Questions tagged [contradiction]

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Chazal contradicting science

I am curious. If there is a contradiction between statements of Chazal found in the Talmud, how are those reconciled in light of contradictory science, and if a Halacha is derived from a non-...
Kirk's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
293 views

Is the soul eager to enter this world?

Is it brought down anywhere that before birth, the soul yearns to be brought into a physical body, and be in this world, and if yes, how do we reconcile that with what it is taught that the soul is ...
שלום's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
134 views

How to reconcile Rashi's view/logic with Rabbi Ulla's three Noahide commandments? Who is correct?

In Sanhedrin 59a, Rashi writes (s.v. לזה ולזה נאמרה): כי יהיב קודשא בריך הוא תורה לישראל לא שקלינהו להנך מבני נח וכדקיימי להו קיימי When Hakadosh Baruch Hu gave the Torah to Yisroel, he did not take ...
setszu's user avatar
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-2 votes
2 answers
212 views

Why do we follow matrilineal descent of Judaism when there's evidence to suggest that it used to be patrilineal? How to resolve the contradiction?

According to the contemporary scholarship, even though modern Orthodox Judaism follows matrilineal descent, there is evidence to suggest that this was a shift that occurred during the second century, ...
setszu's user avatar
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0 votes
1 answer
294 views

Why do Rabbis say that HaShem was mistaken and HaShem states that He was defeated and that He must obey the Rabbis?

I've been reading an article on an Islamic website called Muslim Skeptic and came accross the following: The way that Jews depict God, they celebrate the notion of debating with God, winning ...
setszu's user avatar
  • 806
3 votes
1 answer
102 views

Apparent contradiction between two Gemaras

The Gemara (Bechoros 9b) says that according to the Chachamim, foods which their benefit is forbidden is still considered food with regards to the laws of purity, including Orlah and Kilei Hakerem, ...
שלום's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
70 views

Why does Bartenura quote Rabbi Meir as holding "we learn yes from no", when the gemara says the opposite?

Mishna Shevuot 4:13, towards end of mishna, explains that if someone says "May God not strike you if you testify on my behalf", Rabbi Meir deems him liable for cursing someone, because, ...
Rabbi Kaii's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
138 views

Any case of midrash contradicting Tanakh?

I believe that most Midrash stories were used for homiletic lessons that shouldn't be taken literally and according to some writers, midrash has some contradictory statements and opinions about the ...
Ezra2020's user avatar
4 votes
3 answers
502 views

Rambam controversy

I don’t like that I have to ask this but I haven’t heard of this before and would like some information on it. If one holds, for example, that the Rambam literally holds that demons don’t exist, ...
Rardal 's user avatar
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0 answers
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Does Ramchal disagree with Rambam?

Ramchal states in various places, including Derech Hashem 1:2 that Hashem created the world in order to give His goodness to another: הנה התכלית בבריאה היה להטיב מטובו ית' לזולתו‎ and that other is ...
Rabbi Kaii's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
91 views

A difficult Rema in SH OHC 268:3

I was recently wondering what we should do if we accidentally began אתה חונן on Shabbat, although we have only said אתה, do we have to finish אתה חונן even on Fri night/Mincha (because they also start ...
Rabbi Kaii's user avatar
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1 vote
2 answers
364 views

Age of King Ahaziah

Hey I'm here to ask about the supposed contradiction in Kings and Chronicles, what was Ahaziah's age? It definitly cannot be 40+ since he'd be as old/older then his father, hence the verse which is ...
Kaijix Papa's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
68 views

Why does 1 Samuel 14:49 leave out Eshba'al?

I know of three lists of Saul's children: 1 Samuel 14:49 - Saul’s sons were Jonathan, Ishvi and Malki-Shua. The name of his older daughter was Merab, and that of the younger was Michal. 1 Samuel 31:...
Marcy Powell's user avatar
2 votes
0 answers
90 views

Does "Not in Heaven" approach break of the chain of tradition (B"M 59b)?

In the famous argument about Tanuro Shel Akhnai (Bava Metzia.59b) R' Eliezer claims to faithfully represent the Heavenly tradition and he's supported by the Heaven. Neither R' Yehoshua, nor God admits ...
Al Berko's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
375 views

Masechta Kiddushin: Teaching your son a craft/trade - apparent contradiction?

Do any mefarshim make the following observation? The gemara in Kiddushin 29a famously says: תְּנֵינָא לְהָא דְּתָנוּ רַבָּנַן הָאָב חַיָּיב בִּבְנוֹ לְמוּלוֹ וְלִפְדוֹתוֹ וּלְלַמְּדוֹ תּוֹרָה ...
Dov's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
54 views

When did עבודה זרה start?

Rashi says on the posuk (בראשית,ד,כ) of: וַתֵּ֥לֶד עָדָ֖ה אֶת־יָבָ֑ל ה֣וּא הָיָ֔ה אֲבִ֕י יֹשֵׁ֥ב אֹ֖הֶל וּמִקְנֶֽה וּמִדְרַשׁ אַגָּדָה בּוֹנֶה בָתִּים לַעֲ"זָ, כְּמָה דְּאַתְּ אָמַר סֵמֶל ...
Simcha's user avatar
  • 522
2 votes
0 answers
95 views

How did Jewish scholars deal with supposed "scribal errors" in the Tanach [closed]

There are some contemporary Christians (Evangelicals, etc) say that there are contradictions in the Old Testament caused by scribal errors (Who Killed Goliath? (2 Samuel 21:19; 1 Chronicles 20:5), How ...
Bob's user avatar
  • 249
-1 votes
1 answer
81 views

Why does Nedarim 37b contradict Shabbat 86a?

Why does Nedarim 37b contradict Shabbat 86a? In Nedarim 37b, Children should not read a Torah passage [for the first time] on Shabbat : Rather, with regard to Shabbat, this is the reason that children ...
חִידָה's user avatar
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1 vote
0 answers
76 views

Does giving donations necessarily mean it's tzeddakah?

BS"D How can giving a donation (based on US law that it is a contribution towards a non-for-profit 501c3 organization) to a very affluent shul, yeshiva, or other mosed still Halachically count as ...
DoreshEmet's user avatar
3 votes
0 answers
47 views

Apparent contradiction if Elul was made full when necessary

The Gemara Rosh Hashanah 19b says: והאמר רבי חיננא בר כהנא א"ר מימות עזרא ואילך לא מצינו אלול מעובר לא מצינו דלא איצטריך הא איצטריך מעברינן ליה Didn’t Rabbi Chinana bar Kahana say that Rav said: ...
H. Eugene Walters's user avatar
9 votes
3 answers
236 views

Did Moses throw or drop the tablets?

The Yerushalmi, corroborated by Tanhuma, says that the tablets were two large sapphire stones, and weighed too much to be possibly carried by one person. The letters God engraved on them miraculously ...
Maurice Mizrahi's user avatar
0 votes
1 answer
132 views

Rav Kapach on Rambam's view on the identification of Keneh bosem

As a follow up to this question, there seem to be two contradictory conclusions on what Rambam holds to be the keneh bosem. First it is said that (Rav Kapach's notes to) Rambam's commentary in the ...
Renato S. Grun's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
188 views

Was there an exception for Joshua to allow him inside the Tabernacle?

Related to this question, I’m wondering was there a special exception to allow Joshua into the Tabernacle? Some areas such as Numbers 1:51 say that any non-Levite who approaches it should be executed. ...
Aaliyah's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
64 views

Inconsistent sifrei Torah for the required number of aliyos

Different groups (Ashkenazim, Sefaradim, Teimonim) have different traditions for spellings of different words in the Torah. Practically, while each group writes according to their own mesorah, we ...
Heshy's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
92 views

Is weeping at death a bad omen (סימן רע) or not?

The Talmud (Kesubos 103b; see Avos Rebbi Nason 25:2) says: מת מתוך השחוק סימן יפה לו מתוך הבכי סימן רע לו If one dies from laughter it is a good omen for him, but it is a bad omen to die from weeping....
Dr. Shmuel's user avatar
8 votes
2 answers
118 views

Why do we ask for Hashem to rule us alone, and then ask for a human king?

In the weekday sh’moneh esrei we ask HaShem to rule over us by himself: וּמְלֹךְ עָלֵינוּ מְהֵרָה אַתָּה י-הוה לְבַדְּךָ and reign over us- You HaShem, alone And yet, a few b’rachos later, we ...
Lo ani's user avatar
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2 votes
3 answers
373 views

Does Ezekiel 44:22 contradict the Torah?

Ezekiel 44:22 states: "Neither shall they [the priests] take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take virgins of the seed of the house of Israel, and a widow that is the ...
David the Prince's user avatar
4 votes
1 answer
110 views

While it says in Kiddushin 40b that torah is the more important than Mitzvot in Pirkei Avot it says otherwise?

It says in Kiddushin 40b נענה ר"ע ואמר תלמוד גדול נענו כולם ואמרו תלמוד גדול שהתלמוד מביא לידי מעשה (Rabbi Akiva answered and said: Study is greater. Everyone answered and said: Study is greater, as ...
yosef lavi's user avatar
0 votes
0 answers
56 views

Loshon Hora: Believing that circumstances permit slander

When the Chofetz Chaim (Klal 2, §3) codifies the allowance to relate slander heard b'apei t'lasa (a statement made in front of three people, which is considered avidi l'geluei and therefore already ...
chortkov2's user avatar
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7 votes
0 answers
119 views

Contradiction in the Taz between early Shavuos and early Shemini Atzeres

In his disagreement with the Maharshal's ruling not to start Shemini Atzeres early, the Taz's first objection is a long poetic rendition about why we shouldn't forbid something that isn't mentioned in ...
Heshy's user avatar
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4 votes
2 answers
175 views

How do we rationalize a person's sins being solely their own when we have traditions that blame entire nations for certain acts?

This is something I always found to be a bit of a contradiction. The Torah states that a person's sins are their own to bear and that no one may die for the sins of another. Parents shall not be ...
user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
195 views

In what order were the works of the Rashba written?

Rabbi Shlomo Ibn Aderet wrote a huge number of responsa, as well as a commentary on much of the Talmud, and a couple of Halachic works. I would assume that the responsa were written over a long ...
רבות מחשבות's user avatar
6 votes
1 answer
306 views

Why does the Gemara say Chizkiyahu didn't sing?

The Gemara in Sanhedrin 94a says that the reason Chizkiyahu was not the Mashiach is that he didn't sing after Hashem did miracles for him (Rashi adds that this refers to saving Yerushalayim from ...
Gabriel's user avatar
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1 vote
1 answer
137 views

Do Hillel & R Akiva contradict Mamrim 3 & Y"D 158:2?

How do you reconcile Hillel (1) and Rabi Akiva (2) with the Mishnah Torah (3) and Shulchan Aruch (4)? "What is hateful unto you, do not do unto your neighbor. That is the whole Torah, all the rest is ...
Ruvi's user avatar
  • 27
2 votes
2 answers
146 views

Apparent contradiction in the law of Hotza’ah (carrying) on shabbath

On Peninei Halakha halachot shabath about Hotza’ah it's written: Many maintain that as long as one did not stop walking while in the reshut ha-rabim, the prohibition is only rabbinic, because as ...
Jonhz's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
121 views

Does a prophet win halachic debates according to R. Yosef Albo?

In Sefer HaIkkarim 1:18, R. Yosef Albo writes the following: כמו שנזכר בבבא מציעא בענין מחלוקתו של רבי אליעזר שנעקר חרוב ממקומו וחזר אמת המים לאחוריו וזולת זה ואף על פי כן לא קבעו הלכה כדבריו לפי שלא ...
Alex's user avatar
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4 votes
0 answers
100 views

Did Ralbag's predecessors help him, or make things more difficult for him?

At the end of his commentary to Parshat Bereishit, Ralbag writes that he had difficulty composing his commentary to this parshah because the earlier commentaries practically pushed him away from ...
Alex's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
148 views

Did Noach live 950 years or 951 years [duplicate]

Did Noach live 950 years or 951 years? At the begining of the flood Noach was 600 years old Bereishis 7,6: ונח בן שש מאות שנה והמבול היה מים על הארץ The flood lasted 1 year as Rashi says ...
user15464's user avatar
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5 votes
2 answers
115 views

Apparent contradition in parshat Noach: How to reconcile? [duplicate]

Chapter 10 says Noah's sons go to various lands where they speak different languages. But Chapter 11 says "the entire earth was of one language". How do we reconcile these statements?
Yehuda W's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
159 views

Has Elul Been Made Full Since the Time of Ezra?

In the Gemara in Rosh Hashanah (19b) it says: והאמר רבי חיננא בר כהנא א"ר מימות עזרא ואילך לא מצינו אלול מעובר לא מצינו דלא איצטריך הא איצטריך מעברינן ליה Didn’t Rabbi Chinnana bar Kahana say ...
Gabriel's user avatar
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3 votes
0 answers
50 views

Adjust the selicho “מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי" when the kehillo is not fasting on Yom Kippur Koton?

Related: Who observes Yom Kippur Katan, and how? In the mincha service of Yom Kippur Koton, the selicho “מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי” is said: 1 חזן מַשְׂאַת כַּפַּי מִנְחַת עֶרֶב רְצֵה נָא בְכֹשֶׁר, ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
5 votes
1 answer
84 views

Proof text in Rosh Hashanah for month of mating season

The Gemara in Rosh Hashanah on 11a says: ר' יהושע אומר מנין שבניסן נברא העולם שנא' (בראשית א, יב) ותוצא הארץ דשא עשב מזריע זרע ועץ עושה פרי איזהו חדש שהארץ מליאה דשאים ואילן מוציא פירות הוי ...
Gabriel's user avatar
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2 votes
1 answer
130 views

Did the Moabites give water and food to B'nai Yisra'el or not? Contradictory verses?

Devarim 23:4 - 5 says that we should not accept a Moabite into the nation of Israel because they did not give B'nai Yisra'el food and water as they left Egypt. But, there is a seemingly contradictory ...
DanF's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
142 views

How does Hashem relate to the bitachon (faith) of a wicked person?

Chovos Halevavos - Shaar Habitachon Chapter 3 - חובות הלבבות שער הביטחון פרק שלישי מי שיבטח על הבורא והוא ממרה אותו, כמה הוא סכל וכמה דעתו חלושה והכרתו! כי הוא רואה כי מי שנתמנה לו מבני אדם על דבר, ...
RibbisRabbiAndMore's user avatar
4 votes
0 answers
198 views

Rambam's seemingly contradictory statements about one who denies the Oral Law

Rambam clearly and explicitly states on a number of occasions that one who denies the Oral Law is a heretic, and that this includes Tzadok and Baythus and their followers (Sadducees and Boethusians). ...
Alex's user avatar
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5 votes
1 answer
117 views

Contradiction in Chelkas Yoav regarding lifnei iver when the aveira is done by oness

The Chelkas Yoav (vol.1:1) says that when a katan (minor) eats a forbidden food his enjoyment of the food is considered an aveira. The reason that he is not punished is since he is unresponsible for ...
RibbisRabbiAndMore's user avatar
3 votes
2 answers
202 views

Contradiction in Rambam's laws of Talmud Torah and Shevet Levy (end of Shmitah)

Rambam Talmud Tora 3,5 writes (my bold): " מי שנשאו ליבו לקיים מצוה זו כראוי לה, ולהיות מוכתר בכתרה של תורה - לא יסיח דעתו לדברים אחרים, ולא ישים על ליבו שיקנה תורה עם העושר והכבוד כאחד... "...
Al Berko's user avatar
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3 votes
1 answer
132 views

Zevulun or Yissachar: Who Goes First?

In Devarim 33:18 Rashi cites Breishit Rabbah 99:9 saying that Zevulun preceded Yissachar in receiving Moshe’s bracha because that shevet enabled Yissachar to learn Torah by providing for their ...
הבלשן's user avatar
8 votes
0 answers
185 views

Aruch Hashulchan's comments about the form of a fetus

In his discussion of the sin of wasting seed, R. Yechiel Michel Epstein writes that scientists using microscopes have found that the drop of semen contains the entire image/form of a person, thus ...
Alex's user avatar
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4 votes
1 answer
202 views

Does God need to find out what happened? – Ralbag's seemingly contradictory comments

(Quick summary if you don't want to read the whole question: In Parshas Noach Ralbag seems to claim that God already knew what happened, while in Parshas Vayeira he seems to claim that God did not ...
Alex's user avatar
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