Questions tagged [color]
color, colour, dye, hue, tint, shade, you name it
85
questions
9
votes
1answer
988 views
Black? I ordered it dyed red!
The משנה in בבא קמא (9:4, as explained by the רע״ב and קהתי) says that if I give wool to a dyer to dye red, and he dyes it black instead, then he must return the black wool to me, and I must pay ...
3
votes
1answer
92 views
Source for Red Apples?
Rav Yisroel Reisman (Ki Savo 5775) mentions an interesting concept for dipping apples in honey,
The Mechabeir says that a sweet apple is typically red. I have seen
those who wonder of why we use ...
3
votes
0answers
65 views
Colors of the Parah Adumah
Consider the following opinions of what adumah can or does in fact mean.
Sadia gaon writes that Aduma of the Parah Adumah is 'Tzafra'. The footnote from Rav Kapach in the Mosad Rav Cook edition ...
2
votes
2answers
94 views
Why is the colour כחול ('blue') not mentioned in Tanach?
The colour כחול is not mentioned in Tanach. Given it's wide usage in later hebrew texts, why does it never feature in Tanach? Do any sources pick up on this?
(There is a different debate about what ...
6
votes
2answers
116 views
Illustrated Tzara'at
I have indirectly heard of someone in a school (I think it's a yeshiva student) who is doing a research project on various medical conditions. She decided to discuss tzara'at and compare what the ...
2
votes
1answer
105 views
Minhag to leave an area of the wall unpainted: does it need to be unpainted, or can it be painted another color?
I found this: http://www.jewishtreats.org/2014/07/a-house-unfinished.html it says "there are some minority opinions that permit one to mark the zeicher l’churban by painting an appropriate size square ...
3
votes
2answers
152 views
Changing the High Holiday shul “look”
Most shuls that I have attended change the parochet (ark "curtain"), shulchan (Torah reading table) and amud (chazzan's table) coverings and Torah coverings to white in honor of Rosh Hashanna and Yom ...
2
votes
0answers
102 views
Discolored Tzitzis
The Rambam says that the tzitzis strings must be the same color as the garment they're attached to (with exception to the techeiles string which is always blue). (Source?)
All of the tallisos these ...
8
votes
2answers
166 views
Why do a sefer Torah's letters have to be black?
My son asked why the letters have to be black, considering there are lots of other colors out there.
2
votes
1answer
95 views
Real green hair?
I've seen people with their hair dyed green, but I was under the impression that nobody has naturally green hair. But Rashi says (Tazria 13:37)
שער שחר - מנין אף הירוק והאדום שאינו צהוב? תלמוד ...
1
vote
1answer
105 views
What is the underlying requirement of Techeilet?
I have been reading the various questions and answers about techeilet but I still don't understand the exact demand (and apologies if I missed this amongst the other questions). Is the goal to have a ...
4
votes
2answers
1k views
Dyeing Hair for Men
Are men permitted to dye their hair with products such as "Just for Men"? Since these products are made for men specifically, would potential prohibitions of beged isha no longer apply?
2
votes
1answer
91 views
Does adding a bit of red wine to white wine change the resulting drinks' status vis-a-vis kiddush?
There are various opinions regarding the acceptance of white wine for kiddush. My question is, if say one has a full bottle of white, if they pour a cup that is majority white (80%+), but are able to ...
6
votes
2answers
639 views
Blue Stripes on Tallis
I've read that tallit stripes were originally blue and at some point morphed to black. What I'm wondering is if anyone knows any oldsters who can attest to actually seeing this in the frum velt in ...
4
votes
1answer
426 views
What exactly does the 'blue rainbow' refer to?
Inspired by an answer this question:
However, Rav Yonason Eibshitz in his sefer Yaaros Dvash (chelek 1:drush 12) explains in the name of the Zohar Hakadosh that there are two types of rainbows. ...
2
votes
1answer
151 views
Why say the rams are reddened?
Among the materials used for the mishkan were "reddened rams' hides" (T'ruma 25:5). There are two ways one can read that phrase: it can mean "reddened hides of rams", that the hides were reddened, or "...
1
vote
0answers
102 views
Is non-kosher-dyed food kosher?
Supoose some non-slaughtered-animal or non-kosher-species ingredient gets mixed accidentally into a larger food. From what I understand, if the non-kosher ingredient is not thought to add flavor to ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
What does the blue color mean in Judaism?
I noticed that the fringes (tzitzit) are blue, the blue stripes and star of David in the Israeli flag. And also Rabbi Gutman said in a youtube video that the color blue must not be seen while ...
9
votes
5answers
6k views
What was red in the stew that Jacob made for Esau?
Genesis 25:29–30 (JPS):
And Jacob sod pottage; and Esau came in from the field, and he was faint. And Esau said to Jacob: 'Let me swallow, I pray thee, some of this red, red pottage; for I am ...
0
votes
1answer
156 views
Must the color of the Chuppah cloth be white?
I've only seen white cloth Chuppahs. Is there a limitation to what kind of cloths and colors can be used for a Chuppah?
1
vote
0answers
147 views
Relationship between *segulah* and violet color
We have a tradition, very often used in drush, that words deriving from the same root are really manifestations of the same idea in different facets.
In this context, what is the relationship between ...
4
votes
1answer
137 views
An obscure reference to a “golden vein”
There is a term in Yiddish is גילדני אדער - and the translation as hemorrhoids is given in Harkavy's Yiddish/English/Hebrew dictionary.
The term is mentioned numerous times in the Jewish legal ...
0
votes
1answer
67 views
Rambam on color certainty of tekheleth
According to a questioner on this page, the Rambam in the Pirush HaMishna contradicts the Rambam in Hilchoth Tzitzith regarding whether we can dye tekheleth due to uncertainty about the color. Where ...
5
votes
1answer
171 views
Is there any support for the claim that tekhelet and argaman could be derived from the same creature?
Is there any indication in Chazal (or at least in other ancient literature) that tekhelet and argaman could be derived from the same creature (as currently proposed by the Tekhelet Institute)?
1
vote
1answer
442 views
Why do some Breslov chasiddim have the custom to wear white yamalkas?
Many Jews tend to wear black yamalkas and that seems to be the widespread custom among Yeshivish, Modern Orthodox, Chasidic and Haredi Jews.
It seems that Breslover Chassidim have the custom to wear ...
2
votes
1answer
347 views
Kosher shoe-polish to blacken tefillin
Based on this question: Do Tefilin need to be painted with "special" ink?
Based on the answers, we know that the paint used on the retzuah must be derived from kosher animals (or plants and ...
6
votes
3answers
822 views
How Do You Conceal The Blue Stripes of the Small Tallis Under Your Shirt?
A friend of mine got me tzizit (on a small wool tallis) to wear every day under my shirt. It has dark blue stripes that show straight through my shirt. I wore a vest to cover it up but I'm wondering ...
-4
votes
1answer
256 views
Must we wear white clothes?
Matt wrote here about תפלין (Tefillin)
that "they were all black".
I have also seen jewish men wearing only black.
How do the jews traditionally follow commandment of God (relating to happiness we ...
8
votes
2answers
182 views
Why all the talk about colored sheep and goats?
In the VaYetze weekly reading (Parasha) there is a long description of the colors of the sheep and goat: Akudim, Nekutim...
What is the reason behind all of this descriptions? If the text wanted to ...
3
votes
1answer
547 views
Examining a old bedikah cloth
AFAIK the psak on a bedikah cloth depends on the colour of the stain. Any shade of red indicates nidda, other colours, including brown, are okay.
Doesn't blood turn from red to brown when it dries? ...
3
votes
1answer
74 views
Why are people buried in white when R' Yanai says not to?
The gemara (Shabbat 114a) brings a statement of Rabbi Yanai, where he tells his sons:
Do not bury me nor in white, nor in black. White, because perhaps i won't merit [olam haba], and will be like a ...
3
votes
1answer
220 views
Black Aravos on Succos
I have noticed some people using arovos which turned completely black towards the end of Yom Tov. When discussing arovos, the halacha mentions the importance of the green color, since it shows that it ...
5
votes
2answers
347 views
Is there a source for the Kallah Bride wearing white in Torah?
BS"D
Is there a Torah source for the Kallah Bride to wear only white? What about a second marriage? Does the white indicate that the bride and groom make the day before marriage a special attempt to ...
3
votes
2answers
770 views
Why is the hat often black?
We see here and here questions about wearing a black hat. However, why is the hat black? Is there some sort of kedushah to wearing a black Stetson or Borsalino which is lost in other colours? Or is ...
3
votes
2answers
189 views
Does a tiny white spot on tefillin batim need to be repainted?
If one's tefillin have tiny white spots on the corners or edges of the batim, do these need to be painted black? Or must the spots be a certain size before anything must be done about them?
4
votes
1answer
517 views
Tanning on Shabbos
Is it permissible to suntan on Shabbos?
The possible prohibition would be tzoveah -- dyeing.
Is it considered permanent enough to be Biblically prohibited?
Is it dyeing at all being that no coloring ...
5
votes
3answers
601 views
Prohibition to wear black for mourning?
I've heard a rumor floating around to the effect that Jews should not wear all black as an expression of mourning. Is there anything to that? If so, is there anything inherently wrong with it, is it a ...
3
votes
2answers
196 views
Historical evidence that blue snail dye was produced in ancient times
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyrian_purple and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iles_Purpuraires show that blue dye was produced from the murex in ancient times in these locations.
But on Ptil Tekhelet's ...
2
votes
1answer
148 views
Colourful Tallitot
Is there a preference, if one is davening at a schul where everyone wears the same tallitot (black or white), to borrow a tallit, assuming it is of a kosher size, rather than wearing one's own if it ...
4
votes
3answers
155 views
Red and white wine Mixed
Is it a problem to mix red wine and white wine on Pesach because of the Problem of coloring on Yom Tov and is there a way to mix with out running into the problem of coloring?
5
votes
2answers
227 views
Double-black Retzuot [duplicate]
I sometimes see on the net and in person cases where people wear retzuot which are black on both sides, what is the rationale, if any, for doing so?
4
votes
6answers
1k views
Argaman - What color is it?
In Parshas Teruma it mentions Argaman. The way it was translated in Yeshiva was purple. Is Argaman really purple? Shir Hashirim 7:6 says V'Dallas Roshech Ka'Argaman. Rashi, Rashbam, Even Ezra, ...
5
votes
2answers
354 views
How could the time of when the Azazel red strip turns to white be imprecise?
In Yoma on 67a, in the middle, it talks about the where the strip of red wool should be tied before sending the goat off the side of the mountain.
As far as I understand (and with the help of the ...
4
votes
1answer
111 views
What halachot are affected by color blindness?
What halachot are affected if a person is colorblind? One probable example I can think of relates to the laws of niddah and checking emissions. Another less likely example would be the the halachic ...
5
votes
1answer
138 views
Cesem found on someone with dark skin
A cesem that is found on a colored piece of clothing is tahar. What about someone with dark skin (they are of some ethnicity/race that has darker skin), could the same idea be applied in such a case ...
4
votes
1answer
180 views
Painting the backs of tefillin straps black?
I've heard and seen religious Jews painting the backs of the tefillin straps black, and they claim a kabbalistic reason somewhere in the Schulchan Auruch. Does anyone know anything about this, the ...
5
votes
1answer
425 views
Pampers tzovehah (dyeing) on shabbas
Pampers make diapers which have a wetness indicator. Initially it is a yellow stripe when dry; when wet it turns blue. I am wondering whether this would be considered tzoveha.
http://g-ecx.images-...
9
votes
2answers
1k views
Do women also wear white on Yom Kippur?
Is it customary for women to wear white clothing on Yom Kippur, or is it largely a custom men observe?
6
votes
3answers
2k views
Color meanings in Judaism
Do colors have a specific symbolic meaning in the Torah? (For ex. is it brought down anywhere that blue is holy?)
3
votes
1answer
392 views
What is the Definition of Red in regards to Women's Clothing?
The prohibition of red women's clothes is well known, as is the definition of red in hilchos niddah. I hear many near-red garments being justified by calling them salmon, pink, purple, maroon, etc, ...
