texts:
גופא אמר רב יהודה אמר שמואל:
  ,שלשת אלפים הלכות נשתכחו בימי אבלו של משה
  "אמרו לו ליהושע שאל א"ל "לא בשמים היא

  Rav Yehuda says that Shmuel says: Three thousand halakhot were forgotten during the days of mourning for Moses. The people said to Joshua: Ask (for guidance from Heaven so that you can reacquire the forgotten halakhot). Joshua said to them: “It is not in heaven” (Deuteronomy 30:12) (Once the Torah was given on Sinai, the Sages of each generation must determine the halakha. No new halakhot may be added or subtracted by heavenly instruction or through prophecy) Temura 16a.

A similar situation occurred to Moses, where he "forgot" Halochos or didn't know what to reply (Hamekoshesh, Bnot Zlofchad). However, he immediately asked G-d for assistance and G-d revealed the Heavenly Halochos.

NOTE: This question is only relevant to the approach that Moses received the whole Torah on Mt. Sinai during the 80 days, and not subsequently through the 40 years piece by piece. I'd be glad if you don't mention that in your answers.

While Moses was on a higher level of prophecy than Yehoshua, it seems that the level does not matter at all, they later relied/declined even on Bas Kol.

If the rule is so fundamental, why did Moses choose to ask G-d instead of inferring the Halochos from his existing knowledge?


texts: Does the word toad (קרפדה) appear in tanach?

texts:
Does the word toad (קרפדה) appear in Tanach?

Toad is קרפדה (karpada) in Hebrew.
Toad is crapaud in French.

The two words have the same 4 consonants in the same order, which does not seem to be by mere accident. Looks like one language has borrowed the word from another. The question is which? If the word toad appears in Tanach in its current Hebrew form, then it is clear that French copied it from Hebrew. Otherwise, it is a French word transcripted into Hebrew, much like the English word brush made it into מברשת (mivrashet) in Hebrew.

Thanks.


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Hashem is here and there and everywhere?

Sometimes to make the idea controversial, atheists depict G-d as a humanly being residing in the space. Then compare this to other fairy tale creatures. To counter this, some sort of logical or may be philosophical answer is needed to the question, "Where is G-d?"
What is the position of Judaism about this subject?


texts: Melave d'Malka on Motze Shabbos which falls on Yom Tov eve

texts:
Is there an obligation to have melave d'malka on Motzei Shabbos which falls on Yom Tov?

Although there is anyways an obligation to have a Yom Tov meal, there are still some possible ramifications:

Melave D'Malka for women who are makpid on Melave DMalka, but according to many poskim are not obligated in Seudas Yom Tov (see Shu"t R' Akiva Eiger §1).
Should one add an extra food item for Melava DMalka? (Similar to the ruling of the Mishne Beruro (419.2) writes that when Rosh Chodesh falls on Shabbos, 'medakdekim' should add an extra food item to be recognizably lkovod Rosh Chodesh.)
Does one need to have specific intent when eating the Yom Tov seuda to discharge his obligation for Melave D'Malka? Although Melave Dmalka generally does not require specific intent [For two reasons: 1) We pasken that mitzvos drabbanan ein tzrichos kevana (intent is not required), 2) According to many poskim mitzvos shel achila einon tzrichos kevana], the Rishonim say that when one has specific intent for one obligation, that automatically constitutes kavana hefchis (intent NOT to discharge) for any other obligation. Therefore, when one eats Seudas Yom Tov, one will not be yotzei melava dmalka unless he has specific intent.


texts: I'm trying to find a Maharal on Eruv Tavshilin in which he explains that olam hazeh (this world) is symbolized by the regular weekday embodied in erev yom tov (the eve of the holiday) in which one "prepares" (i.e. earn merit) for olam haba (the world to come), as symbolized by Shabbath.  Yemoth hamashiach (the messianic era) is symbolized by the yom tov (holiday) itself, in which one can continue to prepare for "Shabbath" provided one has already begun to prepare during "erev yom tov".


texts: Making a bracha on kosher ingredients cooked in non-kosher pots?

texts: Is it assur to make a bracha on foods whose ingredients are kosher but cooked in non-kosher utensils? What is the source?


texts: Are professional sports players liable for an opponent's injury?

texts:
Shemot 21:18-19 discusses the procedure of payment when one person injures another.

Does, say, a professional boxer have to pay his opponent if he injures him during a boxing match? Are the rules different, here, because professionals enter the competition understanding that there is a direct risk of injury?

(My question can be applied to any professional sport using the same scenario. E.g. a tennis player smacks the ball and hits his opponent in the eye.)


texts: How sick does someone have to be to be put on "the cholim list"?

texts: By putting someone on a cholim list you are asking the tzibur to daven/ say tehillim on their behalf. How sick does someone need to be for it to be appropriate to put them on such a list?


texts: The title of the question is tongue in cheek. There was a very kind family that was away for the summer and allowed their home to be used by a second family. The second family got there and found the fridge and freezer to smell rancid as the fridge had broken and the food therein had rotted,wanting to pay back the family the visiting family disposed of the fridge and its contents and bought the family a brand new fridge as a token of appreciation,all was great until the first family got home and asked what happened to the original fridge after being informed of the good deed the visiting family had done the family that occupied the home told them that the fridge was their safe for valuables and money and they kept a large sum of money there now the question is can the first family halachicly collect the money for the loss in Beis din (sources please)


texts: Is there a Rabbinical argument that Hashem holds Baal Teshuva to a different standard from those born in observant households?

texts:
This question may sound strange but I'm attempting to find a source for an argument I heard made by someone very recently. I'm assuming this is a known argument which I'm just unfamiliar with the source.

When I speak of Baal Teshuva I specifically mean a Jew who was born and raised in a secular household. Not a Jew who was religious, left, and then came back years later.

The argument that was made was that while all Jews are given the same commandments, Hashem holds different Jews to different standards of reward and punishment based upon their upbringing.

A Baal Teshuva would be held to a different standard from a typical Jew because their situation is rooted in correcting a mistake. Everything they do is ultimately rooted in an effort to become an observant Jew and since they are fighting assimilation and regrouping themselves on a cultural/spiritual level, Hashem looks at their successes as greater and their mistakes as being lesser.
An Orthodox Jew, on the other hand, would have been raised within a household knowing the law. This means that they are held to a higher standard of judgement based on the fact they couldn't claim ignorance or fighting a previous assimilation. The layout of their upbringing would mean their mistakes are held more against them while their successes aren't as successful as the Baal Teshuva.

Now I have previously heard a similar argument with regards to assimilated Jews. The argument basically being that Hashem doesn't hold the children to highly assimilated Jews accountable to the same degree because they were raised in ignorance. This is the argument I'm aware of.

What I hadn't heard before was the idea that after this type of Jew is weaned back into the faith, their successes are greater and their losses aren't as heavily emphasized. Their existence as a Jew at all is effectively a miracle onto itself and thus being a lackluster Jew is better than being no Jew at all.

I was curious if this was an exaggeration on the part of the person who argued this point or if there is a clear source for this point.


texts: Rishonim who had Girsot of the Chumash that differ from our text

texts:
What are some explanations that are given for the fact that some Rishonim had girsot of the Chumash that evidently differed from the text of the Chumash that we have today?
For example, Rashi. I don't have an example off-hand but I know R' Akiva Eiger collected many of them in his Gilyon haShas.
Also Rambam, for example in Hilchot Naarah Betulah, 3:2, where he states that the word "naarah" only appears once written ktiv maalei, but in our chumash today we have "naarah" written ktiv maalei in two psukim.


texts: Are there any sources that translate the term "a land flowing with milk and honey", as being literal rather than a metaphor?

texts:
The first usage that I can find that refers to Israel as a "land flowing with milk and honey" in Exodus 3:8:

  וָאֵרֵ֞ד לְהַצִּיל֣וֹ ׀ מִיַּ֣ד מִצְרַ֗יִם וּֽלְהַעֲלֹתוֹ֮
  מִן־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַהִוא֒ אֶל־אֶ֤רֶץ טוֹבָה֙ וּרְחָבָ֔ה אֶל־אֶ֛רֶץ זָבַ֥ת
  חָלָ֖ב וּדְבָ֑שׁ אֶל־מְק֤וֹם הַֽכְּנַעֲנִי֙ וְהַ֣חִתִּ֔י וְהָֽאֱמֹרִי֙
  וְהַפְּרִזִּ֔י וְהַחִוִּ֖י וְהַיְבוּסִֽי׃

  I came down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians,
  and to bring them up out of that land unto a good wide land,  unto a
  land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanite, and
  the Hittite, and the Amorite, and the Perizzite, and the Hivite, and
  the Jebusite.

The commentaries that I saw, Seforno and Ramba"n on this verse described this metaphorically. Ramba"n, particularly, relates all the other terms ("good" and "wide") towards describing the "milk and honey" concept. I.e. - the good and wide land has fresh air which is good for the animals to make lots of milk. Also, that the fruits are fat and sweet until the honey flows out from them.

If I recall correctly, some place in the Talmud, this pharse is taken literally, i.e., that there was a flow of milk and honey. I don't recall where this is.

If this is to be a metaphor, why does the Torah use this metaphor rather than stating more directly, something like "a land with good air for the animals and sweet fat fruits" or something similar that's not metaphoric?

Lastly, why focus on these two qualities in particular? The land has many other fine qualities. (Yes, in Ekev it talks about 7 species, iron and copper. But the more dominant phrase that we see is "a land flowing with milk and honey".)


texts: How could a month-old at the time of the half-shekel donation have been through the sea?

texts:
The commentary of Haamek Davar to the first few verses of Ki Sisa (Exodus 30:11–16) explains that they refer to two different obligatory donations. Each was half a shekel per person, and each served its own purpose. Besides those purposes, the monies donated were used also to count the people: see how many half-shekels were donated, and you know how many people donated them.

One of the donations, he says, was half a shekel per person aged twenty years and up (as verse 14 says explicitly). The other, he says, is subject to a dispute in tractate Sh'kalim, but he goes along with the majority view there that it was for "all who had passed through the sea" back in Exodus chapter 14.

But then he says something curious (in his commentary to verse 14):

  ומעתה אם ירצו למנות גם מבן חודש יכולים למנות בשעת מתן לתרומת הלשכה ואם ירצו למנות רק את בן עשרים שנה יכולים למנות בשעת מתן לאדנים

That is, if they wanted to count even from the age of one month, they could count the people using the one donation; of they wanted to count only from the age of twenty years, they could count using the other donation.

One month? Someone one month old hadn't been through the sea! The passage through the sea had been more than a month prior. How can he say "למנות גם מבן חודש / to count even from the age of one month"?

[1] "דיש באותה שעה שתי נתינות / there were at that time two givings", commentary to verse 12


texts: What does a Hanukkah oil lamp look like?

texts:
Is there such a thing as a "correct" design or appearance for an oil lamp in the context of Hanukkah, whether prescribed by religious law, long tradition or any other metric? If so, what does one look like?

I've spent a bit of time looking into this now, and found a wide variety of oil lamp designs from ancient to modern, but no authoritative Hanukkah-specific design.


texts: Said al hamichya instead of birkas hamazon. What do I do?

texts: If one had 'pas habah bekisnin' thinking that he needs to make a mezonos followed by al hamichya, and after doing so discovers that he should have washed, said hamotzi and then birkas hamazon, what should be done now after he has said al hamichya?


texts: Are there any late-Achronim who wrote like a Rishon (or early-Acharon)?

texts:
When the Rishonim wrote, they weighed every word they used, considered the meaning and inferences of all possibilities and decided on what best reflects their position as a whole. This is how we treat their writings. What this allows us to do is to make inferences to other cases that were not spoken about from cases that were spoken about. You could ask question such as "Why did he choose to say it this way and not this way?".

My question is: are there any late-Achronim that we can make inferences (diyukim) off of? or does any late-Acharon claim to have written in such a way?

For the purposes of his question lets call a late Acharon someone writing from mid 1800's at the latest.


texts: What is the Jewish religious authority during the galut?

texts: During the galut (after the second temple, ie our times), what is the Jewish religious authority according to halakha? A Great Assembly of Rabbanim? Something else?


texts:
Warning: this question relies on anecdotal evidence.

I have noticed that often Chareidi and heterodox Jews will wear much larger kippot than Modern Orthodox and Dati-Leumi (and heterodox rabbanim). Is there any rationale for this?


texts: Why does someone wanting to get married need to show an Orthodox ketubah from a maternal ancestor?

texts:
My friend is due to get married soon and has been asked by her Orthodox Rabbi to provide proof that she is jewish by showing that she is descended from jews.  She doesn't have her parents Ketubah so the Rabbi said that she could provide evidence that her maternal grandparents had a jewish wedding as evidence instead.

She has looked and her grandparents seem to have been married by a Conservative Rabbi. Her Rabbi said that this wasn't good enough as the wedding had to be Orthodox to be accepted. Apparently this is also the view of the central beth din.  This means she can't have an Orthodox wedding according to at least one country's rules of Orthodox judaism.

What I don't understand is that Conservative, Reform, Orthodox etc. judaism didn't exist as a concept before the 19th century so presumably if you look far back enough, all jews are descended from the same groups of people.  And it seems clear that if my friend could establish that her maternal great-grandmother, say, was Orthodox that would do no matter what her grandparents practised. So what is the distinction that today's Orthodox jews are trying to make? It doesn't make sense to me.

Are Orthodox jews  worried that someone in her maternal ancestry might have converted to Conservative Judaism (see e.g. http://judaism.about.com/od/conversion/f/consconv_accept.htm) and so she would not count as a jew at all in their eyes if that had happened? Or are they worried that non-Orthodox Rabbis would allow intermarriage (see e.g. http://forward.com/articles/142112/conservative-synagogues-crack-open-door-to-interma/) and so the wife might not have been jewish at all?


texts: How to tie shoes on a baby when unsure if righty or lefty

texts: There are differences in Halachos regarding a righty verses a lefty in the order of tying shoes. See related question here for more information on what exactly to do. My question is what about when tying the shoes of someone who we don't know yet whether they are a righty or a lefty such as a baby? Do we say that since most people are righties we should tie them like a righty or does it go by the person tying the shoes?


texts: Significance of nine months of pregnancy and eleven stars

texts:
In the piyyut Echad Mi Yodeya, recited at the Passover seder, we discuss what relates to the first thirteen numbers.

Most of these are central to Jewish belief: One is Hashem, two are the Tablets (representing the giving of the Torah), the Patriarchs and Matriarchs, the Written and Oral Torah, Sabbath and circumcision (two of the most important mitzvos), the Ten Commandments (which include the whole Torah), the twelve tribes, Hashem's mercy.

But two of these stand out: Nine are the months of pregnancy and Eleven stars [in Yosef's dream]. These seem to be only marginally related to central Jewish thought.

Is there some special significance of the nine months of pregnancy and the eleven stars of Yosef's dream? Or did the author just not think of anything better to say for nine and eleven?


texts: When does the 18 minute limit for dough to become chametz end?

texts:
I know that the 18 minute thing is up for debate (time for 1 mil, whether continually working dough can indefinitely extend it, temperature dependence etc.), but at what part of the process can a dough no longer become chametz? When it completely finishes baking?

If something becomes chametz through fermentation, I would guess that once the microorganisms are dead it can no longer become chametz, but that understanding of fermentation is a relatively recent thing, so how is it normally defined?


texts:
The Shulchan Aruch rules in OC 216:4 that there is a special blessing to say upon smelling "Afarsimon" oil. (The blessing is ברוך אתה ה' אלוקינו מלך העולם בּוֹרֵא שֶמֶן עָרֵב) The Mishna Berura there, quoting a number of Rishonim, explains that this is the ingredient of the Ketoret (incense burned in the Temple) known as Tzori which is likely the resin of Commiphora gileadensis.

Where can I get this substance?

Note: I found this product at the Temple Institute's gift shop. Is this the appropriate oil? Additionally, it is rather expensive. Maybe if someone can find just the correct oil for sale somewhere it will be at a more reasonable price.


texts: What do I say with the tzibbur if I davened already?

texts:
I daven mincha earlier in the afternoon but I go to shul for "mincha/maariv" so I'm in the shul when the congregation says mincha. I have learned that one says aleinu with a minyan even if one has said it already (though I can't right now find the source) but does that apply to other parts of davening?

I presume I respond to kedusha and kaddish (and say kaddish if I am in my year or have a yahrzeit) but would I also say modim, or, after the amida, avinu malkeinu (or just respond to the 9 lines said by the shaliach tzibbur)? I assume that there is no problem repeating shir hama'alot again, but is it required or at all problematic if I choose NOT to because I did already? Are there parts of the Shabbat or Yom Tov davening that I would or specifically would not say a second time (were I, as one example, to daven with a hashkama minyan and then come back to hear a bar mitzvah boy lein, and then not leave when musaf begins). Similarly, if I have davened maariv already but come back into the room when the later minyan meets, I presume I respond to borchu, but do I say sh'ma again?


texts:
I understand the prohibition of extinguishing fire on Shabbat. My question aims specifically towards an emergency situation where one's property or life is in danger. It clearly states in the Mishnah that if life is in danger, one can put out fire on Shabbat, no question about this. However, it seems to say that if life is not in danger, rather property only is in danger, then it is still prohibited to put out fire.
So there are a couple ways to approach this

How can one determine whether a life is in danger, when a fire may start small and could lead to deadly destruction of an entire city. If one lives in a dense city, we can assume that putting out a fire would be permitted because even if the inhabitants of the house safely leave, the burning house could threaten the life of others living nearby. But if someone lives in a rural area where lets say they're house is not close to any other houses, this wouldn't apply.
if one leaves his house wouldn't he be carrying (clothes) outside of a private area? Isn't this the same as putting out fire to save the house and life of those staying in it?


texts: Can someone who lives in Israel visit Eilat?

texts: Can someone who lives in "Halachic" Eretz Israel visit a part of Israel that is not part of its Halachic borders? For example, IIRC, people in Eilat keep two days of Yom Tov. Does that mean that a person from Tel Aviv would be forbidden from visiting Eilat (unless it is for business,  learning Torah :) etc.) ?


texts:
Last Shabbos, my young daughter found a grogger inside the shul and played with it away from adults and at an appropriate time.  A four-year old Orthodox boy told us that it was muktzah and that she should not play with it on Shabbos.  It was a purely mechanical noisemaker, the kind that you spin around.

I normally defer to these kids because they usually know more about Jewish laws and customs than I do, and so I agreed to take it away from her.  Afterwards I had doubts about whether he was really right.  What is it about that grogger  that would make it muktzah?  The only thing I can think of is making noise on Shabbos, but these kids often make tons of noise anyways.  His father does reprimand him and his sister pretty regularly about such-and-such being muktzah and not appropriate for Shabbos, so I am assuming that he has been told the grogger falls in this category.


texts: Parsha reading gap between Israel and overseas

texts:
The 7th of Pesach this year was celebrated in Israel on Friday, and overseas on Friday and Saturday.
This caused a discrepancy in Parsha reading between overseas and Israel, since outside Israel the reading for Pesach took the place of the reading for shabas.
If someone flies from Israel abroad (and vice versa) and will be there on Sabbath,
he hears a Parsha he had heard before (or in the second case misses a Parsha).

The discrepancy this year persists between 14th April and 19th May (Leminyanam).

What is the solution for such a person in Halacha?

Is The Halacha recommended to not enter to this situations ?

I read along time ago in Yalkut Yosef that Harav Ovadia had similar situation and when he comes back to Israel, he recived first Aliya to the Torah, and they read for him the previous Parasha and the First Aliya for the current Parasha, but this could be an option only for Harav Ovadia (or another respectable Rabbi) that the audience accorded respect.


texts: When Jews first set foot on new-to-them continents (AKA: North America, South America, and Australia), they would have found many animals that were previously unknown to them. Some of these new animals are kosher, and some are not. I'm trying to think of some new world animals that are kosher. So far I have bison and turkey (although neither was done without controversy). Are there any more?


texts: Can someone make one se'udah for both a bris and a wedding on the same day?

texts:
A woman marries a divorced man (well...until today.) The man wants to make a brit for his son (from his previous wife) on the same day as the brit. To save money, he wants to make a combination se'udah for both events.

Any halachic problems with doing this, or does each occasion require its own se'udah? If they can do one, what would be the order of the brachot at the end - Brit benching or sheva brachot first?


texts: Mizrachim saying Avinu Malkeinu on Shabbat

texts: I would like to turn around these two questions. We saw that it is problematic to ask personal requests on Shabbat, and certain verses of Avinu Malkeinu correspond to the blessings of the weekday Amidah. However, our Mizrachi brothers do say it on Shabbat. What is their reasoning, what sources do they have?


texts: Can someone explain the meat-vinegar issue in 7th perek of Pesachym?

texts:
I have a question with regards to the sugya in Pesachym 74B regarding soaking meat in vinegar.

To start with:

if blood has already been purged, why soak in vinegar to remove the blood?
how can the vinegar be treif due to the blood but then not make the meat treif?


texts: The proper term for responding -- "Boruch Dayan HaEmes" or just "Emes"?

texts: When an an avel makes the brocha "Boruch Dayan HaEmes," the term is "HaEmes". However, I often hear people reply "Boruch Dayan Emes" when they hear news of a death. Is that a proper term or should their reply be "Boruch Dayan HaEmes" like the avel himself?


texts: After a woman gives birth many have the custom of reciting the blessing of "ha-gommel" (a blessing of Thanks.) Until how long after a birth may this blessing by recited? (i.e. can it be said even a few months after the birth long after the woman has recovered from the birth itself?)


texts: First time things other then gold was used as jewelry for woman,

texts:
In the Bible I know of gold jewelry for woman

But what are the first precious stones, semiprecious stones, or diamonds used as jewelry for woman (I know stones were used for the kohen gadol)
I am looking for the earliest source evidencing that it was used for that.
or a newer comentery stating that it was used (the earliest)
How about pearls?
How about silver?


texts: Does a meis mitzvah acquire the land he's on even in the Temple?

texts: I'd like to understand the concept of meis mitzvah a bit better. Specifically: there is a decree that a meis mitzvah acquires the place he or she is on to be buried there, even if it is private property. Does this apply equally if the property belonged to the Beit Hamikdash? Meaning if, for instance, a meis mitzvah is found in the kodesh hakedashim if he buried there?


texts: What is a Gentile to do? Ie. What would you do if you were not born Jewish?

texts:
Short form: I happen to not be one of the chosen ones. If you were in that situation what would you do or feel? What is a Gentile to do?

Long form: I have been reading and studying a lot about Judaism, and reading various questions here. It so happens that I am not Jewish. Based on my readings (from Stackexchange and elsewhere) over the years, one cannot help but feel a sense of inferiority since we don't have a special relationship with g-d, and are not the chosen ones.

Unfortunately, there is nothing I can do since I was born this way. One cannot help whom you are born to. I wonder what a devout Jew would answer to the following question: Suppose that you were not born into a Jewish family, what would you do? Is it fair that some people are chosen and others are not? Why did g-d not choose to make me one of his chosen ones?


texts: How are the two tales of dancing in vineyards on the 15th of Av related?

texts:
The Mishna tells us (Taanis 26b) that on the 15th of Av, unmarried girls would borrow clothes, dance in the vineyard, and invite the unmarried men to choose them for marriage.

The Talmud (Taanis 30b) gives a list of historical reasons that make the 15th of Av a holiday on par with Yom Kippur.

One of the reasons given is that the Jewish people found a way around their vow not to give their daughters to Binyamin (Shoftim 21:1), after the story of the Pilegesh in Givah (Shoftim 19, 20, 21).

Their solution was to have the Benyaminites lie in wait in the vineyards, and when the daughters of Israel would dance in the vineyards, the Benyaminites would take them, without the fathers breaking their vow by giving their daughters to the Binyaminites. (See Shoftim 21:20 and on)

There are several parallels between the two reasons for the holiday. For example, In both cases (the unmarried girls dancing in the vineyards every 15th of Av, and the Binyaminites taking dancing girls in the vineyards):

The girls are dancing
They are in vineyards
Both stories happened where G-d's Temple was located. The Mishnah talks about the daughters of Yerushalaim (Where the Holy Temple was), and the story with the Binyaminites talks about the daughters of Shiloh dancing (Shiloh was where the Mishkan was at the time of the story)

Both of these stories seem very similar. Are there any sources that discuss the connection between the two? Was the story with the Binyaminites the start of the yearly custom? Did the custom predate the story with the Binyaminites?

I'm looking for sources that discuss this.


texts: Other than through music are there any recommendations in Tanach, the gemarah or other commentators which discuss the best ways, meaning most likely to succeed, to treat depression?


texts:
In the debate over how to respond to a question about leaning during a seder that took up a noticeable amount of time in chat a question was danced around. The debate was mostly centered around how to handle a 'how-to' question that does not clearly set out the halachic requirements it is seeking to implement. One participant in the debate claimed the ideal situation for a 'how-to' question would be for a user to ask one question, either here or to a LR, about what the relevant halacha is in the situation and then ask a separate question asking about implementation given the halachic concerns identified in the first question.

My claim is that this is what the 'wise son' would do, but what about the 'simple son?' Hence my question: Are there halachic concerns to keep in mind when answering naive questions from questioners who are sincere but uninformed?

A generous reading of the linked question about leaning at the Pesach Seder is that not knowing that there are halachic statements about what constitutes 'leaning' the OP just asked how do something that is informally called leaning in a particular kind of chair. (I am aware that there are other reasons why the question was unclear but this was one of them.)


texts:
Some people are born with deformities, or become such as a result of an accident or a treatment.

Why they were made ugly?
What is the point of having ugly people, as they feel bad and others feel bad for them?


texts:
The verse states, in Exodus 12:10, regarding the eating of the Paschal Offering:

  וְלֹֽא־תוֹתִ֥ירוּ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ עַד־בֹּ֑קֶר וְהַנֹּתָ֥ר מִמֶּ֛נּוּ עַד־בֹּ֖קֶר בָּאֵ֥שׁ תִּשְׂרֹֽפוּ׃

  Do not leave any of it over until morning. Anything that is left over until morning must be burned in fire.

The Mekhilta on this verse (Parshas Bo (Maseches d-Pesach) Parsha 6, Paragraph 37), explains the double use of the word "בֹּקֶר" ("morning"), to be that the verse is prescribing the end time for what is considered "night" in regards to the eating of the Paschal Ofering. In this case, the double usage teaches us that instead of the time ending at Netz Hachama, it ends at Alos Hashachar. The Mekhilta then goes on to state that this verse teaches that night ends at Alos with regards to all other sacrificial offerings and things of that sort that the Torah prescribes as ending with the termination of night.

Why does the Mekhilta extend this possuk to all other sacrifices? It would seem simpler and clearer that the Torah has a specific rule only for the Paschal Offering, and not for other offerings, especially given the fact that Netz is generally seen as the end of night bound Mitzvos, (see note 15 in the "Yisron Ha'Ohr" section of the commentary on the Mekhilta that is cited).


texts: How do people in Yerushalayim manage with Purim on Friday?

texts:
In Diaspora, the only time Purim is on Friday is when 1st Pesach is on Sunday. That's a rare occurrence. I vaguely recall what I did with managing Se'udat Purim on Friday and squeezing it in between needing to be at work.

The 1st day of Pesach occurs on Shabbat much more frequently - as a matter of fact, including this year, 4 of the last 5 years had that. So, in Yerushalayim 4 of the last 5 Purim were on Friday.

I gather that at least since Friday is a non-work day (and I guess most businesses would be closed on Purim, anyway) that aspect makes things easier in Yerushalayim, etc. than here.

But, still it must be a bit hectic. How do people in Yerushalayim manage squeezing in Seudat Purim between all the other activities and preparations for Shabbat? I'm especially curious to get the perspective from families that have lots of young children and they need constant attention, entertainment  and supervision


texts:
A cesem that is found on a colored piece of clothing is tahar. What about someone with dark skin (they are of some ethnicity/race that has darker skin), could the same idea be applied in such a case that the cesem would also be tahar?

(To note there is a disagreement as to whether a cesem found on one's body is tahar even when it's lacking the size of a cesem that we would normally say is tameh. So, this question is going according to either opinion. If it does, or doesn't have the proper shiur (size) and is find on the body of someone with dark skin) could it tahar mitzad the din of "beged tzavuah" (a colored garment.)


texts: Should the Gemora allow boiled food on Pesach?

texts:
Pesachim 39B quotes a Beraisa which says, "The following do not become Chametz: something (i.e. grain) that was already baked (matzo), cooked, or Chalut (scalded, I guess?) in boiling water."

Then the Gemorah asks a question how it could be cooked, since while the water would be heating up the grains (or flour?) would become Chametz, to which it answers that it means something that was baked and cooked.

However, I am not comfortable with the Gemorah's answer. It already said that something baked cannot become Chametz. Something that was baked and something that was baked then boiled have both been baked. So if that's what the Beraisa actually meant, it was redundant (not to mention misleading).

Furthermore, another answer comes to mind which would address the Gemorah's concern about lukewarm water very nicely: Pour the grain or flour into water that is already boiling. Why does the Gemorah not even suggest this answer? That answer seems to fit much more nicely with the Beraisa while addressing the Gemorah's concern just as well.

Note: I am a bit biased, this question jumped out at me from a wish that oatmeal and cream of wheat would be Kosher for Pesach.


texts: What is meant by “they silence him” when the prayer leader says “We give thanks, we give thanks”

texts:
The Mishna in Brochos 5 (3) says

  האומר על קן צפור יגיעו רחמיך, ועל טוב יזכר שמך, מודים מודים, משתקין
  אותו.

  The one who says, “On a bird’s nest may Your mercy be extended,” [or]
  “For good may Your name be blessed” or “We give thanks, we give
  thanks,” they silence him.

What exactly is meant by “they silence him”?

I could imagine the following possibilities:

They shout out “Shh Shh” meaning - stop saying that and continue properly or

They tell him to stop and put another person in his place.

Related Rashi on Berachos 33b "al kan tzipor yagiu rachamecha"


texts:
In the store earlier, I saw a kosher symbol I had never seen before, and was wondering if anyone here knows what organization it represents.

Here is the symbol:


texts: How can we wish for שמחה during חודש אב when the שולחן ערוך says we're supposed to lessen our שמחה during that month?

texts:
When we say ברכת החודש on the שבת before חודש אב, we ask ה׳ to give us a month full of ששון and שמחה. However, the משנה in תענית פרק ד משנה ה, the רמב׳׳ם in הלכות תעניות פרק ה הלכה ו, and the שולחן ערוך in אורח חיים סימן תקנא סעיף א all say that when the month of אב comes, we're supposed to lessen our שמחה.
How can we pray that the month of אב be a month full of שמחה when the הלכה clearly says that we lessen our שמחה in חודש אב?


texts: If a person messes up a word during Aleinu, can a person just say that line again? or do they have to say the entire Aleinu? same with the second paragraph. What if I said the first paragraph perfectly and I made a mistake during the second? do I just say the second paragraph again or do I have to say both again? It's stressing me out because I keep messing and I end up saying Aleinu a trillion times.


texts: Has anyone posed a theory as to who authored Targum Pseudo-Yonasan?

texts:
This answer and this one bring several commentaries who hold that Targum Yonasan was not written by Yonasan ben Uziel. Are there any other people mentioned who may have authored the work?

To clarify:

I will not accept answers that bring other sources defending the opinion that Yonasan Ben Uziel indeed wrote this.
I am looking for actual sources that bring theories for its authorship as well as an explanation behind why the source believes that this person could be the author. If an answer does not meet these criteria, it will not be accepted.
I AM NOT LOOKING FOR SOURCES THAT YONASAN BEN UZIEL DIDN’T WRITE IT. I am looking for sources that anybody else wrote it.


texts: Drinking from a water fountain without an Eruv on Shabbos

texts:
Assuming a water fountain is unplugged, non-electric, or somehow operational without any Melachos involved (or one is swallowing rain drops), would one have any problem consuming food or liquid from an area without an Eruv (like Reshus Harabim) on Shabbos?

And does it matter if the person is stationary or moving?

Finally, does it matter if the mode of consumption involves no hands?


texts: Shaliach Tzibbur missed out one or more blessings in the repetition of the amidah. What to do later?

texts:
What should one do if the Shaliach Tzibbur missed out one or more blessings in the repetition of the amidah and it was only pointed out to him after he had finished?

Does he have to repeat the amidah correctly, or do we say that, since nowadays he doesn't acquit anyone of their obligation to pray, he does not have to repeat?


texts: Understanding the reasoning of the woman who agreed with King Solomon to "cut the baby in half"

texts:
There's a famous story in I Kings 3:16-28 about Shlomo Hamelech.
Two women who had just given birth around the same time appeared before him; one baby had died and one was alive and the women were arguing about who's baby was the live one.

Shlomo proposed to cut the baby in half and give half to each woman, to which they responded:
(I Kings 3:26)

  Woman A:

  וַתֹּ֣אמֶר ׀ בִּ֣י אֲדֹנִ֗י תְּנוּ־לָהּ֙ אֶת־הַיָּל֣וּד הַחַ֔י וְהָמֵ֖ת אַל־תְּמִיתֻ֑הוּ
  “Please, my lord,” she cried, “give her the live child; only don’t kill it!”

  Woman B:

  וְזֹ֣את אֹמֶ֗רֶת גַּם־לִ֥י גַם־לָ֛ךְ לֹ֥א יִהְיֶ֖ה גְּזֹֽרוּ
  The other insisted, “It shall be neither yours nor mine; cut it in two!”

The story concludes with Shlomo revealing that Woman A was proven to be the mother since she'd rather have her child taken away and live than die.

Question

Was Woman B a dimwit? Did she not know that Shlomo's suggestion would result in a dead child?

related: cut baby in half in halacha


texts: Not saying shir shel yom on Rosh Chodesh?

texts:
This morning (Rosh Chodesh), I davened at the Ohel Yitzchak shul on Washington St., Jerusalem (no, not that Ohel Yitzchak). After aleinu but before shir shel yom the gabbai announced that because it is Rosh Chodesh, we only say היום יום ראשון בשבת in order to fulfill זכור את יום השבת, and then say barchi nafshi, skipping the regular shir shel yom.

I've never seen this done before. What rabbis say to do this, and why?


texts: where in talmud or halacha can one find about the separation of calling jews ashkenazi or sephardi?

texts: where can one find the talmud text or halachah text or something similar that identifies or divides Jews as either Ashkenazim or Sephardim or Teymanim? (Also, is it two only, the first two only, because the last one, Yemenites or Teymanim, is sometimes left out)?


texts: To what extent would a 17th-century observant Jew purposefully violate Halacha to save lives?

texts:
I’m writing an alternate-history story set in the 1630s and this topic touches on one of the plot points. My character is attempting to avert the various massacres of the 17th–20th centuries by engaging more strongly with the Christian community. I am receiving a great deal of resistance from Jewish readers who tell me that the character is violating halacha the way I’ve written the story, and that he would not realistically do what I am suggesting he might.

To what extent is it permitted to violate halacha to save lives? What are the limits on this, whether in the immediacy of the threat (my character is particularly trying to avert the Holocaust, four centuries in his future) or in what actions are permitted (for example, attending, but not participating in, non-Jewish religious services)?

Would any of this be affected by the appearance of a society (in this story-universe, a town of 21st-century Americans) that values religious freedom and is appalled by any form of religious pogrom or sanctioned massacre? (I.e., would the 17th century Jewish community be more likely to adapt their practices, or double down on status quo?)


texts: Why does Nusach Sefard kneel for the Se'ir LaShem in yom kippur mussaf?

texts: I recall hearing something about how in Mussaf of Yom Kippur, Nusach Ashkenaz kneels for each of the three confessions (Cohen Gadol on bull; all Cohanim on bull; everyone on goat).  Nusach Sefard adds one when the people hear "Lashem chatas" (declared on the other goat).  I don't recall the reason suggested for this. Thoughts please?


texts: Would anyone know of any English Sefarim on the Halachos of Ma'aser Kesafim(money)?


texts: Can the Black Obelisk's depiction of King Jehu tell us something about the appearance of ancient Israelites?

texts:
The Black Obelisk depicts King Jehu in a subordinate position in front of the Assyrian king, Shalmeneser III. This is the oldest known portrayal of an Israelite.

Here we can see the King's style of dress.

Have any Rabbinical authorities weighed in on whether they think this is an accurate depiction of an ancient Israelite? Can anything significant to Judaism be gleaned from this?

To my eye, everything on King Jehu appears to be standard, except for his cap. I find it interesting that it's fashioned so that a bun would form in the back. I haven't seen anything like it being worn by a Jew in recent history. Is there something similar?


texts: Is there a list of Pesukim from Tanakh, used on the Sidur?

texts:
This is my first question on the site, kol hakavod to the initiative!

I am looking for a complete list of Biblical Verses, Pesukim from the Tanakh, in order like any index, that appear on the Sidur, (considering the different Nusachim).

I looked at Netiv Binah and among the huge index, doesn't have an Index on Bublical Sources. I didn't find it on Google either.

Does anyone know some book, Commentaries to Sidur, Prayer Encyclopedia, etc??


texts:
"it is for forbidden to do something good for someone who does not acknowledge the good"

is this true? what is the source of this? who else holds like this?

at this site it says:

  Maharal explains (in Gur Aryeh on Rashi for Bereshit 2:5, s.v. ve-Ein Makir be-Tovatam), “V’assur laasos tovah l’ish she’ein makir b’tovah — it is forbidden to do something good for someone who doesn’t express gratitude for the good.”

Rabbi Arush seems to say this idea is from the Hazal
"בגן השלום" של הרב שלום ארוש שליט"א, ע"מ 197

  אמרו חז"ל שאפילו מי שאינו ממש כפוי טובה, רק הוא אינו מכיר בטובה- אסור לעשות לו טובה, ויתרה מזה אמרו, שכל העושה לו טובה הרי הוא כעובד עבודה זרה. נמצא, מי שיודע בעצמו שאינו יודע להכיר טובה, אסור לו לתת לאנשים לעשות לו טובות כי בזה הוא מכשיל אותם בעבודה זרה, ועובר על "לפני עיור לא תיתן מכשול" .


texts: Why does a siyum exempt one from taanit bechorot?

texts: The custom in many communities I have been to is for there to be a siyum on a mesechta on the day of taanit bechorot. All first borns who would otherwise have to fast attend the siyum and are thus exempt from their fast. I would like to know why that is so and why this practice is not utilized for other fast days.


texts:
In Genesis 2,19 it is written that the animals were brought to Adam so that he would name them.
Of course we cannot say what exactly the purpose of living is but there are some 'explanations'. For example, HaRamacha"l in Derech Hashem A,4 gives a general guideline (and more detailed in D,1) as to the purpose of living. Doing Mitzvhas. I cannot see how naming animals can be a Mitzvha or helpful for performing Mitzvahs. I remember seeing they were brought so that Adam would see he needs a new existence to support him (as implied in 2,20). However, naming the animals isn't necessary for that. Even if we explain the naming corresponds to the true meaning of each animal etc. the way the Torha portrays Hashem bringing the animals is like "Oh well, let's see how is gonna call 'em". What is the meaning of "לראות מה יקרא לו" and the importance of naming (either as a goal or a mean) ?


texts: Which animal survived outside of Noachs teiva

texts:
Which animal survived outside the teiva?
I know og melech havashan survives but which animal?


texts: Wearing tallis and tefillin before z'man

texts: About the time the clocks change for the season, there is always an issue at the early early minyan about when to put on tallis and tefillin.  In a few weeks of the year, that time can come 5 - 15 minutes after the minyan's regular start time.  Our rabbi instructed us that because the minyan exists for people who have to get to work at a certain hour, they may put on tallis and tefillin without a bracha and then when the time comes, they should reset their tallis and tefillin and make the appropriate blessings, then follow up with Shema.  What is the source for this heter?  Also, may retired or unemployed men join this minyan if not needed for a quorum?  Or are they barred because the heter does not apply to them?


texts:
I have two related questions about the fast day addition to the Amida "Anenu b'yom tzom taaniteinu":

If an individual is fasting when he says mincha, but he plans to break the fast after mincha, should he say Anenu?  I recall being told to do so, but instructions/commentary in some prayer books say it is said at mincha and not Shacharit because the assumption is that one who is still fasting at mincha time will complete the fast.  If the person knows that for him that assumption is false, should he say Aneinu?
In shacharit, if enough people are fasting that the chazan would say Aneinu, the community would read the fast day Torah reading, etc, but the expectation is that most of the minyan will break their fast after Shacharit (I expect this would come up in an old age home or the like) does the chazzan still say Aneinu?  If the shaliach tzibur himself plans to break the fast after shacharit, should he say aneinu?  Should they choose a different shaliach tzibur?


texts: Laws of inheritance according to the Torah still applicable?

texts:
I was wondering if the inheritance Torah laws were still applicable in Western countries like US or France.
First question
For example, in France, by law a parent can not disinherit one of his children.
In this case, there is no possibility for a daughter to get nothing at the death of her parents. Yet according to the law of the Torah, she shouldn't receive any inheritance from her parents.
Does the law of the land override halachic inheritance laws?
This question may already has an answer here
Is there a difference in Israel and other countries?
Second (and most important) question
This rule is surprising today, when women do not occupy the same place as when these rules were enacted.
Perhaps, the inheritance laws were related to the part of the land of Israel that should always remain in the same tribe?
Today, it seems terribly unfair to deprive girls of their parents' inheritance. Jewish women, especially in the religious world, have enormous responsibilities; which was not the case at the time when these rules were established.
Can we consider that inheritance laws no longer apply today, given that the situation has evolved enormously?
My question has no provocative purpose, nor does it question the eternity of the laws of the Torah.


texts: Should I be giving a get to my girlfriends after a breakup?

texts:
I have some knowledge of Jewish law, but it seems ambiguous to me in some areas, either because there are differing opinions, or no one has really explained to me the reasons for the opinions to be favored over the opposing opinions.

We read in Deuteronomy 24, that a ספר כריתת must be given to a wife after a divorce. This implies, of course, that the couple is married. In fact, there is sufficient Rabbinical opinion that an unmarried female companion is a Pilegesh, or concubine, which is a separate legal status.

However, in the Mishnah (Kiddushin) it is specified right at the beginning that a wife may be acquired through money, a contract or sexual intercourse. Kiddushin seems to occur when the woman accepts the sexual intercourse and participates in it.

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/marriage.htm

Now, it's true that rabbis today do not consider sexual intercourse a valid way of acquiring a wife, but I'm not sure what gives them the authority to take away something that is written in the Talmud.

If I have relations with my girlfriends, and then we break up, should I be giving them a bill of divorcement? If we're not risking that her future relationships will be adulterous, it's only because of rabbinical pronouncements. Obviously Orthodox rabbis today aren't too concerned with non-virgins marrying their husbands, and don't inquire too much about the get from all their sexual partners. But I am not sure how all this came about.


texts: The return for Beis Sheini (or lack thereof)

texts:
It seems that from what I've learned, the vast majority of Klal Yisroel didn't return for Beis Sheini. I was taught that this was on account of the fact that the talmidei chachamim didn't advocate the return as they sensed that this was not the final geula, as Beis Sheini wasn't built to the specifications of Yechezkel. Is this so, is this what they held?

Wouldn't there be more than enough reason for them to make aliyah? Even if it wasn't the final Beis Hamikdash, it was still the Beis Hamikdash, and the only way to remove tumah was there, not in Bavel. I would assume that they came for the shalosh regalim, but did they?


texts: Does a seller acquire each coin one at a time, or all at once?

texts:
Let's say i owe someone 5 coins. I hand them to him one at a time. Does he acquire each one as i hand it to him, or does he get all of them after all 5 are in his hand? When exactly does ownership get transferred?

The proposed nafka mina (practical difference): One of us drops a coin in transit, and it gets lost. If he has already taken possession of it, i shouldn't have to give a replacement. But if the coin still belongs to me, i'd have to give another one.

(This is just an example. CYLOR if it happens to you.)


texts: When should a commuter cyclist wear a tallit katan?

texts:
Getting around by bike can be a sweat-provoking task. I wear a backpack; not only my undershirt can get sweaty, but also whatever's atop it. I only own a couple of tallitot k'tanot, and I wash them by hand. I don't want to buy more tallitot k'tanot, or to have to wash them more often, unless there's a good reason to.

During daylight hours, when should a commuter cyclist wear a tallit katan? When shouldn't he?

Please do not answer unless you cite a source.


texts: Sources for Rav Pinkus's ideas on Shabbos

texts:
We are learning נפש שמשון - שבת קודש  from הרב שמשון דויד פינקוס.

Rav Pinkus typically gives concepts without giving sources. I would like to know what sources there are for the ideas that:

on Shabbos we are, so to speak, guests of Hashem and that is the
reason for the special enjoyment of foods on Shabbos (see אורחים בבית
השי״ת  page 147); whereas Yom Kippur is our day where we create
holiness and are prepared to give up everything (including food and
drink) for Hashem and/or
“it's very simple on Shabbos we meet with Hashem” page 150.


texts: Sefira Restrictions During Chol Hamoed Pesach

texts: For those who hold sefira from the first day until the thirty-third, are the restrictions in effect during chol hamoed? While you are not allowed to cut your hair even during chol hamoed Succos, can one listen to music during chol hamoed?


texts: Does Judaism say that souls can or cannot be destroyed? Just asking because I was raised a Christian, and it didn't make any sense to me, at all, that a "soul" could be destroyed. All I know is that's an important part of Buddhism.


texts:
I don't really know from where in the Torah or from which Rabbi this comes from, but I've heard that the Torah prohibits leaving the planet. Maybe it is because every mitzvah is made for Earth only, or because the Mitzvot that rely on time (like Shabbat and Tefilot) can't be done outside the planet.

Is this a real prohibition? Is there anything in judaism that actually discusses this?


texts: How many women were remembered on Rosh Hashanah?

texts:
According to the talmud, Rosh Hashanah 10b,

On Rosh Hashanah, Sarah, Rachel and Chanah were designated to give birth, Yosef was released from prison, and the slavery in Egypt ceased.

from here.
This is referenced in the Artscroll Rosh Hashanah machzor in the footnotes on page 312 ("She was one of the four childless women...")
But later in the Shacharit (day 1) service, there is a prayer which begins "Em asher b'tzedek nityashna" (page 318). This prayer has the line "v'shalosh akarot shehafk'du b'zeh yom" -- the THREE barren ones who were remembered on this day.
Was it 3 or 4, and why (if it is 4) would this text refer to three?


texts: Will the age of Moshiach ever come in through supernatural means?

texts:
I have heard hassidim cite a source I've since forgotten that it is up to us to bring forth Messianic age through natural means. But if this isn't achieved within a certain span of years (I can't recall the numerical value), Moshiach will arrive through supernatural means. Is there any validity to this?
EDIT: I have altered references of HaOlam Haba to allude the different concept of the Messianic age.


texts: Is שמים (Shamayim) the spiritual world or just the sky?

texts:
When the Torah talks about the שמים, does it means the spiritual world or the sky?
The most relatable example for my question would be the first Pasuk of the Torah, right at the beginning of Bereshit:

  בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָרֶץ

From my understanding, this could mean that G-d created the spiritual and the material worlds. Or it could also mean that he created (or divided) the sky and the Earth.


texts:
I don't use an app as a sidur ever so maybe there is something thing obviously wrong with my question, but how can an app be used if it has Hashem's name?? - aren't you erasing His name when you scroll up or down, or is it that the letters aren't actually there they are just pixels displaying it....I don't know how it works electronically or Halachicly. Can someone please clue me in here

This may seem like a duplicate but there were no answers concerning this exact question there


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.

Shavu'a Tov, and happy La"G Ba'omer!


texts:
Is it possible for a Jew who is in mourning (an ovel) to attend a wedding on Zoom?
My intial thought process was why not? If one cannot be משתתף (join) with a virtual minyan (quorum of 10 men) as all 10 need to be in one place (see OC 55:13) - perhaps in a similar vein an online wedding is the same as it  is like one is not truly part of the proceedings, and worse case scenario if there is music etc. one can mute.
But then I realised that with a minyan the issue is principally about being there  whilst with a wedding it is not, it is first and foremost the Simcha (happiness) - Indeed, the Shulchan Aruch expressly states that an ovel has to abstain from any type of joyous occasion:

אבל אסור בכל מיני שמחה
(YD 391)

Thus if joining with a zoom wedding will generate Simcha - is he allowed to participate?
I am aware that the are differing levels of mourning depending on how much time has elapsed - i.e. initial shiva (first seven days), shloshim (first 30 days) and then the remaining year which may affect the answer.


texts:
All Jews are obligated to send mishloach manos on Purim (based on Esther 9:22).

If I plan to send mishloach manos to a friend via the mail, must I send them to where the package will arrive on Purim or should I send them on Purim, where they would receive the package after?


texts: Do I have to check my fruits and vegetables [for insects] before I put them in a smoothie?

texts: I use both frozen and fresh fruits and vegetables in my smoothies, and mostly organic. Does the type of fruit or vegetable matter? For example, produce that generally has more insects, such as raspberries or strawberries? I use kale, spinach, raspberries, strawberries, and more.


texts:
Bereshit 18:21

אֵֽרְדָה-נָּ֣א וְאֶרְאֶ֔ה הַכְּצַֽעֲקָתָ֛הּ הַבָּ֥אָה אֵלַ֖י עָשׂ֣וּ | כָּלָ֑ה וְאִם-לֹ֖א אֵדָֽעָה:
I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto Me; and if not, I will know.'

הכצעקתה is a question, the hey is an interrogative form, so why is the khaf with a dagesh? Is it a dagesh Kal?


texts: Source of custom of putting on head tefillin before completely winding yad tefillin?

texts:
When reading an Egyptian halachic work I noticed that it mentioned two customs for wrapping tefillin. The more general custom was to wrap the tefillin shel yad but leave it incomplete, put on the shel rosh, and then finish tying the shel yad. The other custom was to completely tie the yad before doing the rosh.
Since we are referring to Egypt, it seemed likely that there would be some that would be holding by the Rambam there, so upon looking in the Rambam i found the following:

Halacha 5
When does the above apply? When one puts on only one of
them. If, however, one puts them both on, one recites only a single
blessing, "...to put on tefillin."
One should tie the tefillin on one's arm, and afterwards put on the
head tefillin. When one removes them, the head tefillin should be
removed, and then the arm tefillin.

Source: http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/925425/jewish/Tefillin-Mezuzah-and-Sefer-Torah-Chapter-Four.htm/mobile/false
The Rambam seems clear that one puts on the arm [completely] and then puts on the head. So where does the custom of leaving the yad incomplete come from? Is it based on kabbalah?


texts: What should a lady do if, after kindling the candles, a gust of wind blows them out, or they tip over and are extinguished?


texts: There are Nuschaot (eg the Gra's) that recite specific Psalms on individual Festival days, instead of the Psalm of the day of the week. Presumably this is based on what was done in the Temple. Where can I find a list of these, with their corresponding Festival days?


texts: Allowed to text someone a greeting before davening shacharis

texts: Would it be permitted to text someone a greeting before shacharis, or would this be forbidden.  (The person you are texting is not in the same state/country that you are in.)


texts:
Would using something like this constitute a violation of a Rabbinic or Torah Halacha?

If I am in my backyard and have an eruv, as long as I dont hit an animal, shouldn't it be ok? What about a foam target?

Thanks all!


texts: I am looking for the halachic portion of Hamaspik L'ovdey Hashem by R. Avraham Ben HaRambam published by Bar Ilan Univ. I have found links to it on HebrewBooks, but it isnt there (I guess it was taken down). Does anyone know where it can be found for free online or the most inexpensively. Perhaps someone dowloaded it from HebrewBooks before it was removed?


texts: Source for exclusively learning/seeking Torah from someone whose face is glowing like an angel?

texts:
I remember several times coming across a text that asked something along the lines of:
"Who should one seek/learn Torah from?"
or
"How does one know whether to seek/learn Torah from a certain Rabbi?"

And the answer being something along the lines of:
"One who's face is glowing, appearing joyous or as an angel, that's how you tell that he is who you should learn from."

Has someone come across this that could point me to the source?
Thanks in advance.


texts: When Pesach falls on Motzei Shabbos, should women make Havdallah?

texts:
Although there are numerous customs, some have the custom that all present at the Seder - including women - recite Kiddush together.
On a year such as this, where pesach falls on Motzei Shabbos, what is the halacha regarding women? In general, the Rema (OC 296) rules that women do not make havdallah themselves, at least if there is a possibility to be yotzei from a man. What is the custom regarding women making birchas havdallah in Kiddush on leil haseder?
Is there any reason why one who during the rest of the year is stringent that women should not recite their own havdallah would allow women to recite it on leil haseder?


texts: Why are the descendants of Ruben and Shimon listed in Va-eira?

texts: In Va-eira when it mentions Moshe and Aaron's lineage (Shemot 6:14) it also lists generational details about Ruben and Shimon. Why are Ruben's and Shimon's lineages listed here?


texts:
Is saying things that would otherwise be considered loshon hara permitted in the context of mental health therapy?

I am not familiar with the details of therapeutic schools, but I understand that some are predicated on an idea of speaking "freely" and exhaustively about the topics of therapeutic interest. Are there opinions that allow all speech within these contexts, understanding that the goal is the improvement of health and possibly the preservation of life?


texts: Why do the Ashkenazim say Selichos for a minimum of 4 days before Rosh HaShana?

texts: The Ashkenazim start saying Selichos a minimum of 4 days before Rosh HaShana? What is the reason of a minimum of 4 days?


texts:
In the Haggadah, the response to the Chacham is teaching him the halachos of Pesach, whereas the response to the Tam is that Hashem took us out of Mitzraim with a strong arm.

Yet, in the Yerushalmi, the answers are swapped. The Chacham is told that Hashem took us out of Mitzraim with a strong arm, while the Tam (there the Tipeish) is told the halachos of Pesach. Why the difference?


texts: Why isn't the nurturing of musical talent and the writing of poetry in praise of Hashem a formal part of Jewish education?

texts:
Tehillim 150 talks about Procaliming His praise with the call of Shofar, with the psalter and harp, with the timbrel and dance, with stringed instruments and the flute, with the loud sounding cymbals and stirring cymbals (The Hirsch Siddur, Feldheim 1972).

This Tehillim seems to talking about a full fledged orchestra.

There are also many exhortations in Tehillim to sing and use language to Hashem in praise of His wonders etc.

Why doesn't Jewish education put more of an emphasis on nurturing us to express our relationship with Hashem through our own personal music, song and poetry, each according to his talent.

Thus, whether one is happy or sad a Jew would express their emotions through either music, song or poetry. Not just listening to someone else's music but expressing their own emotions through these mediums.


texts: How does one own and operate a hotel on Shabbat?

texts:
Assume we're talking about a hotel that is open every day of the year. How does someone own and operate a hotel while still keeping the laws of Shabbat?

Are there sources that discuss this?

An obvious solution would be to sell the Shabbat day to a non-Jewish partner. Is that the only solution? Is it recommended these days?


texts: Scratch on a car: liability if panel was later paid by another

texts:
If someone scratches my car door and then later a second person knocks it off completely and the second person has to compensate, is the first person who scratched the door still responsible to pay me?

(Based on a true story.)


texts: Practical halacha on when to bentch gomel (not why)

texts:
What are the preferred or allowable to times to bentch gomel, assuming you have had an experience that warrants it.

For example. which of the following is preferred or allowed:
1. After completing an aliyah in a morning minyan.
2. At some other time in a morning minyan.
3. At a mincha or maariv minyan.
4. In the presence of a minyan but not during davening.
5. Alone, if you are without fellow Jews for the near future.

Note: This question is broader than these related questions:
Bentching gomel - time limit?
What does one do when one needs to bentch gomel?


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: Is Shir HaShirim recited on a Yom Tov that falls on Friday?

texts:
There are those (Sephardim and Chassidim, I guess) who have the custom to recite Shir HaShirim on Friday, Erev Shabbat. Do they also recite it on a Friday when Yom Tov leads directly into Shabbat?

If not, is there a reason why?


texts: How did Pinchas kill Zimri? (technically)

texts:
It says (Rashi on Chumash, Sanhedrin ) "He miraculously struck exactly at Zimri’s male and her female parts "

I can understand how this could have killed Cozbi (by puncturing her vital inner organs) but it seems impossible that this would kill Zimri

How to understand this Rashi/Talmud realistically?


texts: How much time should one spend on learning Torah a day

texts: If one is awake sixteen out of 24 hours a day , how much should he learn out of those hours. Sources are appreciated .


texts: Should women kiss the Torah with their hand or with a prayer book?

texts:
When the Torah comes around in shul, is it preferable for women to touch it with their hand (and then kiss their hand) or with their prayer book (and then kiss their prayer book)?

Presumably some women avoid using their hands because of the issue of niddah--but isn't everyone always "ritually impure" these days anyway? (After all, that's one reason we don't touch the actual Torah, but only the cover.)

I know there are minhags to do it both ways, so please bring authoritative sources for your position.


texts: Is kopi luwac (civet excreted coffee beans) kosher?

texts:
Kopi luwak , or civet coffee, refers to the seeds of coffee berries once they have been eaten and egested by the Asian palm civet

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kopi_Luwak

Is it kosher because they are still viewed as coffee beans or is it viewed as the product of a nonkosher animal (akin to a secretion like milk) and, thus, nonkosher?


texts: Where can I find the concept of Davar ma'amid in the Gemara

texts: Where in the Gemara does it talk about the concept of a Davar ma'amid in length regarding kashrut


texts: Why is the prayer for dreams repeated in Birchas Kohanim?

texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Who says the Ribbono shel Olam's in Birkas Kohanim?

At Birchas Kohanim outside Israel, where it is only said on Yom Tov (Ashkenazim), we say twice a prayer for bad dreams. Why do we say the same prayer twice? Why is it not enough to say it once?


texts:
In the beginning of the sefer Ma'alos HaTorah, authored by the brother of the Vilna Gaon, the question is asked (on the Gemara at the end of Makkos) how the gemara can state that there are only 613 mitzvos.

Rav Avraham's difficulty is because it's clear from the Rishonim that there are more than just 613.

Rav Avraham quotes his brother, the Vilna Gaon, who poses 2 difficulties with the low count of 613. One is that if it were true, there would be only 3 mitzvos from Bereishis to Bo. The second is that if it were true, there would be entire parshiyos (not sidra's) without any mitzvos.

My question is: Does anyone else pose this question or address these issues?


texts: Where can I find information on Rabbi Yaacov Wazana

texts: In a lecture I attended some years ago mention was made of a Rabbi Yaacov Wazana, who practiced some sort of Jewish healing in Morocco. I would like to know where I can find biographical information on this person and/or any of his writings.


texts: May a pregnant woman eat non kosher food to satiate her craving?

texts:
An acquaintance of mine claimed that in the occasion of a craving of a particular non kosher food item, a pregnant woman would be permitted to consume it. Absent the food item, the woman and/or fetus would be brought to undue and injurious stress/harm.

His citation is his rabbi but this doesn’t seem credible. Is there any truth to this assertion?


texts: What is the rule for a girl under Bat Mitzva to sing Shir Hakavod (a.k.a. Anym Zemirot)?

texts:
As pointed out here, it is not required and widely common for a boy under Bar Mitzva to lead the congregation in the singing of Shir Hakavd.

My question: is it acceptable for a girl under Bat Mitzva to lead the congregation for Shir Hakavod as well?


texts: What was special about Atzei Shittim to build the Mishkan with?

texts:
I understand why the Mishkan was built with copper, silver and gold, because they are the most prestigious metals. And I understand why wood would be used for building materials.

But why specifically Atzei Shittim? It seems to me that a type of wood that can be used for the Aron Haedut must be very special, but why specifically this kind of wood?


texts: How can God be just in light of Deuteronomy 23:3?

texts:
Deuteronomy 23:3: A bastard shall not enter into the assembly of the
  LORD; even to the tenth generation shall none of his enter into the
  assembly of the LORD.

I asked a similar question here -

Why can't an illegitimate child enter the temple?

But perhaps I did not clarify myself enough and got answers that explained the verse without addressing the goodness of God issue.

So here I ask again.

How is it just to punish a child (in any way, be that entering congregation or something else) who did not have any participation in the sin?

Looking at it it seems that modern secular humanists are more just & loving than God himself, as very few would discriminate against such

Edit: Some of the comments seem to suggest that this punishing of child is in some way good and that we simply can't understand goodness of God.

But I don't think I'm misunderstanding justice or love. Here is justice in God's own view -

  Ezekiel 18:20 The son will not share the guilt of the father, nor will
  the father share the guilt of the son.


texts: Illegitimacy in 18th-19th century Europe

texts:
I have been capturing genealogical information (Birth, Marriage, Death, Tombstones) in the Spis Region of Slovakia, which includes Jews who migrated from Galicia, parts of Hungary, or were living in the Austro-Hungarian empire and moved within it, in the 18th and 19th centuries.  The records I have were maintained by the rabbis, as required, beginning around 1833 and going roughly up to WW I, when records were not necessarily collected by the rabbis of the communities after that.

I have learned some interesting things, such as in that part of the world, there were secular laws that did not allow a man to marry his dead wife's sister,  (considered "incestuous").  This was acceptable by Jewish law, but not in common law.  (Even in England there was such a prohibition until about 1910.)  According to Jewish law then, a rabbi could perform such a marriage.

The problem I cannot understand has to do with the rare birth records that show that a woman had a baby, with no father's name present, and the baby is listed in German as "unehelich" or "törvénytelen" (in Hungarian) meaning "illegitimate" or born out of wedlock.  Perhaps I'm naive, but I find it (1) hard to believe it happening in those times and (2) if listed in that manner, was it illegitimate per the state and their inability to wed, or was the baby truly a "mamzer?"  I have only 10 such instances out of more than 5300 birth records.

Does anyone have any explanation of this?


texts:
Does Judaism say if you are fat you should have a diet?

Moderator's Note: As with all content on Mi Yodeya, if this question is practically relevant to you, please don't rely directly on any information in answers here; consult your rabbi for advice regarding Jewish law, and consult your relevant healthcare professional for advice regarding your health.


texts: What does פ"נ on a Jewish headstone stand for? I have seen it on many stones, seems to be a common occurrence.


texts: May one put cut flowers in a vase of water on Chol HaMoed?

texts: I know certain agricultural activities are prohibited on Chol HaMoed -- it's not the recommended time to do gardening or lawn-mowing (if there's sudden pressing need, talk with your rabbi). What about putting cut flowers into water? Is that "agricultural work"? (I know it would be prohibited on shabbos ...)


texts:
In the haggadot which belonged to my grandfather ז”ל, there is a note on the translation for Adir Hu which mentions that they follow an old Yiddish version of the song, rather than the modern German translation.

Are there any other Ashkenazi communities, other than the German ones, where it was common to sing vernacular or Yiddish songs during Nirtzah, either instead of the Hebrew/Aramaic ones, or in addition?


texts:
I recall learning that one is not allowed to "venue shop" by asking a series of rabbis for a practical halachic ruling and following the opinion you like. I was taught that one should ask and be bound by the answer he receives (in fact, in my community, the women kept a loose track of which rabbi was most understanding for which type of question and would choose a rabbi to ask based on the desired, or at least expected, outcome).

A couple of related questions develop from this:

How binding are volumes of Sh"UT? If I look up a halacha in one of them, is that my "ask and answer" process or can I reject it, and read more responsa, or then ask a rabbi?

1a. Are sifrei halacha binding? If I read one code, may I then go and read another if I am looking for a particular answer?

Are online chats and "ask the rabbi" emails binding?
Are websites which catalogue psaks and allow the user to plug in a question and get an answer binding? (I tried the http://www.practicalhalacha.com/ site and after a very machmir answer to my question, it also said CYLOR)

Mi Yodeya takes great pains to say that issues are not paskened here and one should, for any practical question, consult a rabbi. Other websites don't make that demand and seem to say that they are valid structures for adjudicating issues so I am wondering the parameters of their authority.

A final bit of clarification -- I am asking about the theory of practical halachic rulings, not FOR a halachic rulling. I don't think.


texts:
Why does -as far as I heard- hardly anyone pay attention to the accent on the word bachar or natan of the birkat ha-Tora [the accent/dagesh should be on the first syllable of both words according to all siddurim I have seen]but the words are pronounced with the accent on the second syllable.
The only time I became aware of this is when i got an aliyah in Amsterdam[Holland]and was corrected in by Rav Just זצ״ל who brought this to my attention.


texts: Sources prohibiting Mi Sheberachs on Shabbos

texts:
There are a couple of potential reasons to perhaps avoid saying Mi Sheberachs for Cholim or people who get Aliyos during Leining on Shabbos (Tircha Detzibura and Pesikas Mammon).  However, whether due to Minhag or otherwise, many Poskim are lenient (see above links), and allow such Mi Sheberachs to be recited.

I am looking for sources in Halacha that directly prohibit saying either one (or both) of these Misheberachs on Shabbos for one of the two reasons above.


texts: What rationale do the Rabbis use when differentiating amulets from recognized forms of idolatry?

texts:
The use of amulets for healing and protection has a long history in Judaism. I know that we are warned against idolatry when it comes to foreign worship practices around objects. (Prayer beads, Pagan stone practices, etc.)

My question is what is the rationale used by the Rabbis in determining that amulets and other forms of Jewish practice (Say the red string in Kabbalah practices) are acceptable and different?

Is it purely the intention being rooted in Hashem and Torah or is it something else entirely?

What is the line that separates a common Jewish practice from something the Rabbis consider more dangerous?


texts: Do the restrictions start at night or day?

texts: Do the restrictions for the three weeks (music, haircuts, shaving, etc.) begin by sundown before the fast (17 Tammuz), or at the start of the fast (morning of 17 Tammuz)?


texts: Why in Yom Kippur davening do we make mention of the Gemara that it would have better not to have been created?

texts:
In Nusach Ashkenaz, following Al Cheit in Chazaras HaShatz of Mussaf Yom Kippur, there are two passages that describe our pleas that Hashem fulfill His promise to cleanse us if only we repent. Following these passages, the following line, based on Eruvin 13b, is inserted:

  מנויה וגמורה בסוד חכמי תורה אשרי מי שלא נברא

  It was voted and decided in the counsel of Torah Sages: fortunate is he who was never created.

Why do we make mention of this point now, of all times?

At first glance, the idea seems to be that it’s Hashem’s fault that we sinned, since it would have been better had we not been created and given the opportunity to sin.

How is this different than Adam, who blamed Hashem for the sin of the Eitz HaDa’as, since He gave him Chavah, or to Klal Yisrael in the desert, who could only see bad in the manna?

The Gemara takes both of them to task (AZ 5a-b); if this is our intent in saying this line, how are we any better?


texts: Who got the matnas kahunah before the Egel?

texts:
In the beginning the Avodah (service) of Karbonos was with the bechor (first-born -- see the mishnah in the last perek of Zevachim. The avodah was done by the bechorim until the Mishkan was built) until after they made the egel ha'zahav. Then the Avodah was given to the Kohanim and Shevet Levi. They (Kohanim) received matnas kahunah (chozeh, shuk, etc) because of their service in the Mishkan (and Beis Hamikdash.)

Before the egel ha'zahav to whom would these presents be given to? The bechorim?


texts:
Is it forbidden to play a woodwind instrument, such as a recorder, on Shabbat?

I want to say it's forbidden, because (I think) musical instruments were played in the beit haMikdash. However, even though they were played, were they made? In other words, would it be considered a "work" in that it's "work" that is forbidden on Shabbat?


texts:
Inspired by this answer, I'm curious. We hold that hair of a married woman is 'Ervah (ערוה).  Yet it is not 'Ervah for an unmarried woman.  According to the Gemara in Shabbath (Bab. 95a), braiding the hair is "building".

Now, ממה נפשך -- if it is part of the human body, why is braiding it "building"?

If it is not part of the human body, how can it be 'Ervah?


texts: I've read several biographies where the author will say that "this person was an expert in the seven wisdoms". Well, I'd like to know if any of y'all can help me out by explaining to me what are these seven wisdoms? Thank you.


texts: What's the source of a custom not to eat meat at seudo shlishis?

texts:
Recently I hosted a traveller for Shabbos meals who follows a custom of not eating meat at seudo shlishis. (He would usually eat fish instead.)

What is the origin/source of this custom and how widespread is it?


texts:
Most European chivalric orders, both historic and otherwise, as well as many other awards issued were cruciform (for different examples of styles, see the Pour le Mérite, the Iron Cross, and the Victoria Cross). All of the orders listed above, as well as many others, were open to Jews and many of them required display of the insignia by recipients.

Would wearing the cruciform insignia of orders be allowed for the recipients, from a halachic perspective?*§

*The issue that I could see would be the wearing of something shaped like a cross, as it is associated specifically with Christianity.

§I have heard that even the WWII issue of the Iron Cross may have been issued to individuals who were openly Jewish. This would introduce an additional problem, as the hakenkreuz (swastika) is associated with pagan and Hindu religious symbology.


texts: Why not do as Avraham and Sara did w.r.t. conversion

texts:
Rashi to B'reshis 12:5 quotes Rav Huna: "... whom they brought [to Judaism]. Avraham was converting the men and Sara the women...".

My understanding is that nowadays female prospective converts study Judaism mainly under the guidance of a (male) rabbi.

Any particular reason for the change?


texts: Breaking Shabbos to keep future Shabbos(os)?

texts: The reason we allow someone to violate shabbos to save a life is because of the principle "let him void one shabbat so that many future shabbosos will be kept". What are the parameters for this dispensation? Is one allowed to save an avowed atheist? May one violate shabbos for a non-life threatening situation that may lead to additional sabbath observance (in other words can I break shabbos for kiruv purposes)? Why do we not apply this logic to other mitzvot (let him worship idols one time...)?


texts: Why did Avraham Have to Give a Recipe to Sarah?

texts:
When the 3 visitors show up, Avraham indicates he will get them bread. He then runs off and tells his wife not just what to make but what recipe to use (Gen 18,6):

"וַיְמַהֵר אַבְרָהָם הָאֹהֱלָה אֶל־שָׂרָה וַיֹּאמֶר מַהֲרִי שְׁלֹשׁ סְאִים קֶמַח סֹלֶת לוּשִׁי וַעֲשִׂי עֻגוֹת׃ "
Abraham hastened into the tent to Sarah, and said, “Quick, three seahs of choice flour! Knead and make cakes!”

Did she not know how to make bread? Would she normally use a non-flour product or the wrong amount? He says "asi ugot" (make cakes) but he doesn't trust her to know how? Couldn't he just have told her to make food (in general or in specific) and let her collect the ingredients?
The commentators discuss why "cakes" (for speed's sake) and why he tells her to knead the bread (to avoid it's turning into chametz) but I haven't seen anyone discuss why he needed to tell her the amount, or, more precisely, why he assumed she wouldn't know the right amount.


texts:
When eating a bread meal one makes the decision to end the meal, clears the table but then decides to continue eating. Question: Does this constitute Hesech HaDaas?
And if so, when saying a bracha rishona on this assumedly new meal, does it require a separate bracha acharona, or would it be covered by the Birkas HaMazon of the previous meal?


texts: Can one keep all possible Halachot and still be a heretic?

texts:
If there's a person who, for example's sake, keeps all Halachot applicable to him or her, can they do or believe in anything that would be considered heresy?

What brought this question on was a stance by someone who teaches at my synagogue, that anyone who doesn't believe the literal meaning of the aggadot in the Talmud and Midrash is a heretic. I personally don't believe in them as a literal historical fact. I view the Talmud as a forum for discussing and debating over Halachic concerns in the Torah Shebaal Peh with some stories and theories included.

That's why I want to know if I kept all Mitzvot applicable to me, would I be considered a heretic for my beliefs concerning the Talmud and Midrash? Or by some other possible act or belief? I know the Zohar is another controversial one and I don't believe it was written by Rabban Shimon bar Yochai.

With regards to my case specifically, I know that Rambam was against the literal interpretation of aggadot and Ravs Sherira and Hai Gaon said that aggadot should not be relied upon. Rav Shmuel Ben Hofni said we are not obligated to accept them. Rav Shmuel Hanagid said "The value of Aggadah is found only in the gems of wisdom one derives from it. If one derives nonsense, it has no value."

An excerpt from an essay on the subject, by the son of Rambam, Avraham Maimuni : "Know that it is your duty to understand that whoever propounds a certain theory or idea and expects that theory or idea to be accepted merely out of respect for the author without proving its truth and reasonableness pursues a wrong method prohibited by both the Torah and human intelligence."


texts: Good sources for Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash study

texts: Anyone aware of any website, book, or video that you consider a really good resource for  Mishkan and Beis Hamikdash study? It would optimally include diagrams, video animations, and other interactive stuff. And why do you recommend it?


texts: Why the 1 year difference between Bar/Bat Mitzva?

texts:
Why the difference of 1 year between girls reaching obligation in mitzva observation versus boys? (a girl's Bat Mitzva = 12 years old, while boy's Bar Mitzva = 13 years old)

Is this due to girl's reaching intellectual maturity faster in this area or perhaps some other reason.


texts:
So a friend of mine showed me the following verse from Matthew 12:11 (strange to bring a New Testament quote into a halacha question, I know)

  ...  they asked him, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?”
  11 He said to them, “If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out?

He (my friend) asked me what was going on here. I understand the first bit about healing (I assume that this is a general reference to the prohibition against medicine due to grinding), but the second part is strange. It seems from here that the prushim agreed that lifting a sheep out and helping it is not a problem.

I am rather confused by this. Does it mean that there was an eruv or similar, and that one really is allowed to do quite a bit to ease the pain of animals on shabbat (the only exception that I had heard of before this was milking dairy cows)? Or is there something else that is going on in this quote?

Note: I believe that the people that were being spoken to here were the prushim (Pharisees), who I believe had the right mesora and everything, and from whom Jews today come.


texts: Named a male by mistake with a female name

texts: Suppose a person's wife goes to the hospital to give birth and the husband remained home with the rest of the children. They made up that the nurse will call and let the phone ring once if it is a boy and twice if it is a girl. Friday night the phone rings twice, so the husband decides that on Shabbos morning he is going to name his newborn daughter. Motzei Shabbos he calls his wife and tells her "I named her this morning Raizel after your Great Grandmother". She responds "What! It was a boy!". Does this child that was named in error maintain this name for life?


texts:
As far as I can remember, during the course of the year there are eight sets of parshiyot that are sometimes joined together:

תרומה תצווה
ויקהל פקודי
תזריע מצורע
אחרי מות קדושים
בהר בחקותי
חוקת בלק
מטות מסעי
נצבים וילך

During a leap year, many, and in some instances all of these parshiyot are separated. My question is how this works out mathematically. In a leap year, we add altogether 4 shabbatot (one month) yet if we separate all the parshiyot we add eight parshiyot to the year. Yet somehow we always finish the Torah on the same day every year. How does this work out?


texts: What is the significance of Eliyahu haNavi's travels prior to being taken up into heaven and Elisha haNavi's travels afterwards?

texts:
If I am reading and understanding the text correctly, in chapter 2 of II Melachim (2 Kings) Eliyahu (Elijah) and Elisha haNevi'im travel from Gilgal to Bethel to Jericho to across the Jordan. After Eliyahu haNavi is taken up into heaven in a whirlwind, Elisha haNavi goes back across the Jordan to Jericho, then to Bethel, then to Mount Carmel, and then he returned to Samaria. Why did he travel to these locations (and in this order)? I know haShem told Eliyahu haNavi to go to each place. But was there any additional significance to either the initial or return trips and/or the order of travels?

I ask because a user on the Biblical Hermeneutics SE website mentioned a connection to Yehoshua (Joshua):

  The progression of the armies in Joshua goes from crossing the Jordan
  to the destruction of Jericho, to a battle at Ai and Bethel, to
  encampment at Gilgal. So Elijah retraces the conquest, but in reverse.

  My question, though, still is why? What is the author saying by
  showing Elijah take this path at the command of the LORD?

It should be noted that there were likely two separate Gilgal's being mentioned in this account versus in that of Yehoshua.

Is this accurate or are there other reasons for their travels in these locations and in this order?


texts:
What was the seder (schedule) of Yeshiva Tomchei Temimim (the one instituted by the Rebbe Reshab).

I see the current schedule on Wikipedia:

  7:30 a.m. - Chasidus - Hasidic philosophy (in some locales such as Israel and Australia first classes start at 7:00 a.m.)
  9:00 a.m. - preparation for prayers, including Mikveh immersion (for those who didn't do so before 7:30 a.m.)
  9:15 a.m. - Shacharis - Morning prayers
  10:15 a.m. - Breakfast
  11:00 a.m. - Iyun - Morning in depth Talmud study
  1:00 p.m. - shiur (lecture) - more advanced students receive lectures less often
  2:00 p.m. - Mincha - afternoon prayers
  2:15 p.m. - Lunch and break period
  3:30 p.m. - Afternoon Talmud, including review of morning study and less in-depth Talmudic study known as girsa
  6:00 p.m. - Halacha study
  7:00 p.m. - Dinner and break period
  8:00 p.m. - Night Seder: Hasidic philosophy - Chasidus
  9:30 p.m. - Ma'ariv - Evening prayers
  9:45 p.m. - Seder Sichos - unofficial study of Rabbi M. M. Schneerson's public addresses

But this is not the same one made by the Rebbe Reshab, because they obviously wouldn't learn Sichos from Rabbi M. M. Schneerson.


texts: Do any sources discuss reading Megillas Ester too fast?

texts:
I remember seeing a source explaining that ideally Megilla should be read somewhat fast because it is called "iggeret" (a letter), and letters are read at fast speed out loud. I've also heard the viewpoint supporting slow reading to facilitate listeners' following and understanding.

Do any halachik sources discuss speed limit for reading Megillas Ester?
For example, if the reader is able to pronounce words clearly at a very fast rate of speed (say 12 minutes for the entire megilla), would the speed that's too fast for most people to follow invalidate the Megilla reading?


texts: looking for explanation of shemonei esrei

texts:
I, in an attempt to improve kavana (intent) in prayer, would like to study a perush (commentary) which explains the shemonei esrei in details (pshat of each word and maybe a bit more). Can anyone recommend something online for this?

UPDATE: to clarify, looking for pshat type analysis, like the malbim on tanach


texts:
Why was the blood from the Korbon placed inside(Rashi:Yud Beis,Yud Gimmel) and not outside ?

Text of Rashi:

והיה הדם לכם לאת: לכם לאות ולא לאחרים לאות מכאן שלא נתנו הדם אלא מבפנים


texts: Mahloket Rishonim on Techelet and no Shulhan Aruch or Bet Yosef

texts:
Mahloket Rishonim how many strings should be used in the Techelet.

One string (Raavad)
Two strings (Rashi, Tosafot, Rosh and Tur)
Half string (Rambam)

In a case of an argument like this who would we follow? I also read that Rav Meir Mazuz Shelit"a follows the opinion of the Rambam.

EDIT: what's also interesting is that we would never know for sure because randomly Maran decided to base his Halachot on different sources. For example: Bet Yosef O"H 426 cites the Shaare Orah (Mekubal, Rishon) that holds to wait 7 full days in order to recite Birkat HaLevana.

We will never know...


texts: Can one say Kaddish for a deceased family member even if their parents are still alive?

texts:
If a family member dies without leaving any children to say Kaddish for them, can another family member take on the job of saying Kaddish?  Is it permissible even if the parents of the one saying it are still alive?

I know that some people do not say the Mourner's Kaddish if both of their parents are alive.  I am not certain if this is just a custom, or if it is actually forbidden to. If the parents do not object, then why would there be any problem with anyone Sanctifying the Name?  Someone should say it for a Jew, right?


texts: Is there any reason to drink wine at kiddush if it is not from the cup used for the blessing?

texts:
In view of the answers given to questions here and here, is there any reason to drink wine at kiddush if you are not drinking from the cup of blessing? (For instance, could the fact that you said "Amen" to the blessing while holding your own cup mean that the blessing also applies to it?) ...Assume your wine is also not poured by the person who made kiddush.

Also, does it make any difference whether we are talking about the Friday night kiddush or the Saturday kiddush?


texts: Do you have to be able to see to do shechita?

texts:
In the wake of a question about shechita on a boat (ok, with a cutlass, but also on a boat), the topic of other unusual shechita conditions came up in chat:

  Can I do it in on a boat? Can I do it on a goat?
  Can I do it in the rain? Can I do it on a train?
  In the dark? In a tree?
  In a car? Shecht, you see? ...
  - Charles Koppelman

This got me wondering -- can you do shechita in the dark?  Can a blind man be a shochet?

My instinct is "no" because it seems like you would need to visually verify your work, but I'm a city-dweller for whom meat comes in portioned packages wrapped in styrofoam and plastic wrap.  I've never witnessed nor studied shechita.  I've heard that it's largely done by feel and being able to see doesn't actually matter.

So: does halacha permit sightless shechita?  And if it does, is it actually practical to do?


texts: How does one handle ברכות התורה when learning through sunrise?

texts: With sunrise being pretty late in some parts of the globe, how does someone handle the question in the title? If one is learning before and up to sunrise, do they stop and make a blessing when sunrise arrives?


texts: When were the names of Mishna Tractates set?

texts: When were the names of the 60 Tractates and 6 Sdarim set? (WIKI here).


texts: Adam wasn't allowed to eat meat. After the mabul (Flood) we were suddenly permitted to eat (Bereshit 9:3). What changed (ie what was the reason we weren't allowed to before, why are we allowed to now and what changed after the flood)?


texts: Pesik Resheih DeLa'Avar (inevitable consequence relating to the past)

texts:
The RaM"a (Y"D 87:6) cites an opinion that one may shouldn't stoke a flame beneath a non-Jew's pot, for fear that there's some milk and meat residue in it, and you might come to cook said milk and meat residue.

R' Akiva Eiger there asks why this should be forbidden considering that there's really a doubt if there is any residue and you don't intend to cook it if it's there. He answers that it's a Pesik Resheih (inevitable consequence), and the doubt relates to the past (whether the pot has milk and meat residue from previous cooking), not purely to the present/future (whether your action will cook meat and milk together), and in that case a simple Safek (doubt) isn't enough to overcome the defining characteristic of a Pesik Resheih, which is its inevitability.

(Pesik Resheih is confusing enough without adding DeLa'Avar to it, so I hope the above was clear.)

If this is so, are there other cases like this in which a Safek DeLa'Avar is deemed inconsequential, and a Pesik Resheih is declared and said action is forbidden? Are there any cases that contradict this (either within R' 'Akiva Eiger's own writings or just in rulings by others who don't hold this opinion)?


texts: Source for the description of Mashiach in MBD's "Some Day"

texts:
Mordechai Ben David's classic song "Some Day" gives a description of what will happen in Yemot HaMashiach (the days of Mashiach). It seems to be a very popular song, and has doubtlessly influenced many people's perceptions of Mashiach.

But are there sources in classic Jewish texts that this is based on?

I'm specifically wondering about the chorus (quoted from Jewish Music Lyrics):

  Someday we will all be together
  Someday we'll be sheltered and warm
  Never will we have to express any fear
  Our scars and our wounds will disappear

  Avraham and Yitzchok will be there to greet us
  Yaakov and his sons will stand by and smile
  Moshe Rabbeinu will lead us once againin Yerushalayim - B'Ezras Hashem


texts: Why say "שבת היא מלזעוק"?

texts:
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chayim 287:

יכולים לנחם אבלים בשבת וכן יכולים לבקר את החולה ולא יאמר לו כדרך שאומר לו בחול אלא אומר לו שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה קרובה לבא ורחמיו מרובים ושבתו בשלום הגה וי״א דאין צריך לומר ורחמיו מרובים וכו׳ וכן נהגו.

If I understand it correctly, this means:

One may console mourners on Shabas, and one may likewise visit the sick. But he should not say to him as he does on a weekday, telling him rather "It is Shabas, preventing crying out; healing is soon to come; His mercies are great; spend Shabas in peace". Hagaha: But some say it's unnecessary to say "His mercies are great", etc., and [omitting it] is the custom.

Indeed, the prevalent custom when wishing sick people well on Shabas is to say "שבת היא מלזעוק ורפואה קרובה לבא / It is Shabas, preventing crying out; healing is soon to come", as prescribed.
What's the point of saying "שבת היא מלזעוק / It is Shabas, preventing crying out"? Why not just say "רפואה קרובה לבא / healing is soon to come" as a way of obliquely praying for the patient, if that's the purpose of speaking? What does saying "שבת היא מלזעוק / It is Shabas, preventing crying out" accomplish, and how does it do so?


texts: The link between a name and a person's soul?

texts:
The Hebrew word Neshamah contains the word Shem or name, linking the two together.

The Ba'al Shem Tov commenting on Genesis 2:19 wrote Hashem hu haneshamah shel ha'adam, one's name is one's very soul.

1 Samuel 25:25 seems to tell that one is one's name: כי כשמו

So does a name that's been given  has any influence on who we become (according to Jewish teachings and scriptures)?


texts: Good resource for in-depth study of Haftorah?

texts:
Is there a good source for in-depth study of the weekly haftorah? I'm thinking of things like historical references, explanations of prophecies, etc.

Online or print would work.

Something that will give some background to the Haftorah.