All Questions
34 questions
13
votes
4
answers
457
views
Were the people of Chelm really unintelligent? [closed]
There are many stories that are told over about the people who lived in Chelm. They all have the theme of: the people in Chelm were fairly unintelligent. Where did this come from? Is it true? It ...
- 2,893
13
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Four Holy Cities
I have often seen reference to the Four Holy Cities: Jerusalem, Hebron, Safed and Tiberias. What is the earliest source to reference this? Why these four cities? Has there ever been a different count? ...
- 101k
12
votes
2
answers
274
views
Did Shuls in Europe display their countries' flags prior to the holocaust?
Prior to the holocaust, did Shuls in Europe display their countries' respective flags? Do Shuls currently display their countries' flags? When did it start and why?
- 140k
10
votes
1
answer
237
views
10
votes
2
answers
372
views
How did the Sages know that Jerusalem had a wall in the times of Joshua?
The criterion for whether a city celebrates Purim on 14 Adar or Shushan Purim on 15 Adar is whether it was walled in the times of Joshua (about 3300 years ago). (Well, Shushan itself is an exception, ...
- 136k
10
votes
3
answers
669
views
Pre-1948, what flags were found in American synagogues?
Certainly throughout the 1970s and 1980s, it was not at all uncommon to see an American synagogue where the Aron Kodesh was flanked by American and Israeli flags.
Pre-1948, was there just an American ...
- 136k
9
votes
1
answer
672
views
How animals populated different continents after the flood?
What are some understandings as to how animals populated different continents after the flood?
Did some species of animals survive the flood? Or are we to understand that the flood only affected the ...
- 2,191
8
votes
3
answers
558
views
Why Italia of Yavan?
The gemara in Megila 6b refers to איטליא של יון זה כרך גדול של רומי, which translates literally as: Italy of Greece, this is the great city of Rome.
This seems odd insofar as I know, Italy never ...
- 34.1k
7
votes
2
answers
332
views
Were the Cities of Refuge ever built?
Are there any sources saying that the ערי מקלט were really built? I heard once that it was too hard to built the all the roads to them so they were never actually constructed. I know in Yehoshua ...
- 71
7
votes
2
answers
773
views
What's the history of Hekhalot/Heichalot/Heikhalot literature?
There is a field of study, which focuses on the Hekhalot literature. However, the internet gives conflicting information about them.
For example, some state that they were written by the early ...
- 19.1k
7
votes
2
answers
3k
views
What is meant by the term "midina"/"provinces" as in the 127 ruled by Ahasuerus?
Esther 1:1 says:
Now it came to pass in the days of Ahasuerus -- he was the Ahasuerus who reigned from Hodu to Cush, one hundred twenty-seven provinces.
For historical context, the period of the ...
- 2,597
7
votes
1
answer
367
views
From where do the maps of Kriyas Yam Suf come?
I have seen many maps showing where the Jews crossed "Yam Suf" (Usually translated as the Red Sea).
Then they show where the Jews traveled, where is Mt. Sinai, where did the Jews encamp, etc.
Where ...
- 40.8k
6
votes
2
answers
519
views
What are the major regions relevant to Ashkenazi minhagim?
Motivating this question are the instructions in the ArtScroll Siddur for the two versions of kel erekh apayim, said on weekdays before taking out the sefer torah: one is identified as “נוסח אשכנז, ...
- 4,132
6
votes
2
answers
144
views
Yiddish city name from the 19th c [closed]
There is a locale referenced in a few places in stories or other materials relating to R' Y'chi'el Tz'vi Margaliyos called טאקאלא, on which extremely little information seems to be available online. (...
- 24k
5
votes
1
answer
120
views
5
votes
1
answer
203
views
Spain and curse
Was there a Curse placed on Jews returning to Spain after the Spanish Inquisition if so who stated it and general background information would be appreciated?
- 33.5k
5
votes
1
answer
169
views
Does Jacob's Well in present-day Nablus/Shechem have a Jewish tradition associated with it?
There's a well in present-day Shechem (Nablus) called "Jacob's Well." It has an Orthodox Christian church on top of it right now. I was wondering if there is any Jewish tradition that Jacob dug this ...
- 51
5
votes
1
answer
126
views
Recommend introductory resources on Jewish traditions in the Balkans
A couple of years ago I found out that I have some Jewish ancestry when investigating my family's history. I know that my great grandfather perished in the holocaust, but I was led to believe that it ...
- 51
5
votes
0
answers
319
views
Holidays south of the equator
When Jews first started establishing communities south of the equator, they must have noticed that the holidays fell completely at the wrong times of the year. (For example, Pesach, referred to as hag ...
- 7,056
4
votes
2
answers
482
views
What's the "ORegon 7-1222" on R' Moshe Feinstein's letterhead? [closed]
The English part of of R' Moshe Feinstein's letterhead reads as follows:
RABBI MOSES FEINSTEIN
455 F.D.R. DRIVE
New York, N.Y. 10002
__
ORegon 7-1222
See for instance this letter, this ...
- 136k
4
votes
1
answer
306
views
Source for Africans being Caananites?
In Alex's answer to Did any Achronim comment on the American Revolutionary or Civil Wars? he says that a certain Rav was opposed to the Emancipation Proclamation, because it goes against Noach's curse,...
- 23.3k
4
votes
1
answer
124
views
Archeological finds related to King Hezekiah's closing a wellspring under Jerusalem?
The Gemara says that King Hezekiah (Chizkiyahu) closed one of the springs of water in (under?) Jerusalem, so the Assyrian army wouldn't be able to use it.
Do we have any guesses what exactly that ...
- 136k
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Hebrew Havarah?
Similar to this question
Different parts of Eastern Europe had different dialects.
For example, Ukrainian, Polish and Hungarian Jews pronounce a "Shuruk" as a EE, or a Komatz as an oo (so Boruch ...
- 40.8k
4
votes
1
answer
204
views
Was There a Specific Location that the Babylonian Talmud was Written
The exact (think GPS) location of many biblical sites are known. We know exectly where Abraham bound Issac and suspect that is the same spot where the Holy of Holies was. Some of the ancient sites (or ...
- 1,622
3
votes
3
answers
230
views
Where was the Kodesh haKodoshim?
I have always been under the impression that the mosque on the Har HaBayis is on the location of the Kosdesh HaKodoshim. Is that accurate?
- 140k
3
votes
3
answers
465
views
River flowing from the southern end of the Dead Sea?
A footnote on page 966 of the Artscroll chumash (this week's reading) has a map that includes the dead sea. The map shows a river flowing from the southern tip of the sea. According to a Duke U site:
...
- 8,383
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
Did Achashverosh rule over the entire Old World?
Megilla 11a says "Three ruled over the world - Achav, Achashverosh and Nebuchadnetzar." It suggests a few other names that weren't on the list and rejects them because they didn't rule over one ...
- 2,597
2
votes
1
answer
243
views
How did Abraham end up in Ur Kasdim when Shem and Ever lived in Israel?
IIRC, it starts with Noah landing on the Ararat mountains somewhere in nowadays Turkey. Some 300 years later we hear that Shem runs a Yeshiva in Eretz Israel together with his grand-grandson Ever and ...
- 28k
2
votes
1
answer
99
views
Redistribution of refuge cities after expansion
When the Torah commands the establishment of cities of refuge in Eretz Yisra'el to protect accidental murderers from vengeful relatives it states that the three cities must be evenly placed (...
- 24k
2
votes
0
answers
118
views
Are the borders of Eretz Israel going to be the same in regard to the Torah when moshiach comes? [closed]
I have read before an opinion that they are not going to be the same borders, I am hoping for some backup information.
- 357
2
votes
0
answers
62
views
History: Prevalence of Torah study
Historically, when has Torah study throughout the world been most prevalent, and when has Torah suffered relatively limited study and knowledge thereof? Are there any sources that break this down?
It ...
- 847
1
vote
2
answers
187
views
Maps/blueprints of the interior of the Temple Mount
I am looking for resources that have maps and/or blueprints of the interior of the Temple Mount. For example, showing the various tunnel systems, stairs, gates, chambers, etc. I would even appreciate ...
- 10.5k
1
vote
2
answers
147
views
You're a Jew in Israel and it's 70 CE. Where Should You Go for the Best Existence the Next 1900 Years? [closed]
(This is a Jewish History topic, and thus hopefully won't be closed. I realize it may be somewhat subjective, but any well-reasoned argument would be helpful in showing which places and times have ...
- 136k
1
vote
0
answers
40
views
Where abouts in the Persian Empire did the Jews live?
The original deportations of Jews occurred in Nebuchadnezzar's era and so they would have settled in Babylon regions, but whereabouts in the Persian Empire did the Jews live? Were they dispersed much ...
- 273