texts: Do Arabs have a distinct stature among non-Jews as they descend from Abraham?

texts:
To best of my knowledge, according to Judaism, both Arabs and Jews descend from Abraham. In particular, Arabs are believed to be descended from Ishmael, and Jews are believed to be descended from Isaac.
Given that, do Arabs have a special stature among gentiles?


texts: Is it still possible to find new printings of the Adler machzorim, in particular those for the three festivals (Chag hamatzot, chag hashavuot, v'chag hasukkot [Re'eh maftir, forget actual citation])?


texts:
If someone mistakenly began davening the weekday Shmone Esrei (amidah) on Shabbos, and he caught himself in the middle of a bracha, he must complete that bracha before he goes on to daven the shabbos davening.
The reason for this is since really one should have been obligated to say the full (weekday) davening even on Shabbos, but the chachamim did not want to burden us, so they made a shorter davening for Shabbos, thus the any bracha of the weekday davening is also for Shabbos and therefore he must complete that bracha and only then change to Shabbos davening.(Brachos 21a,Shulchan aruch OHC 268 and Mishne Brurah 268:2).

Question: If  someone accidentally said the entire weekday shmone esrei on Shabbos and then remembered that it was Shabbos, and since he didn't mention Shabbos he must now daven the shmone esrei of shabbos. If in his second time he then also accidentally began the weekday brachos does he need to finish the bracha he's in? We might say that since the only reason one finishes the bracha is because really one should have been obligated to say the full (weekday) davening even on shabbos, but this person has already said the whole weekday davening, and he now needs only the Shabbos brachos, so why should he complete the weekday bracha?


texts: What are all the Mekorot for Matan Torah

texts:
I would like to get a complete list of the mekorot for har sinai or matan torah in the Talmud Bavli/Yerushalmi and Tanach where the events at har sinai are discussed even tangentially.  What are they?

So far for the Bavli I have:

Berakhoth 6b, Makoth 23b, Sotah 12b, PesaHim 68b, Shabbat 88a

For the Torah I have: Parshat Bhar, Mishpatim, Yitro and Kedoshim.


texts:
If there's a mosquito found on a wall on shabbat, are you allowed to place a cup over it and slide a sheet of paper under it and remove it from the house?

The reason for doing this would be that you can avoid killing the insect but can also get rid of it.

Would such an action be prohibited as a manifestation of the melacha of trapping?


texts:
Can a mother drink/taste her own breastmilk?

I know theres an issur for a non-baby to drink directly from the breast; but, what about from a cup?

Further, if it is indeed assur (even from a cup), what about "tasting" it (i.e. to see if it's gone bad) as one might "taste" chicken soup to see if it needs salt (without actually eating it so you're not fleishik and it doesn't require a bracha)?


texts: May a Jew have non-Jew carry items on Shabbat for the Jew's use?

texts:
My understanding is that a Jew can have a non-Jew perform melacha for him only if s/he benefits from it, and providing that a Jew has not specifically instructed him / her regarding doing the melacha.

Let's say a non-Jewish aide is assisting a Jew walking to shul in a non-Eruv area. I'm mentioning two types of items specifically, as they have their own nuances:

May the Jew have the non-Jew carry the Jew's tallit for him? S/he will not need the tallit, so it is clearly not for her use. Would it be permissible if s/he took the tallit on her own vs. if someone instructed her to take the tallit? The tallit is a d'var mitzvah (object used for performance of a mitzvah). Does this therefore make it permissible to be carried for him?
House keys. Assume that the non-Jew needs to enter the house, anyway, so it is for his / her use. Would it matter if someone said to him / her "Take the house keys!" on Shabbat.

Clarification based on comments

I am aware that telling a Gentile to do something is prohibited. However, I am unclear if this rule applies in the following situations:

If the rules of what you need done are explained to the Gentile before Shabbat as part of the task that she needs to do on Shabbat. In the case, above, say you hired the Gentile in advance to assist the person walking to shul. When s/he comes on Friday to your home, you say, "Walk my father to shul and carry his tallis."
If carrying a davar shel mitzvah can be done by a Gentile even if requested of him / her on Shabbat
If s/he sees the tallis on the table and decides on his/her own to carry it for you. Within this, s/he is carrying something that is not for his/her personal use.

Re the house keys, this is for his/ her personal use. Similar questions as above apply:

Is it all right if she carries it, if instructions to that effect are given before Shabat?
Can you tell her, on Shabbat to take the keys?
Does it matter if you phrase the request as "Take the keys so I can get in" or "Take the keys so you can get in" (and I benefit from what you need)?

Re carmelit - I am unclear regarding exactly what it means and how this affects the answer. If you wish, please clarify this in your answer.


texts: The session of Tur that deals with laws of marriage and divorce is called Even HaEzer (the stone of help). Does anyone know why did he called this session like this? What does it mean?


texts: Bais Vov & Kof in Tehilim 25; why are they missing?

texts: In Tehilim ch. 25 it goes through the entire alphabet and skips the letter "Bais" "Vav" & "Kof"; why so?


texts:
Rabbi Abraham Danzig writes:

  והזהירה התורה על שמירת השבת י"ב פעמים, The Torah warns us twelve times
  about observing the Shabbos.

(Chayei Adam, Shabbat and Festivals 1:1)

Does anyone happen to know where those twelve places are?


texts: Are the manuscripts of the Ramchal's letters available online?

texts:
I am currently reading Igros Ramchal published by Machon Ramchal (Rabbi Mordechai Shriki). One of the first letters in the book (ג1 on page יב) is from the Ramchal to his Rebbe, Rabbi Yeshayah Basan while the Ramchal was taking a bit of a vacation in a small city north of Padua. In this letter, the Ramchal explains a difficult Tosfos in mesechet Yuma. This letter has gotten me very excited since this is the only material I am aware of where the Ramchal quotes any source besides Chazal or Tanach. Not only that, but this is the only material I am aware of where the Ramchal "shows his work" so to speak, meaning that he shows how he arrived at a certain conclusion or, said a bit differently, how he learned something.

Because of the 2 reasons above, I am very interested in seeing the original manuscript to verify that the text I'm working with is accurate. Does anyone know where I can see the original manuscript?

I will attach 2 pictures from Igros Ramchal showing where the author got the text from.


texts:
In Birkat HaMazon, the one who is saying Birkat HaMazon answers amen to his own bracha during the third bracha, Boneh Yerushalayim, as required by the text.

Why is it that here we say amen to our own bracha? If it is because it is the end of a "group of brachot" why would we not say amen to our own brachot in other instances, for example the 19th bracha in Shmoneh Esrei?
If someone is listening to the one saying Birkat HaMazon, when would her or she answer amen to the bracha of Boneh Yerushalayim; would it be before or after the one saying it says his own amen?


texts: The custom of adding a candle for each child

texts: Many people, including myself, added or will add a candle on Friday night for each child that is born.  Where and when did this custom originate?


texts: How accurate is Erich Fromm's interpretation of the Shabbat?

texts:
I am reading Erich Fromm's To Have or to Be?.

I was raised a Christian and I can compare many of his interpretations of concepts from that religion to what was taught to me.

Being very ignorant about Judaism, I normally have to base my understanding of Jewish concepts on the Old Testament as it was taught to me, and maybe on some references in literature and pop colture.

My question here is whether Fromm's views on the concept of the Shabbat as expressed in the following quote from To Have or to Be? would be commonly shared by believers and experts in Jewish law and tradition

  The Shabbat is the most important of the biblical concepts, and of
  later Judaism. It is the only strictly religious command in the Ten
  Commandments: its fulfilment is insisted upon by the otherwise
  antiritualistic prophets; it was a most strictly observed commandment
  throughout 2,000 years of Diaspora life, wherein its observation often
  was hard and difficult. It can hardly be doubted that the Shabbat was
  the fountain of life for the Jews, who, scattered, powerless, and
  often despised and persecuted, renewed their pride and dignity when
  like kings they celebrated the Shabbat. Is the Shabbat nothing but a
  day of rest in the mundane sense of freeing people, at least on one
  day, from the burden of work? To be sure it is that, and this function
  gives it the dignity of one of the great innovations in human
  evolution.

  Yet if this were all that it was, the Shabbat would hardly have played
  the central role I have just described. In order to understand this
  role we must penetrate to the core of the Shabbat institution. It is
  not rest per se, in the sense of not making an effort, physically or
  mentally. It is rest in the sense of the re-establishment of complete
  harmony between human beings and between them and nature. Nothing must
  be destroyed and nothing be built: the Shabbat is a day of truce in
  the human battle with the world. Even tearing up a blade of grass is
  looked upon as a breach of this harmony, as is lighting a match… On
  the Shabbat one lives as if one has nothing, pursuing no aim except
  being, that is, expressing one’s essential powers: praying, studying,
  eating, drinking, singing, making love. The Shabbat is a day of joy
  because on that day one is fully oneself.

  This is the reason the Talmud calls a Shabbat the anticipation of the
  Messianic Time, and the Messianic Time the unending Shabbat : the day
  on which property and money as well as mourning and sadness are tabu;
  a day on which time is defeated and pure being rules. The historical
  predecessor, the Babylonian Shapatu, was a day of sadness and fear.
  The modern Sunday is a day of fun, consumption, and running away from
  oneself. One might ask if it is not time to re-establish the Shabbat
  as  a universal day of harmony and peace, as the human day that
  anticipates the human future.


texts: Saying Divrei Torah by a Seudah -- also for Women?

texts:
There is a mitzvah of saying Divrei Torah at a Seudah (meal). The rule says that any table that didn't have Divrei Torah said on it is as if someone ate from "Zivchei Masim" ("sacrifices to the dead"). (See one source for this in M"B Siman 170 Sif-Katan 1.)

Over there the language is "mitzvah al col adam" ("it is a mitzva on every person").

Does this mitzvah include women? If a group of women eat together must they also say Divrei Torah in order that it should be that it is as if they eat from "Zivchei Masim". Are there any sources that speak about this?


texts: Male photographers/videographers on the women's side at a simcha

texts:
Ordinarily, Jewish women would be expected not to dance or sing with men looking on, or even present in the same area. However, at every Jewish wedding I have been to, there has been at least one male photographer/videographer on the women's side during the dancing, and the women go on presumably exactly as they would (singing, dancing) had there been no males there.

Is this allowed? (Does it depend at all on whether the photographer is Jewish?) Why or why not? If not, how could one reconcile the mitzvah of hachnosas kallah on that day with the needs of modesty?


texts: Looking for a meaningful interpretation to Numbers 23:10 - "Who counted the dust of Jacob or the number of a fourth of Israel?"

texts:
Would anyone be able to explain (or link me to) a meaningful interpretation to Numbers 23:10 - "Who counted the dust of Jacob or the number of a fourth of Israel?"

Why the comparison to dust?
Why the 2 names of Jacob and Israel?
What is the idea of "a fourth of Israel?"


texts: What should a chazan do if he has theological problems with the congregation's text?

texts: There are several places in the selichot where there are controversial phrases, e.g. addressing prayer to angels not G-d.  I'm not asking for opinions on this, but I've heard some people just skip those lines.  What do you do if you normally skip the lines, but are now chazan?  How much license do you have to say "I just follow the congregation"?


texts: Is there any issues with reading a newspaper on Shabbat? Assuming you are not carrying the paper into the house without an eruv, I seem to remember hearing that you can not read a Saturday newspaper on Shabbat, but you could read the Friday paper or even parts of the Sunday paper that get delivered with the Saturday paper.


texts: Must repentance be accepted by Gd?  Is sincere repentance always accepted?  Is repentance a form of prayer?  (Not all prayer is accepted.)


texts: What was the status of the Pharisees, and their relationship with the Temple authorities in the early first century?

texts:
One of the many mistakes made by the authors of the Christian gospels is attributing the state of affairs in their own time to the time they are trying to describe.  An example of this error is the way the Pharisees are portrayed.  If you relied solely upon the gospels, you would think that the Pharisees were in charge of the Jewish faith and people1. I have gleaned enough information to suspect that this was not the case.

As I understand it, the Pharisees were actually in conflict with the Temple, and had little or no power1 of their own.  They were highly regarded by the average person, but the Temple authorities weren't so fond of them. The reason for the anachronistic accounts from the gospel writers is apparently related to the changes caused by the loss of the Second Temple.  After the destruction, the Pharisees were finally free from the scrutiny2 of the priests, and became quite influential in the process of assembling the Talmud.

How accurate is this interpretation?  Is there clear evidence that the relationship between the Pharisees and the Temple priests was less than friendly?  And would the Pharisees have had any official influence over Judaism and the Jewish people as a whole, prior to the destruction of the Second Temple?

1 To be clear, I am not suggesting that the priests were morally superior to the Pharisees - in fact, quite the opposite.  I am well aware that in the early first century, Temple priests were appointed by the Romans on the basis of bribery and political maneuvering.  The Pharisees, on the other hand, were the true representatives of Judaism, and are represented today by the Rabbis.  The power I am talking about is political power and control of the means of observance, which - as far as I have been led to believe - lay firmly in the hands of the priests.

2 "Scrutiny" in a self interested, egotistical sense on the part of the priests.  As I understand it, the priests resented the Pharisees for challenging the status quo, which obviously threatened the priests' comfortable position of undeserved authority and high status.  The Pharisees were interested in the wellbeing of the Jewish religion and people, whereas the priests were primarily interested in maintaining the status quo for their own benefit.


texts: Circumcision when danger to life, born Jews and potential gerim

texts:
In this post, Skylar refers to teshuvos from the Seride Esh and R. AY Kook which rule that a male non-Jew may not convert if he is unable to undergo milah.

Does pikuach nefesh completely push off the mitzvah of milah for a born Jew, e.g. in the case of a hemophiliac?


texts:
This question bothers me every Friday night; I have looked at various Bible translations and traditional commentators but have not found an answer.

In Psalm 93 we have the phrase:

  נָֽשְׂא֤וּ נְהָר֨וֹת ׀ יְֽהוָ֗ה נָֽשְׂא֣וּ נְהָר֣וֹת קוֹלָ֑ם    יִשְׂא֖וּ נְהָר֣וֹת דָּכְיָֽם׃

Can some one explain (1) grammatically, what is the difference between נָשאוּ and יִשאוּ here (most translations translate them identically), and (2) why one verb form is used twice and then a second verb form is used?

Just as a followup: the Koren siddur translates all three instances of the verb as "lift up" (i.e., present tense). Artscroll translate the first two as past tense and the last as future tense, but I don't trust their translation since they change the subject in a way that does not appear to be p'shat.


texts: What do we mean by "kavanah" in "mitzvot tzrichot kavanah"?

texts:
There is a halakhic concept of "mitzvot tzrichot kavanah," that you fulfill a mitzvah only if you had the intent to fulfill it.

What do we mean by "kavanah" here?
The intent to fulfill a commandment of God? Or just that doing this wasn't an accident or motivated by something else?

More to the point: Would an atheist Jew be able to have kavanah here? Or is belief in the divine source of the commandment required?


texts: Why does the order of temple services in our prayers follow the non-hallachic opinion?

texts:
Something that has bothered me for a long time, and I have not found a good explanation for, is why we recite the order of service in the temple following Abbaye in the name of Abba Shaul, despite the fact that the hallacha clearly doesn't follow his opinion. Namely, Abba Shaul's position in Yoma 33a is that the blood of the sacrifice is offered on the altar between the five candles and the two candles, whereas the opinion of the sages is that it is the offering of the incence which interrupts between these two services.

Hallacha (e.g. the Rambam) follows the sages (and yachid verabim hallacha kerabim), but we still recite Abbaye in the name of Abba Shaul, which is the non-accepted opinion. Given that the purpose of reciting the sacrifices is to recall the way things were performed in the Temple, this seems particularly strange. It seems almost to undermine the whole rationale of reciting korbanos.

Why do we recite the order of temple services according to the non-hallachic opinion?


texts: Does the Third Temple have to be built on the Temple Mount?

texts:
Suppose it is allowed for Jews in the present to build a Third Temple, does that temple have to stand on the Temple Mount? Modern Israel is in many ways (actually most) not similar to the Israelite's kingdoms. The laws and customs are very different, the territory controlled and so on. The kingdom is different, so could the temple, in the same way, be different?

Edit: With "allowed" I don't mean politically, I mean religiously. :)
 Some rabbis want to construct a Third Temple, which I understand. But I don't understand why they need it placed on the Temple Mount.
 This graphic of Herod's Temple, seem to indicate that the most important part of the temple (Holy Place) only encompassed a small part of the Temple Mount.


texts: I'm traveling to Israel soon, and we're going to visit many things including Yerushalaim and the Kotel. Are there special Berachot for arriving in Israel, going to the Old City or visiting the Western Wall? I think I once stumbled across this in the Masechet Berachot.


texts: Adding cold water to an electric urn on Yom Tov causes the main heating element to come on after a delay. Is it allowed?

texts:
This question is related. The difference here is that there is a delay between adding the water and the element coming on.

On Yom Tov there is insufficient water in the urn.

A small amount of cold water can be added to the urn without tripping the thermostat. A large amount of water causes the main heating element to come on but not immediately, only after say 30 seconds or one minute.

Is there any source which gives permission to add the large amount of water?


texts:
Is Shabbat over when the sun has gone down or is Shabbat over after the Havdalah ceremony?

If it is the latter, does the Shabbat keep going for the rest of the week? Since the Torah says that Shabbat is on the last day of the week, could one have Shabbat on the wrong day? Would it still be Shabbat?

Is Havdalah a good thing or something you need to in order to end Shabbat?


texts: Why study non-practical tractates of Talmud?

texts:
A quick background:
I recently sat down with my step-father and brother and learned Masechet Makkot with them for a bit - this was their first time learning Talmud. Given that the masechet starts talking about capital punishments more or less from the get go (I gave them some background on the Jewish court system and how difficult it is to actually give the death penalty), they found it a bit hard to relate to, and asked: "What is the point of learning this if it isn't applied today?".

So, what is the best answer?


texts:
I learned that Birkei Yosef holds that non-mikvah water may be considered a chatzitzah. That is why we make sure our hands are completely dry before we wash them ritually. It may be why some are stringent to hold the handle of the cup with a towel. It may be why we wash a third time (instead of twice) i.e., before bread. It may also be why (just speculating) we are told to dip our hand in the mikvah water before holding a kli to toivel.

But a woman (and possibly also a man) can/always does immerse with wet hair. Why?

(I know she toivels more than once, so presumably one of the tevilot is kosher. But it seems she makes a bracha before even the first? Wouldn't that be a  hefsek if the first dip is not a mitzvah immresion? Wouldn't it be ideal for her to dry her hair first [or else make the bracha after immersing]? Does anyone insist on this? )


texts: When to say selichot in a minyan that doesn't

texts:
Note: This question is practical, however, my rav is not capable of answering it from his own experience, due to the nature of mainstream Orthodox kehillot in the US.

According to Western Ashkenazi practice, we say selichot during all services of Yom Kippur. However, in my area, this is not the practice and most actually only say them during Ma'ariv, Musaf, and Ne'ilah. At what point should one say selichot during the chazzan's repetition in a minyan which does not say them?


texts: Can you use a check or credit Card for Mattanos Levyonim?


texts:
Many times rabbis disagree on things in both hashkafa and Halacha. Usually, even when disagreeing, they will view the others' opinion as valid, even if they themselves would not rely on it. This is based on the principle of "eilu v'eilu divrei Elokim chayim" (both of these are the words of the living G-d) (see Eruvin 13b).

Famous examples would be the arguments in the gemara, and the differences between sephardim and ashkenazim.

At what point is an halachic or hashkafic (new word!) opinion no longer "covered" by "eilu v'eilu"?


texts: A shorter person with a normal sized tallis katan

texts: A theoretical question: If a young person (a boy for example that is 13 yrs old) that happens to be very short (not because of any physical disability) wears a normal size tallis katan it will be very long on him. May he wear a tallis katan that doesn't have a proper shiur for a normal person and make a bracha on it and still fulfill the mitzvah?


texts: Pri Chadash 496:18 on "eino roeh siman bracha" actual issur or not?

texts:
The Pri Chadash Orach Chayim 496:18 discusses the degree to which things which are described as "eino roeh siman bracha" are actually assur.  Can someone who knows how to read Hebrew tell me what his conclusion is?   Thanks.

Here is the text:


texts: Why do Ashkenazim eat Milchigs (dairy) on Shavuos?

texts: Why do Ashkenazim have a Minhag to eat Milchigs (dairy) on Shavuos?


texts:
According to Halacha[1], when one travels overseas, one has to bring a Toda.

Imagine a Jew who lives in Morocco (with a hetter, such that he happened to find a Rov there he couldn't get in Israel).

He goes overseas. Now he has to bring a Toda.
He goes to Yerushalaim, brings two Todas (one for the original obligation and one for the new journey across the Mediterranean). He turns around and goes home.
How he's home in Morocco, and owes another Toda for his trip there. Now he has a chiyuv to go back and bring another Toda for his trip back to Morocco.
Goto 2.

He seems stuck in an infinite loop. What should he do to avoid it (even overland journeys will obligate him in a Toda as there are deserts in the way).

[1]: אם על תודה יקריבנו: אם על דבר הודאה על נס שנעשה לו, כגון יורדי הים והולכי מדברות וחבושי בית האסורים וחולה שנתרפא שהם צריכין להודות שכתוב בהן (תהלים קז כא - כב) יודו לה' חסדו ונפלאותיו לבני אדם ויזבחו זבחי תודה. אם על אחת מאלה נדר שלמים הללו, שלמי תודה הן, וטעונות לחם האמור בענין, ואינן נאכלין אלא ליום ולילה, כמו שמפורש כאן: http://www.chabad.org/parshah/torahreading.asp?tDate=3%2F24%2F2015&view=ds


texts: Different phrasing in Mishpatim and Shofetim

texts:
We have just read in Mishpatim (Shemot
23:8):

וְשֹׁ֖חַד לֹ֣א תִקָּ֑ח כִּ֤י הַשֹּׁ֨חַד֙ יְעַוֵּ֣ר פִּקְחִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽים׃
And thou shalt take no gift; for a gift blindeth them that have sight, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

While in Shofetim a similar argument is discussed with a slightly different phrasing (Devarim 16:19):

לֹֽא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹֽא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a gift; for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.

Does the different wording (פִּקְחִים and עֵינֵי חֲכָמִים) have any relevance? Are there any commentators discussing this?


texts: Understanding a Fine Point in the Rambam's Laws of Yibbum

texts:
In MT, Hilkhot Yibbum veChalitzah 7:11, the Rambam presents the case of three brothers, two of whom are married to two sisters and the third of whom is married to an unrelated woman. In the event that one of the brothers who is married to one of the sisters dies, the childless widow is forbidden to the brother who is married to her sister, but may perform either chalitzah or yibbum with the third brother. Supposing that the third brother marries her, that her sister (who is married to the first brother) subsequently dies, and that he (the third brother, currently married to two unrelated women) dies after her, the twice-widowed woman is forbidden to the remaining brother since she was already forbidden to him once before.

To phrase it differently, imagine that Reuben, Shimon and Levi are brothers, that Reuben and Shimon marry Rachel and Leah - both of whom are sisters - and that Levi marries Miriam, who is related to none of the others. Reuben dies and his wife, Rachel (who is forbidden to Shimon, since he is married to her sister) performs yibbum with Levi. Subsequently, Leah dies, after which Levi dies as well. Levi's widows, Rachel and Miriam, now come before the remaining brother, Shimon, who is forbidden to marry Rachel on the grounds that she was already forbidden to him once before.

This same scenario (almost verbatim) appears in the Mishna (Yevamot 3:7), on which the Rambam comments that no law is provided - neither in the Talmud nor in the writings of any of the geonim - as regards whether or not this remaining brother (Shimon) can perform yibbum with the other widow (Miriam: the one who is unrelated to the two sisters). He rules strictly, that she should perform chalitzah just in case, but famously changes his mind between writing his commentary on the Mishna and writing his Mishne Torah, and rules in the later source that she is exempt from both chalitzah and yibbum.

In trying to understand the Rambam's reasoning for this new opinion, I am struck by another difference between the two passages: in Hilkhot Yibbum veChalitzah 7:11, the Rambam also declares that the first of the two women (Rachel: the twice-widowed woman, whose sister was Leah) is forbidden to the remaining brother (Shimon), not only because she was already forbidden to him at one time (that time being when her husband, Reuben, died), but also in accordance with a seemingly unrelated principle: that a man is forbidden to marry the widow of a brother who died before he was born (כדין אשת אח שלא היה בעולמו).

My question is two-fold:

1) What is the relationship between this law (אשת אח שלא היה בעולמו) and the situation under discussion (נאסרה עליו עולמית משום שנאסרה עליו שעה אחת)? How are they in any way similar?

2) Does a recognition of the relationship between these two principles shed light on why the Rambam might have felt that her co-wife was also forbidden to him, and thus exempt from needing to perform either chalitzah or yibbum - in contrast to the ruling previously published by him?

The relevant passage in the Rambam reads as follows:

שלשה אחין שנים מהן נשואין שתי אחיות והשלישי נשוי נכרית. מת אחד מבעלי אחיות ויבם הנשוי נכרית את אשתו ואחר כך מתה אשתו של שני ואחר כך מת השלישי ונפלו שתי נשיו לפני השני שאין לו אשה הרי אלו פטורות מן החליצה ומן היבום. האחת מפני שהיתה אחות אשתו בשעה שמת אחיו הראשון נאסרה עליו לעולם משום אשת אח כדין אשת אחיו שלא היה בעולמו והנכרית משום צרתה.

The part that I have difficulty with is in bold.


texts:
I'm looking for literature on the history of Talmudic censorship. I would prefer the material be in English, but Hebrew is also OK.

Related post: Talmudic Censorship


texts: Does anyone agree with Rebbe Nachman that the Tikkun HaKlali is a teshuvah for all sins?

texts: Rebbe Nachman of Breslov Zt"l apparently recommended reciting a series of ten psalms--plus several interpolated prayers--as a teshuvah for any sin, and particularly the questionable sin of involuntary nocturnal emission. I am wondering if there are any authorities outside of Breslov who agree that this so-called "Tikkun HaKlali" is in fact an appropriate atonement for any sin. (I had been thinking of trying to use it for missed davening.)


texts: What's the correct Brocho to say on Hearts of Palm?


texts: Understanding G-d's description as a "doctor" or "healer"

texts:
I am trying to understand the concept of describing G-d's role as a  רופא- loosely translated as "healer" and how it relates to His connection with sickness or ailments.

Compare:

Exodus 15:26:

  וַיֹּאמֶר֩ אִם־שָׁמ֨וֹעַ תִּשְׁמַ֜ע לְק֣וֹל ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ
  וְהַיָּשָׁ֤ר בְּעֵינָיו֙ תַּעֲשֶׂ֔ה וְהַֽאֲזַנְתָּ֙ לְמִצְוֺתָ֔יו
  וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֖ כָּל־חֻקָּ֑יו כָּֽל־הַמַּֽחֲלָ֞ה אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֤מְתִּי
  בְמִצְרַ֙יִם֙ לֹא־אָשִׂ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה רֹפְאֶֽךָ׃
  (ס)

  and He said: ‘If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD
  thy God, and wilt do that which is right in His eyes, and wilt give
  ear to His commandments, and keep all His statutes, I will put none of
  the sicknesses upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians; for I am
  the LORD that healeth thee.’

Here, it seems to mention that because G-d is your healer, he will not place any of the sicknesses upon you. If you have no sickness in the first place, what is there to "heal"?

Then, later it says:

Exodus 23:25:

  וַעֲבַדְתֶּ֗ם אֵ֚ת יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם וּבֵרַ֥ךְ אֶֽת־לַחְמְךָ֖
  וְאֶת־מֵימֶ֑יךָ וַהֲסִרֹתִ֥י מַחֲלָ֖ה מִקִּרְבֶּֽךָ׃

  And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless thy bread, and
  thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

In the 2nd verse, G-d is described as removing sickness that is already there. Note, that in both places, the word מַחֲלָ֖ה is used.

So regarding sickness as well as G-d's role as a "healer", which is it - preventing getting the sickness or removing the sickness?

I am aware that the term רופא in modern Hebrew means "doctor". Some doctors perform both roles - curing and preventing sickness (such as pediatricians.) However, I'm not sure if this dual role is what is being implied in the Torah's usage. Also, the word in the Torah seems to translate better as "healer" and not "doctor" which leads to the question of how you can heal something that isn't there.


texts: What is an אדם כשר w.r.t. precedence for aliyos?

texts:
Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 23:9:

כשיש כהן בבית הכנסת צריכין לקרות אותו תחלה ואפילו אם הוא עם הארץ אלא שהוא אדם כשר הוא קודם אפילו לתלמיד חכם
When there is a kohen in the synagogue, we must call him first [to the Torah]. Even if he is an am haaretz, so long as he is a כשר (kasher) person, he has precedence even to a Torah scholar.

What does the KSA mean by "a כשר person"?


texts:
My understanding is that there are a few organized groups of non-Jews who strive to follow the Noahide laws. Just like Jews, B'nei Noach might have situations where the correct action to take is unclear. When Jews have such a problem, they ask a competent halachic authority their question. Presumably, there must be an equivalent type of "posek" who can answer the questions of the non-Jews and determine what their halacha is.

Are there any people who are known as prominent poskim for non-Jews? Are these poskim rabbis or are they non-Jews?


texts: Was there a tradition that Jewish girls desired to be the mother of the messiah?

texts:
Are there any Jewish historical traditions that young Jewish girls often hoped and desired to be the mother of the messiah?

For this question, I am interested in the historical time period of the 1st century AD or earlier.


texts:
There is a clear halacha see mishna berura here that one should not daven immediately after learning Torah. The source is the gemara Brachos 31a. The reason is so that our minds should be clear to be able to concentrate on tefillah.

Granted, the definition of "learning Torah" (i.e to what level), is discussed by the Poskim and it seems that, broadly speaking, "light" learning (learning that is not too involved - see the sources brought above that use the language of "שאין בה עיון") is ok and "heavy" learning is not.

My question is this: In all Yeshivos that I have studied at (and I'm sure this applies to many, many others) they daven Mincha immediately after the morning shiur (or morning seder). Surely morning seder, an iyun seder in most Yeshivos, should certainly qualify as Torah learning that is involving and distracting from Tefillah. What is the rationale behind this schedule?


texts: How long must clothes be worn before the 9 days for them to count as not fresh?

texts:
I've only read "short period" as a time given for how long to wear clothes you're planning on putting on during the 9 days.

Is there anything more specific than that? Is there an efficient and halachically correct way to get a lot of clothes ready in a short amount of time?


texts: How do religious Orthodox Jews reconcile their calendar with the Darwinian theory of evolution?

texts:
This is a genuine question. I'm curious because I read somewhere that even the most religious Orthodox Jews accept the Darwinian theory of evolution, and that even they don't believe dinosaurs lived in the same time period as humans. Is this true? If so, how do they explain the fact that the calculations of the Jewish calendar are the same as the calculations used by young earth creationists to argue that the universe is 6,000 years old? If religious Orthodox Jews don't believe that the universe is 5,778 years old, then what do they mean when they say that we are in the year 5,778? On the other hand, if religious Orthodox Jews do believe that the universe is 5,778 years old, then how can evolution be true since it requires billions of years to take place?

My question is NOT "Do Jews believe in evolution?" or "Do Jews believe in young earth creationism?" or "Do Jews believe in the coexistence of dinosaurs and humans?"

Rather, my question is more specifically about how evolutionist Jews reconcile their Jewish calendar (which seems to imply that the universe is 5,778 years old) with the Darwinian theory of evolution.


texts:
My kid asked:

  If the man could be whatever food one wanted, could one eat milk-man after meat-man?

(And the same can be asked, but stronger, about cooking or eating the two types together.) I replied that I think it could taste like, but not be, whatever one wanted, so that I doubted it would be a problem. However, I see that Avrohom Yitzchok cites Rav Asher Weiss as implying that some hold that the man could actually change into whatever food one wanted, sufficiently to, perhaps, require that food's b'racha rishona. In that case, my kid's question stands.


texts:
Based on this answer, the reason not to eat a kezayit of karpas is because of a safek whether you would have to make a borei nefashot if you do.

if maror is covered by hamotzi, then the haadama on the karpas applies only to the karpas itself, and if you ate a kezayit you would make a borei nefashot.
if maror requires its own bracha, then the haadama on the karpas covers it, and even if you ate more than a kezayit you wouldn't make a borei nefashot, since you want the haadama to continue to the maror.  As I understand it, the shared bracha ties the karpas to the meal, and so it is covered by bentching.

Based on the comments there, there are also minhagim to specifically eat a kezayit.

But isn't there a simple way of doing both?  You can just make sure to eat a haadama fruit as part of the "dessert" at the end of the meal in shulchan orech (of course before the afikoman), and have in mind that the haadama on the karpas covers that.  Then, either way, you wouldn't make a borei nefashot on the karpas, since the bracha continues to the meal and the karpas is again covered by bentching.

Short version: you eat a (>kezayit) piece of cantaloupe during shulchan orech, as a dessert distinct from the main part of the meal, which fulfills exactly the same role as the maror does in (2), but according to (1) as well.

This would seem to solve all the problems, but I've never heard this suggestion before.  Is there a source for it?  Is there a reason it wouldn't work?


texts: Is autocannibalism halachically prohibited?

texts: I was wondering if sucking your own blood or biting at your own scab or otherwise consuming yourself was halachically permissible, since, as far as I can tell, humans are not kosher. Even so, it would seem that autocannibalism in some form or another is basically unavoidable and I have never heard of it being prohibited.


texts: Are you allowed to benefit from an electrical appliance turned on during shabbos?

texts:
If a jewish person were to accidentally turn on the light in their bedroom, or if the television were accidentally turned on (for these purposes, let's assume that the person in question woke up, temporarily forgot what day it was, and turned on the electrical appliance), would the jew be allowed to benefit from the new situation (e.g. they can now read in their bedroom, or watch the single channel on TV). Leaving aside if someone else were to see the jewish person using this new situation (for this question, the person is living in an apartment, so nobody can look in and see what he's doing in his bedroom or living room), are there any halachic ramifications for benefiting from the new situation? Or must the jew simply 'ignore' the new situation and act like it doesn't exist?

As a side question, would it matter if the electrical appliance were turned on by a non-jew or a minor? I know a few times a shul had no lights on, and had to use a non-jew to turn on the lights as a 'loophole' to get the lights on; would they also be able to benefit from this?


texts: Why don't men go to the mikveh after relations/ejaculation?

texts:
Wayikra 15:16-18

  טז  וְאִישׁ, כִּי-תֵצֵא מִמֶּנּוּ שִׁכְבַת-זָרַע--וְרָחַץ בַּמַּיִם אֶת-כָּל-בְּשָׂרוֹ, וְטָמֵא עַד-הָעָרֶב.    16
  יז  וְכָל-בֶּגֶד וְכָל-עוֹר, אֲשֶׁר-יִהְיֶה עָלָיו שִׁכְבַת-זָרַע--וְכֻבַּס בַּמַּיִם, וְטָמֵא עַד-הָעָרֶב.
  יח  וְאִשָּׁה, אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁכַּב אִישׁ אֹתָהּ שִׁכְבַת-זָרַע--וְרָחֲצוּ בַמַּיִם, וְטָמְאוּ עַד-הָעָרֶב.

  And if the flow of seed goes out from a man, then he shall bathe all his
  flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening. And every garment, and
  every skin, whereon is the flow of seed, shall be washed with water,
  and be unclean until the evening. The woman also with whom a man shall
  lie carnally, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be
  unclean until the evening.

I know there are certain Hasidic communities where men go to the mikveh daily. But I've never heard it discussed about men going to the mikveh after relations or masturbation. Why is this the case, when the Torah verses above state he should do so?


texts: Interfering with wild predator and prey animals

texts:
Would it be considered tzaar baalei chaim (animal cruelty) to assist a wild animal at the expense of another? Would it be acceptable

to help a wild predator catch wild prey (causing distress to the prey)?
to prevent a wild predator from catching wild prey (causing distress and prolonged hunger for the predator)?

This is different from the question of feeding live animals to pets, in which case they depend on their owners entirely for their food.

For an example of the first point, if one caught a live pest of some sort, rather than killing it outright, would it be wrong to release it in a place where it will inevitably be killed by another animal (such as a spider web)? Or would this perhaps be better than killing it, since the human is not directly the cause of the animal's death?

For an example of the second point, suppose one saw a mouse about to be eaten by a snake, and chased away the snake to protect the mouse. It seems like a virtuous act of compassion, but if one were to keep on doing this to the snake, it would eventually die of hunger.

Does the answer depend on if there was a human benefit (such as animal population control)?


texts: When did Jews adopt the custom of saying "Baruch Hashem"? The only people who said B"H in the Chumash were non-Jews: Noah, Malkitzedek, Avimelech, Eliezer, Lavan, and Yitro!


texts: Is there anything in Jewish texts on a third gender or gender deviant persons?

texts: Are there any stories particularly on those who do not fit into the categories man or woman? Is this considered a sin?


texts: How far out will Israel's borders reach at the time of Mashiach?

texts:
In Genesis 15:18, God promises Avram (Abraham) that his offspring will be given the land from the river of Egypt (it is disputed which body of water this refers to) all the way until the great river of Perat (commonly translated as the Euphrates River).

Is there an obligation for us to have sovereignty over those lands when Mashiach comes so that we will possibly have to go to war to acquire those lands, or will we be able to wait for Hashem to make it happen without having to militarily intervene?

(One can assume that the world will know that Mashiach is the true Messiah and that we will not have to make war at all, even if we are obligated to conquer, but it is possible that there will be some Amalekim or other enemies who will not accept him.

It is also notable that the verse in Deutoronomy 11:24--which talks about which lands we will conquer--makes no mention of the river of Egypt, but rather puts the 'sea that is behind' (Mediterranean Sea?) as the western border.

It may be possible that the descendants of Yishmael will be able to retain those lands because they are the offspring of Abraham. Even though Genesis (21:12) says that Isaac (Yitzchak) will be 'called offspring,' the next verse says that Yishmael is still the 'offspring' of Abraham, so when Yishmael's descendants fully return to Hashem, perhaps they will regain some of the inheritance.)


texts: Which way must a dead body's head "face"?

texts:
At several burials that I have attended, I noticed that they (I assume the funeral home) had written the word rosh ("head") on the top of the coffin, indicating which way the body's head was located.

Before lowering the coffin, the rabbi indicated the people to rotate the coffin so that the head faces a certain way when lowered into the ground.

Which way is the head supposed to face - east / west. etc. What if the grave is not configured in an east - west direction?
Why must it face in that direction?
Sources for the above.

I assume that the rabbi may be following the alignment of neighboring graves and assumes that the head should be in line (same direction) as the neighboring markers (e.g. head closest to the headstone).

But, of course, if the body were buried in an open field or somewhere that had no markers, is there a preferred direction?


texts: Are there any different implications from the three ways Achashverosh speaks to Esther?

texts:
In Megillat Esther, Achashverosh asks Esther what he can do for her three times (text and translation from chabad.org):
5:3

And the king said to her, "What concerns you, Queen Esther, and what is your petition? Even to half the kingdom, it will be given to you."
ג.וַיֹּאמֶר לָהּ הַמֶּלֶךְ מַה לָּךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וּמַה
בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ:

5:6

And the king said to Esther during the wine banquet, "What is your petition? It shall be granted you. And what is your request? Even up to half the kingdom, it shall be fulfilled."
ו.וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר בְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן מַה
שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ וְיִנָּתֵן לָךְ וּמַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת
וְתֵעָשׂ:

and 7:2

And the king said to Esther also on the second day during the wine feast, "What is your petition, Queen Esther, and it shall be given to you. And what is your request, even up to half the kingdom, and it shall be granted."
ב.וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְאֶסְתֵּר גַּם בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי
בְּמִשְׁתֵּה הַיַּיִן מַה שְּׁאֵלָתֵךְ אֶסְתֵּר הַמַּלְכָּה וְתִנָּתֵן
לָךְ וּמַה בַּקָּשָׁתֵךְ עַד חֲצִי הַמַּלְכוּת וְתֵעָשׂ

The language is subtly different -- in the second question, he never refers to her as "hamalkah", the second and third introduce the notion of "v'tei'as" and the third has the word ""v'yinatein" turn into "v'tinatein."
Is there any discussion of what the practical differences might be between these three iterations? Is this all just grammar and conversational whim or does the omission of the "Queen" title, or the introduction of "it will be done" or the change in the presentation of the n-t-n root lead to any other interpretations (either as individual concepts or as part of a whole, all pieces creating a different over-arching interpretation)?


texts: The month of Cheshvan is called by many MarCheshvan. Are both correct or which one is more correct?


texts: Re-use of items used in service of another deity upon conversion

texts:
I am in the process of converting to Judaism from being a hellenic pagan (yes, there is a small revivalist movement, and yes, I am deeply grateful I was led away from that path) and I had a specific question about transferable practices and items.

As part of my former path, I had covered my hair for years, and adopted a much more modest dress code. Although this practice is actually part of what led me away from paganism, I am concerned about how to fulfill the modesty requirements if I initially adopted the practice in service to another god. Since committing to the conversion process, I have stopped covering my hair out of respect because I did not want there to be any confusion about why I was doing it (either for myself or for others). I would, however, like to resume modest dress including hair covering if possible. Can I resume the practice, and if so, when? Also, what is the status of the scarves I used to cover with?

So far, I have found information on items used as sacrifices to idols, but that is the closest I've come to finding an answer. My difficulty here is that the scarves themselves were never used as sacrifices, but rather as part of a duty. They are still perfectly usable and in good condition, and they were never "given," so to speak. I also never had a physical rendering of an idol at any point (I am not sure that matters, but mention it in case that distinction does matter.)

Would it be permissible to use them, and if so, what would I need to do to them, if anything? If not, what would be the most appropriate thing to do with them?

Edit: Background information--

Here is a link that explains some of the background of it: http://lady-magique-et-lady-chance.tumblr.com/post/145507542051/veiling-and-binding. I avoided too much description here because I wasn't sure if giving that kind of detail would be problematic. As you'll see from the link, it was related to hair binding, and so if I should get rid of my scarves, I should honestly get rid of my hair ties as well. The scarves themselves weren't specially designed for the purpose, contained no unique imagery or symbols, and were not offerings. I chose scarves over simple braids because I liked the added privacy and because it was specifically a devotion to Hestia (modesty is one of her attributes): http://www.theoi.com/Ouranios/Hestia.html.


texts: Does anyone hold that all shoes are forbidden on Yom Kippur?

texts:
It's a commonly said statement that only leather shoes are forbidden to be worn on Yom Kippur. However when reading the source from the Gemara it appears that all sandals (which I imagine are the only shoes available at the time) are forbidden to be worn. I understand that the majority of later Rabbis held that it's specific to leather shoes, but does anyone hold that it applies to all shoes? If so, who does and where do they say so?

Sephardic sources appreciated.


texts: Perplexing Abbreviation in Tzafnas Paneach

texts:
The Tzafnas Paneach has a strange abbreviation in his commentary to Rambam, Sefer Zmanim, Chapter 5, Halacha 5.
Here's the Rambam:

ונהגו כל ישראל בזמנים אלו להתענות בשלשה עשר ג באדר זכר לתענית שהתענו בימי המן שנאמר (אסתר ט׳) דברי הצומות וזעקתם, ואם חל שלשה עשר באדר להיות בשבת מקדימין ומתענין בחמישי שהוא אחד עשר, אבל אחד מארבעה ימי הצומות שחל להיות בשבת דוחין אותו ד לאחר השבת, חל להיות בערב שבת מתענין בערב שבת, ובכל הצומות האלו אין מתריעין ולא מתפללין בהן תפלת נעילה, אבל קורין בתורה שחרית ומנחה בויחל משה, ובכולן אוכלים ושותין בלילה חוץ מתשעה באב.

Here's the Tzafnas Paneach

ונהגו כל ישראל כו׳. עיין בה״ה אך באמת אין הפירוש כן רק דקאי אי״ג באדר ובזמן ביהמ״ק אסור להתענות מחמת יום טוריינוס או נקנור כמבואר בתענית דף י״ח ועיין בפה״מ לרבינו בר״ה דס״ל דשל ת״ב אף בבית שני התענו ע״ש וס״ל דגם אז לא היה שלום ובאמת טעם דהוכפלו לא שייך קודם חורבן בית שני וכמ״ש התוס׳ אך באמת לפי הנראה יש בזה שיטה אחרת בענין החורבן ואכמ״ל בזה׃

What is the meaning of "בה״ה"? Its not Halacha 5, because that's the Halacha that he is in. The only commentary on Rambam that has the the initials ה״ה that I could find is הגהות הרמ״ך, and he doesn't have any comments on this Halacha.


texts: What is the origin for Reform to call their synagogues a "Temple"?

texts:
Why does Reform typically call it a Temple, vs a Beit Knesset, a Beit Sefer, or a shul? I imagine the Hebrew would have been the obvious go to, if they chose to ignore the yiddush.

Not that I know the origin of Shul, I assume Yiddish in some form, but not sure what the original word is.


texts:
One of my students was filling out an application that requested the longest and shortest word in Tanach. I am assuming by the fact that this question was asked that there is a known answer and this is not some vague question that requires counting of all the words in Tanach. Thanks for your help on this.

What is the longest word in Tanach?


texts: I remember seeing somewhere that a kohen whose wife is a niddah should not recite the birkas kohanim. Does anyone know where this is cited? I don't beileve anyone practices this anymore.


texts: Why do modern siddurim not break up the Shabbos Mussaf Kedusho at “להיות לכם לאלקים” as we used to do?

texts:
In the Kedusho in Musaf for Shabbos, the custom in nusach ashkenaz used to be that the chazzan would stop at the words “להיות לכם לאלקים” and the community would answer “אני ה" אלקיכם”.

The custom seems now to have changed following Artscroll that there is no break and the chazzan carries right on saying להיות לכם לאלקים אני ה" אלקיכם

Why the change?


texts: Why R' Yehoshua didn't mention the majority rule?

texts:
The more I study the Sugyah of Tanuro Shel Achnai, the more I get confused:
At the culmination of the argument "Rabbi Yehoshua (c. 100 CE) stood on his feet and said: It is written: “It is not in heaven” (Deut. 30:12). Bava Metzia.59b And that's how the original story ends. He does not mention the majority rule and this causes very bad things happening to R' Eliezer and R' Gamliel, etc. Had the majority rule been evoked the story could end peacefully.
Only two centuries later the Gemara asks: "What is the meaning of the phrase “It is not in heaven”?" and quotes Rabbi Yirmeya (c. 350CE): "Since the Torah was already given at Mount Sinai, we do not regard a Divine Voice, as You already wrote at Mount Sinai, in the Torah: “After a majority to incline” (Ex 23:2) ibid, which is a complete misinterpretation of the original verse:

"you shall not give perverse testimony so as to pervert it in favor of the majority" (Rashi in place).

So, what is happening here? Why, if this was the original tradition from Moses, R' Yehoshua doesn't mention the majority rule?


texts:
Chazal give the following list of names for books of Tanach (Bava Basra 14b):

  תנו רבנן סדרן של נביאים יהושע ושופטים שמואל ומלכים ירמיה ויחזקאל ישעיה ושנים עשר

  A Braisa states: The order of the Prophets is Yehoshua, Shoftim, Shmuel, Melachim, Yirmiya, Yechezkel, Yeshaya, Shneim Asar

  ...

  סידרן של כתובים רות וספר תהלים ואיוב ומשלי קהלת שיר השירים וקינות דניאל ומגילת אסתר עזרא ודברי הימים

  The order of the Writings is Rus, Tehillim, Iyov, Mishlei, Koheles, Shir HaShirim, Kinnos, Daniel, Esther, Ezra, Divrei HaYamim.

Two of these books I've bolded: Shneim Asar in Neviim, and Kinnos in Kesuvim. The former we now call Trei Asar, in Biblical Aramaic - not even the Gemara Aramaic's Treisar. The latter we now call Eichah, presumably after its opening word. It's noteworthy that Chazal often refer to Tehillim as Tilim (ex. AZ 19b) - either shorthand or Aramaic, not sure which - but we now have reverted back to the former name.

When and why have we changed the names of these books?


texts: Is it better to Daven [pray] with a earlier large minyan or better to wait to daven later with a much smaller minyan where I will be needed as the tenth?


texts:
The medrosh criticizes Eisov for trapping his father with questions such as "must one tithe salt," yet doesn't specify that it was shobbos, so there should be no melucha of "tzud"! Is this proof that the Avos kept shobbos all week long?

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


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

What is the halachic definition of a tzomeach (צוֹמֵחַ)?


texts:
The Gemara in Megillah 7b is clear:

חייב איניש לבסומי בפוריא
A person must smell good in bed

However, I have seen that people are not careful about this.  In fact, I have known some Yeshiva students who are incredibly scrupulous in other areas of Halacha go for days without showering!  Why has this halacha been left by the wayside?

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


texts: Until what time before sunset (shekiya) can you work Erev Shabbos (Friday)?

texts:
I remember reading somewhere that you can't work 2 hours before Shabbos starts.

What exactly is the halacha?
If you have a regular 9-5 job. When do you have to end working on Friday's--assuming your job is next door (0 time commute)?

Does the halacha only apply to starting a new task or even if you're in the middle of a task?


texts: Source for carrying something making it ok to walk between 2 women

texts: I have read that "poskim" say that carrying an item will alleviate the problem of walking between two women.  Does anyone know the names of these poskim or seforim that say this?


texts: Can a jew work for a gentile government?

texts:
Is it permissible for a jew to perform work for a gentile government? I've heard that the Lubavitcher Rebbe z'tl helped the US Navy with his knowledge of electrical engineering during WW2, but perhaps due to the holocaust that was pikuach nefesh?

I think I remember seeing a quote somewhere in the Gemara along the lines of "don't let the government know you."

There is also Pirkei Avos 2:3 "Be careful about the government..."


texts: Destruction of the World: Parshas Noach vs. the Rambam

texts:
In Parshas Noach, it is written:

וַֽהֲקִֽמֹתִ֤י אֶת־בְּרִיתִי֙ אִתְּכֶ֔ם וְלֹֽא־יִכָּרֵ֧ת כָּל־בָּשָׂ֛ר
ע֖וֹד מִמֵּ֣י הַמַּבּ֑וּל וְלֹא־יִֽהְיֶ֥ה ע֛וֹד מַבּ֖וּל לְשַׁחֵ֥ת
הָאָֽרֶץ:
And I will establish My covenant with you, and never again will all flesh be cut off by the flood waters, and there will never again be a
flood to destroy the earth.

However, the Rambam writes in Mishneh Torah, Repentance 3,

וְכֵן כָּל הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ אִם הָיוּ עֲוֹנוֹתֵיהֶם מְרֻבִּין מִזְּכֻיּוֹתֵיהֶן מִיָּד הֵן נִשְׁחָתִין
...So, too, is the whole world, if their vices exceeded their virtues they are presently destroyed.

If there is a contradiction between these two sources, how can it be solved? If there is not a contradiction, can the world be destroyed, just not through the use of a flood? Was Hashem implying that there is a possibility that the world may be destroyed, but such a thing will not happen?


texts: Tehillim while waiting for medical test results

texts: When one is waiting for a medical test result, which tehillim is it customary to recite?


texts: After the battle with Amalek, Moshe builds an altar (Mizbeach) called "Hashem Nisi" (God is my miracle). Was anything offered on it, who performed the service, and does it have any kedusha or significance.


texts: What's a good website for asking questions about Jewish life and learning and getting crowd-sourced answers?


texts:
Does one's intent factor into one's ability to rely upon an exemption in Halachah?

For example on Sukkoth, if I have no Sukkah and no intention of building a Sukkah (let's say at work, for one example and I've been bringing non-Mezonoth foods with me to eat for lunch or, for our purposes, "snack" every day; or for another example I am only going to be home for one or two days of the holiday so I don't bother to build one; or for a more extreme example, I just don't care to build one, although I am aware of the requirement to eat in one), and one day it rains, may I then rely on the exemption in Halachah that lifts the requirement to eat in a Sukkah?

Or, for another example, if I am lax/lazy and don't regularly wear Tefillin though I recognize that I ought to, and now it is Ḥol HaMo'ed and my rabbi/synagogue (assume no strong family Minhag, Ba'al Teshuvah, etc.) follows the opinion that one does not wear Tefillin on Ḥol HaMo'ed, may I rely on that exemption?


texts:
To what degree does medicine need to be kosher (not regarding pesach)? Most medicines are a random series of active ingredients with little meaning to the non medical professional - but what about "chocolate flavored" etc tablets or liquids?

I know that here in Australia there exists a kosher book for regular food, but not one for medicine. On the other hand i recall hearing that Strepsil lozenges (sore throat) that used to be kosher are not any more.

So, points of interest are:

flavouring
degree of importance (heart medicine / sleep pills / stimulants / sore throat lozenges)
age?


texts:
I was debating with my brother whether they had sukkah hops in Europe, and failed to find a good answer via Google Books or Scholar.

Is it a specifically American institution?
What's the first recorded sukkah hop?


texts: How to deal with the command of Vayikra/Leviticus 15:19

texts:
The verse of Vayikra 15:19 teaches that whoever touches a woman that has her zovah (being blood) becomes impure:

  If a woman has a discharge, her flesh discharging blood, she shall remain in her state of menstrual separation for seven days, and whoever touches her shall become unclean until evening.

Does this mean that a toddler or children also became tamei?
And if so what did it mean (what did they have to do?) for those children until the evening came?

P.s. how do we deal with this command these days?


texts: At what age does a minor kohen start to recite Birkat Kohanim?

texts:
Shulchan Aruch 128:34 rules that a minor kohen performs nesiat kapayim (lit. 'rasing the palms', i.e. reciting the Priestly Blessing) in order to learn and become accustomed to the practice (as long as adult kohanim are doing so at the same time).

Mishnah Berurah 128:123 notes that this is not at the regular age of chinuch (five or six years old), but rather when the child knows how to 'raise his palms' according to the custom of the kohanim, without giving a specific age or age range.

This seems to leave the age at which a minor kohen begins to perform nesiat kapayim somewhat flexible, depending on the development of the child in question.

However, I remember being told by my father that our family custom was that minor kohanim only start to perform nesiat kapayim during the festival before they turn thirteen.

Are there any (written) sources available describing the practice for minor kohanim to only start performing nesiat kapayim during the festival before they turn thirteen?

Are there any sources describing alternative practices, starting at a different fixed point?

(It would seem to me that starting the festival before the kohen's thirteenth birthday would make the most sense in communities where nesiat kapayim is only performed on festivals. Communities with weekly or daily nesiat kapayim could be expected to have a different starting point (if they have one at all).)


texts: What is the correct niqqud to put on the name of the מהר"ץ חיות? Wikipedia claims that his last name is spelled Chajes in English, and that Chayes or Hayot may also be seen. This seems to imply that the correct niqqud should be חַיּוֹת hayoth (a word which can refer to angels). On the other hand, when I encountered the name I had always blindly assumed that it was חִיּוּת ("vitality"), and the same spelling could also be חַיּוּת ("vitality"). Are any of these vocalizations correct? Alternatively, is his original last name a non-Hebrew word pronounced /χajəs/ (in IPA) that was identified with a Hebrew word with niqqud just a folk etymology, and therefore it might not have a "correct" vocalization?


texts: How do you extend the sound of a daleth in Shema?

texts: How does one extend the sound of the daleth in the echod of the shema as prescribed in OC 61 (6)?. The letter as we say it does not seem to allow extension. See Dalet (Wikipedia) which defines it as a "a voiced alveolar plosive" and Voiced dental and alveolar stops (Wikipedia) which defines the last term.


texts:
My husband is muktzeh (he was born in the eighth month and is now nineteen). Our marriage is going well. However, sometimes on the three-day Yom Tov it becomes difficult that neither I nor anyone else can p̶a̶s̶s̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ ̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶s̶  pass him to things at the table. Is there any solution for this?

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


texts: I read that a reviit (the minimal size for a cup used for kiddush, havdala etc) is 86.4 mL according to the generally accepted view (see here for options). Does anyone know where I can get a cup that is exactly that size or as close to it as possible? I don't need to be using extra wine when I make kiddush every week.


texts: When one plans on touching up both the shel rosh and shel yad with paint, does he say "Leshen Kedushat Tefillin" once for both tefillin or twice (once before each tefillin)?


texts: Source for Tehillim as remedies to specific problems

texts:
I have this (rather low-quality) "mini-siddur" e-book that I found long time ago. Among other things, it has a page called "Directory of Tehillim", which is a table where each Tehillim is assigned a certain purpose, for example:

  Tehillim 9 - for a sick child
  Tehillim 24 - to be saved from floods
  Tehillim 108 - for success (material)
  Tehillim 114 - for someone who buys and sells

The book does not specify the source for this. Where might this come from?

Also, is there any opinion on using the Tehillim in the manner suggested by such lists, in general?


texts: Why is Vayikra 20:27 at the end of the chapter?

texts:
This verse in Parshat Kedoshim - Vayikra (Leviticus) 20:27, "A man or a woman who has a ghost or a familiar spirit shall be put to death; they shall be pelted with stones—their bloodguilt shall be upon them," is the last verse of the chapter.  However, it appears to be in the wrong place.  This verse should be much earlier in the chapter, specifically after verse 6 ("And if any person turns to ghosts and familiar spirits...").  In addition, the chapter has logically ended with the previous verse ("You shall be holy to Me, for I the Lord am holy...").  #

I looked at all the usual commentators, and I didn't find an answer.

# Additionally, there is a paragraph break after this verse, and the next chapter is a new topic starting with "The Lord said to Moses..."


texts: Women doctors wearing pants scrubs - tzniut

texts:
This question begins with two assumptions - assuming there is no issue of beged isha and assuming that pants are immodest (which is the position of many orthodox women).
Is there a reason why this would be permitted?
It was suggested that the issue of pants is dat yehudit, which would depend on what how women usually dress. Perhaps in this setting, modest women did not accept this upon themselves.
On the other hand, perhaps pants are inherently immodest, irrespective of what women do. If this is the case, perhaps wide pants would be different.


texts:
As it states in Tehillim 150:6:

כֹּל הַנְּשָׁמָה, תְּהַלֵּל יָהּ:            הַלְלוּ-יָהּ. (Kol Han'shamah t'halel Yah! Hallelu Yah!)

It very clearly specifies "everything that breathes" so animals are certainly included in this obligation. But, the majority of animals do not have the linguistic capability of articulating all the phonemes of Hebrew. (Although dogs might not have difficulty pronouncing "baaaaaaRUCH", I don't think I could say as much for other words!)
How can animals incapable of speaking Hebrew praise God as they are commanded?

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


texts: Can a Gentile tell me Loshon Hara about another Jew?


texts: A follow up question to this one about my ancestor's gravestone.  The bottom two lines of the inscription have a mysterious (to me) reference to Hillel ben Shahar, and unfortunately are partially cut off in the picture.  I cannot make sense of all the words in the last two lines. (Nir'achta?)  Can anyone help me figure out what those lines are saying and what they mean?  Also, why the mention of Hillel ben Shahar?


texts: Does kidush bimkom s'uda need to be before the s'uda?

texts:
Anyone fulfilling his obligation of hearing kidush must eat a meal (or a nominal meal) at the same time and in the same place. There are details ‐ see Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 273 — but that's the general rule. My question is whether the meal must follow the kidush or whether, on the contrary, even a meal concluded with kidush is sufficient for the requirement of eating a meal with kidush.

A hypothetical to which my question applies is that of someone who did not hear kidush, ate a meal (or a nominal meal), then realized his error (one may not eat before kidush) and made or heard kidush immediately on concluding his meal (before the meal's after-b'racha, or perhaps after). Would he then need to eat after kidush also?


texts: Heretical Material Permitted in Maharal's Netivot Olam?

texts: I have heard that Maharal permits one to read heretical material in his sefer Netivot Olam.  Is this true?  If so, where does he say this in the sefer?


texts: What is the phrase "sin of youth" (חטאת נעורים) referring to, as used in the Tanya?

texts:
"Sin of youth" (Heb. חטאת נעורים) is a phrase found in various places in the Tanach. (For example, Tehillim 25:7 and Shmuel I 2:17.)

I was told that in Tanya, Chapter 42, "sin of youth" is a euphemism for wasting seed. How true is this statement? (Sources, please.)

  There is a soul that is of lowly nature and origin, coming from the lower gradations of the Ten Sefirot of Asiyah, which cannot discover G‑dliness by contemplation except with difficulty and forcefulness, especially if it had been contaminated by the sin of youth, for the sins interpose,... (as is explained in Sefer Chasidim, ch. 35).

[Quotation from Chabad.org, emphasis mine.]

If not, then what does "sin of youth" mean in Tanya?
(And if different then in Tehillim (above) what does it mean in the Tehillim?)


texts: Suppose someone has parents who are divorced. That someone is close with one parent, but has absolutely no relationship with the other. Must he sit shiva for the estranged parent? Is there any discussion in the poskim about this? I'm familiar with the idea that a couple who did not live harmoniously together do not have to sit shiva for one another, so perhaps there is a similar idea here?


texts: What happened to the mitzvah to love the stranger?

texts:
This commandment is repeated at least three times in the Torah--in Leviticus 19, Deuteronomy 10, Exodus 22, and Leviticus 25. Leviticus 19:33-34 say:

  "When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not wrong
  him.
       The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as one of your citizens;
       you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."

I was reading a Yahadut book that claimed to cover all the mitzvos in the Sefer HaMitzvos, and the only iteration of this principle it included was something pertaining to ger tzedeks (converts to Judaism); it didn't say a word about the treatment of ger toshavs (righteous non-Jews). Has the love of non-Jews completely disappeared as an official mitzva?

Also, I read this here:

  The Sefer Ha-chinukh notes that one who transgresses any of the two
  commandments relating to the proselyte actually transgresses two
  commandments, the specific commandment relating to the stranger and
  the parallel general commandment relating to all people.

Where is the latter of these commandments, and why do we not seem to worry about it these days?

That is, it never seems to be mentioned in frum chinuch textbooks; I have never once been instructed in it in all the sermons, classes, and shiurim I've heard in my 2-3 years in the (right-wing) Orthodox world, nor seen it in any published educational materials; and it is not something one hears the frum community complaining about when it is violated.

Related: May one love a non-Jew?


texts: What Was the Extent of the Princes' Authority?

texts:
In Numbers 7, we are told about the special offerings the princes of the Tribes brought to the Tabernacle. This is not the only time we hear of this position. Princes are present in Joshua 9 also, for example.

What sort of authority did the Princes have? What could they do, exactly? Where they beholden to some sort of tribe-wide council, just to Moses and the Sanhedrin, or did they have authority even in the face of the national leader and courts?

Please source you answers!


texts: Where does 5774 fall in the 19-year cycle?

texts: We are in a leap year, as indicated by the presence of Adar Bet.  Leap years occur every third, sixth, eighth, eleventh, fourteenth, seventeenth and nineteenth years in the cycle.  So how to tell which leap year we are in?


texts:
In parshat Devarim, Hashem tells the Israelites to leave the Edomites alone and bypass them: "You shall not provoke them, for I will not give you of their land...because I have given Mount Seir to Esau as an inheritance." [Deuteronomy 2:2-5]  The Midrash says that Esau (later, Rome) was being rewarded for honoring his parents:

Rabbi Yehudah bar Sima said: [Hashem] saw [Esau] destroying His Temple and remained silent... [because Esau] still deserves reward for honoring his parents...  The Holy One, blessed be He, said: "I am paying [Esau his] dues." [Deuteronomy R. 1:17]  ... Command the heads of [all future] generations to treat [Esau] with respect. [Deuteronomy R. 1:20]

This sure is a big reward for honoring your father and your mother!  One can almost understand Rome being given power and influence as a reward, but why should this reward include oppressing the Jews for 7 centuries, destroying their Temple and stealing their land?


texts: How is scraping a leaf erasure? (שבת נ ע״ב)

texts:
The Bavli, Shabas 50 amud 2 says (according to Rashi's understanding) that one can stick a knife between tightly foliated leaves on a branch on Shabas. Rashi explains:

  ואין חוששין שמא יגרור הקליפה וחייב משום מוחק / and we're not worried that he may scrape the peel and be liable for erasure.

What does erasure have to do with anything? How/why would scraping the surface of a leaf be considered erasure?


texts:
Why is a wine produced in a non jewish company regarded as non kosher (Assuming all ingredients are kosher)?

They produce thousands of these bottles a day and have no intent to produce it particularly for ideloatry.

Furthermore they don't have any direct relation to the customers, so there is no reason a jew will get married with them.


texts:
Is it appropriate to ask non-Jews to pray on behalf of someone in dire straits (sick, wrongfully imprisoned, trapped, etc.)?

Edit: If it's appropriate, would it be inappropriate if the person being asked is Christian?

What if the person is non-specifically spiritual and open to praying to HaShem if you ask them to?


texts: What if someone is unable to believe in God?

texts: Suppose someone really truly wants to believe in Hashem, but is simply unable to. Even after much trying and learning Torah, he still is simply unable to believe in God. Would that person be considered a kofer? Is there anything that he can do to not be a kofer?


texts: Does anyone know of an online English translation of the Kuzari Sheini by R' David Nieto?


texts:
If a plant / herb (grown in Eretz Yisrael) is used for its essence / aroma, must one first separate Terumah and Maaser (tithes) from it?

Does it make a difference if it is atype of plant which is usually used for smelling rather than eating?

Does it make a difference whether it was planted specifically for the use of smelling?


texts: Is there a Halachic problem to read and or learn the topic of History on Shabbos for enjoyment purposes? and why?


texts:
In economics we have used producer theory to analyse businesses which assumes the goal of a firm is profit maximisation. Economic literature has always referred to the goal of a education is to train people to become productive.

obviously the goal of the yeshiva is not job training. What is the goal of a yeshiva?


texts: Does a woman have to cover her head if she is bald?

texts:
The Gemara in Ketubot 72a outlines the issue of married woman covering her hair. This issue has been discussed already on this forum. Rav Yehuda Herzl-Henkin has wonderful and thorough treatment of the subject in Bnei Banim, also available in English here. Obviously the topic is very broad, I merely bring these points up as a preface to my question.
The question being, it seems that much of the issues of uncovered hair are centered on Ervah, or at least on the notion of hair being meant to be covered. So if a woman doesn't have hair, it would seem that there is no need for her to cover her scalp. Is there any requirement for a bald woman to wear a kerchief on her head, or perhaps does having a bald head itself fulfill the requirement? (In the verse from which we learn the concept of hair-covering, it uses the word ראש/her head, rather than שער/her hair -- perhaps this is pertinent to the answer.)  An adjunct to this question would be: if indeed a scalp-cover is not required, why do the many Chasidic women who shave their heads continue to wear a head cover? Is there a Halachic opinion that requires this, or is that a separate issue? Please bring any sources that support your answer.


texts: נֻסח 'ספרד' says "אין כאלקינו" every day. On weekdays, it includes several paragraphs describing the makeup of the קטרת, followed by several פסוקים. On שבת, the description of the קטרת is cut short and the balance, along with the פסוקים, is replaced by a משנה from מסכת תמיד. Also, the very paragraph of "אין כאלקינו" is slightly different: its ending changes for שבת. Why these differences between weekdays and שבת?


texts: Is a check considered paying workers on time?

texts: You have a plumber, electrician, babysitter, etc. doing a job for you. There is a Mitzva of "Byomo Titein Schoro" paying in the same day. If you pay by check, where the person has to first go to the bank and cash it, and may not get to it until the following day, is it considered "Byomo Titein Schoro"?


texts: Can members of Hatzolah learn how to deliver a baby?

texts:
This seems like a very simple thing. Is there anything wrong with male members of Hatzolah (a frum Jewish emergency medical organization) learning how to deliver a baby? I recently heard that Rabbonim were asked this question and didn't want to answer. It seems like a very simple thing to me that they should know how. Are there any teshuvas on this or Rabbonim that have taken an official stance.

See here (related): May a man become a gynecologist?


texts: Welcoming the Mourner in on Friday Night

texts:
On Friday night, a mourner, during the first 7 days, a mourner enters shul right before the recitation of Psalm 92 (Mizmor shir l'yom hashabbat).

A mourner enters the synagogue on Friday evening before Mizmor shir l'yom haShabbat (after the main part of Kabbalat Shabbat has finished).
REASON Mizmor shir is the actual starting point of Shabbat.
The congregation stands and, as the mourners walk in, greets the mourners with “HaMakom yenacheim etchem b'toch she'ar aveilei tzion v'yrushalayim.

Here is what I have found online about the practice.
When the mourner davens IN shul because there isn't enough of a community to support separate minyanim, and is necessarily part of the mincha minyan count, must he leave for the Kabbalat Shabbat and then re-enter?


texts: What is the prohibition of intermarriage?

texts: The Gemara says that there's no kiddushin between a Jew and a non-Jew (the marriage is not effective), yet the only way to violate the prohibition of intermarriage is through marriage (at least for those who thing Yi Avid Mahane. Sexual intercourse on itself is not marriage, may be only a rabbinic prohibition)! So what specific action is forbidden?


texts: What were Moshe and Aharon supposed to say to the rock?

texts:
B'midbar 20:8 shows that G-d instructs Moshe and Aharon to speak to the rock, and it will bring forth water.

Usually, when G-d instructs Moshe to speak to B'nai Yisra'el he indicates what Moshe should tell them. Here, it doesn't seem apparent what G-d wanted Moshe and Aharon to say to the rock. What's missing? What words were they supposed to say?


texts: Where does Pharaoh's wickedness stem from?

texts:
The Torah brings very descriptive lineage of the Good guys (us) and the Bad guys (Eusov's Alufim, Amolek from Eisov etc) but reciting the Haggadah I was stumbled by the fact that Pharaoh's wickedness comes out of nowhere.

While the Meforshim compare the Egyptian Exile to Kutzo Shel Yod (of the Holy Name as one letter per one Exile) it is still unclear where does the wickedness come from.

So what evil does Pharaoh descend from? Was he a "super villain" like Lavan or just a regular idolater? What was his lineage and why the Torah does not mention it, unlike Haman, for example?

For those who interpret the Torah (ויקם מלך חדש) as נתחדשו גזרותיו - where do we see that a regular guy can one day turn into such a super evil-doer?

This question asks only about his spiritual heritage, another question deals with his genealogy.


texts: Is the Targum Neofiti a valid source of translation?

texts:
Targum Neofiti is believed by scholars to be an ancient translation of the torah.

Does the average orthodox rabbi consider it as a valid and reliable resource to translate or explain a word, the way AFAIK he would consider Onkelos and pseudo-Yonatan? This would be in contrast with perhaps the Septuagint which, AFAIK the average orthodox rabbi would not consider as an valid and reliable resource to translate or explain a word.

(where to find it online)


texts:
When looking into the Talmud in the most places after bringing a machloket it says that the halacha is like x.

On the other edge of the time when reading the Mishna Brurah it looks like he doesn't want to be posek in a machloket who is right. He says you rather try to be machmir. For example, see ש"ב, ס"ק י"ט, where the Mishna Brurah writes "ומ"מ מי שרוצה להחמיר על עצמו שלא לקפל כלל ודאי עדיף."

Another example at קסב ס"ק ט"ז
ויותר נכון לנהוג ... דעל עצה זו דג' פעמים מפקפקים כמה אחרונים
It looks like the Mishnah Brurah wants to be ok with every achron.

There are plenty of this examples throughout virtually every siman.

In the time of the rishonim we  still see that they try to give a psak on their own in disputes. An extreme case is the Rambam but also Rabenu Tam goes the same way.

When did we start not to try to be posek like one shita but rather to try to be machmir like both of them?


texts:
From Pesach until Succos, we stop saying mashiv haruach umorid hageshem in shemoneh esrei.
However, we would normally say it in the second blessing of the amidah, which is where we are only praising Hashem.
Therefore, why do we stop saying it just because we don't want/need it to rain, we are only praising Hashem for making it rain, not asking Him to?


texts: If steam from a cholent pot condensed on the cover and then the liquid from the cover fell onto a pareve container, is the container now meat?


texts: Why don't we worry about the transfer of taste with bugs?

texts: I was told that if one finds a bug in food, one may simply take it out and continue eating. Why don't we have the usual concerns about blias/taamim/imparted taste with bugs?


texts: Why don’t we say “vetein tal lev’racha”?

texts:
According to those who say “morid hatal” in the second b’racha of Shemoneh Esrei between Pesach and Sukkos, why don’t they also say vetein tal lev’racha in the ninth b’racha (instead of vetein b’racha) between Pesach and Sukkos?

If between Sukkos/ December and Pesach we ask for rain in both berachas, why not ask for dew in both berachas?


texts: Are there any contemporary "Gedolim" that prohibit the use of davening from a smart phone?

texts:
It took me a long time to upgrade my technology, but I admit that lately, I have been using my smart phone during davening.

My rav doesn't object, but some of my friends told me that it's prohibited or not recommended. Though, when asked, they haven't been able to really explain why other than that "I heard this".

I'm open to reading some opinions from notable rabbis or poskim that explain why it's absolutely forbidden or permitted but not recommended, with an explanation of their reasoning. This assumes that it's fine to use a smart phone, altogether. Just not for davening from it. Are there any such opinions?

I can't quite see the problem, but, then again, my smart phone may be making me dumber than I think I am :-)


texts: What is the origin of the word פְּלַסְתֵּר?

texts:
The Gemara Berachos (31b) writes

אֵלֵךְ וְאֶסְתַּתֵּר בִּפְנֵי אֶלְקָנָה בַּעֲלִי, וְכֵיוָן דְּמִסְתַּתַּרְנָא מַשְׁקוּ לִי מֵי סוֹטָה, וְאִי אַתָּה עוֹשֶׂה תּוֹרָתְךָ פְּלַסְתֵּר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר ״וְנִקְּתָה וְנִזְרְעָה זָרַע״.

What was Hannah threatening? She said:

I will go and seclude myself with another man before Elkana, my husband. Since I secluded myself, they will force me to drink the sota water to determine whether or not I have committed adultery. I will be found innocent, and since You will not make Your Torah false [pelaster], I will bear children. With regards to a woman who is falsely suspected of adultery and drank the sota water, the Torah says: “And if the woman was not defiled, but was pure, then she shall be acquitted and she shall conceive” (Numbers 5:28).

Though Jastrow's dictionary points to the definition of forgery, what is the origin or root of the word פְּלַסְתֵּר?


texts: What is the last meal during the period of sukkot, and the days following, for which sefaradim are required to sit in the sukkah? There are different minhagim with this issue. Which minhag do sefaradim follow in diaspora? What does Hacham Ovadia Yosef say?


texts: Are any communities using Sifrei Torah without "rollers"?

texts:
I think there was some mention in Mas. Megillah that discussed the method of doing hagbah and the usage of a mitpachat ("kerchief / cloth") for handling and covering the Torah. From this idea, it seems that Sifrei Torah, originally, did not use atzei chayim (the wooden rollers to which the parchment is attached to.)

These days, I've seen Sifrei Torah attached to rollers or encased for Sephardim. Are there any communities / nuscha'ot that still use Sifrei Torah without the rollers?


texts: Why is Moshe name not mentioned in parshas Tetzaveh?


texts: PTIJ: Shatnez issues with FLAC audio files

texts:
Being that there is a prohibition of Sha'atnez when wearing wool and linen (or flax) may one listen to FLACs (FLAC audio files) while wearing a wool sweater?

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


texts: Why Does Hashem Bless Us Like Efraim And Menashe?

texts: I know there are lots of reasons why, but what is the main reason Hashem made it so that we get blessed like them?


texts: SE Challenge: Halachot in which rulings range from permissible to Torah violation?

texts:
Inspired by my previous question regarding heating up soup on Shabbat, I present a challenge to the Judaism StackExchange community --

List halachot which have halachic decisions ranging from outright Torah violations (i.e. not simply a rabbinic violation) all the way to 100% sanctioned and permissible?

For instance, regarding the soup question, Yemenite Jews follow the Rambam's decision that heating up liquids on Shabbat is fully permissible. On the other hand, the Shulchan Aruch (318:4) rules that it is a violation of the Torah.

(I am of course not referring to halachic decisions where decisors suggest that the righteous should refrain from such a practice, והבעל נפש יחמיר, etc. rather halachic decisions meant for communal consumption. Decisors often say, והעיקר הוא, 'the principle [decision] is' to denote their final, most basic decision).

Formal definition:

At least one halachic decisor must rule that the practice is completely permissible and this practice must be followed by at least one identifiable community (i.e. Sephardic Jews, Galician Jews, etc.)
Similarly, at least one halachic decisor must rule that the same practice is a flagrant violation of the Torah, with similar caveats as above.


texts: If I live in a extreme Islamic country that would most likely kill me for being jewish and moving is not an option, is it unacceptable for me to practice in secret? or should I confess my faith and be a martyr?


texts: What is the most reliable meaning of Malachi 2:16?

texts:
I am an Italian son of Noah.

Reading the book of the prophet Malachi, I note that verse 2:16 presents two radically different translations,both carried out in Jewish contexts.

Translation reported on the website www.chabad.org:

“If you hate [her], send [her] away, says the Lord God of Israel. For injustice shall cover his garment, said the Lord of Hosts, but you shall beware of your spirit, and do not deal treacherously.”

Translation reported on the website www.sefaria.org:

“For I detest divorce—said the LORD, the God of Israel—-and covering oneself with lawlessness as with a garment—said the LORD of Hosts. So be careful of your life-breath and do not act treacherously”

The meaning changes radically between the two translations. Which is the one that according to Jewish tradition is to be considered the most reliable?

The meaning "I detest divorce" seems to me hardly compatible with the wide interpretation given by Beit Hillel regarding the "ervat davar" clause in Deuteronomy 24: 1,while Beit Shammai's more restrictive position on the subject would appear to me to be more coherent.


texts:
I never heard of a Jew named Lot.  Are there not any?  Why not?  What did Lot do that disqualifies him?

His righteousness and (exaggerated) hospitality allowed him to be spared the fate of Sodom.  The angels he hosted defended him from the mob.  His incest with his daughters was entirely his daughters' doing.  He even observed Pessah before the Exodus!  [Genesis Rabbah 48:12]

You can probably find ways to pick on him, but then so can you about any biblical figure.  So why is Lot banned from the list of acceptable Jewish names?


texts: What are the requirements for Gentiles to listen to a Jewish prophet?

texts:
Follow-up to my previous question relating to false prophets:

Devarim 18:18-22 says that one is required to listen to a true prophet but not a false prophet.

Do these laws apply to Gentiles? I am curious b/c Jonah revealed a prophetic message to the people of Ninveh. It seems that they listened to him and did Teshuva and they were spared. But being Gentiles, were they required to listen to Jonah in the first place?

Furthermore, within the discussion in Devarim, it says that when a prophet speaks in the G-d's name and the action never occurs, he is a false prophet and he should die. Jonah's prediction never occurred. Could the people of Nineveh claim that he was a false prophet and have killed him or these rules don't apply to Gentiles?


texts: Two types of kohanim; are there any practical differences between them?

texts:
Peninim on the Torah says:

Thus, the Kehunah, which he (Pinchas) received as a reward, was a totally new Kehunah, not connected with that of Aharon HaKohen.

Are there any practical differences between the two types of kohanim; those directly descended from Aharon and those descended from Pinchas?
Differences could be halachic or in their character.


texts: Why does the gemara seem to care more about erasing God's name than getting the correct ruling for a sotah?

texts:
In the mishna on Sotah 7a , we learn that the beis din intimidates the sotah in order to try to get her to admit to wrongdoing and avoid drinking the sotah water. The gemara on 7b asks why our mishna doesn't mention a fact that we learn from a beraisa: that the beis din also encourages her to drink the water if she's innocent. This difficulty is resolved by saying that the latter only happens after the name of God is erased in the water and our mishna is talking about before that happens.

It seems to come out from this that before the name is erased, the beis din does not encourage her to drink the water if she's innocent. They only intimidate her and try to get her to admit to wrongdoing. So it seems that the sotah falsely admitting under coercion is considered a better outcome than going through the process and finding her innocent by drinking the water, even though it means that she becomes forbidden to her husband and loses her kesubah. Obviously this is troubling, but it also seems to undermine the entire point of the mitzvah of sotah. If erasing God's name is such a bad thing that we prefer to forbid the woman to her husband and have her lose her kesubah over erasing the name and giving her a chance at vindication, why does the mitzvah of sotah exist at all? Why not just have that be the punishment for a sotah and leave it at that?

Even if it's true that the vast majority of sotahs are guilty, they know the truth. So why couldn't the beis din do two things before erasing the name:

Intimidate her and try to convince her to admit guilt if she's guilty.
Assure her that if she's innocent the water will not hurt her.


texts:
At the beginning of Ki Seitzei (Devarim 21:10-14), the Torah permits a soldier at war to take a woman from the captives as a wife, but only after he shaves her head, grows out her nails, removes her attractive clothing, and has her be in his house, crying over her parents, for one month, in order that he no longer find her attractive. If he still wants to marry her, he may, but if he doesn't, he must set her free; he may not sell or enslave her.

Why is this permissible? How is it fair that because the man has a desire for her (see Rashi to v. 11, from Kiddushin 21b), he gets to torture her to try to overcome his desire (see Rashi to v. 12, from Yevamos 48a, and to v. 13, from Sifrei 213)? What did she do wrong? She was having a pleasant life, possibly married with a family of her own (see Rashi to v.10, from Kiddushin 21b). And then this guy comes along, with a strong desire, and he just tortures her to get a handle on himself? How is that right?


texts:
Is it a violation of the prohibition to learn Torah on Tisha B'av to edit a Torah publication?

The intent of the editor is not to learn, but it ends up happening automatically if he is editing something that he hasn't learned before.  On the other hand, perhaps editing Torah content would not bring the happiness of learning Torah which is the root of the prohibition.


texts: Why does the Haggadah tell us that "Even if they are all Chachmim" they are obligated in Sippur?

texts:
Why does the Haggadah tell us that "Even if they are all Chachmim..." they are obligated in Sippur? Are ChaChamim excluded from any other Mitzvot?  Do they not have to pick up a Lulav because they are Chachamim?  Or read the Megillah?

Why would I think that the Chachamim would not be obligated in Sippur?

See עבדים הינו for direct quote.


texts: Where does Rav Dessler mention that root word of אהבה is הב?

texts:
I read in one of Rav Dessler's books where he says that the root word of אהבה is הב, which means "give" in Aramaic.

Does anyone know where he mentions this?


texts: Throwing dust on head = common mourning ritual?

texts:
In Job 2:12, when Job's friends first see Job at a distance, they "did not recognize him, and they raised their voices, and wept aloud; they tore their robes and threw dust in the air upon their heads."

I know that tearing of one's clothes is a common mourning ritual as portrayed throughout the Bible, but is throwing dusts upon one's head as well?

Where did the mourning ritual of throwing dusts on one's self originate? What is is symbolic of? What other accounts do we have in the Bible for it?

Is this mourning ritual still performed by some sects of Judaism today?


texts:
What is the halacha on proselytizing?  If a Jew tries to convince a non-Jew to become Jewish, is he breaking any commandments or rabbinic decrees?  Sources, please.

(I know there is evidence we used to proselytize 2000 years ago and that Pesachim 87b says we were exiled only so we can proselytize.  But I am asking for the current halachic position.)


texts: Kiddush Cup a Proper Wedding Gift for a Very Observant Couple?

texts:
My friend is very observant and will be getting married in May.

I was thinking a Kiddush set would be an appropriate gift, but I want to make sure I'm in strict accordance with the laws (if any) of gift giving for the occasion.

Should I avoid it? Will a member of the family most likely buy them a Kiddush set?


texts: Do JONAH and similar organizations successfully help those with same-gender attractions?

texts:
Wikipedia's article on homosexuality and Judaism talks about Jewish organizations which aim to help people change.  The article mentions JONAH, an organization which works on "prevention, intervention, and healing of the underlying issues causing same-sex attractions".  The article also mentions Atzat Nefesh.

There also exist secular organizations, and Christian organizations, with similar goals.

Are these organizations successful at helping their clients?

I define "successful helping" quite broadly.  I define it to be the successful achievement of any of the following.

Reducing clients' same-sex attractions.
Curing clients' same-sex attractions.
Helping bisexual clients with dating-related issues as they work towards marriage.  (For example, the issue of when to tell one's date about one's sexual orientation.)
Or helping with other problems that clients may have.  For example:

dysfunctional family relationships;
trust issues;
reclusiveness;
problems dealing with emotions such as sadness.

Please don't answer unless you cite sources.


texts:
A story was recently publicized about a Mohel who botched up a circumcision by cutting of more than he was supposed to, requiring six hours of surgery, numerous blood transfusions, a two month hospital stay for the unfortunate baby, and a long life of turmoil, embarassment and shame.

What would a biblical punishment be for such action?


texts: Bdikat Hametz: Enlisting multi-person team

texts: If it would be practical for me to call in favours from people in the neighbourhood, and collect a multi-person team to perform bdikat hametz with me, would that be a worthwhile humra to take on myself? Specifically, I'm worried about the risk of rats moving leavened food to rooms that have already been checked, from rooms that have not, during the course of the bdikah process itself. With a team large enough that one person could be deployed to each room, the process could be conducted concurrently, in parallel, perhaps mitigating the risk. If it's relevant to the question, my apartment has a serious rat infestation problem.


texts: Can you french kiss your wife if she does not eat Kosher?

texts:
Is there any kashrut problem to kiss your wife if she has eaten something non-kosher?

Maybe you can eat small non-kosher food by kissing her.

If her whole mouth is not kosher due to the hot non-kosher food, maybe there is a problem.


texts: Status of Torah written in Ksav Ivri written before Ezra Hasofer

texts: The gemara in Sanhedrin 21 brings a discussion regarding what script the Torah was givin . One opnion holds that the Torah was given in ksav Ivri (luchos prob given in ksav ashuris according to all). Then Ezra introduced ksav ashuris  and from then on only ksav ashuris would be kosher for Stam (Sifrei Torah, Teffilin,and Mezuzos). My question is what would be the status of a Torah written before Ezra introduced ksav ashuris, do we say it is passul to use since only ashuris can be used now ,or we say its kosher since it was kosher before and in a sense is grandfathered in?