All Questions
34 questions
2
votes
1
answer
212
views
Did Orthodox Jews turn on/off lightbulbs etc on Shabbat in the early 20th century?
I’ve heard that before the Halacha was settled by the Poskim like the Chazon Ish, many or most Orthodox Jews used lightbulbs etc on Shabbat. Is there any validity to this?
I’m just curious
user24193
2
votes
0
answers
72
views
רִבּוֹן כָּל הָעוֹלָמִים אֲדוֹן כָּל הַנְּשָׁמוֹת אֲדוֹן הַשָּׁלוֹם - source of this Shabbat prayer
Here is its entry in the open siddur project.
The open siddur project demonstrates that the claim that this was composed by Rabbi Joseph of Rashkow, Posen can't be true as it is found in the siddur ...
- 14.7k
2
votes
0
answers
110
views
When/where/how did weekly "kiddush" become the norm? [duplicate]
At the typical American synagogue -- and most in Europe as well, at this point I think -- it's expected that after the Shabbos morning prayers, there will be "kiddush", but people don't sit ...
- 136k
1
vote
0
answers
51
views
Where does the custom of staying up all night on Shabbat originate from?
I heard there were some Tzadikim who would stay up all night on Shabbat where did this custom originate from?
- 1,527
5
votes
1
answer
169
views
After city walls were no longer built, what did the ~10M Jews living in pre-Holocaust Europe do regarding an Eruv?
As per my quick research 1 2 sometime around 1800 to 1920 European cities stopped erecting and started removing city walls. My understanding is that a lot of the laws regarding Eruv was assuming that ...
- 189
1
vote
0
answers
66
views
On A Fully-Jewish Town in Spain
I'm preparing a shiur on Golden Age Spain and their minhagim. I remember reading in a historical chronicle (which I could have sworn was the Sefer HaKabbalah of the Raavad HaRishon) about a fully-...
- 416
1
vote
1
answer
74
views
Would someone please characterize Shabbat Shirah
I am fairly unfamiliar with Judaism and I happened upon a special Sabbath that I had not seen before. It occurs in late January or early February and is known as Shabbat Shirah. I would appreciate it ...
- 115
6
votes
1
answer
190
views
Warm food on Shabbat day during Mishnaic and Talmudic times
In looking over the laws for keeping food warm over Shabbat, I began to wonder how things practically played out during the times of the Mishna and Talmud. Given that an oven could only be used if the ...
- 395
1
vote
1
answer
173
views
How do references to eternity in Torah square with the finite life of the sun?
How is one to read אות היא לעולם, נר תמיד and שומר ישראל לעד knowing that the sun will not endure?
Torah is written in human language. Is "for ever" confined to human measures, and in fact then, ...
- 53
-1
votes
1
answer
400
views
Did the Sadducees get anything right?
The Sadducee-Pharisee split probably began around 150 B.C.E and disappeared after the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 C.E. As a result, the Karaites (9th-century) adopted many Sadducee-ideas ...
- 721
1
vote
0
answers
34
views
Was there always a beracha for Shabbat candles? [duplicate]
The wikipedia entry for Shabbat Candles says that:
The first record of the complete text of the blessing is from the
Siddur of Rav Amram, written by Amram Gaon in the 9th century. He then
...
- 10.5k
3
votes
0
answers
99
views
Who organized the Haftarot and when?
If I'm not mistaken, Masechet Megillah mentions a few haftarot, I think, mainly for Yom Tov. I don't recall much mentioned about the weekly Shabbat haftarot.
In most Chumashim, I noticed that there ...
- 71.5k
2
votes
2
answers
885
views
Reason for the Conservative driving teshuva?
When it was enacted, was the Conservative Movement's driving teshuva (the one that allowed driving to and from shul on Shabbat) designed for people who had already moved to the suburbs, far from ...
- 8,383
4
votes
1
answer
102
views
Different editions of שמירת שבת כהלכתה – how do they compare?
Shokhet, a user of this website, mentions in his bio that when he cites שמירת שבת כהלכתה (hereinafter שש”ך) that he uses the second edition. What (other than the cover) are the major differences ...
- 13.3k
2
votes
1
answer
262
views
Did the Rashbam Practice what he Preached Regarding Shabbat?
Rashbam, on Bereishit (Genesis) 1:5, states:
ויהי ערב ויהי בקר - אין כתיב כאן ויהי לילה ויהי יום, אלא ויהי ערב, שהעריב יום ראשון ושיקע האור, ויהי בוקר, בוקרו של לילה, שעלה עמוד השחר, הרי הושלם יום א' ...
user9907
0
votes
3
answers
1k
views
How to Reconcile if/when the Jewish Day Was to Begin at Sunset?
Question:
Are there any historical documents that detail the differences in opinions on when the "Jewish Day" began? (Perhaps between Sadducee and Pharisee/Rabbinic definitions, etc).
What the ...
- 408
3
votes
3
answers
1k
views
Using oil lamps on Shabbas in old times
In the olden times, before electricity, did religious Jews have lamps that could hold large amounts of oil so that they could use light on Shabbas, similar to how we use Shabbas lamps and have lights ...
- 383
10
votes
1
answer
297
views
Were new arrivals stuck at Ellis Island for Shabbos?
If I understand correctly, if your airplane or boat arrived on Shabbos, you're stuck within a ~half-mile radius of the boat or plane until after Shabbos because of techum. (I'd heard some discussion ...
- 136k
9
votes
6
answers
449
views
History of Shabbat: how (or) did they count to align with 7th day of creation?
The Torah (Exodus 20:8-11) commands:
ח: זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ: ט: שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים תַּעֲבֹד וְעָשִׂיתָ כָּל מְלַאכְתֶּךָ: י: וְיוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי שַׁבָּת לַה' אֱלֹקיךָ לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה ...
- 36k
2
votes
1
answer
13k
views
Were some Jews transformed to monkeys for violating the sabbath?
Some historical Islamic sources quote that early Jews who violated the Sabbath were transformed into apes :
O Jews! Remember that Allah sent His torment on the village that disobeyed Him and broke ...
- 243
11
votes
2
answers
433
views
What is the rationale to continue saying Yekum Purkan in its present state
In Yekum Purkan, we pray for the well-being of the rabbis in Bavel, the Reishei Chalei, & the Reish Galvasa (commonly pronounced Galussa). This specific prayer for non-existent people and ...
- 34.1k
3
votes
0
answers
130
views
Chida's statement about shabbat violators
I heard Rabbi Yitzhack Yosef Shelita (Rishon LeTzion and son of Maran HaRav Ovadia Yosef, Z"L) who says that the Chida writes that in all the places that he was never saw a Sephardic Jew that wasn't ...
- 61
16
votes
2
answers
558
views
Why does almost every community say Lecha Dodi?
The prayer Lecha Dodi was composed in the 16th century which is relatively recent as the general Nusach of prayer was founded between 516 BCE – 70 CE by the Anshei K'neset Hagdolah, and its rare that ...
user3113
10
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Why are challot traditionally braided?
What is the reason that challot are traditionally braided? When did this tradition begin?
1
vote
1
answer
406
views
When did the practice of Exodus 35:2 stop?
Exodus 35:2 JPS
ב שֵׁשֶׁת יָמִים, תֵּעָשֶׂה מְלָאכָה, וּבַיּוֹם הַשְּׁבִיעִי יִהְיֶה
לָכֶם קֹדֶשׁ שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן, לַיהוָה; כָּל-הָעֹשֶׂה בוֹ מְלָאכָה,
יוּמָת.
Six days shall ...
- 233
2
votes
2
answers
217
views
Is there proof that we never skipped a day of the week? [duplicate]
Bereshit begins with the first 6 days and the Shabbat. The assumption is then that after that day, Mankind kept track of the day of the week all by themselves until today.
Are we sure that no one ...
- 2,689
9
votes
1
answer
365
views
Riding the Boston train (T) on Shabbat - written evidence?
I've long heard 'urban legends' of halachically observent Jews in Boston many years ago riding the train ('the T') on Shabbat. Does anyone have any written evidence of such a practice? (I'm not ...
- 2,523
5
votes
1
answer
176
views
The history behind the composition and inclusion of V'lo N'tato
I'm curious about the composition and inclusion in the shabbat shacharit of the paragraph beginning ולא נתתו (v'lo n'tato). I understand the talmudic basis for the underlying idea, and how it fits in ...
- 38.7k
17
votes
3
answers
637
views
Who didn't recite Kabbalas Shabbos?
In this article, R. Michael Broyde writes that:
Indeed, there have been prominent halachic authorities of the last generation who did not recite Kabbalat Shabbat.
Can anyone provide examples of ...
- 8,031
63
votes
8
answers
9k
views
How do we know that the civil Saturday is the correct Shabbat?
Disclaimer: I am not a religious Jew, this question is only out of curiosity.
I understand that observant Jews observe Shabbat from Friday night to Saturday. And from this question and this it seems ...
- 731
12
votes
1
answer
3k
views
Fighting Wars on Shabbat
As I mentioned in another question, I was reading the Book of Maccabees over Shabbat (I and II).
In the book of Maccabees, it mentions that early on in the struggle, there were a group of Jews hiding ...
- 19.1k
2
votes
1
answer
126
views
Why has the zemiroh על אהבתך אשתה גביעי fallen out of favour?
We used to sing a zemiroh, I believe by Rabbi Yehudah HaLevi, which started, על אהבתך אשתה גביעי. This zemiroh does not appear in current zemiros books. (1) Do you have an online text of it? (2) Why ...
- 48.7k
8
votes
5
answers
679
views
Learning History on Shabbos
Is there a Halachic problem to read and or learn the topic of History on Shabbos for enjoyment purposes? and why?
- 2,292
3
votes
5
answers
677
views
