texts: The beginning of the shabbat evening kiddush (vayehi erev, vayehi boker, yom hashishi...) is from Bereshit, 1:31 ff. Where does the second part (khi hu yom tehilah lemikraei kodesh...) come from? Is it also from the Torah?


texts: Why didn't Abraham ask the single best question?

texts:
Genesis 18:24ff:

  And Abraham... said: Will You [God] also cause to perish the righteous one with the wicked one?  ...Will You not spare the place for the sake of [say] 50 righteous ones in its midst? ...  [Or 45?  40?  30?  20?  10?]

God may even have gone below 10, but Abraham stopped asking.

Why didn't Abraham simply ask, "How many righteous people does there have to be in that place for you not to destroy it?"


texts: Why do we say Eishes Chayil on Friday nights?

texts: Eishes Chayil is indeed a beautiful song. But why do we say it specifically Friday nights (before Kiddush)?


texts: How much Hanaah (physical benefit) must one have of things prohibited as an Issur Hanaah (things forbidden for benefit) like milk and meat, Kiley HaKerem (certain grape mixtures), or Avoda Zara (idolatry), to be punished for such Hanaah?


texts:
The Bavli, Y'vamos 103 amud 2, quotes a b'raysa:

  [The verse says that, for chalitza, the woman removes] "his shoe". I'd think it must be his own shoe; how do I know it can be anyone's shoe? [The verse also says] "the shoe" [meaning] in any event. If so, what does it mean by "his shoe"? A shoe befitting him: excluding one so large he can't walk in it, excluding one so small it doesn't cover most of his foot, and excluding a m'soliyim sandal that has no heel.

The m'soliyim sandal is named after where it was used, or after the fact that it has no heel. In any event, how does the word "his" exclude a m'soliyim sandal? What is less his about such a sandal than about any other sandal or shoe?


texts: Who wrote "the traditional Conservative melody" to Adon Olam? It's the third recording on this page: http://zemirotdatabase.org/view_song.php?id=23#rec (you have to click "Load recordings" to see the list)


texts: How to adjust the knot on tefillin shel rosh? (single daled)

texts:
Sometimes the knot on the tefillin shel rosh needs to be adjusted, either due to growth, haircut, or borrowing a pair of tefillin.

How is that knot adjusted?
What piece of the retzuah (strap) should be pulled, in which direction? How would you make it bigger or smaller?

  This question is about the single daled knot. For the double daled knot, see this question.


texts: "Stay away from doubt" in Kiddushin - why not if you can?

texts:
This is an overview question on Halokhos of Kiddushin in general.

Many many ways of Kiddushin result in "Kiddushin in doubt" ("מקודשת מספק"). Examples:

Omitting "to me" in "Harei At Mekudeshet..." renders a marriage "in doubt" (Sho"A EH"E 27)
One who says to a woman, "You are hereby betrothed to me with this coin, from now and for after thirty days," and someone else came and betrothed her within thirty days, she is doubtfully betrothed to both of them. (ibid 40,3)
If he betrothed her with food or a vessel or something like this that is worth less than a perutah, she is doubtfully betrothed (ibid 31,3)

We know that we should make effort to minimize Mamzerim and illicit relations, therefore we should prefer rendering a marriage invalid in case of doubt, than declaring it "Married in doubt" and allowing further Mamzerim in doubt etc.

Another reason is to "Stay away from doubt" (Mishna Avot 1, 16).

We have two rules that would eliminate a great part of those doubts: one allowing the Sages to override Torah's rulings altogether (e.g. rendering Torah's "Kinyan Kesef" invalid), second to make use of "כל דמקדש אדעתא דרבנן מקדש" - All marriages are subject to Rabbinical approval. They could either render all cases of doubt as invalid a priori, or set clear rules for Kiddushin to eliminate the doubts. For example instead of doubting wether a woman understood what's been said and agreed to it, the Sages could demand from her to rise or clap her hands twice.

However they did not use it at all (only one case of Gerushin returning his Get).

Why?

I'm aware of the discussion on what Torah rulings the sages are allowed to render invalid (like "בשב ואל תעשה"), but many agree that, just like in Kinyan case, they could do it in Kiddushin.


texts: Does one say "Tzidkatcha" and "El Maleh" next Shabbat (or any 28 Elul that falls on Shabbat)?

texts:
ArtScroll and Birnbaum (Nusach Ashkenaz) siddurim state that tzidkatcha should not be said on a day when Tachanun would have been skipped had it been a weekday. I believe that similar instructions are indicated regarding saying "El Maleh" for someone's yahrtzeit.
On the rules for Tachnaun, these siddurim indicate that it is not said during Mincha on the day before such occasions.
My question, and confusion regarding the 2nd rule about "day before" aka Erev...
One of the days to omit Tachanun is Erev Rosh Hashanna, and Tachanun is not said during Shacharit either. Since the entire day of Erev Rosh Hashanna has no Tachanun, does that mean that the mincha of the day before that, which is "Erev Erev Rosh Hashanna" also omit tachanun, which, this year would translate to omitting both tzikatcha as well as El Maleh?


texts:
In relation to another question of mine Avraham a father of many

Bereshit 12:2-3 reads:
And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and be thou a blessing. And I will bless them that bless thee, and him that curseth thee will I curse; and in thee shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

How (in which way/sense) is it that Avraham would be a blessing, and how is it that in him all the mishpachat of the earth are blessed?


texts: Did all the spies stay together throughout the entire mission?

texts:
In viewing Rash"i on Bemidbar 13:21-22, it seems that the Torah lists things out of order unless it is describing "general" first and then "specifics".

In other words - in reading Rash"i on verse 21, he says that they started in the southeast corner of the land, and returned going south along the western border by the sea (Mediterranean).

Verse 22 says "They went up the Negev and he came to Chevron."

Since Moshe said "Go up the Negev and climb the mountain," (verse 17) I'm inferring that this is how the spies started their travels. If I infer correctly, it seems that at some point while travelling north, Calev separated (see Rash"i on verse 22) separated from the rest of the group, and he went to Chevron.

OK - then what? Did he rejoin them? Did the rest of them continue travelling northward and eventually Calev caught up, or did they wait for him to return from Chevron? And, in general, do we know if all the other tribe leaders stayed together during the whole mission, or did they split up (besides Calev) along the way, and then rejoined somewhere else?


texts: Mishnah on looking down while walking in street

texts:
I recall reading a Mishna that disparages one who looks down while walking in public and as a result bumps into obstacles. I believe the commentaries explained (Bartenura?) that his display of display of righteousness (avoiding looking at women?) is considered haughty.

Where is this Mishna? Or is it a figment of my imagination?

Thank you!


texts:
Which Rishonim held of shkia/tzeis according to the zman of Rabbeinu Tam?

Ive heard the Shulchan Aruch (rishon/acharon) held of it, did he pasken like for starting shabbos?


texts:
What does "mi yodeya" mean?
What does "mi yodeya" mean?


texts:
I've been considering getting my Orthodox Jewish friend who's learning to cook an Instant Pot as a surprise gift, but I'm not myself Jewish, so I'm a little lost here. If I want my friend to be able to cook both milk and meat dishes (as well as pareve, obviously), would I be safe in getting one Instant Pot with two different inserts? Or would it require a full separate Instant Pot?

(For reference, there is a write up of what an Instant Pot is here: https://www.digitaltrends.com/home/what-is-an-instant-pot/ )


texts:
I’m interested in Karaism, but from what I can tell, there are none in my native Australia. I’m not planning on visiting the Bay Area.

Does anybody know who and where the Karites are in this country?


texts:
The Syrian community has a Takkanah in place which bars conversion.  In addition to forbidding conversion under their own auspices, they also "Never accept a convert or a child born of a convert", as well as bar the children of intermarried couples from entering or marrying with the community.

This incredibly strong "Edict" has no parallel among current Jewish communities that I know of.  Is there any historical precedent for such an exclusionary doctrine?  Have any other communities in the past adopted a similar decree?


texts: Which rabbis in the Talmud were placed under cherem?

texts: Which rabbis in the Talmud were placed under cherem (excommunication)?  We know about Rabbi Eliezer Bava Metzia 59b and Rabbi Akavia ben Mahalal’el [Eduyyot 7b, but see discussion there].  Anybody else?


texts: Is there any issue with me running adverts on my app since I receive money when people click on the ads on Shabbos?


texts:
Is there an online (or downloadable) version of an Ashkenazic davening -- not chazzanut, just someone saying all the words to a weekday davening clearly and at a reasonable pace so someone davening can follow along?

The recording referenced in this question is not very clear, is more than a bit fast and I can't hear if the nusach is plain old Ashkenazic (Artscroll) or not.

I know that any generic version would have to be tweaked for variable specifics like the shir shel yom, or the inclusion (or exclusion) of mashiv haru'ach etc.


texts: How to pronounce the name of the sefer "Bnei Yso(s)cher"

texts:
How does one pronounce the name of the sefer בני יששכר ?

I've heard people pronounce both sins -- so it is Ysoscher. (There is also a common custom to pronounce the name יששכר with both sins the first time it appears in the Torah, and thereafter with only one sin.) But recently I heard someone pronounce the sefer Ysocher, with only one sin, the way it is usually pronounced in the Torah. So which is correct?


texts: I know this is a totally subjective and possibly meta question, but I will ask it anyways, in part to share my own.


texts: Yeshayahu 45:7 Does Rah exist because of the absense of Tov?

texts:
Question:
In my own words based on some commentary of Rabbi Hirsch Yeshayahu 45:7 reads: I form ohr (light), and create choshech (darkness); I make shalom (that what is whole), and create rah (that what causes division); I Hashem worketh all these things.

The antonym of light seems to be darkness, the antonym of shalom might be in this case rah. But in Bereshit it is said that the antonym of rah is tov. Are shalom and tov synonyms somehow? The Maharal in many places describes tov in terms of existence, and rah in terms of absence. Likewise I read that tov could be determined as functional and rah as disfunctional.

Did HaShem created rah as in 'He did made it directly', or did He not made it, but was it created by making shalom or that what we call tov (so that it could exist and HaShem adventually could be called the Creator of it)? Like darkness exist because of the abcense of light, and cold exist because the abcense of warmth.. could rah be the abcense of tov? Like Albert Einstein once said to a professor?

Choshech seemed to be there already when HaShem called the light.. how do I need to understand this? And how is it paralleled with the shalom and rah part of this verse?

What is rah, and how and when was it created?

Please help me out with these questions,
J.Levi


texts:
The ideal vegetable for maror is some kind of leaf and/or stalk; roots are distinctly inferior and may not count at all (Shulchan Aruch and commentaries, 473:5).

Being extra-strict about, and adding safeguards to, the prohibition of eating chametz is widely practiced and is approved of by the pos'kim. (Citation needed.) One example is that some people won't eat a fruit or vegetable without removing its outermost surface. Obviously that contradicts the preference for using leaves or stalks for maror (unless they use the interiors of stalks, which I suppose is possible, though difficult).

Do any authorities explicitly discuss the tension between these two ideals? What do they say people (with that stringency) should (or do) do for maror?


texts: What's a common blessing given to people at a wedding?

texts:
What is a common blessing given to the bride and groom when attending a Jewish wedding?

What is a common blessing given to the family and friends of the bride and groom when attending a Jewish wedding?


texts: Relationship between wearing a kippa and reciting a blessing

texts:
Before I started wearing a Kippa all the time, the people around me and I had the reflex to cover our head when saying the name of G-d or when reciting anything holy.

Since the mitzvah is to wear it at all times, then why would it matter more while reciting a blessing? Is there an additional ordinance to wear it while reciting Hashem?

If my Kippa fell and I recited a blessing without a kippa, would it matter more than if I walked around without one?


texts: How Does Ramban Understand Verse in Psalms About God's Pride?

texts:
In Tehilim 93:1

  יְהֹוָה מָלָךְ גֵּאוּת לָבֵשׁ לָבֵשׁ

which the Igeret HaRamban  brings as a proof that one who is proud dons the royal clothing of God, thereby "rebelling against His Kingdom".

In this context, what does it mean that God dons pride? Pride for what?


texts: Are there any responsa that encourage or require maintaining health insurance?

texts:
Are there any responsa in the literature that either encourage or require people to maintain health insurance, perhaps as a fulfillment of the obligation to guard one's health, or in line with any other commandments or Torah principles? Of course, this would mainly be relevant in a society in which expensive and effective healthcare is available for purchase (i.e. modern times) and not automatically, universally paid for by the government (e.g. in the United States, and to varying degrees, many other countries).
(Hat tip for the question to William Friedman.)
Related questions:
Is a person obligated to purchase life insurance?
Does the existence of insurance affect end-of-life Halacha?


texts: Did Samuel use holy anointing oil to anoint King Saul?

texts:
I thought the Torah says that the holy anointing oil is only for anointing priests. Is it the same oil that Samuel used to anoint Saul?

  Originally, the oil was used exclusively for the priests and the
  Tabernacle articles but was later extended to include prophets and
  kings (I Samuel 10:1). It was forbidden to be used on an outsider
  (Exodus 30:33) or to be used on the body of any common persons (Ex.
  30:32a) and the Israelites were forbidden to duplicate any like it for
  themselves (Ex. 30:32b).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holy_anointing_oil

If it's indeed the holy anointing oil, what justify Samuel's use on Saul?


texts: why don't we say "kol dichfin" before kidush

texts:
In the halachma anya of the Passover Hagada it says "Let all who are hungry come and eat".

Why don't we say this before the kidush?

Makes more sense that we should invite people before starting the kidush.


texts: So who is this "angel of the Lord" that call himself "the God of Bethel"?

texts:
There is only one God. So there is only one being in the whole world that can call himself God with the word "I".

Yet we have this malak Hashem repeatedly acting as if he is God himself.

  Appearances of the "angel of the Lord" are often presented as
  theophanies:[2] in Genesis 31:11–13 the angel of God says, "I am the
  God of Beth-el"; in Exodus 3:2–6 the angel of the Lord appeared to
  Moses in the flame of fire, and then the Lord says to him: "I am the
  God of thy father"; compare Genesis 22:11; Judges 6:11–22. At times
  the angel of the Lord speaks in such a way as to assume authority over
  previous promises (see Gen. 16:11 and 21:17). (source)

Let's take a look at that "I am the God of Bethel". Many things are problematic here.

One explanation is that the angel of Hashem is Hashem himself. If that's the case, we have problems. That's because the angel "appears" while Hashem can't be seen. Also that would suggest that Hashem incarnates as an angel.

Another is that the angel of Hashem is not Hashem. He should have said, "Hashem is the God of Bethel"

Anyway, with all those problems, who is that angel of the Lord? And why did he call himself the God of Bethel?

Note: this question is inspired by the boy Malak in the new Moses movie.


texts: Tefila (prayer) translation Hebrew to English

texts: Are there any websites of Hebrew-to-English translation of shacharis (morning prayer) for Shabbos? What I really want is the English translation to be right under the Hebrew text. Kind of like Artscroll's interlinear Siddurim.


texts: Brewing fresh coffee for Shabbos with a time clock

texts: May one prepare coffee ingredients in a brewer such as this one on Friday and set the timer to brew the coffee for 8:00 Shabbos morning?


texts: Is the English "YHWH" a valid equivalent to the Tetragrammaton?

texts:
What is the halachic stance on the Tetragrammaton transliterated into English as YHWH or Yawheh or Jehovah? Is it accurate to use the English letters YHWH as the Hebrew equivalent? We see this combination of English letters is very common these days but is it correct?

I've never heard any Orthodox Jew pronounce Hashem's name using these English letters.


texts: I have often heard Jews refer to Jesus as "Yoshke". Is the origin of that appellation based on halachic issues regarding mentioning names of foreign deities, or some other Jewish law or custom?  When was its first recorded use?


texts:
The day before Rosh Hodesh is considered like a "mini" Yom Kippur. (I understand that there are some months, I think before Tishrei and Nissan that do not have YKK? Correct me if I'm mistaken.)

Some congregations say Selichot and some sections that are similar to Yom Kippur Ne'ilah.

When did this minhag start? Why is the day before Rosh Hodesh considered like Yom Kippur? Do people who follow this minhag have to fast? Why or why not?


texts: May Kohanim visit Hayden Planetarium in NYC?

texts:
May Kohanim visit Hayden Planetarium in New York City? The planetarium in question is adjacent to the Natural History Museum. Issues in question are presumably sof tumah latzeit (the idea that the impurity will eventually leave, therefore rendering the exits impure) in conjunction with ohel (the idea that the roof might transmit the impurity from dead mummies and skeletons to the planetarium).

I am not familiar with the planetarium in question, but I believe that it has its own entrance, which might mitigate the issues involved.


texts: What are the two prohibitions, and why thank God after being bound by them?

texts:
It's well known that there are four main categories of persons who offer a korban toda (or say hagomel) to thank God, one of which is מי שהיה חבוש בב׳ האיסורים, someone who was bound by the two prohibitions.
What are the two prohibitions, and why does someone who was bound by them thank God?

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


texts: What is the source for not saying Hallel because it is a "hidden miracle"?

texts: I heard recently from a Rav that one reason brought not to say hallel on Yom Ha’atzma’ut is that even though (the reason-giver believes) there was a miracle on Yom Ha’atzma’ut, we don’t say hallel because the miracle was “hidden”. Unfortunately the Rav didn’t give a source for this reason. Does anyone know what the source is for this reason?


texts:
In Western European siddurim there are two pesukim before Kaddish Tiskabal. One from במדבר and one from תהלים. They are present in the Rödelheim/Sfas Emes, the Seligman Baer (page 150 in the pdf), and Sefas Yisroel (page 18 in the pdf), among others. My question about these pesukim is twofold.

What is the source (if any) for saying these pesukim?
Who says them? The kehila, or the shaliach tzibor, or both together?

Edit: None of the siddurim above have any instructions about these pesukim that I can find.


texts:
With what may we bind the aravos branches for Hoshano Rabboh?

Kitzur Shulchan Oruch 138 (2) says one should use leaves of the lulav. Is that all? How about a rubber band?


texts: Can someone make a neder [vow] not to have any benefit from the area near the exit of someone else's house while he is in that house?

texts:
If a person invites someone into his house, and the invitee makes a neder [vow] not to have any benefit [ מודר הנאה] from any area near an exit of his  host's house,  Is the neder valid. If so, can he leave the house, if he may not tread on the floor near the exit?

Is there any source in halacha which says that a neder which infringes on another person's rights is not a valid neder?


texts:
Segulah for Children?
What is a Segulah to have children?


texts: Animals v.s. human mum and tamim in offering

texts:
Regards animals it is said: Any [animal] that has a blemish (mum מום) you shall not offer up (Leviticus 22:20), and that it has to be  tamim (תמים - 22:21). While regards the kohanim who brought the offers also couldn't have a mum, but of whom it isn't said that they had to be tamim.

Why is it that a animal in the offering has to be tamim, but of a human in the offering this part is left out?


texts: What does AIN OD mean ? And do "AIN OD" and "AIN ACHER" mean the same thing?

texts:
In THIS SIDDUR There is are some differences in some of the words of Aleinu Leshabeach from what I am used to saying.

One of the differences is: Instead of the words "הוא אלקינו אין עוד  It says: הוא אלקינו ואין אחר  .

Is this just a different way of saying the same thing, or is this nusach saying something different than my nusach?

Do the words "הוא אלקינו אין עוד" mean He is our Elokim, and there is NO OTHER, meaning (just that) there is no other Elohim. As if it would say אין עוד אלהים - or does it mean "there is NOTHING ELSE, meaning nothing at all exists outside of Elokim?
If the first way is true than that siddur's nusach is just a different wording. But if the second way is the true meaning, than the nusach of that siddur is saying something else than I customarily say.


texts: Why not focus on halacha in elementary education?

texts:
From the Mishna B'rura's introduction to the rules of Shabas:

  …But by what means can we arrive at this level: that one keeps Shabas in all its details? The advice on this is that one urge himself to study the rules of Shabas and to review them always so he knows what's forbidden and what's permitted. Without that, even if he learns all the exhortatory things that urge one to keep Shabas properly, that won't help him.… [Rabbi Yonasan Eybeschutz] already assured us that it is utterly impossible in practice to be saved from committing a Shabas prohibition unless he learns all the rules very well.

I seem to recall a similar idea written about the rules of lashon hara — and, indeed, much the same can be said about many areas of halacha.

Considering that a twelve- or thirteen-year-old is obliged to follow all the details of halacha, it would seem, therefore, to behoove elementary-school teachers to focus on halacha to the extent that their students will retain it. Yet we don't find teachers doing so: halacha is relegated to perhaps four hours a week. Why is this?


texts: Where can I find a chart of the Mishna Yomit (daily Mishna learning)?

texts: Where can I find a chart of the Mishna Yomit (daily Mishna learning) - either online or offline?


texts: On the second day of Rosh Hashana, after reading about the akeda (and some other stuff), we read Yirm'ya 31:1–19 as the haftara: why this haftara?


texts: What is the machlokes between the Gra and Ba'al HaTanya?

texts: What is the famous argument between the Vilna Gaon and the Ba'al HaTanya in understanding the Sod HaTzimtzum? And what are some ma'areh mekomos in their works where this Machlokes is seen?


texts: Comparison of Lexica: BDB and Strong's Hebrew

texts:
Which has more entries, BDB or Strong's Hebrew?

Is there any known mapping between the two?


texts: An apparent contradiction in Ralbag's philosophical methodology

texts:
This discussion about Ralbag reminded me of an apparent contradiction in Ralbag's Torah/Philosophy methodology.

At the end of his introduction to Wars of the Lord ('מלחמות ה) he writes:

  The reader should not think that it is the Torah that has stimulated
  us to verify what shall be verified in this book, [whereas in reality]
  the truth itself is something different. It is evident, as Maimonides
  (may his name be blessed) has said, that we must believe what reason
  has determined to be true. If the literal sense of the Torah differs
  from reason, it is necessary to interpret those passages in accordance
  with the demands of reason. Accordingly, Maimonides (may his name be
  blessed) explains the words of the Torah that suggest that God (may He
  be blessed) is corporeal in such a way that reason is not violated.
  He, therefore, maintains that if the eternity of the universe is
  demonstrated, it would be necessary to believe in it and to interpret
  the passages of the Torah that seem to be incompatible with it in such
  a way that they agree with reason. It is, therefore, evident that if
  reason causes us to affirm doctrines that are incompatible with the
  literal sense of Scripture, we are not prohibited by the Torah to
  pronounce the truth on these matters, for reason is not incompatible
  with the true understanding of the Torah. The Torah is not a law that
  forces us to believe false ideas; rather it leads us to the truth to
  the extent that it is possible, as we have explained in the beginning
  of our commentary on the Torah. (Seymour Feldman translation.)

However, in Book 1 Chapter 14 he writes:

  If anyone thinks that religious faith requires a conception of human
  perfection different from the one we have mentioned because of certain
  passages about the Garden of Eden and Gehenna in various Midrashim,
  Aggadot, and statements of the prophets, let him surely know that we
  have not assented to the view that our reason has suggested without
  determining its compatibility with our Torah. For adherence to reason
  is not permitted if it contradicts religious faith; indeed, if there
  is such [a contradiction], it is necessary to attribute this lack of
  agreement to our own inadequacy. Hence, it is clear that someone who
  believes this [i.e., the view of the Torah] should follow his
  religious convictions. We, too, behave accordingly if we see that
  religion requires a different view from the one that our reason has
  affirmed. This is incumbent upon all the faithful; for if the door
  were open to any philosophical doubt with respect to religion, the
  religion would disappear and its benefits for its adherents would
  vanish. Moreover, [all kinds] of controversies and confusion would
  arise among the believers unless there is faith, and as the
  result of this, definite harm will come about. This fact should not be
  overlooked. This point that we have made here should be understood as
  applying to every other part of our book; so that if there appears to
  be a problem concerning which our view differs from the accepted view
  of religion, philosophy should be abandoned and religion followed. The
  incompatibility is to be attributed to our shortcomings. (Seymour
  Feldman translation.)

Can these two seemingly contrary approaches to the Torah/philosophy conflict be reconciled?

(Side question: In Chapter 14 the translator has a footnote explaining that in the introduction Ralbag gives a different emphasis. However, in the introduction he does not have a footnote explaining that in Chapter 14 Ralbag gives a different emphasis. Can this be taken as evidence that the translator felt that the introduction was the truer representation of Ralbag's view?)


texts: Where did the "different bracha for mishloach manos" idea come from?

texts:
Rambam and Shulchan Aruch say you can send two types of meat as mishloach manos on Purim.

Yet somehow I (and many other people, apparently) were taught that the two different items have to be in two different bracha categories.

If this is a halachic folktale, does anyone know where it came from?


texts: bracha when snorkeling/diving underwater and seeing a strange animal

texts: There is a bracha said when seeing strange animals (presumably on land and/or in the air). If you are under water and see a wondrous sea creature, do you 'think' the bracha, or mouth it, or do you wait till you reemerge to speak it?


texts: If a composer of a nigun is accused of a serious offense should his nigun no longer be sung?

texts: If someone who is well respected in the community writes wonderful inspiring nigunim that are used in tefila, and then allegations appear that the individual is suspected of, or implicated in, serious wrongdoing, should those nigunim continue to be sung?


texts: Reference to the sukkah in the Shabbat reading of Chol haMoed?

texts:
The Shulchan Arukh (OC 663:3) says that on Shabbat of Chol haMoed Sukkot (as with the Shabbat of Chol haMoed Pesach) we read from Exodus 33-34. This is learnt out from a baraita in Megillah 31a, although no reason is given. The Chofetz Chayim (Mishna Berurah, 663:8) says that it is because there is a reference to the sukkah within this passage ("שיש בה ענין סכה").

Where is the reference to the sukkah in Exodus 33:12-34:26?


texts:
The Gemara in the last Perek of Berochos (referenced by the last Rashi of Parshas Chukas)tells about the encounter of Moshe with the giant Og...

Moshe was ten Amos tall - (between 15-20 feet, based on the question of the size of an Amah) and he jumped ten Amos and hit Og's knee.

Does anyone take this literally? Obviously not, since all the picture books of the Parsha show Moshe as a normal sized person - not 2 or 3 times taller than the rest of the people.

On the other hand, if we do take this literally, perhaps all the pictures must be changed!

Do any Meforshim deal with this?


texts:
מונבז is mentioned in Shabbos 68b. I know there were two Kings of this name.

What is known about the Sage of this name?


texts: Any experience with Oz V'Hadar Mishna Berura Hamevuar Set?

texts: This is the set in question. Does it serve the purpose of being an all in one sefer to see other Poskim other than what's inside a Mishna Berura? How would it compare to the Dirshu? How about when compared to learning Mishna Berura along with Piskei Teshuvos?


texts:
What would be the halacha with regards to adjusting brand new crutches on Shabbos. Most modern crutches come with pins (see picture below) on either side which when pressed down can slide into the next set of holes and thereby be altered to the appropriate height.

So, within the realm of hilchos Shabbos, do we say since it was made to function like this there is no problem to do it on Shabbos as one is merely making it the right, functional height, or do we say that by adjusting is boneh (building) or is it 'makeh b'patish' (the final hammer blow) as you are making it fit for purpose and thereby turning it into a 'kli' - i.e. a bit like threading laces into new shoes (see Mishnah Berurah 317:18)
DISCLAIMER: I know this is a question for a LOR I am merely opening it up for discussion as a means to learn more about the subject matter and resulting Hilchos Shabbos.


texts: Can we hasten Moshiach's coming through the mitzvah of ואהבת לרעך כמוך?

texts:
In Jewish singer Meilech Kohn's song, "Veuhavtu", he expresses an interesting thought in the lyrics:

  .יעדער איינער דאווענט און בעט און מ'ווארט פאר משיח, ער וועט נאר קומען ווען מיר פארטראגן זיך

"Everyone prays and begs and waits for Moshiach; he will only come when we all get along."

This is a nice idea, however, I've never heard it expressed in any sources. Is there a source for this idea, that through the mitzvah of ואהבת לרעך כמוך we can merit Moshiach?

 By the way, an a capella version of the song can be found here from Ari Goldwag.


texts: Why was the division between Leviim and Israelim so clear cut when Moses called out for those who were with God?

texts:
When Moses declared that those who were with God should come to him, how could it be that A) No-one except the Levites joined him and B) Absolutely all the Levites joined him? Only the Levites remained on the side of God?

Even though we're influenced by what our peers think, we still have our own individual thoughts and actions. How could it be so clear cut that absolutely all the Levites joined Moses and none of the Israelites did?

Have their been any well known rabbinical discussions about this point?


texts: If one is not benching on a Kos is it forbidden to do so if a bottle of wine is not removed from the table?


texts:
Where are places in the Gemara (or anywhere else) that we see the way the מאירי holds when it comes to חזקה.
Preferably חזקה דמעיקרה but all sources are helpful. Thanks!


texts: When do ashkenazim follow the shulchan aruch and not the Rama?

texts: When in halacha do Ashkenazim follow the shulchan aruch and not the Rama and in which aspects ?


texts:
Is there any mention in Tanach of Angels have the ability to shapeshift into a human form?

I ask because Matthew Henry Commentary says:

  18:1-8 Abraham was waiting to entertain any weary traveller, for inns were not to be met with as among us. While Abraham was thus sitting, he saw three men coming. These were three heavenly beings in human bodies.


texts: Does the order of the Seder matter? So long as each mitzvah is performed internally properly (i.e., at least a kezayis of matzah is eaten at some point in the Seder,  all the required sections of Maggid are recited at some point in the Seder, bentching is recited at some point after the meal, but not necessarily immediately before Hallel, etc.), may one rearrange the order in which these steps are performed, or is there a requirement that they be performed in the order described in the Mishnah (Pesachim ch. 10)?


texts:
Inspired by Why was Hosea acceptable to the people if he took his adulterous wife back?

If one were to dream while sleeping of him or herself doing any sort of sin, is it a sin? (sources)


texts: Is there a tried-and-true formula for becoming a talmid chochom?

texts:
I'm sure there are many different ways to become a talmid chochom, and I'm also sure that what it took to become one 1,000 years ago is different than what it would take today. Furthermore I am leaving the term talmid chochom as undefined because it necessarily means different things to different people.

What I would like to know is if there is any regiment that is prescribed for someone nowadays that has been shown to frequently, successfully produce talmidei chochomim and if so what does it consist of?


texts: Why was the Book of Genealogies hidden away?

texts:
Related.
I read today an essay by Professor Shmuel Krauss z"l about "Sefer Yochasin" (the Book of Genealogies). He theorized that traditions such as the name of David's mother, the identification of Boaz with Ivtzan and many many more such traditions in the Talmud, Midrash and even some Targums may have been part of Sefer Yochasin, which was a baraita to explain and expound upon the genealogies of Divrei Hayamim (per Rashi).
In Pesachim 62b it says:

"Rami bar Rav Yuda said that Rav said the following about it: From the day the Book of Genealogies was hidden and no longer available to the Sages, the strength of the Sages has been weakened, and the light of their eyes has been dimmed, as the book contained the reasons for many Torah laws and lists of genealogies that are now lost."

My question is why was it hidden away? It seems like it contained important information, especially if Krauss's theory is to be accepted - bits of this information were certainly important enough to be included in the gemara! Especially as the gemara explains in Bava Batra 91a that this information was used when arguing with the minim about traditions of Judaism. If it was lost, why not write "מיום שאבד ספר יוחסין" ("from the day that the Book of Genealogies was lost...")?


texts: Is sign-language considered valid as "Targum"?

texts:
For fulfilling the mitvah of 2 Mikrah / 1 Targum, O.C. 285:2 says that if one cannot understand Targum, one may use Rash"i.

In viewing Mishnah Brurah commentary # 4, there's a suggestion on what to use if one doesn't understand Rash"i. The point appears to be that one needs to use something that he understands.

Later, in O.C. 285:5 he says that one who teaches babies is exempt from this mitzvah. Mishnah Berurah #16 explains that atthat time, the teachers would teach the babies the meaning of parsha and that counts as Targum. He doesn't explain which commentary he used, but, I'm inferring that it wasn't Targum and maybe it wasn't Rash"i, either. That's unclear. But, again, the point is that it was clear that he and the children had to understand what the Mikra was.

Thanks to @DoubleAA for pointing out (indirectly) this M.Y. answer that indicates that one must say "Targum" aloud. Most signers verbalize their signs. This may sound strange for readers that are thinking, "but they're deaf! What's the point?" There are various degrees of deafness. Many deaf people can hear something -- esp. cochlear implant wearers. But, they have trouble understanding what they hear. So, the sign language is a supplement. And, frequently, a signer is present at a mixed crowd. So, the purpose of the verbal is for the hearing people. In short, the signer IS saying things aloud.

So, with these ideas presented, would one be able to use sign language as a means of translation in place of Targum?


texts:
In Avoda Zarah 18a:

  The Executioner then said to him (Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon), 'Rabbi,
  if I raise the flame and take away the tufts of wool from over your
  heart, will you bring me into the world to come?' 'Yes,' he
  replied. 'Then swear unto me' [he urged]. He swore unto him. He
  thereupon raised the flame and removed the tufts of wool from over his
  heart, and his soul departed speedily. The Executioner then jumped and
  threw himself into the fire.

How could Rabbi Chanina ben Tradyon promise someone Olam Haba and furthermore with an oath?


texts: What is the difference between curses that would require changing lashon?

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In parshat Lech Lecha, (Bereishit 12:3) Hashem promises Avram that  וַאֲבָרְכָה, מְבָרְכֶיךָ, וּמְקַלֶּלְךָ, אָאֹר, And I will bless those who bless you, and the one who curses you I will curse.

Why does the language of curse change from k-l-l to a-r-r? In other places such as Ber. 27:29, the same k-l-l word is used and in Bamidbar 24:9 the a-r-r root is repeated. Why mix them here?

While I have found one reference (on Shmot 22:27) which explains a difference between the two

  Kalal is a curse that someone should lose his status, while arar is one that he should dry up and not have any blessing. Kalal is motivated by defiance, while arar is motivated by envy (Hirsch; Chothem Takhnith, p. 125). Some say that arar is a curse that one should be cast down (yarah) or shut out from divine light (or). (Yerioth Sh'lomo, Volume 1,3:13, p.88c).

This does not explain why one would change words in the middle. I checked many of the meforshim and they mostly discuss the order of curse/bless so I haven't seen anyone explain the mismatch of words.


texts: Can information be stolen without Dina DeMalchuta Dina?

texts:
As I know, theft means in the Torah always the stealing of a material thing. There is a big difference against stealing of information, for example, stealing software (which means, copying this against the will of its creator), or read books unauthorized, etc.

If somebody steals gold, an important feature of the crime, that its rightfull owner won't have this gold any more. In the case of information, it isn't the case. "stolen information" won't mean that its original owner won't have access to it any more.

Can we really talk about "information theft" in the case of software piracy? I think, it is actually not the theft of software, rather it means letting the programmers to work on it without payment. Similar to that, as if somebody cloned a cow without the permission of its owner, instead of making it to his own.

I think, it is a crime as well, but not theft. Am I right or not?

P.s. The essence of the answer on the possible duplicate explains this with Dina DeMalchuta Dina. My intention was to know this purely on the Torah Law, without the actual state law (which can consider this as theft, as a different crime, or not crime et al - it depends highly on the country).


texts:
When reading about the Kohen Gadol's 8 garments you don't see any mention of Tzitzit!

Is it mentioned anywhere if the Kohen Gadol wore Tzitzit?

I know that a man is only obligated to wear Tzitzit on a garment with 4 corners. However, we specifically wear a 4 cornered garment, in order to obligate us to wear Tzitzit, to show our love for the Mitzvah.

Shouldn't the Kohen Gadol, the representative of all Jewry be a leading example for all the Mitzvot?!


texts: Non-Jews praying with the Jewish community

texts:
I read a comment made on another question that regardless of how they are worded, blessings that are made in communal prayer can only be prayed by someone who is obligated to them.

The idea that non-Jews shouldn't make blessings for things that were commanded only to the Jewish people, or say lines referring to things like 'our ancestors', makes sense to me. These are important. But I've never come across the thought that gentiles can't pray more or less beside the community in the synagogue or in Jewish homes.

Are there any opinions or sources about this perspective? Even individual perspectives about what is gained or lost in either case would be meaningful to hear.


texts: Source of the term בכתמים שומעין להקל

texts:
In the halachos of Niddah, there is a term which I have come across not infrequently.  The term is בכתמים שומעין להקל, which roughly translated means "in [the halachos of blood] stains we listen to the leniencies."  The term seems to refer to a halachic principle that in these halachos we are more willing to be lenient like a minority opinion or an opinion which is not usually given such halachic weight.  I first encountered this term in the Shach, then saw it in the Rema, and subsequently saw it in the Rosh.  This is not a term which I have come across, as of yet, in any earlier source.

A search of Shas showed that the term does not appear in this form (H/T Shokhet). I am wondering where this term originates, and being that it is not from the Talmud, how the concept came to be accepted.


texts:
The bracha on a mushroom is "shehakol" because the Talmud (Berachot 40b) correctly (I think) states that mushrooms do not derive their nutrients from the ground.

If a mushroom is growing in a vineyard, does that constitute Kilaei HaKerem (forbidden mixture of plant species in a vineyard) considering that it is not growing from the soil? What if it is growing on a rock outcropping in the vineyard so that it isn't even touching the ground?


texts:
Sinas Chinam (baseless hatred) is often given as the reason why Moshiach hasn't come and we don't have the 3rd Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple).  Are there any sources for what we can do on a personal level and a communal level to help reduce Sinas Chinam and inspire others to follow suit?

Surely this is something we should all be prioritising.


texts: Reason for the Conservative driving teshuva?

texts:
When it was enacted, was the Conservative Movement's driving teshuva (the one that allowed driving to and from shul on Shabbat) designed for people who had already moved to the suburbs, far from synagogues, or for elderly synagogue members who became infirm and could no longer walk to shul?

Was the driving teshuva meant to bring back (or keep connected) the members who had already moved miles from any synagogue, or was it meant to encourage people to move to places distant from a synagogue?


texts: Is it considered a good thing that Lot's daughters slept with their father?

texts: In Bereishis 19:30-38 the story is told how the 2 daughters of Lot thought (for whatever reason) that they should sleep with their father. From the psukim themselves, it is unclear whether or not what they did is a positive thing. Are there sources that make it clear how to relate to what they did?


texts: Levi'im drinking from the ground-up golden calf waters

texts: Moshe made everyone drink from the ground-up golden calf waters (Sh'mos 32:20). Did he force the Levi'im as well?


texts: Praying at Amukah = Finding a mate. Since when?

texts:
Many people, I'm sure, have heard of the famous segulah for finding one's soulmate: praying at the grave of Yonasan ben Uziel in Amukah, Israel.

I'm not asking if this works, or why it would work, or if this is a valid form of hishtadlus, or if segulos in general work at all, or how they work.

All I'm asking is for the provenance of this (supposed) segulah. How old is it? How did it originate? Does anyone of note mention it?


texts: Davening mincha after shkia (during "bein hashmoshos")

texts:
I am familiar with the fact that  there is a maklokes between poskim if one may daven mincha after shkia during "bein hashmoshos" (however long or what time one holds that to be.) However the opinions on either side of the maklokes are not known to me. Between the Rishonim and Achronim who holds that a person may daven mincha bein hashmoshos and who holds one may not. All of course this being "b'dieved" since one should certainly do their best to daven before shkia.

(This is not a duplicate of another similar question because here I am asking for the differing opinions on both sides of the matter and their sources.)


texts: Why should Yitzchok have to give a brachah to the person whom he thought was Eisav, if he had wrongly suspected Yaakov?

texts:
In the ספורנו on בראשית כז:כג

שעירות - וַיְבָרֲכֵהוּ. עַל שֶׁחֲשָׁדו שֶׁהָיָה רָאוּי לִקְלָלָה, כְּאָמְרו "וְהֵבֵאתִי עָלַי קְלָלָה, (פסוק יב), וְכֵן  אָמְרוּ זִכְרונָם לִבְרָכָה: (ברכות לא) שֶׁהַחושֵׁד אֶת חֲבֵרו בְּדָבָר שֶׁאֵין בּו, שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְפַיְּסו, וְלא עוד אֶלָּא  שֶׁצָּרִיךְ לְבָרְכו...

Seforno Beraishes 27:23
[After Yitzchok felt the hands of Yaakov and found them to be] "hairy" - He blessed him. Because he [had] suspected him of being worthy of a curse, as it states (pasuk 12) "and I will bring upon myself a curse". And so have they [Chacamim] OBM said" That one who suspects another of something that he has not [done], must appease him. Moreover, the one who suspected him must bless him"...

Question: If Yitzchok originally suspected that the person who was standing in front of him was really Yaakov, and he was lying and calling himself Eisav, then the one whom he wrongly suspected and thought was worthy of curse was Yaakov and not Eisav. So why then, when he feels his hands and [now thinks that he] realizes his mistake and that he is really Eisav, should he give the Brachah to him [who he thinks is Eisav], and not to Yaakov whom he had wrongly suspected?


texts:
An interesting question has been posted on the signification of tallis' stripes : Stripes on a Talis

About stripes color the Rambam position's noticed as black being closer to techeiles color.
My question : what is the signification and origin of the white stripes worn for example by some mizrahi communities as Rav Ovadia Yosef shlita himself ?


texts: Why are the Pesach sacrifice and Brit Milah so closely connected?

texts:
During a Brit, last week, Rabbi Pesach Krohn mentioned how special it is when someone has a brit during Pesach as there is a close connection of these two events.

Indeed, I found these connections:

An uncircumcised person may not eat Korban Pesach (See Shmot 12:48)
Both mitzvoth seem to be the only two positive commandments for which
there is the punishment of karet if one does not perform them. (Mishna, Kereitot 1:1)
(Although, there is a Pesach Sheini allowed for certain
circumstances.) Refer to Breishit 17:14 regarding milah and
Bemidbar 9:13 regarding Pesach.
The Haggada quotes the 2 Mitzvos as being a zechus (merit) for our nation to enable us to leave Egypt as we lacked Positive Mitzvos (Yechezkel 16,6: “vo'e'evor alayich vo'er'eich misboseses bedamayich va'omar loch 'bedomayich chayi' va'omar loch 'bedomayich chayi,)

(I know that there are others mentioned in Tanac"h, so feel free to edit in, if desired.)

Why does the Torah place such a strong connection of these two items. I'm esp. interested in the 2nd connection that I mentioned, as to why these two mitzvoth are the only positive ones for which failure to perform gets karet.


texts: Tu b'Shvat Prayers by R' Yehuda Halevi (Gaon)

texts:
A number of years ago, they discovered in the Cairo Geniza a number of Piyutim and Prayers for Shemonah Esrei, to be included on Tu b'Shvat. I found this item listed on a Cairo Geniza database, but I'm looking for the actual text. Here is the Geniza listing: http://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/bibliographies/genizah/search?query=3882&queryType=TITLEID

I also found a "Rabbi Joyce Galaski" who translated the text into English, contained in a book called "Trees, Earth and Torah: A Tu B'Shvat Anthology". But I have been unable to locate the text itself online.

Does anyone have information on this text, or know where it can be located?


texts:
Heseiba (reclining) is a Rabbinic ordinance of the Passover seder intended to invoke the style of derech cherut ("the way of freedom" - associated with luxury/aristocracy).  Some Rishonim (medieval Torah scholars) opine that other mitzvot of the night are not considered valid without heseiba (e.g. the biblical commandment of eating matzah is not considered fulfilled without a concurrent, halachikally-valid heseiba; see e.g. http://www.koltorah.org/ravj/13-28%20The%20Mitzvah%20of%20Heseiba.htm).

Heseiba as commonly practiced generally consists of leaning slightly to the left in one's upright chair. However, the historical act of leisurely reclining-while-eating in the ancient middle east was much more dramatically distinct, consisting of reclining to the left with one's length more closely parallel to the ground. (See also: http://blogs.getty.edu/iris/reclining-and-dining-and-drinking-in-ancient-rome/ and http://sciencenordic.com/why-did-romans-recline-while-feasting )

Rabbi Yosef Dov Soloveichik is quoted as having required leaning upon some object in order to qualify as heseiba. However, do any halachic authorities discuss the shiur of the incline of heseiba? Considering that the modern prevalent practice is considered, if anything, uncomfortable, is the issue at all discussed in the context of the actual ancient rite of reclining-while-dining whether leaning slightly to the left in an upright chair qualifies as heseiba?

(I myself try to use a second [folding] chair with a pillow/cushion to accomplish something more comfortable that more closely mimics the old custom. I was wondering if the issue is raised at all in halachik works.)


texts: Why do we mention dreams during *Birchas Kohanim*?

texts:
I don't know how many sects actually do this, but some people have the custom to say a tehfillah which is all about dreams. In it we ask Hashem to make all our good dreams come true whether "...I have dreamed about others, or myself, or that others have dreamed about me...".

This Tehfillah is said during Birchas Kohanim on Yom Tov (not during a regular Shabboss in Eretz Yisroel). My question is, why do we ask about dreams of all things when the Kohanim are blessing us?


texts:
The Torah prohibits making certain images, (Deuteronomy 4:15-19). It includes males and females, animals, planets, and stars. It seems from these verses that a person's options when drawing the world around them are quite limited.

The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch, (S' 168), goes in to some detail, prohibiting, from what I can tell, drawing certain types of angels, the sun, moon, and stars, the full face, (two eyes, full nose) of a person.

Where can I find more information about this topic, specifically what sort of things one can and cannot draw? I'm not looking for rules about other art forms, such as sculptures. Are their particular prohibitions for drawing people from Tanach? if I want to draw scenes or characters from Tanach, are there any that I would have to skip, due to their involving angels, or the moon?

Thank you!


texts: tevilat keilim - ger toshav and meshumad

texts: Do keilim (eating utensils) bought from an artisan who is a ger toshav (observant non-Jew) require tevilah (ritual immersion)? Conversely, what if the artisan is a meshumad (Jewish idolator/heretic)?


texts: Sources that discuss possible Halachic issues with Video Games

texts:
For example, is there an issue with performing Issurim within a game?

Thanks!


texts: Response to Gambling and Poker for recreational enjoyment

texts: What are some of the modern day responses from Gedolim in the Jewish world on individuals who spend time gambling, playing cards etc., outside of a casino?


texts: Change of name in Megillat Esther from Hegeh to Hegai?

texts: In Megillat Esther, the Pasuk (2:3) says that Achashverosh gathered the girls and placed them in the women's house, and the one who guarded them was הגא (ending with an א and with a segol under the ג). In Pasuk 8, his name suddenly changes to הגי (ending with a י and with a kamatz under the ג). I assumed this was just a matter of grammar, since the second name has an אתנח under the word, which would normally change a segol to a kamatz. But I'm a little skeptical of that answer, since the last letter was also changed to a י. Is that also just a matter of grammar? If anyone has another explanation (sourced, please) to the change of name or can verify my own answer with sources, please do so.


texts: I've often seen people do magic tricks for their nieces, nephews or for children in general. To an adult observer, the trick is obvious - but to young children, it seems like real magic. Considering that it's permissible to perform "magic" for adults as long as it's only to entertain and impress the audience, is this allowed?


texts: Why does the Torah sometimes preface the avos with Elokei before each name but other times just once for the group?

texts:
In Shemos 3:6, the passuk says:

"וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֱלֹהֵי אָבִיךָ אֱלֹקי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹקי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹקי יַעֲקֹב וַיַּסְתֵּר מֹשֶׁה פָּנָיו כִּי יָרֵא מֵהַבִּיט אֶל־הָאֱלֹקים׃"
"I am,” He said, “the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” And Moses hid his face, for he was afraid to look at God. "

In Shemos 3:16, the passuk says:

לֵךְ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת־זִקְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם ה' אֱלֹקי אֲבֹתֵיכֶם נִרְאָה אֵלַי אֱלֹקי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב לֵאמֹר פָּקֹד פָּקַדְתִּי אֶתְכֶם וְאֶת־הֶעָשׂוּי לָכֶם בְּמִצְרָיִם׃
Go and assemble the elders of Israel and say to them: the LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, has appeared to me and said, ‘I have taken note of you and of what is being done to you in Egypt.

Why is it in passuk 6 the Torah has the word "Elokei" before each name, whereas in 16, it doesn't?


texts: I've read this re women drinking the havdala wine, though do women need to hear havdala at all? If they miss it, should they say the brachos themselves?


texts: Was the Sheiltot of Rav Achai Gaon ever translated?

texts: Does anyone know if the Sheiltot was ever translated into English?


texts: Does a convert mourn for a deceased parent?

texts: Since they are not considered as family and a "convert" goes as ben or bas Avraham would he or she mourn when their biological parent or parents pass away?


texts: A gift on condition that I could take it back

texts:
The Gemara in Kiddushin 6b says that one may not marry a woman with money given on condition that she return it afterwards, as it's like chalipin which is invalid for marriage.

Say that a man gives a woman money on condition that he has the right that if he wants to at some point in the future he has the ability to take it back. Would that be any different? On the one hand, at least for the foreseeable future, it remains the woman's. On the other hand, since the man has the right to take it back, perhaps it's the same as the Gemara's case.

What about a case where the man gives it to the woman on condition that it has the din of Nichsei Melug - he has the rights to use it and that which comes out of it, but it principally belongs to her. Since he gets some rights to it, is it the same as the Gemara's case? Or perhaps since he doesn't own the principle it would work? Is the machlokes about kinyan peiros k'kinyan haguf dami (BM 96a) applicable?


texts: Why are the last three verses included in the Megillah?

texts:
וַיָּשֶׂם֩ הַמֶּ֨לֶךְ אחשרש [אֲחַשְׁוֵר֧וֹשׁ ׀] מַ֛ס עַל־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְאִיֵּ֥י הַיָּֽם׃ וְכָל־מַעֲשֵׂ֤ה תָקְפּוֹ֙ וּגְב֣וּרָת֔וֹ וּפָרָשַׁת֙ גְּדֻלַּ֣ת מָרְדֳּכַ֔י אֲשֶׁ֥ר גִּדְּל֖וֹ הַמֶּ֑לֶךְ הֲלוֹא־הֵ֣ם כְּתוּבִ֗ים עַל־סֵ֙פֶר֙ דִּבְרֵ֣י הַיָּמִ֔ים לְמַלְכֵ֖י מָדַ֥י וּפָרָֽס׃ כִּ֣י ׀ מָרְדֳּכַ֣י הַיְּהוּדִ֗י מִשְׁנֶה֙ לַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אֲחַשְׁוֵר֔וֹשׁ וְגָדוֹל֙ לַיְּהוּדִ֔ים וְרָצ֖וּי לְרֹ֣ב אֶחָ֑יו דֹּרֵ֥שׁ טוֹב֙ לְעַמּ֔וֹ וְדֹבֵ֥ר שָׁל֖וֹם לְכָל־זַרְעֽוֹ׃

Thus concludes the Megillah. But what exactly do these verses add? The story was completed back in chapter 9. What do we gain by having chapter 10?

Already checked Torah Temimah, which just quotes the Gemara in Megillah as saying Achashveirosh was called as such for bankrupting the people, as recorded in 10:1. It's more of a drash explanation, though - is there a more pashut pshat one?

To that end I checked my Mikraos Gedolos, where the mefarshim seemed to focus on explaining the words and sentences rather than how it fits into the story as a whole. I could be missing something, or your Mikraos Gedolos might have different mefarshim than mine, so feel free to check my work.

Finally, I checked the Malbim, who asked the question and answers it by saying it's addressing how successful Mordechai was in his new position of power. Although he's addressing passuk aleph, it seems that it would be a more fitting comment to passuk gimmel. Plus, is that not already discussed back in 8:16?


texts: To say Kaddish if known the person has gone to Gan Eden

texts:
This story https://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/1819358/tzaddik-of-bnei-brak-appears-in-dream-to-fellow-kovno-ghetto-survivor-im-already-in-gan-eden.html

Got me thinking if it’s known that the person has gone to Gan Eden does those who say Kaddish need to continue saying it?


texts:
We know that shlucho shel adam ka'moso and that the shliach is an extension of person who sent him. However, is the shliach allowed to be paid? (ie if he's coming from medinas hayam to deliver a get, or to bring a korban on my behalf)

To extend a bit further- is one allowed to be paid for doing a mitzvah? (I would think not because you could be helping your friend out with a loan yet it would be assur for you to charge ribbis)


texts: "Your teeth are like a flock of ewes" -- why teeth?

texts:
Mesillas Yesharim (ch. 11) cites the interpretation of Medrash Rabba on a verse in Shir Hashirim:

  "שניך כעדר הרחלים," מה רחל זו צנועה, כך היו
  ישראל צנועים וכשרים במלחמת מדין.

  "Your teeth are like a flock of ewes" (Shir HaShirim 6:6). Why are the warriors of Israel compared to a flock of ewes? For the following reason: Just as a ewe is modest, i.e., its tail covers its private parts, so too were the warriors of Israel modest and principled during the war with Midian (see Bamidbar 31); i.e., they did not succumb to the temptations of the promiscuous Midianite women.

(Artscroll translation)

Why are "teeth" a reference to "the warriors of Israel"?


texts: Circumcision for conversion of someone whose male genitalia have been removed

texts:
Let's say a non-Jewish male has had his genitalia removed through some accident or medical procedure (e.g. for the purpose of gender transition).

If that person later decides to convert. How is bris milah performed? Does he need it at all?

In the case of convert has already had a milah done prior, we perform Hatafas Dam Bris, wherein the Rabbi draws blood from the milah. However, in this case, there is no genitalia present from which to draw blood. How is this case to be dealt with?

Does the fact that the genitalia are no longer there distinguish this case from the question of a convert who can't have a circumcision for medical reasons?

Does it make a difference whether the removal was accidental or volitional?


texts: Should the bracha for toiveling be repeated for subsequent immersions in a toiveling "session"?

texts: If one is immersing multiple kelim in a toiveling "session" does the bracha need to be repeated for each immersion or can the bracha be said once at the start? Also, if one is toiveling a kli that is doubtful whether or not it requires immersion (such as pottery) must it be immersed with something certain in that particular immersion or is it enough that other items which we know must be toiveled were also toiveled in the session with the bracha?


texts: If a Cohen slept with non-Jews, may he marry a Jewish woman who has done the same?

texts: Suppose a Cohen is dating a Jewish girl, and both parties have had relations with non-Jewish people. Normally, a woman who's had relations with non-Jews is forbidden to a Cohen. Does the fact that he had relations also with non-Jewish people remove his Cohen sanctity and permit them to each other or can they not get married?


texts: Are there any chapters or verses in the Book of Yehoshua that allude to Torah SheB'Al Peh?


texts: Does a man with long-hair need to become a nazir

texts: Is there any issue with a man having long hair if he isn't a nazir, or its necessitating him to become one? Long hair is here defined as shoulder-length or longer.


texts:
When praying with the siddur and reading Torah, I've asked myself why is the word כל written with Kamatz if it sounds Kol and not Kal. I've also seen other words like this, but with less frequency. Why does the Kamatz sometimes sounds like an O (a completely different vowel)?

*I don't live in the US, so my pronunciation may vary. For example, I pronounce Shabbat with the same a sound as far.


texts: "Think about love for fellow Jews before praying" - source?

texts:
At the risk of being a guessing-game, I thought I had read that before starting prayers (the beginning? The Amida?), one should take a minute to think about the mitzvah to have love for fellow Jews.

Any source for this?


texts: Why does the Chumash have to explain what "thirst" means?

texts:
In Parshat Eikev, Moshe recounts all the challenges of the time in the desert. In Devarim 8:15 we read,

  15.Who led you through that great and awesome desert, [in which were] snakes, vipers and scorpions, and drought, where there was no water; who brought water for you out of solid rock

(that's from the Chabad site -- the Schottenstein has "thirst" instead of "drought")

Why does the text have to explain that "thirst" (or "drought") comes when/where there is no water? In Bereishit 37:24, the additional statement "and there was no water in it" is explained by some to mean "but there were snakes in it". But in Devarim, the presence of snakes and scorpions is stated explicitly.

So why does the pasuk have to explain that there was no water, after already stating that there was thirst/drought?


texts: What if somebody says the Shem Hameforash?

texts:
Suppose I am having a conversation with a person who is unfamiliar with Jewish tradition, and the person casually attempts to pronounce the Shem Hameforash according to its letters, as some secular historians do. Should I utter a response of some kind, such as ברוך הוא וברוך שמו οr ברוך שם כבוד? Does it matter what the attempt sounded like?

Related and Related


texts:
Who knows three hundred twenty?
?עשרים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע
In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 320.
Let the lips of the Kohanim remain free of lazy gematria.
Check out mi-yodeya-series for the previous three hundred nineteen entries in this ongoing series.
Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.


texts: Where in the Jewish scriptures and law can praise for abstract thinking be found? Presumably this has something to do with why so many Nobel prize winners are Jewish. Thanks.


texts: A member of my shul, scientist who was on the short-list to win a Nobel a couple of years ago, made an interesting point about his own ethical issue. As a scientist involved in biology, professionally, he must assume the existence of biological evolution, and this conclusion is apparent in the papers he writes which discuss how cell biology and behavior evolve over an observable amount of time. On the other hand, he religiously believes that the Torah's account of creation is the truth, although perhaps not literal in all respects. He wonders whether by adopting as true previous science concerning evolutionary biological development, his work directly conflicts with Judaism's fundamental tenets.  He has his own rationale, but are there responsas that address this issue for scientists? I note that there have been some pretty amazing rabbinic scholars who were also scientists, Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan (a physicist), for one. So I would imagine there must be something. Among the issues I wonder about is whether the rabbis would consider this scientists' representations as being ganeives daas (improper deception).


texts: Can someone else cut your fingernails on the "wrong" day?

texts:
There are many discussions of when the fingernails can and cannot be cut according to halacha and minhag. It is very hard to ascertain anything coherent from this information, other than that Friday is the best day to cut them, and that many other days may be prohibited.

Is it acceptable, however, to have someone else, such as a manicurist, cut your fingernails for you on the "wrong" day? Does it matter if the person is Jewish or not? Please bring a source.

Related: Can a Jew cut a non-Jew's nails consecutively?


texts: Halachic limitations on testing Hashem with Tzedaka

texts:
THe Gemmorah (Taanis 9a) discusses the idea of testing Hashem with charity/tithes and brings proof from Tanach (Malachi 3,10) - you give your charity and Hashem maximizes your "earnings":

  אשכחיה ר' יוחנן לינוקא דריש לקיש אמר ליה אימא לי פסוקיך א"ל עשר תעשר א"ל ומאי עשר תעשר א"ל עשר בשביל שתתעשר אמר ליה מנא לך א"ל זיל נסי
  אמר ליה ומי שרי לנסוייה להקב"ה והכתיב (דברים ו, טז) לא תנסו את ה'.
  א"ל הכי אמר רבי הושעיא חוץ מזו שנאמר (מלאכי ג, י) הביאו את כל המעשר אל בית האוצר ויהי טרף בביתי ובחנוני נא בזאת אמר ה' צבאות אם לא אפתח לכם את ארובות השמים והריקותי לכם ברכה עד בלי די...

  is it permitted to test the Holy One, Blessed be He? But isn’t it written: “You shall not test the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 6:16)? Rabbi Yoḥanan said to the boy that Rabbi Hoshaya said as follows: It is prohibited to test God in any way, except in this case of tithes, as it is stated: “Bring the whole tithe into the storeroom, that there may be food in My house, and test Me now by this, said the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven, and pour out for you a blessing that there shall be more than sufficiency”

Shu"A Yo"D 247:

  הצדקה דוחה את הגזירות הקשות וברעב תציל ממות כמו שאירע לצרפית:
  הגה: והיא מעשרת ואסור לנסות הקב"ה כי אם בדבר זה שנאמר ובחנוני נא בזאת וגו' (טור מגמרא פ"ק דתענית) וי"א דוקא בנתינת מעשר מותר לנסות הקב"ה אבל לא בשאר צדקה (ב"י דכך משמע מש"ס שם)

What are the contemporary limitations to testing Hashem with charity:

Starting the test - hould one advertise it or it's forbidden to advertise, should it be in writing, or saying or thought is enough?
How long should one wait until rendered as a success/failure?
What can be considered as a success - should I get back what I gave or multiplies of it?
How many times can one test Hashem - on a daily basis, weekly, monthly or less?
(Probably a completely different question) What's the point of testing Hashem if there are tens of other Hashem's considerations for providing one's Parnasa (like מזונותיו של אדם קצובים לו מר"ה לר"ה)?

A related question: "does-promising-salvation-in-return-to-a-donation-border-on-fraud".


texts: Did Depression-era U.S. high-school boys attend Jewish schools?

texts:
I'm reading Chaim Potok's The Chosen and have come across (in chapter 1) the claim that, during the Great Depression, in Brooklyn,

  [e]very Orthodox Jew sent his male [high-school-age] children to a yeshiva, a Jewish parochial school, where they studied from eight or nine in the morning to four or five in the evening… Hebrew studies in the mornings and English studies in the afternoons.

Is this true? My impression — though I'm not sure on what it's based — has always been that most, or, at least, many, Orthodox Jewish boys at that time attended public school and got Torah education after school (often at a "talmud torah" designed just for this after-school purpose).


texts: What are the rules for ain mukdam umeuchar?

texts: Sometimes we say that things in the Torah are not in chronological order. What are the parameters for this? do you need to have a mesorah (particular tradition) for this? Is there a list of all 'officially non-chronological events' that are agreed upon by all?


texts: What's the problem with looking at a wicked person? And who does it apply to?

texts: Why does Jewish tradition  (the Talmud ) say that it is forbidden to look at the face of a wicked person? Does it apply to looking at a picture of a wicked person?  And how wicked does a person have to be told be included in that category ? Are we talking about Hitler wicked or even a neighbor who speaks loshon harah or tasks during davening?


texts:
In some countries people like to eat animals that are still alive (e.g. dancing squid / octopus).
Clearly these animals are not kosher, but it is also possible to eat kosher-types fish that are either still alive, or that may appear to be alive (e.g. still moving).

1) The Noahide laws (when translated to English) prohibit eating flesh taken from an animal while it is still alive. But, are fish considered to be animals in this case?
2) According to my research, the act of removing fish from water qualifies as slaughtering them. But, removing fish from water doesn't actually kill it.

So, is it kosher to eat a live fish? There's a mention that it is kosher here: Why do Fish not need Shechita? , but there's limited discussion on the matter.

edit- to restate my question: Is it kosher to eat a live fish?


texts:
According to Wikipedia, the Meiri was rediscovered in modern times. I assume that means in the 20th century or so.

However, Hebrewbooks has a copy of the Meiri from 1795. I don't know if that was the first print, but even that gives quite a few years for it to have found its way (or at least discussed) in "mainstream psak" (meaning not Chazon Ish  generation but Rabbi Akiva Eiger/Chasam Sofer generation).

When was it actually discovered, where there any "early" discussion as to its validity and was it quoted by 19th century poskim?


texts: Return item at supermarket (consumer's fault?)

texts:
Say I buy a food item at a supermarket and later discover it was opened. I then am unsure whether I opened it or not. Is one allowed to return it if there is doubt (one is not completely sure) that one may have forgotten and opened it?

A second example is say I buy an item that I believe to be kosher. I then realize it is not kosher after opening it but just before eating it. Is one allowed to return this item as well or should it just be thrown out because it was the fault of the consumer for not being more careful?


texts: What Torah verses (and Talmudic chapters) provide the basis for banning women rabbis?

texts: I am trying to find the logical basis for why women cannot be Rabbis in most Orthodox communities. Some people seem to pin it on "Tziut" but there doesn't seem to be a clear biblical basis for that concept. Others point to the general distinction between men and women in Gen 2, but that also doesn't explain anything. Can anyone help point me for places to start?


texts: How to dispose of properly old Haggadot?

texts: I've inherited some old Maxwell House haggadot, from the 1980s.  They're in perfect condition, but we simply prefer more modern styled ones now.  What would be a proper and respectful way of getting rid of them?  Some very nice, creative haggadot have come around in recent years that I'm very fond of, and at this point, I prefer these over the old standards.


texts: Trying to Understand the Riddle of Bar Kappara

texts:
Bar Kappara (possibly Eliezer haKappar, possibly his son Shimon) was a tanna who was known, within the Talmud, for his unusual antics and unchecked speech. In Nedarim 51a, he causes Rebbi to laugh out loud by placing a basket upside-down on his head, while rash words in Moed Qatan 16a cause Rebbi to rebuke him. He is rebuked by Rebbi in more than one place in the gemara, but the most intriguing is in the Yerushalmi's gemara to the same mishna in Moed Qatan.

There (Moed Qatan 3:1, 81c), the Yerushalmi has him delivering a riddle to Rebbi via Rebbi's unlearned son-in-law. The context, we are told, was that a group of sages were asking learned questions of Rebbi, and Bar Kappara told Rebbi's son-in-law (Bar Elasah) that he should ask something too. When Bar Elasah related what Bar Kappara told him to ask and Rebbi saw Bar Kappara grinning, he rebuked him strongly.

Here is the text of Bar Kappara's riddle, as delivered by Bar Elasah. What follows is my own attempt at a translation:

  שאול משמים נשקפה הומיה בירכתי ביתה מפחדת כל בעלי כנפים ראונו נערים
  ונחבאו וישישים קמו עמדו הנס יאמרו הו הו והנלכד נלכד בעונו

  Ask the following: "From heaven she gazes, pining in the corners of
  her house. She terrifies all winged creatures. Young men saw us (?)
  and concealed themselves; aged men rose and stood to attention (?).
  Oh! Oh!, they cry. He who is caught is caught in his transgression."

My translation is probably pretty awful: I can't figure out what to do with ראונו (they saw us??), nor how to understand הנס if it is qualifying עמדו. But most importantly, I have absolutely no idea what this passage means, nor why it was offensive to Rebbi.

First of all, I would very much appreciate it if somebody could correct my translation, either by breaking the text up differently or showing me where my understanding of any word within it is wrong. And secondly, if anybody knows of a good peirush on this text, or has their own interpretation as to what it means, that would be lovely.


texts: Which Raban Gamliel was in the first mishnah of masechet berakhot?

texts:
Who was this Raban Gamliel in the first mishnah of masechet berakhot?
Raban Gamliel I?
Raban Gamliel II?
Raban Gamliel III?
Are there some books who could help me to find the historic part of the Mishnah? like dates and things like that.


texts: How many stones did Yackov take to sleep on and what are their significances? (Genesis 28:11)


texts: Status of an elderly pet on Shabbos/Yom Tov

texts: My dog passed away just short of her 19th birthday, which is very geriatric in dog terms. I believe she would have been the equivalent age of a human in their 100s. She was blind, deaf and arthritic, but still quite vibrant until her last few weeks. She needed help to move around and was the topic of a great dispute at home regarding how much you could manoeuvre her around on Shabbat and holidays to help with her feeding, drinking water and bodily functions. To this day, I will regret being told I could only just push her with a foot or some other method to move her and regret not being allowed to pick her up and cuddle her on Shabbat and holidays in her last failing year. None of the activities were "playing" but in the realm of "caring for" and "comforting." Blind and deaf, she needed to be touched to feel safe. What would be the halachah in this instance?


texts: Especially in this week’s Parsha, shelach, but also throughout all of tanach, how are we to understand the statement כל עדת בנ״י and other similar statements referring to the Jewish nation as a whole? Does this refer to a simple majority? What is the threshold of people that would warrant the torah describing the entire nation as acting or feeling a certain way, or saying something?


texts: Difference between munach legarmei revii and gershayim revii

texts:
Is there any grammatical difference between a munach legarmei before a revii and a gershayim before a revii?

For example, the first words in Bamidbar 16:17 and 16:18 are very similar (וקחו/ויקחו איש מחתתו), but one has a munach legarmei and one has a gershayim.  ויקחו has an extra syllable, but it's not obvious to me why (or if) that causes this change.

If there's no grammatical reason, I'd accept a drash explanation, but preferably it should be simple enough that I can remember it and apply it when I'm leining, if necessary.  Also, I'm looking for a general explanation, not something specific to these pesukim in Korach.


texts: What is the status of water used for Kashering?

texts:
If one kashers a pot by boiling water in it (and throwing rocks in so it overflows) or kashers silverware IN a pot, what is the status of the water afterwards? [I see that water can acquire some different status after certain uses, but I don't know if kashering is one of those situations]

Is the water totally useful or has it, by effecting a kosher status after touching the non-kosher surfaces, somehow taken the non-kosherness (if that's a thing) away so it shouldn't then be used? Is water constantly "self-kashering"?

L'ma'aseh, if I took my pork pot, wash it, wait a few days, then boil water and rocks in it, and, as it is boiling, throw some eggs in or some soup makings? Or should I dump the water and start fresh with a clean pot?


texts: Digital Zmanim Displays from Bee Zee Systems

texts:
I noticed digital zmanim displays in many synagogues from Bee Zee Systems and I would like to get a break down of the cost associated with installing such a system.

I contacted Bee Zee Systems and I was told that such a system would cost about $4,000 however I was not able to get specific details about the cost - how much of the money goes towards hardware, how much goes towards software and is the software cost a recurring fee or a one time fee (assuming a 60 inch screen). When I tried getting in touch with them again they would not answer my question without making me jump through hoops.

If anyone can provide a detailed breakdown of the costs it would be enormously helpful.

Thanks

Note: For all those who think this is a duplicate of the other question please re-read both questions.

I am specifically asking for a breakdown of the cost of installing this product. I already know the general cost (in fact it's already in my question). The other question primarily wants to know which companies produce such systems. As far as the cost - it does not ask for a breakdown of costs. Moreover, there is no answer regarding the cost of this system at all (not in general and not a breakdown). Please re-open this question.


texts: Source for women being on higher spiritual level?

texts: What is the source for the concept that women are on a higher spiritual level to start than men?


texts:
How come Sepharadim do not "fall on their faces" during Tachanun as Ashkenazim do, if the prayer is called "nefilat apa'im" (literally the falling of the faces)?

The Shulchan Aruch seems to hold of the practice of literally putting one's face down in O"C 131:1


texts:
Korach had "250" on his side. How many did Moshe/Aharon have on their side?
What do the rabbis say?
The other side of the coin:
How many "Elders of Israel" (Bamidbar 16:25) were among the "250" men that sided with Korach?


texts: Sources for Jewish Education system today

texts:
The western educational system (to the definition of western that includes Japan) today, especially in the United States, but also in other western industrialized countries is an adaptation of the Prussian education system. It seems that modern Cheder/day schools almost uniformly follow this kind of system, with characteristics like different teachers per student year, students divided by age groups, centralized curriculum, dictation and memorization focus, written tests and grading and similar characteristics. My observation is that this is true even in schools that do not teach any secular subjects.

Some religious schools branch out into other secular education ideas, such as Montessori, etc., again following the lead of the school and class structure of the secular world.  A distinctively Jewish approach (chavrusa, zal, etc.) to learning doesn't seem to emerge until high school age or later.

However, the Talmud seems to describe a different system, focused on single teachers that last with the students for many years, and the Rambam (who even describes specific parameters of a school day and a school year differently than the current practice) seems to indicate the same thing.

Does anyone discuss this, and how appropriate the current system is vis-a-vis traditional practice and Halacha?

Has anyone tried to establish a school more modeled on how it "used to be done" (to however they understand it) before the general Prussian influence and establishment of secular public education?

[That may seem like two questions, but the second one is really to help the first - if someone tries such a thing, they will state their agenda and reasons behind it.]


texts: Does breast milk make vessels non-kosher or milchig?

texts:
I understand that breast milk is kosher only for babies and is traif for adults. But does breast milk make other vessels non-kosher? For example, if I put a spoon, knife or fork in the breast milk, or cook the breast milk n a pot, can I use it for myself?

If these vessels are not traif at all, are they milchig or parve?


texts: How does one create a mikvah in a region without precipitation?

texts:
How does one create a mikvah in a desert?
(IOW, it never rains or snow here).

This is not quite theoretical - IIUC, it is a real problem in, say, some parts of Egypt.

PS. The source of drinking water can be a long aqueduct or a deep well...


texts: Why was Judah named that: doesn't the name hurt Rachel?

texts:
According to Rashi (Genesis 29:35), Leah thanks Hashem after having Yehuda, because she received more than her lot, and that is why he's called Yehuda.

This Rashi always bothered me. If I sue my friend Jim and I make $10 million, isn't it wrong of me to build a $10mil mansion and call the house "Jim"? I would never make any mention of it because I took something from Jim.  Isn't this rubbing it in? Should she not have instead been quiet to herself and counted her blessings internally? And perhaps even felt bad that she took a child from Rachel?


texts:
Ok, this is a little lighthearted but so be it.  I am curious why I can't find the answer to this online.

I was once told by someone involved with a nationwide kashrus organization that Pepperidge Farm Goldfish are specifically not given hasgacha as a gezeirah, so that children won't think real goldfish are kosher.  (This presumably isn't an ingredient or production issue, as 95 of their other products are under supervision.)

I've always assumed this was common knowledge and I remember talking with friends about it, because you can certainly buy Beigel and Beigel goldfish in Israel.  But I was talking to my wife and the principal of our day school about it and neither one of them had ever heard this explanation.

I assumed "everyone" knew this but apparently not.  Does anyone have a "source" for this?  (E.g., an article in Kashrus Magazine?) Has anyone else ever heard this before?

I'll edit this, given Fred's correction below.  Apparently goldfish, being carp, are indeed kosher, although please keep them out of my gefilte fish.  So, forgetting my narishkeit above, I'm left wondering why those of the Pepperidge Farm variety aren't kosher.


texts: Evolution of Simchas Torah Night reading

texts: I was in a situation this year, where I was the Torah Reader for the Simchas Torah Day, but wasn't sure if they wanted me for the evening. It's a long walk for me. Anyway I was looking at what is read at night, and saw mention of Torat ha Musar. I beleive many communities do not read at all Simchas Torah night. So was wondering how it evolved from Torah Ha Musar to the practice of reading from ViZot HaBracha, 3 Aliyas.


texts:
Would a today's bedroom have a status of the bathroom that Rav Moshe (Igros Moshe YD3 bottom of page 282 - 283. Even though it is not a Halachic requirement per se, there are still actual gedarim for a midas chassidus) permitted one to change in without keeping himself covered (He didn't even permit a bathroom that doesn't have a shower/bath because it is not set aside for nakedness. I was just wondering if nowadays we would consider a bedroom equal to a shower room)?

Meaning: Since a bedroom is set aside for changing maybe it should have a similar permissive status as the bathroom. Since a bedroom is set aside for changing a shirt, pants, skirt, blouse etc maybe it should be permitted to change in a bedroom - at least if the person will NOT remove his/her undergarments which a bedroom is not set aside for.


texts: Where are the last fourteen of the 49 curses in Bechukosai, Rashi only lists 5 sets of 7?

texts:
Rashi in the beginning of pashas Netzavim writes, that there are 49 curses in parshas Bechukosai - ["besides the forty-nine that are contained in Torath-Cohanim"] . When you go through the Rashi in Parshas Bechukosai, you find that he only enumerates 5 sets of 7, [they are: set 1 = pesukim 16-17, set 2 = 18-20, set 3 = 21-22, set 4 = 23-25, set 5 = 27-32] which equal 35? What and where are the missing curses?

[This question is different than What are the 49 curses and the 98 curses?, since I am only looking for the last 14 curses in Bechukosai.]


texts: How to interpret ומשביע לכל חי רצון

texts:
The possuk said multiple times a day in ashrei (psalms 145:16) says

  פותח את ידיך ומשביע לכל חי רצון

Every so often, I see people who are utterly destitute come and ask for money in local shuls. I find it hard to believe that his רצון is satiated.

So I asking how to interpret this possuk - either you find a different explanation or tell me that my understanding of the world is wrong. Any ideas?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Who is the voice of Tosafoth?

How much do we know about which specific people wrote which comments of Tosafos?


texts: Can food or drinks be Kosher without an Hechsher?

texts: Say i pick up a drink in a gas station and i know that all the ingredients are Kosher, can i drink it? Or do i have to be Concerned for Beliyos from the non-Kosher machinery (Perhaps they get batel beshishim)?


texts: What are the knowledge requirements for an aliyah?

texts:
In Midrash Tanhuma Yitro 15, we read that Rabbi Akiva was called to "read the Torah" (לִקְרוֹת בְּסֵפֶר תּוֹרָה) before the congregation, but refused "because I have not reviewed the chapter two or three times, and no one is permitted to recite the words of the Torah until he has reviewed them two or three times by himself."

Now, was he called upon just "to read", in Hebrew with the proper vowels and cantillation, or should we also assume he was asked to give a dvar Torah on the portion?

I am asking: Can we accept an aliyah if we can read from the scroll, in Hebrew with the proper vowels and cantillation, but may not understand in depth what we are reading, with its many levels of meanings and associated commentaries?


texts:
The arm tefilla has one compartment and one parchment and the head tefilla has four.

Let's say someone has only one type available. He has two head tefillin or two arm tefillin. In such a situation, may one place the head tefiila on his arm or arm tefillah on his head? Or should he wear only one tefilla - whichever is the appropriate one for that body part?

(Assume that the strapping is done correctly.)


texts:
Who knows thirty-five?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. After about one business day, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts:
In respect to tovelling dishes in the snow, this discussion concludes that who knows what the Shulchan Aruch holds, but the Rema allows such a practice in times of need.

But just how much snow? After all, water expands when frozen. Must one use a mikveh of 40 se'ah of water, which could be as much as 800 se'ah of snow depending on how densely packed it is, or can one use a mikveh of 40 se'ah of snow, even though that's much, much less than 40 se'ah of water? That is, once we've said that snow is mutar b'sha'as dechak, does this mean it has to contain the same amount of water as a normal mikveh, or the same volume as a normal mikveh?


texts: Is it permitted to wear leather belts on Yom Kippur?

texts: Does the prohibition of leather on Yom Kippur only apply to shoes/footwear?


texts: נשים דעתן קלה versus נזמי הזהב אשר באזניהם

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The Mishna, Kidushin chapter 4:

  A man cannot be alone with two women, but one woman can be alone with two men.

The Bavli thereon, 80 amud 2:

  What's the reason? A Mishna-explainer of the house of Eliyahu [said]: because women, their knowledge (daas) is light upon them.

Rashi thereon:

  and a pair of them are easy to seduce.

Now consider D'varim 17:2–3:

  If there will be found among you, in one of your gates God your god is giving you, a man or woman who will do the bad in God your god's eyes, to break his treaty, and will go and serve other gods and bow to them, or to the sun or the moon or the legions of the sky, that I commanded not

Ramban thereon (and similarly to 29:17):

  It mentions "man or woman" because, due to the lightness of the knowledge (daas) of the woman, she will be seduced to serve idolatry by a sign or wonder done before her. The evidence is the wives in Yirm'ya [44:15].

Now, as to the golden calf, Rashi (Sh'mos 32:4) tells us:

  "This is your god, Israel." "This is our god" was not said: [we see] from here that the erev rav who came up from Egypt [12:38] are the ones who gathered against Aharon [32:1] and they are the ones who made it, and then they caused Israel to stray after it.

What was the calf made of? Sh'mos 32:2–3:

  Aharon said to them: "Remove the golden rings that are in your wives', sons', and daughters' ears, and bring them to me." So the entire people removed the golden rings that were in their [own] ears and brought [them] to Aharon.

Pirke D'rabi Eliezer (45):

  The women heard and did not accept upon themselves to give their rings to their husbands, but told them "you want to make a disgusting thing that has no power to save".

Likewise, K'li Yakar (ad loc. and, more clearly, to 35:22) explains that the men donated the jewelry and the women did not.

Obviously, these are disparate sources, and perhaps each doesn't agree with what the others say. But it seems likely to me that they do (perhaps because all of the above sources are widely known and widely accepted), in which case the question arises:

If women are easy to seduce and particularly to idolatry, how is it that the erev rav's seduction to idolatry failed specifically for the women? Or, if the women are specifically the ones who managed to withstand the erev rav's seduction to idolatry, then why are they called easy to seduce and particularly to idolatry?


texts: What is/are the reason(s) for not saying tachanun Tu b'Shvat?


texts:
There are many commentaries on the siddur. However, most of them focus in detail on the words of the prayers.

I'm looking for a commentary which looks at the "big picture" of each prayer. That is, where each prayer came from, when it was added to the siddur, which communities say it, why it is placed at the point where it is, why it is omitted on certain days, and so on.

(It doesn't actually need to be a commentary per se; it can be in any format, stand-alone or attached to some other work, etc.)


texts:
I've heard many things about this "Great Assembly," mostly about how they established davening (prayers).  However, there appears to be a lack of specific information about this institution.  So:

Who were they?
When and Where was it established, and how long did it exist?
What are their accomplishments?
Is there any external evidence (things not from our tradition) corroborating any of this?

As usual, sources would be most appreciated.


texts: Understanding Avot DeRabbi Natan 9:2 about Lashon Hara

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I am trying to understand Avot Derabbi Natan 9:2. It explains that B'nai Israel tested G-d 10 times in total in the desert, but G-d did not punish them until they spoke lashon hara about the land of Israel.

Then, Avot Derabbi Natan uses a kal vachomer stating that if they were punished for speaking about land, that has no mouth, how much more so should the punishment be for speaking lashon hara about a human?

I understand the kal vachomer, itself. But, I have some follow-up questions:

If the Mishnah uses a kal vachomer, people are not killed for speaking lashon hara about other humans. How is this a kal vachomer?
The last paragraph in the Mishnah (as shown on the web page) seems to be incongruent. Earlier, the Mishnah lists all 10 tests. These were tests that all of Bnei Yisra'el did as a group. Then, he quotes a verse saying "They tested me 10 times". I assume the word "they" refers to all B'nei Yisra'el, not just the 10 spies. But when discussing the punishment for lashon hara, it mentions the verse relating that only the spies died, not all of B'nei Yisra'el. If the Mishnah wanted to compare things, why doesn't it list a verse related to the punishment of the people dying in the desert over the course of 40 years?


texts: I think the title is essentially my question. Fast days are the only time when a haftorah is said during mincha. What makes fast days unique to have a haftorah recited then?


texts: What is the source for the idea that one should say 100 Berachoth in a day, and how serious of an obligation is this?  Is it mandatory, is it laudatory, or is it merely a nice idea?


texts: Why does Wednesday's shir shel yom include part of the next perek?

texts:
The Shir Shel Yom is (usually) a chapter of Tehillim said at the end of davening, unique to each day. That applies for every day except Wednesday.

In some (many) customs, Wednesday's song is Tehillim 94, plus the first 3 pesukim (verses) of Tehillim 95.

Why are the extra 3 pesukim added?


texts: Should I close my eyes for the shmona esrei or look in the siddur?

texts:
I was taught to look in the siddur when davening.  But the answer here suggests that some authorities prefer to close their eyes during the amida.

What are sources for all opinions on this matter?


texts: How to answer someone who chooses not to ask for forgiveness on Yom Kippur

texts:
Request for suggestions on how to respond and assist someone in this scenario:

During the break yesterday, I spoke with a tween-age girl who explained that she felt no purpose in davening in the shul to ask for forgiveness based on the prayers that are in the Siddur. She said as an example, "I am not Shomeret Shabbat, I don't eat kosher, and I know that I'm going to continue this way. (Why she wants to is a separate complex issue.) The same can be said for almost all the people coming in the shul today. These are 3-day-per year shul attenders. They're coming here all pretending to ask forgiveness from God for the sins that they committed, but they're insincere. They all know that as soon as Yizkor is over, they will drive back home on Yom Kippur, knowing that it's forbidden to do so. But, they choose to continue that way, anyway. So, what's the point?"

Granted, I tried to explain that maybe all God wants from you is to ask forgiveness for those sins that you really are sorry about and that you feel that you can change. But, that didn't seem to work, because she thinks it's a whole process and it involves "everything or nothing".

I'm sure that there are various halachic or maybe Jewish psychological books that can explain how to answer this point. Can anyone suggest any ideas?


texts: I heard an interesting, but confusing, chumrah observed by Rabbi Pesach Levi of Lakewood.  He said one should get dressed in one's bathroom because one should not appear naked in front of one's personal angel, and because angels do not accompany a Jew into the bathroom.  That made me wonder whether we should be concerned about being modest before our angels when we go to the mikvah.  Does anyone know the source for this opinion and can they explain how it might apply to the mikvah?


texts:
Why don't we say Yemach Shemo after people like Vespasian and other people who did bad things to the Jews many years ago?  Why do we only say it after relatively recent Reshaim, e.g. Hitler.

Similarly, why don't we say Zichrono Livracha after Abaye and Rava, and just after more recent Tzaddikim?  It is noteworthy that Chassidim ofter write a longer version of it after former Rebbes.


texts: Is there any order for brachot said on seeing natural phenomena simultaenously?

texts:
You are standing at a distance from a powerful storm. Simultaneously, you see lightning, a tornado and a rainbow. Each of these require a different bracha. Is there any order to which bracha you should say first, second and third?

Possible criteria - Perhaps the order should go by what lasts shortest to longest? Clearly, lightning has the shortest duration of the 3, so maybe that should be first? Between the tornado and the rainbow, it is hard to say which would last longer.


texts: Is artificial sweetener (Splenda, Stevia) pre-cooked? (Making Coffee on Shabbat)

texts:
When making a coffee on Shabbat, is one allowed to put the artificial sweetener, such as Splenda or Stevia, into the cup and then add the hot water from Kli Rishon?

If the sweetener is pre-cooked, then this procedure would not be not a problem. On the other hand, if it's not pre-cooked (or heated considerably to a point that makes it "Mevushal"), one would have to add the sweetener after putting the water in the cup. So, are these sweeteners considered "pre-cooked" or not?


texts: Is there anyone that says that the "us" in "let us make man btzelem elokim" is referring to humans?

texts: Is there anyone that says that the "us" in "let us make man btzelem elokim" is referring to humans I'm working on a d'var Torah at the moment and hoping for a source to back the idea up that Hashem was telling us to continue working on it.