Questions tagged [history]
Questions related to how something was in the past, and how it's developed since then.
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The Watchers in Judaism [duplicate]
My wife asked me if there were any opinions that the B'nei Elohim that slept with the daughters of men were actually angels. In one of her Torah commentaries it said there was no such opinion. I ...
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Did the Himyarite Kingdom (Jewish state from c. 380 CE till 530 CE) have the Talmud/Oral Torah? If they converted without it, are they valid converts?
The Himyarite Kingdom became a Jewish kingdom in what is today Yemen, from around 380 CE at the earliest and continued to be Jewish until around 500 CE with the 530 CE date being the very latest date ...
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What was Torah study like before the Mishnah and Talmud were transcribed?
Most of the study time in modern yeshivos seems to be devoted to studying from material which has gained physical/written form over the last 1900 years. (Mishnah, Talmud, Halachah, Mussar, ...
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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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TIKKUN OLAM תיקון עולם [closed]
I am looking for material about TIKKUN OLAM, POST TALMUDIC PERIOD, NOT kabbalist (too difficult for my students) somebody can give share a few links or detailed resources?
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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 ...
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Jewish hats throughout the ages
Is there a book or any other source which goes through the history of which types of hats jews wore throughout history?
Also, regarding the Ashkenazi minhag to wear the fedora - why is it worn with ...
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Does the name Rami (רמי) have a meaning based in Judaism? If so, what is it?
Does the name Rami (רמי), as used by figures in the Talmud such as Rami bar Papa and Rami bar Chama, have a meaning based in Judaism? If so, what is it?
If רמ means high or exalted, does רמי mean my ...
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Story with the maharam schick
I'm looking for where a certain story with the maharam Schick is printed.
It goes as follows : the ruler of the maharam Schicks area wished to see a Jewish wedding and ordered that one take place in ...
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Difference between aggadah in gemara and midrash
Much of the non-halachic aggadah quoted in the gemara overlaps with aggadah from the midrash such as midrash tanchuma or midrash rabbah and others. Yet there are some aggadah that are only found in ...
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How long did Chava (Eve) live?
The Torah tells us that Adam HaRishon lived for 930 years. Is there a source that tells us for how long Chava (Eve) lived?
I have been unable to find any source that discusses how old Chava was when ...
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erroneous decisions by beit din for which korbanot must be brought by beit din and the people
In masechet horayot we learn that korbanot must be brought if the beit din makes an erroneous decision that is followed by the people. Do we know of such a mistake that was made by a beit din? If so, ...
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Why did none of the later kings of Israel destroy Amalek?
There is a commandment to obliterate Amalek.
Shaul Hamelech was commanded to obliterate Amalek and failed.
Dovid continued in the process, but obviously didn't destroy them completely.
None of the ...
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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 ...
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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 ...
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When did David Hamelech write Tehillim?
When did David Hamelech write Tehillim? Or to be more technical, when did David write his first Tehillim and when did he write his last?
Also was there a certain period of time within which he wrote a ...
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Does the Torah prohibit men from shaking women hands? [duplicate]
My friend is devoutly Jewish and when he met my family, he shaked hands with all members of my family, accept for my mother and sister, claiming that both Judaism and the Torah prohibit men from ...
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When and how did the practice of tsitsit on a small talit originate?
Today, it seems that everybody wears a talit katan.
Where does this practice come from and when did it start?
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Use of the name Yahu
I recently was shared an article about the new "oldest usage" of the tetragrammaton.
https://biblearchaeology.org/current-events-list/4896-abr-researchers-discover-the-oldest-known-proto-...
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when were the mishnah, talmud, and tosefta written?
a simple question: when were the mishnah, tosefta, and talmud written and how do we know?
regarding mishnah and tosefta: most sources say that the mishnah was compiled by the end of 2nd century CE (by ...
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Seeking picture of original OU logo in Hebrew [closed]
It seems the OU (Orthodox Union) logo of today had a predecessor:
"Prior to Heinz sporting the OU logo that is recognizable today, the Loose-Wiles Biscuit Co sold their kosher crackers where a ...
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Discrepency of 600 years: Velikovsky's view on Jewish history
There are different sources (for example: Seder Olam Rabbah, chapter 5, which deals with yetzias mitzrayim and the splitting of the sea) that explain when important events took place in our history. ...
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Source for Ancient Prohibition against Writing Prayers?
This short article on the History of the Siddur claims:
In ancient times, customary daily prayers were recited by heart, or a
reader prayed aloud and the congregation responded to the blessings
with “...
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What is the earliest use of the term tzaddik? How far back does the concept go?
According to this website, there is a claim that "It is part of our glorious tradition going back thousands of years to seek a blessing from a Tzaddik for a sick relative (see Talmud Bava Basra ...
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The curse of King Darius
In sefer Ezra 6:11 it tells us that King Darius decreed that anyone who attempted to disrupt the resumed construction of the beis hamikdash would have a beam removed from their home and they would be ...
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If Adam and Chava only lived about 5,800 years ago, then how did races end up looking so different from each other in such a short amount of time?
How do we explain how different ethnicities ended up looking so different from each other in such a short amount of time, if Adam and Chava only lived less than 6000 years ago?
Did Hashem make it that ...
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bowing down during davening
If we look in the rishonim, we see that they said that we have to bow when we pray. The gemara (in Meggilah) also said that there are 3 types of bowing during prayer. I'm pretty sure there was also a ...
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Seeking a source for a quote by Rav Kook [duplicate]
Shalom, I am trying to find the source for the following quote by Rav Kook:
"Atheism comes like a painful cry to redeem mankind from this narrow, alien pit, and to raise it from the darkness of ...
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What percentage of the Jewish population were Karaites at the peak of the Karaite movement? [closed]
I've been researching about the Karaite movement, but I've struggled to find good sources regarding their numbers. This website claims that some sources estimate that Karaites comprised as much as 40% ...
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Blue Stripes on Tallis
I've read that tallit stripes were originally blue and at some point morphed to black. What I'm wondering is if anyone knows any oldsters who can attest to actually seeing this in the frum velt in ...
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Jewish History Timeline
I am looking specifically to pinpoint when the purim story began, and how close that was in relation to the destruction of the first beis hamikdash.
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Reshus Harabim: Now vs Then
Throughout contemporary halachah, it seems that there are generally no more actual reshus harabim's anymore (except for certain places such as Brooklyn, NY). My questions are:
There are way more ...
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What is the torah view on the dinosaurs?
What is the Torah view on the dinosaurs? There's no mention of them in the Torah, only that the world was created in 6 days.
You'd think the existence of a former world of huge alien creatures would ...
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Shlomo HaMelech's Throne
Where can I find an accurate depiction (drawing or digital depiction) of Shlomo HaMelech's throne?
(Or, an easy to understand description of it.)
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What is the history behind the Chassidishe havarah?
I know this can be considered "unspecific," as there are many Chassidus with many havaros (e.g. Karlin Stolin, which IINM is very similar to a Litvish havarah, vs e.g. Belz, which has a more ...
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What's the earliest source to bless children on Friday night with Yivarechicha? [duplicate]
I wanted to know the earliest source to bless our children with yivarechicha... I've seen this minhag brought from the Yavetz. I wanted to know the earliest source.
(Im asking specifically on blessing ...
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Is it apikorises to believe dinosaurs existed?
Is it apikorises to believe dinosaurs existed? I know that scientists say that dinosaurs existed millions of years ago, but that may be potentially controversial, since the Jewish calendar doesn't go ...
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What prompted the absent-Sanhedrin-head decree in Rosh Hashana 4:4?
R' Yochanan ben Zakai, in leading the Jewish people during and immediately after the Destruction of the Second Temple, issued many decrees aimed at responding to the new post-Temple reality and ...
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When was the concept of large-scale Hechsherim introduced and was it controversial?
Nowadays, Jews in America and Europe often rely on national or regional hechsherim whereby a product is certified as kosher by a rabbi the consumer does not know (and may not even really know who the ...
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How was the Torah written by Moshe (were there spaces)?
Someone told me that before Ezra Hasofer the Torahs did not have spaces (he said that according to some opinions not even between words).
It was just given over when learned where the parshas (...
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Is "maximum position compliance" ever explicitly codified?
In Haym Soloveitchik's seminal essay "Rupture and Reconstruction" (1994) he lays out the state of Orthodoxy in the 20th century. Primarily, how Orthodoxy changed in the 20th century in ...
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Where is Nimrod written about outside Genesis, Chronicles, and Micah? In particular, is he described anywhere as mighty, strong, vigorous, etc?
I am ultimately interested in finding out why Greek scribes translated the Hebrew works as "mighty hunter" in Genesis and Chronicles for the Septuagint. The original Hebrew in those books do ...
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When did the Meiri (and his community) wear tefillin?
The common practice today regarding tefillin is for them to be worn every ḥol day (give or take ḥol hamo'ed). Meiri on Brachot 14b describes various other practices, including one to which he ...
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Can someone translate this Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel?
Can someone translate this Targum Jonathan on Ezekiel 40:5?
וְהָא שׁוּרָא מִבָּרָא לְבֵיתָא סְחוֹר סְחוֹר וּבְיַד גַבְרָא קְנֵי מְשַׁחְתָּא דְחַד מִנְהוֹן שִׁית אַמִין בְּאַמְתָא דְהִיא אַמָה ...
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Why do Ethiopian Jews who practice Haymanot Judaism still have roles like Nabiyy (Prophet) or Kahen or Kes (Priest)? How are they allowed this?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but since the destruction of the Second Temple, (G-d, blessed be He, forbid), the roles such as that of a Priest/High Priest and the like, were removed and similar ...
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Methods of avoiding unintentionally wasting seed at night
Hi I heard there are methods of avoiding unintentionally wasting seed at night like sleeping on your side specifically that it has to be uncomfortable so your body doesn't sin in the night and then ...
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How and why did Rabbi Ishmael's 13 rules make their way into pre-tefillah in shacharit?
There are various customs surrounding the recitation of Rabbi Ishmael's 13 rules of hermeneutics before shacharit. In many shuls I have prayed in (not as much in Israel), this is recited before ...
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Why did Rabbis stay away from Amei Haaretz?
The Gemara tells Torah scholars not to mix with Amei Haaretz, eat with them, et cetera. The Gemara's concern was that the Torah scholars would learn from the bad ways of the Amei Haaretz.
Yet, for the ...
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Assuming the status of a Beit Knesset or Beit Medrash
I heard Beit HaKnessiot and Medrashot have certain laws like you can't eat or sleep inside a Beit Knesset, for example, and others for Beit Medrash.
Now I heard our synagogue is like a Beit HaMedrash ...
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