texts: Questions about the Beginning of Vayechi

texts:
My Torah Tidbits this shabbat told me that Vayigash is the only Parsha in the Torah to end before a "paragraph break". (Is this true?)

This got me to look more closely at the beginning of Vayechi, and how it connects to the end of Vayigash.

The ending of Vayegash says:

  And Joseph made it a statute concerning the land of Egypt unto this
  day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth; only the land of the priests
  alone became not Pharaoh's. And Israel dwelt in the land of Egypt, in the land of
  Goshen; and they got them possessions therein, and were fruitful, and
  multiplied exceedingly.

The Begining of Vayehi says:

  And Jacob lived in the land of Egypt seventeen years; so the days of
  Jacob, the years of his life, were a hundred forty and seven years.
  And the time drew near that Israel must die; and he called his son
  Joseph, and said unto him: 'If now I have found favour in thy sight,
  put, I pray thee, thy hand under my thigh, and deal kindly and truly
  with me; bury me not, I pray thee, in Egypt. But when I sleep with my
  fathers, thou shalt carry me out of Egypt, and bury me in their
  burying-place.' And he said: 'I will do as thou hast said.' And he
  said: 'Swear unto me.' And he swore unto him. And Israel bowed down
  upon the bed's head.

The next "paragraph" reads:

  And it came to pass after these things, that one said to Joseph:
  'Behold, thy father is sick.' And he took with him his two sons,
  Manasseh and Ephraim.  And one told Jacob, and said: 'Behold, thy son
  Joseph cometh unto thee.' And Israel strengthened himself, and sat
  upon the bed. And Jacob said unto Joseph: 'God Almighty appeared unto
  me at Luz in the land of Canaan, and blessed me,

Then, near the end of Vayechi it says:

  And he charged them, and said unto them: 'I am to be gathered unto
  my people; bury me with my fathers in the cave that is in the field of
  Ephron the Hittite, in the cave that is in the field of Machpelah,
  which is before Mamre, in the land of Canaan, which Abraham bought
  with the field from Ephron the Hittite for a possession of a
  burying-place.  There they buried Abraham and Sarah his wife; there
  they buried Isaac and Rebekah his wife; and there I buried Leah.  The
  field and the cave that is therein, which was purchased from the
  children of Heth.'  And when Jacob made an end of charging his sons,
  he gathered up his feet into the bed, and expired, and was gathered
  unto his people.

I'm asking many questions here, but really they are all the same question, but I don't know how to phrase/word it. So I would appreciate if answers incorporated all questions.

The begining of Vayechi is the death of Yaakov.  The rest of Vayechi, are acts and deeds that Yaakov does.  At the end of Vayechi, we are told of the death of Yaakov.   Why does Vayechi start with his death, to then go on as if he was not yet dead?

After the "paragraph break", the parsha continues, "And it was after these things that Yaakov etc.." Obviously it can't mean after the death of Yaakov, but it does fit nicely with the ending of Vayigash as we break it up.  So what is going on here?

Lastly, Rashi says that Vayechi starts with a "closed parsha", but does not at all comment on Vayigash ending in the middle of a "paragraph" (nor does anyone else)  Yet it's Vayigash that seems to be unique in its "bizzare" ending.  In fact, if Vayigash ended with the death of Yaakov, it wouldn't be all that strange to then say 'And it was after these things", where "these things" refer to all of Vayigash.  But now that it is split this way, the parsha makes little sense. So why does  Rashi, and other commentators only mention this oddity in Vayechi, and not mention it in Vayigash?


texts: Why don't we hear about Ya'aqov's other sons mourning his death?

texts:
Upon Ya'aqov Avinu's passing (Bereshit 50:1), Yoseph (to the glaring exclusion of his brothers) immediately falls upon his father and weeps.

Why don't we hear anything about the brothers weeping or mourning over their father's death?


texts:
"Davar charif" is a term in kashrus which refers, as I understand it, to sharp or caustic foods which may absorb flavor from a knife used to cut them, rendering them, say, fleishig if the knife is fleishig.

Does the concept of "davar charif" have any bearing on Pesach kashrus? For example, if a perfectly clean knife that was used for chometz cuts a davar charif, is the davar charif now chometz?


texts: Is it prohibited to get drunk at the seder?

texts: Is it problematic to become drunk from the four cups on Passover?


texts:
Is one allowed to name two of his children (of the same sex) by the same name, so that the entire Jewish name of one child is the same as that of the other?
I have never heard of any prohibition. On the other hand, it would make document authorship unwieldy (cf. Choshen Mishpat 49:7–9). And I've never heard of anyone doing so (though that may well not be for religious reasons. After all, with two exceptions, I've never heard of non-Jews doing it, either).


texts:
Scientists are preparing synthesized meat for human consumption. See here for a excerpt, and two articles here and here.

My question is: Would this meat be considered Kosher? Might it depend on the source of the original stem cells (a la ben peku'a)? What else would be a kashrut issue here?


texts: Is playing board games on Shabbat prohibited?

texts:
I have heard different opinions on playing games on Shabbat. Are games using money (ie Monopoly) mukza?  What about games without money. (obviously games with writing necessary are muksa and need not be addressed.)

Playing Ball, Lego and puzzles have been addressed elsewhere.


texts:
Where does the Jewish name Feivel (or Feivish) come from?

What does it actually mean?


texts:
Ma'aseh Rav 175 records the following practice of the Gra regarding reading Shir HaShirirm on Pesach, Kohelet on Sukkot and Rut on Shavu'ot: the reader makes two blessings beforehand, 'al mikra megillah and shehecheyanu.

What is the source for reciting shehecheyanu? None of the earlier sources that I've seen which discuss making a blessing on these megillot make mention of shehecheyanu (Machzor Vitri, Hagahot Maimuniyot, Mordechai, Maharil, Abudarham, Levush, Bach, Magen Avraham).

In fact, the earliest source for reciting 'al mikra megillah is Soferim 14:3, which then goes on to only mention reciting shehecheyanu for Esther (14:5), strongly implying that the other megillot do not have a shehecheyanu.

So what is the Gra's source / rationale for reciting this blessing?


texts: does false prophet always incur death penalty

texts:
The Torah tells us (Deut.20) that if someone utters a prophecy in the name of God and even a minute detail of that prophecy does not occur, then the prophet is false and incurs the death penalty.

does this law apply always? Even the king of israel or the kohen gaol or a previously verified prophet


texts:
Who knows ninety-six?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: How was Reuven considered Yaakov's first drop of semen?

texts:
Rashi on Bereishit 49:3 tells us that Reuven was conceived with the first drop of semen that Yaakov emitted. How does this fit with the verses in Bereishit 29:25 to  Bereishit 29:31, which seem to indicate that G-d only opened Leah's womb after she was the hated one, which was after Yaakov discovered that he had married Leah and had married Rochel?

  וַיְהִ֣י בַבֹּ֔קֶר וְהִנֵּה־הִ֖וא לֵאָ֑ה וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֶל־לָבָ֗ן מַה־זֹּאת֙ עָשִׂ֣יתָ לִּ֔י הֲלֹ֤א בְרָחֵל֨ עָבַ֣דְתִּי עִמָּ֔ךְ וְלָ֖מָּה רִמִּיתָֽנִי:

  25 And it came to pass in the morning, and behold she was Leah! So he said to Laban, "What is this that you have done to me? Did I not work with you for Rachel? Why have you deceived me?"

  כו וַיֹּ֣אמֶר לָבָ֔ן לֹא־יֵֽעָשֶׂ֥ה כֵ֖ן בִּמְקוֹמֵ֑נוּ לָתֵ֥ת הַצְּעִירָ֖ה לִפְנֵ֥י הַבְּכִירָֽה:

  26 And Laban said, "It is not done so in our place to give the younger one before the firstborn.

  כז מַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את וְנִתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ גַּם־אֶת־זֹ֗את בַּֽעֲבֹדָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תַּֽעֲבֹ֣ד עִמָּדִ֔י ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת:

  27 Complete the [wedding] week of this one, and we will give you this one too, for the work that you will render me for another seven years."

  כח וַיַּ֤עַשׂ יַֽעֲקֹב֙ כֵּ֔ן וַיְמַלֵּ֖א שְׁבֻ֣עַ זֹ֑את וַיִּתֶּן־ל֛וֹ אֶת־רָחֵ֥ל בִּתּ֖וֹ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה:

  28 And Jacob did so, and he completed the week of this one, and he gave his daughter Rachel to him as a wife.

  כט וַיִּתֵּ֤ן לָבָן֙ לְרָחֵ֣ל בִּתּ֔וֹ אֶת־בִּלְהָ֖ה שִׁפְחָת֑וֹ לָ֖הּ לְשִׁפְחָֽה:

  29 And Laban gave his daughter Rachel his maidservant Bilhah, for a maidservant.

  ל וַיָּבֹא֙ גַּ֣ם אֶל־רָחֵ֔ל וַיֶּֽאֱהַ֥ב גַּם־אֶת־רָחֵ֖ל מִלֵּאָ֑ה וַיַּֽעֲבֹ֣ד עִמּ֔וֹ ע֖וֹד שֶֽׁבַע־שָׁנִ֥ים אֲחֵרֽוֹת:

  30 And he came also to Rachel, and he also loved Rachel more than Leah; and he worked with him yet another seven years.

  לא וַיַּ֤רְא יְהֹוָה֙ כִּֽי־שְׂנוּאָ֣ה לֵאָ֔ה וַיִּפְתַּ֖ח אֶת־רַחְמָ֑הּ וְרָחֵ֖ל עֲקָרָֽה:

  31 And the Lord saw that Leah was hated, so He opened her womb; but Rachel was barren.


texts: Do we know more details about Tamar's life after she was raped by Amnon?

texts: What was Tamar's life after she was raped?


texts:
Is there any halachic problem with buying or selling commodities of lean hogs?
Commodities are similar to the stock exchange, except one trades commodities such as wheat or crude oil.


texts: Is there some  sort of standard response to "Amen"? That is, if another says Amen in response to one's blessing.


texts: Is it permissible to learn Hilchot Teshuva on Tisha Beav?

texts:
The Shulchan Aruch paskens (OC 554) that it is forbidden to learn most parts of Torah on Tisha Beav, except for a few small sections about aveilut.
The question is: the Shulchan Aruch doesn't explicitly mention Hilchot Teshuva, but would it be permissible to do so?
The Rambam (Hilchot Taaniot) says that the point of fasts is to do Teshuva. Seemingly learning Hilchot Teshuva would fit directly in this theme.
What do you guys think/ do you know of any sources?
Thanks so much in advance.


texts: If a jewish man "marries" a non-jewish woman in a goyish court, can zealots attack him?

texts:
The Rambam in the Laws of Forbidden Relations (12:1) writes:

  כל הבועל גויה, בין דרך חתנות בין דרך זנות--אם בעלה בפרהסיה, והוא שיבעול לעיני עשרה מישראל או יתר--אם פגעו בו קנאין והרגוהו, הרי אלו משובחין וזריזין; ודבר זה הלכה למשה מסיניי הוא, וראיה לדבר זה מעשה פינחס בזמרי.

It says if the act was public in front of 10 or more Jew, Zealots may attack and they are praiseworthy, does a "secular marriage" constitute public and before the eyes of ten (disregarding other halachic issues such as breaking laws of host countries, tinok shbnishba etc.)?


texts: Is there a keilim mikvah in Williamsburg

texts:
I have few items I need to toivel. Where can I find a keilim mikvah in Williamsburg?
Unfortunately I couldn't find any good resources online. Google maps didn't help either.
Much appreciated!


texts: Have there been notable Rabbinical opinions on hemp derived CBD oil for personal health?

texts:
Marijuana politics is getting complicated in the west with more and more countries legalizing the stuff for both medicinal and personal use.

My question has less to do with Marijuana and more to do with its cousin hemp. Hemp is an industrial/agricultural plant used for a variety of things in industry.

One of the more notable things about hemp is it produces a substance called CBD which is what is typically found paired with THC (the substance that gets you high in marijuana)

CBD doesn't have psychoactive effects. It doesn't produce the high that people get when they use marijuana and it has been found to help with a variety of medical conditions from seizures to Parkinson's symptoms and so on.

My question:

Have there been any notable Rabbinical statements which attempted to differentiate CBD from Marijuana in terms of how the Rabbis define intoxicants vs medications?

Do the Rabbis typically group everything into one category or have we reached a point where Rabbis have started to differentiate as new data on CBD comes out?


texts: Meaning of the word "Yisrael" when reciting Shema

texts:
Since is an absolute Halachic requirement to have in mind the meaning of the words in the first verse of the Shema, when reciting it morning and evening, I ask what is the correct or proper meaning to have in mind when saying the word "Yisrael," in order to fulfill one's Halachic obligation?
Is one addressing the Jewish people as a whole, with the word "Yisrael"? Or is one addressing oneself? Or is one addressing Yaakov Avinu, who is called Yisrael?
Other?
Please cite reliable sources, preferably early sources.


texts:
Who knows three hundred ten?
?עשרה ושלוש מאות - מי יודע
In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 310.
There is lazy gematria on this one, but leave it alone.
Check out mi-yodeya-series for the previous three hundred nine entries in this ongoing series.
Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.


texts: Can someone cut their wig (peah nachris) during the 3 weeks? Do we consider the wig to be hair or do we consider it to be a beged of some sort?


texts: Date to Begin Asking for Rain in the Diaspora

texts:
In the US we usually start asking for rain in the amida on the
fourth of December at night. The halacha states that this is on
the sixtieth days of tekufat Tishri (the fall season). But the
fall season falls usually around September twenty one. There is
a difference of about two weeks. Why?


texts: Was G-d "overcomplaining" in Shemot (Exodus) 16:28?

texts:
Exodus 16:4 (Somewhat modified English translation from Sefaria):

  וַיֹּ֤אמֶר יְהוָה֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה הִנְנִ֨י מַמְטִ֥יר לָכֶ֛ם לֶ֖חֶם
  מִן־הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְיָצָ֨א הָעָ֤ם וְלָֽקְטוּ֙ דְּבַר־י֣וֹם בְּיוֹמ֔וֹ
  לְמַ֧עַן אֲנַסֶּ֛נּוּ הֲיֵלֵ֥ךְ בְּתוֹרָתִ֖י אִם־לֹֽא׃

  Then said the LORD unto Moses: ‘Behold, I will cause to rain bread
  from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a day’s
  portion every day, that I may test them, whether they will walk in My
  law, or not.

When the people (and Moses) did not listen and went to search for Manna on Shabbat, G-d complains:

Exodus 16:28:

  וַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוָ֖ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֑ה עַד־אָ֙נָה֙ מֵֽאַנְתֶּ֔ם לִשְׁמֹ֥ר
  מִצְוֺתַ֖י וְתוֹרֹתָֽי׃

  And the LORD said unto Moses: ‘How long refuse ye to keep My
  commandments and My laws?

In the 2nd verse, G-d adds the term מִצְוֺתַ֖י . The original test was only supposed to be תוֹרֹתָֽי.

I'm not asking for the general difference in meaning with these two words, but specifically, regarding the story of Manna:

What were the מצות and what were the תורות that G-d is referring to?
If the test was only for the תורות , why was G-d complaining that they didn't observe the מצות as well?


texts: Is there a Jewish origin to the game called kugelach which I played as a child in shul? Does it have any connection to the 5 stones Dovid used to kill Goliat?


texts: Did the Lubavitcher Rebbe ever state why he didn't visit Israel?

texts: I have heard several different explanations from secondhand sources as to why the Lubavitcher Rebe zt''l didn't visit Israel.  Did he ever explicitly state his reasons for not going?


texts:
(Eruvin 41b) "Someone who
has a bad wife will not see Gehinom"

What does this mean exactly?


texts: What were לביבות made of before potatoes?

texts: Who doesn't love a nice stack of potato latkes for Hanukkah? Tradition, right? But as I was frying up my seasonal potato pancakes, I started thinking... potatoes didn't exist in the Old World until 1492. So what were Jews using to make לביבות before Christopher Columbus? I see a few recipes for zucchini latkes, so is that it?


texts: Distinction between tsere and segol in Yekkish pronunciation?

texts: I've heard that tsere and open-syllabic segol are pronounced the same in Yekkish (Western Ashkenazi) Hebrew. That said, everyone talks about how Ashkenazi is the only pronunciation with distinct sounds for every vowel (I know that they're talking about earlier Ashkenazi pronunciation, as well as varieties from other regions). Even if there is a distinction, I can't produce it to save my life if open-syllabic segol is pronounced [eː] (which I'm pretty sure it is). I intend on pronouncing open-syllabic komets as [oː] and choulom as [au] and it makes sense to have symmetry, but as stated I have trouble with that.


texts: Donkey Talked and an Angel Appeared - Who Knew?

texts: Why is no mention made of the reaction, of Balak’s officers who were accompanying Bilaam, to the talking donkey or the revelation of the angel?


texts: Which authorities do not require a vessel (keli) for washing before praying?

texts:
Rav Aryeh Lebovitz in his shiur at around 6'58'' quotes authorities that do not require washing with a vessel (keli) for washing before praying.
(I do not have the sefer he quotes. )

Who are these authorities?

Closely related Washing before Davening - 1 or 3 times?


texts: How far does one have to go into the ocean to say HaGomel?

texts:
When one goes "into" the sea, one is obligated to say HaGomel (see Berachos 54).

How far does one have to go to be considered "in" the sea?

If one goes swimming on the beach, does one say HaGomel?
If one takes a sailboat around, does one say HaGomel?
If one takes a boat from Copenhagen to Sweden, does one say HaGomel?
If one crosses the English Channel, does one say HaGomel?
If one sails from Israel to Rome, does one say HaGomel?


texts: Is a video "simulcast" Megilla reading for the hearing-impaired in shul permissible?

texts:
We have a many hearing-impaired people in our shul. Even with a microphone on, there is a lot of distortion and people can't hear well.

We received a PowerPoint Megilla reading CD from Our Way, a division of OU that provides services to the deaf and hearing impaired. The CD presents a screen containing about 2 verses of the Megillah on each screen. As the Ba'al Kri'ah reads the Megilla, someone coordinates the PowerPoint slide so that it displays the verses he is reading.

Question:

I know that the mitzvah is to hear the reading. These people hear some sound, but, as mentioned, it is distorted. Additionally, many of these same people don't really understand Hebrew. So, in a sense, the presentation helps both the hearing-impaired as well as others who can't quite follow where we are.

Is the combo of hearing some "part" of the words (i.e. - "partial" distorted hearing) combined with this reading on screen fulfilling the mitzvah of Megilla reading?

Related question - for those who can hear correctly, staring at the screen causes a possible distraction from hearing the actual reading. (Though, IMO, no more distracting than anxious kids sitting near you jumping around to hear the 1st "Haman".) Is this possible distraction halachically problematic as it may discourage the hearing public from listening to the actual reading?


texts: Have Jewish scholars evaluated the "Odes of Solomon" as being Jewish or Christian in origin?

texts:
I have just learned of the existence of an ancient Syrian text called "The Odes of Solomon". This seems to "round out" the collection of Solomonic literature such as the Proverbs, Qeholeth, Song of Solomon and Wisdom of Solomon.

Have Jewish scholars seen this as suggesting any particular readings that indicate that they were written by someone aware of the 1st century controversy regarding Jesus and if so, does it "take a side"?

Also, how is an "ode" different from a "song", if at all?


texts: What siddur do Open Orthodox people use?

texts: Do followers of Avraham Weiss’s Open Orthodoxy have their own siddur or use someone else’s? I’d be curious about any ways their liturgy might differ from the mainstream.


texts: Using a neighbor's encrypted Wi-Fi connection

texts:
This question asked whether or not one is allowed to use a neighbor's unencrypted (unlocked, without a password) Wi-Fi connection. This question touches upon a lot of different things in American law (stealing, computer law acts, etc), Jewish law (zeh neheneh v'zeh chaser, doing things in the neighbor's name [via IP address], etc), and where they cross (dina d'malchuta dina).

But what I'm left wondering is, assuming all issues with unencrypted Wi-Fi are resolved, what is the ruling with encrypted Wi-Fi? There are many programs (aircrack for example) that can crack Wi-Fi passwords (both WEP and WPA); if one broke in, (1) may he use the internet? (2) If he did, does he have to repay the neighbor?


texts:
Among the failed potential Messiah's was Bar Kochba who was backed by Rabbi Akiva.

What do we know about him? Was he a disciple of Beit Hillel or Beit Shamai or someone else for example?


texts: How literal is the concept of the Throne of Glory?

texts:
I am aware of two other questions asked on this site related to the Throne of Glory, but I have a somewhat different question.

The baal haturim, in his commentary to the torah at Bamidbar 2:2-3 writes:

"...just as the heavenly encampment [of angels] consists of 4 divisions surrounding the Throne of Glory, so too on Earth below, four divisions of [the Israelite tribes] surround the Mishkan. ...at the giving of the Torah, the Israelis see the heavenly degalim [divisions] and desired [to arrange themselves like] those degalim."

In the other questions posted on this site (What is the throne of glory?), the implication seems as though the Throne of Glory is more metaphorical than real, but this statement of the Baal Haturim seems to imply that it was something which can actually be seen, so much so that the children of Israel wanted to copy the formation!

How literal is the Throne of Glory to be taken? If it's purely metaphorical, how literally can we take the Baal HaTurim's statement above?


texts: Will parve item remain so within a fume-proof vessel heated inside a meat stove?

texts:
I'm laying out my kitchen for kosher and have decided to make my stove and oven all meat. I'll have a separate nook for cooking dairy.

The problem is baking hallah.  Normally that is a parve recipe.  Obviously baking it in a meat oven would render it meat.  Could I protect my hallah as it bakes by  enclosing it in a Dutch oven or other nominally air or fume tight vessel?


texts: What is the greatest age difference between a married couple in Tanach?

texts:
In many instances, we know the ages of personalities in Tanach and when they got married. In some cases, we aren't given enough information within the text and in some of those instances, the Midrashim or later works provide the missing ages. Often, this can be very enlightening for understanding the interactions between characters in Tanach.

For example, there are various Midrashic and later sources which discuss the ages of Avraham and Sarah being either 25 and 15, or 50 and 40.

As another example, We know that Yitzchak was 40 at the time he married Rivka, and that she was either 14 (according to Tosafot on Yevamot 61b) or 3 (Rashi to Gen. 25:20).

What is the largest known age difference between a married couple in Tanach?


texts:
We have a famous song called Echad Mi Yodeya and a famous prayer "Hashem Echad".
From here we have a Hekesh of Hashem to Mi Yodeya.
What do we learn from this Hekesh?

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


texts:
Who knows one hundred five?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point at least twenty-four hours from now, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

*Go on to the next number.


texts: What is the difference between Beta Israel and Beta Avraham

texts: What exactly is the difference between the Beta Israel and the Beta Avraham? Are the Beta Avraham halachickly jewish?


texts:
Following the previous question: "obligation-to-see-a-woman-prior-to-kiddushin" the Gemmorah (Kiddushin 41a) states that:

  "אבל בהא איסורא לית בה
  כדר"ל דאמר ר"ל טב למיתב טן דו מלמיתב ארמלו

  But in this case of a woman who appoints an agent, there is no prohibition. As Reish Lakish said: Women have a saying: It is better to sit as two bodies, i.e., be married, than to sit lonely like a widow."

Davidson's interpretation:

  Once a woman has decided to marry, she will accept any husband whose betrothal her agent accepts on her behalf, and there is no concern that she will find her betrothed repulsive and violate the mitzva of loving one’s neighbor like oneself.

Does it mean we always hold that women love their husbands and never override "ואהבת לרעך כמוך"?


texts: How does an Orthodox Jew view Saul's suicide?

texts: I read a verse...about king Saul committing suicide at the hands of the phillistines. I'm wondering if there's anything that defends his situation.


texts:
I once heard the following idea, and I'm wondering what is the source for it.

Avraham was the pillar of chesed. His son Yishmael was rejected as being part of the Jewish people. Chazal say that Yishmaelites are steeped in illicit relations. This is because he is the corruption of his father's chesed. We see this idea when the Torah says regarding incest with a sister:

  וְאִ֣ישׁ אֲשֶׁר־יִקַּ֣ח אֶת־אֲחֹת֡וֹ בַּת־אָבִ֣יו א֣וֹ בַת־אִ֠מּוֹ וְרָאָ֨ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתָ֜הּ וְהִֽיא־תִרְאֶ֤ה אֶת־עֶרְוָתוֹ֙ חֶ֣סֶד ה֔וּא וְנִ֨כְרְת֔וּ לְעֵינֵ֖י בְּנֵ֣י עַמָּ֑ם עֶרְוַ֧ת אֲחֹת֛וֹ גִּלָּ֖ה עֲוֺנ֥וֹ יִשָּֽׂא׃

The Torah calls it chesed. This is a corrupt form of it, and Yishmael embodies it.

Where can I find this idea? The closest thing I found is the Radak explains that chesed is either increasing good to another or increasing immortality (זנות) with another, which might mean what I'm saying, but I'm looking for the Yishmael idea.


texts: Does a Kohen have to be concerned about the surname of a potential mate?

texts:
In this question various surnames are explored that are strongly associated with being a Kohein. Some of them are rather unambiguously chosen simply because the chooser wanted to indicate their status. Others are more coincidental in nature (e.g. Rappaport), and some are contra-indicators (e.g. Hadad).

For a name that pretty strongly indicates Kohen lineage, if a Kohen is suggested a shidduch with a woman who has such a maiden last name (eg "Katz," "Cohen" or maybe especially "Hadad") but whose family has no claim of being Kohanim or any knowledge of how the family came to possess that name, should he be concerned that the family was in fact a family of Kohanim and then became Chalalim, or should he just regard the name as a coincidence?


texts: What is the status of those who need to undergo geyur lechumra?

texts:
What is the status of one who needs to undergo a giyur lechumra, but have yet to undergo the actual process? Can they be counted in a minyan? Are they considered Jewish? Can they serve as eydim? FoR: Orthodox.

I understand that someone undergoing a standard giyur will not be counted until they undergo the actual process, but is the same true for someone who is seeking out a giyur lechumra?


texts: Different expressions for "permitted" in the gemoro and elsewhere

texts:
The Gemara and other sources use different words to say that something is permitted. There are "shari" "muttar" "leis lon boh".

Is there any difference in shades of meaning between these and others please?


texts:
I've been wondering this for a while: does one say Asher Yatzar after he ejaculates (whether in the context of permissible relations, or any other cases)?

I ask this because some Rishonim seem to understand one function of seminal emissions to be the body's way of removing material from it as necessary (see here for example).


texts: What are the reasons or rules for the different variations in vowels on the Tetragrammaton?

texts:
I'm aware that the vowels of the Tetragrammaton are unknown and i'm not asking what they are.

I see a lot of variation in the vowels placed or not placed, on the Tetragrammaton.

Sometimes a hataph patach on the first letter, sometimes a shva, sometimes a hataph segol.

Sometimes a holam on the second letter, sometimes no vowel.

Sometimes a kamatz on the third letter, sometimes a hiriq on the third letter.

I'm interested to know what reasons there are for when it's written with some vowels and not other vowels..  I see a pattern where it is spelt with a yud under the vav, every time it follows aleph,dalet,nun,yud. So it seems maybe there are some rules or conventions.

Examples below

The Mechon Mamre site for that verse has the word with just the two vowels, and the yud with the shva. http://www.mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt26e4.htm

I see in bibleworks the cholam

I see it seems maybe every case of aleph,daled,nun,yud followed by yud,heh,vav,heh  there is a chirik under the third letter of yud,heh,vav,heh

e.g.

and in that Kings example a vav with a cholam


texts: Who must initiate first in marital relations husband or wife?

texts: Are there biblical/talmudic sources which note whether a husband or wife must initiate in their marital relations? There is a common conception that males must initiate because of their physicality as well as responsibility of fulfilling a mitzvah.


texts:
One who is in the army and going to be on duty all day from before olot (dawn) until after shekiya (dusk), according to some poskim he can put on tefillin then without a bracha, while others rule that he shouldn't.

Chevel Nachalato 3:2 records a long discussion between Rav Yakov Epstein and Rav Avigdor Nevinsal, whether a soldier who is on duty from before Olot until after Shekiya can put on Tefillin before olot. Rav Nevinsal held he could but shouldn't recite a bracha. He is based on Igrot Moshe 1:10 and would apply it even on a mass scale.

But can he do it after shekiya?


texts: Adon 'Olam or Yigdal after Ma'ariv Friday night and Yom Tov?

texts: In many Siddurim and Maḥzorim Adon 'Olam is printed at the end of Ma'ariv for Friday night and Yom Tov. But in my experience, the vast majority of (Ashkenazi) Shuls sing Yigdal at this point instead. Why do some (Ashkenazi) Shuls recite Adon 'Olam after Ma'ariv and some (most?) recite Yigdal?


texts:
Historically, when has Torah study throughout the world been most prevalent, and when has Torah suffered relatively limited study and knowledge thereof? Are there any sources that break this down?

It may have to be broken down by place as well (e.g. at one point, Spain may have had very widespread knowledge of Torah, while France had very minimal knowledge).


texts: Compare and Contrast: Artscroll and Koren Talmud Bavli

texts:
I want to know why would someone choose Artscroll Talmud Bavli over the Koren Talmud Bavliand and vice versa.

What features do the Koren Talmud Bavli and the Artscroll Talmud Bavli and how do they compare.


texts: Is there a record of the Frankist talmud disputation?

texts: In 1757 followers of the apostate Jew, Jacob Frank engaged in a disputation with Rabbinic Jews regarding the talmud. I would like to know if there is any record of the contents of that disputation.


texts:
The Passover and the Festival of Unleavened Bread

The Lord said to Moses and Aaron in Egypt
“This month is to be for you the first month, the first month of your year.
Exodus 12

What about Rosh Hashana?

What is the Torah saying here?


texts:
Do we need to treat a kippah with more respect than a normal hat? I frisbeed a couple of kippahs across the room to a friend and he became indignant at me throwing them on the floor.

I remember as kids we were taught to kiss our kippa if it fell off our head before putting it back on, but in Yeshivah I found no such attitude so now I would brush it off if dirty but not kiss it before returning it.

And would it make a difference whether its on your head or not?


texts:
I was learning the halachos of berachos on things that are ground up, and it seemed pretty clear to me that the blessing on chocolate should be ha'etz.  I found discussion in some more contemporary poskim who all seemed to take the same approach - "Really, it seems like it should be ha'etz, but the minhag is to make a shehakol, so let's see if we can explain it."  That's fine with me - I have no problem coming up with an explanation to justify the minhag.  What I was bothered by was the conclusion of R' Shlomo Zalman Aurbach, who after trying several approaches to explain the minhag, does not find any satisfactory explanation for it being a shehakol.  He leaves it as a צע"ג - needs major further investigation.  But he doesn't conclude to reject the minhag.  It seems that he still accepts that the proper blessing is shehakol.

For myself, I am fine accepting the approaches offered in other responsa and making a shehakol.  What I don't understand is why R' Shlomo Zalman, for himself, did not reject the minhag.

Chocolate was just a convenient example, so I hope readers do not get stuck on the example.  My question, succinctly put, is at what point, if ever, can an established, accepted minhag be rejected as mistaken?


texts: Etz chaim question: Circular vs. linear sefirot

texts:
The Arizal explains in Etz Chaim, Palace of Adam Kadmon, how the sefirot have both linear and circular aspects. He also connects this to the soul levels, the nefashot being the circular aspects and the ruachim the linear.

The circular aspects function the way that holiness is more and more distant from the center, whereas the linear aspects function the opposite, where holiness is more and more internal (the clothing of the partzufim on top of eachother).

However, it's not clear to me how these aspects (circular and linear) are related to each other. As humans we have both a nefesh and a ruach. How do these aspects relate? Would appreciate if someone could explain it to me.


texts: Do I have sufficient reason to investigate converting to Judaism?

texts:
About 18 months ago, I began contemplating earnestly investigating converting to Judaism, which three years of casual thinking and reading about god had engendered.

I regard this interest in converting as a consequence of reason and intuition. That said, in writing, I can express my rationale more effectively than I can convey my sentiments. For that reason, I've rendered that rationale below. In points one through five, I emboldened the important elements; please feel free to skip the rest.

A god, as commonly conceived, exists: Three years ago I read an argument for the existence of an omnipotent entity that created the universe. The arguments convinced me.
This god has preferences: Later, I reasoned that omnipotence depends on having preferences: Not all things are possible. For instance, without equivocating, I cannot exist and not exist. So an omnipotent thing can do anything, but not everything. Without preferences, a (pseudo) omnipotent thing might effect one set of mutually possible things. However, that entity does not have preferences, so it could never have preferred to do other than what it did, and so would only ever effect everything it effected, which necessarily excludes it from doing somethings. However, an omnipotent entity must have the capability to do all things. Accordingly, we cannot call an omnipotent entity that has no preferences omnipotent; at most we we might call it maximally efficacious.
This god intended to create us: Considering the entity's omnipotency and that we exist, he must have preferred to create us. So he created us, neither by accident, nor from necessity; rather, he must have chosen to create us.
It seems probable that this god prefers that we know about him: Considering that, and that we knew about this entity before we had arguments for his existence; that much of the world independently came to believe in a god similar to the one who I've described above. (Note that I acknowledge that there are inconsistencies among the various conceptions of god, and that most people who believe in the god I described above have that belief because the Jews had that belief before them.)
It seems probable that Judaism has the most accurate conception of this god: As I wrote above, the various conceptions are inconsistent. So it seems implausible that one could derive an accurate conception of the concept of god from syncreticism. Maybe some minor religion has the most accurate conception of god, but for a number of considerations, that also seems implausible. So only the major religions remain. I spent an appreciable amount of time studying each of them. Buddhism does not believe in an omnipotent god; Hinduism believes in manifold gods. But the argument I referenced in my first point precludes the existence of multiple gods. That leaves the Abrahamic religions: Islam depends on rewritten scripture; accordingly, I doubt its fidelity. Much the Christian New Testament contradicts the Old Testament. However, the New Testament depends on the Old Testament; accordingly, either both, the Old Testament and the New Testament, are inaccurate, or only the Old Testament is accurate.

I have read what a gentile must do to be regarded as righteous; needless to say, it's pages less than what a Jew must do to be regarded as righteous. While the former seems easier, it also strikes me as less fulfilling.

Saying all that to say, I have thought about this. I'd really like to take the next step. What should I do?


texts: Difference between leaving place of eating and place of smelling besamim

texts:
We learn in Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 178 the laws if one leaves the place where they were eating if a new bracha has to be made or not when they come back (or if they change to a different place.) If someone was eating (by themselves, see Sif Beis for why I'm mentioning this) vegetables and left the place where they were eating and went outside and then came back they would have to make a new bracha on what they are eating from before. I would say this is seemingly even if the person had in mind to come back (what seems to be the case there in Sif Beis as well.)

However when it comes to smelling besamim (fragrances) the Shulchan Aruch in Orach Chaim Siman 217 Sif 1 says that a person makes one bracha when they walk into a store that has besamim. If they go in and come out however they make a new bracha unless they had in mind to come back which in that case a new bracha is not made (the M"B in note 6 adds this is only if they had in mind to return immediately.) It seems to be however that by eating even if someone has in mind to return and continue eating in the original place if they walked outside and came back a new bracha would be made. This is not the case of besamim where if one had in mind to come back they wouldn't make a new bracha even after leaving this place. What is the difference between eating and besamim?


texts:
I have seen two basic styles of wrapping tefillin up 'al kanfei yonah. The first, which I've seen mainly among the older generation is to put the kesher (knot) below the bayit with the loop in the retzuah folded over the ma'abarta. The second, which is more common among the younger generation (and all Lubavitchers I've seen) is the reverse, with the kesher above the bayit and the retzuah folded below the ma'abarta.

Are there any sources which discuss either approach


texts: Is there a prohibition in the Torah against calling someone by their nickname?

texts:
I remember vaguely about a story of a certain sage in the Talmud that would never call anyone by a nickname. Is this just proper moral behavior or is there an actual halachah against giving people nick names?

What are the details of this "halachah" and what is the source in both the Talmud and the Shulchan Aruch (if there is one).


texts: Does halacha require me to install ad-blocker software?

texts:
There are so many Internet banner ads out there that contain immodest content.

Say I own a personal computer and I use it every day for Facebook, email, and Web surfing. Does Jewish law require me to install ad-blocker software? If not, is it at least recommended?

Related: Is ad-blocker software permissible?


texts:
I have heard that there are many commentaries on Moreh Nevuchim. However, all editions that I have seen in person contain just the text, sometimes with editorial footnotes. Can anyone provide:

1) A list of classical commentaries

2) If possible, a place to find them online

Thank you


texts: Can non Jews be buried in a Jewish Cemetery?

texts: Can a non Jew be buried in a Jewish Cemetery under any circumstances?


texts:
On hoshana rabbah we bang aravos on the ground.

Can one use hoshanos that one banged on the floor already or does one need his own?


texts: Which is better, lying or saying lashon hara?

texts:
Inspired by Shmeryl's frequenting of McDonalds, I have a similar question about lashon hara.

Let's say Shmeryl is coming to visit you from out-of-town on shabbat, and has no problem with doing so quite publicly. Beryl asks you on Shabbat afternoon, "Oh, did Shmeryl come in yesterday?" (i.e., before Shabbat)

Should you lie and say "yes" or tell the truth and risk lashon hara?


texts:
Who knows fifty-six?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. At some point in the next few days, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts:
The psalmist said, in a line we also recite in birkat hamazon:

נַ֤עַר ׀ הָיִ֗יתִי גַּם־זָ֫קַ֥נְתִּי וְֽלֹא־רָ֭אִיתִי צַדִּ֣יק נֶעֱזָ֑ב וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־לָֽחֶם  -- I have been young, and I am now old; yet I have not seen the righteous abandoned, nor his seed begging for bread. [Ps. 37:25]

The plain meaning can't be right because we have all seen righteous people go through bad times.  Many commentators have provided alternate meanings.  My favorite is from Rav Soloveitchik, who, proceeding by analogy in wording, notes that Queen Esther asks King Achashverosh to spare the Jews using these words:

כִּ֠י אֵיכָכָ֤ה אוּכַל֙ וְֽרָאִ֔יתִי בָּרָעָ֖ה אֲשֶׁר־יִמְצָ֣א אֶת־עַמִּ֑י וְאֵֽיכָכָ֤ה אוּכַל֙ וְֽרָאִ֔יתִי בְּאָבְדַ֖ן מוֹלַדְתִּֽי
-- How can I bear to watch the disaster which will befall my people, and how can I bear to watch the destruction of my family? [Esther 8:6]

The same word (רָ֭אִיתִי - seen) is used in both places, but in the case of Esther, she clearly means: "Can I bear to see all this and do nothing about it?"  Likewise, the line in Psalms means: "I have not seen the righteous abandoned, nor his seed begging for bread and done nothing about it."
OK, now my question.  What does the line "I have been young" add to the thought?  "I am old" should be sufficient.  I have not seen a commentary on this.  I believe the answer may hold yet another meaning.  Do you know of one?


texts: Rashi on Moshe's timing to reprimand and bless

texts:
Rashi in the beginning of parshas Devarim addresses Moshe's decision to reprimand Klal Yisroel at the end of his life, that is the last day of his life, and writes the following:

ויהי בארבעים שנה בעשתי עשר חדש באחד לחדש. מְלַמֵּד שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחָן אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה; מִמִּי לָמַד? מִיַּעֲקֹב, שֶׁלֹּא הוֹכִיחַ אֶת בָּנָיו אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה, אָמַר, רְאוּבֵן בְּנִי אֲנִי אוֹמֵר לְךָ מִפְּנֵי מָה לֹא הוֹכַחְתִּיךָ כָּל הַשָּׁנִים הַלָּלוּ, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא תַנִּיחֵנִי וְתֵלֵךְ וְתִדְבַּק בְּעֵשָׂו אָחִי; וּמִפְּנֵי אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים אֵין מוֹכִיחִין אֶת הָאָדָם אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא מוֹכִיחוֹ וְחוֹזֵר וּמוֹכִיחוֹ, וְשֶׁלֹּא יְהֵא חֲבֵרוֹ רוֹאֵהוּ וּמִתְבַּיֵּשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ, כּוּ' כִּדְאִיתָא בְּסִפְרֵי. וְכֵן יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לֹא הוֹכִיחַ אֶת יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶלָּא סָמוּךְ לַמִּיתָה, וְכֵן שְׁמוּאֵל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמואל א י"ב), "הִנְנִי עֲנוּ בִי", וְכֵן דָּוִד אֶת שְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ (מלכים א ב'):

AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE FORTIETH YEAR, IN THE ELEVENTH MONTH, ON THE FIRST OF THE MONTH, [MOSES SPAKE] — This tells us that he reproved them only shortly before his death (Jewish tradition holds that Moses died on the seventh day of the twelfth month; cf. Megillah 13b). From whom did he learn this? From Jacob, who reproved his sons only shortly before his death. He said, “Reuben, my son, I will tell you why I have not reproved you for your unfitial conduct during all these years: it was in order that you should not leave me and go and join Esau, my wicked brother". — And on account of four things one should not reprove a person except shortly before one's death: that one should not reprove him and again have to reprove him; and that his fellow whom he reproves should not. when he afterwards happens to see him, feel ashamed before him, etc.; as it is set forth in Siphre. And similarly, Joshua reproved Israel only shortly before his death (cf. Joshua 24:1—29), and so, too, Samuel, as it is said, (I Samuel 12:3) “Behold, testify against me", and so, also, David reproved his son Solomon only shortly before his death (cf. 1 Kings 2:1—9).
(Sefaria)

See however Rashi's quote from Avos 1:14 in the beginning of V'zos habracha in order to explain Moshe's decision to bless Klal Yisroel right before he died:

וזאת הברכה וגו' לפני מותו. סמוך למיתתו שאם לא עכשיו, אימתי:

AND THIS IS THE BLESSING [WHEREWITH MOSES … BLESSED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL] BEFORE HIS DEATH — i.e., quite near to his death. “For” said he, “if not now, when?” (Sifrei Devarim 342:7).
(Sefaria)

That's it? If not now when? Why no complicated reasoning? Why not give a reason that getting a blessing too early is detrimental (as Gur Aryeh there reads into Rashi)? Why not say he learned to bless at the end of his life from the Avos?
Also, isn't 'if not now when' as presented by Rashi, which seems to explain why he waited until the last possible moment, the exact opposite of it's meaning in Avos which was to act sooner rather than later?
And from the opposite perspective,  why couldn't the phrase 'if not now when' have been used to answer Moshe's decision for waiting until the end of his life to reprimand as well?
The mepharshim  on Rashi in both places address Rashi's words in each place in a vacuum, giving logical reason to each one of his statements without acknowledging the other statement.
My question to put it simply, is the following. Does anyone attempt to reconcile the two statements of Rashi explicitly referencing both of them?


texts: What is the source for the Midrash that says that in Egypt some babies were put into fields and saved by Malachim who looked like their fathers?  Also, what is the context in which the Midrash is taught (Parashah, etc.)?


texts:
Every 10 or so pages of the Keter, the words קדש לה' לא ימכר ולא יגאל are written across the top.  These words are based on Vayikra 27:28, which discusses hekdesh.
Does that mean somebody actually donated the Keter to hekdesh?  I think we can safely conclude from the Rambam, who personally used it, that it's not completely forbidden to use, but are there restrictions on its use beyond the kedusha that all sifrei kodesh have?  If so, do those restrictions apply to the online scan?


texts: Why does R' Yishmael require the fields to alternate in Kilayim 3:6?

texts:
Kilayim 3:6 poses the case of a field sown with onions, and one wishes to plant gourds in this field. There are three opinions as to how much one should uproot, and as they pose their opinions in very cryptic wordings, I will explain their opinions according to the Rambam, Bartenura, and Tiferes Yisrael, who all seem to agree on how the Mishnah should be read.

R' Yishmael says one should make alternating patches of 8 amos filled with the onions and 8 amos left fallow, then plant the gourds in the center 4 amos of the 8-amah fallow patches. This leads to an alternating pattern of 8 amos of onions, 2 amos fallow, 4 amos of gourds, and 2 amos fallow.

R' Akiva says that you don't need 2 amos fallow between the onions and gourds; you can just plant a row of flax (a minimal width) between them. Thus, the pattern is 8 amos onions, tiny little immeasurable gap, 8 amos gourds, tiny little immeasurable gap.

The Chachamim say that R' Yishmael is correct in that there must be 12 amos between patches of gourds (in R' Yishmael's view, that was 4 amos fallow and 8 amos of onions), but they agree with R' Akiva that you don't need 2 amos between the differing species. Thus, the gourds are still four amos wide, but the onions can be expanded to 12 amos.

My question is: Why do the fields need to alternate?

Let's take a field of 52 amos wide. According to R' Yishmael, we begin with 4 amos of gourds, then a 2 amah gap, then 8 amos of onions, then a 2 amah gap; this pattern repeats two times, followed by one last four-amah field of gourds. This is a total of 16 amos of gourds, and 24 amos of onions.

If he simply requires that there be two amos between the gourds and onions, let the 24 amos of onions remain constant, add a 2-amah gap, and then plant the remaining 26 amos of field with gourd. By not alternating fields, he gains 10 amos of gourds!

(According to R' Akiva and the Chachamim, where no gaps are lost by not alternating, this suggestion would have no impact on their opinions.)


texts:
I remember that the people and animals in Noah's Ark were not allowed to have marital relations because it was an inappropriate thing to do in light of the destruction going on all over the world. I also seem to recall that the same principle applied during a devestating drought.

I am looking for primary and secondary sources in the Talmud, Midrash, Codes and Poskim which discuss this idea, and especially sources which would clarify whether or not the current world-wide Coronavirus affliction meets the criteria that would forbid marital relations at present (March 2020).


texts: Why are we not fluent in Greek philosophy anymore?

texts: Why is it that the Rishonim and many Achronim used to be fluent in philosophy (mainly Greek) and these days it's unheard of? Is it due to our weakness, and it is really allowed?


texts: What sources try to rectify the difference in the actual vs 600K letters in the Torah?

texts:
The New Zohar Shir Hashirim 658 זוהר חדש, שיר השירים, תרנ"ח is [seemingly] the first reference to the number of 600K (ס' רבוא) letters of the Torah corresponding to all the Jews (at least in the desert) and that each Jew has a letter in the Torah:

"דסלקין אתוון לשיתין ריבוא כחושבן שבטיהון דישראל דאינון תריסר וסלקין לשיתין ריבוא וכו'"
ובתרגום הסולם: עד שהאותיות עולות לשישים ריבוא, כחשבון שבטי ישראל, שהם יב' ועולים לשישים ריבוא, אף
האותיות כן , כשהן מתמלאות עולות לשישים: אלף, בית, גימל....אלו הן עולות האותיות לשישים ריבוא
כדי שתהיה שלמות בסוד האותיות בכל האברים.

Of course, everyone knows that in our scrolls, there are around 305K letters, roughly half of that (see the exact count here).
While I'm sure this could just be allegorical - etc, I'm curious if there are references to "the other 300k letters"?  Eg, if each letter you also included its atbash (just as a suggestion), there would be a little more than 600k.
What sources try to resolve this discrepancy?


texts: Lifting Torah during Bracha When Called for an Aliyah

texts: I have noticed that while making the Bracha for an aliyah, many people lift the Torah when Hashem's name is recited. Is there a source for this?


texts: Translation of פתחו לי שערי צדק

texts:
What is the most accurate English translation of the famous verse from Tehillim (Psalms)

פתחו לי שערי צדק

?


texts: How could the brothers drink with Yosef?

texts: Towards the end of parshas Miketz (Bereishit 43:34), it mentions that the brothers drank with Yosef. Considering that as far as the brothers knew, they were surrounded by idol-worshipers, were they allowed to drink? Obviously, this is all pre-Matan Torah, but from from a biblical or rabbinical standpoint, was there an issue of yayin nesech or the like?


texts: Why are "Chiddushei" seforim rarely cited in the Nosi Keilim?

texts:
I noticed that when quoting Rishonim, Beis Yosef/Nosei Keilim tend to focus on Poskim (Rif (and main commentary)/Rosh/Rambam, Mordechai, Teruma, Rabbeinu Yerucham, etc.) and responsa.

Very rarely do you find "Chiddushim" seforim (like Chiddushei Rashba, Ritva, Ramban, Peirush Hamishnayos of the Rambam  [except in Mikvaos], the Rash [ditto]).

Why is that? Tosfos are still fairly commonly quoted but no "Gemara peirush" since then. I would assume that the Rashba's explanations of the Gemara could bring Nafka Minas to the table. If it's because it wasn't written as a "psak", well, neither was Tosfos.


texts: Why do Jews look before crossing streets?

texts: If Jews claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, why do we look before we cross the road? I'm a Jewish man myself and personally never look before crossing and have yet to be hit. It's not like we are going to die before our time.


texts:
The Mishnah in Talmud Bavli Megilah 23b mentions something called פורס על שמע.

Rash"i explains that the term פורס means "to divide". the idea, here, is that if there is a minyan of people who arrived in shul after the congregation has said the Shema, one person says Kaddish, Barchu and the 1st bracha of the Shema (Yotzer Hame'orot).

(FYI - Tosfot cites other sources regarding how many others are required for someone to do this action.)

Is this action done by anyone, currently? If not, approximately when and why was this abolished?


texts: I understand that we are (generally) not allowed to ask a gentile to do m'lacha for a Jew on Shabas. Suppose he's going to do m'lacha anyway, but I want him to do it differently, or to do a different action instead, possibly entailing a different type of m'lacha, but not entailing more m'lacha actions or more m'lacha types. If he does my action, he won't also do his originally intended action. Is it permissible to ask him?


texts: Setting up municipalities run by Jews in Eretz Yisrael

texts:
Even those who are against the State of Israel have no problem with living in the Land of Israel. Is there anything (in Torah, Halacha) that would prevent a group of Jews from coming to Eretz Yisrael and establishing a government to provide services for the people living in the Land?

I'm essentially asking what's the problem with today's state if all it does is provide government services like other countries, protect the people that live there, etc. Does it matter that they are Jewish?


texts: Why are the hoshanot left on top of the Aron until Erev Pesach?

texts:
Follow up to minhag for throwing hoshanot on top of the aron:

I've noticed that nearly all the shuls that have the hoshanot on top of the aron keep them there until Erev Pesach, and then they burn it with the chametz.

Is this a halacha or a minhag, or neither (e.g. "laziness"?) Does it need to stay there until that time and must it specifically be burned with the chametz or can one just dispose of it at any time after Hoshanah Rabbah?


texts:
If one gives a donation to a charity by using a credit card, the charity will only end up getting a percentage of the actual funds (e.g. 98%). In such a case, does the person giving get "credit" for the full amount, or is it considered like he only donated the actual amount received?

(A similar case would be giving charity using foreign currency, where the charity then must do the conversion - generally at a loss)

(And yet another similar case from the past: if the collector takes a commission)

On one hand, he gave the full amount. The fact that the other party didn't receive all of it wasn't his fault.

On the other hand, the bottom line is that the charity didn't get it all.

The outcome of this would have two very important ramifications (i.e. practical applications) [well, probably more, but these are the two I could think of off-hand]:

How much of the donation can count as Maaser (מעשר) money?
If one has a choice between using a check or credit card, should he specifically use the check?

Additionally, would the halacha change if the person received an actual benefit from the credit card company's commission. For example, many credit card companies reward points, miles, and/or cashback for using the card. Technically, these rewards are funded using this commission...


texts: I know that this sounds simple, but it's really much harder than I thought it would be. Right now I have short peyos that I tuck behind my ear but I really want to grow some long curly peyos like some Chassidim (not Lubavitch) do. Does anyone have any answers? Any advice?


texts: There seem to be many variations of the text of HaNeros Hallalu, the explanatory paragraph that people recite while lighting Hanukkah lights. Is it possible to list the major versions? What are the issues that make people prefer particular versions?


texts: What caused Adam and Chava to sin; to do the wrong thing; to make the wrong choice: What was it in their human being, thats being called Tov me'od (Bereshit 1:31), that drove them into eating from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil while it was forbidden them to do so?


texts: Isaiah 40:4 -- is the word pronounced "geh" or "gay"?

texts:
כָּל גֶּיא יִנָּשֵׂא
(In Isaiah 40:4, and therefore also the Haftarah for Nachamu, just after Tisha B'Av.)
It's a segol under the gimmel so I'd say "geh" ... but then there's a yud, but it's not vowelized. Is the yud truly silent, and therefore geh; or is it pronounced with the yud, and therefore "gay"?
(Yes I realize this has absolutely nothing to do with the word "gay" in English ...)


texts: The Scripture says that the Second Temple was built on the foundation of Solomon's Temple, but was Herod's Temple built in the same place or was it built next to it? (Do we have any records that say so?)


texts: Do we have any sources addressing which of Moshe Rabbeinu's older siblings, Miriam and Aaron, was older?


texts:
I recall a teshuva of R Moshe (which I can’t find and may be remembering wrong) that says that an esrog that was stored in a vacuum from last year is not kosher even though it’s perfectly yellow and beautiful.
Where I bought an esrog they also gave me a paper that said “DO NOT REFRIGERATE YOUR ESROG” (bold is theirs). This got me wondering is the issue halachik that any preservation techniques invalidate an esrog or are they simply giving what they feel to be good advice?


texts: Where can I find tapes of Rabbi Yitzhak Ginzburg - "Shemesh Hashem", "Mikor Mayim Chaim", "Etz Chaim","Katnus Kodem LeGadlus", "50 Shaarei Bina"?

texts:
Where can I find the following tapes (lectures dates 20-25 years back) of Rabbi Yitzhak Ginzburg?
I'm looking for specific tapes such as:

"Shemesh Hashem"
"Mikor Mayim Chaim"
"Etz Chaim"
"Katnus Kodem LeGadlus"
"50 Shaarei Binah"

I would agree to pay my charity money to recover those old recordings, they are very precious to me and our community.  Those lectures cannot be found anywhere on inner.org nor on youtube nor spotify.
Note: They are pretty old.


texts: Genizah of tefillin: why strict genizah for the head, but standard genizah for the arm?

texts:
On the website torah.org an overview is given of ritual objects that, in case of their disposal, require a strict genizah (buried in a cemetery and sealed in earthenware or hard plastic, preferably with or near a Torah scholar) or standard genizah (buried any place that will be undisturbed).
For the bayith shel rosh (even without parashiyos) the strict genizah is considered necessary, whereas for the bayith shel yad (without parashiyos) a standard burial is deemed sufficient.
The source referenced on the website is Ginzei ha-Kodesh 6:6. I can't seem to find the source and my question is: why is the bayith shel rosh itself (the case of the head-tefillin, even without a scroll inside) considered more holy for the purposes of genizah than the bayith shel yad (the case of the arm-tefillin)?


texts: Which direction to open the Paroches on the Aron Kodesh

texts: Inspired by DanF question here. Covering the Aron Kodesh in a Shul is a curtain called the Paroches. One needs to open up the curtain before taking out the Torah. Which direction is one supposed to open the curtain - from right to left or left to right? I have seen both ways done in Shuls. Can someone bring sources for opening in either direction?


texts: Minimum separation to place sefarim on the floor

texts:
According to Kitzur Shulchan Aruch (28:4), one may not sit on a surface upon which sefarim are currently resting, unless the sefarim are placed on something which is a tefach above that surface, and certainly they may not be placed on the floor.

However, in many Judaica stores that I've been to, and in many other places (e.g. the bottom shelf of a bookcase), I have seen sefarim placed on the ground, separated only by a board less than an inch in thickness. Are there any opinions that permit this?


texts: Why the Hebrew word for "fathers" - אבות ends in "ות" as feminine?

texts:
To continue the "gender in Hebrew" questions (like "meaning-of-grammatical-gender-in-hebrew-for-inanimate-objects)".

What can be more masculine than the fathers, and still, the Torah uses the feminine form in the plural (Ber 47):

  "וַיֹּאמֶר פַּרְעֹה אֶל־אֶחָיו מַה־מַּעֲשֵׂיכֶם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־פַּרְעֹה רֹעֵה צֹאן עֲבָדֶיךָ גַּם־אֲנַחְנוּ גַּם־אֲבוֹתֵינוּ"

Any sources, please?


texts: Why does שבת דף לז ע״א reject a valid proof?

texts:
The Bavli, Shabas 37 amud 1, wonders about the permissibility of placing a pot of food adjacent to a stove-oven (rather than atop or in it) when the stove-oven has good fuel in it that has not been cooled. Its second attempted proof succeeds in proving that one may not do so. It then asks "What is the result?" and proceeds to bring another proof (that one may do so). Why doesn't it accept the valid proof of impermissibility?

The proof is as follows:  Rav Chiya says a cooled oven that then caught fire again can have a pot of food placed near it. The implication is that an oven that has not been cooled (which is our question) cannot have a pot of food placed near it. (Attempts to discredit that implication by arguing that the case was mentioned by the way and not specifically — and so cannot be inferred from — are refuted.)


texts: Are there restrictions to whom a foundling may marry?

texts:
Are there any restrictions to whom a foundling may marry?

For example, is a male foundling not allowed to marry a divorcee, because he may be a Cohen?

Or is he allowed to marry anyone he wants (i.e. we assume that he is not related to or otherwise forbidden from marrying his bride)?


texts: Is there a guide or publication listing U.S. / Canadian shuls that are handicapped-friendly?

texts:
My apologies to any reader that I may inadvertently offend by use of the term "handicap". I am uncertain of another good term to convey my message...

Parsha Kedoshim, which addresses not to insult the deaf or place a stumbling block before the blind, motivated me to inquire regarding synagogues that are friendly to handicapped people. Has someone published a list of U.S. / Canadian synagogues that cater to various handicaps? I am looking for this in terms of mainly weekly Shabbat and holiday services, not for social events.

Some examples:

Synagogues that have a "loop" system that assists people wearing hearing aids or cochlear implants
ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters for all or part of the services
Handicapped ramps to the shul bimah (2 places I know of are Boca Raton Syngogue, FL and Hebrew Institute of Riverdale, NY. Any others?)
Wheelchair accessible synagogues, possibly with Shabbat elevators so that all parts of the synagogue are accessible
Services for mentally-disabled congregants such as autism, slow learners, ADHD, etc.
Siddurim written with Braille

These are some of the handicaps that I can think of, offhand. The guide / list, of course can include others.


texts: Can a son born to a Jewish father who is a Cohen, and a non Jewish mother subsequently convert to Judaism and in the process become a Cohen?


texts: the reason for a tallit being used as a chuppah

texts: Is there any reason for or significance to a tallit being used as the chuppah canopy in a Jewish wedding?


texts: Why divorcing your first wife should be done only in extreme cases?

texts:
I've read somewhere in Jewish Tradition that it is generally not recommended to divorce your first wife, unless of'course she commits something serious, like adultery. I've read that our sages taught that there is a special connection with your first wife and it should only be severed in extreme cases.

Can someone provide source for this? Are there any other opinions on this matter?


texts: After-death care of a non-Jewish relative

texts: If a Jew has been entrusted with the after-death care of a non-Jewish relative, what should be done? Specifically, if the non-Jewish relative requested to be cremated after death, can or should a Jew arrange this? As this answer shows, the reasons not to cremate apply to Gentiles as well as Jews.


texts: Birkat Kohanim under the Chuppah - Source?

texts:
There is a mainly Sepharadic custom to do Birkat Kohanim under the Chuppah, but I can't seem to find a concrete source for it.

In Yalkut Yosef, Sova Semachot 8:5, Rav Yitzchak Yosef merely addresses why it's not an issue to say Birkat Kohanim outside of Chazarat HaShatz or orally, in general. He does not actually give a source for the Minhag, though.
Nissuin Kehilchetam (12:67 footnote) points out that it's a strange Minhag that caused some strife between Rabbanim in America sixty years ago. Specifically, Rav Altusky was very upset at a number of Gedolei Yisrael whom he saw do it, and Rav Shlomo Zalman Katz responded, as printed in HaPardes, vol. 28, Simanim 20 and 32. The Nissuin Kehilchetam also cites a Khina veKhisda vol. 1 page 138 amud 4, but it doesn't seem to be relevant (it's about Shehasimcha bimono). I've included parts of the findings below, but it's not at all satisfying.

(Edit: It seems that at a wedding, the custom is for Kohanim specifically to be called up to bless the couple, not Yisraelim.)

Could someone point me towards a source?

Yalkut Yosef, Sova Semachot vol. 1, 8:5

  ה. מה שיש נוהגים לברך את החתן והכלה תחת החופה, בפסוקים יברכך ה' וישמרך וגו', אין בזה שום חשש איסור של אמירת פסוקי הכהנים על ידי ישראל. וגם אין לחוש בזה משום מה שאמרו דברים שבכתב אי אתה רשאי לאומרם בעל פה.ה)
  [Insert long footnote]

First page of Rav Altusky's article, HaPardes vol. 28 Siman 20

Rav Shlomo Zalman Katz's response, ibid Siman 32


texts:
Is there any inyan for a woman to eat in the sukkah. I know they're not required (after all, it's a mitzvas asei shehazeman grama [מצות עשה שהזמן גרמא]), but I still know many women who do.

Is this due to any specific reasons, or is it simply to be able to eat with their husbands/family (and/or for convenience)?


texts: According to the Jewish law are we allowed to wish a non-Jewish neighbor Happy Holidays?


texts: Is whisky matured in a sherry cask Kosher? I know there is a Machlokes about this. Who holds what?


texts: How to understand the first selicho for Asoro B'Teves

texts:
I do not understand the first selicho (in the Rosenfeld edition, p 343) for Asoro B'Teves.

The first line reads, “I remember the distress that befell me; three blows he inflicted on me this month.”

Later on, it reads, “For these I strew ashes on my face, for these four calamities I exclaimed etc.”

The footnote explains the four as being: translation of the Torah into Greek, the death of Ezra, the approach of the Babylonians to Jerusalem, Ezekiel receiving the news of Jerusalem's fall.

The numbers in these two lines do not agree.
Could it be that the "three" refers to the 8th, 9th and 10th of Teves?


texts:
One of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy is that of “truth” (Shemos 34:6). ArtScroll (ex. Yom Kippur Machzor, p. 110) quotes Rabbeinu Tam,1 who explains that “truth” refers to the fact that He never reneges on His promises; “His promise to reward the deserving will be carried out unequivocally.”

How is that a trait of kindness? That’s justice - He does what He says. Further, the promise is to reward “the deserving,” which is still justice - if they deserve it, they get it.

I am aware that there are other readings of the Thirteen Attributes; I ask specifically according to this explanation in the name of Rabbeinu Tam.

1They quote Rosh HaShanah 17b, which I assume refers to Rabbeinu Tam cited in Tosfos DH “shelosh esrei midos,” but I only see where he addresses the first few and the last few, not the ones in between, including the one in question here.


texts: After the section of Gemara in most sefarim, before the Rosh there is a section of the Piskei Tosfos. Who authored this work?


texts: Significance of Noach's actions upon leaving the ark

texts:
The whole world has just been destroyed due to the failures of the generation of Noach. Noach and his family live for many days in the ark and after the waters subside they leave.

Noach builds an alter to Hashem upon leaving the ark and brings up sacrifices (Bereishit 8:20-21):

  כ וַיִּבֶן נֹחַ מִזְבֵּחַ, לַיהוָה; וַיִּקַּח מִכֹּל הַבְּהֵמָה הַטְּהֹרָה, וּמִכֹּל הָעוֹף הַטָּהוֹר, וַיַּעַל עֹלֹת, בַּמִּזְבֵּחַ.  כא וַיָּרַח יְהוָה, אֶת-רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ, וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה אֶל-לִבּוֹ לֹא-אֹסִף לְקַלֵּל עוֹד אֶת-הָאֲדָמָה בַּעֲבוּר הָאָדָם, כִּי יֵצֶר לֵב הָאָדָם רַע מִנְּעֻרָיו; וְלֹא-אֹסִף עוֹד לְהַכּוֹת אֶת-כָּל-חַי, כַּאֲשֶׁר עָשִׂיתִי

  And Noah built an altar to the Lord, and he took of all the clean animals and of all the clean fowl and brought up burnt offerings on the altar. And the Lord smelled the pleasant aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, "I will no longer curse the earth because of man, for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth, and I will no longer smite all living things as I have done.

How did Noach know that building an alter for Hashem would 'inspire' Him not to carry out another armageddon. What is the significance of Hashem smelling the pleasing aroma upon Noach making the offering?

(I have heard that there is a connection between, רֵיחַ הַנִּיחֹחַ, and the fact that the sense of smell was the only sense not to be contaminated by the sin of Adam. Is that connection relevant here?)


texts: When do other punishments other than death penalty, exempt one from a fine?

texts:
I'm not well-versed in the laws of various punishments and how they interact in the g'mara.  I've seen places -- most recently Ketubot 45, today's daf -- where it says that somebody is punished with lashes and also pays a fine.  But I learned last week (Ketubot 38) that somebody who is liable to the death penalty does not also pay a fine, based on Shemot 21:22-23.

Is the death penalty special in that regard (because of the specific language in Sh'mot 21), or are there other punishments where there also cannot be an accompanying fine?  And is it always true of the death penalty, or are there cases where one owes a fine before being executed?

I realize that we don't hand out most of these punishments today; I'm asking about the context of the g'mara, not current application.


texts: Halachically, are tzedaka collectors allowed to interrupt davening to collect tzedaka?

texts:
Our shul sporadically gets people who come into the shul in the middle of the Shacharit minyan to ask for tzedaka. I think this is improper as it disrupts people's kavanah when they individually approach every person and ask for money.

Halachically, are they allowed to interrupt the minyan to ask people for tzedaka? Are there certain parts of the davening where they are allowed to interrupt vs. other times when they are not allowed to do so? Keep in mind that I stated that these people ask every individual, and some people may be at different points in the davening than the rest of the minyan. It doesn't seem that these collectors care where someone is up to.


texts:
As far as I can tell, tzaraas is unlike other sources of impurity in that it is not impure until the Kohen says it's impure.

So why didn't the kohanim just not inspect the tzaraas, especially around the festivals (when impurity deprived people of the chance to do many mitzvot)?

And even if the kohanim did have a duty to search for the tzaraas, it seems to me that there would be no halachic problem if the person who might have tzaraas concealed it as much as possible. For instance, they could wear a bodysuit for the whole festival which covered every part of the skin except for the face.


texts: Moshe Judges דָּבָר הַגָּדֹל or דָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה

texts:
In the first Posuk it says:

וְשָׁפְטוּ אֶת הָעָם בְּכָל עֵת וְהָיָה כָּל הַדָּבָר הַגָּדֹל יָבִיאוּ אֵלֶיךָ

Then in the later Posuk it says:

אֶת הַדָּבָר הַקָּשֶׁה יְבִיאוּן אֶל מֹשֶׁה

The question is whats the diffrence and why does it say both?


texts: What bracha should one make on a Payday candy bar?

texts:
From this Wikipedia page:

  PayDay is a candy bar consisting of salted peanuts rolled in caramel
  surrounding a firm nougat-like center.

For those unfamiliar with it, you can see a picture of it on the Wikipedia page, as well.

From the picture, it looks like the majority is peanuts and it may warrant saying ha'adamah. However, I'm not sure if the peanuts are ikar or tafel, here, as it seems that it's main "purpose" is as a candy bar and the peanuts might be considered "topping". The caramel would get shehakol. Offhand, it seems similar to peanut brittle where peanuts are stuck together by a sweet concoction.


texts: Can the living negatively affect the dead?

texts:
As far as I know, living people can positively affect the dead. This is the reason we say Kaddish and learn Mishnayos for the souls of the deceased. (Feel free to comment with more examples of this.) If you want to get more mystical, there are numerous stories of tzaddikim finding tikkunim for sinful souls.

So today I read an article that mentioned how the Mormon Church posthumously baptized Simon Wiesenthal's parents, and I wondered: is it possible to negatively affect the souls of the deceased?

(Mormon posthumous baptism just provided the impetus for this question. I'm interested in the more general idea of souls being negatively affected after death.)

@DoubleAA brought up an interesting point in the comments that I didn't think of. Is a soul affected when a living person sins because of something the deceased did while alive?

Specifically, I'm wondering if there are sources that discuss this, rather than looking for personal logic and intuition.


texts:
When does a private fast (תענית יחיד) begin? At sunset or at dawn? Is it considered a fast like Yom Kippur (24 hr.) or like a half-day fast?

Are there any sources that address this?


texts: In which language is written the R' Hillel Lichtenstein's sefer Eth Laasot?

texts: This sefer was written by Rabbi Hillel Lichtenstein of Kolomaya. The letters are written in hebrew but when I read it, I do not understand the words. It seems that it is another language. Which one?


texts:
Here's an interesting article about whisky produced in Japan. Have any of the Kashrut authorities said anything about whether such whisky requires supervision? Do any such whiskies have supervision?

Neither Kashrut.com nor the Star-K have addressed such liquor in particular on their lists. I wouldn't automatically assume that any rule applying to Scotch whisky would apply to Japanese whisky, since the production practices and legal regulations may be different.


texts: Does a convert retain his debts to Gentiles and to Jews?

texts:
Following my previous question,

After the conversion, does a convert Halachicly, as a newly formed Jew, keep all his existing debts to other Gentiles and Jews?

Also, is he obligated to return A Gzelah (IIRC there's a Takkanah about Baaley Teshuva)?

I'm looking for clear sources, no speculations, please.


texts: Is there any qualification required to obviate bishul akum?

texts:
In an effort to avoid the problem of bishul akum, a Jew should be a part of the cooking process. In order to be using "aish yisrael" a Jew must turn on a flame, add something to the fire, or have created the fire from which the cooking flame is taken (all, for Ashkenzaim, as per this website's write up).

Does the Jew who lights the flame initially have to satisfy any standard of being a Jew? Could a child who is not yet bar mitzvah age qualify? What about a child who cannot formulate the intent* (he flails his arms and it hits a button which ignites, or even, a non-Jew moves a Jewish baby's hand)? Could it be someone who is a shoteh?

*the Shulchan Aruch (Y"D 113:7) talks about חתוי בלא כונה but I'm not sure if this means someone who COULD have intent, or what kind of intent he doesn't have (to turn on the flame, or to move his own hand etc) and it seems to be argued upon by commentators anyway.


texts: Why did Yehoshua have to use the Urim Vetumim?

texts:
Bemidbar 27:21 says that prior to going to war, Yehoshu'a should stand before Elazar the Kohen and ask the Urim Vetumim questions, and go by its advice.

I am aware that there is a rule that no other prophet following Moses compared to Moses. Yet we do see that G-d Yehoshua does ask G-d questions such as after the initial defeat at 'Ai (Yehoshua ch. 7). Why did he have to use the Urim Vetumim regarding war-related questions rather than asking G-d directly? Is there something specific about preparing for war that requires using that medium?


texts: A lot of people died in Auschwitz, and since cohanim are not allowed to become tamei (ritually impure) by touching a corpse, may cohanim enter Auschwitz?


texts: If when we pray for a person we pray for Ploni ben Plonis (e.g. Judah son of Leah or Dina daughter of Leah), what name do we use when praying for a ger (convert)?


texts: Science of the Rishonim on "celestial spheres"

texts:
In the writings of the Rishonim, it is not uncommon to see explanations of pesukim or of aggadic concepts using the "celestial spheres" model of the universe. The Rambam in particular uses the idea often in Moreh Nevuchim, and even extensively discusses the subject in Hilchos Yesodei Hatorah.

Is it safe to assume (as the Malbim clearly did) that they were working within the science of their time, and just did not know any better; therefore I can disregard any biblical interpretation or such that relies on this scientific theory?


texts:
Removal before Musaf, some wait until after Kaddish, some don't. Why wait? Is there a source for this?

Some do not 'wind up' the rezuas but wait until after amidah. Is this because it creates a hafsokoh between kaddish and amidah? If so, if you whip them off before kaddish there's plenty of time to put them away before the shliach tzibur starts amidah.

Some elderly gentleman once pointed out in shul that if you don't wind them up but leave it till after amidah, you should cover them up out of respect?


texts: What was red in the stew that Jacob made for Esau?

texts:
Genesis 25:29–30 (JPS):

  And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, some of this red, red pottage; for I am faint.' Therefore was his name called Edom.

The Hebrew version, too, has Esau saying red twice ("הָאָדֹם הָאָדֹם"), implying that the lentil pottage was very red, or at least that the color was very important - see other occurrences of repetition:
Genesis 22:11 compared with Genesis 22:1, 2 Kings 4:19 and 2 Samuel 19:1 (in 2Sam too the English translations omit  or miss the strict repetition).

But red lentils lose their color when cooked, and tomatoes and bell peppers weren't around, being from the Americas.

Is there some lore about the content of the stew that Jacob cooked?


texts: Where can I find family history of Shalom Shachna Altshuler?

texts:
I'm looking for history about Shalom Shachna Altshuler, the father of the tzemach tzedek (Menachem Mendel Schneerson), and his family afterwards till now.

Your help would be greatly appreciated in directing me to Web sites or books about him.


texts:
When, if ever, is there a heter for a married couple to use a condom as a form of birth control?

Question was inspired by this article


texts: Rabbinic endorsement of Indians as descendants of Avraham?

texts:
There are some who have suggested that the Indian peoples (or, more specifically, the original Aryan tribes and/or the Brahmin caste) are descendants of Avraham's sons Zimran, Yokshan, Medan, Midian, Yishbak and Shuah, who are described as travelling eastwards from Eretz Yisroel (Bereshit 25:1-6; Divrei HaYamim A 1:32). (This is also touched on here and here, and tangentially here and here on Mi Yodeya.) The "gifts" that Avraham gave to them are interpreted as spiritual knowledge/powers (perhaps alluded to by Zohar 1:99b?), which form the origin of the meditation techniques and cosmological investigations in Hindu (and later Buddhist) cultures.
Has this view ever been adopted or endorsed by any rabbinic authorities (whether ancient or current), and if so, in which seforim? (E.g., R. Yona Metzger was the most prominent rabbi involved in the interfaith Jewish-Hindu Leadership Summit in 2007. Has he ever come out in support of this position?)


texts:
Does it say anywhere in the ancient Sources that antisemitism preserves Judaism, by causing the survivors to cling even more closely to their traditions, as a reaction?  There is a hint of that in Makkot 24a, but it is not a compelling interpretation of the text.

(I am not talking about thinking: "Antisemites are harassing me because I sinned, so I will sin no more." I am talking about thinking: "So these guys don't like Jews, eh? I'll SHOW them by being even more Jewish.")


texts: Why is a shepherd's sack better than a treasuress's ring?

texts:
The Bavli, Shabas 62 amud 1, as explained by Rashi, continues a long discussion regarding what objects are considered clothing (or adornments), so may be worn outside (an eruv) on Shabas, and what objects are not clothing/adornment, so may not be worn outside on Shabas:

It quotes the mishna as saying that a signet ring cannot be worn by a woman, but a non-signet ring can. (I'm writing here about divinely imposed prohibitions. As a practical matter, and even as discussed in the text there, there are rabbinically imposed prohibitions in some of these cases. So please don't take any of what I write here as practical permission; consult your rabbi with any practical questions.)
Ula then notes that the reverse is true for a man: a signet ring can be worn by a man, but not a non-signet ring.

Rav Yosef notes that Ula seems to hold that whatever is considered clothing/adornment for one person is not necessarily clothing/adornment for another (as, otherwise, any ring permitted for women or men would be permitted for everyone). He attempts to refute this position from a piece of Tosefta that says that anyone can go out wearing sack because shepherds do (implying that what's clothing/adornment for shepherds is permitted for anyone).

Rav Yosef answers his own question: Ula indeed holds that what's permitted for one is permitted for all — but not between the sexes, as "women are a nation unto themselves".

The g'mara then asks why a woman's wearing a signet ring outside should be forbidden. After all, the prohibition is carrying — but she's carrying it on her finger, which is an unusual part of the body for carrying things with. The action should be permitted for that reason (כלאחר יד).

Rabi Yirm'ya answers that treasuresses frequently carry around signet rings on their fingers. Thus, that method of carrying a signet ring is considered usual.

Okay, so treasuresses usually carry around signet rings on their fingers — that is, they wear them. So why doesn't the logic of the shepherds' sack apply to the treasuresses' rings? Recall that anyone can wear sack because shepherds wear sack. So why can't any woman wear a signet ring because treasuresses wear signet rings?


texts: Rashi to Exodus 21:6 quotes the Mechilta which connects the drilling of the ear of the slave to hearing "don't steal" at Sinai. The obvious question asked by the Moshav Z'keinim (there) is that Rashi and the Mechilta themselves write that this refers not to theft but to kidnapping (Rashi commentary to Exodus 20:13; Mechilta there and here)!


texts: Genesis 4:4 states that Hevel offered an animal sacrifice. I recall learning that Kayin attacked Hevel with several blows because he did not know where/how to kill. My question is, did Hevel slaughter his offering, and if so with what implement? (Genesis 4:22 indicates that sharpened metal instruments were fashioned after Hevel's death).


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Shalom Aleichem in Kiddush Levanah

If one says "Kiddush Levana" alone, does one say "Sholom Aleichem"? Since there is no-one to answer, it does not seem to make sense. Or maybe there's a deeper meaning?


texts:
2 Sam. 20:10:

  וַעֲמָשָׂא לֹא נִשְׁמַר בַּחֶרֶב אֲשֶׁר בְּיַד יוֹאָב וַיַּכֵּהוּ בָהּ אֶל הַחֹמֶשׁ וַיִּשְׁפֹּךְ מֵעָיו אַרְצָה וְלֹא שָׁנָה לוֹ וַיָּמֹת

M'tzudos says this means he stabbed him in the fifth rib. He needed to stab him but once to kill him.

Do those who strike in that place accurately strike the right spot to kill?

I mean if I want to kill someone I wouldn't bother to strike him in the rib. I'll strike anywhere. Anything would work. So does 5th rib killing has a special meaning?

I sometimes wonder if I were the translator. Should I translate חֹמֶשׁ as stomach or literally as the 5th rib? I was asking if there is some gematria or kaballah meaning in people getting stabbed on the 5th rib, rather than 4th, 6th, etc.


texts: Is there a source for owning property in Israel means keeping 1 day yom tov

texts:
People have said, and I have seen mentioned on this site that owning land/property/apartment in Israel is enough on its own to keep 1 day when in Israel.  Is there a source for this?  A shita that the only criteria to be considered Israeli for 1 day is owning land?
The case would be someone living outside of Israel, has no intention of living in Israel, and comes lets say for 10-15 days a year to Israel.  They are in Israel at least one chag, but no more than 2 a year.  And they own an apartment.  Is there a source that this guy would keep 1 day because he owns an apartment?  Exclude all the opinions that hold that he would keep 1 day even if he did not own an apartment.
I know Rav Auerbach requires an apartment but that is in addition to being in Israel for all 3 festivals every year.  Halachapedia  says

If someone owns an apartment in Israel .... Some however hold that one should keep one day.

But the note links that to making full time aliya.  However I could not find any reference to it in the source material.


texts: What is the name of the sefer that lists the simanim in shulhan aruch where maran is posek according to kabbalah i.e. like sitting down while putting on tefillin shel yad


texts: What are the opinions on carrying medicine/medical devices on Shabbat?

texts: Specifically, I'm curious about situations where it's not immediately apparent that it'll be necessary. For example: you don't know whether or not you'll need an epipen when you leave the house, but could you carry one with you anyway?


texts:
I have some questions regarding gematria and zero:

which characters of alphabet means zero according to gematric rules?
since which time did Jews consider zero as a character equivalent to other
alphabet characters=numbers?
if zero appears in gematria now, but didn't at gematria's beginning, how were adapted gematria perceptions?

Could somebody point me to further reading? Because of lack of knowledge, I ask Google the wrong questions, so I can't find something substantial to read historical studies about the subject.


texts:
Deuteronomy 17:8 says,

  כִּי יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ דָבָר לַמִּשְׁפָּט, בֵּין-דָּם לְדָם בֵּין-דִּין לְדִין וּבֵין נֶגַע לָנֶגַע--דִּבְרֵי רִיבֹת, בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ:  וְקַמְתָּ וְעָלִיתָ--אֶל-הַמָּקוֹם, אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בּוֹ.
   וּבָאתָ, אֶל-הַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם, וְאֶל-הַשֹּׁפֵט, אֲשֶׁר יִהְיֶה בַּיָּמִים הָהֵם; וְדָרַשְׁתָּ וְהִגִּידוּ לְךָ, אֵת דְּבַר הַמִּשְׁפָּט.

Are these discernible or in action today in Israel?
Is it possible to bring cases before them in matters of the law?

and on a side note, just out of curiosity,  are these what is alluded to in Proverbs 31:23:

  נוֹדָע בַּשְּׁעָרִים בַּעְלָהּ;    בְּשִׁבְתּוֹ, עִם-זִקְנֵי-אָרֶץ


texts: Cloud and pillar of fire to count seven days

texts:
Midrash Tehillim 105:9, brought in Yalkut Shimoni § 417 says:

חזקיה אמר למה היה משתנה להן מפני הזבין והמצורעין כדי שיהו יודעים אימתי יום ואימתי לילה.
Hezkiya said the reason Hashem put a cloud on the Mishkan by day, and a pillar of fire by night (see Exodus 40:38), was so that someone who contracted tzaraas, or a zav/zava (who became impure due to a bodily discharge), [can count their requisite seven days before they can complete their purification] so they would know when is the day and when is the night.

Why did they need this indicator? Couldn't they just use day and night/the sun and stars? The Zayis Raanan (ad. loc.) says something about it being so they would know exactly when it changed to night, but I'm not sure why that would be necessary knowledge.


texts:
The Gemara (Zevachim 113b) mentions the fish in the sea died:

  ואמאי קרי ליה חרבה כדרב חסדא דאמר רב חסדא בדור המבול לא נגזרה גזרה על
  דגים שבים שנאמר מכל אשר בחרבה מתו ולא דגים שבים

  And why does the Torah call it “dry land” during the flood? There was
  no dry land during the flood. It is in accordance with the opinion of
  Rav Ḥisda, as Rav Ḥisda says: During the generation of the flood no
  decree was decreed upon the fish in the sea, as it is stated:
  “Whatsoever was on the dry land, died” (Genesis 7:22), i.e., only
  those creatures that had been on dry land, but not the fish in the
  sea.

Would that mean fish kept in ponds or aquariums would have died?


texts: Megillah 9a: Translating the Torah to Greek

texts:
The Gemara in Megillah 9a tells the story of Ptolemy forcing the sages to translate the Torah. Does anyone know of other accounts of this story. I'm especially curious why Ptolemy had the Sages separated to translate independently. In the version of the story recorded by Aristeas, he says that the Jews translated the Torah voluntarily. The Yaavetz to Megillah says that is a different story than the one in Megillah, although he seems to contradict himself in his commentary to Maseches Sofrim.
In addition, Maseches Sofrim seems to imply that the tragedy of translating the Torah was not the translation of the seventy sages but an initial attempt by five other sages. This seems to contradict other sources that the tragedy was the translation of 70.
Can anyone shed any light on these issues, or just refer to other sources beyond the ones I quoted?


texts: I heard recently that the Arizal writes that Purim is a higher level holiday than Yom Kippur. In fact, Yom Kippur is Yom KiPurim, a day like Purim. What is the connection between the two? They seem like polar opposites


texts: Where does the Maharsha mention the Bermuda Triangle?

texts:
Someone once told me that the Maharsha talks about Bermuda Triangle in meseches berachos.

Does anyone know where the Maharsha speaks about it?


texts: What is considered 3 psukim for "unusual" parsha breaks?

texts:
Talmud Megillah 22א says that each aliyah must have a minimum of 3 psukim left to the end of the parsha as well as start with at least 3 psukim before it in the parsha (paragraph.)

What is considered the end of the parsha in these situations?

The end of sidrah Vayigash in some scrolls has a break of 1 letter between it and the start of Vayechi. Is that one letter break considered the end of a parsha?
A parsha break in the middle of a pasuk such as in Devarim 2:8. Of course, you can't start or end an aliyah in the middle of a pasuk. But, in terms of counting the minimimum, does the part of the pasuk before or after the parsha go into that count? Or do we need to ignore that pasuk completely because it's not a full pasuk?


texts:
In different commentaries about the verse of Shemot 3:12, I've read that the entire purpose of leaving Egypt was in order that Bnei Yisrael would come to Har Sinai and accept the Torah (to serve Him on Mount Sinai).

At the berit ben habetarim (the covenant between the pieces) HaShem foretold that Bnei Yisrael would serve in a land not theirs, Bereshit 15:13-14, but would leave it with great possession (Birkus Gadol).

Is it possible that HaShem spoke of His Torah when he spoke of this possession (other than the gold and silver, Shemot 3:21-22)?

The first commandment of the Aseret Devarim reads (Shemot 20:2): I am HaShem, who have brought thee out of the land of Mizraim, out of the house of servitude. IBN Ezra explains that Bnei Yisrael was bought by Him (15:16) in order to serve HaShem (Vayikra 25:55).

If the entire purpose of leaving Egypt was in order that Bnei Yisrael would come to Har Sinai and accept the Torah and serve Him, than what of that was foretold to Avraham Avinu?

I'm trying to see the connection between the prophecy (?) that was given to Avraham and the actual story of Yisrael leaving Egypt.


texts: Did Esther eat at the first feast she made for the king and Haman?

texts:
Esther 5:1,5:4 says that Esther made the first feast on the third day of the fast.

Earlier (4:16), Esther tells Mordechai that she will also fast for three days.

Did she eat at the feast, or was she still fasting?


texts: I am looking for Torah sources discussing protection from mazikim (negative spiritual forces/beings). So if, theoretically, one suspects a room or apartment has these things manifest causing trouble, how would one go about protecting himself or even better removing them from there besides checking of mezuzas and shema before sleep?


texts:
I wanted to reformulate this question, but my idea is a bit different and I decided to ask it independently.
The case:
A very big talit corner which is sufficient to be itself a talit is detached. He has already a tsitsit which was a part of mitsva for the formrr big talit.
The question:
When I make the new little talit, can I conserve this tsitsit snd add nor 3 tsitsiot? Or need I make it new because it was not made for this new garement?


texts: Are non-Jews/gentiles permanent slaves to Jews in Olam Habah?

texts:
Are non-Jews permanent slaves to Jews in the world to come? I'll post the source text once I find it, or if someone can edit this and post the source for me. I believe it's in the Talmud, but not sure what tractate.

As a ben Noach and self-aware human being, I find this is concerning.


texts:
Suppose we one day find an extraterrestrial walking on our planet that originated from another planet. The alien quickly learns all about religion and now wants to become a Jew. Do we let him?

Remember: Aliens don't have to be three-eyed, green-skinned creatures. Perhaps they will even look and function exactly like we do!

(of course, the premise of this question is that Aliens do exist)


texts: PTIJ: How to refrain from killing Amalekites and still be a good Jew

texts:
We are commanded to destroy the descendants of Amalek.
Haman was a descendant of Amalek.
On Purim, we must get so drunk we can't tell Haman from Mordechai.
Does that mean that, if I don't want to kill anybody and still be a good Jew, I must be drunk all the time?
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts:
One cannot think about Torah in the bathroom, as per http://www.torahmusings.com/2011/08/bathroom-etiquette/ which cites Berachot 26a, Shabbat 150a, Rambam Kriat Shema 3:4. This "thinking" seems to include even "non-direct" thoughts, like simply thinking about Hashem (Chuchmas Shlomo 85, Lehoros Nosson 1:1, Tzitz Eliezer 13:1:3 as cited in note 63 on http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/news/headlines-breaking-stories/224278/halachically-speaking-halachos-regarding-the-bathroom.html ) so I would think that having Kavannah and focusing on fulfilling a mitzvah would be included in that.

When I go around to check for chametz, I include the bathrooms in my house. I hope that that is what I am supposed to do. I am also thinking actively about what I am looking for and what might count as chametz according to halacha so I can be sure my house is properly ready for the holiday.

But if so, and assuming I am keeping up my kavannah to be yotzei the mitzvah on which I made the bracha, am I "thinking Torah thoughts" in the bathroom?


texts: Is it Nivul Peh to ask if a phrase is Nivul Peh?

texts: Suppose that one is not sure whether a certain phrase is considered Nivul Peh or not. Could it be Nivul Peh to ask a Rov if that phrase is Nivul Peh (using the phrase)?


texts: Does the term ha-ruach ha-qadosh occur in the Talmud, Midrash, and other rabbinical literature?

texts: The phrase ruach qadosh ('holy spirit') appears only three times in the Tanakh (Tehillim 51:13, Yeshayahu 63:10 and 11), each time with a possessive adjective ('your,' 'His') and never with a definite article (ha-ruach ha-qadosh) as became common in sectarian Hellenistic Jewish literature  of the first century and later Christian literature, where it is used as a compound term, a proper noun (to pneuma to hagion, 'the Holy Ghost' in pre-20th century English translations, and now 'the Holy Spirit' or 'the holy Spirit' [New American Bible, Revised Edition]).  Does the term ha-ruach ha-qadosh occur in the Talmud, the Midrash, and other rabbinical literature, or only ruach ha-qodesh (commonly translated 'the holy spirit,' but which literally means 'the spirit of [the] holiness')? If it does appear, where is it found? (I have access to the Talmud and Midrash online, but I am not adept in those works.)


texts: What kind of 'bottoms of mountains' are these in Jonah 2:7?

texts:
Jonah 2
  7 I was going down to the bottoms of the mountains,
  to a land whose bars would close me in forever;
  but you brought me up alive from the pit,
  Adonai, my God! Complete Jewish Bible

The 'bottoms'( ''cuttings'') of mountains which happen to be in the pit makes the verse obscure as the pit is said to 'bottomless,' and a place well known to be the abode of the dead.
In addition he says that he saw the bars of the earth 'forever,' yet he was in the 'belly' all the while he was submerged and for ONLY 3 days, up until he was vomitted onto the land.

So what are these 'bottoms of mountains' which Jonah saw in the pit, because in my opinion, no detail in scriptures in redundant.


texts: What's the Bishul Akum heter for hard-boiled eggs?

texts: I've seen prepackaged hard-boiled eggs in the grocery store with an OU. As eggs are relatively inedible raw, what is the heter vis-a-vis bishul akum for them? (Or are they having a Jewish mashgiach turn on the equipment in the factory?) Would we say they're not fit for a state banquet?