The words tag has no wiki summary.
4
votes
2answers
218 views
Etymology of the word “Kvater”
What is the etymology of the word "Kvater"? Kvater is what we call the person that carries the baby boy into a Bris.
4
votes
2answers
110 views
Tu B'shvat Seder
Where did the idea of doing a Seder on Tu b'Shvat come from? Why a Seder, not just the eating of fruit? Why do we call it a Seder if there is no formalized way of doing it?
4
votes
1answer
124 views
Closing abbreviation ושכמ"ה
Every [anonymous] question asked in the responsum Torah Lishmah ends with an address to the answerer and the abbreviation ושכמ"ה (e.g.). The Otzar Rashei Teivos had only one entry for this ...
4
votes
3answers
115 views
Where and when is the earliest attestation of the word “mohel”?
Where is the earliest attestation of the word mohel for one who performs the act associated with a ritual circumcision?
When was it written?
What language is it?
[Inspired by Why is there a ה in ...
4
votes
2answers
114 views
Are these Latin/Greek translations of Hebrew terms useful?
If you use the following Latin or Greek translations of Hebrew terms in conversation with secular people, do they tend to know what you're talking about? If so, in what contexts - a university ...
4
votes
2answers
215 views
3
votes
2answers
85 views
What does the word לאַטקעס (latkes) mean?
לאַטקעס is the Yiddish word used for the potato pancakes commonly eaten on Chanukah. Where does the word לאַטקעס come from originally? What exactly does it mean?
3
votes
0answers
83 views
Source for not referring to Chanuka lights as a “menora”
Following up on this question about the use of the words "menora" or "chanukiya" to refer to Chanuka lights:
I find it interesting that the use of "chanukiya" apparently originated in 1897 through a ...
3
votes
1answer
124 views
Meaning of Mappik in יה
One more question about mappik
(I don't know what happened to me, but this topic somewhat disturbs me lately :))
What is the meaning of the mappik in the following Hebrew words:
יָהּ
הַלְלוּיָהּ
...
3
votes
3answers
163 views
Etymology of “Krepel”
What is the Etymology of “Krepel”?
Krepel is a 3 cornered stuffed piece of dough that we eat on Purim, Hoshana Rabah, and Erev Yom Kippur.
3
votes
2answers
85 views
Why refer to alcoholic beverages as Yash?
In many Chasidishe and Heimishe Shuls - Vodka, Whiskey and the likes are known as "Yash" which is an acronym for Yayin Saraf - יי״ש. However would it not be more appropiate to call it Yas? Then why do ...
2
votes
0answers
27 views
Whence “בלי עין הרע”?
What is the source, or earliest reference, I guess, of using the phrase, "בלי עין הרע"?
2
votes
1answer
216 views
Etymology of the word “Vasikin”
What is the etymology of the word Vasikin? Also is Vasikin Hebrew or Aramaic?
2
votes
0answers
51 views
Nedarim on Questions and Answers
Let's say someone was asked "are you going to shul tomorrow?" and the other person answers "yes." Does that count as a Neder?
BTW Rav Mutzafi says that Nedarim are only on Mitzvot, Torah etc.
2
votes
2answers
84 views
Goy Versus Leum
The Posuk Says (Gen. 25,23):
שְׁנֵי [גיים] גוֹיִם בְּבִטְנֵךְ וּשְׁנֵי לְאֻמִּים מִמֵּעַיִךְ יִפָּרֵדוּ
Translated as: Two nations are in your womb, and two kingdoms will separate from your ...
2
votes
2answers
97 views
Why does the term Eretz Yisroel never appear in the Torah?
After anylyzing the term "Eretz Yisroel" I could only find it in 3 instances in Nach. http://mi.yodeya.com/questions/5681/does-the-term-ever-appear-in-tanach
Why does the term Eretz Yisroel never ...
2
votes
2answers
206 views
Variant vowelizations in Selichot
The repeated paragraph in Selichot that introduces the Thirteen Attributes includes the phrase "increasingly grants pardon to careless sinners and foregiveness to willful ones" (Artscroll Siddur ...
1
vote
0answers
28 views
Language of Mishneh Brurah - Sefiras HaOmer and counting before Aleinu
Shulchan Aruch 489:1 says that after Maariv of the second night of Pesach we begin to count Sefiras HaOmer. The Mishneh Brurah there in note 2 says that one should count before "Aleinu" because "col ...
1
vote
1answer
89 views
What is the Issur of Nivul Peh based on?
I am wondering what exactly the Issur of Nivul Peh is predicated on.
Is it:
That such words shouldn't be spoken from a person's mouth; or
That its a cause of chillul Hashem ...
1
vote
1answer
142 views
Were the prophets and holy people who lived before Judah (Yehudah) also Jews?
The word "Jew" originates from the name of the eldest son of Jacob. The term "Jew" was introduced many generations and decades after him. I wonder whether Adam, Noah, Lot, Abraham and Moses were all ...
1
vote
2answers
114 views
Why is it called Shalosh Seudos?
Why is the third Shabbos meal called Shalosh Seudos - literally three meals - would it not be more appropiate to call it Seuda Shlishis?
1
vote
2answers
173 views
Ish Yehudi - where else?
Where else in Tanach are there the words "Ish Yehudi" besides Megilas Esther?
0
votes
1answer
144 views
Who is a Jew according the Tanach?
Does the Tanach give guidelines to Identify who is a Jew and who is not?
