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10
votes
2answers
98 views
Did Shuls in Europe display their countries' flags prior to the holocaust?
Prior to the holocaust, did Shuls in Europe display their countries' respective flags? Do Shuls currently display their countries' flags? When did it start and why?
8
votes
3answers
205 views
Pre-1948, what flags were found in American synagogues?
Certainly throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it was not at all uncommon to see an American synagogue where the Aron Kodesh was flanked by American and Israeli flags.
Pre-1948, was there just an American ...
10
votes
2answers
122 views
ribis and foreign currency conversion
I am afraid that I have only recently started to study this kind of thing and I completely unlearned compared to most of the contributors here, so I apologize if my question is somewhat ...
6
votes
1answer
97 views
Location of the Beit HaDeshen
In "aizeho mekomon" (the 5th chapter of Maseches Z'vachim)we learn that the the porim hanisrofim were burned in the Beit HaDeshen. What please was the location of the Beit HaDeshen? I seem to remember ...
5
votes
1answer
190 views
Shabbat in the arctic
If I were to travel to Barrow, Alaska in the summer, when there is no sunset, when should I light the Shabbat candles?
(This is not a hypothetical question; I work remotely for an Alaskan corporation ...
2
votes
1answer
64 views
Redistribution of refuge cities after expansion
When the Torah commands the establishment of cities of refuge in Eretz Yisra'el to protect accidental murderers from vengeful relatives it states that the three cities must be evenly placed ...
10
votes
1answer
231 views
When does a day start/end in the far North/South?
As I understand it, a day in the Jewish calendar is from sunset to sunset. How is this handled if you are living so far north or south that you have long periods of daylight or darkness?
14
votes
2answers
115 views
Hagalah in Denver?
In high-altitude cities, water boils at a lower temperature than the standard 212 degrees Farenheit. For example, in Denver the boiling point is about 203 degrees. Can one kasher utensils with hagalah ...
3
votes
1answer
91 views
3
votes
2answers
103 views
cities that start with ה־
There are a good number of cities referred to in Y'hoshua, of course, and a sizable percentage (I'm guesstimating about 5%) of them start with ה־ (most famously הָעַי, I think).What ...
3
votes
1answer
66 views
The list of Binyamin's cities
When Y'hoshua 15:21–62 lists the cities of Y'huda, it does so by area/topography. M'tzudas David to 15:37 says that "everywhere it counts some separately and others separately", it does so by area or ...
4
votes
3answers
282 views
Where is the Sambatyon?
Where is the Sambatyon? Is there really a river somewhere that throws stones all week and rests on Shabbos?
7
votes
2answers
89 views
How did the Sages know that Jerusalem had a wall in the times of Joshua?
The criterion for whether a city celebrates Purim on 14 Adar or Shushan Purim on 15 Adar is whether it was walled in the times of Joshua (about 3300 years ago). (Well Shushan itself is an exception, ...
5
votes
3answers
191 views
'Goshen' was where?
Tonight I thought occurred to me regarding Yosef going to meet Yaakov for the first time in Egypt. It depended on where Goshen was, which I thought was south of the main then center of Egypt. I could ...
8
votes
4answers
546 views
How precisely oriented towards Jerusalem should we face for praying?
I know we're supposed to face towards Jerusalem when praying/davening. For most of us in the Europe or the Western Hemisphere, we're used to facing "Mizrach", east.
How precise should we be? If ...
5
votes
1answer
59 views
4
votes
1answer
81 views
Spain and curse
Was there a Curse placed on Jews returning to Spain after the Spanish Inquisition if so who stated it and general background information would be appreciated?
9
votes
1answer
98 views
8
votes
2answers
172 views
Is there a difference between “p” and “f” when transliterating from English to Hebrew?
When transliterating an English name to Hebrew (e.g. for a Ketubah or Get), is there a way to distinguish between a "p" and "f" sound? E.g. Fine, NY vs Pine, CO. Would both just be spelled (assuming ...
3
votes
3answers
66 views
Why did Hashem tell Moshe to look behind him when looking into Eretz Yisroel?
The Posuk says:
וְשָׂא עֵינֶיךָ יָמָּה וְצָפֹנָה וְתֵימָנָה וּמִזְרָחָה וּרְאֵה בְעֵינֶיךָ
The question is Moshe is standing in Chutz Laretz why look back thats not Eretz Yisroel that is also Chutz ...
2
votes
2answers
141 views
4
votes
2answers
286 views
What's the “ORegon 7-1222” on R' Moshe Feinstein's letterhead? [closed]
The English part of of R' Moshe Feinstein's letterhead reads as follows:
RABBI MOSES FEINSTEIN
455 F.D.R. DRIVE
New York, N.Y. 10002
__
ORegon 7-1222
See for instance this letter, this ...
5
votes
2answers
65 views
Yiddish city name from the 19th c
There is a locale referenced in a few places in stories or other materials relating to R' Y'chi'el Tz'vi Margaliyos called טאקאלא, on which extremely little information seems to be available online. ...
11
votes
4answers
190 views
Commencing Shabbos: Shkiya behind a mountain
It is common practice nowadays for Shuls to publish the zmanim (times) to begin Shabbos (the Sabbath) and other activities. These times, it would seem, are based upon standard calculations of sunrise ...
11
votes
2answers
194 views
Were the people of Chelm really unintelligent?
There are many stories that are told over about the people who lived in Chelm. They all have the theme of: the people in Chelm were fairly unintelligent. Where did this come from? Is it true? It ...
