texts:
This question asks about Yuhara - religious haughtiness - in general. In the current answer it discusses issues of one-upmanship on one's Rebbe or local Rabbis being a special concern.

How is this evaluated for women? For example, the Ramo says women shouldn't put on a Tallis (Orach Chaim 17:2) because of Yuhara. However, a woman wearing one would not have such a denigrating effect, because the Rabbis are all wearing one.

The Pischei Teshuva says in reference to Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin that when most "Tofsei Torah" (Those who Grasp Torah, whatever that means exactly) and a few of the "Baal Habbatim" (general people) do it, then it is not an issue. That again (of course that is the context there - Teffilin) seems to be a very male oriented survey.

So how is it evaluated for women?


texts: Should one make any brachot on "raw" milk?

texts:
Most people do not drink milk directly from the cow's udder prior to it being pasteurized. If one did, should he make a before and after bracha?

Is raw milk considered "food" halachically, since most people don't consume it? One would not make a bracha on non-"food" items (e.g. eating raw rhubarb).


texts:
What is the proper greeting on Yom hashoah?
I am not Jewish but do have some Jewish friends and would like to know how to greet them on this day of remembrance.


texts: Why does the Torah give us exact dates for the flood?

texts:
This question asks why the flood didn't end on the 18th of Cheshvan (one year after the start).  My question is more basic: why does the torah give us precise dates here at all?  Bereishit 7:11 tells us it began on the 17th of the second month and Bereishit 8:14 tells us it ended on the 27th of the second month a year later -- but I don't think we get another precise date before the exodus begins.  (One can of course question which month is meant by the second month -- the other question assumes Cheshvan -- but regardless of which it is, the torah identifies a specific month and specific dates.)

Why is it important to tell us the flood began and ended on these exact dates?


texts:
Is it against Halacha to prepare a grave before someone who passed away i.e. that the doctors and family know that the person is going to pass away but don’t know when so they make preparations.

What preparations are allowed?


texts:
I'm confused by what I'm reading here:

  Fresh fruits and vegetables grown in chutz la’aretz are kosher whether bought whole or cut. Therefore, you may purchase a fresh fruit
  salad in any restaurant (if there is no dressing on it). If the
  restaurant serves kosher and non-kosher items, you may enter it to
  eat. If none of the food served is kosher, you may only be seated if
  there are no Jews around to see or if you are not recognizable as
  Jewish. Although you couldn’t eat there, you might want to enter for a
  meeting with someone and just drink water.
  You may drink cold drinks such as soda and beer in the glasses provided in a non-kosher restaurant. If the drink is normally served
  with a slice of lemon, ask them to hold the lemon. Since the lemon was
  cut with a treif knife, the lemon is treif and should not be put into
  tea or a cold beverage. If it was wedged on the glass, you should
  remove the lemon and may drink the beverage. Any lemon that remains in
  the drink is negligible and does not pose a problem. If the lemon was
  squeezed into the drink, order another drink without the lemon and
  offer the first drink to a gentile you know or have it returned to the
  kitchen.

Why does this document apparently state that one doesn't have to be worried about cut fruit, but one does if it's a lemon? Is it because lemons are charif? If so, why wouldn't #1 mention charif fruits/vegetables as an exception?

CYLOR about whether to rely on the information in this document, like any.


texts:
I would like to understand this passage in Makkot 7a:

https://www.sefaria.org/Makkot.7b.4?lang=bi&with=Commentary&lang2=bi

[The mishna teaches that] Rabbi Tarfon and Rabbi Akiva say: If we had been [members of the Sanhedrin, we would have conducted the trials in a manner where no person would have ever been executed. The Gemara asks:] How would they have acted [to spare the accused from execution if witnesses testified that he intentionally committed murder?] Rabbi Yoḥanan and Rabbi Elazar both say [that they would have asked the witnesses]: Did you see [whether the accused] killed a tereifa, [i.e., a person with a condition that would lead to his death within twelve months,] or if [he killed someone who was] intact? [The halakhic status of a tereifa is like that of one who is dead, in the sense that one who kills him is not executed. Since no witness can be certain with regard to the victim’s physical condition, they would invalidate any testimony to a murder.]

Surely it does not mean it is acceptable to kill a terminally ill person, does it?


texts: Is cross-dressing permitted on Purim and if so why?

texts: As part of dressing in costume on Purim is a person allowed to put on clothes normally worn by the opposite gender? If so, where does this heter come from in the face of the biblical prohibition against cross-dressing in Deuteronomy 22:5?


texts: Is the expression "we do not rely on 'bar elahin'" a reference to Christianity?

texts: The prayer Brich Shmeh from the Zohar Vayakhel 206a, which is recited during the Torah service, contains the statement ולא על בר אלהין סמיכנא. All the translations I've seen render "bar elahin" as "angel" following Daniel 3:25, but since it literally means "a son of God" I can't help but suspect that it is a reference to Christianity. Is that what's going on here, and if so, why do the translations always leave it as "angel"?


texts: How do rappaports trace themselves back to Aron Hakohen?

texts: I had a Rappaport friend once who told me that he can trace himself back to Aron Hakohen. I am looking on Geni.com through various Rappaports who are Master Profiles and searching for the connection to Aron The High Priest, but none of them can trace themselves through a direct paternal line. Does anyone know of such a profile on Geni?


texts:
In likutei torah, parshas re'ah page 21b, the Alther Rebbe maps out the three different "holy's" that the angels say. The first two correspond to 1) inner layer of "sovev kol almin" which is totally removed from the worlds, and 2) the outer layer of "sovev kol almin" which is a general energy that sustains the worlds every instant. So far it's been going pregressively down. However, I don't understand the placement of the 3rd level, which the Alter Rebbe, quoting the Arizal, lists as"mochin steemin," here:

  אמנם מ"ש הג' למו"ס אף דמו"ס הוא בחי' חכמה שבכתר בחי' סוכ"ע היינו לפי שהוא דיבר בשרש בחי' ממכ"ע שבעולם האצי'. והנה כמו שבי"ע ממש התהוותם יש מאין מבחי' מל' דאצילות שהוא מקור בחי' ממכ"ע דבי"ע כמ"כ באצי' יש ג"כ בי"ע היינו או"א הם בריאה דאצילות וכמ"ש והחכמה מאין תמצא שהיא נק' בריאה יש מאין וזהו ענין בורא קדושים ישתבח שמך כמ"ש במ"א וגם קנה חכמה קנה בינה ב"פ קנה בגימט' יש והאין שממנו תמצא החכמה הוא בחי' כתר והוא ג"כ ע"י ב' המשכות ממלא וסובב א"פ וא"מ וח"ס הוא מקור לבחי' הא"פ וכמ"ש בע"ח שער א"א פ"ד
  translation: however, what [the arizal] wrote that the third is mochin steemin, even though that mochin steemin is the level of chochmah of keser in the level of sovev kol almin, that is according to that it is in the source in the level of memale kol almin that's in the world of atzilus. And behold like that Bria Yetzira Asiya literally is created something from nothing from the level of malchul of atiluz that is the source of the level of memale kol almin of bria yetira asiya, like so in atzilus there's also bi'a, that is abba and imma (chochmah and binah), theybria of atzilus, and like it says, "and chochah comes from nothing", that it's called "a creation" something from nothing, and this is the idea of "he creates holy ones who praise his name", like it says in another place. ANd also "acquire bina acquire chochmah", the gematria of "acquire" 2 times in "yesh [something]," and "nothing" that's from it is found the chochmah, which is the level of keser and it is also through the two flows of "memale" and "sovev", "or pnimi" and "or makif", and chocha stima is the source to the level of the or pnimi and like it's written in aytz chaim shar a"a p"d.

(so now you can see why it wasn't translated earlier)

If someone can help explain this quote for me on if mochin steemin is above or below the two levels mentioned before, and where exactly is it (it seems to say chochmah of keser but I'm not totally sure).


texts: When in history did Purim happen? I understand that there are several opinions that this is based on (who אחשורוש was, whether this was before or after the end of the exile), but I've been unable to find the sources related to it.


texts: What are the etiquette regarding recitation of Tehillim order for the sick?

texts:
Let me be more specific about my question's topic:  in regards to praying Tehillim for individuals I am referring, here, to the recitation of Psalm 119 (the personal portion following the standard order of prescribed Davidic Psalms preceding it). *

Question itself: What should I have done for the name מִרְיָם seeing as it ends in a ם and that is not an available corresponding letter in Psalm 119? The way I dealt with it was to just repeat the verses for מ at the end of her name.

***At the shul where I usually attend, we do not say Tehillim during services, but recite/sing a short prayer for complete healing in the middle of Friday night services. So, the Tehillim order is fairly new to me, except for my brief exposure to it at a Chabad shul. Thanks. And may Hashem merit us all to have a full and speedy recovery from these winter illnesses!


texts:
In Would there be anything wrong with opening the door earlier at the seder?, the OP lists two possible reasons for opening the door at the Seder, neither of which has any solid sourcing mentioned in the links.

I'm looking for sources (the earlier the better) that discuss why we open the door specifically before reciting Shefoch Chamascha.  Is it because we wish to outwardly show that we are not afraid?  Is it linked somehow to Eliyahu Hanavi?


texts:
I very often eat at meals where after the meal, all of the men wash mayim acharonim, but none of the women do so.

I am aware of a number of halachic sources that say both men and women should wash mayim acharonim (either because of a concern for melach sodomit or other salts like it today, or for kabbalistic reasons), and I am aware of sevaras out there that say nobody is required to wash mayim acharonim (because they don't care much for the kabbalistic reasons, and we don't have melach sodomit today).

What's the justification for this common minhag where men wash mayim acharonim, but women don't? (i.e. what's the justification for a difference in practice between men and women sitting at the same table?)


texts: Encyclopedia Judaica (sv 'Herem') says that when a cherem was pronounced, a ceremony would be held in synagogue involving wax candles. Can anyone point to sources discussing this ceremony?


texts:
According to those that hold vegetarianism is the higher & more exalted path (Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, Rav Kook, The Nazir of Yerushalayim, Rav Shlomo Goren) what should be done if a piece of meat is on its way to a trash-bin? Would it not be more dignified for the animals sake to eat it so that he doesn’t go completely wasted? When consumed he can become part of you, energize you, & even partake & become exalted through the good deeds you perform? Or maybe it would be better for the meat to just be thrown away? I personally just came to the conclusion that I no longer find it necessary (nor particularly nice!) to eat meat anymore because of all the amazing Kosher food that exists today but my family are very carnivorous & I usually end up throwing out lots of leftovers. Although I understand that this is an “ask a Rav” type question still any input would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You & Be Blessed!


texts: The Layman's Masechta (Mishnayoth) for a Siyum

texts:
What is a good Masechta of Mishnayoth for someone to learn if they just want to get a basic understanding and complete a Masechta in a relatively short time?

Examples where this would be practical might be someone who has a limited background in learning and wants to make a Siyum but isn't ready for Gemara, or someone under time constraints to learn for a Sheloshim.


texts: Malkizedek, Jerusalem and the Temple Mount

texts:
וּמַלְכִּי־צֶדֶק מֶלֶךְ שָׁלֵם הוֹצִיא לֶחֶם וָיָיִן וְהוּא כֹהֵן לְאֵל עֶלְיוֹן׃
And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High. (Ber 14, 18)

Many interpret Shalem as Jerusalem (see Ebn Ezrah): "ושלם. היא ירושלם והעד ויהי בשלם סכו"
If that was Jerusalem, was it adjacent to the Temple Mount?
Because Parashat Vayerah, when Avraham wanders to find the Temple Mount, mentions no city of Shalem in the area (allegedly Malkitzedek was Shem - see Rashi and the city preceded Avraham).


texts: What is the perceived effect of circumcision on sexuality?

texts:
My understanding so far : Jews circumcise their sons at the age of 8 days in order to mark an alliance between the newborn and God, and this tradition has carried on for thousands of years. It is also a central and very important tradition, equivalent to baptism in Christianity. Even casual Jews circumcise their sons, and circumcision is a strong requirement for converting to Judaism.

Reproducing is also culturally considered very important for Jews; single people are strongly encouraged to find a partner and couples are strongly encouraged to have as many children as possible.

Since both reproducing and circumcising are very important, I ask myself: What is the perceived effect of circumcision when it comes to sexuality? (It does not matter whether it is proven true - just what the Jews themselves think about it.) Is circumcision related to the Jewish views about family and sexuality?


texts: Why is 'Rabbenu Tam' called Rabbenu Tam?

texts: Rabbenu Tam's name was יעקב בן מאיר. Why then is he known as Rabbenu Tam?


texts:
Throughout the Mishneh Torah, Rambam spells the term for the recitation of Shema, without an א, as קרית שמע, even though the Aleph is part of the root of the word. To my knowledge, there is no grammatical principle which requires the Aleph to be dropped when adding a ת to the end of the word. Yet Rambam consistently leaves out the א (whereas Shulchan Aruch, by contrast, includes the א in his codification).

Does anyone address this discrepancy, and is there any grammatical justification for his spelling? This question is relevant to both textual clarity of a leading Halakhic work, as well as having the potential to clarify grammatical principles of the Hebrew language used by our teachers.

Importantly, the MS. Hunt. 80 manuscript at the Bodleian Libraries of Oxford, which is hand-signed by Rambam himself, leaves out the Aleph.


texts: Bish'vili nivra ha'olam/Anochi afar Papers

texts:
Who was the person who would walk around with 2 papers in his pocket,
one of which said "bishvili nivra ha'olam" ("the world was created for me") and the other "anochi afar va'eifer" ("I am dirt and ash")?

When he felt an inkling one way or another he would take out the opposite paper to regulate himself.

Who was this?  Where can I look for more information?

Thanks.


texts:
in the talmud Sanhedrin 74a it says that if someone is told: "kill him or I will kill you", then one is not allowed to kill him and must die rather than transgress the prohibition of murder.

But what if the person says: "kill him or I will kill you and him".

In that case is one allowed to kill the other person?

in the latter case, the other person is going to die either way, so perhaps you are at least saving one life and it is permitted


texts: Women standing for their husbands when called up for an Aliyah

texts:
I have noticed women in several sefardic communities to stand while their husbands are called up to the synagogue. Yalkut Yosef in Hilkhot Shavuot brings down the halakha of a child or a student standing up for the respect of his parent or teacher.

Is there any source for a woman standing for her husband when called up for aliya?


texts:
I am a baal teshuvah for over 3 years; all of my friends are secular. After becoming religious I lost a lot of the interests that my secular friends are into and hence have not much in common with them. Plus the stuff they talk about is usually inappropriate.

When I go to shul most people are outside my age range. Is having close friends a non-Jewish past time? Or are there places that one can frequent to develop strong relationships with fellow like-minded Jews?


texts: How do you pay a debt (not a loan) in a different currency?

texts:
Shimon, in Eretz Yisrael, makes a purchase on behalf of Reuven, in the diaspora.  For Reuven the cost of paying in shekels would be quite high, but Shimon can receive the payment in another currency and pay a much smaller fee to convert the money to shekels.  They therefore agree that, to minimize the total cost, Reuven will pay the amount due plus an amount that covers Shimon's cost to convert the money once he receives it.  Naturally, both of them want to avoid any problems with ribbit while ensuring that Shimon isn't underpaid.  This is not a loan; Shimon is acting as an agent for Reuven to make a purchase that Reuven cannot make directly.

First question: If one of the parties ends up profiting from the transaction because of currency fluctuations, is there a concern about ribbit?  Or is ribbit only about loans, not cases where you ask somebody else to make a purchase for you?  This might be different because the point of a loan is for the borrower to make use of the money, while here that's more of a side-effect.

If agency is the same as lending with respect to this, then would the answers to this question apply to the currency-conversion aspect of the repayment?

Second question: If agency is not the same as a loan, does halacha have anything to say on how they should decide what currency-conversion rate to use?  The rate on the day of the purchase?  On the day the funds are sent?  The average rate over some recent period of time?  Something else?

(I am not asking for a practical ruling, but rather for the halachot that would inform the decision.)


texts: What bar/bat mitzva present did you actually want/like/use?

texts:
In retrospect, what made a good bar/bat mitzva present?  What actually got used?

Also: for a less-observant Bar/Bat Mitzvah boy/girl, what's a good gift?  How do you achieve the right balance of Jewishness vs. usability (without looking too ... missionary-like)?


texts: What should you do if your cat brings Chametz into your house?

texts:
Your cat plays outside during the day on Pesach. You see your cat rolling around in the dirt that has Chametz that was deposited by Gentiles walking on the street. The cat also decides to carry a bag of Chametz in its mouth and runs into your house with the bag.

Do you need to brush the cats fur and inspect it for Chametz even if it's not clearly visible?

What should you do with the bag of Chametz if the cat brings it into your house during Yom Tov? Is the Chametz muktzah, so you can't move it? If the cat has eaten the Chametz on its own, have you violated owning Chametz on Pesach, or is this nullified by the fact that you didn't physically own it since you didn't move it, and now it's gone, anyway?


texts: Transliteration and text help for the nisim b'chol yom

texts:
My son is becoming a bar mitzvah, and he specified that he wanted to use a translation of the nisim b'chol yom (for daily miracles) prayer not from the siddur, but from a hand out in Hebrew school. I am fine with this, and am trying to create a word document so that it can go to the printer. However it is taking me an hour to just write out the Brauch atah adoni eloheimu melech haolam in Hebrew. I cannot find the version he wants on line.

But I was curious and used google translate and the meaning of the words that I got back was not the same as the text before me. So I am asking, is the translation of the following correct?

baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech haolam
asher natan lasechvi vinah l’havchinb bein
uvein Laila.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who separates day and night.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
pokei-ach ivirim.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who opens our eyes.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
matir asurim.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who provides for all my needs.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
Hameichin mitzadei gaver.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who guides our journeys.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
Malbish arumim.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who provides clothing and shelter.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
hanotein laya-eif ko-ach.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who gives us strength when we are tired.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
hamaavir sheinah mei-einai, utnumah mei-afapai.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who removes sleep from the eyes, slumber from the eyelids.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
she-asani b’tzelem Elohim.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who made me in the image of God.

Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha’olam,
she-asani Yisrael.
Praise to You, Adonai our God, Ruler of the world, who encourages me to explore my Jewish heritage.

Does this transliteration mean what was written in english?

Thank you in advance.


texts:
Is one obligated to hold the object he or she is toveling? That is, if they put the object in a bag, let's say, and dunk the bag such that the object is entirely immersed, is that a kosher tevilah? Or if they threw it at the bottom of the mikvah and then pulled it out, is that a kosher tevilah?

In other words, is the obligation to tovel that a person should dunk the object or that the object should be dunked?


texts:
Is cholov akum 100% treif (not kosher)?

If so why does it get a hechcher (kosher supervision stamp)?

And if it's not treif, is it assur (forbidden)?


texts:
Who knows thirty?
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:
I'm trying to write a master list of all tehillim to read for various segulot, excluding shimusha tehillim. I've compiled the following, but I'm curious if there are any more:
(also I can't figure out to make footnotes without links so I can cite the sources):

An intimate plea for Hashem's guidance - 16, 19, 139;
Shidduch - 32, 38, 70, 71, 72, 82, 121, 124;
On the day of a wedding - 19 (per Chabad, the kallah recites all tehillim)(per Ashkenaz, 128 under chuppah);
For barren woman - 102, 103;
For healthy childbirth - 4, 5, 20, 35, 57, 93, 108, 142;
For a woman in difficult labor - 100;
Upon the birth of a child - 20, 139;
On the day of a bris mila - 12;
For one's success learning Torah - 119;
Corresponding to age - if 13, one says 14;
For rain - 17, 25, 32, 86, 103, 105, 108, 120, 121, 123, 124, 130, 136, followed by a special Yehi Ratzon;
For livelihood - 23, 24, 36, 62, 65, 85, 104, 121, 136, 144, 145;
For peace - 46;
Shalom Bayis - Spell out שלום הבית with 119 everyday;
For success - 57, 112, 122;
At the dedication of a monument - 1
For parnassa - Any three chapters of Tehillim, specifically after davening;
Eliminate sleep - Shir Hamalos (120-134);
When traveling on a journey - 91;
Against haters - 71;
Antidote for rejoicing at an enemies downfall - 7;
Protection against ayin hara - 59;
Weapon against yetzer hara - reciting sefer tehillim three times in one day;
The ability to walk away from anger, or evil talk - entire 150 tehillim;
For the Jewish people - 43, 79, 80, 83, 130, 142;
Victory - 12;
For gratitude/thanksgiving - 9, 21, 57, 95, 100, 116, 138;
Thanksgiving for a miracle - 18;
Thanksgiving for being rescued - 124;
For release of prisoners - 142;
For supernatural results - 121, 130, or 142;
All ailments (including acute depression) and difficult situations in a person's life - 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150;
For recovery from illness - 6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 30, 32, 38, 41, 51, 86, 88, 91, 102, 103, 121, 130, 142, 143 (spell out name from 119);
In a house of mourning - 49;
At a graveside or Yahrtzeit - 16, 17, 33, 72, 91, 104, 130 (spell out name from 119);
In times of crises - 20, 121, 130;
For help in troublesome times - [16], 21, [25], [26], 38, [54], [81], 85, 86, [87], 102, 130, 142;
Rescue from enemies - 125 seven times;
For a dybbuk - at least 91 or 10, 91, 127 and the patient recites 20, 90, and Ana B’koach;
When Eretz Yisrael is in danger - 83, 130, 142;
For harsh decrees, that the nations decree on Yisrael - 62;
To awaken the merits of our ancestors - 16;
Tikun HaKlalit - 16, 32, 41, 42, 59, 77, 90, 105, 137, 150;
Atonement from sins - 150 twice;
For repentence - 51 and/or 90;
Sweeten harsh judgments - 39, 77;
For a favorable judgment - 7, 35, 93;
Like a fast - reciting Sefer Tehillim 3 times in one day;
Keeping out of Gehinnom - 25;
To rectify all personal flaws and will be guaranteed a place in Olam HaBo - memorize the entire Tehillim;
To be worthy of Olam HaBo - recite the entire Tehillim daily;
Beis Olam - 16, 17, 28, 33, 34, 4th book, 91, 104, 111, 112, 119-38, 145-50.

I left out the tehillim schedules and the tehillim for specific days. Am I missing anything? I have sources but I can't figure out footnotes without links.


texts: Can a Jewish Business Refuse to Serve Certain Customers?

texts:
There have been several recent court cases regarding Christian businesses that have refused to provide service to certain customers based on religious grounds.

Assuming secular law has no opinion (dina demalchuta does not apply), what are the Halachot of a Jewish-owned business refusing to serve certain customers?  Is is permitted?  Prohibited?  Required in certain circumstances?  Would it matter if the customer is Jewish?

For example, can\should\must a Jewish-owned florist refuse to provide flowers for a gay wedding  (to use the case that's been in the news recently) ?


texts:
There's an argument whether annulling an oath needs an excuse. Even if there needs to be an excuse, the excuse could be something weak like "I didn't know I shouldn't take oaths".

What's the point of an oath which could be cancelled at any time?


texts:
I was reading a recent answer and saw this

  There may also be issues of humiliating a person (see Kitzur Shulchan Aruch Chapter 63, which while mostly dealing with business-related deceiving, has several non-business applications)

Having no knowledge on the subject, got me wondering:

Is bigotry prohibited?


texts: Starting the Seder after Sheki'ah (sunset)?

texts:
In my experience, there is a lot of emphasis on waiting until after Tzeith HaKochavim (the stars come out), which is seen as definitely after nightfall, to start the Seder. The reason is that we want to makes sure that the Mitzvoth of the Seder, and indeed even Kiddush, are done definitely at night. See Mishnah Berurah 472:1:1, for example.

But looking at the Shulhan 'Aruch, and even the Raavad (perhaps the former is based on the latter), it seems clear that there is also an urgency to start the Seder (or at least the meal) early enough that people, especially the children, don't fall asleep (see Mehaber OC 472:1 and see this related question).  See also RaAVa"D 7:3 in the RaMBa"M, Laws of leaven and Matzah (from a friend, no time to look up right now).

The word used by the Shu"'A is "משתחשך". The M"B there says, "Lav Davka" ("not quite"). Is the M"B saying, "This doesn't mean quite what you may think it means, so don't mistake the meaning here to think you should start the Seder before nightfall; what is meant here is that you shouldn't wait even later and thereby delay the meal," or is he trying to argue with/alter the Shu"'A, and say, "We don't necessarily have to follow this exactly; the most important thing is to wait until nightfall, and then once we get to nightfall don't delay further"?  What I mean is, in a place where nightfall is very late, or even in a situation where the children will definitely either fall asleep or be irritable and the experience will not be a positive one for them, could (or should) a person begin after sunset but before nightfall?

If the first interpretation holds, then it seems, according to M"B, there's no option, and he's clarifying what the Mehaber meant, so that there's no mistake at your or my Seder.

If the second interpretation holds, though, I might think I can start a little earlier if, in my judgment, the quality of the Seder will be affected, since it's important to have the kids awake and participating, and the M"B is just speaking about an ideal situation where everyone's engaged or nobody is young enough to be very much affected by a late start.


texts: What is the source for not being afraid of ayin hara because Yosef Hatzadik sustained the whole world we are all considered his descendants?

texts: What is the source for not being afraid of ayin hara because we are all considered Yosef Hatzadik's descendants since he sustained the whole world in Mitzrayim (and ayin hara doesnt affect Yosef's offsprings)?


texts: Are there any halachik issues with reporting a Jewish co-worker to HR?

texts:
Suppose one has a Jewish co-worker who is not behaving in a manner that's expected at work (ie- confrontational, berating other co-workers, making others feel uneasy)

Granted this isn't something illegal, but could there be any halachik problems with reporting them to HR?

While most times they could potentially get a slap on the wrist, yet there is a chance they could also lose their job-- with the person who reported them being indirectly responsible.

Thoughts?


texts: The hashkafa of atheism and mitzvot d'rabbonon?

texts:
An atheist told me that rather than being the Word of God, the Torah and the Mitzvot were actually concocted by the Rabbis and therefore they are not binding.
According to his own admission, all mitzvot, being invented by rabbis, are d'rabbonon. But even a mitzva d'rabbonon is binding.
Can anyone resolve this apparent contradiction?

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


texts: Extended Kaddish for a Non-Shomer Shabbos Jew

texts: This website says that if one is saying Kaddish for someone who was not shomer Shabbos, one should continue to say Kaddish for 12 months instead of 11. What is the source for this practice?


texts: Someone told me that when people are talking during davening it causes the Divine Presence to leave or depart from a shul. Is there a halachic source for this?


texts: What is the black pin called that mourners wear?

texts: What is the name of the black pin that one wears at a funeral, and are there any customs around them to know about? It's a black circle, pinned, and there's a black ribbon affixed to it.


texts: If I promise something by saying "I Promise..... to do something". What status does that have. Does it have the same status of a Neder? Or maybe a promise has no significance in halachah and therefore I don't have to give any credence to it.


texts: Can someone who is not wearing tefillin on a weekday receive an aliyah?

texts:
My shul has a policy that anyone (male, over Bar Mitzva, of course) not wearing tefillin cannot receive an aliyah. Is there any halacha or minhag to support this rule?

My rav is in Eretz Yisra'el, now, so I cannot ask him directly.


texts: Does anyone in Tanach ever get divorced? Not merely separated but fully divorced.


texts: A restroom in a formerly-kosher eatery vs. one in a never-kosher eatery: which is preferable?

texts:
Say I'm on the road traveling, and I need to use a restroom. Which of the following two restrooms is preferable?

One in a restaurant that used to be kosher, but is now non-kosher.
One in a restaurant which has always been non-kosher.

CYLOR.


texts: Jewish theological position concerning Zionism and the State of Israel

texts:
Several orthodox groups, most notably Neturei Karta and Satmar, are opposed to the State of Israel on religious grounds. According to them, since the messiah has not yet arrived, the Jewish people have yet to earn the spiritual merit to establish a country in Israel.

It's clear that this strict position is not universally shared in the orthodox world. Considering that to be the case, I was wondering what theological justification other groups may use in order to take a more lenient approach.

Source: https://www.myjewishlearning.com/article/ultra-orthodox-anti-zionist/


texts:
The Gemarah in Bava Metziah 95b bring an argument of Amoraim between Abaye and Rava who base their respective opinions on the Tanaim Rav Yoshiya and Rav Yonasan. The Gemara tells how they hold of these Tanaims' methods of expounding on Scripture.

However, in Rashi, he has a different text for when the Gemarah says the words:

  רבא סבר לה כר' יונתן ומתרץ לקראי כר' יונתן

which implies that Rava holds of Rav Yonasan's way of expounding Scripture. However, Rashi has the following different text:

  ורבא מתרץ להו בתר דעתיה דרבי יונתן

which seems to imply something completly different, in that he does not hold of Rav Yonasan's opinion, rather in this argument, he bases his side of the argument on the opinions of Rav Yonasan, and not that he himself holds of this opinion. As it says he 'goes after the opinion of Rav Yonasan'.
And so, at face value, it would seems the text Rashi brings is adding a nouvelle addition.

However, later on in the Gemarah, on 96a in the Gemarah's re-quoting of this section of Gemarah, to discuss Rava's angle of the dispute, the Gemarah bring the same words:

  רבא סבר לה כרבי יונתן ומתרץ לקראי כרבי יונתן

However, the peculiar part is that Rashi no longer has the words that were mentioned earlier, rather the same text that the Gemarah has maintained until now:

  רבא סבר לה כרבי יונתן

So in conclusion, the contradition in the text Rashi has seems quite puzzling, becuase it is unclear wheather Rava is using Rav Yonasan's opinion to win the present argument, or if he holds of his shitta le'halachah.

hmmmm


texts: Lashon Hora to get something off one's chest'?

texts:
Is there an issue of Lashon Hora to tell someone about a difficult situation that one is experiencing with another person if your purpose is to vent and get 'something off one's chest'? Similarly, may one discuss such a situation with a mentor who can give advice on how to manage the situation?

To be clear, this is not a case ח"ו of abuse or something that should require therapy.


texts: Is a rabbi allowed to exaggerate stories about someone they see as a "bad character" in order to distance people from him?

texts:
I am reading a summary of the halachot in chafetz chaim that I found by the geniza (can't quite figure out who wrote it) which makes mention of the possibility for a rabbi to speak lashon hara to his students, or a parent to their children, in order to convince them to distance themselves from a person with bad character traits (middot).  This has a feel of incompleteness to me and I am wondering what qualifications there are on this heter.

I am also wondering specifically whether a similar principle would apply to someone from whom the public learns (i.e. gedolim)?


texts: Why Hillel and Shammai are called "the Elder"?

texts:
Both Hillel and Shammai are referred to by the Mishna as "the Elder".

Age: according to WIKI, Hillel lived to 120, but Shammai only to 80. Also, other Tannayim lived longer than 80 (R' Akiva?)
Wisdom: earlier or later sages weren't called "the Elder"
Numbering: there were no other Hillels and Shammais (there were two R' Gamliel, for example)

Why those two specifically are called "the Elder"?


texts: Shouldn't the flood have ended on the 18th of Cheshvan?

texts:
Inspired by this question: New date at sunset: question on Sifse Chachamim

The Torah tells us that the Flood started the 17th of Cheshvan (Bereshit 7:11) and concluded the 27th of Cheshvan (Bereshit 8:14). Rashi (Bereshit 8:14) tells us that is because the flood was a complete solar year. Later (Bereshit 8:22), Rashi tells us that the Heavenly bodies did not function the whole year.

If so, how did the date jump from the 17th to the 27th? This is not a question of the passage of time (that was asked in the question linked to above). I'm asking a practical question. The lunar date is determined by the position of the moon, in other words, where it is in position to the sun. If all the heavenly bodies did not move for the whole year, the day after the flood ended should have been the 18th of the month, not the 27th.


texts: Volume of "Barukh Shem Kevod", Relative to "Shema Yisrael"

texts:
When reciting the Shema, the prevalent custom is to say the first line ("shema yisrael... echad") out loud, and the following line ("barukh shem kevod...") in a whisper. This custom can be sourced in Pesachim 56a, and is also mentioned by the Rambam (Hilkhos Qeriyas Shema 1:4) and the Shulchan Arukh (Orach Chayim 61:13).

In the event that one needs to whisper the first line as well (for example, if there is a sleeping baby in the room), is it sufficient that the second line be whispered as well or does it specifically need to be said more quietly than the first line?


texts:
There is the famous verse in Bereishit 8:10:

וַיָּ֣חֶל ע֔וֹד שִׁבְעַ֥ת יָמִ֖ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים וַיֹּ֛סֶף שַׁלַּ֥ח אֶת־הַיּוֹנָ֖ה מִן־הַתֵּבָֽה׃
And he stayed yet other seven days; and again he sent forth the dove out of the ark.

However, in contrast with the traditional reading, the leading scholar, R' Schlachmones שליט"א, the prospective av beit din of Chełm, based on an obscure baraita claims that אל תקרי ויסף אלא וְיֹסֵף. Therefore, at least according to him, the proper translation should be:

And he stayed yet other seven days; and Joseph sent forth the dove out of the ark.

I know that אין מוקדם ומאוחר בתורה and indeed there are some hints about time travel in Judaism, yet it seems quite difficult to reconcile it with my earlier studies. Should I accept this interpretation? Were there really wormholes or time machines in the dungeon of the pharaoh, where Joseph could travel to Noach's Ark? Please bring sources!

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


texts:
How are Nisyonos not considered Lifnei Iver?

One shouldn't place themselves into a Makom Nisayon1, and is Chayiv for sinning even if one doesn't sin (such as transgressing by passing a house of immorality). If one can't do this to one's self, then how can anyone else do that to them?

Obviously, if Hashem (or perhaps a team of researchers) knows that someone is capable of passing a challenge, then certainly that person shouldn't lose hope, and they should try to win.

Based on the rule of Lifnei Iver, what qualification is being invoked on Heaven's behalf to challenge people, even though they can pass?

1 Sanhedrin 107a


texts:
What was the "cast sea" or "molten sea" יָם מוּצָק specifically used for and by whom?

It appears to be also known as "Yam sheasah Shlomo". https://www.sefaria.org/Yoma.58b?lang=bi

What was it used for, I can imagine, it was, at least, for netillat yadayim, or was that its only use, if at all?

By "whom" I mean, was it only for the priests or for any levites (or could even an israelite use it)?

The "molten sea"-translation יָם מוּצָק is found at Melachim I - I Kings - Chapter 7. https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/aid/15891/showrashi/true

The "cast sea"-translation יָם מוּצָק is found at Melachim I - I Kings - Chapter 7.
https://www.sefaria.org/I_Kings.7.23?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=bi

I want to know what our rabbis of blessed memory wrote about it?

Update and Additions, based on an answer below:

The passage in the TaNaKh uses "rachtzah lakohanim" ( = "washing for the priests"), does it ever mean "mikveh [or tevillah] for the priests"? וְהַיָּ֕ם לְרָחְצָ֥ה לַכֹּהֲנִ֖ים בּֽוֹ https://www.sefaria.org/II_Chronicles.4.6?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en

"Shlomo ha'Melech built a large, heavily ornamented Mikvah in the Beis ha'Mikdash for the use of the Kohanim." I saw this quote from here https://dafyomi.co.il/yoma/backgrnd/yo-in-058.htm , but I can't tell whether they are quoting a modern-day opinion, that it was built for a Mikvah for Kohanim, or if they are quoting a rabbi from blessed memory, and if so, who? Anybody knows?


texts: May a person daven in a NYC subway car that has a smelly person sitting there?

texts:
There's a saying in NYC:

"If you're pregnant or elderly, you won't get a seat. But, if you smell bad, you can get a whole subway car."

Sadly, the number of (homeless, usually) smelly people found in the NYC subway is increasing. Shulchan Aruch O.C. 79:1 states that one needs to distance himself 4 amot from excrement. 79:8 says to distance oneself from smelly garbage. Most of the smelly people on the subway smell from B.O.; possibly from urine; possibly from alcohol and possibly from cigarette or "weed" smoke. It's neither of the above. Thus, I'm not sure if these rules apply to any type of these foul odors, and I couldn't infer that these apply to even a person that smells from excrement rather than excrement itself that came out of the person. (Some of them smell like garbage, BTW, but I wouldn't know if they smell from garbage.)

In many of the NYC subway cars, you cannot pass from one car to the next; the doors are locked. Let's say someone was davening, and a smelly person entered the subway car. Can he continue davening?

Thanks to @WhyEnBe who states that 4 amot = 8-10 feet. A NYC subway car is significantly longer than this. Technically, one could be sitting more than 4 amot away from the smelly person. However, as implied by my opening paragraph, the bad smell occupies the entire car, typically. So, I'm not sure if the halacha also applies to source of the bad smell being there regardless of the distance you may be from its source.

1/8/18 - Adding to this - Typical NYC subway elevators also smell from urine. Can one daven in there?


texts: Where can I get the index for Yabia Omer?

texts:
Where can I get the index for Yabia Omer ?
I cant find it anywhere since its out of print. Any ideas ?


texts: Why does G-d say He will destroy the Bnei Yisroel after the episode with the spies?

texts:
In Bamidbar (Book of Numbers), after the spies come back with their negative report about Israel, God says:

  אַכֶּנּוּ בַדֶּבֶר וְאוֹרִשֶׁנּוּ וְאֶעֱשֶׂה אֹתְךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל
  וְעָצוּם מִמֶּנּוּ.

  I will smite them with the pestilence, and destroy them, and will make
  of thee a nation greater and mightier than they.’

  Numbers 14:12

The Israelites did many bad things before this (notably the Golden Calf, complaining about no meat, etc). Why was it this time that God finally said he wants to destroy them?


texts: What did it mean for Saul to make David's father's house free?

texts:
In 1 Samuel 17:25 it says:

  And the men of Israel said: 'Have ye seen this man that is come up? surely to taunt Israel is he come up; and it shall be, that the man who killeth him, the king will enrich him with great riches, and will give him his daughter, and make his father's house free in Israel.'

What did it mean to have your father's house be free?


texts: Can a mistaken extra Mincha count for Ma'ariv?

texts:
This M.Y. answer states that one can daven Mincha until the stars appear. This answer states that it is also the earliest time to daven Ma'ariv.

Someone enters a shul which gets a late start on Mincha and they daven during twi-light. They will daven Ma'ariv immediately after Mincha. The person daven's the mincha silent Shmoneh Esreh (weekday). As soon as he finishes, he remembers that he had already davened mincha earlier in the day.

Since he davened the 2nd mincha at the time that's eligible for Ma'ariv, and it's the same (weekday) Shmoneh Esreh, does he need to say it again, or can this accidental extra Shmoneh Esreh count for Ma'ariv?

I mentioned here that he is davening with a congregation, so, perhaps there is a specific halacha that he needs to daven Shmoneh Esreh with the congregation. Is there any difference in halacha if he were davening at home and the same scenario occurred?


texts:
In Hungarian medieval history there's an interesting episode, when a few high ranking noblemen conspired to kill the queen. They asked the archbishop what to do, but he was hesitant to join either side, so he wrote an ambiguous message in Latin:
Reginam occidere bonum est timere nolite et si omnes consenserint ego non contradico.
Based the punctuation it can both mean:

To kill the queen, it's good to fear, I don't want you [to do this], if everyone agrees, I don't, I contradict.
To kill the queen it's good, I don't want you to fear, if everyone agrees, I don't contradict.

Rashi in his commentary to Yechezkeil 1:11 has a similar issue with the punctuation:

אלמלא שראיתי טעם זקף גדול נקוד על ופניהם, לא הייתי יודע לפרשו, אבל הניקוד למדני להבדילם זו מזו, ולהעמיד תיבת ופניהם בפני עצמה.
Had I not seen the cantillation sign of a “zakef gadol” [indicating a pause] punctuating “And so were their faces,” I would not know how to explain it, but the punctuation taught me to separate them [the words of the verse] one from the other and to place the word וּפְנֵיהֶם by itself.

Is there a similar case in the Tanakh, the Talmud or other Midrashim, where someone sends such an ambiguous message to confuse other people?


texts:
Yebamoth 61b discusses the positive commandment of being fruitful and multiplying. As far as I am aware, one makes no blessing before intercourse. Why not?

Please cite sources!


texts:
וְגַם אֶת הַצִּרְעָה יְשַׁלַּח יְ־הֹוָ־ה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּם עַד אֲבֹד הַנִּשְׁאָרִים וְהַנִּסְתָּרִים מִפָּנֶיךָ (Deuteronomy 7:20)

What is the הַצִּרְעָה mean in this posuk?


texts: What is the motivation behind the obligated number of times different workers are required to fulfill their conjugal rights obligations?

texts:
In Hilchot Ishut the Rambam gives different requirements to men to fulfill their conjugal rights obligations (http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/952888/jewish/Ishut-Chapter-Fourteen.htm).

Paraphrased:

Healthy men who are pampered and indulged - every night
a talmid chacham - once a week
a worker - twice a weak
a seaman - once every six months

The shulchan aruch gives the same halachah.

What is the motivation behind these numbers? Is this the lower limit, the upper limit? If marital relations is a holy act, why should it be limited? If marital relations is negative, why should the pampered and indulged men have it every night?


texts: Who would want to buy a Hebrew slave to equal him to his master?

texts:
We all know how benevolent our position to the Jewish slavery is (Rambam Avadim 1):

"כָּל עֶבֶד עִבְרִי אוֹ אָמָה הָעִבְרִיָּה חַיָּב הָאָדוֹן לְהַשְׁווֹתָן לוֹ בְּמַאֲכָל וּבְמַשְׁקֶה בִּכְסוּת וּבְמָדוֹר"
"The master must treat his Hebrew male and female slaves as his equals as to food, drink, clothing, and shelter, meaning that you should not eat white bread, and the slave black bread; you should not drink old wine, and the new wine; you should not sleep on a feather bed, and he on straw; you should not live in the city, and he in the village; or you in the village, and he in the city..."

This law is more severe than hiring a regular Jewish worker. The Jewish slave does not work on Shabbos also and if he has a family their provision falls on the master.
Who would ever want to buy a Hebrew slave on these conditions?


texts: How many days are there in each year of the 304th Metonic cycle?

texts: I need the number of days per year for my continuous Hebrew calender.


texts: Is putting food in the freezer on Shabbos a machloket?

texts:
What is the Halacha if one wanted to put food in the freezer that could be used for a later date? Would this be considered Hachana for after Shabbos? Would this be considered a machloket, since usually one would be allowed to put food in the freezer but if they say that they are planning on using it for a later time then it would not be allowed. So overall I want to know if putting food in the freezer would be considered a machloket if it is allowed or not.
Thanks!


texts: Why the fact that the Earth is spherical is a deep secret according to Zohar?

texts:
Following "zohars-knowledge-about-earths-shape" and related to my other question "why-did-G-d-create-the-earth-spherical":

Zohar (Vayikra 10a) states the following, seemingly pointing to the fact that the Earth is spherical (I don't question that):

  וּבְסִפְרָא דְּרַב הַמְנוּנָא סָבָא, פָּרִישׁ יַתִּיר, דְּהָא כָּל יִשׁוּבָא מִתְגַּלְגְּלָא בְּעִגוּלָא כַּכַּדּוּר... ועַל דָּא אִית אֲתַר בְּיִשּׁוּבָא, כַּד נָהִיר לְאִלֵּין, חָשִׁיךְ לְאִלֵּין, לְאִלֵּין יְמָמָא, וּלְאִלֵּין לֵילְיָא. וְאִית אֲתַר דְּכוּלֵיהּ יְמָמָא, וְלָא אִשְׁתְּכַח בֵּיהּ לֵילְיָא, בַּר בְּשַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא זְעֵירָא.

It continues:

  וְרָזָא דָּא אִתְמְסַר לְמָארֵיהוֹן דְּחָכְמְתָא, וְלָא לִמְפָלְגֵי תְּחוּמִין, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ רָזָא עֲמִיקָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא.

In short: "And this secret was passed to the Greatest Sages as this is Torah's deep secret".

Why an empirical fact, freely available for observation for all is referred to as "a deep secret"?


texts: Chamisha Ve'esrim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

texts:
Who knows three hundred twenty-five?
?חמישה ועשרים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע
The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be found for each natural number. Accordingly, there is an ongoing series on Mi Yodeya that is attempting to unearth significant Judaism facts about each number, in sequence.
What significant Judaism facts are there about the number 325? The more significant within Judaism and the more intrinsically dependent on the value 325, the stronger the answer. Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.
If you see lazy gematrias for this number and think that thus is how you come up with a high-quality answer, think again.


texts: Questions about Polygamy in Jewish Law and Culture

texts:
I've recently been studying polygamy (having more than 1 wife), and had a few cultural questions.

Was polygamy accepted at the time of David and Solomon? Were there any laws about it?

Was polygamy accepted during the first century CE? How common was it in the first century?

Are there any laws on having more than 1 wife in Judaism today? How common is polygamy in Jewish culture today?


texts:
The Gemara in Avodah Zarah 3b lays out the 12-hour schedule of Hashem's day. I realize that any kind of description of Hashem in human terms is allegorical as Hashem is not a human bounded by time and space.

The schedule in the Gemara is:

First three hours: Hashem is engaged in Torah study
Second three hours: Hashem judges his creatures
Third three hours: Hashem feeds his creatures
Fourth three hours: Hashem sports with Leviathan

I can understand the idea of Hashem judging or feeding his creatures, and for some reason even sporting with Leviathan doesn't strike me as that odd.

But what does it really mean that Hashem studies his own Torah? Why would he do this, and what does he gain from it? What are we to learn from this statement that Hashem studies the Torah?


texts: How come that nobody could oppose to R' Gamliel in Halachah but could boot him promptly as the President?

texts:
I'm trying to understand the mechanics of the Jewish Presidency as presented in Berakhot.28a. In the story R"G asks if there is anybody who could object to him in a Halachic issue, and nobody dares. Then he disparages R"Y and "the public" decides to boot him out on the spot.
This behavior seems unrealistic: if nobody can object to him in Halachah, all the more fire him from the presidency (he was Hillel's descendant IIRC), and vice versa, if they could so easily cancel his seat, how come they couldn't oppose to his Halacha?


texts:
Say you wanted to write a tefillin, mezuzah, Torah, or any other sta"m venture. To make it easier for you, you created a stencil of the text that you can overlay on the klaf and fill in. You hope thereby to avoid mistakes and have the letters always perfect.
What are the halachic issues you may run into here? If it's OK in theory, must you fill in the letters as if the stencil weren't there (ie. follow "stroke order"), or could you simply fill the empty spaces with ink (in letter order, of course, if you're writing a tefillin/mezuzah). Are there any halachic authorities that speak to this?
I'm reminded of the silk-screen Torahs, created similarly (rolling ink over a stencil, many words at once). Comparing with the problems raised in one of the answers to that Mi Yodea question, hand-writing one letter at a time with stencils seems to avoid the issues.


texts: How could Abijam and Asa both have the same mother if Asa was abijams son?

texts:
As the title.
In Melachim chapter 15 it goes through the kings of Judah and  it speaks about how Abijam was king and then he dies and his son Asa takes over but twice it says and his mother was maacah daughter of abishalom.

An i missing something here?

Edit: So i  read somewhere online that in this context it means grandmother.


texts:
We know a Kohen can not be in the same ohel as a dead person. From what I learned, a moving vehicle does not block the tumah from coming into the car/van/plane etc. So, if one is traveling in a vehicle, he is technically sitting in one spot each time he moves (only for a millisecond, but he is stationary). The same is true for a dead body in a hearse, car or plane.

My question is, if a Kohen is about to enter a tunnel and he sees a hearse with a dead body (AND YOU KNOW THE NIFTER IS A JEW), can he enter the tunnel?


texts: Burning chametz when one still has chametz left over

texts:
While it is accepted that the mitzva of biur chametz can be accomplished in different ways (see e.g. Shulchan Aruch O.C. 445:1 and Mishna Berurah 445:1-2, cited here), there is also an accepted practice to specifically accomplish the biur by burning the chametz (see Ramo ad loc).  This may be based on the view of Rabbi Yehuda in the Mishna in Pesachim 21a. The Kaf Hachayim (445:11), suggests that specifically burning the chametz symbolizes burning of the evil inclination.
According to Rabbenu Tam (Tosfoth Pesachim 12b s.v. eimatay) even Rabbi Yehuda holds that before midday of erev pesach one can dispose of chametz in any way. Nonetheless, the Tur (OC 445:1), basing himself on the opinion of Rashi (and arguing with his father the Rosh [Pesachim 2:3]), suggests  that there is a mitzvah to burn the chametz even before midday.
The Vilna Gaon (ad loc) suggests that even according to the chachamim who argue with Rabbi Yehuda, one should ideally burn the chametz.  However, the reason it is not obligatory is because, even according to Rabbi Yehuda the chametz would need to be burned after its prohibited time.  Since we do our biur before that time, it can really be done any way.
According to those opinions that there is value in specifically burning chametz even before the time it becomes prohibited, is this also true when the person will still have other chametz that he will not dispose of by fire?  Or is the idea of biur through fire only of value if the act of burning results in there no longer being any chametz in the person's possession? For example, this year when Erev Pesach falls out on Shabbath and most have the practice to continue to eat chametz until Shabbath morning, is there any value in doing a token burning of some of one's chametz - e.g. of that found during the search Thursday night?


texts: Reciting the 'Yehi Ratzons' in Eizehu Mekoman on Erev Yom Kippur

texts:
As part of the recitation of the mishnayot of eizehu mekoman during shacharit, some siddurim print a yehi ratzon prayer after each of mishnayot 3 - 7, asking that G-d consider our recitation of these mishnayot as if we had actually brought the sacrifice discussed therein.
My Artscroll siddur (Ner Naftali, 2007) contains these prayers, with a note that they are omitted on shabbat and yom tov. The yehi ratzon after mishna 6, which deals with the korban todah, is additionally to be omitted on erev pesach, pesach itself and erev yom kippur.
The siddur does not explain why, but I presume that it is because individual sacrifices were not brought in the Temple on shabbat and yom tov, and, in addition, a korban todah (which contained chametz loaves as an accompaniment) was not brought on chol hamoed pesach, or erev pesach, where the prohibition of eating chametz after the 4th hour would limit the time available to eat of the (loaves accompanying the) korban. This is also the reason we (Ashkenazim) do not say mizmor letodah on any of these days.
My question is about erev yom kippur. I understand that we don't say mizmor letodah, or the yehi ratzon for the todah, because the todah could not be brought on erev yom kippur, when the start of the fast in the evening would limit the time for eating the korban (which could normally be eaten during the night following the day on which it was brought).
But why does Artscroll imply that one does say the yehi ratzon for the chatat, asham and shelamim? None of these could be brought on erev yom kippur either. (See Mishna Berura 604:4 for confirmation.)
Does anyone know Artscroll's source for making a distinction between the yehi ratzon for todah and those for other korbanot hane'echalot with respect to erev yom kippur, or is this simply an error?


texts: Siyum of Bava Kama/Metzia/Basra or Sanhedrin/Makkos

texts: I have been told that originally, Bava Kama, Bava Metzia and Bava Basra were one masechta called Maseches Nezikin and that Makkos was part of Maseches Sanhedrin. A siyum of a masechta of Gemora is apparently a Seudas Mitzvah, which is why it can according to most opinions circumvent the prohibition of eating meat and drinking wine during the nine days and also let a bechor (firstborn) not have to fast. If there is a siyum of one of these "Masechtos" (i.e. one or two of the Bavas or only Makkos or Sanhedrin but not both) is it considered a seudas mitzvah?


texts: Why is having dust on your skin not considered carrying on Shabbos?

texts:
If the prohibition on carrying on Shabbos can apply even to extra saliva in one's mouth,* why doesn't it apply to the many extremely small things that are inevitably on one's person, such as dust?

Please note that I am asking about dust, etc., on your skin, not your clothes. I found an answer for when it's on your clothes, particularly if it's attached.

*Source: "The 39 Melachot," by Rabbi Dovid Ribiat, Vol. 4, section three, chapter V, 29c:

  Walking with an accumulation of saliva: One who feels an accumulation
  of saliva in his mouth that has collected and is ready to be expelled
  should not continue walking in R'shus Harabim, but should stop and
  expel the excess fluid (on the street, not in a trash can - see a
  above). He should certainly not walk home or to any R'shus Hayochid
  with the excess saliva. The reason here is because some Poskim regard
  the excess saliva in this state as a separate entity and no longer
  part of the body. In this context, it is considered a Masui, and
  walking with it through R'shus Harabim, or to a R'shus Hayochid is
  Hotzoa.

There are several footnotes to the text. I couldn't really read them, but gathered that sources are the Mishnah Berurah, S' shin nun, s"k yud beis and yud daled, and the Mishnah Berurah שם, not sure.


texts:
I was intrigued by a question on this website about the reason behind the given commandment that a ba'al mum can't approach to bring a offer made of fire and the offer of bread/food of his G-d, and can't enter within the veil, nor approach the altar (see the passage of Leviticus 21:16-23).

Looking for answers and explanations from a historical, practical, spiritual point of view of why a ba'al mum can't enter the santcuary, I stumbled upon one verse of this passage:

  אַ֣ךְ אֶל־הַפָּרֹ֜כֶת לֹ֣א יָבֹ֗א וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֛חַ לֹ֥א יִגַּ֖שׁ
  כִּֽי־מ֣וּם בּ֑וֹ וְלֹ֤א יְחַלֵּל֙ אֶת־מִקְדָּשַׁ֔י כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י
  יְהוָ֖ה מְקַדְּשָֽׁם

  but he shall not enter behind the curtain or come near the altar, for
  he has a defect. He shall not profane these places sacred to Me, for I
  the LORD have sanctified them.

Lev. 21:23

I'm not asking how the physical characteristics are involved with the denial of doing this part of service, but rather what the actual profanity is. Is this situation "profane" because of the mum, or because the priest disobeyed a commandment?


texts: Can a non-Kashrus observant Jew cook for a Kashrus-observant Jew?

texts:
Can a Jew who understands the laws of Kashrut but is not personally observant cook for a Kosher-observant Jew? For example, can a Jewish but non-observant parent cook for his Orthodox child?

Presume the utensils are initially Kosher. The parent may be the one purchasing the food. I am discussing a long-term situation (for a short term situation, see here).

I am primarily concerned with the trustworthiness of the cook. Assuming the child trusts the parent, does Halachah recognize the parent as reliable?
I am also concerned, albeit less so, about any other possible issues that are relevant.


texts: Is there a Jewish tradition of commentary on Genesis prior to Philo?

texts:
I'm interested to know where I might find out more about Jewish commentators on the story of the Creation, Fall and Expulsion from Eden as described in Genesis.

Is there a Jewish equivalent to the hexameral commentaries of the Church Fathers, which predates or runs alongside their output?

UPDATE:

The hexameral commentaries are commentaries on the account of creation over six days, as found in Genesis, often structured in six parts, in a tradition which is said to go back to Philo Judaeus, proved popular in the Renaissance and influenced Milton's Paradise Lost.

There's an article about the genre on Wikipedia, and the link to Milton's work is outlined in J E Duncan's 'Milton's Earthly Paradise', Chapter 3.

Duncan refers to 'most modern biblical scholars' (I suspect he is referring to Christian scholarship) when he writes that they agree '...that the story of the life of innocence in the garden (it would not be known as paradise for many centuries) was combined with other material by Yahwist writers about the ninth century B.C. They distinguish between this narrative in Genesis 2 and 3 and the Priestly Code of Genesis 1, written about the sixth century B.C.'

Where might I find out more information about Jewish work on the subject?

FURTHER UPDATE in response to comments and requests for clarification.

My questions relate to two distinct topics:

1 - Jewish commentaries on Genesis

On the Wikipedia page on hexameral literature cited above, the text reads, 'Based on this framework, Christian and Jewish authors have written treatises that cover a wide variety of topics, including cosmology, science, theology, theological anthropology, and God's nature.'

Apart from Philo, the examples given on the page are sourced uniquely from the Christian tradition. What other Jewish works might the author(s) be referring to here? (The Genesis Rabbah was a good example, although it postdates Philo's work, at least in its written form. The pseudepigrapha was another).

2 - Structure of Genesis

Some of the views within Jewish scholarship, of the 'documentary hypothesis' or 'Graf-Wellhausen hypothesis' which puts forward the theory that the Torah, in its current written form, is a composite created from several sources are cited here. How comprehensive or reliable can this list be taken as? Has there been any further work on this aspect of the Torah?

(The references to the Targumim would seem to be related, yet they are considered separately from the Torah, so I'm excluding these for the time being).


texts: Can a Jewish man who had a vasectomy marry a Jewish woman?

texts:
Rambam lists the prohibition to castrate a man or animal in the negative mitzvah #361. The previous negative mitzvah (#360) Rambam lists that it is forbidden for a castrated man to marry a Jewish woman.
So, can a Jewish man who had a vasectomy marry a Jewish woman?


texts:
Psalm 2, says

I will declare My decree,
"You are my son; today I have begotten you."...

"kiss the son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way,
when his wrath is kindled but a little;
blessed are all those who put their trust in him."

What is the Jewish understanding of who the "son" is in Psalm 2?

Research:

I. Scripture prior to this passage speaks of sons of God:

A. Either godly men/angels:
1. Genesis 6:2
2. Genesis 6:4

B. Angels:
1. Job 1:6
2. Job 2:1
3. Job 38:7

C. Israel/Israel's king/Solomon:
1. 2 Samuel 7:14
2. 1 Chronicles 22:10


texts:
There were three Sanhedrins on the Temple Mt: - The Great: 71 members and 3 lines of 23 students for filling in or replacing the judges (see Sanhedrin 37a) and - Two Lesser: 23 members each, with lines of interns.

There were (theoretically) also 12 Lesser Sanhedrins of the tribes, scattered in Eretz Israel.

The Misha (ibid) states: "כל אחד ואחד מכיר את מקומו" - "each one is aware of his rank". So seemingly, there was a clear way of promotion for the judges.

What was the order of promotion of a Chacham from the lowest to the highest Sanhedrin? And specifically:

How do the Lesser Sanhedrins (tribal and on the Temple Mt.) compare? As both are appointed by the Great Sanhedrin.
Who scores better - a judge on a Lesser Sanhedrin or the 69 interns in the Great Sanhedrin?


texts: What is the status when there are two anointed kings at the same time?

texts:
The Rabbi's teach that one kingship does not overlap with another even a hairbreadth (Yoma 38b). I understand this to mean that there may be only 1 Jewish king ruling at a time, or in the case where the Jewish people were divided, one king ruling per division at a time. However there are times in history such as the anointing of David or Yehu in which there were two people anointed as king at the same time.
I would like to know what the status of both the original and newer kings were during those time frames. For example would the concept of rebelling against a king apply equally to both of them - meaning if a person acted in a rebellious manner to either the original king or the new king would that be considered rebelling against the king? Another example would be the injunction against having too many wives or horses etc.


texts:
How does accepted Halacha come to be when there is a dispute?

More specifically - we notice different approaches in terms of practice: when it comes certain mitzvot: to how to put up a mezuzah, we take a hybrid approach. When it comes to shofar - we listen to a hundred blasts to fulfill various opinions., Zecher and Zeicher by parshas Zachor. However, when it comes to other mitzvot, we don’t find all Jews trying to fulfill all opinions in Halacha - e.g. Rabbeinu Taam tefilin, parshas Zachor in different dialects, all times of Shabbos etc.

Why and how did this evolve?


texts: Where may I read Sefer Mitzvot Gadol online in English?

texts:
Does anyone know where I can read an online English translation of Sefer Mitzvot Gadol?
Note: I've checked Sefaria, but they don't have an English translation.


texts: Why has the zemiroh על אהבתך אשתה גביעי fallen out of favour?

texts: We used to sing a zemiroh, I believe by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, which started, על אהבתך אשתה גביעי. This zemiroh does not appear in current zemiros books. (1) Do you have an online text of it? (2) Why has it fallen out of favour?


texts: How and when did fedoras arise as acceptable headwear?

texts:
Today I learned that the fedora was originally a woman's hat, invented/popularized for women in the late 19th century and only migrating into menswear after 1924 when Prince Edward of England started wearing them.

Per the torah men are forbidden to wear women's clothing (Devarim 22:5), but the fedora is ubiquitous in parts of the Orthodox community so this is clearly not understood as a violation of that commandment.  So how did its use come about in the Jewish community, and when?  (I doubt we were much concerned with the fashion trends of English nobility.)

Perhaps Jewish use of the fedora is fairly recent and by then it was well-established as a man's hat so its origins don't matter?  Is our adoption of it enough later than 1924 for this to be plausible?

Perhaps we say that the fedora, being only about 125 years old to begin with, didn't have a long-standing association with women (just a few decades) so we can disregard that no matter when we adopted it?

Or perhaps the fedoras worn today harken back to something much older, that was always a man's hat, and a late-19th-century fashion fad isn't relevant?

What is the history of Jewish men wearing fedoras?


texts: What is the point in the mnemonic פמג"ש ממקגט"י ככסע"ז?

texts:
In Bava Metzia 21b, there is a mnemonic given which I find quite odd - פמג"ש ממקגט"י ככסע"ז .  See http://www.sefaria.org/Bava_Metzia.21b.18?lang=he&layout=block&sidebarLang=all

The way I see it, the point in mnemonics is to help people remember things.  eg. Detzach Adash Beachav helps remember the names of the plagues. In this case, the mnemonic seems particularly difficult to pronounce, let alone remember, so it doesn't seem to be doing a very good job.  Not only that, but what is the particular importance of remembering these cases?  The Gemarah doesn't make such widespread use of mnemonics all of the place as far as I am aware so why here?


texts:
Related is a animal more responsible then a child? if yes why?
Tangentially, to a statement made in this question: At what age is a Ben Noach responsible to perform his "mitzvot"?
A child before the age of adulthood (codified as 12/13, depending on gender) is not required to perform certain mitzvot, and is not held accountable for breaking some or not fulfilling some. Is this status as "child" an across-the-board one which absolves the child of ALL mitzvot? Is there a list of mitzvot that a child at any particular age or level of education is required to perform or observe, or be held accountable for, not the parent?
I have heard that under three years old also makes a difference in certain actions, and that a child "who understands the laws and his actions" is also held accountable in certain cases, but I don't know where to find a hard and fast rule about the particulars -- ages, defining features, types of mitzvot.
As a side note, the tag for "minor-katan-child" reads "Children of this age are minors with respect to various rules, including the obligation to fulfill mitzvos (God's commands)" (emphasis mine) -- is there a list of those "various rules"?


texts: Internal contradiction in Mishna Bava Kama 3:11?

texts:
The mishna in Bava Kama 3:11 brings a case:

היו שניים רודפין אחר אחד, זה אומר שורך הזיק, וזה אומר
שורך הזיק--שניהם פטורין; ואם היו שניהם של איש אחד, חייבין
Two [oxen] were pursuing one [ox, and the pursued one was gored]; [the owner of] this one says "Your ox did the damage" and [the owner of] the other one says "Your ox did the damage" - both of them are exempt [from paying damages]; but if both belong to one person, he is liable.

The gemara explains that in the latter case, the owner only has to pay up to the value of the less valuable animal.  So far so good.  Ready for the next part of the mishna?

היה אחד גדול ואחד קטן, הניזק אומר גדול הזיק, והמזיק אומר לא כי, אלא קטן הזיק... המוציא מחברו, עליו הראיה
If one [ox] was big and the other small, and the plaintiff claims that the larger ox did the damage while the defendant claims that the smaller ox did the damage, the burden of proof rests on the plaintiff.

Understandable at face value, right?  But then Kehati, paraphrasing the Bartenura, explains that this actually means that if the plaintiff cannot prove his claim, then the defendant doesn't even have to pay the lesser value!
Is this not a direct contradiction to the first part of the mishna, i.e. "if both belong to one person, he is liable"?


texts: Tish'a Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

texts:
Who knows three hundred forty nine?
תשעה וארבעים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?
The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be found for each natural number. Accordingly, there is an ongoing series on Mi Yodeya that is attempting to unearth significant Judaism facts about each number, in sequence.
What significant Judaism facts are there about the number 349? The more significant within Judaism and the more intrinsically dependent on the value 349, the stronger the answer. Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.
Please, leave the lazy gematria answers alone for a while.


texts: Do vows made in the year after a hatarat nedarim require another hatarat nedarim to annul?

texts: Bracketing out, for a moment, the matter of the hatarot nedarim that everyone makes before Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, the text of the regular hatarat nedarim (annulment of vows) (http://halachipedia.com/index.php?title=Hatarat_Nedarim) includes a statement that all vows made in the next year are proleptically nullified--in addition to those from the last year, which are retroactively nullified. Should one take this literally, insofar as another failed vow made in that year would not require a new hatarat nedarim? Or should one make a hatarat nedarim anyway, i.e., in order to extend the stringency to the next year?


texts: How did Avraham refer to his father the Rambam in writing?

texts: What term did Avraham ben haRambam use when referring to his father in his writings? (Compare to R' Ya'akov ben Asher (the Tur), referring to his father (the Rosh), as Adoni Avi or A"A.) Did he use a similar term, or did he call him 'Rambam'?


texts: Many offices have a water dispenser (with hot water spout) or a hot water tap next to a sink. Is this hot tap Kosher? Assume for a moment that someone uses the tap to dispense hot water into a cup of non-Kosher instant soup or non-Kosher instant hot chocolate. Does the steam from the cup make the tap non-Kosher?


texts: Is there still prophecy among the gentiles?

texts:
I would like to know if there is currently, or has every been since the times of Bilaam a genuine prophet among the gentile nations. Meaning, someone who was not Jewish and whose prophecy was only for the benefit of non-Jews but was recognized by orthodox Rabbis as a prophet.

Furthermore I would like to know what qualifications a person must present in order to be considered by Jewish law a prophet for the non-Jews. Meaning, does the person have to meet the same criteria as that of a prophet for the Jews or are there other criteria? If it is the latter, what are they?


texts: Someone who doesn't sell chametz gamur, yet accidentally put it with things to be sold

texts:
The following is purely hypothetical (;-)).
Someone has the custom to not sell chametz gamur before Pesach, ie. real chametz items like cakes, cookies, bread, etc. They only sell things that might contain chametz, or things that aren't "Pesadik". As such, when they arrange the sale to the non-Jew, they didn't have in mind to sell any chametz gamur. Instead, the person's intent was to either consume, or seek out and destroy all chametz gamur before Pesach.
What would be the law if, by some unfortunate mix-up, they put all their chametz gamur items in their box of "chametz" items to be sold to the non-Jew. They realize their mistake on Pesach. Were these items included in the sale? I could look at this in two ways. It's basically as if they had explicit intent not to sell these items, as they were supposed to go in the garbage/fire and not in the box with the other things. They also never sell these items to a non-Jew. On the other hand, maybe you could say that had the person known they had chametz in their possession on Pesach, even chametz gamur, they would have sold it before Pesach. Or maybe it depends on how the sale is formulated? I believe it usually says any chametz in my possession. Although, you would still need intent to sell for it to actually take effect.1
Perhaps a more extreme example of this is when erev Pesach falls on Shabbos, so the person set aside two pieces of pita to eat during the Shabbos meal, before the prohibition of eating chametz kicks in. I believe in these instances the sale is conducted before Shabbos. What would be the law if these pitas went missing, and the person in the end didn't consume them on Shabbos. On Pesach they realize that they ended up in the bag in fridge with all the "chametz" items that were sold to the non-Jew. Were these pitas also sold? Or since the person had explicit intent before Shabbos to eat them on Shabbos, it's clear they weren't supposed to be sold. Yet again, maybe you can say that had they known they would have gone missing, they would have wanted to sell them.
Do the poskim discuss such cases?

1 I think the sale is meant to cover any chametz that somehow was missed during the search-and-destroy. I would think that this would include chametz gamur, as a safety measure, even for those who normally don't knowingly sell chametz gamur. My only concern is this case is different, as these items were meant to be destroyed, yet got mixed up and put in the wrong box.


texts: What is the basis for the ruling that adding to a tent is permissible on Shabbath?

texts:
The Gemara in 'Eruving 102a quotes Rav as telling Rav Huna that in order to provide shade for his flock in the daytime on Shabbath yet roll back the cover in the evening for ventilation, all he has to do is, when he rolls back the protective cover, leave a Tefah unfurled, so that there is a partial covering at all times, and that way when he unfurls it the rest of the way he is merely extending the cover, not creating a "tent" on Shabbath.

This, I assume, is the basis for the common Heter for people to have tarp covers on their Sukkoth, which they keep rolled almost all the way when they want the Sukkah uncovered, but leave a Tefah unfurled, and then totally roll out when they need to protect the Sukkah (or really its contents) from rain.

But what's the basis for the ruling?  There's nothing that Rav quotes.  There's a story just before it about Remi bar Yehezkel asking R' 'Amram to tell him a fascinating thing in the name of R' Asi, which, when R' 'Amram responds, sounds somewhat similar.  But is that it?  Rav just tells R' Huna to do this and it gets codified in the Gemara?


texts: Why didn't Yosef have the protection of Kibbud Av when he went to Dosan?

texts:
We are taught a person on a mitzvah mission will see no harm. Yaakov Avinu askes Yosef to go to Shechem to locate " the brothers". "The brothers" are not in Shechem, rather they are in Dosan. By going there, he was susceptible to harm.

So if Yosef does a little bit more for his father, he's no longer under the protection of Kibbud av?


texts: What is the best way to correct someone who has unwittingly violated halacha in public?

texts:
At a recent shul kiddush on shabbat I witnessed someone perform a melacha seemingly on purpose two or three times. It was clear to me that this person was unaware of a certain halacha. I did not know this person and I was in a public setting so I was uncomfortable to go over to him and explain what he was doing violated halacha.

I'm sure socially awkward situations like this happen all the time.

Based on the principle that all Jews are guarantors for one another I understand that I should simply go and tell a person when I see him or her doing something that violates halacha, but in practice, in my experience, I don't see that happening very often.

What is some good advice on how to overcome the social awkwardness around correcting someone's behavior? Please only cite examples that you have personally seen/used successfully or reliable sources.

Note I am only asking about correcting a mistaken or inadvertent transgression, not rebuking someone


texts: Shnayim Ushloshim Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?

texts:
Who knows three hundred thirty two?
שנים ושלושים ושלוש מאות - מי יודע?
The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be found for each natural number. Accordingly, there is an ongoing series on Mi Yodeya that is attempting to unearth significant Judaism facts about each number, in sequence.
What significant Judaism facts are there about the number 332? The more significant within Judaism and the more intrinsically dependent on the value 332, the stronger the answer. Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.
If you step up and put on your detective hat, I'm sure you can come up with something better than lazy gematria.


texts: If one makes a bracha on something not Kosher should he eat it to avoid saying G-d's name in vain or not?

texts: If one makes a bracha on something not Kosher (meat and milk,chicken and milk, pork…) should he eat it to avoid saying G-d's name in vain or not?


texts: What side is a newborn supposed to nurse from first?

texts:
I have heard that there is a gemara that discusses what side a newborn is supposed to breastfeed from first.

If this is true, where is this gemara and what's the idea behind it?


texts: Is Rambam's opinion about Nidda and Zava cycle rejected?

texts:
There's a famous minority opinion of Rambam that, Biblically, the nidda and zava cycle is continuous--7-11-7-11-7 days ad infinitum, and that most Rishonim argue on him and hold the cycle is 7-11 days (and the next seven days begin with the next period). Chatam Sofer says that Rambam's opinion is rejected in favor of the more accepted opinion (Responsa Yoreh Deah 143; thanks Robert).

Which Rabbis (rishonim and achronim) agree (or partially agree) with Rambam and who completely rejects his opinion?

(I would imagine that because we are dealing with a possible issur kareit the Rambam's position has not been completely rejected).


texts:
The Volozhin Yeshiva is known as the "first yeshiva".

What was the system of Torah learning in Europe before Volozhin and in what way did Volozhin change the system?


texts: Siman 32, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch: Untranslated

texts:
I was looking through the Metsudah translation of the Kitzur Shulchan Aruch when I stumbled upon Siman 32. The entire Siman was written in Hebrew, with no English translation. As far as I can tell, there are no other simanim without translation.

What in this siman was so objectionable that the publishers decided not to have it translated?


texts: Source in the Torah that the entire Torah is immutable

texts:
The title pretty much says it all. But I am looking for a posuk that states that all contained in the Torah applies forever and for all generations, and cannot be changed, etc.

I am pretty sure that such a posuk exists, but I have only been able to find ones that mention the immutability of a particular ordinance — not the whole book.

Any help?


texts: Why are the sefirot not considered a problem of Shituf? Is there anything wrong with believing in sefirot?


texts:
Zohar (with and w/o the Tikunei Zohar)
Tikkunei Zohar

Also is there a site/place that lists or
otherwise aids in wordcounts for different
Jewish books /Seforim ?

TYVM


texts: For anyone who has a "Keter" Perf-Tzit t-shirt style arba kanfos, can it be put in the washing machine without messing up the tzitzis?

texts: For anyone who has a "Keter" Perf-Tzit t-shirt style arba kanfos, can it be put in the washing machine without messing up and/or unraveling the tzitzis?  I thought it said washing-machine safe on the package but I don't remember now.  If anyone has the package handy can they please screenshot it?


texts: Blankets have four corners. So, do they require tzitzis?


texts: Is it permissible to erase the name of G-d from an E-reader?

texts:
Most people seem to be lenient about shemos on digital screens in general (though Bar-Ilan does avoid displaying the Tetragrammaton.)  The letters on the screen are just light, there is nothing really written there. But what about on a E-reader, like a Kindle or a Nook? For those devices, actual particles form the words. Would one be allowed to erase shemos from them?

(Note: Currently, I don't think these devices display Hebrew text, so it's not yet a common issue.)

How the devices work:
LCD Screens(link no longer valid)
E-readers.


texts: Is one allowed to break up the shofar blowing grouping to other than what the siddur indicates?

texts:
Most siddurim (Nusach Ashkenaz Sefard) group the shofar blowing as follows:

30 blasts before Musaph divided as:

A 3 times Tekiah Shevarim-Tru'ah Tekiah
B 3 times Tekiah Shevarim Tekiah
C 3 times Tekiah Truah Tekiah

During Musaph

1 time of each group A, B and C from above. Each one done at the end of each of the 3 middle sections of Shmoneh Esreh - chazan's repetition.

After Musaph,

repeat of procedure that was done before Musaph + procedure used during musaph.

Is one allowed to break up this sequence in any way? E.g. can he do only groups A and B and leave C for after Musaf to add on to the others?

If one is allowed to break things up, must he have at least a group of 10 in the format:

Tekiah Shevrim Truah Tekiah
  Tekiah Truah Tekiah
  Tekiah Tru'ah Tekiah

Or can he do less than 10 at a time?

If he is not allowed to divide anything from what the siddur's format (say he must do all 40 at once as indicated), what if he has an "emergency" and is short of breath. Can he finish the rest later, or must he find someone else to complete the group for him at that time?


texts: What's the importance of the Tablets being written with G-d's finger?

texts:
"וַיִּתֵּן אֶל־מֹשֶׁה כְּכַלֹּתוֹ לְדַבֵּר אִתּוֹ בְּהַר סִינַי
  שְׁנֵי לֻחֹת הָעֵדֻת לֻחֹת אֶבֶן כְּתֻבִים בְּאֶצְבַּע אֱלֹהִים׃" (Ex 31:18)

  He gave Moses the two tablets of the Pact, stone tablets inscribed with the finger of God.

What's the importance of "G-d's finger", why it wasn't enough writing "tablets inscribed by God"? Was there anything special about the inscription it had to be made with a finger?


texts: If one believes that our world is billions of years old, i.e. accepting the idea of each day in Sheshis Imei Berieshit (the Six Days of Creation) as eras and not literal days, then how does one understand keeping Shabbat as the seventh day, thus taking that 'day' literally?


texts:
Some people have a custom to arise at midnight and recite verses of mourining and repentance for the destruction of the temple. This is called Tikkun Chatzot.

I was browsing the version on my "Smart Siddur" app on my stupid smart-phone, and saw that it lists two "versions" - Tikkun Rachel and Tikkun Le'ah.

They seem similar with minor differences. Can someone explain what the differences are, which group of people use one version vs. the other, and why these versions have the names of these 2 specific matriarchs?


texts:
On Maimonides tomb is written the epitaph: “From Moshe to Moshe, none arose like Moshe!”

We can read in many sources (e.g. http://asknoah.org/essay/rambam) that this implies Rambam was the greatest of all rabbis since Moshe.

But what about someone like Rabbi Akiva? Wasn't he just as great or greater? According to the Talmud, Moshe Rabbeinu did not understand Rabbi Akiva's lectures.

How seriously are we supposed to take the "From Moshe to Moshe" epitaph, and what does it mean halachically?

This latter question is relevant because of Deuteronomy 18:15-19.


texts:
On one hand we are taught that it is good to do Chesed (to do what someone asks you to do (as Rivka did)), on the other hand to be a sucker (frier) (to do everything you're asked to do, especially when the person asking can do it himself) is considered not good.

Are there jewish sources regarding how much chesed is too much?
Or that it is never too much?


texts: I once heard that each of the 613 mitzvos can be categorized as being one of the 10 commandments, and was under the impression one of the early commentators did this categorization. I thought it was Rav Saadiah Gaon, but I can only find the statement attributed to him (although I don't know where he writes it), but not that he actually did this categorization. Did anyone?


texts: Why should a choshed bichsherim bless the k'sherim?

texts:
Bavli, B'rachos 31:2 says (in my own translation):

  "Eli answered [Chana], saying 'go to peace'": Rabbi El'azar said, from here we derive, about someone who suspects his fellow of a matter that that fellow is not guilty of, that he must appease him. Moreover, he must bless him, as it says [there], "'and the god of Israel should grant your request'".

And I've heard this cited as practical halacha also (though I have no source beyond the Rosh and the Rif ad loc.): that if someone wrongly suspects an innocent person, he should (or must?) bless him.

Now, I understand that wrong suspicion generally has its root in a lack of empathy or love for the other, and to engender such love one must act in such a way as benefits the other[1]. But why a blessing specifically, as opposed to any other benefit he can bestow on the other, such as a favor or a tangible?

[1] which I understand is a major teaching of the yeshiva of Navahrudak and its heirs


texts: best time to ask god for personal requests

texts:
Since the sages established three daily services filled with general prayers, I am a bit confused as to when exactly one should ask for personal requests?

Are you supposed to simply have the request in mind as you say the shemonah esrei, or during any of the other parts?

Do you do it at other times when you are finished praying? This would seem to defeat the purpose of prayer.


texts: Which city in English-speaking Canada has classes for Judaism converts?

texts:
Shalom!

Which city in Canada has classes for Judaism converts who wish to learn more about the religion and the way of life? I have found a little information about the Jewish Outreach Institute and community from Montreal only. How about similar institutions in English speaking Canada?

PS. (Long and personal)
I have long 'suspected' my Jewish ancestry (on my father's side, I'm 'biologically' from Central - Eastern Europe) and my recent ancestry study confirms that.
I am moving to Canada soon and I believe Judaism is probably the only religion which has passed the millenia of suppresion which means to me that the Jews do something extremely well, maybe it's the fact that Judaism is more the way of life normalizing or influencing more spheres of life than, say, Christian denominations?


texts: Similarity between Eisov and Dama ben Netina for honoring parents

texts:
Eisov = Red = Edom = Romi (Rome)
Eisov excelled in honoring Yitzhok (B"R 65)
Dama B"N was a senator (? or a general) in Rome's province in Ashkelon (according to Yerushalmi)
דמא is the letters אדום
He was exemplary in honoring parents (fathers)

I'm looking for sources that speak of this similarity, please.


texts: Is Psalm 118:19 associated with Hallel and Yamim Noraim?

texts: Is the verse פתחו לי שערי צדק from Psalms 118:19 associated with Hallel? When is typically recited and does it have any connection to ימים הנוראים?


texts: Can the entire succah be constructed by a Gentile?

texts:
In many shuls, I see that the hired Gentile custodian constructs the entire succah including laying down the schach.

I understood that some part of the succah must be done by a Jew - at the least, laying down the schach. I also understood that the Shehechiyanu brachah said during the first night Kiddush is partly for the mitzvah of constructing the succah.

Can a Gentile construct the entire succah? Is he considered a shaliach mitzvah? (I gather that a Gentile can never be a shaliach, as he is not obligated in this type of mitzvah, anyway.)


texts: Recently, I have had the opportunity to spend a few hours a week at a kollel. I'm not used to self-guided learning, and I don't know what to learn from all the different seforim that exist (other than gemara). What should I use this time to learn? I'm looking for recommendations of specific seforim that I can use to gain broad experience with learning in general (halacha, parsha, or anything else).


texts: How R'Akiva's student's learned from him not to respect each other?

texts:
שנים עשר אלף זוגים תלמידים היו לו לרבי עקיבא ... וכולן מתו ... מפני שלא נהגו כבוד זה לזה
Rabbi Akiva had twelve thousand pairs of students ... and they all died... because they did not treat each other with respect. (Yevomos 62)

B"R 24 describes R"A as:

Rabbi Akiva said: This is a great principle of the Torah: "You shall love your neighbor as yourself"
?

How come ALL of R"A's students overrode the Rabbi's fundamental teaching as the ground for the whole Torah?


texts:
I was under the impression that the longest day was June 22nd, and yet, year after year- the latest time for candle lighting takes place about a week and a half after that. Intuitively, the latest candle lighting time should coincide with the longest day. Here are some times from this year.

{18 Jun  8:14}
{25 Jun  8:15}
 {2 Jul  8:15}
 {9 Jul  8:13}

Why is this?


texts: What is the proper age for children to begin being taken to Shul?


texts:
Jews have rabbanim to provide them with guidance. What about gentiles? Where can they go to seek guidance when they are unsure of how to conduct themselves?

While one could argue that the Noachide laws are fairly straightforward, there are still potentially many situations where a gentile may find themselves unsure of how to act. Where can they seek guidance? Who can they ask for advice? It is forbidden for them to learn Torah, so from where can we receive instruction?

It is great that we have this resource on Stack Exchange, but as the side bar on this site says, it is still no substitute for a rabbi. Where can an individual gentile go to seek personalized, professional advice such as the kind that a rabbi would provide to a Jew to ensure that they conduct themselves in accordance to HaShem's will?


texts:
How should one tie a tie on Shabbos (or yom tov) so that it doesn't have any knot problems?

In other words there are lots of ways to tie a tie. I was wondering which of these are okay for use on Shabbos.


texts:
Do you know the explanation why in modern Kohanim there is a paternal line encompassing about 50% of the Kohanim and then many lines encompassing the other 50% 1. Is it possible for a Kohen to be descended from a non-Kohen father in some cases?

'Y chromosomal Aaron'


texts: Prominent Spanish Language Rabbinic Works

texts: Does anyone know of any Jewish religious works written in Spanish or Ladino by a prominent Jewish scholar (eg, Ibn Ezra, etc.)?


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts:
A restaurant has a sign on its window, or a notation in an advertisement, indicating that it's under the kashrus certification of Rabbi So-and-so or Agency Such-and-such. The first time someone walks into the restaurant, he will ask to see the t'uda, the certificate from that rabbi or agency, and won't eat there if it can't be produced. (Not everyone will do this, presumably, but I know a good number of people who will.)

However, that same person will walk into a supermarket, find a new (to him) product on the shelf with a reliable kashrus certification mark on it, purchase it, and eat it. He won't call the company and ask for a copy of the certification, or call the certifying agency and ask for confirmation of certification. (Again, some people will, but I think there are many who will skip this step for a product even though they follow it for a restaurant.)

Why the double standard?

Is it simply, as I suspect, a matter of ease: that it's easy to confirm certification for a restaurant (since the certificate is generally on the premises) but hard for a product? Or is there something else to it?

And if it is simply a question of ease, then which of the following is true?

Really, there's no need to see the certificate, but since it's so easy we do so in a restaurant to be extra-careful.
Really, one should preferably (or one must??) see the certificate, but since it's so hard we don't bother for a product.


texts: Rabbi Shlomo Zalman said Baruch Shepetarani with Shem UMalchut?

texts:
I heard a story about Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auebuch that he said "Baruch Shepetarani" for his son with Shem UMalchut. Does anyone have a source for this story?

Usually we only say Baruch ShePetarni without Hashem's name because we don't know if we did a good job raising the child.


texts: Are short Halachic answers permitted before Birchos Hatorah?

texts:
If someone is asked a yes-or-no question of Halacha before he said Birchos Hatorah, May he answer?

If Someone is asked what bracha is made on a certain food, (or any similar short-answer question) may he answer before saying Birchos Hatorah?

If one is asked, "what Sefira will we count tonight?" or "Which Parsha do we read this Shabbos?" Is this a halachic question? Does it require Birchos Hatorah before responding?

Is one required to say Birchos Hatorah before asking a Halacha question?


texts: Where does human consciousness derive from according to kabbalistic teachings?

texts:
In the kabbalah there is an extensive writing on how a human's soul derive from different worlds, Nefesh - Assiyah, Ruach - Yetzira etc.

Then we also have the distinction between the G-dly soul and Animal soul in chassidut.

However, what about a human's individually perceived consciousness? Where does this derive from?


texts: Do surgically removed body parts require Kevurah?

texts: If one has surgery (may it never be necessary) that requires the removal of an organ of the body (e.g. a gallbladder or appendix), is burial required? Or can the body part simply be discarded?


texts: How high before a tree branch does not cause a problem for a Succah?

texts:
I have a lovely tree in the back yard, it must be 70-100 years old, maybe 15-20 feet around at the base.  First branch is 32 feet up.  I know since I used a 35 foot ladder to hang a swing from it, and it was scary high!  Also, it is higher than my two story + attic house as it extends over the top of the roof.

But it covers almost my entire back yard.  I put my Succah as far away from it as possible, so as not to be underneath any of the branches, even though they are > 40 feet up in the air.  I know a succah should not be under a tree, so I am trying to avoid that.

I would love to move the succah closer to the back door to make going in and out easier.  But is there a height at which the tree no longer counts as being 'above' it, since it is so high up?

Like the menorah higher than 20 amos up does not count, based on the Haman gallows from the Megillah?   Is there something similar for a tree branch in this context?