texts: From where do the maps of Kriyas Yam Suf come?

texts:
I have seen many maps showing where the Jews crossed "Yam Suf" (Usually translated as the Red Sea).
Then they show where the Jews traveled, where is Mt. Sinai, where did the Jews encamp, etc.

Where does this information come from? Did we keep a tradition for the past 3000 years where  was the splitting of the sea and where in the Sinai desert was the actual Mt. Sinai? Are the locations documented in Rishonim? Did Artscroll or Kol Menachem consult Archeologists?


texts: Composed with the desire of our Father in heaven

texts:
Both the sefer Ohr Sameach and Meshech Chochmah, written by Rav Meir Simcha of Dvinsk, have on their title page the words

  חובר ברצון אבינו שבשמים

(See http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14551&pgnum=1 and http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14061&pgnum=1)

I haven't seen this particular statement, invoking the "רצון" of God, in any other sefer. It sounds like he's saying Hashem approves of the sefer. The closest I've found similar to this is the title page to Yam Shel Shlomo where it says ומן השמים הסכימו שהלכה כמותו, that Heaven agrees that the halacha (found in the sefer is correct) like him (http://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=40932&pgnum=1 see the third line). He writes that a miracle occured while writing it, proving Hashem agrees with it.

What is this unusual statement referring to, if anything in particular? Is it like the Yam Shel Shlomo? If so, what's the background behind it. Or is it something else.


texts: Is Talmud Bavli inferior to the Talmud Yerushalmi?

texts:
In Sanhedrin 24a the Gemara goes on to explain the different learning styles of the Yerushalmi Scholars (friendly; gave honor to each other) and the Babylonian Scholars (sharp with each other's viewpoints). The Gemara ends off by saying:

  מאי בבל א"ר יוחנן בלולה במקרא בלולה במשנה בלולה בתלמוד (איכה ג, ו) במחשכים הושיבני כמתי עולם אמר ר' ירמיה זה תלמודה של בבל

The Talmud of Bavel is not as clear as Yerushalmi  (the Gemara says it in a more explicit manner). Does this Gemara refer to our present Talmud, or does it refer to the Talmud prior to its final editing and format?


texts: Are we supposed to eat fish without a knife?

texts:
This is literally just something I've heard--that a knife is not supposed to be used, nor put out, for the fish course (i.e. on Shabbos). I ask people wherever I go if they've heard of this. Some say no, some suggest maybe, and of course the first person who told me thought yes, so I realize there is a very good chance that this is a small-group minhag of some sort.

According to some, the suggested technique is to pick up a piece of gefilte fish with your fork, dip it into the chrein, put it on your plate and eat it with your fork (also cutting it with the side of your fork).

A very educated rabbi whom I asked suggested that the custom, if it exists, might have something to do with the mystical symbolism of fish as tzadikim.

Has anyone heard of this? Anyone know who does it, to what extent, and on what basis? Thanks!


texts: Are there any teachings about "tough love?"

texts:
Sometimes, in order for one to learn, one must experience the failure of the ideas one believes to be true which are, in fact, not true. If the student in this process is a child or someone under the care of another, this process can sometimes be called "tough love."

Are there any Jewish teachings on this topic?

So,  true love is often tough.


texts: How would the new "Moses" nation be called?

texts:
Moses recalls G-d's words following the Golden Calf, to the whole Jewish nation (Deut 9,14):

הֶ֤רֶף מִמֶּ֙נִּי֙ וְאַשְׁמִידֵ֔ם וְאֶמְחֶ֣ה אֶת־שְׁמָ֔ם מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם וְאֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֽוֹתְךָ֔ לְגוֹי־עָצ֥וּם וָרָ֖ב מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃
Let Me alone and I will destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven, and I will make you a nation far more numerous than they.”

Surprisingly, according to Moses, G-d is willing not only to destroy the Jewish people but also "blot out their name" and subsequently establish a new nation from Moses.

What name was to be blotted - Israel, Bney Israel, Yeshurun, Yehudi etc?

Did G-d have backup names for Israel?

How would the new Nation be called?

I'm looking for sources mentioning that.


texts: Breishis 5:5 - Adam's 930 years are written backwards?

texts: When recounting the 10 generations from Adam to Noach, the years of their lives are written in the style of 1's, 10's and 100's place, e.g. ויחי ירד שתים וששים שנה ומאת שנה. Except for one exception, Breishis 5:5 - "ויהיו כל ימי אדם אשר חי תשע מאות שנה ושלשים שנה וימת". Any idea as to why?


texts: I'm learning Mishnayos now and I'd like to get a sefer of chazarah of mishnayos. Can anyone help me find a sefer for mishnayos chazarah?


texts: When to repeat Shmoneh Esrei when there is chazarat hashatz?

texts:
Sometimes a person needs to repeat Shmoneh Esrei. Some example cases: tashlumin, if one forgot ya'aleh v'yavoh, or said the wrong birkat hashanim.

This person is davening Shacharit, and immediately after he finishes his Shmoneh Esrei, he realizes that he needs to repeat it. Should he start right away, or say (at least the beginning) in sync with the chazzan? Does it make a difference why he's repeating it (mistake in this one, or tashlumin)?
If he says it with the chazzan, can/should he say kedusha also?


texts: Is branding yourself or another Jew allowed?

texts:
Tattoos are forbidden.
How about branding?


texts: Volunteering to pay for an ulterior motive

texts:
I have been trying to put into words what I think might be wrong with this hypothetical -- I'm not even ready to ask about a halachic answer because I'm not clear on what the halachic question is:

I went out to eat with someone else. The bill was sizable but instead of having us split the check and submit 2 credit cards, I volunteered to put the whole bill on my card and have him pay me back.

My motives were not altruistic. If I pay on my card, I get points/miles. The more I pay, the more I earn. But in this case, he is paying me back, so I am, effectively, being rewarded with points/miles for a payment that, in a sense, I am not making. [I could accomplish the same by wandering around and volunteering to pay everyone's bills as long as they pay me back.]

From a halachic stand point, am I defrauding the credit card company, taking advantage of my friend (would it make a difference if he knew my motives?), or somehow else taking interest or engaging in unfair business practices?


texts: How many Shevah Brachos se'udahs do I have to make?

texts:
Someone told me that it is proper to make a Sheva Brachos se'udah during every day of the 7 days of rejoicing after a wedding.

Is that a requirement?
Does it depends on which community you live in?
Is there a difference in tradition between Ashkenazim, Sefardim and even between the smaller subgroups within these groups?


texts:
Someone told me the following:

1) The events of the week correspond to the theme of that week's parsha,

2) The events in the parsha are manifested into the week.

Is there a source for this?


texts: Source for tzitzit according to Sefer HaChinuch

texts: I'm looking for the source in Sefer HaChinuch that discusses the author's method for tying tzitzit. Can anyone point it out for me?


texts:
I want to give a shiur in Shul about Shabbat and how it Rambam and others say that one gets Kares if one doesn't keep it and it says in the Chumash 'that he is cut of from his people'.

A person came up to me and got annoyed saying I was a fundamentalist and says that it means that you are cut off from your community, not in the afterlife and that Kares doesn't mean you lose your afterlife. I quoted him the Rambam and he said that Rambam wrote a book 10 years later contradicting himself?

My questions is, what does Kares actually mean? and do you have any sources/names of rabbi's?


texts: Why do bad things happen to us on Tisha b'Av in particular?

texts: Can anyone point me to a religiously-based discussion of why so many bad things happened to us Jews on Tish'a b'Av in particular, far more than on any other day on the calendar?  In some cases the "bad guys" could have planned it that way, to rub it in, but in others they probably didn't.  What is the teaching here?


texts: What is the symbolism of the pomegranate in Judaism?

texts: The pomegranate as a symbol in adorning the robe of the high priest, engraved on the pillars of the temple and brought by the spies to show the fruits of the land of Israel. Is there an explanation of the symbolic meaning of the pomegranate in Judaism? I am aware that the seeds are eaten on Rosh Hashana with a symbolic relationship to the Jewish people having many merits. I'm looking for any other meanings assigned.


texts:
Does a minyan say tachanun if there was a siyyum or if there is going to be after aleinu? Or, is it preferable to have a Siyum on Shabbat (just for example) to avoid this safeik?
Is Tachanun recited at a Siyum of all the Masechtot of Sha"S Bavli?

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


texts: Amount of respect from daughter in law to her father in law

texts:
1. If the father commands his son to tell his (the son's) wife to do something, does the son have a mitzvah to listen if it is not against the torah?

(Since I see that mitzvah is also to listen to him when talking to others unless it is against torah (ahavas Yesroel, not go hate a Jew) from yora daiya 240.16)

2.  Does a woman need to respect her parents in-law (as a man does yora daiya 240.24) (as is by a single woman to her parents yora daiya 240.17)?

3.  If yes, what is the level of this respect

Is it like a man’s to his in laws (respect as to an importent old man (shach 240.22 and pischai teshuva 240.20) even if he is not) or is it more since we see that a few times if you need to respect someone that needs to respect someone you also do (see the above pischai teshuva) or not since we need to respect the grandparents less than parents ramo yora daiya 240.24

Sources appreciated

PS  from chukas hanoshim CH. 12 of the Ben ish hai it seems that she should even not get angry if her mother in law abuses her


texts: What is the Definition of Red in regards to Women's Clothing?

texts:
The prohibition of red women's clothes is well known, as is the definition of red in hilchos niddah. I hear many near-red garments being justified by calling them salmon, pink, purple, maroon, etc, but those colors would certainly be forbidden in hilchos niddah.*
What is the definition of red in regards to women's clothing?

* Black and dark brown are forbidden in hilchos niddah too, but obviously not in women's clothing.


texts: According to the Minchas Elazar, the Baal Shem Tov evicted the Sheidim from where humans live. Does that mean that they are still located in the wilderness areas and one must be "choshesh" for them there?


texts: I have heard that pornography is forbidden, but the reasons (most?) seem to be based upon statements in the Talmud that deal with situations where the potential for a sinful encounter may occur, from where is it known that even images are forbidden?


texts: Why was Yaakov punished for not honoring his parents?

texts:
Bereshit 37:34 (translation by machon-mamre):

  וַיִּקְרַע יַעֲקֹב שִׂמְלֹתָיו, וַיָּשֶׂם שַׂק בְּמָתְנָיו;
  וַיִּתְאַבֵּל עַל-בְּנוֹ, יָמִים רַבִּים

  And Jacob rent his garments, and put sackcloth upon his loins, and
  mourned for his son many days

Rashi says (loose translation by me):

  "ימים רבים" - כ"ב שנה משפירש ממנו עד שירד יעקב למצרים [...] כנגד כ"ב שנה שלא קיים יעקב כבוד אב ואם

  "many days" - 22 years since he left him until Yaakov emigrated to Egypt [...] against 22 years that he didn't honor his father and mother

Why did Yaakov deserve that punishment? After all, not only were his life in danger, but also he was commanded by both his parents to go abroad!

More details and sources:

1.
He ran for his life. As long as he was in the vicinity of Esav, his life were in danger Bereshit 27:41 (trans. machon-mamre):

  וַיִּשְׂטֹם עֵשָׂו, אֶת-יַעֲקֹב, עַל-הַבְּרָכָה, אֲשֶׁר בֵּרְכוֹ
  אָבִיו; וַיֹּאמֶר עֵשָׂו בְּלִבּוֹ, יִקְרְבוּ יְמֵי אֵבֶל אָבִי,
  וְאַהַרְגָה, אֶת-יַעֲקֹב אָחִי.

  And Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing wherewith his father blessed him. And Esau said in his heart: 'Let the days of mourning for my father be at hand; then will I slay my brother Jacob.'

And you can see that even after all of these years, Yaakov still had the fear that Esav is waiting for the revenge (Bereshit 32:8-9)

2.
Rivka has commanded him to escape! As in Bereshit 27:43 (trans. machon-mamre):

  וְעַתָּה בְנִי, שְׁמַע בְּקֹלִי; וְקוּם בְּרַח-לְךָ אֶל-לָבָן אָחִי,
  חָרָנָה.

  Now therefore, my son, hearken to my voice; and arise, flee thou to Laban my brother to Haran;

This mitzva should have been in effect until Rivka sends Yaakov a message to come back (see Bereshit 27:45), a message never mentioned to be sent.

3.
Yitzchak has commanded him to go! See Bereshit 28:1-2 (trans. machon-mamre):

  וַיִּקְרָא יִצְחָק אֶל-יַעֲקֹב, וַיְבָרֶךְ אֹתוֹ; וַיְצַוֵּהוּ
  וַיֹּאמֶר לוֹ, לֹא-תִקַּח אִשָּׁה מִבְּנוֹת כְּנָעַן.  ב קוּם לֵךְ
  פַּדֶּנָה אֲרָם, בֵּיתָה בְתוּאֵל אֲבִי אִמֶּךָ; וְקַח-לְךָ מִשָּׁם
  אִשָּׁה, מִבְּנוֹת לָבָן אֲחִי אִמֶּךָ.

  1 And Isaac called Jacob, and blessed him, and charged him, and said unto him: 'Thou shalt not take a wife of the daughters of Canaan. 2 Arise, go to Paddan-aram, to the house of Bethuel thy mother's father; and take thee a wife from thence of the daughters of Laban thy mother's brother.

Only Yitzchak command was maybe fulfilled after the first 7 years at Laban's service, as he married Leah (Rachel's time of marriage is off-topic). It still doesn't sum up to 22 years...


texts: When the Mishna Berurah quotes the Vilna Gaon, is he paskening like him?

texts:
The Shulchan Aruch in 47/1 says

  One who thinks about words of Torah does not need to say the blessings
  [of the Torah]. Similarly, one may pasken without giving the reason

The Mishna Berurah explains why one may pasken

  for the reason for the halacha - which is the most important part - is just being
  thought about [and not verbalized]

The Mishna Berurah brings the Gra who says

  this is no better than reading - for which one does have to say the blessings of the Torah, and even in thinking, one has to first say the blessings of the Torah

My question is not about the propriety of whether one can think in Torah before saying the blessings of the Torah. The posek I use says it is permitted, and one does not need to be strict like the Gra, especially if one wakes up in the middle of the night and has a Torah thought - one does not need to banish it. However my chavrusa's posek does pasken like the Gra, and I have heard that Rav Chaim Kanievsky will only think of names of Tanaim and Amoraim in such a situation.

My chavrusa claims that the reason that his posek paskens like the Gra is because of a "rule" in learning Mishna Berurah, that when the Mishna Berurah quotes the Gra as he does above (matter-of-factly and not as a dissenting opinion) then he is actually paskening like him.

I am interested in finding out more about such a rule.


texts:
What did Rabbi Simeon claimed when he said that ‘Metatron is a man in the image of G-d’, ‘an emanation from/of Him’?

Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai commenting on the Zohar:

  “There is a perfect Man, who is an Angel. This Angel is Metatron, the Keeper of Israel; He is a man in the image of the Holy One, blessed be He, who is an Emanation from Him; yea, He is YHVH; of Him cannot be said, He is created, formed or made; but He is the Emanation from God. This agrees exactly with what is written, Jeremiah 23:5-6, Of David’s Branch, that though He shall be a perfect man, yet He is ‘The Lord our Righteousness.’”

Rabbi Simeon ben Jochai. The Propositions
of the Zohar. cap. 38, Amsterdam edition.


texts: When is a mechitza required for separation between men and women for prayers?

texts:
When is a mechitza (partition) required for separation between men and women for davening (prayers)?

Is this only in a shul (synagogue) or anywhere men are praying?
Is there a minimum amount of women present to require a mechitza? If there is a large shul with one woman present, may the men daven there, or must she leave first?
Is there any distance criteria? If the shul is very large, and the men are only way up-front and there are a few women all the way in the back, is that ok?
In a public area, like in an airport or at a wedding hall, must there be no woman at all in the whole room in order for the men to be allowed to daven?
Does it make any difference whether the women are also davening or not?

All in all, what are the criteria which the requirement or non requirement of a mechitzah depend on?


texts:
I live in an apartment with roommates, I'm trying to determine who is stealing my food. I use the word stealing because each of us had have our own separate and color-coded cabinets, and I also label all my food.

For a situation like this, what does halacha say about the permissibility of "poisoning" one's own food in a way that produces a noticable effect without doing harm?  The goal is to identify the thief by seeing who, say, breaks out into a sneezing fit.

(For practical advice, of course consult your own rabbi.)


texts: Prediction of the destruction of the Beis Hamikdash - seemingly out of place

texts:
On Lev. 26:19, ושברתי את גאון עזכם - "I will break the pride of your strength," Rashi (citing Sifra) explains that this refers to the Beis Hamikdash.

But this is still fairly early on in the cycle of increasingly severe sins and punishments; it's two more cycles (vv. 21-22 and 23-26) before things get to the point of the Jews being besieged, and then still another (vv. 27ff) until the cities are destroyed and the Jews exiled, which is when the Beis Hamikdash was destroyed. So why is the warning of this event placed so early, instead of somewhere around v. 30?


texts: Can pledged cash be exchanged for other cash?

texts:
Authorities like the Or Zaru'a have been so stringent as to say that even mental pledges are binding when it comes to gifts to the poor. Many less extreme opinions hold that verbal pledges of the same are binding. If one pledged a specific pile of money (specific bills or coins) to be given to an individual in need, would he be allowed to exchange that pile for a different one of like value?

I assume this could depend not only on the laws of gifts to the poor but also the laws of binding statements/oaths in general if one made a specific statement such as "I pledge to give this $50 to Mr. X."


texts: If שכינה is לשון נקבה then why ותראהו?

texts:
According to rashi's drash explanation (taken from :סוטה יב) of שמות ב:ו ד״ה ותפתח ותראהו how can השכינה, a grammatically feminine word, refer back to the masculine objective suffix הו-?  Perhaps rashi brought this explanation second over his pshat possibly because of this weakness (viz. the lack of grammatical concordance).  Can drash explanations such as this transcend the realm of grammar?

If we say these two letters are a masculine name of Hashem then why couldn't rashi just have referred directly to that name and bypass the grammatical gender agreement issue?


texts: Giving charity to someone about whom the giver knows nothing?

texts:
I often pass by a Jewish store where a person is standing outside asking for tzedaka/charity. Call me cynical but I have no way of knowing A)if the person is really poor, B) if the person is Jewish and C) what he will do with the money (possibly drugs or something else harmful).

Is there any halachic obligation (under the rubric of tzedaka or any other mitzvah) to give him money?


texts: Can I stack Sifrei Chumash out of order?

texts:
The Shulchan Arukh (Y.D. 282:19) discusses stacking various sefarim. There it is stated that one should place a Chumash over other books of the Tanakh.
Suppose I have a set of Chumashim with each book of the Torah in a separate volume. Is it problematic to place Shemot on top of Bereishit, for example? In this case, all the books are part of the Chumash but they're out of the canonical order.
Related: Stacking Seforim


texts:
Why is Shavuos just one day, instead of a full week?

Of the three Regalim (Pesach, Shavuos, and Sukkos), Shavuos is the only one which isn’t seven days long. Furthermore, in regards to bringing the Karban Chagigah, it is treated as a full week, in the sense that if someone didn’t bring it on Shavuos, he has another six days to bring it (Chagigah 17a). However, only the first day is actually Yom Tov; the remainder of the week has no extra sanctity.


texts:
I understand there is a work by R' Yosef Karo under the same name. But in the Shemos HaTzaddikim, I find the following name:

ר' מענדיל מגיד מישרים דקהלת באר
R' Mendel, Maggid Meisharim of the community in Bar.

What is a maggid meisharim in this case?


texts:
The Lishon Hakodesh root 'ע'ט'פ seems to take on a different meaning in various canons/eras:

Pentateuch: In the discussion regarding Jacob's manipulation of Laban's flock, we encounter the  verse (Genesis 30:41):

  ובהעטיף הצאן לא ישים  והיה העטפים ללבן והקשורים ליעקב

Most Rishonim understand ובהעטיף and העטפים to mean "[the sheep were] delayed" and "the late ones" respectively.

I'm not aware of another occurrence of 'ע'ט'פ in Chumash, but my knowledge is far from comprehensive.

Nakh: The root is generally used to describe an emotional state of extreme devastation. E.g.

Psalms 102:1

  תפלה לעני כי יעטוף

107:5

נפשם בהם תתעטף

and Lamentations 2:19

  העטופים ברעב

In Rabbinic literature, most notably with regard to the mitzva of tzitzis, the root is used to mean 'enwrap': להתעטף בציצית. There is a verse in Isaiah 3:22 המחלצות והמעטפות which also seems to take on this meaning.

While some of the Rishonim's explanations do manage to somewhat link the different interpretations, the root does seem to have taken on a different meaning over time. Is this common with שרשים, or is there really an underlying commonality across the different usages?

As an extra twist, the root 'ע'ט'ה is used in Tanakh for the third usage of 'ע'ט'פ, enwrapping; e.g.

Psalms 104:2 עטה אור כשלמה.

Is it possible that at some point in time, the root 'ע'ט'פ started to be used for 'enwrap' instead of 'ע'ט'ה?


texts: For a short while, the Mir Yeshiva was relocated to Kobe Japan at the outbreak of the Second World War. Since Japan is in question with the International Dateline how did the Rosh Yeshiva Pasken for the Yeshiva? Whose opinion did they hold by regarding the dateline?


texts: Can I use a Parabolic Mirror or Fresnel Lens to cook on Shabbat?

texts:
Shabbat 39a discusses cooking on Shabbat using the sun.  It is permitted to roll an egg on a hot roof to cook it since this is not a typical way to cook, but you can't burry it in sun-heated-sand because you need to dig a hole to put it in the sand. Also, a handkerchief heated by the sun is ok because you don't need to dig to put the egg in. Rav Grossman adds in his Daf Yomi shiur that there was a machloket over cooking in microwaves on shabbat, they don't get hot, so it should be allowed, however since it is normal to cook using them it's prohibited.

So, can I use a parabolic dish to harness the sun's direct heat to cook on Shabbat?

How about a Fresnel Lens?


texts:
I am trying to make a schedule.

How many Perakim and Beraytot in the Tosefta?


texts: Why Don't we Say Tachanun on a Particular Day?

texts:
There are many days on which we don't say Tachanun, and much argument about whether we say it on any given day -- but is there any underlying reason why we wouldn't say it, a reason which might explain why we do or don't say it on a given day?

I looked in the Rambam and the M"B and all I saw was lists of when we do and don't say it -- no reasoning behind why. There were some explorations of why a specific day might be excluded, but no generalizable rule through which I could then predict whether on another  day we would say Tachanun.

Is there a rule which determines saying or not saying Tachanun, or is the entire practice a series of individual cases with separate logic for each?

A similar question, but about Tu Bishvat specifically.


texts: Explanation needed - Rambam Mishnah Brachos 1:5

texts:
I am trying to understand the Rambam Peirush HaMishnayos to Brachos 1:5, but I am having trouble fitting an understanding into the words. I need this done by Tuesday night for I am meant to be explaining this. Help!

  א מזכירין יציאת מצרים בלילות כו': יציאת מצרים כנוי לפרשת ציצית שנאמר בה אשר הוצאתי אתכם מארץ מצרים והסברא נותנת שלא יקראו הפרשה הזאת בלילה כי הכתוב אומר וראיתם אותו בשעת הראיה כאשר באה הקבלה לולי יציאת מצרים שנזכר שם ויש לנו לקרותה מפני הענין ההוא. ואולם מה שאמר ר"א בן עזריה הרי אני כבן שבעים שנה ולא אמר בן שבעים שנה כי לא היה בן שבעים אלא צעיר לימים היה והיה מרבה לשנות וללמוד ולקרות יום ולילה עד אשר תשש כחו ונזרקה בו שיבה וחזר כזקן בן שבעים שנה והיה התחלת השיבה ברצונו כמו שנתבאר בגמרא (דף כח.) ואמר בענין תמיהה הרי אני אע"פ שהשתדלתי והתחברתי עם אנשי החכמה לא זכיתי לדעת הרמז שנרמז בכתוב בחיוב קריאת פרשת ציצית בלילה עד שדרשה בן זומא:

To clarify exactly what I don't understand:

I don't understand how the first part adds to our understanding of the Mishnah, and what is it getting at. I don't understand how it flows from the first part to the second part, although I do sort of understand the second part. Also, is the last part an alternative explanation or simply an addition?


texts: Why is a Parah Aduma kodesh with קדושת בדק הבית?

texts:
See Gemara in Yuma 42a and Rambam Hilchos Parah 1:7.
If it's a korban, then it should have full kdushas korban, and if it's not, then why isn't it completely chullin?


texts: Is a person forced to used his paid vacation days for Chol Hamoed?

texts:
This Halchipedia article states that a person is permitted to work on Chol Hamoed if there is a financial loss (Davar Ha'avud)

Let's say a person, who lives in U.S., has accumulated 10 paid vacation days. Let's assume that all the days of Chol Hamoed Succot and Hoshannah Rabbah are mid-week, so he would use up 5 vacation days. Thus, if he did not go to work, he would be paid for being out all of Succot including Chol Hamoed.

However, in a few months, his daughter who lives in Israel will be getting married. He wants to attend the wedding, and he would need to use 10 vacation days to make this trip. If he takes off during Chol Hamoed, he won't be able to take off to attend his daughter's wedding.

Does someone need to use his accumulated paid vacation days immediately, or can he go to work on Chol Hamoed because this scenario would be considered Davar Ha'aved? (a loss)?


texts: Why don't we rely on Anan Sahadi for murder cases?

texts:
The Rambam writes in his Sefer HaMitzvos Lavim #290:
"Even if A pursues B with intent to kill, and B takes refuge in a house, and the pursuer follows him, and we enter after them and find B in his last gasp and his enemy, A, standing over him with a knife in his hand, and both of them are covered with blood, the Sanhedrin may not find the pursuer A liable for capital punishment, since there are no direct witnesses who actually saw the murder …" The reason given by Maimonides is that if the court was permitted to convict a suspect of a criminal offense on the basis of other than the unequivocal testimony of witnesses to the actual act, the court might soon find itself convicting of criminal offences on the basis of a "speculative evaluation of the evidence. source

Why don't we apply the rule of Anan Sahadi (we're witnesses)?
We execute people based on this principle. For example, the Halacha is that we execute a son who wounds his father. How do we know it's his father? We don't claim (to save the child) that he was adopted or that his mother committed adultery with another man due to "us being witnesses" that this is their child.


texts: If a woman converts to Judaism, has a baby, and then converts to Christianity, is the baby still considered a born Jew? That is, can the woman's conversion be retroactively annulled in a way that affects her children?


texts: Is there an objective numerical temperature to "yad soiledes boy"

texts: being that feeling differs from person to person is there an objective numerical temperature to "yad soledes boy" and how is this established?


texts: Is a cochlear implant considered a chatzitza for tefillin shel rosh?

texts:
A cochlear implant is attached on the outside of the head as shown in this picture

As you can see, there isn't much leeway to move the coil off the head into a different position as there is a magnet inside the head to which the outer magnet attaches. Inevitably when wearing the tefillin shel rosh, the strap will go over the coil. You can't put the coil over the tefillin strap, as it won't fit correctly.

Also, removing the coil completely makes the person deaf. (Well, he still is deaf, but, I mean with the coil, he can hear.) Please don't suggest davening without the coil attached, unless you are deaf or have extensively dealt with deaf people themselves.

Is having the coil in place with the tefillin strap over it considered a chatzitza (interference)?


texts: How "with" the congregation do you have to be to avoid saying "Kel Melech Ne'eman" before Shema?

texts:
As I understand it, when reciting the Shema by yourself, you add the words "Kel Melech Ne'eman" beforehand; but when praying with a minyan, you don't.

How "with the minyan" do you have to be?  What if you start your Shema a minute earlier than everyone?  A minute later?  What if you have to daven fast, so you're up to Shema while they're still in Psukei D'Zimra (opening Psalms)?  Or you got there late (due to some mitzva-related circumstance beyond your control) and you're saying Shema while they're almost done?  Does it all depend on whether you hear the Chazan say the concluding "Hashem Elokeichem Emes"?


texts: How did the priests dress in the temple and why?

texts: The priests in the temple dressed very specifically, i.e. with a golden belt around the chest and a very high hat. Why? What does the talmud say about that and where can i find that information?


texts: Was Pharoh's daughter named Basya or Bisya? Sources please!


texts: What is the history and purpose behind Teki'ah Gedolah?

texts:
I am familiar with the origin and reasoning of the "regular" Tekiah blast that surrounds the shevarim, teru'ah and shevarim-teru'ah sounds.

What is the origin of the teki'ah gedolah in terms of its use on Rosh Hashanna? I recall that that there are various verses that allude to a "long" Shofar sound such as the one heard on Mt. Sinai, the one used for yovel (Jubilee) and the sound of the "great shofar" announcing Mashiach.

But what is the origin of using it as part of the Rosh Hashanna shofar service? I don't recall this mentioned in the Talmud anywhere.

It seems to be done as the last teki'ah blast of some type of "grouping" such as the last blast of the teki'ot d'meyushav - the group of blasts done before Musaph Amidah. Is this its purpose? To announce the ending of a grouping? Or is there some other purpose to it?


texts: Has the Torah been changed over the ages?

texts:
It is quite a famous argument from Muslims for authenticity of the Quran that the previous Holy Books (Bible and Torah) sent by God have been corrupted or changed by their followers and that Quran is the only one which remains intact in its original form. Though they never provide any evidence for this claim against today's Torah, it is still one of the main arguments.

What is the counter argument to this claim according to Jewish teachings? Have there been any later versions, additions or omissions in/from the Torah? Or is it really the original one according to Judaic teachings? And what evidence can be presented to dismiss this Muslim claim?

Note: This question isn't meant to be for ridicule or anything. It's just academic curiosity. So I apologize if this causes any sort of offence. I'm not very knowledgeable about Jewish religion.


texts: If the Kesubah was read immediately following the birkas eirusin, before the kedushin took place, must the bracha be repeated?

texts:
If, at a wedding, the Kesubah (marriage contract) was read immediately following the birkas eirusin, before the kedushin took place, must the bracha be repeated, because of the hefsek (interruption) between the bracha and the kedushin?

[Note: One may claim that the reading of the Kesubah is not considered a hefsek, because it is also relevant to the ceremony, although not to the kedushin per se.

I think this may be incorrect, based on the reason for reading the kesubah is specifically in order to cause a hefsek after the bracha, so as to allow repeating the bracha of Borei pri hagafen again, before the sheva brachos.]


texts: Was Rashbi a member of Beth Shammai or Beth Hillel?

texts:
Do you know if Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai was a follower of Hillel or Shammai?

There are partial lists of followers of each of them here, but he's not on either of them. Was he a follower of one of them, neither of them, or do we just not know?


texts:
Is it still prohibited to heal on Shabbos? There is significant reason to assume that illnesses which are not typically treated by crushing herbs are allowed to be treated on Shabbos. (See, for example Mishnah Brurah 328:130). Nowadays, few people crush herbs for any illness. Would that categorically permit healing on Shabbos?

Are typical pills made of any ground material? Even if they were, would that be sufficient to prohibit, because private individuals don't grind?

I am not interested in the Ketzos Hashulchan's similar argument to permit Refuah nowadays -that the decree is no longer applicable. I am interested in the argument that there never was a decree against treating illnesses not cured by ground herbs, a category which all illnesses may fit nowadays.

Please provide all pertinent sources from the Gemara, Rishonim, Acharonim, and recent Teshuvos.


texts: The purpose of punishment in the Afterlife

texts:
This follows my previous question "can-one's-merits-in-the-world-to-come-be-traded"

In my humble understanding, the general purpose of punishment is to make someone better, to make a person change, to cause him to make Teshuva. However, for one who's unable to change the punishment seems otiose and useless.

In the afterlife, we're allegedly judged in the Heavenly court and sentenced for our misdeeds to some form of punishment - but for what purpose, if we're helpless and unable to change?


texts: When to say LeDovid HaShem Ori in a minyan with different nusach

texts:
I daven Nusach Ashkenaz saying “LeDovid HaShem Ori” at Shacharis and Maariv.

Q1 If I daven Mincha with a Minyan which says “LeDovid HaShem Ori” at Mincha, should I say it with them? (I assume yes, in order not to separate myself from the Tzibbur).

Q2 If I then daven Maariv in the same Minyan (which now does not say “LeDovid HaShem Ori”), am I obliged to say it? I realise that this is a case for CYLOR and will do iy”H.


texts: What are some general halachot about treif culinary schools?

texts: I have seen some assorted questions about specific occurrences in a non-kosher culinary schools here, however, I was wondering if there are any general halachot which apply. In other words, would it be acceptable for a religious Jew to learn cooking at a non-hechshered program and what would be the concerns?


texts: Is it permitted to go to the polls to vote before davening shachris? Is voting included in "chafatzechah" (your own needs) that Halacha forbids or is it a dvar reshus (a neutral act), a dvar mitzvah or none of the above?


texts: Why does נהמא דכיסופא make sense at all between lovers?

texts:
This preliminary question asks about what N"D is.

The נהמא דכיסופא is a possible explanation for why should we suffer in this world to receive the reward in the afterworld. I tried to verify that:

My father-in-law bought me (us) a new car, he said he loves me. I was very happy and thanked him and felt no shame.
My wife bought me a new GoPro, she said she loves me. I was very happy and thanked her and felt no shame.

If this principle seemingly does not work on Earth, why should we feel any shame to receive free gifts from our Father in Heaven/ב"ז (what is נהמא דכיסופא about)?


texts: I learned that juicy fruit are considered a davar charif.  Is jam or preserves made from such types of fruit also a davar charif?  Why or why not?


texts: English translation of Sefer Machaneh Ephrayim

texts:
Is there an English translation on the Internet or in print of the book of the chiddushei harav efraim navon?

As of Tammuz 5772, I have encountered no evidence that such translation exists.


texts: Shabbat Hi Milizok: How to pray for sick on Shabbat?

texts:
Rabbi Shmuel Rabinowitz Rabbi of the Western Wall and Holy Sites has been suggesting in his weekly Dvar Torah that people praying at home because of the Corona virus epidemic should add to the prayers on Shabbat "Shabbat Hi Mlizok Urefua Krova Lavo." This prayer is part of the Mi Shaberach usually recited for the sick after kriyat hatorah on Shabbat. He does not specify if this phrase should be said on its own or as part of the Mi Sheberach.

What are the halachos about reciting the Mi Sheberach for sick when praying alone without Torah Reading? Is this a special addition for the epidemic?
What is the appropriate time to recite this prayer when not performing Torah Reading?

[https://english.thekotel.org/parasha/?itemid=%7BF89191F2-A56B-45AE-BFE0-C2072A4C72FF%7D]


texts: Should the same laining procedure be followed for errors outside the aliyah as the ones during the aliyah?

texts:
According to Shulchan Aruch O.C. 143:4 (Mechaber), if someone finds a mistake in the Torah during the aliyah he is reading, he should stop, take out another Torah, finish the aliyah, and have the oleh say the ending bracha.

Does this same procedure apply if the reader discovers an error outside the current aliyah being read, e.g. before or after the current aliyah?


texts: I was sitting over dinner with the mispaha (family) talking about the calendar and I said that Addar 2 happens every seven years, but my dad said that it happens every four. So, my question is: how often is there an Addar II?


texts:
According to Wikipedia, "Natural law (Latin: ius naturale, lex naturalis) is a philosophy that certain rights are inherent by virtue of human nature and can be understood universally through human reason. Historically, natural law refers to the use of reason to analyze human nature to deduce binding rules of moral behavior. The law of nature, as determined by nature, is universal."

Most of the the thought on natural law has been pioneered by the Christian Philosophers. Does this philosophy have basis in the works of Jewish Philosophy?


texts: Why did Chizkiyahu Hide the book of Refuos

texts: ...and he shall provide for healing" (Mishpatim 21:19) nitna reshus larofeh lerapos (Bava Kama 85a) - so why did Chizkiyahu Hamelech hide the Sefer Herefuos (Brachos 10b)


texts: Could selling non-tznius clothing in a clothing store be considered mesaye le-dvar aveira?


texts: In Midrash Rabbah Bereshit we have היך מה דאת אמר first (as you read [verse]). But then Rabba HaOshaya uses this expression  כמה דתימא and he quotes a verse. The last part דתימא i don't understand how we should translate it? and why ? Thanks.


texts:
Why do we get married according to Judaism? What is the point behind us working so hard to get married? Presumably it is not just to bear children!
I have heard of a concept of two halves coming together to make a whole or something like that- what does this mean?


texts: Why do we say Mazel Tov? Shouldn't we thank Hashem?

texts: Why do we say "Mazel Tov" when something good happens to a person? Doesn't that mean "good luck?" Are we saying that what happened, happened because of luck?


texts: What is the origin and meaning of mabrouk?

texts: Instead of mazal tov, some sefardim use the term mabrouk(sp?). What does that term mean and what is its origin?


texts:
A lot of the commentaries I come across for individual psalms are preoccupied by their prophetic qualities etc, but I would like momentarily to concentrate on how they present the relationship with G_d.

Is there a volume in English of commentaries on, or of general discussion of the psalms which concentrates on how they relate to the Torah / Pentateuch? A book which will help me understand how the psalms illuminate the Torah? It might be arranged psalm-by-psalm, or perhaps might take a seperate theme for each chapter and discuss how that theme is presented by the psalms, giving appropriate examples

(Please be bold in editing this question if that helps increase its potential for being answered)


texts: Why Job was subjected to pain and misery despite he was a pious man?

texts: What was the rationale of subjecting Job to pain and misery though he was a pious man of G-d. Please explain with logical reasons.


texts: Is "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר" ever fulfilled?

texts:
When Yaakov and Eisav are born we are told of their eternal battle. Bereishit (25:23):

  וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה לָהּ, שְׁנֵי גֹיִים בְּבִטְנֵךְ, וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים,
  מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ; וּלְאֹם מִלְאֹם יֶאֱמָץ, וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר.

Rashi comments that as one will rise the other will fall i.e. they represent an eternal battle. In VaYishlach, Yaakov returns and encounters Eisav and refers to himself as the 'eved' ('slave'). Chapter 36 is then devoted to Eisav's lineage and kingship. Despite 36:31 saying "וְאֵלֶּה, הַמְּלָכִים, אֲשֶׁר מָלְכוּ, בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם--לִפְנֵי מְלָךְ-מֶלֶךְ, לִבְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל" (i.e. the kings of Eisav), does this mean that when the Israelite Kings rule then "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר" despite the fact that Israelite kingship also ends (albeit at a later date).

Some may suggest that in defeating Amalek is the fulfilment of "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר", but annihilation is not the same as subservience that is suggested by the verse.

Was "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר" a prophecy that was already fulfilled at a certain time - if so when? Is it a general prophecy for the 'end of days'? Is "וְרַב יַעֲבֹד צָעִיר" to be understood more conceptually as the 'schools of thought' of Yaakov and Eisav, etc?


texts: Why is the actual length of Galus Mitzraim not mentioned in the Torah?

texts: Chazal expound that the Jews were in Mitzraim for 210 years (see Rashi to Bereishis 42:2, and to Avodah Zarah 9a). Why is this figure mentioned nowhere explicitly, especially when other numbers are (see, for instance, Bereishis 15:13 and Shemos 12:41)?


texts: PTIJ: Why won't a shadchan(it) tell me which parsha the shidduch is in?

texts:
A common term for a boy or girl who is looking for a shidduch is to describe him / her as being "in the parsha".
When I tried to arrange a shidduch for my son, the shadchanit said, "I have two nice girls, both in the parsha." I assume that they are both in the same parsha by the phrasing she used, otherwise, she would have said "they are in different parshiot". When I asked her which parsha they are in, she wouldn't tell me.
I think that parents and my son should at least know which parsha the girls are in, no? I mean, there are certain parshiot that I wouldn't want a girl to be in such as Bechokotai or Ki Tavo because they both have the list of "curses" in them. I also wouldn't want a girl in parshat Balak.
So, what's the deal? Is there some halacha that forbids a shadchan from revealing the parsha?

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


texts: Woman going out on Shabbath with a "Moch"

texts: The Gemara (שבת, פ׳ במה בהמה) has lengthy discussions about animals going out with covers tied to their udders or other extremities, and repeatedly (briefly) mentions a Zav wearing a sac to catch his discharge. What about a Zavah or a Niddah with a "Moch"? Is there any Issur of carrying, or a rabbinic prohibition lest she later come to carry it? It seems to me that this is a different sort of device (not tied on), but serving the same purpose as the Zav's, and because it's not tied it could come loose, which is the concern mentioned for the other cases. But (as far as I see so far) it isn't mentioned.


texts: Can you say kaddish if some of the 10 people in the minyan are forbidden from answering?

texts: If there are exactly 10 people in a minyan and one or more are forbidden from answering kaddish at that moment, is kaddish allowed to be recited? Examples of such a situation may include if someone is putting on tefillin, davening shmoneh esrei, needs to relieve himself etc.


texts: Can you say HaShem's name if you are only saying a partial pasuk?

texts: In a question I recently asked here, I was asking about a practice I read (but cannot remember) where the siddur had half of Tehillim 19:9 after putting on tzitzit. It got me thinking: is one allowed say the Name of HaShem if they are only saying part of a pasuk, rather than the whole pasuk?


texts: How many children did King Solomon have?

texts:
King Solomon [1 Kings 11 (4)] “had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines;”
How many children did he have? Three. The question is referred to at http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_many_children_did_King_Solomon_have
Do we have a different/better answer?


texts:
I have heard that the reason that many siddurim print משיב הרוח ומוריד הגשם with a segol is because it is more common for גשם with an etnachta to be vocalised that way, rather than with a kamatz.

Is there any statistical analysis on the commonality of one vocalisation vs. the other in Tanach when accented with an etnachta? In other words, which form is more common?


texts:
My shul davens "standard" Nusach Sfard. During Shabbat mincha, the sha''tz was a Chaba''d chasid. While we were returning the Torah, the sha''tz started saying Kaddish. (Nusach Chaba''d/Ari only says one paragraph: Yehallelu.) Also, as it was R' Schneerson's yahrtzeit last Shabbat, the sha''tz also did not say Tzidkatcha Tzedek.

After he finished davening, the gabbai asked him why he didn't follow minhag hamakom (the minhag of the shul that he is in, now). He responded that Nusach Ari is the only "authentic" nusach, and that Chaba''d never follows minhag hamakom.

I know nothing about this aspect of Chaba''d practice, and the gabbai was surprised to hear this. (As a matter of fact, he was annoyed.) Can someone verify if in fact this is Chaba''d "policy", or if this person was misinformed?


texts: What was Jacob's nisayon (and where do we find this in the midrash)?

texts:
Sanhedrin 107a(1) suggests that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were all tested (while David was not). Abraham was tested 10 times, Isaac was tested at the Akedah...But what was Jacob's test? And where do we find this in the midrash (i.e. what is the source of your answer)?

Related to this question:Why was no one else tested 10 times the way Avraham was?

  (1) Rab Judah said in Rab's name: One should never [intentionally] bring
   himself to the test, since David king of Israel did so, and fell.
   He said unto Him, 'Sovereign of the Universe! Why do we say [in
   prayer] "The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob,"
   but not the God of David? ' He replied, 'They were tried by me, but
   thou wast not.'


texts: Yitroh's Advise to Moses - did Hashem agree?

texts:
Unlike many other occasions where Hashem reacted retroactively either favorably or not, in this Parasha there's no mentioning of Hashem's reaction.

What was Hashem's reaction to Yitroh's advice and Moses' actions?


texts:
This question discusses the practice of keeping a candle lit in the bedroom on Yom Kippur. It suggests--although I dispute this somewhat--that the main  purpose of this candle is to discourage marital relations on that day.

If so, does one also light such a candle for Tisha B'Av (another time when relations are prohibited)?


texts: Has anyone learned the Sheiltot of R. Achai Gaon with the Netziv's commentary?

texts: Would you recommend it? I really enjoy learning anything with the Netziv and I like the idea of halachic midrashim on the parsha with some ethical messages. It seems like it's a great way to learn major concepts of large halachic topics. It also seems like it might be a great way to really see the values underlying major halachic discussions. I'm a congregational rabbi so I could possibly use some of the material in divrei Torah for my congregation. Is it relatively readable? What does the Netziv's commentary try to accomplish? Thanks in advance.


texts:
Someone told me that one is not allowed to drink plain water during the third meal of Shabbos (Seudah Shelishit). (or at least that there is a minhag not to).

Is this true? And if so, what is the source of the minhag?


texts: What are the kashrut issues with kosher food at a non-kosher restaurant?

texts:
What are the major kashrus/halachic issues with going to a non-kosher restaurant and ordering, say, [kosher fish] and vegetables; dressed with only extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper; double-wrapped in tinfoil and baked, served on paper plates with disposable cutlery--a dish which would seem reliably kosher under many circumstances?

I can think of the following potential problems. I am wondering if each of them in fact applies to the situation, or if there is room for leniency within any of them. I am also wondering if there are any I have missed:

Maarit ayin/chashad: Giving the appearance of doing something improper by ordering at a non-kosher restaurant.
Lifnei iver: Potentially misleading Jews that the restaurant is kosher and thus causing them to sin by eating there.
Bishul akum: Potentially eating food that is treyf insofar as no Jew was involved in the cooking.
Questional ne'emanut of non-Jews - There is an idea that we don't say ed echad for non-Jews; that is, that we cannot trust the supervision of those who are not themselves observant (or at least obliged) in kashrus and/or Shabbos. We can't watch the kitchen and thus cannot know that the waiters/chefs are actually doing what we said...and there is no halachic basis on which to trust their word.
Questionable kosher status of the knive(s) used to cut the salmon and vegetables. This would be of particular issue if the salmon were cut while hot, and/or if any of the vegetables were davar charif ("sharp").
(If the food were not sharp, but only hot, I could see this as possibly falling under a leniency for stam keilim einan b'nei yoman.)
Possibility of (very small) bugs in the vegetables, since even nice restaurants do not necessarily check to halachic standards.

...Can anyone comment on these, or add?

(Motivated by this advice on eating kosher on a cruise line--in particular: "I was advised by my Orthodox rabbi that it is permissible to have the chef cook double-wrapped fish and vegetables in the oven as long as the knives are clean and nothing is added to food.")


texts: Learning music theory during the Three Weeks?

texts:
Would learning about music be allowed, if not actually playing an instrument? Would I also need to not listen to instrumental audio?

Or is that still itself an activity that could be considered enjoyable and not recommended? (implied underlying question: may one engage in any voluntary activities that he enjoys? Where should one draw the line?)


texts:
If I eat a piece of herring on a cracker, what bracha do I make? Do we say that I'm eating it for the herring therefore it's Shehakol or because I have a cracker do I make a Mezonos?

As always, please cite your sources.


texts: PTIJ: Why were people burned for mixing up their Karban Pesach?

texts:
PTIJ: Spontaneous Combustion on Erev Pesach and PTIJ: Setting Sick People on Fire on Yom Kippur have previously addressed questions about people being ignited in Maseches Pesachim. I've got one more puzzling one, from 8:2:

שָׁכַח רַבּוֹ מָה אָמַר לוֹ, שְׁנֵיהֶם יֵצְאוּ לְבֵית הַשְּׂרֵפָה, וּפְטוּרִין מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת פֶּסַח שֵׁנִי:
If his master [also] forgot what he said to [the slave to shecht for the Karban Pesach], both of them go to the house of burning, and they are exempt from making Pesach Sheini.

Why are they sentenced to being burned for having forgotten which was their Karban Pesach?
Why does the Mishnah need to specify that they're exempt from Pesach Sheini? Of course they're exempt; they were burned a month earlier!

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


texts: Davening while holding a smartphone and a siddur

texts: If one is in a dark place where he can’t read the siddur without artificial light and there are no other lights available, would he be permitted to hold a smartphone, while occasionally pressing it so that the screen doesn’t go dark, in order to shed light on the siddur that he is davening Shemoneh esrei from, or would this be forbidden on account of holding something other than a siddur during Shemoneh esrei


texts: Being that on the whole users have screen names and there is a general air of anonymity. Is there an issue of Lashon Harah to refer to specific screen names when one has an issue with their tone of argument and overall behavior? Does it matter that we dont know the real identity? Does causing then a loss of online reputation have any halachic validity as it does not have real world consequences (eg. No real financial loss, no daily embarrassment)


texts: Why are women exempt from (many) time-bound mitzvot?

texts:
Women are generally exempt from time-bound mitzvot (Kiddushin 29a). I have heard two reasons for women being exempt from time-bound mitzvot and both seem problematic, so either there are additional explanations or I am not properly understanding these two:

Women have to spend time on maintaining the household and raising the children, so they do not have time for time-bound mitzvot.  But if that's the reason, the rabbis could have said "those with child-care duties (etc) are exempt".  As it stands, women with no children don't have the reason but are still excused, and men who have child-care duties are still obligated.  (Granted that the rabbis of the talmud were probably not considering this latter case.)  It seems odd to me that a stay-at-home dad is obligated while his teenage daughter is exempt.
Women are on a higher spiritual plane and do not need as many mitzvot.  It seems surprising to me that we could make that kind of statement about all women (and the converse about all men).  Just looking around at the people I've met, there are wise men who seem not to need extra help and women who struggle and might need the help of more mitzvot.

If one of those is the reason, what am I failing to understand?  If neither of those is the reason, what is?  Why are women, categorically, exempt from these mitzvot?


texts: What clothes do the members of Neturei Karta wear? Why?

texts:
I noticed the clothes of the members of Neturei Karta were different than other haredi groups. The shoes are different, but also socks, pants, shirt and vest.

I also noticed they wear two kinds of clothes: the regular black type and also the grey part.

You can find the black type in these pictures:

http://online.wsj.com/media/0210pod18.jpg

You can find the grey type in these pictures:

http://www.inminds.com/img/genocide-day-2365.jpg
http://i-cias.com/e.o/slides/neturei_karta01.jpg

What are theses clothes (shoes, socks, pants, shirt and coat) ? I am looking for the name of these clothes or maybe a brand. Also, what is the religious reason behind this different dress code ?

Ps: As you may have understood with my other questions, I am very interested in haredi dress codes. So please, no debate about the opinions of Neturei Karta, I am only asking about the clothes.


texts:
Avner means "the father of Ner", but Avner's actual father was named just "Ner"!
Shouldn't Avner's father have been called "Avner", and the son have been called "Ner"?
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.


texts: Is it considered "marit ayin" if boys and girls stroll together on Shabbat?

texts:
I have heard of a number of yeshivot that have a strict rule regarding boys and girls being with each other. Their rule is "simple" - outside of your own family members, it should be never for any reason.

Let's say Reuven's friend, Benzi (who are in the same class) has a sister, Talia. The three of them walk together on the street on Shabbat to visit their friends, Habakuk & Reut. Is this activity "marit ayin"? Keep in mind, that there is no prohibition, per se, even according to the yeshiva's rules about Benzi talking to Talia, as they are siblings. But, people don't know Talia, who don't know the family. Also, it IS against the yeshiva rules for Reuven to be with Talia.


texts: If a Jewish neighbor becomes the subject of a scandal, is it loshon hara to follow it in the press?

texts: It has happened a few times -- Jewish neighbors or acquaintances, some of them communal leaders and/or public figures -- have been arrested and charged with a crime or crimes of such a nature they are heavily reported on by the news media.  As I understand it, an axiom of loshon hara is to work to avoid listening to loshon hara as well as to not spread it.  So even if I avoid repeating the story, am I forbidden by this halacha to read the (often) daily reports about the latest allegations made against these persons in my community?


texts:
Does anyone know if they reprinted the sefer Pri Yitzchak by Rav Yitzchak Blazer / Peterburger?
Here is a video biography: https://outorah.org/p/78974/.
Do any stores sell it?
Thanks so much in advance.


texts: If prophets can only be "good guys" how come Balaam become a prophet?

texts:
I've heard that in Judaism, God don't just randomly appoint people to be a prophet. The prophet must be some "good" guy or pious or whatever.

If that's the case, why is balaam a prophet? He's not very righteous isn't he? Or is he?


texts: Moses' briefing before sending spies - Land vs People

texts:
Here's how the Torah depict Moses' briefing to the spies (Numbers 13) - first the whole passage:

וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא וְאֶת־הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה הַמְעַט הוּא אִם־רָב׃ וּמָה הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ הֲטוֹבָה הִוא אִם־רָעָה וּמָה הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵנָּה הַבְּמַחֲנִים אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים׃  וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם־רָזָה הֲיֵשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ אִם־אַיִן וְהִתְחַזַּקְתֶּם וּלְקַחְתֶּם מִפְּרִי הָאָרֶץ וְהַיָּמִים יְמֵי בִּכּוּרֵי עֲנָבִים׃
And see what kind of country it is. Are the people who dwell in it strong or weak, few or many? Is the country in which they dwell good or bad? Are the towns they live in open or fortified?  Is the soil rich or poor? Is it wooded or not? ...

Let's break this passage into the two objectives - the Land and the People:

Land: וּרְאִיתֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ מַה־הִוא
People: וְאֶת־הָעָם הַיֹּשֵׁב עָלֶיהָ הֶחָזָק הוּא הֲרָפֶה הַמְעַט הוּא אִם־רָב׃
Land: וּמָה הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יֹשֵׁב בָּהּ הֲטוֹבָה הִוא אִם־רָעָה
People: וּמָה הֶעָרִים אֲשֶׁר־הוּא יוֹשֵׁב בָּהֵנָּה הַבְּמַחֲנִים אִם בְּמִבְצָרִים׃
Land: ...וּמָה הָאָרֶץ הַשְּׁמֵנָה הִוא אִם־רָזָה הֲיֵשׁ־בָּהּ עֵץ אִם־אַיִן

As we see it goes back and forth alternatively, instead of listing all the question about the Land together and about the people together. Possible problems with this way:

People don't talk this way (esp. Moses, are there other examples of such a pattern?)
Torah uses extra words ומה הארץ

Why is that?


texts:
What is the full list of rules for when to pronounce a sh'va (i.e. na) during tefillah and keriat hatorah?

When I was in school, I remember being taught that a sh'va was na in the following 5 cases (the rules from Masoret hamasoret written by Eliyahu Levita and published in 1538):*

Under the first letter of a word (לְךָ)
The second of two consecutive sh'vas (נַפְשְׁךָ)
Under a letter immediately following a long vowel (הַמֹּשְׁלִים)
Under a letter with a dagesh (דַּבְּרוּ)
Under the first of two identical consecutive letters (הַלְלוּ)

(And see e.g. here where it is assumed that these are the rules.)

Does anyone argue on these rules? Are there any exceptions? For number three, is there a consensus on what consitutes a long vowel?

Are there any further instances where a sh'va is na?

As a starting point I have heard the word רִצְפַת (Esther 1:6) read with a sh'va na on the tzadi, as well as the word הַמְבֹרָךְ (as part of tefillah) with a sh'va na on the mem. What rule(s) are these following?

* Thanks to b a for looking it up in the original book!


texts: False portrayal on an anonymous Q&A site

texts:
If one posts a question on an anonymous Q&A website there is an assumption that other users either do not, should not, or need not know the identity of the person. Thus all interactions between users of the site should depend solely upon the content of the posts and not the identities of their composers.

Would it be dishonest, therefore, to portray one's own identity as something other than that which it is in the asking of a question in order to increase the likelihood of getting the type of response desired? Would such an act qualify as deception or is there no presumed "truth" from which to be deviated since no identity can ever be assumed?

I am concerned with the ethical implications of the act and not the impact it has on the speaker independent of that.

(I am a 5-year-old indigenous New Zealander, by the way.)


texts: Can you say berachot in the lying position or in bed?

texts: Are there any issues with saying berachot in the lying position? The reason I ask is it just always bothered me saying shema or Asher Yatzar in bed. If there are no issues then I shouldn't be bothered.


texts: Bible inerrancy and the Ashbaal→Ishboshet change

texts:
In another answer, someone said that Rashi thinks Ashbaal is changed to Ishboshet (sorry for spelling) as derogatory to the baal.

So Ishboshet's real name is Ashbaal but then some scribes changed that.

If that's true, then how is the bible inerrant? If people change the actual content of the bible with false information to fit their theological agenda. What am I missing here?


texts: Is it inappropriate to say Baruch Dayan Haemes on a Ben Noach? Why or why not?

texts:
Is it inappropriate to say Baruch Dayan Haemes on a Ben Noach? What about someone who may have been an oved avoda zarah? Someone who is definitely such?

I'm asking because I've seen such discussion online regarding Steve Jobs' death.

I'm not judging the man, as I don't think it's appropriate to do so. (See my comments here for more on that.) However, the issue has arisen, and so I'm asking.


texts: Does one have to make multiple blessings of "Shehakol" on hot coffee?

texts:
One buys hot coffee and keeps in a thermos the entire day. When he buys it, he takes a few sips (enough to qualify to make a bracha) and has in mind that he will be sipping from the thermos throughout the day.

Since he has in mind that he will be doing this throughout the day, does he need to make an additional blessing later on, or does the 1st blessing cover all the other sips? How much time would have to elapse between sips that would require him to make another bracha?


texts: In Chulin 65a+b there is a discussion of which grasshoppers are kosher, originating from the Mishnah on 59a. The question arises, what is the kosher way of killing a grasshopper, that there shouldn’t be tzar balei chaim etc. either way what would be the right way to kill them, or just to let them die naturally-?- Also, where would this be brought down?


texts: Would a Greek sefer Torah be read from in Greek?

texts: If a sefer Torah was written in Greek, would it have been publicly read from in the Greek translation only, or would they also use a Hebrew scroll?


texts:
At a wedding [or by the engagement], a plate is customarily broken at the "tena'im." This has already been discussed over here.

As I have seen at weddings, and as is brought over here the custom is for the couple's mothers to break the plate.

What I'm wondering is why it is that the mothers are the ones to break the plate? Can't anyone just break the plate? Are there any sources that explain the reasons that it is specifically the mothers?


texts: In building the mishkan, why does the torah sometimes call for זָהָב טָהוֹר and other times just זָהָב?

texts:
In giving the instructions for building the mishkan, sometimes the torah calls for "pure gold":

וְצִפִּיתָ אֹתוֹ זָהָב טָהוֹר, מִבַּיִת וּמִחוּץ תְּצַפֶּנּוּ; וְעָשִׂיתָ עָלָיו זֵר זָהָב, סָבִיב.
And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, within and without shalt thou overlay it, and shalt make upon it a crown of gold round about. (Sh'mot 25:11)

Other times it just calls for gold:

וְעָשִׂיתָ בַדֵּי, עֲצֵי שִׁטִּים; וְצִפִּיתָ אֹתָם, זָהָב.
And thou shalt make staves of acacia-wood, and overlay them with gold.  (Sh'mot 25:13)

Both of these are talking about overlaying wood, so it's not a difference between overlaying and casting.  (I would expect 24k gold to be suboptimal for casting things that have to bear weight anyway.)
What is the significance of this difference?  Is this a difference in language only and all the gold was actually the same grade, in which case why does the language vary?  Or were different grades of gold used for different items, in which case why?
I haven't looked up all the uses of gold in the several chapters about the mishkan, but these are from early in Parshat T'rumah, where the instructions begin.  I found nothing about this difference in Rashi or the Stone chumash.


texts:
Pretty much across the board, beged gadol and katan have fabric squares sewn on the corners.

Why do tzitzit have fabric-squares on the corners of the garment?


texts: What is involved in “shnayim mikro v'echod targum” for someone travelling from outside the land to Israel when the sedrahs are different?

texts:
What are the principles involved in “shnayim mikro v'echod targum” for someone travelling from outside the land to Israel when the sedrahs read in those places are different. (I have already asked my Rov for specific guidance; this question is to uncover the principles involved).

For example someone travelling to Israel this week and returning before Shabbos 16 May 15.

2 May 15 Sedrahs outside Israel – Acharei Mos, Kedoshim

2 May 15 Sedrah in Israel – Emor

My assumption is that this person must prepare three sedrahs otherwise he will have lost Acharei Mos, Kedoshim.

9 May 15  Sedrah outside Israel – Emor

9 May 15  Sedrah in Israel – Behar

My assumption is that since this person will be in Israel he must prepare Behar.

16 May 15  Sedrah outside Israel – Behar, Bechukosai

16 May 15  Sedrah in Israel – Bechukosai

Orach Chayim 285 (1) MB [1] says that a person should not go ahead with his “shnayim mikro v'echod targum” as he has to finish his parshiyos with the community as the gemoro says Brochos 8a

"אמר רב הונא בר יהודה אמר רבי אמי: לעולם ישלים אדם פרשיותיו עם הצבור שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום, ואפילו 'עטרות ודיבון', שכל המשלים פרשיותיו עם הצבור מאריכין לו ימיו ושנותיו"

This person will have prepared Behar in the week of 9th May; does he have to repeat it in the week of 16th May so  that he finishes his parshiyos with the community?


texts: Does a minyan use fast-day liturgy for the fast of the firstborn if some will override the fast?

texts:
This answer refers to the practice of over-riding the fast of the first-born, which is my experience too.  My question is: should the shaliach tzibbur ever do the fast-day liturgy?  If the community has a planned siyyum+meal, do we assume that everyone will attend (or, having had the option to, is on his own if he wants to fast)?

My morning minyan doesn't do fast-day liturgy on that day but I haven't found anybody who knows a reason beyond "that's what we've always done".


texts: When is the latest time one can daven Maariv/Arvit? Is there a divergence between the letter of the law and an ideal time (לכתחילה/בדיעבד)?


texts:
I was told that shuckeling (sp?) is an indication of the love-fear relationship that we have with God. You move forward showing that you want to be close to God and then backward out of fear of his awesomeness.

But then I was also told that for the amidah you should stand perfectly still.

Not sure how to resolve these two. Furthermore I find shuckeling to be distracting, but swaying side to side seems to help me concentrate.

What is the optimal thing to do?


texts: Why do some translators translate "to prophesy" as to "speak in ecstasy"?

texts:
Why do translators translate "to prophesy" as to "speak in ecstasy"?

Why do the Jewish translators, for example, in the Sefaria translation of the below passages, translate "to prophesy" as to "speak in ecstasy"?

What do the rabbis say? What does it mean to "speak in ecstasy"?

Shmuel I 10:10-12.
Shmuel I 19:22-24.


texts: What are the issues with mixed swimming, from a tzniut point of view? Does it make a difference if the swimmers are or aren't Jewish? For example, are there issues with me swimming with my wife and a non-Jewish male friend, provided that both me and my wife are modestly dressed? Does it make a difference whether it's a small body of water (swimming pool) or a large one (lake or ocean)?


texts: Can a bride's father call off a wedding?

texts:
Both in the Torah and various halachick literature, it often appears as though a woman's father has a large role in deciding who she marries. One example is in Shemiras Halashon, it says that if the groom-to-be is not fit, to tell the bride's father even if that means it will cancel the wedding. Or in the Torah, there are references to a father giving his daughter to his servent as a wife, or (though not a halachic decider) Leah was given to Yaakov first as per her father's desire.

So my question is, can a father prohibit his daughter from marrying somebody, or were those things simply non-halachick byproducts of cultural practices that we don't have anymore?


texts: Was Yonah able to visit the Beis HaMikdash? What about other prophets of his time?

texts:
In Yonah's prayer, he indicates that he will survive being swallowed by the fish, and still make it to the Beis HaMikdash.

But wait a minute ... Yonah certainly spent time in the North Kingdom, as the midrash says he was the student of Elisha that annointed the Yehu, a North king. And there were guards keeping Northerners away from visiting Jerusalem ... so was Yonah able to make it to Jerusalem? What about the other prophets throughout the divided-kingdom period?


texts: Evil inclination compared to a strange god within man

texts:
I've found this article which quoted some interesting thoughts:

  Our sages said about the verse (Shabbat 105b), “There shall not be a strange god within you, nor will you bow before a strange god.”

  What is the strange god in man’s body? It is the evil inclination. This means that an idol-worshipper is called “the evil inclination.” It follows that when speaking of a single body, then idol-worshipping, which is called “a foreign god” or “a strange god,” is entirely within man.

So here are my questions:
Why is the evil inclination compared to a foreign/strange god?

Also, what is the connection between idolatry and the evil inclination?

And why is it assumed that both come from or occur within man?


texts: Is a teleconference wedding halachically valid?

texts:
Suppose that a couple goes into a conference room and sets up a web cam. The edei kiddushin (witnesses) watch the declaration via Skype, etc.

(Offhand, I don't think a chuppa is an absolute requirement, but, if it is, assume they see that, too.)

Is the couple halachically validly married by this method? Or do the witnesses need to be physically there?


texts: Implication of uncertain letters in the Torah

texts:
I learned that there are a number of uncertain letters in the written Torah

This article lists 12 (counts vary).

  (1) Bereishit 4:13 "Mineso" (E&T w/o Vav) (2) Bereishit 7:11
  "Ma'ayanos (E&T w/o Vav) (3) Bereishit 9:29 "Vayehi" (E&T Vayiheyu (4)
  Bereishit 46:13 "v'Shimron" (E with Vav) (5) Shemot 14:22 "Chomah" (E
  w/o Vav) (6) Shemot 25:31 "Te'aseh" (E&T w/o Yud) (7) Shemot 28:26
  "ha'Efod" (E&T w/o Vav) (8) Bamidbar 1:17 "b'Shemot" (T w/o Vav) (9)
  Bamidbar 10:10 "Chodsheichem" (T with Yud) (10) Bamidbar 22:5 "Be'or"
  (T w/o Vav) (11) Bamidbar 33:52 "Bamotam" (E w/o Vav) (12) Devarim
  23:2 "Daka" (E&T with Alef instead of Heh.

What are the implications of these uncertain letters for halachic derivations from Scripture (where a single letter can be decisive)?

Is there furthermore an explicit listing of laws affected by those letters?


texts: I can understand most of the breakdown of the word מוסרותימו in Psalm 2, thanks to your website viz masculine noun from root אסר with female plural ending ות. Also the poetic ending מו for 'their', but could someone please explain the tsere yod?


texts: What is the original meaning of the word "hevel"?

texts:
I am not religious myself, but lately I have found myself somewhat attracted to Ecclesiastes. Reading about it, I am fascinated about what seems to be endless meanings and interpretations of the word hevel. Wikipedia states, for example that the word can mean:

  "vain", "futile", "empty", "meaningless", "temporary", "transitory", "fleeting," or "mere breath,"

Other sources agree with "vanity" and "emptiness", but also add "randomness" to the pile.
What really starts to confuse me though is when I see it being used as a name:

  Hevel as a boy's name is of Hebrew origin, and the meaning of Hevel is "breath, vapor". Also possibly (Assyrian) "meadow". Source form of Abel.

My question is, which of these "meanings" of the word are inherited or rather interpretations of the true meaning of the word? For example, if we assume "breath, vapor" is the original meaning of the word, one can see how the related meanings can arise from that, as a breath of air is very much temporary and fleeting, so is that the case or is there a more fundamental meaning of the word?

Hopefully this question makes sense and is ok within the frames of this site.


texts:
Am I limited to saying half kaddish in the case where we only have 5 men, or if I only lost one parent?

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


texts: Listening to music while studying/writing

texts:
Related: Seth J's question here

Is it permissible to listen to music during sefira or the 3 weeks/9 days/week of 9 Av as a study- or writing aid? Many individuals I know (myself included) find music to be quite conducive to studying (secular materials) or writing papers. Would someone in that category be permitted to do this?


texts:
According to Orthodox Judaism, women may not be rabbis, be counted as part of a minyan, leyn from the Torah, or study the Talmud. It even says that to teach a woman Torah is to teach her obscenity! (Sotah 21b)

In addition, women are exempt and even discouraged from a large number of mitzvas that are central to Jewish practice, such as praying three times a day and laying tefillin. It seems from all this that women have a secondary and subjugated role in Judaism.

Is this true? Why would G-d and the Torah condone such a thing?


texts: Should you refrain from putting ash on your forehead if your wedding coincides with Ash Wednesday?

texts: Some brides/grooms have a custom to put ash on the forehead at their wedding as a remembrance for the destruction of the temple. Is there any halachic discussion about avoiding this practice if the wedding date coincides with Ash Wednesday?


texts:
Why do we sing "chad gadya" at the pesach seder?  What is it supposed to be about?

Also, as a side question, is it "d'zabin aba" or "dizvan aba"?


texts: Does inserting an IUD render a woman a Niddah even if there is no bleeding? If there is bleeding can it be attributed to a wound and thus the woman would not be a Niddah? (sources)


texts: Source for the Baal Shem Tov's idea of seeing one's own flaw in others?

texts:
I recently heard the following story a few times and was wondering if anyone had a source for the story. The story is that the Baal Shem Tov said that if you see a fellow Jew breaking Shabbos it reflects upon a trait inside you; maybe there is something in you that represents Chillul Shabbos. Does anyone have a source for the Baal Shem Tov saying this? If you want to know one of the places I heard it from, check out the link at the bottom. I understand the guy  quotes the words but he does not give a source.

http://youtu.be/1QFzm7yJ344?t=15m31s


texts: I have read that Aishdas (Deut. 33:2) means "fiery law" or something of the sort.  However, doesn't the word das with the meaning of law/religion come from Persian (i.e. did not have the meaning of law in Biblical times)?  Can someone help me out here?


texts: Are disposable cups allowed for Kiddush or Havdalah?

texts:
If one doesn't have a non-disposable cup or becher available, can s/he use a disposable cup? Are there any specific types (plastic, styrofoam, paper...) of disposable cups allowed, or is any cup okay to use?

Related: using two plastic cups for Kiddush


texts: Answering amen to a post-nightfall mincha

texts: If I come to shul early for maariv and it is already past nightfall and there is a minyan that starts davening mincha am I allowed to answer amen to chazaras hashatz? Sources please.


texts: Can multiple books of Prophets be written on a single parchment?

texts:
My niece who lives in Ramat Bet Shemesh told me that her shul reads all haftarot from a klaf (parchment).

It has been a while since I have seen a shul use a scroll for haftarah. The last shul I attended had separate scrolls for each book of the prophets.

I know that Ramba"m in Hilchot Sifrei Torah 7:14 states that one may write the entire Tanac"h in a single scroll and that this has been done before.

Can one write more than one book of "Nevi'im* on a single scroll? Or is Rambam's statement applicable to only all of tanac"h but not just a part of it?


texts:
Every now and then, then Gemara will go off on a tangent and discuss medical practices (such as towards the end of Gittin and scattered throughout maseches shabbos) or practical safety advice concerning demons or whatnot (such as in the last chapter of Pesachim).

Is studying those passages considered talmud Torah? If not, can someone just skip them and still make a siyum on the masechta (after all, he leaned what the amoraim had to say about the mishnayos)? If yes, why? Especially considering that we're not supposed to use cures from the Gemara? (see Otzar Hageonim Gittin 68b and just about every commentator since them)


texts: 'Kashering' a milchig knife to make it parve (using hagalah)

texts:
I have 3 questions:

Can a milchig (or fleishig for that matter) knife be kashered to become parve by means of hagalah?
If it can be done, does a parve pot need to be used to contain the boiling water or can it be a milchig/fleishig pot?
Do the knife and pot have to be left unused for 24 hours before using it?


texts:
Recently I was discussing with a friend the uses of one's parents' ketubah in everyday life. Obviously one of the main uses of a ketubah is proving one's Jewish status in order to join a Jewish community.
We wondered how synagogues, especially orthodox ones, examine whether the ketubot they're presented are genuine when given as proof of status.


texts: Ramban - Every sin deserves more suffering than Iyov received

texts: Where does the Ramban say that in reality we deserve more suffering than Iyov received for every sin we do and it is only because of Hashem's incredible mercy that we don't get anywhere near what we deserve?


texts: In Vayishlach (Bereishis 33:6-7), Yaakov's wives and children bow to Esav. With regard to the maidservants and their sons, the verse states וַתִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶיןָ - in the feminine, whereas by Leah and her sons, as well as by Yosef and Rachel, it says וַיִּשְׁתַּחֲווּ - in the masculine. Why?


texts: Naming a baby boy before a deferred bris

texts: The typical practice when a baby boy is born is to refrain from calling him by any name until he is given a name at his bris. In cases where the bris is deferred (e.g. for health reasons) for an extended length of time, it can be difficult--and potentially psychologically damaging--for the parents to not use a name for their child for a period of months. Is it permitted to give the child a name before his bris in such a circumstance?


texts:
What is the origin of the concept of Yerushalayim being a "City of Gold"?

It is the name and theme of a famous Israeli song from the 1960s, and I always assumed it was either from that song, or that the song was based on an Israeli cultural idea, or possibly an older idea, possibly predating modern Zionism, that (I assumed) stemmed from the Dome of the Rock being so prominent and reflecting a golden light at sunrises and sunsets. At least, I assumed, it was 45 years old. At most, I assumed, it was about 1300 years old. Most likely, I figured, it was somewhere in between. But it's mentioned in the Gemara (Bab. Shab. 59a), which predates Islam by several centuries, and which further cites it mentioned by Rabbi 'Akiva in a Baraitha, several hundred years older than the Gemara itself. What is the origin of this concept?

This question is part of the (struggling) Daf Yomi Challenge


texts: Do commercially produced barley matzos exist?

texts:
From what I understand, there are commercially produced matzos made from wheat (including spelt) and rye and oats.
For some reason, I cannot find commercially produced barley matzos.
Do they exist?
If so, why are they so difficult to find?
If not, why not?


texts: Is weeping at death a bad omen (סימן רע) or not?

texts:
The Talmud (Kesubos 103a; see Avos Rebbi Nason 25:2) says:

מת מתוך השחוק סימן יפה לו מתוך הבכי סימן רע לו
If one dies from laughter it is a good omen for him, but it is a bad omen to die from weeping.

The Talmud (Avodah Zarah 17a) relates the incident of Rebbi Elazar Ben Durdiah, and seems to imply that it was a great thing that he wept himself to death.

אמר אין הדבר תלוי אלא בי הניח ראשו בין ברכיו וגעה בבכיה עד שיצתה נשמתו יצתה בת קול ואמרה ר"א בן דורדיא מזומן לחיי העולם הבא
Rebbi Eliezer Ben Durdiah exclaimed, “Repentance is truly dependent upon my own actions!” He then inserted his head between his legs and began to wail and weep until his very soul left its body. A heavenly voice (bas kol) then announced, “Rabbi Eliezer Ben Durdiah is to be taken to life in the World to Come”.

If I have followed the story right, it seems like the crying is part of his penitence, which results in “Rabbi Eliezer Ben Durdiah is to be taken to life in the World to Come”, which is seemingly a very good omen for him.
Indeed, Tosafos (Kesubos ad loc.) notes how the phrase ‘one is to be taken to life in the World to Come’ always indicates that it is done so without a judgement and without suffering.

מזומן לחיי העולם הבא - תימה והלא כל ישראל יש להם חלק לעוה"ב ופירש הרב ר' מאיר כל היכא דאמר מזומן לחיי העולם הבא היינו בלא דין ובלא יסורין:

Therefore, how is the statement that it is a bad omen to die from weeping to be explained in light of this tale. Does it apply only sometimes?


texts: Is the Sefer standing upright or downright upside down

texts:
A sefer has a cover that when the cover of the sefer is standing upright the contents of the sefer are upside down. Which way would be the correct way to keep the sefer. It may be כבוד הספר to store it with the cover standing upright for
then it looks respectful.

See שלחן ערוך אורח חיים סימן כ"ח סעיף ב' where you see that some keep their תפילין של יד on top of the של ראש and still we keep the תפילין bag upright although through that the של יד lays on the של ראש all day perhaps because the bag
is in its right position.


texts:
It is a well known principle that חדש אסור מן התורה Chodesh Asur Min HaTorah.
But I see people celebrating Rosh Chodesh all the time? How can we justify this practice?

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


texts: Shliach Tzibbur and Tashlumim for missed tefillah

texts:
The M"B in Siman 108 Sif-Katan 4 brings that someone who missed a tefillah and is now the shliach tzibbur may use the chazaras ha'shatz for his tashlumim.

(Makor in Radbaz Siman 361.)

The Radbaz does clearly say this. But why? Consider a case where the person missed shachris and is now davening mincha. The shliach tziibur is a shliach to daven mincha for the tzibbur how can he also have kavana (intention) for the tefillah to be good for his teshlumim from Shachris?


texts:
On Kiddushin 7a, Rashi writes (d.h. וכן לענין ממונא) about 3 principles where monetary transactions are supported by either the din of the guarantor (ערב) or the din of the eved ca'ani, or by both together.

If someone says "Give money to piloni, and my field will be sold to you" then the field is sold. Although the seller doesn't get any money, he is still obligated in the sale, just as in the case of the ערב, although the ערב doesn't benefit from the loan, he is obligated to repay (if the original borrower defaults). Ok, I get that.

If someone gives money to the seller of a field, and says the field belongs to piloni, then the sale is valid. In the case of a Caananite slave, if a third party gives money to the master for the release of the slave, the slave is free - the slave benefits even though he didn't use his own money. In our case here, the person who gets the field benefits even though he doesn't use his own money. I get this one too.

But I don't understand the third one. Rashi says:

  תן מנה לפלוני ותקנה לו שדי בו קונה מדין שניהם

Why would the seller of the field have the money given to the buyer? Then the buyer gets the money AND the field. How is that a proper sale? And, why would the seller want the buyer to get the money?

Thanks for your insight.
- Steve


texts:
How much Omer-measure does an Omer-Sheaf (Leviticus 23:10) have or how much Omer [of flour or of grain] would it contain?

דַּבֵּ֞ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֤י יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ וְאָֽמַרְתָּ֣ אֲלֵהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־תָבֹ֣אוּ אֶל־הָאָ֗רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אֲנִי֙ נֹתֵ֣ן לָכֶ֔ם וּקְצַרְתֶּ֖ם אֶת־קְצִירָ֑הּ וַֽהֲבֵאתֶ֥ם אֶת־עֹ֛מֶר רֵאשִׁ֥ית קְצִֽירְכֶ֖ם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When ye are come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring the sheaf of the first-fruits of your harvest unto the priest.

Does the Omer-Sheaf (that is bundled in one bundle) approximately produce one Omer-Measure [of flour or of grain] (that is, a tenth part of an ephah)?
Whether yes or no, where in the Tanach or Talmud does it say so?
My question is NOT about how much an Omer is, but how much Omer [of flour or of grain] approximately does an Omer-Bundle (which some people call a "Wave-Offering") contain or could contain? (Does one Omer-Bundle generally produce one Omer of flour or one Omer of grain?)
I am trying to find out if there is a general amount given in the Tanach or Talmud, something like, perhaps:
"Each person's Omer-Bundle will produce approximately one Omer-Measure (of flour or of grain) to that person."


texts: Can one buy or rent a vacation home during the 12 months of mourning?

texts:
This source says:

  During the twelve months (of mourning for a parent), it is forbidden to:

  purchase or rent a home, unless a significant loss would otherwise be
  incurred

Does "home" mean a permanent year-round residence only? Or does this prohibition include buying or renting a vacation home where one will stay for a week or a few months during the year?


texts: In what sense does the Arizal claim that Rabbi Akiva was the reincarnation of Cain?

texts:
I'am an Italian noahide

I read that in the Shaar HaGilgulim it is written that Rabbi Akiva was the reincarnation of Cain.

As ignorant of Kabbalah, I cannot understand how the evil figure of Cain can be connected to this great master, except for an error defined in the Talmud "Chief of the Sages"


texts: How should an Orthodox Jew respond to questioning by Conservative/Reform Jews?

texts:
If a Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist Jew asks an Orthodox Jew, "What is the difference between Conservative, Reform or Reconstructionist and Orthodox Judaism? Who says that Orthodox Judaism is the correct one to follow?"

How should an Orthodox Jew politely answer without making the person feel like two cents or making a chillul Hashem?


texts:
I'm currently tutoring someone in math that has an atitude of "what's the point of all this... why would I ever need this..." (which is typical of many high-schoolers). To try to pique his interest, I figured it would be great if I could provide him with examples from the Gemara that actually make use of some of the regent-level math he's learning.

So my question is what are some examples from the Talmud (Rashi and Tosfos included) that make use of (or refer to) high school level math?


texts:
Ethiopian Jews recently celebrated their festival of Sigd, which involves reaccaptence of the Torah, communal fasting and feasting, and prayers.

Is it acceptable for someone of a Minhag other than that of the Beta Israel/Ethiopian Jews to celebrate Sigd? I ask because it is a holiday that doesn't exist outside of all non-Ethiopian traditions, but also doesn't conflict with Jewish beliefs. I've been in Israel during Sigd (though I wasn't this year), and wondered about "joining in" with my Ethiopian friends when they celebrated.

Obviously  CYLOR, etc.


texts: Attendance for Minyan on School Shabbaton

texts: A Jewish day school takes attendance for tefillah on a shabbaton by putting every students’ name on a note card, and then when that person comes to tefillah, their name is taken out of the pile and put in a different pile. For borer to be done on shabbos, one of the conditions is that it must be for immediate use. Is it considered immediate use in this scenario if the immediate use is the actual borer that is being done?


texts: Is there any halachic benefit or hiddur to using an edible fuel for menorah? ( I think those premade menorahs use a olive oil that most people would find disgusting and inedible.)


texts: I am trying to go through the navi online. I have been using chabad.org and it has Rashi in English but i would like to learn other commentaries as well. Are there any commentaries (besides Rashi) on Nach in English online?


texts: Source for putting the orlah in earth/sand specifically from Israel after a bris?

texts:
A Mohel in America once asked me to bring some earth/sand from Israel to America  for him to bury the orlahs (foreskins) in after doing a Bris.
Does anyone here know of a source for putting the orlah in earth/sand specifically from Israel after a bris?

[I'm not looking for a source for putting the orlah in earth in general, just for earth specifically from Israel]


texts: When does the gemara learn two stuff from the same פסוק and when not?

texts:
In בבא קמא נח ע' ב the gemara doesn't want to learn two דינים from the same verse, while in many other gemaras (סוטה כט ע' א) the gemara has no such problem.
When does the gemara learn two stuff from the same verse and when not?


texts: Who is the author of "How to Get Deeper into Torah Without Falling Off the Deep End"?

texts: In an infamous short pamphlet called "How to Get Deeper into Torah Without Falling Off the Deep End" first published in 1994 by Laser Pages Publishing, the author, who goes by the title "Friedman the Tutor", provides some useful guidance for youth who are beginning their journey through the Yeshiva/Seminary system, and provides advice for avoiding many of the obstacles that people encounter in that period of growth. Some of the topics discussed include: maintaining healthy relationships, going slow, staying grounded, and having realistic expectations. (Original pamphlet available here. Sharing of the full pamphlet is encouraged by the author.)What is the full name of the author? Have they published any other works? The author provided a P.O. Box in Jerusalem, 6476, but this is likely no longer accurate.


texts: Why do we say Dayanim Mumhim in Hatarat Nedarim (Canceling vows)?

texts:
The text of Hatatarat Nedarim starts like this:

שִׁמְעוּ נָא רַבּותַי דַּיָּנִים מֻמְחִים
"Please hear, expert Dayanim (court)

It's not just that usually we gather three random people to be Dayanim, who are not necessarily "Experts". We know (Tur YO"D p228) that:

מי שנדר ...ילך אצל חכם מומחה..., ואם אין יחיד מומחה ילך אצל ג' הדיוטות ... והאידנא אין מומחה שיהא ראוי להתיר ביחיד בפחות מג
One who had taken a vow... will go to an expert sage... and if there is no expert will go at three simple people...and nowadays, we have no experts, that are worthy to cancel a vow alone, with less the three people.

So, if you need three people, they are obviously not "experts", why do we say they are?


texts: Is a Gentile allowed to do all the Jews do on Yom kippur? Or are there any prohibitions?


texts: How to understand the requirement for Supreme Judge to be tall and handsome?

texts:
Just as the members of a court of law must be cleared with respect to uprightness, so must they be clear of any physical defect. Every effort should be exerted in an intensive search for sufficiently mature candidates, who are tall and handsome, easily articulate, and conversant with most of the spoken tongues, so that the Sanhedrin may dispense with an interpreter. Hil. Sanhedrin 2

I'm having difficulty understanding this particular ruling: the requirements that relate to the judge's ability to exercise justice and wisdom are easy to agree with, but height and handsomeness don't sound like a Jewish tradition to me. I recall R' Yochanan being women-like beautiful but besides that, I couldn't connect physical appearance to intellectual qualities.
In addition, Rambam seems to insist heavily on that requirement.
Please help to understand this ruling.


texts:
I've read several things about covering the tefilin shel yad :

covering it with the tallit while fixing it
covering it with the tallit for the entire tefila
covering it with the shirt sleeve for the entire tefila
covering it with the jacket sleeve for the entire tefila

It seems that different sources are linked to kabbalah and the fact that it is not proper to pray with a bare arm or with a jacket sleeve hanging down

Do you have some details about those points ? Also I have noticed some rabbanim don't seem to pay attention to those things for example Rav Ovadia Yossef shlita.
Thanks.


texts: Mezuzah letters touching causing bad luck?

texts:
My family has had quite a bit of misfortune last few months (sickness, theft and more).
My wife suggested that we get our Mezuzahs checked.

Just a note on this: I understand that they must be checked twice every 7 years, but these Mezuzahs are less than 2 years old so they haven't been checked yet since after purchasing them.

I understand vaguely that there is a belief by some in a correlation between poor luck and unkosher Mezuzahs. I was quite skeptical but being a dutiful husband I agreed to take them to be inspected. There are only 3 mezuzahs as we have a small apartment.

On inspection I was told that 2 of the 3 had a lot of letters touching each other, but he fixed them. I was immediately asked by the Rebbetzin if we have been having bad Mazel. I was shocked. Paid for the work done and left. Too shocked to ask anything further.

Can someone explain to me if their is any fact behind this, or is it a superstition.
I very much hope that this is an end to our bad luck.


texts: Why recite the Psalms verses out of order?

texts:
The Talmud (RH 32b) lists the three Torah verses suitable for mention in the Kingship section of Rosh Hashana's Musaf as Num 23:21, Deu 33:5 and Exo 15:18. The Tur (OC 591) among others quotes R' Hai Gaon that the custom is to recite these verses in the order they appear in the Torah, not in the order the Talmud mentioned them in. The Tur there also notes that in the Remembrance section the custom is to interrupt the two verses from Jeremiah with one from Ezekiel because its theme is similar to the first verse.

The implication seems to be that we generally try to put the verses in order, but if we have some reason not to we won't and it's still ok. That seems reasonable enough.

Here are the Torah verses for the three sections: Exo 15:18, Num 23:21, Deu 33:5; Gen 8:1, Exo 2:24, [Exo 6:5 / Lev 26:42]; Exo 19:16, Exo 19:19, Exo 20:15.

Here are the verses from the Prophets: Isa 44:6, Ova 1:21, Zek 14:9; Jer 2:2, Eze 16:60, Jer 31:19; Isa 18:3, Isa 27:13, Zek 9:14-15

Everything there is in order (except the one exception for which we already got a reason).

But here are the verses from Psalms: 22:29, 93:1, [146:10,] 24:7-10; 111:4-5, [105:8,] 106:45; 47:6, 98:6, 81:4[-5], 150:1-6

Those aren't at all in order. Why don't we prefer to put the verses from Psalms in order in each section?


texts: the Rambam in yesodei torah says that stars are creatures with intellect. how do we reconcile this with modern science which says that they are merely inanimate balls of hydrogen and helium gas.


texts: Why the different wording between Shabbat Kiddush and zemirot?

texts:
In Leil Shabbat Kiddush we see the phrase:

תחילה למקראי קודש

Loose translation (mine): "The start of the holy callings (i.e. holy days)"

But in the Shabbat lunchtime somg Yom Ze Mechubad, we see the phrasing as:

ראשון הוא למקראי קודש

Loose translation (mine): "The first of the holy callings (i.e. holy days)"

Why is there a different word being used in each of these places? What is being conveyed in each of these places that might make that term more appropriate than the other?


texts: What changed with the giving of the Zohar?

texts:
Once read somewhere (forgot exact source, could be Shomer Emunim Hakadmon from Rabbi Yosef Irgas) that kabala was transferred from Rabbi to disciple in a long chain going to Sinai and taught secretly to special individuals (the need for secret transmission is taught in chagigah 13a), and that one must acquire it only from Rebbi to disciple.

If so, what then was the change in the discovery of the zohar, which became publicly studied? Why was this new teaching accepted since it was not received from one's Rabbi?


texts: Why do we recite Oseh Shalom at end of Amiday

texts: Elokai Ntsor is a private meditation yet it ends with Oseh Shalom-V'imru Amen. Imru Amen is plural and the meditation is private implying some kind of mixed message. Could it be that since everyone is saying albeit their own message that it is still plural as everyone is doing it? Please clarify thanks


texts: Playing Draidel with your wife when she is a Nidah

texts: May one play Draidel with his wife when she is a Nidah? (sources please)