Questions tagged [halacha-theory]
Questions about theoretical issues about psak and general halacha concepts
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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 ...
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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 ...
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Tikkun for Timtum HaLev
Is there teshuva/tikkun for timtum halev (specifically for forbidden foods)? Please cite sources.
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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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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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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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 ...
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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 "...
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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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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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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 ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
user17319
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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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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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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 ...
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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 - ...
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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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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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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?...
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Is this case of double bal tosif, bal tosif?
There are two definitions of Bal Tosif:
1 - Do the mitzva with a change in its form (for example: getting a 5th species along with the Four Species)
2 - Do the mitzva with intention when it's not its ...
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How can there be hidur by mitzvos dirabanan?
We find the concept of hidur by rabbinic mitzvos. For example menorah. I saw some paper qoute the rema that one should get new aravos for the 7 days of sukkos because of hiddur. The 7 days are also ...
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Sources for using the father's name when praying for a non-Jew
Related to this answer.
Earlier today I was sent a video that showed the Chief Rabbis of Israel at the Kotel making a Mi Sheberach for the refuah of President Trump, where they called him דונלד ג'ון ...
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How can a man who already fulfilled his obligation of meggilla be yoetze a woman who has not?
According to the Noda Biyehuda a there is no areivus for women, meaning if a man fulfilled his obligation he won't be able to be yoetza her. I heard the minhag is for men who have already listened to ...
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Eruvin 51a: Using Deception to Assert an Opinion?
The Gemara in Eruvin 51a relates the following:
(Source(s) from Sefaria)
רַבָּה וְרַב יוֹסֵף הֲווֹ קָא אָזְלִי בְּאוֹרְחָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ רַבָּה לְרַב יוֹסֵף: תְּהֵא שְׁבִיתָתֵנוּ תּוּתֵי דִּיקְלָא ...
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Is there an obligation to ask for forgiveness?
Though it is part of the t'shuva process, I wonder if asking mechila from people exists as a separate and distinct obligation. Must I either seek out individuals and ask for forgiveness for both ...
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Erev Rosh Hashana 5781 - mikvah via 'tes kavin' [duplicate]
Given the nature of the pandemic Rav Hershel Schachter amongst many others have advised against going to the mikvah (see here) in letter dalet:
Instead people are being advise to 'dip' via a shower ...
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The one who begins with a mitzvah ends it
The Rema in Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 581 notes how the person who leads the Selichos continues with davening. He then notes an additional custom:
ויש מקומות נוהגים שהמתפלל סליחות יתפלל כל היום
And ...
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Not to read Sipurei Milchama - can one major in History?
It is clear from the Shulchan Aruch that one should ideally stay away from certain types of books - not just on Shabbos, but the whole time.
In Shulchan Aruch, Orach Chaim 307:16 it writes the ...
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Exact distances and sizes in the Mishna
In many locations in the Mishna, it is mentioned what should be done if something has an exact measurement. For instance in Shekalim:
Coins which were found between the [chest inscribed] “shekels” ...
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Can I drive an electric car that has been left on before Yom Tov if food was placed on the batteries before Yom Tov?
DISCLAIMER: I was referring to what I saw on the Chabad article(the first one linked to as "Yom Tov Laws") I am not considering at all Yom Kippur, I meant Yom Tov in terms of the idea of &...
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Food brachot before and after eating
Does a bracha said after eating a specific food rely on the food being eaten or on the bracha (and its intention) made at the beginning?
If, hypothetically, I make a shehakol at the beginning and then ...
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Can one make a Siyum During Shiva?
Related to this, this, this and this.
During Shiva, a mourner is allowed to study Sefer Iyov. Assuming that learning this one sefer is enough to make a siyum, could a mourner make a siyum during the ...
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What is the source to forbid Toldos תולדות?
There are times that Torah gives specific "examples" of what is forbidden (e.g. 39 melachos given via a reference to the actions done in the משכן or through other means; Or The Torah ...
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Maggid Mishnah on relying on approximations for π and √2
In a previous discussion, it was stated:
The Maggid Mishnah in Hilchos Shabbos (17:26) says that one may rely on π=3, but he says in Hilchos Eiruvin (3:2) that one may not rely on √2=1.4.
I can't ...
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What is the source for non-literal understanding of V'Chai Bahem?
The concept of V'Chai Bahem - "do the mitzvos to live by them" (Vayikra 18:5) - is usually understood to refer to one's physical existence (i.e. the mitzvos should not be performed if they ...
user17319
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Ben Sorer Umoreh/Murderer Absolved?
We are told by the Gemoro Sanhedrin 72A (brought by Rashi on Devorim 21:18) that the Ben Sorer is killed because the Torah foresees that he will eventually kill somebody. However the Rambam rules (...
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Anthropology, Structuralism, Halacha
Halacha is a typological ideal which we desire to manifest in our actual behavior. Inasmuch as life itself has a structure, halacha is contoured exactly to life in its entirety and beyond. Halachic ...
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Does a mourner sit in a low chair outside the house?
A mourner, during the first 7 days sits on a low chair. The mourner also generally does not leave the house. One exception would be if there is no minyan that can be set up in the mourner's house, so ...
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What method is used to halachically pluck a chicken's feathers after shechita
It seems the standard way to remove chickens feathers after slaughtering is to scald the chicken in hot water for up to a couple minutes before plucking the feathers. (as an example, here's some ...
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Is there a "pre-aninut" status?
This is a question of 2 different possible statuses, each with its own implications.
In Maurice Lamm's "The Jewish Way in Death and Mourning," he writes (page 26)
He is not considered an ...
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Can one go from being an Aveil to being an Onein?
A person is an onein while taking care of arrangements for a burial, and, from what I have learned, if that person's work is finished and that person leaves the body or the body leaves the person for ...
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Aninut and food
After the death of a close relative and before the burial (or the cessation of involvement with the body) one is in a stage of Aninut. During that time, one is exempted (or even forbidden) from many ...
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What is the criteria of safek pikuach nefesh?
An expert in a particular field (a doctor, an actuary, etc.) can advise on the risk of mortality from a specific activity of anywhere between 0% and 100%. At what threshold of risk would the halacha ...
user17319