texts: How should one treat important books of Judaism?

texts: I was considering buying a version of the Sefer Yetsirah, but wondering how I should treat it. It's not the Tanach, so I suppose it probably doesn't require being as careful. Even though my question is specifically about the Sefer Yetsirah, I would also like to learn how one should treat commentaries, editions of the Talmud, Zohar, Shulchan Aruch, even textbooks on Jewish history, etc.


texts: Include "al hagefen" if just had a sip of grape juice when anyways saying me'ein shalosh

texts:
Sorry I don't have all the sources in front of me. The basic rule of blessings is that wine/grape juice, fruits from the seven species, and the five grain products get a special after blessing known as "Me'ein Shalosh". If one had a combination of these three categories, they wouldn't make three separate blessings, rather they would combine them all into one.

A common scenario is at a Kiddush, someone will have a sip of wine/grape juice. They will then have the requisite amount of grain (mezonos), so that they'll fulfill the requirement to eat where they heard Kiddush. They will then have to make a Me'ein Shalosh, saying Al HaMichya for grain. However, they didn't have the requisite amount of wine/grape juice to make Me'ein Shalosh for wine/grape juice. Could they, or should they, still include the phrase Al HaGefen for having drunk wine/grape juice? Or would they include that only if they had the requisite amount.

I seem to recall this is a dispute among the Poskim, but I don't remember where I read this. I'm curious for the relevant sources, and what the common practice is. My imagination is most people include it anyways.


texts: How does Tzaraat work without God seriously intervening in the natural world?

texts:
The concept of Tzaraat is confusing.

Essentially, soon after slandering your friend, you are to be afflicted by this mysterious skin or clothing discolouration as a punishment and then excommunicated.

Doesn't this require that God intervene in nature in a very obvious way on a regular basis?

From various sources, I recall learning that God doesn't perform miracles except on the rarest of occasions - certainly not something so easily testable and routine.

How do we consolidate the disease of Tzaraat (sometimes translated as leprosy) with the concepts of free-choice, emunah, God's role in nature, etc?


texts:
(All Pesukim cited are in Shemos.)

7:3: "I will 'kasheh' Paroh's heart."
7:13 (after the staffs turning into snakes): "Paroh's heart was 'yechazeik'."
7:22 (Dam): "Paroh's heart was 'yechazeik'."
8:11 (Tzefardeia): "His heart was 'hichbed'."
8:15 (Kinnim): "Paroh's heart was 'yechazeik'."
8:28 (Arov): "Paroh 'yachbeid' his heart."
9:7 (Dever): "Paroh's heart was 'yachbeid'."
9:12 (Shechin): "Hashem 'yechazeik' Paroh's heart."
9:34-35 (Barad): "He continued sinning and 'yichbad' his heart...Paroh's heart was 'yechabeid'."
10:20 (Arbeh): "Hashem 'yechazeik' Paroh's heart."
10:27 (Choshech): "Hashem 'yechazeik' Paroh's heart."
11:10 (Bechoros, Krias Yam Suf - see Rashi): "Hashem 'yechazeik' Paroh's heart."
13:15 (Response to Tam): "And it was when Paroh 'hiksheh' to send us..."

What's the difference between 'kasheh', 'kabed', and 'chazeik'?
Why are these terms used when they are and not one uniform term?


texts: Fish and Meat only an issue until year 5000?

texts: The Aishel Avraham - Rav Avraham M’Butchach - says that the the decree not to eat meat and fish together was only made until the year 5000, but no longer applicable after that. Where does he write that? (And do contemporary Poskim use that as an additional factor to be lenient? I've only seen Poskim mention the Magen Avraham 173:1 as a potential factor in these kinds of questions)


texts:
The Gemara in Megila 6b says that if someone tells you that they understood a piece of Torah and they didn't work hard for it you shouldn't believe them.

The Ramha"l says in the Hakdama to his magnum opus Mesilat Yesharim about the Pasuk (Mishlei 2:4) "אם תבקשנה ככסף וכמטמונים תחפשנה, אז תבין יראת ה'"

He says:

  אינו אומר אז תבין פילוסופיה, אז תבין תכונה, אז תבין רפואה, אז תבין דינים, אז תבין הלכות, אלא אז תבין יראת ה.

What is the difference between "Yagat Welo Masat" and "Im Tevakshena"?


texts: Source that Power generators on Shabbos override Shlom Bayt (in Israel)

texts:
Power generators are very popular with Haredim in Israel that traditionally don't rely on Isral Electric Company's electricity on Shabbos.

On Rosh Hashana, the power generator of a famous Yeshiva in Bnei Brak went up in flames and R' Chaim Kanevsky was asked to acknowledge switching to IEC. That spawned (again) a discussion on this topic and R' Chaim was remembered for his "prohibition of visiting parents that use IEC on SHabbos at expense of Shlom Bayt".

I'm looking for the source of that statement and its roots.


texts: Is there a tikkun to say/do when your relationship is in danger?

texts: Has anyone come across a tikkun for a spouse during a separation?


texts:
I remember in a siddur I used in Israel, after the Yehi Ratzon right after donning Tzitzit in the morning, it had the words from the second half of Tehillim 19:9, starting with "Mitzvat HaShem..." until the end of the pasuk, those 5 words. (the Artscroll ones I currently use do not have it).
Does anyone else say this half of a pasuk after tzitzit, or know where the custom may have came from?


texts: Is the name Rami mentioned in the gemarah the full version?

texts:
I am trying to ascertain if the name "Rami" is a Jewish one.

If rabbis in the Babylonian Talmud are named Rami then that would be a good indication.

There are at least 3 Ramis found in the gemarah:

Rami Bar Hamma (Brachos 44a, among many others)
Rami Bar Papa (Yoma 77b, Bava Basra 100b, and also in the Hadran for finishing a tractate of Talmud)
Rami Bar Avin (Shabbos 20b)

Is this Rami the full name of these Amoraim or is it a shorthand for something else?


texts: How can I avoid Bishul Akum with a rice-cooker?

texts:
ASSUMING:

I have a rice cooker here that's absolutely, certainly, never used for anything other than plain rice.  The rice contains no flavorings, bugs, or anything else non-kosher.
Rice is raw inedible and needs cooking.
The way a rice cooker cooks rice was included on the Talmudic ban
Rice is its own food and not secondary or a condiment
Rice is a significant enough food that a head-of-state would eat it (Chazon Ish), or that it would be served at a state dinner (most American poskim).

THEN:

This 100% kosher-ingredient rice would be non-kosher if made entirely by non-Jews, because of Bishul Akum.

The solution would be to get the Jew involved in the cooking.  Which of these actions (or combination of actions) would be considered enough involvement?

Adding rice or water to the pot initially
Mixing the rice/water before starting the cooking
Adding salt (okay assume plain salt is kosher) to the pot intially
Placing the pot into the rice cooker
Plugging in the rice cooker
Turning it on (I assume we'd all agree that step works?)
Fluffing the rice mid-cooking or post-cooking
Other?

Thoughts?


texts: Anyone know of an online prayer calendar?

texts:
I'm looking for an online calendar that gives daily basic prayer information. This calendar would be geared towards someone who needs to know when the prayers are out of the ordinary, or letting them know when not to wear tefillin.

A basic guide for that day's prayer, including information such as:

Today is a regular day, no special prayers added.
Today is Rosh Chodesh, add half-hallel and Musaf Prayer for Rosh Chodesh.

Does such a resource exist? If not, is there something close? A print version, perhaps?


texts: Are the Blind responsible to light the Menorah on Chanukah?


texts:
I have read reports of the accuracy of gender prediction from an ultrasound with numbers ranging from 90-98%.

There is a halacha (Y.D. 194:11) that if a fetus sticks its hand [or possibly any limb] out of the womb, and then retracts it, and isn't born for another two weeks, then the mother takes on the "impure" status of a yoledes (woman who gave birth). This status lasts for two weeks, because we don't know if the fetus is a male or a female and we must take into account that if it is a female, the "impurity" is two weeks, as opposed to the one week of impurity for a male.

However, if we would know that the fetus is a male, then the impurity would only be one week.

If an ultrasound was performed, and the gender of the child was determined to be male, could this be relied upon to limit the "impurity" to one week?


texts: Standing right in front of the Kohanim by Birkas Kohanim

texts:
I recently read that Rav Hillel Zacks whould stand right in front of the Kohanim during Birkas Kohanim.

I've seen many great men do this as well.

Why is this done?


texts: יום זה לישראל variants

texts:
The Shabas table song "יום זה לישראל אורה ושמחה" is sometimes found printed with twelve stanzas forming the acrostic יצחק לוריא חזק, and sometimes with but six of the twelve (the ones forming the acrostic יצחק לח). Which is older, and what's the origin of the other?

Sources, please. (I see what Wikipedia, the Zemirot Database, and מאגר הפיוטים say about it, but they don't cite any sources, and I don't consider them per se definitive.)


texts: Why do we let the tzitzit go after saying Shema at either לָעַד or צָרֵיהֶם

texts:
In the answer to When we say "עַל צִיצִת הַכָּנָף" at which point do we kiss the tzitzis? we were told that it is the Chabad Minhag to kiss the tzitzit six times, at the words tzitzit, tzitzit, l'tzitzit, emet, kayemet and la'ad.

It seems to be a widespread minhag to let go the tzitzis at נֶאֱמָנִים וְנֶחֱמָדִים לָעַד.
Why is that?

I have seen another custom, to let them go at וַיְכַסּוּ מַיִם צָרֵיהֶם. Why?


texts:
If someone is taking a picture on Shabbos on their phone or a digital camera - must one try not to be in the picture; does he violate anything if he specifically “photo bombs” the pic on Shabbat?
Does it matter whether the photographer is Jewish or not?

Most that say one can walk in front of a security camera are of the opinion that since the image is constantly changing - it’s not real ksiva because it’s a melacha that is not miskayem as well as it being not nicha le (and I think both are needed). Does that logic apply to a still image that is on the screen until the next picture is taken?


texts: Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is a popular food additive that lends umami (savory) flavor. Do pure MSG crystals require a hechsher?


texts: Why did Yitzchok use the same subterfuge for his wife that had not worked for Avraham?

texts:
When I read the Parashas Toldos, I was surprised to see that when Yitzchok went to the land of Avimeleh, he said that Rivka was his sister to protect his life in Bereshis, 26, 7.

It is obvious that he knew that Avraham had used this trick in Egypt, claiming that Sarah was his sister. We know what happened at the end: Sarah was taken by Pharoh. Yes, Avraham's life was saved. But what about Sarah's life and integrity?
Thus, we can consider that this trick was a failure.

In this case, why did Yitzchok use the same lie in a similar situation?

In the end, Avimelech also discovered that Rivka was not his sister either ...

Or maybe, that the Torah considers that the trick used by Avraham was not a failure?
Indeed, Avraham had told Sarah that she had to say that she was his sister so that "we would do him good, thanks to her" and then "his life will be saved" in Bereshis, 12, 13.
Now, it seems to me that the Torah stresses in a somewhat ironic way that this is exactly what happened: Avraham received many gifts as Sarah's brother in Bereshis, 12, 16. Subsidiarily, Sarah was held at Pharoh's palace ....


texts: Did the high priest have a rope tied to him while he performed his duties?

texts:
There is a tradition many have heard that says the high priest had a rope tied to him on the day of atonement so that if he became incapacitated while in the most holy with the ark he could be retrieved with it.

Is there a source for this tradition?


texts:
In yechezk’el (45:16):

  כֹּ֚ל הָעָ֣ם הָאָ֔רֶץ יִהְי֖וּ אֶל־הַתְּרוּמָ֣ה הַזֹּ֑את לַנָּשִׂ֖יא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃- Ha’am Ha’aretz.

Yet just a few pesukim later, (46:3):

  וְהִשְׁתַּחֲו֣וּ עַם־הָאָ֗רֶץ פֶּ֚תַח הַשַּׁ֣עַר הַה֔וּא בַּשַּׁבָּת֖וֹת וּבֶחֳדָשִׁ֑ים לִפְנֵ֖י יְהוָֽה׃- Am Ha’aretz.

As far as I can tell, they mean the same thing (a nation of the land), yet one uses the grammar used for noun/ adjective (Ha’am Ha’aretz, like HaShulchan HaGadol) and one uses שייכות (Am Ha’aretz, like Beit HaK’nesset). Why? (Sources please.)


texts:
One of the more interesting encounters in the megilla takes place between Achashveirosh and Haman right after Haman decides to kill the Jewish people. Having decided on a date, Haman approaches Achashveirosh and makes the following offer (3:9):

  אִם עַל הַמֶּלֶךְ טוֹב יִכָּתֵב לְאַבְּדָם וַעֲשֶׂרֶת אֲלָפִים כִּכַּר כֶּסֶף אֶשְׁקוֹל עַל יְדֵי עֹשֵׂי הַמְּלָאכָה לְהָבִיא  אֶל גִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ

Achashveirosh takes his ring off, gives it to Haman, and makes the following response (3:11):

  וַיֹּאמֶר הַמֶּלֶךְ לְהָמָן הַכֶּסֶף נָתוּן לָךְ וְהָעָם לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ כַּטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ

Seemingly, Achashveirosh is telling Haman that he doesn’t want the money; Haman can do whatever he wants without paying the King to do so.

The problem with this interpretation is that it directly conflicts with later psukim in the megilla. When Mordechai is telling Esther about the situation the Jewish people have been placed into, he uses the following phrase (4:7):

  וַיַּגֶּד לוֹ מָרְדֳּכַי אֵת כָּל-אֲשֶׁר קָרָהוּ וְאֵת פָּרָשַׁת הַכֶּסֶף אֲשֶׁר אָמַר הָמָן לִשְׁקוֹל עַל גִּנְזֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ בַּיְּהוּדִים לְאַבְּדָם

Similarly, when Esther is about to reveal to Achashveirosh the extent of Haman’s plans, she again refers to the Jewish nation “being sold” (7:4):

  ...כִּי נִמְכַּרְנוּ אֲנִי וְעַמִּי

All these words strongly suggest that money had changed hands, but the earlier p’sukim don’t seem to agree with this. What is the selling that has taken place?


texts: Bowing toward the right in Aleinu leshabei'ach

texts: I read in the book The Rebbe that the Satmar Rebbe ztl had the custom to bow specifically toward the right at ve'anachnu kore'im but I can't find any sources to this minhag. It's certainly a kabbalistic thing but I'd like to know more about it.


texts: Practical Halachas after death of a close relative

texts: what are the practical halachos one must follow after hearing of the death of a relative one is supposed to sit shiva for? (until the burial)


texts:
I've been going through the Mishna Berura on saying shma in restrooms (מ״ב סימנים פ״א-פ״ז so far) and I'm rather curious what the halacha is relating to modern restrooms. (This question only discussed restrooms generally). The entire discussion seems to revolve around (a) odor and (b) the visible presence of feces. For this question please assume there is no odor in the room, as that significantly simplifies things.
Lets break this into two use cases:

Residential restrooms – Modern restrooms with indoor plumbing removes the vast majority of the feces immediately, with minimal to no residue. Additionally, nearly all residential toilets come with a cover that can immediately cover up any remaining feces.
Public restrooms (the clean ones) – The actual toilets are in their own cubicles and use high-powered flushing mechanisms to remove nearly all waste, again with minimal to no residue.

MB פ״ז:א:א-ו discusses whether one can say shma near a chamber pot (I believe) and seems to suggest (פ״ז:א:א) that the only issue is the smell. The Shulchan Aruch in פז:ב suggests that "yesh osrim v'yesh matirim v'halacha k'divrei ha osrim", but the MB mainly points out (פ״ז:ב:ח) that the smell is the issue. For public restrooms, there's a discussion which I didn't entirely follow in the following se'if on cubicles, which seems to hinge on whether they reach the ground, which may make entire classes of restrooms OK for saying a brocho when near the sinks...? This is particularly relevant for people using the restrooms for something other than relieving oneself (e.g., taking drink of water, only washing netilas yadayim, etc).
Curious to hear what modern poskim have suggested about this.


texts: What is the significance of the date of a yartzeit (anniversary of a death)? Is there anything really special about the anniversary of someone's death or is it just an emotional event - a chance to remember the deceased?


texts: In Rambam's negative theology, why are G-d's attributes of action considered something that we can know about G-d?

texts:
In Rambam's negative theology, there is a distinction between descriptions of G-d's essence (which we can only speak about in negative terms, e.g. G-d is not physical, non temporal, non ignorant, etc.),  and attributes of action. The attributes of action are "those that do not describe G-d directly, [but] rather His interaction with creation" (per this wiki entry). Some examples of attributes of action are that G-d is merciful, that G-d is mighty, that G-d is a redeemer, etc.

But don't the attributes of action, in fact, also describe G-d's essence? For example saying that G-d is mighty can be interpreted to mean that certain events caused by G-d (like the Exodus) happened in a way/fashion that we humans would ordinarily call "mighty", in the ordinary sense of the word. But we're then also saying that it was G-d who was "mighty" - i.e. those events didn't just happen by themselves, they were caused by G-d, who performed them in a mighty fashion. So then here we have an attribute of G-d's essence, namely that He is or has-the-property-of-being "someone who performs certain events in a certain (in this case, mighty) fashion".

So how is this knowledge of G-d (i.e. the knowledge of certain properties of physical observable events that are attributed to His actions) really different from any other statement about G-d or His essence? According to negative theology, we can't say that G-d exists in space, for example, because G-d is utterly indescribable. And yet, we can say something specific about the way He operates and interacts with the world? If he is utterly indescribable, we should not be able to know anything at all about Him, including any knowledge/properties/restrictions/specifications of His interactions with the world!


texts: Derech Hashem - Looking for a complete set of online Shiurem?

texts:
I am looking for a complete set of audio Shiurem on the Ramchal's Derech HaShem

The audio quality should be very good
Should be no longer than 45 - 50 min per Shiur
The series should cover the whole book. (unfortunately many online Shiurem stop in the middle of the book)


texts: Are Noahides obligated in the commandment of Yibum?

texts:
Regarding the subject of Yibum (Levirate marriage), what is the source, if any, that this is also an obligation on a Noahide?

Many of the discussions on this Q&A site concerning Yibum connect to the discussion of Yehuda and Tamar. But the Lubavitcher Rebbe citing the Rogatchover Gaon in connection with the subject of the laws associated with a "Rebellious City" makes clear that the Avot were not obligated in the 613 commandments, meaning they were not commanded to observe them. Their fulfillment of the 613 commandments of the Torah was voluntary.

One of the consequences of this distinction which the Rebbe explains was that their observing of the 613 commandments could not be in conflict with those prohibitory laws which were obligatory upon a Noahide at that time.

The prohibitions relating to marriages of consanguinity are generally obligations that do fall upon a Noahide in the sources that I have seen. But since Yibum appears to override that prohibition, I am speculating that perhaps Yibum is also obligatory upon a Noahide.

Please explain any reasoning carefully and cite all sources clearly and completely in any responses posted. And thanks to all for your input.


texts:
Rabbi Presworsky's book describing the various kosher/non-kosher creatures seen here says that piranha and barracuda are kosher fish based on their scales.

Are there any earlier poskim who have confirmed piranha and/or barracuda are kosher fish?


texts:
The Chumash in Shemot 23:14 begins describing the three regalim: Pesach, Shavuot, Sukkot, in that order. In Pasuk 17, the Chumash begins again with Pesach and Shavuot. Instead of listing sukkot again in that second list, the Pasuk mentions the prohibition of mixing meat and dairy (cooking a kid in its mother's milk.)

What happened to sukkot? What's the connection between meat and dairy and the regalim?


texts: What does biting off the Pitum have to do with Pregnancy?

texts:
I recently read that it's a Segulah (others put it as a minhag) for a pregnant woman to bite off the Pitum of the esrog on Hoshana Rabbah for an easy labor.

(please correct me if I misunderstood it)

What is the connection between biting off the pitum and childbirth?

I read in the Halacha For Today email for Wednesday, 21 Tishrei 5772 (October 19, 2011). The original email read:

  It is a Segulah for pregnant women to bite off the Pitum of the Esrog on Hoshana Rabbah, and to give Tzedakah and daven for an easy labor. (See Likutei Maharich Sukkos page 106a. See also Elef Hamagen Siman 660:6 and Sefer Moed L'Kol Chai Siman 24:25 where a special Tefilah text is printed for the woman to say)


texts: The prohibition of eating the Korban Pesach uncooked/boiled and the definition of Issur DiOraysa

texts:
The Sefer HaChinuch writes regarding the prohibition of eating the Korban Pesach uncooked and/or boiled the following (Mitzva 7)
(Partial Quote)
(Source from Sefaria.org)

ענין הזה, שלא יאכל אותו קדם גמר בשולו אפילו בצלי, וזהו פרוש נא, (פסחים מא, א) שהבשר שהתחיל בו מעשה האור ונצלה מעט ואינו ראוי לאכילת אדם, עדין נקרא נא. אבל כשהוא חי לגמרי שלא התחיל בו האור כלל, אין בכלל לאו דנא ללקות עליו משום אל תאכלו ממנו נא. אבל אסור מדאוריתא, שכל שאינו צלי אש, אסרה התורה דרך כלל
The content of this is not to eat it before it is completely cooked, even if roasted. And this is the explanation of "na" (Pesachim 41a), as the meat that the process of heating has begun upon and is roasted a bit but is not [yet] fit for a person to eat is still called "na". But when it is completely raw, whereby the heating process has not begun upon it at all, it is not included in the prohibition of "na", such as to administer lashes, because of "Do not eat any of it "na"." But [it] is [still] prohibited by the Torah; as the Torah prohibited more generally anything that is not roasted with fire.

My Question:
(Please excuse my ignorance)
If eating the raw meat of the Korban Pesach is not considered to be within the prohibition of "na" how is it learned that it is Assur DeOraysa if not within the count of the Mitzvos?
More generally: How is a given law DeOraysa (like the example above) without being a part of the general count of the 613 Mitzvos


texts: What sort of person are we prohibited from serving them the meat of the pesach offering?

texts:
It says in sefer hachinuch that we are prohibited from serving meat of the pesach offering to an apostate.
For this prohibition to be in force, exactly what sort of person would be considered an apostate?


texts: I'm looking for primary sources that discuss the rules about dairy equipment food (such as oreo) being used on meat dishes.


texts:
Inspired by this question.

Is wine made or handled by a Ben Noach, a righteous non-Jew, kosher? There should be no problem with the wine being used for avodah zarah, since the Ben Noach believe in Hashem, and his complete unity (unlike Christians).


texts: Ashkenazim are not concerned for meat being unwatched for a few minutes as per the Ramah. I want to know do Sefardim have this concern? Meaning, in a work situation, when a Sefardi puts a meat sandwich in the company refrigerator, can they eat it?


texts:
If a beit din executes more than 1 person in 70 years, it is considered a bloody court.

Does this axiom refer to only the 4 kinds of executions involving the 2 witnesses or does it
include the additional methods of execution (force feeding until the stomach ruptures, starvation followed by force feeding, or lynching) mentioned in Sanhedrin 81 that are used when it is known that the person is guilty but it cannot be proven with the scrutiny required for the 4 main kinds of execution?

Soncino English translation: http://halakhah.com/sanhedrin/sanhedrin_81.html#81b_24


texts: Why did Rabba have to get up to kill Rabi Zeira?

texts:
The gemara in Megila 7b says קם רבה שחטיה לרבי זירא Rabbah got up and killed Rabi Zeira.
Why did he need to get up? Rabi Zeira was a short man, as we see in the bottom of Bava Metzia 85a קטין חריך שקי, and Rashi explains דאיניש גוצא הוה.

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


texts: Why is it common practice to say Nakdishach/Nekadesh before the hazzan?

texts:
Shulchan Aruch OC 125:1 rules (and the Rama agrees):

  אין הצבור אומרים עם שליח ציבור נקדישך אלא שותקין ומכונין למה ששליח
  ציבור אומר עד שמגיע לקדושה ואז עונים הציבור קדוש
  The congregation does not say along with the leader "Nakdishach" but rather remain silent and focus on what the leader says, until he gets to Kedusha and then the congregation answers "Holy [Holy Holy etc.]"

In my experience, the majority of the shuls nowadays go directly against this and say Nakdishach/Nekadesh before the hazzan.

When did this custom come about and what was the reasoning behind it?


texts: Giving Tzedaka to a "faker," and the fulfillment of the commandment to give Maaser

texts:
One who wears non-kosher Tefillin, even accidentally, has not received the Mitzvah of donning Tefillin. Additionally, one does not get the Mitzvah of donning Tzitzis if his Tzitzis is pasul, even unknowingly.

Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum says that similarly, one has not fufilled the Mitzvah of Tzedaka by giving to a fraud. He proves it from Bava Basra 9b, in which Yirmiyahu prays that the wicked give charity to frauds so that they wouldn't receive reward for it.

How then can one be sure that one is actually giving 10% of one's income for the Miztvah of Maaser? After all, it is very possible that some of that money is not being given to genuine poor people.


texts: Aruch HaShulchan on not saying certain phrases in hallel when davening alone

texts: The Aruch HaShulchan 422:9 says someone davening alone should not say "ki l'olam chasdo" after "yomar na yisrael."  Then he seems to say the same, that one shouldn't say "ki l'olam chasdo" after the other phrases in that section.  Is he saying that a yachid would still say the phrases before the phrase "ki l'olam chasdo"?  But in that case it wouldn't really make sense, because he is just saying that these people are saying "blank" and not saying what they are saying.  Can someone who reads Hebrew please read Aruch HaShulchan 422:9 and tell me exactly what he says?   https://www.sefaria.org/Arukh_HaShulchan%2C_Orach_Chaim.422.9?lang=bi&with=all&lang2=en


texts:
According to the Torah, the Israelites killed all of the kings of Midian and all males and all but the youngest girls and took all of their possessions (Parashat Mattot - B'midbar 31:7-10).

וַיִּצְבְּאוּ עַל מִדְיָן כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוָּה ה' אֶת מֹשֶׁה וַיַּהַרְגוּ כָּל זָכָר
וְאֶת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן הָרְגוּ עַל חַלְלֵיהֶם אֶת אֱוִי וְאֶת רֶקֶם וְאֶת צוּר וְאֶת חוּר וְאֶת רֶבַע חֲמֵשֶׁת מַלְכֵי מִדְיָן וְאֵת בִּלְעָם בֶּן בְּעוֹר הָרְגוּ בֶּחָרֶב
וַיִּשְׁבּוּ בְנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת נְשֵׁי מִדְיָן וְאֶת טַפָּם וְאֵת כָּל בְּהֶמְתָּם וְאֶת כָּל מִקְנֵהֶם וְאֶת כָּל חֵילָם בָּזָזוּ
וְאֵת כָּל עָרֵיהֶם בְּמוֹשְׁבֹתָם וְאֵת כָּל טִירֹתָם שָׂרְפוּ בָּאֵשׁ

How was Midian then able to cause so much trouble for Israel later (during the period of the Judges, Ch 6-7)?


texts: Is there a list of non-Hebrew words and names in the Torah?

texts:
Not all words in the Torah are in Hebrew. A famous example is Lavan calling the Gal-Ed "Yigar Sahadutah" which is the Aramaic version of Gal-Ed. Another example is what the gemara says about the word "Totafot" (setting aside the possibility that this is a pre-Bavel term1):

Rabbi Akiva says: There is no need for this proof, as the requirement of four compartments can be derived from the word totafot itself: The word tat in the language of the Katfei means two, and the word pat in the language of Afriki also means two, and therefore totafot can be understood as a compound word meaning: Four.

I was wondering if there was a list of all non-Hebrew words in the Torah (along with, possibly, their meanings)?

1R' Ahron Marcus in Barzilai, while holding that many non-Hebraic words were derived from the early proto-Hebrew, still held that tat and pat weren't in Hebrew, as well as other words, such as Sha'atnez.


texts: Do some communities still allow more mingling between the sexes on Tu B'Av? I understand that this used to be a custom, in addition to allowance of a more relaxed approach to women's tznius on that day (suggested by the article in the link). Do these customs still exist at all? If so, where, and to what extent?


texts: Changing the spelling of "G-d" and Halachic erasure

texts: Is there a problem of "erasing the name of HaShem" if you erase the English word spelled G-o-d, and if so, is there then a problem of erasing it in order to spell it in a more acceptable way (such as G-d), and if so, is there a problem of simply changing the spelling by erasing the 'o' and replacing it with a '-'?


texts: Is using scented soap on Shabbos a problem of molid?

texts:
Is there a problem of being molid reyach (causing a fragrance) in the water? I was told that it's forbidden to use Poo Pourri or Just A Drop because it makes the water have a fragrance? What about the tap water that now has the scent of the soap?
At least this sounds like a psik reisha?


texts: In the Elfenbein (1943) edition of Teshuvot Rashi, in the teshuvot from Rashi to the rabbis of Auxerre ('סימן ג), Rashi writes "לשון דמות צלם" is "אאמיינדליי" in la'az. Elfenbein writes in his footnotes that this word appears to have not been translated by Darmester & Blondheim in their books on la'azei Rashi. Does anyone know if the Old-French word Rashi is using has been identified since Elfenbein published? Or if it has been translated in some other sefer?


texts: Why does the torah tell us Rachel was a shepherdess (Genesis 29:9)?

texts:
Within Genesis 29 the story around the well is described and while Ya'akov talks with the local shepherds it says something like this: While Ya'akov spoke with them, Rachel came, with the flock of her father; for she was a shepherdess.

Why was it so important to state that Rachel was a shepherdess? The verse already teaches that she came with the flock of her father, and the daughters of Yitro aren't called shepherdesses (see Exodus 2:16 & 19). Is there a more important reason why she is entitled this way?


texts: Is a parent compelled by Halacha to vaccinate her child if it can be statistically proven that, without the vaccine, the likelihood of the child contracting the disease that he is being vaccinated for is still very minimal (mi'ut shaino matzuy)?


texts: Tefillin on both arms not simultaneously

texts: Why do some people wear tefillin on both arms (not simultaneously)?


texts: Will there be a Yom Tov Sheni after Moshiach comes?


texts: How can the prohibition against murder be reconciled with capital punishment in the Torah (mitath beth din)?

texts: How can the prohibition on murder be reconciled with capital punishment in the Torah, i.e., mitath beth din? I understand that the death penalty was effectively abolished by the Sanhedrin in 30 CE. However, before that change was made, how could the administration of capital punishment be reconciled with the prohibition against murder? Was the argument that execution of a guilty person was not considered "murder"?


texts:
I was walking in the Rova (Jewish Quarter of the Old City) today after Shacharit and I noticed something which I found to be quite disconcerting. There is a Messianic "Jewish" store selling "tashmishei kedusha" on Rechov HaYehudim. Due to the great number of Jews who visit the Rova looking for souvenirs and tashmishei kedusha, this presents a clear case of fraud.

I'm not going to get involved in this on the ground, but I wonder what the halacha would be for those who do have the wherewithal to act.

In particular,
Would it be mutar for the landlord to evict the tenant or to cause undue financial stress to cause the above?


texts: If a local store holds a "Christmas Sale" in the days leading up to Dec. 25th, may I shop there?

texts:
My question

In mid-December, I received the weekly advertising flyer of a local store chain.  At the top, the flyer said "Christmas Sale".

If a sale is advertised like this, with the name of a non-Jewish religious holiday explicitly in the title, is it permissible to shop at the sale, and to benefit from the sale?

Please base your answer upon sources, and please cite them.

[Note:  Before following any answers that get posted here, ask your rabbi.]

Related

A question by DanF:  "When a chain store adverises a 'Holiday' or 'End of Year' sale, may I buy their product?"  DanF's question seems to be about stores which are less explicit in naming their sales.
"Buying from non-Jews, or selling to non-Jews, within three days of their holidays".


texts: Meaning and usage of different names for Sunday

texts:
At the end of davening, when we introduce the daily psalm, for Sunday, we use the term  - יום ראשוז בשבת -  The first day in the week. (I'm translating the word שבת as "week", here. It's a valid translation, as my rav explained to me.)
However, in a ketuvah (marriage contract) or a get (divorce document) written on Sunday, we use the term באחד בשבת - On day one in the week.
I suspect that the use of the term אחד instead of ראשון is to emulate/allude to Genesis 1:5:

וַיִּקְרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ לָאוֹר֙ י֔וֹם וְלַחֹ֖שֶׁךְ קָ֣רָא לָ֑יְלָה וַֽיְהִי־עֶ֥רֶב וַֽיְהִי־בֹ֖קֶר י֥וֹם אֶחָֽד
And God called the light Day, and the darkness He called Night. And
there was evening and there was morning, one day.

What's the difference between the different contexts? Why in a ketuvah and get is the Torah term from Genesis for the 1st day אחד used, but in the daily psalm the more normal sounding term ראשון is used?
Note: I have used the example focusing only on the 1st day of the week, as this is the only place where we notice a term difference.


texts:
When Pharaoh first hears that Yosef's family is going to reunite, he offers them חלב הארץ, literally the fat of the land (Genesis 45:18). Rashi (ad. loc.) explains חלב means מיטב, the best. Onkelos (ad. loc.) similarly translates חלב הארץ as טובא דארעה.

When the brothers subsequently meet Pharoah, Pharaoh offers them מיטב הארץ (Genesis 47:6). Onkelos translates as בדשפיר בארעה, of the beautiful land.

Are there any commentaries which explain this switch in adjective use? Is there a difference in meaning? If so, why did Pharaoh change his mind? If not, why change word choice (ie: say חלב both times, or מיטב if that's what he means)?


texts: If one needs to daven shacharis at a super-early (i.e., post-dawn but pre-sunrise) minyan, what is the correct procedure for putting on Tallis and Tefillin? At what point are they put on, and which berachos/pesukim are recited?


texts: If you have problems fasting, what should you do on Tishá BeAv?

texts:
Say that, in every 24h fast, you feel extremely nauseated, and then vomit at some point in the final 3 hours. What should you do during a fast like Tishá BeAv?

(Once I asked a Rabbi, and he said that eating according to shiurim is only permitted on Yom Kippur.)

Can you receive a heter not to fast, or to fast until some point in the day before the fast is over?


texts:
What prohibition would talking to a virtual assistant like Alexa, Siri or Google on Shabbos fall under?

"Alexa, turn on the lights"

"Alexa, play Zemiros"


texts:
On Ptil Techeles's website they bring the opinion of the Baal Haitur Shaar Tzitzis (right column) which says the following :

זמן שהיה התכלת מצוי היו אלה הח’ חוטין ד’ תכלת וד’ לבן ומתחיל וקושר בלבן וכורך חוליא אחד כדי שיכרוך וישנה וישלש וקושר נמצא שהיה בין הקשרים ה’ של לבן וג’ של תכלת .

How does one tie a white knot separate from the blue strings aren't all the strings together? Does anyone have a picture or a method to tie like this?


texts: Is Torah reading an individual or communal obligation?

texts:
Is the obligation to read the Torah (or hear it read) an individual or communal obligation?

A possible nafka mina might be if one missed the Torah reading -- does he need to assemble a minyan to read it later? Or was it enough that the congregation read it?


texts: In order to recite an after-beracha —- take bread, for example —- must the full kazayit be eaten right after making the opening-beracha, or could one taste the bread and wait a period of time before eating the shiur kazayit (or two) in one sitting?


texts:
I have read that an adoptive parent (for example) can convert a minor child as the change in status is considered to the advantage of the child so it does not need his consent. This child can renounce the conversion when he reaches adulthood. But examples like this seem to revolve around converting a very small child without his consent. What about a boy of 12 who, though he may not be an adult in halachic eyes, would need to be coerced (and even knocked out) to accommodate a bris milah that he resists.

Can a parent/beit din physically force a child - who is making his contrary intentions clear via thrashing his body and yelling "no" - to undergo a bris milah for the sake of conversion?


texts: May one place letters under one another as long as there is a space between them?

texts:
Soferim 2:2 rules that one must put a line-width space between lines, a letter-width space between words, and a hair-width space between letters.

Certain letters leave much space beneath them, and others may extend into that gap. For instance, a yud leaves space underneath for, say, a beis to extend underneath it:

Does that make the scroll passul, or do the letters need to be strictly next to one another?


texts: Reason for Yaakov not rushing to meet back his parents?

texts:
Follow-up to "yaakovs-lack-of-kibud-av-while-in-haran":

Why Yaakov had no plans to see his parents when he returned from Haran, instead he buys a piece of land in Shechem, then moves on and only arrives at his parents' when Yitzhok dies?

Interestingly, Rashi does mention that Yitzhok lived up to selling Yossef to Egypt, however, the last episode in the Torah of him is sending Yaakov to Charan at 120 (of 180).


texts: What is the source for making a "Shabbos Kallah"?

texts: What is the source for making a get-together for a bride and her friends on the Shabbos before the wedding? What is the earliest record of such a minhag in the Jewish community?


texts: If shepherds are taboo to Egyptians, what do we make of them having sheep themselves?

texts:
Yosef tells his family to say they're shepherds because that's taboo to Egypt:

  you must say, 'We and our fathers have dealt in livestock all our lives'. You will then be able to settle in the Goshen district, since all shepherds are taboo in Egypt.' (Gen 46:34)

Commentary from bible.ort.org says about this:

  Some say that this was because sheep were sacred to Egyptians, and hence, those who raised them for food were considered an abomination (Rashi; see Genesis 43:32). Others say that the Egyptians were vegetarians (Ibn Ezra). If this was after the Hyksos were driven out, it might have been a reaction against the Hyksos, who were 'shepherd kings' (Josephus, Contra Apion 1:14). Others say that it was a social taboo (Rashbam).

Ok, Egyptians have a problem with shepherds.  Clear enough, or so it seems.

But when Yosef is managing the famine later the Egyptians pledge their livestock, and sheep are specifically mentioned:

  They brought their livestock to Joseph, and Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses, flocks of sheep, herds of cattle, and donkeys. He saw them through that year with bread in exchange for all their livestock. (47:17)

So we learn from this that the Egyptians kept sheep.  So what does it mean that there was a taboo against shepherds?

In today's parsha chat someone suggested that the Egyptians didn't eat their sheep but might have gotten wool and milk from them, and we speculated that maybe the word "shepherd" specifically applies to herding food animals.  Did that distinction matter historically and would there have been separate terms for it?  Did farmers of that time have the practice of fattening up livestock for slaughter, and if you're not going to eat them you feed/graze/herd them differently?

So my question is: if shepherds were taboo in Egypt, then how to we explain the Egyptian flocks of sheep?


texts: Sources and reasoning for variant chazzan timings in Kedusha

texts:
In various siddurim, I have seen two different instructions for when the chazzan should say the central lines of Kedusha ("Kadosh ...," "Baruch ...," and "Yimloch ..."):

Along with the congregation (e.g. Artscroll)
After the congregation (e.g. Koren)

Are there sources for both of these practices? What reasons do the sources give for doing this one way or the other?


texts:
Can parve food cooked in dairy pot be served on a meaty plate?

Note that the parve food is served chilled after it was refrigerated in a parve container.

EDIT:

The food is a parve drink with kosher dairy stamp, because it was packaged in a factory that also process dairy, there is a rigorous cleaning so there should not be any dairy in the process.

The plate is cold.


texts: What potential issues may arise with serving jury duty on Tisha b'Av?

texts:
I was recently summoned for jury duty and initially selected to be on the jury for a criminal trial that was expected to go through Tisha b'Av.  If I were selected, what issues would I face in serving jury duty on that day?  Suppose I was able to go to an early minyan and say kinot before the trial begins.  Would it be permissible to sit on my chair in the jury box?  Any other issues?

As it happens, the judge immediately consented to excuse me when I told him a bit about the very strict prohibitions of Tisha b'Av and that I would likely have difficulty concentrating on that day.


texts:
On Purim, is it permitted to read an English translation while listening to the Megillah reading?
I know it is a mitzvah to listen to every word of the Megillah reading. However, I don't understand Hebrew, so even if I listen, I barely understand anything.
If I "listen" (I hear the words being said) but at the same time I am reading an English translation, so as to actually understand the Megillah, is this permitted?


texts: Why didn't Chazal organize the Shas in a more organized fashion and put all sugyahs that are related into one place instead of having us have to go from Mesechta to Mesechta trying to work through a sugya?


texts: What is the reason that G-d brought rain during 40 days in the mabul; could G-d not do it a second?! Of course He could. So what's the explanation for this duration of 40 days?


texts:
In Exodus, G-d tells Moshe that "no one can see Me and live" (Exodus 33:20), but then in Exodus 24 Moses went up with Aharon, his sons, and 70 of Israel's elders, and they saw the G-d of Israel. . . . G-d did not harm the Israelite nobles; they saw Him, and they ate and drank. (Exodus 24:9-11). How is this possible?

Abraham Ibn Ezra thought that the elders saw God in a prophetic vision. This interpretation is seems to be somewhat problematic however, since the text would not have mentioned that G-d did not harm (literally, raise His hand against) them. If it was just a vision, why explain that G-d did not strike them for seeing a vision? It appears that they really saw the G-d of Israel, but how?


texts: How can geirus (conversion to Judaism) be done without the prospective convert knowing at least the basics of ALL the mitzvos?

texts:
When discussing the procedure of conversion to Judaism - Geirus, The Rambam (Hilchos Isurei Biah 14:2) Writes:

  וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עִקְּרֵי הַדָּת שֶׁהוּא יִחוּד הַשֵּׁם
  וְאִסּוּר עַכּוּ''ם. וּמַאֲרִיכִין בַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה. וּמוֹדִיעִין
  אוֹתוֹ מִקְצָת מִצְוֹת קַלּוֹת וּמִקְצָת מִצְוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת. וְאֵין
  מַאֲרִיכִין בְּדָבָר זֶה. וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עֲוֹן לֶקֶט שִׁכְחָה
  וּפֵאָה וּמַעֲשֵׂר שֵׁנִי. וּמוֹדִיעִין אוֹתוֹ עונשין שֶׁל מִצְוֹת

  And they inform him of the main principles of the religion, which is
  the unification of God's name, and the prohibition of idol worship,
  and they dwell at length on this matter. And they inform him of some
  of the lenient commandments, and some of the stringent commandments.
  And they do not dwell at length on this. And they let him know the
  sin of “gatherings” “forgotten sheaves” “corners of the field” and
  “second tithe.” And they tell him of the punishments for not keeping
  the commandments.

Since conversion to Judaism is an irreversible undertaking, how can it be done without the prospective convert knowing at least the basics of ALL the mitzvos?
We might end up with a situation where a convert was completely misinformed about what accepting Judaism involved, and his conversion would still be valid and irreversible. Why should this be so?
What if he says later "It never dawned on me in my wildest dreams that this was included in the practice of Judaism"?


texts:
Disclaimer: I am already Jewish. This question for curiousity only. Obviously it is always the best idea to convert to Judaism with a proper, official beit din.

Three Jewish males over the age of bar mitzvah constitute a beit din, and we know that in order for a non-Jew to convert they need to be converted by a beit din.

My question is, theoretically, could a non-Jew convert to Judaism under the direction of three Jewish men, as long as these men were upright, Torah observant Jews? Or is there some process in which batei dinim need to be initiated somehow?

Assuming a non-Jew converted with such a "un-official" beit din, along with the official acceptance of the mitzvot, brit milah, and immersion in  a mikvah, would they be considered a full convert?


texts:
BSD

Is it permitted to enter and drink at a gastropub (or restaurant/bar). Assuming the drinks (beer/whiskey) are kosher and this applies only in regards to someone who holds by the Shach (that one is permitted to drink barley products amongst non-Jews as per an interpretation of the Rema.)

My question stems from the ruling that it is forbidden to enter a treif restaurant unless in extenuating circumstances (maris ayin). However a bar as seen above is a little more lenient. So what happens when you combine the two?


texts: In the time of the mishna, were there Jewish cities without courts?

texts:
In a discussion of the heifer ritual when a murder victim is found between two cities, Sotah 9:2 lists some cases when a city does not bring a heifer, including a city where a majority of the inhabitants are not Jewish and a city where there is no court.  The city without a court must be a Jewish-majority one, else there would be no need to mention it here because it would already be covered by the previous case.  But that, in turn, got me wondering how a Jewish city could possibly not have a court.  It says עיר (city), so I assume the mishna is not talking about a tiny village that doesn't have three learned men.

At the time of the mishna, were there enough Jewish cities without a court that the mishna had to consider the case?  Or is this likely to be a theoretical case, just in case a city should be lacking a court for whatever reason?


texts: Why are the Geonim the only group of scholars with a positive name?

texts: The other groups, Tannaim, Amoraim, Savoraim, Rishonim, Achronim, all have names that are neutral.  Only the Geonim are called a positive thing, "geniuses."  Is this because they were somehow greater than the other groups, does anyone comment on this.


texts: Minhag Kaparos with Money - What's the source?

texts:
In the Rama on SA OC Siman 605, we find the custom of "Kaparos" that many do Erev Yom Kippur. Of those who perform this custom a chicken is used. However many also use money (i.e. instead of waving a chicken over their head they wave money and then give this money to Tzedeka. The wording of the prayer that is said is changed appropriately.)

What is the earliest source for the custom to use money instead of a chicken? The earliest I found so far is the Chai Adam in Klal 144 Sif 4. Although I want to know if there is a source earlier then this.


texts: Where is the Yabbok crossing (mentioned in Genesis 32:23)?


texts: 613.org, 613db.org: what happened to it?

texts:
There used to be a website, 613.org, with a huge trove of music and shiurim.  It got hacked at some point; the site was removed and access to the files was presented through 613db.org.  For the last year or so, however, 613db.org has been a parked domain.

Does anyone know what happened to it?  Did people simply stop paying for it, or did it move someplace else?


texts:
If someone recites the morning Berachoth, are they also situational Berachoth that might require one to re-recite them in a certain situation?  Some are definitely regarded as situational, and some have certain properties of being situational, although they are recited even if the situation doesn't actually apply.

For example, I've heard that it is customary on Tish'ah BeAv not to recite "שעשה לי כל צרכי".  Also, when a man wearing Tefilin recites "עוטר ישראל בתפארה", it is customary to touch the one on his head, indicating that it is regarded as our "crown".

Let's say that someone is ill with a common and treatable illness, such as strep throat, and is taking the medication (in this case antibiotics).  I've never heard that someone with a treatable illness, or any other illness for that matter, should omit "הנותן ליעף כח".  So, assuming it's correct to recite this Berachah even when ill, this person does so in the morning as part of morning prayers.  But let's also say that this is the person's second or third day on the medication, and some time after reciting the Berachah in the morning, he really begins to recover and is starting to feel much better.  (Let's say he was feeling lousy at 7am, but he Davened, and he recited this Berachah, but then later he ate whatever small amount of food he could, he had a nap, and he ate a bit more, and began to get some real energy.  By 7pm, he's really feeling almost back to normal.)  Could he (or even should he) recite "הנותן ליעף כח" again?

What about a person who wears glasses but cannot find them, or someone else steps on them before he wakes up in the morning?  Later in the day he either finds them or gets them repaired.  Surely he should not refrain from saying "פוקח עורים" just because he temporarily can't see.  So should he re-recite it once he can see again?

Take the glasses example a step further.  Let's say someone has a minor eye injury or a migraine headache that can cause sensations similar to blindness, but later can see again.  Should he then re-recite the Berachah?

Finally, there is an opinion that, along with שהחיינו, a person should recite "מלביש ערומים" when wearing new clothes.  If there is such a requirement, does that follow even if someone has already recited this Berachah in the morning as part of the standard Davening?

I know that one can always recite these without "Shem UMalchuth".  What I want to know is, is there a standard, accepted rule (even if not universally held) that one repeats the Berachah?


texts: When is the "main" mitzvah of hearing the Megillah?

texts: If someone has a choice of hearing the Megilla read either at night or during the day, (e.g. the person is disabled and can't make it to a shul, and no one can come to read both times) but not both, is there a halachically preferred time when s/he should hear it?


texts: Could a Jewish court try and execute a non-Jew?

texts:
When capital punishment was possible, could a beit din try and sentence a non-Jewish defendant that committed a capital crime?  Or would a non-Jew whose transgression affected Jews never be tried by a beit din in the first place?

This question takes as given that a beit din can execute a non-Jew (and asks about a specific method), but I understand from the rules given in Sanhedrin that, among the requirements for conviction, the witnesses must have warned the accused that "you are about to transgress a commandment subject to the death penalty" and the accused must reply "yes I know and I accept it".  This sounds like it could only be said to Jews (to whom the commandments apply), but maybe it depends on the transgression -- there are Noachide prohibitions on murder and adultery but not Shabbat violation, for example.

So my question is: could a non-Jew be convicted of a capital offense by a beit din and, if so, for which offenses?  For example, could a non-Jew who murdered Jews be sentenced to death by a beit din, if we had one with the authority to handle capital cases?  I know we don't have such a beit din today; I'm curious about how it would work in theory or (if we know) how it actually worked in practice.


texts: There are two new or modified fruits called pineberries and strasberry . What bracha are they?


texts: Parshas Terumah vs. Vayakhel - instruction vs action

texts:
Last night my chavrusa and I were comparing the language surrounding the command of the construction of the Tabernacle versus the language used to describe the fulfillment of that command.

By the aron, the language is nearly an exact, word for word transposition in tense. This was unsurprising.

What we noticed was that the command to "install" the badim/staves in the aron was lacking a word present in Terumah: "Lase'es es ha'aron bahem."

Parshas Terumah

כה:יד וְהֵבֵאתָ אֶת-הַבַּדִּים בַּטַּבָּעֹת, עַל צַלְעֹת הָאָרֹן, לָשֵׂאת אֶת-הָאָרֹן, בָּהֶם

Parshas Vayakhel

לז:ה וַיָּבֵא אֶת-הַבַּדִּים בַּטַּבָּעֹת, עַל צַלְעֹת הָאָרֹן, לָשֵׂאת, אֶת-הָאָרֹן

Considering how exact the rest of the wording is, this deviation seems notable.

We searched in vain for a commentary that addresses this linguistic deviation. I was wondering if anyone here had heard of an explanation for this.


texts:
Jesus was called a Rabbi during a time in history when being a Rabbi really meant something. He lived during the time of semicha, and his responses are often Rabbinic in nature. And so this begs the question, could Jesus have been a Rabbi who received semicha?

Note: I know there is plenty of evidence that Jesus as a person might not have existed.


texts: Magazine subscription that doesn't cancel

texts:
Many magazines (in the United States, anyway) today find the main profitability is in having higher subscriber numbers to show advertisers and really don't care if the subscriber is paying. The main reason they require payment is to satisfy the Postal Regulations for 2nd class mail (which ensures timely delivery at a reduced cost). (Source - I worked for one, once.)

Given that, if someone has a magazine subscription that they let lapse, but the magazine keeps sending them, is he or she obligated to proactively inform them to stop mailing the magazine? And if so, how far do they have to go to get it to stop?

To avoid some potential leniency, please assume in this case the magazine owner is Jewish.


texts: So I recall somewhere (probably in the Gemara) that if a person who is called by a certain name for +30 days, that name gets to be his new name, is that true? I know the sages always said stuff that has really important meaning behind it, so is this a deep meaning thing, something that we used to do, or literal thing that we still do?


texts:
Can I wake up at any time of night/early morning, say birchat haTorah, and begin to learn?

Is there any time of night/early morning I cannot do this?

Is there ever a time in which learning Torah is not allowed?

For example, if it's about 25 minutes to alot hashachar, do I wait for alot hashachar to say all the morning brachot, including birchat haTorah, and then learn Torah, or can I say birchat haTorah even 25 minutes before alot hashachar and learn Torah, and then at alot hashachar or a bit after that time, say the birchat hashachar?


texts: Source for Expression: "There is No Prophet For His Own Town"

texts:
There is an expression: אין נביא לעירו which apparently refers to the lack of control or respect wielded by local authorities over their own populace.

The earliest source I know for this is the responsa of the Hattam Soffer (HM Vol. V:22) who attributes this to Hazal.

  ואיך ידחה הוא הרב המקובל כבר על שאינינו מבני העיר ואחז"ל אין נביא לעירו.

A very similar statement is attributed to Jesus in Christian writings, e.g. Mark 6:4, Mathew 12:57, John 4:44, and the Gospel of Thomas: 31.

What is the earliest use of this expression in Jewish literature? Are there any uses of it before Hattam Soffer?

I found none on the Bar-Ilan or HebrewBooks databases.


texts: Can a person jump over a fence during Shabbat?

texts: During Shabbat can I jump over a fence to Get to a destination? Is it considered work?


texts: What are the sources that the soul possesses the knowledge of a language?

texts:
@AvrohomYitzchok asked me this question to support the assertions for another question: "why-dont-newborns-speak-outright.
What are the sources that the knowledge of a language is a quality of the soul (רוח או נשמה) as opposed to the earthy body or the animal spirit (נפש)?


texts: Does a broker keep the leads he worked on?

texts:
A broker works at a Merchant Cash Advance Company and the company provides leads to the broker.  The broker's job is to sort through those leads, identify the ones that are really interested, build relationships with them, and (try to) close the deal.  Closing a deal can take a few months.  The broker is paid hourly and also receives commission on any deals closed.

After some time the broker leaves the company to start a competing business.  What is the halachic status of pending leads where the broker has begun to build those relationships but has not closed deals?  Can the broker seek them as customers for the new company, or do the leads belong to the original company?

This might be different from taking a customer list where the departing employee was less involved in nurturing those relationships.


texts: May one read "Shnayim Mikre V'Echad Targum" during the leining of Krias HaTorah on Shabbos morning?


texts:
I am seeking specifically-Jewish wisdom on the following question.  Our rabbis have something to say on just about every aspect of life, but I'm not sure where I should be looking (or even what keywords, really) for this one.

There's someone I used to have a decent friendship with, but over time things degenerated and we both did things we'd now prefer we hadn't done.  (I think more of that came from the other person, but of course perspectives are weird.)  Recently this person did something I found very hurtful and I made myself scarce.  The person has now (unprompted by me) expressed regret, apologized, and said that if we can't be friends yet can we at least not be enemies?  I don't want to be enemies either, and responded by saying that (and accepting the apology).

My question is: what can I do to improve this relationship?  I can't just pretend that all the hurt didn't happen; it did, a fair bit of it remains unaddressed, trust has been damaged, and I'm human.  So I'm concerned about being hurt further, but I'd like to be able to improve on where we are now.

What interpersonal or spiritual practices should I be trying to apply?  Is there recommended reading in this area?

In case it matters, the other person is not Jewish (and so is not bound by any halacha that might otherwise apply).


texts: Is there a source of the teaching "that a house with a dog is not visited by Eliyahu HaNavi?" Is a Jew allowed to own a dog or not?


texts: Why does the Mishnah in Kilayim repeat halachos taught elsewhere?

texts:
Kilayim 4:3-4 teaches various halachos about walls, as a wall could divide between fields to allow planting on either side. Among those halachos taught are:

A wall must be 10 tefachim tall.
A ditch must be 10 tefachim deep and 4 tefachim wide.
Reeds forming a wall must be within 3 tefachim of each other.
A gap of 10 amos is an entrance and does not ruin a wall; more than that is a breach and ruins the wall.
There must be more wall than gaps.

These are all rules taught in other places:
1. Sukkah 1:1
2. Later in Kilayim, 5:3
2. Sukkah 1:9 is explained by the Gemara there as operating under the same principle, a Halacha L'Moshe MiSinai (which means this Mishnah is still unnecessary). This principle is called Lavud. See further Sukkah 4b and 5b.
3. Eiruvin 1:1
4. This is a general principle in Lavud, discussed in the sources above, in #2.

In fact, the masechta itself repeats itself when it says in 4:7 that a wall less than 10 tefachim allows for two fields to combine, but taller than 10 tefachim does not.

Now, you might say the chiddush is that these rules apply to Kilayim as well. Well, the Mishnah makes clear the issue is that it's a מחיצה - a word used to split between domains. The Kehati emphasizes this point, that the Mishnah is trying to make each field a separate domain, and the Mishnah cited in 4:7 would seem to make that point as well by talking about "combining" fields.

Principle #1 would seem to also be working behind the Halacha in Kilayim 5:4, that a house in a vineyard counts as a separation.

So, then, why are these principles taught in so many places? Isn't just one enough?


texts: Are wearing clothes that differ from the congregation you are currently praying with a violation of “Lo Titgodedu”?

texts: Suppose someone is wearing Chassidic Levush (non-Chabad) in a litvish shul, is this transgressing “Lo Titgodedu”?


texts: Transfer of taste to/from non-food items

texts: There are a number of heating pads on the market for heat therapy cures and general warmth in the winter. Some are electric, but some of them need to be heated in a microwave or an oven. If you heat one of these things in a non-Kosher oven or microwave, can you later heat it in your own Kosher oven or microwave? Assume that the heating mechanism has not been specifically cleaned for this purpose (it might not be covered in splattered food, but assume it's not spick and span.


texts: Is there a concept for individuals who are "too" destructive, in that they destabilize all of those around them?

texts:
Obviously, no one is inherently evil. All humans are constantly in battle with their evil inclination and we have to actively work to groom positive traits within us.

That being said, do the sages ever speak of individuals who are destructive or their negativity is such where they become a threat to everyone around them?

I don't mean physical violence but a person whose inability to deal with their own internal struggle results in that "bleeding out" into the lives of those around them. Like their negativity and inability to address their own issues results in it spreading to others like a virus.

Does such a concept exist?


texts:
Who knows fifty-seven?
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: Causing Bitul Torah to the Choleh when visiting

texts:
Visiting the sick - Bikur Cholim - is the type of Mitzvah that often/usually cannot be done by others (since every person potentially makes a difference), and therefore one has an obligation to do so even if one could be using the time to learn Torah.

The parameters of that can be asked separately.

My question is: What about if the Bikur Cholim causes the Choleh to stop learning?

e.g., one walks into the ward and the Choleh is learning and doesn't notice one's entry.

May one interrupt them? Should one?

Or should one wait until he takes a pause?

Can one leave (if pressed for time) without having been noticed?

In other words: May I cause the Choleh to do Bitul Torah in order for me to do the Mitzvah?

I'm assuming this question only applies to a Choleh, as a Cholah doesn't have the same obligation of continuous Torah-study.


texts: Is reading the word "G-d" out loud from a secular text a violation of Shem Shamayim l'Vatalah?

texts:
For those who are careful not to say "G-d" in their casual conversation, would reading the name "G-d" aloud from a piece of non-religious text that one was asked to read aloud be a violation of this minhag? (or of this interpretation of Shem shamayim l'vatalah?)

Assume the content of the text is not otherwise special in any way (i.e., not idol worship nor a curse nor foreign praise of G-d that would be inadvisable for other reasons).

Also:

Would it be different if one were, say, declaiming "My G-d, she hangs upon the cheek of night" in a Shakespeare production, or perhaps singing "G-d bless America," than if one were reading a sample sentence including "G-d" in an explanation of English grammar?
What should one say instead?

Surprisingly, this situation is encountered a lot.


texts: According to Halacha are you permitted to melt cheese on Shabbos?

texts:
Can one place cheese upon a slice of bread that is put onto a blech on Shabbos?

Is there a problem to melt cheese on Shabbos?

Some of the specific consideration:

1)  Since you are putting the cheese on top of bread which is on top of
    the blech is this considered indirect enough to not be bishul?

2)  Furthermore you are changing it from hard to soft and not really
    cooking it. Is this considered Bishul?

3)  Additionally, if it is made from Pasteurized milk is it considered Ein Bishul Acher Bishul?

Thanks!


texts: Does anyone know where to find a Gemara text with nekudot online? I'm having trouble finding one.


texts: Are women inherently lazy, or was it a temporary state?

texts:
The Yerushalmi Pesachim 1:4, as understood by most Rishonim and brought in Halacha, says that women are lazy (and therefore would have been less trustworthy to properly perform the check for Chometz).

Was that something that was true at the time, or is that a blanket statement about the nature of women?

Are there any explanations that understand this to be universally true but somehow have a deeper or more metaphysical meaning (despite its application in halacha)?


texts: Is Sforno to Tehillim available anywhere online?    I would like to know his commentary to Tehillim 69:3.  Edit, I found it on http://www.hebrewbooks.org/42435 but it is published in 1586 and basically impossible to read.  If anyone can decipher it can you please translate it here, thanks.


texts: Is one allowed to check their coat on Shabbat / Yom Tov?

texts:
I understand that one may not benefit from a Gentile's melacha on Shabbat if such work only benefits you (a Jew).

Many shuls hire a Gentile person to take your coats, etc. They tear a ticket and give you the stub. Can one check in their coat? Isn't the ticket tearing meant just for your benefit?


texts:
Shalom!
I heard some Biala chassidim saying the posuk of Shema Israel after completing the prayer of Aleinu Leshabeyach.
Where does that tradition come from?


texts: What are the Halachot and Minhagim of the "Young [noun] Minyan"?

texts:
I have noticed, of late, that more and more shuls are holding services that cater to a tradition I'd never heard of before. They're each called a "Young [noun] Minyan," where [noun] varies, but could be:

Professionals
Leadership
Pets
Couples
Robonim
People

I'm very curious about the halachot and minhagim associated with this tradition.

How young must one be to be counted for the minyan?

Are there other restrictions on who can be counted? Do they vary by what [noun] is?

How does the Young X Minyan siddur differ from those of other traditions? Is it closer to Ashkenaz, Mizrach, Nesach "Sefard," or Ari?

What other unique halachot and minhagim does this tradition follow?

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


texts: What profit can you get from having a dummy?

texts:
Tehillim 30:10
מַה-בֶּצַע בְּדָמִי
What profit is there in a dummy?
I don't know ... perhaps this is a dum question? Is there any profit in having a dummy? Dum-de-dum-dum...

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


texts:
Edited -- Thank you all for the helpful comments.

Can an avowed non-Jewish atheist pour my non-mevushal wine for me?
Can I share a bottle of wine with him/her?


texts: Unnamed women in the Torah, so far: Noach's wife-Naama, Yishmoel's wife-Riva, Lot's wife-Iris, any suggestions for Rivka's mother? she is mentioned many times in this weeks sedra but not by name


texts: Which books help one acquire a systematic understanding of Biblical Hebrew grammar?

texts:
A question for the grammar experts. How can I learn Hebrew grammar in a systematic way? Especially a book that would help me understand how to layn properly. Something that covers rules of nikkud, teamim, word stress. Verb conjugation. Something that would help me understand the technical terminology that the Minchat Shai uses.

I'm familiar with the Tanakh, and I speak passing modern Hebrew, so its not a question of basics. I just feel that I never advanced beyond a well-informed "balabatish" understanding.

I would prefer a classic book that is available online, e.g. through hebrewbooks.org

Will I get a complete picture by reading one or two of the major books? Has the understanding of Hebrew grammar evolved over time? And if so, how drastically? Are there any accessible academic works on Hebrew? I enjoyed, for example, the few examples in the Wikipedia articles on Hebrew grammar which explained the relation of Hebrew to the other Semitic languages.


texts: What would be the problem with these strange walls?

texts:
The Gemara discusses whether a fence made with just Shesi (horizontal component) or just Eirev (vertical component) is a wall. Some opinions say that its not.

Then there is another Gemara which discusses whether a tree with branches sticking up is considered a diomed, or whether sticks with breaks under 3 tefachim can be called a diomed.

I don't understand. In all of these cases we should say Lavud.

When do we say Lavud and when when do we not?


texts: Is the author of this book reputable regarding discussion of this topic?

texts:
I found a book titled:

Off the Derech: Why Observant Jews Leave Judaism : how to Respond to the Challenge by Faranak Margolese.

The topic seems interesting, offhand. I read the introduction, and skimmed some of the chapters on Google books, but, after doing that, I am a bit skeptical about the author's reliability on discussion this subject. I think that people become Off the Derech for no reason other than being lured by something that they find more interesting than what they have. I don't think it's as complex as the author attempts to present this.

I am open to viewing other opinions on this matter, but, I don't want to waste my time reading something that has a weak foundation and is, essentially, a personal "rant".

Does anyone know anything about this book and / or the author to recommend or not recommend this book?


texts: Did each tribe of Israel serve a specific purpose?

texts: I understand that the tribe of Levi were Priests, and the tribe of Benjamin were solders (Slingers to be more specific).  But is there a general trait that is distinguished in each of the twelve (12) tribes of Israel?


texts: PTIJ: Why do we honor sailors every Erev Shabbos

texts:
The famous song Shalom Aleichem (though I am not sure what connection the Yiddish author has with shabbos) starts each verse greeting a group of sailors (Shalom Aleichem malachei) since מלח means sailor. In any case, why are sailors specifically honored for shabbos?
Note that it could not have been the author because the song was written long before he was born.

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


texts: How many of the 613 Mitzvos can we do only in Israel?

texts:
There are many Mitzvos we can not do in today's generation. For example there are no Korbonos, no slaves, etc.

Per the Chofetz Chaim, there are 77 positive Mitzvos and 194 negative Mitzvos which can be observed outside of Eretz Yisroel today. How many more can you keep if you live in Eretz Yisroel?


texts: Is it forbidden for a woman to mouth the words to a song in front of men?

texts:
A woman should not sing along to a song in the presence of unrelated Jewish men. But can she mouth the words, or sing to herself?

I never see frum women doing this, presumably because of marit ayin. As far as the issue of modesty with singing, I can see how marit ayin would apply. But if the prohibition on a woman's singing in front of a man were instead an issue of lifnei iver--or if there were indeed, as some seem to suggest is possible, no prohibition on the woman to sing, but only on the man to listen--would marit ayin still apply? --Or is there another reason women shouldn't(?) mouth the words besides marit ayin?


texts: I know that Rashi had daughters — either two or three — and no sons. I also know he was a vintner — meaning he made wine. I know he was a student of or student of a student of Rabenu Gershom. I guess I know this all from my schooling. My question is: Where is the source of all this information in classical Judaic sources? Meaning not a recent professor's, or any professor's, thesis, but a source in the rabbinic literature.


texts:
In the introduction to the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam indicates that his compilation of the entire Oral Torah is derived from a few key Jewish texts:

  ואין צריך לומר הגמרא עצמה הבבלית והירושלמית וספרא וספרי והתוספתא שהם צריכין דעת רחבה ונפש חכמה וזמן ארוך ואחר כך יודע מהם הדרך הנכוחה בדברים האסורים והמותרים ושאר דיני התורה היאך הוא. ומפני זה נערתי חצני אני משה בן מיימון הספרדי ונשענתי על הצור ברוך הוא ובינותי בכל אלו הספרים וראיתי לחבר דברים המתבררים מכל אלו החיבורים בענין האסור והמותר הטמא והטהור עם שאר דיני התורה

  Needless to say, [there is confusion] with the Talmud itself--both the Jerusalem and Babylonian Talmuds--the Sifra, the Sifri, and the Tosefta, for they require a breadth of knowledge, a spirit of wisdom, and much time, for appreciating the proper path regarding what is permitted and forbidden, and the other laws of the Torah. Therefore, I girded my loins-- I, Moses, the son of Maimon, of Spain. I relied on the Rock, blessed be He. I contemplated all these texts and sought to compose [a work which would include the conclusions] derived from all these texts regarding the forbidden and permitted, the impure and the pure, and the remainder of the Torah's laws.

My question is: Does the Rambam solely rely on the above sources (Talmuds, Sifra, Sifri, and Tosefta) when writing his Mishneh Torah?

I am not asking about how to find the sources for particular halakhot (cf. Kesef Mishneh). I'm more curious in seeing a list of all the sources that the Rambam used for the Mishneh Torah, which may or may not include Midrashic texts, Gaonic works, and [for Yesodei HaTorah] Greek sources.


texts: Are there any halachic reccomendations or prohibitions regarding the shape or form of a chuppah?

texts:
I have been to various weddings having different structures and shapes to the chuppah (wedding canopy). Among the more notable chuppot that I have seen are:

a plain white cloth on wooden poles held by 4 people (like in "Fiddler on the Roof").
Same as above, but with a tallit as the cover.
In one place, there were no poles - just 4 people holding the tallit.
Huge lace "veiling" on top and on the poles, making it look like a giant cloud.
An arbor - looks like an open "succah" with vines resting overhead
Huge flowers around Romanesque columns and leaning over the top

Are there any recommendations in halacha on the form, shape, materials, used in the chuppah and are there any halachot (a linked source will do, if a list is too long) on what may be prohibited to use for the chuppah?


texts: Is there monetary compensation for injuring a fetus?

texts:
If someone kills a fetus inside a woman, they have to pay a monetary payment for it (Shemos 21:22).

If someone blinds the eye of their fetal slave, the fetus does not thereby gain its freedom (unlike a regular slave who becomes free if his master knocks his eye out), due to a specific scriptural injunction (Kiddushin 24b). This would seem to possibly imply that the status quo assumption would be that they fetus should have gone free due to the damage to its eye.

If someone would blind a fetus, or injure a fetus in some non-fatal way, would they owe anything for the damage that they did to the fetus? If so, to whom would they owe the money?


texts: Why did God create wild vicious animals?

texts:
Can we learn any lesson from the wild beasts that devour their prey?
Do the sages have anything to say about wild animals?


texts: Since saliva is one of the seven "liquids" (a subcategory of water, cf. Machshirin 6:5), would licking or sucking on one's own fingers fulfill the obligation of Mayim Acharonim?


texts: What is the meaning of the term יום טוב (Yom Tov)?

texts:
I did a search in Tanac"h for the term יום טוב (along with any prefixes to the term)

The term appears a few times in Esther, esp. in the 2nd to last chapter. One example is:

Esther 9:19:

  עַל־כֵּ֞ן הַיְּהוּדִ֣ים הפרוזים [הַפְּרָזִ֗ים] הַיֹּשְׁבִים֮ בְּעָרֵ֣י
  הַפְּרָזוֹת֒ עֹשִׂ֗ים אֵ֠ת י֣וֹם אַרְבָּעָ֤ה עָשָׂר֙ לְחֹ֣דֶשׁ אֲדָ֔ר
  שִׂמְחָ֥ה וּמִשְׁתֶּ֖ה וְי֣וֹם ט֑וֹב וּמִשְׁל֥וֹחַ מָנ֖וֹת אִ֥ישׁ
  לְרֵעֵֽהוּ׃

  Therefore the Jews of the villages, that dwell in the unwalled towns,
  make the fourteenth day of the month Adar a day of gladness and
  feasting, and a good day, and of sending portions one to another.

I also found an example in I Samuel 25:8:

  שְׁאַ֨ל אֶת־נְעָרֶ֜יךָ וְיַגִּ֣ידוּ לָ֗ךְ וְיִמְצְא֨וּ הַנְּעָרִ֥ים
  חֵן֙ בְּעֵינֶ֔יךָ כִּֽי־עַל־י֥וֹם ט֖וֹב בָּ֑נוּ תְּנָה־נָּ֗א אֵת֩
  אֲשֶׁ֨ר תִּמְצָ֤א יָֽדְךָ֙ לַעֲבָדֶ֔יךָ וּלְבִנְךָ֖ לְדָוִֽד׃

  Ask your young men, and they will tell you; wherefore let the young
  men find favour in your eyes; for we come on a good day; give, please,
  whatsoever comes to your hand, to your servants, and to your son
  David.’

Does the term יום טוב always imply a day of prohibition from work (prohibition against Melacha)? People wish each other "Good Yom Tov" on days such as Pesach, Shavu'ot and Sucot, but not during Hol Hamo'ed. I don't hear this expression used on Shabbat even though work is prohibited. On the other hand, on Purim, work is permitted, but I also don't hear the expression "Good Yom Tov" being used. And, for Purim, Esther calls it a Yom Tov, but people are working.

So, there seems to be a dichotomy. On the one hand, Shabbat which has a work prohibition is not called a יום טוב , but Purim which is called a יום טוב has work allowed. What's going on?

Also, does the term in Samuel also refer to a holiday of some type, or is this being used a general term meaning "a propitious day"?


texts: Why does Shushan Purim exist? Why don't we follow the principle of "rov"?

texts:
(follow up question to scimonster's question)

Shushan Purim was enacted because Jews in walled cities stopped fighting on the 15th and thus that's when they celebrated, opposed to the rest of Klal Yisrael who celebrated on the 14th (see Beis Yosef, Orach Chaim 688:3).

My question is: why don't we follow rov (majority)?

I understand that people in walled cities were still fighting on the 14th, but since the majority of Jews WEREN'T and were instead celebrating, shouldn't that majority be enough to kovea(establish) that Purim be on the 14th for everyone?


texts: Eating food during the 9 days that's been cooked with meat

texts:
Is one allowed, during the nine days, to eat pareve food that was cooked with meat equipment? What about if the food was fried in oil that was used to fry chicken?Example: I fried French Fries in oil that was used to make shnitzel. Would I be allowed to eat the French Fries during the 9 days?

Note: Not talking about scenarios where one would be allowed to eat meat [e.g. Shabbos, Seudas Mitzvah, etc.]


texts: What specific acts with a nidah constitute karet

texts: I'm new and starting out. But karet sounds serious. Is it just the standard intimate relationship  that gives karet or does  unnatural and  other practices as well. What about kissing or other non penetrative relationship. One rabbi told me even touching a women who is nidah gives karet.


texts: What afterlife awaits a Tinoq Shenishba who studies Torah but fails to observe major halacha?

texts:
Rambam says that one who does not believe even one of the 13 principles of faith does not get into Olam HaBa.

Here is my question: The same Rambam spoke about the concept of a Tinok shenishba bein hanachrim; supposedly this person is forgiven for not following the halacha. Supposing that person knows a lot of Jewish opinions (including Karaite and Christian opinions) and a lot about Torah, etc. and keeps studying them, but they continue to sin because it's convenient to remain as they are and they don't have enough evidence to change their whole lifestyle. Is there a chance they have stopped having the status of Tinok shenishba bein hanachrim and risk becoming an apikoros or kofer? Do they still get forgiven and admitted into Olam HaBa?


texts: Eating olives at the house of a mourner is a custom among Sephardim. I think it is specifically a Morroccan custom. Is there a source or reason for this?


texts: Is it permissible to drink a glass of milk before shacharit?

texts:
It is generally frowned upon to feed the body before praying to God in the morning.
Does this extend to milk (since coffee with milk is fine). Is milk by itself any different?


texts: Did Rembrandt really get the 'mene, mene' inscription in his painting of Belshazzar's Feast wrong?

texts:
Forgive me if you feel this is not the best forum to ask this question on, but it seems the most apposite one out of those currently available.

The inscription that appears on the wall in Daniel 5:25 (mene, mene, tekel, upharshin) appears in Rembrandt's picture in columns, rather than rows.

That this arrangement was put forward in Jewish commentaries as a possibility, to explain why others might not have been able to decipher it, is noted in an article by French archaeologist Claremont-Ganneau, who references this source, although he does not give page numbers, so I have not been able to look into this further.

So there seems to be a precedent for the arrangement that Rembrandt used.

A couple of sources (on The National Gallery's website, for instance, and this article exploring Rembrandt's links with Jewish culture) state that he got one of the characters wrong. The latter source notes that he had originally painted a 'zayin' as the last letter, when it should be a 'nun sofit', but overpainted it.

There is more precision in Michael Zell's book, 'Reframing Rembrandt: Jews and the Christian Image in Seventeenth-century' in which he shows the x-ray evidence relates to a shift of the vertical descender from the right to the left (p 61). However, Alan Cohen argues that the shift may have been deliberate.

Is there a mistake, or isn't there?


texts: Looking to purchase a single-volume Mishna

texts:
I would really like to buy a copy of the Mishna that I can carry around with me. It absolutely needs to be in print (sorry, I'm not interested in digital versions) and it needs to be in a single volume - ideally, small and relatively lightweight. There are dozens of copies of Tanakh so printed, but I cannot find a single one of the Mishna. Do they even exist? It goes without saying that it wouldn't have any commentaries.

If anybody knows of somebody selling such a text, it would be greatly appreciated.


texts: When it is stated that one is forbidden to pray or render halachic decisions while drunk, does this include other drugs like marijuana?

texts:
The Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De'ah 242:13 says one is forbidden to render halachic decisions when drunk (Shichur), does this include other "intoxicants" such as marijuana, etc.?

Also, in Orach Chaim 99 it says that it is forbidden to pray while drunk.

Would these situations include these other substances, or is it strictly fermented beverages?


texts: P'til Tekhelet is an organisation which makes M. trunculus techeilet. Who hechshers their tzitziot?


texts: Why is one obligated to give up one’s life for all mitzvos only with a decree against Judaism and not just persecution?

texts:
Sanhedrin 74a quotes R’ Yochanan as saying that one is obligated to give up his life even for a minor mitzvah in a period of Gezeiras HaMalchus - a decree of the king. Rashi (DH v’afilu mitzvah kala) explains that this is “so that the idolaters do not become accustomed to pull the Jews to [sinning].”

According to this explanation, why must it specifically be a decree? Even if it’s a time of religious persecution this should be an issue.

I should note that Mesoras HaShas §20 quotes an alternative reading of the Gemara that indeed replaces “Gezeiras HaMalchus” with “Shemad,” persecution, and as this is preceded by a similar explanation to Rashi’s, I imagine this change is implemented to solve this very problem. However, I would like an answer that does not rely on changing the reading of the Gemara.


texts: May I tell someone that I've figured out his online screen name?

texts: Without publicly revealing his identity, would merely telling someone that he "outed himself" constitute אונאת דברים?


texts: how to describe to a jew what tefillin is?

texts: BH i very often have the merit of putting tefillin on jews that have never put it on. how do i describe to them what it does spiritually?


texts: Understanding the teaching of a person who says "I have labored in Torah study and haven't found success- don't believe him"

texts:
Megillah 6b states:

ואמר ר' יצחק אם יאמר לך אדם יגעתי ולא מצאתי אל תאמן לא יגעתי ומצאתי אל תאמן יגעתי ומצאתי תאמן הני מילי בדברי תורה אבל במשא ומתן סייעתא
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: If a person says to you "I have labored and not found success," do not believe him. Similarly, if he says to you "I have not labored but nevertheless I have found success," do not believe him. If, however, he says to you: I have labored and I have found success, believe him.
This applies to matters of Torah, but with regard to success in business- it all depends upon assistance from Heaven

3 scenarios are stated in this gemara:

a) Labored and not found success -  DO NOT believe
b) Not labored and found success - DO NOT believe
c) Labored AND found success - DO believe

I understand how b) makes sense- a person who hasn't worked hard likely won't find success. I also understand how c) makes sense: a person who has labored and toiled over learning Torah will likely find success.
It's a) that I'm having trouble understanding.
What does "I have labored in Torah study and haven't found success- don't believe him" mean? Does this mean the person really did find success in learning yet for whatever reason is not telling the truth about it? (why would someone say such a statement)
How to make sense of this statement?


texts: Is one allowed to drink from the wine spilled out of the cup at the Makkos?

texts:
It is a widespread minhag that during the mention of the makkos at the Seder one should either spill out wine or dip a finger into the cup and put it to the side.

I have heard that one should not drink this wine, or even the wine left on the fingers from dripping it on the plate. I'm told that just like the malachim were unable to sing shirah because it's rejoicing at others' downfall, we should not drink from the wine used to represent the Egyptians' downfall and gain benefit from it. Is this accurate, and if so, what is the source (i.e. sefer that discusses this)?

Artscroll's The Answer Is... Haggadah (page 148-149) quotes Rav Yechezkel Abramsky and Rav Eliyashiv as saying that this is why we spill it, and the Alter of Slabodka as saying that we should not be happy about human beings, created b'tzelem Elokim, being killed. It does not say. anything about drinking the wine, however.

Highly related: Is the wine spilled at the Seder "cursed"? This is not a duplicate, as that discusses actually discarding the wine, not refraining from drinking it.


texts: Kadosh-status of fruit grown during shmita but picked afterwards?

texts: If a fruit that has grown on a tree during the shmita year and is only picked in the 8th year (not a shmita year) does it have a kadosh (holy) status since it grew and was ready to be eaten during shmita?


texts: When was the Beith Hamiqdash hasheni fully completed?

texts: What year was the second Beith Hamiqdash fully completed? Can any one of you answer back with both Hebrew and Secular dates?


texts:
My question concerns the Biblical Hebrew.
In fact I'd like to know whether you know some online course (MOOC or otherwise) which might allow me to study the Biblical Hebrew.
I'm interested in ancient history of mankind so I would try to learn this ancient and fundamental language in our history.
I look forward to get your answer.
Best regards,
Antonio


texts: Laws of "Shehiyah" relating to a "Chayah"

texts: In the Shulchan Arukh (Yoreh Deah Siman 23) we find the laws of "shehiyah", which relates to the laws of shechita. This is basically a prohibition stating that one may not pause in the middle of the shechita. These halachos are complicated with many nuances, including differences between a "behama" (domesticated land animal) and an "oif" (bird). What about a "chayah" (non-domesticated animal)? This is a separate category of animal with differences in Halacha from behama and oif in other areas of Halacha. Does it have it's own laws here as well, or is it categorized together with Behamas in regards to the dinim of Shehiyah. I haven't found this explicitly mentioned in the Siman yet.


texts:
Who knows two hundred ninety-nine?
?תשעה ותשעים ומאתים - מי יודע
In the spirit of the song "Echad - mi yodeya", please post interesting and significant Jewish facts about the number 299.
Once again, lazy gematria gets us nowhere with this one, but if I could find something interesting for 298, you certainly can for 299.
Check out mi-yodeya-series for the previous two hundred ninety-eight entries in this ongoing series.
Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.


texts:
Is there an English translation of Seder Tannaim v’Amoraim?
If so, where may I purchase or read it online?


texts: Why is the wording of the beracha upon shaking the arba minim only on lulav?

texts: The beracha upon shaking the arba minim is 'על נטילת לולב'? Why is the focus on the lulav specifically rather than a more general blessing like 'על נטילת ארבעה מינים'?


texts: Why didn't the spies bring back a sample of all of the 7 species of fruits?

texts:
In Bemidbar 13:20, when Moses instructs the spies he tells them to bring back from the fruit of the land. As he didn't specify certain fruits, we would assume that he meant that they should bring a sample of all of them, i.e., all 7 species.

When the spies returned, they brought back a sample of only grapes, figs and pomegranates, as we see in verse 23.

Why didn't the spies bring back samples of wheat, barley, dates, and olives?


texts: Can someone follow the opposite minhag on the bracha for matza during the year?

texts:
The Ashkenazic custom is to wash and say hamotzi on matza all year round. The Sephardi custom is to make mezonot when it's not Pesach.

Is someone allowed to follow the opposite minhag?

I have heard precedent for sometimes washing and sometimes saying mezonot. For example, pizza. I wash if i'm kove'ah seudah, but not if i'm having it as a snack. The same with certain "breadsticks" and biscuits.

So now, the question can be interpreted as: Can an Ashkenazi decide that he is just having matza as a snack, and not wash; and can a Sfardi decide to be kove'ah seudah on matza?


texts: Contemporary rabbinic views on social pressure to get people to do Mitzvoth

texts:
Background

While on vacation recently, I was walking down the street with a newly acquainted co-traveler, when we were approached by a young Lubavitch Yeshivah student encouraging Jewish men to lay Tefillin. While this is not unusual, the student seemed intent on getting this person to put on Tefillin, and persisted in "encouraging" (really more like badgering and harrassing - much more than I expected to see or have seen before) after he'd declined more than once. But what struck me even more, was that the student then turned to me, after his own prodding had failed, and asked me to encourage my new acquaintance is this effort. Then, after I responded, "to each his own," (really in order to diffuse the situation and not because I am against Kiruv), the student looked betrayed.

Ultimately, I don't think the student engaged in a successful strategy, nor was his tact very pleasant. But the fact that he then asked me to pressure someone to do what he wanted him to do, despite the fact that the subject had already expressed disinterest and even discomfort, surprised me greatly.

Question

In an age in which personal boundaries are regularly blurred (see social media, for example), religious freedom is a political wedge issue, and news coverage about bullying and peer pressure is nonstop, what do contemporary rabbinic leaders say about exerting social pressure on others to observe Mitzvoth?


texts: What can Noahides do to help bring the Moshiach?

texts: I'm curious if there is anything Noahides (including myself) can do to help the coming of the Moshiach? I was told that being "righteous" will help in the messianic process but I am left wondering what "being righteous" means exactly. I know that being good to others and treating others with respect will certainly help but is there a technique or a way of doing things that would be good for Noahides to follow? I am open to any suggestions as well as what books to purchase/read that would help me along the way. Thank you


texts: What is special in "2000 ama" that it have the unique note

texts:
What is special in the words "2000 ama" in the verce numbers 35.5 that is has a conitasinal note that is unique in thw chumash (only found once)

Onther places in the bible that it is found
(במדבר לה ה
 (יהושוע יט נא , שמואל-ב ד ב , מלכים-ב י ה, ירמיהו יג יג , ירמיהו לח כה, יחזקאל מח כא , דברי הימים-א כח א , דברי הימים-ב כד ה , דברי הימים-ב לה ז , אסתר ז ט ,עזרא ו ט , נחמיה א ו , נחמיה ה יג , נחמיה יג ה , נחמיה יג טו))

I guess my question is what does medrash/kabala/chasiduss say about it


texts: May Passover matzoh be made from durum wheat flour and then reground as meal for Italian pasta?

texts: Italian pasta is generally made from durum wheat (semolina) flour. Wheat is one of the grains from which Passover matzoh can be made. Normally matzoh is baked at high heat from flour and water only, then reground to create matzoh flour or matzoh meal as a source for products kosher for Passover use such as cake or deep-fry breading. Semolina is typically a hard flour not suited for bread at all, leavened or unleavened, and Italian pasta is made only from semolina flour and from water. Used semolina pasta can typically be reground after drying to make semolina pasta again, it is not as good but it is still usable as such.  Is is a legal usage to create a matzoh from water and flour, from a grain that is legal (wheat) but inedible (durum) for bread, but which can then be a kosher for Passover source of Italian pasta?  Or, does the fact that the motzah is inedible and never meant for direct consumption for Passover use invalidate the use (appearance of sin, as matzoh is 'bread of affliction' and any other usage too luxurious)?


texts: Shabbos Chol Hamoed Pesach Torah reading

texts: Why is it that we read on Shabbos Chol Hamoed Pesach the Torah portion that is read on a fast-day?


texts: When was the redaction of the Sifre (midrash halakha on Bamidbar and Devarim)?  I would like to know in context with Mishna, Tosefta, and other Tannaitic literature.  Please source your answers.


texts: Are people taking care of their toddlers Patur from Sukkah?

texts: Sukkah 25a says חולין ומשמשיהן פטורין מן הסוכה - Sick people, as well as those taking care of them, are Patur from Sukkah (See 26a that this applies even if it is not a life threatening illness, such as a bad headache). Being as young children often have the Din of a Choleh (See Orach Chaim 328:17 for example) would someone taking care of their young children be Patur from Sukkah?


texts: There is a concept from the Gemara referred to as "Puk Chazi", go and see (as I understand). What are the applications and qualifications of this idea? Does "Puk Chazi", i.e. noting what people typically do, only apply when there is an open question, or are there sources which indicate that it has the strength to settle a disagreement among poskim?


texts:
How does Kibbud Av V'Eim work for a child of divorced parents?

(not referring to a case where one tells him to break Shabbos and the other tells him not to)

What about a regular case- like they both ask him to visit for Shabbos. Which parent would get precedence and why?


texts: if you have throw-up on a couch and it stinks and the couch is absorbent, how do you clean this up on shabbas? what are the concerns?


texts: Can one read Tehillim or Tanach at night?

texts:
I remember hearing people quote sources that say it is better not to reading Tehillim or Tanach at night.

Does anyone know the source to this, and to why it should not be read at night? Does one also know of any sources that do permit it to be read at night?

Please cite specific sources so I can see them inside.


texts: PTIJ: Where / how can I buy Human Taschen?

texts:
A friend sent me this picture of Human Taschen:

I see that it has two kashrut symbols. I find the CRC reliable. I can't quite read what the second kashrut symbol is.
I've looked in a few stores in the New York City area, but no one carries it. Someone referred me to a website called "Twilight Zone", as it has a division called To Serve Man. I couldn't find a web site for this Twilight Zone.
The product says it's "amazing", and, I'd imagine that it is. They look tasty from the picture! But, I can't find this product. Maybe, because this is made from humans this is a secret family recipe?
Please refer to this question, which, indirectly explains what might make this product kosher considering that you're eating a human.

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