Questions tagged [halacha-theory]
Questions about theoretical issues about psak and general halacha concepts
942
questions
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Toivel a utensil used in a store
A local (jewish/frum owned) store near me sells these little glass cups with mousse in them (produced by a non Jewish company). Do such cups require tevillah from the stores perspective? follow up ...
5
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0answers
60 views
May a Kohen with Auto-Brewery Syndrome Duchan?
This question is related to another question asked (How much alcohol does one need to consume in order to be halachically drunk or intoxicated?).
Auto-Brewery Syndrome is a condition in which fungi or ...
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0answers
51 views
Are goyim allowed to learn chassidus?
It's known (Sanhedrin, don't have exact pages) that a goy is in general only supposed to learn the parts of Torah that have to do with the 7 mitzvos
The question is, is chassidus considered all an ...
2
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0answers
29 views
Visiting a cemetery while pregnant with a future kohen? [duplicate]
My husband (a kohen) and I were discussing this the other day as a hypothetical.
While I know in general there's a minhag not to go to cemeteries while pregnant (I decided not to follow that), is ...
1
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1answer
35 views
Metzudat David on Nechemiah 6:12
I was debating with a chavruta today how to understand the following explanation from Metzudat David. The verse in Nechemiah 6:12 says:
"Then I realized that it was not God who sent him, but ...
4
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1answer
104 views
If Torah's exactness is crucial, why doesn't the Mishnah contain Halachot of writting a Kosher Torah scroll?
In my research of Torah inerrancy, and following my other question "why-there's-no-deoraytah-prohibition-of-altering-torah-scroll", I notice that the Mishnah does not mention any Halachot of ...
3
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1answer
71 views
Taking advantage of cultural customs: Stealing or not?
In Persian culture, there is a principle named taarof in which if something is being offered to you, you must decline it, even if you want it. The giver will ask again if you would like the object but ...
7
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1answer
81 views
Cooking meat on Shabbat using Kinetic energy, or non-conventional ways
Putting all jokes (and Purim Torah) aside, a person successfully demonstrated cooking both steak and chicken using a machine that slaps the meat continuously (video here). Albeit they claimed it ...
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1answer
64 views
Making Chameitz Hefker on Shabbat
This year, because Erev Pesach is on Shabbat, the completion of the burning (done on Friday, after a search on Thursday night), is the second (slightly expanded) recitation of the Kol Chamira on ...
3
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1answer
342 views
Mourning for a parent for a year
Please provide as many different answers as you can on why is aveilus for a parent for a year and all others is only 30 days.
What different heartfelt ideas come to mind? What are some ideas that ...
5
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2answers
64 views
What was the Halachic base for establishing the inheritance of the Great Sanhedrin Presidency?
In the line of Nesi'im from Hillel to Gamliel IV, the position passed from father to son even if the son wasn't the brightest sage of the Sanhedrin (see R' Gamliel's testimony to R' Yehoshua).
Of ...
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1answer
63 views
Would God be equally happy if the sages canceled Shabbat or allowed some Arayot?
"...Years after, Rabbi Natan encountered Elijah the prophet and said to him: What did the Holy One, Blessed be He, do at that time, when Rabbi Yehoshua issued his declaration? Elijah said to him: ...
1
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1answer
93 views
From what examples did R' Eliezer learn that Halacha can be decided by miracles?
In the famous argument between R' Yehoshua and R' Eliezer (Tanuro Shel Achnai, B"M 59b) R' Eliezer chose to prove his approach by performing miracles:
"Rabbi Eliezer answered all possible ...
1
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1answer
49 views
Definition and origin of the division between interpersonal and God-related Mitzvot
"...for transgressions between a person and God, Yom Kippur atones; however, for transgressions between a person and another, Yom Kippur does not atone until he appeases the other person." ...
6
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2answers
136 views
Watching a virtual church service
The prohibition I have read about regarding churches centers around going "into" a church (see Q and A's here, for example).
Is the underlying prohibition about being present in the church, ...
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1answer
66 views
Regarding the סעודה in a פורים משולש, how does the שלחן ערוך understand the ברייתא in מגילה not to be arguing on the ירושלמי?
The גמרא in מגילה דף ד ע"ב to ה ע"א discusses the דינים of a פורים on שבת brings a ברייתא (marking the Amoritic interpolation according to “רש"י ד"ה ”אדרבה):
תניא נמי הכי אף על ...
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1answer
113 views
Why is Spinoza still considered excommunicated (חרם)?
In 2011, a member of the Amsterdam Portuguese-Jewish congregation asked for a reconsideration of the ban, with the hope that it would finally be lifted. (It seems to happen periodically that someone, ...
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51 views
Can a person jump over a fence during Shabbat?
During Shabbat can I jump over a fence to Get to a destination? Is it considered work?
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0answers
41 views
Can Tzara'at appear on Mitzvah apparel?
Was it possible for Tzara'at to appear on Tefillin/Tefillin straps, which theoretically one could argue clothes the person? Or on Tzitzis, or Kohanic garments, like the Tzitz, or other clothing items ...
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0answers
34 views
After a טמא מת gets הזאות and is still טמא until טבילה והערב שמש, is this a new טומאה or the remains of the original טומאה?
Are the הזאות really מטהר him completely, only now is חל a completely new טומאה? Or is this טומאה that he still has the remainder of the old טומאה; the הזאות aren't מטהר him completely and leave over ...
2
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0answers
54 views
Would it be forbidden to model a synagogue's design after the Beit Hamikdash?
The Beit Hamikdash has models. You can purchase them online if you so desire. That being said, those are purely models and are not used for anything beyond study/exhibition.
My question is whether it ...
2
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1answer
43 views
Can a Yisroel perform shira for his own korban? Also, if a Yisroel does shira in the Beis Hamikdash (not for himself), is his shira kasher בדיעבד?
About the first question, if a Yisroel can perform shira on his own korban:
According to the Meishiv Davar chelek 4 siman 11 Leviim are simply hired by Yisroelim to perform shira (therefore he says ...
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1answer
53 views
Do נסכים need to be brought לשם בעלים?
Does the Kohein need to pour the nesachim l'shem the baalim of the korban?
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0answers
65 views
Are the laws exclusive to the land of Israel, also relevant in terms of what they teach us everywhere?
There are many laws enumerated in the written and oral Torah. One of their categorizations is those which are obligatory inside the land of Israel and those which are obligatory both in the land of ...
3
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0answers
60 views
List of halakhos that are only relevant in the era of Moshiach
In Zevachim 45a (s.v. הלכתא למשיחא), Tosfos provides a list of instances in Shas where the gemara rules in favour of a particular halakhic position that will only be practically relevant in the era of ...
6
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4answers
207 views
Tikkun for Timtum HaLev
Is there teshuva/tikkun for timtum halev (specifically for forbidden foods)? Please cite sources.
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2answers
83 views
If humans build the third temple, would the builders be required to be cleared of “purity standards” for the project?
We are taught that when we came to Israel, King David could not build the temple because he had blood on his hands. Though he was acting under divine command and in the interest of the nation, he ...
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0answers
30 views
Shrinking a room with Tzaraas to less than 4x4 Amos
May one shrink a room and then manually scrape off questionable Tzaraas (not yet paskened by a Kohen) found there?
Suppose for example, a whole house or one of the rooms is 5x5 Amos, but has a ...
2
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0answers
55 views
Why does the Halacha distinguish between blessing for fragrance and before eating fruits
The Halacha distinguishes between three types of blessing of the fragrance according to their source: בורא מיני בשמים, בורא עצי בשמים, בורא עשבי בשמים. However, when coming to eating fruits the ...
3
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0answers
27 views
Fearing beyond parents
The commandment of respecting parents (kabed et avicha v'et imecha) has "extra" words (et and v'et) which are used in the gemara to include others in the halacha of respect (for a discussion ...
4
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1answer
137 views
Is viewing pirated media permitted?
Partially inspired by this question, though substantively different (I hope).
There are many sites on the internet which contain pirated media (eg tv shows, movies) those sites allow anyone to view ...
4
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0answers
54 views
תתאה גבר in space
On earth the rule is that תתאה גבר, if kosher and not kosher mix in a hot application, it depends which is “תתאה” bottom. If the hot is bottom it’s all forbidden, if the top is hot than it’s only ...
3
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1answer
62 views
Interdimensional Succahs [closed]
1: Setting aside the issues of Halachically defined time in space, and ignoring the physical constraints limiting a spacecraft from having Schach mounted properly, how should Schach be oriented to ...
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0answers
48 views
Can water that never touches food have a (non)kosher status?
I recently read the OK "Kosher Spirit" magazine, including an article about canned vegetables and kashrut concerns.
The article reviews the steps in the production of canned vegetables and ...
4
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1answer
61 views
Doing the mehadrin level differently — does it invalidate the mitzvah?
On Channukah, the mitzvah is for a light to be lit in each household, as the Rambam (Hil Purim/Channukah, 4:1) writes, "מצותה שיהיה כל בית ובית מדליק נר אחד."
If one wants to perform a "...
4
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1answer
111 views
Looking for source of story about the Noda Beyehuda and the Baal Shem Tov
I'm looking for a source of a supposed conversation between the Node Beyehuda and the Baal Shem Tov regarding the reliablitiy of a mystical 'halachic sixth sense' in halacha. It involved the Baal Shem ...
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0answers
32 views
Trying to find a mekor that if someone is leaning on something, it's considered as if he is fully standing on it
I'm learning the gemara in Zvachim 19b that says that if a Kohein is leaning on another Kohein, his avoda is kasher if not for the din amida of לשרת. My question is if this is considered like he is ...
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34 views
Source for pure status of those buried on Har Hazeitim
In this article on Har Hazeitim (Mt. of Olives) it says:
"People buried on the Mount of Olives are exempt from the ritual of atonement that those buried elsewhere must undergo."
Is there a ...
2
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1answer
88 views
The prohibition of eating before davening starts when? [duplicate]
One is not supposed to eat before davening Shacharit , though the halacha has various exceptions or special cases.
What is considered "before"? If I wake before dawn and start my day, does ...
3
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1answer
119 views
How many time-bound positive mitzvot are women obligated in?
Women are generally not obligated in positive mitzvot bound by time. There are some exceptions, such as eating matzah on Pesach and making kiddush on Shabbat. What other time-bound positive mitzvot ...
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0answers
128 views
When is a wife categorized as a moredet?
I understand there are two main reasons that a wife would be categorized as a moredet
She refused to be intimate with her husband to cause him distress
She refuses to be intimate with her husband ...
2
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1answer
65 views
Can someone with a blemish be king?
I saw somewhere recently that when Tzidkkiyahu was blinded, he was invalidated from hypothetically returning to rule over Judea as king, because he now had a halachic blemish (מום). Is this true, that ...
6
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0answers
93 views
Should people davening alone daven together?
If a few men know there will be no minyan so they choose to daven biyechidut, is there merit to their staying "together" either in shul or not? Is there a notion of "kahal" or &...
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1answer
46 views
Can external actions reduce my “reward” for giving charity?
The Rambam lists 8 levels of giving charity, saying one is better than the next. I am assuming that there is some greater advantage to performing this mitzvah on a "higher" level, an idea ...
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0answers
37 views
Tzitzit at night but not about the clothing
There are a variety of questions about wearing tzitzit at night (and many websites discussing the laws) But they seem to focus on the source, "ur'eetem" as relating to the clothes that you ...
1
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2answers
87 views
Status and reason for decisions of the Chofetz Chayim in the Shaar HaTziyun?
This question beautifully summarises the structure of the sefer we call Mishna Berura. It says that the Chofetz Chaim,
“wrote the sections to his commentary to the Code of Jewish Law:
Mishna Berura - ...
1
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1answer
51 views
Does one learning individually say the yehi ratzon?
In every Schottenstein Gemara, the front cover comes equipped with two Yehi Ratzon prayers, one before and one after learning. These prayers include phrases that mention learning with a friend/partner....
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3answers
74 views
How could Abraham give himself a Brit Milah?
According to Pirkei D’Rebbi Eliezer 29, Shem Ben Noach performed Avraham’s Bris. My question concerns the other opinion in Beresheit Rabba 49b that Avraham performed it himself.
According to this ...
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0answers
92 views
Can a practicing Jew use soap made from lard?
Is it forbidden under the Jewish religion to use soap made from pig fat or is the prohibition on pork product solely in regards to the consumption of the meat?
3
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0answers
136 views
Could a Kohen Gadol retire?
Related to this question.
Could a Kohen Gadol retire from his position?1
Despite being old and blind, Eli continued on as Kohen Gadol until his death. Could he have theoretically quit had he wanted to?...
