texts: Is there any halachik basis for using "the big two" (shabbat and kosher) as a criteria for frumkeit?

texts:
This obviously relates to me personally, but let me give a simpler example. Let's take Yid A and Yid B.

A is kind and compassionate, grew up orthodox, drifted on to his own derech, now drives on Shabbat, but otherwise does not work, buy, sell, or violate other malchot. He keeps kosher and otherwise respects the spirit of Shabbat and menucha.

B keeps Shabbat (publicly, at least, in private is another story), but is known to be a rasha gamur in business, a mongerer of lashon hara, an enjoyer of znus, and violates dozens of other ben-adam-lechavero halachot in public, as well as most of the aseret hadibrot.

Now as contrary as it may seem to sensibility, Yid B is still considered to be "frum" and "Torah-true" by any frum peer, while Yid A, who violates far fewer halachot, as well as perfectly observing all applicable laws bein Adam lechavero, is considered anywhere from off the derech to kofer beikar, and certainly is excluded from the klal both implicitly and explicitly.

While this from a humane standpoint seems horrific, it is the norm, and some would justify it by saying that "at least Yid A keeps the big two"...despite violating the very spirit of yiddishkeit (by Hillel and Abraham Avinu's standards, no less) and spends his days eviscerating every moral tenet of yashrut.

I want to know...is there any basis in actual halacha for what makes someone "frum"?


texts: Artificial Intelligence is a hot topic right now, and AGI "General Intelligence" has always just been a couple of decades away. So I've been wondering: We believe that a human differs from an animal because we have a neshama, and this grants us a higher intelligence. If so, is "General intelligence" possible? Or will it never happen, because our computer program won't have a soul, leaving it on the level of an animal?


texts: Can seforim be muktze on tish'a b'av that falls on shabbos?

texts: If tish'a b'av were to fall on shabbos, would the sections of Torah prohibited for study on tish'a b'av cause the seforim in which they are found to be muktze?  If in a given sefer there are prohibited sections together with permitted sections of study (e.g. a nach) then I assume the permitted material would not make the entire sefer muktze since one can read it on tish'a b'av.   Also, if such seforim are muktze, which category or categories of muktze would they be and why?


texts: Does the Rambam's definition of cofer Torah no longer hold?

texts:
In hilchot teshuvah, perek 3, halacha 8, the Rambam writes that someone "who denies the Torah" is "one who says the Torah, or one verse, or one word is not from God".

Taking into consideration the differences between the Allepo Codex, the Leningrad codex, the Sephardic/ashkenaz Torah scroll and the Teimani scroll, can we still say that the Rambam's statement holds true?


texts: What is a permissible and effective way to keep one's belongings while praying amidah at the kotel?

texts: What is a permissible and practical way to keep an eye on one's belongings while davening amidah at the kotel, without using lockers etc? I am wondering about both men that have pockets and Women who have bags.


texts: Can we get a complete list of occasions (dates or other occasions) on which someone (everyone, or just those with a particular circumstance) stays up all night (on purpose)?


texts: Is one allowed to eat if he needs to use the bathroom?  Does it make a difference if he made a Bracha yet?


texts:
Rabbi David Aaron said that the Ba’al Shem Tov says in Parshas Yisro, והעולם הזה צורך גבוהה - This world is of great heavenly need.” כי אין מלך בלא עם - “For there is no King without a Nation.
Go alephbeta.org - time duration 3:58

Where is the source for this?


texts: Haman servant of Mordechai: text of document

texts:
The gemara in Megillah 15 writes that Mordechai acquired Haman for a piece of bread. Rashi writes:

  וזה בא בפרוזבולי - מרדכי בא אליו בטענת עושר המן בא בטענת עוני שמכר המן את עצמו למרדכי קודם לכן ימים רבים בככרי לחם:

There are midrashim which explain the whole story, but in short Mordechai acquired Haman, and the midrashim say there was a shtar (legal document) written for the acquisition.

What is the text of the document that Mordechai wrote on his shoe, showing he is the master over Haman? I believe it is in Manos Halevi, but does anyone know where exactly it is?


texts: Receiving money for a day's work, considering it to cover a debt?

texts:
I will pose this general question by presenting the following scenario:

Reuvan works for Shimon. One time, at the end of the day, when Shimon came to pay Reuvan for that day's work (which was $100.), Reuvan took the money and said, "This money you are giving me now is for the previous debt that you still owe me. Now please give me another $100 for today's work so you shouldn't be over on the din of ביום תתן שכרו" (that a worker should be paid on the day that the work is done).

Does Reuvan have the right (in halacha or according to Shulchan Aruch) to do such a thing like this: to consider the money now as being paid for the previous debt and not for today's work which is what Shimon had it in mind for?


texts: What is the correct way to cook Jachnun on Shabbat?

texts:
I am not Yemenite and bought frozen Jachnun. The package says to cook for 8 hours. Most recipes online talk about cooking it overnight.

My question is then - isn't turning raw dough into cooked dough considered cooking on shabbat??


texts:
Chacham Ovadia writes in Yabia Omer 1:6(end of section 7) different opinions on listening to a woman's voice without knowing what she looks like. He brings the gemara in Berachos 57b that says: three things relaxs the mind of a person and one of them is kol (music) . Rashi says that it refers to a woman's voice. How can this be isn't a woman's voice erva? So he answers that this fits in well with the opinions that hold the voice of a penuya is mutar,but what should we say for the other opinons? So he answers that it is talking about when the person doesn't know or recognize the woman.

My question is isn't a better answer to say that Rashi is talking about the person's wife which is mutar and still hold that a penuya and even when you don't know or recognize the woman it will still be assur?


texts:
The Gemarah does not seem to make much mention of the 54 Torah Parshiot in the annual Torah reading. I don't know, offhand, what Ramba"m mentions about them either.

Who organized both the annual and tri-annual readings, in general,
and when were they organized? Why were there differences (annual vs.
tri-annual)?
How were the Parshiot decided? (Where each Parsha begins, the Parsha "names", Breishit, Noach, etc. (I know the name is taken from a word near the start of the parsha; I'm curious who decided on where each Parsha begins?)
Who decided which Parshiot should be doubled?


texts: How does Rambam explain why we don't ask for rain until the end of sukkos

texts:
The Mishnah in Sukkah 2:9 gives a parable to the situation of rain falling on Sukkos:

  מָשְׁלוּ מָשָׁל, לְמָה הַדָּבָר דּוֹמֶה, לְעֶבֶד שֶׁבָּא לִמְזוֹג כּוֹס לְרַבּוֹ, וְשָׁפַךְ לוֹ קִיתוֹן עַל פָּנָיו:

  To what can this matter be compared? To a slave who came to pour a goblet for his master, and he [the master] poured a bowl-full [of water] in his face.

Rambam explains:

  וירידת הגשמים בתחלת הסוכות רמז כי השם אינו מקבל מעשיהם ברצון:

  The falling of rain at the beginning of sukkos is a hint that Hashem doesn't accept their deeds with pleasure.

The Rambam implies that the "simman klala" of rain on Sukkos is only at the beginning of sukkos. Presumably he means since only the first night it is obligatory to eat in the sukkah. Other days are not obligatory to eat, so if it rains it's not as big a deal.

My question is from the first Mishnah in Taanis:

  מֵאֵימָתַי מַזְכִּירִין גְּבוּרוֹת גְּשָׁמִים. רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר אוֹמֵר, מִיּוֹם טוֹב הָרִאשׁוֹן שֶׁל חָג. רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אוֹמֵר, מִיּוֹם טוֹב הָאַחֲרוֹן שֶׁל חָג. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. הוֹאִיל וְאֵין הַגְּשָׁמִים אֶלָּא סִימַן קְלָלָה בֶּחָג, לָמָּה מַזְכִּיר. אָמַר לוֹ רַבִּי אֱלִיעֶזֶר, אַף אֲנִי לֹא אָמַרְתִּי לִשְׁאוֹל, אֶלָּא לְהַזְכִּיר מַשִּׁיב הָרוּחַ וּמוֹרִיד הַגֶּשֶׁם בְּעוֹנָתוֹ. אָמַר לוֹ, אִם כֵּן, לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא מַזְכִּיר:

  From when do we begin to mention the power of [bringing] rain [in the Shemoneh Esrai], Rabbi Eliezer says, from the first day of the festival [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehoshua says, from the last day of the festival [Sukkot]. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him [Rabbi Eliezer], since rain on the festival is nothing but a sign of a curse why should he mention it? Rabbi Eliezer said to him: I also did not say to request [rain] but to make mention, “He causes the wind to blow and the rain to fall” in its due season. He replied to him: if so one should at all times make mention of it.

Rabbi Yehoshua intimates it's inappropriate to mention rain during sukkos, since it's a simman klala. All Rambam there says is:

  מאימתי מזכירין גבורות גשמים רבי אליעזר אומר מיום טוב הראשון כו':
  כבר קדם לך בסוף הפרק השני מסוכה כי ירידת הגשמים בסוכות אינו סימן ברכה. והלכה כרבי יהושע:

  The Mishnah at the end of the second chapter of Sukkah already explained to you that rain falling on Sukkos is not a sign of blessing. The halacha is like Rabbi Yehoshua.

How does the Rambam read this Mishnah? Why does Rabbi Yehoshua say it's inappropriate to mention rain on Sukkos, since it's a simman klala, if it's only a simman klala tlat the beginning? Why not mention it after the first day(s)?


texts: Were all of each of the dibrot said in one dibbur?

texts:
When discussing the discrepancy between the use of the words Shamor and Zachor in the two versions of the Aseret Hadevarim, commentators explain that the two words were said at Sinai simultaneously.
Are there commentators who say that the same explanation is used for any/all of the rest of the differences in text (eg Shav vs. Shaker)? If so, what lessons did those simultaneities teach? If not, why not?


texts: If Avraham had a healing stone why did he need an angel to heal him?

texts: The Gemara in Baba Basra, Tes Zayin Amud Beis says Reb Shimon says that Avraham had a stone that he wore around his neck that healed the sick. If so why did he need a angel to come down to heal him (Rashi Bereshit 18:2)?


texts: Where in the Torah is the "ascending order of importance" derived?

texts:
Where in the Torah is the "ascending order of importance" derived, as used by the Temple Institute in describing the basket of firstfruits?
They wrote,
[> "The fruits were arranged in ascending order of importance: the bottom

basket contained barley. This was followed by wheat, olives, dates,
pomegranates,and figs. A dove was set on the top."]1

Looking at the illustration of such "ascending order of importance" by the Temple Institute, it seems there is a dove in both the bottom level and on the top level? How does this reflect the phrase "ascending order of importance"?
Because this question is a follow-up of Who used the "Special seven tiered baskets" that "were employed to display the firstfruits"?
I understand that the basket of firstfruits is based on Bikkurim Chapter 3:
https://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1002529/jewish/Bikkurim-Chapter-3.htm
There, it mentions that grapes (one of the seven fruits of Devarim 8:8) are used to "surround the figs". This begs the question, where in the "ascending order of importance" should the grapes be?


texts: What constitutes the mizvah of learning Torah?

texts:
Regarding the mitzvah of Talmud Torah:

First, please describe the definition of fulfilling the Mitzvah and please address directly how it might apply to each sub question if possible:

Can one recite a specific passage from memory?

Does it have to be perfect word for word?

Is working out a Question or the basis of a question in one's mind
Torah study?

Is thinking about one's relationship with Hashem torah study?

Is contemplating the foundations of some philosophical Jewish ideas
Torah study -or is only sticking to a prescribed source and topic
from a source fulfillment?


texts:
What is the source for "Nashim Datan Kala"?

I know it is applied in rules of Yichud (see Kidushin 80b)
and (probably) to prevent women from learning Gemara (see Rambam Talmud Torah 13,1)


texts: Using Christian theological texts for a Torah class

texts:
Would there be a problem with quoting a Christian theologian’s words (e.g., C.S. Lewis) while teaching in order to advance an idea? (I might want to do this if he speaks particularly well on a certain point.)
If it’s okay to quote the words of a Christian theologian, would there be a problem with telling the class that it was written by a Christian theologian?


texts:
I received a p'sak from my rav earlier today permitting me to revert my pronunciation from a modern Israeli-American pronunciation that I learned as a child to the old Yekkish Ashkenazis (with the חולם pronounced as as German au [aʊ] and ע as ng [ŋ], as well as the usual Ashkenazi features). However, while I was davening Minchoh, I noticed that some of my former liturgical pronunciation was slipping through.

Does anyone have any suggestions for how to drill oneself to successfully change the pronunciation for one's Hebrew? (although only partially, I want to maintain the Israeli accent for conversational purposes)


texts:
We learn in Parshat Eikev:

וָאֵ֗פֶן וָֽאֵרֵד֙ מִן־הָהָ֔ר וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וּשְׁנֵי֙ לֻחֹ֣ת הַבְּרִ֔ית עַ֖ל שְׁתֵּ֥י יָדָֽי׃
I turned and went down the mountain, a mountain ablaze with fire, the two Tablets of the Covenant on my two hands.

When did this fire (which is mentioned at Matan Torah already) cease to exist?
The closest I could find is what the HaEmek Davar says in this verse - that since the fire was still burning, Moshe understood that this was a message that he'd have to go up again to get another set of Luchos, hence the permission to break the first set.

וההר בוער באש. ועדיין היה בוער באש ולא היה כמו שאמר ה׳ מתחלה במשוך היובל המה יעלו. ממילא יהא נפסק האש וגלוי שכינה. אבל כאשר ירדתי לאחור ראיתי שעדיין ההר בוער באש. ומזה היה לי הוכחה דרצונו ית׳ ליתן לי לוחות שניות ומסתמא רצונו שישברו לוחות אלו. ויהיה נצרך לוחות שניות:

This makes it sound like the fire burnt until Moshe come down on Yom Kippur with the 2nd Luchos, but it stopped before he actually came down (otherwise he would have had reason to break the 2nd set.)
But I cannot find anything explicit.


texts: Can one take "pre-op" medicine on Shabbat?

texts:
As an extension of this M.Y. question,

Can one take medication on Shabbat on preparation for a procedure that occurs the next day or in a few days?

For example, can one take:

amoxicillin for oral surgery to be done the following Tuesday
"goop" for a colonoscopy done on Sunday

In both cases, the doctor has prescribed the medication.

The linked question seems to address preventing a medical condition that is likely to occur on the same day. In the examples that I mentioned, there is no condition or illness that will occur. The "goop" is not to prevent an illness. It is to aid a procedure. Amoxicillin is taken to reduce the possibility of infection after the oral surgery. It is not certain that one may become infected without taking it, but the doctor is being safe.


texts:
Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 690:16 says

  One must say "Accursed is Haman, blessed is Mordechai, accursed is Zeresh, blessed is Esther, accursed are all who hate HaShem, blessed are all who believe in HaShem," and one must say "And also Charvonah should be remembered for good."

Other editions of the Shulchan Aruch have different versions of the bolded phrases. However, in many congregations, and in the ArtScroll siddurim, these words are completely omitted. Why?


texts: Is there any source in halacha (shulchan aruch, mishna berura etc) besides for the zohar that mentions reciting the ushpizin?


texts:
I was told that Ashkenazim keep the 9 days until the midday of the 10th of av (no haircuts, showers, wine, meat...)

What do Sefardim do regarding this?
When is the first time that a Sefardi Jew can shave after the 9 days?


texts: When Moshiach arrives, will each individual Jewish person have their own personal allotment of land?

texts: In Joshua chapter 13, the allotment for each of the 12 tribes of Israel are given. My question, is when G-d dwells from Jerusalem (Jeremiah 33:17-18), and establishes his chosen king, Moshiach (Jeremiah 23:5), will each individual Jewish person have their own personal allotment of land? Would each individual person, for example, be given "X" amount of acres of land to build, plant or farm on?


texts: In the digital game Plants vs. Zombies, there are graveyard tombs in the shapes of crosses. Does this constitute avoda zara? Is it therefore assur to play this game?


texts: What does אחָד in שמע ישראל actually mean?

texts:
In the Shema the word used for the oneness of God is אחָד (ref.). This is startling for a Muslim, as they find in the Quran almost a transliteration of the same word, i.e. the Arabic احد (pronounced: Ahad).

What is surprising, however, is that in almost all the translations that I could find on the Internet, אחָד has been translated as "One," The Arabic counterpart, even though, can be used in the sense of "one," but a truer meaning is conveyed by "alone," or even "unique." Theologically, this has huge significance, because a God who is "Alone," is a denial of any other God.

My question then is: Does the hebrew אחָד bear the same connotations of alone and unique? If yes, then has Judaism always understood God of Israel to be the God of the whole universe? If there is only one God, there cannot be any place for henotheism.


texts: According to Genesis 1:3, "And G-d said, Let there be light; and there was light." What light is the Torah referring to if the sun which produces light by day was created only on the 4th day of creation?


texts: What's the difference between a makor and a shoresh in the Alter Rebbe’s Tanya? My melamed told me in yeshiva but I forgot. I think one is from a higher source. I think it's in the Rebbe's notes but I don't have this sefer.


texts: Why aren't some the daily brachot made only once in a lifetime?

texts: some of the daily blessings such as thanking God for not making me a non-Jew or (in my case) a woman seem to be things which one would only make a blessing for once in a lifetime. Why are they made daily instead?


texts: Rabbi's liability for giving a wrong psak

texts:
Companion question to Questioner's liability for receiving a wrong psak.

Let's say that someone asks his Rav, for example, if a certain food is Kosher, and the Rav paskens that it is not, and that the food must be thrown out. Later on, the Rav realizes that he ruled incorrectly, and the questioner could, in fact, have eaten that food (or at least benefited from it).

Is the Rav responsible for damages, for having ruled incorrectly and causing the questioner to lose money as a result?


texts: Dairy that you have to wait 6 hours after eating it

texts: Which dairy is considered sharp and requires you to wait 6 hours afterwards, prior to eating meat?


texts: Status of a functional Male with hidden functional Female internal organs

texts:
I've found out this condition where a Male has a certain genetic condition where the primitive female organs, present in every foetus, are not absorbed and develop as "usual".
A documented case in the UK

This male, genetically and externally male, will also have internal female organs. Sometimes these organs aren't only there but are also functional, meaning the male has monthly menstruations which come out in his urine etc.

I emphasise this individual is a male who can father children with a woman.

His status, as far as my research went, is of a regular man, since no female genitalia is apparent and he can in fact have kids with a woman.
Link to halacha summary

The Question Is: What if he impregnates himself since the sperm can go up and reach his own eggs? What would be the status of such child? This process is possible and could happen inadvertently, without his will or even knowledge until things "complicate"

Bonus Question: What if he is a Cohen?


texts: The name Nataliyah/Natali (is it Jewish?)

texts:
Where does the name Natalia come from? I ask this because many many Jewish girls, even religious ones, use this as a name. I always thought that it is a feminine version of Naftali, is that true? Or is it a name that comes from the wicked queen Ataliah? Or is it just a non Jewish name/an influence from non jews? Many Russians use this name to, but we all know people all over the world (non jews) use Jewish/biblical names a lot.

תודה רבה חביבי


texts: There are people that daven Mincha on Erev Shabbos Chanuka prior to lighting the Menorah and there are people that light first and then Daven Mincha. Those that Daven early do it in order to avoid conflict (Tarte DeSasri) as once they light the Menorah it should really be Maariv time. Why is this any different than a regular week with Neiros Shabbos?


texts:
I recently heard someone welcome in to their home kings of peace in the famous song Shalom Aleichem instead of angels. Who are these kings of peace? Most (if not all) kings in Tanakh were involved in lots of war, even David HaMelech. So who can they be?

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


texts: Why did Yitchak not follow in Avraham's footsteps regarding hospitality

texts:
Avraham is described in the midrashim as being extreme in the mitzva of hachnasat orchim (hospitality). Through this method, he was able to mekarev (reach out to) thousands of people and teach them about God.

I know of no parallel mention of Yitzchak or Yaakov continuing this huge hospitality program, so it seems it stopped with Yitzchak. Why didn't Yitzchak follow in his father's footsteps regarding this? Did he perhaps continue it with a different method?


texts: Is there a halachic problem with saying "Christ" as a name?

texts:
Since (according to the Gra (YD 147:3), cited in this answer), there is no issue in saying the name "Jesus," would there be an issue in saying the name "Christ"?
This name might be more problematic than "Jesus," because the word "Christ" means anointed, and apparently wasn't his given name, and also is a name that deifies him.
What does halacha have to say about saying the name "Christ"?


texts: How much water do you need for Netilat Yadayim?

texts: When washing your hands for Netilat Yadayim, how much water do you need?


texts: Is there anything wrong with the tooth fairy?

texts:
Can a parent pretend to be the tooth fairy? By which I mean is a parent allowed to tell a child to put a lost tooth under their pillow and then at night when the child is sleeping switch the tooth for money and when the child asks for an explanation say that the tooth fairy takes the teeth in exchange for money?

Possible reasons this may be forbidden that I can think of would include:
lying/genevas daas
imitating the ways of the non-Jews


texts: Saying Tefillat haDerekh twice in one day

texts: The Tefillat haDerekh includes the phrase, "ותחזירנו לשלום" ("and may you return us in peace"), to be added in the event that a person plans to make a return journey the same day. Is it necessary to add this, or is it permissible to recite Tefillat haDerekh again on the way home instead? Assuming that the latter option is permissible, would it not be preferable? Instead of adding a line to a berakhah, one gets to make a whole new berakhah instead!


texts: What can be done to hush someone praying a loud amidah?

texts:
If someone is praying an amidah in a loud voice that disturbs the rest of the congregation are any of the following permitted:

by someone (a) praying his own amidah or (b) who has finished

to hush the other person with his voice

(c) by someone praying his own amidah

to pronounce the sibilants in his amidah loudly until the person quietens.


texts:
Are there any online tools that allow for searching of an english word to produce the gemara/aramaic translation?

I dont really mean translate, I mean to search the jastrow dictionary to find the translation.


texts: Is there a limit to how many people should be on the bimah when the Torah is removed / returned to the ark?

texts:
As I understand, only one person needs to be on the bimah to take out one Torah (as on most Shabbatot) from and return the Torah to the ark - the chazzan.

Is there a specific halacha that says that someone else should take it out and hand it to the chazzan?

In many shuls, I see a larger contingent as follows (to take out 1 Torah):

Chazzan
Someone giving the Torah to him
Someone to open the ark
Rabbi
Shul president

Except for the rabbi, who is already sitting on the bimah, the others are not there, previously, and they go up to the bimah for the Torah service.

Is there any halacha stating how many people is excessive? (I'm not questioning why so many shuls have been doing this for some time. They have their reasons. I'm questioning if there is any halacha or a rabbinical opinion against doing this.)


texts:
Can one play darts on shabbat?

And can one then do archery on shabbat, assuming there are no words or numbers on the target, and the bows remain strung throughout shabbat?


texts: Can a person who killed by accident subsequently be a witness?

texts: If a person kills and there are only two witnesses and one witness has killed by accident before, are there two witnesses, or does the one who killed before not count?


texts: Is Muslim prayer rooted in Jewish prayer?

texts:
Is there any evidence that the practices required by Muslim prayer spring from similar practices in Jewish prayer?

E.g. happening 5 times daily, involving bowing


texts: What references, if any, are there to synagogues or non-temple organized worship in the ancient Israel

texts:
Synagogue worship appears to be relatively common in the Christian New Testament (although perhaps little is known about what actually went on in the synagogues, I don't know a whole lot of details). But I have heard little to nothing about non-temple worship during the time that the nation of Israel was in the land. Is there anything in the Bible (or perhaps Josephus or other historical sources) to suggest that synagogues existed pre-exile?

I have also heard that scholars tend to think that synagogues did not start until the diaspora; is there any good evidence of this?


texts: Why is one asked to join the Jewish community if this practice is not mentioned in the Halacha? Or maybe it is but I am not aware of?

texts:
It is written in the Rambam (Laws of Forbidden Relations chap. 14, 2) that when the potential convert comes to convert "we notify him regarding a small number of weighty mitzvot and a small number of light mitzvot and we may not prolong this matter". So we see that we should merely notify them regarding a small number of mitzvot and not to teach them the intricacies and finite details. And this is partly because we find written in the talmud (Sanhedrin 59) and codified in the Rambam (Laws of Kings 10, 9) that a non-Jew is forbidden to learn Torah and if he does so he is liable to death. This is also borne out from the gemara (Shabbat 31a) that we find that the great sage Hillel the elder taught the converts Torah only after he converted them and not before. Thus it is forbidden to teach them the intricacies of Jewish law until they have converted since prior to conversion they are considered completely as non-Jews. Thus, one who teaches them in such a manner is certainly causing them to sin. Also we find that it is forbidden to prolong this process since we do not wish to overly discourage and frighten them.
Moreover, teaches the Rambam there (ibid. 5) that if he accepts this we must convert him immediately and it is forbidden to delay this. Explains the Bet Yosef (268, 2) the reason for this that we are forbidden to delay a mitzva and must do it promptly. And writes the Rambam there that we should not be exacting on the convert and this clearly signifies that we should not give him a test to see how much he has memorized about Jewish law etc. And off course all the above mentioned is learned from the words of the Talmud (Yevamot 47a) and is brought in the Tur and the Jewish code of law the Shulchan Aruch (268, 2) as the undisputed halacha.
Additionally, we do not find anywhere in the Torah or talmud or the Rambam or the Shulchan Aruch that a convert must move to a Jewish community prior to conversion and on the contrary the Rambam himself writes (Laws of Kings 5, 7) that a Jew is allowed to live anywhere in the world that he wishes except for Egypt and off course this includes the converts as well since we must treat them as full fledged Jews in every way like it is written many times in the Torah (Lev. 16, 29, ibid. 18, 26, Numbers 15, 14, ibid, 15, 29). It follows that if one rejects a potential convert due to this he is acting contrary to halacha since we may not be overly exacting on them and overly discourage them or delay them as mentioned above since we are thereby delaying a mitzva without any halachic justification. Also we are thereby preventing the potential convert from studying Torah and doing mitzvot and thereby robbing from him his portion in the world to come.
Thus, in conclusion we find that according to Jewish law it is forbidden to teach potential converts the intricacies of Jewish law and likewise it is forbidden to draw out their conversion process for years. Also, one may not require them to be tested regarding this. And one may not obligate them to move to a Jewish community prior to conversion as a prerequisite. And all this stands in stark contrast to the tradition passed down to us from Mount Sinai as taught in the Talmud and the Rambam and the Shulchan Aruch.
I could think of few things as to why, but I was wondering, is there any Halachic mention of this practice?


texts: Are there any dress codes for righteous gentiles during prayers?

texts:
In Judaism, while not obligated to, the Jews wear Tallit and Teffilin during some prayers.

What about the Gentiles - are there special clothes or items for righteous Gentiles to wear during prayers?


texts:
The Torah says that you should stay away from sheker.

If you ordered something online through a friend's account (with his permission) but used your own credit card, when calling customer service regarding the ordered item (again with his permission), can you pretend to be your friend by saying his name when they ask?

Otherwise they probably won't be willing to speak with you.


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts:
Can a person who accepts the Jewish religion refrain from eating meat or sacrificing animals? If a person struggles to keep to the Jewish laws regarding meat is it acceptable to forego meat and dairy completely? Does Judaism allow the follower to have his/her conscious lead him in what may be unorthodox believes?
What has been some of the views on meat eating in the Jewish religion?


texts: Aside from obvious challenges, such as carrying a sign outside an eruv, is it inherently assur to attend a political protest on Shabbat?


texts: Why do Ashkenazim say a b'racha for each of the four cups?

texts: Normally if you have wine and refill your glass during the meal you don't make a new borei p'ri hagafen.  Why do we (at least Ashkenazim) say a new b'racha for each cup at the seder?  I think I've seen an explanation somewhere about them having four different purposes, but I couldn't find it in any of the haggadot I have handy (and I thought that's where I read it).


texts: Mesilat Yesharim - What is a person's obligation

texts:
The famous ethics work of the Ramchal, Mesilat Yesharim starts off the first chapter:

  "The foundation of piety and the root of flawless service [of G-d] is
  for a man to clarify and come to realize as truth what is his
  obligation (chovato) in his world and to what he needs to direct his gaze and
  his aspiration in all that he toils all the days of his life"

and likewise in chapter 4

  But that which, in particular, brings one to watchfulness is
  contemplation on the severity of the service which a man is obligated
  in and the depth of judgment incurred for it.

What is this "obligation" the Ramchal is referring to? Is it a moral duty such as gratitude to God or is it something else.

Looking for a source from other works of the Ramchal which explains this more.


texts: Suppose Alice has a pair of shoes, worth $100. Bob steals one of the shoes and destroys it. Setting aside any special penalties, If Bob is caught and found liable, does he have to pay Alice back $50 for the one shoe, $100, because he has deprived her of use of both shoes, or some other amount?


texts:
In discussing the six constant mitzvot, Jewish Pathways mentions that:

  "To achieve results, [one must] invest effort. But the
  materials, circumstances, and ultimate result are all provided by God."

  "[...] How much of an effort should we make versus relying
  on God to make it happen? The precise amount of effort is a sliding
  scale, varying according to each individual’s level of trust in God." (source)

I was recently told the same thing by a local Rav in Manhattan. Upon what source is this statement founded?


texts: How is it that Abraham didn't ask that four save a city, yet four did so?

texts:
Rashi (Vayera 18:24 and passim) explains that S'dom was the most important of five cities in its neighborhood, and God was going to destroy all of them. First, though, He told Avraham of His intent to do so, and Avraham bargained with Him to save one or more of the cities. The conversation went like this (as explained by Rashi and in my very loose translation/paraphrase):

Avraham: Will You destroy the righteous with the wicked? Perhaps there are fifty righteous people in the cities. Will You destroy…?
Hashem: If I find fifty righteous people in the cities, I'll spare the cities for their sake.
Avraham: What if the fifty are lacking five? That's nine per city. You, the Righteous One, can combine with those nine to make ten per city!
Hashem: I won't destroy the cities if I find forty-five there.
Avraham: Maybe forty can be found! Save four cities!
Hashem: For the sake of forty, I'll not destroy four cities.
Avraham: Save three cities for thirty righteous people?
Hashem: Okay.
Avraham: Two for twenty?
Hashem: Okay.
Avraham: One for ten?
Hashem: Okay.

And that was the end of the conversation. Avraham already knew that Hashem would save one city for the sake of nine righteous people if He would for the sake of ten: after all, Hashem had agreed to add Himself to nine early in the conversation. And there was no point in asking that eight righteous people should save a city because, after all, eight righteous people — Noach and his family — couldn't save the world from the deluge.
Yet in 19:18–23, Lot asked that he be allowed to go to a city, and the destroying angel replied that, because of that request, he wouldn't destroy that city. (And indeed only four cities are listed in Nitzavim 29:22 as having been destroyed.)
But Lot (with his family) was only four people! Was Avraham wrong to stop at ten — he should have bargained for even four righteous people to save a city? If not, how was Lot able to save the city if Avraham couldn't?
(I know the saved city had fewer sins than the other four, as Rashi explains, but that doesn't explain why Avraham couldn't pray for that less-sinful city in the merit of four righteous people.)


texts: Borders of obligation when witnessing a robbery

texts:
Today I watched while a man walked into a pastry shop, took a large box of cookies and put it into his bag. He then walked out of the store and away, disregarding my stink eye on him.

If I were to call him on it he would or run or say I was lying and there might be some Chilul Hashem חילול השם.
The cookie boxes were placed at the entrance to the store and definitely fell under the category of Lifney Iver לפני עיוור, and probably the merchants have Yiush יאוש (this type of store expects things to be stolen on a daily basis).
On the other hand, there's the factor of deterring the perpetrator; i.e., he will now steal more since he wasn't caught last time.

The questions are:

A: Am I obligated to chase the perpetrator / inform the store, when no reconciliation will come of it (including the store not changing the way they display the goods)?

B: Must I pay for the box, seeing as I did not do anything?

C: Would it matter if i was only 98% sure that he had actually stolen?


texts: The Vav of Veahavta in the first perek of Shema

texts: What are the explanations of the Vav of Veahavta in the Shema as it comes to add something?


texts: What determines whether things which are forbidden because of a danger are still prohibited once we know there's no danger?

texts:
There are certain things which are prohibited because of danger, many of which are listed here. A good number of them are confirmed by modern science to not cause any (physical) harm (ex. meat and fish, leaving peeled garlic overnight).

I can understand the two extreme approaches:

Since it's because of a potential danger, if it can be confirmed that there's no danger, then there's no problem with eating it.
Once Chazal instituted not to eat these foods, then even if the apparent reason is proven false, we still uphold the original prohibition; perhaps there's a different reason they didn't reveal, and even if not, it's not in our authority to overturn decrees of Chazal.

To me, the Shulchan Aruch seems to follow the former approach, as while many Rishonim pasken like the Gemara not to leave peeled garlic uncovered, the Shulchan Aruch doesn't seem to hold that it's an issue (more on that here). Likewise, he paskens that in areas where snakes aren't common, there's no issue of leaving drinks uncovered (YD 116:1). He does list many other things, such as eating meat and fish together, as being dangerous (ibid. §2), but that wasn't known in his time to be otherwise.

What I don't understand is the middle approach – among those which are no longer considered dangerous, some of them are forbidden, and some of them are permitted. This seems hypocritical: at the same time that they insist Gilui is fine since snakes aren't around, they refuse to eat meat with fish. (Admittedly, just my saying that is itself hypocritical.)

What is the logic behind this approach? Is it just blind reading from the Shulchan Aruch, without any thought as to the reason behind the Halachos, or is there an actual reason behind this approach?

(I discuss food in this post only because it seems to come up the most often; the same discussion would apply to, say, walking alone at night in a safe neighborhood.)


texts:
There's a common adage, based on the Rambam, that if a person harms someone else, and then seeks forgiveness three times, the aggrieved party is obligated to forgive the person, or else carry the sin. What limits, if any, are there on one's obligation to forgive someone else?

If a person harmed someone and clearly regrets it, but they are too embarrassed to ask outright for forgiveness
If a person asks for forgiveness but clearly isn't regretful
If the harm was so severe it altered the life of the aggrieved party in some way
If the harm never came to fruition, but the potential harm would have been severe, and/or the intention was to severely harm the aggrieved party
If the harm was caused by a non-Jew or a non-religious Jew

Does the aggrieved party have an obligation to forgive, and/or carry the sin if he or she refuses to forgive the person who caused the harm?


texts: What is the relationship between saying the 13 Middot and accompanying piyyuṭim?

texts:
During seliḥot, we* interweave saying piyyuṭim with the recitation of the 13 middot.  This is thematically sensible, since the recitation of the 13 middot is supposed to effect God's forgiveness1 2, and the piyyuṭim are also on the topic of asking for mercy/forgiveness.

However, more than thematic sensibilities, there seems to be a need for some kind of piyyuṭ prior to saying the 13 middot, as the Aruch HaShulchan says in OC 620:1 (quoted with English here).

What is this relationship? Why does the recitation of the 13 middot require a piyyuṭ? What is the earliest source for such a relationship, and are there contrary opinions?

*Based on Artscroll and Koren Ashkenazi siddurim/machzorim, and Daniel Goldschmidt's machzorim/seliḥot.


texts: waiting after meat, in contexts other than basar bechalav

texts:
Waiting after meat before milk comes from a concern of either the taste being still in your throat or particles still in your teeth and you are eating that with milk.  Do we apply this in other cases as well?  I can think of lots of other potential applications.

For example, if you eat chametz meat (not just cooked in a chametz pot, I'm thinking something like chicken with breadcrumbs) on the morning of erev Pesach, and it's now after the time when you can't eat chametz but your 6/5+/3/1 hours have not yet elapsed, are you allowed to eat anything?

Or similarly, if you accidentally eat meat that's not kosher, do you have to wait before eating anything?

Or if you eat a korban close to the end of its time period and it's now after that time, do you have to wait before eating anything else?


texts:
There seems to be a minhag (or at least what appears to be a minhag) that children who deliver mishloach manos are given a small sum of money by the recepient.

Is this an actual minhag?

And if so, what is the reason for it?


texts: Would a genetically engineered red heifer be usable?

texts: Assuming that a non-Jew chose to create a genetically engineered parah adumah (red heifer) and further assuming it met all the halachic requirements --no two black hairs, hadn't been used for work etc. -- would such an animal be deemed usable to create the ashes of a parah adumah?


texts: Hiding pregnancy during the first 3 months

texts:
There is a tradition - or whatever you may call it - not to tell people about your pregnancy early on.

First off, is there a Torah basis to it? Or just common sense? (if things go wrong people will still say Mazal Tov...)

Secondly, when someone asks "are you pregnant?" or "is your wife pregnant?", is OK to lie and say NO??


texts:
Rashi to Sh'lach 13:16 notes that Moshe prayed that God save Y'hoshua from the other spies' plot. This is a paraphrase of a g'mara (Sotah 34b) which implies strongly that Moshe did not similarly pray for Kalev.

We know Kalev and Y'hoshua were the only two of the spies who did not participate in the other spies' bearing bad news about the land. (See Sh'lach chapter 13.) Presumably Moshe intuited that there was some planned wrongdoing, which explains his prayer for Y'hoshua; but why not pray for Kalev also? Is it that he thought Kalev was, like the rest of the spies, planning wrongdoing? or what?


texts:
When Naomi and Rus return to Beis Lechem they are living in abject poverty. Rus goes and collects in Boaz's field. When Boaz finds out, instead of inviting these women to live in his home, or providing them with enough funds to sustain themselves he gives Rus a meal and offers to allow her to continue collecting in his field like any other pauper (granted he allows her to take more than her fair share, and offers her protection from harm). Furthermore Naomi is Boaz's sister-in-law, per Bava Basra 91a which lists Elimelech and Boaz as brothers, yet there is no record of him ever having a single conversation with her?

Granted in the end, after much cajoling from Rus, Boaz marries her, but for Boaz, possible the leader of his generation, not to treat his impoverished family with more mercy and hospitality is surprising to me. Do any of the commentaries speak about why Boaz wasn't more directly nice or helpful to Naomi and Rus?


texts: Do any Gedolim forbid attending a sporting event?

texts:
Does a male violate any halacha in the Torah by watching a ball game at a sports stadium?

Are there any Gedolim that oppose going?


texts: How would the splitting of the sea have been done with magic if magic is just trickery?

texts:
In the spirit of the recent Mi Yodeya discussion of the Rambam's view of magic, a question that has bothered me for some time:
The Rambam ostensibly doesn't accept that there is any reality to magic, everything is done through slight of hand and trickery, and the Torah's prohibition is against exactly that trickery. (See here for more on that.)
However, in Yesodei HaTorah 8:1 the Rambam writes that Moshe would not have been relied upon absolutely due to any of the wonders he performed, because they could have been done through magic:

משה רבינו לא האמינו בו ישראל מפני האותות שעשה. שהמאמין על פי האותות יש בלבו דופי שאפשר שיעשה האות בלט וכשוף.
The Jewish people did not believe in Moshe Rabbeinu as a result of the wonders that he performed, for one who believes according to wonders always has some doubt in his heart, maybe it was done through magic.

The Rambam then procedes to give examples of some of those miracles which were not done to produce belief. All the examples seem difficult to pull off as a slight-of-hand trick, but here's just one:

היה צריך להשקיע את המצריים קרע את הים והצלילן בתוכו
He needed to drown the Egyptians, so he split the sea and sunk them in it

If magic is fake, how could these things have possibly been performed through "magic"?


texts: If a nations laws are immoral in the face of Torah laws, are we still obligated to abide by them?

texts:
Let me be clear, I'm not advocating breaking any laws.  lol

Say, for example, a country makes it a crime to keep kosher or wear head coverings inside buildings.

Throughout history we've been forced to assimilate through laws that force conversion, or laws that make Shabbat illegal, and etc so there exists a precedence.

Are we obligated to follow such laws?  If so, then to what extent?  And if not, does an alternative exist to fleeing the country?


texts:
Is there anything wrong with men wearing shorts (i.e. short pants)?

If there is, why would it be any different than wearing short sleeves?


texts: Why was Miriam not allowed to enter the Promised Land?

texts: In Bamidbar 20:1 we read of the account of the death of Miriam. She being the oldest of the three siblings, Miriam, Aaron and Moshe, was she under the same judgement as the nation of Israel brought about by the report of the spies? Aaron and Moshe were not allowed to enter because they did not speak to the rock, but struck it; however, Miriam was not part of that mistake, so is there another explanation as to why she was not able to enter the land? (Other than as I previously stated that she fell under the same judgement as the cursed generation.)


texts: There is a bracha (blessing) made after the first time a Chosson and Kallah have relations in the case that she was a basuleh (when there was a complete bia.) The makor for this Bracha is the Rosh (Kasubos Perek 1 Siman 15 -- makor in the Gaonim) and is brought by many other rishonim as well (some don't bring it.) However it's brought in Shulchan Arun Evan HaEzer Siman 63 Sif 1. However l'maseh it is my impression that those that say the bracha do so without Shem U'Malkus. If someone didn't recite this bracha by the first bia (or right afterwards) may it be said even after? The question is perhaps not so strong since there is no Shem U'Malchus. However in general is there a reason or an inyun to say it even after the first time if it wasn't said to begin with (not necessarily by the second time the couple has relations, perhaps even at a general time when the person remembers that they didn't say the bracha.)


texts: Why is this as it is (number of men twenty years old and over who were subject to military service, as censused in the Sinai Desert )?

texts:
It is written in Parashah 34: B’midbar (In the desert) 1:1–4:20:

"20 The men twenty years old and over who were subject to military service were recorded by name, family and clan, starting with the descendants of Re’uven, Isra’el’s firstborn. Here are the totals:

21 Descendants of Re’uven   46,500

22-23 Descendants of Shim‘on    59,300

24-25 Descendants of Gad    45,650

26-27 Descendants of Y’hudah    74,600

28-29 Descendants of Yissakhar  54,400

30-31 Descendants of Z’vulun    57,400

32-33 Descendants of Efrayim    40,500

34-35 Descendants of M’nasheh   32,200

36-37 Descendants of Binyamin   35,400

38-39 Descendants of Dan    62,700

40-41 Descendants of Asher  41,500"

42-43 Descendants of Naftali    53,400

You see that all these numbers end in 0, and, if you ask me, this is not a coincidence, and it is not rounding (for example 35401 can be rounded to 35400), cause I believe that these are exact numbers. This is not (just) a numerology question but search for some deep reasons of why tribes had their men twenty years old and over who were subject to military service all as they are rounded to be multiples of 10 (or 50, if you want)?


texts:
How do you respond when greeted, during the Winter "holiday season" by a non-Jewish acquaintance with each of the following?

Happy Chanuka (in proximity to Chanuka)
Happy Chanuka (not in proximity to Chanuka)
Enjoy your holiday.
I hope your holiday is full of light. (I actually got this one yesterday.)
Happy Holidays / Season's Grettings
Happy New Year
Merry Christmas

In that vein, when composing written correspondence this time of year to a non-Jewish acquaintance, such that a seasonal greeting might be expected, what such greeting (if any) do you insert?


texts: The introduction to the translation of Al Charizi

texts:
In Shem Hagdolim in the section on Pirush Hamishna, the author quotes the introductions of various translators of the Rambam's Pirush Hamishna.

  שם הגדולים מערכת ספרים אות פ [לט] פירוש המשנה של הרמב"ם:
  ובהקדמת המעתיק לסדר זרעים החכם ר' יהודה בן שלמה הספרדי הידוע בן חריזי כתב שלכבוד ק"ק מארשיליא נתרצה להעתיק.

Where can i get hold of these introductions? I am particularly interested in the one by Al Charizi.


texts: Can descendants of Amalek become Jewish?

texts: We are commanded to "blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven". Deut 25:19 Haman was a descendant of Amalek [Esther 9:24].  Descendants of Haman studied Torah in Bnei Brak. [Sanhedrin 96b, Gittin 57b]  Evidently then, a known descendant of Amalek is allowed to convert to Judaism.  How does that square with the commandment?


texts:
Some people in shul mark it as a sign of respect, as the Torah makes its way to/from the Aron Kodesh, to kiss it, and rush to get as close as possible.  Others, given the cold season, think that this is unhygienic and disrespectful to the sefer (scroll).  Still others make a kissing motion to the sefer as it passes.

What is the basis for any of these behaviors/minhagim?


texts: Could the 'air conditioner' shown here be run during shabbat?

texts:
I saw this DIY video, and was wondering if such a fan could be run before shabbat started and left running as shown?

The video on this page (Ignore the article):

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/gadgets/home/dyson-bladeless-fan.htm

Question is in theory only, I have no plans on building such a fan.

Original link was based on the following embed code:

  iframe id="dit-video-embed" width="384" height="216"
  src="http://static.discoverymedia.com/videos/components/hsw/30113-title/snag-it-player.html?auto=no"
  frameborder="0" scrolling="no" allowtransparency="true">


texts: Zechariah 2 whom is speaking, who is whom and saying what exactly?

texts:
Looking at Zechariah 2:12-15 it reads:
“For thus said the LORD of Hosts..”
“ Then you shall know that I was sent by the LORD of Hosts...”
“For lo, I come; and I will dwell in your midst—declares the LORD...”
“ In that day many nations will attach themselves to the LORD and become His people, and He will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that I was sent to you by the LORD of Hosts.”
Who says what to whom, and whom
is sending whom?


texts: PTIJ: How can I revive my friend (if I drunkenly murder him)?

texts:
The Talmud in Megillah bring this incident:

רבה ורבי זירא עבדו סעודת פורים בהדי הדדי איבסום קם רבה שחטיה לרבי זירא למחר בעי רחמי ואחייה
Rabba and Rabbi Zeira prepared a Purim feast with each other, and they became intoxicated to the point that Rabba arose and slaughtered Rabbi Zeira. The next day, when he became sober and realized what he had done, Rabba asked God for mercy, and revived him.

I ask for a friend who doesn’t expect anything of this nature to arise, but if it does, how can he perform such reviving techniques - if at all?

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


texts: Why is eating chazir (pig) a "worse" issur than eating a nevelah (animal that wasn't shechted properly)?

texts:
Rashi writes in Chulin Daf 106a that

בשר חזיר חמור מנבלה דאית ביה תרי איסורי
(Eating) pig meat is worse than (eating meat of) a nevelah (an animal that wasn't slaughtered properly), since there are two prohibitions (when it comes to eating the pig meat, whereas eating nevelah is only one prohibition).

What two prohibitions are there? Why is this worse?


texts:
Tosfos in AZ 3a (DH Shelo Histachavu L'Tzelem) brings several proofs that Nevuchadnetzar's statue could not have been Avodah Zarah, and bowing to it would have been considered merely showing honor:

In the list of goyim who would testify to the Jews' observance of mitzvos, Nimrod would testify that Avraham didn't serve Avodah Zarah, while Nevuchadnetzar would testify that Chananiah, Mishael, and Azariah didn't bow to his tzelem (AZ 3a). Clearly his tzelem and Avodah Zarah are two different things, or else it would have used the same lashon.
The Gemara says that were they to have been tortured, they would have bowed (Kesubos 33b). Could it be that they would have bowed in spite of the rule that even death is no excuse?! It must be that it was technically permissible to bow, and they wanted to be mekadeish HaShem.
"What did they see that they threw themselves into the fire?" (Pesachim 53b). V'chai bahem doesn't apply in public (Sanhedrin 74a), so why would they need a sevara? It must be that they were not violating any issurim by bowing.
They were sentenced to misah for bowing to Nevuchadnetzar's statue. Why, then, did HaShem not strike them down immediately? Because they didn't really serve it; they were just pretending. So, too, HaShem didn't really sentence them to death, but rather wanted them to do teshuvah (Megillah 12a with Rashi). If it were really Avodah Zarah, they would not have been able to serve it even for pretend!
The passuk (Daniel 3:18), which says they would not bow to "his god" or "his statue," implies that they are two separate things.

I would like to emphasize the word used for a statue - אנדרטי.

Now, take a look at the Targum to Esther 3:4:

  די להמן לא הוה סגיד על דהוה עבדיה דאזדבן ליה בטולמת לחם ולאנדרטא די הקים בחדייה לא הוה גחין על דהוה יהודי ויהודאי לא פלחין ולא גחנין ליה.

  To Haman he did not bow because [Haman] was [Mordechai's] slave that he bought for a piece of bread, and to the statue that he hung around his neck he would not bow because he was Jewish, and Jews do not serve nor bow to it.

Excuse me? Did Tosfos not just prove conclusively that it's technically mutar to bow to statues, since they're not idolatrous and therefore not under "die not do"?

Now, it occurred to me recently that Tosfos are of the opinion that one is allowed to give up his life even when not required to do so. On Avodah Zarah 27b DH Yachol, they write:

  ואם רצה להחמיר על עצמו אפי' בשאר מצות רשאי

  If one wants to be stringent on himself, even by other Mitzvos it is permitted.

However, if he was allowed to bow, why would he refuse, thereby endangering the entire Jewish people? If the Targum argues on this premise of Tosfos' and instead holds like Rambam's opinion that one may not give up his life where permissible (Yesodei HaTorah 5:4), the original question returns much stronger: not only is bowing permissible, it's obligatory!

Now, I don't know who the Targum is, and it may be that he is able to argue on Tosfos and indeed holds that bowing to a statue is idolatry. In that case, how does he explain the various proofs that Tosfos bring?


texts: Are there any known uses of cryptography (or similar) in Jewish History?


texts:
Why after destroying the 4 cities with fire from heaven, does Hashem proceed to flip them? What purpose does this accomplish?

  וַֽ"ה הִמְטִ֧יר עַל־סְדֹ֛ם וְעַל־עֲמֹרָ֖ה גָּפְרִ֣ית וָאֵ֑שׁ מֵאֵ֥ת ה מִן־הַשָּׁמָֽיִם: וַיַּֽהֲפֹךְ֙ אֶת־הֶֽעָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֔ל וְאֵ֖ת כָּל־הַכִּכָּ֑ר וְאֵת֙ כָּל־יֽשְׁבֵ֣י הֶֽעָרִ֔ים וְצֶ֖מַח הָֽאֲדָמָֽה׃
  And the Lord caused to rain down upon Sodom and Gomorrah brimstone and fire, from the Lord, from heaven. And He turned over these cities and the entire plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and the vegetation of the ground. (Bereishis 19:24-25)


texts: Nullifying a chametz-based medication before Pesach

texts:
Let's say you are a choleh who is permitted or required to take a chometz-containing medication during Pesach (according to the halachos described here: http://www.star-k.org/kashrus/kk-passover-medicine.htm ). Let's imagine, furthermore, that yours is a medication that is somehow based on chometz in terms of its function or ability to heal.

My question is this: When you make the nullification on your chometz before Pesach starts, is the chometz of your medication understood as being "nullified" in an absolute sense, too--whereby, mystically speaking, your medicine should not work for you?

(I understand this is a case of abstractions upon abstractions -- but I still wonder if there is a source that deals with this. Otherwise it would seem that the nullification process could be confusing, even scary, for those hypothetically in this situation. I am looking for a textual source for the exact sense and extent of bitul in light of these hypothetical concerns.)


texts: Why didn't the Israelites fight against being enslaved?

texts:
In Parashat Shemot, the pasuk says

  וַיֹּאמֶר, אֶל-עַמּוֹ:  הִנֵּה, עַם בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל--רַב וְעָצוּם, מִמֶּנּוּ

Pharaoh was, for whatever reason, worried that the Israelites had become more numerous than the Egyptians, so he imposed extra taxes on them and eventually enslaved them. But if the Israelites were actually greater in numbers than the Egyptians, why did they submit to slavery? Why didn't they fight back against their oppression? They should have been able to overcome with their greater numbers.


texts:
Someone I know likes to mix (commercial) grape juice or wine with water or seltzer and drink the result. Of course, the first of those two ingredients normally requires "hagafen" and "al hagefen", while the second requires "shehakol" and "bore n'fashos". What proportions (and perhaps quantities) of each ingredient would require the recitation over the mixture of each of the aforementioned benedictions?

For what it's worth, note that United States commercial grape juices often include uncut grape-juice concentrate in addition to the juice.


texts: Is there a difference between "kareis" and "misas be'dei shamayim?"

texts: They sound very similar- is there a difference between them or are they interchangeable and pretty much mean the same thing?


texts: Does a Jewish idolater's pouring of non-mevushal wine make that wine forbidden to himself?

texts: We see from this answer that wine poured by a Jew who rejects Judaism is yayin nesech. Would that cause the wine to be forbidden even to himself, or is it only forbidden to others? Would he be violating halacha every time he drinks non-mevushal wine?


texts: How would Har Sinai without the Torah have been enough?

texts: In the Hagada of Peasach it says "even if he brought us to Har Sinai but didn't give us the Torah it would have been enough." What would be the purpose of going to Har Sinai if we didn't get the Torah? How would that be enough?


texts:
Rav Nissan Kaplan is one of the Rashei Yeshiva at the Mir in Jerusalem, teaches English-speaking students in Walmark (וולמארק), which is one of the two batei midrash in the Bet Yeshaya building, established in 2005. Prior to this, I think that he was mashgiach ruchani for the English-speaking avreichim. My information to this effect is coming largely from the brief mention that is made to him on Wikipedia's Hebrew page for the Mir Yeshiva in Jerusalem, and might not be correct.

I am a long-time fan of Rav Kaplan's mussar and halakha schmuessen (which are available online here), and would like to know more about who he is. Specifically, I have the following two questions:

In a number of his schmuessen, Rav Kaplan makes reference to his father, who appears (from what Rav Kaplan says) to have been close to Rav Shach. Does anybody know the identity of Rav Kaplan's father? Is he a Rosh Yeshiva somewhere? Rav Kaplan himself learnt at Ponevezh, if that helps.
In one of his schmuessen (this one, starting just after the 9:10 mark), Rav Kaplan refers to a camp that his father runs, called Mevakshei HaShem. I would very much like to know more information about this camp: where it runs, at what level it runs (it certainly sounds very prestigious) and whether or not there are other camps like it.

I am, as I say, a big fan of Rav Kaplan's classes. It would help me immeasurably to know a little bit more about who he actually is and who his father is. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.


texts: If you check for bugs according to halachic requirements, and then there is a bug in the food, are you liable?

texts:
If one or one's wife does everything that is needed for checking, but one accidentally eats a bug anyway, is one liable for the sin(s)?

I'd also be interested in knowing whether one would be liable if one ate a bug that was in a hechshered product, such as pre-checked lettuce or kosher frozen vegetables.


texts: Why is Avigayil still called "Naval's wife" after she marries David?

texts:
In Shmuel Alef 25:39, David finds out that Naval is dead, and marries Naval's wife Avigayil. Okay, good.

Then, in 27:3, it says:

  וַיֵּשֶׁב֩ דָּוִ֨ד עִם־אָכִ֥ישׁ בְּגַ֛ת ה֥וּא וַאֲנָשָׁ֖יו אִ֣ישׁ וּבֵית֑וֹ דָּוִד֙ וּשְׁתֵּ֣י נָשָׁ֔יו אֲחִינֹ֙עַם֙ הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִ֔ית וַאֲבִיגַ֥יִל אֵֽשֶׁת־נָבָ֖ל הַֽכַּרְמְלִֽית:

What? Why is she still called אשת נבל? Naval is dead; she is now David's wife.

This happens again. For example: 30:5, Shmuel Bet 2:2, and 3:3.


texts:
אש אחד מששים לגיהנם...
  דבש אחד מששים למן
  שבת אחד מששים לעולם הבא
  שינה אחד מששים למיתה
  חלום אחד מששים לנבואה

  ...sleep is one-sixtieth of death (Brochos 57b)

In what aspects is sleep considered 1/60th of death?
(Ma Nafkah minah?)


texts: What was so miraculous of the Chanukah war?

texts:
In the Canukah "Al Hanisim", it says: "You delivered the mighty into the hands of the weak, the many into the hands of the few, the impure into the hands of the pure, the wicked into the hands of the righteous, and the wanton sinners into the hands of those who occupy themselves with Your Torah."
But the Romans helped the Jews? As the Gemara Avodah Zara 8b says:

דכי אתא רב דימי אמר תלתין ותרין קרבי עבדו רומאי בהדי יונאי ולא יכלו להו עד דשתפינהו לישראל בהדייהו והכי אתנו בהדייהו אי מינן מלכי מנייכו הפרכי אי מנייכו מלכי מינן הפרכי
The Gemara elaborates: As when Rav Dimi came from Eretz Yisrael he said: The Romans waged thirty-two battles with the Greeks but were unable to defeat them, until they formed a partnership with the Jewish people and finally vanquished the Greeks. And this is the condition that they stipulated with the Jewish people: If the kings come from among us, the governors [hiparkhei] will come from among you; and if the kings come from among you, the governors will come from among us.

So while the Gemara implies that the Romans wouldn't have been victorious on their own, they definitely helped the Jews.
So do we say that Hashem gave "the many into the hands of the few" when it wasn't just Us vs. the Greeks but Us + Rome vs. the Greeks.


texts: Why should a Sefer Torah be obligated in Shaatnez?

texts:
Says the Mishnah, Kilayim 9:3:

  מִטְפְּחוֹת הַיָּדַיִם, מִטְפְּחוֹת הַסְּפָרִים, מִטְפְּחוֹת הַסַּפָּג, אֵין בָּהֶם מִשּׁוּם כִּלְאָיִם. רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר אוֹסֵר.

  Hand towels, covers for Sifrei Torah, and bath towels are not subject to the laws of Shaatnez. R’ Elazar forbids [using these made of Shaatnez].

Translation follows Bartenura.

According to the Tanna Kamma, why would I think that a Sefer Torah can’t “wear” Shaatnez? Is a Sefer Torah a person that it should be obligated in mitzvos? By the same token, why does R’ Elazar forbid them?


texts: Is the record of the disputation of Paris that took place in 1240, I believe called sefer havikuach, available for free online?


texts: How was Rosh Hodesh declared prior to the Sanhedrin?

texts:
During the time that the Sanhedrin existed, witnesses had to come to the Sandhedrin and testify to their viewing of the "new" moon. The Sanhedrin would sanctify the month after confirming their testimony. (On some occasions, Sanhedrin would declare it automatically without witnesses.)

Prior to the Sanhedrin, before kings existed, during the days of the Judges, did they use witnesses, and who made the final decision to declare Rosh Hodesh?

I'm inferring that the Sanhedrin as well as those who were in charge knew the exact time of the molad. During the time that Sanhedrin existed in Jerusalem, and later in Yavneh, etc., they waited for witnesses to appear, and thus, there were times when there were 2 days of Rosh Hodesh because of doubt of the length of the month. I'm inferring that if they didn't use witnesses and relied on the declaration of the Sanhedrin, there would be no doubts.

I will ask, separately, regarding how the message was sent to far away places.


texts: What is the difference between Vayomer and Vayomar?

texts: In Chumash, sometimes it says vayomer, but other times it says vayomar. What is the difference? Don't they both just mean "he said"?


texts: What's the explanation of this Yalkut (if there is any)?

texts: I was reading this article and in the first sentence it references a Yalkut Shimoni that states that "Jael, Hagar, Asenath, Zipporah, Shiphrah, Puah, the daughter of Pharaoh, Rahab and Ruth were among the devout women converts". This medrash makes absolutely no sense to me because how would Hagar be considered a convert since Yaakov wasn't even born yet and seemingly even before Sinai someone who "joined" the bnei yisroel would be a convert on some level but before yaakov there was no Jewish tribe  and the Gemara in Sotah 11b tells us that Shifra and Puah, were Yocheved and either Miriam or Elisheva. This could be one of those medrashim but I was trying to seek some help if anyone can help me get some more info on this.


texts: Please elaborate on Rashi's explanation of Shemot 14:12

texts:
I am viewing Rashi's explanation (based on Mechilta) of Shemot 14:12 when B'nai Yisra'el say to Moshe:

"This is what we told you in Egypt that you should leave us alone, for it is better for us to work for the Egyptians than to die here in the desert."

Rash"i asks where did they tell Moshe this? He refers to Shemot 5:21. I don't get it. There doesn't seem to be anything in that verse that states or implies any statement that they preferred being enslaved in Egypt or relayed this idea in any way to Moshe.

Can someone elaborate as to how this verse proves Rashi's reference?


texts: Where, and what, is Elonei Mamre? And who is Mamre?

texts:
In Sefer Bereshit (specifically Parshat Lech Lecha, Vayera, and Chayei Sarah) the is a place called Elonei Mamre. This is usually translated something along the lines of "the trees of Mamre."
Where/what is this place? Rashi seems to indentify Mamre as a person. Who was Mamre?


texts: Should Jewish parents-to-be throw a baby shower? Why or why not? What is the origin of the baby shower (amongst Jews specifically) if any? For clarification, I am referring to the party before the child's arrival.


texts: discarding hot meat/dairy on top of dairy/meat

texts: At lunch at work today, an irreligious Jewish coworker asked a religious one why we don't need separate meat and dairy trash receptacles. After all, we separate meat and dairy otherwise. The religious coworker replied that we don't eat from the trash. But the truth is that besides the ban on eating meat with dairy, there's a ban on cooking meat with dairy. And, as far as I know (from laws of Shabas, I guess), that includes allowing yad-soledes-bo meat to come into contact with dairy (or vice versa), at least if it's hot enough to make the surface of the latter yad soledes bo also. So there would seem to be a problem with dropping hot meat directly on dairy in the garbage (or vice versa). Is there indeed such a problem? If not, why not?


texts: Intentionally using a grace period on a rental

texts:
I recently rented a bike for a few hours, and the person in charge of the rental told us that we have "X number of hours, and a 15 minute grace period," followed by the warning that if we don't return the bikes until after the grace period is over, we would have to pay a fine.

While it might not be the best idea, practically, would one be allowed to rely on that grace period lechatchila?


texts: If two Jewish sisters marry one's son to one's daughter, are their descendants all mamzerim forever?

texts:
I've heard that the children of two sisters are like siblings spiritually. If a woman gives her son to marry her sister's daughter this is forbidden, correct?

Does this make the union incest and the children of such a union mamzerim? Even if it was very common to marry cousins in the shtetls of Europe?

But the first-cousins who married -- their mothers were sisters.

Halachically, are the children of such unions mamzerim?
If a mamzer is unaware of his or her status and marries a regular Jew and has children with this Jew, are their children mamzerim?


texts: Can I become Jewish just by saying “I am a Jew”?

texts: I am interested in the faith of Judaism. I am curious about being “informally Jewish”. This is because I am interested in this religion because of its history and willingness to be open. I am not willing to be completely kosher (I mean this in the sense of not eating pork), but I want to call myself Jewish and be a Jew. Is that sufficient?


texts: Should milk plates be separated from the table cloth where plates with meat are usually?

texts:
I use different plates for meat and for milk based food, and I never put them together: I am careful when I wash them and when I cook.

I read in the Shulchan Oruch that, when two people are eating, on the same table, meat and milk, there must be a clear separation (maybe some space) to be sure that milk and meat don't come into contact with each other.

But I am wondering whether I can put a plate dedicated to meat-based food on a table where I usually eat milk-made food without separating it from the table.

And is there a difference depending on whether I use glass dishes or ceramic dishes or other materials?


texts: A Hebrew prayer upon discovering the news of having a baby?

texts:
I've found this book called: The Jewish Pregnancy book; 'A Resource for the Soul, Body & Mind during Pregnancy, Birth & the First Three Months', written by Sandy Falk, M.D., and Rabbi Daniel Judson with Steven A. Rapp.

Within this book there is this lovely prayer, and I wondered if there is a Hebrew version of this and wether it is usual to say such blessings.

The prayer upon discovering the news:
We stand breathless before the Power of Creation that works through us to bring forth new life. We tremble with fear and joy.

Deep inside me a seed is growing. I am afraid, and I am filled with ecstasy.
May this promise of life come to be – our child.

We trust in the source of life, this power which grips us within and yet transcends us. Protect this fragile new beginning. May we find love and strength to nurture this gift of fertility and life. Sheltered under wings of love, may we grow to be partners with the source of life in the miracle of creation.


texts: I know that some Sephardim, such as Iraqis, pronounce צ as a saturated, or as I like to call it, "ayinized" ס. However, among Syrians I can't tell the difference. Are they pronouncing the two differently? If they aren't, should they?


texts:
Many people kiss the earth when they arrive in Israel, particularly if they are making 'Aliyah or if it's their first time visiting the Holy Land.

Is there anything wrong with this? Should it be encouraged? Does it matter what the circumstances are?


texts:
If you own a home that you rent out, are you obligated to place a Mezuzah (or Mezuzoth) on that property?

What if the property is attached to your home, such as a basement apartment or add-on suite?


texts: Does the concept of כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה obligate us to put up a mezuzah on a non-frum Jew's door, if he did not?

texts:
Does the concept of כל ישראל ערבים זה בזה (all Jews are responsible for one another) obligate us to put up a mezuzah on a non-frum Jew's door, if he did not, and he will not remove it if we did?

If not why not?

(Please give sources for answers)


texts: Lighting on Chanuka for advertising the mitzva?

texts:
The Bavli, Shabbos 21b, discusses lighting the Chanuka lights out of doors; Rashi gives the reason for outdoor lighting as

  משום פרסומי ניסא / for advertising the miracle.

Further down the amud, the Bavli discusses a storekeeper who lights the Chanuka lighs outside his store. He can do so, and is not liable if flammable materials come into contact with his lamp, Rashi explains,

  שברשות פירסום מצוה הניחה שם / because he had placed it there on the authority of advertising a command (mitzva).

A command? Isn't placing the lights outside advertising the miracle? What does Rashi mean here by "advertising a command", and why does he say it?


texts: Is there any tradition of any Jews leaving Mitzrayim before the Exodus

texts: Is there any tradition of Israelites leaving Mitzrayim before the Exodus? Moses fled Egypt on his own. Was this a unique occurrence, or is it safe to assume this was a regular thing? If it ever occurred, what happened to these Israelites?


texts: Which rabbis permit food being kosher just based on the ingredients?

texts: Kosherstarbucks.com give options of what to order based on different halakhic standards. They include the "No Utensils List" (CRC-recommended), the Regular list, and the Kosher by Ingredients list (Kosher but not necessarily certified; uses the guidelines set forth by Rabbi Yitzchak Abadi of Lakewood, NJ). Do any other Orthodox Rabbanim besides Rabbi Abadi recommend eating food that is only kosher by its ingredients? I saw once on the Internet that Rav Chaim Ozer permitted this, but I can't seem to find it now.


texts: Which sources tell how Eve got to know they could not eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil?

texts:
The command not to eat of the Tree of Knowledge of good and evil is given to Adam in 2(17) before the creation of Eve.

In 3(3) and with Rashi's comments we read that Eve knew of the prohibition.

The text does not tell us how Eve got to know of the  prohibition.  Adam must have told her but the text does not reveal this. Do the commentators have anything to say on this point?


texts:
My people, remember now what Balak king of Moab devised (plotted
  against you) and what (how) Balaam the son of Beor answered (responded
  to) him; from Shittim unto Gilgal, that ye may know (will recognize)
  the righteous acts of the LORD - Micah 6:5

First one needs to remember what was devised or plotted against us, secondly one should remember the way Balaam answered or responded. And this should lead to the knowledge and recognition of the righteous acts of the Lord.

But what exactly are we talking about?

What part of the plot should one remember or learn from?
Which part of the many words Balaam spoke or actions he performed should one keep in mind?
What do the words Shettim and Gilgal refer to here?
Last why do all of these  lead to the knowledge of the righteous deeds of HaShem? (why the righteous deeds specifically).

Whats the deeper meaning of this advice to us?


texts: May one roll a Sefer Torah on Friday Yom Tov for Shabbat use?

texts:
Based on my understanding...

One is not allowed to make preparations on the 1st day of Yom Tov for the 2nd day. An Eruv Tavshilin allows one to cook, bake and make food preparations on Friday for Shabbat (whether Shabbat is Yom Tov or not.)

Is someone allowed to roll a sefer Torah on Friday Yom Tov for using that Torah on Shabbat? Preparing the Torah in advance avoids tircha detzibbur. However, I understand that the eriv tavshilin only allows for food preparations, or would it also allow for something like prpearing the Torah as well? Or, is the avoidance of tircha detzibbur, for some reason a way of allowing this advanced preparation?

While, I don't know if this is a factor, here, but, say that there is no extra Torah available so that they can prepare one for Shabbat reading before Yom Tov begins. Would this situation make any difference in halacha?


texts: Mishnah Berurah writes in 180:10 that while throwing crumbs onto the ground where they will be stepped on is kasha l'aninus, God forbid, this does not apply when the crumbs are thrown into water. According to an important rabbi I asked, the latter exemption also includes flushing them down the toilet.  However, if someone put the crumbs in the toilet without flushing them, but waiting until he defecated or urinated in the toilet before flushing it, would this constitute disrespect to the crumbs that would be kasha l'aninus God forbid?


texts: forgetting about chometz in someone else's property

texts:
If one has property in non Jew's house for storage that is chometz and one pesach the owner forgot about this chometz.

The nature of the storage being unpaid for and not even set aside in a specific location with only his property but left in a closet with the non-Jews other property to be kept safe. The owner of the property is not likely to use the items specifically but is not likely to do so as a result of having celiac which would make this person unable to consume most forms of chometz.

Since one disowns chometz that is not known about does this chometz become forbidden to the owner when they remember that it belonged to them many months later after chometz?

Does the status of the chometz change at all if every other year after this he remembers to sell this chometz before pesach?


texts: What are the different "versions" of Pirkei Avot?

texts:
There is the Pirkei Avot that contains 5 chapters that are part of the Mishnah in the order of Nezikin. This is the version that is typically studied on Shabbat afternoons between end of Pesach to just before Rosh Hashanna (the 6th chapter is from elsewhere.)

There is another version - Avot Derav Nattan, and a 3rd version that I know of Pirkei Derav Eliezer.

Are there any others?

I'd also like a brief description of what the differences in these versions are and why these different versions were created, if there was some motive historically or otherwise for these authors to create these. I'm assuming that from the name of the work (Avot or Pirkei) there might have been some motive they had to add or explain something that wasn't in the "original" Mishnaic version.


texts: Is there Bishul Akum when using a microwave, considering that it is not cooking as it was in the times of Chazal?


texts: What's the difference between hamshachah and hashpa'ah?

texts: Within the contexts of learning Chassidus what is the difference between hamshachah and hashpa'ah?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  Double Yud as G-ds Name

In the siddur we often do not write out the four letter name of God (yud,kay, vav, kay) but instead write yud, yud. Why do we do this? Is this a different name of God (for example, can it be erased)? Why do we choose this letter combination as a stand in for the 4-letter name?


texts:
The central benediction of the morning amida prayer on the sabbath reads as follows (in loose translation):

Moses… stood before You on Mt. Sinai. He brought down [from the mountain], by hand, two stone tablets, in which were written the safeguarding of the sabbath; and thus is written in Your Torah:
"The Israelites shall safeguard the sabbath, making it a covenant eternal, for their generations. Between Me and the Israelites it is a symbol forever …."
You didn't give it to other nations of the world …

It flows — kind of. It goes from "the tablets had safeguarding the sabbath" to a passage from Scripture about safeguarding the sabbath; that passage mentions the special bond between God and us, and we continue discussing that bond. Okay. But it seems there's a sharp turn between discussion of the tablets and the quotation from Scripture. You'd expect, after that intro about the tablets, to be presented with a quotation from the tablets. But no: the quotation is from elsewhere. So, yes, I see its relevance, but it still strikes me as odd. It seems kinda like saying "I was reading Mi Yodeya, it's a great site, has the best content, and I saw there the most wonderful thing about the exodus from Egypt, and some other site has this: the exodus was…". Are there any explanation offered of this oddity?


texts:
Rashi to Bamidbar 13:26, on the words וילכו ויבאו, explains that the spies left with the intention of slandering, just as when they came back.

  מהו וילכו להקיש הליכתן לביאתן מה ביאתן בעצה רעה אף הליכתן בעצה רעה (סוטה לה, א):

  Why does it say “and they went” [when they are returning]? To connect their going with their coming. Just as their coming was with an evil plan, so was their going with an evil plan.

And Moshe knew about this, as he prayed that Yehoshua be saved from their evil plan, as Rashi explains on verse 16.

  התפלל עליו יה יושיעך מעצת מרגלים (במ"ר. סוטה שם):

  [Moshe] davened for [Yehoshua]: “May Hashem save you from the plot of the spies.”

So why did Moshe send the spies if he knew they had poor intentions? Even if he felt like his hand was forced - what would it look like if the people was asking for a report on what Eretz Yisrael looked like (see Rashi to v. 2) and he refused? - then why didn’t he pick better candidates?


texts: Do Rabbis have to be Jewish by ethnicity?

texts:
I am under the impression that a person can be received into Judaism from a gentile nation. My question is whether or not that person could conceivably then become a Rabbi?

Please indicate whether your answer has always been the case, or whether this (non/)requirement has always been consistent within Judaism.


texts: May one use mezuzot with different scripts in the same house? For example can the mezuzah in one room be ashkenaz (beit yosef) and in another be sefardi (vellish)?


texts: What is the meaning of the words כהיום הזה in the prayer על הניסים ? Are there options other than the Artscroll interpretation, "unquestionable clarity"?


texts: Do permanently unmarried women need to go to the mikvah?

texts: Is the purpose of a woman's going to the mikvah so that she can permit herself to a man (be he her husband or any potential husband), or is it for her own sake? The nafqa mina is that of a woman who will never marry a man. Women who fall into this category today might include those who are in long-term lesbian relationships, but for a more classical example you can consider the woman who is twice (or thrice) widowed, according to Rebbi and Rabbi Shimon ben Gamliel, in Yevamot 64b. Can such women avoid going to the mikvah, or is it still a requirement?


texts: What is the meaning of יוֹם (yowm) in Bereshit?

texts: I've heard conflicting reports of how the creation days , יוֹם (yowm), in Bereshit are interpreted in the Jewish community. How do actual Hebrew scholars define day in Bereshit? six 24 hour periods or six long periods of time? Is one view favored over another(By hebrew scholars), does each viewpoint have about equal support, or is there no argument?


texts: Is there a source for not requiring Tevilah for the first use?

texts:
I have heard (as I'm sure many others have) that one can use a utensil one time before Tevilah. At the same time, I've heard that this is a common misconception.

Is there anyone who holds that this is true?

If not, where did this misconception come from?


texts: What is "בלי עין הרע"?

texts:
After mentioning that someone has been benefited by God in some way — say, with longevity or good looks or wealth — people often add the Hebrew "בלי עין הרע" ("without the evil eye") or the Yiddish "קיין עין־הרע" ("no evil eye").

What does this mean, and what is it meant to accomplish? I seek sourced answers for the original or correct meaning, not how it's popularly understood.

Does it indicate that the speaker is (or claims to be) looking at the subject without an evil eye (i.e. an eye of jealousy)?
Does it (or is it meant to) effect that the speaker is looking at the subject without an evil eye (jealousy)? I.e., does it mean roughly "I hereby annul any evil eye I may otherwise be casting upon the subject"?
Does it indicate the speaker's desire/prayer that his evil eye (jealousy) not adversely affect the subject, irrespective of whether the jealousy is there?
Does it indicate the speaker's desire/prayer that the listener's evil eye (jealousy), if any, not adversely affect the subject?
Or what?


texts: Can someone have more than one potential soulmate simultaneously?

texts:
I have been told from several different people that it is possible for one person to have multiple Besherts (divinely intended marriage partners, soulmates if you will) to choose from. He may only choose one at the end, but there are several possible options. A quick search online will bring you claims like, "it says that every person has 7 zivuggim", but no source to back it up.

This is usually told to people who have never been married, (which seems to indicate they are referring to the first marriage, and not to subsequent marriages).

Is this true? Is there a source for this statement? And if so, is it universally applicable, as everyone who quotes it seems to think, or is it limited (perhaps to a second marriage)?


texts: Question: what are the halachic permissabities and downsides to shul auctions for Kibbudim on Shabbos and Yom Tov?


texts:
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 102a) says Jeroboam I was almost as great as King David:

  וירבעם יצא מירושלים אמר ר' חנינא בר פפא שיצא מפיתקה של ירושלים (מלכים א יא, כט) וימצא אותו אחיה השילוני הנביא בדרך והוא מתכסה בשלמה חדשה ושניהם לבדם בשדה מאי בשלמה חדשה אמר רב נחמן כשלמה חדשה מה שלמה חדשה אין בה שום דופי אף תורתו של ירבעם לא היה בה שום דופי ד"א שלמה חדשה שחידשו דברים שלא שמעה אזן מעולם מאי ושניהם לבדם בשדה אמר רב יהודה אמר רב שכל תלמידי חכמים דומין לפניהם כעשבי השדה ואיכא דאמר שכל טעמי תורה מגולין להם כשדה

Did the other wicked kings, like Ahab and Shallum, know how to learn Torah?


texts: Can an artificial intelligence serve as a judge and/or posek?

texts: If the vast corpus of halachic material including information on how sources are weighed and how halacha has been decided through the ages was compiled and processed through an artificial intelligence algorithm such that when asked hear arguments from two parties in a court case and to render halachic decisions this AI would be technically capable of so doing. Would such a machine be allowed by Jewish law to operate as a judge in a non-capital case or generally to dispense rulings which would be considered binding in areas of halacha?


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: The laws behind the separation of men and women

texts:
In Israel there is a hot debate because of instances on some communities where extra steps are taken to separate men and women in every day life. For example in some bus lines women seat in the back of the bus, and a community tried to have separate sidewalks.

What are the halakhic bases for such separation? Which texts mention in which cases they should be separated?

Thanks

PS. I am not trying to start a debate, just get some solid sources to make my own opinion.


texts: Online resource for Marei Mekomos on the laws of Krias Shema

texts:
Does anyone know of an online resource for Marei Mekomos on Hilchos Krias Shema similar to this site: http://shaareihoraah.org/wordpress/?page_id=1046
Or even not similar.


texts: If I want to be a Jew, can I take any name from the Tanakh?

texts: If I want to be a Jew, can I ask the rabbi to give me any name of my choice from the Tanakh?


texts: Is it permissible to write the English/secular date?

texts:
Is it permissible to write the secular/Christian date?

Example: On a letter (bad example but you get what I mean).

Some conceivable issues: We're told "this month (Nisan) shall be for you the head of the months", so calling the secular months "first", "second", etc., may be a violation of that. Secondly, the secular years are counted from Jesus's time, which may be inappropriate (like the rule against saying an idol's name). But those might bot be issues, or there may be others.


texts:
In Joshua 12:9-24 there is Joshua's famous song of triumph over the 31 Kings of the Land of Canaan which he conquered. The song (and it is a song per the Talmud Megillah 16b) is structured in two columns, one having the name of the King and one having the word "Echad" = "One" as a count to the total of 31. Here is a picture of that song as written in the Aleppo Codex:

In I Samuel 5 and 6 we are told of the capture of the Holy Ark by the Philistines. The Philistines were afflicted with plagues of mice and hemorrhoids. Eventually they return the Ark to the Jews and send along with it gifts of golden mice and hemorrhoids (as strange as that may be). After the Jews receive the Ark, the verse (I Samuel 6:17) lists the 5 Kings of the Philistines who gave the golden hemorrhoids in two columns, one having the name of the King and one having the word "Echad" = "One" as a count to the total of 5. Here is a picture of that verse as written in the Aleppo Codex and in the Leningrad Codex:

This seems to me to be remarkably parallel. Does anyone discuss this connection?

(An initial thought that I have is the 5 Kings "song" is a parody of the other one because the story of the Jews losing the Ark to the Philistines shows how they don't yet fully control the land. This is pure speculation on my part.)


texts:
Is there a source for requiring one to refer to his Rabbi in the third person and not referring to a rabbi in the second person (i.e. "you")?

I can not recall any reference to this requirement  in Halacha and have been told that it stems from Yiddish where there are 2 ways of saying "you".

Regarding a parent this has been asked before, but no halachic source is cited.

Note that every bracha begins with "Baruch atah" which is not third person! If we talk to Hashem in second person it would seem counterintuitive that a rabbi would be stricter.


texts: What is a refund considered, halachically?

texts:
If I return something to the store to get a refund, is that equivalent to declaring the original sale a mekach ta’us, a mistaken sale, and the refund is returning the money which is rightfully mine? Or is it considered a new sale, wherein I sell the same item back to the original seller for the purchase price?

A practical difference might be if the store is allowed to refuse a refund. If it’s a reversal of the original sale, which was retroactively a mekach ta’us, the seller should have no right to refuse a refund. If it’s a new sale, the seller is under no obligation to buy the item back, and can therefore refuse the refund. (Obviously this refers to a case where the item is intact and able to be resold, where there are no Dina d’Malchusa considerations, and where the store doesn’t have a prior refund policy.)


texts: Why Prushim were the ones who "separated"?

texts:
As I understand the tradition of the Prushim - Pharisees (basically us all), our lineage held steady since Moses to the Tannayim and further and all the prominent figures in Judaism were of our sect (Moses, Jehoshuah, King David, the Maccabim etc.)

The name, however, clearly suggests that Prushim, the minority, had separated from the mainstream, the majority. The WIKI doesn't explain why this name was chosen, by whom and who were the majority.

I would like to consolidate our approach to the tradition with the name Prushim.


texts:
לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן

(Shmot 14:2)

There is a Halacha that says you may not say "let's meet by such and such an Idol" yet here the Torah does it. Why?

  אָסוּר לְהַזְכִּיר שֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, בֵּין לְצֹרֶךְ, כְּגוֹן לוֹמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ, הַמְתֵּן לִי בְּצַד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה פְּלוֹנִית, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירו.

(קיצור שולחן ערוך ימן קסז - הלכות עבודה זרה)


texts: Tzitzis Thrown Over Shoulder = Still Wearing Them?

texts:
Many times I've seen people throw the front half of their tallis katan over their shoulder so that it doesn't get in their way. Mostly teenagers playing sports or people doing something that might get it dirty. This way, the hole of the tallis katan is still around their neck, but now both halves of the beged are hanging in the back.

Is this considered "wearing" tzitzis?  According to whom?

(This is an issue, since nowadays one is obligated to wear tzitzis all the time (Igros Moshe OC 4:4). Other possible nafkei minah: Making a brocha again if one didn't intend to "fix" it, but does. If the beged is put on l'chatchila this way, does one make a brocha. Walking 4 amos without tzitzis.)


texts: Is a chicken egg considered "Aver min Hachai"?

texts: The question of Chicken eggs and why they are Pareve and not Meat has already been addressed. My question is why are they not considered "part of a live animal" and therefore prohibited to eat to Jews and Non- Jews alike?


texts: What is this bird symbol called by the AriZal

texts:
It says it's a kamia that's frequently attributed to the Arizal but this drawing was by Rabbi Eliezer of Worms and Rabbi Eliyahu Baal Shem.

I've seen this drawing in the 1855 Lemberg Sha'ar Hayichudim by Rabbi Chaim Vital.

What is this bird called?


texts:
After making a Berachah on food, it is considered a Hefsek to speak before eating said food.

At what point after beginning to eat is it permissible to speak?

After the first bite?

After the first swallow?

After eating (biting? swallowing?) some specific amount?


texts:
There is a custom of referring to Tractate Kesubos in the Bavli as "Shas Qatan", the Talmud in miniature. This is due to the fact that it treats of a wide variety of different topics, and includes a number of different sugyos that relate to sugyos brought in a number of other masekhtes. (In this lecture by Rav Nissan Kaplan, he mentions a number of these different sugyos by way of explaining why this masekhta is referred to in this fashion).

My question is two-fold:

When did people first start referring to Tractate Kesubos as
Shas Qatan? Was it Rishonim who did this?
Does thinking of the masekhta in this fashion have any
practical force? For example, were people encouraged to start with
Kesubos because it can be seen as an introduction to all of Shas? Or
was there ever the attitude that if a person can only learn one
masekhta they should learn this one?


texts: Davening behind someone who doesn't wait for me to finish

texts: If I have davened behind someone who davens faster than me, and he has consistently taken his three steps without waiting for me to finish (which he should not do), and seemingly does not mind taking three steps back into my 4 amos, should I not daven behind them?  Is it lifnei iver for me to daven behind them?


texts:
Who knows forty six?
ששה וארבעים - מי יודע?
The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be found for each natural number. Accordingly, there is an ongoing series on Mi Yodeya that is attempting to unearth significant Judaism facts about each number, in sequence.
What significant Judaism facts are there about the number 46? The more significant within Judaism and the more intrinsically dependent on the value 46, the stronger the answer. Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.
And from lazy gematria, please don't try to base your entire answer.


texts:
The Mishna Brurah 268:19 writes that one should say va'yachulu with two people minimum since there are those who hold you can't say it by yourself (he does note that one can read by himself if done as just reading from the Torah, and not done as testimony).

My question is if someone comes home and missed vayachulu with 2 can he and his wife say it together? Is a woman counted as a witness regarding this matter of testimony for vayachulu? After, all, for most things for which two witnesses are required, women do not count as witnesses.

Text of Mishna Brura: {יט} ומעומד - לפי שבזה אנו מעידים להקב״ה במעשה בראשית ודין עדים בעמידה כדכתיב ועמדו שני האנשים וטוב לומר אותה ביחד בצבור דעדה שלמה בעינן להעיד להקב״ה ועכ״פ יהיה בשנים. ויחיד המתפלל י״א דאינו חוזר לומר ויכלו דאין עדות ליחיד וי״א דיחיד יכול לומר אבל אין צריך עמידה וטוב שגם היחיד יאמר אבל לא יתכוין לשם עדות אלא כקורא בתורה.


texts: דוד or דויד why is David spelled differently in the tanach?

texts: Why is David's name spelled דויד and דוד ? with a י and without a י?


texts: PTIJ - Why does Rabeinu Hanan'el wear that hat?

texts:
Every time I happen to glance over in the direction of Rabeinu Hanan'el on a daf of Gemara, it seems he is wearing an odd flat-shaped hat. What's with that — is it a fashion statement of some kind?

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