texts: Is there ever a Torah obligation to divorce one's wife?

texts:
There are many cases throughout the Mishnayos and Gemarra of women who one is obligated to divorce. I believe all of them are Rabbinic. I'm wondering if there's ever a case where the Torah would obligate a person to divorce their wife. While it may be a mitzvah according to some to divorce one's wife with a get, the simplest explanation of that is that it's the avenue the Torah wants a person to use when they want to end their marriage. Not that they must divorce their wife.

A potential answer is cases of forbidden marriages, such as a Yisroel to a Mamzer, or a Kohen to a Zonah. I believe marital intimacy in these cases is forbidden, and maybe potentially getting married. However, let's say they are already married, and live apart, and neither of them have an interest or requirement to get remarried. Can they stay in this state? Is this an example where there's a Torah obligation to get divorced?


texts:
If one looks at the sources for Mayim achronim (Chullin 106,and SA 181) one will note that ruach raah is only mentioned in context with regards to pouring the water on the earth,but never discusses the hands having ruach raah.

The way the halacha and gemara is written it seems that there is no ruach Raah on ones hands ,but only after one washes then ruach Raah appears. Where is the ruach Raah coming from and why is it a concern only after washing the hands?


texts: Do all poskim hold libun can not be done to a bbq?

texts:
I would like to use my barbecue for dairy, I was told that some poskim hold you can kasher a bbq buy leaving it on high for a couple of minutes. Does anybody know Poskim who hold like this?

In other words, does Libun require the utensil to actually become "white-hot", or is just heating it up with a fire enough?


texts: How does "וקשרתם לאות" become "להניח תפלין"?

texts:
Every day, when donning my tefillin, I (being Ashkenazic) recite two b'rachos, the first one of which is אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצונו להניח תפלין, said whilst I tie down the shel yad onto my bicep with the strap.

But now I wonder: Isn't the mitzva of tefillin written as "וקשרתם לאות על ידך", in which case the mitzva isn't to place it on the arm (להניח), but rather to tie it on (לקשור). Shouldn't the b'racha reflect that? Shouldn't it be "אשר קדשנו במצוותיו וצונו לקשור תפלין", or "על קשירת תפלין"?

And, assuming there is a reason why it really should be להניח תפלין, why do we still say the b'racha while tying the shel yad; why not while placing the shel yad in the proper position on our arms, as this is what is implied by "להניח תפלין"?


texts: Should we recite prayers we don't agree with?

texts:
There are various t'fillot/b'rakhot/piyutim that make controversial or debatable claims or requests; for example:

Birkat hamazon includes the line na'ar hayiti, gam zakanti, v'lo ra'iti tsadik ne'ezav, v'zar'o m'vakesh lakhem ("[…] I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, his offspring begging for bread"); some communities perceive this as blaming the needy for their situation, and simply remove it.

For that matter, the first part is obviously untrue when recited by a woman, or by a young person.

The prayer for the State of Israel describes it as reishit ts'mikhat g'ulateinu ("the first sprouting of our redemption"); some communities avoid this claim by inserting shet'hei ("that it may be"), and I understand that some communities choose not to pray for the State of Israel at all.
V'khol ma'aminim makes a bunch of claims about what "all believe", which I think are unlikely to all be true unless the "all" we're referring to is unexpectedly narrow.

So, when we're praying with a community whose customs don't perfectly match our beliefs:

Should we skip things that we don't agree with, or aren't sure that we agree with?
If the answer is that we should skip things we're not sure about, then as a practical matter, what do we do in the very common (if non-ideal) case, among diaspora Jews, that we don't even understand a given passage?
If the answer is that we should recite even things that we disagree with, then what can/should our kavana be while doing so?

(Note: if the answer turns out to depend on multiple different factors, then I obviously don't expect an exhaustive listing; but some examples with explanations would be helpful.)


texts: What is the significance of "as of this day"?

texts:
"מכרה כיום את בכורתך לי" (בראשית כה לא)

Translated as: Sell me as of this day your birthright

What do the words "as of this day" mean?


texts: Did the Romans really argue that all they'd done was so Jews could study Torah?

texts:
Okay so I saw something really weird, apparently the Romans and the Persians said "and all of these we did only so that the Jewish People should be able to engage in Torah" in reference to all of the advances they've made, and God answered back "Everything that you did was for your own good!" Is there any truth to this exchange ever happening? My understanding was the Romans hated the Jews, so why would the Romans do anything for the Jews? I need serious detailed answers from anyone with knowledge on this.

Here is the quote I got this from:

  And in a sense he does. The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 2a ff) depicts G-d's judgment of the nations in order to determine what acts they've done that deserve commendation. Each one comes in turn - the Romans, the Persians, and so forth - and point out various things they've done to advance civilization - "and all of these we did only so that the Jewish People should be able to engage in Torah." In the narrative, G-d dismisses this claim as foolish: "Everything that you did was for your own good!" The truth is, though, that their argument has merit: all of the discoveries, inventions, creature comforts, etc., that the non-Jewish world has produced can be, and should be, used for G-dly ends - like the computers, the Internet infrastructure, and the StackExchange platform which we're using for this discussion. In that sense, even now "Eisav serves Yaakov" by making more material resources available for Yaakov to serve G-d; what G-d derides as "foolish" is the fact that they don't realize this and come with this claim only when it's too late.


texts: How did the Sages know that Jerusalem had a wall in the times of Joshua?

texts:
The criterion for whether a city celebrates Purim on 14 Adar or Shushan Purim on 15 Adar is whether it was walled in the times of Joshua (about 3300 years ago).  (Well, Shushan itself is an exception, but that's a different story….)

If Jerusalem was not in Jewish hands until the times of King David (~3000 years ago), how do we know that at the time Joshua entered Israel, 300 years prior, it had a wall?  Did King David find any Jebusite documents inside the city proving it was over 300 years old?  Was there sufficient knowledge of geography in the times of Joshua that the Jews knew Jerusalem existed as a walled city, even though they didn't conquer it?


texts: Can the word "eitz" mean "a thought" in the Torah?

texts:
Is there support in the Talmud or later rabbinical literature to interpreting the Torah term "eitz," commonly translated as "tree," to also mean "thought". This of course, is a common usage in Yiddish, where Eitzos (plural of Eitz) refers to "ideas". If there is such support then could it be that the Bereshis 2:17 (Genesis 2:17) episode in Gan Eden where Adam is instructed to avoid the Eitz Hadas ("tree" of knowledge) really means that Adam was instructed  to not "eat" (i.e., imbibe, engage, or believe in) thoughts which apparently differentiate between "good" and "evil". In other words, the Torah may be relating that such conceptual discrimination led to the expulsion from Gan Eden (Paradise)?

Is there support in the Talmud or later writings to this interpretation?


texts: What replies can be said while waiting for person behind you to finish davening?

texts:
One should not take his 3 steps backward after davening shmoneh esrei if there is a person directly behind him still davening [citation needed]. I believe this is true no matter how far the person behind him is, but I'm certain that it's true if he's less than 4 amot away. Since he is not able to take his steps back to complete shmoneh esrei, I would imagine that he is not able to reply to all (or perhaps any) parts of davening that would normally be responded to such as barukh hu uvarukh shemo and amein to the berakhot of chazarat hasha"tz, kedusha, amein yehei shemei rabba, etc. What kinds of responses are permitted in this state?

Assume that the person has said yihyu leratzon... but has not yet taken three steps back and said oseh shalom.


texts: For how long must a vessel be left open for it to be considered "Megulah"?

texts:
One was not permitted to drink liquids that were left uncovered.

Some (like the Vilna Gaon:  גלוי אסור אף שאין נחשים מצוים
 בינינו. והוא ז״ל היה נזהר מאד
 מאד בדבר) was stringent even in countries where there are no snakes (like in Europe).

How long is considered "left out"?


texts:
In Esther 7:5 it says;

מִ֣י ה֥וּא זֶה֙ וְאֵֽי־זֶ֣ה ה֔וּא אֲשֶׁר־מְלָא֥וֹ לִבּ֖וֹ לַעֲשׂ֥וֹת כֵּֽן׃

What does the pasuk refer to when it say ken and why is his heart filled with such a desire to do ken?
And why does it make them so upset that he gets called

אִ֚ישׁ צַ֣ר וְאוֹיֵ֔ב הָמָ֥ן הָרָ֖ע הַזֶּ֑ה

just for doing ken?
Is  כן some sort of object(noun), or perhaps a type of biblical drug, related to the modern קוֹקָאִין?
See Genesis 6:22 where Noach also did ken.

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


texts: Can Prophecy Exist Outside The Land Of Israel

texts: How could Prophet Daniel have done prophecy for the Persian kings, in exile, because I heard prophets of Israel could only do prophecy in the land of Israel


texts: Why did Memuchan make the decree on all women?

texts:
Memuchan states (Esther 1:16-20) that Achashveirosh should kill Vashti and decree that all women who rebel against their husbands should also be put to death. Achashveirosh (v. 21-22) agrees and does so.

The mefarshim disagree as to why Memuchan spoke up first. According to the Midrash (Esther Rabbah 4:6), it's because the least important one speaks first, like we do. Other say that for various reasons Memuchan - if you say he is Haman (Megillah 12b) - had a personal vendetta against Vashti, or that Haman wanted Vashti deposed so that his daughter could become queen.

According to any of these opinions, Memuchan would have been justified in sentencing Vashti to death. But why did he want the women of the provinces killed for any rebellions? Just kill Vashti and the women would learn from her; why did there need to be a formal decree saying they would be killed as well for their rebellions?

(Note that this is according to Rashi, who says on v. 19 that both Vashti and the other rebellious women should be killed. Although Rashi doesn't necessarily have to hold of any of the above explanations, he has to hold of some explanation of the story, and all of them so far have the same issue according to Rashi.)


texts:
In Vayikra 25: 20-22 (below) God says that he will guarantee a bountiful harvest if the Shmita is observed. Unlike other promises of spiritual reward, this one is easily quantifiable with observable measures i.e. quality and quantity of produce.

Can, ought, and how should this guarantee be tested to probe this matter?

20. And if you should say, "What will we eat in the seventh year? We will not sow, and we will not gather in our produce!"       כ. וְכִי תֹאמְרוּ מַה נֹּאכַל בַּשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת הֵן לֹא נִזְרָע וְלֹא נֶאֱסֹף אֶת תְּבוּאָתֵנוּ׃
21. [Know then, that] I will command My blessing for you in the sixth year, and it will yield produce for three years.      כא. וְצִוִּיתִי אֶת בִּרְכָתִי לָכֶם בַּשָּׁנָה הַשִּׁשִּׁית וְעָשָׂת אֶת הַתְּבוּאָה לִשְׁלשׁ הַשָּׁנִים׃
22. And you will sow in the eighth year, while [still] eating from the old crops until the ninth year; until the arrival of its crop, you will eat the old [crop].


texts: Leaving a phone perpetually on on the Sabbath

texts:
I have never been sufficiently religious to understand everything on this site without help from friends or family, but a question was asked by a non-Jewish friend that I was unable to answer, so I'm hoping some of you can help me, a conservative Jew, explain to non-Jews, what some of the views of orthodoxy are on the following question:
Suppose that I have a cell phone which is plugged in, turned on, and set so that the screen never goes off or locks. At the same time, I have a friend who also sets up his phone in the same way. We place a phone call before the Sabbath on Friday, which is set to speaker phone, so I don't have to lift the phone during the Sabbath. Can we leave the phone running for the duration of the Sabbath, so that we can have a conversation?

It seems that we are not interrupting the flow of electricity at any point in the process, as long as the phones do not die.

It doesn't seem that we are violating a prohibition against carrying.

It don't think that my cell phone is muktzeh, as it has been discussed in other questions on this site it can be used as a watch, and even so, I can use a simple stand to fix it, so that I do not have to touch it.

My goal is to give a good representation of these views, since my peers are almost completely ignorant of Sabbath prohibitions at all. Also, I appreciate any efforts to correctly tag this question. I'm not familiar with the variety of tags on this site.


texts: If one b'shogeig cooked food on Yom Kippur, would he able to eat that food after Yom Kippur, assuming he waited after Yom Kippur the time it took to cook it?  I know that the rule of food cooked on Yom Kippur is different than the rule of food cooked on Shabbos.  (See Rav Yitzchok Zilberstein)


texts: Source for story about the Chasam Sofer, Rav Nosson Adler and an Amalekite?

texts:
I heard a story that goes roughly like this: after the death of his Rebbi, the Chasam Sofer decided to make Rav Nosson Adler his new Rebbi.  He therefore undertook a long voyage to meet Rav Adler.  On arriving, Rav Adler commented that the Chasam Sofer appeared to have a particular glow on his face.  Rav Sofer replied that he was correct; on the way there had he had met and killed an Amalekite, and therefore he was filled with the happiness of the mitzva.

Does anyone have a source for this story?


texts: Has the Tikunei Zohar ever been translated into English? Perhaps Hebrew? Online or dead tree works.


texts: Do some explain that Bnei Israel were 400 years in Egypt?

texts:
The standard understanding is that Bnei Israel were 210 years in Egypt, and the 430 years that the Torah speaks of (chemot 12:40):

וּמוֹשַׁב֙ בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר יָשְׁב֖וּ בְּמִצְרָ֑יִם שְׁלֹשִׁ֣ים שָׁנָ֔ה וְאַרְבַּ֥ע מֵא֖וֹת שָׁנָֽה׃

that is:

The length of time that the Israelites lived in Egypt was four hundred and thirty years;

is understood as:

אשר ישבו במצרים WHO ABODE IN EGYPT after the other settlements (i. e. including those also) which they had made as strangers in a land that was not theirs (cf. Mekhilta d'Rabbi Yishmael 12:40).

(Rachi)
So my question is: do some mefarchim (tanaim/richonim/acharonim) explain that Bnei Israel were really 430 years in Egypt?


texts: Why do some Jewish people spill wine on bad neighbor’s door

texts: From what I could have gathered,when reading the ten plagues , some Jewish people gather wine and spill it later on as a way to curse a bad neighbor? What exactly does the curse bring on the house that has been cursed? And is there a way to lift such curse?


texts: Why does age of a water filter affect how to kasher it?

texts:
The Star-K Web site says about water filters:

  If they are metal and have been on [the faucet] consistently since the previous Pesach, they should be left on during kashering of the spigot [for Pesach]. If they were first attached some time after Pesach, they should be removed before kashering the spigot, and should be kashered separately.

Why does when the filter was attached matter?


texts:
Why is bamboo kosher for schach? I know everyone uses them, but one should not use anything like planed wood which is used for building or straw for thatching roofs. I understand that certain bamboo canes are used for building (even lion cages!) in the countries where they grow, but they are not used in developed countries.

Source: Aruch hashulchan 629:32


texts: It is the night of Purim and for some reason the majority of the Shul has not yet said Kiddush Levana. Should Kiddush Levana be said prior to Megila due to "Tadur" it being more frequent? (source)


texts: Why do we throw kids in the air on Simchas Torah?

texts: Why on Simchas Torah do we through our kids into the air when saying, "משה אמת ותורתו אמת"? Is this is a minhag or some nonsense that someone made up?


texts: Can Jews be buried in the fetal position?

texts:
A friend of mine recently showed me this video describing a method of burial where the deceased's decomposing body is used to nourish a growing tree. In theory, I don't see any obvious halakhic issue with it. The one issue that I'm not sure about is that the person is buried in the fetal position. I am not aware of any halakhic issues with this either, but it is obviously not the current norm.

Is burying someone in the fetal position halakhically problematic or should it be permissible?


texts:
The verse in Vayikra 12:2 says

דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֵאמֹר אִשָּׁה כִּי תַזְרִיעַ וְיָלְדָה זָכָר וְטָמְאָה שִׁבְעַת יָמִים כִּימֵי נִדַּת דְּו‍ֹתָהּ תִּטְמָא
If a woman conceives and gives birth to a male, she shall be unclean for seven days; as [in] the days of her menstrual flow, she shall be unclean.

Verse 3 continues

וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁמִינִי יִמּוֹל בְּשַׂר עָרְלָתוֹ
And on the eighth day, the flesh of his foreskin shall be circumcised

The flow of the verses, by placing the circumcision as following the end of impurity, seems to be conceptually linking the two, as one conceptually following the other.  This is accentuated by the fact that circumcision is seemingly out of place here in the discussion of laws of impurity of a woman who gives birth, and is thrown in as a seeming aside.
Is there some connection between the two?


texts: A priori decision to ask multiple rabbis

texts:
There is a known law that if one has a ruling from a rabbi, you should not go to a second rabbi for a ruling except under specific circumstances such as where you have real doubts as to the correctness of the first ruling.  This makes sense, as you do not want people to go fishing for the best rulings.

But what if someone decided ahead of time to ask 3 different rabbis for a ruling and go by the majority?  Would this be permitted (possibly he'd notify each of the rabbis about his plans before getting the rulings from each)?

One reason to think this might be permitted is because of the way R' Yosef Karo ruled in the Beit Yosef/Shulchan Aruch.

(From R' Karo's intro to the Beit Yosef):

  ולכן הסכמתי בדעתי כי להיות שלושת עמודי ההוראה אשר הבית, בית ישראל,
  נשען עליהם בהוראותיהם, הלא המה הרי"ף והרמב"ם והרא"ש ז"ל אמרתי אל ליבי
  ...שבמקום ששנים מהם מסכימים לדעה אחת - נפסוק הלכה כמותם

Translation (my own):

  And so I decided that since the rulings of House of Israel lean on the rulings of these three Pillars [of halacha] -- the Rif, the Rambam and the Rosh, I decided that in a place where two of them agree, we should rule as they did.

Note that the idea of "majority rules" is not unique to the Beit Yosef, and is in fact used to decide in other places as well.  On the other hand, perhaps this only pertains to how a rabbi can decide on a ruling, but for an individual, one must ask a single rabbi.


texts: Should tachanun be said in a mourner's shtiebl?

texts:
Many shtiebls are set up as shuls that are part of someone's home.

This raises the question as to what is considered a "mourner's home" with regard to saying tachanun.

Background: Tachanun is not recited if people are praying in a mourner's home. However, if a mourner attends a synagogue outside his home, tachanun is recited. In short, the cancellation of tachanun is dependent on the place, itself (mourner's home), not the person (the mourner being present.)

So, my question is, if the shul is part of the mourner's home and people pray there, while the mourner is there, as well, does it have the status of a shul, as any other, or the status of a mourner's home?

Does it matter if the mourner dedicates that room specifically as a shul only or if it is a "multi-purpose" room? I.e., it is used as a shul for daily minyanim; it has an Aron Kodesh, ner tamid, etc. but during the year, the residents also eat their meals in the shul.


texts: Which alphabet were the original Torah scrolls in?

texts:
I've assumed that the Torah scrolls we read today as the same that Moses wrote. I always assumed it's been the same alphabet.

However lately I came across documents explaining the evolution of the Hebrew alphabet, and how it evolved from the Phoenician alphabet, to the Aramaic and then Hebrew.

Is it just a disagreement between archeologist and orthodoxs? Or is there more that I'm missing?


texts: Is adding the "Immahot" (matriarchs) to the Amidah permitted?

texts:
Many non-traditional congregations have modified the Avot prayer opening the Amidah, to add the Immahot. For example:

(Form Shabbat Siddur of the First Reform Minyan in UC Berkeley 2003)

What is the halachah on this?

The Talmud says that "we may not alter the coin that the Sages have minted -- En lecha reshut l'hosif 'al matbea' shetav'u chachamim bivrachot" [Berachot Y 86a].  This means that the prayers and blessings in the siddur may not be changed.  That way, you can pray in any synagogue in the world and you will use the exact same words, and feel at home.  That makes us one people.

Yet obviously the siddur has grown over the centuries.  The Talmud does not forbid adding new prayers.  We have seen the addition of many favorites, such as:

Lecha dodi -- 16th cent.;
Shalom Alechem -- 15th cent.;
Yigdal -- 15th cent.;
Adon Olam -- 11th cent.;
Prayer for Israel -- 1948;
En kelohenu -- 9th cent.;
kEl Adon -- 8th cent.;
Hamavdil -- 11th cent.;
Maoz Tzur -- 13th cent.;
Yedid nefesh -- 16th cent.;

So, can we conclude that we may add a completely separate prayer extolling women (if that's what a congregation wants) without breaking halacha, but not make it part of the Amidah, which must remain in fixed form?


texts: I am confused about the exact/official time of Shabbat starting. Is it 18 minutes before sunset, when the candles are lit, or at sunset?


texts: What is the halachic status of a bathroom on a job site?

texts:
Those who work in trades can often find themselves in a clients home (residential) where the toilet has been removed so work can be done. I, personally, listen to Torah Audio. I am aware it is forbidden to think thoughts of kedusha, Torah, etc. in a bathroom.

But if the toilet has been removed, is it now muttar to act regularly? Does there have to be a certain amount of time between removal and casual behavior (speaking, thinking Torah, etc.)?


texts: Is a courtyard for ma'aser also obligated in mezuza?

texts:
There are some similarities between the laws of a house that obligates produce in ma'aser, and a house that is obligated to have a mezuza. Produce becomes obligated in ma'aser once it enters a house. This is derived from a verse that mentions ma'aser in connection with the word for "house." A second opinion says that entering a courtyard also makes it obligated from the Torah because of a connection to the word "gate" (Bava Metsi'a 87b-88a). The obligation of mezuza is also for houses and gates (Deuteronomy 6:9).

Ma'asrot 3:7 discusses the types of structures that make ma'aser obligated. From Yoma 10a-b, I understand 1) that all of these cases are obligated from the Torah (אלא מעשר מי איכא למימר מדרבנן), and 2) that whether a structure qualifies for this list depends on if it's a "house" (this is implied in the Gemara's explanation for the opinion that it has to serve as a house for both summer and winter).

It seems that in all of the cases in this Mishna of houses obligating ma'aser, there is also an obligation to put up a mezuza according to the respective opinions (Rabbi Yehuda in Yoma 10a, unnamed tanna/Rabbi Me'ir in Sukka 8b and Rabbi Yosi in Mezuza 1:8).

Given that the definitions for a house seem to be the same between ma'aser and mezuza, does this still hold for courtyards? Ma'asrot 3:5 defines what counts as a courtyard with regard to ma'aser, and gates of courtyards are also obligated in mezuza (Yoma 11a), but I haven't found the same definitions as those of a courtyard for ma'asrot brought in connection with the laws of mezuza. (If the definitions are different, it would be more understandable according to the opinion that a courtyard doesn't make food obligated in ma'aser from the Torah, but there should still be some logic to having two different definitions.)

So is a courtyard that obligates ma'aser the same kind of courtyard that is obligated in mezuza?


texts: What do Teimanim do with regards to modern questions?

texts:
It's known that Teimanim follow the opinion of the Rambam exclusively.

What do they (or even more so Rambamists) do when there are questions not discussed at all by the Rambam? For example,

Do Teimanim use electricity on Shabbos?
What do they do regarding date-lines?
What do they do when they are in the far north where there is no sunset?

Do they follow other poskim in such cases? Do they have their own responsa where they try to deduce the Rambam's opinion?


texts: Does anyone know a siddur containing yotzrot (Ashkenaz or Sefard, preferably in print)?

texts: In my shul there are some very ancient siddurim containing extended yotzrot for various chagim and shabbatot (e.g. chol hamoed, chanukah, shekalim, parah, hachodesh, hagadol, bereishit, each shabbat from Pesach to Shavuot). I'm trying to buy my own but they seem very hard to come by and all antique. Are there any modern siddurim containing yotzrot?


texts:
if there are two patients about to die of kidney failure and there is only one kidney available, does the halacha have a way to choose who gets the kidney? (such as lottery)

(assuming both cases are completely identical)


texts: Machshirin 1:6: Chazon Ish's defence's of Bartenura's peirush

texts:
Machshirin 1:6 contains three clauses:

When someone blows on lentils, the Sages say this counts as b'chi yutan.
When someone hides their vegetables in a river from thieves, this doesn't count as b'chi yutan.
When someone floats their vegetables down a river for transport purposes, this doesn't count as b'chi yutan.

Bartenura, following the Rash, explains clause 1 as relating to someone who blew the pile of lentils to see how many blew away (because they were light and thus worthless), but says that this nonetheless counts as b'chi yutan because moisture inevitably leaves the mouth when one blows, and because it's an intrinsic part of the act of blowing it must have been intended.
This of course contradicts the other two clauses, because getting produce wet is also an intrinsic part of dumping it in a river, yet in both of those cases it's considered to be a side effect and not b'chi yutan.
The contradiction is highlighted by Rashash, who favours the alternative explanation by the Rosh (that the blowing is intended to moisten the lentils and see which ones swell).
My edition says that the Chazon Ish, at 2:2 and 3:1, also highlights the contradiction, but constructs a defence of Bartenura's peirush. But I can't quite follow what this defence is. Can anyone help?
TLDR: Please can someone help me understand Chazon Ish, Machshirin 2:2 and 3:1?


texts: What to remove from a generic chumash to get only the letters as found in the torah scroll?

texts:
I am writing a program to do various computations with the Torah. To do this I need to remove all punctuation, spaces and other notations.

I have removed the (פ) breaks and all non-Hebrew letters (including nikodot) from the sefaria chumash using the regular expression: "\\(.\\)|\\[.*?\\]|[^\u05D0-\u05EA]" (i.e. any single letter in parenteces, any non Hebrew letter, any hebrew letters with punctuation or any pattern within brackets - to account for kiris) . However I seem to still have 45 extra letters.

See http://www.filedropper.com/biblestats_2 for the output of the program. Each line has a before and after version of the text. At the end of each book I print out the stats thus far. At the end of the entire file, I print the stats of the entire Torah.

I am getting:

Total: Verses: 5846, Letters: 304850
Total Frequencies:
א: 27060
ב: 16345
ג: 2109
ד: 7032
ה: 28055
ו: 30533
ז: 2198
ח: 7189
ט: 1804
י: 31556
ך: 3358
כ: 8610
ל: 21570
ם: 10624
מ: 14466
ן: 4259
נ: 9867
ס: 1833
ע: 11250
ף: 830
פ: 3975
ץ: 1035
צ: 2927
ק: 4695
ר: 18125
ש: 15595
ת: 17950

However according to http://www.aishdas.org/toratemet/en_pamphlet9.html and other sources there should be only 304,805 letters. Where are the extra 45 letters coming from?


texts: The purity of non-priests, non-Jews and non-humans who eat terumah

texts:
Not only can kohanim consume terumah, but they may feed it to their wives, their daughters, their Canaanite slaves and their livestock (cf: Rambam, Hilkhot Terumot 6:1 and 3). So far as their own consumption is concerned, kohanim may not consume terumah unless they are in a state of ritual purity (so, for example, Berakhot 2a: בשעה שהכהנים נכנסים לאכול בתרומתן, etc). That being said, what about the people they are feeding?

• Does the wife of a kohen need to be ritually pure? (This is not mentioned as one of the differences between kohanim and their wives in Mishna Sotah 3:7, so I would have assumed that she does);

• Does the daughter of a kohen need to be ritually pure? (That the rules concerning one's daughter may be different from those concerning his wife is borne out by the principle that a man's wife is an extension of his body but his daughter is not; אשתו כגופו, Yevamot 62b - used in this context by Tosafot, Ketubot 52a, s.v. והיו מבקשין);

• Does the Canaanite slave of a kohen need to be ritually pure? (I may have thought not, given that the laws of ritually purity are laws that only Jews must abide by, but Tosefta Zavim 2:1 seems to imply that they might);

• Are there limitations on what type of livestock may consume terumah, or on the physical condition of the livestock? Does it need to be a kosher domesticated animal? May it possess blemishes that would otherwise invalidate it from being ritually consumed?


texts: What medical condition was this "epilepsy that causes mental instability at all times"?

texts:
Rambam's Laws of Testimony 9:8 (written about 800 years ago) describe disqualification for testimony (eidut) due to mental instability. He writes:

  The epileptic is disqualified when having a seizure, but valid when not having a seizure; this assumes that when he is not having a seizure, he is completely mentally competent; as some epileptics have mixed-up minds all the time ...

Any guess what modern medical condition the latter would be? (My understanding is that there are many different types of epilepsy out there.)


texts: Is there any practical implication to having to "read" Hallel?

texts:
Before we (Ashkenazim) recite the Hallel we make a blessing which concludes "likro et hahallel" (to read the Hallel). Is there any law which is derived from this? Does it invalidate reciting/saying the Hallel by heart?

The Sephardi custom is to say "ligmor et hahallel" (at least when reciting the whole hallel -- I haven't seen any other discussion) but "completing" the Hallel is essential.

  [Hacham Ovadia] notes that the Maharam of Rotenberg (Rabbi Meir Ben Baruch, Germany, 1215-1293) held that it is actually preferable to recite the text of "Likro Et Ha'hallel." If one recites "Ligmor Et Ha'hallel," which means "to complete the Hallel," and he mistakenly omits a word from the Hallel recitation, then the Beracha that he recited would thus be rendered a "Beracha Le'vatala" (Beracha recited in vain). The Maharam therefore preferred reciting "Likro Et Ha'hallel" so that the Beracha would remain valid even in the event that somebody mistakenly omits a word.

Is the Ashkenazic choice of verb similarly essential?


texts:
Can someone give me information on the book netzach Yisroel by the Mahral,
like what is it about, what category does it fall under, and difficulty level reading and understanding it?


texts: Hakaras HaTov (Gratitude) is a very important trait in Torah. Can the principle of Hakaras HaTov create a situation where what is otherwise prohibited becomes permitted?


texts: Facing the Tent of Meeting from the tents of the people?

texts:
Balaam saw that the tent openings of the Israelites do not face each other; rather each opening was behind the next one, so that no one would look in the house of his friend. (BT Bava Batra 60a)

I was looking at the encampment of the Israelite tribes around the tabernacle I wondered in which direction each of these tent entrances/openings would look out to.

Searching for a answer I came across a translation of Bamidbar 2:2
which read: "They shall camp facing the tent of meeting on every side" and another reading: "afar off, opposite to it shall they encamp" and at last a more literal rendering: "over-against round about the tent of meeting they encamp".

But when I looked at the translation from the Mechon Mamre site it only read:
"a good way off shall they pitch round about the tent of meeting". While the sefaria website translated it as: "they shall camp arount the Tent of Meeting at a distance".

From all of these it was clear that these tribes with their tents were pitched around the tent, but does this verse indeed says the entrances were pitched toward the Tent of Meeting? Were they facing it from every side?


texts: Why is the "beautiful captive" called "beautiful" if she doesn't have to be?

texts:
The Torah says:

When you take ... your enemies ... captive, and you see among them a woman of beautiful form (אֵ֖שֶׁת יְפַת-תֹּאַר), and you desire her, you may take her to yourself as a wife. [Deuteronomy 21:11]

Why does she have to be "beautiful"?
The Midrash says:

Whence do I derive that the same applies to an ugly woman? From "and you desire her": even if she is not beautiful. If so, why is it written "of beautiful form"? Scripture speaks of the common instance. [Sifrei Devarim 211:7]

This is not really an answer; or rather, not an answer to the real question: What would have been lost if the Torah had just said "a woman" instead of "a woman of beautiful form"?
Or HaHayyim writes:

The Torah was very careful to write בה, "something within her" instead of אותה, "her." This means that the soldier is not infatuated with the body of the woman but with something inside her, her holy soul which he was able to recognize.

One can be forgiven for being skeptical.
Any other reasons why the word "beautiful" had to be there?


texts: Can a court declare a minor's lulav ownerless? Has one?

texts:
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 658:6, says that one should not give his lulav to a minor as a gift, as the minor cannot give it back to him. (Minors cannot give anyone legal ownership in anything.)

According to some views outlined in the Mishna B'rura there (:28), this presents a problem on the first day of Sukos. After all, the adult cannot give the lulav to the minor, as he won't get it back. He cannot lend it to the minor, as (according to this view) such a loan would be useless: the minor will not accomplish anything by shaking a borrowed lulav on the first day. One solution is to make sure no adult (see MB :24) needs to use it any more that day, and then give it to the minor: it's his, then, for the rest of Sukos, but that's okay, as a borrowed lulav is valid after the first day, and the adult can borrow it from the minor.

It seems, though, that there's another solution. There's a general rule of hefker bes din hefker: "the ownerlessness of a court is ownerlessness", meaning that a court can declare anything ownerless. Indeed, there are instances (which I can't think of specifically at the moment) when this is done as a blanket rule: a court has decided that any possessions fitting certain criteria are ownerless, and that rule is in effect for years to come, applying to any possessions that eventually meet those criteria. It seems that a municipal court (bes din) can do the same here: issue a decree prior to Sukos that any lulav acquired by a minor on or before the first day of Sukos is ownerless as soon as the minor's done with it and the legator wants it back. (The wording would need to be better thought out, but that would be the general idea. And the legator would then acquire it from its ownerless state.)

Has any court done this?
Has any source discussed the utility or validity of this, or, indeed, anything else about it?


texts: Can Aluminum vessels be Mekabel Tumah? (Obviously) it's not written in Chumash, so is it like iron (which can) or like glass (which can't)


texts:
In many places in the Sources we are told that the "evil eye" does not apply to the descendants of Joseph.
For example, when Rabbi Yoḥanan boasted about his beauty:

The Rabbis said to him: Do you not fear an evil eye?  He replied, I am of the seed of Joseph, against whom an evil eye is powerless. [Bava Metzia 84a]

What about the rest of the Jews, that is the descendants of Jacob?  Does the evil eye apply to them or not?
This seems to imply that it applies to all Jews:

One who enters a city and fears the evil eye should hold the thumb of his right hand in his left hand and the thumb of his left hand in his right hand and recite the following: I, so-and-so son of so-and-so, come from the descendants of Joseph, over whom the evil eye has no dominion. [Berakhot 55b]


texts: Why is the use of indoor plumbing allowed on shabbos?

texts: Use of indoor plumbing on shabbos involves moving water or waste from/to public and private domains, which could involve a biblical prohibition of hotzoa. Why is this allowed on shabbos?


texts: Why when we read a double parsha is the haftarah generally the haftarah of the second parsha?


texts: Why did people not go to Shul at Yom Tov by night?

texts:
The sages instituted the Bracha MeEin Sheva on Friday night because shuls were located in the field and if someone would be late to minyan, he'd be endangered by having to walk home alone.

On a weeknight, no one went to Shul due to being late at work and would rather Daven at home (!), so the Rabbis didn't see a need to institute this blessing.

But Yom Tov doesn't have this blessing either, which implies that no one went to Shul on Yom Tov night. Why not? It's not that people can work into the night?


texts:
Before a private fast day, one must stipulate the day before that he will be fasting, traditionally done at the end of the Mincha Shemona Esrei (Artscroll Siddur).

What classifies as a private fast? Would a person who wants to fast Bahab, Shovavim, or Yom Kippur Katan, have to declare that he will fast as even though some people do keep these fasts?


texts: Is there any specific prohibition that forbids showing affection with one's spouse in public? For example kissing on the forehead or holding hands, not more extreme affection actions of course.


texts: Mistake in Asher Yatzer and Rafa'ainu of Shemoneh Esrei

texts:
What would be the halacha in the following 2 cases:

A person davening Shemoneh Esrei instead of ending off the bracha of Rafa'ainu "rofeh cholei amo yisrael" (in his nusach) they ended of "rofeh col baser u'mfli l'asos (the chasima of Asher Yatzer.) Were they yotzee b'dieved? Must they say this bracha over again? If they finished davening Shemoneh Esrei must they go back and daven again?

Or what about if in Asher Yatzer instead of ending of "rofeh col baser u'mafli l'asos" the person ended off "rofeh cholei amo yisrael". Are they yotzee? If it's after toch c'dei dibbur must the bracha be said over again?

I've heard and seen before that by Shemoneh Esrei the middle part of the bracha doesn't have to be "exact". However that the end of the bracha (chasima) has to be exact in the way that Chazal formed the bracha.

Seemingly the same should be true by Asher Yatzer that one couldn't change the nusach (or would at least be yotzee b'dieved) in the case that they ended off the bracha differently.


texts: How many accounts for the giving of the Torah on Har Sinai do we have in Jewish tradition?


texts: Attending a wedding in which a Jew would be marrying a non-Jew

texts:
I received invitation to attend my sister's wedding this December. However, this sister went off the derech many years ago, leaving Yiddishkeit and religion altogether behind. She is now an athiest, and will be marrying a non-Jewish athiest in a overall non-religious wedding ceremnony.

May one attend such a wedding? My gut instinct is no because it might be maaris ayin that you are encouraging intermarriage. Might it make a difference if the guest is closely related to the bride/groom?

This question discusses an engagement ceremony, but none that address my specific case with a wedding ceremony.


texts: Why do we find two adjacent pesukim stating what seems to be the same?

texts:
In Bereishit 26:3 Hashem tells Yitzhak: "...and to your descendants I will give all these lands...".

In the next pasuk, Hashem says: "...and I will give to your descendants all these lands...".

Isn't this exactly what He told him one pasuk ago?


texts: To my knowledge, when a male converts to Judaism, he must not only undergo Bris Milah but also must go to the mikvah. At what point during the process is he considered a full Jew? For instance, if he undergoes Bris Milah with the right intentions without going to the mikvah, is that a valid conversion, at least bedieved? Or vice versa - is he considered Jewish if he goes to the mikvah without getting a Bris Milah?


texts: "They could have walked out of Egypt" Source?

texts:
I have heard on multiple occasions of a Chazal that states something along the lines of:

"Had Binei Yisroel merited/been righteous enough, they could have walked out of Egypt."

There are a number of questions raised by this (such as the Makkos being made functionally superfluous) but for now I'm just looking for a textual source for this.


texts:
When David was dying, he gave a final speech to Shlomo Melachim I 2 .  There he tells Shlomo to kill Yoav and Shimi ben Gera.

Why are these his final instructions in the first place?  I expect a mafia don to give kill orders on his deathbed.  From a person as righteous as David, I expect more spiritual instructions.  Granted, David was also a general and a war-time king.
The reason he gives for killing Yoav seems to ignore some more major reasons to be upset with Yoav.  Melachim I 2:5 David mentions Yoav killing Amasa and Avner, but not killing Avshalom or the people with Uriah, both of whom David explicitly says not to kill.  So why mention Avner & Amasa, but not Avshalom?
The reason not to kill Shimi ben Geira is listed, but the reason not to kill Yoav is not.  Why didn't David kill Yoav before this?


texts: Impure Korban and ketoires that started to burn become completely pure

texts:
I was just in a shiur where they said that a korbon and kitoires which where tomai become tohor after part of them starts burning

Where can I find this(in the gemoro and the rambam)?
What is this idea called so that I can search for it?
Thank you


texts: Handling food valued as currency on Shabbos

texts: What is the status of a food item on Shabbos which a country declares as legal tender? For example, if a developing country designates chocolate as legal tender, may one consume, handle, or "exchange" it for favors/items on Shabbos?


texts: Where can I find modern business laws dealing specifically with online businesses?

texts: I'm looking for something all-encompassing, specifically for an online business. Whether you're selling products, services or software online, I want to know how to deal with it in regards to Shabbat and everything else.


texts: PTIJ: Impressive traditional gesture to go with "Shalom" (like the "Wakanda forever" salute)

texts:
Every once in a while, as I go about my business in the secular world, a non-Jewish passerby notices my kippa and approaches, then offers the greeting that is somewhat well-known in popular culture as the one Jews prefer: "Shalom." I appreciate this cross-cultural gesture, and I always respond with my own cordial "Shalom," but I feel like something's missing.
I recently saw the movie Black Panther, and noticed that when people from the nation of Wakanda portrayed therein greet each other with the traditional "Wakanda forever!" they have a really cool salute to go with it. That made me think that there must be a really cool gesture in Jewish tradition that goes with the "Shalom" greeting, that I just don't know about yet.
This gap in my knowledge makes me sad. Here I am, going around visibly representing an ancient body of tradition, and when someone notices and engages in our traditional greeting, I don't know the impressive ancient move to make when responding, so that my greeter can leave the meeting satisfied that they've not only exchanged greetings with an authentic Jew, but that it was an awesome encounter with an ancient tribe.
So, what is the traditional gesture to make when extending the Shalom greeting? What details should one make sure to include so that it comes off as authentically awesome?

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


texts: From where do we know that one must be "dan" someone "l'caf zechut"? (that we must judge someone favorably even though from a certain act it might seem they are doing something?


texts: Why isn't chocolate considered to be kitniyos?

texts: Chocolate is made from a cocoa bean. What keeps that bean from being considered kitniyos?


texts: Why do we call people up to the Torah by name?

texts:
In shul, if a guest is honored with an aliyah, I watch as the gabbai walks over (or sends someone) to get the guest's name, then call that same person up by that name. Once the guest has been told which aliyah he is getting, why is he called up by name? He knows he is getting the aliyah.

At first, I thought it might have developed from situations where the person getting the aliyah doesn't know he will be called up -- the Shulchan Aruch speaks of a situation where a person is called up but cannot take the aliyah because he is still catching up in his davening or isn't there (Orach Chaim 135:11, Be'er Heitev 19) and he wouldn't walk out or start davening if he knew he was to be called up.

But this can't be the case because the Shulchan Aruch speaks of situations where the person called up is doing the laining himself and is required to have practiced it before hand, so he must know he is to be called up and the name is unnecessary.

Then I read about situations where the person called up is not called up by name (141:6) so there must be something significant about the mentioning of a name. As far as I could find, the only mention of the practice is in the Ramo who says on Orach Chaim (139:3):

  אפילו ראש הכנסת או חזן לא יקרא עד שיאמרו לו קרא ונהגו ששליח ציבור
  כשרוצה מברך וקורא בלי נטילת רשות משום דהוי כאילו משעה שמינוהו לשליח
  ציבור הרשוהו על כך.

  הגה: ובמדינות אלו אין נוהגין כן ואין החזן עולה רק כשהסגן אומר לו לעלות
  אבל אין קורין לו בשמו כמו שאר העולים שקוראים אותם בשמם פלוני בר
  פלוני ומי שאביו מומר לעבודת כוכבים קורין אותו בשם אבי אביו אבל לא
  בשמו לבד שלא לביישו ברבים

This seems to take for granted that we usually call someone up by name but I don't know what the source is for that idea or the rationale behind it. Any information or other sources would be appreciated.

Edit -- this question Must readers be called to the Torah by name? touches on the same issue and one of the answers gives a citation for the practice and some explanation but IMHO it is related and not fully a duplicate.


texts:
The general practice is to make a bracha on the sky illuminating from lightning without actually seeing the bolt.

Does anyone know a source for this? Is this the most appropriate practice?

Also, can one make a bracha on a room illuminated from lightning from behind a curtain?


texts: Can one use a weather-dependent lawn sprinkler on Shabbat?

texts:
One may not intentionally water his lawn on Shabbat (See here.)

A shul congregant told me that he has a sprinkler that waters his lawn based on the weather forecast. It is not set on any type of clock so he is not intentionally setting the system to turn on Shabbat. He says that the system measures the water table in the lawn and combines this with a weather "feed" that it gets from a website. If the lawn is "dry", it will turn on the sprinkler that day. However, if the weather report predicts rain, it will not turn on, as the rain will do its job.

Can someone having this type of system have his lawn watered on Shabbat, or has he violated any melacha?

See this article for an example of this type of system and a brief explanation of how it works.

Please ignore concerns of mar'it ayin for purposes of answering this question.


texts: Why did King David tell Itai to go back or to wander somewhere else

texts:
In Shmuel 2 Chapter 15 Paragraph 20 Kind David singles out Itai and tells him to either go back or to leave him..
Was he scared that Itai would betray him? or did he fear for his and his brothers  safety?


texts: Why was there no music at the Meal which Acshverosh made?


texts: Why has hashem given us a mitsva without a reason and one which is impossible to understand. All the others even the 'chukim' at least Solomon understood. This one even he didnt that shows it is impossible to understand the reason. Although moshe rabainu did he was a 'special' case. Why have mitsvot where one can never know the reason. The mitsva of poroh aduma is the only one where some on earth with his limited 'sechel' cannot understand. All the others can be. So the question is since all mitvot can be understood as King Solomon has proved, and that is really are purpose in life to try to understand them, why have one which cannot be understood.


texts:
The mysterious stranger with whom Jacob wrestled all night would not give his name.  [Genesis 32:25-33]
The Midrash [Genesis Rabbah 78:4] explains that the reason is that angels do not have fixed names.  Their names change depending on what their mission is at the time.
Do you know examples in our Sources of angels going by different names?


texts: Explain the strange grammatical placement in Breishit 14:12

texts:
Genesis 14:12:

  וַיִּקְח֨וּ אֶת־ל֧וֹט וְאֶת־רְכֻשׁ֛וֹ בֶּן־אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָ֖ם
  וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב בִּסְדֹֽם׃

My "literal" translation:

  They took Lot and his property, the son of Avram's brother, and they
  went. An he was dwelling in S'dom.

The phrase בֶּן־אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָ֖ם describes Lot, not his property. It seems that the verse should read:

וַיִּקְח֨וּ אֶת־ל֧וֹט בֶּן־אֲחִ֥י אַבְרָ֖ם וְאֶת־רְכֻשׁ֛וֹ וַיֵּלֵ֑כוּ וְה֥וּא יֹשֵׁ֖ב בִּסְדֹֽם׃

Why is the verse phrase this way? Or is this a common technique in the Torah? Is there some other message being conveyed by placing the term וְאֶת־רְכֻשׁ֛וֹ in the position that is?


texts:
Judaism is clear on the matrilineal descent. Yet it's not clear to me that the Matriarchs after Sarah were "Jewish" - they were Abraham's relatives, they were not Canaanites as requested by Abraham, but were they followers of Hashem as Abraham, Eliezer, Isaac was?  I'm not clear on this distinction of being "Jewish" vs. being a "Hebrew." Abraham is the first Jew, but the Jewish people do not "officially" exist until Sinai.

Same goes for Joseph's wife - I've been told she underwent a conversion, but if Judaism didn't necessarily exist, then how? What's the difference then between her and Isaac and Jacob's wives?

Bottom line: Were the matriarchs after Sarah explicitly Jewish?


texts: I have a Mezuzah on my door lintel, but am not Jewish. Am I breaking the law?

texts:
My father was Jewish. Sadly, my mother was not. I have always had an interest in my father's religion, even though he was non-practicing. I am very ignorant about anything more than general knowledge with regard to Judaism, but would be very keen to learn more. This requires more than a few simple questions, but I felt the need to give you some background.

The question I have for you is this: I was given a Mezuzah by a Jewish neighbour, who became a close friend. When she sold her flat, she left her Mezuzah. The flat is now rented by a non-Jewish couple. I called her and asked whether I could take the Mezuzah and hang it on my door. I have recently been diagnosed with a chronic disease, and rightly or wrongly she said "yes", as she felt I was in need.

I followed the rules very strictly when hanging the Mezuzah. However my next door neighbour, who is also Jewish, told me I was "breaking the rules".

I did not do this for fun. I take things like this very seriously. It means a great deal to me to have a Mezuzah on my door, I understand a little of the meaning, and was given this by someone who cares about me.

Have I done anything wrong according to the law?

Very many thanks. Miss J. Belger


texts:
Is there a preference for a grandson or for another person to say kaddish if the son is indisposed?

I am asking this generally, although I was motivated by the following scenario:

I have yahrzeit for my mother in a week's time. I am suffering from a severe disc problem and may not be able to get to shul. Is it better to ask my son to say kaddish for my mother (his grandmother) or should I ask someone else? My son has never been an aval and his natural feeling is that he shouldn't say kaddish while his parents are alive.


texts: Where is the first time that the splitting of the Red Sea is referred to as קריעת ים סוף?

texts: The text of the Torah refers to the sea "splitting" (וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם - Ex.14:21).  Where is the first source where the Sages refer to this event as "tearing" (קריעה)?


texts:
Psalm 100 says:

  עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּשִׂמְחָ֑ה

Serve God with joy.

Psalm 2 says:

  עִבְד֣וּ אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה בְּיִרְאָ֑ה וְ֝גִ֗ילוּ בִּרְעָדָֽה

Serve God with awe/fear; tremble with fright.

How can one do both at the same time?

I suppose one can do both, but it's rare.  In my case, as a physicist, I always experienced quite a thrill when I saw that the most complicated things in the world derive from simple equations, simple principles.  Understanding the laws of physics and solving intricate problems always had me in awe and made me appreciate how "smart" God is.  This is what Einstein called “cosmic religious feeling”.  It has to be experienced to be understood.  The awe and the joy were indeed there at the same time.  However, (1) there was no fear, and (2) I don't see how I was "serving God".


texts: Amida: Why not voice thanks for what you yourself received?

texts: I have heard that we may add our own specific requests in the middle set of brachot of the Amida, if we feel the need, but that additions are not allowed in the first 3 or last 3 brachot.  Why are we not allowed to add our own specific thanks in the last 3 brachot?


texts:
A few people have mentioned a story (which they said was in a Chazal without knowing its location) recently to me about a husband who returns home after many years to find a young man in his home alone with the man's wife. He decides not to do anything until the next day where his wife tells him it's their own son.
Where is this mashal (or anything like it) located? I vaguely recall seeing such a story when discussing Reuven and Gad returning to their families after 14 years of conquering and apportioning Eretz Yisroel (though it's questionable whether they had rotations to return home or just stayed in the Holy Land the entire time)


texts:
What is the function of את in Shemot 21:28 when it says וכי-יגח שור את-איש או את-אשה ומת?

את here is not marking definite direct objects but indefinite direct objects as there are no markings of definiteness on איש and אשה.

Is it possible then that את can serve other functions besides the conventional explanation of marking definite direct objects?


texts: Why extra words in birchat ha hodesh in Israel?

texts: Some siddurim (e.g., in the Koren but not in the Artscroll) have extra words in the last paragraph, to be said in Israel, asking for additional blessings, including rain.  Why do we who are outside Israel not need or want these blessings, and why ask for rain in Israel every month, despite the seasonal rain patterns in Israel?


texts: Should one kasher keilim used with Hebrew National?

texts: Do Keilim need to be Kashered after being used for Hebrew National hotdogs?


texts: There is a minhag that many have to read in shul from a Sefer Torah the entire Chumash of Davarim on the night of Hoshanah Rabbah. What is the first makor (source) for this minhag and what is the reason for it?


texts: Can a woman daven in a nightgown that she sleeps in and wears all day unless leaving the house? Or is this not allowed since by man it's not considered respectful to daven before Hashem in pajamas he slept in?


texts: Where does the concept of food transfer come from?

texts: If I cook a cheese omelet in a skillet, then wash the skillet and cook a steak in the same skillet the steak is considered to have absorbed the dairy-ness of the cheese and is now consider not kosher. What is the basis for this concept?  Is there any passage in the Written Torah that this is based on, or is it only based on a Talmudic passage?  Does anyone know the history of this concept?


texts: In Bereshis 4:18 Lemech is introduced. Do any commentators explain the meaning or implication of his name?


texts: Extending gezeirot about melacha to other activities

texts:
I feel like this is too obvious even to ask (or that it is a dupe...) but here goes:

If we do not use already ground medicine on Shabbos for fear that we might come to grind medicine, then why can we use already ground salt and pepper on our food (assuming we can) even though each of those is ground up before use as well? Isn't it possible that we might come to grind more for the need?

The same holds true of other activities -- if we can't use a musical instrument for fear of makeh b'patish, why can we use a chair which might also need repair to be immediately useful? If we can't blow the shofar, shake the arba minim or read megillah for fear of carrying each, why do we read from the Torah, which also might have to be carried?


texts: Do you make bircat Hamotzi on fried bread?

texts:
Poori is an Indian bread made from wheat flour that is fried so that the dough puffs up. It does not have your typical "tzurat hapas", at least when it's fully puffed up. (See What blessing is made on a taco, burrito, or plain flour tortilla?) BTW, poori is astoundingly delicious plain, and even better with chutney :-)

Do you wash and say Hamotzi for this or any other deep fried wheat flour bread, or is it mezonot because it is fried and not baked?


texts: Why is there no exchanging of food gifts during Purim Katan?

texts:
Purim Katan ("little Purim") occurs on the 14th and 15th of Adar I, which is only during leap years, such as the current year.

Mishnah Megillah 1:4 says:

  קראו את המגילה באדר הראשון ונתעברה השנה, קורין אותה באדר השני. אין בין
  אדר הראשון לאדר השני אלא קריאת המגילה ומתנות לאביונים .

  If the Megillah was read in first of Adar, and the year was
  [subsequently] intercalated, we read it in second of Adar. There is no
  difference between the first Adar and the second Adar except the
  reading of the Megillah and alms to the poor.

The Mishnah does not mention anything about mshlo'ach manot - the exchanging of food gifts even though it, as well as making a festive meal are mentioned in Esther 9:19:

  עַל־כֵּ֞ן הַיְּהוּדִ֣ים הפרוזים [הַפְּרָזִ֗ים] הַיֹּשְׁבִים֮ בְּעָרֵ֣י
  הַפְּרָזוֹת֒ עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֠ת י֣וֹם אַרְבָּעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְחֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֔ר
  שִׂמְחָ֥ה וּמִשְׁתֶּ֖ה וְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב וּמִשְׁל֥וֹחַ מָנ֖וֹת אִ֥ישׁ
  לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃

  Therefore do the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled
  towns, make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and
  feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

(Shulchan Aruch O.C. 697 mentions that one should make a feast on Purim Katan similar to Purim, but common custom is not to do so.)

Why aren't gifts exchanged during Purim Katan, considering that the Mishnah states that there is no difference between the 1st and 2nd Adar other than the 2 specific items that were mentioned?


texts: What is the source for the idea that only two mitzvot have a specific reward associated with them?

texts:
I have heard it said that only the mitzvot of kibbud av v'eim (honoring parents) and shiluach haken (sending away the mother bird before taking eggs) are given with an explicit reward (that your days may be lengthened). Often times this is cited in relation to the story of Acher in the Gemara, although it doesn't seem to be there.

In fact, I can't find a source for it anywhere. And it would seem that Devarim 25:15 would be a third case (specifying honest weights and measures), so it would also seem to be wrong. Yet it also seems to be something that "everyone" knows.

Can anyone help track down a written source for the popular belief?


texts: Is there any mention of the sky crying before the Quran?

texts:
I've stumbled upon a miracle claim made by Muslims. The Quran says about Pharaoh and his people that were drowned:

Neither heaven nor earth wept over them, nor was their fate delayed. (44:29)

And they're saying that the crying was not mentioned in the Bible nor Talmud. But some old texts from pyramids (Utterance 553) mentions the sky crying and earth trembling over a dead pharaoh:

1365b. (with) the špn.t and ‘ȝt-jar, which come from the sḥ-ntr for
thee, that thou mayest become divine. p. 221
1365c. The sky weeps for thee; the earth trembles for thee;
1366a. the śmnt.t-woman laments for thee; the great min.t mourns for
thee;
1366b. the feet agitate for thee; the hands wave for thee,

They interpret the Quran as referring to the pyramid text and say that Muhammad couldn't have known about it, because people didn't understand hieroglyphs in his time, so the Quran must be from all-knowing god.
I've found in older exegeses to the Quran that the sky cries for 40 days when a believer dies, but doesn't cry for disbelievers. And that the sky cried blood when imam Hussain was killed. And some hadiths about doors in heaven:

Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah (saw) said: “There
is no believer except that he has two doors: A door through which his
deeds ascend, and a door through which his sustenance descends. So
when he dies they weep for him. That is the meaning of the saying of
Allah, the Mighty and Sublime: And the heavens and the earth wept not
for them, nor were they given respite.” (Tirmidhi)

And now my question is whether the motif of the sky or earth crying is really nowhere to be found in Jewish texts?


texts:
In the book of Judges 9:8-15 we have the following fable:

  8 The trees went forth on a time to anoint a king over them; and they
  said unto the olive-tree: Reign thou over us.

  9 But the olive-tree said unto them: Should I leave my fatness, seeing
  that by me they honour God and man, and go to hold sway over the
  trees?

  10 And the trees said to the fig-tree: Come thou, and reign over us.

  11 But the fig-tree said unto them: Should I leave my sweetness, and
  my good fruitage, and go to hold sway over the trees?

  12 And the trees said unto the vine: Come thou, and reign over us.

  13 And the vine said unto them: Should I leave my wine, which cheereth
  God and man, and go to hold sway over the trees?

  14 Then said all the trees unto the bramble: Come thou, and reign over
  us.

  15 And the bramble said unto the trees: If in truth ye anoint me king
  over you, then come and take refuge in my shadow; and if not, let fire
  come out of the bramble, and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

  (Mechon-Mamre translation)

The same fable appears almost identically in Aesop's Fables:

  The Logs and the Olive

  Once the logs were consulting among themselves to elect a king. They
  asked the olive:

  'Reign over us.'

  The olive tree replied:

  'What? Give up my oily liquor which is so highly prized by god and man
  to go reign over the logs?'

  And so the logs asked the fig:

  'Come and reign over us.'

  But the fig replied similarly:

  'What? Relinquish the sweetness of my delicious fruit to go and reign
  over the logs?'

  So the logs urged the thornbush:

  'Come and reign over us.'

  And the thorn replied:

  'If you were really to anoint me king over you, you would have to take
  shelter beneath me. Otherwise the flames from my brushwood [a usual
  tinder] would escape and devour the cedars of Lebanon.

  (Olivia & Robert Temple translation)

Have any rabbinic commentators made note of this, and if so what have they said about it?


texts: Does Judaism forbid fasting on Fridays and Saturdays? If so, where is this rule written and what is the reasoning behind it?

texts:
I was reading the deuterocanonical Book of Judith, and I came across the following:

  Judith had lived as a widow in her house for three years and four months.
  She pitched a tent for herself on the roof of her house, put funeral clothing around her waist, and wore widow’s clothing.
  She fasted all the days of her widowhood except for the day before the Sabbath and the Sabbath itself, the day before the new moon, the day of the new moon, and the feasts and celebration days of the house of Israel.
  She was very beautiful and lovely to stare at. Her husband Manasseh left her gold and silver, male and female slaves, cattle, and fields, which she continued to oversee.
  And no one had a bad word to say about her, for she revered God greatly.

Being a Christian myself, I found this passage somewhat confusing because we Christians are forbidden to fast on Saturdays and Sundays (see the 66th Apostolic Canon) however we are required to fast on Wednesdays and Fridays (see the 69th Apostolic Canon)

However, I know that in Judaism, fasting is supposed to be done on Mondays and Thursdays, but is there any rule in the Jewish religion that forbids fasting on Fridays and Saturdays? If so, where is this rule written and what is the reasoning behind it?


texts: Based on this Tosafot in Bava Metzia 28a (D"H Chamisha Asar Yom), Eretz Israel is a square (400 sq. Parsah), and the distance between Jerusalem and the Jordan river is 1/39th the distance between Jerusalem and the Mediterranean Sea (or maybe another border). Based on our maps I can't seem to figure it out. Is there any angle to look at the map that all this works out?


texts: Halachic sources for not using the first names of your parents?

texts:
I understand that it's a common understanding that as part of the mitzvah of respecting one's parents one shouldn't use their first names. See e.g. Can an adopted child call birth parents by first name?

Can anyone point to any halachic sources on this for me? I've often heard it asserted but not seen any rabbinic discussion on it or anything like that.


texts: Cooking meat and milk on the way to burning them

texts:
If someone cooks meat and milk together at a very high temperature, so that they will be burned to ash, in the time that it takes from getting the ingredients to a hot temperature to the point that they are ash, does this constitute cooking as far as the Isur is concerned with cooking meat and milk together?

Cf. Does an ivory spoon make hot tea non-kosher? for the comment(s) that inspired this question.


texts: Can a Kohain do Birchas Kohanim if he did not wash his hands?

texts: Suppose a Kohain for some reoson forgot to wash his hands or was unable to, can he still do Birchas Kohanim?


texts: Why do we sing Mi Shenichnas Adar to the tune of "Pick a bale of cotton"?

texts:
Of all tunes available in the world, why do we choose a "worker's" song? A song composed by slaves as they served their masters?
Why not something more uplifting?

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


texts:
While I found a whole bunch of guides on how to remove bugs from my Cabbage, Lettuce, or strawberries, I never found any guide on how to remove bugs from my program?
Can someone help me here?
Oh, and if I can't guarantee my program is free of bugs, is it now as bad as a strawberry and forbidden?

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


texts: Interpretation of Numbers 11.5 in Midrash Rabba

texts:
I recently read that following verse in Numbers 11.5, 'Bamidbar':
"We remember the fish that we ate in Egypt free of charge, the cucumbers, the
watermelons, the leeks, the onions, and the garlic" (found on chabad.org)
was commented somewhere in Midrash Rabba and construed as an injunction to
light candles during Sabbat...

I found this info in Gérard Haddad's Les sources talmudiques de la psychanalyse (Talmudic sources of psychoanalysis), but unfortunately I didn't write down excerpt where this affirmation pops up and therefore cannot render it exactly how it was phrased...

Can somebody confirm me this interpretation (with a quote from Midrash, preferably in English...) ?

In advance, thanks a lot !
Regards,
Seb


texts: If one sharpens a knife on Shabbos, have they transgressed an issur d'oraisa or an issur d'rabbanan?


texts:
In  מסכת ברכות , on the top line of דף ל,ב, the text reads "בנהרדעא לבר מההוא יומא " [it continues the quote from Shmuel that he never davened mussaf privately in Neharde'a...]

According to the English explanation in the Schottenstein edition, 30b1, the next phrase is "except for that day." The word "except" is indicated through the word printed in the Hebrew on the page of explanation as לבד, even though the text on the Vilna layout side reads לבר ! The e-daf page's image also shows their Vilna layout as לבר and strangest of all, the Mechon-Mamre text which is not in the Vilna layout also reads לבר (as does kodesh.snunit which uses the Mechon text). I don't have a Shteinzaltz to check their text so I don't know if this repeats there.

Two gemaras (both Vilna) on Hebrew Books concur. The Firenze edition page doesn't seem to match up as the new perek which begins follows a "hadran" for the third perek, omitting the fourth! The Paris edition reads "לחוד" (15 lines up) and I can't get the Berlin manuscript to open. The Sefaria text also has לבר  with no explanation.

Does לבר also mean "except"? Or is this an error found in all Vilna editions (and Mechon Mamre and Sefaria were just copying an error)?

----------edit -- adding Schttenstein image -------


texts: Latest time to say asher yatzar after bed time?

texts:
Say you said hamapil with shema and went to bed and immediately after got the urge to use the bathroom. Can you still say asher yatzar or once you head to bed you don't say asher yatzar until the morning?

I don't have the source but I believe the halacha is that if you wake up in the middle of the night to use the facilities, you do not say asher yatzar until the morning after you wash your hands.


texts:
Suppose someone has a coupon for a free [let's say, iced coffee] from a store. What are the problems with getting such an item from the store, on Shabbos (or Yom Tov)?

To boil it down to more general problems, let's assume:

there's no problem of carrying (e.g. item will be consumed in the store, or there's an eiruv)
the store is owned by gentiles
the employee who will be servicing is a gentile


texts: Why make an eruv with just a single-owner courtyard? (Eruvin 85)

texts:
My kid asks:
The Bavli, Eruvin 85 amud 2 just after the mishna, says that if a location is such that its resident's not being part of an eruv chatzeros doesn't prevent the eruv from taking effect for others, then that location is an unsuitable place for those others to place their eruv. It gives one exception: the gatehouse of a privately owned courtyard. Others can create an eruv without the gatehouse resident, but can nonetheless place their eruv in the gatehouse. But the courtyard is privately owned! Why would it need an eruv at all if the eruv doesn't include the gatehouse resident?


texts: What is the correct translation of הֵילֵ֣ל?

texts:
Shalom everyone, new visitor here.  The term הֵילֵ֣ל may be found in Isaiah 14:12, but I have not been able to find it in any Hebrew dictionaries.

English translations range from "morning," to "morning star," to "Lucifer," to "shining one."  Going to the Hebrew, it's הֵילֵ֣ל. It's also described as being derived from הָלַל, so if that's correct (I lack training in Hebrew), does it simply mean to shine?

If there's more implied (one source said הָלַל is associated with arrogance or madness), what nuances or connotations are implicit in the term and its derivative respectively? Are either of the terms in common usage?  Some reference to an authoritative text or just a statement of your source for your answer would be appreciated.  Thanks!

*update 9/2/2015
I've tried to organize the answers a little bit so the reasoning for the chosen answer will be clear:

"English scholarship"
@Yaacov Deane has mentioned "praise" and @andrewmh20 referenced the Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon for the term "shining one, epithet of the king of Babylon." Epithet of the king of Babylon" seems just a self-referential definition to the source term's context in the original book of Isaiah and non-explanatory, please correct me if I'm mistaken.  I managed to find one resource that brings an explanation for both of their definitions together and adds the third one of madness, while trying to provide an etymology of sorts within English scholarship: "Wilhelm Gesenius squeezed all various meanings and nuances of halal into the central charge of splenduit. But almost a hundred years later, the authoritative dictionary of Brown, Driver and Briggs, listed two separate roots halal, each with their own group of meanings. Three quarters of a century later, Harris, Archer and Waltke published their lexicon, and split the second root of Brown, Driver and Briggs in two, forming three distinct roots halal"  1)'shine, emit light,' 2)'to be boastful or to praise,' 3)'to be insane, or rather irrational.' His explanation of how they play against one another is also interesting.

I didn't find the reference in Jaastrow, but @Yaacov Deane mentions in his discussion with Daniel a lack of clarity on the meaning of the additional strokes or what sort of conjugation or other grammatical meaning they imply, something that's important for this theory of הֵילֵ֣ל descending from הָלַל, but they do look pretty similar (granted that it's language; even one stroke can make a world of difference)

"Hebrew scholarship"
@msh210 references several sources (thank you for the multi-volume search), noting both broad agreement in Hebrew scholarship on a fourth general definition of a shining planet or star, but he points out a lack of clarity still on whether that definition is a name of said celestial body or a generic term for such a one.  This character "כוכב", looks almost nothing like the term הֵילֵ֣ל, so this argument seems to rest solely on the authority/consensus of the commentators rather than the logic of language structure.

"Cross-referencing"
@H3br3wHamm3r81 points to Eze. 21:17 and Zec. 11:2, translating it as 'Wail.'

All seem like they could possibly use some clarification and expansion.  The first case, "English Scholarship," would need a linguist's explanation of the nuance of the grammar rule in play, while the second, "Hebrew Scholarship".. perhaps sources for the sources, and something that answered why the cursed king of Babylon would be called a shining planet or star in context of his fall.  The third case of "Wail" seems to make the most sense from the context, and the hermeneutics is especially great, but can anyone verify with some reference or authoritative source that "the Hif'il imperative conjugation of the lemma יָלַל (yalal) is הֵילֵ֣ל?"


texts: Is there any significance in the 10th of Rambam's 13 Principles of Faith quoting a Passuk?

texts:
If you read Rambam's 13 Ani Maamin's, 13 Principles of Faith, you'll note that only the 10th one makes reference to Tanach. Is there a reason for that? (Looking for sourced answer, rather than speculation).

י] אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה, שֶׁהַבּורֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמו יודֵעַ כָּל מַעֲשה בְנֵי אָדָם וְכָל מַחְשְׁבותָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר הַיּצֵר יַחַד לִבָּם הַמֵּבִין אֶל כָּל מַעֲשיהֶם.
I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, Blessed be His Name, knows all the deeds of human beings and all their thoughts, as it is written, "Who fashioned the hearts of them all, Who comprehends all their actions" (Psalms 33:15).


texts:
Who is the רנב"י quoted by the Shitta Mekubetzet to Nedaarim (8a s.v. אמר רב גידל)?

Could it be R. Nissim ben Yaakov Gaon?


texts: Shema Before Zman If Shul Starts After Zman

texts: I heard that a person should say all 3 paragraphs of Shema before sof z'man kriyat sh'ma if their shul starts after sof z'man kriyat sh'ma. What's the source for the need to say all three p'rakim to be yotzei?


texts: Can I Cut a 6-Week-Old Baby's Fingernails on Chol Hamoed?

texts: May one cut a newborn's fingernails on chol hamoed if she scratches her face with her nails on chol hamoed?


texts: How do we know what the Chazzan should say aloud?

texts: In many siddurim, the text indicates a position, toward the end of each normal paragraph of prayer, where the Chazzan is supposed to start reading aloud, so that everyone knows when it's time to go on to the next paragraph. Does anyone know where these positions come from? Are they from tradition, or just pragmatic choices by each siddur publisher?


texts: Mathematical functions in Jewish Halacha

texts:
What mathematical operators, functions, and constants are mentioned in the Halachah besides addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division?

For example: powers and square or other roots, Pi etc.


texts: Do chazal provide any information on מִישָׁאֵל and אֶלְצָפָן  the levite cousins of Aron and Moshe who removed Nadav and Avihu from the mishkan (Vayikra 10:4)? I'm looking for any sources that discuss any other parts of their lives.


texts:
I learned somewhere that when you are learning, if you are going to read an entire pasuk without interruption you can say Hashem's name, however if you are going to only say part of the pasuk (for example you will interrupt to read Rashi) you should not say Hashem's name.
Does anyone have any idea where this came from?


texts: Do Jewish people believe that Jesus existed?

texts: Are there any evidence in Judaism that the man Jesus son of Joseph and Mary existed and if so are there dates associated with his birth and death?


texts: Looking for more information about a story of positive atheism/heresy

texts:
In a 2006 article (original link no longer available), Rabbi Jonathan Sacks tells the following story:

“DO YOU believe,” the disciple asked the rabbi, “that God created everything for a purpose?”
“I do,” replied the rabbi.
“Well,” asked the disciple, “why did God create atheists?”
The rabbi paused before giving an answer, and when he spoke his voice was soft and intense. “Sometimes we who believe, believe too much. We see the cruelty, the suffering, the injustice in the world and we say: ‘This is the will of God.’ We accept what we should not accept. That is when God sends us atheists to remind us that what passes for religion is not always religion. Sometimes what we accept in the name of God is what we should be fighting against in the name of God.”

Did this story actually happen or is it a parable to illustrate a point? If it did happen, who was the Rabbi? Is the story recorded anywhere?
On Chabad.org, Rabbi Tzvi Freeman tells a Baal Shem Tov story. The story has a similar punchline but a different setup:

They asked the Baal Shem Tov, “The Talmud (Chulin 109B) tells us that for everything G‑d forbade, He provided us something permissible of the same sort. If so, what did He permit that corresponds to the sin of heresy?”
The Baal Shem Tov replied, “Acts of kindness.”
Because when you see a person suffering, you don’t say, “G‑d runs the universe. G‑d will take care. G‑d knows what is best.” You do everything in your power to relieve that suffering as though there is no G‑d. You become a heretic in G‑d’s name.

Is this the same story that Rabbi Jonathan Sacks wrote? It's not uncommon for stories to morph like that.
Does anyone have a source for the Baal Shem Tov story as well?
Here a transcript of Rabbi Sacks telling another version of the story. The lecture took place on 25th November 2003:

I love the story of the devoted followers of the Hassidic master – for those who don’t know that is a kind of guru in Jewish mysticism – and they were getting somewhat profound, as you do by the third Sabbath meal after three meals, lots of chicken soup and, being Hassidim, a lot of vodka and they dared to ask the guru, a question. Does he believe that God created everything for a purpose? He said that of course he believed that God created everything for a purpose. They said in that case, why did God create atheists? And he replied “Because those who have faith sometimes make their peace with the injustices of this world by claiming that they are the will of God. Therefore God created atheists to protest and fight every injustice”.


texts: Are all mitzvos forbidden near a grave? If not, why not? If yes, why not say so?

texts:
The Talmud (Bavli, B'rachos 18 amud 1) mentions a prohibition on wearing tzitzis or t'filin, or reading from a Torah scroll, in a cemetery, based on "one who taunts the pauper, that makes him a blasphemer" (Proverbs 17:5).

Based on this, the Shulchan Aruch forbids the following in a cemetery near a grave: wearing tzitzis exposed to view (OC 23, YD 367:4), wearing t'filin exposed to view (OC 45:1, YD 367:2), saying "Sh'ma" (OC 71:7, per Mishna B'rura :15), holding a Torah scroll (YD 282:4, per Shach :6), reciting from the Torah except in honor of the deceased (YD 367:3, Kaf Hachayim OC 23:1), and praying (YD 367:3) even kadish (Shach :3). (As always, consult your rabbi for practical guidance.)

Seemingly, the pauper-taunting is the fulfilling of a mitzva (command), alluding to the fact that he can still do so and the deceased cannot.

Is there a prohibition, then, on fulfilling other commands also, when apparent to onlookers, except in honor of the deceased? (If my father and I are near a grave and he asks me for his sweater that I'm holding, so that he may wear it, am I not allowed to pass it to him, because that would be obviously fulfilling the mitzva of honoring my father? If someone begs for charity near a grave, am I not allowed to give? If there's a fall hazard near a grave, am I forbidden from putting a railing up?) If (as I suspect) fulfilling all mitzvos is not prohibited, then why not? What's special about tzitzis, t'filin, reciting Torah and prayers, and holding a Torah scroll? And if fulfilling all mitzvos is in fact prohibited (when apparent to onlookers), why doesn't Shulchan Aruch say so as a blanket rule?


texts: Am I allowed to get miles or points for a loan?

texts:
Suppose me and my good friend Shimon are in a store shopping. Shimon wants to borrow $100 from me for his purchase. I graciously agree, but instead of giving Shimon cash, I swipe my credit card for his purchase. Later, Shimon will pay me back the $100.

At this point it appears we have a rather simple case of borrowing and lending without interest.

The complication, however, is that the credit card I used is in-fact a cash back rewards card. So for every purchase I make, the credit card company gives me back 1% of the amount.

In this case, while Shimon will be paying me back $100, I will also be getting back another $1 from my credit card company.

So is this allowed? Or is it a case of interest?


texts: What is the requirement of covering our eyes for Shema?  For example, do your eyes need to be closed? Must one cover with their hand?  Does it matter which hand is used?


texts:
The Rambam in Hilchos Teshuvah 1:1 tells us that saying vidui (confessing) is an integral part of the teshuva process:

כָּל מִצְוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין בִּשְׁגָגָה כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת לִפְנֵי הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר ה ו) "אִישׁ אוֹ אִשָּׁה כִּי יַעֲשׂוּ" וְגוֹ' (במדבר ה ז) "וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ" זֶה וִדּוּי דְּבָרִים. וִדּוּי זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה. כֵּיצַד מִתְוַדִּין. אוֹמֵר אָנָּא הַשֵּׁם חָטָאתִי עָוִיתִי פָּשַׁעְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וְעָשִׂיתִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ וַהֲרֵי נִחַמְתִּי וּבֹשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשַׂי וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינִי חוֹזֵר לְדָבָר זֶה. וְזֶהוּ עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל וִדּוּי. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְהִתְוַדּוֹת וּמַאֲרִיךְ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח וְכֵוּ'
All the commandments of the Torah, whether mandatory or prohibitive, if a person violates any one of them, either on purpose or by accident, when he repents and returns from his sinful ways, he is obligated to confess before Hashem, as it is said: "When a man or woman shall commit any sin..… Then they shall confess their sin which they have done (Num. 5.6–7), which is a confession of words. Such confession is a positive commandment. How is the verbal confession made? The sinner says: "I beseech Thee, O Great Name! I have sinned; I have been obstinate; I have committed profanity against Thee, particularly in doing thus and such. Now, behold! I have repented and am ashamed of my actions; forever will I not relapse into this thing again." This is the essence form of teshuvah; but whosoever elaborates in confessing and extends this subject is, indeed, praise-worthy.

With this in mind (and since he can't verbalize it) is it possible for a mute person to do teshuva?


texts: Is there a source that the Messiah can die and return?

texts: Is there a source in Judaism that indicates that Moshiach (Ben David, not Ben Yosef) will die before having fulfilled his role and then return to posthumously achieve it?


texts: being maavir sedrah before its being read on shabbat afternoon

texts: What is the specific halachic source, if any that says that one should not begin being maavir sedrah until that sedrah has already been lained the previous Shabbos.


texts: Is the study of biblical criticism considered heresy according to Jewish law?

texts: The Rambam writes (Hilchos Teshuva 3:8) that one who says Torah is not from God, or even that one verse in the Torah, if Moses said it, he said on his own - is considered a heretic. Does this apply to one who endorses biblical criticism (both higher and lower) of the other books of the Tanakh--higher criticism being most commonly known as the historical-critical method? What are the views of other Rishonim/Halachists regarding this?


texts:
In Shemot 16:23 we read:

אֵ֣ת אֲשֶׁר־תֹּאפ֞וּ אֵפ֗וּ
That which is with tofu you should bake.

Why does the Torah require us to specifically bake products containing tofu?

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


texts:
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 139:4) discusses the potential issue that a listener might think that the blessings for an aliya are actually written in the Torah scroll. Different suggestions are offered for when and how to deal with this (rolling up the scroll, facing away etc.).

I'm wondering if anyone discusses this in the context of the original minhag Ashkenaz to say the Akdamut poem on the first day of Shavuot after the first verse of the Torah reading, or more relevantly, in the context of saying the poem Yitziv Pitgam during the haftorah for the second day of Shavuot when reading from a scroll.

Does anyone know of any sources that discuss this? Alternatively, has anyone been to a synagogue where this issue arose (ie they read Akdamut during the aliya or they read the haftara from a scroll), and if so was it dealt with and how?


texts: Would Job's daughters' sons have been sons of Job?

texts:
In Job's testing, Job's sons all died.  When God restored him, he had seven sons and three daughters.  He gave the daughters an inheritance among their brothers.  Would Job's grandsons (The daughters' sons) have been "sons of Job" by lineage? Or does verse 16 indicate that the daughters sons were not considered his sons?
Job 42:15-16

טו  וְלֹא נִמְצָא נָשִׁים יָפוֹת, כִּבְנוֹת אִיּוֹב--בְּכָל-הָאָרֶץ; וַיִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֲבִיהֶם נַחֲלָה, בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶם.
טז  וַיְחִי אִיּוֹב אַחֲרֵי-זֹאת, מֵאָה וְאַרְבָּעִים שָׁנָה; וירא (וַיִּרְאֶה), אֶת-בָּנָיו וְאֶת-בְּנֵי בָנָיו--אַרְבָּעָה, דֹּרוֹת.


texts: Why is precedent set by individual rabbis, but not courts?

texts: The headline on this obituary for R' Eliyashiv ("A One Man Supreme Court") got me thinking - why do we invest so much power in precedents set by individual rabbis, as great as they may be, but not in court rulings? Courts usually look to individual rabbis' prior rulings when deciding a case, rather than individual rabbis looking at previous court cases to determine how they should rule. Why is that?


texts: What to do if parent doesn't have Jewish name, or if the child never knew it?

texts:
A person is called up for an Aliyah. He gives the name as x son of Ibrahim. Upon questioning, it comes out that the person did not know his father's Hebrew name, or that if there even was one, it could have been an entirely different name from the Hebrew parallel Avraham.

Any sources that deal with such a situation? Should he continue using "Ibrahim" or use the Hebrew parallel just for the sake of using a Hebrew name?


texts: Why did the two tribes have significantly more livestock than others?

texts:
The sizes of Gad and Reuben tribes were pretty average, however, Torah states that their livestock was disproportionally big (Num 32):

וּמִקְנֶה רַב הָיָה לִבְנֵי רְאוּבֵן וְלִבְנֵי־גָד עָצוּם מְאֹד׃
The Reubenites and the Gadites owned cattle in very great numbers.

What caused this fact?


texts: Hey for Sadaqah is it better to give more money to less people or less money to more people?

texts:
I was wondering, if in giving Sadaqah it is better to help out more people with a less amount of money or less people with more amounts of money? Which will be more beneficial? Any sources?
Thanks


texts:
In Shulchan Aruch (Orach Chaim 96) it is stated that one is not allowed to hold any object while davening because it will worry him that it may fall and take away from his kavana.

However one is permitted to hold onto something that is needed for the prayer itself (i.e. a Machzor or a Siddur, Lulav and Esrog) thus it will not take away from his kavana.

Fidget spinners have been marketed as toys that are helpful for the autistic and for children diagnosed with ADD. Supposedly, fidget spinners and fidget cubes are claimed to help with aiding the children's concentration during class. Many schools and teachers allow them in their class for this purpose.

If using a fidget cube/spinner helps one focus on the teffilah, may one hold/spin it while davening?

Are there any other factors beyond concentration that may allow or disallow their usage?


texts: How to understand וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים - "the bounteous crop of the moons" and Rashi on Devorim 33 (14)

texts:
Devorim 33 (14) says

וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד תְּבוּאֹ֣ת שָׁ֑מֶשׁ וּמִמֶּ֖גֶד גֶּ֥רֶשׁ יְרָחִֽים׃
With the bounteous yield of the sun, And the bounteous crop of the
moons;

Rashi says

גרש ירחים [AND BY] THE PRECIOUS THINGS PUT THINGS FORTH BY THE MOON —
there are some fruits which the moon brings to maturity, these are
cucumbers and melons (Sifrei Devarim 353:3). — Another explanation of
גרש ירחים: this refers to fruits which the earth puts out and produces
from month to month (cf. Onkelos).

Rashi's peshotim are difficult to understand.
1] The moon reflects light from the sun. So it seems unlikely that only the moon (and not the sun) will ripen  cucumbers and melons.
2] The 2nd pshat seems to suggest that the earth produces different produce each Rosh Chodesh as Onkelos says,
וְעָבְדָא מִגְדָּנִין וַעֲלָלָן מִיבוּל שִׁמְשָׁא וְעָבְדָא מִגְדָּנִין מֵרֵישׁ יְרַח בִּירַח:
So, two linked questions [1] What does the possuk mean and [2] can Rashi's peshotim be explained better?


texts: Buying items on Shabbos and paying after

texts:
Is it permissible to make up with a non-Jewish store owner before Shabbos that you will take items from his store on Shabbos and pay for them after Shabbos?

If not - is it rabbinic or biblical? May one use the items on Shabbos?


texts: May a convert serve on a beit din for gerut?

texts: Say a convert is called to be one of the three witnesses for a person's conversion. May he do so? The reason why I am asking is that I know there are restrictions on gerim for serving on a beit din, mostly on matters when the person of question being approached by the beit din is a born Yisraeli, so I would like clarification and opinions brought forward arguing for either case.


texts: Was there always a beracha for Shabbat candles?

texts:
The wikipedia entry for Shabbat Candles says that:

  The first record of the complete text of the blessing is from the
  Siddur of Rav Amram, written by Amram Gaon in the 9th century. He then
  cites Talmudic sources that a blessing was mandatory.

  ...it has been argued that, in Europe, Jewish women lit Shabbat lamps without a blessing until the 11th century

Is there any further information regarding when a beracha was instituted to accompany the lighting of Shabbat candles and when such a practice began?


texts:
Many are stringent: if they become a bal keri (have a nocturnal emission) for any reason they don't learn or pray before going to the mikveh ("tevilas ezra"). However, even according to those that are stringent in this (chassidim, etc.) is there any possibility of leniency in order to avoid missing out on a certain regular Torah study one does each night (that he wasn't able to study before having relations or that he simply wants to stay up and study afterwards and he can't get to the mikveh that night)?

I have heard the Yismach Moshe is lenient in such a case but I was never able to locate the leniency in that book. Perhaps someone here knows that citation or another. Obviously, if one would miss out on doing a mitzva at its right time, he would be lenient; I'm asking more in a general case when one merely wishes to learn at night and can't get to the mikveh.


texts: Although there is already a question on how judges were appointed during the period after the First Temple was built, that question did not cover the period of the Judges, following the time of Joshua.  How were they appointed?  Did they have to be prophets, as Devorah was?  Were they appointed by committee or by a single leader, or by concensus?  Were there other women judges?  And was the appointment of a woman, Devorah, controversial in its day?  I don't know if there answers to any of the above, but I find the questions fascinating.


texts:
When Joseph uses an interpreter in Genesis 42:23, some say the interpreter was his son Manasseh (Gen. Rabbah 91:8, Targum Jonathan, Targum Yerushalmi), but Torah doesn't say so.

The Torah doesn't give the name of Joseph's overseer either, but does anyone say  who the overseer of Joseph's house was?


texts: חזק חזק ונתחזק Chazak Chazak VeNischazek: why

texts: Why do we say חזק חזק ונתחזק when we end each Chumash?


texts: To wear tsisit (worn under shirts), Is it halacha, custom, minhag.  do we have to wear them?


texts: There are those that kiss their Tzitzis during Shema at Shacharis as per Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 17:7 and the Kaf HaChaim 18 and there are those that do not. What is the source and reason for those that do not kiss their Tzitzis during Shema at Shacharis?


texts: Cooking nat-bar-nat food in an opposite-type pot

texts:
The Star-K writes:

  If one ate pareve food that was cooked in a fleishig [=meat] pot, one is not required to wait six hours before eating dairy. However, one may not eat this food together with dairy or reheat it in a dairy pot. For example, if one cooked spaghetti in a fleishig pot[15] he may eat cheese immediately after finishing the spaghetti. However, he may not eat the spaghetti with cheese or with other dairy products. He should also not reheat the spaghetti in a milchig [=dairy] pot.[16]

(See footnote 15 there for a more lenient exception when the meat pot hadn't been used for meat for a while. A more stringent exception (unmentioned there) AFAIK is when the pareve food being cooked is sharp.)

Footnote 16 there says:

  If he inadvertently cooked the spaghetti… in a dairy pot, a Rav [=rabbi] should be consulted.

Where does the restriction on reheating the pareve food in a dairy pot come from: who says it's forbidden? (The Rama 95:2, for one, doesn't, AFAICT.)
The footnote's saying to ask a rabbi seems to imply the permissibility of the food and/or pot depends on multiple factors: what are those factors?


texts: I heard by a friend that during marital relations one needs to cover oneself and his wife with a blanket? Is there a reason for this? Is it a obligation or a minhag?


texts: Book recommendation for Jewish mindfulness

texts:
My Yom Kippur "cheshbon hanefesh" taught me that I should train myself to be conscious of the purpose of each activity, however trivial, as I engage in it through the day.

(I think that this might be similar to what is achieved through “Mindfulness”.)

Is there a book in English or Hebrew which would help me achieve my purpose?