Hot answers tagged parts-of-the-body
15
There is a little known Chassidic text published in 1834 entitled Pri Yitzchak that details all 613 Mitzvot and the corresponding limbs for positive mitzvot and 365 Gidim for negative commandments. It has not been translated from the Hebrew. It is a very sophisticated work.
He uses the list of halachic limbs listed in the Mishna, and uses the Rambam's list ...
12
The best development I've seen on this is Rabbi Yehuda Herzl Henkin's Contemporary Tseni'ut. It appeared in Tradition 37:3 (2003), as well as its own book. The Tradition article is available online, paid subscription required. Here's his conclusion, as relates to your question:
It emerges from Rashi, Yerushalmi and Korban ha-Eda that peritsut
in ...
12
Well according to Wikipedia, here's the list of organs that can currently be transplanted from a living donor. For something like a kidney donation, the donor has two and gives one. For something like a liver donation, they take a piece from the donor, which he can live without (and will be enough to help the recipient):
Lung
Kidney
Liver
Intestine
...
11
See this comprehensive survey at Aish, about plastic surgery in general. It mentions this kohen reason, in the name of Rabbi Menashe Klein, in his Mishneh Halachos, and (IIUC) Rav Shlomo Zalman Aurbach. But others permit for very different reasons:
Thus:
In 1961, Rabbi Immanuel Jakobovits, considered by many to be the father of the discipline of Jewish ...
11
The Ben Ish Hai Year 1 Parashat Tetzaveh brings a Machloket as to whether the correct method is as Maran describes in the Shulhan Arukh or whether it is according to the AriZal(Sha'ar HaKavvanot 40A Pri Eitz Haim sha'ar 10 chapter 4) that states that the hands are supposed to be at the sides of the head. The Ben Ish Hai concludes that the hands should be ...
11
after the circumcision, the foreskin is buried (some prepare a dish with dirt in it to "bury" the foreskin immediately). Some bury it in earth that has a new tree planted in it as a symbolic connection but the operative point is respect and burial for the body part.
cf Do surgically removed body parts require Kevurah?
the comments on the question which ...
10
Arms at shoulder length
Palms toward the ground
Right hand a drop above the left
5 windows are created: splitting the hand between 2 fingers and 2 fingers makes a window on each hand; splitting between the forefinger and the thumb makes another window on each hand. You now have 4 windows with each hand looking like Mr. Spock's. The 5th window is created ...
10
The minhag is sourced to the Talmud (Kiddushin 29b) that only married men would put the talis over their heads.
א"ל מאי טעמא לא פריסת סודרא א"ל דלא נסיבנא
Rashi: דלא פריס סודר - כדרך הנשואין שהיו רגילין לכסות ראשן
10
The Rama rules (OC 27:4 based on Teshuvat HaRashba 1:827) that there is only a problem of a chatzitza (separation between the tefillin and the skin) under the boxes not the straps. The Mishna Berura there (sk 16) notes that most later authorities only accept this for the parts of the straps that do not directly relate to the tying (ie. the parts between the ...
9
The Mishnah in Sotah 45b cites a dispute between R' Eliezer, R' Akiva and R' Eliezer ben Yaakov as to whether the measurement is done from the corspe's navel, from his nose, or from his neck. The halachah follows R' Akiva, that the measurement is done from the nose. For further details, see R' Chaim Kanievsky's comprehensive Nachal Aysan, siman 5 #5.
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The classic Sefer Chareidim by R' Elazar Azikri (d.1600) catalogs all the mitzvos according to body parts. (R' Elazar Azikri was also the author of the poem, Yedid Nefesh.) An abbreviated version, Kitzur Sefer Chareidim, was written by R' Avraham Danzig, author of the Chayei Adam. The sefer does not attempt to establish a precise one-for-one match for each ...
8
Biblical mitzvos are in bold. Items that are minhagim or otherwise are not mitzvos are listed for completeness but are not bold. -- Each is followed by the corresponding (set of) body part(s)
30 days of blowing shofar (in Elul) -- 30 in the feet
10 offerings brought on Rosh Hashana -- 10 in the ankles
2 approaches to the aron(?) -- 2 in the shins
5 people ...
8
See question #533 over here:
Many contemporary Poskim rule that teeth that fall out or are extracted may simply be discarded and do not require burial or any other special treatment. There is no difference between adults and children or between baby teeth or permanent teeth.
See Shu"t Mishneh Halachos Vol. 16 Siman 113 where he brings some ...
8
There are many explanations to the significance of creating Eve from Adam's rib. By the way, it's not a universal opinion that "tzela" should be translated as "rib" (Hazal have also transalted it as "side," which works with the midrash of them being originally joined together). Going with the "rib" translation, here are a few explanations.
Bereshit Rabbah ...
7
הסובל משפתיים יבשות או סדוקות, אסור לו למורח אותן בשפתון או בכל חומר אחר,
מכיון שיש בכך ממרח וגם לא ימשח עליהן
שמן, והא הדין לגבי מי שנתייבשו ידיו או
נסדקו
שמירת שבת כהלכתה לד:יג
These do pose problems of refuah on Shabbos, see the Rema, Orach Chaim 327:1, MB 327:4. I do not believe we could consider it common for healthy people to apply ...
7
Nechpa B'Kesef Vol 2 Even Hoezer 19 says that the prohibition from the Torah is specifically to avoid actual relations, and one who is unable to have relations there is no prohibition. However, he says, it is definitely prohibited M'Drabanan, and it is disgusting and the way of fools.
7
Tzitz Eliezer (Vol. 6, Siman 40, Perek 22, Ois 8, and Vol. 7 Siman 46 and Vol. 12 Siman 67) says that it is allowed.
However, Rabbi Moshe Feinstein (Iggros Moshe Even HaEzer Vol. 4 Siman 65 Ois 10) says only rabbinic Yichud is allowed, but cases which are forbidden Biblically are not.
7
What obligates something for immersion is that it is a utensil for eating with or preparing food with "כלי סעודה" Anything else has no obligation. See Shulchan Yoreh Deah 120:1, Aruch HaShulchan 120:30.
Example. A mohel needs to peel a orange and the only knife he has to use is his mila knife. So while yes it's a metal utensil, and yes it can be used for ...
6
Just to add to the many valid opinions already brought down, Hacham Ovadia Yosef (Yabia Omer C"M 8:12) permits all forms of plastic surgery for both married and unmarried women and men, as long as they do it by a professional to minimize the risk.
Here is the relevant conclusion:
מסקנא דדינא נראה שיש להתיר לנערה לעשות ניתוח פלסטי כדי לשפר את צורתה
...
6
To quote the Aish Rabbi:
According to Jewish law, a vasectomy is absolutely forbidden.
And for sources for more info:
Maimonides (Laws of Forbidden Relations, Chapter 16), and in the Code of Jewish Law (Even Ha'ezer, Chapters 5 and 16)
And there may even be problems with getting married and/or remaining married with one.
((I noticed that you ...
6
Shulchan Aruch HaRav 92:7 says that one should not touch the Tzoas Ha'Af during Tefila only through a handkerchief (Beged). This would indicate to me that there is no prohibition against picking a nose, since if was prohibited outright then why would it be mentioned as prohibited by Tefila.
Regarding Shabbos - I have heard that HaRav Ovadia Yosef Shlita has ...
5
Shulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 66:10 (from Kerisus 21b) states:
"Human blood, if it is separated from his body, is forbidden because of appearances (maris ayin). Thus, if one bit into a piece of bread and blood came out from his gums onto it, he must scrape that portion off. On the other hand, if it is still between one's teeth, he may suck it out."
Rashi to ...
5
I don't understand the question.
The statement that a person who saves one life, saves the world is an aggadic statement, not a halachic one. Halacha does not allow you to sacrifice one life for the sake of many.
If you save a life, that is a great and wonderful thing. If you think you are saving a life, but don't actually do so, it doesn't take away the ...
5
One issue dealt with by pos'kim is the prohibition against wounding oneself. Rabbi Moshe Feinstein in a letter reprinted in Igros Moshe (Choshen Mishpat Ⅰ 103) says that it is permissible to donate blood even though there is no known recipient now, in a case where the donor gets paid for his donation; part of his reasoning is that bloodletting, long thought ...
5
According to Ben Ish Hai I Miqes (S"Q 7)
כשיגיע לק"ש קודם פרשת התמיד יזהר לומר פסוקים שמע ישראל ובשכמל"ו בכונה גדולה כמו ק"ש דיוצר, הן בסגירות עיניו
When one reaches the Qeriat Shema prior to Parashat HaTamid he should be scrupulous to say Shema and Baruch Shem with great intention like the Keriat Shema of Yoser (Ohr). Including closing the eyes...
5
Yes, see Aruch Hashulchan OC 75:7 who puts brachas part of the prohibition , but gives a reason why it is mutar (only uncovered hair ) nowadays. See also Mishna Berura 74:16 on making a bracha in mikvah. However,many disagree and hold that ervah still applies in our times concerning hair being uncovered .
5
The foreskin is not repulsive. Its removal is the mark of the covenant between G-d and the Jewish people. As non-Jews have no obligation to remove it (and in fact perhaps should specifically not do do) and as non-Jews are not inherently repulsive, it stands to reason that neither is the foreskin.
There are deep kabbalistic reasons for the existence of the ...
5
You can find the entire text first forty pages online here, and then need to pay in order to download the rest. You don't need to register in order to get rid of that annoying pop-up: just click to enter the site as a guest. As you can see, the full title is פרי יצחק: כולל ביאור תרי"ג מצות ברמז, and the author is Rabbi Yitzhak ben Tzvi Hirsch. It was first ...
5
Rabbi Ari Enkin (in the article "Disgusting Behavior") rules not to pick your nose in public. (Though his source is Chagigah 5a, which says a person is judged for doing something disgusting by which his friend is disgusted, and it doesn't single out picking your nose.)
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