Questions tagged [halacha-theory]
Questions about theoretical issues about psak and general halacha concepts
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Asking a shaila - not looking for a psak
How does one phrase a request for a Rabbi's opinion on a halachic matter so as not to receive a psak? Are there multiple acceptable expressions?
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Differences between Birur and הנהגה
How do the techniques of הנהגה and בירור work in Halacha? Is the difference that the latter needs proof, and the former is based on a חזקה?
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Changing location to Jerusalem mid-Purim [duplicate]
If I live in Tel Aviv and fulfill my obligations on Purim, then I move to Jerusalem on Purim afternoon, do I have a new set of obligations that evening/next day (2 megillah readings, se'udah, matanos ...
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Is breaking halakha always a sin?
Someone made a comment on another of my answer that "breaking halakha = sin." And I've heard this kind of statement before, but never with any arguments or philosophy for why that is or how ...
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Mitzva Dream Team: the minimum number of individuals who, between them, can keep all 613 mitzvot
A classic Mi Yodeya question, perhaps a little more light-hearted in the spirit of Purim-
What's the minimum number of Jews we need to cover all 613 Mitzvot between them? If we just have a Yisrael, we ...
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If one has frozen blastocysts, is one obligated/encouraged to use them
Would a couple who have some frozen blastocysts1 left in storage from previous collections during IVF, and now after menopause, be expected to try to become pregnant with all of them (or until it ...
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Handing oneself in
I would like to know if one is obligated to hand oneself in to authorities if one committed a crime/sin and nobody caught them?
I would like to make this as general a question as the rules of the site ...
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Can a Yefat Toar be taken from nations who are ineligible for marriage?
My understanding is that a Yefat Toar (Devarim 21:10-14) is forcibly converted and can be married.
The Torah prohibits marrying people from certain nations such as Egypt and Edom for a number of ...
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Could one bring bikkurim on Tisha B'Av?
Bikkurim can be brought from Shavuot till Sukkot and perhaps longer (not after Chanukah). Part and parcel of the mitzvah of Bikkurim seems to be an aspect of simcha/rejoicing. I have not seen any ...
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Halachot relevant to dealing with people with extreme views
This question is assuming that there is a prevalence of extreme views, especially since the age of the internet, and particularly in the last 10-15 years. It is not a blanket statement against all ...
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I discovered a family member of mine is Jewish. Am I Jewish? [duplicate]
I've been recently reading about what determines whether someone is Jewish.
I've done this because I discovered my grandfather's father (my great-grandfather) from my mother's side was Jewish (...
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Theological issues to certain brachot
According to Rambam in Mishneh Torah but especially in Moreh Nevuchim, and many other Jewish Philosophers, when the Torah uses any words to describe Hashem, they are just a mashal, i.e. it is just ...
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Is there any reason to not do netila with unattended water
Immediate logic says no, the reason for not drinking unattended water is because a snake might have got to it and it is now venomous, which would not be an issue for netila (or would it, any ...
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What if one chos vishalom accidentally kills someone right before techias hameisim?
B"H
The Rambam in Hilchos rotzeiach 7:9-12 discuss how one who accidentally kills someone and is exiled to a city of refuge never leaves, until the Kohen Gadol passes away.
The question is, what ...
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Reading fictional works during week, or on Shabbos? [closed]
I'm fascinated in reading the christian bible as a work of 1st century Jewish fiction. When is a more appropriate time to read it, or is reading it utterly forbidden?
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Can a golem become human?
If a righteous sage creates a golem, like Rava did in Tractate Sanhedrin, can it become human, and since it is created by a Jew, can it become Jewish?
Secondly, I don't know if they could or could not,...
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Hearing the "wrong" megilla reading
During the coronavirus year, there was an allowance made (according to certain opinions) for people to hear the megillah via Zoom. This question mentions that particular arrangement.
What would be the ...
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וכבשוה ורדו - to what extent are we allowed to domesticate/kill animals in order to utilise the Earth for our civilisation?
Part of the point of Hashem giving the Earth into our domain is a permission for us to trap, subjugate and kill animals that would harm us or be pests for our crops and homes, e.g. see Sforno 1 & ...
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Halacha of saying bracha while someone else has food in their mouth
I have heard it is forbidden to recite a bracha (loudly) when someone nearby has food in their mouth. I heard the reason is because they might choke when trying to say amen. I would also like to know ...
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If one wishes to take on chumrot, or segulot, or mystical practices, to what extent is one allowed to negatively impact others to do so?
I have two examples. This starts with an answer from a recent question I asked, where it was mentioned that the Rosh was careful to wash last so that he shouldn't avoid talking or waiting between ...
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Does participating in Mi Yodeya count as an "addictive hobby", which would therefore forbid us from using it according to Rav Moshe Feinstein Y'D 3:35
Rav Moshe is very strict about this.
Stack Exchange has a points system, equivalent to "likes" on other platforms. This system has been demonstrated to be highly addictive as we get a ...
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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 ...
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Kiddush on Grape Juice Jello
May one use grape juice or wine that was turned into Jello for Kiddush? Does concentration matter, for example, if the cup was already full of wine, and a bit of jello was added?
I saw a related ...
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Why do we recite the Shema when putting on tefillin (whether Rashi or Rabbein Tam) after the time of Shacharis?
I have read another Q&A, Why must one recite any scripture while donning Rabbe'inu Tam tephillin? I don't see how it answers my question.
When I put on Rabbeinu Tam tefillin after Shacharis, I ...
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Halachot of לֵיצָנוּת: cynicism, scoffing and mockery
I know from general knowledge that לֵיצָנוּת is forbidden. It is generally translated as being cynical, scoffing or mocking. I have also seen discussion in various mussar and hashkafic works but I ...
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How to understand quantity in terms of prohibitions and the affect that this has on interacting with that quantity of issur?
Do all issurim have a shiur and how is that quantified?
An example of what inspired the question. In my taaruvos shiur the rav told us that on yontiff if wood that was muktza such as branches that ...
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Determining if one sinned in the past
If you might have inadvertently done something wrong but are not sure, is there value in finding out for sure, or is it water under the bridge?
For example, say you're throwing out a suit and realize ...
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According to the Tzitz Eliezer, is transgenderism actually muttar?
If I am understanding everything correctly, the Tzitz Eliezer's psak is that if a man get's a surgery that alters his genitals to that of a woman, they assume the halachic status of a woman, and are ...
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Referring to Hashem with feminine pronouns
Are there any halachic sources, or is there universal advice about speaking about Hashem in terms of gender?
Classical Torah sources almost exclusively speak about Him in neutral or masculine terms. ...
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What way(s) does Hashem pay you back for money spent on Shabbat/Torah etc
There is a point of halacha that any money spent on Shabbat, Yom tov, or Torah learning is "on Hashem", and one should have complete trust that Hashem will pay it back as He guarantees it. I ...
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May someone risk danger and harm to convert?
Historically there have been times where converting to Judaism was a crime punishable by the local rulers. The severity of the punishment in some instances was as extreme as being put to death.
I ...
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If Orach Chayim 53:14 prohibits 'memorized' Torah recited by the Blind, Why are synagogues allowed to hear 'memorized' Qere [during Torah portion]?
If spoken קְרִי Qere corrections are never written in any Torah (but memorized like a Blind recitation : Orach Chayim 53:14), Why are synagogues allowed to hear Qere [during Torah portion]?
Shulchan ...
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Did ALL the Jews at the time of the closing of the Talmud accept the Talmud as binding?
The Rambam states in his introduction to Mishna Torah that the Talmud Bavli is binding because;
כל אותם הדברים שבתלמוד הסכימו עליהם כל ישראל.
What is the definition of the word "ישראל" in ...
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Sources regarding the Mesorah of the explanations/details of the Torah
It's difficult for me to accept that laws that I see written in a modern day Halacha sefer really originate from what G-d Told Moshe thousands of years ago. This is because there is so much time in ...
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What is the SOURCE of the rules/protocols [for dealing with machlokes] within the Oral Law?
As far as I am aware, there are 3 major categories of Torah She’baal peh;
a) Known via direct Mesorah.
b) Known via interpretation (following the RULES of interpretation [eg
hermeneutic laws and s’...
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Is one permitted to face another direction besides towards eretz yisroel when praying?
Assuming one isn't davening in a minyan so as not to disrespect the minyan but if someone is already praying on their own is it permissible to face another direction?
"Rebbe Yitzhak said: one who ...
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Why is the halachic equinox at a different time?
The Artscroll in Taanis 10a note 42 states that
...according to halachah September 21 is not reckoned as the day of the equinox. Rather, the equinox occurs (in this century) on October 7th or 8th.
...
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Why is a potato cooked in issur not chanan according to the Rema?
If a potato or any parve permissible food item is cooked in liquid with a forbidden substance why does it take on the identity of just taste (tam k'ikker) rather than becoming a new entity which is ...
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Why can't vessels become "chanan"?
The basic defnition of chanan/chatika nases nevela is when something becomes like a nevela through becoming mixed in a way that is forbidden. According to the Mechaber this only applies to basar b'...
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Did the early generations do melacha on Chol Ha'moed?
The Gemara in Chagiga says:
that the Torah left it up to Chazal to figure out what constitutes as "work" on Chol Ha'moed.
"הא לא מסרן הכתוב אלא לחכמים, לומר לך אי זה יום אסור ואי זה ...
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What are general principles good for?
In Kiddushin 34a:4 in the context of hakhel it states
אָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אֵין לְמֵדִין מִן הַכְּלָלוֹת וַאֲפִילּוּ
בִּמְקוֹם שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בּוֹ חוּץ R. Yohanan said: We cannot learn from
general ...
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Tachanun on a King / President visiting a city
Would Synagogues say Tachanun when a King or President comes to visit a city or perhaps comes to visit a Synagogue? I couldn’t see anything in Orach Chaim dealing with this issue.
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Making a sukkah your house
They say your sukkah should become like your house for all of Sukkot, meaning you eat there, sleep there, and just spend most of your time there. However normally, one doesn’t always let’s say eat in ...
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Minhag vs Halacha - 3 types of clashes
There are minhagim that seemingly go against halacha. I want to know essays or sources that cover this age-old debate.
It is my view that these minhagim are of three types:
Machlokes of major poskim ...
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If an AI is programmed to be a Rabbi learn all that is required for a Semikhah or to be Jewish, if it makes a blessing does it count?
Let's say programmers create an AI robot that is conscious and programmed to be a Rabbi, can it receive a Semikhah? If so, if it outputs blessings are they valid?
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How do poskim in shulchan aruch disagree about the existence of a rabbinical decree?
There are times when Chazal says something and the meaning is debated and there are other times when whether an entire category even exists. How is this so? To give specific examples of what I'm ...
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Does a convert say kaddish for his parents when they pass? [duplicate]
Does a convert say kaddish for his parents when they pass? If yes is this limited to a Jewish parent (father) or does this include a non Jewish parent? If it does include a non-Jewish parent would it ...
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Difference between B'racha She'eina Tzaricha and B'racha L'vatala
I've seen both these terms in halachic sources, in reference to a B'racha that should not have been made. But I'm not sure what the difference is.
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What type of pain allows a woman to choose to sterilize herself?
In bYevamot 65b there is a discussion as to a woman's mitzvah obligation (or not) to have children. The gemarah cites an episode of a woman who had an (unusually?) painful childbearing experience who ...
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What is the definitions of fruits vs vegetables for different Halachic purposes?
IIRC, the scientific definition is simple - fruits contain seeds (apple or cucumber), and vegetables are all other parts of a plant (broccoli, carrots, or potatoes).
What are some rabbinic definitions ...
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