All Questions
11
votes
3answers
260 views
Understanding of Ps. 137 before the exile
Psalm 137 starts (in my own translation)
On Babylon's rivers, there, we sat, also cried, in our remembering Zion.
and continues to describe the scene. Ibn Ezra cites some who hold that David ...
11
votes
3answers
244 views
Did the prophets practice magic?
The Torah clearly prohibits all forms of magic, which we might define as the achievement of any supernatural phenomenon.
Yet we find many neviim, most blatantly Eliyahu and Elisha, achieving many ...
11
votes
2answers
416 views
Am I allowed to view a Kotel Cam on Shabbos?
If there is a camera in Israel that is operating on Shabbos, am I (a person living in America, where Shabbos only starts 6 or 7 hours later) allowed to view such a camera?
I suppose the same could be ...
11
votes
3answers
426 views
How many of the 613 Mitzvos are we able to do currently?
There are many Mitzvos we can not do in today's generation. For example there are no Korbonos, no slaves, etc.
Per the Chofetz Chaim, there are 77 positive Mitzvos and 194 negative Mitzvos which can ...
11
votes
3answers
218 views
Do people have an effect on the mood of God?
If a person commits idolatry or fornication he is sinful. Not only that, but the curse of Hashem is with that person. On the other hand, if a person does a lot of mitswots (commandments) and believes ...
11
votes
2answers
172 views
Multiple People Saying Kaddish Out-Of-Sync
Many times there is more than one person saying Kaddish in shul. Unfortunately, because people say things at different speeds, and have trouble hearing each other across long distances, the Kaddish ...
11
votes
8answers
327 views
What is the source for the “Upsheirin”?
In some families/communities, little boys do not get their hair cut until they are three, and then there is a gathering for cutting their hair. The haircut is called an "upsheirin" or "chalakeh."
...
11
votes
2answers
232 views
Stacking Seforim
From the things I heard in yeshiva category:
Are we allowed to place less revered seforim on top of more revered seforim? I believe that the consensus is that you are only allowed to stacks seforim ...
11
votes
3answers
232 views
Stripes on a Talis
Is there any reason for the stripes on a talis? Does the color of the stripes have any significance?
11
votes
6answers
256 views
Burning the Challah portion
What is a practical way of burning the Challah portion that is removed from dough? Wrapping it in foil and leaving it in the oven would produce too much smoke for my house.
11
votes
4answers
266 views
Prayer for Illness - Why use the mothers name?
Why when someone is sick do we say his mothers name not his father's?
10
votes
1answer
290 views
What halachot does an American traveling to Israel have to be made aware of?
I'm planning to go to Israel for the first time, b"h, in just over a month. I'll be going on an organized trip and then I hope to stay until after tisha b'av. What halchot do I need to know about? (I ...
10
votes
5answers
203 views
Why did Yonah run away?
If Yonah understood that he was being commanded by God, then how could he have possibly thought that he could run away? Did he believe that God was tied to a particular land, the way pagan gods were ...
10
votes
4answers
223 views
Keeping up with fast davening
My local shul in Johannesburg, South Africa is traditional with very few Yeshivah-background or even Shabbat-keeping members. They daven so fast I simply cannot keep up. Even if I skip most of Pesukei ...
10
votes
2answers
324 views
Wearing Watches on Shabbat
What is a watch one can wear on shabbat?
There are the analogue quartz watches with just one crown to adjust the time that (as far as I'm aware) most people would wear on shabbat (especially an ...
10
votes
4answers
377 views
The Ability to Pasken
What gives someone the ability to Pasken? At what point do we say that he is knowledgeable enough to decide questions on a topic? Does this have to do with "Semicha"? Does it have to do with being a ...
10
votes
1answer
280 views
Can Purim Torah be heretical?
How far can one go with Purim Torah? Can one descend into heresy, so long as it is known that one is not serious?
10
votes
4answers
161 views
Not falling on hands for Tachnun
How come Sepharadim do not "fall on their faces" during Tachanun as Ashkenazim do, if the prayer is called "nefilat apa'im" (literally the falling of the faces)?
The Shulchan Aruch seems to hold of ...
10
votes
2answers
167 views
Jewish definition of a charity
I know that Jews are supossed to give 10% of their income to charity, but what constitutes a charity? I know that Shuls, jewish schools and poor people in your community count, but what about secular ...
9
votes
2answers
407 views
Can the child of two converts marry a Cohen?
Can the child of two converts marry a Cohen? How does the situation differ if only the mother, or only the father, is a convert?
(I have read that "ideally" the child of two converts should not ...
9
votes
2answers
173 views
Tevilat Keilim on a gift
If I buy a food-utensil from a gentile to give as a gift to a Jew, can I tovel it before giving it to him, or must he do it himself as the final intended owner? Is there a difference between glass and ...
9
votes
5answers
244 views
Why are parshat Noach and parshat Toldot named that way?
I was taught that the parshiyot are named for the first significant word (or, rarely, phrase) in the parsha, and obviously names have to be unique. This week's parsha begins "eileh toldot Noach" and ...
9
votes
5answers
427 views
Sources For Listening To/Not Listening to Non-Jewish Music
What are sources for it being allowed to listen to non-Jewish music and sources for it being prohibited?
8
votes
2answers
137 views
When there are four aveilim (mourners), Is it better to have one minyan of 40 people or 4 minyonim of ten each?
Today I was in a shul where there were four parallel mincha services because four mourners wanted to lead the services. I thought there was a principle of ברב עם הדרת מלך?
What sources are there that ...
8
votes
2answers
180 views
How seriously do we take the finger-inspection in Havdala?
After saying the blessing over fire during Havdala, we do something (customs vary) involving looking at our fingers by the light of the Havdala candle. I'm wondering how seriously we take this part of ...
8
votes
2answers
491 views
Shaving on Chol Hamoed
May a man shave his beard in a kosher manner on Chol Hamoed?
(Sefira considerations aside)
8
votes
2answers
132 views
Why only on the first Saturday night of Selichot is the minhag to start at midnight?
Pretty self explanatory. Some say at chatzot all week and some in the morning. Why davka on the first night does everyone say at night? This minhag does not seem apply on the second Saturday night ...
8
votes
2answers
189 views
Ashkenazic vs. Sefardic grammar tendencies
I notice that when referring to God in the second person in a possessive form, Sefardim often use the female form where Ashkenazim use the male form.
For example, where Ashkenazim say in kedusha, ...
8
votes
2answers
202 views
Kiddush Levanah - Saying Aleichem Sholom with the other person?
As discussed here, while doing Kiddush Levanah, we say "Shalom Aleichem" to 3 other people, and they respond back with "Aleichem Shalom". I've seen some people saying "Aleichem Shalom" together with ...
8
votes
2answers
659 views
What is Maris Ayin?
What is the precise definition of Maris Ayin, and to what cases does it apply? (i.e. what are the parameters for applying it)
8
votes
3answers
959 views
Sefira Restrictions During Chol Hamoed Pesach
For those who hold sefira from the first day until the thirty-third, are the restrictions in effect during chol hamoed? While you are not allowed to cut your hair even during chol hamoed Succos, can ...
8
votes
1answer
122 views
Dealing with Other Minyanim
Many times I find myself davening in one Minyan while another is taking place within earshot. What is the proper way to handle such a situation (in terms of answering Amens, Kedusha, etc.)?
8
votes
1answer
376 views
Daughter of a Jewish woman and non-Jewish man
Is a Kohen allowed to marry a woman who is the daughter of a Jewish woman and non-Jewish man?
8
votes
1answer
516 views
Blowing bubbles on Shabbos
Is there any halachik problem with blowing bubbles on Shabbos? If so what melacha categories does it fall under? Does the age of the blower matter?
8
votes
1answer
175 views
Do photocopies of torah need to be put in shaimos?
Do photocopied sheets (such as chumash or gemara) need to be put in sheimos or can they be thrown straight into the garbage?
7
votes
2answers
198 views
What is the Jewish view on creating an army to defend ourselves against armies?
Jews over the last few thousand years have been persecuted mercilessly! Leaving out making a state for ourselves, is it the wrong haskafah to prepare ourselves with the fighting skills necessary to ...
7
votes
2answers
187 views
What is the source for Pardes?
What is the source for expounding the torah according to remez, derush and sod (along with 'pshat' the group can be referred to by the acronym PaRDeS)?
These forms of hermeneutics are not found in ...
7
votes
1answer
71 views
Hefsek (interruption) between the blessing on food and eating the food
Is it considered a hefsek to play with one's fingers or silverware or such while waiting for the challah to be passed around on shabbat, after the blessing made on it? Even though it isn't talking, it ...
7
votes
2answers
270 views
What are the characteristics of Sheol?
The Wikipedia article on Sheol is very unclear as to what it is and combined with the Christian understanding: quoting the New Testament in several places.
Who goes to Sheol once they die (Jews ...
7
votes
3answers
347 views
Kosher symbols on non-food items
I just bought a box of 100 sandwich bags and on the box there is an (U) symbol. This is neither unique nor uncommon. Why do marks of hechsher appear on non-food products? Is there anyone in the world ...
7
votes
2answers
275 views
מרדכי = Mord'chi?
When learning with Jews of the Syrian community, I noticed that they pronounced מרדכי (the name of the halachic commentary on the g'mara) as "mord'chi", as if the final vowel were a chirik. Why is ...
7
votes
4answers
417 views
7
votes
4answers
774 views
Is it permissible to open soda cans on shabbos?
What is the halacha regarding opening soda cans on shabbos?
I have heard that according to the ones who hold that you can open it, if I would ask that person to open it for me, I would need him to ...
7
votes
2answers
439 views
Mixed Minyan in a Shiva House
What to do when helping make a minyan for mourners in a shiva house when at prayer time they insist on davening conservative style, men and women sitting together?
6
votes
2answers
301 views
A Convert taking on customs of ashkanazim or sephardim
When someone converts is there any determining factor on what minhagim (customs) they will take upon themselves in terms of Ashkanazim or Sephardim? Should it be dependent on the Beis Din they ...
6
votes
2answers
118 views
Changing someone else's name
In parshas Shlach Moshe changes Yehoshua's name.
Does this mean his name really changed? IE was he called up to the torah as Yehoshua? Were his kids "ben Yehoshua"?
Are there any other examples in ...
6
votes
1answer
91 views
Is there an exhaustive list of astronomical/environmental events for which there are blessings?
Inspired by:
What Bracha do you say on a Hurricane?
What Blessing Does One Make on a Solar Eclipse?
Bracha for the transit of Venus?
Is there anywhere in the Halachic literature that lists all of ...
6
votes
5answers
280 views
What are some practical things we can do to bring Moshiach?
I am looking for the best and most practical suggestion as to what any average person can implement on a daily basis to help bring Moshiach. This could be either a positive action or refraining from a ...
6
votes
1answer
129 views
Why only 100 zuz to a widow/divorcee?
In a Ketubah, the Rabbis instituted that a man should obligate himself to pay his wife, should he chose to divorce her (or he dies). If she had never been married before, he obligates himself to pay ...
6
votes
0answers
137 views
Chad Gadya: The price of a kid goat
Was the fair market value of a kid goat really two zuzim? This piyyut is of course allegorical, but, if the value given is highly inaccurate, is the discrepancy in value symbolic beyond the symbolism ...
