Questions tagged [torah-study]
Questions about the mitzvah to study Torah, and the nature of Torah study. This tag is not intended to be a general tag about Torah. Almost every question on the site is about Torah in some sense. If your question is about a passage in the Bible, try one of the book tags.
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Where can I find indexes to the classic Torah works?
I want indexes (indices) to the classic Torah works, so that I can quickly find the pages that hold the information I need. Where can I find such indexes?
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Genesis Chapter 9 : 3 Meaning
Genesis 9 : 3
Every creeping thing which is alive shall be food for you. I have
given you all things, even as the green plant.
I am a Torah keeper but this verse seems to be contradicting. Can ...
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Not to learn parts of Torah until they become applicable
I was told that one should not learn the laws of Nidda (I guess including orach Chaim 240 and even hoezer 25) until engaged, and not the laws of mourning until applicable (lo alainu)
Is this true?
Or ...
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Specific things to do when a Gadol passes away
Are there are any Segulot, Tefilot, Limudim brought down in the Sefarim for the passing of the Sadik HaDor?
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Properties of honey and the Chafetz Chaim
I've heard in an online shiur from Rabbi Daniel Glatstein that the Chafetz Chaim wrote an explanation on the connection between honey and the Torah. Why is the Torah compared to honey, e.g., sweetness?...
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Does a superficial malformation of the Tanach's cover defile the Tanach?
What I am going to say might sound like a joke due to my recklessness, but it's serious at the same time which is why I am writing to you.
I finally got the Artscroll English Tanach and I am very ...
user9690
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Studying Halachah daily required?
Read somewhere that one must be sure that in addition to any daily study of Tanach, Mishnah and Gemara, to study books of Halachah.
Does anyone know where the source for this can be found?
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Source for a story about the Mir Yeshiva on the train to Shanghai?
I remember hearing a story told by R' Hershel Schachter about the
Mir Yeshiva's journey to Shanghai, that took place on the train ride from Eastern Europe to Shanghai.
The gist of the story is that ...
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Where is the first time that the splitting of the Red Sea is referred to as קריעת ים סוף?
The text of the Torah refers to the sea "splitting" (וַיִּבָּקְעוּ הַמָּיִם - Ex.14:21). Where is the first source where the Sages refer to this event as "tearing" (קריעה)?
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birchas hatorah if one isn't going to learn
Does one have a chiyuv to say birchas hatorah if he isn't going to learn anyway that day?
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Mediterranean Talmud
When the Gemarra was composed, there were three areas inhabited by significant Jewish populations - Bavel, Eretz Yisrael, and the other Mediterranean countries ruled by the Roman Empire as far as ...
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Learning Torah from a Non Jew
Can someone learn torah from a non jew? I know a Jew can't teach a non jew torah that doesn't apply to him (Tosafos, Chagiga 13a; S"A Hil'TT). However, is there an issue with a Jew learning Torah (...
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No sevara before completing shas?
In this shiur http://classic.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/895937/Rabbi_Hershel_Schachter/Derech_HaLimud_and_Shiur_of_the_Rav# at about the 26 minute mark Rav Schachter says "they printed" that Rav ...
user14389
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Subjectivity of halacha
My friend who is just getting into judaism asked me a question while learning some gemara:
Why should I learn gemara? Obviously it is interesting and etc, but halacha-wise, it is just these people's ...
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Should one rend a garment when hearing an important teaching ‘late’?
I noticed that Yoshiyahu HaMelech tore his clothes when hearing Torah ‘late’ (2 Melachim 22:11). Presumably, because he realized he had been ignorant of what the Torah said and he now realized he had ...
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What is the number one or the most recommended Talmud/Gemara passage for a child to begin studying?
What is the number one or the most recommended Talmud/Gemara passage for a child to begin studying?
I understand that the number one or the most recommended Torah passage for a child to begin ...
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Seventy approaches to Torah
It is often said that there are seventy approaches to Torah. What is the earliest known source that says this?
(This related question merely quotes "Bamidbar Rabbah," and I assume he refers to 13:15 ...
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What is the proper approach to a novel idea in Torah?
Not all the Torah teachings are permitted to be written down. Some may
only be spoken but not written down. One who can distinguish which may
be written and which may not, can identify a Jew among ...
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What does a Sephardic library consist of?
Sephardi B.T.
As my hunger grew I was pretty much ordering anything mentioned in a shiur or that caught my attention, if I could find it in English. Long story short, I've come to understand ...
- 1,507
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Did Melchizedek create a yeshiva?
Did Melchizedek have a yeshiva which he used to teach Torah to people, including Avraham?
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Can you pray or study torah in a non-Jewish cemetery?
There is a large non-Jewish cemetery near where I live. It has beautiful grounds and is open to the public for visiting. Is it OK to pray or study Torah there?
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Source for "everyone has a specific area of Torah that they're naturally drawn to"
While we have to learn the entire Torah, I remember once learning that "everyone has a specific area of Torah that they're specifically drawn to/ naturally comes easier to them"
(for example: monetary ...
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Doing Rambam using audio shiur?
Regarding the institution of the last Lubavitcher Rebbe to learn the Rambam, either 3 chapters a day or 1 chapter a day, does anyone know if one is yotzei by listening to and understanding a audio ...
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Which version of Rashi is learned on M'nachos chapters 7–10?
Four chapters of Bavli M'nachos (chapters 7–10 in the Bavli's order) have two versions of Rashi printed alongside in the standard edition. Toward the top of the page is Rashi printed in regular Rashi ...
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Who says the Tefillah of ר' נחוניה בן הקנה?
The Mishnah at the top of Ber. 28b says that ר' נחוניה בן הקנה used to say a short prayer before learning that he not cause harm in his learning, and afterwards to give thanks for the opportunity to ...
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Daf Yomi Scheduling for Shabbos, Yom Tov, and Sundays
With the twelfth Siyum HaShas behind us, I was wondering what is the best way for a person to maintain their Daf Yomi schedule on Shabbos, Yom Tov, and Sundays. Is it best to learn at a different time ...
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Difference between Yegiah and Hipus
The Gemara in Megila 6b says that if someone tells you that they understood a piece of Torah and they didn't work hard for it you shouldn't believe them.
The Ramha"l says in the Hakdama to his magnum ...
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Online Hebrew Lexicon for learning Tanakh
Shalom, it is my goal to significantly improve my Hebrew this year.
It was recommended to me that an online Hebrew Lexicon, which allows you to analyze each word of Tanakh, including grammar, ...
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Is there a Zohar Yomi?
I know about the Daf Yomi and Rambam Yomi learning schedules. Is there an active organization of a Zohar Yomi learning schedule though? Does someone know?
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Developing ability: thinking in learning [closed]
It says in Tosafot Sotah 21a - זה תלמוד חכם:
סתם תלמיד חכם תורתו אומנתו, ועוסק בה ומהרהר כל שעה. ואינו הולך ד' אמות בלא תורה
Is there any detailed, practical guidance available about developing an ...
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Are there any "prerequisite" masechtot?
When I have taught Talmud classes to some beginners, I try to give them an overview of the tractate prior to starting it. Usually, I locate the relevant laws / verses in the Torah. I think it's tough ...
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Is there a commentary concordance?
I gather that there are both printed as well as on-line concordances for Tanac"h where one could enter a word or phrase and a list of matches appears.
Is there such a thing like a Rash"i or other ...
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Knowing all of Torah a prerequisite for getting married according to Halacha? [closed]
This article (http://www.torahmusings.com/2014/04/when-to-get-married/) states that two things are necessary before getting married: knowing Torah and a livelihood. It cites sources, but I'm not sure ...
user15150
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What does עמלות בתורה actually mean?
Poroshas beĥukosai begins with the words אם בחוקותי תלכו which rashi, somewhat famously explains, based on toras kohanim that this means 'if we will be עמלים בתורה'.
This is a commonly quoted rashi in ...
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How should I learn Tanach?
I was learning the Maharal on Avos and he strongly denounces the commonly-practised Yeshiva system in use in the Ashkenazic world. Specifically, he complains about starting to learn gemara-rashi-...
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Are there any early mentions of the concept of "l'iluy nishmas"?
On his Rationalist Judaism blog, R' Natan Slifkin posed this question:
I am very interested to know if there are any early mentions of the phrase "l'iluy nishmas" or the concept thereof. (I am not ...
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Good resource for in-depth study of Haftorah?
Is there a good source for in-depth study of the weekly haftorah? I'm thinking of things like historical references, explanations of prophecies, etc.
Online or print would work.
Something that will ...
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Source for starting one limmud after finishing another
What is the source for starting a new limmud (learning) immediately after finishing the previous one? For example After finishing one mesechta I have seen people immediately start the next one, even ...
user2110
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How does the content of the JPS English translation of Miqra'ot Gedolot differ from that of the Hebrew version?
Because I am not yet fluent in Hebrew I am excited to learn that JPS is publishing an English translation of Miqra'ot Gedolot. (So far they've done Sh'mot, Vayikra, and Bamidbar.) As noted in one of ...
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Online Udemy Like Torah Classes
I was wondering if there any Udemy Like Torah classes (Parsha, Jewish history, Tanach, Mishna, Gemara etc..)
Affordable (Udemy classes usually sell for 10-20 dollars can pay a bit more but you get ...
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May one learn commentaries of permitted texts on Tisha B'av?
Regarding texts one is permitted to learn on Tisha B'av like Eicha and Iyov, is one allowed to learn the various meforshim as well or only the texts themselves?
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What is the correct translation of Exodus 6:3?
According to BHS, Exodus 6:3 reads:
וָאֵרָ֗א אֶל־אַבְרָהָ֛ם אֶל־יִצְחָ֥ק וְאֶֽל־יַעֲקֹ֖ב בְּאֵ֣ל שַׁדָּ֑י
וּשְׁמִ֣י יְהוָ֔ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖עְתִּי לָהֶֽם׃
This all almost universally translated as ...
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Midah Keneged Midah in the Punishment of an Entire Tzibur [i.e, Covid-19]
I was recently reading a controversial article on The Lakewood Scoop claiming that Coronavirus (Covid-19) is a punishment for the fact that we expelled anti-vaxxers from our Yeshivos and Mosdos ...
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Why there are no anti-altering failsafe measures in the Written Torah?
(The original question asked if there are any, but there aren't, hence the update).
The famous ו דגחון Sugiah in Kiddushin 30a:
"א"ל: ניתי ס"ת ואימנינהו, מי לא אמר רבה בר בר חנה לא זזו ...
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Memorising large swathes of Torah by heart
Before gemara was written down, (and a long time afterwards too, according to this lecture J. Woolf on rishonim and achronim), people knew all of shas off by heart. According to the aforementioned ...
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Why does Torah study rein in the Evil Inclination?
The Talmud in Kidushin 30b states that Torah study is essential activity for gaining control of the evil inclination.
"... so too the Holy One blessed be He said: 'I have created the evil
...
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Who teaches Torah in womb
The Gemara Niddah 30b writes that "they" teach the embryo the entire Torah in the womb. However,the gemara brings one passuk as a proof which says וירני ויאמר לי... which is a loshon of one person ...
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What to Learn During Seder [closed]
Recently, I have had the opportunity to spend a few hours a week at a kollel. I'm not used to self-guided learning, and I don't know what to learn from all the different seforim that exist (other than ...
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Zohar and the Yetzer Hara
I saw an unsourced advice to a general audience about reading the Zohar Ha-Kodesh as a segula in fighting the yetzer hara.
I am wondering if there is a legitimate source for this, beyond the fact ...
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Can a Ba'al Kri'ah review the parshiot that he must lain on Tish'a B'Av?
I understand that we are not supposed to learn Torah, in general from afternoon of Erev Tish'a B'av until after chatzot of Tish'a B'av except for designated areas such as Eicha, Iyov, etc.
Does this ...
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