texts:
The Rambam writes in Hilchos Yesodei hatorah (chapter 8),

  משה רבינו לא האמינו בו ישראל מפני האותות שעשה שהמאמין על פי האותות יש
  בלבו דופי שאפשר שיעשה האות בלט וכשוף. אלא כל האותות שעשה משה במדבר לפי
  הצורך עשאם לא להביא ראיה על הנבואה. היה צריך להשקיע את המצריים קרע את
  הים והצלילן בתוכו צרכנו למזון הוריד לנו את המן צמאו בקע להן את האבן
  כפרו בו עדת קרח בלעה אותן הארץ וכן שאר כל האותות. ובמה האמינו בו במעמד
  הר סיני שעינינו ראו ולא זר ואזנינו שמעו ולא אחר האש והקולות והלפידים
  והוא נגש אל הערפל והקול מדבר אליו

The rambam asserts that all the miracles Moses performed were technical (or practical) in nature, it was not to establish the veracity of his prophecies; he needed to get rid of the Egyptians so he split the sea, he needed to get rid of Korach and his followers so the earth swallowed them. But I find his words extremely perplexing, since the Torah clearly states (bamidbar 16:28-30) that the purpose of the miracle with Korach was to establish that Moses is a genuine prophet,

  ויאמֶר משֶׁה בְּזֹאת תֵּדְעוּן כִּי יְדֹוָד שְׁלָחַנִי לַעֲשׂוֹת אֵתו
  כָּל הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָאֵלֶּה כִּי לֹא מִלִּבִּי (כט) אִם כְּמוֹת כָּל
  הָאָדָם יְמֻתוּן אֵלֶּה וּפְקֻדַּת כָּל הָאָדָם יִפָּקֵד עֲלֵיהֶם לֹא
  יְדֹוָד שְׁלָחָנִי  (ל) וְאִם בְּרִיאָה יִבְרָא יְדֹוָד וּפָצְתָה
  הָאֲדָמָה אֶת פִּיהָ וּבָלְעָה אֹתָם וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר לָהֶם וְיָרְדוּ
  חַיִּים שְׁאֹלָה וִידַעְתֶּם כִּי נִאֲצוּ הָאֲנָשִׁים הָאֵלֶּה אֶת
  יְדֹוָד

How can the Rambam state that the motive behind this miracle was not to establish the veracity of his mission when the Torah clearly says that this was indeed his motive?
And to add more confusion the Rambam contradicts himself in his commentary to the Mishna (beginning of Sanhedrin 10)

  היסוד השמיני: היות התורה מן השמים, והוא שנאמין כי כל התורה הזאת הנתונה
  ע"י
   משה רבינו ע"ה שהיא כולה מפי הגבורה, כלומר שהגיעה אליו כולה מאת ה'
  יתברך בענין שנקרא על דרך השאלה דבור ואין ידוע היאך הגיע אלא היה משה
  ע"ה שהגיע לו, וכי הוא היה כמו סופר שקוראין לו והוא כותב כל מאורעות
  הימים הספורים והמצות ולפיכך נקרא מחוקק וכו'. והמאמר המורה על היסוד הזה
  הוא מה שנאמר (במדבר טז) ויאמר משה בזאת תדעון כי ה' שלחני לעשות כל
  המעשים האלה כי לא מלבי

Over here the Rambam clearly uses this verse to support the ikar that Moses did not invent his own Mitzvot as he already proved to Korach with his miracle that he is a genuine prophet! The Rambam brings this verse as evidence that Moses was not a false prophet. But in yesodei hatorah he seems to say that this miracle was just a practical way of getting rid of his opponents! What is going on here?


texts: What is the significance of the horn of an Ox that the Greeks made the Jews write (Midrash Rabbah 2:5 and other places) We have no Part in the God of Israel on it (even thought in his Epistle to Yemen the Rambam says they wrote on their Clothes)? What is the Significance of the ox in this context?


texts:
What should you do if you suddenly realize that you forgot to wash, either upon waking or before eating bread? I assume you should wash at your first opportunity, but is that right? Do you make a Berachah? What about if you forgot to wash your hands before going to Daven, or if you are a Kohen and forgot to wash before going up to Duchan? Are these situations the same?

(Assume in all cases in which it's relevant that you realize your mistake while you are in the middle of the activity for which you were supposed to wash.)


texts: How does Rambam explain the use of magic in Tanakh?

texts: I've heard that the Rambam says that when the Torah speaks about magic it is meant as a parable. If this is the case, how does he explain Pharoah's sorcerers and other incidents in Tanakh such as prophet Shmuel's séance?


texts: What is the connection between Haman and HaMelech?

texts: Do any Meforshim explain a connection between the equivalent gemtriya of "Haman" and "HaMelech" (95) repeated throughout Megillas Esther?


texts:
Shabbat Mishnah 84b teaches that one can plant 5 types of seeds on a 6 tefachim by 6 tefachim patch without violating kilayim because one can arrange for plants to be at least 3 tefachim apart.
However, one can actually plant 9 seed types without violating kilayim:

4 in the corners,
4 in the centercpoints of the sides, and
one in the center of the square

And if you say that a single seed is not significant, then why did the Mishnah bother with the single seed in the center?


texts: Dovid got lifespan from Adam and/or the Avos

texts:
I think it's pretty well known that there's an idea that 70 years from Adam's life were given to Dovid Hamelech, which is why he lived to 930 and not 1000. A source that I found for this is Zohar Vayishlach 168a.
The next part of the Zohar points out that Avraham lived 5 years short (of Yitzchak's lifespan of 180), Yaakov 28 (from Avraham's lifespan of 175), and Yosef 37 (from Yaakov's lifespan of 147). This also adds to 70, telling us they all gave Dovid his 70 year lifespan.
Since Dovid lived to 70 and not 140, how are both these two statements true? Or are they in conflict?


texts: Would Levite girls be able to sing in the temple?

texts: I assume the halacha that the voice of a woman is like nakedness only applies to girls over the age of bat mitzva, if so would Levite girls younger than that age have been able to participate in the singing of the Levi'im in the temple?


texts: Is the matrilineal descendant of a convert Jewish?

texts:
A woman converted to Judaism to marry a man who was a practicing Jew and Jewish by birth.  Their great-grandchild recently learned this.  Is that great-grandchild considered a Jew according to halacha?  The specifics of the conversion are not currently known.

What I have read says that the child of a Jewish woman is a Jew, even if this is not recognized by the mother or the child. This suggests that the grandmother was a Jew which suggests that the mother was a Jew which suggests the child is a Jew.  Is that correct?

Edit: Thanks everyone for your comments. I will take your general advice and visit my local Synagogue and consult a/the Rabbi there for further advice and information.


texts: Do the Rishonim that hold G-d can have physical form (e.g Rav Moshe Taku, etc.) also hold he can incarnate?

texts:
Among the various Rishonim that hold that G-d can take physical form (e.g Rav Moshe Taku, etc.), do they also hold he can "incarnate" into physical form (i.e come down to Earth and be born to a woman etc.)?

While being similar to the question Can G-d ever take on a physical form?, this question is specifically asking after an incarnation, i.e G-d being born as a human, and assumes that he has a physical form. The linked question while bringing the issue of incarnation up, seems to mainly be concerned with whether G-d has a physical form, which is taken for granted here.


texts:
My understanding is that we do both of the following:

We (appoint a rabbi as an agent to) sell our chametz to a gentile. This sale takes place the morning of the day before Pesach, before the prohibition of owning chametz kicks in.
We renounce ownership in our chametz, declaring it ownerless. This also takes place the morning of the day before Pesach, before the prohibition of owning chametz kicks in.

Is seems, then, that whichever of these takes effect first renders us free of ownership of chametz, and whichever we do second therefore has no effect (unless one's acquired chametz meanwhile, an unlikely scenario). So why do the latter act (if, I mean, it has no effect anyway)?


texts:
Tosafos Yom Tov is said to have authored elegy, kinnos, to be recited on Tisha B'Av to commemorate the massacres know as Tach V'Tat.
Apparently it has not been included in the standard corpus of kinnos.
Is there an online version?


texts: Can I defend my animals with lethal force?

texts:
We know that it is permitted, in self-defense, to kill one who is trying to kill you, and I have heard that this applies to other people too (I see someone trying to kill someone else and I intervene).  Is it ever permissible to kill an attacking person to defend one's animals?  (For an attacking animal, see here.)

Presumably in the case of livestock the answer is no (he pays the value of the animal); suppose it is instead a prized, expensive racing horse, or a trained seeing-eye dog (trained for that specific person), or a beloved pet.  Does everything non-human fall into the "property, thus financial settlement" category, or is it more complicated?


texts: Should someone say the HaGomel blessing after taking an airplane flight? I seem to remember this being the practice, but honestly the average commercial airplane flight these days is 10 times safer than driving to the supermarket...


texts: A boy becomes Bar Mitzva on one of the nights of Chanuka. If he lights the Menorah at the preferred time (appx 15-20 minutes after Shkia to the best of my knowledge) it is not Tzeis HaKochavim yet. Would it be better to wait until Tzeis the night he becomes Bar Mitzva and lose out the Pirsumei Nisa of people still on the street or would it be better to wait and do the Mitzva till Tzeis HaKochavim when he is definite Bar Mitzva?


texts: How does the Gemara decide which authority to rule like?

texts:
Consider various statements in the Gemara such as:

Bava Metzia 22b et. al.:

  והלכתא כוותיה דאביי ביע"ל קג"ם

  The Halacha follows Abaye in Ya'al Kegam

Kesuvos 13a et. al.:

  הלכתא כרב נחמן בדיני

  The Halacha follows Rav Nachman by monetary issues

Or ones in the Rishonim such as:

Tosfos, Berachos 39b:

  הלכה כבתראי

  The halacha follows later authorities

Tosfos, Bava Metzia 95a:

  כל היכא דפליגי רב אחא ורבינא הלכה כדברי המיקל

  Wherever Rav Acha and Ravina argue, the halacha follows the more lenient opinion

Where do these principles (and others like them) come from? Seemingly they're completely arbitrary, which is very unlike Gemara to do. How were these conclusions reached?


texts: What is the proper approach to a novel idea in Torah?

texts:
Not all the Torah teachings are permitted to be written down. Some may
  only be spoken but not written down. One who can distinguish which may
  be written and which may not, can identify a Jew among a thousand
  (thousands of) non-Jews. - Sefer HaMidot, Novelties in Torah p.205

With this in mind, how does a Baal Teshuva approach a novel idea in Torah (nature, halacha, etc.)? Is it common practice to keep a journal?

Coming from a secular background can taint perspective. So what is the protocol/expectation in sharing with others and 'backing-up' these ideas? Respectfully is it better to share or just be silent?


texts: Why is "Pirsumei Nissa" (publicizing the miracle of Chanukah) so important?

texts:
There are 3 halachot that I have located that are related to the reason of Pirsumei Nissa - publicizing the miracle of Chanukah (Undoubtedly, there must be others:

Chanukah candles must be lit in a window facing the public (street)
Candles are lit in shul (See this answer)
The haftarah for Chanukah is said even if a mistake was made in the reading of the Torah sections on Shabbat Rosh Hodesh Chanukah. (See this answer)

Why is publicizing the miracle specifically relegated to Chanukah?

By comparison, a great miracle happened on Purim, too. Why don't we publicize this miracle?

Pesach was also a great miracle. Yet reading the Hagadah is not called pirsumei nissa, and there's no mitzvah on Pesach to "publicize" it.

What's so special about Chanukah that warrants having to publicize it. And, what exactly are we "publicizing"?


texts: Bracha b'mitzvat tefillin on tefilla shel rosh

texts:
The bracha that appears in all modern siddurim that I'm aware of for the tefilla shel rosh (whether normally or in case of interruption between the two tefillin) ends with the phrase al mitsvat tefillin (על מצות תפילין). This is also what appears in our printings of the Babylonian Talmud at Brachot 60b and Menaḥot 36a.

However, the manuscripts of Menaḥot that we have uniformly have the text b'mitsvat tefillin (במצות תפילין). See also Dikdukei Sofrim, where it's also noted that b'mitsvat is the text of Halachot Gedolot (Hilchot Tefillin), Rif (Tefillin 8a in manuscripts), HaEshkol (Vol 1 p228 ed. Albeck), HaIttur (Hilchot Tefillin Ḥelek 8), and Or Zarua (Siman 582). On top of that list, I found that Rosh (Pesachim 1:10), Rashba (Hameyuḥas leHaRamban 202), Kol Bo (146:95), Halachot Ketsuvot, and Geonic Responsa have b'mitsvat, and Rosh and Kol Bo explicitly prefer it over al mitsvat.

My question: What is the history of b'mitsvat since the end of the Rishonic era? Is there any trace remaining? Has anyone dealt (historically or halachically) with b'mitsvat vs. al mitsvat since the Rishonic era? Has anyone from any era discussed this explicitly and come down on the side of al mitsvat? (I'm not interested in a preference for al mitsvat by simply omitting b'mitsvat, eg. Rambam in Mishne Torah; I'm interested in explicit discussions of the preference.)


texts: Do you do a Tashlumin (make-up) on a Shemoneh 'Esreh if you later realize that you forgot a critical insert?

texts: If you forgot to add a critical insert in the 'Amidah (one of the special additions to Shemoneh 'Esreh at certain times of the year, eg., HaMelech HaKadosh, Ya'aleh VeYavo, etc.), and you realize at the next service that you definitely forgot to say it earlier (eg., you got the date wrong and someone pointed it out to you, or you forgot the next time also but you heard the Sha"Tz say it), do you need to make up for it (Tashlumin, perhaps because it is as if your earlier prayer did not happen), or is Tashlumin not warranted (perhaps because it was a flawed, but fulfilled, prayer)?


texts: Can a good decree on Rosh Hashanah be rescinded?

texts: If someone was decreed for the good on Rosh Hashanah and afterwards sinned (possibly say with nivul peh) can the good decree be rescinded?


texts:
Where can I find information on the annual Agudath Israel (of America?) convention that happens around Thanksgiving time?

I have been hearing references to this convention since I was young, but have never been aware of the details. By searching online, I can find some articles reporting on speeches made there, and personalities who have made appearances, but not a lot in the way of rigor.

Is there an archive (online or in print) of past proceedings?

Can information be obtained online about the upcoming one?


texts: Why is age 3 the age at which a girl is able to have intercourse?

texts:
In msh210's answer to this question of mine, he stated that:

  women...who physically could be [intimate with men], which is those who had reached their third birthday.

In comments, he mentioned that:

  age three is the age at which a girl is halachically considered to be physically able to have intercourse.

Could you explain why and where this comes from? Keep in mind I am not Jewish, so if it specific to some non-OT writings, please explain those as well.


texts:
Can someone clear this up for me:
The MB in the 243 intro says that all heter ways to allow the work of schirus (renter) is only permissible when he pays a lump sum including the shabbos sum in one sum. However, he then says in S"K 3 that it's assur to have a sachir to rent (pay you a flat out fee) for a couple days because its going to be sachir shabbos (probably because he'll be renting it from thursday-monday and that'll be on shabbos that the sachir is renting it out). But whats the problem with that? Why does "Havlah" (paying the wages for shabbos and weekday as one sum) only work if it's for an entire year or month? Why not a couple of days? (he left out a week)...
So I just want to know why havlah doesnt work for a couple days... and why by a couple of days is it assur m'ikir hadin, but for a year or month it is mutar?
Possibly due to maras eyin only applying to a month + ? But either way the goy has to use it for a couple days before it becomes a month... IDK


texts: Wheat brought from the Diaspora to Israel: biblical or rabbinic challah-obligation?

texts:
Challah 2:1:

  פֵּרוֹת חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ, חַיָּבִים בַּחַלָּה.

  Produce [grown] outside the land [of Israel] that came into the land is subject to challah.

What is the nature of this obligation? Is it biblical or rabbinic?

The motivation for asking this question is Rambam Hilchot Terumot 1:22:

  פֵּרוֹת חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ חַיָּבִין בְּחַלָּה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר שָׁמָּה. שָׁמָּה אַתֶּם חַיָּבִין בֵּין בְּפֵרוֹת הָאָרֶץ בֵּין בְּפֵרוֹת חוּצָה לָאָרֶץ. וְאִם נִקְבְּעוּ לְמַעֲשֵׂר בְּיַד יִשְׂרָאֵל אַחַר שֶׁנִּכְנְסוּ לָאָרֶץ חַיָּבִין בְּמַעַשְׂרוֹת מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם:

  Produce [grown] outside the land [of Israel] that came into the land is subject to challah, as it is written "there". 'There' you are obligated, whether the produce is [grown] in the land or outside the land. And if it became obligated in ma'aser through the actions of a Jew after it came into the land, it is subject to ma'aser rabbinically.

One could infer from the words of Rambam that the obligation of ma'aser on produce grown in the Diaspora and completed in Israel is rabbinic, as opposed to challah which would be a biblical obligation in this case.

Is this a valid inference? If so, what is the reason to differentiate between challah and ma'aser?


texts: The 1080 amalgamations of the tetragrammaton

texts:
In the sefer Nefesh HaChaim Gate 1 Chapter 2 in the first gloss (hagah) the author explains that what is meant by God continually renewing the world is the constant reconstruction (amalgamation) of the shem Havayah (tetragrammaton) (and their nekudos) at the root/source of existence.
Can someone explain this idea?


texts: why are kohanim mentioned in connection with judgement

texts:
In Devarim 17:8-9 we read:

  If there arise a matter hidden from thee in judgment, between blood and blood, between verdict and verdict, and between plague and plague, even matters of controversy within thy gates; then shalt thou arise, and get thee up unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose.
  And thou shall come unto the Kohen the Levites, and unto the judge that shall be in those days; and thou shalt inquire; and they shall declare unto thee the sentence of judgment.

and then again in pasuk 12:

  And the man that doeth presumptuously, in not hearkening unto the Kohen that stands to minister there before the LORD thy God, or unto the judge, even that man shall die; and thou shalt exterminate the evil from Israel.

My question in why are we talking about Kohanim? The sedra is called Shoftim. The point of the pasukim we quoted is that if your local shofet can't answer a question you should go to the sanherin and ask them. At no point does the torah mean to imply that you should be asking a local kohen you find in the temple to adjudicate your monetary questions.

So why are we bringing the kohanim into the picture here?


texts: Did the Terumas haDeshen write a challah recipe?

texts:
Reading this article about challah-making, I noticed the following:

  Using the starter, I tried the Rich Sourdough Barches recipe from Inside the Jewish Bakery, which the authors say is adapted from the Trumat HaDeshen, the writings of 15th-century sage Rabbi Israel ben Petachiah Isserlein.

Where does this recipe appear in the writings of the Terumas haDeshen?


texts:
The classic Jewish sources (Seder Olam, accepted and cited Bavli in several locations; for example, see the discussion on Avoda Zara 9a) state that Bayis Sheini (the Second Temple) stood for 420 years.  I have a vague recollection that other (accepted!) Jewish sources give other numbers, but I cannot remember which sources or what numbers they give.  Can anyone help out?

Please note I am asking for specifically (traditional) Jewish sources.  I know many secular historians like the number 586; that's not what I'm looking for.

Update: Although I accepted @Joelk's answer, this question (like many that may be asked on Mi Yodea) can have more than one valid answer; specifically, other numbers cited by other sources.


texts: May a person solve a rubik's cube on Shabbos?


texts: Please explain location of end of verse pattern in Ha'azinu

texts:
Parshat Ha'azinu is, for the most, written in 2 side-by-side columns. I noticed the following pattern:

verses 1-13 end in the left column
verses 14-38 end in the right column
verses 39-43 end in the left column

I assume that there is little flexibility for Sofrim when writing Ha'azinu, i.e. certain words must end in each of the columns throughout the song. Is this a correct assumption? If so, is there any significance or meaning to this verse pattern that I mentioned?


texts:
To what are people referring when they talk about the Shekhina? Is it a form of God? A part of God? An attribute of God? Perhaps it is something else entirely?

Also, what is the etymology of the word, and is it related to what the Shekhina actually is?


texts:
I often hear that Passover programs are fraught with potential issues, primarily in the area of kashrus, but also with the reliability of the Rabbanim there and other issues.

How can one go about looking into a Pesach program to find out if its high standards extend past how good the food is?  If you call the mashgiach or the program, obviously they will tell you it is top notch.


texts: Customs of the parents when the parents don't have past customs

texts:
I am of mixed Sephardic and Ashkenazic parentage.  I view this as allowing me to behave Sephardically when it suits me (for instance, eating kitniyot for Pessach) or Ashkenacikally when it suits me (for instance, not wearing a Talit until my wedding).  Another example is that my tefillin is Sephardic, but I tie it Ashkenazically (though the ש comes out backwards).

Someone once told me that this is wrong, and that I should follow the customs of my father.  My father, however, grew up completely secular and only started observing when he had a family of his own.  In this case, the customs of my father don't follow the customs of his father and the ancestors before that.

In a case such as this, whose customs should I follow.  Is it correct to pick my own customs when I don't have the customs of my forefathers to fall back on?


texts: Alleged mistranslation in Genesis 17:19 and 17:21

texts:
I have recently read in a Muslim website claims that verses 17.19 and 17.21 of Genesis are misinterpreted by Jews, because

1) The word אֲבָל "abal" used in 17.19 means "Yes indeed" in Hebrew, not "No" as that verse is usually translated

2) The word  וְאֶת "ve-et" used in 17.21, literally "and with", means "Along with" in Hebrew, not "But with" as that verse is usually translated

Are those linguistic claims correct ?


texts: Is there a halacha that limits the use of stretching letters in the Torah?

texts:
See this related question . That question explains the reason for having them. My question asks if there are any halachot that limit its use.

A few weeks ago - I think it was parshat Shmot, I read from a Sefer Torah in my shul where one column had almost every letter stretched. I find it extremely annoying to read from such a Torah. I can tolerate seeing this occasionally, but almost every word with a stretched letter???

I wonder if there are any halachot that limit its use. Specifically if there are limitations on:

Where it can be used in a row. First / last letter or only in the middle?
How often can it be used within a row or a parsha (a Torah / ktav "parsha", i.e. a paragraph)


texts: Why do we recite the Tikkun Hachalomot during the Duchan?

texts: When the Kohanim are blessing the klal we recite the Tikkun Hachalomot tefillah. Why is this the time for this tefillah?


texts: Why does Koheleth 12:1 use בוראיך instead of בוראך?

texts:
Koheleth 12:1 says:

וּזְכֹר, אֶת-בּוֹרְאֶיךָ, בִּימֵי, בְּחוּרֹתֶיךָ:  עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא-יָבֹאוּ, יְמֵי הָרָעָה, וְהִגִּיעוּ שָׁנִים, אֲשֶׁר תֹּאמַר אֵין-לִי בָהֶם חֵפֶץ.    1
Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say: 'I have no pleasure in them';

Why בוראיך (which is normally plural, "thy creators") instead of בוראך?


texts: What shevet is Yiftach from? Who are אַנְשֵׁ֣י גִלְעָ֔ד?

texts:
In Shoftim Perek 12, it speaks of the people of גִלְעָ֔ד. Who are these people? They fight against the people of Ephraim and I am just confused which shevet they are from?
Additionally, it says in 12:6 that 42,000 men of Ephraim were killed by the people of Gilad. Since Yiftach was the leader of Gilad, was this happening with his permission? Did he support the killings of Ephraim?
Lastly, I thought Yiftach was a Shofet for Bnei Yisroel as a whole, but it seems he did not rule over Ephraim?
Thank you in advance for your help!


texts:
Maimouna, the day after Pesach, is probably the most well-known of the
  isru chag traditions. It originated with the Jews of North Africa, and
  these days Israelis honour it by making barbecues. There are various
  explanations for the meaning and origin of the holiday. A messianic hint can be glimpsed in the etymological explanation that sees the phrase as a
  corruption of “ma’amin ana” – “I believe”. This is a consolatory
  greeting suggesting that although the Messiah has not, as anticipated,
  actually arrived this Pesach, we remain hopeful.

(from here: http://www.masorti.org.uk/newsblog/newsblog/news-single/article/pesach-2.html#.WBGoIC4pBxs).

I find this explanation of the origin of "Maimouna" oddly moving. Is there  evidence that it is correct?


texts: How does Rambam decide what defines a Mitzvah?

texts:
Rambam in Sefer Hamitzvos lists 14 rules that guided him in writing his Sefer Hamitzvos. Practically all of them focus on what does not consitute a Mitzvah Deoraytah:

השרש הראשון שאין ראוי למנות בכלל הזה המצות שהם מדרבנן
השרש השני שאין ראוי למנות כל מה שלמדין באחת משלש עשרה מדות שהתורה נדרשת בהן או ברבוי:
השרש השלישי שאין ראוי למנות מצות שאין נוהגות לדורות:
השרש הרביעי שאין ראוי למנות הצוויין הכוללים כל התורה:
השרש החמישי שאין ראוי למנות טעם המצוה מצוה בפני עצמה:
השרש הששי שהמצוה שיהיה בה עשה ולא תעשה, ראוי שימנה עשה שבה עם מצות עשה ולא תעשה שבה עם מצות לא תעשה:
השרש השביעי שאין ראוי למנות דקדוקי משפטי התורה:
השרש השמיני שאין ראוי למנות שלילות החיוב עם האזהרה:
השרש התשיעי שאין ראוי למנות הלאוין והעשה, אבל הדברים המוזהר מהן והמצווה בהם:
השרש העשירי שאין ראוי למנות ההקדמות שהן לתכלית אחת מן התכליות:
השרש האחד עשר שאין ראוי למנות חלקי המצוה בפרט חלק חלק בפ"ע כשיהיה המקובץ מהם מצוה אחת:
השרש השנים עשר שאין ראוי למנות חלקי מלאכה מן המלאכות שבא הצווי בעשייתם כל חלק וחלק בפני עצמו:
השרש השלשה עשר שהמצות לא ירבה מספרם כמספר הימים שתתחייב בהן המצוה ההיא:
השרש הארבעה עשר שאין ראוי למנות העמדת הגדרים*[*העונשים] במצות עשה:

How does Rambam decides that a verse in the Torah constitue a Mitzvah in a positive way?


texts: Why Don't Ashkenasim say ברכו at the end of Shabbos Mussaf?

texts:
I noticed that while Sephardim do in fact say: ברכו את ה המבורך at the conclusion of Mussaf on Shabbos, it seems that Ashkenasim (at least the shuls that I go to) don't. Is there a reason for this?

A side point: These same Ashkenasi shuls do say it at the conclusion of the Weekday Shacharis prayers.


texts: Is it forbidden for a non-Kohen to form the hand formation that Kohanim use during their priestly blessings?


texts: Why did God do nothing against the Romans that desecrated the Temple?

texts:
When good guy made a mistake, like Uzzah trying to fix the ark, God killed him (see II Samuel 6:6).

However, Uzzah does not seem that evil. I mean, the ark stumbled and he just tried to help.

Then, this site says:

  Thus, the Holy of Holies in the Second Temple was an empty chamber,
  without the Ark of the Covenant. When the Roman General Pompey
  conquered Jerusalem around 63 B.C., he demanded the privilege of
  entering the Holy of Holies. When he did, he came out saying that he
  could not understand what all the interest was about the sanctuary,
  when it was only an empty room.

Okay, I am confused here. This Pompey is an enemy of Hashem. He came to holies of holies where many high priests have died entering. Yet he doesn't die. So many Roman soldiers would desecrate the Temple and remove all its gold. Yet those soldiers didn't die. Why?

So many westerners blaspheme God on daily basis, God didn't strike any single one of them, and yet Uzzah who only tried to help was smitten.

Why is there this double standard?


texts: Why does a girl become Bat Mitzvah at 12 years old?

texts:
We learn that a Bar Mitzvah is at age 13, since it says in Bamidbar 5:6:

Tell the children of Israel: When a man (אִישׁ) or woman commits any of the sins against man to act treacherously against God, and that person is [found] guilty

and Levi, who was 13 at the time, was called a man when he attacked Shechem (Bereshit 34:25):

וַיְהִי בַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי בִּהְיוֹתָם כֹּאֲבִים וַיִּקְחוּ שְׁנֵי בְנֵי יַעֲקֹב שִׁמְעוֹן וְלֵוִי אֲחֵי דִינָה אִישׁ חַרְבּוֹ וַיָּבֹאוּ עַל הָעִיר בֶּטַח וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל זָכָר
Now it came to pass on the third day, when they were in pain, that Jacob's two sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers, each (אִישׁ) took his sword, and they came upon the city with confidence, and they slew every male.

Rashi on Nazir 29B says that we don't find anyone under 13 called a man (אִישׁ) in the Torah, but Shimon and Levi who were 13, were called men (אִישׁ) when they attacked Shechem.
How do we know that a girl becomes Bat Mitzvah at 12 years old? Is there a passuk where we refer to a girl as a woman (אִשָּׁה), and we know that she was only 12?


texts:
It is widely accepted that each letter of the Hebrew alphabet has a Gematria (numerical value) attached to it. These numerical values often provide insight when comparing one Gematria to either another Gematria, or a significant number in Judaism. We possibly even learn out Halacha from gematria.

Are there any authorities that reject the existence of this numerical value system, and/or the meaning and insights that they provide? I am looking for Rishonim preferably, or Achronim.


texts: What does a geir do regarding minhagim like kitniyos and the such? Would you take his nationality into consideration?


texts: If someone is trying to pray 40 consecutive days at the Kotel, does beginning prayer one minute after sunset count for the day that's ending? For the day that's starting? Both? Neither?


texts:
More than one Israeli has told me that women in Israel don't fast. More specifically, that a large percentage of otherwise observant (healthy, non-pregnant, non-nursing) Jewish women in Israel do not fast on the Jewish public fasts (with the exception of 9 Av and Yom Kipur, when they do fast). Note that this was said about women only: observant men do fast.

Does anyone have statistics or any indication of the extent to which this is true? For example, have any pos'kim or (l'havdil) magazine articles mentioned it as a common trend?

Specific statistics would be ideal.


texts: Do modern-day Jews have waters of separation?

texts:
In the Torah it says (Numbers 19:17-19)

  An unclean person they shall take some of the ashes of the heifer
  burnt for purification from sin, and running water shall be put on
  them in a vessel. A clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the
  water, sprinkle it on the tent, on all the vessels, on the persons who
  were there, or on the one who touched a bone, the slain, the dead, or
  a grave. The clean person shall sprinkle the unclean on the third day
  and on the seventh day; and on the seventh day he shall purify
  himself, wash his clothes, and bathe in water; and at evening he shall
  be clean.

Do modern Jews still do this?  Like say in Israel when they have wars, if a Jew touches a dead body is there still a water of separation?  Do they have waters of separation here in the United States?  I know there are still Kohanim.


texts: How to Resolve Kiddush Levana and Celestial Worship, (Avodas Kochavim)?

texts:
In general Kiddush Lavanah has always seemed to me to be akin to "Avodas Kochavim" - so does anyone know of a satisfying answer that works with Occam's razor?

More specifically:
We say Just as I can not touch you so should my enemies not be able to touch me.  (a)It would seem that we are directly addressing the moon, hence the celestial worship... and  (b)We debunked the idea that we can't touch the moon in 1969.

Later on we say that is should be G-ds will that the light of the moon should be as the light of the sun.  (a) The light of the moon is the light on the sun - and (b) even if you understand it to mean that they should be of comparable brightness - why would you want it to be "daylight" for 24 hours a day?

It continues that we want the moons light to be like the light of the 7 days of creation - This one is just full of mystery?  (I'll leave the whole 7-day question for some other time)  Was the light of creation some giant cloud of glowing plasma after the "Big Bang" event?   Is there some reason we want to be bombarded with more radiation that even if our ozone layers offers us protection, would knock out our satellites?

I can come up with one reason for an event similar to Kiddush Levanah, but not sufficient to explain the service we now have.  Also, it would seem to be more logical to say on Rosh Chodesh or as close to it as possible instead of first waiting several days.  Our forefathers had to look to the moon to know that start of the new month.  Looking at the moon and following its cycles was a mandatory part of Jewish life.  Now that we are on a fixed calendar systems, there's no need to look to the sky at all to observe our Holidays.  Some sort of "zecher" (remembrance) for this practice might be called for but if that was the intention, then it would seem to me that we should recite only the main (2nd) paragraph, close the siddur and go home before we cross the line of "Ovdei Kochavim U'Mazalot".

Your insights would be appreciated.


texts: Reform Judaism as an avenue for Ethical Monotheism for gentiles

texts:
If Orthodoxy and Halacha do not see the Reform movement as "valid", then is it fair to say that Reform Judaism is permissible for Gentiles to practice (assuming they have no Jewish ancestry matrilineally)?

Would this make them Righteous Gentiles as well, considering that they are using Reform Judaism to uphold monotheism and certain mitzvot, especially if they come from a place where idolatry is rampant (for example, India, Nepal, pagan cultures).

(I know that conversion is not required or necesarily encouraged by Orthodox ideals, but this question is more theoretical in nature.)


texts:
I am looking for an English sefer that contains a summary of each sugya in a mesechta as well as the halachos learned in that sugya.
Thanks,
Yosef


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts:
Do we have any pdf of Tikkun Leil Shavuot (Nusach Edot haMizrach)?

If not is there any syllabus (which portions from Tanach,  Mishnayot, etc.) suggested by Chacham Ovadia Yosef or any other Sephardic Gadol?


texts:
Does Shemot 23:13 literally mean Marvel & DC Comics are forbidden?
"and the name of the gods of others you shall not mention; it shall not be heard through your mouth." ( וְשֵׁ֨ם אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ לֹ֣א תַזְכִּ֔ירוּ לֹ֥א יִשָּׁמַ֖ע עַל־פִּֽיךָ )

Does this apply to discussing fictional movies / reading fictional books about ancient deities from Norse & Greek mythology which are celebrated in pop culture?


texts:
In Sanhedrin (77b) the gemara discusses a case of "Wall Ball" throwing a ball at a wall, the ball bouces back and if the other player catches the ball, he tries to peg the original thrower (Rashi).
The case the gemara brings down is one where the original thrower threw the ball and it ended up killing the second player. (Note although it may be able to implied, the gemara doesn't out right say the ball bounced off the wall and killed the second player).  The gemara goes on to say, within 4 amot your פטור past 4 and your חייב (Rashi says 4 amot from the wall, note: the gemara doesn't specify what your חייב and פטור)

I'm curious if anyone can elaborate on what exactly wall ball was (what kinda ball..etc) anything that could help clear up this case.
Although the gemara mentions later on that the reason 4 amot is significant is because people try to get the ball past 4 amot, in a case where one is trying to kill his opponent, he will purposely aim for him off the wall and so why then is 4 amot significant? He should be חייב regardless


texts: Why is chillul Shabbat considered so wicked?

texts:
There is a mitzvah deoraita (Biblical commandment) to bury a person executed by bet din (Jewish court of law). Similarly, there is the law that a righteous person should not be buried next to a wicked one, derived (Sanhedrin 47a) from the story of Elisha Hanavi in Sefer Melachim (II 13:21).

The Gemara in Yevamot 32a discusses the definition of tzadik (righteous person) and rasha (wicked person) with regard to these laws and concludes that those who committed multiple severe offences (e.g. Eishet Ach and Achot Ishah) which give them the status of rasha gamur (completely wicked person) should be buried in the grave-yard where they bury those who died at the hand of Beis Din by serefa and skila (such as one who was mechalel shabat) and not in the graveyard of "not-so-wicked" (Rashi) people who committed capital offences warranting chenek or hereg (such as murder).

Why is mechalel shabbat considered such a thoroughly wicked act? It would make more sense that other deeds such as murder are more wicked.

(I realize that symbolically, chilul shabbat is compared to things like idolatry, but so is getting angry. It's hard to hear that one who picks the chicken bone from the meat on Shabbos (violating borer, sorting) should be considered more wicked than a murderer.)


texts: Under what circumstances is it forbidden to move a 'k'li shemelachto leheter' (a utensil whose purpose is for a permitted use)?

texts:
Shulchan Aruch Orach Chaim 308:4:

  כלי שמלאכתו להיתר מותר לטלטלו אפי' אינו אלא לצורך הכלי שלא ישבר או יגנב אבל שלא לצורך כלל אסור לטלטלו: וכתבי הקדש ואוכלים מותר לטלטלם אפי' שלא לצורך כלל:

  A utensil whose purpose is for a permitted use [on shabbat] is permitted to be moved, even if only for the sake of the utensil itself, so that it not break or be stolen, but for no purpose at all, it is forbidden to move it. Holy writings and food may be moved, even for no purpose at all.

I'm having a little trouble thinking of a scenario where this rule applies. How does one move something for no purpose at all? Even if someone is playing or fidgeting with an object, would that not be considered moving it for the purpose of keeping his hands busy?

Please present (sourced) definitions / parameters of what is considered 'moving something for no purpose at all'.


texts: Source for achdus being the only way klal yisroel could accept the Torah?

texts:
I heard someone say that the only way klal yisroel was able to accept the Torah was through achdus?

Does anyone know the source for this? Is it in Chofetz Chaim Al HaTorah?


texts: Do you need to make an additional blessing on yogurt eaten at the end of a bread meal?

texts:
If you washed and had bread, is yogurt eaten in the end of the meal covered by the homotzi?

Is there a distinction if is flavored (and usually with sugar) or plain (no sugar)?

Is there a distinction between greek yogurt (more thick) and plain yogurt (more liquid)?


texts: Can 'cruelty to animals' render an animal not kosher?

texts:
The problem of cruelty to animals is rife in the food production industry. This article brings the reasoning of two Rabbanim to forbid foie gras and veal on these grounds:

  Some of the greatest halachic authorities of modern times such as Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Rabbi Haim David Halevy, both of blessed memory, declared foie gras (goose liver produced by force feeding geese) and veal (the anemic flesh of a calf, denied light and movement) to be prohibited, as their production egregiously transgresses the Jewish prohibition of za’ar baalei hayim, causing cruelty to animals that is not essential for human consumption.

To what extent do kashrut authorities take this in to consideration?
Is this regulated in the kashrut market?
Does the animal become forbidden because of cruelty or is it that you are facilitating it by buying that animal?
Is there indeed a 'threshold for cruelty' beyond which an animal would be considered non permissible to eat?

UPDATE:
An article by Rabbi Slifkin was written on this topic called 'How Frum Is Your Food'.


texts: When my eldest turned three her male cousin also turned three.  Many of her friends and her cousin were getting Tzitzit. She asked for her own.  We explained that boys wear TzitTzit and girls light Shabbat candles and therefore we adopted the custom of our three year old girls lighting one candle starting when they turn three.  This worked (and continues to work) for us, however, where did this custom come from and why is it not prevalent?


texts: I heard that every 4 or 2 amot walked in Eretz Israel is a mitzvah. Is this true? If it is, from where do we learn this?


texts: When a sacrifice calls for "two turtledoves or two common doves", can it be one of each?

texts:
There are places in the Torah that call for an offering of "two turtledoves, or two common doves" (as translated by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan), e.g. Leviticus 12:8.

Could s/he bring one of each kind, instead?


texts: Pirkei Avot 2:1 - What does “major” vs. “minor” mean in terms of Rabbinical vs. Torah mitzvot?

texts:
Follow up to this M.Y. question.

In summary, Pirkei Avot says that we should not compare "major" vs. "minor" mitzvoth for we don't know the reward given to mitzvoth.

Frequently, we actually DO equate two mitzvoth. If one is in a situation where he has to violate a mitzvah, one is Rabbinical and one is Torah-based, usually, one violates the Rabbinical one. Generally, less importance is placed on the Rabbinical mitzvoth than the Torah ones.

My rav explained to me that because of this perceived lack of importance, there are many cases where the rabbis placed heavy or more emphasis on performing a rabbinical mitzvah over a Torah-based one.

An example that I can think of - There are some opinions that state that the mitzvah of studying Torah is from the Torah. Reading the Megillah on Purim is Rabbinical. However, O.C. (I'll edit location, later, B"N) says that one needs to stop studying Torah in order to read the Megillah when the time to do so has arrived.

So, in general, if one has a choice (unlike, the above example, where no "choice" is given) between performing a Rabbinical or Torah mitzvah, does the adage of Pirkei Avot that one should not equate the two apply to this choice as well? Or should one favor the Torah-based one at all times?


texts: How did Achashveirosh have the utensils of the Beit Hamikdash?

texts: In the first chapter of sefer Ezra we read that Koresh sent all the utensils that had been stolen by Nevuchadnetzar back to Yerushalayim as part of the rebuilding of the Beit Hamikdash.  However the gemarah megillah 12a based on the pasuk in Esther 1:7 seems to indicate that the utensils that Achashveirosh used at his party were those of the Beit Hamikdash. If that is so, how did Achashveirosh have those keilim in his possession? Were they taken back from Yerushalayim? Is there any commentator who explains this?


texts: Why is the Gemara (Talmud) Chulin which talks about Ritual slaughter of animals not having to do with sacrifices in the Beis Hamikdash (temple) in the SEDER (order) of Kodshim which is talks about Temple sacrifices?


texts: Is a wife allowed to stop going to the mikva?

texts: If a wife no longer wants to have relations with her husband, is it allowed for her to stop going to the mikva, in order to prevent relations?


texts:
The posuk Gen. 25:27 says:

  וְיַעֲקֹב אִישׁ תָּם - Ya’akov was a simple man.

Rashi comments on this:

  מי שאינו חריף לרמות קרוי תם - One who is not astute at deceiving is called תָּם, innocent.

The problem is later on posuk 29:12 when Ya’akov told Rachel that he is her father’s brother, Rashi comments:

  אם לרמאות הוא בא גם אני אחיו ברמאות - If he (Laban) comes to deceive me, I, too, am his brother in deception.

So it seems Ya’akov is "astute at deceiving". If so, what does תָּם mean in reference to Ya’akov?


texts: May Sukkah walls be made of living things?

texts: I'm at a Shiur and the rabbi said that a sukkah can have walls made of anything even "elephants," but I'm pretty sure he was being facetious. Can anyone provide a source verifying or explaining?


texts: Who are the Kohanim mentioned in the preparation for the giving of the Torah?

texts:
In parashat Yitro, before the giving of the Torah, God summons Moshe up the mountain to tell him to go down again and warn the people to stay away from the mountain. He mentions that even the "Kohanim" will fall (Shemot 19:22).
This absolutely had to be before the designation of Aaron & sons as Kohanim.
Are we to understand that this word is to refer to the first-borns?
This is a lead up question to:
When did korbanot become a Jewish thing?


texts: In the morning prayer ראשית חכמה how do we translate the word בעזרתי?

texts:
In the morning prayer ראשית חכמה how do we translate the word בעזרתי in the phrase א-ל שד-י בעזרתי?

The ב in בעזרתי does not seem to fit?


texts: Are Cherubim on top of the ark exception or contradiction?

texts:
Jews are forbidden to create any graven images of anything in the heavens yet Hashem commanded the ark be adorned with cherubim.

Is this an exception or a contradiction?


texts: Yishmael - if he did Teshuva why does he continue to be punished

texts:
We know that Yishmael early on acted in an improper manner (see for example Bereishis Rabbah 53:11) and was resultantly banished from Avraham's household - Bereishis 21:9-10
However, we learn later on (Bereishis 25:9) that following Avraham's death, Yishmael returned to bury his father along with Yitzchak. Rashi there qualifies this to mean:

יצחק וישמעאל. מִכָּאן שֶׁעָשָׂה יִשְׁמָעֵאל תְּשׁוּבָה וְהוֹלִיךְ אֶת יִצְחָק לְפָנָיו, וְהִיא שֵׂיבָה טוֹבָה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בְּאַבְרָהָם (בראשית רבה):
ISAAC AND ISHMAEL — From this we gather that Ishmael repented of his evil ways (cf. Bava Basra 16b) and yielded the precedence to Isaac. This is what is meant by the “good old age” mentioned in connection with Abraham (Bereishis Rabbah 38:12).

With this in mind, how then do we understand the pretty tough line we see in a couple of places against Yishmael:

Sanhedrin 104a - Avraham cannot save Yishmael (from his heavenly judgement)
Pesachim 119b - In the future Hashem will make a feast for the righteous. The cup of blessing will be given to Avraham (so that he can lead bensching) but he will say, "I will not recite the blessing because Yishmael issued from me."

I appreciate Yishmael gave rise to a nation that would be an enemy of the Jews, but on an individual level why should he continue to warrant punishment if he was chozer b'teshuva?


texts: Do the Kabbalistic views on Taamei Hamitzvoth contradict Rambam's and Hirsch's?

texts:
So according to Rambam and other Rabbis, such as R' Hirsch, the mitzvoth are supposed to give us some ideas, some philosophies, to refine our ethics, or to achieve some practical objective.

What about the Kabbalah's views? Are we just doing magic rituals?

Is there a way to 'reconcile' the two kind of views?


texts: Hebrew document found in grandfather's attic—what does it state?

texts:
I found this document in my grandfather's attic and would be thankful if someone could tell me (a) what this document is, (b) whether there are any names written, and (c) which, if any, religious meanings or implications could arise.

Thank you all.


texts: Why is the heart labeled the seat of emotion?

texts:
Throughout Tanach, the heart is used as the seat of emotion. For instance:

The heart understands (Melachim Aleph 3:9)
Thought comes from the heart (this seems to be the straightforward understanding of verses like Koheles 1:16 that discuss speaking with the heart)
The heart can view things prophetically (see Melachim Beis 5:26 and commentaries there)
The heart falls (Shmuel Aleph 17:32)
The heart gives endurance during times of crisis (Yechezkel 22:14)
The heart rejoices (Tehillim 16:9)
The heart cries (Eichah 2:18)
The heart is comforted (Yeshaya 40:1-2)
The heart is pained (Devarim 15:10)

This is an excerpt of Koheles Rabbah 1:38 (Warsaw numbering; 1:16 in Vilna numbering), which lists 58 such emotions and traits that come from the heart.

Scientifically, emotions and thoughts come from the brain. Rav Chaim Miller says that emotions come from the Ruach-level of the Neshamah. But either way, it doesn’t come from the heart. So where do all of these descriptions come from?


texts:
The Mishna in Kelaim 8:5 talks about the אדני השדה . I know of a few perushim who say that this is a type of monkey (Tiferes Yisroel syas that it's an orangutang).
If you look in the Yerushalmi on this mishna it says that this animal is attached to the ground by a tube from it's belly button. Does anyone know of a perush that incorporate this Yerushalmi into their explanation?
Thanks.


texts: Why is the law not enforced, that a couple must divorce if they have no children after ten years?

texts:
Jewish law says that if a couple has no children after ten years of marriage, and the man is not allowed to take a second wife, they must get a divorce so the man can remarry and try again to fulfill the mitzvah of procreating. [Yevamot 64a; Rambam, Ishut 15:8]
But the law is not enforced, even when the couple is very observant.  The last Lubavitcher Rebbe is a case in point.  The Rema says in EH 1:3: "Nowadays, the custom is that one does not force in regards to this."  But how can he make optional, with no explanation, a clear Talmudic injunction codified in stone by the Rambam?
Is there a discussion of circumstances under which does the injunction not apply?


texts: According to those who do Shabbat's Hoshaanot on Sunday, what is done when Hoshaana Rabbah is on Sunday?

texts:
There are different opinions about how Hoshaanot is conducted on Shabbat. Some say it and some don't. See Nitei Gavriel Sukkot  Chapter 73, Halacha 18.

The Chabad Custom (as brought in footnote 31) is not to say any Hoshaanot on Shabbat, and make it up the next day, but not to go around the Bimah for that one, only for the Hoshaanot of Sunday.

In a situation such as this year and next year (5776 and 5777), Hoshaanah Rabbah falls out on a Sunday. This means that Shabbat's Hoshaana will already be said on Sunday, during the Hoshaana Rabbah service.

If so, are the Hoshaanot for Shabbat repeated before the Hoshaana Rabbah service is started?


texts: Is the Kafich edition of the Rambam's peirush on Mishnah to Mesecht Keilim available online anywhere?

texts: I'm trying to find the Kafich edition of the Rambam's peirush on Mishnah to Mesecht Keilim. Is it available online anywhere?


texts: Is the Mitzva of Tzitzit on the Gevra or the Cheftza?

texts: Is the Mitzva of Tzitzit an obligation on the clothing or on the person?


texts: What is the origin of the special trop for the journeys of Bnai Yisroel, B'midbar 33:10-49

texts: This question reminded me to ask what is the origin of the special trop for the masa'ot - the section enumerating the places Bnai Yisroel travelled, as described in B'midbar 33:10-49. A recording of the leining can be heard here starting at 5:53.


texts:
Moshe killed a mitzri by uttering a shem Hashem, name of Hashem, according to Rashi, Sh'mos 2:14.
Bilaam pronounced the 42 letter shem Hashem (known as the 'sod ha'affifah) and was able to fly.

What are some other examples of miracles performed by uttering Hashem's name?


texts: Are you allowed to drink coffee/water during any part of the prayers?

texts: Is there any part in the tefillah (pesukey dizimra, birchos shema, ashrey/uva letzion, etc) where one is allowed to drink coffee/water?


texts:
Inspired by this video, I'm curious if a robot can do bedikat chametz for you.

The video shows a rhumba with a spoon and candle roaming around the house cleaning the floor. (Granted, the spoon and candle are not needed other than making the video funny.)

My thinking:

O.C., from what I recall, says that prior to Bedikat Chametz, the home should be essentially chametz cleaned, mostly. The custom is to place 10 pieces of bread in various places around the home and search for those pieces, while searching for other chametz.

Assuming that the rhumba goes into every room in  your home, gobbles up dirt and crumbs on the floor as well as all 10 bread pieces, and at the end of its cycle, you open up the cleaning bin to verify that it actually got all 10 pieces - any problem with letting it do the work? Or, must you do the physical inspection, or at least watch exactly where the machine is going?


texts: What's the best way to make ashes (for weddings and/or pre-Tisha B'Av)?

texts:
There are times that something calls for ashes, e.g.:

The meal right before Tisha B'Av, you're supposed to eat a hard-boiled egg dipped in ashes.

A groom puts ashes on his forehead shortly before the wedding, to remember the destruction of Jerusalem.

Where do you get ashes?


texts: Yosef & Dina switched in the womb - source for maintaining their initial gender characteristics & behaviours

texts:
We know famously that upon Leah becoming pregnant with her seventh child, she realized that if she were to give birth to a boy it would mean that out of the twelve tribes, she would have given birth to seven, the two maidservants Bilha and Zilpa each had two, and this would mean that her sister Rochel would be deemed inferior to even their handmaids in the formulation of the twelve tribe as she would be responsible for giving birth to only one of the tribes.
Such was her distress for her sister that she davened that the gender of the baby be changed. Rashi on the pasuk in Bereishis 30:21 tell us:

דינה. פֵּרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁדָּנָה לֵאָה דִּין בְּעַצְמָהּ, אִם זֶה זָכָר לֹא תְהֵא רָחֵל אֲחוֹתִי כְּאַחַת הַשְּׁפָחוֹת, וְהִתְפַּלְּלָה עָלָיו וְנֶהְפַּךְ לִנְקֵבָה (ברכות ס')
DINAH (Judgment) — Our Rabbis explained, that Leah set herself up as judge (דנה) against herself saying: “If this be a son, my sister Rachel cannot be even the equal of any of the handmaids”. She, therefore, offered prayer regarding it, and its sex was changed (Berachos 60a).

The Targum Yonasan 30:21 goes one step further further and says that the actual embryos were switched. So Yosef was moved into the womb of Rochel, and Dina into the womb of Leah.
In keeping with this idea, I once heard a vort that as a result of this switch, despite being born as the individuals they were, they maintained a semblance of what their initial gender would have been, i.e. Yosef carried some female traits which accounts for his preoccupation with his hair etc. (see Bereishis Rabba 84:7), whilst Dina maintained some male leanings which is why she was emboldened to go out on her own (Bereishis 34:1).
Does anyone know the source for such an idea?


texts: When can the brother of a man who died childless do neither yibbum nor chalitzah?

texts:
I was under the impression that if a man dies childless and has a brother, then the brother must do either yibbum (marrying his wife) or chalitzah (rejecting the marriage) -- his choice, but he has to do one or the other and the widow can't remarry until he does.  But then I read in Sanhedrin 2:2 that the king does neither:

  [The king] may not perform halitzah, nor may others perform halitzah for his wife. He may not contract levirate marriage nor may his brothers contract levirate marriage with his wife.

The mishna goes on to discuss that it's to his merit if he nonetheless does one of these, but others say we don't listen to him if he wants to.  Either way, that sounds optional -- it's meritorious for him to do either yibbum or chalitzah, but he doesn't have to.

Is this the halacha?  If so, are there other cases where a brother can simply not act at all, neither yibbum nor chalitzah, within the law, leaving the woman as an aguna - unable to get married?

I did not find clarification in the g'mara.


texts:
Rambam Hilchos Avel 6 (13) refers to washing with sand:

  ומכבס כסותו במים אבל לא בנתר ולא בחול

  He may wash his clothes in water, but not with soap or using sand.

Is there an explanation of the cleaning power of sand and how was it used?


texts: Can one "turn around" a tefilin arm strap in case it is damaged?

texts:
If the tefilin strap of the arm tefilin is broken, can one use the remainder piece if it is long enough?

Can one turn the strap around and use the "other side"  of the strap that was around finger and hand (in case the original side by the knot shows significant tear) or must one use the original side? Is there an issue of maale bekodesh that might prevent from using the strap in the other direction?


texts: Does גפ״ת (which stands for גמרא, פרש״י, תוספות) have a conventional pronunciation, as do שליט״א ("shlita"), תנ״ך ("tanakh"), etc.?


texts:
The Gemara Makkos 3b says:

  א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל המלוה את חבירו לעשר שנים אין שביעית משמטתו ואע"ג דאתי לידי לא יגוש השתא מיהא לא קרינן ביה לא יגוש

If someone who makes a loan only payable in 10 years, the loan survives Shmittah because it wasn't collectible at the time of Shmittah.

This is the Halacha as brought in Rambam (Shmittah VeYovelos 9:9) and Shulchan Aruch (Choshen Mishpat 67:10).

However, the Torah says (Devorim 15:9):

  הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן יִהְיֶה דָבָר עִם לְבָבְךָ בְלִיַּעַל לֵאמֹר קָרְבָה שְׁנַת הַשֶּׁבַע שְׁנַת הַשְּׁמִטָּה וְרָעָה עֵינְךָ בְּאָחִיךָ הָאֶבְיוֹן וְלֹא תִתֵּן לוֹ

That someone may say Shmittah is close, so I won't lend - this is an aveirah. (I have also heard this explain the idea of a Pruzbel - since Shmittah is rabbinic today, but not lending is Min HaTorah, so the Chachamim established a Pruzbel to prevent violating the Torah prohibition).

But if the loan can be made valid after Shmittah simply by making a longer term what is the problem? If the person is concerned about Shmittah, just make the term last past it. Why is this a problem?

It seems difficult to say that he wants the loan back close to the end of Shmittah, and will be worried he will be stuck in collections, as he can just avoid the problem by extending the term slightly anyway.


texts: What does ותמלך אתה הוא ה׳ א׳ מהרה על כל מעשיך coordinate with?

texts:
The amida on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kipur reads, in part:

  ובכן צדיקים יראו וישמחו… כי תעביר ממשלת זדון מן הארץ ותמלך אתה הוא ה׳ א׳ מהרה על כל מעשיך…

The most natural way to translate this, to my mind, would be:

  So righteous people will see and be happy… when you pass the rulership of sin from the world and reign — you, God, our god — quickly over all your creations…

In other words, "ותמלך" is coordinating with "תעביר": the events spoken of in the first part of this passage ("צדיקים יראו וישמחו…") will occur when תעביר ממשלת זדון מן הארץ ותמלך….

This makes sense to me especially because "תעביר ממשלת זדון מן הארץ" speaks of the release of one kind of rulership, and "תמלך אתה הוא ה׳ א׳" is the placement of another: they seem to coordinate very well.

However:

ArtScroll machzorim and the Kehot (Chabad) machzor don't translate it that way: their translations put "ותמלך" at the start of a new thought, coordinating not with "תעביר" but with the entire previous thought (so it's saying "צדיקים יראו וישמחו… and also תמלך…").
Every machzor I can lay my hands on puts "ותמלך" at the start of a new paragraph.

So my question is:
Is there any source (more authoritative than the translations I cite above) that indicates what "ותמלך" coordinates with?


texts: Typically in the Yeshivish world, the "O" sound is pronounced as "Oy" (i.e. "Moydim Anachnu Loch"). Where does this come from?


texts:
In Gemara Shevuot 15b, they explain how is the process to extend the surface of Yerushalaim and its Qedusha. One of the things is to recite the Psalm 91 up to the word Machsi (see hagahot Hagra, see Abudarham who says that they are 60 words) and an other mizmor (a part of Tehilim 3). Subsequently, the Gemara says that Rabbi Yehoshua Ben Levi said those Psalms when he gets to sleep.
In Bet Yosef OC 239, this Gemara is quoted. But in SA he doesn't write to stop the Mizmor after the word Machsi. I checked the Nuschaot of QS Al Hamita for Sefaradim and Ashkenazim. Sefaradim make as it's written in Gemara and Ashkenazim recite the whole Mizmor.
What is the source of those who don't follow the Gemara?


texts: Why are these words, Judaism, Jews, Hebrew, Ibrani, Judea. Semites refer to jews?

texts:
The jews are called by many names. Some names are clear. Israelites, for example, is a name given by Hashem to Jacob and the jews are descendant of that guy.

What about the other names?

Why Hebrew? For example. Is it from Eber?

What about Judaism? From Judah?

Ibrani? Where does that name comes from? Ibrahim? Eber?

And Judea? Is that from Judah again?

I could add semites (from Shem, son of Noah?) but that's really strange.

And why the names are used to call jews (and only jews)? Obviously, assuming the torah is correct, Eber have many descendants than just Israel. Israel has many descendants than just Judah.


texts: May husband and wife hug/kiss in front of their children?

texts:
The Rema in Even HaEzer (21:5) writes

יש אומרים דאין לנהוג אפילו עם אשתו בדברים של חיבה, כגון לעיין ברישיה
אם יש לו כינים, בפני אחרים - Some say that one should not do
affectionate things with his wife, such as to inspect her head
for lice, in front of others.)

This would seem to indicate any relatively intimate act of endearment (hugging/kissing is more intimate than checking for lice) between husband and wife should not be done before other people. Does this include their own immediate family of sons and daughters or are there Poskim who allow spouses to hug/kiss in front of family?


texts: How were the Levites "lifted up" and "waved" in Parshat Behaalothecha (Numbers) 8.11

texts:
In B'midbar (Numbers) 8:11 we read:

"Aaron shall lift up the Levites as a waving before the Lord on behalf of the children of Israel...."

What exactly is this "lifting up and waving?"
How were the Levites "lifted up" and waived" before HaShem? Bmidbar (Numbers) 8.11?
I read Rashi's commentary:

Then Aaron shall lift up the Levites as a waving: in the same way that the guilt-offering of one afflicted with tzara’ath requires waving [the animal] while it is alive. Three wavings are mentioned in this section: the first (verse 11) refers to the sons of Kohath, and for this reason it states with regard to them, “that they may serve in the Lord’s service,” since they were responsible for the work involving the most holy objects-the ark, the table, etc. The second (verse 13) refers to the sons of Gershon. Therefore, it is stated with regard to them,“a waving before the Lord” (verse 13), for even they were assigned holy work-the curtains and the clasps, which could be seen in the Holy of Holies. The third [waving] was for the sons of Merari (verse 14). - [Midrash Aggadah] 16

Is this a wave offering [?] as in, "And the priest shall take one of the he-lambs, and offer him for a guilt-offering, and the log of oil, and wave them for a wave-offering before the LORD." VaYiqra (Leviticus) 14.12
Perhaps the question should be rephrased as "was this waving and lifting-up somehow connected with a wave-offering?" given Rashi's comment above, related to "the guilt-offering of one afflicted with tzara’ath [which] requires waving [the animal] while it is alive."


texts:
To my knowledge, there are two English editions of the Mishneh Torah: the Yale Judaica edition and the Moznaim edition. Furthermore, there exist the Birnbaum (incomplete) and Frankel editions, perhaps others as well of which I am unaware. Which is considered a more exact version?

Criteria

Edition: which Hebrew edition is the basis
Faithfulness: which adheres most to the text as given*
Annotations: text of annotations (other variants, commentary, interpretation)
Legibility (both visual and textual clarity)

*Let us use for example the Artscroll and Soncino editions of Talmud Bavli. The Soncino presents a literal, if somewhat clunky, rendition of the text. On the other hand, Artscroll intersperses its commentary with the translation and obfuscates its faithfulness to follow its own hashkafah.


texts: Looking for a gartel that goes under the shirt to keep tzitzis straight but have only found the large ones that married men wear. where would one find the smaller thinner kind that can go under a shirt?


texts:
The Torah says “And it was in those days that Moshe grew up and went out to his brothers and saw their burdens. He saw an Egyptian man strike a Hebrew man, (one) of his brethren. (Moshe) turned this way and that way and when he saw that no man (was watching), He smote the Egyptian and hid (his body) in the sand” (2:11-12).

Rashi Shemot 2:13-15 says that Datan and Aviram snitched to Pharaoh about what Moshe had done.

How could Datan and Aviram have seen the incident if Moshe was sure no one had seen him kill the Egyptian taskmaster?


texts: Showering on Shabbat and removing the chill.

texts:
1)If I live in an apartment complex, and I hold cold showers are okay on shabbos. Can I slightly open the hot water faucet in order to remove the chill of the cold water?

2)Since the apartment buildings hot water tank is so large, wouldn't it be a safek if I would be the one to cause the water to reboil?

3) and even if I do cause it to reboil, wouldn't it just be gramma? Do sefardi poskim permit this?


texts: Assist with Rash"i's explanation of verb usage - "N-CH-L" in describing the tribal heads who will inherit the land

texts:
Numbers 34:18:

  וְנָשִׂ֥יא אֶחָ֛ד נָשִׂ֥יא אֶחָ֖ד מִמַּטֶּ֑ה תִּקְח֖וּ לִנְחֹ֥ל
  אֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ׃

Numbers 34:29

  אֵ֕לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה לְנַחֵ֥ל אֶת־בְּנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל
  בְּאֶ֥רֶץ כְּנָֽעַן׃

Rashi on Numbers 34:18:

לנחל את הארץ. שיהא נוחל וחולק אותה במקומכם:

My translation of Rash"i, if I'm correct:

That they should inherit and divide it instead of you (I'm unsure what Rash"i means by the last word.)

Rashi on Numbers 34:29:1:

לנחל את בני ישראל. שהם ינחילו אותה לכם למחלקותיה:

The first verses verb form is kal, so it seems to translate as "inherit" Rash"i seems to explain what seems to be the "Hiph'il" form of the verb "N-CH-L" in the 2nd verse. I'm not quite following how Rash"i translates the form נַחֵ֥ל. Does it mean "inherit" or "divide"?


texts: Why are Talmudical hermeneutics necessary to understand Torah Law?

texts: Most books are written in such a way that everything that the author wants to communicate is spelled out clearly. The Torah is not such a book. Talmudical hermeneutics (for instance, the 13 rules of Rabbi Ishmael) are necessary to understand what the Author wanted to communicate with respect to halacha. My question is why was the Torah written in such a fashion?


texts: How much of this world is really ordained by Heaven?

texts:
On another website, someone quoted the Rambam:

  I do not believe that it is through the interference of Divine Providence that a certain leaf drops [from a tree], nor do I hold that when a certain spider catches a certain fly, that this is the direct result of a special decree and will of God in that moment; it is not by a particular Divine decree that the spittle of a certain person moved, fell on a certain gnat in a certain place, and killed it; nor is it by the
  direct will of God that a certain fish catches and swallows a certain worm on the surface of the water. In all these cases the action is, according to my opinion, entirely due to chance, as taught by Aristotle.
  — Moreh Nevuchim 3:17, Friedländer translation

Basically the Rambam holds that mundane things that have no connection with humans are not ordained by Heaven, but things that happen to Humans are.

This seems like a great departure from what I understand to be Divine Providence. Is this universally accepted?


texts: Haircuts on lag beomer for those keeping the second half of sefira?

texts: Are haircuts permitted on lag beomer for those keeping the second half of sefira? Did some research and cant find an answer.


texts: Why would an innocent sotah want to return to her husband?

texts:
There should presumably be two likely outcomes to the Sotah ordeal (Bamidbar 5:1-5:31) after drinking the embittering waters:  Either she is guilty and then dies, or she is innocent and lives and goes back to her husband.

What about a third possibility:  She is innocent but does not want to go back to her husband.  If she knows she has never committed adultery, she has just been suspected on little grounds (even circumstantial evidence) for whatever motives by her (seemingly) faithful and loving husband.  He has the Kohen subject her to an ordeal of being publicly embarrassed in front of everyone (at the gate of Nikanor).  He removes the clothing of her upper body and hair, he tires her by having her run around and hold the meal offering of remembrance (jealousies), and he subjects her to more humiliating rituals.  Although the Torah says that she may resume relations with her husband and that they will have healthy children afterwards, do you really think that a woman whose husband just embarrassed her like this would have any respect for her husband anymore and would want to be with her husband?  What is even worse, if the woman resents what her husband did and doesn't want to go back to him, she can't even give him a get.  She is stuck between a rock and a hard place.  She is forced to (re)love her husband who because of a baseless hunch or feeling had her go through the Sotah ordeal.


texts: Why list קונם and קונס explicitly in Kol Nidrei but not other Kinuyim?

texts:
Nedarim 1:2 lists several kinnuyim, alternate expressions you can use for making a neder.

In the Ashkenazi version of Kol Nidrei that I'm familiar with as well as the Nusach Sefarad one I found on Sefaria, we explicitly mention two of these, קונמי and קנוסי, as well as כנויי to catch the rest.

Once we say כנויי, why do we need קונמי and קנוסי at all?  And, given that we do say those, why don't we say קונחי and the rest of them?


texts: Does Maimonides ever refer to the Allegory of the Cave from Plato's The Republic?


texts: What events occurred between 17 Tamuz and 9 Av warranting a 3 week mourning period?

texts: What tragic historic events occurred during the 3 weeks between 17 Tamuz and 9 Av that warrants a mourning period? Also, why is there a more "severe" mourning period (i.e. - greater restrictions such as not eating meat) during the 9 days beginning from Rosh Hodesh Av until 9 Av?


texts: What is the bracha for a petroleum-derived product?

texts:
Suppose I am taking an antidepressant medication, and my research indicates that it is produced by a complex synthesis beginning with the substances propionic acid and benzene.

As an antidepressant, the medication is taken for the purpose of experiencing pleasure, meaning that a bracha is required.

Propionic acid and benzene are both industrially produced from petroleum.  Is there a bracha for oil?  Or would we go back further and say that because oil comes largely from diatoms, a form of algae, we should say shehakol?


texts: Why is food in Parashat Miketz called shever

texts:
In Miketz 42,2 it is written:

וַיֹּאמֶר--הִנֵּה שָׁמַעְתִּי, כִּי יֶשׁ-שֶׁבֶר בְּמִצְרָיִם;
רְדוּ-שָׁמָּה וְשִׁבְרוּ-לָנוּ מִשָּׁם, וְנִחְיֶה וְלֹא נָמוּת

The translation according to Machon Mamre is

And he said: 'Behold, I have heard that there is corn in Egypt. Get
you down thither, and buy for us from thence; that we may live, and
not die.'

Why is corn called שבר?
Isn't שבר something broken?
I am not looking for Midrashim based on the word, but rather for a direct etymological answer based on the word itself.


texts: How could Samuel sacrifice not in the central place with the Levites?

texts:
In Leviticus 17, we find:

  17 And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 2 “Speak to Aaron and his sons and to all the people of Israel and say to them, This is the thing that the Lord has commanded. 3 If any one of the house of Israel kills an ox or a lamb or a goat in the camp, or kills it outside the camp, 4 and does not bring it to the entrance of the tent of meeting to offer it as a gift to the Lord in front of the tabernacle of the Lord, bloodguilt shall be imputed to that man. He has shed blood, and that man shall be cut off from among his people. 5 This is to the end that the people of Israel may bring their sacrifices that they sacrifice in the open field, that they may bring them to the Lord, to the priest at the entrance of the tent of meeting, and sacrifice them as sacrifices of peace offerings to the Lord. 6 And the priest shall throw the blood on the altar of the Lord at the entrance of the tent of meeting and burn the fat for a pleasing aroma to the Lord. 7 So they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices to goat demons, after whom they whore. This shall be a statute forever for them throughout their generations.

And yet we find in the book of 1 Samuel Chapter 7, Samuel making a sacrifice:

  9And Samuel took one sucking lamb and offered it up as a burnt offering, entirely to the Lord, and Samuel cried out to the Lord on behalf of Israel, and the Lord answered him.       טוַיִּקַּ֣ח שְׁמוּאֵ֗ל טְלֵ֚ה חָלָב֙ אֶחָ֔ד וַיַּעֲלֵ֧הוּ (כתיב וַיַּעֲלֵ֧הֻ) עוֹלָ֛ה כָּלִ֖יל לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה וַיִּזְעַ֨ק שְׁמוּאֵ֚ל אֶל־יְהֹוָה֙ בְּעַ֣ד יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וַֽיַּעֲנֵ֖הוּ יְהֹוָֽה:
  10And as Samuel was offering up the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near for war against Israel, and the Lord thundered with a loud noise on that day, upon the Philistines, and threw them into a panic, and they were beaten before Israel.      יוַיְהִ֚י שְׁמוּאֵל֙ מַעֲלֶ֣ה הָעוֹלָ֔ה וּפְלִשְׁתִּ֣ים נִגְּשׁ֔וּ לַמִּלְחָמָ֖ה בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל וַיַּרְעֵ֣ם יְהֹוָ֣ה | בְּקוֹל־גָּ֠דוֹל בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֚וּא עַל־פְּלִשְׁתִּים֙ וַיְהֻמֵּ֔ם וַיִּנָּגְפ֖וּ לִפְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵֽל:

Rashi's commentary is very peculiar. He says:

  and offered it up as a burnt offering: The kethiv is ‘vayaaleha’ fem. gender, because it was a female. Hence, our Rabbis deduced that a female animal is acceptable for a burnt offering in a private high place, in Tractate Abodah Zarah.

This seems totally unnecessary since in a different place (I forget where) Rashi says such things were done because Shiloh had been destroyed. It also opens up a whole can of worms because in Leviticus there are several areas where female animals are specifically mentioned, as needing to be brought to the Kohanim.

The Peace Offering may be either Male or Female. (Leviticus 3:1, 6)
The Sin Offering would be male for a ruler but female for a for a common person (Leviticus 4:27-28)
The Trespass Offering is to be female (Leviticus 5:6)

Thus it would seem that both male and female sacrifices are contemplated by Leviticus 17!

So my question is, in view of such a major prohibition, how do we see the book of Samuel describing people doing this in 1 Samuel Chapter 7? In the 17th verse Samuel builds an altar in Ramah. Presumably, Samuel would have done it also with King Saul if he had waited for him.

And my other question is, how come Rashi comments that the rabbis deduce this about female sacrifices, when there are other sacrifices elsewhere, there is no need to talk about female sacrifices, and Leviticus clearly enumerates female sacrifices among the Shlomim and others?


texts: In many countries, flour and processed grain products are required to be iron and/or niacin enriched, and many times the niacin used is derived from pork. This renders the grain product non-kosher. But why is the pork-derived additive not bittul when it is almost certainly less than 1/60 of the final product?


texts: Saying kadesh and vehaya ki yaviyacha when donning on the tefllin

texts:
In most siddurim right after the berachot of the tefillin you will find the two parshiot "Kadesh" and "Vehaya ki yeviacha," which are also contained in the tefillin.

Is there an obligation to say these parshiot when wearing the tefillin, or is it just a good recommendation?


texts:
Who knows one hundred eighty-eight?
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: When did we start counting the Year since Creation?

texts:
This year is 5772 / תשעב (Taf-Shin-Ayin-Bet) on the Hebrew Calendar.
What is the earliest reference to the Year counting from the Creation of the world?


texts: Gentile owned and operated Kosher establishment

texts: Are there any restrictions or limitations for a gentile owning and operating a kosher establishment?  Are there any limitations or restrictions for Jews patronizing such an establishment?


texts:
Who knows three hundred sixteen?
?שישה עשר ושלוש מאות - מי יודע
In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 316.
And ... there is that lazy gematria available here, but let's not go there.
Check out mi-yodeya-series for the previous three hundred fifteen entries in this ongoing series.
Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.


texts: Why are vows to fast undertaken at mincha a stated exception in Hatarat Nedarim?

texts: In the last part of Hatarat Nedarim, when talking about future vows, vows to fast undertaken at mincha are a specific exception. Why this exception and no other?


texts: Rules Regarding Sewing a Talit for my Bar Mitzvah son

texts: I want to sew a Talit for my Bar Mitzvah son. Please help me with the rules/Mitzvah. I need to understand the do's and don'ts of making a talit. I heard you can't have shaatnaz in the talit, but many of them are made of wool with different fabric at the coteret.


texts: Why is kosher wine or grape juice rare alone but less so as an ingredient?

texts:
My understanding is that wine or grape juice is s'tam yenam and forbidden if handled by non-Jews without having been cooked. (See, e.g., an explanation on chabad.org.) The practical result of this, for the consumer, is that wine and grape juice (in the United States, say) are almost always manufactured by a religious-Jewish-owned company, or on a run for its label: one hardly sees wine or grape juice on the market that is kosher but manufactured by a general-market company. Yet one does see general-market, kosher goods with wine or grape juice as an ingredient. Why?

Is it that some heter, not relied on for pure wine or grape juice, is relied on when the wine or grape juice is merely an ingredient? What heter?
Or is it that I'm wrong that s'tam yenam is the reason that major brands' wine and grape juice isn't kosher, and there's some other, not halacha-related reason (which therefore doesn't apply to such wine- and grape-juice-containing products)? What reason?
Or what?

As an example, Kikkoman Foods's Teriyaki Marinade and Sauce lists wine as its second  ingredient (right after soy sauce) and is certified as kosher by the Orthodox Union (as of this writing). As another, many a brand of dijon mustard, containing white wine as an ingredient, is certified kosher by, for example, OK Kosher.


texts:
In many, if not most, cases where we fulfill a positive commandment Chazal instituted a blessing (B'rachah) over fulfilling that command.

Looking through Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 292, and other discussions of the commandment to send away the mother bird prior to taking her eggs/chicks, I do not see any mention of a blessing over this command.

Is there such a blessing (did I just overlook it?), and if not, why not?


texts:
Why doesn't Avraham wait until escorting the angelic "men" out of the tent before having the conversation with Sarah about "laughing" - the pesukim (Bereishis 18:15-16) follow one after the other.

  וַתְּכַחֵשׁ שָׂרָה לֵאמֹר לֹא צָחַקְתִּי כִּי יָרֵאָה וַיֹּאמֶר לֹא
  כִּי צָחָקְתְּ׃

  Sarah lied, saying, “I did not laugh,” for she was frightened. But He
  replied, “You did laugh.”

  וַיָּקֻמוּ מִשָּׁם הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיַּשְׁקִפוּ עַל־פְּנֵי סְדֹם
  וְאַבְרָהָם הֹלֵךְ עִמָּם לְשַׁלְּחָם׃

  The men set out from there and looked down toward Sodom, Abraham
  walking with them to see them off.


texts: Why the weird spelling of וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה in Breisheet 27:7?

texts:
Statement: In Breisheet Parashas Toldos, it says הָבִ֨יאָה לִּ֥י ... וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה לִפְנֵ֥י ה' לִפְנֵ֥י מוֹתִֽי: .
Question: Why is the word וַאֲבָרֶכְכָ֛ה spelled in such an unusual manner instead of the usual way as וַאֲבָ֣רֶכְךָ֔ (Breisheet 12:2)?
Thoughts: Another similar word of this unusual grammar style is the word: יָ֣דְכָ֔ה (Shemos, Bo 13:16) Usually it is spelled as יָדֶֽךָ , but here it also uses the extra letter ה at the end. Chazal learn from this unusual spelling to mean to put Tefillin on the weaker hand.
Could this also be related to the fact that the blessings that Eisav was about to receive were related to earthly items? Between spiritual blessings and physical, the physical is the weaker of the two since spiritual blessings which last longer.
We also see a Midrash that states that the physical world was created with the letter Hey (אלה תולדות השמים והארץ בהבראם). Even there, the letter is smaller as well. Just my personal thoughts.


texts: Are there any halachic problems with visiting a secular museum?

texts:
When visiting a secular museum with paintings and sculptures from Egypt, Europe and Asia (usually influenced by idol worshipping ideas and if not that then elements of immodesty), are there any tips to having a fun and kosher trip to the museum?

Should such museums be avoided altogether or can one simple visit the "kosher" areas?


texts: Recommendation for Temple archeological tour

texts:
It's been a while since I have visited the archeological sites near the Temple area. I believe that you appreciate what you read in history is best appreciated by personally seeing it.

As I plan to be in Yerushalayim, soon, I'd like someone who can recommend (or, perhaps, if you live in Yerushalayim, you might personally want to do this?) recommend a high-quality yet reasonable tour that can correlate Talmudic and / or other descriptions of the 1st or 2nd Temple period with viewing the actual archeological findings. I've been to the "Temple model" places. They're good for getting a general perspective, but I'm looking to see what may be left of the actual "items". E.g., if they may have located any part of the Temple platform, altars, tools used, cisterns, pipes, etc. I am also taking the more "lenient side" regarding entry to the Temple Mount area (if someone is concerned about that.)

If you, personally, are willing to provide the tour, please send me your email so that I can contact you, privately.


texts: Why do we burn Tamei and Passul Karbanos Pesach on the 15th?

texts:
The Mishnah in Pesachim (82a,83a) states:

  הפסח שיצא או שנטמא ישרף מיד. נטמאו הבעלים או שמתו תעובר צורתו וישרף בט״ז. ר׳ יוחנן בן ברוקה אומר אף זה ישרף מיד לפי שאין לו אוכלין. העצמות והגידין והנותר ישרפו בט״ז. חל ט״ז להיות בשבת ישרפו בי״ז לפי שאינן דוחין לא את השבת ולא את היום טוב.

  A Pesach which left [Yerushalayim] or became tamei is immediately burned. If the owners became tamei or died, we leave the Karban over and burn it on the 16th. R’ Yochanan Ben Beroka said, even in this case it’s burned immediately, since there are no eaters. Bones, sinews, and leftover Karbanos are burned on the 16th. If the 16th fell on Shabbos, we burn it on the 17th, since it doesn’t push off Shabbos nor Yom Tov.

When I learned these Mishnayos with my 10-year-old Chavrusa, he asked me a very simple question, which I was kind of embarrassed that I didn’t come up with on my own.

The Halacha follows Rav (Gemara on 6a) that one who found Chametz on Pesach should cover it and burn it on Chol HaMoed (OC 446:1). Thus, he posed a simple Kal v’Chomer: if Chametz, which has a prohibition against owning it, we still wait to burn it, a Tamei Karban Pesach, which does not have a prohibition against owning it, is it not logical that we should wait to burn it? So why in the beginning of the Mishnah does the Tanna Kamma say that we burn it immediately?

Then we read a bit further and got to the end of the following Mishnah, which said that it doesn’t push off Shabbos and Yom Tov, further strengthening his question. I checked the Gemara, and indeed, 84b-85a gives not one but four different sources that this is the case (Chizkiya’s source that the passuk has an extra “ad boker,” Abaye’s source of “olas Shabbas biShabbato,” Rava’s comparison to a Bris Milah that was pushed off, and Rav Ashi’s understanding that this is an aseh versus an aseh and a lav). Even if his Kal v’Chomer fell apart, he has a Mishnah, defended by several pesukim, that support his question!

I originally thought to answer that Nosar, the subject of the end of the Mishnah, is different than a Tamei or Passul, the subject of the beginning, but then I saw that these same expositions appear in Shabbos 24b-25a regarding the Mishnah of אין מדליקין שמן שרפה ביו״ט, we don’t light on Yom Tov with Shemen Sereifah (Terumah oil that’s Tamei and must be burned). Since the same pesukim are applied by Shemen Sereifah and Nosar, there’s clearly no distinction between Tamei and Nosar. Why, then does the Tanna Kamma in our Mishnah in Pesachim learn that we burn a Tamei or Passul Karban Pesach immediately?


texts: Where can I purchase tefillin according to the Temani/Rambami shitah?

texts:
Not just tefillin made of gewil (i.e. גויל - unsplit hide), but with the shin that goes all the way to the bottom of the bayith?

Is there any source for purchasing such tefillin?


texts: Can a Microwave be used to Kasher other dishes? For example, to Kasher a metal bowl it could be filled with water and placed on a platter in the microwave for an extended period of time. The water in the bowl would come to a boil, and then something could be dipped inside to make the boiling water overflow. In which case, the bowl could now be considered Kashered?


texts:
Is the word אֱלוֹהַּ pronounced as:

"Elo-ha" or
"Elo-ah"?

DonielF pointed out a similar question. It seems to me that that question was asking for the reasoning of how Patach Genuvah works. I think that my question is addressing a specific word Elo-ah and what its correct pronunciation is. It seems to me that this word can deserve its own question of how to properly pronounce it. While spreading this lesson a little bit in Lakewood, one man called me and told me that he did a little bit of research and heard that (I take zero responsibility for any validity of this story), Rav Moshe Feinstein told his Shaliach Tzibbur (R' Aidelman) to pronounce the word as Elo-ha. He finished off the phone call telling me to do further research on this topic. And I did.
Edit: You're all totally right that the subject of this pronunciation has already been addressed in other questions. Great job to the community's very active involvement in combing through every question.


texts: Why does God have Moshe use a name the Israelites won't know?

texts: When God sends Moshe back to Egypt from Midyan, he instructs Moshe to refer to God as "Hashem." (Shemot 3:15) When Moshe returns from the task, God reveals that the Israelites (or at least their forefathers) never knew God as "Hashem," but rather by a different name, "Kel Sha-dai." (Shemot 6:3)  Why did God not instruct Moshe to use both so that the Israelites would better recognize God's name?


texts: PTIJ: Are there other ritually demanded drinks?

texts:
Rituals and laws, in certain situations, are predicated on the presence of certain drinks. The four I can think of are

the test for an adulterous woman which requires the use of Soda Water

any proceedings which require testimony and thus demand an ade (much like the case where one must testify that an etrog is not grafted, a case which involves lemonade, or the ben sorer or moreh situation where one can claim that what was drunk was not wine via a Grapeade).

The method of punishing those who were involved in cheit ha'egel as those people had to drink ground calf-ee.

Levites can take certain gifts, ferment them into sheichar/alcohol and drink them.

Are there other drinks which are demanded by ritual?

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


texts:
It's almost a colloquialism that there are four holy cities in Israel.

If, indeed, there is some significant message derived from the historical importance of these cities that imparts in them some holiness, why aren't there more?  For instance, given the fact that it was home to the Mishkan for such a long time, I'd expect Shiloh to be on the list.  In addition, given the fact that the Sanhedrin convened there after the destruction of Yerushalayim, I might also expect Yavneh to be on the list.*


texts:
Why (in some synagogues) does the shatz (leader) put on the talis during mincha of Shabas, before "Vaani s'filasi", rather than before the start of mincha?

As Gershon Gold notes in his answer, Shaare S'shuva says this is because when we say "Vaani s'filasi" is a time of ratzon. And as I note in a comment to that answer, Taame Haminhagim says that it has to do with the words vaani s'filasi: a talis is connected to t'fila. But neither of them answers why we wait and put on the talis during mincha rather than before: after all, we don't need a talis until (let's say) "Baruch sheamar", yet we don it at the start of shacharis.


texts: Why does Hashem decide not to destroy mankind again after the flood?

texts:
Hashem brings a flood to destroy the evil-doers (Braishis 7 (17)).

Without any notable change in the behaviour of mankind, and after Noach's sacrifice, Hashem decides that He will not repeat the destruction (Braishis 8 (21)).

How do we understand the decision process?


texts:
It seems that salting and soaking liver is insufficient to release the blood sufficiently to make it kosher. It needs to be broiled (or is there some other method that also works?)

What's the science behind this? I would think that the heart which is the main blood-pumping organ, would also need to be broiled, but, I guess not. What's special about the liver? Is it the same with all kosher animals and birds?


texts: Eilu V'Eilu from Heaven - who said it applies to every Rabbi?

texts:
IIRC, the only examples of Elu Ve'elu (אלו ואלו דברי אלקים חיים) appear in the Talmud in the name of the Heaven (see here):

Machlokes B"H and B"S (see for example Eruvin 13b): ...a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: Both these and those are the words of the living God.
Pilegesh Bagiv'ah (see Gittin 6b): G-d (or Eliyahoo) testified that R' Evyatar and R' Yonatan are both "Elu Ve'elu".

As we see in those examples the saying is very specific and focused on an argument between two Rabbis and does not extrapolate on all Rabbis and all Rabbinical arguments.

I'd like to know, who extrapolated/applied the saying on all Rabbis and all Machlokos, that in all arguments both sides are right?

(Thanks DoubleAa for accentuating this point).


texts: Is one allowed to listen to music for therapeutic purposes during sefira and the three weeks?

texts:
It has been scientifically proven that listening to music helps increase people's dopamine (happiness neurotransmitters) levels by as much as 9%, and as such there is such a thing as music therapy.

Would one be allowed to listen to music for therapeutic purposes during sefira and the three weeks?

Let's assume that there are no doctors' orders, and that a capella doesn't have the same effect.


texts: When we read stories of Nevuah in Tanach, are the nevuos being recorded as verbatim or is each Navi "paraphrasing" what the nevuah was?


texts: When a goel (close relative) redeems property, who actually takes possession?

texts:
The Torah describes in our parshah how, if a person is poor and has to sell his ancestral real estate, "his goel, who is closely related to him, should come and redeem his brother's sale" (Lev. 25:25).

When that happens, who actually takes possession? Does the goel hold on to it until the next Yovel year, or does it immediately revert to the original seller?


texts: Why would it be better for Rashi to say nothing than to say he doesn’t know?

texts:
This question previously asked why Rashi sometimes says he doesn’t know what a passuk comes to teach us. Both the questioner there and the various sources cited in this answer there seem to assume that it would have been better for Rashi to say nothing rather than ask a question and leave it unanswered.

The Maskil L’Dovid cited there asks the question as:

  מה בא ללמדנו שאינו יודע אם לא ידע ישתוק

  What is he coming to teach us that he doesn’t know [this]? If he doesn’t know, let him be quiet!

Likewise the Sifsei Chachamim’s wording:

  יש מקשים מה בא להודיענו שאינו יודע אם לא ידע ישתוק

  There are those who ask what Rashi is coming to inform us that he doesn’t know [this]. If he doesn’t know let him be quiet!

(I’d quote the Lubavitcher Rebbe cited in that answer as well, but I don’t speak Yiddish.)

What is the basis for this? If Rashi’s point in writing this commentary is to explain the Pesukim, why would it be better for him to be quiet rather than alert us to a problem that he can’t answer?

There’s certainly precedent for asking questions and leaving them unanswered. All throughout Shas halachic questions are posed and left unanswered, but there’s what to learn just from the question. Why isn’t that an option here, to explain that Rashi, in his goal to explain the Pesukim, felt that it’s better to highlight a question than leave it unanswered?

Others in the cited question answer similar to what I’ve outlined above. The Lubavitcher Rebbe, for instance, answers that Rashi just didn’t have a sufficiently simple explanation, even if he had a Midrashic one. But the Maskil L’Dovid doesn’t like this, as he poses a wildly different understanding in Rashi, where “I don’t know” doesn’t refer to the explanation of the passuk at all, but rather is its explanation, in a sense. Likewise, the Sifsei Chachamim, in an admittedly simpler explanation, understands that Rashi wasn’t sure which of several explanations were correct, but still isn’t willing to answer that Rashi didn’t have an explanation at all.

Why were these two commentaries unwilling to take Rashi at face value, insisting that it can’t be he said “I don’t know” because if he really didn’t he wouldn’t have said anything?


texts: Which synagogues in the Catskill, NY area are active during Shabbat and High Holidays?

texts:
I am looking to spend a Shabbat in one of the historic Catskill mountain, NY area synagogues (i.e. any shul located in Sullivan, Orange, Ulster, Greene and Delaware counties.) during the summer as well as possibly Rosh Hashanna.

The only 3 synagogues that I was able to locate any info about having active services are the large old shul / yeshiva in Woodridge, NY, the one in Livingston Manor and the one in Mountaindale, NY. I know that one of the oldest is in Spring Glen, another one in Glen Wild and a third in Parksville. But, I couldn't locate any info on when they conduct services, if at all.

Does anyone have any advice regarding how I can find out? Is there, perhaps, a central contact person, number that would know about all the different shuls scattered through the Catskills. There are a number of them that I saw driving by on a weekday about 2 years ago, but they were closed, and there was no info on the web or otherwise that I could find.


texts: Medically treating a 'rodef' (/terrorist)

texts:
Although this is done routinely in Israel, is a doctor halachically allowed to treat a terrorist that has been injured, given that they would be considered a rodef. Or is rodef an 'in the act' status, such that once they are incapacitated they are no longer a rodef?

Similarly, as in recent news, would one be halachically allowed to treat a hunger striking terrorist if we are certain of the nature of their intent to kill?


texts:
This Tisha B'av morning I was at the Kotel for shachrit, and I noticed a whole bunch of people sleeping there. I'm not talking about people who nodded off during slichot due to low blood sugar, I'm talking about dozens and dozens of people who clearly spent the night there. Many were stretched out on blankets or sleeping mats. (I didn't see any pillows). A Jpost article has a picture if you want to see, and there were also mentions of the practice here, here, and here.

However, I cannot find anything about the origins of this practice. I know there is a tradition to sleep on a hard floor on Tisha B'av (which the kotel provides), but I feel like there has to be more to it than that. Does anyone know when and how this started? Was it ever done pre-1948 or is it a post-1967 phenomena?


texts: Is Earth a gift from Hakadosh Baruch Hu?

texts: I have always been confused by the entrustment of the earth to Adam. Is the earth a gift, or do we merely have stewardship? Do any rabbbanim state an opinion, particularly whether any Acharonim weigh in on the conservation and environmentalism?


texts: where can I order chalav yisroel lactose online?

texts:
I would like to brew a milk stout. The way this is done is by adding lactose which is a sugar derived from milk. This adds sweetness in the form of a sugar which does not ferment. Adding other sugars would not work as they would ferment out and rather than adding richness and sweetness to the beer they would make it dry.

Where can I order online chalav yisroel lactose?