texts: Ezra HaSofer and the text of the Pentateuch

texts:
I am an italian  gentile believer in HaShem, who observes the precepts of Noah as taught by the Creator in the Holy Torah.

I ask for your response on the following question:

If I understand correctly,according to Jewish tradition the Prophetic Books and the Agiographers of the Tanakh were inspired by HaShem but  were written by men and in their own words, while the Pentateuch was drafted  by Moses under the dictation word by word  of the Creator; therefore, according to the teaching of the Masters of Israel, the author of the Pentateuch is HaShem himself, while Moses has, as it were, verbalized.

Now, in  some forums edited in Italy  by some orthodox  Jews I read that, according to the Talmud, the original written text of the Pentateuch was lost during the destruction of the first Temple by the Babylonians, and that the Five Books  were  rewritten by Ezra HaSofer on the basis of the oral transmission of the text, perfectly preserved by the great memory capacity of the Israelites of the time, common to many peoples of antiquity. The current text of the Pentateuch is therefore considered perfectly consistent with the original verbalization of the words of Hashem, as it was drafted  by Moses.

This narration regarding the rewriting of the Pentateuch by Ezra HaSofer seems to me  completely unknown outside the Jewish world; I have never personally found any trace in the numerous books written by Western scholars and read by me.

I ask to  you  the courtesy of confirming if this narrative is actually in conformity with the Jewish sources, and if possible, the courtesy of  providing  me with the relative passages of the Talmud, or at least the extremes of the same so that I can search for them.

I know this passage of the Talmud: “Reish Lakish said, ‘at first the Torah was forgotten by Israel; Ezra came from Babylon and established it'” (Sukkah 20a).
Does it have any relevance?

Shalom


texts: Is there any way to eat a tuna wrap from a non-kosher restaurant, if I have full access to see their ingredients and packaging?


texts: Is the correct title for the work abbreviated "ה"מ" "Hagahos Maimoni" or "Hagahos Maimoniyos"?


texts: Why is this Mishnah repeated regarding backing out of sales?

texts:
The last stitch of the Mishnah in Demai 3:2 reads as follows:

  היה עומד ולוקח וראה טען אחר יפה ממנו, מתר להחזיר, מפני שלא משך.

  If one is ready to purchase something [but has not yet made an acquisition on them] and finds a better bundle, he may back out, since he has not acquired them. (Translation based on Bartenura.)

How is this different than the following Mishnah in Bava Metzi'a 4:2?

  כיצד משך הימנו פירות ולא נתן לו מעות אינו יכול לחזור בו. נתן לו מעות ולא משך הימנו פירות יכול לחזור בו. אבל אמרו מי שפרע מאנשי דור המבול ומדור הפלגה הוא עתיד ליפרע ממי שאינו עומד בדיבורו.

  How is this? If one acquired fruit but did not give him payment, he may not back out. If one paid but did not acquire the fruit, he may back out, but [the Rabbis] said, "He Who punished the people of the Generation of the Flood and the Generation of the Dispersion will ultimately punish those who don't stand by their word."

Further, while the Halacha in Demai is technically true, it's only half the story: it doesn't address Chazal's curse. To be fair, it is unclear whether the Mishnah is dealing with a case where the money was given or not, so it is possible that the Mi Shepara wouldn't apply there. However, the first question still stands: either it's dealing with the same case or it's dealing with one even more obvious and is still redundant.


texts: Can I keep the smuggled diamonds as an award?

texts:
Inspired by Diamonds in the coffee (and highly related):

I've always got a kick out of the supposed story (I have not been able to confirm it's true, but it's definitely plausible):

Reuven gives Shimon a coffee jar to take to Israel. Shimon mistakenly drops the jar, and it cracks open to reveal 8 small diamonds. Realizing that he was duped, and put at a substantial risk should he have gotten caught, Shimon buys an identical coffee jar and delivers it to his contact in Israel. Conveniently, he decides to not put the diamonds in the new jar.

2 days later, Shimon gets a call from a very irate Reuven. After giving Reuven a serious ear-full of mussar, Shimon decides to return the diamonds to Reuven.

And now the question: Is there any basis for Shimon keeping the diamonds, or is it flat-out stealing? Would it matter if the discovery by Shimon was made before or after the flight?

[if your response will be along the lines that smuggling diamonds is not a serious offense, replace the diamonds with your local drug]


texts: Why do we do hosha'nos and hakafos counterclockwise?

texts: I have attended services in a number of different Ashkenazic synagogues on Sukos and Sh'mini Atzeres/Simchas Tora. When going around the bima for hosha'nos on Sukos, and, in most cases, when doing so for hakafos on Sh'mini Atzeres/Simchas Tora, people went counterclockwise (when viewed from above). Why counterclockwise?


texts: How is "החודש הזה לכם" the first mitzva?

texts:
The following question came up in this week's Parshat Hashavua' Chat:
Rashi, at the beginning of his commentary to the Torah:

אמר רבי יצחק: לא היה צריך להתחיל [את] התורה אלא (שמות יב ב) מהחודש הזה לכם, שהיא מצווה ראשונה שנצטוו [בה] ישראל, ומה טעם פתח בבראשית
Said Rabbi Isaac: It was not necessary to begin the Torah except from “This month is to you,” (Exod. 12:2) which is the first commandment that the Israelites were commanded, (for the main purpose of the Torah is its commandments, and although several commandments are found in Genesis, e.g., circumcision and the prohibition of eating the thigh sinew, they could have been included together with the other commandments). Now for what reason did He commence with “In the beginning?"

But wait... how is "החודש הזה לכם" the "first mitzva"? It is certainly not the first mitzva mentioned in the Torah, for there are three before it in Sefer Bereshis (p'ru ur'vu, mila, and gis hanashe). It is not the first mitzva following Matan Torah; that would be anochi Hashem (although some hold that that's not a mitzva, but you get the point).
So in what respect is "החודש הזה לכם" the "first commandment that the Israelites were commanded"?


texts: Why honor someone who teaches one thing? Say dayo lihyos k'Achisofel!

texts:
In פרק קנין תורה (read as though it were the sixth chapter of Avos during the annual, repeated reading of Avos), we have:

הלא דברים קל וחומר ומה דוד מלך ישראל שלא למד מאחיתופל אלא שני דברים בלבד קראו רבו אלופו ומידעו הלומד מחברו פרק אחד או הלכה אחת או פסוק אחד או דבור אחד או אפילו אות אחת על אחת כמה וכמה שצריך לנהג בו כבוד
…David, king of Israel, who learned from Achisofel nothing more than merely two things, and called [Achisofel] his master…, so one who learns from his fellow a single chapter, a single law, a single verse, a single statement, or even a single letter, all the more so must he act toward him with respect.

Why don't we say dayo laba min hadin lihyos kanidon (from Bava Kama 2:5) and demand honor only from a student of two things, not from a student of one?


texts: What does adultery mean in the 7th commandment?

texts:
Exodus 20:14, the 7th 'commandment' of the Decalogue.

Does it mean only having sex with someone else' wife or having sex outside marriage?

What is the actual Hebrew word and what possible interpretations could there be?


texts:
Learning the Halachot of Chol Ha Moed I have read  on Chabad.org and other w
ebsites that generally the same prohobitions of the 39 melachos apply except:

•Anything done in order to prepare or cook food.

•Anything done for medical purposes.

•Any non-strenuous work which, if not performed at the time, would cause loss (unless it could have been done before the festival, and was deliberately delayed until Chol Hamoed).

Why then is everyone using e.g   Facebook,twitter their mobiles, driving their car etc. ( for none of thereasons described above)
I'm definitly missing something. can you please help?


texts: Is “breath of life” in Genesis 2:7 is the same as spirit?

texts: Does this mean that God breathed his spirit into Adam giving him life.


texts: Is there any sefer which goes through the various philosophical issues according, and explains the opinion of the Jewish philosophers? (Example what is space; according to the Rambam, Rasag... What is the soul according to .....)


texts: While someone is sitting shiva, are they allowed to be a ba'al koreh and read from the Torah, or is that considered simcha?


texts: Chazzan Recordings Online (Nusach Sefard)

texts: Is there anywhere online where I can find recordings of Nusach Sefard liturgy, as sung by the chazzan? There are plenty of websites dedicated to liturgy according to Nusach Ashkenaz and some Chabad-Lubavitch ones here are there, but barely any Nusach Sefard recordings from what I've seen or found. Epes-A-Nigun on YouTube has a few recordings, but no High Holiday ones. Please help. Thank you.


texts: Why do people feel that there is a NEED to wear tzitzit?

texts:
There is a law in the torah (and the meforshiim afterwards) to attach tzitzit to all four cornered garments that you will wear.

Ok. I understand that.

But where did it come to pass that some people say one is required to wear tzitzit?

If I am not wearing a four corned garment, why should I go out of my way to acquire one?

Is it a halachic obligation to? or is this just custom?


texts: Why Doesn't Judaism Have A Call To Prayer?

texts: Is there anything in the Torah or the Talmud forbidding Judaism from establishing a call to prayer (of the type Islam has)?


texts: Can a witness at Kiddushin have had committed inconsequential crimes?

texts:
I remember hearing in the name of Rav Moshe Feinstein that a criminal who-- by normal and objective standards-- should be invalidated from testifying can still be considered a Kosher witness if his crime is not considered criminal as per subjective societal norms.

Where can I find this Teshuva?

Some extra clues: If I remember correctly, the witness in question had, or was going to testify at a Kiddushin. He had evaded taxes, smuggled or something similar in Europe and was now residing in the United States. Rav Moshe claimed that although a criminal by mid 1900s United States' standards, because what he had done was "normal" in Europe, his testimony was valid.

Obviously my memory can be, and probably is, incorrect in certain respects of the story/Teshuva. I was unable myself to locate any references online.


texts:
The Mishnah in Shkalim (1:4) records a Machlokes regarding Kohanim:

א״ר יהודה העיד בן בוכרי ביבנה כל כהן  ששוקל אינו חוטא. אמר לו ר׳ יוחנן לא כן אלא כל כהן שאינו שוקל חוטא.
R' Yehudah said, Ben Buchri testified in Yavneh that any Kohen who shuckles doesn't sin. R' Yochanan said to him, it is not so; rather, any Kohen who doesn't shuckle sins.

What is this machlokes? Why does Ben Buchri hold shuckling is allowed and R' Yochanan holds it's required? Why is the argument limited to Kohanim?

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


texts: What level of danger is required for HaGomel?

texts:
The Gemara says that four have to say Hagomel:

One who went overseas
One who went into a desert.
One who was [deathly] ill.
One who was in prison [on a capital crime].

To what level of danger must one be subjected to qualify for #3? For instance, anesthesia is a routine procedure that still carries a significant risk of not waking up. Would one who undergoes anesthesia need to bentch Gomel?


texts: Poems on Atticism by Samuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)

texts: Can anyone find poems on Atticism for me by Samuel David Luzzatto (Shadal)?


texts: The mishnah of four things not to look at

texts:
There is a Mishnah in Hagigah 11b which says:

כל המסתכל בארבעה דברים ראוי לו כאילו לא בא לעולם מה למעלה מה למטה מה לפנים ומה לאחור ...:
Whoever looks at four matters, it would have been better for him had he never entered the world: Anyone who reflects upon what is above the firmament and what is below the earth, what was before Creation, and what will be after the end of the world.

A superficial interpretation of this Mishnah would seem to indicate that it is assur to study astronomy (since that concerns what is above) or geology (since that concerns what is below). But I doubt this is the correct pshat. What is the correct pshat?


texts: Source for Avraham failing his test at the Akeida?

texts:
In a recent interview on Times of Israel, Rabbi Nathan Lopez Cardozo says that he is of the opinion that Avraham failed his test at the Akeida:

  I am of the opinion that Abraham, by being prepared to do so, to sacrifice his son, failed the test. I think that the reading of the binding of Isaac should be different from the conventional approach as some chassidic texts indeed seem to suggest. For an excellent overview read: The Fear, the Trembling and the Fire by my dear friend, Professor Jerome (Yehudah) I. Gellman, published by University Press of America in 1994.

Aside from the book that Rabbi Cardozo references, what are the Jewish sources that Rabbi Cardozo may be drawing upon (i.e. Talmud, Rishonim, Achronim, later source, etc.)?


texts: What went wrong at Matan Torah - adjusting G-d's presentation to the Jewish people?

texts:
וְכָל־הָעָם רֹאִים אֶת־הַקּוֹלֹת וְאֶת־הַלַּפִּידִם וְאֵת קוֹל הַשֹּׁפָר וְאֶת־הָהָר עָשֵׁן וַיַּרְא הָעָם וַיָּנֻעוּ וַיַּעַמְדוּ מֵרָחֹק׃ וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־מֹשֶׁה דַּבֵּר־אַתָּה עִמָּנוּ וְנִשְׁמָעָה וְאַל־יְדַבֵּר עִמָּנוּ אֱלֹהִים פֶּן־נָמוּת׃
All the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the blare of the horn and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they fell back and stood at a distance. “You speak to us,” they said to Moses, “and we will obey; but let not God speak to us, lest we die.” (Ex 20)

The Gemmorah clarifies that the people heard only two out of the decalogue straight from G-d and then retreated to a great distance and the rest of the commandments they asked Moses to intermediate as they could not bear G-d's presence.
As the Torah depicts it IMHO, the incident seems unplanned and unfortunate.
Why couldn't G-d adjust Himself or people's perception that Matan Torah would not end so abruptly?


texts:
I have seen books (to be honest they were novels) like Bodie Thoene use the SH'ma as if its used in battle, or it gave them a sense of strength in peace time, like a reminder. Like in America they say "remember the Alamo" during battle MAYBE it seems to be the same kind of team booster during peace time yet also it seems to be used in other moments.

How is Sh'ma used in what cases would it be used?


texts: What's the point of a מתורגמן if he doesn't speak louder than the original person?

texts:
Rambam, Hilchot Tefilah 12:11 talks about the מתורגמן, a translator who would translate the Torah into Aramaic during the reading. He says that neither the reader nor the translator may be louder than the other one.

He writes this in the context of an actual translator, but i remember learning that this also applies to another מתורגמן, one who simply repeats what the lecturer says.

If this מתורגמן is only repeating what the lecturer says, then what's the point? He can't even say it louder than the original speaker!


texts: Why didn't Eliyahu Hanavi reveal himself to People?

texts:
What does it take to have Eliyahu Hanavi reveal himself to someone? There are people today who know the whole Talmud Bavli baal peh with Rashi and Tosfos and the whole Tanach and Mishnayos baal peh, People who have learned Talmud Bavli many times with most of the mephorshim, and people who know a lot of Kabbalah, Mussar, etc. and Eliyahu has not revealed himself to them.

Some of those people are also experts in Halacha. They take on many fasts and sleep in the local Beis Midrash on a bench with a wooden pillow. They learn all day lishma and bisimcha and are meticulous about avoiding influences from the outside world.

How could some of these people not merit the revelation of Eliyahu Hanavi? What more do they have to do? Could it be that some people will never be able to experience this kind of revelation, no matter how much they have perfected themselves?


texts: How long to stay bent in Vidui for Selichos

texts:
My Artscroll Selichos says, right after Shema Koleinu:

  During the recitation of the וידוי, Confession, stand with head an
  body slightly bowed, in submissive contrition.

How long does one need to do that for? Does this standing continue until the end of Selichos, or just until a certain point?


texts: Where Does the Talmud Teach Not to Learn Halacha From Observation of Teachers?

texts: Back when I was learning Daf Yomi, I ran into an interesting lesson I'm finding difficult to find again.  It was a teaching that one should learn halacha from your rebbe's teachings and not through the observation of pious people.  The reason, as I recall, was that the observation can be misleading.  Observing the tzaddik may not take into account that he is properly relying on a heter, or perhaps that he is relying on a chumra.  Therefore, one should only learn the halacha from the lectures.  I can recall this lesson vividly, but I can't remember where I learned it.  I thought it might be in Moed Kattan, but I haven't found it there in my review.  Can anyone help?  I need the source for an article I'm working on.  Thanks.


texts: How does Judaism deal with the differences between scientific evidence of the beginning of the world and the account(s) in Bereishit?


texts: what are the different versions of miluiyim for the Hebrew letters?

texts:
When calculating gematrias for the Hebrew letters there are letter expansions called "miluyim".

what are all the valid miluiyim letter expansions
according to chazal? (ex. midrashim, talmud, zohar, arizal, ramak, rashash, and the like)

please source.

this site brings some examples at #8 (labeled "אות במילואה") but does not give any references


texts: Alos Hashachar on a flight from Israel to Toronto

texts: What time will a person cross alos hashachar (first light of the sun) if he is flying from Israel to Toronto on the night of the fast of the 17th of Tammuz? The flight leaves Israel at one in the morning and arrives at 6 in the morning in Toronto.


texts: If a convert's parents convert to Judaism, do they become his halachic parents? I understand that a ger is thought to be "reborn" upon conversion to Judaism; therefore, his birth parents are not considered his halachic parents. However, if parents convert to Judaism after their child's conversion, could they then become his halachic parents?


texts:
I have found this word a few times in the Satmar Rebbe's Divrei Yoel (such as here, for example, in Parshat Metzora'). I am assuming that it is an acronym, rather than a transliterated Yiddish word, but I cannot work out its meaning. The passage to which I have linked commences as follows:

  והבוכ"ע יעזור שנזכה לטהרת הלב ולקבל עול מלכות שמים

  May the [??] enable us to achieve purity of heart, that we may accept
  the yoke of the kingdom of heaven.

Can anybody help?


texts: Is there a Jewish reason not to take notes when studying?

texts:
Please note that I have been estranged from Judaism for many years, and have only recently revisited its teachings:

When I studied science and non-Jewish philosophies, I would take notes. I mean notes of key facts, and of content that felt to enlighten me.

I have seen Jewish studies at a school, and also people learning in a Beit Midrash, and did not see extensive note taking, except perhaps annotation.

Are there (experiential) reasons not to study with a pen and journal at my side?

(I also wonder whether this quote by the Kotzker Rebbe is relevant: "Not all that is thought need be said, not all that is said need be written, not all that is written need be published, and not all that is published need be read."?)


texts: Are there any hechshers that certify food as kosher for B'nei Noach? Or any restaurants that offer such food? If not, how do observant B'nei Noach ensure that the meat that they eat was definitely not taken from a living animal? Presumably eating only meat that is kosher for b'nei Yisrael would be one way to do this; is such practice common among Noachides?


texts: So I was wondering how someone would go about determining whether his tefillin was Peshutim Mehudarim, Dakos, or Gassos, or even Gassos Prudos? Can this be done without taking the tefillin apart?


texts: What is the issue of listening to nivul peh?

texts: Assuming it is forbidden to consume media (e.g literature, music, film) that contains nivul peh, is it the same issur as speak nivul peh, or it is it more related to “guarding yourself from all evil” (i.e bad thoughts, etc.)?


texts: What is the halachic definition of market price? Especially in a day and age of  e-commerce  what is done regarding assessing the value a given product in a halachic sense?


texts:
Who knows eighteen?
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: picking something up during shmoneh esrei

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Interrupting in the middle of Shmona esrei

If (chalilah) a mitzvah item such as a siddur, mezzuzah, tefillin or sefer torah falls on the floor during shmoneh esrei should a person pause and pick it up or wait until he has finished shmoneh esrei?


texts: Bracha Achrona with a little pasta and a lot of rice

texts:
Suppose someone makes a borei minei mezonos bracha on pasta (whose bracha achrona is al hamichya), and exempts rice (whose bracha achrona is borei nefashos) that he is planning on eating as well.  If he eats only a small amount of pasta (not enough to warrant a bracha achrona), but a lot of rice, which bracha achrona should he say, or should he say both?

This question is kind of related to this one.


texts: Why is it always YHVH Elohim and not in the reverse order?

texts: If I'm correct within the Tenach it's always the term Elohim following the term YHVH. You always read verses and phrases stating: 'YHVH Elohim' and never 'Elohim YHVH'. So why is this?


texts:
Isaiah 9:5 is a famous verse used by Christians.
A Christian translation is:

  For to us a child is born. To us a son is given; and the government
  will be on his shoulders. His name will be called Wonderful,
  Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

The English translation uses present tense. So I do not know whether this child is something that has been born or is being born.

The curious fact is that two of the names for the child seems to imply divinity.

Of course this is not the only time Tanakh have references to "Bene Elohim" or son of god and it could mean many things. In this passage, what does it mean? Why would a born child be called mighty God, everlasting father?

Note: I cross-asked this in https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/7788


texts: Leniencies for someone keeping Kosher in a non-Kosher home

texts: My family is not frum, but they do not eat non-kosher meat at home, although they do eat other not-certified-kosher products, including cheese. They don't mix meat and milk, but they do wash meat and milk dishes together. Although I have kept kosher for a while now, this is the first time (since I started keeping kosher) that I will be living at home for a significant period of time. I have my own glass dishes and my own cutlery, but I have been eating food made in my family's pots/pans, etc. Are there ANY leniencies that a person in this situation, can rely on to eat this food or use their dishes?


texts: The 62 Years of Darius/Cyrus, and the 62 Weeks of Daniel

texts:
Has ancient or medieval Jewish tradition, spanning from the Talmud to the Shulchan Aruch, ever connected these two passages from the Book of Daniel ?

Daniel 5:30-6:1  That very night, Belshazzar, the Chaldean king, was killed, and Darius the Mede received the kingdom, being about sixty-two years old.
Daniel 9:26  And after those sixty-two weeks, the anointed one will disappear and vanish.


texts:
If I make a vow to not eat pizza, what can I not eat?
On the one hand, it would seem that bread with sauce and cheese on it is called pizza, as that is what they give you in a pizza shop when you order a slice of pizza.
However, it is implied otherwise in the bagel-bites commercial song:

Pizza in the morning pizza in the evening pizza at suppertime/
When pizza's on a bagel you can eat pizza anytime

It is clear that the pizza is on the bagel.  This would lead me to believe that the real pizza is the tomato-based-sauce and the melted cheese, and the bread is just the base to put it on.
However, one would expect according to this that spaghetti with cheese and sauce would also be a form of pizza and called thus, since it contains a melted-cheese/tomato-bases-sauce mixture, which is something we don't see.  And if the requirement is that the cheese-sauce mixture is a layer on top, I present lasagna, which is also not known as pizza.
So if I make a vow to not eat pizza, what can I not eat?  Please cite your sources.

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


texts: Until when you can listen to music on lag baomer?

texts: Until when can you listen to music on lag baomer?


texts: What causes a person to do Avodah Zarah?

texts:
In relation to "Definition of Avodah Zarah":

I would like to know what drives or causes a person to worship Avodah Zarah in the first place; i.e. what lies at the core of it? Is there a reason why it’s so hard to serve the ‘proper’ G-d in a ‘proper’ way?


texts: My parents are not shomer Shabbat and spend all day watching tv or playing on their phones. How can I talk to them while observing Shabbat? What should I do if I’m the only person in my house observing?


texts: Does the lineage cross from mother to son

texts: My Great Great Grand Mother was Jewish.  She had three children.  Two deceased not long after birth; one survived.  The surviving child was a male.  Would he be Jewish because of his mother?  Would his children and their children all the way to me be Jewish?


texts: Does giving donations necessarily mean it's tzeddakah?

texts:
BS"D
How can giving a donation (based on US law that it is a contribution towards a non-for-profit 501c3 organization) to a very affluent shul, yeshiva, or other mosed still Halachically count as fulfilling the mitzvah of tzedakah?
Please provide sources.


texts: What are some of the old commentaries prior to 1 BCE of the Torah?

texts:
I believe that there would be commentaries of the Torah older than 1 BCE and that can shed significant light on what the message of God is in terms of its authoritativeness.
Israelites have a glorious history of the Kingdoms of David, Israel and Solomon, and it is quite impossible to not have commentaries by respectable Rabbis before 1 BCE. Can people here point me to where are they to be found? After all, inasmuch as the Torah of old was preserved, it is fair-seeming that the interpretations of old should also have been preserved.


texts: How did Hashem hide the light from the wicked?  What do Chazal mean by this?

texts:
Rashi says in Breaishis Chapter 1, Verse 4:

אף בזה אנו צריכים לדברי אגדה ראהו שאינו כדאי להשתמש בו רשעים והבדילו לצדיקים לעתיד לבא.
"Even this requires words of Aggadah, He saw that it was not fit for the wicked to use it (the light) and he separated it for the righteous in the future"

I often wondered what this Rashi means.  The following are some questions:

Where were the wicked that Chazal
are referring to?
How did Hashem separate it?
Why don't the wicked deserve to use the light?
How will it be used in the future?
If we all have light, in what way did he hide it from the wicked?
More to the point, what is the idea Chazal are trying to convey?


texts: Does casting metal entail a melacha (assuming it's already liquid)?

texts:
The Torah says to cast gold rings when building the Mishkan. Obviously you'd have to do the melachos of extinguishing to make charcoal, burning to then ignite said charcoal, and cooking to liquefy the gold.

At that point, the remaining steps are to pour the molten gold into a mold and then remove it from the mold.

Does casting in and of itself constitute a Biblical melacha? Is it makeh b'patish (a term literally invoking forging, more than casting)? Or something else?


texts: Zimun and Bentsching (Bircat Hamazon / Grace After Meals) with Jews who ate non-kosher food

texts:
I came across an interesting situation recently.  I was eating with Jewish, non-observant friends.  I brought over a hamburger from a local kosher take-out place.  They had homemade, non-kosher food, and they also ate bread.

If it makes a difference, the bread that they ate was not kosher supervised, but likely did not contain any specific treif ingredients.

If it makes a difference, I washed and said "hamotzi", they did not.

After we finished eating, I started saying the Bircat Hamazon.  They realized what I was doing, and, having attended Reform summer camps, asked me to slow down and sing it out loud, so they could join in!  (After the first paragraph, they did not continue).

This led me to wonder:

can / should one who ate treif food say the bircat hamazon afterwards?
can / should one who are treif food be counted in a zimun?


texts: First usage of golem to refer to a man-made humanoid

texts:
There's a famous folk tale that the Maharal created a golem, some sort of human shaped creature. The tale has it that he created it using practical Kabbalah.

The gemarra even describes amoraim creating a humanoid using Sefer Yetzira. However, the gemarra doesn't use the word golem.

The Ramban, based on Bereishis Rabbah, says that Adam was created as a golem by Hashem, but obviously that wasn't a man-made golem.

The word, as I understand it, refers simply to a formless mass. It's used by the Mishnah to chastise uncivilized individuals. What's the earliest usage of the word golem to refer to a humanoid created by humans?


texts: if the torah has 613 commandments, why the need for singling out ten commandments? Why are these more special than the rest?


texts: Knife sharpening - can it be done anywhere?

texts: Can you take a Challa knife to any knife sharpener or would you have to Kasher it after it is sharpened? Would there be a difference if it is a meat or cheese knife?


texts:
Pretty straight forward: How does one say kaddish if he is in the middle of amidah? A few examples of this:
If you come late; if you take a long time to say amidah.


texts: To the best of my knowledge eating fish after meat has the same Halacha as eating meat after fish. You are supposed to eat a cracker and take a drink to separate between them. Why is it most common for people to eat fish at the Shabbos Seuda first and then meat - from the Zemiros the order is "Basar V'Dagim V'Chol Matamim" - should we not eat the meat first and then the fish?


texts: Where does Ramchal's idea of circulating calendar come from?

texts:
I am in search of any source preceding Derech Hashem, 4:7:6 (Sefaria Translation):

חגיגת החגים הזמניים: ואולם מלבד הקידוש הזה הנשער במדריגותיו כפי מדריגת קדושת הימים יש עוד ענינים פרטיים מיוחדים לכל זמן מזמנים אלה כפי ענינו. ושרש כלם הוא סדר שסדרה החכמה העליונה שכל תיקון שנתקן ואור גדול שהאיר בזמן מהזמנים בשוב תקופת הזמן ההוא יאיר אור מעין האור הראשון ותחודש תולדת התיקון ההוא במי שקבלו. והנה עפ״ז נצטוינו בחג בכל הענינים שנצטוינו לזכר יציאת מצרים כי בהיות התיקון ההוא תיקון גדול מאד שנתקנו בו וכמש״ל הוקבע שבשוב תקופת הזמן ההוא יאיר עלינו אור מעין האור שהאיר אז ותחודש בנו תולדת אותו התיקון וע״כ נתחייב באותם הענינים כלם. ועד״ז חג השבועות למתן התורה וחג הסוכות לענין ענני הכבוד אעפ״י שאינו אותו הזמן בפרט אלא שקבעה התורה חג זה לזכרון ענין זה וכמ״ש כי בסוכות הושבתי וכו׳. וכן חנוכה וכן פורים ועד״ז היו כל ימי מגלת תענית אלא שנתבטלו מפני שלא היו ישראל יכולים לעמוד בהם ונפטרו מהיות עושים זכר להם והתעוררות לאור המאיר. ועתה נבאר המצות האלה בפ״ע:
Celebration of the periodic holidays: But besides this holiness that was determined about their levels according to the level of the holiness of these days, there are other specific attributes to each time period according to its content. And the root of them all is the order arranged by the Supreme Wisdom, such that the refinement refined and the great light that shone at a particular time return at that period of the year to shine light similar to the first light and have the effect of the refinement be renewed in the one that received it [originally]. So see that, according to this, we were commanded on the holiday [of Passover] about all the things that we are commanded in memory of the exodus from Egypt. For since that refinement was a very great refinement that happened to us - as we wrote above - it was embedded that upon the return of that period of the year, a light similar to the light that shone then, shine; and that the effect of that refinement be renewed in us. Therefore we were commanded in all of those matters. And in the same manner, the holiday of Pentecost (Shavuot) for the giving of the Torah; and the holiday of Tabernacles (Sukkot) for the clouds of glory. Even though [the latter] is not specifically at the same time, the Torah fixed this holiday for the memory of that matter, as it is stated (Leviticus 23:43), "that I placed them in huts, etc." And likewise Chanukah, and likewise Purim [have observances tied to the events they commemorate). And in this same manner were all the days [listed] in the Scroll of Fasting, but they were annulled since Israel was not able to keep them. So they were exempted from memorializing them and from the arousal of the [corresponding] shining light. And now we will explain these commandments on their own.


texts:
In Hilchot Keilim 2:3, Rambam says that objects that have a receptacle that is made only to be (permanently) filled is not susceptible to tumah.

בֵּית קִבּוּל הֶעָשׂוּי לְמַלְּאוֹתוֹ אֵינוֹ בֵּית קִבּוּל. כֵּיצַד. בְּקַעַת שֶׁל עֵץ שֶׁחוֹקְקִין בָּהּ בֵּית קִבּוּל וְתוֹקְעִין בּוֹ הַסַּדָּן שֶׁל בַּרְזֶל. אִם שֶׁל נַפָּחִים הִיא אֵינָהּ מְקַבֶּלֶת טֻמְאָה שֶׁאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהּ בֵּית קִבּוּל לֹא נַעֲשָׂה אֶלָּא לְמַלְּאוֹתוֹ. וְכֵן כָּל כַּיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה.
When a receptacle is intended to be filled, it is not considered as a receptacle. What is implied? When a receptacle is hollowed out from a block of wood and then a metal anvil is inserted into it, if it is a blacksmith's, it is not susceptible to ritual impurity. Although it has a receptacle, it was made to be filled. Similar laws apply in all analogous situations. [from Chabad]

On the other hand, the mishna Keilim 23:1 — cited as authoritative by Rambam in Hilchot Keilim 7:15 — lists objects that are made to be filled/stuffed, and are susceptible to tumah when closed (according to Rambam's explanation, as well as Bartenura's).

הַכַּדּוּר וְהָאִמּוּם וְהַקָּמֵעַ וְהַתְּפִלִּין שֶׁנִּקְרְעוּ, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בָּהֶן, טָמֵא. וּבְמַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכָן, טָהוֹר. הָאֻכָּף שֶׁנִּקְרַע, הַנּוֹגֵעַ בְּמַה שֶּׁבְּתוֹכוֹ, טָמֵא, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהַתֶּפֶר מְחַבְּרוֹ:
If a ball, a mould, an amulet or tefillin were torn, one that touches them becomes unclean, But one that touches what is inside them remains clean. If a saddle was torn, one that touches its contents unclean, because the stitching joins them. [from Sefaria]

According to Rambam, shouldn't these objects be insusceptible to tumah when closed? If this is indeed a contradiction, how can this be resolved?
Kehati mentions this issue, and cites an explanation of Tiferet Yisrael, Boaz that Hilchot Keilim 2:3 only applies to objects that will never be opened, unlike these, which are opened occasionally to check the tefillin or to rearrange the stuffing. But it seems to me that even Rambam's example of an anvil will get taken out of the receptacle when being replaced or moved. Also, at least a ball is made never to be opened, it would seem to me.
So I'm looking for other explanations, or a defence of the explanation in Boaz.


texts: Preparing for the weekday on Shabbos after nightfall

texts:
We know there is an issur of hachanah on Shabbos (preparing from Shabbos for the weekday.)

Is there a problem of hachanah (preparing something) "on Shabbos" when it's already after nightfall and no longer "technically" Shabbos. However the person still hasn't made havdallah or "taken out Shabbos".


texts:
I remember reading long ago that, according to Jewish law, you may not identify as a convert a person whom you know is a convert.  Is this correct and what is the reference?

For whether it is permitted to ask, see this question.


texts: Who aside for Avraham and Adam in the torah died prematurely before their destined years?

texts:
I know Abraham died early because of Aisuv,
Adam because of David.

Who aside from them died prematurely, i.e. before their destined years?


texts: What responsibility does a current tenant have to warn a prospective future tenant?

texts:
A tenant is leaving the property he had rented at the end of the contract period. The landlord has arranged for prospective future tenants to view the property, while the current tenant is still there.

The current tenant is aware of various issues / problems with the property and/or the behavior of the landlord.

What, if anything, may or should the current tenant say to prospective tenants?

Does it make a difference whether the current tenant is volunteering the information, as opposed to answering questions that the prospective tenant has asked?

Possible angles to explore could include the prohibition against standing by when another is at risk of harm versus the prohibition against slander.

If it makes a difference, assume all parties are observant Jews.


texts: Was the Shmita year ever observed before the first exile?

texts:
The Jews were punished with 70 years of exile for the 70 Shmita years (sabbatical years) they did not keep. (Chronicles II 36:21).

Does this mean they never kept Shmita even during the time of the Beit Hamikdahs (The Temple)? Or is this perhaps not meant to be taken literally?


texts:
In an article I read online: http://www.tosfosinenglish.com/pdf/Shabos/6a7karmlis.pdf I read the following:

כרמל (Karmel) is comprised of two (opposite) terms: רך with the meaning soft and not yet matured (riped), and מלא meaning full and ripe. Together they convey the meaning of כרמל that the grain is neither moist nor dry, but somewhere in between.

הכא נמי כרמלית אינו לא כרשות היחיד ולא כרשות הרבים

Similarly here too by the רשית of a כרמלית is neither like a רה"י nor like a רה"ר but somewhere in between.

Could someone help me to translate these two phrases:

הכא נמי כרמלית אינו לא כרשות היחיד ולא כרשות הרבים
Is neither like a רה"י nor like a רה"ר but somewhere in between

I don't understand them, and I would like to know what the writer is saying here.


texts: Why is the daughter of a married woman permissible?

texts: A person's wife is permissible to him, yet the daughter of his wife is forbidden to him. Should it not stand to reason a fortiori (by kal vachomer) that the daughter of a married woman, who (the married woman) is herself forbidden to him, should be forbidden to him as well?


texts: Is a meal bracha over dairy forbidden if the Jew in question still has meat in their stomach?

texts:
Obviously, the functional answer is you eat parve and wait for the allotted time period to pass so that one may eat dairy. I'm in no way challenging conventional dietary law.

This question is simply a hypothetical regarding whether one can acceptably make a bracha over a meal if the ingestion of that meal would then result in it becoming treif.

Is the bracha for the meal as it currently exists and is prepared or is the bracha for the meal entirely in all digestive processes?

If you aren't supposed to make a bracha on a meal which violates Kashrut standards, would the bracha in question be canceled out or considered improper if your ingestion of the kosher meal would result in it becoming treif in your digestive tract?

Or does the bracha still count because the food you are praying over is still pure, even if you are eating it in an incorrect manner?


texts:
Since the Conservative movement tends to take most of its minhagim from the German tradition due to its German roots, most Conservative Jews in America tend to practice the German customs (such as wearing a tallis after bar mitzvah and waiting 3 hours between meat and milk).

According to Orthodox Judaism, should someone whose parents are Conservative Jews continue to follow his parents' customs, or should he follow the customs of his ancestors before them? What if he doesn't know what the customs of his great-grandparents, etc were? Does it matter whether the customs taken on by his parents are stricter or less strict than those of his ancestors (for example they were Dutch and only wait 1 hour)?

Here's an example: the common Conservative practice is to don tefilin on chol hamoed. Among Orthodox Jews, some do and others do not. Upon becoming a Baal Teshuva, should a formerly Conservative Jew put on tefilin on chol hamoed, or should he follow the practice of his rabbi?


texts:
Although Rashi ordinarily quotes old French every now and then throughout his commentary on the Torah, it seems like the beginning of Mikeitz is particularly filled with those translations. For instance, on Bereishis (41:2) writes

באחו. בָּאֲגַם, מריש"ק בְּלַעַז, כְּמוֹ יִשְׂגֶּא אָחוּ (איוב ח'):
באחו IN THE REED-GRASS — in the marshy land. old French marais;
English, marsh. Similar is (Job 8:11) “Can reed-grass (אחו) grow?”,

then on (41:3)

ודקות בשר. טינב"ש בְּלַעַז, לְשׁוֹן דַּק: ודקות בשר THIN-FLESHED in
old French tenuis, meaning thin,

and again twice in (41:5)

twice בקנה אחת. טוד"ל בְּלַעַז: בקנה אחד ON ONE STALK— Tuyau in old
French בריאות. שיינ"ש בְּלַעַז:
בריאות sains, English HEALTHY.

That pattern continue for many more pesukim. Is there something unique about Mikeitz that Rashi decided using old French to translate so many terms was necessary?


texts:
לזאת יקרא אשה, כי מאיש לוקחה זאת -  מכאן שניתנה התורה בלשון הקודש. רבי פנחס ורבי חלקיה בשם רבי סימון אמרי: כשם שניתנה תורה בלשון הקודש, כך נברא העולם בלשון הקודש, שמעת מימיך אומר גיני גיניא?! אנתרופי אנתרופא?! גברא גברתא?! אלא, איש ואשה. למה? שהלשון הזה נופל על הלשון הזה:
"To this shall be called "ishah," for from "ish" was this taken; from here we can infer that the Torah was given in Hebrew. R' Pinchas and R' Chilkiah said in the name of R' Simon: just as the Torah was given in Hebrew, so was the world created with Hebrew. Have you ever heard someone say [that a man is a] Gini [and a woman is a] Ginya? Andropei and Andropa? Gavra and Gaverta? Only Ish and Ishah. Why? Because the two words parallel each other.
(Bereishis Rabbah 18:4)

This is true of English as well - man and woman. So maybe the world was created with English!

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


texts:
What is the procedure for giving a Jew a Jewish name if he or she was never given one at birth?

Are there any sources that discuss this situation?


texts: Why was Shmuel afraid that Shaul would kill him for anointing David (Samuel 1 16:2)? If Hashem told Shmuel through prophecy to do this, why would Shaul (who was a righteous man) kill Shmuel for it (even if it seemed like a rebellion against the king of Israel)?


texts: Source for Ramban regarding Devarim 30:7

texts:
According to Ramban (in the context of Vikuah), Devarim 30:7 applies both to notzrim and ishmaelim:

  וקראתי להם פרשת והיה כי יבואו עליך כל הדברים האלה הברכה והקללה אשר
  נתתי לפניך, וגמר הפרשה עד ונתן ה' א-לוהיך את האלות האלה על אויביך ועל
  שונאיך אשר רדפוך. ופרשתי להם כי אויביך, הנוצרים, ושונאיך הישמעאלים,
  שתי האומות אשר רדפונו.

Is this his own take on the posuk, an interpolation or is there a source regarding this? I ask because in Wagenseil's edition (1681) it is not clearly stated like this*, as opposed to Steinschneider and Chavel ones, and also, Ramban does not comment this in his Peirush al haTorah.

*Wagenseil only has ופירשתי  להם without any polemic involved (despite the polemic tone in this edition).


texts: Why should the patriarchs have lived to 180?

texts:
Rashi to B'reshis 25:30 says that Avraham should have lived to the age of 180 had his life not been cut short.

Yitzchak lived to 180.

The Daas Z'kenim to B'reshis 47:8 quotes a midrash as saying that Yaakov should have lived to 180 had his life not been cut short.

Does anyone explain why they should have lived to 180?

Note that I'm not asking why they should have lived to the same age as one another (although that's an interesting question, too). I'm asking why they should have lived to 180 specifically. However, answering why one of them should have lived to 180 and why all of them should have lived to same age will serve as an answer to my question.


texts: Did Abraham and Noah know of each other?

texts:
Are there any sources that discuss whether Abraham and Noah knew of each other's existence, if there was ever any interactions between the two and/or if they ever met (not sure if their lives actually overlapped)?

Noah was after all Abraham's 9x-great grandfather.


texts:
I have noticed that many families have a tefillah entitled 'birkas habayis' at the entrance to their home. There seems to be multiple, similar נוסחאות for this tefilla.

Example:

בזה השער לא יבוא צער.
בזאת הדירה לא תבוא צרה.
בזאת הדלת לא תבוא בהלה.
בזאת המחלקה לא תבוא מחלוקת.
בזה המקום תהי ברכה ושלום

Why do the נוסחאות vary?


texts:
Can one reduce his monetary tzedoko by work that he donates to a charity?

For example, someone was employed (for payment) by a charitable organisation. Then the organisation could no longer afford to pay his wages. He then volunteered to give his work for no payment.

Can he reduce the amount of monetary tzedoko that he gives by the wages he used to get?

(If it helps answer the question, we could assume that he will not reduce his monetary tzedoko below 10%.)

Obviously a practical case requires CYLOR but what sources can be applied to the question?


texts:
Funny thing happened to me tonight.
I was buying some falafel and noticed that they did not have any "purple cabbage" (a.k.a. red cabbage) as a side dish option.  I asked if they had any in back, and was told they are not allowed to have it because they are a mehadrin eatery.

Now, the Purple Cabbage in the store carries a mehadrin Hechsher, and when I asked about it further he said something about the pickles, or vinegar, I'm not sure which.

What Kashrut issue could there be with purple cabbage that would not exist with regular "sauerkraut", that the Mehadrin Rabanut would not allow this person to carry it in their Falafel-only stand?

Edit:
I guess the context wasn't very clear, but this is in Israel. The Rabanut of the city, in order to give a "Mehadrin" Hashgagcha requires that they don't use any "purple cabbage", (Which is Red cabbage mixed with mayonaise), but if they just wanted a regular "Kosher" status, then they could have used it.  They do allow the use of Regular white cabbage though, which has no mayonnaise and is pickled.

To further clarify

Allowed:

Not Allowed:


texts: After the Seder, can you give the shank bone to the dog?

texts: Serious question. In general, what are the laws or customs regarding the treatment of the items on the Seder plate? Are they to be considered commonplace or holy? Does it differ before and following their usage at the Seder? Should one differentiate between the items which we bless and consume, and those we don't?


texts: Cutting hair when Rosh Hodesh Av is a Friday

texts: Is it permissible to cut hair on Rosh Hodesh Av when it comes out on a Friday?


texts: Can one cook meat and fish dishes at the same time in the same oven?

texts:
The gemara in Pesachim 76b forbids one from cooking meat and fish together because of danger.

But can one cook meat and fish dishes separately at the same time in the same oven? There can be a need to do this when preparing lots of food at the same time, e.g., before a 2-day holiday.


texts: Is there no end to praying for a friend?

texts:
Talmud Berachot 12b says:

וְאָמַר רַבָּה בַּר חִינָּנָא סָבָא מִשְּׁמֵיהּ דְּרַב: כֹּל
שֶׁאֶפְשָׁר לוֹ לְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עַל חֲבֵירוֹ וְאֵינוֹ מְבַקֵּשׁ —
נִקְרָא ״חוֹטֵא״. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״גַּם אָנֹכִי חָלִילָה לִּי מֵחֲטֹא
לַה׳ מֵחֲדֹל לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בַּעַדְכֶם״.
And Rabba bar Ḥinnana Sava
said in the name of Rav: Anyone who can ask for mercy on behalf of
another, and does not ask is called a sinner, as it is stated
following Samuel’s rebuke of the people: “As for me, far be it from me
that I should transgress against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you,
but I will teach you the good and the right way” (I Samuel 12:23). Had
Samuel refrained from prayer, he would have committed a sin.

This seems to impose an obligation with no possible end.  I know many people, and "the needs of your people are great" (Berachot 29b).  Everyone needs prayer.  So can't I always ask for mercy on behalf of another?  Can I ever stop asking for mercy on behalf of those I know?
If I am aware my friend has a particular need (he is sick, or needs to get married, or wants children, or wants a better living, or wants his prayers answered or any of a gazillion other things), does praying for them just once fulfill my obligation?  Once per day? Every tefilla?


texts: Where do I put the mezuzah if I have a screen door before the front door?

texts: I recently installed a screen door in front of my front door.  Do I have to move the mezuzah to be outside the screen door?


texts: I've heard of saying parshat haketoret from a klaf. Does a similar practice exist for shema? If so, is it just Shema and V'haya (essentially a mezuzah) or the above and Parshat Tzitzit?


texts: Minimum amount of food for Beracha Rishona

texts:
I've heard much discussion about minimal amounts of food to qualify as eating (eg. this discussion about how much Matza to eat at the Seder).

How much would one need to eat in order to say a Beracha Rishona (HaMotzi, Mezonot, HaGafen, HaEitz, HaAdama, SheHaKol)? Would even the tiniest little crumb of food need such a Beracha, or perhaps only something more substantial where one is really getting some benefit? A single sprinkle or a tiny swig of juice doesn't seem so significant that it would qualify as "eating". Someone (not a rabbi) once told me that they thought one had to eat at least an olive's bulk of food. Is this so?


texts:
I am interested in two cases:
1) the congregation is davening mincha in a rush, and doing a "hechi kedusha" (btw, what is the etymology of this phrase)

2) an individual arrives late for mincha and is able to start shemona esrei with the chazzan.

In each case, should one wait until after kedusha to begin shemona esrei, or try to start with the chazzan and go along word-for-word. In the latter case, should the individual say the entire kedusha or just the standard communal responses? How should he conclude the beracha?


texts: Why does Rashi comment on some verb-לו phrases and not others?

texts:
A feature of lashon hakodesh (Biblical Hebrew) is that a verb is sometimes followed by "לו", inflected for the person, number, and gender of the subject, without the "לו" indicating an object of the verb. This occurs frequently in Tanach, and also later (e.g. "בא לו אצל רבי דוסא בן הרכינס" in mishnayos Rosh Hashana chapter 2). At some, but not all, of its appearances in chumash, Rashi comments on it.
Note that Gesenius (FWIW) says that this "לו" has no specific meaning itself, but does change the meaning of the sentence slightly: it is there (in his words) "to give emphasis to the significance of the occurrence in question for a particular subject", namely for the subject of the verb (or more precisely for the referent of the subject of the verb).
My first question is: When Rashi comments on the presence of "לו" in chumash, is it:

because he views such a construction as purely pleonastic (rhetorical) in general (i.e., bearing no connotation whatsoever, not like Gesenius), and wishes to explain its presence in that location, specifically, as not purely pleonastic but, rather, bearing the meaning he mentions; or
because he views such a construction as purely pleonastic everywhere, and wishes to explain its presence in that location b'derech d'rash; or
because he views such a construction, in general, as, l'havdil, Gesenius does (that the word is adding emphasis of the significance of the action to its subject) and merely wishes to explain in greater detail how or why, in that location, that act is particularly significant to its subject; or
for some other reason?

And my second question, which can only really be answered once the first is (i.e., once we know why Rashi is commenting at all) is: Why does Rashi choose to comment on some of these and not on others? For example, he comments at B'reshis 12:1, "לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ וּמִמּוֹלַדְתְּךָ וּמִבֵּית אָבִיךָ", but not at D'varim 16:9, "שִׁבְעָה שָׁבֻעֹת תִּסְפָּר לָךְ".


texts: What are the differences between G-d's mitzvos, chukkim and mishpatim?

texts: In Parasha Netzavim, Devarim 30:16, we learn the commandment to love Hashem, to walk in His ways, and to keep "His commandments [mitzvosav] and His statutes [v'chukosav] and His ordinances [u'mishpatav]."  I thought this verse might be distinguishing between the written Torah, oral Torah, and rabbinic law, or perhaps between Torah, rabbinic law, and customs.  But I can't find a source that explains this.  To what is the verse referring?


texts: If a Gentile realizes or uses a tridimensional human image for non-cult purposes, does he violate the Noahide Laws?

texts:
I'm an Italian Noahide

The prohibition against worship of false gods is an integral part of the Noahide Laws .

Rambam says in Melachim uMilchamot 9: 2 (English translation by Rabbi E. Touger):

  "We should not allow them (Gentiles) to erect a monument, to plant an
  Asherah, to make images and like even though they are only for the
  sake of beauty".

I have not understood whether from this ruling it is inferred, on the halachic level, that the Gentiles are forbidden to make sculptures and/or  always tridimensional images  of human figures even for non-cult purposes. Indeed, for the Jews it is undoubtedly always forbidden to make sculptures and tridimensional human images (Avodat Kochavim 3: 10-11), but is the ban also similarly extended for the Gentiles?

I give a practical example: in my hometown, Catania, in one of the main squares there is a large marble statue depicting the famous classical musician Vincenzo Bellini,my fellow citizen: is this a violation of the Noahide Laws?


texts: Can you use cinnamon for Bisamim at havdalah? Which is better: ground cinnamon or whole sticks?


texts:
I recently studied לך-לך (Lech Lecha) in the Torah class in school and we read the part that G-d says to Abraham that "anyone who curses you will be cursed, and anyone who blesses you will be blessed". This part doesn't just refer to Abraham but to Am Israel.
If this is the case, why do Ayin Hara (evil eye) affects us? Shouldn't it bounce back?


texts:
If Daniel was one of the Prophets, I do not understand why he is not counted among the Prophets.

Why is his book among the Ketuvim and not Neviim?


texts: Number of times the names of the husband & wife appear on the Ketubah

texts:
From a few Ketubot that I've seen, it seems that the husband's name is written 6x and the wife's name is written 3x.

Is there a specific number of times a husband's and wife's names should appear on the Ketubah?  (and if so, when did this practice develop)
Is there any significance re: the number of times the husband's  and wife's names are written on the Ketubah?


texts: Consistent philosophy in the Shulchan Aruch

texts: If the Shulchan Aruch primarily rules based on a majority based on the Rif, Rambam and the Rosh, who each (I'm assuming) are usually philosophically internally consistent, then wouldn't the Shulchan Aruch be philosophically internally inconsistent?


texts: How to tactfully circumvent opposite-gender handshake

texts:
Say you're a man in a professional setting, and a woman who isn't used to dealing with observant Jews stretches out her hand to greet you -- but your practice is to avoid shaking hands even in business settings (see here for dissection of that issue).

How can this gesture be tactfully deflected? It's really awkward to start explaining, "Sorry, I'm an observant Jew, and we traditionally avoid contact with the opposite gender..." while the poor woman just stands there, not knowing what to do with her outstretched arm.


texts: Is the 1985 JPS Tanach translation available online?

texts:
Is the latest 1985 JPS available online?
I recall seeing it in the past
I have a memory of seeing it online.. and some remarks in some chat or forum somewhere where people said oh I didn't know it was online. Any idea where it is?


texts: What is the basic requirement for tzitzit knots?

texts: There seems to be a lot of different ways to tie tzitzit knots. From the little I understand this is based on various symolism and numeric value (see this question/answer). I would like to know what the basic essential halacha is. Meaning, If I have 8 strings per corner and I tie 5 double knots is that sufficient?


texts: Seridei Ha'Eish by Yechiel Yaakov Weinberg

texts: Does anyone know where I can find the sefer Seridei Ha'Eish online?  I want to find it for free, but at the very least, does anyone know of the cheapest price for me to buy it?


texts: Do I need to own the enclosure of my 'Eiruv?

texts:
If I have fencing around my yard, but it was all erected by my neighbors around me, can I use that fencing as the enclosure for an 'Eiruv?

Of course, CYLOR for practical cases. I'm asking for the basic rules as recorded in Halachic literature.


texts: When exactly does Havdala in Maariv effect a permission to perform Melacha?

texts:
Can you perform Melacha on Saturday night immediately when you finish אתה חוננתנו in Maariv motzei Shabbat, when you finish the bracha of חונן הדעת, or when you finish Shmoneh Esrei? It seems that אתה חוננתנו is not "self-contained", i.e. it is part of the larger bracha, which is part of Shmoneh Esrei; contrast with the bracha of ברוך המבדיל which is self-contained.

A practical difference between them would be if the light goes out on a timer, and you are able to flip the switch - must it wait until you finish your Shmoneh Esrei, possibly causing trouble to other people davening? Alternately, the alarm on your watch beeps.


texts: Was the original Yiddish lost in the Hebrew sichos?

texts:
The sichos (speeches) of the Lubavicher Rebbe were alternately published: some in the original Yiddish and some translated into Hebrew.  Therefore some sichos are published only in translated form (since all the sichos were delivered by the Rebbe in Yiddish).

Does this mean the original Yiddish version of those sichos have been lost?  What was the intent in publishing them only translated into Hebrew?


texts: Were Shmouel and Rav members of the Beth Hillel or the Beth Shammai?

texts: Do we know which Academy Rav and Shmuel belonged to? Maybe they weren't members of any House.


texts:
The seventh ברכה of שמנה עשרה is the blessing of גאולה.

The blessing begins ראה בעניינו (some add נא in between).

When ראובן was born, לאה said כי ראה ה' בעניי.

The usage likely comes from תהילים קי"ט-קנ"ג, which begins ראה עניי וחלצני.

My question is, are there any sources that, in whatever manner, relate ראובן (by tribe, name, or person) to this blessing.

Note: As one side point, it doesn't say ראה עניינו or ראה את עניינו but rather ראה בעניינו (as when the Torah provides the etymology for ראובן albeit also in other places) and if we assume the source verse is indeed תהילים קי"ט-קנ"ג, it seems (although I am no expert) that ראה עניינו or ראה את עניינו may have been more appropriate.


texts: Why are the commandments for the holiday of Succot interrupted by commandments regarding sacrifices in general?

texts:
Vayikra 23:33-36 discuss the celebration of Succot. Then, verses 37-38 interrupt the discussion by saying a general statement that these are the holidays when you should offer sacrifices. Then, verses 39-43 return to discussing laws related to Succot, again.

Why is there an interruption in the discussion of Succot? Why not move verses 37-38 after the whole discussion of Succot has been completed, as it seems to summarize everything?


texts: Why does the Gemara go through each death penalty?

texts:
The Gemara Sanhedrin 50a writes the order of the death penalties.

It starts with Stoning, proving that Stoning is more severe than any other form of death penalty. Then it moves to Burning, proving that it's more severe than any other form of death penalty. Then it moves to Decapitation ...

Why?

All you have to prove is that Decapitation is stricter than Strangulation, Burning is stricter than Decapitation, and Stoning is stricter than Burning, we'd know the order by a simple syllogism.


texts:
Hypothetical case --
I am within my year of saying kaddish and am on a business trip. I am in a very small and unfamiliar shul waiting for a minyan and in walks someone from my town who has been placed in seruv to a degree that he should not be counted in a minyan.
What is my obligation in terms of "telling on him" if it will (might?) destroy the opportunity for davening (b'zman) with a minyan and my opportunity to say kaddish. Are there mitigating factors or other variables which might guide my (in)actions?


texts: Is it allowed to prepare for maariv after Shabbos during the rabbinic tosefes Shabbos?

texts:
The time to daven maariv on Motzoei Shabbos is some period (where I am it’s around 15 minutes) after the stars come out. This period is called tosefes Shabbos.

In many shuls, the shaliach tzibbur puts on a talis for maariv.
On Motzoei Shabbos, he does this before Shabbos goes out so as to be ready to start on time.

I understand that the amount of tosefes Shabbos from the Torah need only be a moment. The remainder of the (say 15 minute) period is rabbinic.

It seems therefore that there is no problem of Hachono (preparing for the next day) by putting on the talis, during the rabbinic tosefes Shabbos.

Is that right and how do we know it?


texts: Does anybody know where I can find a summary (in English or French) of the different simanim (or chapters) of the Mishnah Berurah? If possible, with the title or subject of the siman.


texts: In yeshiva I was always told about gan eden and gehinnom, and how the good go to the former place while the bad go to the latter.  However, in popular culture, Jews are always said to not believe in Hell (and many times Heaven). Why the discrepancy?


texts: Someone told me in the name of a Talmid Chacham that Makkas Dam was not just in Mitzrayim, but was throughout the whole world, similar to the water splitting everywhere in the world. However, I looked throughout many Midrashim and commentators on the pesukim and couldn't find anything. Is there a source for such an idea? (It is interesting to note that Mitzrayim didn't go to other neighboring nations for water rather than buy it for exorbitant prices from their former slaves)


texts:
We are Sephardic and follow the opinion that glasses can be used for both meat and milk, whether hot or cold, because glass never absorbs.

According to this opinion, are glasses with decorations on them which aren't made of glass still may be used for both meat and milk?

e.g glasses with bronze parts and non-glass decorations:


texts: How and when does a prophet know that it's God who's speaking to him?

texts:
When God addressed Moshe there was an accompanying miracle (and there's midrash about Avraham's case being special too), so it was pretty clear what was happening, but how did the other prophets come to know that it was God who was speaking to them -- not a delusion, not a trick, but divine communication?  Was it immediate, or could there have been some period during which the prophet wasn't yet sure what was happening to him?

(This question arose out of why did Yonah run away?.)


texts: Why do you have to kasher kitchen counters for Pesach?

texts: If you don't use your countertops for either kli rishon or sheine, why do some require them to be kashered for Pesach?


texts: Sources on preventing someone's marriage to a non-Jew?

texts:
A close family member is dating a non-Jew very seriously, and I am worried they will get married.

Is there any recommended reading material, that could help me prevent their marriage, or ending the relationship entirely?


texts: What does it mean when the "nation says something"?

texts:
There are often cases in Tanach where the Bnei Yisrael speak/answer simultaneously. Is there a general rule behind what this means or does it change from verse to verse? It would seem difficult to assume that all the nation would say a sentence in synchrony; unless, of course, it is miraculous.

For instance in the blessings and curses (perhaps easier for a whole nation to answer one word simultaneously): וְאָמַר כָּל-הָעָם, אָמֵן. This expression repeats a number of times.

Another example is Bamidbar (11:4):  וַיֹּאמְרוּ מִי יַאֲכִלֵנוּ בָּשָׂר. Rashi comments initially that the eirev rav instigated this complaint but the Bnei Yisrael joined in in complaining collectively. I would imagine that this complaint is the 'general feeling' of the nation at the time rather than each person saying in synchrony "who will feed us meat"?

Another example is Yehoshua (24:24): וַיֹּאמְרוּ הָעָם, אֶל-יְהוֹשֻׁעַ:  אֶת-יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ נַעֲבֹד, וּבְקוֹלוֹ נִשְׁמָע. Does this mean that everyone actually said these words or is this a way of documenting the general acceptance of all.


texts: Why is it forbidden to go out on Shabbat with Yerushalayim Shel Zahav?

texts:
The Mishnah Shabbat 6:1 states:

במה אשה יוצאה ובמה אינה יוצאה. ... ולא בעיר של זהב.

The commentaries explain that the "City of Gold" is Yerushalayim.
Why is it forbidden to go out with Yerushalayim Shel Zahav on Shabbat? Obviously playing the song on an MP3 player or live instrument is forbidden, but this seems to imply that even walking around with the lyrics or sheet music is forbidden. (How about singing? Is that allowed?)
What does the Mishnah have against the song?

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


texts: Is there lunar drift in the fixed Hebrew calendar?

texts:
It is known that there is a slight discrepancy in the average length of a year according to the Hebrew calendar and the average length of an astronomical solar year which causes a seasonal drift in the Hebrew calendar of about 6.5 minutes per year. My question is, does the fixed calendar slightly drift from the astronomical lunar month or is the average length of a fixed Hebrew-calendar month exactly the same as the average length of an astronomical lunar month? Assuming there is some amount of drift, how much is there?

From my amateur perspective, it seems that if there is a lunar drift, it is much smaller than the solar drift as Rosh Hodesh continues to correspond with the new moon and if there was a significant lunar drift, the new month would begin to occur farther away from the new moon. I understand that the molad often does not fall exactly on the day before Rosh Hodesh, but I don't have much in-depth knowledge of how the molad works and how it relates to Rosh Hodesh.


texts:
The Gemara says:

  והאמר רב גידל אמר רב כל תלמיד חכם שיושב לפני רבו ואין שפתותיו נוטפות מר תכוינה שנאמר שפתותיו שושנים נוטפות מור עובר אל תקרי מור עובר אלא מר עובר אל תקרי שושנים אלא ששונים לא קשיא הא ברבה והא בתלמיד ואיבעית אימא הא והא ברבה ולא קשיא הא מקמי דלפתח הא לבתר דפתח כי הא דרבה מקמי דפתח להו לרבנן אמר מילתא דבדיחותא ובדחי רבנן לסוף יתיב באימתא ופתח בשמעתא

In short, there seems to be a contradiction if one should learn Torah from joy or from fear. The Gemara gives answers:

The teacher must be joyful but the student must be in fear
Both are in the teacher. Before starting to teach he must be joyful but them when he begins teaching he must be serious.

The Gemara says that Rabbah would say a joke, all the students would laugh and then they would sit in fear and Rabba would teach. The Gemara says that this is according to the second answer.

Now the second answer doesn't mention students. Both joy and fear are for the teacher (and not the students).

Why are the students laughing and then sitting in fear? Either be in fear the whole time or be happy the whole time.


texts:
In the long tachanun of Monday and Thursday (among other places) there is repeated use of Chanun V'Rachum (a phrase which appears in Nach 8 or so times)

אֵל טוב וְסַלָּח כִּי אֵל מֶלֶךְ חַנוּן וְרַחוּם אָתָּה:
אָנָּא מֶלֶךְ חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם. זְכר וְהַבֵּט לִבְרִית בֵּין הַבְּתָרִים וְתֵרָאֶה לְפָנֶיךָ עֲקֵדַת יָחִיד לְמַעַן יִשרָאֵל. אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ חָנֵּנוּ וַעֲנֵנוּ. כִּי שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדול נִקְרָא עָלֵינוּ. עשה נִפְלָאות בְּכָל עֵת. עֲשה עִמָּנוּ כְּחַסְדֶּךָ. חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם

In two cases, though, the text flips the two terms (into a form found in Tanach 3 times)

אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן, רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וְעַל כָּל מַעֲשיךָ

רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן חָטָאתִי לְפָנֶיךָ

Is there any difference in meaning that would impact the particular phrases or explain the choice to use one over the other? Is the construction only stylistic or is it meaningful?

[text from sefaria.org, Ashkenazic siddur)


texts: Where is the prayer that contains the words "תן בינה לרופא"?

texts:
I have been told that there is a prayer that a sick person can say requesting healing which contains the words, "תן בינה לרופא".

Can anyone identify this prayer?


texts: Do you have to admit that you lied retroactively?

texts: If someone asks you a personal question and you provide an answer. Upon further inspection you realize that you gave the wrong answer. Do you now have a halachic obligation to find the person and tell him you made a mistake or you can simple "live and let live"?


texts: Is the definition of "cooking" on Shabbat specific to applying heat energy?

texts:
In college, I recall an experiment where we boiled water by reducing the pressure in a flask that contained water until the water boiled. No heat was added.

Would this be considered a melacha of "cooking" on Shabbat? Or does "cooking" specifically mean by heat, only?