An acronym of "Torah" (Five Books of Moses), "Neviim" (Prophets), and "Kesuvim" (Writings). The three books together form the "Written Torah".
6
votes
2answers
207 views
Why is Hebrew Called “Jewish” in the Bible?
We see that in most of the Bible, the Jews are called "בני ישראל/Israelites"; only in later books are they called "יהודים/Jews" (e.g. Esther 2:5, Zechariah 8:23), after the loss of the 10 tribes. ...
7
votes
5answers
324 views
Rationalist Position on Bible Ancients' Long Lives
How would a rationalist interpret the long lives of the ancient people enumerated in the Bible, from Methuselah on down? Virtually no person lives more than 120 years today, even with the assistance ...
5
votes
5answers
130 views
The Meaning of Aishdas
I have read that Aishdas (Deut. 33:2) means "fiery law" or something of the sort. However, doesn't the word das with the meaning of law/religion come from Persian (i.e. did not have the meaning of ...
5
votes
1answer
78 views
Order of birth of Ya'akov's children
The back of my Feldheim Tanakh has a timeline which gives the birth and death years of various Tanakh characters. The birth years of the sons of Ya'akov are not listed in the order given in Parashat ...
11
votes
6answers
302 views
5
votes
3answers
283 views
Silent aleph (no, I mean really silent)
Please explain what is going on with the letter aleph in certain places in Tanakh (e.g. the second to last word of Devarim 3:12, the first word of Tehilim 34:10) where the aleph contributes neither a ...
4
votes
3answers
173 views
Esav & Yishma'el today
Historically, how did Esav come to be associated with Rome/Christianity? How did Yishma'el come to be associated with Arabs/Islam?
1
vote
1answer
99 views
Famous People across time [closed]
Who was יוסף גר צדק and who was his famous son and even more infamous Ancestor?
6
votes
6answers
144 views
Ḥaser form of writing “Jerusalem” in the Bible
It seems that Jerusalem is always written "ḥaser" (defective) in the Bible: that is, as ירושלם, without the י/yud, as opposed "malei" (full), as ירושלים. See, for example, Isaiah 62:6. This presents a ...
0
votes
2answers
89 views
Both with the same name [closed]
Who is the only person in Tanach whose father and father-in-law are two different people and have the exact same name?
7
votes
2answers
290 views
Is there a good children's parsha book that's focused on pshat, not midrash?
Is there a good children's parsha book that's focused on pshat, not midrash?
Something like a Little Midrash Says, but based on just the psukim (simple verses), not all the medrish?
9
votes
3answers
218 views
How do scientists such as Natan Aviezer and Gerald Schroeder understand the fourth day of creation?
If I understand correctly, scientists such as Natan Aviezer and Gerald Schroeder have readings of Genesis Chapter 1 that fit with the current scientific understanding of how the universe/planet/life ...
7
votes
2answers
83 views
Why are several Biblical characters called “man of the Lord” (Ish HaElokim), but no one in the Bible is ever “man of God” (Ish Hashem)?
Ramban makes this observation (Deut. 33:1), and says "anyone with a good intellect" can figure out the reason. Okay I'm stumped ... help me out here please?
10
votes
3answers
154 views
In the Bible, why did robbers bother tunneling into houses to rob them?
Exodus 22:1 speaks about the robber who was found "tunnelling in" to someone's house (vis-a-vis self-defense). Is that just a figure of speech, or did they actually go to that much trouble? (What ...
5
votes
1answer
328 views
What's the difference in Biblical Hebrew between “zahav” and “paz”?
Artscroll calls one "gold", the other "fine gold." Any other distinctions?
4
votes
5answers
480 views
ALL Names of God
Where can I find an exhaustive list of all of the names of Hashem (preferably שמות and כינוים) in תנ"ך (Tanakh) and elsewhere?
Is this too ill-defined a topic to have an exhaustive answer?
Do the 70 ...
6
votes
2answers
352 views
Does the vav hahipuch also mean “and”? Do all those extra “ands” belong in the Bible?
I know that in Biblical Hebrew, take a word like "Vaydaber." "Yedaber" = "He will speak"; the "v" flips the word from future tense to past, so it's "he spoke."
Most translations understand the "v" ...
2
votes
3answers
532 views
Which parts of the Chazon Haftorah get sad tune (Eicha trop)?
The Shabbos before Tisha B'Av gets a very sad Haftorah, known as Chazon. It's Isaiah 1:1--27. (I recommend you open the text in a new window, or else the answers to this question will make no ...
2
votes
2answers
110 views
Psalms 31:5 or 31:6 - beyadcha, etc
Psalms 31:6 in a Tanakh is beyadcha afkid ruchi, padita orti, adonai el emet. The same verse in an English Bible is at 31:5 because they skip what is 31:1 in a Tanakh. Which is correct?
6
votes
2answers
254 views
Teaching Written Torah to Christians
There is an idea mentioned by the Rambam, but not in the Mishneh Torah as I recall, that it is permissible to teach Wrtitten Torah to Christians because they accept it as Divine and don't study it in ...
6
votes
1answer
72 views
Why do the names of neviim change?
I was curious why a number of names in Navi- the prophets- seem to change. Yirmiyah is also called Yirmiyahu, Yeshayah/Yeshayahu, etc. and a number of the kings have a similar variation. Is there a ...
4
votes
5answers
332 views
Why do the Sifrei Eme"s (i.e. Job, Proverbs, Psalms) have cantillation marks?
Are they read to a tune or is it just punctuation for personal usage?
Have they ever been read publicly with the tune?
(See here for what inspired me to ask this.)
6
votes
5answers
326 views
Why Daniel is not Among the Prophets?
If Daniel was one of the Prophets, I do not understand why he is not counted among the Prophets.
Why is his book among the Ketuvim and not Neviim?
6
votes
1answer
356 views
Why isn't the book of the Maccabees part of the Jewish canon?
I believe they are in the Christian canon... why not Jewish?
