All Questions
0
votes
2answers
4 views
Does demolishing idolatry require specific authority?
Is a command from legal authorities required to demolish idols? Moreover, what counts as a legal authority in such a case?
4
votes
1answer
23 views
Does Genesis 2:4 say there was only one day of creation?
Right after it says all the different parts of the world and sky being created on six separate days and rest on the seventh, it says, "These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they ...
1
vote
0answers
19 views
Witness signing on a get “ben ish ploni”
It says in the Mishnah in Gitten (See here Daf 87b)
That if an eid (witness) signs on the Get "ben ish ploni eid" then it's kosher. Meaning instead of writing for example his full name "Moshe ben ...
5
votes
1answer
45 views
Mistake in aliyah on Rosh Chodesh
On Rosh Chodesh we have four aliyos by Krias HaTorah.
Rosh Chodesh fell out on Monday and by mistake it was read by the first aliyah of Kohen the Parsha of that week. After the aliyah was finished ...
3
votes
1answer
54 views
Must one pray with a minyan?
People wrote on this site that there is no requirement for a man to pray with a minyan as a general rule. I took this to mean that one need not attend a minyan he knows meets regularly, instead ...
0
votes
2answers
155 views
How do we reconcile the order of creating animals betweeen Genesis and science?
http://skeptics.stackexchange.com/questions/6932/does-the-torah-encoded-age-of-the-universe-match-science#comment53788_6932
The Genesis 1 creation account conflicts with the order of events that ...
2
votes
0answers
23 views
Stolen goods that rise in value at the time of theft - how does this effect compensation?
A thief steals the gold bar sells it off at price higher than the value of gold when he stole it. That is, the market value of the gold increased in his possession, either because the value of the ...
6
votes
1answer
184 views
What are some understandings as to how animals populated different continents after the flood?
What are some understandings as to how animals populated different continents after the flood? Did some species of animals survive the flood? Or are we to understand that the flood only affected the ...
5
votes
1answer
188 views
Woman wearing her husband's comfortable clothing
Is there any printed discussion about a woman wearing her husband's comfortable clothing?
While there is an Isur for a woman to wear a man's clothing, I've read in several places that this is about a ...
9
votes
1answer
118 views
Why is Jacob idolized and not villainised?
I've just read the story of Jacob and Esau (Bereishis ch. 25 and 27), and I fail to understand why Jacob is consistently portrayed and idolized as a protagonist and a hero - based on what I've read, I ...
3
votes
0answers
15 views
Spilling wine for Detzach, Adash, Be'Achav
I understand that we spill wine for the plagues. People died, they went through hardship, and it was not their fault.
But.... immediately after spilling wine for the plagues, we say that R' ...
0
votes
0answers
25 views
Where does the minhag of holding a pinky up to the Torah come from? [duplicate]
Where does the minhag to hold a pinky up to the Torah during hagbah come from? And in the same vein (or perhaps not) where does the minhag to dip your pinky into your cup on Pesach to remove wine come ...
8
votes
7answers
823 views
How are Spartans the son of Abraham?
I was reading the Book of Maccabbees (I and II) over shabbat and in it there is a letter written to Sparta to ask for peace, goodwill and friendship.
In the reply letter back from Sparta, they affirm ...
18
votes
13answers
1k views
How to tactfully circumvent opposite-gender handshake
Say you're a man in a professional setting, and a woman who isn't used to dealing with observant Jews stretches out her hand to greet you -- but your practice is to avoid shaking hands even in ...
3
votes
1answer
131 views
Mikvah and illness
Is there any reason to assume that a woman may or may not go to Mikvah when she has a non-life threatening illness that may be made worse by going (eg., flu, strep, ear infection)?
What if both she ...
2
votes
1answer
37 views
Renting building from a church
The question of renting a hall in a Church to use for a simcha (bar mitzvah) has been discussed. I have a similar question, however a little different.
There is a Christian church that owns a large ...
9
votes
3answers
102 views
Why did Moshe and Aaron need to use a staff in initiating the plagues?
Why did Moshe and Aaron need to use a staff in initiating the plagues?
Such as in שמות פרק ז פסוק יט:
יט. וַיֹּאמֶר יְהֹוָה אֶל משֶׁה אֱמֹר אֶל אַהֲרֹן קַח מַטְּךָ וּנְטֵה יָדְךָ עַל מֵימֵי ...
6
votes
0answers
61 views
Can one trust the Kashrut of Alcoholic Beverages in bars?
Kosher Organizations, like the CRC (Chicago Rabbinical Council, supply lists of alcohol recommended for purchase and consumption.
May one purchase these alcoholic beverages from a bar (where the ...
1
vote
0answers
31 views
Are Kol Ishah and seeing a woman's exposed hair Isurim DeRabbanan according to the Shulhan 'Aruch?
According to the Shulhan 'Aruch (Even Ha'Ezer 21:1), it is:
ואסור לשמוע קול ערוה או לראות שערה. והמתכוין לאחד מאלו הדברים, מכין אותו מכת מרדות. ואלו הדברים אסורים גם בחייבי לאוין.
Forbidden ...
3
votes
0answers
21 views
Doctor's mistake and homicide
The mishnah in Makkos (beginning of 2nd chapter) teaches that if the person inadvertently killed someone through performing a mitzvah, the murder is exempt from the punishment of exile, which I ...
7
votes
0answers
47 views
Satmar Derech Halimud
I was curious as to what the Derech Halimud (learning style) is for Satmar Chassidim. I understand that the general Chassidish Derech (Chassidic style) is one that moves at a quicker pace with not as ...
4
votes
1answer
44 views
What happened to insects during the flood?
We know that Noach took onto the ark all kinds of animals including "every creeping thing of the ground" (מִכֹּל רֶמֶשׂ הָאֲדָמָה), which I've always understood to be creeping things that actually ...
2
votes
1answer
180 views
Why are people going back to paskining like the Rambam?
I have heard personally (and seen in chat) people (who are not Teimanim [for whom there is a tradition to rule like the Rambam]) ruling like the Rambam. I have heard that he has the authentic ...
6
votes
1answer
88 views
Aruch Hashulchan's moon-distance estimate
Aruch Hashulchan, Orach Chayim 397:1, says that a מיל is the same as a Russian верста (verst) or 500 сажен (sazhen), which comes to 1066.8 meters. In 426:2, he says the distance to the moon is about ...
3
votes
1answer
27 views
Who wrote the Piskei Tosfos?
After the section of Gemara in most sefarim, before the Rosh there is a section of the Piskei Tosfos. Who authored this work?
5
votes
2answers
55 views
Can Gentile light a Shabbat Candle and do the Prayers?
I am a gentile, however I am seriously considering to convert.
I would like to do some of the Shabbat traditions just to get a feel of the celebration (can you call it that?) like light the candle and ...
0
votes
1answer
40 views
Why do people say that Abraham and his family were idolaters at first?
A common idea these days, is that Abraham, his father and their families were supposed to have worshipped idols, until the true Creator, the LORD, called him from Ur of the Chaldees to give unto him ...
10
votes
3answers
185 views
Can a single-parent father be exempt from time-bound mitzvot?
Rabbis such as Abudraham have explained a woman's exemption from positive time-bound commandments (mitzvot shehazman grama) in terms of a woman's ongoing and preliminary role in supporting her ...
4
votes
3answers
212 views
2
votes
0answers
40 views
May one eat cheese that is wormy?
Nitei Gavriel Shavuos 29:14 says that one may eat cheese that has worms in it, and there is no prohibition of Sheretz on it. Is this accurate? Does everyone agree with this?
5
votes
1answer
68 views
Cicadas - once in 17 years
I was reading an article today regarding the Cicadas which appear once every 17 years.
Is there any Sefarim that discuss this phenomenon?
Also if they were created at the time the world was created, ...
2
votes
2answers
240 views
Attending a relative's non-Jewish wedding in a non-Jewish place of worship?
Could somebody attend his non-Jewish relatives' wedding ceremony if they are held, let's say, in a church or a Buddhist temple?
1
vote
2answers
92 views
Is there an inyan to eat Cheesecake on Shavuos?
I know everybody does it, and I know there is an inyan to eat dairy, but is there an inyan specifically for eating cheesecake on Shavuos? And if so, where does it come from?
9
votes
1answer
119 views
Prounciation - IM vs YIM? with ים ending
I've read that ידים is to be pronounced ya- DAI - im, yet שמים is to be pronounced sha-MAI-yim.
Both end the same, but are pronounced differently. (This was from a text purporting to teach "Biblical ...
12
votes
3answers
203 views
May a Jewish cemetery refuse a body?
Based on a recent news item wherein cemeteries have been refusing to inter the body of one of the (alleged) Boston bombers, I am curious whether a Jewish cemetery's operators are allowed to refuse to ...
4
votes
2answers
63 views
May a man wear a wedding band?
Is there any halachic reason that a man may not wear a wedding band (ring)? Possible reasons to forbid it would include beged isha and chukas hagoyim.
3
votes
1answer
48 views
How do we know that God does not take human form?
Christianity believes that God takes human shape in the form of Jesus, and comes down to earth as a man. Of course, Jews do not believe that God ever takes the shape of a human, but how do we know ...
5
votes
4answers
632 views
Powdered Milk - Chalav Yisroel
I have a child with a milk allergy. He will be undergoing a "baked milk" food challenge shortly. For this I need to bake him muffins with powdered milk.
I have found several brands of kosher powdered ...
2
votes
1answer
57 views
Why do some Jewish groups wear a uniform?
My impression of male Chareidi Jews is that they only ever wear a white shirt with a black suit shoes and hat, no tie. I also get the impression that particular other (possibly Chassidic) groups have ...
2
votes
2answers
85 views
Does a synagogue have the right to dispose of objects abandoned there?
A particular synagogue has large numbers of abandoned tallesim and tefilin in the drawers in the chapel.
Does the synagogue have the right to dispose of objects abandoned there?
Does the law change ...
0
votes
1answer
31 views
Talmid that is an Avel going to a wedding of his Rebbe
I had heard once that there is a Teshuvas Ranach that says it's muter for a student that is an avel (in the year of mourning) to go to a wedding that his Rebbe is making for one his children. I ...
5
votes
2answers
122 views
Rushing through the end of הלל
Why is it that everywhere I ever davened, when saying הלל
, after "...אנא ידוד", people speed through "...ברוך הבא" and especially by יהללוך.
Why is this? Is it some Halacha? Segula?
Its not like ...
3
votes
3answers
190 views
Riddle: Aruch Hashulchan. Chanukah story missing a word [closed]
A reading of the Aruch Hashulchan's description of the Miracle of Chanukah shows that there is a word he didn't use. What is it and why ?
8
votes
2answers
193 views
Why has the Mishnah Berurah become the Authoritative Halachik Work instead of the Aruch haShulchan?
Hirhurim just had a post about this topic, where he discussed some reasons that people should follow the aruch haShulchan. Yet in many circles, people just follow the Mishna Berura and rarely even ...
1
vote
1answer
38 views
Source in the Aruch HaShulchan to not motzi (exempt) others with after-bracha on mezonot foods
The Aruch HaShulchan has an opinion on whether one person can motzi (exempt) a crowd with a bracha acharona (after-bracha) on mezonot foods. It is along the lines of it is better not to have one ...
6
votes
1answer
111 views
Why is the Aruch Hashulchan on Even Haezer incomplete?
The Aruch Hashulchan is written on the whole Shulchan Aruch, and even has sections on Halacha that is not currently applicable (Aruch Hashulchan Ha'asid). Yet he never finished Even Haezer.
Why?
1
vote
1answer
69 views
Ana B'Koach authorship and the 42 letter name of Hashem
In my Artscroll siddur it tells me that the hymn Ana B'Koach was written by the tanna, Rebbi Nechunia ben HaKana and that the first letter of each word can be used to form the 42 letter name of ...
5
votes
2answers
97 views
Newcomers Overwhelmed by Myriad Halachas
Some people, especially Baal Teshuvas who drastically change their lives to being fully observant may find it somewhat overwhelming to observe the minimum halachas in being an orthodox jew (such as ...
4
votes
1answer
107 views
What's “chosen” about Jews?
Jews are commonly referred to as "the chosen people". I've heard it comes from Exodus 19:5 ("וִהְיִיתֶם לִי סְגֻלָּה מִכָּל הָעַמִּים", "ye shall be Mine own treasure from among all peoples", JPS). ...
1
vote
1answer
86 views
What decree is Tosafos on Sukkah 46b speaking of, is regarding shmini atzeret and the sfak yom?
A person I had spoken suggested tosfos on sukkah 46B, is talking about a decree, but i'm not clear what it is regarding. What is it regarding?
Update-Background provided by Seth-
The Gemara (Succah ...
