Questions tagged [commentaries]
Questions related to Jewish commentaries, their meaning and their origin.
54 questions from the last 365 days
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The four descriptions of the world as a reference to the four galuyos
The Torah recounts the state of the world just after G-d created heaven and earth (Bereishis 1:2):
And the earth was without form and void; and darkness was on the face
of the deep. And a wind from G-...
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Ba'al HaTurim gematria mistake? [duplicate]
In Parashat Noach verse 11:1 states,
וַיְהִ֥י כׇל־הָאָ֖רֶץ שָׂפָ֣ה אֶחָ֑ת וּדְבָרִ֖ים אֲחָדִֽים׃
Everyone on earth had the same language and the same words.
On this the Ba'al HaTurim comments:
שפה ...
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Going beyond the letter of the law: the comment of the Shita Mekubetzes
The Shita Mekubetzes on Bava Metzia 24b writes:
למי שאינו כל כך אדם חשוב דלא מחייבינן ליה לעשות לפנים משורת הדין
This
applies to someone who is not such an important person, for whom we do
not ...
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Kunteres Acharon on Shulchan Aruch Harav
The Shulchan Aruch HaRav is often printed with a fragmented commentary called "Kuntres Acharon". Who wrote this commentary?
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What do we learn from the phrases "and it was so" and "and there was light" in the story of creation?
The chachamim learn halachos even from individual letters so there is nothing extra in the Torah. That being so what do we learn from וַֽיְהִי־כֵֽן being recited throughout creation? Also rather than ...
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Animals in the Ark of Noach: a metaphor for the nations of the world
In Parshas Noach (Bereishis 6:19-20), we read the instruction G-d gave Noach to build an ark, and together with his family, to put in animals:
וּמִכׇּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִֽכׇּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל ...
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What do the literal meanings of "Af al pi" and "Af al gav" have to do with the actual meanings?
As far as I can tell, אף על פי/ Af Al Pi would literally translate to "nose on (my) mouth". Similarly, אף על גב/ Af Al Gav would literally translate to "nose on back". In actuality,...
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Commentary on the Vidui
Are there any classical commentaries on the Vidui (short and long)? I see explanations in the Koren and Artscroll, but those are mostly modern.
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Free online editions of tosefot Shantz and other tosefot collections
I'm looking for a way to access a free online scan of the full tosefot shantz. I know that Hebrewbooks has scans of it on עבודה זרה ,מכות, and בכורות, but I am looking right now for חולין and ...
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Is there any explanation on whether Terach knew that Nimrod would kill the slave baby that he substituted for Avrohom [closed]
It seems that Nimrod changed drastically over time to become so narcissitic and murderous. I am not clear where Terach sits in the middle of that politically - Is there any explanation or discussions ...
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Where Does Rashi Mention the Streets of Venice?
After some discussion with some chavrusot, someone mentioned that there is a Rashi somewhere in Shas that discusses either the streets of Venice, or at least a city with "dry streets" ...
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Circling Har Seir for many days - what is the deeper meaning?
In Parshas Devarim (Devarim 2:1-3), the Torah says that B'nei Yisroel encircled Mount Seir many times, and that G-d eventually said "You have compassed this mountain long enough".
Then we ...
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"Of every tribe a thousand" - serving G-d being of one heart
In parshas Matos (Bamidbar 31:3-4), we read:
"And Moshe spoke to the people, saying, Arm from yourselves men for the army, and let them go against Midyan and avenge the L-rd on Midyan. Of every ...
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מִזְבֵּחַ marked with פשטא and accentuated מלרע?
It is my understanding that the absolute noun מִזְבֵּחַ is never marked with just one פשטא (and accentuated מלרע) but always שני פשטין (and accentuated מלעיל), the latter in accordance with its proper ...
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Can someone please translate the Rambam's commentary on Perkei Avot 1:6
ומה טוב מאמר אריסטוטלוס האהוב אחד הוא והאוהבים ג' מינים אוהב תועלת אוהב מנוחה ואוהב מעלה אמנם אוהב תועלת כאהבת שני השותפים ואהבת המלך ומחנהו ואמנם אוהב מנוחה הוא ב' מינים אוהב הנאה ואוהב בטחון אמנם ...
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Can someone please translate this commentary by Malbim on Psalm 86:12
אודך ה' בכל לבבי, ההודאה היא על הטובות שהשיג, ולא תהיה ההודאה עם כונת מבקש, שיבקש עי"כ שיוסיף להיטיב לו שאז אינו מודה בכל לבבו, רק אודך בכל לבבי וכמ"ש למעלה (סימן ט'), וגם אכבדה שמך לעולם ע&...
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Satmar Commentary on the Chumash
Is there any particular Sefer/source that is good for learning Satmar outlooks on the Torah? Preferably in English. Or even so, does anyone know of a Satmar interpretation/commentary for Bereshis 19:1-...
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Superfluous letters
In Vayikra 19:18, we have the famous statement "וְאָֽהַבְתָּ֥ לְרֵעֲךָ֖ כָּמ֑וֹךָ".
I was curious about the leading lamed before rei-echa. According to the Ibn Ezra, it has a particular ...
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Source of a shita for when giving Tochacha (הוכח תוכיח) is likely to go unheeded
In a handwritten drasha written in 1904 by a relative, it refers to a peirush that offers a resolution for when the mitzva of הוכח תוכיח is conflicted with the need to avoid saying a דבר שאינו נשמע (a ...
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Where does Baal HaTurim's commentary come from?
A lot of the Baal HaTurim's commentary on the Torah relates to how certain words or phrases have the same gematriya as other words or phrases in the Torah, or phrases that relate, in some way, to the ...
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How did anyone study the Talmud before Rashi?
Supposedly, the knowledge was transmitted from teacher to student in each generation and so Rashi learned it all from his teacher and wrote it all down.
Was it common for people to be familiar with ...
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Searching for the commentary of Rabbi Menahem ben Simeon of Posquières to Jeremiah and Ezekiel
Over Pesach I was taking a deeper dive into the Haggadah and saw an unusual reference in the Koren Tanach from Rabbi Adin Even Yisroel Steinsaltz to the commentary from Rabbi Menachem ben Shimon (...
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Is there a video or audio lesson explaining the Mittler Rebbe's Sharei Emunah?
BH
Does anyone know if there a video or audio lesson explaining the Mittler Rebbe's Sharei Emunah, the first book in Torah Mitzvah Ve Torah Or?
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Nadav and Avihu versus Titus the Wicked entering the Holy of Holies
There are commentaries (for example the Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 524:7) that explain that the sin of Nadav and Avihu was that they entered the Holy of Holies. This is just one opinion, and that is not ...
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What does "Yishmael Lavan Ha'Arami" mean?
The Ramak in his commentary Or Yakar on the Zohar uses the phrase "ישמעאל לבן הארמי" (Yishmael Lavan Ha'Arami) twice (from what I can tell), as though both names are that of one figure. Here ...
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Who where these commentaries of the book chovot Halevavot?
BH
Who where these comentaries Pat Lechem, Marpe La Nefesh, and Tov Halevanon? And is Tov Halevanon the same as Lev Tov on Chovot Halevavot?
Also heard there is also Nedar Bakodesh on Chavot Halevavot ...
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Kovetz Mefarshim by daf
Has anyone ever put out mefarshim on gemara by daf rather than mefaresh? Or try to collect primary rishonim/achronim discussed in yeshivot per daf and reprint them together?
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Understandig the Chiddushei HaRim on the sin of Nadav and Avihu
The Chiddushei HaRim (Parshas Shemini, p. 168) explains what really lies behind the sin of Nadav and Avihu. He seems to explain that when G-d gives us a mitzvah, doing that mitzvah, without knowing ...
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Connection between 5 books of the Torah and the 5 Megillot?
The megillot are read on different occasions in the year:
Shir HaShirim on Pesach
Rut on Shavuot
Eicha on Tisha b'Av
Kohelet on Sukkot
Esther on Purim
Do any mefarshim find a connection between the ...
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Parshas Achrei and Pesach
This year, on Erev Pesach (Monday, April 22, 2024) the Torah reading is parshas Achrei Mot. The Chabad-website notifies that the daily reading of Erev Pesach is the 2nd Portion (Vayikra (Leviticus) 16:...
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Hashgacha question - why does Hashem influence the nations to chastise us, in order for us to do Teshuva?
What is the explanation that in many cases the Tanakh speaks about nations (e.g. Aram) that Hashem sends to chastise the Jewish nation? It implies that Hashem is able to influence pagan nations, but ...
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Megillas Esther Online text Shiur ideally with Rashi's commentary
Looking for a Megillas Esther text shiur with Rashi's commentary similar to Rabbi Gordon from Chabad.org for Chumash.
He goes through each Pasuk and then explains Rashi's commentary inside but for ...
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Looking for Rabbi Bentzion Sternfeld's Shaarei Tzion
The Gemara in Megillah 12a relates that the students of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai asked him:
For what reason were the enemies of Jewish people, in that generation deserving of annihilation?
Rabbi ...
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"Purimfest 1946" and the ten sons of Haman
In the Megillah (Esther 9:7), the Torah lists the ten sons of Haman that were hanged. If we look at the words, we notice that some letters are written small.For example, the "tav" in the ...
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The Alshich's explanation on the machatzis hashekel
The Alshich HaKodesh (Shemos, 30:13, sv. והנה על דבר שיעור מחצית השקל ולא שקל שלם) seems to explain what the reason is behind the machatzis hashekel - the half shekel - he seems to be saying that the ...
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Can someone please translate this commentary by Malbim on Psalm 84:7
Here’s the relevant text:
עברי, והמסלות האלה הנמצאות בלבבם הם עוברים בעמק הבכא, שבבל היתה עמק ומלאה בכאים ואילנות, כמו שנקראת בשם נחל הערבים, והמליץ תפס תחת הערבים שם בכאים, שיש בהוראתו גם בכי, כי על ...
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What is Omek Rom and omek Tachat in Chassidus
BH
What is omek Rom and omek tachat in Chassidus how are both connected?
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The beauty of referencing Torah-sources
Rashi, in several places, says "לא ידעתי" - I don't know. It is said that Rabbi Akiva Eiger made a list of the times Rashi said "לא ידעתי" - I don't know, people were bothered by ...
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I want to study all 613 Mitzvot in depth. Can someone recommend a good book for me to read dedicated to that topic?
Other than the Mishnah and the Talmud , are there any books that give in-depth commentary, explanation, and context for each and every mitzvot? I'm only referring to books soley focused on the topic ...
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Meaning of Mishlei 14:18?
Shalom.
Mishlei 14:18 reads, in Rabbi Eliezer Ginsburg’s English translation, ‘Simpletons have inherited folly, but the shrewd make knowledge a crown.’
I only have Rabbi Ginsburg’s commentary on this ...
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110
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Avraham, the four Kings, and the future redemption
In parshas Lech Lecha (Bereishis 14:1-3), the Torah recounts the war of the four kings:
וַיְהִ֗י בִּימֵי֙ אַמְרָפֶ֣ל מֶֽלֶךְ־שִׁנְעָ֔ר אַרְי֖וֹךְ מֶ֣לֶךְ אֶלָּסָ֑ר כְּדׇרְלָעֹ֙מֶר֙ מֶ֣לֶךְ עֵילָ֔ם ...
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Why wait? Shabbos and the Tree of Knowledge
In Bereishis 1:29 we read:
And G-d said, Behold I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, on which is the fruit yielding seed; to you it shall ...
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2
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The Plague of Darkness and the Light that rectified it
The Maharal of Prague (Gevuros Hashem, 57) famously explains that the ten plagues in Mitzrayim, correspond to the ten utterances of G-d with which the world and the heavens were created.
The Shem ...
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2
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1
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Moshiach, Arabia and the Eirev Rav
In a comment in this question, Rabbi Yitzchok Soloveitchik is said to have said that ערביא (Arabia) is referring to the Eirev Rav and their role in the End of Days.
So, according to this opinion, ...
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2
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2
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242
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The Ox and The Donkey: Moshiach and Eisav
The Torah tells us in Parshas Vayishlach that Yaakov says:
וַֽיְהִי־לִי֙ שׁ֣וֹר וַחֲמ֔וֹר - I have acquired oxen and asses
There are some commentaries that connect this very specific posuk to ...
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Is there a Halacha in Rambam that says in the presence of your teacher you should always look at him?
BH
Does it say in Rambam that a person in the presence of his teacher should always look at his face and never show him his back? If yes what is the Halacha’s source?
- 1,527
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Is there a Sefer that explains each 'melech' in the megilla? [duplicate]
Esther Rabba (3:10) says that any place in the megilla where it says מלך without specifying אחשוורוש afterwards, it is referring to both the mundane king - Achashverosh, and to the holy king - hashem. ...
- 5,064
4
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Esav/ Yishmael and Mahalath, and the explanation of the Gra
Rabbi Sorotzkin in his sefer "Keitz HaYamin" (vol. 2, p. 13) writes:
עשו וישמעאל הן קין והבל - Eisav and Yishmael are Kayin and Hevel
It seems that he got this idea from the Gra on Sifra ...
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2
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1
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159
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Galus: three or four?
There are different sources (Bereishis Rabbah 2:4, Shemos Rabbah 15:6, Ramban; Bereishis 15:14) that say that there were decreed four galuyos - four exiles. There are also explanations that explain ...
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2
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Parshas Vayechi: The impurity of Philistim
The Shivlei Pinches (Parshas Vayechi, 5774) shares an incredible idea about the spiritual impurity/kelipah of the Philistim (Hebrew here).
The Shivlei Pinches explains, regarding Shimshon HaGibor, ...
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