have no way of finding him.

What are my responsibilities to the object and its owner? Usually, someone asked to watch something for free is responsible to watch it in the normal way that that thing is watched (Shulchan Aruch, CM, 291, passim), which may be difficult and something that I never intended to do for a long term. Need I continue to do so? Does, perhaps, the object gain the status of a lost-and-found object, which I can sometimes replace with its value and keep for myself (SA 267:22–25), and which I can sometimes receive payment for taking care of (SA 265)? Does, perhaps, the owner forfeit the object altogether by his not returning, and I can keep it without paying its value? Or have I any other recourse?

The question was inspired by an elephant.


texts: Punishment for violence by someone who can't pay monetary compensation

texts: It is said that the law that mandated retributive justice, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, was already at the time of the Roman occupation of Judea abolished. That there is no record of the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem ever proscribing mutilation as the punishment for a criminal. Instead the guilty should pay the victim compensation for the loss of the eye or tooth, etc. But what if the guilty person was poor and couldn't pay for his or her crimes?


texts:
What is the definition of kalus rosh?
What are the halachos of kalus rosh and where do they apply?


texts: Maaser for money received as a gift from Parents

texts: As a child I received birthday money every year (I don't remember if I gave maaser at the time), my Parents put it in an interest bearing bond and when I turned 18 it matured and I was given $13,000. My Parents said the purpose of this money was to save it and help support myself and my husband when I get married. Do I have to give maaser on it now? Thank you!


texts: Why Can't Moshe's Hands Perform Miracles?

texts:
The Torah (Shemos 17) describes a battle between Israel and Amalek in Refidim, and says that when Moshe's hands were raised, the Israel would be winning, but when he lowered his hands Amalek would overpower them. On this story, Chazal (Rosh Hashana 29a) ask, "do Moshe's hands wage war", and explain that his hand raising was merely a way to direct the nations' minds towards heaven.

Why can't the explanation simply be that Moshe's hands were a means for God's performance of miracles? After all, before this story, Aharon hit a river and it turned to blood or spit out swarms of frogs, Moshe hit the sky and various miracles occurred, he stretched out his hand/staff over the sea and it split, and he had most recently (Shemos 16) hit a rock and a spring of drinking water burst out of it. Clearly, God wanted miracles to be performed via Moshe's hands (or staff); why don't Chazal ask "does Moshe's staff split seas?"


texts:
A mishna on Yevamot 97b says (Soncino translation):

  The sons of a female proselyte who become proselytes together with her neither participate in chalitzah nor contract levirate marriage. Even if the one was not conceived in holiness but was born in holiness, and the other was both conceived and born in holiness. So also where the sons of a bondwoman were emancipated together with her.

The case of children who convert along with their mother seems clear to me; halachically speaking she is not their mother and so they are not brothers to each other, so yibbum doesn't apply.  But I'm confused by the part that says that two brothers both born after their mother converted (one was conceived before too, and the other not) are also not obligated in yibbum.  I was taught that a child born to a woman who has already converted is fully a Jew (modulo some minor exclusions with, e.g. marrying a kohein); those sons are not bnei Avraham Avinu but, rather, bnei (whoever her Jewish husband is).

The g'mara discusses this on 97 and 98 but I'm having trouble following it.  It seems to involve comparison to the bondwoman mentioned at the end of the mishna.  What are the mishna and g'mara saying here about children of a giyoret?


texts: Why does Moshe have to apply lots of prayer רבוי תפלה for the removal of the עָרֹב in Shmos 8 (26) and the locusts in Shmos 10 (18)?

texts:
Shmos 8 (24, 25, 26). Paroh asks for Moshe to pray; Moshe says he will and then Moshe does pray for the removal of the   עָרֹב . The verb used for prayer here is וְהַעְתַּרְתִּי  - translated into English as “I will plead”; Rashi says that the implication is רבוי תפלה  lots of prayer.

My question is why is such extra pleading necessary here and for the removal of the locusts in Shmos 10 (18) and not for the other plagues?


texts: The purpose and the permission to write Na"ch?

texts:
Torah (the 5 books) is [considered] G-d dictated, holistic and include all the necessary knowledge. It is allowed to be passed in the written form.
The detailed interpretations were given orally and are to be passed in that way and forbidden to be written.
G-d notifies, that eventually and occasionally, He will appoint additional prophets, people should listen to.

I have difficulty understanding why #3 falls into category #1, as it isn't Moses' prophecy and is "extra Toranean". Besides, as per various Gemmoros (see B"B 15a) Na"ch wasn't written by the originators, but by much later generations.

If the Torah includes everything, why do we need additional books? And if they are extra-Toranean what permission is there to write them down?


texts:
יד. וַיֹּאמֶר יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶל מֹשֶׁה כְּתֹב זֹאת זִכָּרוֹן בַּסֵּפֶר וְשִׂים בְּאָזְנֵי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ כִּי מָחֹה אֶמְחֶה אֶת זֵכֶר עֲמָלֵק מִתַּחַת הַשָּׁמָיִם
Why does Hashem command us to write and to say in the ear wouldn't one be enough that it not be forgotten?


texts: Does the she’hechiyonu brocho apply in any way to getting married?

texts:
A man getting married has a new suit to put on, on the day of his wedding. He will make the she’hechiyonu brocho. Should he have the “acquisition” of his wife in mind in addition when he pronounces the blessing?

On the one hand she is much more important than a new suit; on the other hand we do not know that she will agree until he attempts to place the ring on her hand.


texts:
If the military forces a Jewish member to remove his kippah because they do not allow head covering, must he comply under dina d'malchuta dina or not?  On the one hand, head covering in Judaism is a matter of custom, not law.  On the other hand, the rule does seem arbitrary.  I know there were cases reported in the press.  But what does the halacha say?

(My take from the discussion below: If the government forces you to remove your kippah or else, and your arguments don't sway them, you must remove it under dina d'malchuta dina.  Someone correct me if I am wrong.)


texts:
I have a friend who struggles greatly with Hebrew reading but is equally keen to learn how to daven properly. Where can I find audio or video recordings of the davening (all parts)?

I imagine there would be a significant demand for a comprehensive library of the davening in different nuscha'ot for teaching purposes.


texts: Most Pidyon HaBen's take place in the afternoon. Do you say Tachanun at Mincha which is immediately preceding a Pidyon HaBen? (sources)


texts:
I was recently told that the ring used for kiddushin should be made entirely out of one kind of metal (usually gold), with no other adornments such as diamonds, etc. I had been under the impression that the only halachic requirement for the wedding ring was that it had to be shaveh prutah.

Is what I had been told true? Are there any other halachot about wedding rings? If not, is it a commonly practiced minhag for the ring to be made entirely out of one kind of metal?


texts:
We've seen that the Torah uses the two words as "prostitute/harlot" in several places, for example in Yehudah and Tamar:

"וַיִּרְאֶהָ יְהוּדָה וַיַּחְשְׁבֶהָ לְזוֹנָה כִּי כִסְּתָה פָּנֶיהָ"
"וַיִּשְׁאַל אֶת־אַנְשֵׁי מְקֹמָהּ לֵאמֹר אַיֵּה הַקְּדֵשָׁה הִוא בָעֵינַיִם עַל־הַדָּרֶךְ וַיֹּאמְרוּ לֹא־הָיְתָה בָזֶה קְדֵשָׁה"

Or:

"לֹא־תָבִיא אֶתְנַן זוֹנָה וּמְחִיר כֶּלֶב"
"לֹא־תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל"

Also:

"אַל־תְּחַלֵּל אֶת־בִּתְּךָ לְהַזְנוֹתָהּ וְלֹא־תִזְנֶה הָאָרֶץ וּמָלְאָה הָאָרֶץ זִמָּה"

Or:

"וַיִּשְׁלַח יְהוֹשֻׁעַ־בִּן־נוּן וכו' וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיָּבֹאוּ בֵּית־אִשָּׁה זוֹנָה וּשְׁמָהּ רָחָב וַיִּשְׁכְּבוּ־שָׁמָּה׃"
Joshua son of Nun secretly sent two spies ... and they came to the house of a harlot named Rahab and lodged there. "

I'm not bringing numerous other uses of the two roots in the Torah, like "קדשים תהיו" or "אשר אתם זונים אחריהם".
We have also found that קדשה has a masculine counterpart but זונה doesn't:

"לֹא־תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל וְלֹא־יִהְיֶה קָדֵשׁ מִבְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל׃"

Also Rambam, beginning of Ishus (1:4) uses the two words seemingly interchangeably and with no distinction:

"קֹדֶם מַתַּן תּוֹרָה הָיָה אָדָם פּוֹגֵעַ אִשָּׁה בַּשּׁוּק אִם רָצָה הוּא וְהִיא נוֹתֵן לָהּ שְׂכָרָהּ וּבוֹעֵל אוֹתָהּ עַל אֵם הַדֶּרֶךְ וְהוֹלֵךְ. וְזוֹ הִיא הַנִּקְרֵאת קְדֵשָׁה. מִשֶּׁנִּתְּנָה הַתּוֹרָה נֶאֶסְרָה הַקְּדֵשָׁה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "לֹא תִהְיֶה קְדֵשָׁה מִבְּנוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל". לְפִיכָךְ כָּל הַבּוֹעֵל אִשָּׁה לְשֵׁם זְנוּת בְּלֹא קִדּוּשִׁין לוֹקֶה מִן הַתּוֹרָה לְפִי שֶׁבָּעַל קְדֵשָׁה:"

What is the difference between the two words?


texts:
I've always thought that Hebrew is the Lashon HaKodesh, the language G-d speaks, and the language of Judaism. And that Aramaic is also important but somewhat secondary.

But based on this answer, it seems that Aramaic may be as important as hebrew (or even more). How could Aramaic be the first language spoken? What's the importance of Aramaic in Judaism and how does it compare to Hebrew?


texts: Do you force yourself to eat Shalosh Seuda if you are not hungry?

texts: Let's say on a short winter Shabbos you had a large meal on Friday night and another large midday meal on Shabbos day.  The midday meal lasts a few hours and now it is close to the end of the day.  You know it is an obligation to eat 3 meals on Shabbos, but the thought of eating anything else now is repulsive to you.  Can you say a bracha over bread when eating it would be repulsive to you?  What do you do?


texts: Aeroplane flying over a cemetery as ohel

texts:
For those who argue that a Cohen can fly over a cemetery in an aeroplane because the floor of the ‘plane functions as an ohel and blocks the impurity from reaching the passengers, how do they avoid making the floor of the ‘plane an ohel for people on the ground?

Eg if a Cohen is standing well outside a cemetery, but a ‘plane overhead is partly over him and partly over the cemetery, then surely if it’s an ohel he’s now tamei?


texts:
Shulchan Aruch YD 334:1 sets out the basic position that a nidui lasts 30 days after which it can be extended if the problem persists. It has to be specifically extended in order to continue in force. Therefore, if nobody does anything on the 30th day, all returns to normal.
But 334:27 suggests that a nidui continues in force even after 30 days, until it is specifically revoked. Therefore, if nobody does anything on the 30th day, the nidui continues.
Which one am I misunderstanding?


texts: Is there anything wrong with using an ice-cream scoop to dish ice-cream on Shabbat? I have been told in the name of a Rebbetzin that you can't.


texts:
Yesterday, Harvard University Press released a haggadah which is a reproduction of a manuscript written in 1478 and held by the Library of Congress. It can be purchased on Amazon.

If I bought this, would I have trouble using it during the seder? Does the text diverge at all from the typical Artscroll haggados that everyone else will be using? If you have any comments or suggestions on the purchase, please let me know.


texts:
What kosher food should I pack for a one-week trip?  I won't have access to a fridge; and no kosher food will be available at my destination.

The only food idea I can think of is tuna.  That would get very boring.  I need more variety.


texts: What became of Moshe's sons and their descendants?

texts: After Yisro brings Tzipora and Moshe's sons back to him at Exodus 18:2-5, they are not mentioned by name again in the Torah.  Divrei Hayamim (Chronicles I 23:14 et seq.) lists their male descendants but only tells us that they were normal leviim.  Do we know anything more from the Oral Tradition?


texts:
Must a woman cover her hair in bed when she is a niddah? I assume it is standard for a married woman who is a niddah to carry the rules of tzniut into the bedroom; that is, to wear modest sleepwear, etc. But does she also need to keep her hair covered in her bedroom/all night? Does this practice vary by community?

Related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/78322/1516


texts: Does pouring boiling water into a treif vessel (sink, for example) affect the status of the Klei rishon? I heard that a liquid transfers taste both ways, by acting as a connector between vessels.


texts: What to do if one walks out in middle of an Aliya

texts: Recently I was in a Shul where the person who received the Aliya (this was the last Aliya) had an emergency and left in middle of his Aliya. He rushed out so quickly he did not say the Bracha that one makes after the Aliya. There were those who said that the Baal Korai (reader of the Torah) should say it instead of him, and there were others who said that it just gets skipped. What is the halacha in such a case? Does it matter if it is the Kohain or Levi who left?


texts: Is King Saul positively regarded in Judaism?

texts:
King David is well-known to be positively regarded in Judaism, not only for his great accomplishments and devotion (psalms, if not authored by him, became prominent because of him), but also as the predecessor of the (yet-to-come) Messiah.

Similarly, King Solomon also made great accomplishments (e.g. was the builder of the First Temple of Jerusalem), and some books of the Tanach were allegedly written by him.

However, Saul seems to be relegated to a second tier of importance. Is this really the case? For instance, liturgically speaking, is Saul positively mentioned in prayers and songs, or positively commemorated in religious holidays or celebrations?


texts: Can a bunch of people be Yotzei their Chiyuv of Shalach Manos with one Basket? What are the Halachic requirements for doing so?


texts:
On a recent Daf Yomi, Sanhedrin 107b, there is a long passage that was censored by non-Jews. It has been discussed here, whether we should still learn the omitted parts or not. At one such question I've found a link to Chesronot haShas. Do we know what sources did the author have, when he compiled it? Are there other comprehensive lists, similar to an example in Wikipedia, that compare the text variants of different important manuscripts?
[The mentioned work of Peter Schäfer on Wikipedia compares a few passages relevant for his work]


texts:
In the newspaper "Hapeles" published in Israel, an ad published in the name of Rabbi Mordechai Gross shlit'a says that there is a problem with the coffee produced by "Elite" Israel . It is forbidden to use it regularly on Shabbat; it needs to be made only in a "Kli Shlishi".

I use this cafe, do you know what happened?


texts: If the last day of Passover is Friday, may I eat chametz on the Shabbat right after?

texts: This year, 5778, the last day of Pesach in Israel is on Friday.  Is there any possible way that one could contrive to eat chometz on the shabbos immediately following Pesach?


texts: Why is Moshe's version of the tochacha longer than God's?

texts:
The version of the tochacha (warnings / "curses") in parshat Ki Tavo are much longer (i.e. occupy almost double as many verses) as the ones in parshat Bechukotai.

I am assuming that nearly all the words in  the book of Devarim were spoken by Moshe, rather than God. If so, is Moshe relaying punishments that God may have relayed to him, previously, but were not written or relayed the first time? If so, why were they left for the later version and not mentioned, earlier?

Or, is Moshe analyzing / deriving some of these punishments based on his own thinking or analysis?


texts:
Searching online I came across a nice article which wrote: link

  It is a teaching of Chassidic thought (the only source I have for this
  is Shlomo Carlebach!) that the first occurrence of a certain phrase in
  Tanach is (as Reb Shlomo said) the “headquarters.”  Something profound
  can be learned from the fact that a certain phrase or word occurs
  first in a certain context.

And also: http://www.orchos.org/vol-1---11.html:

  'Rav Tzadok HaCohen explains that wherever a letter or word appears
  for the first time in the Torah the context in which the letter or
  word appears defines its deepest meaning.'

I wondered where this principle came from: is there any jewish source to confirm this idea?

Found some comments online that it's a theological (Christian) hermeneutic, but from the sources i quoted it seems to be a 'jewish' thing.


texts: Although this might be the same question as making ice cubes on Shabbos, is it permitted to make a Slurpee/Slushee on Shabbos using the following method: a specialized ice-pack is left in the freezer for a few hours then inserted into a soft silicone cup. After pouring soda into the ice-pack/silicone cup combination, the soda takes on a slush partial liquid/ice consistency after squeezing the cup.


texts: Source that Tisha B'av is the day of mourning for all tragedies, even if they did not fall out then?

texts: I have heard (in the context of when Jews should mourn for those lost in the Holocaust), that Tish'a B'av is the day on which we mourn all tragedies, even those that did not occur on that day.  What is the earliest source for this idea?


texts:
Some religions, particularly Christianity, have a concept in which demons or evil spirits can enter a person's body and take control of them.

Does Judaism have a concept similar or like this? The literal translation of I Samuel 16:23 would imply such a thing can happen, but I have always been taught the Rabbinical tradition that it was not an actual evil spirit disturbing Shaul HaMelech, but a mental illness. (Source?)

This is not a question of comparative religion; I have mentioned Christianity only to serve as an example so others maybe will understand what I am talking about.


texts: Why do we say Pesach seder brachot both nights?

texts: During the Pesach seder, but not during the rest of Pesach, we say b'rachot for the mitzvot of matzah and maror.  (I mean the "asher kidshanu b'mitzvotav" b'rachot.)  So it seems that we are only commanded in this for the night of the seder.  But in the Diaspora we have two seder nights and we say these b'rachot both nights.  Doesn't that mean that one of those nights is the wrong time and thus we're saying blessings in vain?  Why is this ok?


texts: Meaning of the last sentence of the kaddish?

texts:
The last sentence of the kaddish - "עושה שלום במרומיו" -refers to Gd making peace on high.

What does that mean?  Is peace considered the opposite of chaos?  Could someone restate the last sentence of the kaddish in different words?


texts: Seeking a web site or computer program to quickly find kvi'ot

texts:
I have a fascination with various aspects of the Judaic calendar. One aspect I find fascinating is kvi'ot.

A kvi'ah is a 3 letter mnemonic (in some cases, a 2-letter mnemonic is used) to indicate the day of the week Rosh Hashannah starts, the type of year, and the day of week for 1st day of Passover. See this for a somewhat more detailed explanation.)

I notice that some kvi'ot are quite rare. Offhand, it seems that the 7 chaser kvi'ah is the rarest (or close to it). This kvi'a causes the 1st day of Chanukah to fall on Friday. It looks like the next time this will occur is in 5784 (Gregorian 2023). I can't recall the last time this kevi'ah occurred.

Rather than manually scanning a historical calendar or typing in trial & error years into Hebcal to see if there's a match, I'm wondering if there is some online program or some way that I can develop a program that will provide a list of specific kevi'ah occurrences. For example, I'd like to input the kevi'ah and a number representing the number of occurrences or perhaps, input a start and end year range.

Is there anything like this, around, or can any "tecchie" out there provide pseudo code or an alogorithm?


texts: How does Beis Din handle loans with interest?

texts:
If a borrower and a lender go to Beis Din with a loan document that stipulates interest, but the borrower claims he can at least collect the principle, how does Beis Din look at that?

Do they recognize the loan document, but invalidate the interest, or do they invalidate the entire loan document as illegitimate and uncollectible?

What if the borrower or the lender claim that the interest was written into the document for legal reasons, but in fact they did not intent to charge/collect it. Does that change the answer? Does it matter which one is making the claim?


texts: Are God's attributes of kindness and justice related or independent?

texts:
Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzato writes in the Way of God (ch.1) that God's purpose in creation was to bestow good.

We also know that God loves justice (mishpat) (as we say in the Amida prayer "Restore our judges..."). Are the two concepts (kindness and justice) related or are they independent.


texts: I found that abroad (out of Israel) there is an intense usage of the word Chaplaincy. Does it mean Rabbanut in Hebrew? Are there Rabbis that call themselves Chaplaincy? Does this word come from Christianity? What is the definition and the role of Chaplaincy? Who can use it and where is it popular?


texts: Which comes first, borei nefashot, or me'en shalosh?

texts:
Which berachah acharonah should one say first: borei nefashot, or me'en shalosh?

(Please cite your sources.)


texts: Why do we do anything for Pesach Sheini?

texts: According to my handy Luach, on Pesach Sheini, some people omit tachanun (I haven't looked into any source texts to see who does) and according to the Wikipedia page, some eat matzah but I'm wondering about the nature of the day. Was there a sense of simcha for those people who were not observing Pesach Sheini through bringing a sacrifice in the time of the beit hamikdash? If not, why would anyone at all today mark the day in any way at all? And wouldn't those who "observe" it today through custom do so for 2 days because there would be the same concern over the date of Pesach Sheini outside of Israel as there would be for computing the date of Pesach itself!


texts: Are Christians and/or "Messianic Jews" considered Jewish by Jews?

texts:
I know Judaism is not "Christian", but I am under the impression that there are some differences amongst Jewish traditions.

At the extreme, I have even heard of "Messianic Jews" who believe Jesus was the Messiah. What I am wondering here is whether that is more of a Christian concept, or if Jews would also recognize "Messianic Jews" and/or Christians as "Jews"? (Are these two considered "sects" of Judaism by Jews, or is this just a Christian idea?)


texts: Am I yotzei bikur cholim by visiting someone's Facebook page?

texts:
Since people increasingly live their lives online can I be yotzei the mitzvah of bikur cholim by visting the choleh's Facebook page?

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


texts: What is an effective separator for adjoining steel sinks divided into meat and dairy?

texts:
Chabad recommends:
"...Separate sinks for washing dishes and preparing foods are recommended. If the two sinks are adjoining, there should be an effective separation between them so that no water or food splashes from one sink to the other..."

Some steel sinks are divided into two halves, with a swivel faucet, that one could designate meat and the other dairy.  What considerations should I give in constructing an effective separator.  Droplet size and distance tends to vary randomly with the majority of the droplets most likely to fall into the proper sink.  How large should the divider be to prevent accidental spillage?


texts: Is it forbidden to buy bad merchandise in order to get a refund?

texts:
The background:
I bought neodymium magnets from China off of ebay.

The magnets were NOT neodymium and the item was not as good as I expected.

This is a common Chinese practice on ebay. The Chinese government sponsors the postage and the seller sells junk to US. They do not have to pay American postage on the outbound delivery because of the Universal Postal Union Treaty.

For most Americans, the hassle of returning the item is not worth it so the seller keeps the money and the item doesn't cost them much to produce.

If you do complain, the seller will offer to let you keep the item and they refund half the money, which is still a healthy profit for them.

If you are more forceful and threaten to give them a bad rating, they will usually let you keep the item and refund you, because their expense was only a couple of dimes. The risk that eBay will come down hard on them (forcing them to pay American postage rates on the return) is too high.

I was able to successfully negotiate that I keep four of these with a full refund.

I know that, in the future, eBay will take my side if the seller passes these off to me as neodymium.

The question:
Can I, knowing the magnets are not as advertised, order 1000 of these, make a stink that they are not neodymium, wrestle my money back, and sell them myself (with an accurate description)?


texts:
By onen I mean someone who as lost their sibling, and they haven't been buried yet.

Can an onen be called to the Torah as an Oleh? Can an onen read from the Torah?


texts:
After watching a Darren Aronofsky film entitled Pi, I've come to presume that some of the Jewish community study the numerical transliterations of the Torah. I ask whether or not the movie's claims are accurate to follow because I'm am highly intrigued by the notion. If you would indulge me, the film claims these facts:

אָב, denotes "father", and numerically equates to 3

אֵם, denotes "mother", and numerically equates to 41

יֶלֶד, denotes "child", and numerically equates to 44 (sum of "father" + "mother")

It then goes to state the golden ratio, or Phi is also translated from:

קדם, denotes Eden (or East), and numerically equates to 144

עץ החיים, denotes Tree of Life, and numerically equates to 233

Are these terms accurate to the Torah?  Are there any other terms and expressions commonly shared?

movie clip


texts: koshering a keli less than 212 farenheit

texts: my wife made Hagala in a vessel and the water was not boiling yet. I measure the temperature after she did it and it was 80 degrees celsius (176 F). whats the din now. can i used or i have to kasher again ? thanks


texts: Did the daughters of Tzlafhad make two separate requests to Moshe or just one?

texts:
In both Bamidbar 36:5 and Bamidbar 27:6, we find that G-d commands Moshe regarding 2 different requests from B'not (daughters of) Tzlafhad.

Even though the Torah records these in separate places, and it appears to be written as two conversations, it is possible that both concerns came up at the same time, but for some reason, the Torah wanted to record these as separate events to teach us something else. Were there 2 separate requests?

I could not locate any commentary that says something about this either way. I surmise that B'not Tzlafhad would have thought about all the conditions of inheriting the land in their 1st conversation with Moshe, as they seemed to be "smart" girls.

If, in fact, these were separate conversations, was there some event that occurred that made them realize that there was a supplemental problem?


texts: I know some people who use beer for havdalah motzai pesach. It seems from halacha that wine should always be used even during the 9 days. Is there a source for the custom to use beer for havdalah motzai pesach?


texts: Does the greeting "Good Yom Tov" contain a redundancy? Doesn't "Yom Tov" mean "Good day"? So you are saying "Good good day?"


texts:
A fundamental element of an eruv is the tzuras hapesach, which is defined here as, "[a] doorway opening. The construction of two doorposts and an overhead lintel." Can one make a tzuras hapesach arched or does it have to be straight?

I know there are many authorities who discuss the lechi (post) and korah (crossbeam) being straight, but many doorways have an archway; does anyone discuss whether designing a tzuras hapesach this way would be valid?


texts: Does Hashem reward you for keeping negative mitzvot?

texts: Does Hashem reward you for keeping negative mitzvot or only punishes for trangressions?


texts: Product Recommendation - Pocket accordion magnet bencher

texts:
I was hoping you guys here could help me locate an item I've been looking for. A bit over a decade ago, I picked up one of those pocket-sized Bencher/Mincha/Maariv things that was in the form of an accordion magnet. Coincidentally, my wife around that time also happened to find one of those as well, completely independent of how I found one. Moving forward to today, that bencher has seen quite a bit of wear and is falling apart.

Does anyone know where I could find a replacement for that style of pocket bencher? I've stepped into several Judaica stores and tried my hand at Google, but haven't been able to find it anywhere.

For reference, see below picture of the style I'm referring to:


texts:
There is an idea that once Adar comes in, we increase in joy.

Why is this so? Nisan signals the Exodus and our establishing as a people. Sivan has the giving of the Torah. Kislev has the story of Channukah and its joy. Why is Adar singled out as a joyous month when we have other occasions of joy in our calendar (some of which are Torah based, not from the post Mosaic period)?


texts: Drink fresh water after Shabbos coming from Miriam's well?

texts:
Taamei Haminhagim 423 explains the custom of women to draw water immediately when they hear “Borchu” after Shabbos. In short it says,

  In Agada it says that the Well of Miriam which is in the sea of
  Tiberias goes round all the springs and wells after Shabbos. A sick
  person who drinks of this water is immediately healed.

A friend told me that he is particular to drink fresh water (from the tap) after Shabbos because of this.

Two parts to my question:

1] Is there a custom nowadays to drink water after Shabbos to follow this practice of the  Taamei Haminhagim?

2] If so, would we not have to wait for the water that is in the source comes through the water distribution system to our tap – a process that might take several days?


texts: Do contemporary Sefardi poskim absolutely require ten men at a wedding?

texts:
Beit Yosef, Tur Shulchan Aruch Even HaEzer 62:

  Rashba, responsum 1127, was asked about a city in which there are no ten men for reciting the [seven] blessings [at the wedding], and it's impossible to bring people from another place; he replied that the blessings absolutely cannot be said with less than ten men present. Rabbi Isserlein's responsum #140 writes that if the blessings were not said, the wedding would still be valid; it stands to reason that the phrase "a bride without a blessing is still prohibited" meant "without the chuppah" ... do you think that if a city lacks a minyan, weddings can't be done there at all because of the blessing? [I, however, feel that Isserlein's] argument is not persuasive. What kind of argument is that? "If so, it would be prohibited" Indeed! If there aren't ten men available, no one can get married.

(This is a classic case of one man's i-hachi is another man's in-hachi-nami. In other words, be careful with reducto ad absurdum as people may in fact espouse positions you find absurd.)

Do contemporary Sefardi poskim follow this, and say if the rabbi can't obtain ten men (a minyan), there can't be a wedding?


texts: Does Neveilah/Tereifah make you Fleishig?

texts:
Another question asks whether meat of a non-kosher species (Behemah Temeiah or Hayah Temeiah) makes one Fleishig (considered to have eaten meat, so cannot eat milk). My question then is about kosher species that are slaughtered incorrectly (Neveilah) and about kosher species slaughtered correctly but found to be a Tereifah. Does that make a person Fleishig?

I don't really think it should matter whether someone ate the meat BeHeter or BeIsur.  What seems to be important is the type of animal it is.

So:

Meat of a Behemah Tehorah, slaughtered correctly, may not be eaten cooked with milk from a Behemah Tehorah.
Meat of a Behemah Tehorah, slaughtered correctly, may not be eaten cooked with milk from a Hayah Tehorah by rabbinic injunction.
Meat of a Hayah Tehorah, slaughtered correctly, may not be eaten cooked with milk of either a Hayah Tehorah or a Behemah Tehorah, by Rabbinic injunction.

But what about:
Meat of a Behemah Tehorah, slaughtered incorrectly or
Meat of a Hayah Tehorah, slaughtered incorrectly or
Meat of a Behemah Tehorah found to be a Tereifah?

In other words, such meat is totally not Kosher, but if you eat it anyway, are you Fleishig?

Furthermore:

If the answer to the above is no, such non-Kosher meat has no Din of meat and milk prohibition, then if you have a Heter to eat such non-Kosher meat, can you eat it cooked with milk?


texts: Is there a positive Jewish view on the summer months?

texts: When taken from the Jewish perspective, it seems like the summer is a drag - fasts, the three weeks, all the tragedies in our history that occurred during this time.  Is there anything positive one can say about the summer?


texts: Can you bring a gun into a synagogue? (The question is in reference to Israel.)


texts: What standard of living does Judaism endorse, if at all?

texts:
I've always wondered if there was a minimum standard of living mandated by the Torah. If there is, what is it? And if not, how does the Torah relate to this matter? Is it according to the individual's emotional/mental needs or is it universal?

In other words, what's the ideal level of material comfort the Torah requires or endorses? If there is such a thing.


texts:
If someone (me) is going over the leining, is it OK to say "amen" before the aliyah, as is done during the real reading?

I've heard the concept of אמן יתומה - an "orphaned" amen, but understood that to be when someone just says amen because everyone else is, without hearing the bracha itself.

Here, it serves sort of to get into the theme.

However, even during the actual service, it's possible that the baal koreh will get the aliyah, and doesn't answer amen to his own bracha.

Also, does it make a difference if the person is practicing for being the baal koreh, or if they're just learning the parsha?


texts: How to go about learning a Sugya הלכה למעשה

texts: If I want to learn a Sugya in Gemarah all the way from the Daf to modern day Poskim, what has worked for you in order to accomplish this goal? Which Rishonim did you learn? Did you look at the Tur or only Shulchan Aruch? How, if at all, were you able to see what modern day Poskim have to say?


texts: If one is traveling on a highway that runs through populated areas for the entire span of the trip, is Tefillas HaDerech recited? If so, at what point during the journey is it recited?


texts:
To remember the machatzis hashekel, the custom is to give three half denomination coins to tzedakah around Purim time.  In places like the US where half denomination coins take some work to get, a shul usually gets several sets and people "buy" them and donate them back.

Based on this answer, it may be preferable to use a coin that contains silver, which in the US means older half dollars.  Coin collecting websites (example) say that those are worth a lot more than 50 cents.  The Franklin half dollar, which stopped production in 1963, is apparently worth $5.73, and older half dollars are worth a lot more.

According to the Rambam, this is very similar to the situation that led to the enactment of the kalbon.  A whole shekel (aka sela) coin is sometimes worth more than a half shekel coin, so two people who want to fulfill their obligation together with a single sela have to pay the difference in price, known as a kalbon.

If a shul gets older half dollars and you buy them from the shul, do you have to give a kalbon?  Do the same parameters apply (e.g. kohanim and women are exempt)?


texts: Meaning of "Don't deviate from the verdict to the right or to the left"

texts:
Wile completely understood metaphorically, the sentence makes no sense Halachically, for example:

"You should pay this man $20, but don't deviate to the right or to the left."
"This tool is Tamei, but don't deviate to the right or to the left."
"You can marry this woman, but don't deviate to the right or to the left."
"You can start wearing Tzitzis at 5:45, but don't deviate to the right or to the left."

Rashi says "אֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר לְךָ עַל יָמִין שֶׁהוּא שְׂמֹאל" but we could learn that from just about any other example:

"אֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר לְךָ עַל היום שֶׁהוּא לילה"
"אֲפִלּוּ אוֹמֵר לְךָ עַל חתול שֶׁהוּא כלב", etc.

Why was this phrase specifically chosen to signify deviance from Rabbinical rulings?


texts: How can one tell the difference between Chidushei Torah and words of a heretic?

texts:
I was intrigued by this recent M.Y. question and its answers that suggest that one is encouraged to develop his own chiddushei Torah.

This had me thinking about what Talmud Chagigah 15a-b (excerpt here) relates about Elisha ben Avuya who eventually became a heretic. It relates a conversation that he had with his student Rabbi Meir. Elisha asks him about his interpretation of several verses. Then, Elisha refutes him and gives another explanation that, offhand, sounds valid.

If one were, say, studying with someone else and his friend offered a novel explanation, how would one be able to evaluate if it was valid or the words of a heretic similar to Elisha ben Avuya?

Note: While I'm citing the example of Elisha ben Avuya, please generalize your answer regarding dealing with anyone.


texts:
I'm on a bit of a quest to contextualize the story of Purim by getting a better sense of the ages of the main characters. So far, with Mi Yodeya's help, I've explored the age of Esther, and I have also discovered a suggested age of Mordechai.

Are there any textual sources in Midrashic or later literature which provide an age for Haman during the Purim story?


texts: Repeating if one skipped Al Ha Nissim on purpose

texts: If someone purposely skipped Al Ha Nissim on Purim or Chankah do they have to repeat the Amdiah/Bircas Ha Mazon? I'm aware that if it was on accident they do not have to go back and repeat it.


texts: Is upward/360-degree feedback halachically allowed?

texts:
It is common practice in many companies to request 360-degree or upward feedback, whereby employees are asked to share (positive and negative) feedback on some of their colleagues, subordinates or bosses. This feedback is used for developmental purposes (to help people improve their performance) and sometimes to set compensation (e.g., bonuses). Personnel evaluation is a fundamental core process in many companies, especially in professional services (e.g., consultants, lawyers, tax advisers) who couldn't function without.

Are Jews allowed to share positive or negative feedback (assuming it is real and fact-based) on other people with their evaluators? Would the laws of lashon hara apply differently if the feedback is entered in an IT application or discussed with a live person in a confidential conversation?


texts: What is the modern Jewish attitude towards the Zealots and Sicarii?

texts:
One of the leading factions in the Jewish Revolt of 66-70 was the Zealot movement, and its splinter group, the Sicarii.  I would imagine that the attitude towards them is somewhat complicated, or at least, it was once complicated.  On the one hand, they were fighting for a noble cause - the overthrow of domination by heathens.  On the other hand, they were largely responsible for the disastrous Revolt, which led to untold suffering for the Jewish people.  I seem to remember reading somewhere on this site that the Sicarii are also condemned for murdering a priest in the Temple itself, which I assume is a serious offense against G-d's law.

Does modern Judaism take a stance regarding the Zealots and Sicarii?


texts: Halacha of cooking by non-religious Jews

texts:
This question is hypothetical.

If there were a situation where a person lived with a family member (or family members, or a Jewish roommate, etc.) who does not believe in Judaism, but they typically cook for the family, they know and agree to respect all Kashrus laws, and you know that you can trust them, is this cooking acceptable?


texts: What are the arguments against using manuscripts from the Cairo Geniza? Are there any Seforim / articles that discuss this debate?


texts: Who were the wives of Manasseh and Ephraim? What were their backgrounds? Who were their parents? Did they have concubines? If so who were they?


texts: A nazir may not take haircuts (usually for a 30 day period) and a kohen gadol must take haircuts weekly (Taanis 17a, 3/4 down the page). Can/may a kohen gadol become a nazir?  If so, how does that work.  If not, what if he does, even if it is not allowed? In any case, where do we learn this?


texts: Should I pray to God based on my own merit?

texts:
In the book of Tehillim (Psalms), Chapter 86, King David says the following:

    שָֽׁמְרָ֣ה נַפְשִׁי֮ כִּֽי־חָסִ֪יד אָ֥נִי הוֹשַׁ֣ע עַ֭בְדְּךָ אַתָּ֣ה אֱלֹהַ֑י הַבּוֹטֵ֥חַ אֵלֶֽיךָ׃

  Preserve my life, for I am steadfast; O You, my God, deliver Your
  servant who trusts in You. (Sefaria Translation)

The Talmud Berachos 4a clearly understands that, in this Tehillim, King David is praying to God and is asking for something based on his own merit/behavior.

However, The Maharal (Derech Chaim on Avos 2:13) says that a person should not pray and ask for something as if he deserves it. The Chasid Yaavetz says (Avos 2:13) a similar idea. The Sifri in the beginning of Parshas Va'Eschanan says that Moshe and David did not ask for things from Hashem because they deserved it, they asked for things for free, as it were. Other sources that echo this idea are Devarim Rabbah 2:1 and the Meiri on Berachos 10b.

So the question is, in light of all the sources mentioned, should a person pray to God and ask for things in their own merit or not?


texts: Were the original tablets brought down by Moses the same as the second set?

texts:
We're taught that when Moses brought down the tablets, he shattered the first set in a rage after witnessing his people worshipping the golden calf.

As soon as Moses came near the camp and saw the calf and the dancing,
he became enraged; and he hurled the tablets from his hands and
shattered them at the foot of the mountain. - Exodus 32:19

A new set was later created which were then successfully taught to the people.
My question is can we be sure the first set of tablets was the same as the second set of tablets? What I mean is do you think Hashem may have changed the laws on the second set upon realizing how quickly we'd revert to idolatry, even after witnessing the events we did? Possibly, the second set being more stern and encompassing more behaviors than the first?
I'm curious if any writings discussed this?


texts: What does Nichar mean as a way killing animals?

texts:
Yoreh Deah 16:9
אין איסור" אותו ואת בנו" אלא בשחיטה בלבד, שנאמר "לא תשחטו". אבל אם ניחר (פי' ענין הנחירה הוא שתוחב הסכין בנחיריו וחותך) את הראשון, או נתנבל בידו – מותר לשחוט השני. לפיכך, חרש שוטה וקטן ששחטו את הראשון בינם לבין עצמם – מותר לשחוט השני אחריהם, לפי שרוב מעשיהם מקולקלים.
I've seen this translated as "decapitate," but literally it looks like "he stabs the knife up its nostrils and cuts" -- which is absurd, isn't it?
I found no explanation in the usual commentaries SK, BH etc. and a shochet I asked doesn't know yet.
What is nichar?!


texts: Does attending a regular shiur take precedence over leading the prayers on a Yahrzeit?

texts:
It is a widespread custom to lead the prayers (daven from the amud) on the anniversary of a parent’s death (yahrzeit).

Suppose that if I do this for a service on the yahrzeit of a parent it will definitely cause me to miss a regular shiur (Torah class) which I attend; but that I can attend the shiur and also daven as part of a minyan and say kaddish.

I assume that the shiur takes precedence.

Are there sources to support (or correct) my view?


texts: I own a book on birth control written by Rabbi David M Feldman. I was very impressed on how much bikius he has and erudition on the subject. I really cannot find any info on him,and wanted to know of he was an Orthodox or Conservitive Rabbi. From his writing I got the impression that he was orthodox,but I am not sure.


texts:
If person davens in a shul with other nusach.
E.g. a nusach-ashkenaz-guy goes to a nusach-sefard-shul and in order not to get confused he wants to daven with the Tzibbur as much as possible.

What level of loyality to his own nusach should he keep?

Should he daven silently his own nusach Shmone Esre or can he rely on the shul's one?

Can he say psalm of the day together with the shul or/and shuld he repeat it after davening?


texts:
The first paragraph of the Shema (itself from the Torah) includes the instruction to say the Shema twice daily "when we lie down and when we arise."
This would seem to indicate that the recitation of Shema is considered d'oraisa.

But the same paragraph instructs us to say these words "when we walk on the road and when we sit in our house."  We do not have a ritual to do either.
 This would seem to indicate that the recitation of Shema is rabbinic.

So, is reciting the Shema rabbinic or d'oraisa?
If d'oraisa, what don't we also adhere to the other directives mentioned in the paragraph?


texts:
The Midrash says that Pinchas and Eliyahu are the same person. According to most of the Rishonim, I believe, this (as any other Midrash) should not be taken literally.
Which are some of the non-literal interpretations of this particular Midrash?


texts: I know a similar question was asked about Christians, however I am talking about a case where a Jew that has become a Messianic and does not view Jesus as a God and still keeps Torah as well as Shabbat can be considered guilty of Avoda Zarah (i.e. worshiping foreign gods)?


texts: My kid asked: I understand that if two people complete a forbidden activity on Shabas by superfluously joining forces to do a task either could do alone, they don't get the punishment one of them would have gotten had he done the task alone. What if four [or, might I add, three] do something two can do? Does the same exemption apply, or do we say that, since it's not something that can be done by one person, there's no exemption for a superfluity of people?


texts: Where is the first time that Tehillim, Mishlei, Iyov are referred to as ספרי אמ"ת?

texts: The books of Tehillim, Mishlei, Iyov are often referred as ספרי אמ"ת. Where is the first source making this reference?


texts: Lighting candles on Yom Tov that falls out on Motzei Shabbos

texts: Before a woman lights candles for Yom Tov that falls out on Motzei Shabbos does it say anywhere that she needs to say "HaMavdil" first? (Since the kedushas are different -- on Shabbos it was ossur to light a fire and now it's muter. Although by a normal Motzei Shabbos this is the same situation perhaps there is some difference between a normal Motzei Shabbos and a Yom Tov that falls out on Motzei Shabbos that.)


texts:
Is there a source for the commonly (mis)understood forbidden fruit being an apple? The Gemara Brachos (40a) identifies the possibilities of wheat, grapes, or figs:

  דתניא אילן שאכל ממנו אדם הראשון רבי מאיר אומר גפן היה שאין לך דבר
  שמביא יללה על האדם אלא יין שנאמר (בראשית ט, כא) וישת מן היין וישכר רבי
  נחמיה אומר תאנה היתה שבדבר שנתקלקלו בו נתקנו שנאמר (בראשית ג, ז)
  ויתפרו עלה תאנה ר"י אומר חטה היתה שאין התינוק יודע לקרות אבא ואמא עד
  שיטעום טעם דגן The tree from which Adam, the first man, ate, Rabbi Meir says: It was a vine, as nothing brings wailing and trouble upon man even today other than wine, as it is stated with regard to Noah: “And he drank from the wine and became drunk” (Genesis 9:21). Rabbi Neḥemya says: It was a fig tree, as with the object with which they were corrupted and sinned they were rehabilitated, as it is stated: “And they sewed together fig leaves and made for themselves loincloths” (Genesis 3:7). They must have taken the leaves from the tree closest at hand, the Tree of Knowledge. Rabbi Yehuda says: It was wheat, as, even today, the child does not know how to call his father and mother until he tastes the taste of grain.

While the Medrash Bereshis Rabba quoted by Rabbenu Bechaye (Bereshis 3:6) adds as Esrog as the culprit:

  וע"ד הקבלה אתרוג היה והוא נרמז בכתוב שנאמר ונחמד העץ להשכיל ותרגום
  אונקלוס ומרגג כי הוא פרי נחמד ומהודר וטבעו חם ומושל על השכל וכן תרגום
  הדר, אתרוגין. ומזה הזכיר בקללתו וקוץ ודרדר תצמיח לך. When looked at from a kabbalistic point of view, the tree was indeed the Etrog tree something which is hinted at in the words ונחמד העץ להשכיל, “and the tree was a desirable means to gain insights. Onkelos translates these words as ומרגג , “that the fruit was exceptionally beautiful and desirable.”


texts: What if a Goel HaDam (Blood Redeemer) accidentally kills his kinsman's accidental murderer - inside the latter's 'Ir Miklat (City of Refuge)?

texts:
Another question asks what happens if someone accidentally kills someone else inside an 'Ir Miklat (City of Refuge) in which the victim and/or his family live, and whether he needs to move to another City of Refuge to be safe from the Goel HaDam (Blood Redeemer).

But what happens if an accidental murderer is living as a refugee in a City of Refuge, which happens to be visited by the Goel HaDam for whatever reason, who accidentally kills the refugee?

Does the former Goel have to seek refuge for an accidental murder? Can he seek refuge in place (the city in which he committed the accidental murder, which would be exile because he was merely visiting there)?


texts:
I noticed that in my Siddur as well as many others, "Ledovid" (what we say extra from Rosh Chodesh Elul until Shemini Atzeres) is placed right after the Yom by Shacharis davening. However, in every Shul I've ever been to, Ledovid is actually said after Aleinu.

So which is correct? Is there a Machlokes?


texts:
What are the halachic considerations that govern the kashrut status of an Americano (black) from an espresso machine that uses a secondary steam wand to make lattes and cappuccinos? This is at a kosher dairy cafe.

Is it permissible to drink this coffee (at home) with a fleishig meal?


texts:
In Exodus 20:3 the words lo yihyeh (לֹא יִהְיֶה־לְךָ) are often translated as: 'you shall not have'. The base word is היה (hayah) meaning "to exist." Which reminded me of the Adon Olam phrase: 'V'hu hayah, v'hu hoveh, v'hu yihyeh'.
Shouldn't the phrase be rendered as: 'not to exist to you' i.e. other gods shouldn't exist to us?
Yihyeh could also be understood as: 'To be' as in "yihyeh tov, it'll be good, yihyeh tov ken, yes, it will be good", so that the phrase could be read as:
'there aren't to be any other gods'.
Because HaShem teaches us many times not to make idols for ourselves I wondered if yihyeh could be rendered in anyway as 'to be made', so that it could be read as “You shall not make any gods” also.
To put it simple: Could the verse be rendered in other ways (based on the words used) to deepen out it's meaning?


texts: Must a bride represented as virgin bleed on sheets for marriage to be valid?

texts: I had heard that from Orthodox practice that a lady upon first marriage is expected to be a virgin and is represented as such, and that the couple are placed in a room right after the wedding to consummate the marriage immediately, and that then the relatives would soon after inspect the sheets for blood to verify that the consummation occured.  But what happens to the couple's marital status or even the virgin's reputation if she fails to bleed upon defloration (for any number of possible physiological reasons)?   Does she have to prick her own finger with a pin in case this happens?


texts: Is it forbidden for a Jew to read the writings of Baruch Spinoza?

texts:
The cherem against Spinoza says the following:

  The Lords of the ma'amad, having long known of the evil opinions and acts of Baruch de Espinoza...  We order that no one should communicate with him orally or in writing, or show him any favor, or stay with him under the same roof, or within four ells of him, or read anything composed or written by him.

Source: Wikipedia.

Does this mean that Jews today are forbidden from reading his texts? Does the manner in which one might read Spinoza's texts matter, such as whether they were assigned in a class?


texts: Giving Tzedakah in certain denominations

texts: Is there a source of giving tzedaka in amounts of multiple of chai (18) or shem havaiah (26) ect?


texts:
I started fasting on Yom Kippur as an adult, about 10 years ago.

A couple times I had to drink a glass of water either after Kol Nidre or before Shacharit, because I felt completely dehydrated (I did go on with the fast after that)

What steps do you recommend to avoid this situation? Foods to avoid during the previous meal? Specific hydration steps?


texts: According to the Halakhah, is marriage forbidden between Israelites and Noahides (that is, "the righteous among the Gentiles")?

texts:
I’m an Italian noahide.

In Mishneh Torah-Issurei Biah 12:1, the great Rambam says (English translation by Rabbi Eliyahu Touger):

  When a Jew engages in relations with a woman from other nations,
  [taking her] as his wife or a Jewess engages in relations with a
  non-Jew as his wife, they are punished by lashes, according to
  Scriptural Law. As [Deuteronomy 7:3] states: "You shall not intermarry
  with them. Do not give your daughter to his son, and do not take his
  daughter for your son." This prohibition applies equally to
  [individuals from] the seven [Canaanite] nations and all other
  Gentiles. This was explicitly stated in Ezra3 [Nechemiah 10:31]: "That
  we will not give our daughters to the gentiles in the land and that we
  will not take their daughters for our sons."

Rabbi Touger has inserted for this step the following and important note:

  Although the verse the Rambam cites as a prooftext refers to the seven
  Canaanite nations, all other Gentiles are also included as reflected
  by the verse from Nechemiah. The Tur (Even HaEzer 16) differs with the
  Rambam, explaining that the verse should be understood within its
  limited context, referring only to the seven nations. (The Rambam's
  opinion has a source in the Sheiltot D'Rabbenu Achai Gaon, while that
  of the Tur is found in the Sefer Mitzvot Gadol) The crux of the
  difference is the exegesis of the continuation of the verse cited by
  the Rambam: "For he shall sway your son away." Kiddushin68b quotes
  Rabbi Shimon as focusing on the motivating rationale for the verse and
  thus including all those who might sway a person's heart. Thus it
  refers to all gentiles. The Sages, however, do not accept this
  perspective.

Here are my questions:

At the outset, is the position of Rambam or that expressed by Ba'al ha-Turim prevalent in the Jewish tradition on this point?
Does the prohibition to all Gentiles include, on the halachic plane, even non-Jews who observe the seven Laws of Noah in accordance with the prescription of Mishneh Torah Melachim uMilchamot 8:11?


texts:
The Talmud, in Sanhedrin 56a-b, gives the Noahide laws, applicable to all mankind:

  Our Rabbis taught: Seven precepts were the sons of Noah commanded: To establish courts of justice; and refrain from blasphemy, idolatry, adultery, murder, stealing, and eating the flesh of live animals.

It then explains that these laws are derived from a single line in Genesis:

  And the Lord God commanded the man saying, ‘of every tree of the garden you may freely eat’. [Gen. 2:16]

Here is how:

-“Establish courts of justice” is derived from “And the Lord God commanded”, because “command” relates to justice and judgment.

-“No blasphemy” is derived from the words “The Lord”, which are used in connection with blasphemy in Leviticus: "And he who blasphemes the name of the Lord, he shall surely be put to death." [Lev. 24:16]

-“No idolatry” is derived from the word “God”, because the word “God” is used in that context in Exodus: "You shall have no other gods before Me. "[Ex. 20:3]

-“No murder” is derived from “the man”, because the word “man” is used in that context in Genesis: "Whoever sheds man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." [Gen. 9:6]

-“No adultery” is derived from the word “saying”, because it used in that context in Jeremiah: "They say, ‘If a man puts away his wife, and she go from him, and became another man's…’"[Jer. 3:1]

-“No stealing” is derived from “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat”.  Since it was necessary to authorize Adam to eat of the trees of the garden, it follows that without such authorization it was forbidden, since the trees did not belong to him.

-“No eating flesh from live animals” is derived from “You may freely eat”, because it implies “You may eat only what is ready for eating, which is not the case while the animal is alive.”

Is this the ONLY source for the Noahide laws?

I ask because, considering their universality and their importance, it is puzzling that they have to be derived in such a contrived manner, instead of being spelled out directly in the Torah.


texts: Timing of the Commandment of Gid Hanashe

texts:
The Torah mentions, after the story of Yaakov getting injured in Parshas Vayishlach,
that we do not eat the Gid Hanashe for this reason.

The Meforshim seem to concur that this mitzvah was included in Moshe's kabbalas hatorah on Har Sinai, but the Torah never specifically mentions that Moshe ever told anyone about it like he did all the other mitzvos. Did Moshe give it over and the Torah just neglects to mention it, or did he for some reason not need to tell the rest of the nation?


texts:
To find the kashrus status of an organism, we first need to correctly classify it as plant, animal, of, or fish, as each group has its own distinct requirements. E.g., animals need to chew cud and have cloven hooves, while fish need (fins and) scales.

What is the halachic definition of a of (עוֹף)?


texts: Chometz Gamur after Pesach, buying and eating

texts:
For someone who is machpid not to sell chometz gamur, but either burns, gives away, eats or throws it in the trash, etc, before Pesach, would he also be machpid not to buy and consume chometz gamur that was sold by a Jew with a reputable sale?

For example, Reuven eats most of his bread, pasta and pastries before erev Pesach and burns the rest. Shimon sells his bread to a non- Jew and locks it away over the Chag. After Pesach, Shimon invites Reuven to come for a sandwich made in this bread. Would Reuven eat such a sandwich, or would he hold stringently that this chametz gamur should have been destroyed or eaten before Pesach, and thus he would decline Shimon's offer?


texts: What did the Second Beis Hamikdash look like before Herod renovated it?

texts:
As penance, Herod rebuilt and remodeled the second Beis Hamikdash (See Bava Basra 4a). Most of the models of the Beis Hamikdash are of this rebuilding.

What did the original one look like?


texts:
Tosfot in Yevamot 83b seems to address the comment of Rabbi Yosef Ibn Migash on Baba Batra.

  ול"ג דתניא כמו שגורס הרב אבן מאגש ואומר דתניא גבי בכור דלא היה לו לרבא להניח המשנה ולהביא הברייתא שאין להוכיח ממנה ואין להאריך

There are two orthographies in Tosfot, the first is "ר''א בן מאגש", in this case the rav is not Yosef Ben Migash but perhaps, Avraham or Eliezer, the second in Shas Oz Vehadar is "הרב אבן מיגש" and in this case he is probably the Ri Migash. An other difference is the name "מאגש" and not "מיגש", suggesting that the name is Magash and not Migash.

But I searched in BB 140b in the Chidushei Hari Migash and it matches, he has the Girsa Detanya, as Tosfot attributes to the Rav Migash.

If it is the case that Tosfot were aware of the Chidushei Hari Migash, it's surprising. I am almost sure that this is the first time that I see a citation of the Ri Migash in Tosfot. Additionally, it's surprising that Tosfot had the Ri Migash and almost don't cite the Rambam, who was more widely known and lived approximately 50 years afterwards.

I am interested to know if this Tosfot is examined by scholars, and if they say that it's the Ri Migash, and if the Rav Ibn Migash is quoted in other Tosfotim.


texts: What is the most widespread Israeli Minhag?

texts: What is the single most widely practiced minhag among Jews in Israel today? By "widely practiced" I mean practiced by the most people.


texts:
כָּל אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱ־לֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמּוֹ

Why are they separate? Did something happen to one that did not happen to the other?


texts: What should a Jew do if encountered by ISIS?

texts: Theoretically, if (Gd forbid) ISIS took over Israel, and the Jew in question was not immediately killed because he was Jewish and was not in the financial situation to pay the required taxes, should the Jew allow himself to be executed or become a practicing Muslim?


texts: Can someone confirm that there are 305,487 words in the Tanach?

texts:
about 10 years ago, I wrote a comprehensive Gematria Calculator which calculated every possible sequential gematria in the whole Torah and Tehillim.
http://www.secretorah.com
Now I expanded it for the rest of the Tanach.
My system calculated 305,487 words in the whole Tanach. Can someone confirm this???


texts: "Non-Kosher" wine vs. Other "non-kosher foods"

texts:
If I have a cup/plate/utensil and I put/use non-kosher meat in/with it, or make/place a forbidden mixture of milk and meat in it, I will have a problem with the future use of that cup (I know, the details are complex about exactly what has to be done for there to be a problem but for this hypothetical, whatever I put in the cup or on the dish is enough to do the trick).

If I put non-kosher wine in the cup (or pour it into the pot, or stir it with a spoon etc) do I have the same problem with that object/utensil which requires "kashering"?

Is the inherent "non-kosherness" of wine the same as that of foods (which might be a transfer of taste...I don't recall)?

Distinguishing cases

This question discusses non-mevushal wine which was touched by a non-Jew. To my mind, that means that it was initially supervised as "kosher" but lost that status. I am asking about wine which never had any supervision (though I don't know if that is any different -- if there is any concern over the kosherness of wine, ever, or if the only concern is its potential for having been used for idolatry).


texts: To what extent are we obligated to continue to procreate beyond having two kids?

texts:
Pru Urvu is a very important Mitzvah.

And yet many families arrive eventually to an uncomfortable question of family planning, i.g. simply stopping procreation for many different reasons.

If one has fulfilled the Mitzvah by having two boys and a girl (for all approaches), to what extent are we obligated to continue to procreate or it is just an optional Mitzvah?


texts: Do "ou" certified greens need to be washed and checked?

texts: If a salad mix of greens just has a plain "ou", does it require checking?


texts: Why Ishmalites are accused of rejecting the Torah?

texts:
Being an Ishmalite myself i can clearly say that we don't reject the Torah as false as accused here. It is considered to be one of the revealed books by God and is called as "Torat" in our scripture. In fact we believe it to be one of the 6 articles of faith to believe in Torah. One ceases to be a beliver even if one rejects one of the six articles of faith.

So from where does this accusation come?


texts:
I often hear Jews, including Jewish "Rabbis", say that a man is half a person. (And his wife is his other half)

What are the sources for this?

I know only of sources that a man is not a man with out his wife, but nothing about a half.
Yevamot 63a

  Rabbi Elazar said: Any man who does not have a wife is not a man, as it is stated: “Male and female He created them…and called their name Adam”(Genesis 5:2)


texts: Safek Leket Leket vs. Hamotzi Mechaveiro

texts:
On the one hand, the Mishnah (Pe'ah 4:11) records that doubtful leket goes to the poor. (Yes, I am aware that R' Meir says that. The Tosfos Yom Tov holds that everyone holds of that in principle and only argue in that particular case whether it applies - is that considered a doubt.)

Likewise, in Peah 7:4, the Mishnah paskens that doubtful oleles goes to the poor. (What, you thought it was just Leket, shichecha, and peah?)

How do these Mishnayos not contradict the rule of hamotzi mechaveiro alav hara'ayah? Why don't we say that the owner keeps them, since they are in his reshus, and it's up to the poor to prove that they are indeed Leket and oleles that they have rights to them?


texts: Wirelessly recharging a light-emitting diode on Shabbos

texts: Could one use wireless recharging technology (see http://home.howstuffworks.com/question292.htm) to power a light-emitting diode (which does not have a filament that gets hot (see http://oaicorp.com/digital-led-faq.aspx)) to display this week's parsha in shul on Shabbos? This is a theoretical question.


texts: Can someone called for one of the Shabbat or Yom Tov aliyot be called again for maftir?

texts:
I think the title of the question is self-explanatory.Something to consider:

Maftir seems to be separate from the other aliyot specified in Talmud Megilah.

Would it matter if the person who had maftir was the same Cohen that received the Cohen aliyah, or Levi who received the same Levi aliyah?


texts: I am confuse When is succot and shemini atzeret/simkhat torah havdala should be made in diaspora? Should succot havdalah be made at the end of second night?


texts:
These are not questions about circumcision.  They are about what Maimonides said about the practice.

I would to know if the following things do,  or do not, in fact represent  things Maimonides said about circumcision.  The information is taken from the paragraphs below in an article on the history of circumcision in Wikipedia at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_male_circumcision

It is done to "quell all the impulses of matter" and "perfect what is defective morally."
that it weakened the penis
had the effect of reducing a man's lustful thoughts and making sex less pleasurable.
Did he warn that it is "hard for a woman with whom an uncircumcised man has had sexual intercourse to separate from him."

  The Jewish philosopher Maimonides (1135–1204) insisted that faith should be the only reason for circumcision. He recognised that it was "a very hard thing" to have done to oneself but that it was done to "quell all the impulses of matter" and "perfect what is defective morally." Sages at the time had recognised that the foreskin heightened sexual pleasure. Maimonides reasoned that the bleeding and loss of protective covering rendered the penis weakened and in so doing had the effect of reducing a man's lustful thoughts and making sex less pleasurable. He also warned that it is "hard for a woman with whom an uncircumcised man has had sexual intercourse to separate from him."[24][25][26][27]


texts:
There is a widespread minhag not to take haircuts during Sefira, in a way to mourn the students of Rabbi Akiva who died.

Would I be allowed to give another Jew (who didn't have the minhag or is ignoring it) a haircut when I myself follow this minhag?


texts:
Sometimes I find myself in situations where I can only pray behind the Aron HaKodesh. Is there anything wrong with that according to Halacha?

I ask because seemingly Chazal wanted the Aron HaKodesh to be in front, and everybody praying towards it.


texts: Is it required for observant Jews to not associate with one who has rejected Judaism?

texts:
I have observed that Orthodox Jews seem to withdraw from those who were once "frum" (observant) but are now secular.  Are they obligated to do so?

How are we to understand the parable in which God admonished Abraham for throwing an old man out of his tent for being an idol worshiper?


texts: Is there a difference between Sarnu and Sararnu?

texts:
In the vidui, we list our sins alphabetically, and for the samech, the word in my machzor is "sararnu" -- this is translated as "we have turned away."

After the list there is a paragraph which further discusses a consequence of (what I assumed was) all of our sins collectively, and this begins with "sarnu" -- also translated as "we have turned away."

Are the two terms simply different spellings of the same thing (and in that case, why are there two spellings) or do they refer to different types of sins, or attitudes about sin, or something else?

Textually, sar (in malachim 1, 20:43, 21:4 and 5) seems to mean "upset" while sarar (many uses) seems to be related to sor (as in ben sorer) which means to turn or stop (cf Yirmiyah 6:28, סָרֵי סוֹרְרִים , extremely perverse).

The other example of a doubled letter form I can think of quickly is mar and marar but both seem, textually, to refer to bitterness or sharpness and sadness.


texts: What is the Halachik source for women covering their lower legs (past the knee)? And why would sheer stockings be acceptable if the point is to cover the lower leg?


texts: I searched but did not find this exact question. Were Adam and Chava's expulsion also in part due to their lack of repentance or was it specifically because of their disobedience?


texts: Why isn't "Adam" a traditional Hebrew name?

texts: I can't think of many people who go by the Hebrew name Adam. Any guesses why?


texts: Why do we say Hallel on Rosh Chodesh? On the festivals we are thanking G-D for a salvation that occurred in the past on that date, but Rosh Chodesh does not commemorate any specific event that took place, so what are we thanking for?


texts:
How can a nozir fulfill the mitzvah of drinking four cups of wine at the passover seder?

p.s. It is not a riddle. My son asked me this question, and I don't know what to answer him.


texts: Is shiva suspended during weekday davening?

texts:
This is a hypothetical designed to investigate a subtlety of practice and understanding, not elicit a halachic ruling.

I will be attending a morning shiva minyan on Monday. The mourner is a kohen and will be the only kohen present at the davening. I don't know if in that case he is supposed to get the 1st aliyah, but I have read that "If he is called to the Torah by mistake, he may accept." So in this hypothetical, the gabbai mistakenly calls the mourner, who has the aliyah.

I also know that during a shiva, the tradition is not to open the conversation with the mourner or greet him:
"A mourner is forbidden to say hello or goodbye; likewise we do not say hello or goodbye to a mourner. We do not say "shalom," or any other greeting" (cited from Shulchan Aruch, YD 385:1 here).

Generally, though, when someone receives an honor during services, such as an aliyah, it is proper to say Yishar Kochacha (or some variant, depending on tradition/pronunciation).

But is that, as a greeting, inappropriate during a shiva? Is the mourner still sitting shiva while he is participating in the service (on a non-Shabbat/holiday) or are the laws suspended (if he is accidentally called for hagbah, can he sit down with the torah in a regular chair)?


texts: What's the way to check a mushroom for worms

texts: Is there a way, and if so, what's the best practice for checking a mushroom to verify it is clear of worms?


texts: Best practices for long-distance Nihum Aveilim and Kavod HaMeith

texts:
What are some best practices for people who learn from afar of the passing of an individual (not immediate family) and who want show their respects to the deceased and the surviving family?

If they can choose to attend the funeral only but not the burial, or the burial but not the funeral, or pay a Shiv'ah call, which should take priority?

When is the appropriate time to call by phone?

Is email (or other electronic communication) an appropriate medium to express condolences?

Feel free to add other ideas, such as charity, flowers, etc.


texts: Missionary gave me these Talmudic quotes; Does it prove that Goyim are viewed as Animals who should be harassed, and that christians will go to hell?

texts:
Sorry about this. I'm not a Talmudic scholar in any sense; Can anyone qualify if what presented here is accurate and as bad as it sounds?

  “The ‘goyim’ are not humans. They are beasts.”

(Baba Mezia 114b)

  “If you eat with a ‘goy’ it is the same as eating with a dog.”

(Tosapoth, Jebamoth 94b)

  “Even the best of the ‘goyim’ should all be killed.”

(Soferim 15)

  “Sexual intercourse between the ‘goyim’ is like intercourse between animals.”

(Sanhedrin 74b)

  “When it comes to a Gentile in peace times, one may harm him indirectly, for instance, by removing a ladder after he had fallen into a crevice.”

(Shulkan Arukh, Yoreh De ‘ah, 158, Hebrew Edition only)

  “If a ‘goy’ (Gentile) hits a Jew he must be killed.”

(Sanhedrin 58b)

  “If a Jew finds an object lost by a ‘goy’ it does not have to be returned.”

(Baba Mezia 24a)

  “If a Jew murders a ‘goy’ there will be no death penalty.” (Sanhedrin 57a) What a Jew steals from a ‘goy’ he may keep.”

(Sanhedrin 57a)

  “Jews may use subterfuges to circumvent a ‘goy.’” (Baba Kamma 113a) “All children of the ‘goyim’ (Gentiles) are animals.”

(Yebamoth 98a)

  “Girls born of the ‘goyim’ are in a state of ‘niddah’ (menstrual uncleanness!) from birth.”

(Abodah Zarah 36b)

  “‘Yashu’ (derogatory for ‘Jesus’) is in Hell being boiled in hot excrement.”

(Gittin 57a) [’Yashu’ is an acronym for the Jewish curse, ‘May his (Jesus) name be wiped out forevermore.’]

  Yashu (Jesus) was sexually immoral and worshipped a brick.”

(Sanhedrin 107b)

  “Yashu (Jesus) was cut off from the Jewish people for his wickedness and
  refused to repent.”

(Sotah 47a)

  “Miriam the hairdresser had sex with many men.”

(Shabbath 104b, Hebrew Edition only)

  “She who was the descendant of princes and governors (the virgin Mary) played the harlot with carpenters.”

(Sanhedrin 106a)*

  “Christians who reject the Talmud will go to hell and be punished there for all generations.”

(Rosh Hashanah 17a)


texts: Can "Three D'Rabbanans be 'motzei' "Two D'Rabbanans"

texts:
We know that when there is a case of someone that is obligated to perform a mitzvah m'drabbanan (and in fact there are 2 d'rabbanans together) they can't be "motzei" someone in the mitzvah who only has a chiyuv because of 1 d'rabbanan.

Here are some examples of this:

The Mishneh Brurah in Siman 186 Sif-Katan 7 writes that a katan that didn't eat to the point of satiation there are some poskim that hold he may not be motzei his Father who also didn't eat to the point of satiation because his Father has a obligation to say bircas hamazon because of 1 d'rabbanan and his son has an obligation because of 2 d'rabbanans.

Another example is in the Sharei Tzion Siman 271 Sif-Katan 2. If a person davened already friday night then they are obligated in Kiddush m'drabbanan. In such a case the katan could be motzee the gadol since he is also chiyuv m'drabbanan (See there M"B Sif-Katan 2.) However the Sharei Tzion (b'shem the Derech HaChaim) that if the katan already davened he couldn't be motzei the gadol since the katan is 2 d'rabbanans and the gadol is one.

Another example is in Mishneh Brurah Siman 689 Sif-Katan 6. If someone hears from a katan the megillah they are not yotzee. The M"B there explains that even though the chiyuv of a katan by megillah is d'rabbnanan (just like the gadol) still there is an additional d'rabbanan in regards to the fact that the obligation on the katan in general in all mitzvos is d'rabbanan.

I had assumed as well that another example would be kiddush by day. Since for a gadol it's d'rabbanan (one) and for a katan it's two (the kiddush itself together with the general chiyuv (however I don't have a written source for it, I think the above examples are enough for now.

The question is, do we also say the one who has 3 d'rabbanans can't be motzei the one that has 2? (An example would be kiddush by day on yom tov sheini shel golius. The katan has a obligation because of 3 d'rabbanans and the gadol's obligation is because of 2.)


texts: Why do we need to daven out loud if G-D can hear our thoughts?

texts: We know that G-D is all knowing, and all powerful. Therefore, when we pray, why does it have to be out loud? There are some brachos that you are not even יוצא if you say it quietly! Then why do we need to say them out loud if G-D knows exactly what we need and what is good for us, even more than we do?


texts: Origin of the term “pilpul” as a method of Talmudic study

texts: What is the source for referring to the known method of Talmudic study a "pilpul"? When did this usage begin?


texts: Do roasted peanuts in their shells require a hechsher?

texts:
I know that non-Israel grown raw peanuts in their shell are considered plain "vegetables" / legumes and do not require kosher certification, as other untouched fresh fruit / veggies.

Shelled peanuts roasted in oil do require certification, as these go through some manufacturing processes where eitherthe oil itself may not be kosher or something unkosher may be in the processing plant that came in contact with the peanuts.

What about the roasting process if the peanuts are still in the shell? I heard that no oil is used in this process - they are heat roasted. I don't know if most places use a dedicated oven that just roasts peanuts. Furthemore, I had heard that since the shell is not eaten and nothing penetrates the shell, anyway, there wouldn't be a concern even if it came into contact with something non-kosher.

Can anyone verify this claim regarding unshelled roasted peanuts?


texts:
Is there reason to say the Yehi Ratzon in Birkas Kohani after the third stanza (ending in 'shalom')? I always said it quietly based on the Artscroll Machzor but have have been uncertain due to the Mishna Berura (130:5) writing

  בסוף כל פסוק שמסיימין והם ג' פעמים [א"ר] וכן כתוב בשם הגר"א שהיה נוהג
  לומר גם בסוף פסוק ג' הרבש"ע הנ"ל שהוזכר בגמרא ולא היה"ר הנדפס  בסידורים - After each stanza say the Ribono Shel Olam. The Gra would do the same after the third stanza, not saying the Yehi Ratzon printed in Siddurim.


texts: In the Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh Deah, Laws of Sefer Torah, סימן רעה הלכה ב  it  relates to the issue of between paragraph spacing. I would to know the frequency of open and closed parshiot (paragraphs) in a Torah scroll?


texts: Is it permissible to think about a future Mi Yodeya question while you're in the bathroom?

texts:
I understand that you should not be thinking about Torah while in the bathroom. I assume that existing Mi Yodeya questions would be considered Divrei Torah, b/c people have been discussing Torah ideas (for MOST of the questions, that is.)

However, a question that has not yet been posted, maybe is NOT in the category of "Divrei Torah". After all, the question might be rejected, it may be off-topic, etc. So, maybe it is permissible?


texts:
Bereishis Rabbah 50:2 states that one angel cannot perform multiple tasks:

  אין מלאך אחד עושה שתי שליחות ולא שתי מלאכים עושים שליחות אחד.

  One angel cannot perform two agencies, nor can two angels perform a single agency.

Yet Eichah Rabbah 2:3 states that Gavriel performed three agencies:

  אמר רבי יוחנן למלאך קשה שביניהם אמר זה גבריאל שנאמר ואיש אחד בתוכם לבש בדים וקסת בספר במתניו. ג׳ דברים היה אותו מלאך משמש קסנטור ספקלטור וכהן גדול.

  R’ Yochanan said: [G-d spoke] to the angel who was the most severe of them - This was Gavriel, as it says, “but one man among them was clothed in linen, with a scribe’s slate at his loins.” This angel served three functions: scribe, executioner, and High Priest.

How can these sources be reconciled? Can an angel have only one mission, or can he have three? If you want to argue that, for whatever reason, Gavriel is different, the Midrash in Bereishis Rabbah proceeds to detail which angels were involved and which task each one had:

  מיכאל אמר בשורתו ונסתלק גבריאל נשתלח להפך את סדום ורפאל להציל את לוט.

  Michael said his news [that Avraham would have a son] and left; Gavriel was sent to destroy Sedom; and Refael to save Lot.

But if Gavriel can perform multiple agencies, let him do all three! Are we forced to say that these Midrashim are in conflict, or is there a way of reconciling them?

(I see that the Anaf Yosef to Eichah Rabbah asks this question, leaving it unanswered. He’s referenced in note 69 in the Artscroll edition, and the piece in question is written out on the Hebrew side on page ד, for those who want to see him inside.)


texts: Why wait to eat if it rains on the first night of Sukkot?

texts:
If it is raining on the first night of Sukkot, Rema Orach Chayyim 639:5 writes:

  לילה הראשונה צריך לאכול כזית בסוכה אף אם גשמים יורדין ויקדש בסוכה כדי שיאמר זמן על הסוכה

  On the first night, one must eat a kezayit [of bread] in the sukkah, even if rain is falling. One makes kiddush in the sukkah in order to recite shehecheyanu in the sukkah.

Mishnah Berurah 639:35 quotes opinions that do not allow one to recite the blessing of leisheiv basukkah under such circumstances. He therefore advises one to wait to recite kiddush (for an hour or two, or possibly even until midnight) because:

  פן יעבור הגשם דאם יעבור יכנס לסוכה ויברך ברכת לישב בסוכה ויאכל ויוצא בזה המ"ע לכו"ע

  Maybe the rain will clear, and if it does, he can then go into the sukkah, make the blessing of leisheiv basukkah and eat and thus fulfill the biblical mitzvah according to all opinions.

I don't understand why one needs to wait to eat. Why can't you make kiddush in the sukkah and simply omit leisheiv? Then eat the entire meal in the house (assuming one can obviate issues with kiddush bimkom seudah). Then wait as long as you can (perhaps until midnight) for the rain to stop, in which case you  return to the sukkah, recite leisheiv and eat a kezayit of bread. If the rain doesn't stop, then, before you go to sleep, simply eat a kezayit of bread in the sukkah in the rain, without leisheiv.

The advantage of this method is that this doesn't interfere with one's simchat yom tov (a concern Mishnah Berurah himself worries about in this very same paragraph.)

One issue I can see with this method is that you are reciting shehecheyanu during kiddush on the sukkah at a time when you may be exempt from the mitzvah. However, as Mishnah Berurah points out in his next paragraph:

  דאפילו אם נימא דפטור אז מסוכה מ"מ יוצא בזה דלא גריע ד"ז מאלו בירך שהחיינו בחול בשעת עשייה בסוכה דיוצא בזה

  Even if we say that one was exempt at that time [when he said shehecheyanu in the sukkah while it was raining on the first night], he has nevertheless fulfilled his obligtion. This is because it is no worse than had he recited shehecheyanu before yom tov when he built the sukkah, in which case one has fulfilled the obligation.


texts:
I'm using the example of a coma for this question, but there are plenty of similar examples that could follow the same structure.

Let's say someone goes into a coma, and begins recovering.  At a certain point, they have regained as much functionality as the doctors think they will get.  They are now at a new "status quo" of functionality below where they used to be.  The doctors don't expect them to progress any further.

The whole time they were recovering, people were davening for their full recovery.  Now that, according to the doctors, progress has ceased, should one continue davening for the person?


texts:
Simcha H. Benyosef wrote a book called 'The Light of Ephraim'

  Written as a series of counseling and teaching sessions between a
  troubled young couple and a mysterious Kabbalist, The Light of Ephraim
  is about self-growth, human relationships, and a quest for spiritual
  meaning.

I really enjoyed this book. What I liked most is how the author lets us inside a budding relationship between a master and his pupil. The dialogue, at times, had me convinced that I was the young man searching for answers and fulfillment.

Are there other books written such that they 'pull you into the conversation' in a story-like fashion while teaching?

This is not limited to Hashkafa/Mussar. Any topic in the master-student style is acceptable.


texts: PTIJ: Why do we want the Hobbit to return?

texts:
Why are we so focused on the return of the hobbit? Some were sent across the sea to get him (Kings I 8:43)

וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־נַעֲרוֹ עֲלֵה־נָא הַבֵּט דֶּרֶךְ־יָם - He said to his servant, "Go up to the hobbit by way of the sea

other times we ask for him to be sent from Heaven (Tehillim 80:15)

אֱלֹקים צְבָאוֹת שׁוּב־נָא הַבֵּט מִשָּׁמַיִם - Almighty please
return the hobbit from Heaven

and twice a week in Tachanun we plead for him

הַבֶּט נָא רַחֶם נָא עַל עַמְךָ מְהֵרָה - please [send us the] hobbit,
have mercy on your people!

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


texts: What is the difference between anger and hatred in Judaism

texts:
I see Kitsur Shulchan aruch 29.4,13 Regarding anger and hatred.

What is the difference?
Is anger the expression of hatred?
Sources please.


texts: Why is abstinence is important for Rivkah but not other foremothers or other Toranic female figures?

texts:
וְהַנַּעֲרָ טֹבַת מַרְאֶה מְאֹד בְּתוּלָה וְאִישׁ לֹא יְדָעָהּ ...׃ - The maiden was very beautiful, a virgin whom no man had known. Genesis.24.16

Why is the fact of sexual abstinence is important for Rivkah but not other foremothers or other Toranic female figures?
(Sorry, I intended to ask first, "What other women were mentioned in the Torah to be virgin?", please comment if needed).