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| bio | website | zappable.com |
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| location | New York, NY | |
| age | ||
| visits | member for | 2 years, 2 months |
| seen | yesterday | |
| stats | profile views | 118 |
Recent graduate with a BA in Computer Science. Interested in working on useful projects, such as education or search. Blogs: Zappable.com, TorahJournal.com/Blog.
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2d |
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Aruch Hashulchan's moon-distance estimate Some people obviously knew more astronomy in Lithuania, but it a long time even for geocentrism to be abandoned. E.g. see rationalistjudaism.com/2012/06/… and amazon.com/New-Heavens-Earth-Reception-Copernican/dp/0199754799 |
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2d |
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Aruch Hashulchan's moon-distance estimate Even if had been estimated before, it doesn't mean people knew about it in Eastern Europe. (Columbus would have never tried to sail to India if he knew the Earth was as large as Eratosthenes had calculated.) |
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May 14 |
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How can I know a rav has daas Torah The phrase "Da'as torah" doesn't appear in the Talmud, but "Emunas Chachamim" does. See judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/11617/… |
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May 13 |
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Why is Shavuos all alone? @IsaacMoses, AFAIK Amazon doesn't let you copy text from their previews of books. |
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May 9 |
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What parts of the service do you say when late to Shacharit? ok, since u insist.. |
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May 9 |
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What parts of the service do you say when late to Shacharit? That's what the links are for, but I added clarification. |
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May 3 |
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How was Saul a Tzadik if he wiped out Nov? I think it would be hard to justify all of Shaul's actions based on moreh b'malchut. I heard that Shaul was a tzaddik but eventually went somewhat mad in a way he didn't have full control over, so could not be considered a rasha. (This may be the רוּחַ-רָעָה mentioned in Shmuel 16:14.) |
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Apr 18 |
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Do Rabbis have to be Jewish by ethnicity? Mea culpa, there are such opinions. However, it is very difficult, since a ger cannot be a Nasi according to all opinions. Its much simpler to say they were descendants of gerim. See Maharal "אבל יש שפירשו כי הם עצמם גרים היו בודאי זה טעות גמור". Otherwise, there case was an exception to the rule which cannot be applied in other cases (See Igros Moshe). |
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Apr 15 |
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Do Rabbis have to be Jewish by ethnicity? Shemaya and Avtalyon do not help answer whether a ger can be a rabbi, since they were not gerim themselves. (See the second paragraph of wikipedia. C.f. the 'source' for first paragraph.) However, one could probably argue that many modern shul rabbis are not positions of serarah, and therefore a ger can become a rabbi nowadays. And obviously a ger can write/compile a commentary/translation on the Torah. |
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Apr 14 |
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Is it forbidden to wear a snap-brim Borsolino fedora on Shabbos? I don't think most hats have tefach-wide brims. delmonicohatter.com/Borsalino-Fedora-Hats/IT95.htm wolframalpha.com/input/?i=1+tefach+in+inches (However, the issue of hats blowing off seems to be a real one.) |
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Apr 14 |
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Do Rabbis have to be Jewish by ethnicity? The Gemera says they were descendants of Gerim. מבני בניו של סנחריב למדו תורה ברבים מאן אינון שמעיה ואבטליון היינו Since they led the sanhedrin, they couldn't have been gerim themselves. A modern-day rabbi is a separate question though. |
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Apr 12 |
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100% Polyester or Silk suits requiring checking I doubt any polyester suit one could buy at a store has shatnez, but it could be away to support someone financially. |
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Apr 10 |
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Why are there so many made-up stories about rebbes? A central Hassidic belief is in the powers of the rebbe, so the hassidic ma'aseh would help enhance that belief. |
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Apr 7 |
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Looking for information on the Savoraim The beginning of Kiddushin and possibly other mesechtos was also savoraic (See Igeres R' Sherira Gaon). |
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Mar 28 |
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Where are the brachot written down? Most of them are in a Siddur. |
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Mar 22 |
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Were can I find responses to biblical criticism? @Fred, thanks, clarified. |
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Mar 21 |
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Problems with the kashrut of todays machine matzot The gemara gives some signs of what chametz is, and our matzahs are very far from that. |
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Mar 15 |
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Keeping one or two days of Yom Tov in towns outside the biblically stipulated borders of Israel? @DoubleAA, I'm saying what many people follow now, it's not hard to see how that developed. |
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Mar 15 |
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How is one allowed to live in Israel? If your country conquers another one, I assume you can use the palm tree you conquer for lulavim. |
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Mar 15 |
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Keeping one or two days of Yom Tov in towns outside the biblically stipulated borders of Israel? @DoubleAA, Rambam holds it depends on where messengers actually reached, so even in Israel (and even near Jerusalem) one could keep two days. Others just go by Eretz Yisrael and now by Israel's actual borders. |
