Questions tagged [commentaries]
Questions related to Jewish commentaries, their meaning and their origin.
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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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Chumash with Rashi and Siftei Chachamim
Does anyone know of a Chumash (not Mikraot Gedolot) with Rashi and Siftei Chachamim
Most Chumashim come with Ikar Siftei Chachamim, but that's not the same thing.
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The Tzadik, The Nations and the Geulah: the chiddush of Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg
Rabbi Mordechai Rottenberg, Rabbi of Antwerp (1872-1944), has written an interesting teshuva on the Shalosh Shevuos (the three oaths. Refer to Kesubos 111a). Rabbi Rottenberg, in his reaction to some ...
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To serve, the biggest command?
Looking at the basis for our covenant with G-d, I noticed G-d said to Avraham (Bereshit 17:1): “Walk before Me”, which is sometimes understood to mean: “Serve Me”. And also (Bereshit 17:9): “You shall ...
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Why add pain and travail to the birthing process?
After Adam and Chava went against the Will of HaShem, HaShem seems to give them some repercussions for their deeds. But why was it that HaShem said to Chava: 'I will greatly multiply thy pain and thy ...
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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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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 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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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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Comparing the Heart and Luchot
I was reading in Mishlei (3:3, 7:3) the other day and noticed that our hearts are sometimes compared to tablets, and that on it the Words of HaShem should be inscribed. This reminded me of Yirmiyahu ...
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Orah, Or and Torah
I found this on the Aish website:
The accurate meaning of “Torah” is twofold. Firstly it comes from the word “הוֹרָה,” which means teaching. More precisely it means “teaching with direction,” i.e. ...
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Counting and cleansing
VaYikra/Leviticus 15:2-3
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man hath an issue out of his flesh, his issue is unclean. And this shall be his uncleanness in his issue: ...
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Teshuvah: How to return or going back to one's true nature?
In the 5th bracha of the Amidah, we request from HaShem "our father" (אבינו), to return us (השיבנו) we mention three kinds of Teshuvah – 1. returning to HaShem, 2.returning to the Torah, and ...
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Nedarim 51a bar kappara permitted to listen to rebbe’s wife’s singing
The Talmud Nedarim 51a brings Shalmei Nedarim, Yaakov Emden, and Einayim Lamishpat who explain possible circumstances that could have permitted Bar Kappara to listen to Rebbe’s wife sing at Rebbe’s ...
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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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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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Translation help: powers of the seven great men of the city
I'm struggling with a particular part of the reasoning of the Mahari ben-Lev in responsum 2:72, in which he addresses whether or not the טובי העיר have the power to make a rule banning townsfolk from ...
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The changeability though prayer?
One of the questions i found really interesting was the following one: If HaShem doesn't change, then how does prayer work. Of course there are some verses within the Tenach (1 Shmuel 15:29, Malachi 3:...
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Eved: why does it refer to both a slave and a servant?
What's the different between a slave and a servant, and why are both being refered to in the Tenach as 'eved' (both are being used to translate 'eved').
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How did the word Yetzer begot it's meaning of inclination?
Looking for the connection of Yetzer and the translation as inclanation, I was surprised that almost every Hebrew word derived from the same root had to do with creating.
So how did a word (from a ...
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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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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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Our I, Our Self leading us to separation and idolatry
Looking at the words:
"Anochi HaShem Eloheichem - אָנֹכִי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ " (Shemot 20:2 & 20:5, Devarim 5:6 & 5:9)" I noticed that on the one hand HaShem emphasizes that we ...
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Have known him OR to have made him known
Bereshit 18:19 starts with the words 'For I have known him (כִּי יְדַעְתִּיו)', the Sefaria website translates these words as 'For I have singled him out', Rashi as 'I know him intimately'. In line ...
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How can something contain the Presence of the Almighty?
How could a building like the Mishkan or the Beit HaMikdash, or a natural phenomenom like a cloud (at Har Sinai) contain the Presence of the Almighty (Ubiquitious, the infinite volume; omnipotent; ...
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Could the narrative of Exodus 4:24-26 have happened at another moment in time?
HaShem commands Moshe to do ׳all wonders׳ which HaShem appointed in his hand before Pharaoh once he arrives in Egypt (Shemot 4:21), but despite all wonders - HaShem informs Moshe - Pharaoh will not ...
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Why couldn't man be alone, and what was the need for Ezer K'Negdo?
Genesis 2:18:
"וַיֹּאמֶר י"א, לֹא-טוֹב הֱיוֹת הָאָדָם לְבַדּוֹ; אֶעֱשֶׂה-לּוֹ עֵזֶר, כְּנֶגְדּוֹ..."
And Y"E said: 'It is not good that (the) man should be alone; I will make him ...
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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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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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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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How is it known that Ben-Temalion was a small shed (שד)?
A follow-up to my first question, which is really what I was going for on that question:
How is it known that Ben-Temalion was a small shed (שד)?
@Dov sourced Rashi to Rabbeinu Gershom, but that doesn'...
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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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To form, different roots
Are the roots צור (to form, shape, fashion) יצר (to create) and צר (to shape, form, model) related or do they just share similar meanings?
Are there any commentaries, scriptures, that connect these ...
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How to define yetzer
The word yetzer is often translated as impulse, inclination
Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch's reading of yetzer in Bereshit 6:5 is not that of instinct or impulse, but rather that which the person, qua ...
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The language of the “farewell-blessing” of Moshe
In Moshe’s final blessing to Klal Yisrael (parashas Vezos HaBeracha, Devarim 33:1), the Torah says:
וְזֹ֣את הַבְּרָכָ֗ה אֲשֶׁ֨ר בֵּרַ֥ךְ מֹשֶׁ֛ה אִ֥ישׁ הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶת־בְּנֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל לִפְנֵ֖י ...
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יחד one, sole, only, set apart?
Genesis 22:2 says:
Take now thy son, thine ben yachid (only son) Yitzchak, whom thou lovest.
Literally it says your son, your ‘individual, only, sole’, whom you love, Yitzchak (אֶת־בִּנְךָ֨ אֶת־...
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Establishing the relative order of Rashi's commentaries
In learning Masekhet Ketubot, I encountered Rashi's definition of בי שמשי on daf 103a. There, since the passage is clearly referring to twilight on erev shabbat in particular, Rashi explains why so ...
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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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"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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Who wrote Rashi on Chronicles I & II, Nehemiah, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes?
The Wikipedia page on Rashi says as follows:
Rashi wrote commentaries on all the books of Tanakh except Chronicles I & II, Nehemiah, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes. Scholars believe that ...
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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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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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Count seven weeks or seven shabbats?
Vayikra 23:15 reads the phrase: sheva shabbatot t'miymot.
Why is this rendered as 'seven weeks' and not 'seven shabbats'?
On basis of what is it defined, that the meaning of shabbatot in this case ...
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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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Does The Entire Orthodox World Hold Rashi In The Same Regard?
I know how integral Rashi’s Torah Commentary is in the Askenaz community (in their Yeshivot they begin teaching it pretty much as soon as kids can read). I was wondering if this was also true in the ...
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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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Your name shall be 'Yisrael', but what does it mean and why so?
In relation to another question of mine I would like to know what the name Yisrael really means.
It literally says Ya'akov is now names Yisrael because he has struggled AND has overcome.
I heard ...
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