texts:
Someone told me that the Rambam when he was young was hard of understanding

Is there a reputable source confirming this?
How can I find it?

What I found so far.

  לא הצטיין בשום תכונה מיוחדת. לא הייתה לו נטייה ללימודים, וכל מה שלמד- לא נקלט בראשו. קשה הבנה היה וקשה תפיסה

From http://cms.education.gov.il/NR/rdonlyres/F7CA73FE-1416-45D3-B4C4-6AB75566EC85/123043/chomer_reka.doc


texts: "El melech ne'eman" not in Chabad siddurim

texts:
There is a common custom amongst many to recite the words

  אל מלך נאמן

before Kriyas Shema when there is no minyan. However, in all Chabad siddurim I have davened from, this phrase is not there. Why is this?


texts: Why do we pray for G-d to smash down our fellow Jews?

texts:
My question refers to the twelfth blessing of the Amida, which seems to contravene the Biblical mitzva of ahavas yisroel*:

"And for the slanderers let there be no hope; and may all wickedness perish in an instant; and may Your enemies be cut down speedily. The wanton sinners -- may You speedily uproot, smash, cast down, and humble speedily in our days. Blessed are You, HaShem, Who breaks enemies and humbles wanton sinners."

According to my siddur (Artscroll), this originally referred to "heretical Jewish sects" such as the Sadducees, and also refers to heretical influences today. I may not know my history, but to me, the Sadducees seem no "worse" than karaites; and in any case, does it really matter? We are supposed to love our fellow Jews regardless of their faults, perceived bad influences, and differences with our opinion, then and now, no?

So how does praying directly to G-d to have them "broken," "smashed," "cast down," "cut down," etc., fit together with this essential concept?

(*Relevant mitzvot and sources: #26, and possibly #34, on the list here.)


texts:
It seems to me that everywhere I've been, the reading of Eicha on Tish'a B-av night has been broken up, with different chapters read by different people. Why is this custom so prevalent, specifically for Eicha?

I've seen Esther broken up, but not nearly as commonly, and I'm pretty sure that everywhere I've seen that (which may have been only on one place), it was simply because there wasn't a single reader who was going to be able to read the whole thing from a vowel- and cantillation-less scroll. That issue doesn't apply to congregations that read Eicha from printed books, which is the case everywhere I've been.

Similarly, for the other three Megillot, I've never seen the reading broken up.


texts:
1) Am I an onen/ do I sit shiva every time my phone dies?
2) If I see a dead phone and nobody is taking care of it, do I have to take care of it, per the rules of meis mitzva?
3) May a Kohen touch or be in the same building as a dead phone? Does it matter if it’s his phone?
4) Do any of the above apply to a non-Jews phone, or a phone made by a non-Jewish company?

In short, which halachos of dead people apply to dead phones?

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


texts: Is buying a lottery ticket a lack of faith?

texts:
Everybody would like to be rich, and winning the lottery is the easiest (albeit most unlikely) path to sudden wealth.

In terms of Jewish hashkafa (philosophy), I agree that buying more than one lottery ticket shows a lack of faith. It implies that pure randomness dictates which ticket will win, therefore the more tickets you buy the better your chances of winning. A person with proper emunah (faith) understands that G-d is in control of everything, even what seems apparently random, and while you can't win the lottery without a ticket you only need to have one for Him to make you the winner.

But how does hashkafa view the act of buying the lottery ticket? There are any number of normal, non-miraculous ways for a person to become rich. If G-d wants to bestow riches on you He is not constrained in how to do it. Is it presumptuous to buy a lottery ticket, implying He couldn't make you rich some other way?

Please give sources for your answers, read or taught, from Jewish hashkafa.


texts:
I've heard a man shouldn't wear anything on his left arm (as a bracelet, watch, etc) while having tefillin tied on. If this is true, would it be completely wrong to wear a red string on the left arm (where it should be) if one puts on tefillin daily?

According to Kabbalah, the red string should be on the left receiving side.


texts:
It is my understanding that the Neviim has two major divisions:

  the Former Prophets (Nevi'im Rishonim נביאים ראשונים, the narrative
  books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel and Kings) and the Latter Prophets
  (Nevi'im Aharonim נביאים אחרונים, the books of Isaiah, Jeremiah and
  Ezekiel and the Twelve Minor Prophets).

With respect to this division, I have two questions:

I understand that the Rishonim writings were, generally speaking, composed much earlier than the Aharonim, and it is this fact that was why I supposed they were divided as the Former/Latter. However, that is only "generally" true, as CashCow reminded me that some of the Twelve are believed to be composed during the time some of the Rishonim were written. This leads to one question:

What are the divisional names of Rishonim / Aharonim intended to reflect? Two ideas seem logical: (a) generally, the period of their writing, or (b) the topic of their content, that is, the Aharonim largely focusing prophetically on the future (latter) days of Israel, while the Rishonim are largely focusing on the historical (former) days of Israel?
What is the earliest known reference to the Neviim having the Rishonim / Aharonim division for organization? That is, do the Dead Sea Scrolls show evidence of this particular division? Apparently there is at least reference to the total body of the Neviim as early as 68 CE in the Dead Sea Scrolls, but is there evidence of organizing them in the two divisions at that time? Or some other early evidence in Rabbinical writings?


texts:
Is there any halachical problem with laser printing of divre tora/sheimos?

Because the image of the to-be-printed page appears on the drum, and

transferring the toner on the paper hence "erases" the image from the drum, or
subsequent printings could erase previous image residue, especially when the printing process was interrupted.

As suggested, here is a rough description of the process.

An electrostatically-coated cylinder (the "drum") is charged with electricity.
A laser light ranges over the drum surface, while its intensity modulated opposite to ink intensity on the image (low intensity at the letters' place). In other words, the document is projected onto the drum via laser light.
The more light hits a point, the more the electrostatic charge drops here.
Toner powder is thrown on the drum, more attaching where the charge is still high.
At this instant, we can see the document "drawn" in powder onto the drum.
Paper sheet is connected to an electric potential, while inserted under the drum, thus attracting the powder.
Paper passes under a heater, the fuser, that fixes the powder on the paper (toner is powder of plastic).


texts:
In this video on khan academy, Khan makes a few theological points regarding evolution. His main point is that evolution can be reconciled with intelligent design by saying that God could have created a set of "simple and elegant basic ideas" from which complexity emerged. (there is a more detailed outline of his points below).

What does Judaism have to say about this?

Outline of his points:

Trying to reconcile evolution with Intelligent design

Some things seem too complicated to be made from set of random processes (uses eye as example)

There is no perfect eye- points to evolution

"Belief in all powerful, universal God would not point to a God who designs each particular"

Gods created "simple and elegant basic ideas"

complexity emerged from those ideas"

This is a very profound design and it speaks to the art of the designer, as opposed to designing each of these entities [separately]"

“Always getting more suited to its environment as it changes and that, to me, is a better design"

Brings fractals as example of complexity emerging from simplicity (in case you don’t know what fractals are, he starts this point @ 8:04)


texts:
I've found that in chassidish shuls (at least in London and Manchester, UK) that they always do one of the Shir hamaalos and a Kaddish before starting maariv with והוא רחום.

Is there a source and reason for this minhag?


texts:
My sister told me her Rebbetzin had a minhag: If after going to the mikveh she did not have relations with her husband that night, she should sleep with a knife under her pillow to fight the evil spirits that are empowered by the absence of marital relations after purification.

Does anyone have a source for this and is this situation related to Tehom Raba, the great abyss which opens up when "renewing the Torah w/o sufficient knowledge" (which I believe includes blessings in vain) (Zohar 68, 69 1) in which Lilith and her demons slay hundreds of thousands in the empty firmaments?

  However, if one were to claim that the renovation of the Torah by one who does not even know what he is saying creates a firmament, then
  look at one who is not familiar with the secrets of the Torah: since
  he renews the Torah without having sufficient knowledge, all that he
  renews ascends, and the reverse side of man (male part of the impure
  force), and the false tongue (from Nukva of the impure force, called
  Tehom Raba – great abyss) comes toward him. This reversed man skips
  500 Parsaot (measures of distance) to receive this renewal of the
  Torah, takes it and makes a false firmament out of it, called Tohu
  (abyss).
  And this reverse man then flies across the empty firmament, traversing 6,000 Parsaot in one bound. And as soon as this empty
  firmament stops, an impure woman emerges at once, seizes onto this
  empty firmament, and partakes in it. She leaves it and slays hundreds
  of thousands, for as long as she remains in this firmament, she has
  the authority and power to fly and traverse the whole world in an
  instant.


texts:
Is one allowed to spray cologne on shabbos? Any rules against doing this?

As always, please cite your sources


texts: Why are the times for Shemitah listed in Sheviis 4:7-9?

texts:
The Mishnah in Sheviis 4:7 asks when one may begin eating fruits of Shemitah. As the Bartenura and Yachin there explain, this means that as the fruits are left “for eating,” one may only eat them when they’re ripe.

In that Mishnah and the succeeding Mishnayos (7-9), the Tanna lists several fruits and their times:

Figs may be eaten in the field when they have reddened and in the house when they have begun ripening.
Grapes may be eaten in the field when they begin producing grape juice and in the house when they have begun ripening.
Olives may be eaten in the field when they produce a reviis of oil per se’ah of olives; they may be squeezed for their oil to be eaten in the field when they produce a half-log of oil per se’ah of olives; and they may be eaten in the house when they produce a third [of the total amount of oil, or of that which is remaining - Yachin].

The Mishnah in each of these cases states that the final stage of ripening listed (Bartenura) is the same as when it is obligated in Ma’aser. It concludes its teachings by saying that for all other fruits their times for eating in Shemittah is the same as when it’s obligated in Ma’aser.

Now, this list of when they’re obligated in Ma’aser is recorded in Ma’aseros 1. That list includes the three fruits mentioned here (figs and grapes in 1:2 and olives in 1:3). So why doesn’t the Mishnah simply say that one may eat underripe fruits in the field and fruits that are obligated in Ma’aser in the house, instead of going through these specific cases and then setting forth these general rules?

For reference, the links above take you to the Mishnayos in question.


texts: Talmudic personages and their occupations

texts:
One question I have been researching is on the Jewish attitude towards secular occupations to complement Torah learning. There is even a statement in the Talmud about how it is preferable to flay carcasses in the marketplace, indicating that having a job, any job, is condoned by halacha (BB 110a). Is there any list of the various people mentioned in the talmud with their occupations? (That will help me understand if talmudic occupations informed the development of Jewish law or if they provided any context for talmudic statements.) I know that there is this paragraph

  The sages of the Talmud worked at many diverse occupations. For instance, Hillel was a woodchopper before he became the Nasi (President of the Sanhedrin) and Shammai the Elder was a builder. Abba Chilkiyah was a field laborer; Rabbi Yochanan b. Zakkai was a businessman for forty years; Abba Shaul was a gravedigger; Abba Chilkiyah was a field worker; Abba Oshiya was a launderer; Rabbi Shimon P’kuli was a cotton dealer; Rabbi Shmuel b. Shilas was a school teacher, Rabbi Meir and Rabi Chananel were scribes; Rabbi Yosi b. Chalafta was a tanner; Rabbi Yochanan Hasandlar was a shoemaker; Rabbi Yehoshua b. Chananiah was a blacksmith; Rabbi Safra and Rabbi Dimi of Nehardea were merchants; Rabbi Abba b. Zavina was a tailor; Rabbi Yosef b. Chiya and Rabbi Yannai owned vineyards; Rabbi Huna was a farmer and raised cattle; Rabbi Chisda and Rabbi Papa were beer brewers; Karna was a wine smeller (he determined which wine could be stored and which had to be sold immediately); Rabbi Chiya b. Yosef was in the salt business; Abba Bar Abba, (father of Mar Shmuel) was a silk merchant; and (Mar) Shmuel was a doctor.

But I don't know if it is an exhaustive list and if it is limited to "jobs" or includes (or doesn't include) other hobbies/areas of expertise.


texts: Advice on starting an Iyun Tefillah course

texts:
I'm considering starting a course on Iyun Tefillah - the study of prayers and the prayer book in my shul. Most of the members are "beginner" level. They read Hebrew at varying levels some don't read Hebrew at all and we use the Birnbaum Siddur in shul.

I'd like to include:

an overview of the history of Jewish prayer, in general - both private and public prayer
the history of shuls (such as when they began, required "architecture" like what items must be in a shul and their positions / spacing in the shul)
history of congregational prayer, and finally, history / organization of the Siddur (concentration on Nusach Ashkenaz, but I may delve into a general history of other nuscha'ot.)

I located www.beuereihatefila.com which many of you know I have cited from to answer various questions on Mi Yodeya. It has many good articles. But, it doesn't delve into some of the afore-mentioned topics in sufficient detail, and, I could use some other sources and ideas.

Can someone suggest some sources or, perhaps, ideas of starting topics that I may not have mentioned? Has anyone done this type of course? If you locate some course online either with notes or videos or a "syllabus", that would be an excellent resource for me.


texts: Does “foreign religious obligation” = “Takruvas Avodah Zarah”?

texts:
Background: There is a verse in the Christian scriptures (Luke 6:30) that, when read out of context, implies that a follower of osso ha’ish should give anything anyone asks for. I had heard an urban legend that anti-missionaries have used that against Jews for J——s types.

I was accosted by some Christian missionaries proselytizing in Midwood this morning and decided to try this prank. The fellow (not Jewish) said, “I’m not giving this to you to induce you to change religion; I’m giving this to you to obey the will of J——s.”

Now I have a $20 bill in my pocket, but may I spend it?  Is this Takruvas Avodah Zarah?


texts:
What is the origin of the escalator analogy of always striving for growth?  I'm referring to the analogy that, in life, like a person climbing a downward escalator, if one is not constantly striving higher and moving forward, one is by definition moving backward and downward, not merely at rest.

I've heard this as inspiration and Divrei Hizzuk inserted into Divrei Torah, but there is obviously no Midrash that would have used this exact analogy. I assume that, if it has Jewish origins, it would have to be a 20th Century rabbi or Jewish theologian (the first working escalator was installed in 1896 - Wikipedia).  Who coined it, and when?


texts: How was Moses able to speak to at least 600,000 people?

texts:
The book of Exodus says that Israelites had 600,000 men of fighting age. And often it has paragraphs like this:

Exodus 35:4 (JPS):

  And Moses spoke unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: 'This is the thing which the LORD commanded, saying:

There are many, many more examples like this. Sometimes, right after Moses says something, events happen that affect the whole community, suggesting that he was speaking everyone atthe same time:

Numbers 16 (JPS):

  31 And it came to pass, as he made an end of speaking all these words, that the ground did cleave asunder that was under them. 32 And the earth opened her mouth and swallowed them up, and their households, and all the men that appertained unto Korah, and all their goods. 33 So they, and all that appertained to them, went down alive into the pit; and the earth closed upon them, and they perished from among the assembly.

So, how was a community of at least 600,000 males able to hear Moses when he addressed them? That is thirty times more people than would fill Madison Square Garden.

And just a follow up question: if Moses actually spoke to the leaders, which passed things down to their respective tribes and groups, then doesn't Judaism actually become a religion handed down by a small group of people? At this point, the best argument for its authority is that God specifically set up this structure and said it was the best.


texts: Should I improvise a b'racha in a case of doubt?

texts:
I didn't grow up on "b'racha bees" and I know there's a lot I don't know, so I sometimes find myself in a situation where either I know there's a b'racha for something but I don't know it, or I don't know if there's a b'racha but it feels like there ought to be.  Let's assume that I need to answer the question "in the moment" and can't wait to go consult a source first (thus, I'm not asking about food, which I can wait to eat, but about other kinds of b'rachot).

In that case, per the halacha should I:

Improvise something and use the b'racha formula, because it's better to thank HKBH properly than improperly?
Improvise something but not use the b'racha formula, to avoid a b'racha l'vateilah?
Say nothing but think thankful thoughts?
Something else?

And are the two cases different -- knowing the situation calls for a b'racha (but I don't know what it is), versus not knowing if the situation calls for a b'racha?

I will benefit most from sources I can read in English.

This question was prompted by this one.


texts:
What is a good book which goes into detail about Rabbis (particularly those living in Israel from 1880-1950) and their personal experience with Zionists and the Palestinians?

I am particularly interested in learning about their (Torah) views on Zionism, their intervention with Jewish extremism, and the personal relations and diplomatic efforts they had attempted with the native Arab population and Muslim leaders of Palestine during the tumultuous decades leading up to 1948.


texts: Compelling arguments to support Techelet

texts: I know a lot of arguments against the wearing Techelet from my research etc. and I would to now hear some arguments for the Techelet. Does anyone have any arguments that support the Techelet?


texts: Hardboiled eggs and salt water at the Seder

texts:
I've participated in only 3 different families' Passover Seders, so my experience is limited in terms of different families' traditions.

How widespread is the custom of eating a hardboiled egg in salt water at the Seder, and what are the source and reason behind it?

EDIT: Is it codified anywhere?


texts: What happens if you take off your mezuzah because its not yours is a bracha required if you change mezuzas?


texts: Chachma, bina vaadat. Whats the difference?

texts: Whats the difference between the concepts: chachma, bina and daat? We see them listed together in the amida.


texts: Can a Davidic King rule while his father is still alive?

texts:
Can a King of the House of David (i.e an inherited - not appointed - King), serve as king while his father is still alive?

I think King Shlomo might have been king during his father's lifetime.


texts:
Suppose someone is not able to swallow pills. What doctors will tell them to do is put the pill in something like applesauce or pudding in order to swallow the pill. In such a case, should the person make a bracha or is medicine still the Ikar and you don't make a bracha?

As always, please cite your sources.


texts:
The gemara in Nedarim 59 (among many other places) discusses the concept of shmita produce and plants grown from them retaining their status when the original "seed" isn't destroyed when planted. In discussing this point, it brings down that the kedusha of shmita is caused by the land itself. This would imply that objects "not grown in the land itself" would not have shmita upon them even IF they were "grown in Israel."

Nominally, this would exclude things like hydroponics or pot grown vegetables.

However, we also have a halacha that a large enough vessel is considered equivalent to the ground itself, as it comprises an immovable object. As such, a date tree (say) grown in a sufficiently large planter WOULD, in fact, have all the requirements of shmita.

Given that there are concerns in general with hydroponics and their status re: making a bracha, would the "large container" concern still apply to render such produce kodesh lishmita?


texts:
So a friend of mine showed me a Shulchan Aruch (C.M. 412:1 and 412:2) the other day (which is based on a gemara in Bava Kama). To paraphrase the relevant points of the original text:

In 412:1 it says that if Reuven places a barrel in a public domain and Shimon tripped and broke it - Shimon is exempt from paying damages.
In 412:2 it says that if Reuven places a barrel in a place where he is allowed to and Shimon tripped and broke it - Shimon is liable for the damages. However, if it is dark or the entire road was filled with barrels, Shimon is exempt.
Finally, if the entire road is filled with barrels to an extent where it's impossible to pass - even if Shimon broke it with his hands he is exempt.

My friend is trying to figure out if this Halacha can be applied to a modern day case. Suppose, Reuven double parks his car illegally on a street. Shimon who is behind him thinks he can squeeze by so he starts inching forward... Except: crunch! Shimon hits Reuven's car and damages it.
So can we say that this is the same case as one who placed his barrel (car) in such a way as it blocks the street? Would Shimon therefore be exempt as he is just trying to get thorugh? Or is there some reason that this case is different?


texts:
I have seen many people, among them talmidei chachamim, rise out of their seat when saying God's name (Elokeinu) during a zimmun of 10 people.

Is there a source for this behavior?


texts: What's the order of importance of Honorees under a Chuppa?

texts:
Under a Chupah, a Baal Simcha (in today's times) has a number of Honors (כיבודים) to give out. Here's a list of them (possibly not complete):

מסדר קידושין
2 עדים (witnesses)
קריאת כתובה (reading of the Kesubah)
First 2 ברכות
3rd ברכה
4th ברכה
5th ברכה
6th ברכה
Last Bracha

My question is, what is the correct order of importance* of these positions? In other words, sort the above 9 items in order of which should be given to the most important person.

* By "importance" I specifically mean in terms of how much of an honor it's considered to give it to someone.


texts: What are the parameters of the prohibition against a non-Jew learning Torah?

texts:
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 58a) declared that a non-Jew is liable to death for learning Torah (at least the parts not relevant to him practically). If you read the passuk תורה צוה לנו משה מורשה literally, “The Torah did Moshe command us as an inheritance,” then if a non-Jew learns Torah, he’s in violation of theft; if you expound מורשה as מאורשה, then you get “The Torah did Moshe command us as a wife,” and then the non-Jew is in violation of adultery.

In practice, what should one’s response be if and when a non-Jew approaches him asking about some area of Halacha? Should the Jew explain it to him, perhaps as simply as possible without all the esoteric details, or should he not explain it at all, politely explaining why (while not quoting the above Gemara, as that would also be teaching him Torah)?


texts:
In Rabbi Donin's book, To Pray As A Jew, he says that reading a prayer book to find out what it says, or to relish its beauty of poetry, does not qualify as prayer. He says that to transform reading into prayer, there must be at least a sense of standing in the presence of G-d and the intent to fulfill one of His commandments.  He called this "intent" kavanah.

Rabbi Donin states in his book that there are ascending levels of kavanah, each one a greater challenge to the worshiper.  I want to know what those different levels are.


texts: When did the practice of lighting flames for Chanuka begin?

texts: It seems clear from the G'mara that the institution of Chanuka as a holiday began the year immediately following the seminal story - with praising of God and commemorating miracles, but there is no mention in that historical retelling of m'nora-lighting as part of the commemorative practice. Are there any records of when this started?


texts: Lecha Dodi refers to moshiach twice. The first time, he is called "the son of Yishai." Later on, he is referred to as "the man descended from Peretz." We know that the piyut's author, Rav Alkabetz, was an important mekubal and that the Arizal was very impressed with this piyut. Given the kabbalistic provenance of the song, one can assume that there is a deeper meaning behind the specific phrasing used. What is the significance of the two different appellations?


texts:
I was learning to chant Tehillim in Israel last year. The Syrians have a tradition for how to chant psalms and they base their tradition off the Aleppo Codex.

In their siddurim, Halleluyah is written out as: "הַלְלוּיָהּ" and I have noticed this to be the case in most other Siddurim.

However, in the Aleppo Codex, it is written out as: "הַלֲלוּיָהּ"

Why the difference between the Shewa Na' and the Hataf Patah? I know the Hataf is usually placed under gutteral letters, but that does not seem to be the case here. Why do all of our siddurim show the shewa and not the hataf patah?


texts: When learning an English Sefer does one have to mouth it or can he just think it?

texts:
One should make sure to learn Torah out loud. If one learns out loud, one will be blessed to remember one's learning. - Eirvuin 54a, Rambam (Talmud Torah 3:12), Shulchan Aruch YD 246:22, Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 27:5. Chida in Petach Eynayim (Eruvim 54a) writes that as the pasuk in Beresheet 27:22 הקל קול יעקב one קול, voice, is spelled complete and one is complete without a vav, to indicate that when we pray we silently and when we learn we learn aloud.

Bruria, the wife of Rebbe Meir, was passing a student who was studying silently without verbalizing what he was learning. She rebuked him and said that his manner of study was incorrect because the verse states, “Life comes to the one who comes upon them” which is meant to be understood as, “life comes to the one who articulates its words with one’s mouth.” - Eruvin 53b-54a

When one learns one should learn out loud but itRav Ovadia Yosef in Halichot Olam (8 pg 390) and Anaf Etz Avot (Avot 3:3). Interestingly, the Maharal (Derech Chaim Avot 3:6) writes that when learning with someone else, such as a chevruta, one is forced explain the issue in words in order to discuss it. In this manner, one accomplishes the an awesome fulfillment of learning Torah which is spoken aloud. However, when one learns alone, even if one says the words aloud, primarily it is a mental thought process and the words are insignificant, which is a lower level of learning Torah.’s considered Talmud Torah even if one only thinks about it.

Seemingly, one should learn aloud. But is that only for Gemara/Chumash/Anything in Hebrew? Or does that mean to say, regardless of what one is learning, he should always learn aloud?


texts: With a word like ידיו is the final syllable closed or open? Are the final letters a closed consonant or an extension of the vowel,  like a tripthong?


texts: If masturbation is so bad, why is it not in list of 613 Mitzvos?

texts: If masturbation is, as stated in the Shulchan Oruch (Even HaEzer 23:1), "the worst sin in the Torah", then why is it not listed in any of the various lists of 613 Mitzvos and why is there no verse in the Torah that mentions it directly ("Do not masturbate")?


texts: Is there any statement by chazal or the poskim which precludes Moshiach from being a woman?


texts:
Is there any order (left/right foot) of how I should step to start and end Shmone Esrei?

Same after finishing Oseh Shalom.

Sephardic sources preferably, please. Thanks in advance! :-)


texts: Are you allowed to risk dying to save others?

texts:
I would like some clarification about the risks of trying to save someone's life by breaking a commandment, or pikuach nefesh.

In Bava Metzia 62a, Rabbi Akiva ruled that your life has priority over someone else's life.  Now:

(1) Are you even allowed to save another person, knowing for certain, in advance, that you will die in the process?  I remember reading that this would be akin to suicide and is not allowed.

(2) If there is a chance you will die in the process of saving another, I remember reading that as long as you estimate the chance to be below 50%, you may do it, but if it is above 50%, you may not do it.

(3) If there is any chance at all that you will die in the process of saving another, even if small, are you allowed to do nothing, or must you try?

Is this accurate and what are the sources?


texts: Devarim (Deut.) ch. 16).. lists the 3 pilgrimage holidays, Pesach, Shavuot and Succot. Of the 3 holidays, Pesach has no explicit mention of "simcha" (joy). Why is that? Is simcha not required on Pesach as with the other holidays? If it is required, is it only Midrabbanan (Rabbinical)?


texts: Any suggestions on how to keep the Peyos behind the ear? They keep "flying" out...


texts: Do sales follow the common usage of the term, or the Gemara’s usage?

texts:
Yoma 44b-45a says there are seven types of gold: gold, good gold, Ophir gold, Mufaz gold, Shachut gold, Sagur good, and Paryavam gold, and proceeds to explain what they are.

Let’s say that Reuven sells Shimon a gold alloy and claims that it’s gold. Shimon gets it checked by a metallurgist and comes back to Reuven, saying that he thought it was pure gold. Is this considered a mistaken sale, for which Reuven must return the proceeds of the sale?

On the one hand, Reuven said “gold,” and in common parlance, that means pure gold (with some degree of error on its purity), and that’s not what he sold.

On the other hand, the Gemara says that there are different types of gold, many of which seem to be alloys (ex. Mufaz gold, according to Rashi, sounds like white gold; Paryavam gold, defined as red gold, is a gold-copper alloy; etc.). Does this definition of gold (i.e. any of these seven gold-based metals) extend to common sales, and if Shimon meant that he wanted pure gold, he must explicitly say so?


texts: It is a minhag in Chabad to only eat vegetables that you can peel on Pesach. There is a possibility that either the wax coating on certain vegetables contains chometz or that certain processing of the vegetables contains chometz. Without discussing the validity of this minhag, the question is do other groups outside of Chabad follow this chumra?


texts:
I remember reading once (in Sender Zeyv's novel Ten Lost), that some Jewish sources say that Amalekites don't have souls. Obviously, this might not be so reliable, coming from a work of fiction, so I'm asking here. Is there any source (I don't remember if the book quoted one or not) for the claim that members of Amalek don't have souls?

This assumes that gentiles in general have souls, as appears to be the consensus in this question:

Do gentiles have neshamot?

(Tell me if I should make this a separate question).
If the answer is yes, does that mean they are Philosophical zombies? What would a positive answer (no neshamos) imply about the following:

Amalekites having free will
Amalekites feeling pain
Their being some way to tell the difference (with a regular human) by their behavior


texts: Why Shammai says that a man can only divorce his wife due to adultery?

texts:
Hillel and Shammai have different opinions:

Hillel says you can divorce your wife for any reason.
Shammai says you cannot divorce your wife for any reason. The only legitimate reason for divorce is adultery.

Is Shammai against divorce in general? Or maybe, if a wife doesn't commit adultery, and then she gets a divorce, Shammai thinks the divorce is null and void, and hence, when she gets another guy, it's still adultery, technically.

On the other hand, if the wife commits adultery before, and the husband divorces her, then he doesn't make her an adulteress because she already is.

What is Shammai's reasoning?


texts: What should the Gabbai say when calling up the Cohen when there is no Levi?

texts:
I've recently attended minyanim with no Levi and each time, the Kohen was called up twice.
The confident Gabbaim seem to just declare 'Bimkom Levi' whilst the less confident ones just mumble.
'Bimkom Levi' isn't a fully formed statement and it seems odd to me that this is what the Gabbai should be saying to re-call up the Kohen.
What should the Gabbai actually say in this situation? (Sources please)


texts:
I would need some help to answer a grammar question in order to understand the exact meaning a critical piece of the selling of Yosef.
The Torah says in Bereshit 37:20 (from www.chabad.org):
"וְעַתָּ֣ה | לְכ֣וּ וְנַֽהַרְגֵ֗הוּ וְנַשְׁלִכֵ֨הוּ֙ בְּאַחַ֣ד הַבֹּר֔וֹת" So now, let us kill him, and we will cast him into one of the pits.

Then the Torah says in Bereshit 37:22: "הַשְׁלִ֣יכוּ אֹת֗וֹ אֶל־הַבּ֤וֹר הַזֶּה֙"

And in Bereshit 37:24: "וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה"

Note the little difference in the grammar in these three verses in the case of throwing in the pit: first, it seems to me that their intention was to kill Yosef and then to throw him INTO one the pits in 37:20. Then Reuven seems to say in 37:22 to throw Yosef in direction of the pit (and not INTO the pit). Finally in Bereshit 37:24, it seems that the brothers listened to Reuven and threw Yosef in direction of the pit and NOT INTO the pit. It is clear that Yosef ended up finding himself into the pit because the Mindyanim took him up from the pit as the Torah says in Bereshit 37:28. So my questions are :
- how to understand the grammatical differences here?
- what did the brothers do exactly according to the text itself?
- how did Yosef ended being into the pit?

Any suggestions?


texts:
If one of precisely ten men, who form a minyan, had driven to shul (the synagogue) on shabbat, is that an acceptable minyan?

I would have though not, since one is benefiting from his melacha on shabbat, but was told that either this is not called a benefit, or that one is allowed to benefit from melacha that is done by a Jew on shabbat in general, just not in the case of bishul.

Are either of those two things true?


texts: BS"D on documents for secular/non-Jewish audiences

texts:
Many Jews write BS"D or בס"ד (standing for בסיעתא דשמיא meaning "with God's help") or something similar at the top of all documents.  As far as I am aware, there is no halacha that requires anything like this, but people do it as a way of acknowledging that everything that they do can only be done with God's help. Do people who follow this practice tend to write this on documents that are intended for non-Jews or secular Jews who would be unaware of the meaning and confused by the strange acronym at the top of the page? Does it matter if the document is intended to be very professional (such as a business letter or a report for a company)?

(P.S. This question is tagged poorly.  Please retag if you have better tag ideas.)


texts: Potential issues davening while wearing a mask

texts:
I understand the potential benefits of wearing a mask, but I was wondering if any halachic issues have arose from wearing a mask.
For instance, the chazzen and the baal korei have to have clear voices.
Not being able to smell bsamim could be a bracha v'tala.
Making kiddush.


texts: Do any poskim exempt 13-20-year-olds from Mussaf?

texts:
In Artscroll’s edition of Sefer HaChinuch (vol. 2, p. 303), they quote a discussion regarding whether women are exempt from davening Mussaf:

  If women are obligated as men are in all the communal offerings, there is a reason to obligate women in the Mussaf prayer, since it is representative of the Mussaf offering in which women are obligated. Thus, the question of whether women must recite the Mussaf prayer today is contingent upon the question of whether they are included in the obligation of all the communal offerings, and that they are therefore exempt from reciting the Mussaf prayer (see Teshuvos R’ Akiva Eiger §9, and R’ Akiva Eiger on Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 106:2).

(Artscroll spends the rest of the piece addressing how this opinion interprets Ben Buchri’s opinion that Kohanim and Leviim are exempt from the Shekalim in light of the fact that Sukkah 53a indicates that they davened an obligatory Mussaf.)

I see also that Mishnah Berurah 106:4 cites the Tzlach (Artscroll ad. loc. references Tzlach to Berachos 26a without actually quoting him) as saying similarly that women are exempt, without quoting a reason; I don’t have access to this Sefer to see his reasoning inside.

According to these opinions, that women are exempt from Mussaf due to their being exempt from the Shekalim, would the same hold true for the other groups of people exempt from Shekalim, i.e. children under 201 and slaves? (I ask more about the children, as in general slaves are liable and exempt in the same Mitzvos as a woman.)

1I base this statement on the Bartenura to Shekalim 1:3:

  וקטנים. אפילו הביא שתי שערות והוא פחות מבן עשרים:

  ”And minors” - even if he has produced two hairs and is younger than 20.

And Yachin ad. loc.:

  וקטנים כל שהוא פחות מבן עשרים קרוי קטן, ואפילו הביא ב' שערות.

  ”And minors” - anyone younger than 20 is called a minor, even if he produced two hairs.

However, I see that the Rambam ad. loc. understands this exemption differently:

  וקטן שלא הביא שתי שערות אין ממשכנין אותו אלא שמניחין אותו ואם נתן מקבלין מידו אמרו אין ממשכנין עד שיביא שתי שערות

  And a minor who has not produced two hairs, we do not take collateral from him, but rather we leave him. If he gave, we will accept from his hand. They said: we do not take collateral until he produces two hairs.

Obviously my question can only apply if children ages 13-20 are exempt from Shekalim, as children under 13 are exempt from Mitzvos anyway.


texts: What's a good technique for a not-so-strong person to do [Ashkenazi] Hagbaha?

texts:
I've seen many people shy away when asked to do Hagbaha (הגבהה), thinking themselves too weak. I know for a fact that it doesn't take that much strength to do it correctly, so I'd love to see a writeup of proper technique.

See also the Sefaradi version of this question.


texts: Chamisha Veshishim Umatayim - mi yodeya?

texts:
Who knows two hundred sixty-five?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible.
At some point between twenty-four hours and a few days from now, I will:

Vote up all interesting, relevant answers.

Accept what I consider the "best" answer.

Move on to the next number.

Lazy gematria for today is: סהר.


texts: PTIJ: What tea will there be during the Geulah?

texts:
Every time we daven Shmonei Esreh, we say the following:

וְתֶה חֱזֶינָה עֵינֵינוּ בְּשׁוּבְךָ לְצִיּון בְּרַחֲמִים

Translation: And Tea shall see our eyes when You shall return to Tzion with mercy.
Apparently, in the time of the Geulah, there's going to be a kind of tea.
What kind of tea will it be?
At first I thought it might be Earl Grey, because that's mentioned many times in the Gemara. For example (Kiddushin 80a):

דליתא דמי רובא וחזקה רובא עדיף אר"ל

Translation: When there isn't most of the money and most of the chazakah, it's preferable to use Earl.
And also in the midrash (Otzar Hamidrashim, midrash l'olam 5:9):

אר״ל דבר זה כתוב בתורה ושנוי בנביאים ומשולש בכתובים

Translation: Earl, this thing is written in the Torah and again in the Prophets and a third time in the Ketuvim.
But then I thought that maybe Earl Grey was only the tea of Galut Edom and the Geulah is deserving of its own tea.
So maybe Chai?
As it is said in the Yom Kippur Machzor:

חַי וְקַיָּם נוֹרָא וּמָרוֹם וְקָדוֹשׁ:

Translation: Chai and existing, terrible and lofty and holy.
And this might serve as a parable to the eternity and greatness of Am Yisrael. But why would we have terrible tea in the Geulah? I thought everything was supposed to be good during the Geulah. So I'm stumped. Which tea is it and why?
And on the more kabbalistic side of things, is this mysterious tea a gilgul of the Tea Party tea that brought on the American Geulah in 1776 (אמעריקאן רעבאלושיען בלע"ז)?

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


texts: Parshat Korach - Why did God finally take off his gloves here?

texts:
We find previously that G-d warned Moses that he would destroy the nation, but it seems quite clear that it was just a way of having Moses intervene on their behalf and was just a warning. Here we find that G-d actually "meant it" and the plague started. What happened here that made G-d "take of his gloves"?
Further clarification: The main difference here was that God did not take counsel from Moshe, not did he wait for a y response from Moshe, the plague just began. In previous encounters God gave Moshe time to intercede on their behalf.


texts: Jewish owned dough bake by a non jewish baker

texts:
It states in shulchan aruch yoreh deah 112 11 "bread of a jew that a non jew baked without a jew's stirring or adding fuel, is forbidden to sell to a non jew lest a Jew buy it from the non jewish baker (thinking it's pas palter and allowed)"

This is because the allowance for pas palter is under normal circumstances but if the jew is already producing his own dough then he is expected to cook it as well. Any dough owned by a jew that a nonjew cooks is forbidden as pas bal habayis.

Would a company owned by a jew (let's assume non religious) that employs non jewish workers who turn on the oven fall under this category and hence the bread they produce be assur?


texts: how often do you have to check your mezuzot?

texts: I heard it was twice in two years. Is that right? Where does that come from? If I have no reason to assume they became pasul do I still have to check them?


texts: What is the sefardic custom concerning wearing tallis katan?

texts: I have heard that sefardim wear a tallis katan only for shacharis and then take it off.  Is that so?  If so, when did this custom arise and why?


texts: "A prophet cannot renew Halachot" rule limitations

texts:
Divrei HaYamim describes the process of building of the first Temple, hinting that the exact plan was prophesied:

וַיִּתֵּן דָּוִיד לִשְׁלֹמֹה בְנוֹ אֶת־תַּבְנִית הָאוּלָם וְאֶת־בָּתָּיו וְגַנְזַכָּיו וַעֲלִיֹּתָיו וַחֲדָרָיו הַפְּנִימִים וּבֵית הַכַּפֹּרֶת׃ וְתַבְנִית כֹּל אֲשֶׁר הָיָה בָרוּחַ עִמּוֹ לְחַצְרוֹת בֵּית־ה' וּלְכָל־הַלְּשָׁכוֹת סָבִיב לְאֹצְרוֹת בֵּית הָאֱלֹהִים וּלְאֹצְרוֹת הַקֳּדָשִׁים׃ ...
הַכֹּל בִּכְתָב מִיַּד ה' עָלַי הִשְׂכִּיל כֹּל מַלְאֲכוֹת הַתַּבְנִית׃
David gave his son Solomon the plan of the porch and its houses, ... and of the treasuries of the holy things;...
“All this that the LORD made me understand by His hand on me, I give you in writing—the plan of all the works.”

There are multiple approaches to interpreting the last line, Rashi says that Shmuel learned that from the Torah, but others (Malbim, Radak) says it was prophesied, either by David himself (the Pshat of the verse) or by preceding prophets (Shmuel, Nathan, etc) that passed that knowledge to David.
This question only addresses the latter interpretation: if a prophet comes and says he received the measures of the about-to-be-built Temple from G-d, do we treat it as a prophesy and accept it or as a Halacha and reject?
And, therefore, what are the limits of what we can or cannot accept from a prophet based on the aforementioned rule?


texts: Should one light Shabbat candles if Friday is yom tov?

texts: Today is the second day of Rosh Hashana, and it happens to be Friday. The holiday will end after Shabbat begins. Should we light candles today?


texts: According to the Rambam, how do you shake the lulav?

texts: How do you shake the arba minim according to the Rambam?


texts: Chuppah by a Zivug Sheini (second marriage) and the "main" kinyan

texts:
It seems that the prevalent minhag by a zivug sheini (second marriage) is to have the chuppah inside (as opposed to the minhag of (at least) the ashkanazim to have the chuppah outside.) What is the reason or makor that even for those that normally have the minhag to make the chuppah outside, that by a zivug sheini it should be done inside?

I have heard that a connection is made between getting married and the giving of the Torah where the luchos shnius weren't given b'kolos, therefore since a connection is made to marriage therefore by a zivug sheini also shouldn't be done so publicly. Is there any makor for this reason? Is this the reason for making the chuppah inside?

On the other hand I've heard that it doesn't matter where the chuppah is made, whether inside or out, so as long as it's close to the cheder yichud (private room where married couple go after the chuppah) since that is the "main" kinyan by a zivug sheini. Is this indeed the "main" kinyan (the cheder yichud) and if so is there a makor for this reasoning that the chuppah should be inside so as to be as close to the cheder yichud as possible? What matters if there is some more time spent walking from the chuppah to the cheder yichud?


texts: Did the rights of a Jewish slave owner include having sex with his female slaves?

texts: I know that Abraham had sex with his slave who acted as a surrogate for Sarah and I understand that to have been standard practice (even though God did not intend for his promise to be fulfilled through a slave) but what about simply using the slave woman for sexual favors? Was that within the rights of a Jewish slave owner? I'm not particularly concerned with ANE norms in general (though I suppose that would be interesting and useful) but rather what the Torah provided for or forbade.


texts: Halchas about standing for the brachos of megillah and or shofar

texts: During the brachas for megillah reading or during the brachos of tekios shofar in shul if there is a tzibbur, is the tzibbur  required to/ or is it a minhag/ or no source for the tzibbur  to stand for the brachos of kriyas megillah or tekiyas Shofar while the reader is saying the brachos out loud?


texts:
What do halachic sources say regarding speech after the nocturnal blessing of HaMapil?

Of particular (but not exclusive) interest are the earliest sources that prohibit speech after the recitation.

Related: this question which addresses specific speech after HaMapil.


texts: What are the most important writings of Rav Kook for Emunah and Hashkafah?

texts:
I would like to return to learn some of the writings of Rav Kook in order to improve my Hashkafah and Emunah. In the past I attended an Israeli "dati leumi" yeshiva where i learnt a bit of them, but the Hebrew, at that time, was too difficult for me.

I'm interested most specifically in his views on history and Western ideologies and on the psychology of the believer.

The problem is, now I have no access to his many books and I cannot skim through them. I can ask from someone who is travelling to Israel to buy one or two of them to me, but, before, I'd like to know what would be the best books to buy for me.

Can someone provide be with a summary of the most significant writings of Rav Kook and their content?


texts:
The outline of the tefillin on the hand, to me, seems to form the letter lamed, reversed for a righty and a forwards lamed for a lefty, shown below.

Yes, there are traditions of forming shin on the arm, or in the winding around the palm, and the rosh and yad knots have their letters, but I've not found anything about a perceived lamed. Is this simply an example of pareidolia, like seeing a face in the moon, or is there intent in this? Thanks for any help satisfying my curiosity.


texts: relative fractions of Kohanim and Levi'im

texts: Does anyone have reliable statistics (and barring that, reasonable anectdotal evidence) of the fraction of Kohanim, Levi'im, and Yisraelim in various Jewish communities today. By "communities" I don't necessarily mean geographic, but minhagic, like Chabad/Syrian/Litvak, etc.


texts:
In Isaiah Perek 49 Pasuk 12 it says:

הִנֵּה-אֵלֶּה, מֵרָחוֹק יָבֹאוּ; וְהִנֵּה-אֵלֶּה מִצָּפוֹן וּמִיָּם, וְאֵלֶּה מֵאֶרֶץ סִינִים
Behold, these shall come from far; and, lo, these from the north and from the west, and these from the land of Sinim.

Where is this land of "Sinim" on a modern day map? In modern Hebrew "Sin" ( סין) refers to China, does that mean the same thing here?


texts: The Bavli often says "אמר פלוני אמר פלוני" ("So-and-so said that So-and-so said…") or "אמר פלוני משמיה דפלוני" ("So-and-so said in the name of So-and-so…") or "כי אתא פלוני אמר פלוני" ("When So-and-so arrived, [he said that] So-and-so had said…"). Is the person being quoted ever a student of the quoting person's?


texts:
Was the universe created by soundwaves?

Hashem said in Genesis: Let there be light.


texts: Where do the names of the sedras come from and do they have meaning?

texts: I would like to know where the names for the sedras come from (who named a certain sedra Balak, Emor etc.) and if there is any meaning associated with the naming (as the Lubavitcher Rebbi seems to indicate). In other words, did it just become convention over time (and if so when was it 'canonnized') or did some person(s) assign those names with specific intent ?


texts: Sources on Ephraim and Menashe's greatness

texts: Many of us bless our children on Friday nights. The bracha for daughters is pretty easy to understand- among other things we wish them to be as great as Sarah, Rivka and Leah- towering female figures in the Torah, about whom much is known through a pshat reading of Bereshit. The corresponding figures for a son, though, are Ephraim and Menashe. Besides having been born to Yosef and Potiphar's daughter and their deathbed "adoption" by Yaakov, we know almost nothing about them. What are some good sources for their being of such a stature that we would want our sons to emulate them?


texts: What financial arrangement did Rambam have with his jeweler brother?

texts:
I was taught in yeshiva that as a young man, Rambam just studied Torah and was supported by his brother, who was a jewel merchant. Then his brother died at sea, so Rambam became a physician.

Some therefore claim that when the Rambam wrote that it is absolutely forbidden for one to say "I will just study Torah and not get a job", that doesn't apply if your family supports you, because the Rambam did that!

Recently someone told me that no, Rambam was never a "professional Torah student." His brother did the hard work of sailing the seas to obtain the jewels wholesale, and Rambam had a fairly calm job retailing them -- but he was still working.

Does anyone have sources on this, please?


texts: We recite birchat hagomel after 1. traveling over the ocean; 2. traveling over the desert; 3. recovering from a serious illness; and 4. being released from prison. (Whether other cases of salvation are also included is debated.) Is there a time limit on when to bentsh gomel (recite birchat hagomel)? Please cite sources.


texts: Source for tossing grass over the shoulder while leaving the cemetery

texts: There is a custom by many to toss some grass over their shoulder while leaving a cemetery. What are the origins of this custom?


texts: Is it the Vilna Gaon who maintains that it is a mitzvah to eat matzah (to eat matzah, in addition to abstaining from chametz) every day and night during the week of Passover, or somebody else?  The main opinion is that it is a mitzvah to eat it on the first night(s) and reshut (optional) during the rest of the holiday, but he differs.  For some reason I remember it being him, but is it somebody else?


texts: What do you say on a person's 120th birthday?

texts:
Normally, most people wish someone "Ad meah ve'esrim" ([May you live] to a hundred and twenty). What do you say on a person's hundred and twentieth birthday.

I have seen the answers about why 120 connected to Moshe Rabbeinu and that this is considered the maximum age (even though Aharon lived to 123, and Miriam to (about) 133. I have also seen the references to Parshas Noach, even though there are meforshim who say the reference is to the number of years until the mabul and not the maximum age that humanity would start decreasing towards.

Note that I first heard this as a joke, but serious answers are being sought here.

The original answer that I heard was for the joke and not serious ("Have a nice day") so it would not really be appropriate for this question.


texts: What is the significance of the gifts that Eliezer gave to Rivka?

texts:
The verse states (24:22):

  ויקח האיש נזם זהב בקע משקלו ושני צמידים על ידיה עשרה זהב משקלם

  the man took a golden nose ring, weighing half [a shekel], and two
  bracelets for her hands, weighing ten gold [shekels].

What, if any, is the significance of these particular gifts and their weights?


texts:
Meat that is grown in a test tube - also known as in vitro meat - would seemingly fall outside of existing kashrut categories. You do not need to kill an animal (thus no need to schecht). Would it thus not be considered basar but rather pareve?

Of course from a literal point of view it would not be possible to "boil a calf in its mother's milk" if it does not have a "mother."


texts: A reference to the soul of a Tzaddik like an eyelash in milk

texts:
I know that somewhere in something I have read there is a comment that someone (Yaakov avinu?) was so spiritually pure/holy that his soul did not cling to the earthly shell that was his body but came out with no resistance. The image was that of drawing an eyelash from a bowl of milk.

I think. I certainly don't think I could make up that image.

The problem is I can't remember who said it, where I read it or about whom. A web search of relevant terms didn't quickly turn anything up. The Stone Chumash (when discussing Yaakov) likens the death as "removing a coat" but that's not the visual I'm looking for.

I'm wondering if anyone recognizes the reference and can help me with a source. I don't mean this as a riddle or a scavenger hunt -- I would really like this source for a discussion I am having elsewhere.


texts: Is the Mitzvah of Tzedakah fulfilled in a fraud?

texts:
If someone gives Tzedakah to a person or fund, without knowing that that person or fund is deceiving them, is the Mitzvah still fulfilled?

And a very practical application: If maaser money was used, and the fraud is later made public, does that person need to backtrack and give more maaser money to cover it?


texts: From where do we learn that strangulation is the default execution method?

texts: I've seen mention in various places, including a quick search of Bavli Sanhedrin, that when the torah doesn't specify a method of execution in a capital case, the method is strangulation.  I see a lot of discussion in Sanhedrin about priorities among the four methods and which are considered gentler, but I couldn't find anything there about how we know about (a) strangulation at all or (b) that it's the default.  Is this just a "given" in the oral law, or is there a stated source or explicit reasoning somewhere?  If so, what is it?


texts: Is there scriptural evidence, from the Tanakh (not Talmud) that humor is an attribute of G-d? If so, can a chapter or verse be cited?


texts:
I've been learning Prophets on the Shabbat, and honestly, I was quite disturbed by the violent fate of the concubine of Gibeah. But even worse, the poor woman was cut up into 12 pieces by a Levite after her outrageous death (Judges 19:29):

וַיָּבֹ֣א אֶל־בֵּית֗וֹ וַיִּקַּ֤ח אֶת־הַֽמַּאֲכֶ֨לֶת֙ וַיַּֽחֲזֵ֣ק בְּפִֽילַגְשׁ֔וֹ וַֽיְנַתְּחֶ֨הָ֙ לַֽעֲצָמֶ֔יהָ לִשְׁנֵ֥ים עָשָׂ֖ר נְתָחִ֑ים וַֽיְשַׁלְּחֶ֔הָ בְּכֹ֖ל גְּב֥וּל יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
And when he was come into his house, he took a knife, and laid hold on his concubine, and divided her, limb by limb, into twelve pieces, and sent her throughout all the borders of Israel.

How is it possible that the Levite didn't give her a proper burial and send her presumably torn and bloody clothes instead as evidence?


texts: Why isn't Peru URvu one of the 7 Noahide Laws?

texts: The commandment to "Be fruitful and multiply" was given to Adam HaRishon.  Why, then, is this not included in the Sheva' Mitzvoth Bnei Noaḥ?


texts:
Many times, a given seffer has a commentary and or index written on it, but due to lack of knowledge about it or lack of accessibility, the commentary/index remains largely unknown.
This question requests the posting of such commentary/indexes.
The preferred format should be to name the original seffer and author in Hebrew and English, followed by the name of the commentary/index and author in Hebrew and English, along with any helpful information such as the ISBN if applicable, links etc.
Please indicate if it is a commentary, index, or both.
In order to keep this from being ridiculously broad, let's limit the scope.

An extremely popular work with many super-commentaries should not be included, even if a particular commentary is completely unknown. So, for example, no commentaries/indexes on the Talmud or Rambam need apply.

The super-commentary index should be dedicated to a particular seffer, not a collation of previous works with commentary upon them. So, for example, Mishna Berurah on halacha and Sha'arei Aharon on Torah are disqualified.

Works that are considered standard editions of a given seffer, even if they include commentary/indexes. This one may be hard to quantify, but this limitation seems necessary.
For example a Mossad HaRav Kook edition of a given seffer.

A set which was reprinted or added to, which now includes a commentary/index. For example, The Collected writings of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch. The ninth volume includes an index for the entire set, but that ninth volume was only put out years later. There are people who own and use the original set, but are unaware of the index in the additional volume.
Another example, The fifth volume of Michtov Me'Eliyahu, which has an index, was not included in the set originally, afaik.
I'm not 100% sure about this one. Let's see what the comments bring, I can update the question based on community response.


texts: If one misses Barchu at the beginning of Maariv, should one say it at the end of Maariv (as is commonly done)? If so when should it be done and who should do it?


texts: Is a child obligated to honor his foster parents? Does it matter if the child cannot locate his biological parents?


texts: Who compiled and arranged the Ashkenaz Kinnos?

texts:
The Kinnos read nowadays on Tisha B'Av seem to have been standardized more or less amongst Ashkenazim to the same 40-odd kinnos, but it obviously wasn't always the case. Many of the Kinnos were written in the past 1000 years by authors across Europe. Undoubtedly there have been hundreds, if not thousands, of dirges written about tragedies which have befallen the Jewish people throughout our history. Yet only a very limited selection of kinnos have made their way into almost every Ashkenaz Kinnos publication available today.

Who compiled and arranged the Ashkenaz Kinnos the way we have them today, and when did this take place?


texts: Does 'thou shalt not steal' refer to general theft or specifically to kidnapping?

texts:
I admit that I sometimes just can't keep my fingers to myself. I felt thirsty so I took a refreshing ginger ale from my neighbour's freezer.

I typed into Google 'thou shall not steal' after realizing that I committed a sin (one day after Yom Kippur... sigh). The Wikipedia entry states:

  "Steal" in this commandment has traditionally been interpreted by
  Jewish commentaries to refer to the stealing of an actual human being,
  that is, to kidnapping, including human trafficking. With this
  understanding, a contextual translation of the commandment in Jewish
  tradition would more accurately be rendered as "Thou shalt not
  kidnap". Kidnapping would then constitute a capital offence and thus
  merit its inclusion among the Ten Commandments.

  Nevertheless, this commandment has come to be interpreted, especially
  in non-Jewish traditions, as the unauthorized taking of private
  property (stealing or theft), which is a wrongful action already
  prohibited elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible that does not ordinarily
  incur the death penalty.

Before reading the first paragraph I totally held the second paragraph to be the only truth when it comes to this commandment — and atonement for this sin by repaying the stolen object ("eye for eye, tooth for tooth"). The first paragraph puts it in a different light.

Please elaborate on the idea that stealing in that context might actually mean stealing a human being / human trafficking.

(Is the original Hebrew different and it was mistranslated into English, or did Chazal interpret it this way?)


texts: and daughters were born to them (bereishis 6:1)

texts:
There is a strange way of saying that the human population increase on parsha Bereishis (6:1). The pasuk says:

  וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּֽי־הֵחֵ֣ל הָֽאָדָ֔ם לָרֹ֖ב עַל־פְּנֵ֣י הָֽאֲדָמָ֑ה
  וּבָנ֖וֹת יֻלְּד֥וּ לָהֶֽם:

  "And it came to pass when man commenced to multiply upon the face of
  the earth, and daughters were born to them".

These last words are intriguing. Does that implies that until that time the daughters were not born to them? The Radak makes an interesting point here by saying that it is obvious to think that human species cannot survived without male and female, but he does not explain why the pasuk miss to mention the male offspring.

Abravanel to Noach (p. 214) (and others) says that these words meant a lot of daughters (as opposed to a few ones) but this not explain why the males are absent here too. (In fact, he does say that both male and female are hinted in "Adam" in the begining of the pasuk, but then the mention of daughters would be superfluous).

Interestingly, there is no explicit mention of female children being before this (with the exception of Cain knowing his wife). It almost makes one want to presume that there was some kind of asexual reproduction for a while. The causative הוליד is not used until Terach; before that it’s only the simple ילד or יולד , almost implying as if the males had their kids by themselves (?). Is there any commentary or midrash on that?


texts: Correct pronunciation on Jerusalem in Tehillim?

texts: When Jersualem is חסר (no additional 'yud' at the end), in a Tehillim I have (Shai l'Moreh), it has a footnote that it should be pronounced the full way (Ye-RU-Sha-LaY-YIM) on Chapter 79 (and I think 124). Is there a tradition to pronounce it the full way always, or possibly only on those specific chapters?


texts: If Consuming Blood is Prohibited Can Jews Accept Blood Transfusions?

texts: According to Leviticus 7:26-27 Jews shouldn't consume blood.  So why can Jews accept blood transfusions in non-life threatening situations?  Is the act of inserting blood via arm not considered "consuming."


texts: Received a check by mistake - should one return it?

texts:
Assume a Jew received by mistake a non-Jew's mail containing a check. The Halacha prohibits the return of an Avaidas Akum meaning an object which was lost by a non-Jew, unless it is done to bring out a Kiddush Hashem or for the Jew's benefit.

In this case the non-Jew will never know that a Jew took from his time and deposited it into the non-Jew's mailbox - so there would be no Kiddush Hashem.

On the other hand however, being that the Jew won't cash the check for himself anyhow, which means he won't gain in keeping it, so to just keep it might be Middas Sedom and would not be fulfilling the Halacha of not returning a non-Jew's item.

In addition, if the Jew doesn't forward the check, the non-Jew will likely be able to replace the check anyhow.

So what shall the Jew do? Rip the check or let it arrive at its owner to enjoy?


texts:
There's a Chabad-Lubavitch custom of reciting a psalm of T'hilim corresponding to one's age. That is, for example, in one's fourteenth year of life (e.g. on his thirteenth birthday), he says the fourteenth psalm. (I'm not sure whether it's recited only on one's birthday or throughout the year. But that's immaterial for my purposes.)

The Luach Kolel Chabad says that this year (5775)'s eleventh of  Nisan would have been the last Lubavitcher rebbe's 113th birthday, so everyone should say the 114th psalm on that day.

T'hilim has 150 psalms. What will Lubavitchers do in the year 5812, on the rebbe's 150th birthday?


texts: How important is it for everyone to revolve the bima 7 times on Simchas Torah?

texts:
I recall hearing from Rabbi Hershel Shachter that for Hoshanos, you're really supposed to go around the bima (and seven times on Hoshana Rabba); he said if you were davening at home, you should in fact walk around the table in the room.

What about the "hakafos" in Simchas Torah (okay there are still a few minyans out there that do hakafos like on hoshanos -- just march around the room once and move on) -- they take the Torahs around seven times, but usually I've seen most of the people just stay around the dance space.  Are they supposed to follow the Torahs around 7 times too?


texts: What exactly is "prohibited magic" in Judaism?

texts:
It appears that "magic" in most "modern" "western" civilizations is prohibited. But societies like those in China or Latin America or Africa have mentions of all kinds of magic. For example, the I Ching is full of specific actions you could take (with "Hexagram" symbols to go along with them) which is said will bring you "abundance" of various kinds. The shamans of Peru use magic plants to "directly connect with the cosmos" and heal people. Then there is "voodoo", "witchcraft", and other terms for similar things. There is a book floating around, The Galdrabók, an Icelandic book of spells. This UC Berkeley Old Norse professor talks about some related stuff here and there. It is the closest work I have found to "magic" that is described, but even then it is rather mundane and says more like "I know of a spell which can do X", rather than "The spell to do X is Y". Then there are secretive groups and such like the Rosicrucians, the Corpus Hermeticum and other "esoteric" works.
So people all over the world are, at least to some degree, exploring magic, whether they are doing it secretively like the fraternities, or openly like the shamans. But, I have never seen a list of the magic practices (a) that are even possible or were done in the past, and (b) why they are forbidden. All I have read so far is that the Torah mentions magic over and over again and how its use results in death (in Judaism, I assume only for Jewish people, not the Chinese or Peruvians or whoever else). There are very few online resources, and those that exist are very short and non-descriptive.
The first part of my question is:
What is this magic that they are talking about? What is the list of "forbidden" magics?
Not how do you practice the magic, but what is it? Necromancy is mentioned as one, but even that article on necromancy doesn't explain what is done. I feel like since the spread of the scientific method, we have almost completely lost sight of "magic" as it was used in the Torah. But I would like to gain a better sense of what the actual magical practices were (in Israel or Judaism during the time of the Torah). What were people doing back then? What Hebrew or English texts go into depth / down the rabbit hole on this topic? Is it not just what the other cultures in China and Latin America and Africa are doing, or was there more to it?
The second part of my question is:
Why is the magic forbidden?
What books/resources go into significant depth on this topic? I get that God doesn't want or like humans to be doing that, but why? All I have read here and there online so far is summarized as "If you do magic you will get death, [with no explanation of what the magic is or does, or why such a punishment]". I would like to know why it causes God to be so angry.
Basically:

What is the definition of magic in Judaism, and what is the list of practices?
Why are these things prohibited?

The linked answers so far say basically magic either doesn't exist or it is used to dupe people which is why you should ignore it. But why then the death punishment? Hopefully there are deeper analyses somewhere. Looking for books and books on it :)


texts: Do I need to wash and bentch on oatmeal?

texts: I was reading in Artscroll's The Laws of Brachos that if someone eats an amount of mezonos equal to the amount of bread he would have eaten during a meal then he needs to wash and bentch. For some reason it seems to not be the case, but should I be washing/bentching for oatmeal (or even any bowl of morning cereal made from the 5 grains)? If not what's the reason?


texts: Why is the term דגה frequently used to refer to Egyptian (Nile) fish?

texts:
I ran a word search using Snunit's tool on the appearance of the word דג in
the Bible. The search revealed 17 occurrences, and all of them had that word or some form of the word such as דגים (plural noun) or דגי (plural possessive / adjective.)

The version דגה occurs 11 times in various forms including the possessive plural form דגת.

The word דגה tends to be used relating to the fish in Egypt (the Nile). Examples:

Shemot 7:18

  וְהַדָּגָה אֲשֶׁר-בַּיְאֹר תָּמוּת, וּבָאַשׁ הַיְאֹר; וְנִלְאוּ

Referringto the fish in the Nile

Bemidbar 11:5

  זָכַרְנוּ, אֶת-הַדָּגָה, אֲשֶׁר-נֹאכַל בְּמִצְרַיִם, חִנָּם; אֵת
  הַקִּשֻּׁאִים, וְאֵת הָאֲבַטִּחִים, וְאֶת-הֶחָצִיר וְאֶת-הַבְּצָלִים,
  וְאֶת-הַשּׁוּמִים
  מִצְרַיִם, לִשְׁתּוֹת מַיִם מִן-הַיְאֹר

Again, referring to the fish in Egypt

Yechezkel (Ez.) 29:4

  וְנָתַתִּי חחיים (חַחִים) בִּלְחָיֶיךָ, וְהִדְבַּקְתִּי
  דְגַת-יְאֹרֶיךָ בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶיךָ; וְהַעֲלִיתִיךָ, מִתּוֹךְ
  יְאֹרֶיךָ, וְאֵת כָּל-דְּגַת יְאֹרֶיךָ, בְּקַשְׂקְשֹׂתֶיךָ תִּדְבָּק.

Again, referring to the Nile's fish.

There are a few other examples.

Mind you, this term is used in other places unrelated to the referring to Egypt or the Nile. But, it seems that when the Bible does refer to Nile fish, it this term. Why is that?

Is there a difference in meaning between the two terms, in general, even in the other situations where דגה is used?


texts: is it forbidden to vote for a non-Jewish president (or other government figure)?

texts:
it says in the Torah (I'm quoting from Gentiles in Halacha btw):

  it is written in the Torah (Deuteronomy 17:15): “Then you shall
  appoint a king over you, whom the Lord your G-d will choose: one from
  among your brethren shall you set as king over you, but you shall not
  set over you a stranger who is not your brother.” In Sifri, Shoftim,
  paragraph 157 it says: “Your brother, and not from others” (that is to
  say, Gentiles, for a Gentile king may not be appointed over Jews —
  Rabbeinu Hillel). And not just a Gentile, but also a righteous
  convert, considered a Jew in every matter, is disqualified for
  kingship, as is explained in Midrash HaGadol: “‘You shall not set over
  you a stranger ‘ — to exclude the convert… from here they said it is
  forbidden to appoint a king from the converts, even after a number of
  generations, until his mother is [one born] Jewish.”

  This is also  the law concerning any position of authority, as
  explained in Kiddushin 76b: “We have learned: ‘Then you shall[23]
  appoint a king over you from among your brethren,’ all appointments of
  authority that you make should not be[24][made] except from among your
  brethren.” Thus wrote Maimonides in chapter 1 of The Laws of Kings,
  halacha 4: “We do not appoint a king from amongst the converts, even
  after several generations, until his mother is [one born] Jewish, as
  it is written, ‘You will not set over you a stranger who is not your
  brother.’ Not only for kingship, but also for any position of
  authority in Israel (?), neither a general nor chief over fifty people,
  nor chief over ten people, nor even a person appointed to verify that
  the water is distributed to the fields. It is superfluous to talk
  about a judge or a nasi, who may not be other than [one born] a Jew,
  as is written, ‘one from among your brethren shall you set as king
  over you’–all the people whom you give positions of authority shall
  not be from other than your brethren.”

The only questionable part is when it says, "...Not only for kingship, but also for any position of authority in Israel..", is this only talking about a ruler in the land of Israel, or does it mean a position of authority over the people of Israel (wherever they may be)?


texts: How many languages were used by Shem's descendants?

texts:
Parshat Noach, 10:31:

These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their languages,
in their lands, after their nations.
אֵלֶּה בְנֵי-שֵׁם, לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לִלְשֹׁנֹתָם, בְּאַרְצֹתָם,
לְגוֹיֵהֶם

The posuk after the next one, 11:1:

And the whole earth was of one language and of one speech.
וַיְהִי כָל-הָאָרֶץ, שָׂפָה אֶחָת, וּדְבָרִים, אֲחָדִים

Another question on this site asks why first it says everyone had their own language but then it says all spoke one language before being split; see answers there.
However, the difference between the wording is not addressed there:
What is the difference between שָׂפָה and לָשׁוֹן?


texts: Meaning of "lifnei kisei kevodekha" in the blessing of asher yatzar

texts:
The gemara (Brachot 60b) gives us the text of the blessing after going to the bathroom - and we still recite nearly exactly the same

  בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶת
  .הָאָדָם בְּחָכְמָה וּבָרָא בוֹ נְקָבִים נְקָבִים חֲלוּלִים חֲלוּלִים
  גָּלוּי וְיָדוּעַ לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ שֶׁאִם יִפָּתֵחַ אֶחָד
  מֵהֶם אוֹ יִסָּתֵם אֶחָד מֵהֶם אִי אֶפְשַׁר לְהִתְקַיֵּם וְלַעֲמוֹד
  לְפָנֶיךָ .אֲפִילוּ שָׁעָה אֶחָת .בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יְהֹוָה רוֹפֵא כָל
  בָּשָׂר וּמַפְלִיא לַעֲשֹוֹת

  Blessed are You, HaShem, Our God, King of the universe, Who created
  the human with wisdom and created within him many openings and many
  cavities. It is exposed and known before Your Throne of Glory, that if one
  of them were to be ruptured or one one of them were to be blocked it
  would be impossible to survive and to stand before You [for even one
  hour]. Blessed are You, HaShem, The physician of all flesh who acts
  wondrously.

I often wondered about the words לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ (before Your Throne of Glory). They seem extra, it could have been enough to say "it is known that if one of them etc."

So why this specific wording?


texts: Moses lived 120 years, and tradition says no one can live longer, so why do they?

texts:
Genesis 6:3: And the LORD said: 'My spirit shall not abide in man for ever, for that he also is flesh; therefore shall his days be a hundred and twenty years.'

In Deut. 34:7 the age of Moses upon his passing is given as 120, but most importantly it says "his eye had not dimmed, and his vigor had not diminished."  To have one's mental and physical faculties—that is what we wish someone via "till 120."

These two verses seem to be the basis for the tradition that people should live until 120 but if that is the case why do people (especially in the Bible) live much longer than 120?


texts: What is the Minimum Width of Tefillin Straps?

texts:
What is the minimum width of tefillin straps?

For example: if one's tefillin straps partially tore, how much is required to remain for the tefillin to remain Kosher?


texts:
We know that Israel was still in Goshen during their enslavement, because the text tells us that the plague of hail didn't affect Goshen "where b'nai Yisrael were" (Shemot 9:26).  It sounds like they are still living apart from the Egyptians, else some Egyptians would have been spared by the hail (if they lived in Goshen too) or some of Israel would have been affected (if they lived outside of Goshen).

Right before the exodus, God instructs the people to borrow silver and gold from their neighbors (Shemot 11:1-3).  "Neighbors" sounds like people who live nearby.  In chapter 12 the Egyptians urge them to leave quickly, and that's when the borrowing occurs.

How isolated or how intermingled were Israel and the Egyptians at the time of the exodus?  Did Israel have Egyptian neighbors, or did they actually borrow silver and gold from random Egyptians they encountered on the way out that night?


texts:
The Shulchan Aruch OC (303:24) writes:

  יוצאה באבן תקומה [פי' הערוך אבן ידועה שכשהיא על אשה לא תפיל] - women
  are allowed to walk outside on shabbos with an even tekuma used to
  prevent miscarriages.

The Mishna Berura (303:77) quotes the Taz identifying this stone as:

  היינו מה שאנו קורין שטערי"ן שו"ס שנושאין נשים מעוברות

What is the identity of this stone?


texts:
Is one allowed to tie and wear a bow-tie on Shabbos?

Bow-ties are not intended to remain tied between uses (I'm not even sure if it's possible to loosen it and slip it off the neck, like one can do with a regular necktie). This generally means that the knot is considered a Kesher She'eino Shel Kayoma (non-permanent know), which would make the knot a permissible one to tie on Shabbos. On the other hand, it's possible that the knot itself might still be considered "too strong of a knot", which even though it's intended to be undone in a short amount of time, would still be forbidden (i.e. tying shoes with a double knot).

Related: Tying a Tie on Shabbos


texts:
B"H
Every number in the Torah is special, as is widely known z especially as related in the "echad mi yodeya" song
It's known that the second temple stood for 420 years, but can any other significance of the number 420 be found in the Torah?
Blessings and success


texts: Where does the concept of a Kli Shlishi come from?

texts:
When it comes to cooking on Shabbos, most people hold that things that are not allowed to be put in a Kli Sheni (a vessel once removed from the vessel that was on the fire) because it is considered cooking are able to be put in a Kli Shlishi (a vessel once removed from the Kli Sheni).

(See here for a short summary of these laws).

The Mishna Berurah (318:47) quotes the Pri Megadim who differentiates between a Kli Shlishi over a Kli Sheni.

The Pri Megadim (Ashel Avraham 318:35) quotes the BaCH who says that there is no difference between a Kli Sheni and a Kli Shlishi, and even a Kli Revi'i is considered like a Kli Sheni. He then says that with regards to tea, When one pours from "ממים טמונים" (which I'm interpreting to mean A Kli Rishon that was removed from the fire and kept warm through Hatmana, not if it was still directly on the fire - please correct me if I'm wrong) into a Kli Sheni, and from there into smaller containers, one can be lenient.

However, the Chazon Ish ( Orach Chaim, end of Chapter 52) says that he did not find a source to differentiate between a Kli Sheni and a Kli Shlishi and as long as the contents of the Kli Sheni are hot, pouring it into a Kli Shlishi doesn't change anything.

What is the source for a Kli Shlishi? If the Chazon Ish couldn't find a source for the difference, where do the Poskim that do differentiate get it from?

Somebody once told me that a Kli Shlishi is not mentioned in the Gemara or Shulchan Aruch. Is this true? If so, when was the concept introduced?


texts: "The Torah shall be my profession" or "my faith"?

texts:
Following Modeh Ani in the Siddur, some recite a number of sentences (some of which are verses from the Torah):

  תּורָה צִוָּה לָנוּ משֶׁה מורָשָׁה קְהִלַּת יַעֲקב. שְׁמַע בְּנִי מוּסַר אָבִיךָ וְאַל תִּטּושׁ תּורַת אִמֶּךָ. תּורָה תְּהֵא אֱמוּנָתִי. וְאֵל שַׁדַּי בְּעֶזְרָתִי. וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּה' אֱלהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּום. לִישׁוּעָתְךָ קִוִּיתִי ה':

The middle sentence (bolded above) is translated as (NJOP, Lesson 30):

  The Torah shall be my faith and the Almighty my help

I have heard that it should be read as תּורָה תְּהֵא אוּמָנוּתִי - "Torah should be my craft/profession".

What is the original source of this phrase, which version does it support, and how/when might this have changed?
I'm looking for research beyond the comments of the Yalkut Yosef in Hashkamat Haboker (note 1:11) which notes that the Rokeach (Shavuot, 296) writes it as "craft/profession" as opposed to "faith", and argues in favor of that reading.


texts: What is considered learning Torah in the bathroom?

texts:
It is prohibited to learn Torah in the bathroom (source needed).

How far does this prohibition go? Are we not allowed to say pesukim, but allowed to think them? Is there a difference between tanach and Torah sheba’al Peh?

Can one sing (pesukim based songs) in the bathroom (seeing as he doesn’t mean to learn, just to entertain himself)?

Can someone figure out/ check zmanim and other stuff that will help him perform mitzvos (but aren’t learning/ mitzvos themselves)?

What do our sources say about this?


texts:
I found, lying in a local synagogue's bes midrash room, a card that looks as though it came from a children's Judaism-trivia game. It had four questions on it, and, on the reverse side, their answers. One question was (if I recall the wording precisely):

  Who was the strongest person in the Bible?

The answer given was Shimshon.

He is, of course, described as strong (Shof'tim 14–16). But so are B'nayahu (Ⅱ Sh'muel 23:20–23), Aharon (Bamidbar 8:11), and others. Do we have any tradition, or is there any evidence, as to who was strongest?

(I assume physical strength was meant by the game manufacturer: at any rate, that's what I'm referring to. Not, for example, strength of character.)


texts: Saying slichos at any time but "ashmores haboker", should we take out references to the early morning time so we are not "lying"?

texts:
Many of the Slichos refer to the early morning time: "Ashmores Haboker", which is clearly not applicable to those who say late slichos (say at 8 AM) or who say it early at night (say at 10 PM, let's leave out the discussion of the appropriateness of saying slichos before Chatzos, which relates to another thread).

Should people saying slichos at other times remove such phrases? (It doesn't seem to be what is done commonly, and it seems to me like an inaccurate statement to say that "I have come in the early morning to beseech you" when this is not the case.)

Further, in today's slichos, it said "Shachar Kamti", and at the 10 PM slichos that I was at, they all screamed that out as usual without noticing the inaccuracy. After all, we were NOT "Shachar Kamti", (in fact we were not "Kamti" at all for slichos but were already up all day) but rather chose the questionable but very convenient 10 PM time! Should we have omitted those words?


texts:
Shemot 32:30 teaches us that Moshe said to the people: “You have sinned a great sin, and now I will go up unto the Lord, peradventure I shall make atonement for you.”

Bereshit 32:20 Likewise teaches us that Ya’akov sends a mincha to Esav because he said/thought “I will appease his face with the present that goes before me”

Both seem to be about asking forgiveness. And while asking for forgiveness is a great tool for (re)concilation/atonement, Yaakov uses a gift in order to establish atonement, while Moshe is ready to give his own life in order to establish atonement.

So here’s my question: How should one define כפרה in both these contexts? And is it always achieved by placing something as a substitute in order to make things right?

(I noticed כפר could mean ‘to grant atonement or ‘to be atoned’, but also ‘to forgive’ or ‘to be forgiven’ and could also refer to ‘randsom’ or ‘price of exchange’; the means of exchange for release, release from guilt.)


texts: What made Moses want to be killed after people asked for meat?

texts:
In Parashat Bealotchah, when the people asked for meat Moses' reaction went eccentric (Num. 11:10):

  מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר לָתֵת לְכָל־הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי־יִבְכּוּ עָלַי לֵאמֹר תְּנָה־לָּנוּ בָשָׂר וְנֹאכֵלָה׃
  לֹא־אוּכַל אָנֹכִי לְבַדִּי לָשֵׂאת אֶת־כָּל־הָעָם הַזֶּה כִּי כָבֵד מִמֶּנִּי׃
  וְאִם־כָּכָה אַתְּ־עֹשֶׂה לִּי הָרְגֵנִי נָא הָרֹג אִם־מָצָאתִי חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ וְאַל־אֶרְאֶה בְּרָעָתִי

  Where am I to get meat to give to all these people, when they whine before me and say, ‘Give us meat to eat!’
  I cannot carry all these people by myself, for it is too much for me.
  If You would deal thus with me, kill me rather, I beg You, and let me see no more of my wretchedness!”

Moses went through a lot of experiences with the Jewish people, in Egypt and beyond, inc. the Golden Calf. Here, the demand was, seemingly, simple - "ask G-d for some beef". Instead, he took it much personal (מֵאַיִן לִי בָּשָׂר לָתֵת) to the point he offers to be killed.

Previously he offered a similar solution to save the nation (מחני נא מספרך) but here I don't see how this solution will help the people here.

What made Moses so infuriated to the point of wanting to be killed?


texts: What is the single most widely practiced minhag (religious Jewish practice that's not mandated by halacha) among Jews in the United States today? By "widely practiced" I mean practiced by the most people.


texts: Where are the rules for naming parshiyot explained?

texts:
Here I asked about the naming of parshat Noach and parshat Toldot.

Is there someplace where parsha-naming questions like this are addressed in general, or are answers to individual questions scattered throughout our sources?  The simple rule I was taught of "first significant word" isn't all there is to it (hence that other question).


texts: Where can you get grants for children going to Yeshiva / Seminary in Eretz Yisroel?

texts: Does anyone know where can you get grants for children going to Yeshiva / Seminary in Eretz Yisroel?


texts:
We know that one is not yotzeh if he hears Zachor read from a non-kosher Sefer Torah. What is the process of kashering the Sefer Torah so it will be usable? Must one do hag'alah? Does hag'alah work, or do we compare it with earthenware? Furthermore, if it was only used in in a cold setting, is hadacha enough?

(As always, please CYLOR if this is applicable to you in any way.)

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


texts: Is there a book, preferably freely available online, that lets you look up a topic alphabetically and get a list of references to passages in the Zohar discussing that topic?


texts: What exactly were they (planning on) doing wrong here (yShabbat 16:1)?

texts:
אע''פ שאמרו אין קורין בכתבי הקודש אלא מן המנחה ולמעלה אבל שונין ודורשין בהן׃ צרך דבר נוטל ובודק׃ דלמא רבי ורבי חייא רבא ור' ישמעאל בי רבי יוסה היו יושבין ופושטין במגילת קינות ערב תשעה באב שחל להיות בשבת מן המנחה ולמעלה׃ ושיירו בה אל''ף בי''ת אחד׃ אמרו למה אנו באין וגומרין אותה׃ עם כשהיה נפטר לביתו נכשל באצבעו וקרא על גרמיה  (תהילים לב)  רבים מכאובים לרשע׃ א''ל ר' חייא בחובינו מטתך כן דכתיב  (איכה ד)  רוח אפינו משיח ה' נלכד בשחיתותם׃ אמר לו רבי ישמעאל בי רבי יוסי אילו לא היינו עוסקין בעניין כך היה לנו לומר׃ על אחת כמה וכמה שהיינו עוסקין בעניין׃

The prohibition on reading Ketuvim on Shabbat until mincha has been mentioned a couple of times on the boards in answer to other questions.

(Source of saying migdol / magdil in Bentching and Megilas Esther by day - why is it done after Kriyas HaTorah?)

But what exactly does that prohibition entail? Since you can't read by candlelight on Shabbos either, wouldn't that mean you couldn't read Ketuvim at all? If it's just a matter of distracting people from beit hamidrash why not ban reading Torah and Nevi'im as well (aside from the kriah and haftorah)? Basically, what exactly are they supposed to be doing wrong in this story?


texts: "When Adar Comes We Increase in Joy" - already from Adar I?

texts:
Does the Talmudic dictum

משנכנס אדר מרבין בשמחה (When Adar comes we increase in joy)

start even in אדר ראשון (Adar I) in a leap year?


texts:
The Gemara Berachos (34a) writes

רַבִּי שְׁמוּאֵל בַּר נַחְמָנִי אָמַר: זֶה עֵדֶן, שֶׁלֹּא שָׁלְטָה
בּוֹ עֵין כׇּל בְּרִיָּה - Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said: That is
Eden, which no creature’s eye has ever surveyed.

which implies there were no animals in Eden at all. Are there any sources which say so explicitly (or not) - i.e. a no-fly zone for birds, no animals could crawl under the Eden borders, etc.?
UPDATE: Please note that Eden is not the same place as the garden outside Eden (Gan Eden) as the Gemara writes a couple lines later explicitly:

וְשֶׁמָּא תֹּאמַר: הוּא גַּן, הוּא עֵדֶן, תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: ״וְנָהָר
יוֹצֵא מֵעֵדֶן לְהַשְׁקוֹת אֶת הַגָּן״, גַּן לְחוּד וְעֵדֶן לְחוּד -
And lest you will say: It is the Garden and it is Eden; two names
describing the same place. That is not the case, as the verse states:
“And a river went out from Eden to water the Garden” (Genesis 2:10).
Obviously, the Garden exists on its own and Eden exists on its own.


texts: Standing for someone who's turned seventy

texts: Must one stand up for someone who turned seventy years old since he is now a "saivo"? Does another person who is also over seventy have to stand up for him? Does the gender of either party matter?


texts: Would using a Tzitzit knot as a keychain be considered disrespectful?

texts:
Keep in mind I would not be using this specific Tzitzit in order to fulfill the Mitzvah. I understand that in order to fulfill the Mitzvah you are required to wear the Tzitzit on the four corners of a cornered garment. This would not be a case  where I was attempting to circumvent religious obligations in the name of an alternative.

I spent a lot of time practicing my tying method for creating Tzitzit. I have some extra string and I was curious if it would be considered disrespectful or impermissible for someone to use a Tzitzit as a keychain.


texts: Is it necessary for a Kohen to clarify that a prospective match who is a ba'alat teshuvah has not had sexual relations with a non-Jew before dating her, or can one rely on a chezkat kashrut? If the former what steps need to be taken to clarify her status?


texts: The Maharal and his influence on Jewish philosophy

texts:
In the Wiki article on the Maharal there is a quote by Rabbi Yitzchak Adlerstein citing Rabbi Nachman Bulman that the Maharal "prevented the Balkanization of Jewish thought".

I understand what he is saying literally, but I don't know what he means. Can someone please provide a clear explanation of what Rabbi Bulman is trying to say ?


texts: Is synthetically generated water Kosher for Mikve?

texts:
Following "was-beer-miryam-kosher-as-a-mikve",

Water can be generated synthetically from hydrogen and oxygen (don't try it at home!).

Is this water Kosher for Mikve dip?


texts: Why the Brain (Moach) as the source for thought is not mentioned in Torah?

texts:
Wherever the Torah refers to thinking and feelings of Anger, compassion, etc. it always mentions the Heart as the controlling organ (also Kidney) but NEVER the Brain?

(Even in the Gemara the Moach is rarely mentioned).


texts: Is dvar sheina mitchaven permitted if the melacha is inevitable?

texts:
My question refers to the class of permitted actions that may inadvertently cause melachas as byproducts. (For example, with hair brushing, the intention is not to pull out the hair, but this does often occur by accident; thus the melacha of shearing is performed inadvertently.)

I had thought that such actions were permitted on Shabbos so long as a byproduct melacha was not inevitable, and that in cases where the melacha is inevitable--such as hair brushing--the action is prohibited.

However, I have encountered one source that says, rather confusingly, "The halacha is that a dvar sheina mitchaven is completely permitted." Does this mean that dvar sheina mitchaven is permitted even if a resulting melacha is inevitable, and is that correct?


texts: What is the best way to keep updated with status of hechsheirim in Israel?

texts:
There are many halachic (and sociopolitical, agricultural, religious, economical, etc.) kashrut issues pertinent to Israel alone, leading to a great variety of challenges that kashrut authorities face. This has lead to great diversity in the application of halacha in this field.

There are also authorities from different regions in Israel which deal with these challenges in different ways and pasken strictly/leniently for wide ranging reasons. Israel's kashrut industry spans nationwide and as the industry accelerates, new challenges are faced and the kashrut status of items can often vary.

Some examples being: status of meats changing from Rabbanut to Mehadrin (and vice versa), kashrut authorities changing from otzar beit din to heter mechira nationwide (during shemitta year), changes in ingredients suppliers, changes in fruit/vegetable infestations (e.g. see here), dairy products changing status from chalav Israel to chalav akum, etc.

In order for one to be halachically consistent, what is the best way to keep updated with such changes?


texts: Why was it forbidden to take knowledge of rah?

texts:
Why was it forbidden to take knowledge of rah if HaShem created rah, or created the tree of knowledge tov v'rah?

Why wouldn't HaShem allow the first human beings to take knowledge of rah, because from a human view it would seem that this understanding could help us to do the good/right thing?


texts:
There is a well-known statement by Resh Lakish in Gitin (90) that

כי" משמש בד' לשונות: אי, דלמא, אלא, דהא"
"ki" expresses four meanings...

There has been discussion over the ages as to what exactly those four meanings are, despite their listing by Resh Lakish (since even the lingua franca of Aramaic is now obscure to us). Whatever the meanings, what exactly is he saying? The two possibilities I have in mind are:

that there are four homophonous and homonymous words, written "כי" or
that there is some concept or meaning that is approximated in translation by the range of these other four, and therefore can express any one of them in different contexts.

What is underlying Resh Lakish's words?


texts:
וַיְהִי עֶרֶב וַיְהִי בקֶר יום הַשִּׁשִּׁי. וַיְכֻלּוּ הַשָּׁמַיִם
וְהָאָרֶץ וְכָל צְבָאָם וַיְכַל אֱלהִים בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי
מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה. וַיִּשְׁבּת בַּיּום הַשְּׁבִיעִי מִכָּל
מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה וַיְבָרֶךְ אֱלהִים אֶת יום הַשְּׁבִיעִי
וַיְקַדֵּשׁ אתו. כִּי בו שָׁבַת מִכָּל מְלַאכְתּו אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא
אֱלהִים לַעֲשׂות
סַבְרִי מָרָנָן
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה
אַדָנָי אֱלהֵינוּ מֶלֶךְ הָעולָם בּורֵא פְּרִי הַגָּפֶן

With all the laws we have about loshon hara, loshon naki, derech eretz, and bein adam l'chaveiro, what is the excuse for addressing one's tablemates as "morons" at the beginning of kiddush?

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


texts:
I was wondering if there a prohibition to have food during the Chuppah? A friend told me he thinks it's not allowed.

I wanted to have something cute and small that is meaning full to us that everyone (the people siting and observing) could enjoy during the ceremony


texts: Why isn't Shabat haGadol held on the 10th of Nissan?

texts: Why is Shabat haGadol celebrated based on day of the week (Shabat) and not day of the month, if it happened on the 10th of Nissan? Most other days of commemoration in Judaism are celebrated by a day of the month, and not "day of the week relative to a date." What makes this one different?


texts: Need help identifying Zemirot from audio (very simple to anyone with good hebrew)

texts:
I'm currently on teshuva path and right now I'm trying to learn some zemirot for shabbat table.

Would anyone please help me identify the first one on this youtube video?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1VZWPCCZuU

It's from 0:00 to 1:45. My hebrew isn't very good and I have a hard time dealing with heavy ashkenaz accent.

The second one I'm sure it's Chai Hashem, I just need to find the first one.

And there's a third one at 5:48 which I also can't identify.

I tried searching at http://www.zemirotdatabase.org but no luck, I can't understand/spell most of the words properly.

May everyone have a blessed week.
Kol tuv!


texts: Connection between the metzora's purification and the Four Species of Sukkos?

texts:
In the procedure prescribed for the first stage of a metzora's purification (Lev. 14:1-7), the Torah lists four items to be dipped into a mixture of blood and water: a live bird, a piece of cedar wood, a strip of crimson wool and a sprig of hyssop.

Rashi (to 14:6, citing Sifra) points out that while all four items are dipped, only three of them are attached together: the crimson wool is used to tie the wood and the hyssop, while the bird is just held along with them. And Negaim 14:1 adds that the tips of the bird's wings and tail are to be touching the bundle.

This sounds reminiscent of what we do when taking the Four Species on Sukkos; there too, three of them are bound together, with the esrog remaining apart but touching them. Does anyone suggest any reason for this commonality?


texts: Are there any sources that inform us of what time of the day Moshiach is supposed to come (e.g. morning or noon)?


texts: What are the consequences of Vashti’s dual nature?

texts:
In Esther 1:9 we read,
“ושתי המלכה עשתה משתי נשים”
Vashti the queen was made of two women.
Aside from being biologically surprising, what are the consequences of this in our understanding of the Megilla?

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


texts:
In this question, user3109 on the comment refers to certain Taz (Y.D. 179 S'4), that talks about self defense. It seems that there was a typo, and the source is incorrect.

Where does the Taz talks about self defense?