texts: Ownership of customer's chametz by a Jew owning a delivery receipt business

texts:
Recently our rabbi gave a lecture from the Mishna Brurah concerning the obligation to divest oneself of ownership and possession of chametz during Pesach.  The rabbi noted that if you accepted delivery of packages for your neighbor, then you have responsibility for the package as if you were the owner.  A classic situation of a bailee.  But with that responsiblity comes the issue of possibly owning chametz that might be contained in one of the boxes you accepted delivery for.

In our community, a member just opened a service that provides mailboxes to customers and helps them with mailing packages, as well.  In theory, one of the packages he holds for a customer could contain chametz.  Nevertheless, the owner of the service is not the owner of the package.  How can the Jewish service provider release himself of responsibility for these packages during Pesach?  Note:  Decision of LOR is pending.


texts: What is the meaning of "Midnight Guard - First Watch" and "Morning Guard - Third Watch" in the Zmanim

texts:
I have searched this Mi Yodea site extensively and can find no references. I am almost positive that this is not a duplicate, or answered somewhere else.Thank you.

I use the Halachic Times App (Halachic Times by Moshe Waisberg {developer pnemonic@gmail.com})

I have written to the developer and asked the question on the APP itself., and received no answer from him

The exact sequence is: Twilight; Nightfall; Midnight Guard-First Watch; Midnight; Morning Guard-Third Watch.
Sunrise, and the earliest time for SHEMA are given;

MY QUESTION: (While interesting) HOW, and WHY, are these times relevant to us today; and WHY do we need to know them?


texts: If one forgot that they already said a bracha and then said it again does it count as a bracha levatala?

texts:
A person was eating dates and said borei pri hoaytz before starting, ate a few dates, said borei pri hoaytz again and then continued to eat.
Does the second borei pri hoaytz count as a bracha levatala?


texts: Companies like Neuralink are working on neural implants which could be used to directly interface with computer. Presumably the first users will be those for whom the implant is a medical necessity, such as paraplegics. But later, healthy people may electively implant a device for various benefits. Would this form of body modification be permitted?


texts:
I have recently studied the Chazon Ish's work Emunah U'Vitachon and in the opening pages, the Chazon Ish displays a vast knowledge of human anatomy. Also, the Chazon Ish successfully mapped out a plan for a neurosurgeon to successfully complete an operation. Where did the Chazon Ish learn so much about human anatomy and medicine? Could it be that the Chazon Ish studied medical books?

As always, please cite your sources.


texts: May a woman be appointed as CEO of a Jewish company or principal of a Jewish school

texts:
רמב"ם פרק א' מהלכות מלכים הלכה ה

  אין מעמידין אשה במלכות שנאמר עליך מלך ולא מלכה, וכן כל משימות
  שבישראל אין ממנים בהם אלא איש.

  A woman cannot be appointed to royalty... and so too with any
  appointment among Jews, we may not appoint a woman, only a man:

Questions:

According to the Rambam may a woman be appointed as CEO of a Jewish company?
[How] according to the Rambam, may a woman be appointed as a principal (headmaster) of a Jewish (girls') school?


texts: When a righteous woman passes away what is the appropriate term to use to indicate "in her blessed memory"?, i.e., is there a lady's alternative to z"l ?


texts: According to the Mishna (Niddah 6:9), any fish that has scales also has a fin, but not all fish that have fins also have scales (כל שיש לו קשקשת יש לו סנפיר ויש שיש לו סנפיר ואין לו קשקשת). If that is so, why does the Torah need to tell us that fish require both scales and a fin (Leviticus 11:9-12)? Why not just tell us that they only require scales?


texts: Would a tattoo of burial wishes ever be permitted?

texts:
If a Jewish person, for whatever reason lived alone/in isolation from other Jews/or was not known to many other Jews on his area, would it be permissible for such a person to have their burial wishes (taharah, no cremation, etc.) to be tattooed on their arm or chest? Is the potential of having a county coroner perform unlawful procedures on their body, etc. be enough to override the prohibition on tattooing the body? Why or why not?

[NOTE: I am envisioning a case with an older person who might have such a fear of passing away suddenly.]


texts: When tying tzitzit, you tie 7, 8, 11, then 13 krichot. I know the reason for 7 and 13 is because there are 7 shamayim in the rakiah and six passage ways between them, so there is 7 for the minimum, and 6+7 or 13 for the maximum. But what is the reason for the 8 and 11?


texts:
I've been talking with someone about possibly moving in to a room in her house later in the year. Her kitchen is kosher and her house is shomer Shabbos, but since I'm used to spending Shabbos in Jewish homes and also I mostly buy raw non-animal products to eat or cook with... it wouldn't really be an adjustment for me anyway. I'd just like an idea about what other issues might be relevant to ask about or think about. Obviously this question is practically relevant to me, but I'm only asking so I have a better idea about the topic. No doubt she will ask for the relevant information herself, and there are rabbis I can ask my own questions from. But do any of you have personal experience in this area? Or do you have any thoughts? I guess that some of the considerations will also be around holidays, like Pesach.

Thanks :)


texts: The suffering servant? Yeshayahu- Isaiah - Chapter 53


texts: Where in Nach Are The Jewish People Referred To As Zion?

texts:
Where in Nach (or in the Torah??) are Bnei Israel referred to as Zion? I realize it's mostly used to refer to the place, i.e. Jerusalem/Har Zion/Temple Mount ... and am not interested in references to the place.

I saw the reference once in the Artscroll Talmud, but don't remember where.

Thanks ahead for your help.

p.s. I think there's an allusion in Tehillim, "G' bZion Gadol v'Ram Hu al kol ha'amim" - it compares Zion to ha'amim, implying Zion is a people, too. The b' in "bZion" would thus mean "amongst" i.e. bekerev Zion. But of course it's not an incontrovertible allusion and could still be interpreted as referring to the city. I'd love a clear/explicit reference to Zion meaning the Jewish people.


texts: Is one allowed to go to a stand up comedy show?

texts:
Inspired by Is one allowed to go to a standup comedy show during the 3 weeks?

Is a stand up comedy club an appropriate venue for a Orthodox Jew, even not during the three weeks?


texts: Need help in deciphering a Litvish term regarding Yichud Hashem

texts:
I have listening to shiurim of R'Kessin, regarding the Yichud of HKB"H (Ramchal).

He uses a couple of terms I need to transliterate so I can do further research.

Phonetically: Yichud "shli tusoy" ---"The only cause"
Phonetically: Yichud "mitz yuso"  ---"The only one"

Thank you


texts: Why not dump the ashes of the para aduma into a huge body of water?

texts: The way I understand it one of the reasons we no longer have the ashes of the para aduma to purify people is because they were used up. I'd like to know if it would have been theoretically possible for them to have dumped the ashes of the para aduma into a lake or some other large body of water so that it could have lasted a long time. Would that have been halachically valid?


texts: I heard once that the Sanhedrin had to know exactly what the different forms of idolatry were and how they worked in order to correctly judge cases of avodah zara brought before them. Does anyone know the source of this?


texts: Are non-Lubavitch Tanya editions listed?

texts: Every edition I've seen of Tanya includes a list, in chronological order, of every edition of Tanya ever printed, including bibliographic information. I assume some central Lubavitch office maintains the list. Now, Tanya is studied also by non-Lubavitch (non-Chabad) chasidim (and perhaps other Jews), and I assume that there have been editions of it published by such — and even if not, there certainly can be in the future. Are those editions listed also, as the central Lubavitch office hears of them?


texts: Is it permitted to learn in kollel without earning a living?

texts:
Based on this post which states in part:

  Ramoh in Yoreh Deah, 246:21
  “A person should hire himself out for alien work rather than requiring assistance from others”; “The man who is self-sufficient is greater than the one who fears Heaven”; etc.

  ...Here Ramoh drives home this point even further, noting that someone who decides to busy themselves with Torah and live off charity rather than working has desecrated God's Name and brought the Torah into disrepute. He adds that Torah which is not accompanied by work leads to sin and theft (presumably because the Torah scholar/student is incapable of making a living via honest means). Similarly, the Rosh, discussing someone whose Torah is his profession, such that he is exempt from paying various taxes, defines this person as someone who only takes time away from his studies in order to earn a livelihood, “which is his obligation, for the study of Torah with derech eretz is beautiful, and if the Torah is not accompanied by work, it will end in neglect and will cause sin." This reflects the normative position amongst the Rishonim in Ashkenaz, where financing Torah study was unheard of; virtually all Torah scholars were self-supporting, and even financing Torah teaching was only reluctantly permitted by some.

  ...after stating the primary view, that it is forbidden and wrong for Torah scholars to receive funding, then noting a "yesh omrim," an alternate lenient view that it is permissible for rabbis to receive funding, we finally have a further lenient view that even students may receive funding. However, Ramoh notes that it is still preferable for Torah students to be self-supportive, if possible:

it would seem that it is problematic for a student to be supported full time in kollel without making any sort of income himself, especially in today's age when there are thousands of people already learning in kollel.

What then is the halachic basis for someone today to choose to learn in kollel full time without working and rely solely on someone else's support?


texts:
Is there a halachah against giving people side-eyes/dirty looks? If memory serves this is in the Yom Kippur davening. What's the source?
If there is a prohibition, what's the exact character? Is one allowed to give fake dirty looks as one may feign anger but never actually be angry?


texts: Can one say Kiddush Levana on Rosh Hodesh or the 2nd day of the month if he won't be able to otherwise?

texts:
Kiddush Levana can be recited as early as the 3rd day of the Hebrew month.

Two scenarios (may have same or different answers):

A. Suppose a person will be hospitalized beginning the 3rd of the month (or some other reason that would make him physically unable to recite it.)

B. A person lives in an area where overcast skies are almost a guarantee. E.eg. fog is an almost nightly occurrence in San Francisco (and IIRC, certain parts of Israel), esp. during the summer. Or, the forecast predicts rain / clouds for the next 2 weeks (perhaps, rare, but, it has happened in NY area numerous times. Meteorologists call it a "stationary front".)

Can a person recite Kiddush Levana early in either of these (or similar) situations?


texts:
In אבינו מלכנו, among other places, we ask HaShem, "נקום לעינינו נקמת דם עבדיך השפוך", which roughly translates to, "let us see You avenge the spilled blood of Your servants."

1) Why do we have a need to witness HaShem's vengeance on our enemies? Doesn't much of our faith tell us that it will happen, and isn't that good enough?

2) The rest of אבינו מלכנו is pretty peaceful (as are, if I'm not mistaken, most other prayer sets that make this or a similar request). Isn't this pretty much out of place?


texts: Sources for Bar Kochba being a prominent Torah scholar

texts:
Following my previous question on Moshiach's qualities, I stumbled upon my lack of understanding of Bar Kochba's Toranic qualities.

I tried to look up on WIKI and other sites, but I couldn't find any information on his level of Torah study, especially how it compares to his fellow Sages such as R' Akivah, Rashbi, R' Meir and more. WIKI page even mentions that he wasn't associated with Prushim.

As I also found that he's not mentioned in Mishna or Gemmorah.

So was Bar Kochba a Torah scholar?


texts: Would a metallic prosthetic hand require immersion?

texts: Normally, a metal utensil used to eat with, such as a fork, requires immersion before its first use if it had been owned by a gentile. If a person has a metallic prosthetic hand which he uses to eat, meaning to place the food directly into the mouth, would this object require tevilas keilim (immersion in a mikveh)?


texts:
In the episode "TKO" of the science-fiction show Babylon 5, Lt. Commander Susan Ivanova, a Jew, has dinner with her rabbi and they have a discussion about the food that they are eating.

Rabbi Koslov: What did you say this was again?
Ivanova: It's Treel. It's a sort of fish. The Centauri raise them.
Rabbi Koslov: Treel? It's kosher?
Ivanova: That, I can't say.
Rabbi Koslov: I don't recall Treel being mentioned in the Torah, so… [Takes a bite] It's wonderful.

The creator of the show, J. Michael Straczynski, stated that one version of the script delved further into whether or not Treel would be kosher, but found that it just didn't make for very good television:

At one point, there was a discussion in the scene about the whole gills/scales/fins issue, to define kosher...but it really brought the scene to a screaming standstill, and we needed to concentrate on the relationships at that moment. In addition, as we looked at it, you would have to get into the question of how alien gills/scales/fins compare to earthly gills/scales/fins, because they're going to be very different in many ways. In short order it became a massive Talmudic discussion, and we only have an hour for the show....

While we don't ever see a live Treel on the show and the shortened dialogue leaves few clues as to their nature, it seems clear from his statement that he thought there were significant enough differences that might lead to debate. Unfortunately, Straczynski didn't state what the outcome of that discussion might have been.
So would an alien fish be kosher? What might be the outcome of this discussion if there were time to consider the sort of differences in gills/scales/fins between an alien and earthly fish?


texts: Was there a song about the year 5773 being special?

texts: I recall as a kid hearing a tape with some song that went, "in the year tav-shin-ayin-gimel..." [5773], does that ring any bells? What was supposed to be special about that year?


texts:
Sometimes I say prayers, typically tehillim, that appear to contain a promise to do something. Example: " חַסְדֵי יְהוָה, עוֹלָם אָשִׁירָה;    לְדֹר וָדֹר, אוֹדִיעַ אֱמוּנָתְךָ בְּפִי. I will sing of the mercies of the LORD for ever; to all generations will I make known Thy faithfulness with my mouth."

When I say this, am I taking on a neder or a shevu'ah to sing of G-d's mercies forever? I believe the answer must be "no," since--among other reasons--many people say the entire book of Tehillim every month, every week, or every day, thus "swearing" to many such things on a regular basis, and it doesn't seem to be a problem. But exactly why isn't it?

(Is it because I do not actually have in mind to make the neder as I say the prayer? --But shouldn't I in fact honestly have in mind all I am saying in a truly sincere tefilla?)


texts: Why does steam impart dairy or meat status onto a cover?

texts: Steam is a separate category as aroma in hilchot Kashrus. The former, if hot, contacts a pot cover, that cover would take on the dairy or meat status of the food below it. However, when water is heated, only H2O departs from the solution, and the solids are left behind. What you would get on the pot cover would be pure H2O, by which logic the cover should remain the status it was before the steam. However, the rabbi’s did not rule this way. Assuming that Chazal were more astute than we are, why do you suppose was the reason, aside from the obvious one of building fences.


texts:
Is getting a paper delivered on Shabbos allowed?

If not, what may be done with it upon delivery?


texts: What was the function of the side chambers (tzela'ot)?

texts:
In the 3rd Temple, the prophet Ezekiel (in ch. 41) mentions a bunch of these cubicles but I can't find any function. In The Third Beit Hamikdash 4 doesn't really mention anything besides blueprints and I think Rashi just says gvul or empty space.
Did I overlook something?


texts: The Maharam Schick being melamed zechus on all formal greetings to a woman

texts: According to this page https://shulchanaruchharav.com/halacha/extending-greetings-to-a-woman/  "see Maharam Shick E.H. 53 that is Mailameid Zechus on all forms of greetings of formality."  Can someone who knows how to read Hebrew please look at this Maharam Schick https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=1494&st=&pgnum=308&hilite and translate where he says this?  It's probably in the last paragraph or thereabouts in that teshuva.  Would Maharam Schick also be melamed zechus on saying "shalom alechem" or "shalom alecha" to a woman?


texts:
In Parsha Chukat, Rashi (BeMidbar 19:12) says that, if Moshe would have spoken to the rock instead of hitting it, there would have been a big lesson to the Israelites.

The people would have made a kal v'chomer: if the rock, which does not need livelihood and is not subject to reward and punishment, does the will of G-d, then certainly we should also.

Since when does a rock have intelligence and free will? Isn't it forced to do whatever it does?

Can you learn a similar lesson from your computer, which follows the laws of physics G-d instituted?


texts: Is one able to make two siyums in two different places

texts:
We have divided the 60 mishnayot of shas for a rebbis yahrzeit among talmidim on two continents.
Let us say thirty on each. Since they all cannot attend one siyum can one make two. Although by the time the later one makes, there already has been a siyum on what they have learned by those attending the first siyum on another continent. Or since they have not attended  can they make their own siyum.
The question will really apply to times when a siyum allows you to eat like a firstborn on erev pesach.
Or let us make the question a bit harder. It has been divided in such a way that no one has learned a whole mesechta.
So unless one is allowed to make a siyum a second time they will not be able to make it even on one mesechta.


texts: Why does Scripture in parashat bereishit need to mention the four rivers?

texts:
In Bereishit 2:10, scripture mentions the following:

  10: And a river flowed out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it separated and became four heads.

  11: The name of one is Pishon; that is the one that encompasses all the land of Havilah, where there is gold.

  12: And the gold of that land is good; there is the crystal and the onyx stone.

  13: And the name of the second river is Gihon; that is the one that encompasses all the land of Cush.

  14: And the name of the third river is Tigris; that is the one that flows to the east of Assyria, and the fourth river that is the
  Euphrates.

It doesn't seem to be really adding anything useful--and completely out of context--to the previous topic, and the following topic. Why do we need to know about the four rivers?


texts:
This question claims that meat cultured from a kosher source is kosher too. However, a quick reading of sources seems to indicate the contrary:

Tur (YD 62:1):

  וכן בשר הפורש מן החי אסור אע"פ שאין בו משום אבר מן החי אסור משום ובשר בשדה טריפה לא תאכלו

 Shulchan Aruch (YD 62:2):

  וּבָשָׂר הַפּוֹרֵשׁ מִן הַחַי אָסוּר, מִשּׁוּם וּבָשָׂר בַּשָּׂדֶה טְרֵפָה (שְׁמוֹת כב, ל)

  And flesh that separates from a live animal is forbidden because of "And the flesh in the field Treifah."

Are there any sources that say that cultured meat would be kosher? What is their reasoning?


texts: Minhag to wear wedding ring on the right hand

texts:
I don't have much background on this question--it's simply that I've seen some married Chabad women wearing their rings on the right hand. Why?

Is it because the right hand is considered "preferable" by Judaism? ...Because the ring is put on the right hand under the chuppah? ...Because that is how rings were (and are) worn in Russia?

Also, who and which groups have this custom?


texts:
Possible Duplicate:
  kashrus of mouthwash, toothpaste, lip balm

What's the Kashrus status of the flavored Chapsticks? Are they allowed or not?


texts: Does ehad mean "one" or "first" when used together with "rishon"?

texts:
How should ehad be translated in this phrase and why?

וְשַׂ֣ר׀ מַלְכ֣וּת פָּרַ֗ס עֹמֵ֤ד לְנֶגְדִּי֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וְאֶחָ֣ד י֔וֹם וְהִנֵּ֣ה מִֽיכָאֵ֗ל אַחַ֛ד הַשָּׂרִ֥ים הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים בָּ֣א לְעָזְרֵ֑נִי וַאֲנִי֙ נוֹתַ֣רְתִּי שָׁ֔ם אֵ֖צֶל מַלְכֵ֥י פָרָֽס׃
(Daniel 10:13)

Some english translations of tanach say "one of the chief princes" while some say "first of the chief princes."
Why are both ehad and rishon translated differently in this sentence:

וַיְכַלּ֣וּ בַכֹּ֔ל אֲנָשִׁ֕ים הַהֹשִׁ֖יבוּ נָשִׁ֣ים נָכְרִיּ֑וֹת עַ֛ד י֥וֹם אֶחָ֖ד לַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרִאשֽׁוֹן
(Ezra 10:17)

בְּיוֹם־ הַחֹ֥דֶשׁ הָרִאשׁ֖וֹן בְּאֶחָ֣ד לַחֹ֑דֶשׁ תָּקִ֕ים אֶת־ מִשְׁכַּ֖ן אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד
(Exodus 40:2)

Often translated as: "the first day of the first month"
How would you say "first of the first"?


texts: Where are these mysterious OU documents?

texts:
I was recently reading a Halachically Speaking article and noticed that in many places in the footnotes, a reference to an OU Document is made. For example:

  Refer to OU Document A-94

Is this some sort of internal document, or is there a well-known place one can access these documents?


texts:
I recently finished Meseches Makkos and went through the Agadetahs (Summed up very quickly) of when Raban Gamliel, Rabbi Elazar Ben Azaria, Rabbi Yehoshua and Rabbi Akiva were together and Rabbi Akiva laughed, while the other Tannaim cried whereupon Rabbi Akiva gives his reasons why he laughed.

I recall seeing a Noam Elimelech Al HaTorah where he discusses this Agaditah but I can't seem to find it. I believe its in the end of Sefer VaYikra or in the beginning of Bamidbar.

If someone knows where it is I would greatly appreciate it. Thanks


texts: what are the "Mishnah" and "Gemara" referenced in Pirkei Avot 5?

texts:
At the end of Pirkei Avot 5, we have a statement (of either Ben Hei Hei or R. Yehuda ben Tema --- I have two siddurim with slightly different texts):

  He used to say: at five years of age, the study of Scripture; at ten, the study of Mishnah, at thirteen, the mitzvot; at fifteen, the study of Gemara [...]

However, Ben Hei Hei and R. Yehuda are tannaim, and Pirkei Avot is itself part of the Mishnah, so the references to "Mishnah" and "Gemara" seem anachronistic. What do they refer to, and what relationship do they bear to the Mishnah and the Gemara that we have today?


texts:
Leviticus 23 describes some commands in regards to Yom Kippur in which it teaches us to afflict ourselves (verse 27). Although I'm familiar with most of the commentaries which teach what this 'affliction of ourselves' mean, I noticed something else.

It explicitly says (vers 28-30) that no manner of work (melachah) can be done, because it's Yom Kippur a day to make atonement for ourselves before HaShem our G-d. For whatsoever soul it be that shall not be afflicted in that same day, he shall be cut off from his people and whatsoever soul it be that doeth any manner of work in that same day, that soul will I destroy from among his people.

There seem to be some connection between work or not working and between to afflict or not to afflict.

And it doesn't seem to stop here it goes on with verse 31: Ye shall do no manner of work; it is a statute for ever throughout your generations in all your dwellings. And again states in verse 32: It shall be unto you a sabbath of solemn rest, and ye shall afflict your souls; in the ninth day of the month at even, from even unto even, shall ye keep your sabbath.

Why is it so important to afflict oneself in 'rest'? Why this connection between the two?

P.s.
Isaiah 58 seems to describe a situation in which people follow or pursue their own interests, one example of this is by letting others work for themselves while they were fasting (while working is forbidden, like it's on a Shabat; and everyone and every living thing has to rest, see also verse 13). Adventually they find themselves surprised that HaShem didn't recognize their fast, but they should not have let others work for themselves on that particular day.

And then HaShem asks:
Is such the fast that I have chosen, the day for a man to afflict his soul?
Wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Me? To continue by stating: "Is not this the fast that I have chosen.." after which HaShem explains that one has to refrain himself from things that really matter.

This story seem to relate to the affliction, but it clearly states that fasting alone isn't sufficient and that one has to refrain from a lot of things and keep from any work on a shabat (a day of rest), from pursuing one's own business on His holy day (verse 13).

So again why is the link between refraining and keeping rest so important?


texts:
Today I walked into a building and discovered that someone had taped a mezuza onto the "doorpost" of the elevator.  The elevator is about 1m x 1m square - way too small for a room to justify having a mezuza - and besides which, even if the elevator were 4x4 amos (minimum measure for a "room"), would the elevator require a mezuza, bearing in mind that the "room" keeps moving, and most of the time the mezuza is simply "guarding" an open shaft?

Is there even a documented chumra of putting a mezuza in such a position?  Or this just a bizayon (disgrace) of the mitzva, and should I protest about it?


texts:
Mitt Romney famously remarked that "corporations are people too." I don't buy that, but I've been wondering about what Jewish ethics says about how we should treat them. Specifically,

If we speak ill of them, is it lashon hara? Can we say a large corporation is greedy, or doesn't care about privacy, or safety, or whatever? Assume not Jewish owned, but doubtless many Jewish employees.
If we despise them, is it sinat chinam? Can we harbor ill will toward a corporation or must we forgive them?


texts: What's so special about Avraham and Sarah's ages?

texts:
Related is this question, but I think it's waaaay too narrow in focus.

In fact, I went through the entire Torah, picking out any place where a year contained more than one nonzero digit and sorted them by two digits versus three digits and by whether Shanah is repeated (ha) or not. Here are my results.

Three Digits

Repeats
Asterisks are the ones addressed by Rashi and the aforementioned question

Adam (Bereishis (5:5)
Sheis (Bereishis 5:6-8)
Enosh (Bereishis 5:10-11)
Keinan (Bereishis 5:13-14)
Mehallalel (Bereishis 5:15-17)
Yered (Bereishis 5:18,20)
Chanoch (Bereishis 5:23)
Mesushelach (Bereishis 5:25-27)
Lemech (Bereishis 5:28)
Noach (Bereishis 9:28-29)
Arpachshad (Bereishis 11:13)
Shelach (Bereishis 11:15)
Eiver (Bereishis 11:17)
Peleg (Bereishis 11:19)
Re'u (Bereishis 11:21)
Nachor (Bereishis 11:25)
Terach (Bereishis 11:32)
*Sarah (Bereishis 23:1)
*Avraham (Bereishis 25:7)
*Yishmael (Bereishis 25:17)
Yitzchak (Bereishis 35:28)

Repeats for 2/3 digits

Lamech (Bereishis 5:30-31)
Yaakov (Bereishis 47:28)

Doesn't repeat

Adam (Bereishis 5:3)
Yaakov (Bereishis 47:9)
Yosef (Bereishis 50:22,26)
Levi (Shemos 6:16)
Kehas (Shemos 6:18)
Amram (Shemos 6:20)
Years spent in Mitzraim (why limit it to people? - Shemos 12:40-41)
Aharon (Bamidbar 33:39)
Moshe (Devarim 34:7)

Two digits

Repeats

Avraham (Bereishis 12:4, 16:16)
Yaakov (Bereishis 47:28)

Doesn't repeat

Arpachshad (Bereishis 11:12)
Eiver (Bereishis 11:16)
Re'u (Bereishis 11:20)
Avraham (Bereishis 17:24)
Aharon (Shemos 7:7)
Yovel (Still not limiting it to people - Vayikra 25:8)
Age of Leviim (Bamidbar 8:24)

So... In conclusion, if the number is three digits, it tends to repeat Shanah after all of them, while it's the opposite if it's two digits. There are exceptions to both. Notice how certain people, like Avraham (who Rashi asked about) appear in both categories. Notice also that although Yaakov appears in both categories, everyone who lived after him - and our non-people which also appear after Yaakov's death - appear only in the "doesn't repeat" category, regardless of the number of digits.

Why this is the case is for another question. My question is: why does Rashi make such a big deal about Sarah and Avraham, and the Maskil L'Dovid on Yishmael, when that seems to be perfectly normal in the Torah?


texts:
In the Stone Humash (Artscroll), Deut 30:3 is translated:
"Then Hashem, your God, will bring back your captivity and have mercy on you, and He will gather you in from the all the peoples to which Hashem, your God, has scattered you."

I find the phrase "bring back your captivity" to be very troubling or, at best, confusing.  Is Gd going to return us to captivity, to slavery?  That seems to be the plain reading of this English phrase.

That is an unusual translation.  See for example: Deuteronomy 30:3.

The 1917 JPS translation (used by Hertz) says:
"that then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee."

Why might Artscroll have used the phrase "bring back your captivity"?  and what does the phrase mean, as used? Also, what Hebrew words correspond to that translation?


texts:
The Rambam codified the triplicate biblical injunction not to dwell permanently in the Land of Egypt as follows:

וּמֻתָּר לִשְׁכֹּן בְּכָל הָעוֹלָם חוּץ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם. מִן הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל וְעַד הַמַּעֲרָב אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה עַל אַרְבַּע מֵאוֹת פַּרְסָה כְּנֶגֶד אֶרֶץ כּוּשׁ וּכְנֶגֶד הַמִּדְבָּר. הַכּל אָסוּר לְהִתְיַשֵּׁב בָּהּ. בִּשְׁלֹשָׁה מְקוֹמוֹת הִזְהִירָה תּוֹרָה שֶׁלֹּא לָשׁוּב לְמִצְרַיִם. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יז טז) "לֹא תֹסִפוּן לָשׁוּב בַּדֶּרֶךְ הַזֶּה עוֹד". (דברים כח סח) "לֹא תֹסִיף עוֹד לִרְאֹתָהּ". (שמות יד יג) "לֹא תֹסִפוּ לִרְאֹתָם עוֹד עַד עוֹלָם". וַאֲלֶכְּסַנְדְּרִיאָה בִּכְלַל הָאִסּוּר:

It is permissible to live anywhere in the world, except for Egypt, defined as the area extending west of the Mediterranean Sea, 400 parsangs by 400 parsangs, in the direction of Ethiopia and in the direction of the desert. The Torah warned us in three places not to return to Egypt:
“And do not return in this way again” [Deut. 17:16], and
“And you shall no longer see it” [Deut. 28:68], and
“And you shall not ever again see it” [Exodus 14:13].
Alexandria is included in this prohibition. [Mishneh Torah, Kings and Wars 5:7]

The area he delimited includes not only today's Egypt, but also the Sudan, Ethiopia, and some of the Sahara Desert.  What is his source for this apparent extension?


texts: How should one tie his shel yad on his hand if his finger(s) have something on them, such as a splint for a broken bone in the left middle finger?


texts: What was the shape of Noach's Teivah? Box or Houseboat?

texts:
I always recall learning that Noach's Teivah was a box-like shape. The secular world have always depicted it as a houseboat.

The secular site of the Teivah's resting place which is the most convincing - although of course not confirmed but has a long history of being identified as the Teivah by locals - is on a mountain in Turkey, near Mt Arrarat. There, a definite boat shaped impression is touted as the remains of the Teivah.

Are there any sources describing the actual shape of the Teivah? (not just measurements)


texts: Why is one permutation of the name of God backwards?

texts:
If you spell out each letter that makes up the name of God, then add up the gematria (numerical value) of each letter of each fully spelled out letter you get various values. The value depends on how you spell each individual letter.

There are 4 numeric values of the name of G-d (YKVK), each based on different spellings of the its constituent letters. (Wikipedia):

ע"ב/`AV : יו"ד ה"י וי"ו ה"י, gematria 72
ס"ג/SaG: יו"ד ה"י וא"ו ה"י, gematria 63.
ב"ן/BaN: יו"ד ה"ה ו"ו ה"ה, gematria 52.
מ"ה/MaH: יו"ד ה"א וא"ו ה"א, gematria 45.

My question is why is BaN (representing 2+50) not termed “NaB” (representing 50+2), so that like AV (representing 70+2), SaG (representing 60+3), and MaH (representing 40+5), its ten’s place numeral would come before its one’s place numeral?


texts:
There is an established halachic principle that we do not explicitly teach Torah to non-Jews. Though the exact parameters of this law is debated, the principle issur itself isn't.

According to some shittah's, you cannot teach them any nistar/sod.

For others, the line is talmud.

And still others hold that anything outside the Sheva Mitzvos Binei Noach is off limits (though there are those with broader and narrower definitions of what that is).

There are those who distinguish between passively making available Torah (such as broadcasting a radio show that anyone can tune in to) and actively teaching Torah.

Mi Yodeya is a site that anyone and everyone is allowed and encouraged to ask Judaism related questions. I've noticed that we often have inquiries from people of other faiths. Would these circumstances where we're responding to their inquiries potentially run afoul of the prohibition of teaching them Torah?


texts:
According to the Orthodox Union website "No brachah is required either before or after taking medicine, even with water".

Hopefully, after taking painkillers such as paracetamol, the pain which drove one to take the medicine passes. How might one express one's gratitude at being relieved from pain?


texts: What is the source that you can not have benefit from miracles?

texts: There is a famous concept that a person is not allowed to have benefit from a miracle. What is its talmudic source and what does it apply to?


texts:
Who knows three?
Please cite/link your sources, if possible. In about a day, I will:

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


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

Upvote all interesting answers.

Accept the best answer.

Go on to the next number.


texts: The source that the famine ended when Yaakov blessed Pharaoh

texts:
I've been looking for the source that the famine actually ended when Yaakov blessed Pharaoh. I found it in the Midrash, but I'm not sure whether it is a purely midrashic source, or whether it is based on the Gemara or some other source. I know Rashi says that what the blessing was actually that the Nile would overflow, but Rashi isn't known for citing his sources and this is no exception.

It is pretty clear that the famine was supposed to last seven years according to the text; there are some say that it was supposed to last for >40 years. Was the blessing even to end the famine (given that the next perek talks about the rest of Egypt paying for their food)?


texts:
Which names, other than the tetragrammaton relegate a sefer to shemos?

In particular, is shadai one of those names?


texts: what is the source that a parent carries the sins of their children when the children are minors?

texts:
As a child I learned that a minor is not culpable for his or her sins and that any negative effect from those sins is borne by the parent (I don't recall if it was specifically the father). I would like to know what the source is for this idea.

This question is related


texts: Is hachnasas orchim (welcoming guests) a mitzvah (either of biblical or rabbinic origin)? If not why is it considered more important than greeting the divine presence (bereshis 18:3 Rashi)? Does it have technical mitzvah parameters - for example is it still 'welcoming guests' if it is a relative? if you don't own the home itself? for a minor? etc.


texts:
Can a woman delay going to the Mikvah on her Mikvah night?
That is, if it is the seventh day and she is scheduled to go to the Mikvah, but it turns out to be inconvenient (for example if a friend's wedding is that night) can she push it off to the next night?

Additionally, what if the husband is in agreement?

Please provide sources to your answers.


texts: Can a Bet Din's Halachic rulings be retroactively annulled if a Dayan is found to be corrupt or a grave sinner?

texts:
Are there any retroactive ramifications in a case where Ch"v there is fullproof evidence (or admission) of a Dayan being corrupt or committing sins such as breaking shabbat/adultery/murder or עבירות like theft/non-kosher?

Would any of these put into question the rulings of a Bet Din (in which this Dayan was part of) in regards to weddings, divorces and conversions?


texts: Aseret Yemei Teshuva as a "foreshadowing" for the rest of the year?

texts:
Is there a concept of the Aseret yemei teshuva being a "foreshadowing" for the rest of the year? for exmple, if someone has a very bad ten days (say he is put in foreclosure cv"s) is this a sign that the rest of the year will be downhill? or alternatively, does it mean that he was punished during the 10 days so that he could have a kapparah on yom kippur and then a good rest of the year?

please sight sources if possible.

Gmar Chatimah Tova!


texts:
I enjoy running on a daily basis, but I’m not sure it’s permitted to run on Shabbat. I run for around 15-60 minutes.

Can you run on shabbat?


texts:
Are there sources that discuss whether Zoroastrianism is considered to be Avodah Zarah?

(Note: I am mainly interested in seeing Jewish sources that discuss Zoroastrianism. Answers that just discuss the tenets of Zoroastrianism without citing Jewish sources are off-topic.)


texts:
I heard once that the special kaddish recited after a siyum is replaced by a regular kaddish dirabbanan when the siyum takes place on Shabbos.
Is this correct or perhaps just a minhag of some?
Is there a source for this in Halacha?


texts:
In an effort to trace back Rabbi-to-student transmission of tradition, I've run into some dead ends, and I'm hoping the community can offer some leads. Under whom did the following Rabbis study?

Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (Netziv)
Yosef Dov Ber Soloveitchik (Bais HaLevi)
Aryeh Leib Ginzberg (Sha'agat Aryeh)

For the next two, I have their immediate mentor, but then the trail dries up:

Eliyahu of Vilna (Vilna Gaon) studied under R. Moses Margalit
Akiva Eger studied under his uncle R. Wolf Eger

I appreciate any information that can get my quest back on track. Thanks.


texts:
We learn in the Torah that Hashem lied to Avraham about what Sarah said. Rashi says that Hashem changed the truth when telling it over to Avraham for the sake of peace. From episode we learn that just as G-d lied for the sake of peace, we can as well.

Is this only regarding peace with one's spouse? or does this apply to other interpersonal relationships eg. Parents, friends, co-workers, children. Are there any sources which discuss this?


texts: Time of minchah without an appropriate place

texts:
Ploni is never in an appropriate place for davening during the afternoon. Either his boss does not appreciate him davening or he is in transit. For the purposes of this question, he is unable to get to anyplace where he can daven during the allotted time-frame.

Considering this, how should he daven minchah and when? Should he just daven tashlumin, or is there something else he should do?


texts: Pesach circumcision a rememberance of the covenant made with Avraham?

texts:
Within the narrative of the story of the covenant and promise made with Avraham we learn a couple of things. One of those things is that the seed of Avraham will be gerim in a land not theirs. It's part of the story in which a covenant is established and promises are made. Another point is that Avraham and his whole household get circumcised.

At the Pesach the Pesach meal is kept within a household and all the male needed to be circumcised.

It was because HaShem remembered his covenant at the beginning of the story and the note afterwards that is was 400 and 30 years, to that day, that HaShem brought the Israelites up out from Egypt that I begane to wonder if there were any commentaries on the connection of circumcision of the Pesach with that of Avraham, if the circumcision at the Pesach was part of a commemoration to the promise and covenant made with Avraham?


texts:
In a few places in the Torah, the word למה is pronounced מלעיל (accent on 1st syllable) and in other places מלרע (accent on 2nd syllable.)

I viewed Bemidbar 11:11 which has both in the same verse. The 1st one has a mahpach under the word is מלרע , and the 2nd has a tevir and is מלעיל . The 2nd is not a case of נסוג אחור.

Is there a difference in meaning with these two versions, and if so, what is it? Otherwise, what are the rules governing which one is used? Does it have to do with the trope note?


texts:
There is a common custom to kiss a mezuzah, or at least place one's hand on it. Likewise, there is a custom to kiss Tefillin during davening and to kiss the Torah

Should one kiss these objects if he is unsure if the scroll inside is kosher? This is barring the general question of whether one is allowed to use them if they are possibly passul.


texts: Reason for various positioning of "An'im Zemirot"

texts:
I am aware of 3 different customs of when to say An'im Zemirot on Shabbat:

Beginning of Shacharit, Between Bircot Hashachar and Psukei D'Zimrah
After Chazarat Hashat"z of Shacharit
End of Musaph after Aleinu

Is there a reason behind each of these 3 customs? Why the "debate"?


texts: Why doesn't the Gemara cite Avos as a proof?

texts:
The Sugya in Brachos 6a (cited in the name of רבין בר רב אדא א"ר יצחק)

  אמר רבין בר רב אדא א"ר יצחק מנין שהקב"ה מצוי בבית הכנסת שנאמר אלהים נצב בעדת אל ומנין לעשרה שמתפללין ששכינה עמהם שנאמר אלהים נצב בעדת אל ומנין לשלשה שיושבין בדין ששכינה עמהם שנאמר בקרב אלהים ישפוט ומנין לשנים שיושבים ועוסקין בתורה ששכינה עמהם שנאמר אז נדברו יראי ה' איש אל רעהו ויקשב ה' וגו' מאי ולחושבי שמו אמר רב אשי חשב אדם לעשות מצוה ונאנס ולא עשאה מעלה עליו הכתוב כאילו עשאה ומנין שאפילו אחד שיושב ועוסק בתורה ששכינה עמו שנאמר בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי אבוא אליך וברכתיך

seems vaguely reminiscent of Avos 3:7

  רבי חלפתא איש כפר חנניה אומר, עשרה שהיו יושבין ועוסקין בתורה--שכינה עימהן, שנאמר "אלוהים, ניצב בעדת אל" (תהילים פב,א).  ומניין שאפילו חמישה, שנאמר "ואגודתו על ארץ יסדה" (עמוס ט,ו).  ומניין שאפילו שלושה, שנאמר "בקרב אלוהים, ישפוט" (תהילים פב,א).  ומניין שאפילו שניים, שנאמר "אז נדברו יראי ה', איש אל ריעהו" (מלאכי ג,טז).  ומניין שאפילו אחד, שנאמר "בכל המקום אשר אזכיר את שמי, אבוא אליך ובירכתיך" (שמות כ,כ).

Why doesn't the Gemara cite it as a proof or support?


texts: Why does the ash-clearing kohen get a reminder of where the shovel is?

texts:
In Tamid 1:4, in describing the daily service of clearing the previous day's ash from the Altar, the Mishna tells us of a reminder the assembled kohanim would give to the one kohen selected for the ash job:

וְהֵם אוֹמְרִים לוֹ, הִזָּהֵר שֶׁמָּא תִגַּע בַּכְּלִי, עַד שֶׁתְּקַדֵּשׁ יָדֶיךָ וְרַגְלֶיךָ מִן הַכִּיּוֹר, וַהֲרֵי הַמַּחְתָּה נְתוּנָה בַמִּקְצוֹעַ בֵּין הַכֶּבֶשׁ לַמִּזְבֵּחַ, בְּמַעֲרָבוֹ שֶׁל כָּבֶשׁ.
"Be careful to not touch the utensil [the shovel] until you have sanctified your hands and feet from the laver." And [they would continue saying],"Look, the shovel is placed in the corner between the ramp [of the altar] and the altar, on the west of the ramp."

I understand why it would make sense to make warning the ash-clearer to wash before starting the service part of the routine. The Torah tells us (Ex. 30:20-21) that making sure to wash before serving in the Temple is a matter of life and death:

בְּבֹאָ֞ם אֶל־אֹ֧הֶל מוֹעֵ֛ד יִרְחֲצוּ־מַ֖יִם וְלֹ֣א יָמֻ֑תוּ א֣וֹ בְגִשְׁתָּ֤ם אֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֙חַ֙ לְשָׁרֵ֔ת לְהַקְטִ֥יר אִשֶּׁ֖ה לַֽיהוָֽה׃ וְרָחֲצ֛וּ יְדֵיהֶ֥ם וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֣א יָמֻ֑תוּ וְהָיְתָ֨ה לָהֶ֧ם חָק־עוֹלָ֛ם ל֥וֹ וּלְזַרְע֖וֹ לְדֹרֹתָֽם׃
When they enter the Tent of Meeting they shall wash with water, that they may not die; or when they approach the altar to serve, to turn into smoke an offering by fire to the LORD, they shall wash their hands and feet, that they may not die. It shall be a law for all time for them—for him and his offspring—throughout the ages.

I don't understand the motivation for the second reminder.1 Why follow a dire warning to comply with the rules with an apparently routine reminder of the location of the tool to use? There are many details of the service about to be performed that the kohanim could remind ash-clearer of, including the location to deposit the ash (described later in this mishna). Why specifically remind him, every time, of where the shovel is?

1. Tosafot Yom Tov s.v. "והרי המחתה" explicitly interprets the second sentence as part of the statement of the kohanim, as is rendered in the Sefaria translation quoted here. This strikes me as consistent with the word "והרי" introducing that sentence. I haven't seen any commentators that interpret this sentence as a description by the mishna rather than an instruction by the kohanim.


texts: Determining Accented Syllable from Ta'amei Emet

texts: I don't know the Ta'amei Emet, the system of markings used in Job, Proverbs, and Psalms, but I'd like to be able to know what syllable to accent when I read words from those books. So, I'm looking for a minimal subset of knowledge of the system of Ta'amei Emet, just enough to know how to determine accented syllable.


texts:
Where precisely does the Rambam give mussar to his son about avoiding conflict? This article from Klal Perspectives quotes Kisvei HaRambam, Mussar l’bno Rav Avraham saying

  Do not sully yourself with machlokes (strife) that destroys the body,
  the soul and property, leaving nothing.  I have seen the bright
  blackened, leaders diminished, families broken, princes demoted from
  their positions, large cities weakened, groups disbanded, pious people
  lost, the trustworthy erased [and] honored people shamed and disgraced
  – all as a result of strife. Prophets prophesized, wise men shared
  their wisdom and philosophers explored and elaborated on the evils of
  strife, and they all could not truly capture the extent of it. Thus, I
  urge you to despise it and distance yourself from it and from all
  those who consider themselves its friends and supporters.

but where can I find that particular text?


texts: Yose b. Yoezer and Yose b. Yohanan received from them. Who does "them" refer to?

texts:
Avot 1:2-4:

שִׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק הָיָה מִשְּׁיָרֵי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה....
אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אִישׁ סוֹכוֹ קִבֵּל מִשִּׁמְעוֹן הַצַּדִּיק...
יוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹעֶזֶר אִישׁ צְרֵדָה וְיוֹסֵי בֶן יוֹחָנָן אִישׁ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם קִבְּלוּ מֵהֶם.
Shimon the Righteous was one of the last of the men of the great assembly...
Antigonus a man of Socho received [the oral tradition] from Shimon the Righteous...
Yose ben Yoezer a man of Zeredah and Yose ben Yohanan a man of Jerusalem received from them.

Who does "them" refer to? The previous Mishnah only lists one individual: Antigonos a man of Socho.


texts: The set up of the seder plate acc to the Arizal

texts:
Many of the seder plates I have seen which are called Arizal karahs(seder plate) look like this Courtesy of Star K :

However from the reading of the Beir Heitiv 473:8 (who brings the shittah of the Arizal) it seems like it should look like this (my drawing) with marror being centered in between the egg and shank:

...
ותניח אלו הה׳ לברים למעלה על הג׳ מצות להיינו זרוע שהיא חסל בימין שלך וביצה שהיא גבורה
 בשמאל שלך מרור שהוא רומז לת״ת באמצע בין הזרוע והביצה כי ת״ת מכריע בין חסל לגבורה ואח״כ
 החרוסת בקו ימין תחת הזרוע מפני שהיא רומזת לנצח ואח״כ הכרפס שהיא רומזת להול תניח תחת
 הביצה בקו השמאל שלך ואח״כ תקח חזרת ותניח לממה מן המרור בקו האמצעי שהוא מגל היסול
 והוא כלי לעשות אח״כ כריכה עם החזרת...

Is my reading correct ,and has anyone seen a seder plate that looks like my drawing based off the Arizal ?


texts: Does the time of Misheyakir in the morning get affected if it's overcast. Because then technically it's not Misheyakir.


texts: Before the Matan Torah, did HaShem issue divorce regulations?

texts:
I am an Italian son of Noah.
The Torah (written and especially oral) establishes a detailed regulation of the divorce institute. According to Jewish tradition, before the giving of the Torah were there prescriptions on the matter given by the Creator? I do not know if the episode of Abraham who sends Hagar away can provide  precise information in this sense, as it is true that in Genesis 16:3 it is written:

וַתִּקַּ֞ח שָׂרַ֣י אֵֽשֶׁת־אַבְרָ֗ם אֶת־הָגָ֤ר הַמִּצְרִית֙ שִׁפְחָתָ֔הּ מִקֵּץ֙ עֶ֣שֶׂר שָׁנִ֔ים לְשֶׁ֥בֶת אַבְרָ֖ם בְּאֶ֣רֶץ כְּנָ֑עַן וַתִּתֵּ֥ן אֹתָ֛הּ לְאַבְרָ֥ם אִישָׁ֖הּ ל֥וֹ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃
"So Sarai, Abram's wife, took Hagar the Egyptian, her handmaid, at the end of ten years of Abram's dwelling in the land of Canaan, and she gave her to Abram her husband for a wife."

But in Genesis 21:12–13, HaShem addresses Abraham by calling Hagar simply "your handmaid", and not "your wife". I  do not understand therefore  if in this case there has been a real divorce.


texts: Which 20th-century Rosh Yeshiva studied under the mysterious Monsieur Chouchani?

texts:
Monsieur Chouchani was a mysterious figure who travelled around post-World War II and taught several great Jewish thinkers, including Emmanuel Levinas z"l and [yibadel l'chayim] Elie Wiesel.

According to Ha'aretz:

  Wiesel relates how a friend who had studied with him under Chouchani in France warned Wiesel that their teacher wanted to weaken the foundations of their belief and admitted that he found Chouchani frightening. That person, notes Wiesel, later traveled to Brooklyn and became the head of a yeshiva and one of the greatest rabbinical authorities of his generation.

I assume that rosh yeshiva is no longer living(?), so for history's sake, I'll ask: which rosh yeshiva was it?


texts: Can you pray something that isn't true or (at least) that the petitioner doesn't believe to be true?

texts:
In the Aruch HaShulchan OH 581:4, he writes regarding the selichos we recite before Rosh HaShanah:

האחת: דאלו שאינם מתענים, ובהסליחה מוזכר לשון "תענית" או "צום" – לא יאמרו זה, דלא ליהוי כדובר שקרים. ויאמרו לשון תפלה במקום תענית

That if the selicha mentions fasting and the person reciting it is not fasting, then he should not mention the fast, but should change the word to "prayer" instead of "fast", in order that he should not be speaking falsely.

1) Is this rule against speaking falsely in prayer a general rule? Source?

2) If so, does it refer only to factual matters (like whether one is fasting, or in the case of nachem, whether Jerusalem is in point of fact in ruin), or does it refer also to theological matters? Meaning if one doesn't believe the text of a particular prayer, should he alter it accordingly?


texts:
Is it Naomi or Naami?

Wikipedia says
"Standard Hebrew Noʻomi, Tiberian Hebrew nåʿå̆mī"


texts:
What type of 'dance' is an individual reciting Kiddush Levana supposed to do at this point?

  כְּשֵׁם שֶׁאֲנִי רוֹקֵד כְּנֶגְדֵּךְ וְאֵינִי יָכוֹל לִנְגּוֹעַ בָּךְ,
  כַּךְ לֹא יוּכְלוּ כָּל אוֹיְבים לִנְגוֹעַ בָּהֶם לְרָעָה.

  Just as I leap (and dance) opposite you and cannot touch you, so may
  enemies be unable to touch each other for harm

Based on Maseches Soferim (20:2):

  ואומר ג"פ סימן טוב סימן טוב [תהיה] לכל ישראל ברוך יוצרך ברוך עושך ברוך
  קונך ברוך בוראך ורוקד ג׳ רקידות כנגדה ואומר ג"פ כשם שאני רוקד כנגדך
  ואיני נוגע ביך כך אם ירקדו אחרים כנגדי [להזיקני] לא יגעו בי תפול עליהם
  אימתה ופחד ולמפרע אמן אמן סלה הללויה

People seem to have different methods of jumping, quasi-dancing, raising to the tips of their toes, or nothing at all - does any sefer/posek discuss what to do particularly?


texts:
Found this online: quote : As the Rav puts it, Avodah Shebalev is a constant requirement (Kiyum Hamitzvah) where Tefilah is one of many ways (Ma’aseh Hamitzvah) of actualizing it.

I thought that Tefilah was Avodah Shebalev, but from this quote I understand that Tefilah is a form of Avodah Shebalev. That Tefilah is one way of actualizing Avodah Shebalev. So what are the other ways mentioned by the Rav (and other commentators)?


texts: Why don't women go to the mikvah before rosh hashanna and yom kippur?

texts: AFAIK it is common practice for Jewish men to go to the mikvah erev rosh hashanna and erev yom kippur, but not for women to do the same. Why don't women also go?  I'm asking about both married and unmarried women.


texts: Does one light candles by the Bima when not an Avel?

texts:
When someone is a chazzan during his mourning period, the Lubavitch custom is to light five candles.

Does a Chazzan who is not a mourner light any candles? I have seen people turn on an "electric menora" by the Bima. Is this meant to replace the candles (and one who has no menora should light candles) or is this an independent custom?

Moreover, how many candles should this "menorah" have?


texts: What is the proper intent to have when we say "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh?"

texts:
One of the benefits of communal prayer is the ability to say K'dusha in the repetition of the Amidah.  We also say "Kadosh, Kadosh, Kadosh" (Is 6) as a preparatory component of Shma, and in U'Va L'Zion (sorry, no hebrew keyboard).

If we posit that angels do not have free will (or at best, the ability to make judgement calls on how to fulfill their purpose), then how are our references to their praise of HaShem interpreted by HaShem.  It would seem that we are taking a step backwards, and not evidencing our free will to perform Avodah Sh'balev.  Does placing the emphasis on their Avodah somehow imply that we should aspire to their form of worship, which does not seem to be given freely?


texts: Maharal a Mashal to the female Jewish spouse

texts: I'm not sure if the Maharal says this per se but I heard a beautiful mashal on the woman: when this object or matter changes shape the outer object or matter changes to that shape and so on. The inner object represents the woman and the outer shape represents the man. I was wondering where it's from and if it is from the Maharal, where does he say it?


texts: Minhag not to learn Torah on the night of Nitel (Who and where)

texts:
This related question explains what this minhag is and a couple of reasons for it.

I was wondering to what extent is this minhag practiced today apart from Chabad (see  Hayom Yom - 17 Tevet)?  Do all Chasidim have this minhag?  I'm curious, because I heard that one branch of Chasidim practice this on a different day altogether (some time in January) because that was when the Christians of their area celebrated that festival.

Also, is it practiced in all parts of the world - even in places which never officially celebrated the 25th of December?


texts: Does a tiny white spot on tefillin batim need to be repainted?

texts: If one's tefillin have tiny white spots on the corners or edges of the batim, do these need to be painted black? Or must the spots be a certain size before anything must be done about them?


texts: Does one need to flip the Torah exactly twice or more than this?

texts:
As a Torah reader, before starting to read the Torah, I flip it upside down about 50 times to obey Ben Bag Bag's adage,
Pirkei Avot 5:22:

בֶּן בַּג בַּג אוֹמֵר, הֲפָךְ בָּהּ וַהֲפָךְ בָּהּ, דְּכֹלָּא בָה

"Turn it upside down and turn it upside down, because everything is in it."
Well, here's the problem. If I turn the Torah upside down twice (as seems to be implied by his saying this twice), I don't see the purpose because it's in the same position as when I began. So, what am I really accomplishing by doing it in the first place? Besides, he says that EVERYTHING is in it. I'm probably not going to find everything from just two flips.
SO, I think that Ben Bag Bag means, continuously flip it. But, truthfully, after a while, my head is spinning so much that my Torah reading is coming out upside down.
So, according to Ben Bag Bag, when should one stop?

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


texts: Why are there extraneous words in vaykra (Leviticus) 17:3?

texts:
I am struggling to understand VAYIKRA (Book of Leviticus) Chapter 17 (http://www.breslov.com/bible/Leviticus17.htm#3) verses 3 and 4.  I have read Are there extraneous words in Torah? (Are there unnecessary words in torah?) and I think I understand the underlying principle that there are no extraneous words in the Torah, but not the specific application to this verse.
An animal may be slaughtered (Gunther Plaut's and Richard Friedman's translation) either inside the camp or outside the camp.  Why then, does the text say "Inside the camp or outside the camp".  I assume that the width of the boundary of the camp is very narrow.

My understanding of the text would be "If anybody in the house of Israel that slaughters an Ox, lamb or goat and has not brought it to the door of the tent of meeting, to present it as an offering to HaShem before the tabernacle of HaShem, then blood shall be imputed unto that person because they have shed blood; and that person shall be cut off from the people."  That is not a translation, that is my understanding of the text and you can tell in a moment that that is the understanding of a liberal Jew.

Todah


texts:
Is there a problem with acting more stringently in halacha than your Rebbe acts?
If so, what if you are not in front of your Rebbe?
If so (to #1), is having a longer beard or peyos considered a problem? (Even if that's not a stringency, the reason behind not acting stringently in front of your Rebbe could (maybe) apply to things that are not technically a stringency.)


texts:
During creation, many of the days have the phrase "vayar Elokim ki tov" after some aspect of the creation on that day. The second day does not -- the Stone edition mentions a Rashi that the term reflects things that are completed/final and the waters of day 2 were not finished until day 3, so day 3 has the phrase twice (which begs a different question for another day).

But Shabbat also lacks the phrase. While there is no creation on that day, there is a verb which indicates some setting aside (Vayekadeish oto) which would establish something which could be judged as "Tov". The establishing of the day as one of rest is a completed status for the generations (permanence is the required element according to the Ramban reported in the Stone) which could at least have been recognized as "hinei Tov."

Is there something in "Tov" which demands a creative act? Why can't the sanctification of Shabbat be considered good? Do any meforshim discuss why the term "Tov" is absent from the establishing of Shabbat?


texts: I know that there is meditation and practices for a soul to transcend the body. I have found these meditations across many religions, however, I am wondering if Judaism has a specific meditation for soul travel?


texts: Must a baal t'shuva follow family customs?

texts:
Suppose someone is raised without much authentic Judaism but with some. Perhaps his family has a monthly Friday night dinner with kidush; perhaps he wears t'filin for a few days when he turns 13.

Then, as an adult, he finds religion. Not having a family m'sora/minhag, he can pick whatever minhag he wants to follow, so long as it is an accepted minhag of the place he lives. But does he need to follow his family's minhag where it exists? For example, suppose it happens that the family poured water over their hands before kidush (which is the minhag of the Yekkes). Does he need to do that?

Assume that he has no idea (and no way of finding out) whether the minhag in question started with his own father or was passed through the generations to him.

I'm not asking about talis, which is a more complicated issue. My example of washing before kidush was meant to be an uncomplicated one; if it, too, is complicated, then please ignore the example and address only the question, whether such a person must keep a known minhag of his family.


texts: קול ענות אנכי - The sound of selfishness?

texts:
When Moshe came down from Mount Sinai with the knowledge that his people corrupted themselves (dealt corruptly) - quickly turned aside the way which HaShem commanded them, making a molten calf, worshipping it and sacrificed unto it and said that it was their G-d which brought them out of the land of Egypt - is met halfway by Yehoshua. When Yehoshua heard the noise of the people as they shouted he tells Moshe (Exodus/Shemot 32:17):

  "וַיִּשְׁמַע יְהוֹשֻׁעַ אֶת־קוֹל הָעָם בְּרֵעֹה וַיֹּאמֶר אֶל־מֹשֶׁה קוֹל מִלְחָמָה בַּמַּחֲנֶה׃"

  "There is a voice of battle/war in the camp."

But Moshe answers him:

  "וַיֹּאמֶר אֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת גְּבוּרָה וְאֵין קוֹל עֲנוֹת חֲלוּשָׁה
  קוֹל עַנּוֹת אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ׃"

  "It is not the sound of the tune of triumph, Or the sound of the tune of defeat; It is the sound of song that I hear"

The last phrase "קוֹל עַנּוֹת אָנֹכִי שֹׁמֵעַ" is explained by Rabbi JJ Hecht as:
"קוֹל עַנּוֹת-אָנֹכִי [אני] שֹׁמֵעַ" - "the voice of selfish preoccupation [I] hear" (Anochiyut; egoism, egotism, the voice of arrogant selfishness).

Are there any commentaries which confirm such point of view or which point in the direction it was some sort of selfishness which caused the people to sin?


texts: Why does Hallel at the Seder not get a Bracha, according to the second opinion cited by the Tur?

texts:
The Tur (OC 473) cites two approaches regarding making a blessing on Hallel at the Seder:

  בענין ברכת ההלל איכא פלוגתא דרבוותא ריצב"א היה מברך עליו ב"פ אחת קודם אכילה ואחת אחר אכילה וכן היה נוהג ה"ר מאיר מרוטנבורק וכ"כ רב האי ורב צמח ורב עמרם אבל הרי"ץ גיאת ואבי העזרי כתבו שאין לברך עליו כלל לפי שחולקים אותו לשנים לפני הסעודה ולאחריה וא"כ האיך יברכו כיון שפוסקים באמצע וכן היה נוהג א"א הרא"ש ז"ל וכן ראוי לעשות בכל דבר שיש ספק בברכתו שאין לברך דברכות אינן מעכבות

  Regarding the blessing on Hallel, there is a dispute amongst the Rabbis. Ritzv"a would make a bracha on it twice: once before eating and once after eating. Thus did the Mahara"m practice as well, and so do Rav Hai, Rav Tzemach, and Rav Amram write. But the Ri"tz Gi'as and Avi HaEzri write not to make a blessing at all, since we split it into two: before the meal and after. If so, how can we make a bracha, since it is split in the middle? Thus did my father, the Ro"sh, may his memory be for a blessing, practice. Thus is fitting to do for anything for which there is a doubt regarding the bracha, that he should not make the bracha, for brachos do not prevent.

I'm struggling to understand the latter opinion. What's the problem with making a bracha before each half, as the former opinion practiced?


texts: According to Wikipedia a Kasket also known as a kashkettel or kasket) is a cap, usually made of felt, worn mainly by Hasidic Jewish children as an alternative to the kippah. It has a crown, a band and peak. From the beginning of the 20th century until the Second World War, many Russian Jews and Polish Jews wore this cap as part of their everyday dress


texts: Why wasn't Zimri executed before Pinchas acted?

texts:
At the end of Parshat Balak we get the following sequence:

The people, en masse it appears, go after Ba'al Peor.
God tells Moshe to execute all the leaders in response.
Moshe tells the judges to kill everyone in their jurisdictions who sinned with Ba'al Peor.
Zimri, a leader within Shimon, defies all this right there in front of the Ohel Moed and Pinchas takes action.

This leaves me wondering how Zimri survived as long as he did.  According to this answer, Rashi citing Yerushalmi says the judges carried out those executions, though the Ramban says they didn't.  If they did, how did they miss Zimri?  Or did Zimri sin only after all these events -- he'd been faithful up until then but then something happened to him?  Or is Zimri's survival until then evidence that the executions didn't happen?


texts: Are there any good commentaries on Yerushalmi?

texts:
There is no Rashi on Yerushalmi (Shekalim specifically), and (I find that) the Gemara doesn't really explain itself as well as Bavli.

What are good free (hebrewbooks.org) running commentaries on Shekalim (like, say, the Pesher Davar)?


texts: Is Ethanol Mixed Gasoline Kosher for Passover

texts:
Typically in the US, gasoline for cars is a mixture of refined crude oil and some ethanol up to 10%.

Since ethanol in the US is corn based, by buying gasoline are you buying kitniyot?


texts: Is it a greater mitzvah to return a lost item anonymously?

texts:
While of course it is a mitzvah to give tzadekah, I have heard (though I don't have any attribution) that different kinds of giving are of different worth.  Particularly, I have heard that giving anonymously is especially worthy.  It seems fairly straightforward that this is because when someone gives anonymously, he/she does so without expectation of social gain and thus proves the selflessness of the act.  I am curious if this logic applies to other situations.

A week or so ago, a colleague sent out an email that she had lost an earring at work and requesting its return if found.  A few days ago I heard her discussing with someone else the possibility that it had rolled under a cubicle wall or some other piece of furniture.  Being a young and able-bodied guy, I decided today, after work when everyone had left, to crawl around under her cubicle and search for the jewelry.  Alas, I found it!

Of course I am going to return it to her, and it would be simple enough to present it to her at work tomorrow.  However, I am tempted to leave it anonymously somewhere that she will see it (e.g. on her desk wrapped up with a note).  Piqued by the moral conundrum, I thought I'd get the perspective from this site.  So:

Is it a greater mitzvah to return an item anonymously?

Update:  I returned the earring this morning in person. My colleague was very thankful.  Thanks for all your input.


texts:
Is flesh from a live animal permitted for a gentile to eat?  Is this included in the seven commandments?
I was unable to find this answer.


texts: Why does Rashi's explain "bread" as Putiferah's wife?

texts:
In Breishit 39:6 it says that Potiphar did not pay attention to anything that Yosef handled "except for the bread that he (Potiphar) eats."

  "וַיַּעֲזֹב כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־לוֹ בְּיַד־יוֹסֵף וְלֹא־יָדַע אִתּוֹ מְאוּמָה כִּי אִם־הַלֶּחֶם אֲשֶׁר־הוּא אוֹכֵל וכו'׃

Rash"i explains that here lechem is a "clean language version" for "wife". I read Siftei Chachamim's explanation on Rash"i, and I'm still puzzled as to why Rash"i doesn't go with the literal meaning that it means "bread" (or "food").

First - What would it mean to "eat" someone's wife? I.e. - if Rash"i is stating that the Torah used "Lashon Naki", he's implying that the other way is not "naki". But, "eating" one's wife doesn't sound like it means anything at all. How does Rash"i state that it's not "naki". And even if it weren't, how does Rash"i know that it means "wife"? It could be anything.

Second - Why couldn't it mean "bread"? After all, we see that when Yosef's brothers arrived and Yosef invites them to eat at his home, the Torah states that the Egyptians wouldn't eat bread with the Hebrews. Potiphar clearly knew that Yosef was a Hebrew and he wouldn't want Yosef touching his bread. So, why not go by the literal translation esp. where there is clear support for the idea?


texts: Why isn't Half Hallel called "85 percent hallel"?

texts:
When we say hallel on days like Rosh chodesh, we don't say parts of two prakim of tehillim. This is often called "chatzi" hallel, or half hallel. In fact, according to http://www.5tjt.com/local-news/13099-our-better-halves the hallel we are left with is closer to 85% of the full hallel. Some siddurim refer to saying the "whole hallel" as "gomrim" we finish the hallel (as in http://www.daat.ac.il/daat/sidurim/mizrah/hol/rosh.htm) , and this makes more sense. The gemara in taanis 28b uses the phrase "gomer bahem et hahalel" and later refers to the shorter version as subject to "medalgin", skipping, but not half (though there might be other places in the gemara which use the word "half")

I understand that "chatzi" does not always mean an exact 50% but I'm wondering when the texts (either liturguical or halachic) began referring to the incomplete hallel as chatzi. Is there a talmudic phrase which would source this (and thus give it semantic value within the context of the gemara's language and use of the word "chatzi") or is it simply a linguistic shortcut introduced later?


texts: Refraining from studying Torah on Christian holidays?

texts: Apparently, some Jews mark the Christian holidays by refraining from studying Torah.  Does this practice have any roots in halacha?  Do the rabbis sanction it?  References?  The only such restriction I know is studying only the "sad" parts of traditional texts on Tish'a b'Av.


texts: After the verdict between the two harlots was rendered what was the fate of the woman who lied to Melech Shlomo/King Solomon?

texts: In I Kings 3:16-28 Shlomo Hamelech rendered the well-renowned verdict that made all of Yisrael stand in awe concerning the decision between the Two Harlots. Outside of the fact that the women were harlots and no daughter of Yisrael was suppose to be one (here, here, and here) and even if they were not Yisraelites, the land is supposed to be holy).  To reach the "Supreme Court" and be granted to stand in the presence of the King, they would have had to go through various people to come before the presence of Shlomo HaMelech (here).  My question is how the woman was not only a harlot but lied to various people (assuming it did not go straight to the King), what ends up happening to her after the matter? Insights, commentaries, articles, and resources are welcomed and very much so appreciated.


texts: Discrepancy between Sefer HaMitzvos and Sefer Hachinuch

texts:
The Rambam in Sefer HaMitzvos, Lo Saaseh 148 writes that a non-Kohen who eats kodshim/holy food breaks a negative mitzvah:

  שהזהירנו שלא לאכול זר מבשר קדשי הקדשים. והוא אמרו יתעלה וזר לא יאכל כי קדש הם. ואינו חייב מלקות עד שיאכל בעזרה אחר זריקת דמים.

I went to check the Sefer HaChinuch on this mitzvah to see what he says, and I couldn't find it. I checked the Frankel Rambam and they wrote in a footnote that the Sefer HaChinuch left out this mitzvah!

The Chinuch writes at the beginning that he based his sefer off the Rambam. He'll point out when the Ramban disagrees and sometimes will side with the Ramban, but will still write the Rambam's mitzvah. This is the only exception that I'm aware of.

Do any of the commentators explain why he left it out? Even the Ramban seems to agree with counting it, since he didn't write any objections. As well, which mitzvah did the Chinuch replace it with? The Frankel Rambam in the footnote I mentioned writes that in דרך מצותיך ח"ד סי' תפז it's written which mitzvah replaces it. This seems to be the sefer of the Tzemach Tzedek, but from what I found online it doesn't have a fourth chelek/section.


texts: We have a few English translations of Barternura at sefaria. Is there any site that offers a full English translation of Barternura's commentary of Mishnayot online?


texts: Using laundered underwear, bed sheets and towels during the nine days

texts: If underwear, bed sheets, or towels were laundered during the 9 days, is it permissible to benefit from (wear or use) them during the 9 days?


texts: To those with experience, what is the best(very good) way to learn Hilchos Pesach . What is a good way to go about it , that will give you a thorough understanding and even Halacha La'Maaseh


texts: Practical way to perform hagbah according to O.C. 134:2

texts:
While answering another M.Y. question, I read O.C. 134:2 that mentions the proper way to do hagbah (Torah lifting). It says to show first the congregation on the right (meaning you turn to your left), then the congregation on your left (meaning, you turn to your right) then those in front and finally, those in back.

In most shuls, and, I assume O.C. is mentioning this arrangement, the bimah is in the middle of the shul. Most hagbah lifters open the Torah just prior to their lifting it. Thus, the people in the back of the shul (behind him) are getting the first look.

Maybe, I am missing something in O.C.'s phrasing, here. But, the only way I can see avoiding showing the people in the back first is that the lifter would have to lift a closed scroll, turn to his left, and then open the scroll in the air. There are very few people that I have seen who can do this. It's quite difficult. Practically speaking, if one were to strictly follow O.C.'s order, what other way could hagbah be done?


texts: What is the effect on me of saying amen?

texts:
I understand that if I hear another person make a bracha (and perhaps even if I don't actually hear it), I may? must? respond "amen".  I also understand that saying "amen" can allow me to be yotzei (fulfill my obligation) through that other person's bracha, so, e.g., we don't all have to make kiddush individually.  I understand that the speaker has to have some intention to include others in that latter case.

My question is about how these interact:

Suppose I overhear someone make a bracha that he intended only for himself (e.g. he's about to eat something).  If I say "amen" am I just being polite, am I fulfilling a mitzvah even though I get no benefit from the bracha itself, or do I now have to eat?
Suppose I overhear someone make a bracha that he intended to include others in, though not necessarily me specifically (e.g. motzi at the next table).  If I say "amen" am I now yotzei through him because he intended to include others?  What if I don't want to be yotzei through him?
Suppose I hear someone who intended to include me make a bracha.  If I say "amen" with the intention of being yotzei, am I?  What if I don't want to be -- do I say "amen" and I'm not, do I not say "amen", or am I yotzei whether I want to be or not?

Not wanting to be yotzei in these last two cases could be either because I've already made the bracha myself (e.g. I lit my own chanukiyah before joining friends) or because I intend to make my own bracha later.  So either way, I want to avoid a bracha l'vateilah.

When does saying "amen" make me yotzei, when does it not, and when does it give me the option?


texts: Why can one not daven to change the gender of a fetus?

texts:
According to Bava Metzia 42a, one may daven for things in the past if it's something that nobody knows yet.

Yet, when Berachos 60a asks how one may daven to change the gender of her fetus on the grounds that its gender is determined from the moment of fertilization, it answers that the fertilization took place in such a way that leaves its gender unresolved until morphogenesis begins after forty days.

Why does the Gemara in Berachos not answer that we're dealing with a regular fertilization, and one may daven to change the gender of the fetus because its gender isn't recognizable until after forty days?


texts: What factors might allow a shul not to repair a passul Sefer Torah?

texts:
Our shul has numerous Torah scrolls that are passul (unusable). I'm assuming that they contain missing or rubbed-out letters, and other errors that would invalidate using the Torah.

Our shul occasionally brings in a sofer (scribe) to evaluate a few scrolls. He has checked a few of them and said that they are "beyond being repaired". I don't know who the sofer is, but when I asked the head of the ritual committee who had met with the sofer he said that in one case, the sofer said that the parchment was too brittle to make a correction. In another, he said that he probably could correct it, but because of the parchment's poor condition, it would fade again in a few months, and he would have to continuously correct it, which would make it a costly proposition.

I've listed two conditions that I'm aware of that would "unqualify" fixing a Torah. One, I see, is a physical condition, but I'd like to know what "too brittle" really means and how a sofer evaluates this.

The second criterion seemed to be cost-related. Does that factor qualify to not even bother fixing the Torah? In this case, the shul has enough spare scrolls, that they can manage with others, though, as a Torah reader, I believe that every Torah is precious and should be salvaged even temporarily. Can one make cost a factor?

Lastly, what other factors would allow a sofer or shul to dispense from repairing a Torah?


texts: Why is it that when rishonim quote Talmud Yerushalmi they don't quote the daf?

texts: Why is it that when rishonim quote from the Talmud Yerushalmi they don't quote the daf?


texts: The prohibition of "Bekhukoteyem" (in their likeness) and the Jewish architecture

texts:
"Rabbi Yehuda says: One who did not see the great synagogue [deyofloston] of Alexandria of Egypt never saw the glory of Israel: They said that its structure was like a large basilica, with a colonnade within a colonnade. Sukkah.51b

Clearly, R"Y describes a basilica-like, Greek-style synagogue in Egypt, and indeed many European synagogues traditionally resemble Greek/Christian architectural styles:
.
I would speculate, that if every Jew is commanded on having an attire distinctive from surrounding gentiles, following the prohibition of Bekhukoteyem", all the more, Jewish religious institutions, as Rambam ruled Avoda Zara 11:

"It is forbidden to follow the customs of the idolaters, or to imitate them neither in dress nor in hair-trimming and like customs, for it is said: "And ye shall not walk in the customs of the nation which I cast out before you" (Lev. 20.23),

I also noticed that in Arabic countries, synagogues look very Arabic-like.
What about Jewish architecture?


texts: Killing somebody with the keys to the synagogue

texts:
In Yoreh Deah 339:1, the mechaber brings a variety of things that one is not permitted to do to a goses (a person on the brink of death), since each of these things causes the goses to die sooner. Since a goses is considered a living person in every respect (הגוסס הרי הוא כחי לכל דבריו) even one who closes their eyes as they are dying is a murderer (וכל המעמץ עם יציאת הנפש ה"ז שופך דמים).

Some of the examples that are given, concerning what may not be done, are of a curious nature, but the strangest (to my mind) is one brought by the Rema:

  וכן אסור לגרום למת שימות מהרה כגון מי שהוא גוסס זמן ארוך ולא יוכל
  להפרד... אסור לשום מפתחות ב"ה תחת ראשו כדי שיפרד

  Likewise, it is forbidden to cause the deceased to die quickly - for
  example, if he has been a goses for a long time and is unable to
  depart... It is forbidden to place the synagogue keys [or the keys of
  the bet hamidrash] underneath his head [the head of the goses] in
  order that he may depart.

Seeing as none of the nos'ei keilim appear to comment on this, and since I have never heard of such a thing anywhere else, I wonder if anybody here can shed light on it? For what reason was it believed in the 16th century that placing the keys of the synagogue (or bet hamidrash) underneath a sick person's head might cause them to expire? Does this have a basis in any older examples of rabbinic literature?


texts:
I've been looking for some time without success for a simple computer text copy of the machzorim for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. However, despite my inability to locate such a resource, I am not discouraged in regards to its existence. Does anyone have access to such a text?

It would ideally be CC-BY(-SA), with the correct text according to Nusach Ashkenaz and would include the piyutim (Daat.ac.IL has Sephard, but their Ashkenaz is in PDF with unusable OCR). Formatting would not be an issue, as this is for a personal typesetting project.


texts: Did "Litvish" frock coats button left-on-right?

texts:
My understanding is that today, most men's clothing buttons left-on-right, i.e. the buttons are on your right. A Hassidic kapote or bekkeshe reverses this, but if you order a "Litvish" ("Lithuanian", i.e. non-Hassidic) version, it comes left-on-right, the same as an ordinary men's suit or shirt sold today.

Okay ...

I was looking at a photograph from right about 1900 of a Jewish Lithuanian family, and the father's frock coat is clearly right-on-left.

Was that common in the non-Hassidic world at that point?


texts: Who broke the parshiyot into aliyot and how?

texts:
The Torah readings on Shabbat are broken into 7 aliyot. I know that there are rules for the minimum number of pesukim for each aliyah but I am wondering who set up the exact placement of the aliyah divisions and when (for an annual reading cycle).

This answer posits that the divisions had to do with setting up a learning cycle but that doesn't give any history or specific guidelines. One practical question which develops is, in the case of reading a double parsha, why isn't the seventh aliyah of the double identical with what would be the seventh aliyah of the second parsha when it is read on its own? The determination that it should be "seventh" was already made -- why change that when the 2 parshiyot are combined? (I note that for a variety of reasons, aliyot are not always balanced and even in terms of length so "balance" would not, on its own, appear to be a persuasive answer.)


texts: What was the name of the Arizal's mother?

texts: Can someone please tell me the name of the Arizal's mother, preferably with a source.


texts: Did God really backup the Sun dial for Hezekiah?

texts:
According to 2 Kings 20:9-11., Hezekiah while on his deathbed, was visited by the prophet Isaiah. The King was about to die so he asked for a sign as proof that G-d would grant him a longer life. Isaiah said he could ask G-d to make the sun go 10 degrees forward. But Hezekiah insisted the shadow go ten degrees BACKWARD! Ten degrees is exactly 40 minutes!

There is a story floating around about Mr. Harold Hill, President of the Curtis Engine Company in Baltimore Maryland from NASA who claimed to discover the "missing" day by using a computer to measure the exact positions of the sun and moon. But this has been debunked since it was a copy from a book by Prof C. A. Totten of Yale, written in 1690.

So did G-d make the sundial of Ahaz moved backward? We know this is impossible since the earth rotates around the sun. It could have been that G-d turned the earth, but the earth is moving at 1000 miles per hour, so this would throw everyone off balance, creating total chaos. Some rabbis claim Joshua 10:8 is speaking of a poem. So what does commentary like the Ralbag or Rambam have to say of Hezekiah? Was this metaphors, allegory, or a miracle?


texts: You might see me but i don't affect you yet, I come in all shapes and sizes, and i stopped the B'nai Yisroel in the desert for a week. ??????Who am I???????


texts:
While the Rambam lived a century after Rashi, I cannot recall ever seeing or hearing the Rambam cite or mention Rashi or any of his works.

Is there any evidence that Rambam had access to Rashi's works? Did Rashi's works even reach the lands in which the Rambam lived while the Rambam was still alive? Is there any comment of Rambam which, in all likelihood, came from a comment of Rashi?


texts: Why does the Rambam (Maimonides) equate all sex outside marriage as prostitution?

texts:
Shalom told me about it in his answer to this question:
What does adultery mean in the 7th commandment?

That Si'naf in 7 commandments means only having sex with someone else' wife. However, judaism in general still prohibits sex outside marriage due to the Rambam.

That seems to because of (correct me if I am wrong) another commandment (Deut. 23:18):

There shall be no harlot of the daughters of Israel, neither shall there be a sodomite of the sons of Israel.

The Rambam equates all sex outside marriage as prostitution. (I'm not sure what sodomite means there).

What is the Rambam's reasoning?


texts: What does the phrase וַיִּשָּׂ֨א ...אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו mean?

texts:
In parshas lech lecha, when lot's shepherds aren't getting along with Avraham's and is given the ultimatium of deciding where he wants to go, his decision is illustrated by the pasuk (יג:י).

  וַיִּשָּׂא־ל֣וֹט אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ אֶת־כָּל־כִּכַּ֣ר הַיַּרְדֵּ֔ן כִּ֥י כֻלָּ֖הּ מַשְׁקֶ֑ה לִפְנֵ֣י | שַׁחֵ֣ת יְהֹוָ֗ה אֶת־סְדֹם֙ וְאֶת־עֲמֹרָ֔ה כְּגַן־יְהֹוָה֙ כְּאֶ֣רֶץ מִצְרַ֔יִם בֹּֽאֲכָ֖ה צֹֽעַר:

The lashon of וַיִּשָּׂא־... אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו is likewise used in the akedah in two places. first in כב:ד

  בַּיּ֣וֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁ֗י וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֧ם אֶת־עֵינָ֛יו וַיַּ֥רְא אֶת־הַמָּק֖וֹם מֵֽרָחֹֽק

and then in כב:יג.

  וַיִּשָּׂ֨א אַבְרָהָ֜ם אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו וַיַּרְא֙ וְהִנֵּה־אַ֔יִל אַחַ֕ר נֶֽאֱחַ֥ז בַּסְּבַ֖ךְ בְּקַרְנָ֑יו וַיֵּ֤לֶךְ אַבְרָהָם֙ וַיִּקַּ֣ח אֶת־הָאַ֔יִל וַיַּֽעֲלֵ֥הוּ לְעֹלָ֖ה תַּ֥חַת בְּנֽוֹ:

What does this phrase וַיִּשָּׂ֨א ...אֶת־עֵינָ֗יו mean? why did the parsha not say וַיַּרְא֙ on its own in both of these cases?


texts: Is it really forbidden to bow more than 4 times a day?

texts:
I heard from a Rabbi that the G'mara brings that you can't bow more than 4 times in a day. But how could this be true if one bowes multiple times in the Amidah, and one says Amidah three times a day?

*Unfortunately I don't have the source of this. And my Rabbi wasn't completely sure about the Amidah dilemma.


texts: Is the son of a non-Jewish father a mamzer?

texts: Is someone has a non-Jewish father but a Jewish mother, this obviously makes them a Jew. But does it make them a mamzer?


texts: Why should Shat'z say "Hashem Sefatai" silently?

texts:
Follow up to this answer

It seems that the Amidah begins with the words ה שפתי תפתח, and not the word ברוך which begins אבות.

O.C. 111:2 indicates that when the Shat'z repeats the Amidah, he should say ה שפתי תפתח aloud. However Ba'er Hetev says he should say it silently.

It seems that if in fact the Amidah begins with this verse, Shat'z should say it aloud. What is the logic behind Ba'er Hetev's reasoning?


texts:
Is there a problem with flushing a toilet or sending other water into the US sewage treatment system on Shabbos if by doing so you are perhaps indirectly, causing the mechanical work involved in sewage treatment which includes melacha deoraisa such as kindling a fire?

this question is related


texts: How can we chastise Bilaam for using the same word as Hashem did?

texts:
The medrash Tanchuma on parshas Balak #9 says ויאמר בלעם לאתון כי התעללת בי(בלק כ׳ב כ׳ט). אף על פי שמדבר בלשון הקדש גוי לשונו סרוח.
  The Etz Yosef explains that התעללת is an impure expression  as we find it used ויתעללו בה כל הלילה.

The question is we find Hashem saying the same expression in parshas Bo 1:2. ולמען תספר באזני בנך ובן בנך את אשר התעללתי במצרים.

How can we hold this terminology against Bilaam if Hashem said it too?


texts: What is the Torah preferred beer recommendation?

texts:
As has already been noted in a previous question, beer is a basic necessity for answering some questions.
I was wondering, have our holy Sages given us any guidance about specific brands, flavors, or types of beer that are preferred or to be avoided?

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


texts: Non-literal interpretation of the barrel of wine virginity test?

texts:
In Ketubos 10:, Rabban Gamliel seats a lady on a barrel of wine to test her virginity. If wine can be smelled on her breath she is not a virgin, and if not then she is; there is no odour from the lady's mouth, and so she is declared a virgin. A source from Judges, about Yavesh Gilad, is also brought down there.

The barrel of wine test appears anatomically problematic, very easy to repeat and verify, and not something I would expect to have only a peshat. I have searched the internet using Google, and checked obvious seforim, but all the perushim I have found have been literal- with some trying to provide medical justification for why a non-virgin woman would have breath smelling of wine if she sat on a wine barrel, e.g here.

Is there a non-literal interpretation of the barrel of wine test somewhere in Chazal? Does the lady, the barrel of wine, and her breath, symbolize something?


texts: Contemporary approaches to kashrut of dates

texts: What are contemporary approaches regarding dealing with bug infestation of dates? Do Kashrut agencies (e.g. the Orthodox Union) regularly inspect crops to determine infestation levels? And if so, what are the statistics used to be lenient (miut she'eino matzuy)? I keep finding insects in Medjool dates (Mehadrin brand from Israel) that I get at Costco: its packaging has an OU but does not indicate a need for checking.


texts: How did Yom Teruah or Yom HaZikaron became known as Rosh HaShana?

texts: I noticed that the Torah never call this day of Yom Teruah with the name Rosh HaShana. So how en when did it got the name Rosh HaShana? And more important how does one relate the terms 'Rosh HaShana' with those of Yom Teruah and Yom HaZikaron?


texts: Premixed Gatorade and Powerade aren't cheap. I'd rather buy something powdered or concentrated. What's kosher?

texts:
I'm sick today; I think it might be (mild) gastroenteritis. DuPont et al. write that "the most important form of therapy consists of fluid combined with electrolytes", citing the CDC.

I'd rather use a commercial electrolyte product, but Pedialyte isn't cheap, and I don't want to pay $1 per bottle for premixed Gatorade or Powerade either.

What can I buy that's kosher and cheaper?


texts: PTIJ: What does Cookie Monster eat during Pesach?

texts:
Cookie Monster loves cookies. So what does a Jewish cookie monster do during Pesach, when cookies are Chametz?

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


texts: What can I do to change myself permanently through the repentance process?

texts:
I find myself in much the same state each year before Rosh HaShono.

I don't know what was wrong with my attempt at teshuva but the outcome was that despite my best intentions I have not accomplished all the change that I hoped for last year. What source material is there which can allow me to make a more permanent change as a result of the repentance process?


texts:
In Parashas Vayechi, Ya'akov calls for his sons to gather so that he can tell them about what shall befall them at the end of days.  Gen. 49:1.  He never gets to that, however, because, according to Rashi, the Divine Spirit left him at that moment.  The Midrash, Breshis Rabbah 98:2 tells us that when he lost that prophecy, Yaakov assumed that he was prevented from disclosing what would occur because of a spiritual deficiency in one or more of his sons.

While the Midrash explains Yaakov's thinking at the time, it does not explain if that was the actual reason that the prophecy was obscured from Yaakov.

I heard another reason, but I'm not sure who brought it down or even if I heard it correctly.  What I heard was that Yaakov was going to explain about how the Moshiach will come after the War on Gog v'Magog.  However, Yaakov was not going to explain the other option -- that the Messianic Era could come about without the war if Klal Yisroel achieved holiness before the end of days.  Because Yaakov made the assumption that his descendants were incapable of that level of holiness, Hashem withdrew the Shekinah to prevent Yaakov from committing loshon hara against the entire Jewish people yet to be born.

It sounds persuasive, but I have no idea of the source.  Has anyone else heard this?  Have you learned any other reason for Yaakov losing the ability to transmit the prophecy of the Messianic Era?


texts: Was the Paschal Offering roasted with or without the sciatic nerve and chelev?

texts:
Do the sources describe removing (nikkur/taber) the gid hanasheh (sciatic nerve) and chelev (forbidden fats) from the Pashcal Offering when it was roasted whole?  If not, would cooking the sciatic nerve and chelev render the hindquarters or the whole animal non-kosher?

How does one get the chelev out of the insides of the carcass without breaking bones?

(The process is described here): .


texts: My family and I will be making Aliyah in a couple of weeks. Is there a customary meshabarach for a person who is about to make Aliyah?


texts: Why Yaakov suddenly hurried to have kids at 84?

texts:
On the Posuk (Gen 29,21) "וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל־לָבָן הָבָה אֶת־אִשְׁתִּי כִּי מָלְאוּ יָמָי וְאָבוֹאָה אֵלֶיהָ׃" Bereyshis Rabba 70,18 explains that Yaakov was 84 and knew that he's destined to have the 12 tribes, so he was worried when could he do it:

  "...אָמַר רַבִּי אַיְּבוּ אֲפִלּוּ אָדָם פָּרוּץ אֵין אוֹמֵר כַּלָּשׁוֹן הַזֶּה, ... אֶלָּא כָּךְ אָמַר לוֹ, אָמַר לִי הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא שֶׁאֲנִי מַעֲמִיד שְׁנֵים עָשָׂר שְׁבָטִים, עַכְשָׁו הֲרֵי אֲנִי כְּבֶן שְׁמוֹנִים וְאַרְבַּע שָׁנִים, וְאִם אֵין אֲנִי מַעֲמִידָן עַכְשָׁו אֵימָתַי אֲנִי מַעֲמִידָן, לְפִיכָךְ הֻצְרַךְ הַכָּתוּב לוֹמַר: וַיֹּאמֶר יַעֲקֹב אֶל לָבָן הָבָה אֶת אִשְׁתִּי."

If I remember correctly Yaakov:

Did nothing until the age of 60 (when his twin brother got married at 40).
At 60 after the story with Berochos and fearing Esau's revenge he flees to Ever's Yeshivah and stays there for 14 years (Rachel is 7yo).
He arrives in Charan at 77, meets Rachel (14yo) and loves her but offers Lavan to work for 7 full years.
At 84 he demands to have his rightful wife right away to procreate from her.
On the other hand, his father lived to 180, Avraham to 175, Yaakov himself lived to 147 so he had some 60 years!

So what was so urgent or so special in that date for Yaakov that urged him to justify such a rude (as for B"R) demand?


texts: Recommendations for explanations of selichos

texts:
The selichos for ashkenazim are quite difficult to understand.

Are there any peirushim on selichos for ashkenazim? (I know there are different versions, I'm willing to take a peirush on any version. Also, older peirushim are somewhat more interesting to me.)


texts:
Lionfish has fins and scales so is Lionfish considered a kosher species of fish.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pterois


texts: Is there a Jewish midrash that parallels Christian tradition regarding Shavuot

texts:
I've read from a number of Christian sources that there is a Midrash pertaining to Shavuot that parallels the Christian tradition. However, I have not been able to find Jewish sources which support this claim.

The claim is that, according to the Midrash, the Torah was seen as a "firey substance" and that the Torah was spoken in seventy languages.

If this is actually a Jewish midrash, I'd appreciate a source where I can read it in English translation. I'd also appreciate opinions about the dating of the midrash.

The reference given by Christian sources is Shemot Midrash Rabbah 5:9, but whenever I search that online, I find more Christian rather than Jewish sources.

Thank you.


texts: What are some of the things one should have in mind (kavanah) when saying Ana B'Khoach?


texts:
As I'm sure that many of you have had to "break it" to a coworker or friend that you're Shomer Negiah, have you found a strategy or choice of words that seems most effective? As I wasn't raised frum and only adopted Shomer Negiah over a year ago, it's still kind of awkward to tell people, as I assume they're thinking I'm crazy or weird.

I usually start out with, "I'm sorry, I don't have physical contact with women other than my wife" and then usually end up blabbing on about why I do it and that it in no way is indicative of male chauvinism, etc. and I usually feel pretty much like a fool at the end of it.

I'm flying out to work onsite with a company which I was just hired to. I have the ability at present to simply send an email to all  of the women on the team addressing the subject to diminish the potential awkwardness when I'm there. How should I address this?


texts: What are the oldest known Jewish graves/tombs?

texts:
I was thinking about old Jewish graves.

Certainly there's Ma'aras HaMachpeila in Chevron (was that continuously identified by Jews, or did our identification rely on Arabs' identification) and the like.

Moving much later, people can (and do) visit the graveyard in Safed, which contains the graves and tombstones of R' Yosef Karo and his colleagues, as they've been there for the past 400+ years.

But in between those: what are the oldest continuously-marked Jewish graves?  I was told that several graves of Talmudic figures were re-identified by Arizal in the 1500s.


texts:
I think I saw somewhere in the Gemara (almost certain it was in a commentary, not the text itself) that the Messiah's hair will be ירקרקת (green/greenish/blonde)? Unfortunately, I cannot seem to remember the place nor locate it as of yet.

Anyone know where this is stated?


texts: Serious question. I understand the free will explanation for why God allows people to do evil things. But why does God allow what is classically called "natural evil"? For example, why does God allow small children to develop cancer? Thanks.


texts: Is West Hempstead in the Techum of Far Rockaway?

texts: Is anyone aware what any of the poskim say regarding techum Shabbos of Far Rockaway in relation to traveling to West Hempstead?


texts: What were the stones mentioned in Shemos chapter 28

texts:
The following information is from Rabbi Kaplan’s “Living Torah”. Artscroll don’t translate the names of the stones.

  Two Sardonyx stones on the eiphod. Breastplate 1st row on breastplate:
  carnelian (Reuven), emerald (Shimon) topaz 2nd row on breastplate:
  carbuncle, sapphire, beryl 3rd row on breastplate:  jacinth, agate
  amethyst 4th row on breastplate chrysolite, onyx jasper

Do you think Rabbi Kaplan is correct?
If not, who would be best placed to identify which stones were used and where?

Rabbi Kaplan is uncertain as to which stone corresponds to which tribe.  He quotes different opinions such as Targum Yonanatan, Yerushalmi and Tzioni.  Is anyone able to answer definitively?  Perhaps information exists that wasn’t available to Rabbi Kaplan.


texts:
BSD

I am dabbling in research on the topic of the rediscovery of the Ticheiles dye. Of course, one of the historic attempts at a potential Chilazon was discovered by the Radzyner Rebbe (Rav Gershon Henoch Leiner). He identified the Cuttlefish as a potential candidate. For the most part, this theory has been rejected. One reason given for this is that the source of the blueness of the dye is truly a chemical in the dye solution, not the dye itself.

Therefore, in order to complete my analysis of the Radzyner's dye, I need to know precisely what the dye process was. Does anyone know or have any Mekoros for finding out?