Questions tagged [machlokes]
Questions concerning arguments within Judaism and their outcomes.
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A difficult Rema in SH OHC 268:3
I was recently wondering what we should do if we accidentally began אתה חונן on Shabbat, although we have only said אתה, do we have to finish אתה חונן even on Fri night/Mincha (because they also start ...
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How can all explanations of the Torah be True when they contradict each other (eilu v'eilu)?
I've read multiple questions/answers that discuss Eilu V'eilu. However, the seem to always come back to the discussion of how it applies to Halacha. My question is stemming from somewhere else.
If ...
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Why argue over whether people want their wheat wet?
Stuff becomes muchshar l'kabel tum'a, contaminable, if it becomes wet by the owner's will (or at least by human will).
Machshirin, chapter 3, mishna 5, in my own, loose translation:
Suppose someone's ...
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Six fundamental disagreements - The Rogatchover
I heard (in the name of the Rogatchover) that there are six fundamental disagreements upon which all the disagreements in Shas are based. Assuming that this is true, does anybody know what they are?
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How should rabbis answer questions on disputed issues?
You have a halachic question. Unknown to you, there is a dispute on the matter. Some rule as (A) and some rule as (B). You ask your Rav. He will give you one of three answers:
(1) The answer is (A)...
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Where Can I find this Machlokes about the 13 Middot of Drush?
Several years ago, I came across the following machlokes between Rashi and Tosfot in Shas Bavli.
Rashi said that all 13 middos of drush require a mesorah except for Kal Vachomer, and Tosfot said all ...
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Seeking advice from our Sages and Tanach about the dangers of 'national polarity'
Regardless of where you sit on the political divide regarding the situation in the United States it seems as if the country is being devoured by polarity. I am searching for advice from chazal ...
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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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Why is there no tayku in the Jerusalem Talmud?
From one count I have seen there are more than 300 times in the Talmud Bavli where a discussion ends with “תיקו” (let it stand, ie the question remains) yet, to my knowledge there is not a single time ...
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How can the Gemara argue here, isn't it all facts?
The Gemara in Gittin 22a brings a machlokes in regard to fruits getting nutrients from a tree that is half in ארץ ישראל and half in חוץ לארץ.
ומאי טעמא דרשב"ג דמפסיק צונמא
מאי טעמא דרבי דהדרי ...
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Why do we try to reconcile machlokes
There seems to be an implied "rule" (or at least strong desire) in Torah (derech halimud) to limit machklokes wherever possible and moreso what seems "at all costs"
My question is simply - Why?
Here'...
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Why do we seem to force different shittos into a single approach [closed]
This seems to take different forms:
Reconciling - One of the beauties (in terms of enjoyment) of learning is trying to reconcile sugyas or shittos that appear to be contradictory.
Patch work - ...
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Are Rabbi Akiva's opinions disproportionately followed? [closed]
I understand that Rabbi Akiva was the foremost rabbinic leader of his time, and after the Bar Kochba revolt his students were the primary Tanaaim, and they also were responsible for organizing the ...
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Rambam's Mussar to Son
Where precisely does the Rambam give mussar to his son about avoiding conflict? This article from Klal Perspectives quotes Kisvei HaRambam, Mussar l’bno Rav Avraham saying
Do not sully yourself ...
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Are there any debates about the presence of entire words in Scripture?
Besides for the odd letter, such as an extra Vov or Yud, what Scriptual verses that we would find in Tanach today, were once or still debated by Halachic Authorities as to what is the correct text. Or ...
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List of instances where Rambam argues on the Rif
It is mentioned (Yad Malachi: Klalei HaTalmud 148, 154, 301, 307, 330, 415, 550) that the Rambam seldom argued on the Rif.
Is there a comprehensive list which enumerates how many times they argue - ...
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Is anyone against the rational teachings of Maimonides?
I am new to Judaism and am intrigued by Maimonides and his teachings but I do not know the opinions of this particular teacher - a man of such vigor and influence - by the many different congregations ...
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Can banning a Sage be made in G-d's honor?
We hold that (Avot 5,17):
כָּל מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, סוֹפָהּ לְהִתְקַיֵּם...
אֵיזוֹ הִיא מַחֲלֹקֶת שֶׁהִיא לְשֵׁם שָׁמַיִם, זוֹ מַחֲלֹקֶת הִלֵּל וְשַׁמַּאי.
Every dispute that ...
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Where in Shas was the psak din of Rabbi Meir vs. Rabbi Yehuda accepted?
I think I remember that, in disputes between Rabbi Meir and Rabbi Yehuda, we follow Rabbi Yehuda except in two occasions. Is this correct and where are these two instances?
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Loshon Hora: Chafetz Chaim & Dissenting views
The sefer "Chofetz Chaim" is accepted worldwide as the leading authority in the Hilchos Shemiras Haloshon arena. However, as with every area in halacha, there are specific details which are subject to ...
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How do I decide between conflicting opinions?
Let's say there are two opinions about a halachic matter and different rabbis rule differently according to one or the other. Let's also say everybody knows that. What should I do, or must I do, or ...
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How did the initial Mishnaic disagreements arise?
The Wikipedia on Tannaim says this
Until the days of Hillel and Shammai (the last generation of the Zugot), there were few disagreements among Rabbinic scholars. After this period, though, the "...
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Is the passage repeated during the reading of Zachor the only place such a question arises?
When we read Parshas Zachor shortly before Purim, we repeat a passage. According to the Mishneh Berurah 685, there is a dispute concerning the vowels that belong here.
One possibility would seem to ...
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What is the preferred attitude towards the Sources?
PTIJ? I don't know. You tell me. I hope this stays up long enough for me to get an answer or two.
You can approach a text with some levity (which does not preclude seriousness), with neutrality, ...
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How studying Torah without Machlokot is possible?
The idea of Machloket-less study and transmission of the Oral Torah is very basic in Judaism.
I spot two approaches:
That of Sanhedrin 68b - there were Machlokot and different approaches and schools,...
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How does the Temple Institute choose among disagreeing interpretations on Temple construction?
I was looking over R. Aryeh Kaplan's Chumash and I think he lists ... six different possible layouts of which tribe's name went on which stone in the breastplate (choshen).
Similarly -- is the mor in ...
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Koren Siddur on Kal Atzmotai Tomarna
(Note: likely not relevant to those who Daven/read Hebrew with an Ashkenazi pronunciation.)
This Shabbos I was asked to lead Pesukei Dezimrah at a shul I was visiting, and I was given a Koren Siddur ...
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Why the Gemmorah's disputes are left unresolved?
In the Gemmorah we can see three types of the Halachic resolution of a dispute:
the issue is settled and the Halachah is clearly ruled
multiple approaches mentioned but there's no clear resolution
...
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How can we say something is a machlokes Rashi vs Tosfos, if Rashi can't respond or defend himself?
Many Tosfos contain questions about what Rashi says, followed by them giving their own answer.
But how can we honestly say something is a "machlokes Rashi vs Tosfos" when Rashi doesn't get a chance ...
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How a Machlokes in Halacha is resolved?
How does accepted Halacha come to be when there is a dispute?
More specifically - we notice different approaches in terms of practice: when it comes certain mitzvot: to how to put up a mezuzah, we ...
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How could Rav be disproved?
Frequently, when the Gemara tries to disprove Rav from a Mishna, it answers that he's considered a Tanna and can argue on a Mishna.
But there's this case in Berachos 37a, where Rav and Shmuel both ...
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Location of Rambam on machlokes and loshon hora. Only one in three chance of ill intent
I seem to remember that the Rambam speaks about avoiding machlokes (quarrels) and loshon hora (bad speech).
He says something like this: there are three possibilities in any statement about the ...
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Sources on the parameters of Eilu VeEilu
There's a concept in the gemarra known as Eilu VeEilu:
יצאה בת קול ואמרה אלו ואלו דברי אלהים חיים הן
Ultimately, a Divine Voice emerged and proclaimed: Both these and those are the words of ...
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What's controversial about Chemdat HaYamim?
This answer from @Oliver mentions
The controversial book Hemdat Ha-yamim...
What is Chemdat HaYamim, and what is controversial about it? I know this is a very simple question but I wasn't ...
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Quiet Birchas Kohanim
According to many mainstream authorities, the widespread practice of Ashkenazic Kohanim outside of Israel of refraining from birchas kohanim is a minhag ta'us and possibly even forbidden biblically as ...
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How come Bais Hillel is usually lenient and Bais Shammai usually stringent?
It seems like the Bais Hillel had a tendency to be lenient in Halachic matters vs the Bais Shammai, it was a sort of a presumption to them in which they were almost always successful to back up with ...
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What's the deal with horseradish at the seder?
Every Pesach seder I've been to, including ones run by Chabad and Hillel, has used horseradish root as the maror. But this seems to be controversial -- maybe horseradish isn't ok at all, or maybe ...
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Arguing with the Rishonim
Is there an accepted understanding among Orthodox Jews that an Achron cannot argue with a Rishon (Torah scholars who lived between the years 1000 and 1500)? If so,what is this concept based on and ...
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when is the halacha like Bais Shammai and not Bais Hillel?
When is the halacha like Bais Shammai and not Bais Hillel? Are there overarching principles that apply?
What are the cases? Is there a good reference that summarizes them?
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Holding like the majority opinion for a d'oraita?
In cases where there is a discussion among the Rishonim/Acharonim as to whether something is forbidden from the Torah (d'oraita), is it acceptable to go in accordance with those that deem it ...
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Sefer on Igros Moshe
I was told that a while back a Sefer came out that went through a couple of the teshuvot in Igros Moshe and refuted some of the answers given.
Due to some harsh remarks the author made in the ...
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Can the Rabbinic council and tradition hold the authority to overrule God's words and scriptures?
How does orthodox Jews see rabbinic disagreements and on what basis do believers determine which school of thought to follow? Does majority decides what is truth, and since even today there exist many ...
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Is it wrong to hang a Mezuzah diagonally?
I heard we're supposed to hang a mezuzah the same way as the door bolts.
The door bolt is either horizontal or vertical. I know that the strong debate over whether it should be vertically or ...
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Rav Shach and Lubavitsher Rebbe [closed]
From a purely Torah perspective.
What was the disagreement between Rav Shach and the Lubavitcher Rebbe? Like, from a halachic point of view what were their opinions and why?
I know they disagreed ...
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Plain seltzer on Pesach
The 2016 Passover Directory published by the Star-K (Orthodox Jewish Council of Baltimore) says:
Any unflavored seltzer may be used.
A 2016 Twitter post by the Chicago Rabbinical Council says:
...
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Rav Moshe's Psak on Fertility Treatments
I recently read an interview with Rav Dovid Feinstein and he referenced a two year period of Rav Moshe's life that were troubling due to backlash he received following a controversial psak regarding ...
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Maharil and Terumat haDeshen: Mayim Shelanu
Inspired by this question.
I have heard a machloket in the names of the Maharil and the Terumat haDeshen about the source for mayim shelanu. While the details were given, the sources were not.
The ...
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Current Chicken Controversy in Jerusalem [closed]
The original questioner asked the following: What is the kashrus problem with Eida Chareidis Chickens, and why does the Eida think its not a problem? (kikar.co.il/194374.html – @kouty)
However this ...
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What's behind the disagreement about the first words of the blessings immediately before Shema?
The Talmud, in Berachot 11b, records a disagreement between Shemuel and the rabbinic majority regarding the beginning of the blessings that we say immediately before Shema in the evening and in the ...
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If two rabbis tell you opposite things which do you listen to?
If you ask two rabbis the same question and they give you opposite answers (one says mutar the other says assur). Which do you listen to?
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