All Questions
60
votes
3answers
2k views
Implications of Samoa skipping a Friday
This week, the island of Samoa is switching time zones, causing it to skip from Thursday directly to Saturday. Out of simple curiosity, what implications might this have on any Jews on the island? ...
43
votes
2answers
507 views
Does “reputation scoring” make “the Torah a crown to magnify yourself with”?
I apologise in advance if this is not the place to ask this question.
Is "reputation scoring" against the spirit of Pirkei Ovos 4 (5) "Rabbi Tzaddok would say: Do not make the Torah a crown to ...
33
votes
5answers
2k views
Rejecting others' friend requests on Facebook [closed]
Inspired by this question:
If one receives a friend request on Facebook, especially from another Jew, is it permissible to reject them?
On the one hand, "חברים כל ישראל" - "All Jews are friends"; ...
31
votes
5answers
2k views
What is the halachic source for objection to gay (civil) marriage?
New York State is considering legalizing gay (civil) marriages, so tonight on our answering machine we received a message urging us to pray that it doesn't pass because gay civil marriages were, you ...
30
votes
4answers
655 views
How do we know that the civil Saturday is the correct Shabbat?
Disclaimer: I am not a religious Jew, this question is only out of curiosity.
I understand that observant Jews observe Shabbat from Friday night to Saturday. And from this question and this it seems ...
28
votes
7answers
528 views
Did any Achronim comment on the American Revolutionary or Civil Wars?
I've heard that for instance, in the 1800s, the American rabbis in the South were pro-slavery, and the American rabbis in the North opposed to it. But what were the views towards America of the ...
27
votes
2answers
300 views
Were slave-related commandments observed in America?
Since there was slavery in the Americas between their discovery and 1856, do we know of any Jewish slave-owners there who observed slavery-related laws of Judaism?
26
votes
7answers
818 views
Stealing wi-fi?
If someone's neighbor has wi-fi, can he connect into it? Is there an issue of stealing?
26
votes
6answers
1k views
Is it permissible to erase the name of G-d from an E-reader?
Most people seem to be lenient about shemos on digital screens in general (though Bar-Ilan does avoid displaying the Tetragrammaton.) The letters on the screen are just light, there is nothing really ...
24
votes
6answers
908 views
Which alphabet were the original Torah scrolls in?
I've assumed that the Torah scrolls we read today as the same that Moses wrote. I always assumed it's been the same alphabet.
However lately I came across documents explaining the evolution of the ...
23
votes
11answers
750 views
Haman was Basar b’Chalav, so how could we eat him? [closed]
Esther 3:5 says, “וימלא המן חמה” Haman was filled with butter. This would presumably make his flesh basar b’chalav, but Shemos 16:35 clearly says “ובני ישראל אכלו את־המן” the Children of Israel ate ...
23
votes
3answers
2k views
Should one ask a non-Jew attending synagogue to wear a yarmulke?
It says in Divrei HaRav (by R. Hershel Schachter, p143) that when they asked R. Aharon Kotler whether a non-Jewish secular studies teacher in a yeshiva should be asked to wear a yarmulke, he said he ...
22
votes
5answers
551 views
How Is It That Rabbis Have Copies of Their Own Responsa?
(I could use some help with tagging.)
There are many seforim out there that are the compiled letters or teshuvos of this or that Rabbi. Those that come to mind are "Igros Moshe", from R' Moshe ...
22
votes
6answers
2k views
Does the Torah discuss aliens?
Does the Torah discuss extra-terrestrial life and/or civilizations?
Do any Torah sources exist which discuss what these hypothetical beings would be like and their status/nature? (eg. Would they be ...
22
votes
2answers
551 views
Are sea sponges kosher?
The sea sponge is scientifically classified as an animal, therefore maybe it would be considered unkosher, as seafood. On the other hand, it seems much more similar to a vegetable of some kind, so ...
21
votes
2answers
1k views
Forbidden actions and the role of non-Jews
The question I am to ask is related to personal experience I've had but can be easily broadened. I am really asking for the sake of broadening my knowledge, and I apologize if any part of my question ...
21
votes
4answers
992 views
Are children adopted by Jews Jewish?
I was adopted around the time I was three months old by my parents who are both Jewish. I do not know what religion my biological mother was, in fact I have very little detail about her at all. I was ...
21
votes
3answers
478 views
Keeping Kosher at a secular company
How you do deal with keeping Kosher while working at a secular company? Its easy enough to bring my own lunch everyday, what I'm not sure how to handle are events like company lunches and other social ...
20
votes
9answers
526 views
Seder advice when with people who aren't interested?
This may have some things in common with beginner's seder advice, but it's different enough that I'm asking separately.
For family-obligation reasons, I sometimes find myself at a seder where most of ...
20
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the point of having a rapist marry the woman he raped?
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (JPS)
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 29 then the man that lay ...
20
votes
3answers
325 views
Must a jew-by-choice who is a firstborn observe the fast of the firstborn
I'm interested in the question of whether a ger who is firstborn (of both parents, say, to keep things simple) must follow the rules for Ta'anit B'khorot. There are some remarks on the wikipedia page, ...
20
votes
4answers
377 views
Maintaining Tzniut in Uncomfortable Social Situations
How can a teenage girl, who recently started practicing the laws of tzniut as well as feasible, balance those laws with the prohibition against embarrassing her family members, who are embarrassed to ...
20
votes
5answers
370 views
If kings were supposed to be from Shevet Yehuda, why was Shaul from Binyamin anointed?
If kings were supposed to be from Shevet Yehuda, why was Shaul from Binyamin anointed?
20
votes
5answers
360 views
How can we get people to stop talking (much, loudly) during minyan?
I know that lots of minyanim have the talking problem; has anybody solved it?
I daven with a weekday shacharit minyan that has a noise problem. A couple of people are the main sources of the problem ...
20
votes
3answers
530 views
May one use a computer script to do something specifically on Shabbos/Yom Tov?
May one run a program or machine that will operate on Shabbos, either by setting a timer to activate once Shabbos has started, or by leaving it running continually? What if the action is one that is ...
20
votes
2answers
353 views
Can a gentile break shabbos only on a Rabbinic level?
A non-Jew is forbidden from observing Shabbos. When someone is in the process of converting, we advise them to keep the entire Shabbos besides for doing one forbidden activity. A common practice is to ...
19
votes
6answers
932 views
Why is it necessary to ask a Rabbi?
In various places on this site, including the FAQ, we have the following disclaimer:
Like Wikipedia, this site makes no guarantee of validity, and does not offer professional (particularly ...
19
votes
6answers
461 views
Looking for more information about a story of positive atheism/heresy
In a 2006 article (original link no longer available), Rabbi Jonathan Sacks tells the following story:
“DO YOU believe,” the disciple asked the rabbi, “that God created everything for a purpose?”
...
19
votes
2answers
168 views
Matza on 14 Iyar
I have seen a custom (it seems to me primarily among Chassidim) to eat matza on 14 Iyar (known as Pesach Sheni). What is the earliest source for this custom? What are the reasons given for following ...
19
votes
3answers
260 views
Female praying in masculine language
When women daven (pray), even by ourselves, it is convention to daven with male-gendered words ("modeh" vs "moda" as one of many examples). Why is this; are there sources that say we should be doing ...
19
votes
1answer
237 views
Pronouncing Hashem's name in a song
Some people are very careful to say Hashem or Elokim when singing a song with one of G-d's names in it so as not to use His name in vain (related question), but I have also been told this is ...
19
votes
2answers
465 views
So you ate dairy after meat. Now what?
Whatever your tradition for waiting between meat and milk, let's say you forgot you were fleishig, and now realize that you have just eaten milk within your traditional waiting period. What are you ...
18
votes
7answers
1k views
Is one allowed to smoke Marijuana?
Not taking into account Dina D'malchusa, what are the Halachic problems with smoking marijuana? Is it allowed?
18
votes
2answers
910 views
Questions about Polygamy in Jewish Law and Culture
I've recently been looking into polygamy (having more than 1 wife), and had a few cultural questions.
Was polygamy accepted at the time of David and Solomon? Were there any laws about it?
Was ...
18
votes
3answers
453 views
The Fanatic Badge
Here on Mi Yodeya, one can earn the "Fanatic" badge for visiting the site for 100 consecutive days.
Is it halachically possible to earn the fanatic badge in the Diaspora?
18
votes
7answers
693 views
Bereishit vs. science
How does Judaism deal with the differences between scientific evidence of the beginning of the world and the account(s) in Bereishit?
18
votes
6answers
2k views
Washing hands for eating pizza
How many slices are required to make you responsible to wash on Pizza?
18
votes
8answers
647 views
Is Rashi really pshat?
If Rashi on Tanach is a purely pshat oriented commentary, as professed several times, why do many of his comments originate from midrashim that most other "pshat" meforshim dismiss as "derech drash"? ...
18
votes
2answers
764 views
What are the sources for women to wear/ not wear pants?
I have heard that the argument is beged ish / kli gever, and I have heard people say that even if that was once a real reason for it it doesn't apply today for various reasons.
I understand that the ...
18
votes
4answers
655 views
Can a Jew lose their Jewish Status?
Can a Jew lose their status as being a Jew by performing any action (example: performing idolatry, disavowing core beliefs, converting to another religion, etc)? Or once a person is a Jew then they ...
18
votes
3answers
668 views
bicycle on Shabbat?
Is riding a bicycle on Shabbat permitted within an eiruv, being ridden only on pavement (so no unintended plowing), for transportation and not exercise, and with the understanding that repairs aren't ...
18
votes
2answers
200 views
Why the custom to switch around negative-sounding numbers, such as שד?
Often in sefarim we find that if the number of the siman spells out something negative, such as siman 304 which has a letter value of שד, we switch it around so it no longer reads as a "bad" word. ...
17
votes
10answers
593 views
How can I make a long summer shabbat a delight?
Where I live, shabbat ends at nearly 10PM at the peak of summer, and I find it challenging to get to the end of that without starting to develop some negative feelings. I try to spend most of Shabbat ...
17
votes
5answers
510 views
Halachic Restrictions not in the Torah, and “shall not add”
How can halachic restrictions that are not in the Torah be reconciled with the Deuteronomy 4:2 passage, which says, "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from ...
17
votes
4answers
851 views
Is it possible for a Gentile to convert to Judaism?
Is it possible for someone who is Gentile to convert to Judaism?
What is the prevailing belief of Jewish people on this subject?
What scripture backs up this belief?
What do prominent Jewish ...
17
votes
5answers
399 views
After chumashim with notes and Rashi, what's the next torah commentary I should acquire and study?
When I read the torah text (parsha or otherwise) I currently use a couple of chumashim with notes, and Rashi. I know some Hebrew but am not fluent. I'm ready to stretch beyond what I'm reading now ...
17
votes
5answers
567 views
How to respond to “but he does”
I mentioned to my coworker that I can't eat Domino's pizza, not even without meat, as it's not kosher. He pointed out in response that a fellow coworker of ours, whom I'll call Josh, and who is ...
17
votes
5answers
1k views
Is it a discouraged or an unacceptable practice for a Gentile to keep the Sabbath?
According to Jewish Law and tradition, is it acceptable, discouraged or totally unacceptable for a Gentile to keep the Sabbath according to the regulations spelled out in the Torah and the Talmud and ...
17
votes
6answers
217 views
how to survive if you are hanging on to some aveiros
Is there a strategy or saying / quotation (chasidish, chazal, etc.) that addresses what to do if there are some aveiros that one is not ready to give up on but wants to feel good about doing the other ...
17
votes
2answers
664 views
Why is the Jewish Population so small?
Judaism is one of the oldest religions, but there aren't many Jews compared to Muslims and Christians.
What are main reasons behind that?
