texts: Is there an online repository of audio lectures from JTS faculty?

texts: I am looking for an online archive of audio lectures from JTS faculty such as Rabbi Saul Lieberman and Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel. Does such a site exist?


texts:
Not that you would, given that Israel is not a monarchy and that kings are not exactly elected.
But can it? Would that be halacha? I've heard we have had issues like this during Herod. I just want to understand a bit about the context.
Recently a governor in Jakarta wasn't elected and was thrown in jail over mentioning a Quranic text that suggest that Muslims must not vote for non-Muslim leaders. You can see the case here: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/dec/12/jakarta-governor-ahoks-blasphemy-trial-all-you-need-to-know
That governor was a very popular governor with the media claiming the election "feels like presidential election".
Someone was joking in an Indonesian forum saying that in Israel some honest Muslim governors are also jailed for similar cases.
I just remembered similar verse somewhere in the bible about not picking king among non-Jews and would like to compare. I forgot the verse.


texts: Why isn't there kaddish derabanan after the "sermon"?

texts:
The related question discusses what kind of learning is needed to bring forth a kaddish derabanan. In many minyanim, some learning (or a two-minute quick drash by someone) is undertaken between mincha and ma'ariv and is followed by a kaddish derabanan.

But I have not seen the kaddish derabanan said after a sermon by the rav on a Shabbat morning. The content certainly is equal to or more comprehensive than a short vort in the evening (and one could certainly add the "R. Chananya" passage).

Why hasn't having a kaddish derabanan become instituted at that part of the davening?


texts: Is it permitted for a parent to turn down a potential match for their child without the child knowing?

texts:
In Yoreh Deah 240:25 says the following,

אִם הָאָב רוֹצֶה לְשָׁרֵת אֶת הַבֵּן, מֻתָּר לְקַבֵּל מִמֶּנּוּ אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן הָאָב בֶּן תּוֹרָה. תַּלְמִיד שֶׁרוֹצֶה לָלֶכֶת לְמָקוֹם אַחֵר, שֶׁהוּא בּוֹטֵחַ שֶׁיִּרְאֶה סִימַן בְּרָכָה בְּתַלְמוּדוֹ לִפְנֵי הָרַב שֶׁשָּׁם, וְאָבִיו מוֹחֶה בּוֹ לְפִי שֶׁדּוֹאֵג שֶׁבְּאוֹתָהּ הָעִיר הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים מַעֲלִילִים, אֵינוֹ צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹעַ לְאָבִיו בָּזֶה.
If a father wishes to serve his son, it is permitted (for the son) to receive (the service) from him, except (in a case) when the father is a Ben-Torah. A student who wishes to go to another place (to learn Torah), so much so that he is certain that he sees it will be a sign of blessing in him learning in front of a Rabbi who is there, and his father protests him doing so because he is concerned that in that city there are non-Jews who are lawless, he (the son) does not need to listen to his father regarding this

The Rama comments on this halacha the following:

. הַגָּה: וְכֵן אִם הָאָב מוֹחֶה בַּבֵּן לִשָּׂא אֵיזוֹ אִשָּׁה שֶׁיַּחְפֹּץ בָּהּ, הַבֵּן אֵין צָרִיךְ לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶל הָאָב (מהרי''ק שֹׁרֶשׁ קס''ו)
And similarly, if a father protests against a son not to marry a certain woman that the son desires, he does not need to listen to the father (Maharik, Shoresh 166)

My Question
Based on the above information given, there is a practice among many involved in Shidduchim that the parents do research on their children's potential matches.
That being said, is it permitted for parents to turn down potential matches presented for their children without the children actually knowing about the idea in the first place? If yes, why? If not, is such a practice thus improper?
Update
After some conversation with DanF in the comments it is to be noted that the Rama is stating such a halacha when the woman is already decided upon by the son.
The question that I have (as stated above) is different in that the son has is unaware of such an offer which was rejected by his father. Is the such a concept a "loophole" within the confines of the law? If so, is it within the spirit of the law?
(Please provide sources for answers)
Thanks!


texts: Is this fish Kosher? It apparently has both fins and scales. Is there any problem with its having teeth, or its not having been discovered until now (and therefore being outside of our Mesorah)?


texts: Is eating with a peg allowed on a fast day

texts:
A cancer patient who cant use his mouth has his  food going straight into the lower stomach using what is called a peg. It is a milk based food which is considered kosher but not for pesach according to the kosher guide.
My question is if one can use this on a taanis, if it is considered eating. Also if yom kippur maybe different since there, taanis is not mentioned but inui which may not be the same but more strict. Also if the person has absolutely no appetite so he would not feel the fast anyway would it make a difference.


texts: Davening mussaf late on Simchas Torah and Yom Kippur

texts:
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 620 says that one should daven Musaf before the seventh hour of the day on Yom Kippur even if it means leaving out Piyutim and Selichos of Shachris. Mishna Berura says to even leave out Avinu Malkeinu if necessary. The Tur there implies one should even ensure to start by 6.5 hours into the day.

Some Chasidim do not start Musaf till later than that and on Simchas Torah even many non Chasidim do not Daven Musaf prior to the seventh hour. Is there any reason for not keeping this recommendation on the Shulcan Aruch? Is Simchas Torah in the Diaspora more lenient since it is Yom Tov Sheni?


texts:
When one refers to the Gemara in Bava Basra 15 there are numerous suggestions as to when Iyov lived. Opinions range from it being only a parable and that he never truly existed, to living during the times of the brothers and Yaakov1, during the time of the meraglim (spies), (the disputed opinion that he lived during the Second Temple period), that he lived during the time of Achashveirosh, in the days of the kingdom of Sheba2 and also in the period of Chaldeans by Nevuchadnezzar3.
Why is there such a sense of mystique surrounding Iyov with such diverse views over his existence? He would have to have lived a very long life if he lived into these latter periods?
The Midrash however, seems to be quite clear over how many years he lived. In Bereishis Rabbah 61:4 it writes:

עִקַּר שָׁנָיו שֶׁל אִיּוֹב לֹא הָיוּ אֶלָּא שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה, נִתּוֹסַף לוֹ מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה, דִּכְתִיב (איוב מב, טז): וַיְחִי אִיּוֹב אַחֲרֵי זֹאת מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה
"Iyov's years was to have lasted on 70 years, 140 additional years were added, as it says (Iyov 42:16) "And Iyov lived after this, 140 years.""

And in Bereishis Rabbah 57:4 it writes:

רַבִּי לֵוִי בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר חֲלַפְתָּא אָמַר בִּירִידָתָן לְמִצְרַיִם נוֹלַד וּבַעֲלִיָּתָן מֵת, אַתָּה מוֹצֵא עִקַּר שָׁנָיו שֶׁל אִיּוֹב לֹא הָיוּ אֶלָּא מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים, וְעָשׂוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּמִצְרַיִם מָאתַיִם וְעֶשֶׂר שָׁנִים וּבָא שָׂטָן לְקַטְרֵג וְגֵרָה אוֹתוֹ בְּאִיּוֹב
"Rabbi Levi in the name of Rabbi Yosi son of Chalafta said, he was born when they (the Bnei Yisrael) went down to Egypt, and died when they went up (from Egypt), so you find that the lifetime of Iyov was only 210 years, and the Bnei Yisrael were in Egypt for 210 years, and the Satan came to prosecute and directed it on to Iyov"

This all fits very nicely, and is further corroborated by the fact that he served in the council of Pharoah's court (refer to Sotah 11a & Shemos Rabbah 12:2)
So it would seem that there is quite a lot of evidence to demonstrate that he lived throughout this period (i.e. during the Bnei Yisrael's time in Egypt, which would include him being around the time of Yaakov and the bros, and thus marrying Dina etc.). So two questions:

Why are such a divergent range of opinions suggested?
How can we account for these other opinions that he lived in a much later period e.g. in the days of Achashveirosh, Sheba and the Chaldeans specifically?

Do any sources make sense of this?

1 The gemara suggests that he married Dina which would fit this bracket
2 Refer to Iyov 1:15
3 Refer to Iyov 1:17


texts: Comprehensive list of punishments for all 365 negative commandments

texts:
Is there a comprehensive list of all the punishments for the 365 negative commandments?

The Rambam in Hilchos Sanhedrin reveals 243 (see below)--
what are the punishments for transgressing the other 122 negative commandments and where can this  be found?

36 [capital punishment] - people killed by Beis Din (Hilchos Sanhedrin 15:13)
21 [kareit] - negative commandments that are punishable by kerait, but which are not punishable by execution by the court, for which lashes are administered (Hilchos Sanhedrin 19:1)
18 [misas b'dei shamayim] negative commandments that are punishable by death by the hand of heaven, whose transgression involve a deed, for which lashes are administered (Hilchos Sanhedrin 19:2)
168 [lashes] - negative commandments who are neither punishable by kerait, nor by execution by the court, for which lashes are administered.(Hilchos Sanhedrin 19:4)


texts:
The Torah (Vayikra 16:31) says "וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֑ם, You shall afflict yourselves."  - this is a reference to Yom Kippur. Artscroll translates נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֑ם to mean yourselves, but literately, the word נַפְשֹֽׁתֵיכֶ֑ם means your souls.
On Yom Kippur we are abstaining from physical pleasures. Our bodies are physical and are souls are spiritual.

Why doesn't the Torah say וְעִנִּיתֶ֖ם אֶת־גופיכֶ֑ם, You shall afflict your bodies? For if anything, we depriving our bodies from food and drink not our souls?


texts: Is there a Jewish tradition according to which each creative day was 7000 years?

texts:
I remember hearing (long ago, so it could be that I remember wrong) that, according to a Jewish tradition, the last day of creation (Gods day or rest) is 7000 years long and that consequently the other 6 days (since they were the same length) would also be 7000 years long.

Is it correct that this type of tradition exists?


texts: Were there divergent calendar practices after the calendar was made into a fixed calculation

texts:
There are some debates about the details of calendar calculations among earlier Poskim about how to calculate the calendar, especially around pushing Rosh Hashana off deliberately.

For example, Hebrew Wikipedia records a divergence between R. Saadia Gaon and Ben Meir that cause a divergence for the years 4683 and 4684.

Did this type of argument ever cause different communities to actually have a different calendar, and thus have some holidays on a different day, for a given year, or were the disagreements only argued but never implemented? (I'm curious about the results on the ground of the 4683/4684 controversy as well: did that argument ever lead to actual divergent practices?)


texts: What if you miss the bracha on shechita?

texts:
Se we know that you're supposed to make a bracha on shechita.

What if you didn't? Would we still be allowed to eat the meat?

As has already been established, the blessing should be said immediately before the shechita. If someone slaughtered without a bracha, would they have to say the bracha again after?


texts: Should you save yourself and let one person die, or the other way round

texts:
If a car is going down the road and there is no way to stop it and someone walks out in front of the car, should the driver swerve and kill themselves, or should they continue and let the other person die?

Also, does it matter what the situation of the person is (e.g if they are a criminal) or what age they are?


texts: On Doresh-Tzion.co.il I see Rav Mutzafi Shelit"a quoting his book "Mevaseret Tzion" many times (and I also hear Rav Meir Eliyahu Shelit"a quote it). Does anyone know where I can purchase this book?


texts: Does one say this prayer for medical procedures on a procedure that gives guidance rather than help?

texts:
Shulchan Aruch (OC 230:4, as explained by Magen Avraham ibid. :6) paskens that when one undergoes a medical procedure he should say the following prayer:

  יהי רצון מלפניך ה׳ אלקי שיהא עסק זה לי לרפואה כי רופא חנם אתה

(See further here regarding the text of this prayer.)

Does this apply to procedures such as X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, endoscopies, blood tests, and strep tests? On the one hand, they are all medical procedures. On the other hand, they don't inherently perform relief for the patient; they merely give the doctor additional data he or she wouldn't have otherwise, and based on that additional data, other medical treatments, for which the prayer is certainly necessary, would be prescribed. Do any poskim discuss whether such tests, meant for gaining more information rather than providing relief, are included in the above Halacha for which a prayer is necessitated?


texts: How does one measure, for עגלה ערופה purposes, which city the dead is closest to: from which part of the body?


texts: Hidden treasure for speaking lashon Harah?

texts:
The Torah Vayikra 14:34 introduces the topic of tzara'ath on houses as if it were a good tiding - from this, the Midrash learns that the good tiding is finding hidden treasure when having to demolish his house because of the tzara'ath.

  כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם לַאֲחֻזָּה
  וְנָתַתִּי נֶגַע צָרַעַת בְּבֵית אֶרֶץ אֲחֻזַּתְכֶם:

  When you come to the land of Canaan, which I am giving you as a
  possession, and I place a lesion of tzara'ath upon a house in the land
  of your possession,

Rashi: (Bold mine)

  ונתתי נגע צרעת: בשורה היא להם שהנגעים באים עליהם, לפי שהטמינו אמוריים
  מטמוניות של זהב בקירות בתיהם כל ארבעים שנה שהיו ישראל במדבר, ועל ידי
  הנגע נותץ הבית ומוצאן:

  and I place a lesion of tzara’ath: Heb. וְנָתַתִּי, lit. and I will
  give. This is [good] news for them that lesions of tzara’ath will come
  upon them, (Torath Kohanim 14:75), because the Amorites had hidden
  away treasures of gold inside the walls of their houses during the
  entire forty years that the Israelites were in the desert, and through
  the lesion, he will demolish the house (see verses 43-45) and find
  them

Now tzara’ath is inflicted upon a person for the sin of speaking Lashon Hara (as related in various biblical episodes such as Moshe at the burning bush and Miriam about Moshe etc)

According to the Rambam (Tum'at Tsara`at - 16:10 ), this also applies to tzara’ath on houses:

  ... When a person speaks lashon hora, the walls of his house change
  color. If he repents, the house will be purified. If, however, he
  persists in his wickedness until the house is destroyed, the leather
  implements in his house upon which he sits and lies change color. If
  he repents, they will be purified. If persists in his wickedness until
  they are burnt, the clothes he wears change color. If he repents, they
  will be purified. If he persists in his wickedness until they are
  burnt, his skin undergoes changes and he develops tzara'at. This
  causes him to be isolated and for it to be made known that he must
  remain alone so that he will not be involved in the talk of the wicked
  which is folly and lashon hora. ...

But it seems strange to me that a person who sins should be rewarded with Amorite treasure?


texts: Is a mezuzah needed between an antechamber and the main rooms?

texts: If right when a person enters his front door, he enters a small "room" which is basically a place where people can take off their shoes before coming into the house proper, and this "room" is not 4x4 amos, and this "room" has a lintel and two doorposts as the entrance to the larger living room, would that doorpost that is the entrance to the larger living room require a mezuzah, and if so, would the front door to the house itself not require a mezuzah, since it leads directly into the "room" that is not 4x4 amos?


texts:
There is a pithy Yiddish description for a simple matter that has been massively bungled:

"Noiach mit zibn greizen" -- [The two-letter name] Noach (נח) spelled with seven mistakes.

Does anyone know how this can actually be done?


texts: May one use Ma'aser (tithe) for non-Jewish charities?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Jewish definition of  a charity

May one use one's Ma'aser (tithe) money to donate to non-Jewish charities, or is the requirement for Ma'aser only fulfilled if the recipient is Jewish or a Jewish institution (assume for purposes of the question that the institution engages in either religious practice or learning, or support of the needy, not a Jewish-oriented nonprofit - I think that may warrant a separate question.)?


texts:
Rav Moshe Feinstein, z"l, is lenient with regard to allowing the loaning of money to a corporation because he maintains that the prohibition of ribis (usury) only applies where there is a shibud haguf (personal liability) not in corporate structures that protect their shareholders via limited liability. My understanding of Rav Moshe's reasoning is that the principle of ribis is only true where "eved loveh l'ish malveh" i.e. as long as he has not payed in full all the debt and interest, he can never be free. (Shibud haguf means even if he has payed him every penny he owns, if he ever [discounting shmittah] earns more money, he would have to give it to him as well.)

Assuming this reasoning is correct, shouldn't there never be a problem of ribis in the modern western world since modern bankruptcy laws also seem to preempt the very concept of shibud haguf by allowing for the possibility of anyone under sufficient financial distress setting a limit on what could ever be collected after which the borrower is forever off the hook without ever having payed up his incurred debt?


texts: What PRECISELY is meant by the idea that the Torah was "given at Sinai" when only some of it was

texts:
Why is it said that the Torah was "given at Sinai," in light of the fact that the Torah recounts events AFTER the Israelites departed from Sinai.  Numbers Chapter 10 states the Israelites departed from the Desert of Sinai on or perhaps shortly after "the twentieth day of the second month of the second year [after leaving Egypt]."  Therefore all of the Torah from the middle of Numbers Chapter 10 onward, at least as far as parts that recount events, was not "given at Sinai."

Is it that people are actually referring to the laws given at Sinai, as opposed to the entirety of the Torah, and imprecisely referring to this subset of the Torah as "The Torah?"

I see this question has been asked before, but the answers are very convoluted and reference all sorts of things with which I am not familiar.

I see this as a straightforward question that hopefully can be answered in a straightforward manner.


texts:
Why was Kozbi bas Tzur not considered an eshes yefas toar (a non-Jewish woman who is taken captive during wartime and is permitted to her captor) who would then be permitted to Zimri? This question assumes that this was a war situation this is based on the fact that

1) All the nations of Canaan knew that the Jews were coming to conquer them hence Balak sought a preemptive strike (via Bilaam's curse).

2) Sending the women to entice them was a form of (spiritual) attack. Hence they were not offered the same military conditions as the other nations ("just let us pass through").

Does the law of kol haboel aramis (anyone who sleeps with a non-Jewish woman, a zealot can kill him) supersede yefas toar?


texts: In the English translation of “Megilas Sefer,” on page 169 line 4, there is a fragment of a sentence in which the first part of the sentence is missing. This fragment has nothing to do with the preceding lines and introduces an entirely new subject. This seems to be a mistake. In the Kahana edition online, the Hebrew is completely different from the translation at this very point. Is this a mistake on the part of the translator, or is it in fact this way in the Bick edition or manuscript that the translator was using? Thanks.


texts: Can a Shaliach Tzibur recite the High Holiday piyutim in English?

texts:
Some shuls (this seems common in non-Orthodox shuls) have a lot of English responsive reading during the High Holiday services.

Usually the "larger" piyutim, i.e., those that are recited while the ark is open are recited completely in English. The rabbi requests that the Shaliach Tzibbur (cantor) recites alternate verses in English.

Is there any halachic problem with the shaliach tzibbur reciting aloud these paragraphs in English?

What about any other parts of the Chazarat Hashat"z (repetition of the Amidah) such as Kedusha or the main brachot? Must these be said only in Hebrew or can they be recited aloud in English?


texts: Spitting at the High Priest on Yom Kippur

texts:
My question might sound a little complicated, but it actually boils down to something very simple: does anybody know of any references to a kohen gadol (a high priest) performing the procedure of chalitzah on Yom Kippur itself? My reasons for thinking that such a thing might be thought to have occurred are as follows:

The Mishna (Yevamot 6:4) mentions that if a brother of the kohen gadol should die, leaving no offspring, the kohen gadol should submit to chalitzah rather than yibum. According to Tosafot (Yevamot 61a, s.v. kohen gadol shemet achiv), the reason that the Mishna tells us this is because we might otherwise have thought chalitzah an impermissible degradation of the kohen gadol, given that it necessitates a woman spitting at him. This is also the interpretation of Tosafot Yom-Tov and Tiferet Yisrael.

The Mishna (Yevamot 9:2) also mentions a variety of situations in which a woman is prohibited to both her husband and her husband's brother. One of those is when she is a widow, her husband is the kohen gadol and her husband's brother is also the kohel gadol. As Tosafot Yom-Tov points out, this must be referring to a situation in which the high priest's brother is appointed as his potential replacement in the week leading up to Yom Kippur (cf: Yoma 1:1, Megillah 1:9).

According to Rabbeinu Tam (Tosafot, Ketubot 58a, s.v. va'afilu kulan bifnei haba'al), a shomeret yavam is already like the deceased husband's brother's wife, and technically even allowed to consume terumah if he is a kohen. The Mishna forbids such consumption (Yevamot 7:4, Ketubot 5:3), but by rabbinic enactment only. Mid'orayta, she is like his wife until he either cements the relationship with yibum or terminates it with chalitzah. Since the gemara learns out from Leviticus 16:6 that a kohen gadol can only have one wife while he is fulfilling his duties on Yom Kippur, then Rabbeinu Tam's conception of yibum is such that if one of the two brothers dies on Yom Kippur itself, the only way that the other might officiate is if he first performs chalitzah.

I would like to know:

Does anybody know of any sources that discuss the performance of chalitzah on Yom Kippur (the visual of a high priest on the holiest day being spat at is quite striking, and adds to other imagery relating to the decline of the priesthood);
Does anybody know of any prohibition of performing chalitzah on Yom Kippur (or any Shabbat), and whether or not there was a problem with the high priest "technically" having more than one wife on the day?


texts: Intermarriage and Jewish status of their children

texts: My question is, if a non-Jewish man marries a Jewish woman, since the marriage is invalid, are the children Jewish?  Specifically, is there any source in the Mishnah which says that they are not Jewish? Are there opinions either way?


texts:
This a sequel to this question for which an answer cites O.C. 167:5 that likens one's table to an altar.

My follow up questions:

When? Only while eating? And is it only while eating a meal that contains bread, or any type of meal? What about a snack or if one drinks just water?
Is it only for a dedicated eating table? What if the table is used for eating as well as working?


texts: Is this case of double bal tosif, bal tosif?

texts:
There are two definitions of Bal Tosif:
1 - Do the mitzva with a change on its form (for example: getting a 5th specie along with the Four Species)
2 - Do the mitzva with intention when is not it's time (for example: Doing Netilat Lulav after Sukot with intention of fulfilling the mitzva of the Four Species).
My question is: If someone does Netilat Lulav with a 5th specie AFTER Sukkot (combining the two definitions above), does one transgress the issur of Bal Tosif?
Please use sources.
I am posting my initial thoughts on the subject as an answer.


texts: Is it still adultery if the other spouse consents?

texts:
Suppose you have two married couples who are extremely close friends with each other. They all four agree to swap wives for the night due to the tight emotional bond the foursome have.  Nobody has any regrets the morning after, and both marriages and all friendships remain intact.

The reason I pose this situation is wife swapping in the modern age can sometimes occur under these conditions and therefore the situation is relevant to whatever standards of the Law might govern it.

What I'm precisely asking is this:  Is adultery defined as the breaking of trust between husband and wife by a third party acting upon either, or is adultery defined by the mere physical interaction between a spouse and a third party even when the other spouse gives permission?


texts: Does a woman do Tashlumin for an omission in Prayer?

texts:
Is a woman obligated in Tashlumin if she makes an omission that typically requires Tashlumin, such as missing Yaaleh Veyavoh (except that of Maariv on Rosh Chodesh)?

What would the Halacha be according to those who holds women are obligated to pray Shachris and Mincha as חובה and Maariv as רשות? And what would it be according to those who would hold prayer for a woman would not be legislated to a specific time or quantity? (Mishneh Berurah 106:4 expresses both of these positions)

In other words, according to that second understanding (which I take to mean that a woman is only obligated in one Shmoneh Esreh for the day), let's say a woman makes an omission in the Shachrit Shmoneh Esreh.  She doesn't realize her omission until the afternoon.  Would she say two Minchas to make up for the omission in Shachrit or would she only say one Mincha since all she is obligated in is one Shemoneh Esreh?


texts:
Many people have the practice, on the yahrzeit of (especially) a parent, of bringing food to the synagogue so that others might recite b'rachos (benedictions) over eating the food after shacharis, which are meant to benefit the deceased. They call this food tikun n'shama, or just tikun.

It seems that the most common foods offered as tikun (in my experience in several Orthodox synagogues) are drinks, egg kichel, batter cake, and herring. Why herring?

It's relatively expensive (certainly when compared to the kichel and batter cake).
If the idea is to promote the recitation of b'rachos, herring doesn't help, as it shares b'rachos (fore- and after-) with the drinks.
Although it's tasty[1], I don't think it will be missed terribly if absent. Herring without a drink or kichel would cause people to seek something to wash down the herring; kichel and a drink without herring is perfectly palatable and Part Of Your Complete Breakfast.

So why herring?

[1] YMMV.


texts: Does the Haggadah include any reference to Pesach Sheini?

texts: This is merely a curiosity question. Is there any reference to Pesach Sheini mentioned in the Haggadah either directly or by metaphor or "hint", perhaps in one of the "songs", esp. after Nirtzah?


texts: Where did the first parah adumah come from?

texts:
The first mishna in Parah talks about the age that a cow can be and still be valid as a parah adumah:

רבי אליעזר אומר עגלה בת שנתה ופרה בת שתים וחכ"א עגלה בת שתים ופרה בת שלש או בת ארבע ר"מ אומר אף בת חמש כשרה הזקנה אלא שאין ממתינין לה שמא תשחיר שלא תפסל
R' Eliezer says a calf is in its first year, a cow is in its second year.  The Chachamim say a calf is in its second year, a cow is in its third year.  R' Meir says even an old cow in its 5th year is ok, but we don't wait because it might grow black hairs.

The first parah adumah was done on the second of Nissan (Rashi in several places but I can't find them now).  This means that the cow was born in Egypt.  According to R' Eliezer, it could have been born as late as Rosh Chodesh Nissan of החדש הזה לכם (which is a nice connection to reading Parah the week before Hachodesh).  According to the Chachamim and R' Meir, it was born before the plagues even started!  Either way, how did its owner know to treat it specially and not accidentally disqualify it by putting something on it?
Several suggestions:

A younger cow can be used bedieved?  The Rash and Tosfot Yom Tov on that mishna suggest that an older cow is ok bedieved even according to R' Eliezer, so maybe a younger one is too.  But I haven't found anyone who says so explicitly, and the Rambam at the beginning of Hilchot Parah strongly implies that it's not.

The owner had no idea, but Hashem made a miracle that nobody ever ended up putting any burdens on it?  It's possible, but then how did the owner remember that he hadn't done it without thinking, since he would have had no reason to think about it?

It was a wild cow that Hashem caused to wander into the camp?  Again this raises the same question - how did anyone know that it had never had a burden on it?

Hashem told the owner of the cow to be careful with it through a private, unrecorded nevuah?  (According to the Chachamim/R' Meir it would have to be through Miriam or Aharon or someone else, since Moshe was still in Midyan.)  This would need a very strong source.


texts: What was given on Mt. Sinai at each of the 40-day intervals

texts:
It's known that Moshe was on the mountain for 120 days and nights total, although I personally am not sure exactly what was given when.

(I'm aware of this question How is the story of the Torah being given told in the Torah itself?, but this is not a dupe since I'm just asking what exactly was given when).

As far as I remember, Moshe went up for the first 40 days and nights to receive the "written Torah" and the tablets, then he went down, smashed them etc.. then the next day (I think?) he went back up for 40 days and nights to pray to Hashem for forgiveness, then I don't remember what happened, if he was given the Oral law right then, or later, but I'm pretty sure in the middle 40 days and nights he didn't in fact get the 2nd tablets, since that was later (but I'm not really sure), so IDK what he got after praying for 40 days and nights.

And then I don't know if he then came down right then and then went back up, but I'm pretty sure that, one way or another, he spent ANOTHER 40 days and nights, and I think I heard that he was receiving the Oral law then.

As you can see, I'm having some basic trouble with the timeline of what exactly he got at Mount Sinai and when. Here's the question basically:

First 40 days and nights:: Did he get only tablets or also the written Torah (up until that point), and did he receive any of the Oral Law at that point?

Second set of 40 days and nights: How long after the first 40 days and nights did he wait before going back up, and (I think he was praying the whole time but) what did he get at the end of this section? Did he get the 2nd set of tablets at this point, or later? Did he receive any of the Oral law or Written Torah at this point?

Third set of 40 days and nights: How long after the previous set did he wait before going back up, or did he just stay up there for 80 consecutive days and nights? What did he get exactly at the end of them, is it at this point that he received the second set of tablets, and what part of the Oral Law (if any) did he receive at this point?

I just wanted to clarify the narritive


texts:
Let's say I, as a Kohen, would receive terumah.

Would it be permissible for me to give the terumah which I have received to the poor so that they may consume it despite not being kohanim?


texts: Does the Levi who washes the hands of the Kohanim have to be over bar mitzvah?

texts:
The Leviim wash the hands of the Kohanim when they go up to bless the people. If a Levi is not available a first born (to the mother) can wash (according to the Askenazi custom) instead, Orach Chaim 128 (6) [MB 22].

Questions:

1)  Does the Levi have to be over bar mitzvah?

2)  If over bar mitzvah is not required and there is a Levi over the age of chinuch and a first-born over bar mitzvah, who gets the job?

Related Why do the Leviim wash the hands of the Kohanim when they go up to bless the people?  and Washing Kohen's Hands


texts: Did all of Bnei Israel worship the golden calf?

texts: When Prophet Moses went up to the mountain, did all the people end up worshiping the cow, or were there some who remained aloof? What happened to such people who did not become idolaters? Were they also punished?


texts: May a 3 sided pyramid (almost) be used as a succah?

texts:
Talmud succah states that a succah must have a minimum of 3 sides. Can a person build a 3-sided pyramid, but rather than a "full" pyramid, where all the sides meet at the same point at the top, let's say, there's a small triangle (say 9 square inches in area) on top and schach is placed there. Is this permitted?

Two possible problems, perhaps:

Do all the walls need to be perpendicular to the ground?
What is the minimal area required for a valid roof for the succah? Is 9 sq. in. too small?


texts: What is the earliest source that says that one should recite the short prayer of thanks known as "modeh ani" when one gets up in the morning?


texts:
Tech experts: Is there any way in which the Apple Watch could be used by shomrei Shabbat with limited functionality?

Note: this question does not seek to ascertain whether the full gamut of features could be used on Shabbat (they can't as far as I'm aware), it seeks to ascertain whether it is at all possible to use this device, pending its release, on days when electricity is proscribed.


texts: Inconsistent scheduling for the musaf offering

texts:
In P'sachim (58a), Abaye frames a disagreement between Rabbi Yishma'el and Rabbi Akiva regarding the ordering of the korban musaf and the bazichin (bowls of frankincense burned when the old showbread was removed and eaten) when Erev Pesach falls on Shabbos.

According to R' Yishma'el, the musaf service was scheduled for six hours into the day, the bazichin for seven*, and the tamid slaughtering for seven and a half hours into the day. According to R' Akiva, the bazichin were scheduled for five hours into the day, the musaf for six, and the tamid was scheduled to be slaughtered six and a half hours into the day:

  במוספין קודמין לבזיכין קמיפלגי רבי ישמעאל סבר מוספין קודמין לבזיכין עבד להו למוספין בשש ובזיכין בשבע ועביד ליה לתמיד בשבע ומחצה רבי עקיבא סבר בזיכין קודמין למוספין בזיכין בחמש ומוספין בשש ועביד ליה לתמיד בשש ומחצה

Seemingly, a different amount of time is scheduled for the musaf depending on whose order is followed; R' Yishma'el allots one hour for musaf, whereas R' Akiva allots only a half hour for musaf. Why?

* Rashi and Tosafos disagree regarding how long the bazichin service actually takes, but they agree that it takes at least an hour and, according to R' Yishma'el's schedule, the showbread part of the bazichin service would conclude after the tamid service. In any case, Rashi and Tosafos agree that the tamid was slaughtered seven and a half hours into the day so as not to depart from a standard Erev Pesach schedule (the other standard Erev Pesach schedule is from when Erev Pesach falls on Erev Shabbos and the tamid is slaughtered six and a half hours into the day - this is the schedule used by R' Akiva in our case).


texts: Why was Pinchas allowed to kill Kazbi Bat Tzur?

texts:
In order to explain why Pinchas killed Zimri, Chazal tell us that הבועל ארמית קנעין פוגעין בו.
However, this law should not apply to the woman. Moreover, she was not even Jewish!
So, under what Halacha was Pinchas allowed to do it?
(It seems like it may be because of avoda zara, or maybe this Halacha does apply to women).
Thank you so much in advance.


texts: Wrong ברכת הנהנין during הבדלה: what now?

texts:
This evening (after Shabas in the nine days), I recited havdala over a cup of beer, as every year. I knew it was beer, but, by force of habit, recited "hagafen" (the wine benediction) over it during havdala. I continued, reciting the (correct!) benedictions over the spices and fire, and then began the final, havdala benediction, during which I realized my error.

Not knowing what to do, I completed havdala, sat down, recited "shehakol" (the beer benediction), and drank. What should I have done? (There are multiple issues here: Do I drink the beer? If so, do I first say shehakol? And do I have to repeat havdala?)


texts: For how long must a Jew keep Shabbat before he can be considered Shomer Shabbat?

texts:
Certain Kashrut issues require (or may require according to some opinions) that a Shomer Shabbat Jew (not just any Jew) supervise cooking. For example, see here, and here.

How is the status of Shomer Shabbat formally defined? For example:

1) If Jew generally keeps Shabbat but slips up once in a while (maybe, once a month, or once every few months), is he still Shomer Shabbat or does any violation totally destroy his status?

2) If a non-Shomer Shabbat Jew suddenly decides to begin keeping Shabbat, does he become Shomer Shabbat immediately by the very decision itself (ipso facto) as long as his intent was genuine (e.g. he can immediately begin supervising kashrut and, if he dies, dies as a Shomer Shabbat Jew, even if he repents on Wednesday morning and dies before the arrival of the next Shabbat)? Does he only become Shomer Shabbat after keeping a full Shabbat? Does he have to observe a specific number of Shabbats? Two? five? seven? ten? An entire year? A hundred weeks?

As an analogy, the question could be considered similar to asking when a person who is in the process of quitting smoking officially becomes a non-smoker. For some insurance purposes, that has been defined as a year, but in many cases the social or medical definition may vary. Mark Twain infamously claimed that quitting smoking was so easy that he had done it a thousand times. Is Shomer Shabbat similar in that the exact determination of a person's status depends on social factors, or is there a sharp line in the sand? E.g. maybe Reuven has been faithfully keeping Shabbat for the past five years but is still not considered Shomer Shabbat by his synagogue and Rabbi because he had a forty year reputation as one of the most notorious, blatant, public, unrepentant, and generally in-your-face Shabbat violators in the Tri-State Area, even becoming world famous as the person who turned on and off the lights at the Saturday Morning Pork and Shellfish Cookout Competition and Idol-Worshiping Extravaganza every week for twenty years, and the Rabbi has ruled that he must complete ten whole years of observance to prove his repentance.


texts:
D'varim 17:6 tells us that "at the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses" a transgressor can be put to death. The mishna in Makkot 1:7 (and following) asks why it says "or three" if two is enough (I've long wondered that too), and derives some conclusions about groups of witnesses from this passage.  However, the mishna and g'mara also says the following things:

The testimony of the third is superfluous.  It can't help.
It's not insurance, because if any member of a group of witnesses is disqualified, the entire group is.  (For example, one of the three is a relative; even though the other two are not and two witnesses can convict, their "association" with the third voids their testimony.)
All witnesses in a group are punished if they are found to be conspiring witnesses.  Even when one doesn't intend conspiracy, there's always room for differences in testimony to result in such a charge.  Being a witness is a little risky.

Given all that, why would more than two ever testify together?  Is there a requirement that everybody who was there together testify even if they don't want to, and that's how you can get more than two witnesses?  If not, why would a third (or fourth or hundredth) person choose to join a group of witnesses?


texts: Taanis Chalom on shabbos when a fast day is pushed off

texts: If a fast day which normally falls out on shabbos is pushed off, such as the 17th of Tammuz, and a person fasts on that shabbos for another permissible reason, such as a taanis chalom (fast for having a bad dream) is that person exempt from fasting the following day - ie the nid'che 17th of Tammuz fast?


texts: Regarding the Issur of שומר נגיעה that prohibits the touching of a woman , would it be permitted for a young man to be treated by a female doctor  in an office? Sources are appreciated .


texts: Standing in the presence of an idol / entering a room which has an idol

texts:
The question is remarkably simple (even though the answer may not be so).

Is it allowed by halacha to stand in the presence of an idol or enter a room where an idol is present ?

Specifically, I'm reffering to visiting the house of a xian friend or relative which has xian icons and crosses. The house is adorned with such objects.

The best source I could find regarding to this is in Avodah Zarah, and at first glance it seems to suggest that it is permissible, but the tractate describes a specific example which is not my situation per se.

Mishnah, Avodah Zarah 3:4:

  Proklos son of Plosfos asked Rabban Gamliel [a question] in Akko,
  while he was bathing in the bathhouse of Aphrodite. He said to him:
  "It is written in your Torah (Deuteronomy 13:18): 'And let none of the
  condemned cling to your hand;' why then are you bathing in the
  bathhouse of Aphrodite? He said to him: one does not respond [to
  halakhic questions] in the bathhouse. When he left, he said to him: "I
  did not come into her territory; she came into my territory. They did
  not say [when they built this bathhouse]: 'Let us make a beautiful
  bathhouse for Aphrodite.' Rather, they said: 'Let us make Aphrodite
  for the beauty of the bathhouse.' Another reason: [even] if they gave
  you a lot of money, you would not enter before your idolatry naked and
  defiled and urinating in front of it. Yet she stands on the sewer pipe
  and the entire nation urinates in front of her. The verse (Deuteronomy
  12:3) only applies to "their gods;" that which he treats like a god is
  prohibited, and that which he does not treat like a god is permitted.

Also, Avodah Zarah 44b:

  Abaye said: The deception in Rabban Gamliel’s response was from here,
  when he said to him: I did not come into its domain, but rather it
  came into my domain. He explains: And even if it, the bathhouse, had
  come into its domain, what of it? Even if the idol had preceded the
  bathhouse, it would still not render use of the bathhouse prohibited;
  but didn’t we learn in a mishna (51b): With regard to an object of
  idol worship that has a bathhouse or a garden in front of it, one may
  derive benefit from the bathhouse or garden without showing favor by
  giving thanks or payment to its priests, but one may not derive
  benefit from it while showing it favor? Rabban Gamliel’s answer was
  therefore deceptive because the permissibility of using the bathhouse
  had nothing to do with its antecedence to the statue.

These two passages taken together make it seem that it is permissible to enter a place (garden, bathhouse) which houses an idol, provided that

It is not specifically a house of worship (pagan temple, church, etc);
You do not worship or give thanks to the idol in any way.


texts: Must one have separate meat and dairy tablecloths?

texts:
Growing up, my mom, a"h, insisted on changing tablecloths for meat and dairy meals. We had separate tablecloths, and we couldn't eat meat on the dairy cloth or dairy on the meat cloth.

Is this necessary? Assuming that the tablecloth is cleaned after each meal and there are no crumbs or other food items that could get on the plates (I doubt that even that may be a concern considering the crumbs are cold and probably batul beshishim in the worst case, but, even if not), could there be any concern or need for this? We are also not eating the tablecloth! (I tried that, once. It tastes like "Fab"!)

Even if this is not halacha, if your family has developed this as a minhag, do you need to follow it? Or, since this is a minhag based on a "false premise", one does not need to follow it?


texts: Would it be offensive for my daughter to give her friend a Star of David necklace for her Bat Mitzvah? We are not Jewish but my daughter wants to recognize her friend in a meaningful way. Thank you.


texts: Doing the mehadrin level differently -- does it invalidate the mitzvah?

texts:
On Channukah, the mitzvah is for a light to be lit in each household, as the Rambam (Hil Purim/Channukah, 4:1) writes, "מצותה שיהיה כל בית ובית מדליק נר אחד."
If one wants to perform a "higher level" (the gemara, Shabbos 21b, uses the phrases "mehadrin" and "mehadrin min hamehadrin" while the Rambam uses "hamehader" and "hamehader yoter al zeh") increases to one candle per person in the house, then to the number of candles per night per person (though I haven't seen what level it would be if one person has a variable count in the house, and others have nothing).
On the Mehadrin min hamehadrin level,there are two opinions -- Beis Shammai's decresing from 8 to 1 and Beis Hillel's increasing 1 to 8. The "halacha" is like B"Hillel. I'm not exactly sure if this is the same kind of "halacha" as the essential obligation to light one candle.
If one chooses to fulfill this highest level, but following the system of Beis Shammai, does he lose the merit of choosing to be more mehader because his method is not the approved one? Does he still get the schar of the essence of the mitzvah even though his intention is to follow an opinion which is not accepted as prescriptive?


texts: Does one have to chase birds away from a nest in a tree that's partially on his own property?

texts:
following up on an answer to this question, that says that the requirement applies to birds you find "in the wild">

A person has a tree that has its trunk on his property. Some of the trees branches hang over into the public sidewalk. The town's law states that home owners must trim the lower branches of all trees that interfere with people walking on the street, (I mention this as it may influence the answer in terms of what may be considered "public" for this situation.)

If a bird builds a nest in one of these branches that hang over into the public domain, and assuming that I want the eggs or chicks, do I have to chase the bird away prior to cutting the branches per town law? Or, are those branches and the nest considered on my property and not "in the woild", thus exempting me from this requirement?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Lhadlik ner (SHEL) Chanukah

What is the proper Nusach - Lehadlik Ner Shel Chanuka or LeHadlik Ner Chanuka?


texts: From which tribe were the Mapilim of Num 14:40?

texts: A number of Jews tried to enter eretz yisroel after the incident of the spies (see Bamidbar 14:40-45). I would like to know from which tribe they came. I know that at least one person may have been tzlafchad (Shabbat 97a). Were the rest from his tribe?


texts:
Does bishul akum apply to scrambled eggs? Maybe it's not oleh al shulkhan melekh.
Looking for sources, preferably Sephardic.


texts:
I have a question about circumcision, looking at some verses I found a view occasions where circumcision is mentioned:

At first there is the Brit "the convenant of circumcision" when HaShem commands Avraham to circumcise himself, his offspring and all the males of his household
(Bereshit 17:10-14 & 23-27).

After this there is the situation (Bereshit 34) around the death of Dinah and the circumcision of the sons of Shechem.

And there is also the circumcision at the Pesach (Shemot 12:44) of the Eved (servant), and the Ger (12:48) that stays in the midst or dwells among the Israelites.

The circumcision at the age of right days old (like the command given to Avraham - Vayikra 12:3)

The circumcision of the heart (Devarim 10:16, 30:6, Yer 4:4).

And then the circumcision of all who had not been circumcised on the way in the desert leaving Egypt (Yehoshua 5).

The circumcision of a eight day old is called Brit Milah, but in the case of the eved, the ger, heart or older Jewish males (babies, boys, man that aren't circumcised) what is it called?

I want to know if there is a difference in meaning between these circumcisions or if they are all the same, because the circumstances and contexts seem to indicate different situations it made me wonder..


texts: What is the explanation for the discrepancy between Seder Olam's chronology and that of historical scholarship?

texts:
Rabbi Harav Yaakov Medan (etzion.org.il/en/chapter-12b-daniels-prayer-continued)
states: 'According to historical scholarship, the second year of the Persian Darius, when the rebuilding of the Second Temple commenced, was the year 521 B.C.E., and the Second Temple was destroyed in 70 C.E. Thus, according to this system, the Temple stood for 591 years. However, according to a beraita in Seder Olam [which places Creation at 3760 BCE] and the gemara in Bava Batra 4a, the Second Temple stood for only 420 years. Its construction began in the year 3408 and it was destroyed in 3828.' How is this year discrepancy to be explained--an important question for the elucidation of the seventy weeks prophecy of Daniel 9:24-27?*

*'The accepted interpretation in the Talmud (Nazir 32b) and all the commentators is that the "seventy weeks" allude to the 490 years between the destruction of the First Temple and the destruction of the Second Temple. This period includes within it the seventy years of desolation from the destruction of the First Temple until the second year of the reign of Darius (the Persian), when the building of the Second Temple commenced, and  the 420 years that the Second Temple stood.' (Medan) In a footnote to this, he says, 'The discrepancy between these two calculations [that of historical scholarship and Seder Olam] is discussed at length in our article and that of C. Chefetz in Megadim 14 on the period of the kings of Persia and Media.'  This journal is not accessible to me.


texts: Which other lands (besides Eretz Israel) have Kedushas Ha'aretz?

texts:
I recently read this in a quasi-responsum online:

"Kilayim is specific to EY and areas that Hazal determined to have Q'dushas
Ha'aretz. Outside of this zone, Kilayim is not applicable."

(Source: http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol17/v17n020.shtml)

Does anyone know which places other than Israel the author was referring to when he mentioned "areas that Hazal determined to have Q'dushas Ha'aretz"?


texts: Is Warhammer (and similar games) an issue of avoda zara?

texts:
Are tabletop wargames, such was Warhammer, Warhammer 40K, and Kings of War an issue of avoda zara?

To play the game you first have to purchase miniature figures of different races. Some are human, some are not-human, and some are human-esque.

Here is an example of an Undead miniature:

After purchasing the pieces, you have to glue them together and then paint them.

I am aware that there are certain laws about creating protruding images of human faces, but there are a variety of approaches to how these laws apply in the present day. If anyone is aware of this topic I'd appreciate some insight. I am not looking for a final psak.


texts: I heard a shiur recently, that quoted a gemara to the effect that the Jews in Egypt where not immoral. Where is this gemara, or gemeras that talk of this?


texts:
I was listening to a shiur from a Rav and I heard him refer to "the אוצרות" as one of the fundamental introductions to limud hakabbalah.
Which sefer is he referring to?


texts: Why isn't birchas hatorah printed before Selichos?

texts:
Why is birchas hatorah not printed before Ashrei in Selichos siddurim, given the requirement for this brocha before quoting verse (see
Selichot and blessing on Torah study)?


texts: Is Gideon's bible in my hotel room a problem?

texts: I'm not exactly sure how a standard hotel room contract works, but assuming I am renting the room and have ownership-like responsibilities for everything in it, is it a problem if there is a Gideon's bible in the room? What about other non-Jewish religious items, like a picture/statue of Buddah?


texts: Dressing similarly at a Din Torah - When did this change and why?

texts: Gemara Shevuos 31a says that if two people come to Bais Din one dressed in rags and the other dressed in expensive clothing, we make them dress similarly. Sefer Hachinuch Mitzva 235 indicates that this is not done in his times. When did this stop and why?


texts: How many ways are there to wrap the Tefillin Shel Yad?

texts: Can you guys please lists all the ways that the Tefillin Shel Yad can/are wrapped, because I think there was more than 10 ways how to wrap it. And could guys (if you can) explain the origins of each one? Thanks


texts:
This story about a pipeline digger cracking through a fossilized dinosaur tail made me wonder: Does handling dinosaur bones make one Tamei?

Lizards are considered Sheratzim, but by and large Sheratzim are "creepy crawling things", so maybe only smaller dinosaurs, especially small, four-legged dinosaurs fit the description.  Some claim that dinosaurs were part of an earlier creation that was later destroyed; if so, would small, Sheretz-like dinosaurs even count?


texts: "A life for a life": execution or reparations

texts:
The Torah states (Ex. 21:23) that if two people are fighting and accidentally kill an innocent bystander (such as a woman), "you shall give a life for a life."

The Gemara (Sanhedrin 79a-b) records a debate about the meaning of this verse. The Tanna Kamma states that it means that the killer is put to death, since he did intend to kill someone (the person with whom he was fighting). On the other hand, R. Shimon (and Rebbi) say that he need only pay reparations to the victim's heirs, as evidenced by the term ונתתה ("you shall give"), which as in the preceding verse means a financial settlement.*

Now, the same expression is repeated in Lev. 24:18, where it refers to one who kills an animal. There, obviously, it means that he pays for its value (as indeed the Torah itself makes clear three verses later: "one who kills an animal shall pay for it"). That being the case, on what grounds does the Tanna Kamma say that in the first-quoted verse (about killing the bystander) it means execution rather than reparations?

* Actually, Rambam (Hil. Rotze'ach 4:1) understands R. Shimon's opinion to be in accordance with the view of Tanna D'vei Chizkiyah (in that same sugya), that the assailant is liable to neither death nor payment. Tosafos there (ד"ה ומפקא) points out that Tanna D'vei Chizkiyah must therefore necessarily understand the case in Exodus to be talking about where the assailant did intend to kill the woman, and then he is indeed subject to the death penalty; they would exempt him only if indeed he didn't intend to hit her. (Which means that the same question would apply according to this view as well.)


texts:
The Torah seems to have many examples where astrology is deemed real. (such as the astrology predictions that Moshe would be struck by water which made Paraoh throw the Jewish males in the Nile river. Or the midrash that says Avraham could see through astrology that he would not have children.)

What does Judaism say about the efficacy of astrology? Do Jews believe that astrology is real, or that it is just a bunch of coincidences?


texts: When does a day start/end in the far North/South?

texts: As I understand it, a day in the Jewish calendar is from sunset to sunset. How is this handled if you are living so far north or south that you have long periods of daylight or darkness?


texts:
The Gemara (Shabbos 156b) tells a story with Shmuel and a non-Jewish astrologer named Avlait. They observed people entering a swamp. Avlait said that a certain man would not emerge from the swamp because a snake would bite and kill him. Shmuel said that he would not die if he was a Jew ("for astrology does not control the fate of a Jew [ein mazal l'Yisrael], and prayer will help him" - Rashi).

The man emerged from the swamp alive. Shmuel and Avlait approached him. Avlait found a dead, chopped up snake in the man's pack; the man had inadvertently killed the snake when chopping reeds in the swamp. Shmuel asked him what he did to deserve being saved - turns out the guy pulled a sleight-of-hand trick earlier in the day to save an impoverished coworker from embarrassment when the coworker hadn't been able to afford anything for the workplace potluck lunch. Shmuel concluded that tzedaka (charity) saves one from death.

Questions:

Whose prayer did Shmuel think would help - the man's or Shmuel's? Was Shmuel specifically praying for the man's safety? (Presumably he was too far away to warn him of the danger initially).
If prayer was enough to save the man from the astrologically predicted danger, why did Shmuel afterwards attribute the man's safety to his good deed?
Is the Gemara saying that either prayer or good deeds/charity can save someone from a bad mazal, or are both necessary?


texts: What does cantillation do to prayer's status?

texts:
I recall seeing recommendations, in multiple Halachic discussions, that someone who's reciting a Scripturally-derived prayer alone that normally requires a minyan, e.g. the 13 Attributes of Mercy, one should say it with the trop. Apparently, this feature converts the recitation from prayer into Torah learning, so one isn't incorrectly subverting the minyan rule.

On the other hand, I also recall learning in school to recite the Keriat Shema with the trop as a standard practice.

Is my understanding of the function of trop in the first case correct?
Is it true that reciting Keriat Shema is best done with the trop?
If so, why doesn't the same function similarly de-prayerify the Keriat Shema?


texts: Is there any glossary of all the plants mentioned in zeraim?

texts: I have been trying to learn zeraim, but I keep getting stuck on all the names of the plants. Is there any comprehensive listing?


texts: Trop on the word וְעַם in Megillat Esther 4:11

texts: In Esther 4:11, the pasuk tells us כָּל־עַבְדֵ֣י הַמֶּ֡לֶךְ וְעַם־מְדִינ֨וֹת הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ. In different versions of the megillah, I have either seen no trop mark on the word וְעַם oir seen a telisha ketana. Which one is correct?


texts: Wearing the tallit katan over the shirt in Chabad

texts: Lubavitchers generally do not wear the tallit katan over the shirt like other Chasidim. Is this because there is some halacha about it, or kabbalistic preference, or is it simply because the Rebbe did so like other if not most Lubavitch levush minhagim.


texts: Are signed contracts binding after death for payments to be paid out over time?

texts:
Let’s say Reuven signed a contract that binds him to pay Shimon $100 per month, for 30 months. Reuven dies after, say, 15 months. What is Reuven’s heirs’ responsibility toward Shimon? Do they have to pay the remaining $1500 immediately? Do they continue paying it over the remaining 15 months? Or are they entirely off the hook? Would it make a difference if the contract was signed over a loan, a sale, a business deal, or any other financial agreement between two parties?

Assume that all parties involved are Jewish, and disregard Dina d’Malchusa Dina for the sake of this question, if it would apply at all. Also assume that there is no collateral being held.


texts: What is the origin of the custom to say Shema to a baby on the day before his Brit Milah?

texts: I have seen a custom among Ashkenazic Jews that on the day before the Brit Milah of a baby boy, a group of children will come and all say the Shema to the baby. What is the origin and reason for the custom?


texts: Is it halachically problematic to call something "Karma"?

texts: Is the idea behind karma avodah zarah amd therefore prohibited to be used?


texts:
As we sing in Friday night Zemiros:

להתענג בתענוגים ברבורים  ושליו ודגים
To rejoice with rejoicers: Barbarians, Slavs, and Dags.

Why do we rejoice with these groups specifically?

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


texts: Who wrote the 1950s-era super-patriotic Prayer for the United States of America?

texts:
In the "Tikun Meir" siddur from about 50 years ago, there's a very unique prayer for the United States of America.  Something to the effect of:

  Humble were its beginnings, but by
  Your kindness, it has increased
  strength, with wings spread from sea
  to sea and distant island ... it
  demonstrates to the entire world with
  its ways of righteousness, in which
  rich and poor are equally recognized,
  and all dwell in brotherhood ... bless
  President (so-and-so) and
  Vice-President (so-and-so), and this
  country's legislators and justices ...
  bless also the governor and lieutenant
  governor of this state ... and the
  mayor and council of this city ...

(Apologies if I'm getting slight details wrong on the translation, but that's what it sounds like.)

Does anyone know who wrote this prayer?


texts: What is the history of the braided havdalah candle? Most of the sources I've found speak from an Ashkenazi perspective who usually used candles instead of oil for all lighting purposes. So is it an Ashkenazi tradition?


texts:
In the beginning of Hovot Helevavot the author prooves the existence of God by bringing a proof from all creations.

To paraphrase: just as every creation (painting, car, book) has a creator so to does the universe and the living creatures have a creator.

The issue I have with this line of thought is that the majority things in our environment have not been made by human creators (forests, oceans, galaxies). Can you prove how the majority of things came into existence by analyzing the minority?

That's like saying that if a certain ethnicity has a certain unique physical attribute so to does the whole human race - which is not the case.


texts: In response to "What things are restricted in the 3 weeks"? there is no mention of a restriction to start a new job. Is there a source that recommends that one should not start a new job in the 3 weeks if possible?


texts: Can you explain this weird pattern in Eicha?

texts:
I'm not into "bible codes" but I noticed that in the the 3rd and 5th perakim of Eicha every pasuk is no less than 4 words and no more than 7. This is if you count hyphenated words as 1 word (I'm using the Stone Artscroll tanach). I would assume this was a literary device to connote a sense of halting to the reader, but it's odd to me that it would only be employed in those perakim.

Has this pattern been noticed before, and if so, is there any meaning assigned to it?


texts:
I have heard different answers from representatives of the cRc and the Star-K regarding the kashrut of un-certified tapioca starch. While both agree that it requires a hechsher for Pessach, the Star-K indicates that it doesn't otherwise, whereas the cRc states that it always needs to bear a reliable kashrut indicator.

While I am not asking who is correct (that would be off-topic, as it relates to psak) I wonder how two of the three major American hechsherim can come to such radically different conclusions on such a comparatively-simple ingredient.*

Is there any exploration behind this particular type of machloket in contemporary kashrut ?

*"Simple" is a relative term, as some "simple" ingredients do indeed require a hechsher at all times, whereas others either never do or necessitate only on Pessach.


texts: Reading foreign literature: perspectives and experiences

texts:
I'd like to hear how people make their decisions about reading, watching, and listening to materials that express non-Jewish ideas and imagery... both in your study and in your entertainment.

There are all sorts of issues involved in censorship, and I don't want to be extreme in unnecessary ways. On the other hand, Judaism holds an understanding that our Creator actually does care where our loyalties lie, and what we fill our heart and mind with. What we read, see, and listen to can affect our sensitivity to what is good, our imagination, and our loyalties. So Tanach suggests a concept of modesty in not looking at things that are foreign to Biblical Israelite worship. If you really believe that these things have a basis in reality, then your engagement with what is right and good will probably involve choices about what materials to let into your life.

This question affects me in two different ways. Firstly, I'm not Jewish, so on a halachic level that probably also makes a difference. But in terms of my loyalty to Hashem alone and desire to come close to Him through goodness, the decision is still important to me, whether or not it seems culturally normal in my society. The thing is, I don't have a Jewish identity, and so somehow I still have the identity of my own nation and family heritage... and I love literature, art, etc. But the near-complete pervasion of non-Jewish cultural expressions with Germanic-magical, Christian, or anti-religious themes can make this attempt seem futile and confining. Is there anything from my culture that I can bring to God in my understanding of how He's revealed Himself to Israel, and yet also wants a connection, a level of holiness, with every nation He has created? I think that every part of life, the religious parts and all the other parts, exist equally in the context of creation and therefore of relationship with the Maker of what is in the world.

The other way is that I'm enrolled to study an Honours research year at university in Medieval Studies, because I did my undergraduate degree in Medieval literature. During that period I was a committed Christian, because that's how I was brought up, but for the last year I have been learning a lot about Judaism and also haven't really been reading medieval European literature. It's saturated in both Catholic devotion and in magical imagery. Part of me feels I should be able to read it without being affected by it, since I don't believe it, and just comment from a distance or enjoy the parts that are positive and good. But in another sense, I don't want to look at this kind of material. The reason I want to do this Honours year now is because it will be a great opportunity to choose a topic related to Jewish literature in the Middle Ages, and learn more about the history of Jewish experience and faith. But doing so will no doubt include comparison with surrounding literatures, even if only to understand the mutual interactions between Jewish and foreign literature of the past. I have to make a decision about how open I'm willing to be about what I read and become desensitised towards, and know well whether that attitude comes from Biblical Judaism or from somewhere else. It could change my plans for this year; it will probably affect my direction in the years after that, or at least the attitude with which I approach the study.

I know that in both areas this isn't a straightforward question, but I'm sure there are both rabbinic and personal perspectives that could help. In that it is a personal question I'm also talking about it with a few rabbis I know and with other friends and family.


texts: Agnostic Jew serving as the tenth for a minyan

texts:
I remember reading a responsum on the issue of agnostic Jew's serving as the tenth for a minyan, but do not remember the outcome. Does anyone know the rule?

Also, do we count, as the tenth man, a tinok shenishbah and one who does not understand the prayers at all?

If it is permitted, would it be different for a lower level of chiyuve (obligation) for a minyan such as Maariv?
If it is forbidden, would it be different for a higher level of chiyuve for a minyan such as Zimun, or someone who has a chiyuve for kaddish.


texts: Does a Jewish wedding involve bridesmaids or groomsmen?

texts: Are there such roles?  If so, what purpose do they serve?  If creating bridesmaids or groomsmen is a distinctly American (or Christian) cultural practice, then what are some reasons for or against including it an American Jewish wedding today?


texts: A Torah scroll that is damaged cannot be used.  But if the "good" parts of several Torah scrolls are stitched together, is the resulting scroll kosher?  Or does the fact that more than one scribe contributed to it render it unfit?


texts: Why is Malachi 3:4 added only after the amidah?

texts:
The paragraph

  יְהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ. שֶׁיִּבָּנֶה בֵּית הַמִּקְדָּשׁ בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ. וְתֵן חֶלְקֵנוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ: וְשָׁם נַעֲבָדְךָ בְּיִרְאָה כִּימֵי עולָם וּכְשָׁנִים קַדְמונִיות:

is found twice during the morning davening -- once after R. Yishmael and once after the amida. The opening idea recalls Pirkei Avot 5 (I have seen it referenced as 5:23, but have found it as 5:24 and 5:20). In the Artscroll siddur, comment is made that the paragraph's appearance after the amida makes sense as the davening replaces the sacrifices. The notes after R. Yishmael point out the same thing as this appears directly after the Korbanot section of prayer (the saying of which is tantamount, in this day and age, to making the offerings, themselves).

In the latter case, there is the addition of Malachi 3:4,

  וְעָֽרְבָה֙ לַֽיהוָ֔ה מִנְחַ֥ת יְהוּדָ֖ה וִירֽוּשָׁלִָ֑ם כִּימֵ֣י עוֹלָ֔ם וּכְשָׁנִ֖ים קַדְמֹנִיּֽוֹת

If the two moments serve the same purpose, to recall, and, in a sense, replace the sacrifices, why is the Malachi passage appended to only one of the paragraphs?

[ This source indicates that the entire paragraph was added also to ensure that time passed before people stepped forward, so one could answer that a related verse was added because, over time, people started praying faster so the paragraph was no longer long enough to ensure the proper delay, but I'm hoping for something a little less pragmatic (and cynical).]


texts:
Bereshit 31:17 reads:

  וַיָּקָם יַעֲקֹב וַיִּשָּׂא אֶת בָּנָיו וְאֶת נָשָׁיו עַל
  הַגְּמַלִּים׃

  So Jacob rose, and he lifted up his sons and his wives upon the
  camels.

Rashi:

  את בניו ואת נשיו: הקדים זכרים לנקבות, ועשו הקדים נקבות לזכרים, שנאמר (לקמן לו ו) ויקח עשו את נשיו ואת בניו וגו'׃

  his sons and his wives: He put the males before the females, but Esau
  put the females before the males, as it is said (below, 36:6):“And
  Esau took his wives and his sons, etc.” - [from Gen. Rabbah 74:5].

Does this mean that the common Western concept of 'ladies first' is foreign to Judaism or is there a special reason for this specific case that Yaakov put the males before the females?

I'd also like to know if there are other sources which clarify this matter.


texts: While studying for the purpose of conversion, is it acceptable to observe Yom Kippur?

texts: I have studied Judaism on my own for a little over two years and I do have the FULL intent to ultimately convert. I live in a very rural area in the south, so Jewish communities are few and far between, so I do not yet have a Rabbi to ask in this instance (however, I have coordinated with the closest one to me and will be meeting with him after the High Holidays!) All of this in mind, I've been told that as part of the conversion process, one should "live a Jewish lifestyle." Does this include observing Yom Kippur? It recently occurred to me that observing Jewish holy days may be seen as appropriative or offensive, and that is the last thing I want to do. I welcome your thoughts graciously.


texts: I vaguely remember reading that a rabbi ruled that the words of a rasha (wicked person) must not be repeated, no matter what they are, because he probably said them with evil intent.  Is this accurate?  (Note that we say "ma tovu..." even though these words were said by Bilaam, the wicked gentile prophet, so we obviously don't always agree with that rabbi.)


texts: Is the Hebrew vocabulary used in the Tanakh/(other recognized Hebrew books) the same as the what is considered Hebrew today?

texts: There are many Hebrew resources available in the mainstream world, i.e. Webster's, Google, etc.  Is the Hebrew used in the Tanakh/(other recognized Hebrew books, i.e. the Mishna, Rambam, etc.) considered to have the same vocab (word definitions, not necessarily grammar etc.) as what is commonly referred to as Hebrew nowadays? It is my understanding that it is, i.e. any English-Hebrew dictionary could be consulted to translate the texts for an English speaker, but how could this be verified? Is there some sort of official Rabbinical concordance of Hebrew?


texts: What is the meaning of the inscription on the back of a m'zuza?

texts:
The string "כוזו במוכסז כוזו" is written on the back side of the parchment in many a doorpost scripture.
According to the Ra"sh (hilchos m'zuza 18)

וכן נהגו לכתוב באשכנז ובצרפת כנגד ה' אלקינו ה' מבחוץ שם של י"ד והם סמוכות לאותיות של ה' אלקינו ה

While the exact text does not appear here, by replacing each letter in God's names as they appear in the first pasuk of "Sh'ma'" with the "corresponding" letter (in this case the next one alphabetically), it is understandable that the Ra"sh was referring to the string above - "כוזו במוכסז כוזו". What does it mean and what is it doing there?
[Inspired by Cryptography in Judaism]


texts: Answering 'Amen' to Birkas Kohanim during regular Shemonei Esrei (Chabad Nusach)

texts:
Can one answer 'Amen' to Birkas Kohanim when in the middle of Psukei Zemira of Shacharis, and the Tzibbur has already reached repetition of Shemonei Esrei?

There is a permitted-interruption guide in the back of siddur which does permit answering "Amen" to most blessings but the question is whether Birkas Kohanim is in the category of 'most blessings'.

I am referring to the daily weekday or Shabbos Shacharis, when Birkas Kohanim is said by the leader and not the Kohanim.


texts:
Are non-Jews allowed to watch online videos of shiurim, and if so, how would a Gentile know if he or she is permitted to watch it?

As a non-Jew, I like spending time watching YouTube videos of rabbis (i.e. Rabbi Yosef Mizrachi, Rabbi Tovia Singer, Rabbi Alon Anava) giving lectures on various Torah subjects as I find them to be spiritually enlightening. Since these videos are posted online and accessible to the public, I have to assume that anyone is permitted to watch them. My concern (perhaps I'm overly concerned) however is that there may be some material that non-Jews are forbidden to watch/listen to even though it's accessible online. If so, how can I determine if that's the case?


texts:
There is a concept of ein bishul achar bishul (you can't cook a food more once its cooked already) . This concept applies to dry foods according to all opinions and one would be able to warm such food up without worrying about cooking it. However, with regard to liquids ashkanazim are machmir and hold that there is more cooking that could be done to a liquid.

Many people are aware of this and will not warm up a liquidy food such as a saucy chicken dish on shabbas day. My question is why can't one just pour hot water from an urn (kli rishon) into a kli sheni (empty aluminium pan) and then take the saucy chicken (which is in a smaller aluminum pan) and place it in the kli sheni to warm it up. People do this every shabbas when they pour cold milk into their coffee. Why do people refrain from warming up cold (already cooked) sauce in a kli sheni?

Any time I see this halacha mentioned in a sefer or on a halacha sheet for the rules of warming up, they unequivocally say that warming liquidy foods is assur, but why wouldnt they give such advice?


texts: Can a prophecy in Judaism have more than one fulfillment?

texts:
To use an example, many passages in Isaiah are explained in Christianity to have been fulfilled almost immediately (with the then-current struggles of Judah against Israel, Assyria, etc.) and also later a second time with the arrival of Jesus.

I was wondering if there are any similar sorts of reading of Biblical prophecy in Judaism, with regard to double fulfillment. That is, where a prophecy had an immediate or near-immediate fulfillment, but then also a later fulfillment of the same prophecy (or is believed that a second fulfillment will occur sometime in the future).

EDIT: Specifically, I'm looking for the views of modern mainstream Judaism, if possible.


texts: Is there any problem with reciting a b'racha (or other devarim shebikedusha) underneath a second-floor bathroom?


texts: How long do I have after a bread meal to bensch?

texts:
How long do I have after a bread meal to bensch (say grace)? Does it matter if I am distracted by other things?
For example, I eat at 1 pm, then I work for 5 hours, go to the store for half an hour, and realize I forgot to bentch. When is too late?


texts:
In Devarim 4:19, Onkelos translates ונדחת as ותטעי and והשתחוית as ותסגוד.

First, what exactly is he trying to convey with ותטעי? I think of טעות as "whoops", and hopefully there's no serious damage, or at least none that can't be repaired. This does not seem to be the meaning of the Pasuk.

Second, does השתחוה not have an Aramaic cognate? Is סגיד the normal way he translates this? I see a couple of other references to it in my Sokoloff dictionaries, so if it is the usual translation I'm just surprised I never noticed before.


texts: A man is not allowed to walk between two women. Does this apply where one of them is his mother (or sister)?


texts: If Psalm 27 was said during Ma'ariv and Shachrit, should it be said during Mincha, also?

texts:
I see that Psalm 27 is said twice daily. But the tefillot during which it is said differ:

Nusach Ashkenaz says Psalm 27 during Ma'ariv while Nusach Sefard does not.
Both Nusach Ashkenaz and Sefard say it during Shacharit.
Nusach Sefard says it during Mincha while Nusach Ashkenaz does not.

Let's say someone who usually davens Nusach Ashkenaz entered a Nusach Sefard shul for Mincha. He has already fulfilled his twice daily recitation. Does he need to say it a third time during Mincha just because he is now in a Nusach Sefard shul?


texts: Seeking a comparison of Jewish and America law

texts:
There are at least several questions on this site about comparisons of Jewish and American law (samples below). I seek an article or book that compares Jewish and America law (where they overlap).
Somewhat similar questions on MY:
Is there "פה שאסר הוא פה שהתיר" or a "מגו" in American law?
Is one allowed to audio/ video record someone without their knowledge or consent?
Substituting security deposit for final month's rent
etc.


texts: In Judaism, what prophetic event or promise to Israel took the longest time to fulfill?

texts:
In scriptures it appears that the longest time it took several prophecies to happen to Israel as a people is between 70-430 years, 430 years having been the longest recorded for fulfilment of a prophecy concerning Israel as a people.

Is there another longer prophecy to fulfill?


texts: Whether people are referring to רבינו בחיי בן אשר or רבינו בחיי אבן פקודה, you will always find people who pronounce their names as either Bachya or Bechaye (Even Wikipedia uses both!). Is there any source which indicates which version is the correct pronunciation, or perhaps a third possibility? To me it seems as though Bechaye would be the correct pronunciation, based on the spelling of the word (such as ובחיי דכל בית ישראל in the Kaddish), but I have yet to see anyone clearly express how to correctly pronounce it.


texts: What did the Akeida accomplish that Avraham didn't already?

texts: Avram stood up to Nimrod (which meant him being sent into a fire). This demonstrated his ultimate self-sacrifice for God, publicly. What more did the Akeida accomplish?


texts:
I'm very interested in finding some Yodeya water. Is it possibly a river or lake? Was it perhaps (as I saw in another answer) named after someone named Yodeya?

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


texts: Particularly in the case of tiny bugs on plants, fruits, and vegetables. Why are they not considered batul bshishim since they are obviously not there on purpose (or desirable) and they make up a tiny part of the food.


texts: Are there any seforim or sources how a man can make his wife happy outside the bedroom and especially inside?


texts:
Rav Shimshon Raphael Hirsch says that the word zachor (in Exodus 20:7), meaning remember, is the statement telling us "to keep the Shabbos in our minds and hearts, and give verbal expression to its holiness."

Rav Hirsch is quoted as such in the Artscroll Siddur's commentary on לכה דודי (on the words, "שמור וזכור בדבור אחד") which can be found in the interlinear Artscroll Shabbos Siddur, page 71.

Does anyone know the original source where Rav Hirsch says this?


texts: Is there a source for the practice of using "B'Sha'ah Tovah" (בשעה טובה) as a well-wish on a pregnancy instead of the more common "Mazal Tov" (מזל טוב) used for most other occasions where a congratulations is due?


texts:
Is it considered Bal Tashchis to delete files/folders needlessly on a computer, or to send data to /dev/null in Linux?

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


texts: May one use a Sephardic Torah in an Ashkenaz minyan?

texts: May an Ashkenaz minyan use a sephardic torah (written in כתב וועליש) for their minyan or vise versa? Please cite a source


texts: History of separating milk and meat dishes

texts: What are the origins of having separate milk and meat dishes? It seems to be a generally accepted practice, and there are many Acharonim that talk about it. Where was the idea first introduced and how has it developed over time?


texts: Passover Seder for the infirm. Leniencies?

texts:
These questions have already been asked of a Rav. The object of asking them here is to be better informed to understand the sources used by and the answers given by the Rav.

[1] I hope to make Sedorim for myself, my wife and someone who is infirm and cannot manage a seder of much longer than 30 mins. Possibly after 2 hours rest, the person may be able to be available for another 30 mins.
Where is this subject discussed and what are the most important parts of the Seder to include?

[2] In London, on Seder night this year, nacht is around 9 pm. This could be late for an infirm person to start seder. Where are the sources that discuss whether any parts of the seder could be started before 9 pm, which parts and how early?


texts:
I have indirectly heard of someone in a school (I think it's a yeshiva student) who is doing a research project on various medical conditions. She decided to discuss tzara'at and compare what the Torah describes and compare it with current research of similar medical and environmental conditions. (E.g. there is tzara'at that appears on the skin - (medical / biological) vs. the form that appears on vessels and houses (environmental)).

The Torah mentions various colors and shades in describing most of tzara'at. To better understand what this looked like, she was wondering if anyone has published illustrations on these various conditions. It could be either in book form or on-line. If you know of such sources, please post them.

While the student is focusing mainly on the skin forms (there are several mentioned), if there is a book that illustrates and discusses the vessel, clothing, and house forms, that would be a huge bonus.


texts: What is the earliest Ashkenaz siddur and where might I find a copy?

texts: The earliest sefardic siddur dates back to the 800's, see Is there a free copy of this early (earliest?) siddur online?.  What is the oldest ashkenaz siddur, and it is available on the web or for purchase?


texts: Father being Matir Neder for himself: does it affect the family?

texts: If a father is Matir Neder on a minhag (gebroktz, let's say) for himself for a valid reason, does that include his whole family? Are they now also permitted to eat gebroktz because that is now the father's minhag? Would there be a difference between his son who is bar mitzvah and one who is not bar mitzvah (still under the father's rule)?


texts: Order of parents' names for kohen on gravestone

texts:
I can't find examples of gravestones (matsevot) with both parents' names in Hebrew. For a kohen, the options seem to be

Ploni ben Almoni ha-kohen v'Almonit

which I don't especially like, as it makes the mother sound like kind of an afterthought;

Ploni, ben Almoni v'Almonit, ha-kohen

which I like, but the two commas are crucial, otherwise it seems to be saying that the mother is a kohen; or

Ploni ben Almonit v'Almoni ha-kohen

which is syntactically correct but a bit odd, as we generally don't put the mother's name first.
Is there an accepted right way? Are there sources or examples (I can't imagine any earlier than the 20th century)? Are there other better options?
Thanks.


texts: What are important topics to discuss before marriage?

texts:
Eventually, one is required to get married. In the process of selecting a marriage partner, what are important topics to discuss in the dating process?

In particular, I'm looking for topics that will help ascertain if two people are compatible for marriage...

Also, do seforim talk about these topics? Or is it a matter of common sense?

Please include sources for your answer(s).


texts: In Book Of Genesis Chapter 6 Paragraph 2 is it referring to rape?

texts:
Genesis 6:2:

  בוַיִּרְאוּ בְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת בְּנוֹת הָאָדָם כִּי טֹבֹת הֵנָּה
  וַיִּקְחוּ לָהֶם נָשִׁים מִכֹּל אֲשֶׁר בָּחָרוּ:

  That the sons of the nobles saw the daughters of man when they were
  beautifying themselves, and they took for themselves wives from
  whomever they chose.

  גוַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה לֹא יָדוֹן רוּחִי בָאָדָם לְעֹלָם בְּשַׁגָּם הוּא
  בָשָׂר וְהָיוּ יָמָיו מֵאָה וְעֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה:

  3And the Lord said, "Let My spirit not quarrel forever concerning man,
  because he is also flesh, and his days shall be a hundred and twenty
  years."

It seems like this was the 2nd sin of many more to come, but what does it mean?
Does it mean that the nobles would take woman against their will (rape) regardless of if she's married or not?

also it translates the word "טֹבֹת" as "beautifying"  and not "good"
this is puzzling.
also, it seems like to me that this might have been rape, since rape is also considered like stealing, and it goes on further in the next paragraph to say that all flesh on the earth has become corrupt. and then it goes on to talk about robbery.
I'm still not understanding fully of what exactly went on anybody care to clarify?


texts:
Moses said, "Thus says the LORD, 'About midnight I am going out into the midst of Egypt, and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of the Pharaoh who sits on his throne, even to the firstborn of the slave girl who is behind the millstones; all the firstborn of the cattle as well."

Could someone tell me how this works? We understand that there is sin, but why the firstborn (have they done something wrong?)

Someone asked me this question and I could not answer it.


texts: How is the mitzvah to remember what Hashem did to Miriam a source for not speaking Lashon Hora?

texts:
Rashi in Devarim 24:9 quotes Sifrei:

  זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים. אִם בָּאתָ לְהִזָּהֵר שֶׁלֹּא תִלְקֶה
  בְּצָרַעַת אַל תְּסַפֵּר לְשׁוֹן הָרָע, זָכוֹר הֶעָשׂוּי לְמִרְיָם שֶׁדִּבְּרָה
  בְאָחִיהָ וְלָקְתָה בִנְגָעִים (עי' ספרי)׃

  זכור את אשר עשה ה' אלהיך למרים REMEMBER WHAT THE LORD THY GOD DID UNTO
  MIRIAM — if you wish to guard yourself against being stricken with
  leprosy, do not speak slander! Remember what was done unto Miriam who
  spoke slander against her brother and was stricken with a leprous
  plague! (cf. Sifrei Devarim 275:1).

The Sifrei (followed by many others, Rambam, Ramban, Chinuch, Rabenu Bachyeh, all the way through the chafetz Chaim), uses this passuk as a prohibition against speaking Lashon Harah.

The text of the Passuk itself only warns us to remember WHAT Hashem did to Miriam. This would be the tzara'as, the leprosy, which Hashem punished her with. The pasuk does not say that we must remember WHY she was punished with leprosy. So how then, would this be a source to forbid speaking lashon hora?


texts:
Coming off the recent question of complex וסתות, what about a pattern of 27,29,30; 28,29,27; 31,29,30?

In this case there is a pattern for every middle one while the rest remain random. Are we קובע a חזקה interspersed with non-מוחזק data?

On the one hand we can equate this to the ox that gores every third person. In that case the people he skips would usually tell us that he doesn't gore, but we look past that and count the pattern. Here too, ignore the random and count the pattern.

On the other hand, in the case of the ox we have a quantified pattern, and here we don't. Any sources or solid arguments are appreciated.


texts: Permissibility of Prayer in a Sabbatean Synagogue

texts:
Inspired by the Churva Synagogue of R. Yehuda HaChassid (18th cent.) who was likely a Sabbatean (not to be confused with the 12th century rabbi of the same name), and his congregation which almost certainly included Sabbateans, I ask whether it is permitted to pray in a Sabbatean synagogue.

This in light of the fact that Sabbatean ideology included seemingly idolatrous elements.

I recognize that the Churva Synagogue in particular has been destroyed (hence the name) and subsequently rebuilt, and thus likely lost whatever its original legal status was. However, this was just the inspiration for the question. The question is not asking about the Churva in particular, but rather about Sabbatan sites in general.


texts:
The fine of Daled v'Hei ("4 and 5") is awarded to a person who not only stole a sheep or cow (respectively), but also sold or shechted it (Shemos 21:37). Rava (BK 68a) explains that it's because he "repeated his sin."

Wait, what?

Sure, he did two sins, but how is it repeating a sin?

This is part of the Daf Yomi Challenge.


texts: Does there appear anywhere in Torah Sheb'al Peh a sufficiently detailed description of the musical instruments played by the Levi'im in the Beit Hamikdash that they could theoretically be reconstructed and played?


texts: In modern Jewish Passover meals, is the wine mixed with water?

texts:
The reason why I am curious about this is because every Christian church (except the Orthodox Armenians) adds water to the wine in the Eucharistic chalice before consecration. They also claim that Jesus did this because it had become a part of the Passover meal in his time.

For example, the Catholics claim:

  In the ancient world, the Greeks added water to wine because it was often thick, gritty, and too strong. It was simply good taste to add water to wine before drinking it. The Romans loved all things Greek, so they adopted Greek manners and spread them to the lands they conquered. And even though it was not originally a Jewish custom to add water to wine, it soon became part of the Passover meal itself and, hence, part of our Mass.

https://www.uscatholic.org/church/scripture-and-theology/2011/10/why-does-priest-pour-water-wine-and-put-piece-bread-cup

Is there any truth to the last sentence? I just want to fact check this.


texts: The new book about the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt"l

texts: What is the response of the Lubavitcher rabbinate (as in Lubavitcher rabbis in general, I am not referring to any specific rabbinical body) to the new book on the Rebbe zt"l by Josef Telushkin? Is it perceived to accurately portray the history of the Rebbe's life? Are there any book reviews available online written by prominent Lubavitcher Chasidim?


texts:
Inspired by Is Juneau, Alaska -- surrounded by natural barriers -- a natural eruv

Is there a maximum square mile or square kilometer area that may be enclosed by an Eruv? (sources)


texts:
**Looking for answers as to what happened in Jewish history on this date. It can include both positive and negative occurrences. It can also include birthdays or Yarzheits of well known personalities that happened on this date.

Please cite / link your sources, if possible.

All interesting answers will be up voted.

*Best answer will be accepted.


texts: I need help understanding the Seforno's commentary on Shir HaShirim

texts:
It is Perek Hay Pasuk Yud Daled (5:12) and I can't understand it.

עֵינָ֕יו כְּיוֹנִ֖ים עַל־אֲפִ֣יקֵי מָ֑יִם רֹֽחֲצוֹת֙ בֶּֽחָלָ֔ב
יֹשְׁב֖וֹת עַל־מִלֵּֽאת׃

Here it is for anyone who wants to have a go.


texts:
A Torah source is often referred to as a M"M, which I have heard read as both מורה מקום, Moreh Makom and מראה מקום, Mar'eh Makom, (see here for example) which have similar meanings, and mean something like "placefinder".

On the one hand, the Talmud uses Mar'eh Makom in a number of places to refer to a placeholder (e.g. Bava Basra 76b, Kiddushin 48b).  On the other hand, in the introduction to the Beis Yosef, Rav Yosef Kar'o uses the word Moreh Makom to  mean finding a source for a Halacha.

Which is technically more correct/older when referring to a Torah source, and are there any articles that discuss this and conclude one way or the other?


texts: Can a Mezuzah be given to a respectable and trustworthy non-Jew?

texts: Would it be permissible to give a Mezuzah to a non-Jew if he is honorable and can reasonably be trusted to treat it with great care such as a dignitary or a collector of cultural artifacts?


texts: Source of wishing "Titchadesh" - תתחדש on new clothes

texts:
What is the source for wishing someone "תתחדש" for a new item of clothing?

See the Rema OC:224 who brings a minhag to wish someone that bought new clothes "תבלה ותחדש". Literal translation is "You should wear it out and renew it" which I would consider to be the rough equivalent of "Use it in good health". Basically you are wishing the proud owner of the new item to put it to good use.

Where did the prevalent custom to simply say "תתחדש" ("Titchadesh") come from? It simply doesn't make sense.. the word literally means - I think - "you should renew yourself". Is this another type of well-wishing (and what does it mean) or is it related to the Rema above?


texts: How is the sex of a baby born with unclear genitalia determined?

texts: A baby may be born with a penis but no testicle. The hospital would do genetic tests to determine whether the baby was genetically female or male. In the case of a genetic female born with a penis the routine procedure would be to surgically correct the growth at an early age.  These tests obviously did not exist at the time the torah was given, would the presence of a penis or a vagina render the child male/female (in terms of halacha) irrelevant of the genetic test results or would halachic follow the genetic makeup rather than an external sign. Does halacha follow the medicine and declare a baby female based on test results even if the baby is born with a penis or does the halacha follow the obvious external signs which most of us would assume render the baby male.


texts: Universal theory of Biblical eye-raising

texts:
Do any of the commentaries or Midrashim offer a universal interpretation (perhaps of the form "any time you see this, it means that") of Biblical idiom of "raising eyes"?
Below are some examples that happened to come to hand. I'm sure there are many others, in many different contexts. Maybe it's just a simple idiom for looking, but I think I've heard somewhere that it can be taken to mean something more specific.
Examples:

Gen. 13:10

וַיִּשָּׂא לוֹט אֶת עֵינָיו וַיַּרְא אֶת כָּל כִּכַּר הַיַּרְדֵּן כִּי כֻלָּהּ מַשְׁקֶה לִפְנֵי שַׁחֵת יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֶת סְדֹם וְאֶת עֲמֹרָה כְּגַן יְ־הֹוָ־ה כְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם בֹּאֲכָה צֹעַר׃
And Lot raised his eyes, and he saw the entire plain of the Jordan, that it was entirely watered; before the Lord destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, like the garden of the Lord, like the land of Egypt, as you come to Zoar.

Gen. 24:64

וַתִּשָּׂא רִבְקָה אֶת עֵינֶיהָ וַתֵּרֶא אֶת יִצְחָק וַתִּפֹּל מֵעַל הַגָּמָל׃
And Rebecca lifted her eyes, and saw Isaac, and she let herself down from the camel.

Gen. 37:25

וַיֵּשְׁבוּ לֶאֱכָל לֶחֶם וַיִּשְׂאוּ עֵינֵיהֶם וַיִּרְאוּ וְהִנֵּה אֹרְחַת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִים בָּאָה מִגִּלְעָד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶם נֹשְׂאִים נְכֹאת וּצְרִי וָלֹט הוֹלְכִים לְהוֹרִיד מִצְרָיְמָה׃
And they sat down to eat a meal, and they lifted their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and lotus, going to take [it] down to Egypt.

Deut. 3:27

עֲלֵה רֹאשׁ הַפִּסְגָּה וְשָׂא עֵינֶיךָ יָמָּה וְצָפֹנָה וְתֵימָנָה וּמִזְרָחָה וּרְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ כִּי לֹא תַעֲבֹר אֶת הַיַּרְדֵּן הַזֶּה׃
Go up to the top of the hill and lift up your eyes westward and northward and southward and eastward and see with your eyes, for you shall not cross this Jordan.

Deut. 4:19

וּפֶן תִּשָּׂא עֵינֶיךָ הַשָּׁמַיְמָה וְרָאִיתָ אֶת הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְאֶת הַיָּרֵחַ וְאֶת הַכּוֹכָבִים כֹּל צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם וְנִדַּחְתָּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לָהֶם וַעֲבַדְתָּם אֲשֶׁר חָלַק יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֹתָם לְכֹל הָעַמִּים תַּחַת כָּל הַשָּׁמָיִם׃
And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, which the Lord your God assigned to all peoples under the entire heaven, and be drawn away to prostrate yourselves before them and worship them.


texts: Looking for online German (Yekke) Torah Trope practice

texts:
As a lad, I often attended a German (Yekke) shul in my neighborhood, where they used the Yekke Torah trope. My main shul sometimes used this trope during Yom Tov readings. (I.e. - the Yekke trope is used year-round in the Yekke shul, only on Yom Tov in my main shul.)

I am looking for some online recordings or practice files where I can practice this. If it is available via CD, would someone know if I can purchase this online or in a Judaic store in NYC area?