An acronym of "Torah" (Five Books of Moses), "Neviim" (Prophets), and "Kesuvim" (Writings). The three books together form the "Written Torah".
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Why are there so many accounts of the Hebrews' killing their neighbors and so few of their being kind or good? [closed]
I know everybody was attacking everybody in those days, but still why are there so few examples of the Hebrews setting an example of kindness to the poor, weak or even being kind? Instead, the ...
2
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2answers
146 views
Why does the Bible contain many instances of group or tribal punishment and guilt?
There are many instances in the Bible where God or prophets state in God's name that a group or tribe is punished for the wrong-doing of a single individual. How is this just?
A perfect example is ...
5
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4answers
915 views
What does the Bible mean by “those that urinate against the wall” in I Samuel 25:22?
A more precise version of this vague question:
What does the Bible mean by "those that urinate against the wall" in I Samuel 25:22?
There are different translations for the phrase; what is the ...
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votes
1answer
916 views
Why do the Philistines have many Giants?
Were the Philistine giants bigger than the Israelites? Were giants common among the Israelites' neighbors? Did they have better nutrition? (Just curious.) Were the Israelites typically smaller in ...
4
votes
4answers
137 views
Is there a Possuk in Tanach that starts with a Samech ס and ends with a Aleph א?
I have a relative with the name סימא and she has been unable to find a Possuk in Tanach that starts with a Samech ס and ends with a Aleph א. Is there such a Possuk?
0
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1answer
55 views
Malachi on tithing
What is Malachi (or G-d through Malachi's mouth, or whatever) supposed to mean about tithing? Why did we have to pay full price to priests that offered impure sacrifices? Or am I missing the point?
4
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1answer
171 views
Is there a freely distributable English translation of Tanach available?
I am in the midst of creating a media project. The content is 'religion'. There is a publicly distributable set of 4 documents in XML format (programmer speak for a document that can easily be ...
10
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5answers
209 views
Need a Torah-based quote for “reaching new levels”
Can someone please recommend an appropriate biblical quote or passage that illustrates (or somehow relates to) the ethic "reaching new levels" (spiritual, emotional, educational)?
0
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2answers
477 views
What does Psalm 82 mean?
6 I -- I have said, 'Gods ye are, And sons of the Most High -- all of you,
http://yltbible.com/psalms/82.htm
So how many gods are there? Who are "you" here? Are we all gods?
Here is the context. ...
5
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5answers
163 views
Where is there a good online source to check how often a word appears in Tanach?
Where is there a good online source where you can check how often a word appears in Tanach?
4
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1answer
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why does Ruth 1:8 use עמדי instead of עמי?
Ruth 1:8 says:
ח וַתֹּאמֶר נָעֳמִי, לִשְׁתֵּי כַלֹּתֶיהָ, לֵכְנָה שֹּׁבְנָה, אִשָּׁה לְבֵית אִמָּהּ; יעשה (יַעַשׂ) יְהוָה עִמָּכֶם חֶסֶד, כַּאֲשֶׁר עֲשִׂיתֶם עִם-הַמֵּתִים וְעִמָּדִי.
8 And ...
7
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1answer
134 views
Binyamin spelled with or without a second Yud
In Tanach the name Binyomin appears 150 times as בנימן. It appears 16 times as בנימין. Why the difference?
The 16 times it appears with a Yud are as follows.
בראשית לה:יח
ויהי בצאת נפשה כי מתה ותקרא ...
10
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5answers
161 views
What is the nature of the numeral “ashtei-asar” (11)?
What is the nature of the numeral ashtei-asar (meaning 11) as in וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁלִישִׁי פָּרִים עַשְׁתֵּי-עָשָׂר (Pinchas 29:20):
What is the basic word? Is this using semichus, as in ashtaim of ...
7
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1answer
149 views
What is the best online English translation of Tanach?
I am aware of a number of partial or complete English translations of Tana"ch online, but I am wondering if there are any I am unaware of, especially that fulfill the following criteria:
Precision ...
4
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2answers
481 views
Why is the age of 30 important in the Bible?
Why is the age of 30 important in the Bible? Joseph, Ezekiel, and many more were all around 30 yrs old.
7
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4answers
219 views
If Eliyahu is Pinchas and Pinchas is a Cohen how was he in the Room when he did Revival of the Dead?
In Melochim there is a famous occurance of the Eliyahu Hanavi reviving the Dead Child of Ovadiah's Hanavi's widow's child who some say was Yonah Hanavi. If Eliyahu was a Cohen how was he allowed to be ...
5
votes
2answers
184 views
The spelling of the name פינחס Pinchas in Tanach
In the entire Tanach the name Pinchas פינחס is spelled with a Yud. The only place the Yud is missing is שמואל א: א. ג.
ועלה האיש ההוא מעירו מימים ימימה להשתחות ולזבח ליהוה צבאות בשלה ושם שני בני עלי ...
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2answers
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Meaning of ח-ל-צ
Words of the root חלצ seem to have contradictory meanings. On the one hand it is used in the sense of "removing," as in בית חלוץ הנעל and כי חלצת נפשי ממות. On the other hand, warriors are called ...
11
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2answers
456 views
Why Yehoshua **Bin** Nun and not Yehoshua **Ben** Nun
The Torah refers to Yehoshua as Yehoshua Bin Nun. (See here for an example).
Why Bin Nun and not Ben Nun?
Are there any places in Tanach where he is referred to as Ben Nun?
Is there anyone else in ...
10
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5answers
216 views
Is there a good visual companion to Tanach?
I'm looking for a visual companion to Tanach, i.e. maps, charts, and timelines. So when I'm learning Sefer Yehoshua, for example, I can see maps that chart the various battles and such.
Are there any ...
12
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3answers
8k views
Difference between Torah and the first five books in Christian bible [closed]
I know that basically, the first 6 5 books in Christian's Bible forms the Torah. However are there any subtle difference between torah and those books?
6
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3answers
156 views
What is the Yetzer Harah?
What is the meaning of the "Yetzer Harah" - יצר הרע? How does it compare to the סטן?
6
votes
2answers
101 views
What is the reason for שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום?
What is the reason for שנים מקרא ואחד תרגום?
Why must it been done in that form of twice reading the verse and once reading the תרגום?
The Gemara in ברכות דף ח states that one who does שנים מקרא ...
1
vote
1answer
82 views
Does the word toad (קרפדה) appears in tanach?
Toad is קרפדה (karpada) in hebrew.
Toad is crapaud in French.
The two words have the same 4 consonants in the same order, which does not seem to be by mere accident. Looks like one language has ...
8
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3answers
165 views
Saying Tanach by Heart
מִזְמוֹרֵי תְהִלִּים וְכֵן שְׁאָר
פָּרָשִׁיּוֹת מִתּוֹרָה נְבִיאִים וּכְתוּבִים
שֶׁאֵינָם שְׁגוּרִים בְּפִי הַכֹּל, אָסוּר
לְאָמְרָם בְּעַל פֶּה. אֲפִלּוּ מִי שֶׁהוּא
יוֹדֵעַ לְאָמְרָם בְּעַל פֶּה, יֶשׁ לוֹ
לִזָּהֵר ...
6
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2answers
101 views
Why is ויהי נועם said after הנני מוכןs?
Most (but not all) Siddurim have the פסוק of ויהי נועם at the end of הנני מוכןs (such as before ספירת העומר, before the ארבע כוסות, or before בדיקת חמץ).
Where does this practice come from?
3
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3answers
75 views
All, every: how to interpret these words in the Scriptures?
What is the correct way in interpreting, understanding the words "all", "every" in the Bible? My problem is that I learned maths for years and sometimes it makes me very hard to understand things. ...
3
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2answers
397 views
What is the meaning of 'Tishbi' in 'Eliyahu haTishbi'?
I've heard theory that it's a place, but have never heard of a place with a similar name...
16
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2answers
267 views
Order of the Tanach
In Nevi'im and Ketuvim, why is the order of the books that we use today different from the order given in Bava Batra 14b, and Rambam Hilchot Sefer Torah 7:15?
13
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5answers
660 views
Is there “Torah Inerrancy”?
Is there Torah inerrancy?
In other words, does the Torah contain no factual errors: the Noah flood did occur, Garden of Eden did exist, Adam and Eve did live there and were subsequently expelled, etc ...
6
votes
7answers
868 views
Do Jewish people keep a Bible or other scripture in their homes?
Are there religious laws against it, or can Jewish people also keep a copy of the Bible (scriptures) in their home?
What word is the most common term used to refer to the Hebrew Bible?
6
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3answers
579 views
Do Jewish people have a collection of books which are the equivelant of the Christian Old Testament?
One claim that is made in our Christian Church is that the Jewish people use the Old Testament and that Christians use both the Old Testament and the New Testament. How correct is this statement?
Do ...
9
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1answer
85 views
Why Are These Double Parshiyos?
During a regular (non-leap) Jewish year, there are four instances where two of the weekly Torah portions are read together in the same week. This is because there are not enough weeks to read all of ...
20
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5answers
371 views
If kings were supposed to be from Shevet Yehuda, why was Shaul from Binyamin anointed?
If kings were supposed to be from Shevet Yehuda, why was Shaul from Binyamin anointed?
5
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3answers
110 views
In the book of Esther, was Haman plotting to kill/overthrow Ahasueros?
At first reading, Haman is very powerful and wants to use that power to kill the Jews, but he's not actually interested in harming his boss, King Ahasueros ("Achashveirosh" to most of us), in any way. ...
3
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3answers
436 views
Judeo-Arabic Translation of Bible
Anyone know of any Judeo-Arabic translations of the Bible (i.e. Arabic in Hebrew characters)? It would be great if you could link me to them as well.
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2answers
173 views
Ish Yehudi - where else?
Where else in Tanach are there the words "Ish Yehudi" besides Megilas Esther?
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1answer
136 views
Online tanach with qamatz qatan marked?
Although there are many places to find the Tanach online, I'd like to find one where qamatz qatan is specially marked. Preferably free, of course, though I'll take what I can get. Does anyone know of ...
2
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2answers
109 views
Why does the book (Megillah) of Esther never use the Hebrew word “armon” for palace?
It talks about the capital and "the king's house", but never uses the Hebrew word for "palace", "armon", as appears in Psalms and elsewhere. (Or does it appear and I missed it?) Why not?
19
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8answers
653 views
Is Rashi really pshat?
If Rashi on Tanach is a purely pshat oriented commentary, as professed several times, why do many of his comments originate from midrashim that most other "pshat" meforshim dismiss as "derech drash"? ...
2
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1answer
87 views
Is the term/idea “inviolate” used in the old testament?
I was discussing the idea of privacy with my ethics professor, and he mentioned the concept of "inviolate personality". When it came up he was pretty sure the word inviolate either comes from or is ...
3
votes
3answers
127 views
Is there a single syntactic class “פעיל” in Biblical Hebrew?
Is there a unique class of Biblical Hebrew words of the form "פעיל"?Is the putative class of Biblical Hebrew words strictly a class of nouns or adjectives?If not, is it strictly divisible into two ...
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3answers
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Ish chai rav pe'alim mikavtze'el
Another in the mi.yodeya gravestone series:
I recently obtained a photograph of the gravestone of one of my ancestors. The first line of the inscription on the stone is:
איש חי רב פעלים מקבצאל
...
11
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2answers
146 views
Does the term “ארץ ישראל” ever appear in Tanach?
Do these words ever appear together as one phrase in Tanach?
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4answers
114 views
Interpretations of the Akeidah
Our Torah class in school is studying the Akeidah. What different approaches do the meforshim take in interpreting it (e.g. Rashbam says it was a punishment, lehavdil Kierkegaard says it was about ...
4
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2answers
129 views
Modern Traditionalist Scholars Combatting Critical Approaches to the Tanach
I know that Shadal, David Hoffman, and many others tried very hard to combat the claims of scholars that criticized the Torah (both in terms of Higher and Lower Criticism). Can anyone help me find ...
2
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2answers
74 views
Why is Yosef sometimes spelled with an extra Hai?
עֵדוּת | בִּֽיהוֹסֵף שָׂמוֹ בְּצֵאתוֹ עַל־ אֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם
In Tehilim 81 we see Yosef spelled with an extra Hai? What is the reason for this?
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10answers
213 views
What is your favorite passuk? [closed]
I know this is a totally subjective and possibly meta question, but I will ask it anyways, in part to share my own.
1
vote
1answer
41 views
יוֹשְׁבֵי דְּבִיר
In Y'hoshua 15:15, and again in Shof'tim 1:11, going to the city of דְּבִיר is referred to as "going to יוֹשְׁבֵי דְּבִיר" (something if not unique then nearly so (in Y'hoshua, anyway; I haven't ...
2
votes
4answers
126 views
