texts:
It has been discussed many times on this site that a non-Jew may not observe Shabbat (in addition to various other mitzvot that are prohibited to non-Jews). We have also seen that a Jew who renounces Judaism, while not losing his official Jewish status, may have to undergo some kind of process to reaffirm his commitment to Judaism.

My question is, may a Jew who has renounced Judaism continue to observe Shabbat? Must he? Does it matter if he has converted to some other religion such as Christianity?


texts: Yosef "stretched his height" to conceal Rachel?

texts:
Rashi on Bereshit 33:7 relates that, when Yaakov's family presented themselves to Eisav, the mothers drew near before the sons, but in Rachel’s case, Yosef preceded her .

  ...He said, “My mother has a pretty figure. Perhaps that scoundrel
  will set his eyes on her. I will stand in front of her and prevent him
  from gazing upon her....

And in Bereshit 49:22

  אמר יוסף רשע הזה עינו רמה, שמא יתן עינו באמי, יצא לפניה ושרבב קומתו
  לכסותה,

  Joseph said,“This scoundrel has a haughty eye. Perhaps he will take a
  fancy to my mother.” So he went ahead of her, stretching his height
  to conceal her.

My question is:

Being that Yosef was a 6 year old boy at the time (see Bershit 30:25 and 31:41 ) how could he conceal Rachel?

Was he really tall? Was Rachel short?


texts: Is there a problem with increasing the heat of hot food on shabbat

texts: Let me use an example: if I have a soup that is passed the bishul point and all the contents within the soup are officially cooked. Is there an issur of putting it in area where it will get hotter? I think it shouldn't be a problem because it's already yad soledet.


texts:
I recently saw a tourist guide for Kohanim, published online by the Chicago Rabbinical Council, listing certain Chicago tourist sites that are, and are not, problematic for Kohanim.

Are there any other local Va'adim that publish such guides, at least in major cities?  I would think this could prove to be a very useful tool, at least potentially.


texts: Did any Rabbi discuss for the Zohar prediction around 1840?

texts:
The Zohar 1:117a says:

וּבְשִׁית מְאָה שְׁנִין לִשְׁתִיתָאָה יִתְפַּתְּחוּן תַּרְעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא לְעֵילָא וּמַבּוּעֵי דְחָכְמְתָא לְתַתָּא
In the six hundredth year to the sixth millennium, the upper gates of wisdom will open up, and the lower springs of wisdom will open up.

Did any contemporary Rabbis of that time discuss this Zohar in relation to their surroundings?


texts: What (if any) is the connection between the three weeks and the Yomim Noraim?

texts: Are there any sources that discuss the significance/meaning of the fact that Elul and the Yomim Noraim almost immediately follow the 3 weeks of mourning? (actual sources preferred over speculation)


texts:
It would appear from the text that he did.
Firstly the fact he was there, and leading the army himself: (Exodus 14 verse 10) with Rashi

Pharaoh drew near, and the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold! the Egyptians were advancing after them. They were very frightened, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord.     י. וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב וַיִּשְׂאוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת עֵינֵיהֶם וְהִנֵּה מִצְרַיִם | נֹסֵעַ אַחֲרֵיהֶם וַיִּירְאוּ מְאֹד וַיִּצְעֲקוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל יְהֹוָה:

Pharaoh drew near: Heb. וּפַרְעֹה הִקְרִיב, lit., and Pharaoh brought near. It [the verse] should have said: קָרַב. What is the meaning of הִקְרִיב ? He [Pharaoh] drew himself near and strove to go before them [his army], as he had stipulated with them. — (Rashi)

Secondly that there were no apparent survivors: verse 28:

And the waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen, the entire force of Pharaoh coming after them into the sea; not even
one of them survived.     כח. וַיָּשֻׁבוּ הַמַּיִם וַיְכַסּוּ אֶת
הָרֶכֶב וְאֶת הַפָּרָשִׁים לְכֹל חֵיל פַּרְעֹה הבָּאִים אַחֲרֵיהֶם
בַּיָּם לֹא נִשְׁאַר בָּהֶם עַד אֶחָד: and covered the chariots…the
entire force of Pharaoh: Heb. לְכֹל חֵיל פַּרְעֹה So is the custom of
Scriptural verses to write a superfluous “lammed,” such as in “all
(לְכָל) its utensils you shall make copper” (Exod. 27:3); and
similarly, “all (לְכֹל) the utensils of the Tabernacle for all its
services” (Exod. 27:19); [and in the phrase] “their stakes and their
ropes, along with all (לְכָל) their utensils” (Num. 4:32), and it [the
“lammed”] is [used] merely to enhance the language.    ויכסו את הרכב
וגו' לכל חיל פרעה: כך דרך המקראות לכתוב למ"ד יתירה, כמו (להלן כג) לכל
כליו תעשה נחשת, וכן (שם יט) לכל כלי המשכן בכל עבודתו, (במדבר ד לב)
ויתדותם ומיתריהם לכל כליהם, ואינה אלא תיקון לשון:

Therefore it would appear obvious that Pharaoh was there, leading the army, and drowned with them, yet I have heard that there are some opinions that he alone did survive?


texts: Was the first child of Dovid and Batsheva supposed to be Moshiach?

texts: Rav Neventzal’s sichos Bereishis sichah 36, explains that Dovid knew via ru’ach ha’kodesh that Moshiach was going to come from his relationship with Batsheva. I heard that this refers to the child who subsequently died. Is there a source for the idea that the child of Dovid and Batsheva was supposed to be Moshiach?


texts:
Out of idle curiosity, when I was writing something else, I started wondering what happened to the burning bush after Moses "left the scene" -- I wondered if it just kept on burning or something. Half convinced that my memory was just terrible, I reread the beginning of Exodus from the Mechon Mamre site and realized that I actually couldn't find anything:

  And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush; and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said: 'I will turn aside now, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.' And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said: 'Moses, Moses.' And he said: 'Here am I.' (3:2-4)

This would suggest to me that the bush was still burning when Moses began talking to God, and the episode ends merely with Moses returning to Jethro (4:18). Between this, we do read that Moses is talking to God, but this I interpreted to just mean that he was talking to God through the bush.

Given this, what actually ended up happening to the bush? Am I just missing something, or is there really no explanation in this specific portion of the text? If so, are there any standard explanations from other souces?


texts: does anyone know where the source of this gemora:

texts:
Does anyone know where the source of this gemora:
A father says my son should be for a korban, and the gemora digresses and says we dont know if the father is a chosid or a shoteh.


texts: Why learning from examples vs learning from Halakhah?

texts:
Our Talmud uses different methods to teach Halachot, one of them is telling stories about Rabbis and concluding the Halachot from their behavior.
One of the famous is R' Akiva in Brochos 62 (check the full sugya "That's the true way to learn Torah" there):

"תניא: 'אמר רבי עקיבא: פעם אחת נכנסתי אחר רבי יהושע לבית הכסא, ולמדתי ממנו שלשה דברים:..."
(R' Akivah said: one day I followed R' Yehoshua to a public bathroom and thus learned 3 Halochos)

This way is very prone to misunderstandings. The stories are transmitted with big changes (see the differences between Yerushalmi and Bavli in stories) from generation to generation still increasing the possibility of misreading. The fact that many times the Amoraim or the Rishoynim fail to agree on what the story mean at all.
Why would the Sages use the stories to prove Halachah instead of asking the Halachah explicitly from the source and publishing it?
Does it hint that the story indicates that there was no Halachah Psukah on that topic at that time?


texts: If Kohelet said there is nothing new under the sun, then can there ever really be a novel Torah? Also, could it be that the Torah we deem as novel is really just dvar Torahs that were conceived in a past gilgul?


texts: Does the principle of Hadash Asur Min Hatorah apply to technological new things?

texts: According to the Hatam Sofer, does this principle apply to technological novelties? This principle means that "New Is Forbidden By The Torah".


texts: Is it permitted for a Ben-Noach be an atheist?

texts: Avoda zarah is one of the things prohibited by the Seven Noachide Laws. But what about atheism? I know that the 7 Laws are often taken to include a larger number of halachot from the Torah, so would the prohibition against avoda zarah expand to include kefira as well?


texts: I heard that it is permitted for a sefaradi to eat fish with butter but not with any other dairy products. Is this a valid statement?


texts: What is the halachik source, if any, for lashon naki (clean speech)? Is there a portion of Talmud that deals with the specifics? On the surface, it seems to be employed inconsistently, by which I mean there are times where the torah or chazal will go out of their way to use euphemism instead of the proper noun or description (the below example from Pesachim is great). However, other times we find very graphic descriptions for instance, of female genitalia in shir hashirim, (albeit assumedly metaphorical) or tzoah rosachas (gitin 57a) with no compunction for 'lashon naki'.


texts: Any information about Rabbi Barnett Hasden's "Ner Tamid K" hechsher?

texts: Does anyone here know anything about the reliability of "Rabbi Barnett Hasden of Ner Tamid K in Staten Island, NY"?


texts: What is the Current Understanding of Mitzvah?

texts:
According to Maimonides there are 613 Mitzvot that God commanded us. To the best of my knowledge most traditional halakhic authorities clearly state that “good-deed” is not an accurate translation of mitzvah. Commandment is. It seems to me, however, that my understanding is wrong and the concept of mitzvah has indeed changed over time to include a wider range of behaviors such as “good-deeds”.

I have heard actions such as, for example, a child cleaning up their toys, paying a shiva-call, giving a lift to a friend, being texted to help make a minyan, loaning a sweater to someone going out on a date, allowing someone to use your cell to make a call while theirs is recharging, etc., etc., all being referred to as mitzvahs. Am I being too literal or are such behaviors actually mitzvahs? Does context matter?

It just seems to me——although I admittedly cannot prove it——that far too many people these days over use the term mitzvah when describing a rather ordinary act or to guilt someone into doing something for them; oh, please do this favor for me, it’ll be a mitzvah. Is this perhaps a reflection of society as a whole where grade-inflation, political-correctness, etc. is en vogue? Could it be misleading to make people think they are accumulating so many mitzvahs when they are simply doing the right thing?


texts: Mordechai's ban on going to Achashveirosh's party

texts: Is there a source that Mordechai banned or prohibited the Jews from going to Achashveirosh's party?


texts:
Are the four cups of wine that we drink at the Pesach Seder m'akev (bar) each other. That is to say, without all four cups, do the cups a person does drink count for anything?

However one will ask, "l'mai nafkah minah". That is, how could the four cups be "m'akev" each other and what difference does it make?

Obviously a practical nafka minah would be: If one does not have four cups, is there any point in drinking three?

Seemingly there could be another. It says in the Mishnah in the beginning of Arvei Pesachim that if someone doesn't have four cups they take from the "tamchui" (take from Tzedeka). If the person is only able to get two cups from Tzedeka and can't get all four, does he still take? Perhaps only when he'll get four and be able to fulfill the mitzvah in it's fullest would he take from tzedeka.

As always provide sources and perhaps other nafkah minei for this question.


texts:
I recently received a new gadget: The Jawbone UP band. Look it up on Google, but the basic idea is it is a bracelet you wear 24/7 that measures all kind of things while you move around.

Should it be removed on Shabbat?


texts: Rem"a on Socrates being Achitophel's disciple

texts:
Rama mentions that Achitophel was a teacher of Socrates, as per the Moses Isserles, Torat ha-Olah 1:11):

  "Socrates was said to have been his disciple"

I'm not lucidly fluent in Hebrew, but here's the text

  ודע כי ראיתי בספר אחד ישן מאוד היו מצויירין בו כל הפילוסופים בצורתן וחכמתן איך המציאן והיה כתוב בו שס"ארוט שהוא שקראוהו הפילוסופים סקרא"ט האלהי להיותו שהוא המציא בראשונה בפילוסופיא שיש נמצא נבדל: ואחריו נמשכו הפילוסופים האחרים.
  וכתב שם שהוא קבל החכמה מאסף הקרחי ומאחיתופל.

My question is how is this possible? Achitophel was known to have advised David HaMelech, circa 1000 BCE, whereas Socrates had lived between 470-399 BCE. It was also known that Achitophel died when he was 33 years old, as per Masechet Sanhedrin 69b, "And it is written: “Bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days” (Psalms 55:24). And in keeping with this verse, it is taught in a baraita: All of Doeg’s years were only thirty-four and Ahithophel’s were only thirty-three".


texts: Which of Moshe Chaim Luzzatto's works influenced Chassidut, Mussar, and Haskalah?

texts:
In Dovid Cohen (known as Rav Ha-Nazir)'s Wikipedia page, the following idea is attributed to him:

  He saw in Moses Hayyim Luzzatto the harbinger of this redemption, pointing out that the three significant movements, Hasidism, Musar, and Haskalah, had each made certain of Luzzatto's works their classics

I know that Messilat Yesharim was one of the works that R' Yisroel Salanter valued for his Mussar Movement.

Which of Ramchal's works did the Haskalah and Chassidut movement "make classic"?

Ramchal's wikipedia article says:

  The Hebrew writers of the Haskalah, the Jewish expression of the Enlightenment, greatly admired Luzatto's secular writings and deemed him the founder of modern Hebrew literature.

It doesn't say which work they "made classic".

Does anyone know where Rav Ha-Nazir made this statement? If it helps, here's a link to his Hebrew wikipedia page.


texts: Symbolism behind earrings used for the golden calf?

texts: Shemos 32:2-3 tells us that the gold materials requested and used for the making of the golden calf were earrings. The Jews clearly had other gold items, including other golden jewlery (ibid 35:22). Is there any symbolism behind why earrings specifically were chosen?


texts:
It can be all too easy for people to underestimate the halachic significance of minhagim (traditions/customs). While there are, as I understand it, a variety of halachic issues/differences of opinions, when all is said and done minhagim can and do become halachiclly binding in certain circumstances.

There are certain minhagim, however, which are mentioned in the Gemara as [at least practically speaking] universal, but today are not observed by significant communities of observant Jews and have not been for generations.

It would seem to me that while it may not be permitted to discontinue a certain minhag there comes a point that "bediavad" (after the fact) is can no longer be considered "customary" to observe a certain practice.

Are there any sources which explicitly discuss the status of discontinued minhagim and whether there comes a point when they loose their status as halachicly binding and if there is any mitzvah to re-establish a kosher minhag which lost its status as halachicly binding, whether as an individual or a community?


texts:
Is one allowed to do exercises on Shabbos?

Are any types allowed? Some examples of different types:

Lifting weights or heavy items
Jumping jacks
Taking a walk (long, but without Techum issues)
Doing sit-ups or push-ups
Stretching
Climbing steps

In all cases, assume that the user is doing such actions with intent to lose weight.


texts:
Every [anonymous] question asked in the responsum Torah Lishmah ends with an address to the answerer and the abbreviation ושכמ"ה (e.g.). The Otzar Rashei Teivos had only one entry for this abbreviation (without the initial conjunction), which was "שכרו כפול מן השמים" - "his reward is multiplied from heaven".

What is the significance of this note?
Did the questioners all use the exact same formula in asking their questions or is this more likely a case of editorial uniformizing?


texts:
Let's say the Torah parchment has a hole such that a letter is missing where the hole is, making the entire Torah "pasul".

May one use either of these methods to fix the problem?

1 - Get a small blank piece of parchment; glue it to the back of the original parchment, and write the missing letter after it has been glued?

2 - Get a piece of parchment, write the letter on the small piece of parchment, then glue that to the large parchment such that the letter appears through the hole in the correct place?

If neither method is allowable, does this mean that the only way is to rewrite the entire yeri'ah (parchment sheet)?

Note: I am looking for a halachic source. Additionally, you may include information of the practical aspects of why this may or may not be a good solution (from a safrut or preservation view.)


texts:
Who knows twenty-four?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. After about one business day, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: Sources that discuss reasons for the prohibition on suicide

texts: What are a few (as many as possible) sources in the Gemara and cases in Tanach that deal with why one is not allowed to take his/her own life?


texts: When reading the megillah why do we pasken like Rebbi Meir?

texts:
In Megillah 19a there is an argument as to how much of the actual text of the megillah one needs to read in order to fulfill the obligation. Rebbi Meir says you need to read the whole things and the halacha, as ruled there in the Talmud and codified by the Shulchan Aruch, is in accordance with him. However the gemarah in Eruvin (13b) indicates that the halacha is never like Rebbi Meir because his colleagues could not fathom his reasoning.

My question is why is there an exception made for this one halacha, to pasken like Rebbi Meir?


texts: If a person had to choose between buying an esrog or a lulav, which one should he buy? For example, if he cannot afford to buy both or supplies are extremely limited.


texts: Why is there an accusation in our Confession litany?

texts:
In the alphabetical vidui confession, we begin with Ashamnu -- we are guilty, and we list off a series of mistakes we have made. This makes sense -- a confession requires that we own up to our sins.

The final item in the list is "תעתענו" 'titanu' which is explained in my machzor as "you have let us go astray."

While our straying is not a good thing, and we confess it directly before (as ta'inu), why would an accusation against God be appropriate for OUR confession?


texts: Passover baking with milk instead of water

texts: Juices and liquids constituted partly of water, but themselves not pure water, do not create chametz when mixed with flour, according to another set of answers here on Mi Yodeya. Does this same principle apply to milk as well, and can you, therefore, under proper conditions, bake with flour and milk?


texts: How do you explain to non-frum relatives why your simcha will have separate dancing?


texts:
How did show Shomer Israel become part of our daily tachnun? Clearly it happened in the 1800's. Prior to that it was just for slichos and Mondays and Thursdays (see magen avraham תרפה;ב....the very end as far as when to say shomer Yisroel. Also see aruch hashulchan קלא;ט.) See Jewish liturgy by Ismar Elbogen and Raymond Sheindlin.
Thank you


texts: Can one say Shir Hamaalos without a Minyan?

texts: During the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah, many congregations say שיר המעלות after Yishtabach. Is there any problem saying שיר המעלות without a minyan?


texts: PTIJ: Why would we recommend emulating Hillel?

texts:
The Talmud states (Shabbos 30b)

לעולם יהא אדם ענוותן כהלל
One should be humble like Hillel

However, it says explicitly in Tehillim (10:3):

כי הלל רשע
Hillel is wicked

Why would we want to emulate such an individual?

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


texts: Is it permissible to use live bait for fishing

texts: For example, would one run into the problem of tsar bale haim when impaling a live worm with a hook for the possibility of catching a kosher fish to eat?


texts: What percentage of Chabad still believes their Rebbe is the Messiah?

texts:
Are there any statistics as to what percentage of Chabad still believes that their Rebbe is the Messiah? Is it the majority or simply a very vocal minority? Have there been any serious studies made on the issue?

Please note this question seeks statistics not ideology.


texts:
Where in the rabbinic writings are there examples of the word "Elul" that mean or imply "harvest" and/or "search"?
Which word in Aramaic means "search" that uses the similar spelling of "Elul"?
My question came from reading the following:

The name of the month Elul ... originated from the Akkadian word for
"harvest".
The word "Elul" is similar to the root of the verb "search" in
Aramaic.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elul


texts:
Recently, I made some vodka at home and my friend (modern orthodox) asked that it be toiveled so that he may drink the beverage.  However, I know that extremely religious Jews will drink whiskey or bottled water which is made on equipment which is known to be 100% not toiveled.

My question is, why must I toivel by still when Glenfidich does not?


texts: If mixing red and blue thread for the Mishkan, why the purple thread too?

texts:
Throughout the construction of the Mishkan (Tabernacle) and Bigdei Kodesh (holy clothing for the Kohanim), they use a mix of red, blue, and purple wool (plus [white?] linen, and in the case of the clothing, gold thread as well).

I'm sure there are several easy and obvious answers here, but for the sake of acknowledging the question (which I'm sure some kids must have asked):

If you're already mixing red and blue thread, then why the purple thread? Wouldn't it look purplish anyhow?


texts: Why would the blue-footed booby be treif? I can't see anything that would make it not kosher, and the Torah does not mention it (obviously) in the list of forbidden birds in Vayikra 11:13-19.


texts: How was the market price established in the time of the gemoro?

texts:
Rambam - Malveh veLoveh - Chapter 9 paskens

  א. אין פוסקין על הפירות עד שיצא השער An order for produce cannot be
  placed until a market price has been established.

according to the mishnah in Baba Mezi'a 72b.

In the time of the gemoro, how would the parties to a sale know that the market price was established?


texts:
We will be taking a long trip by car that will be spread out over three days with a break for Shabbat in the middle.
What is the halacha for saying Tefilat HaDerech (Prayer for the traveler)? is it said just once for the entire journey? Or do we say it the beginning of each days journey?


texts: A Kohan married to a Convert Blessing the People

texts: May a Kohan who is married to a convert bless the People (Birkhat HaKohanim?)


texts: Non Jews: What honor to give a non jewish father at an Orthodox bar mitzvah (Jewish son) or at a wedding?

texts: I have heard from an active Rabbi that he would give a non Jewish father the honor of opening  the ark. What about putting on a Torah covering? Where is this issue discussed in  halachic sources? Due to the increase in mixed marriages ,this is an increasing issue also in weddings.


texts:
What is the difference between נצר natzar (keep, gaurd, watch, preserve) and שמר shamar?

Their meaning looks so similar that I would like to know what makes the difference between these two.

(For example in the verse of Tehillim 105:45, Mishlei 2:8, 2:11, 4:6 etc.)


texts: Why is meat only kosher if a Jew slaughters the animal?

texts:
According to this answer in the question "What is kosher meat?" it is said that a Jew has to slaughter an animal in order for its meat to become kosher:

  This is done by Jews who are experts trained in the specifics of the laws of slaughtering, known as Shochtim. A short blessing is recited prior to killing the animal as before all Mitzvot, but it is not an essential part of the process.

What is this claim based on? Is there a verse somewhere where it says that one of the conditions is that you have to be a Jew in order for the meat to become kosher when the animal is slaughtered?

Let's assume that the one slaughtering it is fulfilling all conditions that are needed for the meat to be kosher, except he is not a Jew.

Please add references in your answer. If you do add any materials which aren't in English, please consider translating them to English.


texts: Kidushin 31a brings the story of Dama ben Nesina and his amazing Kibud Av V'Aim which cost him a huge fortune. He was rewarded for his amazing Kibud Av V'Aim by one of his cows giving birth to a red heifer (Para Aduma) which was then sold for the same amount he previously lost by doing Kibud Av V'Aim. Why was there a need specifically for him to be rewarded in such a manner? Why could he not find a diamond that had such a value? Why reward him with a Para Aduma?


texts: Will firstborn sons or Kohanim serve in the Third Temple?

texts: In Ezekiel 48, where he prophesied about a future temple, he talks about Kohanim and Levites serving. "Kohanim of the sons of Zadok..." or "Now for the Levites, opposite the border of the Kohanim..." and so on. However I have heard (don't remember where) that firstborn males are supposed to be the ones to serve in the Third Temple. So who will serve, the Kohanim and Levites, or the firstborn?


texts: אלהים vs האלהים - what's the difference?

texts:
Those (Elohim and Ha'Elohim) two are used in different places and both translated as "יי" - G-d. For example (Shmos 18):

"...אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה אֱלֹהִים לְמֹשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל" - כָּל דִי עֲבַד יְיָ לְמשֶׁה וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵל עַמֵהּ"
"...לֶאֱכָל־לֶחֶם עִם־חֹתֵן מֹשֶׁה לִפְנֵי הָאֱלֹהִים" - "לְמֵיכַל לַחְמָא עִם חֲמוּהִי דְמשֶׁה קֳדָם יְיָ"

What's the difference and when ה the definite article is used in reference to G-d?


texts: What can you look for to ensure that a vegan restaurant is Kosher?

texts:
Vegan restaurants claim to serve strictly vegetable and plant-based meals.

They would seem to be automatically Kosher, but I've read and heard that there could be other Kosher issues.

What are those issues, and what are some things you can do to ensure that a vegan restaurant is not involved in any of them?


texts: Is it halachically acceptable to discuss Torah concerning sexual conduct in a forum like Mi Yodeya?

texts:
The Mishna in Chagiga 2:1 rules:

אין דורשין בעריות בשלשה
One may not expound the laws of forbidden sexual relations before three people

The Gemara in Shabbat 33a writes:

א"ר חנן בר רבא הכל יודעין כלה למה נכנסה לחופה אלא כל המנבל פיו אפי' חותמין עליו גזר דין של שבעים שנה לטובה הופכין עליו לרעה
Said R. Hanan b. Rabbah: All know for what purpose a bride enters the
bridal canopy, yet against whomsoever who speaks obscenely [thereof],
even if a sentence of seventy years' happiness had been sealed for
him, it is reversed for evil.

In light of the above, may one discuss explicit matters concerning sexual conduct in a public web forum like Mi Yodeya?


texts: What was the nature of the tax of 32 people?

texts:
BeMidbar 31:40 states that, after the war with the Midyanim, in which Bnei Yisrael were instructed to take captives and booty, and to pay taxes to HaShem from this plunder, they "paid" a total of thirty-two (32) people.

What does that mean? Were the captives enslaved? Did they perform work in the Mishkan? What was their status and what became of them?


texts:
It's written in this Torah portion that a king isn't allowed to acquire any horses for himself, because it will cause people to go to Egypt and buy them, and it is forbidden to return to Egypt.

Rashi to that verse (Devarim 17:16), from Sanhedrin 21b, says that 1) the horses come specifically from Egypt, so it would violate a mitzvah to return there so we "don't see them again" (Shemos 14:13) (even though all of the Egyptians of that time were supposedly wiped out at the splitting of the sea, but that's a separate question) and 2) it's ok for him to acquire horses necessary for his army's chariots.

The question arises:

If he's not allowed to get horses for himself because it will cause someone to return to Egypt (thus violating a mitzvah) to buy the horses, since that's the only source of horses from Eretz Yisroel according to Rashi and the Gemara, then how is he supposed to buy horses for his army?


texts: Why do we read Yona of all things on Yom Kippur? There are better tales of teshuvah that are more relevant to klall yisroel; why was this sefer, which deals exclusively with non-Jews doing teshuva, chosen instead?


texts:
Please provide some Torah-based perspectives on the topic of how appropriate and/or advisable it is for a regular Jew in this day and age to listen to his instincts, e.g. about practical matters involving the future. I am talking about something like a חוּשׁ, sense of feeling that something is going to happen, or someone is going to behave in a certain way. How much should one listen to it, and how much should one adjust one's plans and actions in response?

Imagine the person's חושים have been reliable in the past. Imagine there are some facts to support the חוש, but also perhaps some to support the contrary -- that is, it is not really known.

How would one be able to determine whether one's חוש is Ruach haKodesh; a result of the brain's independent organization of unconscious observations; or G-d forbid, an occasion of nonsensical compulsion or something spiritually undesirable?

Related. When Gut feeling and supposed Knowledge conflict


texts: Why was it important for the Jews to leave Mitzraim with רכוש גדול?

texts: Why did the Jews have to leave Egypt with רכוש גדול?  What was the significance of the Bnei Yisroel asking the Egyptians for silver, gold? (Shemos 11:2)


texts: From what I understand, the laws of "bechor behemah tehorah" (kosher first-born animal) are still in effect today, both in Israel and outside. To avoid problems with this, we sell a share of the mother (I've always heard it explained as 'her ear') to a non-Jew, and therefore the firstborn offspring is permitted. Does that mean that the non-Jew who bought part of the mother owns a share in the offspring? Also, in today's huge meat-packing plants, does that end up being thousands of dollars a year? Does anyone supervise this today (such as the rabbanut in Israel)?


texts: Is there a special reason why people cut the Chalah on Shabbos in diagonal slices


texts: Where can I find an online copy of ספר החכמה?

texts: In Gittin 10b, many Rishonim (Mordechai [who appears to have been a student of his] and a few more) reference one רבינו יקיר (aka אפרים, as in "הבן יקיר לי אפרים"), in a work called ספר החכמה. I can't seem to find a copy anywhere, and was wondering if there is an online copy of the work available.


texts: Hefsek between netilat yadayim and hamotzi

texts:
I have been in situations where most everyone follows the common minhag of washing after kiddush before hamotzi, whereas, unless it is minhag avot for my host, I wash beforehand. '

This has prompted the question of whether kiddush would be considered a hefsek between washing and making birkat hamotzi.

Long story short, what would a hefsek consist of, taking this minhag into account?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Bootstrapping problem: havdalah ends shabbat (for one who didn't daven ma'ariv) but lighting the candle is melacha?

After nightfall before Marriv, or after nightfall for (let's say) women at home who do not say Marriv: Is one allowed to do melacha; and when does that allowance come into effect, or what must one do to effect it?


texts: Specifically, is Bacardi Superior Original Premium Rum kosher for Passover? The label doesn't say so, nor does it say that it's kosher in general for that matter, but since it has a sugar base, wouldn't it be kosher for Passover?


texts:
I've never really liked the idea of asking for personal things when praying. I feel it's kind of selfish to ask for personal problems when there are people in the world in much worse situations. What I think while praying (besides thanking and praising G-d) is that I give Him my tefilah and he knows better where (or when) to use it.

I never saw this as a bad thing, but I once read that some rabbi said that: "a prayer that doesn't ask for a different thing each day isn't valid". And in this answer I found, it says:

  Rebbe Nachman of Breslov has many specific teachings on prayer [...] one should pray for any physical thing one needs, even something as insignificant as a missing button on one's coat.

I really don't feel comfortable when asking G-d for personal things. I believe that if I'm sick, if lost something or if anything bad happened to me, it happened because I deserved it. If G-d is completely righteous and fair, how could I tell Him that I deserve more? Shouldn't I just accept what G-d gives me without asking for more?


texts:
Why is Chronicles so similar to Kings? Consider these two passages:

Ⅱ Kings 22
Ⅱ Chronicles 34

It's almost the same word for word. Were they originally the same book that got forked out like open source software?


texts: The Torah scrolls of Ashkenazim have a very different look than those of Sepharadim. Ashkenazim just roll the parchment onto two poles, and read it in a horizontal position; the Sepharadim install the poles into an elaborate hinged casing, which is opened and read in a vertical position. Which of these two formats was the one commonly used in antiquity? Is there any record of what Sifrei Torah looked like in the times of the Mishnah, for example?


texts: Can anyone fully explain the six constant mitzvos?

texts:
I know what the six constant mitzvos are, but can anyone give a detailed explanation of them?
(Preferably sourced.)


texts:
Shulchan Aruch discusses the blessing on baked dough (various places - Hamotzi), fried dough (O.C. 168:10), raw grain kernels (Ha'adama - O.C. 208:4), flour (shehakol - 208:5), and various cooked mixtures with flour in them (mezonos or hamotzi - various locations, many of them in O.C. 208).  As far as I know, raw dough is not directly discussed.  My assumption would be that it is shehakol, but is it discussed anywhere explicitly?

The Gemara in Berachos 37a contrasts raw grain with baked and then cooked dough, and skips the stage of being uncooked dough:

  תניא הכוסס את החטה מברך עליה בורא פרי האדמה טחנה אפאה ובשלה בזמן שהפרוסות קיימות בתחלה מברך עליה המוציא לחם מן הארץ ולבסוף מברך עליה ג׳ ברכות אם אין הפרוסות קיימות בתחלה מברך עליה בורא מיני מזונות ולבסוף מברך עליה ברכה אחת מעין ג׳


texts: Advantages/Disadvantages between Murex v.s. Radzyn Tekhelet

texts:
What halachic advantages are there in purchasing tekhelet strings dyed by the murex snail as opposed to tekhelet strings dyed by the cuttlefish?

Are Radziner cuttlefish-dyed strings acceptable?


texts: How big, and what exactly, is "Kedei Kelipah"?

texts:
{Kedei Kelipah is a term used in Kashruth for the amount of something that needs to be removed in order to allow one to treat the remnant as Kosher.  (This only applies under certain conditions, which are outside the scope of this question - at least I happen to believe it is outside the scope of this question, but feel free to bring it into your answer if you think it is necessary.)}

What exactly is a Kedei Kelipah, and how big is it?  How does one remove it, and how does one remove it if the item in question is very thin itself?


texts: Raban Gamliel and learning near a pile of gold

texts: I heard that raban gamliel learned near a pile of gold as a segula for something. I'd like to find out if there is a source for this and what it was a segula for


texts: Where does the knowledge of the kabbalah come from?

texts:
All the knowledge in the kabbalah.Where does it come from?

Is it parts of the talmud?
From the Torah?
People who have been in heaven?
Personal revelation?

Where and how did they receive this knowledge?


texts: Oil in Shabbos Candles Caught Fire - What to Do?

texts:
My wife recently switched from using wax candles to oil in glass cups when lighting for Shabbat. The cups were about half water, half oil. She put some floating wicks in and lit them the way she normally lights. About 20 minutes later, the entire surface of the oil cup was on fire, and spitting tiny fireballs whenever the oil bubbled. B"H, everything is fine, no damage at all!

We're not sure if we did something wrong, or if there's some technique for using oil cups we don't know about!

Below is a picture of the oil cups as they are now, fairly burnt. Also, here's a link to the type of wicks we used: https://www.amazon.com/Ner-Mitzvah-Round-Floating-Wicks/dp/B0064CEWD4

Any idea what happened here? Or how we can prevent it from happening again?


texts: Which pronunciation-permutation of "yod, hay vav, hay" is forbidden to pronounce?

texts:
@AvrohomYitzchok said that I should post this question as a new question. (He did not know the answer).

I was responding to a comment he made, which read

  @Sarah When Rambam says "pronounces the name [of God] with its
  letters, yod, hay vav, hay" he means to articulate the name as it is
  written and not with the letters Alef Daleth Nun Yod (as we pronounce
  it). – Avrohom Yitzchok Jul 10 '16 at 20:18

And here is my question:

  Does the pronunciation of "the name [of God] with its letters, yod,
  hay vav, hay" refer to the pronunciation as in the masoretic pointing
  of "yod, hay vav, hay" or to any pronunciation-permutation of "yod,
  hay vav, hay"?

I kindly request for a source for any answer. Thank you.


texts: Saying shema before death in inappropriate circumstances

texts:
There are circumstances under which a person should not recite the Shema: if they are in the presence of naked people, if they are themselves undressed, if there is nearby fecal matter, if they need to defecate, etc. (This site provides a list of Talmudic sources that discuss these issues.) And yet, there is also the widespread custom of reciting the Shema prior to one's death, but none of us can choose the circumstances under which we die.

My gut instinct is that if one were close to death but in a situation or an environment that would normally preclude reciting the Shema they should say it anyway - but is that correct? Are there any sources that discuss this, or that provide a logical (meta-halakhic) reason as to why it is the case? Furthermore, if it is the case, are there any other non-fatal circumstances to which this principle can be extrapolated?

(Obviously, if the purpose of reciting the Shema at the time of one's death - or not even the purpose, if the effect - is one of providing comfort, one might be able to waive whatever the halakha happens to be in pursuit of that aim. But that would also be to suggest that the bare halakha is not to recite it under those circumstances, and it's the halakha that I'm asking about - not about what people think that somebody should be able to do.)


texts:
In the book "Mevo Lekitvei Hakodesh" - "Introduction to The Holy Scriptures" by Shmuel Shrira, he writes that there are different types of poetry or songs ("shirah") in the Tanach and brings examples for the different types. For example, victory songs or poems include Shirat Hayam and Shirat Devorah, eulogy songs or poems include the Kinah of David after the fall of Shaul and Yonatan and so forth. At the end of the list he writes:

"אשר לשירה האפית אין ספרי התנ"כ עשירים בה. יש רק שירים אחדים, שתכונה אפית להם. את החסרון הזה ממלא הסיפור התנ"כי, שבו אנו מוצאים לפעמים אופי אפי מפורש."

Translation: "As for the epic poetry/song, the books of Tanach are not rich from it. There are only a few such poems/songs, that have epic characteristics. This lack is filled by the Tanachic story, in which we sometimes find a clear epic characteristic."
Unlike the other types of poems/songs, Shrira doesn't bring examples for this.
Therefore, I was wondering whether anyone knows to which few bits of poetry/songs in Tanach he may have been referring to, which can be defined as "epic poetry/songs"?
Note: As I pointed out, he defined famous classics like Shirat Hayam and Shirat Devorah as "victory poems/songs", so it seems he wasn't referring to those.


texts: Must a Reform convert raise prior children Jewish?

texts:
I am contemplating joining a Reform synagogue up the street from where I live. I have been once before and would like to start attending though I'm not sure yet about conversion. I am agnostic but feel the need to be part of a religious community. I have a 7-month-old son. I'm not married but live with the father of my son in a domestic partnership. My significant other is okay with me going to temple or even conversion if that's what I wish but doesn't want our son to be Jewish unless he makes that decision on his own. He doesn't want his son to not experience Christmas even though he is agnostic as well and Christmas is a secular holiday in our home: it is still an important celebration for him and our family.

I was wondering: if I did convert would I be expected to raise my son Jewish? Would it be an issue with the rabbi or the Jewish community is what I'm asking. I know if you convert to Catholicism you have to agree to raise your children Catholic. Is the same required to convert to Judaism?


texts: Is there a misnomer about using the greeting "Chodesh Tov" on erev Rosh Chodesh?

texts:
Is there something improper with saying "Chodesh Tov" on erev Rosh Chodesh or should one only use the greeting "Erev Tov" instead?

The reason I ask is that I've noticed historically whenever I say "Chodesh Tov" to people on erev Rosh Chodesh I seem to mostly get the greeting back "Erev Tov". So unless it is officially Rosh Chodesh is it improper/wrong to use that greeting until the day actually begins?

Also would it be improper to say "Chodesh Tov" several days after Rosh Chodesh?


texts: We know the angels in Yaakov's dream go down and up a ladder but why do they need the ladder? Angels appear on earth and with Hashem throughout the Bible without a ladder.


texts:
Rashi to Genesis 5:32 reads:

אמר רבי יודן מה טעם כל הדורות הולידו למאה שנה וזה לחמש מאות אמר הקב״ה אם רשעים הם יאבדו במים ורע לצדיק זה ואם צדיקים הם אטריח עליו לעשות תיבות הרבה כבש את מעיינו ולא הוליד עד שהיה בן חמש מאות שנה כדי שלא יהא יפת הגדול שבבניו ראוי לעונשין לפני המבול דכתיב כי הנער בן מאה שנה ימות וראוי לעונש לעתיד וכן לפני מתן תורה
Rabbi Yudan said: Why did all the generations [first] have children at [about] a hundred years old but [Noah] at five hundred? [It's because] God had said: if [his children] are wicked, they'll be destroyed in the [flood]waters, which will be bad for this righteous [Noah]; if they're righteous, I'll be bothering him to make many arks. He conquered his wellspring and he didn't father a child until he was five hundred years old so that Japheth, his oldest son, wouldn't be subject to punishments before the flood [arrived]….

From the fact that it's God giving the reason that Noah shouldn't have children (and it doesn't seem like he told Noah the reason), I assume "he conquered his wellspring" means that God — not Noah — stopped Noah from having children.
But everyone else was having children at age one hundred. Do any commentaries, midrashim, or the like describe Noah's response (or perhaps his lack of response) to his lack of children? (Compare Isaac, Rebecca, and Rachel, later in Genesis, whom we see reacting to similar circumstances.)


texts: Who is meant by Auntie Malka in friday night Zemiros?

texts:
When eating recently by a chassidish family, I noticed they sang Friday night the words:
אנת הוא מלכא - 'Auntie Malka'
Can anyone shed some light on who this special Aunt was and what she is doing in the Zemiros of Shabbos?
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts: What to do while the mezuzah is being checked?

texts:
We're having all our mezuzot checked.  It is going to take at least a day to get them back.

Is there anything that should be done during the evening while the apartment has no mezuzahs up?  Should we put up a "temporary" mezuzah of some sort?


texts: Circumventing the conversion fuss by enslaving and freeing

texts:
Can a long path of the Orthodox conversion be circumvented by the following procedure*?

Enslaving a Gentile person by buying from him/herself
Dipping him/her in a Mikve before a Beis Din for the purpose of Slavery (circumcizing a male of course)
Using him/her a bit
Freeing him/her.

*seemingly (acc to Shu"A Yo"D) the Slavery is not fully abolished nowadays

NB: This question was asked originally by @Clint here 5 years ago, but was closed as it included another question.


texts: When is Yovel? Is it in the 49th year of the shmita cycle, or the 50th? And if it is in the 50th, when is the next shmita, in the 56th or 57th year? What is the practice in modern day Israel?


texts:
Why do some Jews refer to Christmas as Ex-mas?
Is there anything wrong in Jews saying Christmas?


texts: Rav Belsky's illustration on how to lean by the seder

texts:
I remember watching one of OU's Pesach webinars a few years back where Rav Belsky was asked what is the proper way to lean at the seder. Rav Belsky answered that based off an ancient (Roman) tapestry which depicts people leaning, all one has to do is prop his left hand on the table and place his head in a slightly slanted postion in his hand (he illustrated how to do it). I am looking for this video everywhere, and I even asked OU where this video is and they don't know where it is. Does anyone know where to find this video?

A picture probably similar to what Rav Belsky saw (maybe even the exact one, not sure):

Mosaic of a Symposium with Asarotos Oikos. Photo: Phoenix Ancient Art.


texts: Why does the Torah list animals before converts?

texts:
אַתָּה וּבִנְךָ וּבִתֶּךָ עַבְדְּךָ וַאֲמָתְךָ וּבְהֶמְתֶּךָ וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בִּשְׁעָרֶיךָ

Why would the Torah List animal before the Geirim?


texts:
If you take a look in the old print of the Siddur Tehilas Hashem on page 13, you will notice a strange looking vav in the word "yetzur" (as in "yetzur nivra" from the tefillah of Adon Olam).

I have been told by a few people that this strange looking vav is actually an elongated yud, and that the Rebbe turned the yud into a vav with his pen to make the text read "yetzur" (as per the nusach of the Alter Rebbe) as opposed to "yetzir" (as other nusachos render it).

Could anyone verify this story? I'm not necessarily looking for a source (because I doubt it's been written down) but maybe someone has heard this legend as well? I have added a picture so that you understand what I mean:

Here's a normal vav for comparison:

As you can see, the vav does look a bit strange compared to the other vavs which are on the same page.

However, I see a few problems with this legend:

How did the Rebbe erase the chirik which would have been beneath the tzadik?


texts: Can a woman who did not receive a get but only a civil divorce marry again?

texts:
Scenarios

Where is there a discussion where a woman (married in a religious ceremony) who did not receive a get but only a civil divorce can marry again?
If she and her husband did not marry in a religious ceremony, but only in a civil ceremony, does she still need a get, before she can remarry?


texts:
My question is twofold:

Can a person present via webcam (with sound enabled), but not present physically, count towards a minyan (see this example)?
If not, can that person still receive the benefits of praying with a minyan, when joining via webcam an already existing minyan that is physically in the same location?


texts: Journey – overnight stay – return home. On return trip, when to say Tefilas Haderekh?

texts:
Mishna Berurah 110 (70) [29] says:

  that although we say Tefilas Haderekh when we have left town, that's
  only at the beginning of the trip but when we stay overnight on the
  way, we can say THD when we get ready to leave even though we are
  still in town, because we have already started on the journey
  (yesterday).

  וכ"ז בתחלת יציאתו מביתו אבל כשהוא לן בדרך יוכל לומר תה"ד בבוקר כשמכין
  עצמו לצאת אפילו כשהוא עדיין בעיר דכבר החזיק בדרך

That is understandable if we are traveling further onward on the second day; but can we say THD in town when we are returning home on the second day?


texts: Lethal experiments on terminally ill patients

texts:
This incident may not have happened exactly as listed, but that's not the point. For the purpose of this question, we'll assume it did. During World War II, The scientists at the Manhattan Project wanted to know how certain radioactive chemicals are metabolized. They designed an experiment in which they took several terminally ill patients and injected them (or fed them) lethal doses of the radioactive chemicals. The excrement of the patients was monitored. The rationale behind this experiment was the subjects' illnesses would kill them before the chemicals anyways, so they weren't really doing any harm.

So what is the halachic view of this? Could a Jew be part of this experiment? On one hand, they were expected to die anyways, so the radioactivity wasn't likely to kill them. And if you'll say they could've recovered through some miracle, then they could also be saved from the chemicals by a miracle! On the other hand, you could also say that scientists don't really know how long someone will live, and you can't needlessly inject toxic chemicals into yourself.


texts: Sefarim on sci-fi/fantasy theoretical Halachic questions

texts:
Here on Mi Yodeya we have a long and extensive (and growing!) list of sci-fi and fantasy questions.

Have there been any Rabbanim who have written complete Sefarim on these kinds of topics?


texts: Recommendation for learning Hilchos Shabbos with family

texts:
I am looking for a sefer to use to learn Hilchos Shabbos at the Shabbos table.  I used to use Orchos Shabbos, but I found that while I enjoyed it and got a lot out of it, the rest of my family had a harder time with the nature of using a Hebrew sefer and translating/explaining.  I also think that sometimes his thoroughness made it hard for everyone else to pay attention.

I am looking for a sefer in English which can be easily broken into small digestible segments, and gives a good basic general knowledge of Hilchos Shabbos. Something that guests could also follow even if they are only there for just the one meal would also be another advantage.

I am aware of several sefarim, such as me'oros haShabbos, the 39 Melachos, and The Shabbos Kitchen/Home etc. Artscroll set.  I don't have experience with them, but those could be possible answers.

Please explain in your answers why your recommendation fits the criteria described here along with any other relevant information.  First-hand experience is preferred but not required.


texts:
The Arcturan kdopht has nine legs, in three rows. The three left and three right hooves are cloven (in thirds), but the midline hooves are more like the surface of a rough file, with innumerable small points protruding from a solid block of hoof. Its diet is purely vegetarian, insofar as the term can be applied to Arcturan biota. After eating, it regurgitates straight upward and catches (most of) the semi-digested mass in its mouth, then chews it over again before swallowing (via a separate throat) to complete the process of digestion. Is the kdopht kosher, assuming of course proper shechita and kashering?

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


texts: When one has to repay an interest-free loan to a Jewish lender, does that take precedence over giving tzedakah? If several payments must be made, can one thus expedite repayment by giving less to tzedakah?


texts: Maharil and Terumat haDeshen: Mayim Shelanu

texts:
Inspired by this question.

I have heard a machloket in the names of the Maharil and the Terumat haDeshen about the source for mayim shelanu. While the details were given, the sources were not.

The machloket itself is whether mayim shelanu must be drawn by a Jew or not (שלנו may be read as German "unser" or our). The Maharil (Minhag Rheinus) is said to bring that only Jews should draw it (presumably darshening from the word שלנו) whereas the Terumat haDeshen brings that anyone may draw it (Minhag Österreich).

Where are these particular opinions brought?

I recall hearing that these opinions are summarised in a sefer called אוצר הגדולים on a daf in the 90s. I have no way to verify, as the copy I've seen was barely legible.


texts: What is the "Ode to the woman" of Shlomo HaMelech?

texts: I have read things about the "Ode to the woman", written by Shlomo HaMelech but I do not know what it refers to. Is it one of the psalms? Where can I find this "Ode"?


texts: Is Telemarketing Prohibited by Jewish Law?

texts: I understand that it may be prohibited due to the laws of "Dina D'malchusa Dina," (when and if) American law prohibits it. However, that reason aside, is there any Judaism based reason to prohibit it?


texts: How does Hillel's answer summarize the whole Torah?

texts:
In Shabbos 31a, Hillel addresses a potential convert who asks him to summarize the whole Torah, and he says, "What is hateful to you, do not do to others."

This is a nice d'var Torah, but it seems to be lacking when trying to explain the whole Torah. This summary may cover all of the halachos "Bein Adam L'chaveiro" (between people), but it seems to fail to cover the halachos "Bein Adam LaMakom" (between man and God).

How has this been explained?

Related: Elucidation On one foot


texts: What is the significance of the different years in which a fruit is permitted to be eaten?

texts:
In parshas Kiddoshim we learn that for the first three years, a fruit may not be eaten at all. Then in the fourth year, it may be taken to Yerushalayim to be eaten. Then finally in the fifth year, it may be eaten in all places
Even though this is a chok, commandment whose reason isn't seemingly apparent, but are there any commentaries that explain the spiritual, deeper significance as to what about the first three years makes them forbidden, and what about the fourth year allows them to be eaten in Yerushalayim, and what about the fifth year allows them to be eaten in all places?


texts: "Don't say 'lehavdil' between one Jew and another."

texts:
In today's Parashat Hashavu'a Chat, I used the qualification "lehavdil" (*) to apply to a pun that jokingly and innocuously related the actions of Datan and Aviram to those of a community member here.

Alex responded to me that "They say that you don't say "lehavdil" between one Jew and another," but later indicated that he doesn't recall where he heard this.

Have you seen a source for this rule?
What is the reason for it?
Does it really mean that we shouldn't use the word to distinguish between a wicked Jewish person and a righteous one? If so, why?

(*) "Lehavdil," literally "to separate," indicates that while two entities may be juxtaposed in conversation, we don't intend to equate them in terms of religious value. For example:

  Did ... great rabbinic thinkers of the 1800s ... comment on American slavery and/or the Civil War? (As Dostoevsky did, lehavdil?)


texts: Can the chickens swung over a pregnant woman's head for Kaparos be swung consecutively?

texts: When swinging 3 chickens (or 2 chickens depending on one's custom) over a pregnant woman's head for Kaparos, must the chickens be swung simultaneously or may they be swung consecutively (so as to remain less conspicuous)?


texts: I go to a Gemara shiur, and the rabbi always says "the first aman deamar", "the second aman deamar"... What does it mean exactly? What is the meaning of the different words?


texts: Why use an esoteric, foreign word which leads to different understandings?

texts:
In Shemot 12:9, the text reads, "אַל תֹּאכְלוּ מִמֶּנּוּ נָא " which is translated at chabad.org as "You shall not eat it rare ". The meforshim (as taken from sefaria.org) look at the word "Na" as meaning "alive" or undercooked, often based on a connection to an Arabic word. As Rashi writes, "Heb. נָא Something not roasted sufficiently is called נָא in Arabic." The Bechor Shor writes, " תרגם אונקלוס כד חי כי נא חי שאינו מבושל כל צרכו בערבי". This meaning of the word occurs only here (or, as the Ibn Ezra puts it, " ובדרך הזאת לא מצאנו בכל המקרא "). A look in the Even Shoshan confirms this.

The Rashbam writes, "I believe this means a type of frying in a pot but in its own juice (including the blood) not involving water known as צלי קדר, not roasting directly on the fire, as required by our verse here ". His practical application of halacha would be different, then.

This is intended to be a direct law applicable for the generations -- why would the text use a word which needs to be figured out, and why would the text switch to the Arabic? Was the Hebrew unable to describe "not roasted completely" or "raw"? Oftentimes, the text uses a less well known word because it imports a subtlety in meaning. What does relying on the Arabic hapax in this case add to understanding that would have been absent had the text stayed with Hebrew?


texts: Assist with understanding Shada"l regarding grammatic usage in Shemot 18:26

texts:
Exodus 18:26 (minor modif. to Sefaria English):

  וְשָׁפְט֥וּ אֶת־הָעָ֖ם בְּכָל־עֵ֑ת אֶת־הַדָּבָ֤ר הַקָּשֶׁה֙ יְבִיא֣וּן
  אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה וְכָל־הַדָּבָ֥ר הַקָּטֹ֖ן יִשְׁפּוּט֥וּ הֵֽם׃

  And they judged the people at all times: the hard matters they brought
  to Moses, and every small matter they judged themselves.

I was curious about the "strange" usage of the verb יִשְׁפּוּט֥וּ using the shuruq. I find an explanation  by Shada"l, but I don't really understand what he's saying.

I'd appreciate if someone can summarize the main points. I don't need a literal translation.


texts: Why are there piyyutim for the beginning of first day Rosh Hashanah musaf, but not for the second day (in Nusach Ashkenaz)?

texts:
On the first day of Rosh Hashanah at musaf, Ashkenazim recite piyyutim as part of the first three berachot of the amidah, composed by R. Elazar HaKalir. On the second day, no such piyyutim are recited and we find no piyyutim until (lekeil orech din and) unetaneh tokef and kedushah.
From Double AA I understand that this form of piyyut is unusual for a musaf amidah. (The only other time we find them is on Yom Kippur.) So my question is, why do these piyyutim appear for the first day of Rosh Hashanah? And, if there is some reason why they are appropriate for Rosh Hashanah, why only on the first day and not the second?
(I understand that for whatever reason R. Elazar HaKalir only wrote one set of piyyutim for Rosh Hashanah, but given that he felt it was appropriate to have this form of piyyut at musaf, why did no-one else compose piyyutim for musaf of the second day, like R. Shimon HaGadol did for shacharit of the second day?)


texts: Can a Jew borrow a cup of sugar from his non-Jewish neighbor?

texts:
I'm not specifically asking about stealing and owing concerns, although those may also be of interest.

My question is actually: Can we use kosher-labeled ingredients from a non-Jew's home?

(I include here ingredients, like sugar, that generally don't require a hechsher.)

So:

Can we borrow a pinch of kosher-labeled sugar, rice, flour, coffee, or spices from a non-Jewish neighbor who has already opened and used them?

Can we accept a gift of fruit or hechshered chocolate from a non-Jewish boss?

And even:

Can we accept a gift of unopened Extra Virgin Olive Oil from a non-shomer-Shabbos Jewish friend? (What about opened??)

EDIT: Would like to see a text-based source for the concern with opened products.


texts: Why does the Hagadda talk about our being slaves now and free next year in Israel?

texts: Why does the paragraph that introduces the pesach hagada ("This is the bread of affliction") talk about our being slaves now and free next year, in Israel?  If it is speaking literally, what location and time period is it talking about?  If it is speaking figuratively, in what way are we slaves today and how will we be free in Israel?


texts: Rachel Imeinu Deceiving Lavan while pregnant

texts:
In Bereshit 31:35 we learn that Rachel was able to hide the Teraphim under her saddle by telling her father Lavan that "The way of women is upon me", presumably a euphemism for menstruation.

Just a few chapters later, though, while still travelling from Paddan-aram to Eprath, (Bereshit 35:16) we have her giving birth to Benjamin.

Since she would presumably have been well advanced in her pregnancy at the time the incident at Galeed occurred, and Lavan was a wily trickster, this successful deceit seems problematic.

Are there any traditional sources that discuss how Rachel Imeinu was able to deceive her father?


texts: Does the sandek have to hold the babies feet?

texts:
The sandek is the person who holds the baby when the mohel makes the bris. Generally this honor is given to a grandparent or very righteous person. In many cases when preparing the baby to perform the milah the mohel will help the sandek where is best to place his hands, hold the baby, knees, feet, etc. Generally the sandek has to hold the babies legs so they shouldn't move. The question was asked if the sandek for whatever reason is unable to do this, may someone else hold the babies feet and still have it considered to be that the "real" sandek is holding the baby? Does it make a difference if someone must assist in this matter.

(The question was raised and I have no reason to believe that it should be an "issue" but you never know...)


texts: For someone who commits an act of "mesirah" (giving over a Jewish person to law enforcement) What punishment if any does such a person (the "moser") receive? Or could/should he receive? Where is the punishment stated? Is being put into cherem a possible punishment?


texts: Issur Sefichin on Otzar Beis Din produce

texts:
The Sages were concerned that individuals would plant vegetables in the seventh year and claim that these had grown by themselves. They therefore forbade consumption of Shemitta vegetables where the planting may have been during the Shemitta year itself. The date that this restriction starts depends on the type of vegetable and how long it takes to grow. this is known as Sefichin.

Otzar Beis Din is a representative of the public interest by hiring people to pick and transport the produce to a distribution center near the consumer. paying them wage appropriate to his significant skills and experience in knowing how to manage this operation. the money does not go to towards the produce, rather to the workers effort in collecting, thus mitigating the concern for using shmita produce in commerce. This is all legitimate use of an otzar beis din.

Is there an issur of Sefichin regarding produce bought through Otzar Beis Din? how can we know that the landowner is not working on the field, but claiming it grew wild, Does Otzar Beis Din also mitigate the issue of Sefichin? Is that fact that the field is under the auspices of the Otzar Beis Din enough of a reason to assume that the farmer isn't working on the field?


texts: When making bank deposits, does one have to filter out foreign coins if the bank itself doesn't?

texts:
Where I live, one can go to any bank and buy rolls (or cases!) of pennies, and one can also redeem such rolls.  Merchants do both of these often.

I have noticed that rolls of pennies occasionally contain foreign currency of similar size and appearance.  I'm in the US and we see Canadian pennies sometimes; presumably they're mixed into the general money supply and often people don't notice them.  I don't know what procedures banks use to check/validate the rolls of coins they distribute, but I assume it doesn't involve anybody inspecting individual coins and is probably based on weight and length.

My question is: if you have a large number of pennies that you want to deposit, does halacha require that you inspect them all first and weed out any foreign ones, or does the fact that the banks don't seem to do this either mean that that's just a risk we all take?  Does the answer depend on likelihood, for example one who just took a trip to Canada and has a pocketfull of change has to check but in general people don't?

This question was prompted by a project in my synagogue's school to collect 304,805 pennies as part of writing a new sefer torah.  I'm asking out of curiosity, not as a decision-maker for those deposits.


texts: What Hebrew date requires the most space to spell out in a Ketubah?


texts: Returning from a trip during the Nine Days

texts:
What if someone began a trip before the Nine Days and now wants to return. Is he allowed to, in light of the prohibition against doing dangerous things during the Nine Days, including travel? Does it make a difference if he began the trip during the Nine Days, against Halacha? Does it make a difference if he's looking for a loophole in the Halacha, versus if it just worked out that way unintentionally?

In any event in which he may return, is it better if he went to his destination by car to return by plane, which is both faster and safer?


texts: Our Torah class in school is studying the Akeidah.  What different approaches do the commentators take in interpreting it (e.g. Rashbam says it was a punishment; lehavdil, Kierkegaard says it was about the teleological suspension of the ethical, etc.)? They can be modern or ancient.


texts: Resources for learning Hebrew from scratch?

texts:
I was raised as a Jewish identifying secular child, and it's only in my adolescence/adulthood I've really become at all observant.  One of the problems is, of course, I've never had a Hebrew class!  I'm somewhat tired of having to ask for a transliterated siddur when I go to any sort of services (and I'd like to be able to read the siddur I have at home, at some point!).

Where should I start?  I don't even have the aleph-bet, so I know I'm really behind...


texts: May one reheat food on top of a crock-pot or urn on Shabbos?

texts:
According to my understanding cooked or baked food that is currently cold, may be placed on top of a pot that is on a blech on Shabbos to warm up.

What about putting cooked or baked foods on top of an urn or slow cooker (i.e. crock-pot)? Is that permissible?

(please explain the reasoning...)


texts: Which Biblical and Talmudic personalities visited Heaven and returned to earth?

texts: In the Haftorah to Parashas Yisro, Isaiah 6:1 - 7:6, we read of Isaiah's prophetic vision where he visited Heaven.  What Biblical and Talmudic personalities are said to have visited heaven and returned, either as a vision or in actuality?


texts:
During Chanukah and Purim, if one forgets to say Al HaNissim during Amidah or Birchas HaMazon in its usual place, the paragraph of Bemei Mordechai or Bemei Mattisyahu is said later on. In this case, the introductory lines of Al HaNissim are replaced with this text:

  הרחמן הוא יעשה לנו ניסים ונפלאות כמו שעשה לאבותינו בימים ההם בזמן הזה
  May the Merciful One perform miracles and wonders for us, just as He did for our ancestors in those days at this time.

In shul this morning, someone stumped me with this question: Why are we asking God for miracles? Do we ever explicitly request “nissim v’nifla’os” at any other time in tefilla?


texts: Did Samuel write his book before he was born?

texts:
The Talmud (Berachot 31b) records the following statement:

ותדר נדר ותאמר ה' צבאות אמר רבי אלעזר מיום שברא הקב"ה את עולמו לא היה אדם שקראו להקב"ה צבאות עד שבאתה חנה וקראתו צבאות אמרה חנה לפני הקב"ה רבש"ע מכל צבאי צבאות שבראת בעולמך קשה בעיניך שתתן לי בן אחד משל למה הדבר דומה למלך בשר ודם שעשה סעודה לעבדיו בא עני אחד ועמד על הפתח אמר להם תנו לי פרוסה אחת ולא השגיחו עליו דחק ונכנס אצל המלך א"ל אדוני המלך מכל סעודה שעשית קשה בעיניך ליתן לי פרוסה אחת
And she vowed a vow and said, O Lord of Zebaoth [Hosts].  R. Eleazar said: From the day that God created His world there was no man called the Holy One, blessed be He, Zeboath [hosts] until Hannah came and called Him Zebaoth. Said Hannah before the Holy One, blessed be He: Sovereign of the Universe, of all the hosts and hosts that Thou hast created in Thy world, is it so hard in Thy eyes to give me one son? A parable: To what is this matter like? To a king who made a feast for his servants, and a poor man came and stood by the door and said to them, Give me a bite,  and no one took any notice of him, so he forced his way into the presence of the king and said to him, Your Majesty, out of all the feast which thou hast made, is it so hard in thine eyes to give me one bite?
(Soncino translation)

R. Samuel Eidels in his commentary there writes as follows:

מקודם זה מצינו שקראו הכתוב כן דכתיב ועלה האיש וגו' לזבוח לה' צבאות בשילה וגו' אלא דאדם שקראו כן לא מצינו עד שבאת חנה

He seems to be bothered by the fact that an earlier verse in this very chapter refers to God with the term that the Talmud claims Hannah was the first to use. His answer is that the Talmud only meant that she was the first person to say it, but not necessarily that it hadn't been ever used in this way before.
This implied question and its answer seem puzzling. The Book of Samuel was presumably written after the events that it describes took place. Indeed, the Talmud elsewhere (Bava Batra 14b) states that Samuel himself was the author of the Book of Samuel. As Samuel was not yet born at the time of Hannah's prayer, surely he hadn't already written his book. Why then would the earlier verse be troubling? Chronologically it comes after Hannah's prayer, and the Talmud's claim can therefore be upheld with no difficulty.


texts: Did Moshe Rabbeinu see God? Doesn't Maimonides assert that all references to the physicality of God are metaphorical? If so, how did Moses see God?


texts: Can a woman be a zadik?  Who of the matriarchs would be considered a zaikai if women can be.  Thank you.


texts: Will there be murder after the coming of Moshiach?

texts:
After reading answers such as this, it seems to me that according to certain opinions, in the time of Moshiach, there will be no death, and none of the human behaviors that lead to murder.

But in the notes to the Stone Chumash on Dev. 19:8-10, the editors write (citing, it seems, the Ramban) that in the Messianic times "three more cities of refuge will be provided for the increased area." This is also mentioned here.

Cities of refuge are for those who killed unintentionally (which leads to my first question about death in general) but I recall learning that the unintentional killing was because the victim deserved to die but his crime could not be proven in a human court, so Hashem caused an "accident". This would indicate that he deserved to die which would mean that "murder" would still exist in messianic times.

Is there an understanding of these two possibly contradictory ideas (the end of death and a time of peace vs. murder existing)?


texts: Why do we only put on tefillin once a day?

texts:
I have heard it said (but have no source) that the obligation to wear tefillin covers the entire day, and that people used to actually wear their tefillin all day long. (Various passages that I have seen in the gemara, of people removing tefillin to go to the toilet and replacing them afterwards would support this). Now that we are no longer able to focus our minds on clean thoughts for such a length of time (or so the story goes), we only put the tefillin on once and in the morning. This is why a person who forgot to wear tefillin by shacharis, or who forgot to daven shacharis, should put on tefillin in the afternoon for mincha.

But if the mitzva of wearing tefillin goes for the entire day, why do we need to supplant it with a one-time obligation? Why don't we say that all day-time davening (shacharis and mincha) requires tefillin? Why don't we encourage the use of tefillin at other points of time as well - such as when saying birkas hammazon, for example, or learning/teaching Torah?


texts: Can a non-Jewish slave convert and exit slavery this way?

texts: Once entered into slavery, they have a semi-conversion whereupon they must keep a certain set of limited rules. Can they choose to fully convert and then be freed at the appropriate time of Shmita and Yovel?


texts: Why do we stand when we do toward the end of Tachanun?

texts: In the Tachanun prayer, it's traditional to sit for most of the core of Tachanun, but then to stand three words into the last paragraph, between "Va-anachnu lo neida'" and "ma na'aseh" ("And we won't know" and "what we shall do"). Why do we stand up particularly here?


texts: Was Pharoah Necho telling the truth about being sent from God?

texts:
Did God really tell Pharoah Necho to conquer Assyria?

Necho tells Josiah that he was commanded to fight Assyria. Was he:
Lying?
Mistaken?
Truthful?

2 Chronicles (Divrei Hayamim II) 35:20-22

  After all this, when Josiah had prepared the temple, Necho king of Egypt came up to fight against Carchemish by the Euphrates; and Josiah went out against him. But he sent messengers to him, saying, “What have I to do with you, king of Judah? I have not come against you this day, but against the house with which I have war; for God commanded me to make haste. Refrain from meddling with God, who is with me, lest He destroy you.” Nevertheless Josiah would not turn his face from him, but disguised himself so that he might fight with him, and did not heed the words of Necho from the mouth of God. So he came to fight in the Valley of Megiddo.


texts: A name adding to our development into who we are/become?

texts:
In Bereshit 2:19 Adam gets the honorable task to name the animals. The Midrash Genesis/Bereshit Raba 17:4 tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence and nature of every creature and named it accordingly; meaning He analysed the essence and nature of each one and thereby deduce its name. In Hebrew a name of anything is an expression its essence and nature. The donkey, for example, is characterized by carrying heavy, physical burdens. So in Hebrew, the donkey is named chamor – from the same root as chomer, which means materialism (from the Aish website).

Now I was taught that in Hebrew, a noun is called a shem etzem (“name of essence”), while an adjective is called a shem toar (“name of description”).
What I would like to know is what a human name, a proper noun, describes, what does a name do: does a name desribe our essence, does a name give a description of who we are, or could a name be given in the hope a child develops itself into the essence of his name?

In summary: Does a name (in Jewish teachings) add anything to our development into who we are/become?


texts: Looking for a quote by Maimonides that expresses how God is beyond us

texts: Does anyone know of a quote by Maimonides (Rambam) that expresses how God is way beyond us and how we are so distant from God?


texts:
Are there some Kabbalistic concepts that are studied today in Jewish circles that originate from Christianity /Christian theology?

Has there been any study of the relationship between the two, and the direction of influence?


texts: Allowing unmarried/homosexual couples into a hotel

texts:
Recently there has been a high profile case in the UK concerning a religious christian couple who own a hotel. Due to their personal religious beliefs their policy was to refuse a room to couples who were not married. They refused a 'married' homosexual couple a room on the grounds that they were not of the same 'orientation', which went against their religious values. They said that it would feel wrong to allow it and that they would feel more trepidation answering to God than the justice system.

According to halacha would you be considered an 'accomplice' to the aveirot that are committed under your premises (be it unmarried or homosexual couples who are 'looking to hire a room')? Or would it be permitted to rent out a room to anyone i.e. once hired out it is no longer any of your business or jurisdiction and you cannot be held accountable?


texts:
Is there an error here in the number of children from Jacob's wife Leah?

Genesis 46:15 says that  "These were the sons Leah bore to Jacob in Paddan Aram,[c] besides his daughter Dinah. These sons and daughters of his were thirty-three in all."

There are also issues in considering that Leah and Jacob are part of the 33 people listed.

In quoting the passage where they were listed, I will number them as they are named. The verses in this passage number 8 through 15, so I will substitute A through H in parentheses for the verse numbers so that they will not be confused with the numbering of the names in the list, which will be indicated in brackets. Er and Onan, in verse 12 (E) will not be counted, because they had died in Canaan, as the verse notes, before the Israelites went into Egypt.

(A) Now these are the names of the Israelites, Jacob and his offspring, who came to Egypt. [1] Reuben, Jacob's firstborn, (B) and the children of Reuben: [2] Hanoch, [3] Pallu, [4] Hezron, and [5] Carmi. (C) The children of [6] Simeon: [7] Jemuel, [8] Jamin, [9] Ohad, [10] Jachin, [11] Zohar, and [12] Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman. (D) The children of [13] Levi: [14] Gershon, [15] Kohath, and [16] Merari. (E) The children of [17] Judah: Er, Onan, [18] Shelah, [19] Perez, and [20] Zerah (but Er and Onan died in the land of Canaan); and the children of Perez [already counted as number 19] were [21] Hezron and [22] Hamul. (F) The children of [23] Issachar: [24] Tola, [25] Puvah, [26] Jashub, and [27] Shimron. (G) The children of [28] Zebulun: [29] Sered, [30] Elon, and [31] Jahleel (H) (these are the sons of Leah, whom she bore to Jacob in Paddan-aram, together with his daughter [32] Dinah; in all his sons and his daughters numbered thirty-three).


texts: There are many Halachos that a leftie does with his left hand and those that he does with his right hand. For example Shema is always done with the right hand even if you are a leftie. By which other Halachos does a leftie use his right hand too?


texts: Source text behind Rabbinic view on Dinah, Simeon, and Shaul noted in Jewish Encyclopedia

texts:
Regarding Dinah, the Jewish Encyclopedia states (bolding added by me):

  —In Rabbinical Literature:

  Dinah is blamed for the affair with Shechem because she "went out" (Gen. xxxiv. 1), and her brothers had to drag her away from Shechem by force (Eccl. R. x. 8; Gen. R. lxxx.). When Jacob went to meet Esau, he first locked Dinah in a box, for fear that Esau would wish to marry her. Such action of his brought out the rebuke from God: "If thou hadst married off thy daughter in time she would not have been tempted to sin, and might, moreover, have exerted a beneficial influence upon her husband" (Gen. R. lxxx.). Her brother Simeon promised to marry her; but she did not wish to leave, Shechem, fearing that after her disgrace no one would take her to wife (Gen. R. l.c.); she was later married to Job however (B. B. 16b [sic; 15b apparently the correct reference]; Gen. R. l.c.). When she died, Simeon buried her in the land of Cannan [sic]. She is therefore referred to as "the Canaanitish woman" (Gen. xlvi. 10). Shaul (ib.) was her son by Shechem (Gen. R. l.c.).

I'm trying to track down the exact statements from the Genesis Rabbah from which the bolded text above summarizes. I believe it may be at least in part from the following portion of this page of Hebrew text:

  [יא [דינה הוצאה מביתו של שכם

  ויקחו את דינה  ר' יודן אמר: גוררין בה ויוצאין.

  אמר רבי הונא: הנבעלת לערל קשה לפרוש.

  אמר רבי הונא: אמרה: ואני אנה הוליך את חרפתי?  עד שנשבע לה שמעון, שהוא
  נוטלה, הה"ד: (שם מז) ושאול בן הכנענית, בן דינה שנבעלה לכנעני.

  ר' יהודה ור' נחמיה ורבנן  ר' יהודה אמר: שעשה כמעשה כנענים.

  ר' נחמיה אמר: שנבעלה מחוי, שהוא בכלל כנענים.

  ורבנן אמרין: נטלה שמעון וקברה בארץ כנען:

So what I want to know:

Is this the correct source text of the Genesis Rabbah that the Jewish Encyclopedia is summarizing? If not, what is?
If so, is there an English translation of this section available online? (My attempt to Google Translate seems to be only partially successful, and the translation would appear to need some serious smoothing out. I can translate some Hebrew from the Tanach with effort and some helps, but am not literate in reading Hebrew generally to be confident in translating all the above myself)

I desire to find the exact source of these statements by the Jewish Encyclopedia, both in Hebrew and an English translation, so I can determine that the summary appears to accurately reflect what these particular teachings on this were by the Rabbis (I realize other teachings may exist as well).

My particular interest is in the Rabbinic source(s) that postulate Shaul is the son of Shechem (the last statement in the JE entry above), in contrast to some other sources that have him as the son of a union between Simeon and Dinah.


texts: Why does Hashem' anger flare when Balaam goes with the Moabite officials?

texts:
"God came to Balaam at night and said to him, "If these men have come to call for you, arise and go with them, but the word I speak to you-that you shall do.
In the morning Balaam arose, saddled his she-donkey and went with the Moabite dignitaries.
God's wrath flared because he was going, and an angel of the Lord stationed himself on the road to thwart him."

Why did he get so angry, when he agreed for him to go with them?
i came across this while reading the Torah portion this Shabbat and thought it was odd, so i thought i'd ask on here.

(unsure if they were princes, or officials or what, the thing i read it from said princes... i think)


texts: Why do we beg on simchas torah when we are supposed to be happy?

texts:
I was bothered by the fact that on Simchas Torah, when we are supposed to be happy and rejoice with the Torah, we are busy with prayers like אנא ה' הושיעה נא etc.

What place do these prayers, which are not happy ones per se, have in our merriment?


texts:
We read about a couple of "sorcery contests" between Moses and Egyptians, first turning the rods into serpents and then through the first plagues.

Some well known facts:

Egypt was a land of idol worshipers, including Pharaoh himself. Many different views here on what exactly they worshiped (sun, Nile, rams), but the surely were idolaters.
Egyptians were professional magicians. They did their magic with either spells or use of demons (שדים). See Rashi on place (Shmot 7,10).
They realized very early the limits of their magic.
There were Kohanim for idol worship (incl Itroh!) that specialized exactly in that.
The plagues were devastating and Egyptians suffered a lot.

I couldn't find a moment, though, when they should supposedly turn to their gods to ask for some help - maybe a collective prayer, a ritual, a sacrifice - nothing.

How this was possible? Is the story missing something?


texts: Is it mutar to participate in an online religion-related community that is largely made up of Christians?

texts:
There exist online communities on secular websites, to discuss religion-related topics such as the bible, that largely consist of Christians and their contributions. Some of those Christians use the platform afforded to them to make truth claims that of course conflict with Jewish belief, and in some cases these websites and their communities may be de facto advancing the Christian message despite the secular nature of the company running the site.

If this is judged to be the case would it be asur for a Jew to participate in any way, as:

being an active or semi-active user on the site is a gift even if their views are opposed, because it could promote the site (eg by making it rank higher in Google).
People up to no good may come and learn from what is said, so inadvertently their religion may be promoted by the Jewish participation.

There are related, narrower, questions here and here, neither of which has any answers from Jewish members of the community (possibly because the questions are localized). I'm very much hoping to attract answers to the broader question here to understand the Jewish perspective or spectrum thereof.


texts: How can the Gemara argue here, isn't it all facts?

texts:
The Gemara in Gittin 22a brings a machlokes in regard to fruits getting nutrients from a tree that is half in ארץ ישראל and half in חוץ לארץ.

ומאי טעמא דרשב"ג דמפסיק צונמא
מאי טעמא דרבי דהדרי ערבי
רשב"ג says since there is a rock between the roots, the nutrients are divided accordingly.
רבי says even though there is a separation, it isn't possible to tell which nutrients go where.

How can they argues on how a tree works, isn't it just facts?


texts:
Why did animals need to eat/be fed for a year in the Ark?

"Oh, because they need to eat", you'd say, but really the Mabul was one big miracle, overriding all laws of nature - physics, geology, zoology, biology, genetics and whatnot.

Why in this huge miracle did animals need to eat? This problem was easily "circumvented" for the Israelites in the desert with Mannah. This "natural behavior" actually caused more additional miracles to be performed - miraculous preparing of the food for all animals, miraculous feeding, taking care of poop etc.

Why couldn't G-d simply stop them from eating for a year?


texts: While knowing another Jew will mechalel shabbat because of you, is it preferred you do it instead?

texts:
So I have a general question:

If you are a religious Jew and you are in a non religious Jew's home on Sabbath and you mention that it is really hot and you would love to have an AC on and then you see your non religious friend reaching for the remote to turn on the AC. Should you do it instead of him? After all if not you technically caused a "גרמא בשבת" which was your fault and so the "chilul Sabbath" is on both of you. You for causing him to do it, him for doing it.

What is the ideal way to deal with such a situation?


texts: Wearing clothes that promote ones business on Shabbos

texts:
With many shuls (at least in the UK) still requiring their congregants to wear masks, I have noticed that there have been many people who as part of their business now wear personalised masks, which to a certain extent have either now been integrated into their company's work outfit or merely act as another form of self promotion.
Would a person be allowed to wear such a mask, or any clothes for that matter, that promote one's business on Shabbos. In the case of the masks, on the one hand they are complying with the shul's requirement to adhere to the current nationwide advice, and it's 'just' a mask, but at the same time they are perhaps 'advertising' on Shabbos.


texts: Can Ya'akov Bond give me a Ktav Kabbalah?

texts:
After a pleasant experience with Chicken Kashering in seventh grade (in which we were given chickens who were only shechted, no more, and had to remove the feet, internal organs, etc.), I decided to get a Ktav Kabbalah to be a certified Shochet.

Unfortunately, a google search for 'Shechita license' turned up no first-page results. However, I have heard of someone with such a license to kill-- Ya'akov Bond.

Can he give me a ktav kabbalah, or must I continue my search? Does it make a difference if he's a Spanish Catholic named Santiago?

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


texts: Is the Rambam Haggadah Significantly Different?

texts: Are there significant differences between the Rambam Haggadah and the current mainstream Haggadot that are in use?


texts: Saying Borchu Second Time Ma'ariv Nusach Ashkenaz

texts:
In a Nusach Ashkenaz minyan/shul, there are certain individuals who (not infrequently) arrive late for Ma'ariv, and therefore miss Borchu at the beginning.  Certain of these people have some kind of background in Nusach Sefarad.  Therefore at the end of Ma'ariv they say Borchu again on their own initiative.

The main question is: Is this appropriate from the perspective of the halacha/minhag of Nusach Ashkenaz?

As a secondary question: Also, when those same individuals arrive late for Shacharit and miss Borchu there (including on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday), they never repeat Borchu then.  As far as I know Nusach Sefarad does not have a second Borchu in Shacharit, so what is the justification for saying a second Borchu aloud at Ma'ariv and not Shacharit?


texts: Are there verses in the Torah (preferably 5 books of Moses) that predict the phenomena of anti-semitism, ie the irrational hatred of Jews throughout history?


texts: Frequency of inspection at vegan restaurants

texts:
Does a vegan restaurant require a permanent mashgiach on the premises to be certified kosher?

For large factories that get a hechsher, supervision is limited to sporadic surprise inspections.  (No permanent presence of inspectors.)
For meat or dairy restaurants, you need a permanent presence (mashgiach) because the temptation to cheat with meat or cheese is high, given the price differential.  But there is no such temptation in vegan food.  (I know that bugs in lettuce need to be removed, but this matters even to non-Jews, so there is no temptation to cheat.)

I conclude that surprise inspections are enough to certify a vegan restaurant as kosher.  Is that the case?


texts: Why aren't all Ten Commandments referenced in Shema in Sephardic siddurs?

texts:
I was looking at a Sephardic Siddur called "Yosef Chaim", based on the teachings of Yosef Chaim Mizrachi (is that the Ben Ish Chai)?

On various phrases in the Shema (I think the first 2 paragraphs), there were notes to link the phrase in Shema to one of the Ten Commandments, e.g.:

"Hashem is our G-d": I am Hashem your G-d
"Hashem is one": Don't have any other gods

If I recall correctly, about 7 of the 10 were there.  But there were no "honor your parents", "don't bear false witness", and ... I forget what the other missing one was.

Does anyone know anything about this please?


texts: A drop of milk gets into the chicken soup, can one still eat the soup?

texts: I think it has something to do with the 1/60 rule but I don't know what that is.


texts: What ingredients are currently used in the manufacture of ink for Safrus? Is there a different formulation for the paint that is used to dye tefillin straps/boxes?


texts:
A plain reading of Bamidbar chapter 16 suggests that Korach was basically silent in the whole "episode of Korach". However, Chazal and the midrash explain, at length, about Korach's involvement and his instigation of the rebellion against the extant leadership.
The only utterance of Korach, however, is in Badmidbar 16:3, where Korach speaks collectively with 'Datan and Aviram' and 'On ben Pelet'. This is the only time he speaks (14 words), and he speaks along with the others mentioned:

וַיִּקָּהֲלוּ עַל-מֹשֶׁה וְעַל-אַהֲרֹן, וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֲלֵהֶם רַב-לָכֶם--כִּי כָל-הָעֵדָה כֻּלָּם קְדֹשִׁים, וּבְתוֹכָם יְהוָה; וּמַדּוּעַ תִּתְנַשְּׂאוּ, עַל-קְהַל יְהוָה
They gathered unto Moshe and Aharon and said to them: "You have gone too far! For all the community are holy, all of them, and the LORD is in their midst. Why then do you raise yourselves above the LORD’s congregation?”

Other than this collective rebuke against Moshe and Aharon, Korach is silent. The narrative text suggests that it was "Korach and his congregation" (ibid 16:10) that were the responsible party; however, Korach never speaks. In fact, it is Datan and Aviram who are presented as the most rebellious by refusing the call of Moshe (16:12 "וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לֹא נַעֲלֶה") and then say (16:13-14):

הַמְעַט, כִּי הֶעֱלִיתָנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבַשׁ, לַהֲמִיתֵנוּ, בַּמִּדְבָּר:  כִּי-תִשְׂתָּרֵר עָלֵינוּ, גַּם-הִשְׂתָּרֵר.
אַ֡ף לֹ֣א אֶל־אֶרֶץ֩ זָבַ֨ת חָלָ֤ב וּדְבַשׁ֙ הֲבִ֣יאֹתָ֔נוּ וַתִּ֨תֶּן־לָ֔נוּ נַחֲלַ֖ת שָׂדֶ֣ה וָכָ֑רֶם הַעֵינֵ֞י הָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים הָהֵ֛ם תְּנַקֵּ֖ר לֹ֥א נַעֲלֶֽה׃
(13) Is it not enough that you brought us from a land flowing with milk and honey to have us die in the wilderness, that you would also lord it over us? (14) Even if you had brought us to a land flowing with milk and honey, and given us possession of fields and vineyards, should you gouge out those men’s eyes? We will not come!”

I was surprised, when reading this passage again, that Korach doesn't say anything independently. Especially since he is considered the primary cause of the rebellion. Do any commentaries explain the silence of Korach?


texts:
There is a halacha that if one is unsure if certain letters of STa"M (Sefer Torah/Tefillin/Mezuza) are of the right length, one can ask a child.

What happens if there was a doubt in a letter in a tefillin, one sofer asked a child, the child misread it, and then afterwards someone else showed it (not knowing that it was already shown) to another child and the second child read it correctly?

Can the second man fulfill his obligation with this Tefillin?
Is it a Safek (so if any of the two sofrim put on tfillin with these Parshios, they would have to put on another pair without a blessing)?
If this happened a few times (this ksav was shown to a few children), and all read it wrong except for one, could that one later on (assuming this parsha was unfixed) claim "leshitaso" and wear this tefillin without a Bracha?


texts:
The Talmud Bavli in Chagiga 12b mentions that there is a place where the angel Michael offers korbanos to Hashem. The Chiddushei Aggados commentary (can be seen on the above link on Sefaria) states a classic that I've seen in earlier sources as well -- that Michael sacrifices the souls of tzaddikim.
I wanted to know what that means exactly. It's clearly a symbolic image, so what does it mean to "offer the soul of the tzaddik as a korban?
Also, I understand the reason why Michael does it (as opposed to any other malach) is because he functions like a kohen gadol in the realm of the angels (which the Chiddushei Aggados also says). However, why is the help of a malach altogether needed -- wouldn't we consider the entire life of a tzaddik exactly that, -- a sacrifice of himself to Hashem, that is performed by the person himself?
Thank you very much.


texts: How can we be sure that Judaism is true/the truth?

texts:
I borrowed (with permission) a question from Ahmed Han, which is:

  People of every religion claim that they are the ones in the right
  path. Even the people of sects in these religions think that they are
  on a better path than the peoples of other sects are on. How come
  could they be so sure?

  As a Muslim, how can I be sure that my religion or sect/madhab/path is
  the rightful one? How can I be sure that there isn't any other
  religion sent by Allah which is better than Islam, but it is wrongly
  advertised so that I think that it is wrong?

Change some words and we get:

People of every religion claim that they are the ones in the right path. Even the people of sects in these religions think that they are on a better path than the peoples of other sects are on.

As someone who believes in Judaism, how can you be sure that the religion is the rightful one? How can I be sure that there isn't any other religion sent by God which is better than Judaism, but it is wrongly advertised so that I think that it is wrong?


texts: Is a Ger Tzedek who is biologically a son of Nathin permitted to marry a 'regular' Jew?

texts:
Lets assume there is a Jew who has a tradition that he is one of נתין. He has a biological son with a Gentile. If the son converted, is he allowed to marry a 'regular' Jew and does he still have the status of נתין?

Is it is an Assur m'd'Oraisa for a 'regular' Jew to marry a descendant of the 7 nations and does it in any way affect the status of this Ger or is he considered as a new born also in this aspect (like he did not come from the seed of his biological father)?

Let's specify we are talking about b'dievad situation in case the giyur itself would be prohibited l'h'tehila.


texts: Moving with magnets: what's the status in halacha?

texts:
If I move something on Shabbos with the force of a magnet, is that considered Halachicly like I move it with my hands (גופו), with my force (כוחו), indirect (גרמא), or have I done nothing?

This is in regard to direct prohibitions, like הוצאה or moving a Muktzeh.


texts:
As of October 2020 the UK government has established strict laws and very specific guidelines for the currently ongoing holiday.
It would seem that we have to keep these regulations, especially since they have been made to keep everyone safe, and because they actually are enforced (a local Judaica store clerk told me that police had stopped by and fined their customers):

£200 for the first offence, lowered to £100 if paid within 14 days
£400 for the second offence, then doubling for each further offence up to a maximum of £6,400

Is there any minyan in (preferably north-western) Stamford Hill (north-east London, England; N15/N16/E5) that abides by current COVID-19 laws?


texts: Does the Talmud say anything about non-violence?

texts:
Ben Shapiro, an Orthodox Jew from america, is pro guns. And because he is Jewish, I wondered how violence is treated in judaism (with cites/quotes please).

Because in Christianity, everything at the core comes down to a life with no violence (no matter under what circumstances) - as what you sow you will reap. And if you want to reap only good things, you also have to love those which are your enemies - which is suggested in the bible.

So back to the question: Does the Talmud say anything about when violence is allowed or that one is not allowed to practice violence whatsoever?


texts:
Verses in the Bible traditionally have four different understandings: Pshat (simple meaning), Remez (derived meaning), Drash (investigative meaning), and Sod (esoteric meaning).

It seems at times that these understandings are at odds with one another, such as in the case of Reuben and Bilah (Gen. 35:22). The simple meaning of the verse is quite clear, yet there are opinions, cited by Rashi, that something else happened, that precludes the simple meaning.

When there is a contradiction in intepretation, how does one determine what actually happened?


texts:
Why is the positive mitzvah to eat matza only for the first day of Peach?

If the psukim either state to eat for 7 days in Shmot or 6 days in Devarim,
why is it a postive obligation to eat it only the first day?