texts: Should "Me'en Sheva" (Magen Avot) be recited at a hotel on Friday night?

texts:
The prayer "Me'en Sheva" or "Magen Avot" which is recited in shul in Friday nights after the silent Shemoneh Esreh was instituted to accommodate late-comers so that people would walk home from shul together to avoid dangers.

Shulchan Arukh, Orach Chayyim 268:10 says:

  אין אומרים ברכה מעין שבע בבית חתנים ואבלים דליכא טעמא דמאחרין לבוא
  שיהיו ניזוקין:

In brief, in a house that has a groom or mourner, this prayer is not said, because there is no concern of late-comers.

Some commentators have explained this concept that a non permanent "place" that does not have a regular minyan doesn't require saying this prayer.

In a few months, my friend's son will have his aufruf in a hotel. This hotel occasionally has Jewish groups and they set up a room for a minyan, when needed. However, it is a hotel - not a shul. But it is also not someone's home - it's a public place. It's not exactly as the Shulchan Aruch describes.

Does the Shulchan Aruch's principle apply to davening in a hotel Friday night?


texts: What is the source and substance of the kabbalistic holiday on 17 Shevat?

texts: In the work of Isiah Tishby he records a kabbalistically based holiday celebrated by the Ramchal and his followers on the 17th of Shevat. I'm looking for any further information on this holiday including its origins, what it is celebrating and how to celebrate it.


texts: the dress of the followers of Harav Kook

texts:
Harav Kook was basically a litai, and dressed like one and even had a shtreimel.
Today his followers and talmidim from his yeshiva don't even use any kind of suit (long or short) or hat and even make a point dressing like this (with the typical kipa sruga).

In general the tsiburim dress like the rav they follow, so my question is why when and how this change happened.


texts: Halachic sources on business ethics in a globalized industry?

texts:
The usual rule in halachah, as far as business dealings, is הכל כמנהג המדינה - everything follows the local custom. This applies to things like expected product quality (Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat 232:6), wages and benefits (ibid. 331:2 and 332:1), etc.

What about where the employer and the employees are in different locations with different practices, though? For example, if I live in the United States and own a factory in China, am I required to pay salaries comparable to those in the U.S., or do I go according to the prevailing rate there? What about things like health and safety regulations, child labor laws, and the like, which exist and are enforced in the U.S. (and thus fall under dina d'malchusa dina) but which in other countries may exist only on paper, if that?


texts: Torah meaning in the connection between חזיר (pig) and חזרה (return or repeat)

texts:
The shoresh for the word Chazarah (return or repeat see here) is the same as that for the word Chazir (pig).

The Hebrew language is not just a convention to name objects; in Hebrew, the name of the object refers to the essence of the object, see here.

A possible meaning could have been if a pig chews its cud since that would be a cycle or review, but a chazir is the only animal the Torah davka says has split hooves but doesn't chew its cud.

Is there, then, a Torah message to be gained by the similarity of these two words?


texts:
The Gemara in Berachos 39a has the following account:

תני תנא קמיה דרב נחמן בר יצחק מניח הפרוסה בתוך השלמה ובוצע ומברך אמר ליה מה שמך א"ל שלמן א"ל שלום אתה ושלמה משנתך ששמת שלום בין התלמידים
A teacher of beraisos taught before Rav Nachman Bar Yitzchok: Put the piece with the whole and bless.  He said to him "What is your name?" He responded "Salman (or Shalman or some other vowelization of שלמן)."  He (R' Nachman) said to him "You are Shalom (peace) and your teaching is Shalem (complete) as you have created shalom between the students."

Was it a common practice to expound the names of other people?  Did R' Nachman just get lucky that his name wasn't רפרם or דרדיא or something like that (i.e. did this happen often, and just the time that it worked out it was recorded)?
I'd prefer sourced answers, but if you have something clever enough of your own, I'll accept it.


texts:
Is there anything wrong with having the third meal on Friday night instead of the following day (i.e. two on friday night and one the next day)? Is one still yotzei 3 Seudos?

This would be especially useful in the winter months where Shabbos ends quite early.


texts: Recomendation for Good Books To Read to a 2-Year-Old Child

texts:
Any recommendations on books I can read with my 2 year old to help introduce her to Torah or other Judaism concepts? She can't read, but she copies everything I say and shows me things so I think there is some opportunity to share HaShem with her.

Please indicate in your answer what qualities of the book have caused you to recommend it.


texts: Lotus root is a common ingredient in Asian cooking, and it has a distinctive shape. Is lotus root a davar charif for kashrut purposes?


texts:
If a person accidentally forgets to daven during the day, in most cases he has the opportunity to "make up" that davening by saying shmoneh esrei twice in the next davening. This is called tashlumin.

Lechatchila, a person should daven with a minyan. Is this the case for tashlumin as well (ignoring the fact that presumably the minyan didn't get up and leave immediately after his first shmoneh esrei)? What if he could never have managed to find a minyan for the tefila that he missed, but happened to have one for his "make up"? Is it as if he davened his missed tefila with a minyan, even though he could not possibly have done that?


texts:
The Talmud Bavli (Bava Metzia' 71A; Original, English) teaches that "the poor of thine own town have prior rights" (עניי עירך קודמין).

How does the Torah justify discriminatory charity? Why must "the poor of thine own town have prior rights"? Does this not instill a lack of desire to give to "the other"? If my friend and a stranger are both in desperate need of money or food, why should I help my friend first?


texts: Different traditions in Hebrew pronunciation

texts:
The theme of Hebrew pronunciation is one that facinates me and, as such, I want to get some feedback on some issues I've been thinking about for years.  I have already discussed some of these issues with other people, some of whom are rabbis with considerable clout in the Orthodox community, and so I have some ideas, including some opinions already partially formed, but there are still issues that remain to be solved, if that's the right word to use.  So I'm throwing out a series of closely related questions to the community to discuss:

Why are there differing traditions in the pronunciation of Hebrew?  Is one more correct than another?  If they are all equally valid, ie, if they all developed along a reasonable pattern over the course of history, as many languages do, does it matter if you decide to pray using a different Hebrew pronunciation than you were taught, or should you stick with the tradition of your home and/or teacher(s)?  (On that point, is preference given to the  tradition of one's family or one's teacher(s), if they differ?)

Furthermore, if your family has no tradition of Hebrew pronunciation (ie, you converted, or you grew up in a home that did not practice/pray), should you do due diligence to figure out what is the "most correct" tradition, or should you go with the tradition of a friend or a teacher you've met?  Or should you try to find out what tradition your family might have had if they had practiced over the past couple of generations (ie, if your family over the past couple of centuries lived in Morrocco, they would have had a different tradition than if they had lived in Lithuania)?

A lot of broad issues, I know.  What do you think?


texts: How many rabbis does a synagogue have and what is their role?

texts:
I am a someone who is interested in Judaism. A question I have is that are there many rabbis which work in a synagogue and if so, what job do they all perform? I know that a rabbi teaches and makes rulings on halakha and supervises, but that is about it. Does each rabbi each have separate specific jobs or do they work together in a similar role? I would like to know their roles specifically in a synagogue and the Jewish community for which the synagogue is.

And also, I have seen that sometimes there is a rabbi and a senior rabbi listed in the staff shown on the websites of different synagogues. So I would like to what is the difference between the two? Is the title of senior rabbi simply honorary or do they have a higher position than the others?

I apologise if my questions may simply be idiotic, but I am genuinely looking for answers. Thank you for your time.


texts:
I recently read this article on the new  "House of the One".  The building will feature three separated spaces for prayer: a mosque, a church, and a synagogue.  There will be a central courtyard, but each religious space will be completely free of the icons/characteristics of the other.  Is it permissible to daven in the synagogue part of the "House of the One"?

NOTE: I am aware that the rabbi who will be overseeing the shul part of the "House of the One", Tovia ben Chorin, is a Reform rabbi, and that there is an entirely separate issue about the permissibility of davening in a Reform shul.  However, I am asking this question to see about the issues with the mosque and the church in the same complex, not with davening Reform, so for the sake of argument, please pretend that the shul is Orthodox.

Inspired in part by this question:Praying in "multifaith spaces" in airports and other institutions


texts: What day of the week was Yeziyat Mizrayim?

texts: Do we have a tradition what day of the week Yeziayit Mizrayim was?   I seem to recall seeing it stated somewhere, but a quick search didn't find any sources.


texts: How is it possible to make a פדיון הבן by giving money to someone who is not a כהן?


texts: Rav Samson Rafael Hirsch often finds connections between similar words in the Torah. What is the connection between evil - רעה - and shepherd - רועה - (especially in the same verse Bereishis 37:2 -  אֵלֶּה תֹּלְדוֹת יַעֲקֹב יוֹסֵף בֶּן־שְׁבַע־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה הָיָה רֹעֶה אֶת־אֶחָיו בַּצֹּאן וְהוּא נַעַר אֶת־בְּנֵי בִלְהָה וְאֶת־בְּנֵי זִלְפָּה נְשֵׁי אָבִיו וַיָּבֵא יוֹסֵף אֶת־דִּבָּתָם רָעָה אֶל־אֲבִיהֶם)?


texts: Maharatz Chiyus's List of Unobserved Laws

texts:
I believe the Maharatz Chiyus has a list of Talmudic laws that, at least in his day, had ceased to be observed in Ashkenazic communities, except perhaps by the most scrupulous (e.g. yoshon, eruv, ribis l'nochri).  I can't seem to find it and was wondering if anyone knew where it is (e.g. what volume/page of Kol Sifrei Maharatz Chiyus.

[Bonus question: I believe it is cited in a responsum of Rav Nachum Rabinovitch, shelit"a, in his Shu"t Siach Nachum, though I don't seem to be able to locate that either.]


texts: Can you buy chametz during Pesach that will be delivered after Pesach?

texts:
As an example, during Hol Hamo'ed Pesach, could you buy chametz online knowing that it will arrive after Pesach?

My assumption is that it would be OK, as the buyer doesn't actually own the product until it arrives at his home. Proof of that fact is that say, if you order from Amazon, they are responsible to replace the item if it has not arrived / got lost in transit.

Or, do we say that once someone has paid for the item, he owns it even if he has not physically acquired it?


texts: Why does Rashi offer completely different explanation of אחות נביות and אחות נחשון?

texts:
In Bereishit 28:9, Rashi uses the words "אחות נביות" ("the sister of Nevayot") to calculate how old Yishmael, Eisav, and Yaakov were at the time, and a bunch of other dates.

However, in Shemot 6:23, Rashi says that "אחות נחשון" ("the sister of Nachshon") mean that one should find out who his brother-in-laws will be before getting married.

Why does Rashi interpret these two cases so differently?


texts: Tent of meeting (אוהל מועד) in the camp or outside it?

texts:
In Bamidbar (11:26) we read,

  וַיִּשָּׁאֲרוּ שְׁנֵי אֲנָשִׁים בַּמַּחֲנֶה שֵׁם הָאֶחָד אֶלְדָּד
  וְשֵׁם הַשֵּׁנִי מֵידָד וַתָּנַח עֲלֵהֶם הָרוּחַ וְהֵמָּה בַּכְּתֻבִים
   וְלֹא יָצְאוּ הָאֹהֱלָה וַיִּתְנַבְּאוּ בַּמַּחֲנֶה:

From this verse it seems like the אוהל מועד was situated outside the camp, since they had to "go out" from the camp (ולא יצאו האהלה) so they can be endowed with the spirit of god resting on Moses (However see Ibn Ezra 11:26 for variant reading). But from chapter 2 it is evident that the אוהל מועד was in the center of the camp and in their midst. How can we reconcile these two contradictory chapters?


texts: I heard once that Rav Chaim Kanievski learns All of Shas Bavli and Yerushalmi every year plus more. Does anyone have any reliable sources on this matter? Like what is his actual schedule?


texts: Is taking an extended warm shower Bal Tashchis? Biblically?

texts:
Is taking an extended warm shower for pleasure (maybe also for health (Rambam dipping in hot water is healthy (i do not remember specific source))) Bal Tashchis Diorisa?

Where can I find sources on the subject?

Possibly related: Is runoff water from a drinking fountain a problem of Bal Tashhith?


texts: Time dilation and waiting between meat and milk

texts:
Suppose Ploni eats some meat. He then gets in a spaceship and accelerates to some significant percentage of the speed of light for a short trip into outer space, and then returns home. At the time when he returns home, exactly six hours have passed from the Earth's reference frame; however, because of time dilation, less than 6 hours have passed for him.

This is not an issue of who is right.  On Earth, six hours have actually passed, whereas for Ploni, the amount of time has actually been less than six hours. Now that he has returned home, may he eat something with milk?


texts:
I read somewhere recently that the "the lame and the blind" in 2 Samuel 5 is a reference to the patriachs, and that Abraham had made an agreement with the Philistines not to lay claim to Jerusalem in exchange for the cave where he buried Sarah: this agreement then becomes contentious when David turns his attention to Jerusalem.

Is this correct?


texts: PTIJ: "Can't argue with that?" Says who!

texts:
There is a famous Jewish adage "על טעם ועל ריח אין להתווכח" - there are no argument when it comes to taste and smell.
However, amazingly, one can find a plethora of disagreements in the Talmud and Halachic works whether reicha lav milsa hi or if ta'am is k'ikar. How do these arguments square with this rule? How do we understand this adage in light of these arguments?

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


texts: Why is Zerubavel called the son of Shealtiel?

texts:
I've a question regards Zerubavel: why is he called the son of Shealtiel?

In Ezra 3:2 and 3:8, Haggai 1:1, 1:12, 1:14, 2:2, 2:23, Nechemyah 12:1, Zerubavel is called the son of Shaltiel, while in Divrei Hayamim 1 Chapter 3:17-19 it seems to be Pedayah who's the real father.

On the website of Dafyomi it said:

  (a) Why does the Gemara discuss Zerubavel? He was not the son of Yechanyah (whom the Gemara is discussing), but rather a later descendant (Yechanyah's great-grandson). (See MAHARSHAL here. The SEDER HA'DOROS points out that although the verse usually refers to Zerubavel as the son of Shaltiel, he was actually the son of Pedayah and the grandson of Shaltiel. He was called "Zerubavel ben Shaltiel" because "grandsons are like sons," and perhaps because the verse wants to link him to Shaltiel, a more prestigious personage that Pedayah.)

But wasn't Shealtiel the brother of Pedayah, and thus the uncle of Zerubavel?
P.s. could it be that in this case Zerubavel is non the less called the son of Shealtiel because of the commandment given in Devarim 25:5-6 ?


texts: Where can I find an English translation of the Hebrew "Sefer ben ha-melekh we-ha-nazir" or "Book of the Prince and the Ascetic" story?

texts:
Here is an article about the story: https://journals.openedition.org/crm/13772#text
It was written by Abraham Ibn Hisday in the 13th century, roughly based on the Christian legend of Barlaam and Josaphat.


texts: What are the parameters of shomer pesaim Hashem?

texts:
While the Torah forbids one to place himself into a situation of danger, some degree of slightly risky behavior is allowable under the concept of shomer pesaim Hashem. Are the parameters of this concept based on some objective quantifiable degree of mortality or on generally accepted behavior among one's peers?

If it's the latter, would one look at the generally accepted behavior of his geographic or philosophical peers? For example, would a Haredi person, living in a Modern Orthodox community, evaluate generally accepted behaviors in his geographic or philosophical "location"?

I am looking for sourced answers on this please.


texts: Why Moses could be only replaced with an idol?

texts:
In the previous question about the Golden Calf I thought it was suspicious that neither Moses left the "chain of command" just in case, neither Aharon offered himself as Moses' replacement.

Also, when the people demanded to replace Moses with an idol, nobody wondered how can Moses be replaced with an idol (related "the-realistic-expectations-from-the-golden-calf").

I do not accept the simplistic idea that they were all fouls and idolaters and all they wanted was idolatry.

Why did they think that Moses as the leader of the Jewish people can only be replaced with an idol: was Moses clearly non-human (his face radiated?) or only a non-human could lead the people or only a non-human can mediate between them and G-d?


texts: When did the Cutheans undermine the lighting of signal fires to announce the new moon?

texts:
Back when the months of the Jewish calendar were determined by observations of the new crescent moon, eyewitnesses would bring their testimony to the rabbinical court in Jerusalem, and the court would sanctify the new month based on this testimony. Since a lunar month is about 29 ½ days, a Hebrew month (which has to have a whole number of days) can have either 29 or 30 days. So the court then had to get the word out to the rest of the Jewish world about which day had been declared the first of the month, so that everyone could observe the holidays on the same day. Originally this was done by signal fires (as in The Lord of the Rings), which transmitted the message rapidly. But then the Cutheans, a sect opposed to the rabbis, launched the first phishing scam and made signal fires on the wrong days to throw people off.

https://reformjudaism.org/passover-7-or-8-days
When did the "phishing scam" occur?


texts: Is there a U.S. or Canadian yeshiva that offers a Smicha program where the Rosh Kollel can accommodate the deaf?

texts: My son is deaf. I am looking for a Smicha program for him where the Rosh Yeshiva has experience dealing with and accommodating the deaf. My son has a cochlear implant and has SOME hearing, so he does not need an interpreter, per-se, though that would help. Does anyone know of a place and / or refer me to someone I can email or speak to?


texts: Is it permissible to take a drink during Shemonah Esrei?

texts: If someone makes a bracha on a drink before Shemonah Esrei when it is permissible to speak and drink, can he then continue to drink even during Shemonah Esrei at which point he will not have to interrupt Shemonah Esrei to speak? Or is the act of drinking itself during Shemonah Esrei forbidden? Would it make a difference whether he he is doing it for the purpose of improving his davening ie he has a sore throat or whether he is doing it just for pleasure? Would there be a difference whether he is in between brachos or in the middle of a bracha?


texts: Getting back Reward for Mitzvot you Regretted

texts:
This is from Rambam Halachot Teshuva: (From Chabad.org)
Anyone who changes his mind about the mitzvot he has performed and regrets the merits [he has earned], saying in his heart: "What value was there in doing them? I wish I hadn't performed them" - loses them all and no merit is preserved for him at all as [Ezekiel 33:12] states "The righteousness of the upright will not save him on the day of his transgression." This only applies to one who regrets his previous [deeds].
Do any sources discuss how one can get back the reward for  Mitzvot that he regretted? If so, how? Please try to cite sources.
Thank you so much!


texts: In front of Moshe, why not all of Klal Yisrael?

texts:
We say in Tefillas Maariv

  בוקע ים לפני משה

that the sea split before Moshe.

Why does it say "lifnei Moshe" (in front of Moshe) wasn't it lifnei (in front of) all of Klal Yisrael (the Jews)?


texts: Did HaShem forget Chava in the creation?

texts:
After the creation HaShem says: Bereshit 1:31: 'And Elohim saw every thing that He had made, and, behold, it was tov me’od (very good).' I guessed that Adam was also tov me'od, but then i red the verse of 2:18 which learns that it was not 'tov' for Adam to be without a counterpart a ezer k'negdo. How come if HaShem created a tov environment (a world with good circumstances); did he forgot to create Chava?

It seems so unlikely, that i wonder whats the idea behind this all.


texts:
This question is assuming that one may not tighten a regular tzitzis knot on shabbos, using the rule of “אין עשה דוחה את לא תעשה ועשה” (as seen in Beitza 8b and Bava Metzia 30a), and that without at least one knot on each corner, the tzitzis is passul.
If one is wearing a pair of sha’atnez tzitzis on shabbos, (which is muttar mede’oreisa, see ערוך השולחן אורח חיים ט׳ י״ג) and he sees that one of his string’s last knot is loose, with a good chance that it will unravel completely during shabbos.
 Lede’oraisaay could he tighten the knot, (since this is a case of preventing a bittul  of an עשה and לא תעשה- the four cornered garment without tzitzis and the sha’atnez which comes into effect once the mitzva is mevutal) or does he have to wait for it to actually unravel before fixing it, or does he have to take it off completely?


texts: All the versions that I see of Sede Hemed or Sdei Chemed are very old and unclear. Does anyone see a nice square print one available for sale? Thank you


texts:
The Torah tells us (Bereshit 25:1) that "Abraham took another wife, and her name was Keturah."
The Yalkut Shimoni (Iyov 904) says that Ketura was from Yafet (English from here):

"Abraham married three women: Sarah, the daughter of Shem; Ketura, the daughter of Japheth; Hagar, the daughter of Ham"

In this context, daughter means descendant, and not an actual daughter (e.g. Hagar was an Egyptian, and Mitzrayim was the son of Cham, so she was at best his granddaughter).
Many commentaries on this section in Torah (e.g. Rashi, see here for a list of some others) say that Ketura is Hagar. However, the quoted Yalkut Shimoni can't agree with this opinion, since clearly the Yalkut Shimoni holds that they weren't the same person.
There are opinions who maintain that Keturah and Hagar are two separate people, but of the ones I read (Rashbam, Ibn Ezra, and Ramban), only the Ramban (Bereshit 25:6) says what her nationality was, and he says she was a Canaanite (also a descendant of Cham). So the Ramban isn't saying the same thing the Yalkut Shimoni is either.
According to the Yalkut Shimoni, who was Ketura? Was she someone important (like Hagar, who was an Egyptian princess)?
The same question could be asked about all the commentaries who say Keturah was not Hagar.


texts: Is there a need to to know the deceased's name when studying in his merit?

texts:
I have been asked many times by friends to study (usually Mishanyos) as a  merit for their recently deceased relative. In most such occasions, I was given the deceased's name, in order to have them in mind when studying.

Is there such a requirement, that one should have the deceased's name in mind when studying as a merit for them?


texts: Why do we use wine (or grape juice - fruit of the vine) when sanctifying Shabbat?  How was it first determined that wine was holy and that it is used to satisfy and make holy the coming holiday or shabbos.  Is there a Torah source for using wine?


texts: What are the names of these karakul hats among the Hasidim?


texts: A case of business ethics - pricing a matchable antique

texts: A certain piece of art is worth $10,000 for a matched pair.  A single is only worth $100.  You own an antique shop and have a single in the back.  A poor widow with ten children walks in and offers to sell you a single, which you immediately recognize as the match of yours.  Are you halachically and/or ethically obligated to offer her more than $100 for it?


texts: What amount of time qualifies as being "Tircha D'Tzibbur"?

texts:
See this related M.Y. question . This states the general parameters of tircha d'tzibur. My question, here, focuses on just the "time" factor and what appears to be a contradiction in common practice.
I realize that a number of halachot were instituted and specifically mentioned in Shulchan Aruch because of tircha d'tzibbur. One notable one is the reason to take out 2 Torah scrolls on Yom Tov so that the congregation shouldn't have to wait to roll the 1st Torah from one place to another. This is true, even if the 2 readings are nearby, and it takes less than a minute to roll.
In short (no pun, here), it seems that time is the primary factor used to determine the tircha. I.e., even a short delay is considered tircha. There are other halachot instituted esp. regarding eliminating certain proposed items in the weekday Shacharit (IIRC, not reciting the blessings from Bil'am is one example) b/c of tircha d'tzibur and people are rushing to work - clearly, a time concern.
In view of the Shulchan Aruch emphasizing that even a minute minute is too long, it appears that some, if not all, of these examples should also be considered tircha:

A chazzan that sings "too much" or too slowly esp. in Kedusha and esp. if he repeats words.
(for purposes of answering this question, I am not interested in other problems of repeating anything during davening. There are debates about this, and certain places where this is permitted. Please focus repetition problems only as it relates to tircha d'tzibur.)

A rabbi who gives a long sermon

Too many additional aliyot , esp. for B'nai Mitzvah, or aufruf

Additional mi sheberach to honor the rabbi, the oleh's friends, family, etc. Likewise, having a line-up of people to recite Mi Sheberach L'cholim (for the ill).

Reciting extra optional paragarpahs that are not standard in the Siddur. E.g., on Yom Tov, before the Torah is taken out, and the Aron is open, my rav recites a special English prayer related to the Yom Tov.

These are a few of many examples. I don't recall any sefarim addressing any of these issues. However, to me, it seems logical that these actions should be considered tircha d'tzibur*, but, apparently, aren't, since many shuls practice some of those in the list.
In summary, why are these longer activities not considered tircha, when compared to the Torah rolling example, which seems to develop the guideline or definition of what amount of time tircha should be?


texts: Why don't we break the Fast of Esther until after Megillah?

texts: Aish, NJOP, and Chabad all state that it is preferable to fast until after the Megillah reading. I'm looking for sources and some background on that. Is it universally practised or an "Ashkenazi minhag"?


texts: Has anyone seen or heard of a heter not to read shnayim mikrah ve'echad targum?

texts: The given psak by all poskim that I know of seems to be that shnayim mikrah is a total obligation. Is there any source that says otherwise?


texts:
If one heats, toasts or grills Pas Palter (commercially baked bread with only kosher permissible ingredients) before consuming it, does that finishing action transform the bread into Pas Yisroel? The final cooking is being done by an observant Jew.

For additional insights, see these two links from the OU.

Link One

Link Two


texts:
A ventriloquist essentially recreates sounds using a different part of the speech system. For example, mouthing the sound ‘B’ would give away the act, so it must be recreated in a different part of the mouth.

Were one to read the Torah in such a manner, would the congregation fulfill their obligation?


texts:
While reading Reb Yaakov (page 191), the following line caught my eye:

  The Sunday morning shiur...Reb Yaakov finished...the uncensored version of Sefer HaChinuch

What could this be referring to? I was unaware there was anything noteworthy that was censored in the Sefer HaChinuch.


texts: What sin(s) would be involved if a married man slept with another woman?

texts:
If a married Jewish man had an extramarital relationship with a woman who was not in the category of arayos or issurei biah, what, if any, sins would he have committed, and to what, if any, punishment would he be theoretically subject?

Which of these would also apply if he were unmarried?

If it matters, let's say he is an Ashkenazi.

Related: Punishment for Polygamy

Does Judaism permit sexual relationships outside of marriage?


texts: When Did We Start Wearing Tallit Katan/Arba Kanfot?

texts:
I was just learning Hilkhot Tzitzit, and in Shulchan Arukh Orach Chayyim Siman 11 Saif 12, and the Mechaber says:

  מַלְבּוּשִׁים שֶׁבְּמִצְרַיִם הַנִּקְרָאִים גוחאש וְכֵן מינטיניש
  ודולאמאניש וקפטאניש ופיריגיש שֶׁבְּתוּגַרְמָה, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ
  לָהֶם ד' כְּנָפַיִם פְּטוּרִים:

On this, the Rema says:

  הַגָּה: וה''ה מַלְבּוּשִׁים שֶׁל
  גְּלִילוֹת בְּנֵי אַשְׁכְּנַז וּסְפָרַד הוֹאִיל וְאֵין כַּנְפֵיהֶם
  עֲשׂוּיִן שֶׁיִּהְיוּ ב' לִפְנֵיהֶם וּב' לַאֲחֹרֵיהֶם מְכֻוָּנִים זוֹ
  כְּנֶגֶד זוֹ פְּטוּרִים (בֵּית יוֹסֵף לְפִי סְבָרַת מַהֲרִי''ק):

It seems to be that the halakha is pretty clear that any garment which isn't four-cornered doesn't require tzitzit, as the Rema says that even in his time the clothes people wore no longer required them.

So, my question is: when did we start creating and wearing a tallit katan specifically so that we could fulfill the mitzva even though our clothes no longer required it? What's the history behind the idea of arba kanfot? Who started this tradition and where? Anyone know?


texts: Is it permitted to turn off a time switch on Shabbos?

texts:
On a time switch (timer), there are generally two options: one which will ignore the time switch and let the current flow, and one which activates the timer.

In the case where the switch is on the first option and the current flows, is it permitted (on Shabbos) to move the button to activate the timer switch if at this time the appliance is turned on?


texts: Can a Chanukah menorah share a single oil source?

texts: All the Chanukah menorot that I have seen each have separate oil cups / holders. Would it be permissible to have a "trough" with separate cups coming out of it and each one having a separate wick, so that all wicks share the same oil source?


texts: Are there Holy Books that Khazal (חז"ל) actually took out?

texts: We find in Babylonian Talmud that there were some Holy Books that Khazal (חז"ל) wanted to take out / to hide (לגנוז), such as the Book of Ezekiel, The Song of Songs and others (see for example: Shabath p. 32:, Khagiga p. 13.). My question is if there were Holy Books that Khazal actually excluded from the biblical canon?


texts: Is it permissible to touch an unclean animal that is living?

texts:
I've understood (and of course, I could be wrong in my understanding) that Lev. 11 and Deut. 14 specifically prohibit human contact ("You shall not touch") and consumption ("You shall not eat") of the carcasses (נבלה) of the unclean animals/ fish/ fowl/ insects/ etc. listed.

But, I don't recall these scriptures ever stating that you could not touch one of those animals/ fish/ fowl/ insects/ etc. while it was still alive (and thus not considered a נבלה).

So, is it permissible to touch an unclean animal that is living (e.g., having a pet pig, snake, etc.)?


texts: Whose semicha (ordination) was the last one signed/granted by Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveichik?  By Rabbi Moshe Feinstein?

texts:
Whose semicha (ordination) was the last one signed/granted by Rabbi Joseph Dov Soloveichik?  What about by Rabbi Moshe Feinstein?

(The answer may be "the yeshiva ABC class of 1981" or whatever.)


texts: R' Yehoshua and the Athenian Elders: Endless pouring

texts:
This is part of a series of questions on the Gemara in Bechoros 8b-9a. Below is a summary of the relevant parts of the Gemara. After being challenged by Caesar, R' Yehoshua went to Athens to defeat the Athenian Elders in a battle of wits.

After admitting defeat, the Elders were ushered onto a boat headed to Rome. Before leaving, he took a clump of Athenian dirt, and as they passed Bei Bli'i, a place whose waters "swallow" other waters to ensure the ocean doesn't overflow, he took a flask of its water.

Arriving in Caesar's palace, the Elders talked humbly, feeling nervous outside of their native land. After having some Greek dirt placed before them, though, they felt at ease and talked brazenly, as they would normally.

Caesar told R' Yehoshua to do with them as he wished for their crime of speaking such to the Emperor. R' Yehoshua gave them the flask and told them to fill it; they could leave once the job was done. Of course, since the waters therein swallow all other waters, it was impossible to fill it, and they continued pouring until their shoulders fell off.

Why did R' Yehoshua assign them the job of pouring water until it was full as their punishment? Was it just one last rub in the face about how much smarter he was than them, and to prove to Caesar in front of him how smart the Chachmei Yisrael are (which was how the whole story started, anyway)?


texts: What is the significance of the skull of Araunah the Yevusi?

texts:
Araunah the Yevusi sells the land upon which the beis hamikdash will eventually be built to Dovid HaMelech (II Shemuel 24:18). Subsequently his skull is found underneath the mizbeach at least twice (and possibly a third time) by King Hizkiyahu, as per Yerushalmi Sanhedrin 1:2 and Tosfos to Bavli 12a, and the navi Haggai.

What, if anything, is the conceptual significance of this person's skull being found, repeatedly, under the mizbeach?

Furthermore, I have several questions assuming, as Tosfos seems to, that we take this literally

Why was there any remains found there at all? Weren't these areas excavated, by Dovid while building the temple?
If it was a Araunah family burial plot, as some explain, why was only the skull described as being found? And why of Araunah who presumably could not have buried himself there after selling the land
Why wasn't the skull removed the first time it was found?
Why did this cause anyone to be tamei (see gemarah and tosfos cited above)? The Rambam in hilchos tumas meis 9:4, based on bava metzeiah 114b rules that a non-Jew only conveys tumah by direct touch. Furthermore it is unclear if only a skull of a non-Jew can convey tumah.
Why were they suddenly excavating under the mizbeah at all?


texts:
What is the story behind this picture being known as the image of the great Rabbi Yisrael Meir Kagan(Chafetz Chaim)? Is it him in fact? Where does it come from?

The only true picture (that I am aware of) shows him sitting down, at a distance and is rather unclear:

This website mentions that the first image could be that of his Shamas or wagon driver. It describes the above photo (the second picture) as follows:
"The above picture was taken in Radin and the Chofetz Chaim is seen speaking to his oldest son, Rabbi Leib Poupko who eventually became Rav in Radin and President of the Mizrachi in Poland. He passed away in 1939. The CC’s last Rebbetzin, also who was an adopted daughter, is standing behind him. There’s also a young woman in the picture standing next to the Chofetz Chaim. Rav Chaim Wolkin, the Mashgiach in Ateres, is seen posing (in a walking pose, which was apparently a popular thing in those days) in the street between the photographer and the house".

Are there any other photos of the Chofetz Chaim to which we can compare the first picture for authentication?


texts:
What was the given name of Rabbi Yose?

Was it Yosef or Yose? If it was Yose, is that a derivative of Yosef, or a totally different name with some other meaning or significance?


texts:
From time to time I find myself listening to someone making a siyum, I am thinking of structuring my learning to pursue finishing enough to make a siyum. But before I commit myself I want to know if that is a noble goal.

So...

Why do we say the "hadran" and other things after completing a sizeable amount of learning (what are the traditional sizes and of what?) Is there a source for this custom? On a deeper, philosophical level what purpose does the siyum have in Jewish life?


texts:
Iyov 42:9:

  וַיֵּלְכוּ אֱלִיפַז הַתֵּימָנִי וּבִלְדַּד הַשּׁוּחִי צֹפַר הַנַּעֲמָתִי וַיַּעֲשׂוּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר אֲלֵיהֶם ה׳

In the JPS translation:

  So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went, and did according as the LORD commanded them

But literally (literally) it's "Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite, Zophar the Naamathite", with the conjunction used before the second name only. (Minchas Shay supports this version.) Why is this strange construction used here? (Or is it not strange? An answer demonstrating widespread use of this construction in Tanach would be super if it explains what determines where the construction is used or what it means.)


texts: Looking for more information on the bridal virginity blessing

texts: The blessing on bridal virginity is recorded in the Halakhot Gedolot but dismissed by the Rambam in Teshuvot Harambam, II:364-365, #207. What is the original source for this blessing? Do other halachic works discuss it? Does any sect of Judaism recite this blessing nowadays?


texts:
Is one a heretic if he does not believe in Kabbalah? Not necessarily that the Rashbi authored the Zohar, but in the general tenets of kabbalah including but not limited to: tzimtzum, sefirot, partzufim etc.

If a person believes that the ideas found in seforim such as the zohar, kitvei arizal, sefer yetzirah and others are not Jewish (meaning they stem from outside Judaism) are they halachically considered a heretic?


texts: How does my having someone in mind when I learn help them?

texts:
Many times, as a merit for a recovery for someone sick or someone in need, I have been asked to have that person in mind when I learn.  In some places, they will put up a sign asking to have a certain person in mind, particularly if that person has made a donation to the organization where the learning is taking place.

If the request would be "please learn with more intensity than usual as a merit for this person" then I would understand how this could be a merit for them, as they are now the impetus and catalyst for my qualitative improvement in my learning.  But just "having them in mind" doesn't seem to do very much.

Does merely being cognizant of another person when you do a Mitzvah somehow transfer credit to that person?

Note: This question could be asked about any Mitzvah, but I chose learning because it is a common example that I see.


texts: Are there any examples of mother having priority over father?

texts: Are there any cases in which mother takes precedence over father?


texts: kiddush for someone else, excluding myself

texts: I would like to stop by and say Kiddush for someone who is homebound and unable to say it for themselves.  This would be on Shabbat morning after schul.  However, I don't want to be Yotze from this kiddush, since I would like to be included in the Kiddush I will say for my family upon arriving home!  Can I actually do this or am I automatically "yotzei"?


texts: Can a gentile break shabbos only on a Rabbinic level?

texts: A non-Jew is forbidden from observing Shabbos. When someone is in the process of converting, we advise them to keep the entire Shabbos besides for doing one forbidden activity. A common practice is to carry something in their pocket (if there is no eiruv). However, according to some carrying is generally only breaking Shabbos on a Rabbinic level since most city streets have only the status of a karmalis (rabbinic public domain), not a reshus harabim (biblical public domain). Is it sufficient to break Shabbos on a Rabbinic level to avert the problem of a gentile keeping Shabbos? Woudn't it be better to tell them to switch on an incandescent light bulb in their room, or some other action which is simple to do and violates Shabbos on a biblical level according to everyone?


texts: Source for spoon, feather, and candle used in bedikas chometz?

texts:
What is the original source for the Ashkenazic tradition to do--as is popularly taught--the final search for chometz with a spoon, a feather, and a candle?

It may not have an official source; in that case, what is its earliest mention?

Finally, what are the--presumably Yiddish--words that are/were used for the spoon, the feather, and the candle? (Brown paper bag is extra.)


texts: Yesh Me'Ayin - A transformation from a state of ‘nothing’ to ‘something’

texts:
Recently I came across this teaching from Chassidic or Kabalistic works which apparently has something to do with our 'task' in this world:

Hayom Yom: Tackling Life's Tasks;
Translated from the writings of the Lubavitcher Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson
"The Divine service of Jews transforms yesh, the self-centered perspective that pervades our material world, into ayin, G‑dliness".

I also found this teaching:

Hasidic thought follows the kabbalistic understanding of creatio ex nihilo (creation out of nothing, yesh me’ayin) in terms of the emanation of the Sefirot and the universe (of yesh, that which is) from Ein Sof (the Limitless, the Ground of Being), known as ayin (nothingness), because this aspect of deity is utterly beyond all comprehension.
In some versions of Hasidism, notably in Habad, this doctrine sometimes results in a thoroughgoing “acosmism.” That is, from the point of view of G-d, as it were, there is no created universe at all. Since the universe emerges out of nothingness, its nature is to revert to nothingness so that its continued existence is possible only through the supernatural act of G-d that keeps it in being. Suspended over the void, the universe has to be created anew at every moment of time (Tanya, part II, chap. 1-7). Because creation involves the emergence of “somethingness” (yesh) from the divine nothingness (ayin), it is the task of the tzaddik to reverse the process by acknowledging God in all he does and thinks, thus restoring the somethingness of things to the nothingness whence they come (Menehem Mendel of Vitebsk, Pri HaAretz, pp. 3-4, commentary to Genesis 1:16).

Could someone clarify for me: How it is derived from the idea that creation involves the emergence of somethingness (yesh) from the divine nothingness (ayin) that it is our task to reverse this process? i.e. to transform yesh into ayin? And what does this mean?
P.s. are there any good commentaries, explanations (in English) which I could read to learn more?


texts: What is the most difficult page of Talmud?

texts: Which blat Gemara (Bavli, Vilna edition) has the largest quantity of Talmudic text or the most complex and difficult to understand concepts?


texts: Good books for non-Jews who are interested in understanding Judaism, especially branches of Orthodox judaism

texts:
I have found that the first thing to do when you want to learn something about a subject, is to start with the idea that you know absolutely nothing.  I understand, for example, that Judaism has either branches, or sects, or various subgroups.  I'm interested in understanding Orthodoxy, which I understand isn't even one branch, but a bunch of branches.

(Update: if "branch" is an incorrect word, please understand that I mean only, groups which could be held distinct in some way, from the rest of Orthodox Judaism.)

What is a good book that helps with understanding Orthodox Judaism, as it exists today and is practiced, it's history and ideas and most of all, the underlying principles or forms, or ideas, which make it itself. A good book for me would answer these questions:

What do the authorities within Orthodox judaism say about Orthodox Judaism. How do they define it?
What is the daily life of those comitted to the practices of Orthodoxy look like, including the practice of "Shabbat/"Shabbos"
Introducing the the study of Torah, Tanakh, and Talmud, as it is understood by Orthodox authorities.

I realize that all of the above are worthy of their own books. But imagine, you simply want somewhere to start. is there a good book on what Orthodox judaism is, that addresses at least a little bit of those subject areas, that would be readable by someone with zero knowledge of Hebrew?

The most important thing I want to know is that the view in the book is presented by those who themselves hold the views they are describing. That is, I am not looking for an external, or academic view. I am looking for an internal view, but perhaps written so that those who are not part of the religion, or practicing it themselves, might be able to understand it.


texts: Explain the difference between "מונה" and "סופר"

texts:
There are two Hebrew words used regarding counting:

מונה as a form, the 10 people minimum needed to say Kaddish, etc. is called a מנין.

סופר as a form as in ספירת העומר .

This past Shabbat, my rav gave a "midrash" on why we call it ספירת העומר and not מנין העומר . I am seeking a more generalized, prefereably non "midrashic" explanation on the difference and nuances in meaning between these two words, as they are used in Tanac"h and / or halacha.


texts: Razor used by Leviyim, Nezirim and Lepers

texts:
וְכֹֽה־תַעֲשֶׂ֤ה לָהֶם֙ לְטַֽהֲרָ֔ם הַזֵּ֥ה עֲלֵיהֶ֖ם מֵ֣י חַטָּ֑את וְהֶעֱבִ֤ירוּ תַ֙עַר֙ עַל־כָּל־בְּשָׂרָ֔ם וְכִבְּס֥וּ בִגְדֵיהֶ֖ם וְהִטֶּהָֽרוּ׃
This is what you shall do to them, to purify them; sprinkle them with the sin-offering waters, and cause a razor to pass over (shave) their entire bodies, and they shall wash their garments and purify themselves

Masechta Nazir 40a

תנן התם שלשה מגלחין ותגלחתן מצוה נזיר ומצורע ולוים וכולן שגילחו שלא בתער או ששיירו שתי שערות לא עשו ולא כלום
§ We learned in a mishna there (Nega’im 14:4): Three types of people must shave their hair, and their shaving is a mitzva: A nazirite; and a leper, as it is stated: “And he who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes, and shave off all his hair” (Leviticus 14:8–9). And the third category is Levites, when they were first sanctified for their service, as it is stated: “And this you shall do to them to cleanse them: Sprinkle the water of purification upon them, and let them cause a razor to pass over all their flesh” (Numbers 8:7). And with regard to all of them, if they shaved with an implement other than a razor, or if they left two hairs uncut, they have done nothing, i.e., they have not fulfilled their obligation.

It appears that Leviyim  Nezarim and Lepers can use a razor but why can’t anyone other than these three use a razor?


texts: Did The Rebbe R' Heshel of Krokow have a different version of the Chumash?

texts:
In the Sefer Chanukas Hatorah, [written by the Rebbe R' Heshel of Krocow], in Parshas Pinchas (Bamidbar 27:3) it says:

  בפסוק (במדבר כז:ג) - אבינו מת במדבר והוא לא היה בתוך העדה הנועדים על
  ה' בעדת קרח ובנים לא היו לו כי בחטאו מת וגו'.

  In the pasuk (Bamidbar 27:3) - "Our father died in the wilderness,
  and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against HaShem in the company of Korah, and he had no sons,
  but he died in his own sin;"

  ויש לדקדק דהוה ליה למיכתב כי בחטאו מת תיכף אחר הדיבור והוא לא היה
  בעדת קרח,

  It should be noted, that the pasuk should have written "but he died
  in his own sin;"immediately after saying "and he was not among the
  company...of Korah".

  וכך הוה ליה למיכתב אבינו מת במדבר והוא לא היה בתוך הנועדים על ה'
  בעדת קרח כי בחטאו מת ובנים לא היו לו

  And this is how it should have been written:

  "'Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the
  company of them that gathered themselves together against HaShem in
  the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no
  sons".

PROBLEM: In the standard version of the Torah, The pasuk quoted, reads:

אָבִינוּ מֵת בַּמִּדְבָּר וְהוּא לֹא הָיָה בְּתוֹךְ הָעֵדָה הַנּוֹעָדִים עַל ה' בַּעֲדַת קֹרַח כִּֽי בְחֶטְאוֹ מֵת וּבָנִים לֹא הָיוּ לֽוֹ׃

"Our father died in the wilderness, and he was not among the company of them that gathered themselves together against HaShem in the company of Korah, but he died in his own sin; and he had no sons".

The way he quotes the Pasuk is not the way it is written in our version of the Torah. On the contrary, the way he says "It should have been written" is exactly the way the pasuk is indeed written.

The question is obvious: Did The Rebbe R' Heshel of Krakow have a different version of the Chumash?


texts: What is the relation of the Savoraim, Geonim, and Masoretes?

texts:
I was taught that in the era immediately after the redaction of the Talmud, the Masoretes made what is now the final determination of which writings constituted the Tanach (for example, the book of Job is sacred writing, while the book of Judith is apocrypha).  I was also taught that the Masorim determined the final "layout" of the Torah, that is, which words would have a break to the next line in the column, where there would be long or short gaps, what trup symbols were assigned to each word, and so forth. After that was the era of the Gaonim, and the great Rishonim (especially Rashi) leaned heavily on the work of the Gaonim (as well, of course, as the Talmud and the Midrach Rabbah).

Now I have heard of the Savorim, which came right after the Talmud was redacted and in fact some Savorim are mentioned in the Talmud.  On Wikipedia, it is stated that the Gaonim came right after the Savorim.

In that case, where do the Masoretes (Masorim?) come in? And where does that name come from?

EDIT

In response to a comment, I realized I mis-spoke -- the Masoretes codified the standard format (wordings etc.) of the Torah scroll and Tanach, but the selection of which writings constitute the Tanach was made at a much earlier time, probably before the Gemmorah started to be developed.


texts:
(Inspired by a comment on this question.)

What characteristics define Aggadah and Midrash, and how are they related?

If the distinction is merely that Aggadah is a more general category of "legend" and Midrash is Aggadah as taught by a certain category of Aggadists (Tannaim/Amoraim), what is the practical difference in terms of how one approaches them from a theological or philosophical (or even historical) perspective?


texts: where does the feeling of shame come from?

texts:
according to our sources, shame is unique to humans (Duties of the Heart 2:5 "reflect on the feeling of shame with which man alone has been endowed").

It does not exist in animals. Is shame a spiritual feeling stemming from the higher soul of humans or is it merely an emotion which is unique to humans. If the former, what exactly is it? What is the spiritual or otherwise mechanism behind it as to why we feel shame.


texts:
Literally it means "homey."

But I'm asking about the sociological meaning of the group of people who call themselves "Heimishe." My best guess is that it means "midway between Hassidish and Litvak." But given that differences between Hassidim and Litvaks, though they surely exist, are not what they were during the heyday of the Misnagdim, what is the difference between Litvak and Heimishe?

Does "Heimishe" also suggest that these people go to university? That they speak English rather than Yiddish? There are no Heimishe organizations per se, but are there organizations which everyone identifies with Heimishism?

(Some webpages discussing this: 1 2 3.)


texts:
Mishnah Nida 1.1:

שַׁמַּאי אוֹמֵר, כָּל הַנָּשִׁים דַּיָּן שְׁעָתָן. הִלֵּל אוֹמֵר, מִפְּקִידָה לִפְקִידָה, וַאֲפִלּוּ לְיָמִים הַרְבֵּה. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים, לֹא כְדִבְרֵי זֶה וְלֹא כְדִבְרֵי זֶה, אֶלָּא מֵעֵת לְעֵת מְמַעֵט עַל יַד מִפְּקִידָה לִפְקִידָה, וּמִפְּקִידָה לִפְקִידָה מְמַעֶטֶת עַל יַד מֵעֵת לְעֵת. כָּל אִשָּׁה שֶׁיֶּשׁ לָהּ וֶסֶת, דַּיָּהּ שְׁעָתָהּ. וְהַמְשַׁמֶּשֶׁת בְּעִדִּים, הֲרֵי זוֹ כִפְקִידָה, וּמְמַעֶטֶת עַל יַד מֵעֵת לְעֵת וְעַל יַד מִפְּקִידָה לִפְקִידָה:
Shammai says: for all women it suffices [to reckon] their [period of uncleanness from their time [of discovering the flow]. Hillel ruled: [their period of uncleanness is to be reckoned retroactively] from the [previous] examination to the [last] examination, even if this was many days. The sages say: [the law is] not like the words of these or the words of those, but [the women are deemed to have been unclean] during [the preceding] twenty-four hours when this lessens the period from the [previous] examination to the [last] examination, and during the period from the [previous] examination to the [last] examination when this lessens the period of twenty-four hours. For any woman who has a regular period it suffices [to reckon her period of uncleanness from] the time she discovers the flow. And if a woman uses rags when she has marital intercourse, this is like an examination which lessens either the period of the [past] twenty-four hours or the period from the [previous] examination to the [last] examination. (Sefaria Translation)

The Mishnah uses the word פקידה to describe a checking. All the commentaries (including the Talmud on 4b) describe this act by way of the word בדיקה (checking). Meaning the verb פקד is never formally used to describe that same action. If so, why even use the word פקידה all together if all it is, is בדיקה.


texts: How did the Menorah of pure gold remain standing?

texts:
Seeing that pure gold cannot remain in its functional shape for everyday use being that it's too bendable, how did the Menorah in the Mishkan not fall apart after a few months? The Torah says the Menorah was chiseled out of one large chunk of pure gold (Shemos 25:31)

וְעָשִׂיתָ מְנֹרַת זָהָב טָהוֹר מִקְשָׁה תֵּעָשֶׂה הַמְּנוֹרָה
יְרֵכָהּ וְקָנָהּ גְּבִיעֶיהָ כַּפְתֹּרֶיהָ וּפְרָחֶיהָ מִמֶּנָּה
יִהְיוּ׃
You shall make a lampstand of pure gold; the lampstand shall be made
of hammered work; its base and its shaft, its cups, calyxes, and
petals shall be of one piece.

Note: I'm not asking how the Menorah was made out of pure gold as that may have involved Direct Intervention, rather how did the malleable Menorah have the ability to continue functioning for many years?


texts: Mordechai Kedar and Edy Cohen (Main israeli political activists in Arabic media) Says that The Third temple Will come down from heaven, is not a human build, is there any evidence for that?


texts:
I remember hearing in a daf yomo shiur (and I want to find where is it written)
something similar to this: it is preferable not to marry a divorced woman (if her ex-husband is still alive) because it might not be good for your future children (since she might be thinking about her first husband, but that if she is a widow then there is no fear of this.)

Please help me find where something like this is written.


texts: Is there anything objectionable (in terms of halacha, hashkafa and middos) to using the Ferber method for training an infant to fall asleep on its own? There is an element of cruelty, and the ultimate benefit is probably more for the exhausted parents than for the child.


texts: I have a size 22 and I want to order one that tucks better into my pants. Right now the tzizit are tucked in but the garment itself doesn't reach my pants. Do I buy a bigger sized tallit katan (like a 24 or a 26) or do I need to look for some other measurement? I'm happy with the width of the garment, I would just like it to be longer on the front and back.


texts: Why didn't Hashem call twice to Yitzchak like he did to other prophets?

texts:
Avraham Avraham, Yaakov Yaakov, Moshe Moshe, Shmuel Shmuel - why not Yitzchok Yitzchok?

  Related to Hashem calls people twice and Hinneni

We find in Tanach that Hashem called Avraham Avraham, Yaakov Yaakov, Moshe Moshe, Shmuel Shmuel. Why if this is a language of affection (ילקוט שמעוני - שמואל א - פרק ג - רמז צז), and showing that the person remained the same even after Hashem spoke to them and even after they were elevated to their positions - why do we not find the same by Yitzchok?


texts:
Who would be interested in getting non-observant 39 year old jewish man to become observant?
I am not-so-young man in need for direction in my life and by becoming Chasidic Jew and observant, might bring a purpose for my life.  My name is Gary Kolas and my e-mail address is: gkolas@yahoo.com  My phone# 310-882-1727.
Please, get in touch with me.


texts: Today, what is our replacement for prophets?

texts:
Today, who can be a good replacement for prophets?

Whom should we go to in order to find truth?

Is a rabbi a good replacement for prophets? Today, what are the requirements for a rabbi so he can be a replacement for prophets?

Or do we have no need for prophets, now? If we've needed in the past, then why now do we not need prophets?


texts: Will there be free will and a purpose to doing good in the messianic era?

texts:
I recently saw this question in the new Christianity stack exchange site, and it reminded me of a question I meant to ask as a follow-up to this question.

With the assumption that evil exists so that we have free will and that it gives purpose to doing good (c.f. this answer), what will happen in the messianic era when there will be no evil? Can we conclude that there will be no free will or purpose to doing good in the World to Come?


texts: Is the prohibition against lifnei iver--causing someone to sin--applicable if one causes a non-Jew to violate the Noachide Laws? For example, suppose I (ch"v) give a Noachide something to eat that was taken from a living animal, and tell him it was not. If he eats it, am I guilty of an aveira? (...If not?)


texts: Where is Shabbos called "the most precious of days"?

texts:
In our Shabbos tefillos, we say that

חמדת הימים אותו קראת
You (Hashem) called it (the Sabbath) the most precious of days.

In the Shabbos poem "Baruch Keil Elyon" (composed by HaRav Barukh ben Shemu'el, d. 1221) it mentions:

חמדת הימים קראו א-לי צור
The most precious of days my G-d, the Rock, called it

Where did G-d call Shabbos "חמדת הימים"?


texts: If a cold dairy item (such as a liquid or solid) falls into lukewarm chicken soup, and The bowl had recently been hot, is the bowl treif?


texts: Story of Megaddalela, rabbi tells man to marry woman of ill-repute

texts:
I once read a story in the Talmud about a woman of ill-repute named Megaddalela, whom a rabbi told a man to marry. I used it for a research project and can no longer find the original source. And I do not speak Hebrew to find it in the original texts. Anyone familiar with the story? And what the original source is? I thought it was Chagigah 5a, but looking again I do not see the story there.
Grateful for anyone familiar with the source!


texts:
We all know, from when we were little children, that the Jewish people had four mothers and four fathers. The mothers will, of course, be Sarah, Rebeccah, Rachel, and Leah. However, in the fathers department, we only find Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
The existence of four fathers is further substantiated by the first mishna in Bava Kama.
Who is the fourth Father?

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


texts:
Who knows thirty-four?
ארבעה ושלושים - מי יודע?
The traditional Passover song "Echad - mi yodeya" implies a possible presupposition that there is a Jewish significance to be found for each natural number. Accordingly, there is an ongoing series on Mi Yodeya that is attempting to unearth significant Judaism facts about each number, in sequence.
What significant Judaism facts are there about the number 34? The more significant within Judaism and the more intrinsically dependent on the value 34, the stronger the answer. Please include sources for your information wherever possible, as with all other answers on this site.
Answers that are just lazy gematria are poor; please don't post them.


texts: Does golel for first torah stand for second torah?

texts:
When there are two or three sifrei torah read on the same day, either the magbiah or golel holds the first sefer while the second is read. In this case should he stand for…

kadish after reading from the second sefer?
Hagbah for the second sefer?

I have no halachik reason to think he should/shouldn’t, I just think that I’ve seen most people sit through both and I can’t figure out why.

There have been a bunch of suggestions in the comments section that he doesn't stand out of respect to the second sefer (Why should one have to stand for the other?). I like the answer, but if some sort of authoritative source could be found that would be better.


texts: How were the patterned curtains for the mishkan woven?

texts:
Shemot 26:1 describes the mishkan's curtains thus:

וְאֶת הַמִּשְׁכָּן תַּעֲשֶׂה עֶשֶׂר יְרִיעֹת שֵׁשׁ מָשְׁזָר וּתְכֵלֶת וְאַרְגָּמָן וְתֹלַעַת שָׁנִי כְּרֻבִים מַעֲשֵׂה חשֵׁב תַּעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם:
And the Mishkan you shall make out of ten curtains [consisting] of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool. A cherubim design of the work of a master weaver you shall make them.

I had always assumed that, given that we're using four different colors here, the cheruvim were somehow woven in using contrasting colors (like maybe the background was one color and the other three were used to make the pattern).  But Rashi says the four colors were all plied together into one 24-strand yarn containing all four colors:

of twisted fine linen, and blue, purple, and crimson wool: Thus there are four kinds [of material] together in each thread, one of linen and three of wool, and each thread was doubled six times. Thus, four kinds [of material], when they are twisted together, yield twenty-four strands to a thread. — [from Baraitha Melecheth HaMishkan, ch. 2, Yoma 71b]

(I didn't find more info in Yoma, and I don't know Baraitha Melecheth HaMishkan.)
One might think the cheruvim are then embroidered on top of this blended background, but Rashi points out that the text says "work of a master weaver", not embroiderer:

A cherubim design of the work of a master weaver: Cherubim were drawn on them [the curtains] in their weave; not with embroidery, which is needlework, but with weaving on both sides, one face from here [one side] and one face from there [the other side]: a lion from this side and an eagle from that side, as silk girdles, called feysses in Old French, are woven. — [from Yoma 72b]

Now I don't know a lot about the construction of the tabernacle, but I do know a little bit about weaving.  If you weave a pattern into the cloth, you get the pattern on one side and its inverse on the other.  So we can't be talking about that, according to Rashi.  Another technique is brocading, where you use a second weft thread to weave in the pattern on top of the cloth as you go (on one side).  This second weft doesn't contribute to the structural integrity of the cloth (that's what the first, main weft is for), but you can use it to make patterns like those shown in this article and this one.  This technique was used in Rashi's time for silk girdles.
It would be quite difficult to brocade on both sides of the cloth using the looms and techniques available in Rashi's time, let alone those in the time of the midbar, but the torah also tells us that the mishkan craftsmen were embued with exceptional spirit and skill, so maybe they could do that.
If they did use brocading to make the images, though, then what did they use for the brocade thread?  The torah is very detailed in describing the materials for the mishkan, and it doesn't say anything about gold thread, for example.  You can brocade with the same yarn that you weave with, in which case you get a raised textured effect, but it'd be pretty hard to see because it's of uniform coloring.
And all of this is being done with only a single blended thread color, according to Rashi.  (As opposed to having red, blue, purple, and linen threads separately available to make contrasting patterns.)  If you ply threads of different colors together as Rashi says, you get a thread with color that varies along its length as each component thread rises to the top alternately.
It's possible, of course, that Rashi is mistaken, either about the colors all being twisted together into one thread or about the patterning.  None of the chumashim I checked, including Stone, brought an opposing opinion.
So what did these curtains look like, both coloring and patterning?  How did they use linen, blue, purple, and crimson to make curtains with cheruvim (and maybe other things) woven into them?  Did they use some additional material beyond the four threads/colors the torah describes?  (Like gold brocading on top of this base?)


texts: Is there a custom that the person who makes the siyum on the fast of the first-born should be a bechor?

texts: I have notcied that at my shul, whoever gives the siyum on the fast of the first-born each year before Pesach is always a first-born himself. Is this a generally practiced custom? I cannot imagine a reason why this would have to be the case.


texts: Where can I download a full PDF of Tanakh?

texts:
I want to read about Judaism, and one of the best sources is to read Torah.
But as I searched, I realized it's not a single book. Rather it's a collection of 24 books and is categorized in pentateuch, histories, wisdom, and prophets.
I searched to download all of these books in one PDF file. But I couldn't find a link.
Do we have them all in one file?
Update: I need English translation, and I thought Torah is 24 books. So I need Tanakh.


texts: May one "use the facilities" outdoors on shabbat?

texts: May one urinate on the lawn on shabbat, or is that forbidden the same way that watering it is forbidden? What about defecation? Feces may or may not contain nutrients that are beneficial to the soil and plant growth.


texts:
What are the Halachos about one with Hemorroids on Shabbos?

Is he allowed to use the bathroom/wipe, as this might cause him to bleed?


texts:
The initials of parashat Shemot to Mishpatim form the word Shovavim, which connect this period to Teshuva based on the verse of Jeremia 3:14 where the word Shovavim occurs.

I also read this is a period for rectification of sexual sin. Which from Hosea and Ezekiel could also mean idolatry.

Is there any connection between the teshuvah from idolatry to the parshiot of shovavim?


texts: The realistic expectations from the Golden Calf

texts:
It is difficult for me to understand people's expectations from the Golden Calf they made.

Strangely Aharon and others didn't try to argue on the logic of creating a dummy. So the calf was magically created - then what?

How will it take leadership? How will it communicate with G-d? How will it provide the nation with supplies and shelter and everything they need? And the most important - how will it replace Moses?

I don't expect those people (אם הראשונים כמלאכים) to be plain stupid as Avraham proved the idolaters wrong by making fun of the idols.

So what did the Israelites expect from that Calf they created?


texts:
Why did people start to light oil lamps on chanukah?

How did the holiday come to be represented by lights? If in fact it was that the menorah was lit for eight days with oil, and that was considered the essence of the holiday, then why is there even a discussion about what is chanuka?


texts: Source for gemarah about Rav Shimon bar Yochai's grandson?

texts:
I heard a class where the teacher mentioned a gemarah that says the grandson of Rav Shimon bar Yochai was involved with prostitutes. To save him they had his uncle mentor him, they forced him to move to a new town, and they gave him semicha.

What is the source for this story/gemarah?


texts: Are there standard sizes for tefilin batim (leather cases/housings) today?

texts: I just looked down at the little plastic cover on my arm-tefilin and it had the number 4 on it.  I assume that's a size ... while tefilin must be square, there are definitely a variety of sizes out there.  Are there now some standards?  Does anyone know what they are?  E.g. "size 4 is 1.5 inches" or something?


texts: Why doesn't the Talmud consider the possibility that the later court was greater in wisdom and number?

texts:
In discussing the source that Megillat Esther may be read on the 11th, 12th, or 13th of Adar in addition to the 14th and 15th of Adar, the Talmud (Megillah 2a) has the following exchange:

  What we
  mean [by our question] is this: Let us see now. All these dates were laid down by the Men of the
  Great Assembly. For if you should [deny this and affirm] that the Men of the Great Assembly laid
  down only the fourteenth and fifteenth, [is it possible that] the [later] Rabbis should have come and
  annulled a regulation made by the Men of the Great Assembly, seeing that we have learnt, ‘One Beth
  din cannot annul the ordinances of another unless it is superior to it in number and in wisdom’?
  Obviously, therefore, all these days must have been laid down by the Men of the Great Assembly,
  [and we ask therefore], where are they hinted [in the Scripture]?

The Talmud argues that all the dates must have been ordained by the Men of the Great Assembly, because a later court would not have been able to change the law laid down by them. However, in this very paragraph the Talmud cites an exception wherein a later court can overrule an earlier court – namely where the later court is greater in both wisdom and number. Why, then, does the Talmud here assume that a later court couldn't have changed the rules of when Megillat Esther can be read? Perhaps the later court was indeed greater than the Men of the Great Assembly in both wisdom and number?

Is it for some unstated reason taken for granted that no later court could have surpassed the Men of the Great Assembly? Do any commentators suggest this, or offer any other explanation?


texts: Money obtained by selling Tikrovet avoda zara

texts:
Talmud Kiddushin 58a says that Avoda Zara 'catches its value' (תופס דמיו) to be forbidden as itself: the money obtained from its sale is also forbidden.

Now, what with tikrovet avoda zara (offerings to an idol)? We know that in itself it is also forbidden (AZ 29b). But is the money derived from its sale also forbidden?


texts:
Almost all nouns in Hebrew fit into one of several standard "templates". For example, מִבְחָן comes from the root בחנ combined with the pattern מִפְעָל (already used by many other words). There would never be a word like מֻבְחֵן, since its pattern does not exist anywhere else.

Throughout Tanach, many people's names are explicitly connected to a specific word. For example, שִׁמְעוֹן was named because HaShem heard (שָׁמַע) Leah's prayers. Do these names also fit into patterns? Did Leah simply combine the root שׁמע with a some random vowels and a nice suffix, or did she use a standard "template" to come up with the name?


texts: Can I fold my neighbour’s tallis if I find it in Shul unfolded a day or more after Shabbos?

texts:
Related to Can you fold a tallis on Shabbos?

Folding one’s tallis after Shabbos is a seguloh for Sholom Bayis (unfolding a dish towel and helping one’s wife after Shabbos is a bigger seguloh according to Rabbi Zev Greenglas of Montreal, alav hashalom).

If I find my neighbour’s tallis in Shul unfolded (say on Sunday afternoon or later in the week) is there anything wrong in my folding it for him?

Am I interfering with his Sholom Bayis

or

Would his wife be pleased if she knew that his tallis which she may have bought for him had been folded (even by someone else)?


texts:
Someone recently made the claim to me that matza from a previous year was considered chametz / may not be used on the subsequent Pesach. (And as such, they plan on throwing out the matza from last year prior to Pesach.) I find this claim hard to believe, and my first inclination is to think it is just the latest chumra, innovated by people who don't know what they are talking about. But I don't have the time to research this.

Is there any Rabbinic source which would demonstrate that old matza is considered chametz?

Alternatively, is there any Rabbinic source which would demonstrate that old matza is NOT considered chametz?

This was admittedly somewhat covered in this question / answer, but Rabbinic source I mean a gemara, Shulchan Aruch, etc., where it is discussed (explicitly or implicit from the discussion), rather than an assertion on a (kashrut) website.


texts: Order in which to wash face, hands and feet

texts:
A halocho sheet given out in my shul says that there is an order to washing (e.g. on Erev Shabbos) – first face then right hand, left hand and finally feet. The source is given as מחזיק ברכה ר״ס, ג.

I had always thought that פניו ידיו ורגליו was a phrase but not a specified order because it is difficult to imagine washing the face before the hands.

Are there other sources which discuss the order of washing hands, face and feet?


texts: Clothing and shame, etymologically speaking

texts:
I have been unable to find an etymological connection between the root for shame בשש (especially as it turns into the forms of בושה בושת) and the word for "clothe" לבש. Shame was introduced in Breishit as a result of Adam and Chava's realizing they were unclothed and clothing, soon after, as follows:

2:25

כה וַיִּהְיוּ שְׁנֵיהֶם עֲרוּמִּים, הָאָדָם וְאִשְׁתּוֹ; וְלֹא, יִתְבֹּשָׁשׁוּ.

and 3:21

כא וַיַּעַשׂ ... לְאָדָם וּלְאִשְׁתּוֹ, כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר--וַיַּלְבִּשֵׁם.

It seems to me that the verb would be an explanation for how one resolves that shame, by covering it; clothing (like a תלבושת?) would, at the source be "that which covers shame". Onkelos has totally different words for each (shame being from the k-l-m root and clothing from the same l-b-sh root).

Has anyone seen a source which explores this connection?


texts: When Tosfos refer to "Tosfos", who do they mean?

texts:
According to Wikipedia, the Tosfos to Moed Qatan were written by a student to a certain Rabbi Yitzhak. Do we know anything about who he was or where he lived?

Specifically, to whom is he referring in Moed Qatan 18b (s.v. אין כותבין) when he contrasts his views with those of "the [other] tosafists"? In other words, when he says "פירשו בתוספות" is he referring to an edited collection called Tosfos (like the one that we have - maybe even the very one that we have) or to the opinions of individual tosafists, which may or may not have been committed to writing?


texts: GE Shabbos / Yom Tov mode on ovens - Machlokes

texts: In this question How does Shabbos/Yom Tov mode on a stove work? it discusses how the Shabbos / Yom Tov mode works. I have recently heard that there are Rabbis that do not allow using this mode. Does anyone know who is in favor and who is against?


texts: I want to define free-will for this question as a moral right and wrong decision, not an arbitrary decision or a true/false decision.  I am familiar with sources that say that angels do not have free will of this type.  I have also often heard quoted an idea that "angels have free will, but it is just so clear to them that they should make the right decision that they almost never make the wrong decision."  Can anyone provide sources predating the 20th century (the earlier the better) which support this idea?


texts: What dates were the Talmuds and Midrashes written?

texts:
Can we prove what dates in history these texts were written?

Also, do we know exactly when the various Rabbis of these texts lived? What are those dates? Are there disputes about this?

Further, which historical records and artifacts are used to corroborate these dates? Are there any good books written on the topic?

There can be various practical applications for Jewish law if we know exactly when these texts were written. For example, if the Yerushalmi was written around the same time as the Bavli, then we may be able to rule like it against the Bavli, because Klal Yisrael didn't have a chance to disprove the Yerushalmi and make a final ruling whether the Bavli is the final word in halacha.


texts: Is air volume counted as part of the kezayit for Birkat Hamazon?

texts:
Poori is an Indian bread that puffs when it is hot. When measuring the kezayit olive size of bread that is the minimum to require Birkat Hamazon, does one include the volume of air in the food, or does one have to subtract this from the measurement?

(I'm using bread as an example. But my question would similarly apply to other "airy" foods like borekas, croissants, puffed wheat, etc.)


texts: Bracha on seeing indirect light from lightning?

texts:
As this question mentions, one should say the bracha if the sky lights up, even if one does not see the bolt.

What if one is facing away from the window when lightning strikes and the light fills the room? Does this count as seeing lightning?


texts:
Note: this question is not lema'aseh. If it applies to you, please consult a competent halachic authority.

Suppose someone is part of a uniformed service. They are issued a uniform which, when checked, contains sha'atnez. They request a replacement and find that that too contains sha'atnez.

In short, if one is required to wear a uniform which will certainly contain sha'atnez, what should one do?


texts:
(1) In Tractate Mezuzah, we learn that you must put a mezuzah on a new house as soon as construction is finished, whether or not the house is occupied. [Mezuzah 2:11]

(2) However, this quotes the Mishneh Torah to the effect that it's up to the tenant to affix a mezuzah.

How do we reconcile these two statements?

If (1), what if the house is being built for rental, as an investment?  Does the Jewish owner also need to put mezuzot there?  If the tenants are not Jewish they may throw them out, which would be a desecration of God's name.

(For information:  If the renter is Jewish and finds no mezuzot there, he must affix them, and when he leaves he may NOT take them with him, because the owner is Jewish.  If the owner is not Jewish, he may take them with him.  [Mezuzah 2:13])


texts:
Frequently, when we refer to Eliyahu (Elijah the prophet), the term זכור לטוב ("Remembered for good things") is used. I vaguely recall seeing the Talmud use this term for someone else, but I don't recall whom.

What is the reason fro using this term for Eliyahu or certain other people? What merits someone to have this term used? Is it reserved just for dead people, or can this be said about a meritorious living person?


texts:
What posuk for the name Golda is to be said at the end of Shemoneh Esrei?

I spell it with an aleph at the end and the Artscroll siddur doesn't have the gimmel, aleph combination.


texts: What is the oldest source for hakafos on Simchas Torah? (Bonus: Why do we do hakafos on Simchas Torah?)


texts: Is there a prohibition to say Kaddish after a pet (an animal)?

texts:
Is there a prohibition to say kaddish for a just died pet (yes, an animal)?

This is not similar to this, which asks if there is a prayer for a dying pet, my question is if there is a prohibition to say kaddish for a dead pet.
is there a prayer for a beloved family pet who is dying?

This is not similar to this, which asks if a prayer can be said for a dead pet, my question is if there is a prohibition to say kaddish for a dead pet.
What prayer may be said upon the death of a beloved pet, specifically, a dog?

This is not similar to this, which only deals whether one can say amen if one decides to say kaddish for his or her dog, but my question is, is there a prohibition for saying kaddish for a pet?
Answering Amen to kaddish for a dog


texts:
Tractate Shekalim is the only tractate of Yerushalmi included in the Daf Yomi cycle.

I assume this is because it was the only lonesome tractate of Seder Moed which did not have Bavli on it, so to complete the Seder they included it.

Is there verification (or refutation) of this theory, or is there another explanation?


texts: Does a pregnant or nursing woman fast on a postponed Tish'ah B'Av?

texts:
According to this answer pregnant and nursing women generally fast only on Tish'ah B'Av and Yom Kippur, but not the other "minor" fasts. (This is certainly the case where fasting would cause them pain.)

In a year where the ninth of Av falls on shabbat, the fast is postponed (nidcheh) until the next day. Are there any leniencies regarding the expectation that a pregnant or nursing woman fast in that case?

The reason I am asking is that anecdotally, I have heard reports (second- or third-hand) of various Rabbis (often in Israel) ruling more leniently specifically in this case, and am seeking sources that either confirm or rule against this practice. Anecdotally, I have heard of pregnant women being told not to fast at all, to fast until midday (chatzot) or to begin the fast but break it upon feeling even mild discomfort, when Tish'ah B'Av is postponed.

Please bring sources (if they exist) that explicitly rule leniently where Tish'ah B'Av is postponed, or explicitly rule against such a position.


texts: What are the prohibitions involved with going to a public beach?

texts:
What halachic issues are there with regards to modesty when visiting a public beach? I am referring to the summer time when people are generally dressed immodestly at the beach.

Does it help to visit a quieter beach where less people can be found?

How is a beach different then visiting a public thoroughfare, if there is any difference? (For example in the summer time you can find people dressed very beach-like in regular public places, but perhaps you shouldn't visit those places either...)


texts:
Suppose 'teleportation' like the transporter in star trek - where you are disassembled atom by atom, and reassembled in another location -  becomes a reality. It will then likely become the most ubiquitous way for people to travel around - to/from work, on vacation, anywhere.

We can also imagine this teleportation being done slowly in parts, where let's say a leg is disassembled then reassembled elsewhere, followed by an arm, followed by bones and organs in some sequence, followed by small portions of the brain. In this way, there may be no single point in time at which the original is 'dead' and the copy is 'alive' - or at least no line that can be drawn unambiguously.

What would halacha say about it? Would it consider it as murder, since the original is disassembled? Or maybe it'd be ok since the person is recreated elsewhere and continues to live there, and moreover from a subjective viewpoint it would feel like a continuous experience - not unlike going to sleep on an airplane and waking up in another country.


texts: Did Yiftach's daughter have to comply with his vow?

texts:
In Judges chapter 11 Yiftach vows to dedicate whatever first comes out of the doors of his home to God (perhaps to be sacrificed as an offering) should he be victorious in battle.
After his victory he comes home and it is his daughter who come out. He tells her what he must do and instead of refusing to be subservient to his vow she says (36):

וַתֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו אָבִי פָּצִיתָה אֶת־פִּיךָ אֶל־ה' עֲשֵׂה לִי כַּאֲשֶׁר יָצָא מִפִּיךָ אַחֲרֵי אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה לְךָ ה' נְקָמוֹת מֵאֹיְבֶיךָ מִבְּנֵי עַמּוֹן׃
“Father,” she said, “you have uttered a vow to the LORD; do to me as you have vowed, seeing that the LORD has vindicated you against your enemies, the Ammonites.”

According to the gemarah (Taanit 4a) Yiftach offered her as a sacrifice. Yet I would assume his daughter would be obligated under the command of וְחי בהם to do whatever is in her power not to be killed. But even according to the opinions (Radak, Ralbag etc.) who assume she was dedicated to God in a manner similar to Shmuel HaNavi, I don't see why the daughter would have to comply. Perhaps it is possible that she wanted to comply even without any true obligation to do so, but I have not seen any commentators who make this claim.
Therefore my question is did Yiftach's daughter have to comply with his vow and if not, why did she?


texts: Who's a person with two independant zikas supposed to marry?

texts:
Woman A was married to B, and B died without children. A should do Yibum with C but never got around to it. Instead she married D.

D then died without children, but has a brother E.

Who should A marry, C or E?

(According to Sefardim who do Yibum) Who does Yibbum C or E or Should they both do Chalitza?


texts: Chabad Houses singing Yedid Nefesh before Kabalash Shabbos

texts:
In the Nusach Ari used by Chabad, Yedid Nefesh appears as a continuation of Pasach Eliyahu to be said before Mincha. The standard print of the Tehilas Hashem siddur explicitly instructs to say it before Mincha although it is ambiguous at best in the Alter Rebbe's Siddur, from the Siddur Torah Or on it is put squarely before Mincha.

However, many Chabad Houses I have attended will sing Yedid Nefesh right before Lecha Dodi. Is this simply a way of adding a nice tune, or is there a reason behind the practice related to the Nusach of the prayers?


texts:
The original practice, from what I understand, was that kohanim would bless the congregation every day during the amida of shacharis (and of musaf and n'ila when they were said, and of mincha on a fast day). At some point that changed, so that Ashk'nazim outside Israel now do so only on holidays and only during musaf. (S'faradim do it daily, and the practice in Israel is to do it daily, except in some northern cities of Israel.)

When did this change? That is, when did Ashk'nazim outside Israel stop the daily practice? And if S'faradim or Israelis also stopped it but later reinstated it, when did those occur?


texts: How were coins that were destined for the Dead Sea managed?

texts:
A mishna on Meila 11a talks about money that a nazarite set aside for his offerings; if he died before completing the term and had set money aside specifically for the sin-offering, those coins are dropped into the Dead Sea.  (I know that this is a specific case of a more-general rule.)  This led me to wonder how that was done: were the coins dropped in individually, for each person as the case came up, or collected and dumped en masse (after some amount of time perhaps, or when there are "enough" to be worth the effort, like when we collect papers for burial)?  I then found two possibly-contradictory ideas: on the one hand, some speculate that a large collection found by archaeologists was from this kind of disposal, but on the other hand, I'm told that Rashi on Pesachim 28a says there was a concern that people would collect them.  (According to the latter view, the Dead Sea was chosen because ships didn't go there, not necessarily for its corrosive properties.)
If there is a concern that people will go diving for them, it would make sense to dump them individually, as the cases come up, not in large volumes, to reduce the profitability of that.  On the other hand, that's more of a hassle to manage, and raises the risk of the money being used instead of destroyed.
How was this done?  Was each payment dumped individually, or was money collected until there was "enough"?


texts:
The title quite says it. I'm specifically more interested in unschooling....
It is said in Ktubot, 50:b, that:

אמר רב יצחק באושא התקינו שיהא אדם מתגלגל עם בנו עד שתים עשרה שנה מכאן
ואילך יורד עמו לחייו

Rashi comments:

מגלגל עם בנו - אם מסרב מללמוד יגלגל עמו בנחת ובדברים רכים
יורד עמו לחייו - לרדותו ברצועה ובחוסר לחם

There's also, in Kidushin, 29:a:

האב חייב בבנו למולו ולפדותו וללמדו תורה ולהשיאו אשה וללמדו אומנות וי"א
אף להשיטו במים רבי יהודה אומר כל שאינו מלמד את בנו אומנות מלמדו ליסטות

So far, we can see there's a Mitzva for the father to teach his son Torah and a profession. Nothing is said yet of the methodology. However, in Bava Batra, 21:a, it is related:

דאמר רב יהודה אמר רב ברם זכור אותו האיש לטוב ויהושע בן גמלא שמו שאלמלא
הוא נשתכח תורה מישראל שבתחלה מי שיש לו אב מלמדו תורה מי שאין לו אב לא
היה למד תורה מאי דרוש (דברים יא, יט) ולמדתם אותם ולמדתם אתם התקינו
שיהו מושיבין מלמדי תינוקות בירושלים מאי דרוש (ישעיהו ב, ג) כי מציון
תצא תורה ועדיין מי. שיש לו אב היה מעלו ומלמדו מי שאין לו אב לא היה
עולה ולמד התקינו שיהו מושיבין בכל פלך ופלך ומכניסין אותן כבן ט"ז כבן
י"ז ומי שהיה רבו כועס עליו מבעיט בו ויצא עד שבא יהושע בן גמלא ותיקן
שיהו מושיבין מלמדי תינוקות בכל מדינה ומדינה ובכל עיר ועיר ומכניסין
אותן כבן שש כבן שבע

According to this, it seems that school is only second choice, comparing to the father himself teaching his son. The Melamed is only Shluach-Mitzva, since the father is incapable of performing it himself (whatever the reason). But if he could, then maybe the known statement from Kidushin, 41:a מצוה בו יותר מבשלוחו should take effect.
So I'm able to present some Talmud citations, but I'm asking what's the present Orthodox Rabbis' observation over the subject?


texts: Tosfos in the Gemarah Sota 10b writes that being מלבין את פני חבירו is a sin that one should rather give his life up for. Therefore, in the case of the Ben Sorer U'Moreh, why do we make such a big deal out of making sure that his death is public? Is this not going against embarrassing someone?


texts: Could Moshe Rabbeinu have made atonement for striking the rock?

texts: See Numbers 20:1–13. Could Moshe Rabbeinu have made atonement for striking the rock, so he could have entered the promised land?


texts: What does having a nocturnal emssion on Yom Kippur mean? I’ve seen different opinions.  Please cite sources.


texts:
In the Torah, charity is a private matter. Each person has an obligation to help the poor in various ways, for example, by leaving some wheat on the ground, leaving some fruits on the trees,  giving interest-free loans, etc. However, there is no public system of helping the poor.

In contrast, in the Talmud there is are public institutes called "Tamchui" (food for the needy) and "Kupat Tzedaka" (money for the needy), to which every town member is obligated to contribute a certain part of his/her income.

Since the "Tamchui" and "Kupa" were not mentioned in the Torah, they were probably enacted in a later date. So my question is: when exactly did they start? Who started them? And for what reason?


texts: Rabbi Menachem Greenblatt (St. Louis, Missouri) mentioned at s'uda sh'lishis (Shabas parashas "Ki Setze" 5772) that the  correct name for Sunday is echad b(a?)shabas, as is written in k'suvos and gitin (see Shulchan Aruch, Even Haezer 126:3), even though the other days are referred to with ordinals (sheni et al.), and wondered aloud in passing why we say in the introduction to the shir shel yom "hayom yom rishon" and not "echad". Anyone have a reason (preferably sourced)?


texts: If tzizit are supposed to remind you of Hashem and the Mitzvoh whats the point of the tzizit in back? It's rare you see them at all even if you don't tuck them in.


texts: If according to my Bible translation - please correct me if it is wrong - anything a woman in niddah or a state of tumah, or 'impurity', touches or sits on becomes 'impure', can food cooked by her be eaten by others and if so, do they also become tumah?


texts: Can the Passover seder be held on a different night during the week to satisfy family constraints?

texts: I know many families have both a first night seder and a second night seder with a separate set of guests. How flexible is this? If a family has travel constraints, could they just have a 5th night seder, while following the other laws for the whole period?


texts: Taking ADHD medicine on Shabbos (ex: Adderall/ Ritalin)

texts:
Following on the heels of recent questions "Why restrict medicine on Shabbos?" & "Is clinical depression medication allowed on Shabbos?"

Is it permitted to take ADHD medicine such as Adderall/ Ritalin on Shabbos?
Is ADHD considered a sufficient enough illness to warrant taking medicine on Shabbos?


texts:
The Gemara sometimes relates anecdotes of Amoraim and presents them in a negative light by including details which would seemingly classify as Lashon Hara in any other context. For instance,

"רַב אַוְיָא אִיקְּלַע לְבֵי רָבָא. הֲוָה מְאִיסָן (בֵּי) כַּרְעֵיהּ בְּטִינָא. אִתֵּיב אַפּוּרְיָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּרָבָא. אִיקְּפַד רָבָא, בְּעָא לְצַעוֹרֵיהּ"

'Rav Avya went to Rava’s house. His feet were dirty with clay and he put them on the bed before Rava. Rava got angry and sought to torment him with questions.' (Shabbat 46a)

Why would Rav Ashi and Ravina name the sage and also include these embarrassing details? Why would the laws of derogatory speech not apply?


texts: How many people brought sacrifices to the tabernacle at the same time?

texts: With over 600,000 male Israelites required to offer sacrifices at the Tabernacle, how many males came at one time? This seems to comprise an enormous logistical difficulty.


texts: Sources for Greek philosophy being influenced by Judaism

texts:
I'm aware of multiple sources describing exactly the opposite - the sheer influence of the Greek culture, language, economy, science and general worldview on the Sages and Judaism.

The Greek culture bloomed at times of the first Temple (c.900-500BCE), long before the era of our Sages and far away geographically. The Gemmorah brings a couple of encounters between Alexander the Great and the Sages (e.g. Tamid 32) but those are very late and, while the king showed a great deal of respect to the Sages, show no signs of any influence.

Are there sources (Jewish or not) that speak of the [possible] influence of the early Jewish thought on the Greek philosophy, like Socrates or Plato?

Related:
Reddit: did Plato or Socrates heard about or read the Old Testament,
Quora: did Aristotle-and-Socrates-read-the-Pentateuch


texts: Why did the pasuk change מחויאל to מחייאל in Bereshis 4:18? Is there any peirush who discusses this change and it significance?


texts:
I live in an apartment with a balcony that is fully covered by the balcony two floors above (the balconies are zig-zagged).  This means that I cannot build a kosher sukka in my balcony.  I don't have any other place to build a sukka instead, so if I don't build it in the balcony, I won't build one at all.

Is it preferable to build a sukka that I know in advance that will not be kosher, or to not build a sukka at all?  Does a "best effort" count for anything?


texts: Is there a concept of a "Makom Kavu'ah" in a public area?

texts:
Some time ago, I was sitting on a NYC subway train on my way to work. A frum guy approached me and asked if I would mind moving as I was sitting in his "makom kavu'ah" (designated place).

I was astounded. As this was the train's first stop, and the train was empty (it always is at this stop), I told him that there were plenty of other seats and, as I understood, there was no such thing as a "makom kavuah" for commuting on the subway. The guy explained that he recites Tehillim on his trip, and this is a form of davening, and he needs my specific seat. In brief, I didn't budge, and he sat somewhere else.

To simplify my question, I won't address the claim that reciting Tehillim when it's not part of Shacharit or other tefillah would still be considered "davening". Perhaps, it is, but I'll leave that for some other question.

As I understand it, the "makom kavuah" is only in a shul or one's home or some other private dwelling and applies only for tefillah. Regardless, I understand that there can not be a "makom kavuah" in a public place such as a subway where 1st to occupy a seat gets it. Likewise, if you were to daven by sitting on a park bench in a public park, you could not claim that bench is your "makom kavu'ah".

Am I assuming correctly, or can a public spot really be a "makom kavu'ah"?


texts: What does it mean to have faith in our wise sages?

texts: What does it mean to have faith in our wise sages (אמונת חכמים)?


texts: Different groupings for the Shofar soundings

texts:
I've seen several arrangements for the 100 shofar blasts done on Rosh Hashanna

Both Nusach Ashkenaz and Sefard agree on doing 30 before Musaph

Nusach Ashkenaz:

3 groups of 10 each during the Amidah repetition
Either 40 done after Musaf, before Titkabel of the Full Kadish OR

30 during the Kaddish after Musaph and
10 before Aleinu or at the end of the service

Nusach Sefard:

3 groups of 10 each after Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot of the silent Amidah
3 groups of 10 each after Malchuyot, Zichronot and Shofarot of the Chazan's repetition of the Amidah
10 after Musaf, either during Full Kaddish or before Aleinu

What's the reasoning for the different breakups?
Most notably, why does Nusach Sefard include blasts during the silent Amidah while Nusach Ashkenaz doesn't?


texts:
The Sh'ma opens with the commandment to love the L_rd your G_d with all your heart, all your soul and all your resources.

To help protect the sanctity of Shabbat, there are laws which build a fence around the observance, keeping sanctity of Shabbat a step away from desecration; are there similar guidelines or laws in halacha to help protect the observance of the commandment to love Hashem?

I can think of many instructions which contribute to one's loving Hashem - for example, the many blessings of thanks help one keep in touch with one's gratitude for the pleasures of existence. But what is there that is expressly concerned with avoiding damage to your own, or someone else's love for Hashem?

Are there guidelines for Rabbis and other teachers, maybe, on how to instruct people in matters of observance in such a way that the recipient of their guidance understands observance as a path to increased holiness and doesn't mistake it for a burden? Is there advice for individuals on how to approach a mitzvah so that it can be appreciated, not merely fulfilled (or even just endured)?


texts:
God tells Jonah to go to Nineveh, capital of Assyria, and tell the people to repent or He will destroy them.  Jonah keeps refusing and escaping, but God steers him back to his mission every time.  Finally he warns Nineveh and they repent, so God spares them.

Jonah is displeased and wishes he were dead!

  O Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live. [Jonah 4:1-3]

Why?  Is it because Assyria was the cruel warlike enemy of Israel and Jonah wanted it destroyed? Or because Jonah did not believe in repentance and wanted Nineveh destroyed for their misdeeds? This would explain his reluctance to take on the mission in the first place.

Is this discussed anywhere?


texts:
I remember hearing that Rachel Imeinu was buried in kever Rachel, but was only there for one night and then she went to Mearas Hamachpaila.

I can't remember in whose name it was said. Does anyone know a source for this?