Tagged Questions
2
votes
1answer
254 views
How do rabbis explain the reason for the Spanish Expulsion. Why did the Jewish people deserve it
I notice you already have this question for the Holocaust but haven't found it for the Spanish expulsion. I understand that many great people gave reasons for it, like the seder hadoros, tsror hamor ...
11
votes
1answer
247 views
What is a “Sephardic Jew”?
My name is Paul Avila (yea, I know, doesn't sound Jewish at all) I was born in the Azores Portugal and moved to the United States when I was 2. People always ask me if I am Persian. Never ...
6
votes
7answers
528 views
Why do Sephardic Jews dress in black and white?
Many observant sephardim in Israel, especially those in yeshivot, dress in black and white. Does anyone know how this happened?
There is no tradition of Jews in North Africa or in the Middle East ...
5
votes
2answers
70 views
Copies of Aleppo Codex
From what I understand, the loss of the Torah portion of Keter Aram Soba (the Aleppo Codex) in 1948 is heavily lamented because it was the oldest preserved and probably most accurate text of Torah.
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14
votes
1answer
449 views
What was daily life like for Jewish women living in al-Andalus in the 10th/11th centuries?
The emir of Al-Andalus (approximately the Iberian peninsula) declared himself a new caliph, breaking off from the caliphate in the east, circa 950 CE. I have read that the next couple hundred years ...
7
votes
1answer
79 views
Sefer Torah enclosures
The Torah scrolls of Ashkenazim have a very different look than those of Sepharadim. Ashkenazim just roll the parchment onto two poles, and read it in a horizontal position; the Sepharadim install the ...
5
votes
1answer
109 views
What did Sephardic Jews do when yibum required taking a second wife?
As I understand it, in the Sephardic world not long ago, the marriage contract would have a steep penalty clause if he took a wife beyond the first one without her permission.
And as I understand it, ...
5
votes
1answer
110 views
Looking for biographical information about R. Avraham Halevi Fattal
I'm writing something for which I need a capsule biography of him. So far, about all I know is:
He is the father-in-law of (יבלח"ט) R. Ovadiah Yosef.
He was an important figure in the Syrian Jewish ...
7
votes
3answers
211 views
Why the split between Sefardim and Ashkenzim?
Why is there a much bigger split between Sefardim and Ashkenzim and not, say, between Sefardim and people who lived in Bavel? The distance between Spain, and say, Israel should have been big enough to ...
9
votes
2answers
169 views
Did the Rosh (Rabbeinu Asher) describe the culture clash moving from medieval Germany to Spain?
Rabbi Asher (the "Rosh") moved from medieval Germany to Spain. I know he describes some different halachic practices that were done in Spain (e.g. linen tzitzis); but does he describe the difference ...
4
votes
1answer
308 views
Yerushalmi Versus Bavli
What are the differences between the two Talmuds? or are there differences? Why did the two Talmuds develop separately or did they? Why do we Poskin like the Bavli or do we? Is it true that the ...
3
votes
2answers
132 views
Motivation for disallowing Conversions
What was The Syrians communities Rabbis motivation For disallowing conversions and when did it happen and did any other Sephardi communities join in this decision later on?
3
votes
1answer
176 views
Intermarriage among Middle eastern Jews right before 1948
I was wondering does anyone know where I can find out the Intermarriage rate among Middle eastern Jews right before 1948 particularly amongst the Iraqis and the Syrians?
7
votes
2answers
165 views
The Split Between Sefardim and Ashkenazim
How did this split happen historically and halachically before Shulchan Aruch, and why is not like having two Torahs? Where is the source for the split?
