Questions tagged [mesorah-tradition]
The different traditions passed down through the generations.
230 questions
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Mesorah exchange between communities
Based on this thread
What exactly prevents Ashkenazim from accepting Mesorah from other communities on things that we have not done in our own community?
For example, what is it about the Mesorah of ...
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Who were the pre-Lekh Likha righteous men?
BS"D
In Hilkhoth Avodhah Zarah RaMBaM lists the central figures in the transmission of ethical monotheism, and I was wondering if there were any other figures in our mesora not mentioned. Since the ...
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Is there a dagesh in the kuf of קמנו?
I have seen different versions of the second-last posuk in Tehillim 20: ואנחנו קמנו ונתעודד. Some have the kuf with a dagesh (קַּמְנוּ). Others have the kuf without a dagesh (קַמְנוּ). The Minchas ...
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Change of Eida’s accent of Hebrew
Let’s say a certain Eida has a mesorah on Hebrew pronunciation, and their children learned Israeli Hebrew and within one generation have completely forgotten their parents’ traditional pronunciation.
...
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How to Lein Tehillim קלז
In Pereq קלז, the words יום ירושלים have an Oleh Veyored, but preceded by a normal Mehupach instead of the expected Galgal.
I understand that the above may be difficult to follow, so I’ll put some ...
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Segol pausal form
When a word ends in two Seggols (or a Seggol and Patach, depending on whether the final letter is guttural), and the word is in pause, the first Seggol is lengthened to a Kamatz. Why is it not ...
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Where does Jewish Oral Tradition address the duration of the enslavement of Israel in Egypt? [duplicate]
In an answer on Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange addressing the duration of Israel's enslavement in Egypt, user conceptualinertia writes,
Gal[atians] 3:16-17 [a reference to a passage in the ...
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Halachic inheritance
Is it possible that one holds differently then his community (i.e. Ashkenazim, Sfardim)? For example, Chuppah (Canopy).the shulchun Aruch says Chuppah is Yichud fit for cohabiting (rauy Libiah).and ...
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Could any of the lamed-vovniks be a non-Jew?
I am referring to the concept of Tzadikim Nistarim (lamed-vovniks)—the 36 hidden saints in the world because of whose righteousness the world continues to exist—addressed in this passage:
As a ...
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Rabbi Akiva and Ketarim
In Menachos the Gemara relates the Moshe asked Hashem about the meaning of the "crowns" on many Hebrew letters as written in the Torah. Hashem then gives the following response:
אמר לו, אדם אחד יש ...
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Why do third-person singular female qal verbs lack a gaʿya?
The word הָיְתָ֣ה appears in the model Masoretic codices without a gaʿya on the initial ה in several places (e.g. Isaiah 1:21 in L [facsimile] & A). Likewise, זָכְרָ֥ה lacks a gaʿya (e.g. Nehamiah ...
CommunityBot
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Is there a Jewish principle: "To sleep on a big decision"?
In Anglo society, there is the principle to "sleep on" a big decision before pulling the trigger on it. (Be it a large purchase, a business deal, or other substantial decision in work or ...
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Does Judaism acknowledge and accept the principle of absolute, personal bodily autonomy as a foundation behind a right to abortion?
Currently, in the United States, there is a very heated and emotional debate going on over the subject of the right of a woman to an abortion and the principle of abortion on demand.
This is a very ...
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Tanach without Christian chapter divisions
Is there a Tanach available that is not divided into Prakim, rather into Pesuchos or Sedorim etc. ?
The nonJewish origin of the chapters is shown at Who Divided the Torah Into Weekly Readings, ...
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Who are the Elders in the beginning of Avot
The Pirkei Avot 1:1 says
משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, וּמְסָרָהּ לִיהוֹשֻׁעַ, וִיהוֹשֻׁעַ
לִזְקֵנִים, וּזְקֵנִים לִנְבִיאִים,
וּנְבִיאִים מְסָרוּהָ לְאַנְשֵׁי כְנֶסֶת הַגְּדוֹלָה.
Moshe received ...
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Correct pronunciation on Jerusalem in Tehillim?
When Jersualem is חסר (no additional 'yud' at the end), in a Tehillim I have (Shai l'Moreh), it has a footnote that it should be pronounced the full way (Ye-RU-Sha-LaY-YIM) on Chapter 79 (and I think ...
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Is there a source in Judaism that uses the word "Mesora" to refer to the masoretic tradition?
I am familiar with the term Mesora to mean not just any tradition but particularly - Oral tradition, in the sense of, the mishna, or traditions or midrashim brought forth in the talmud.
I was ...
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General understanding of Kri and Ktiv
A number of questions regarding the 'kri and ktiv'
What is the source (talmudic or otherwise) for this concept?
Why is it necessary; meaning why could we not adduce whatever concept is being taught ...
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Inverted Nun in Haran?
In Rashi on the last sentence of parashat Noach, Rashi mentions a ׆ (nun hafucha) in בחרן (in Haran). The Torah, however, does not have an inverted Nun there.
Why? Did Rashi use another Mesora than ...
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Is there a Jewish source for the saying: "only the father knows when the wedding would take place"?
The website below describes what is apparently an ancient Jewish wedding custom, in which it was apparently said that "only the Father" of the groom "knows" when the wedding would ...
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Why no Halachic codex for the masses appear till the 12th century's Mishneh Torah?
Another "bird's-eye" view of Judaism from the Orthodox tradition:
14th century BCE, the Torah is received and practical laws are passed down orally.
10th-3rd centuries BCE, books of ...
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Why do we have many teachings from Hillel and Shammai, but very few of earlier zugot?
We venerate our previous generations, and have a principle of yeridat hadorot. Therefore I would imagine that the Torah of Samaya and Avtalyon, for example, would be pure gold for us, and threaded ...
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How do contradictions within Halacha impact the credibility of Judaism?
Given the vast array of interpretations and customs in following Halacha, how does Judaism maintain its credibility and authority when one practice can be considered correct by one group but incorrect ...
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Could someone translate & explain the Mesorah?
I stumbled across this unusual Mesorah note and was wondering if someone could translate & explain it. I've not noticed this before in any other Tanakh and so I'm curious.
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Have any of you ever heard anyone pronouncing ayin as "ng"?
I have read that historically the letter ayin was pronounced by some Dutch, Portuguese, and Italian Jews as a velar nasal consonant (ng as in sing). Reference to this can be found here, here, and here....
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Shin on Tefilin - changed in Belz?
I recently heard that in Belz they changed the Shin on the Tefilin Shel Rosh due to an old pair that was found that the Rebbi believed to be the true Mesorah. Is this true? How does the new Shin ...
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Has the Torah been changed over the ages?
It is quite a famous argument from Muslims for authenticity of the Quran that the previous Holy Books (Bible and Torah) sent by God have been corrupted or changed by their followers and that Quran is ...
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Can an Ashkenazi write a Sephardi Torah?
If an Ashkenazi Sofer writes a Sefer Torah in the Sephardi or Yemenite tradition:
a) has he fulfilled his obligation of writing a Sefer Torah (thanks, Double AA!), and
b) since a Sefer Torah must be ...
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What really is Ketiv/Kri [duplicate]
Basic question but:
What exactly is Ketiv vs Kri? How do these differentiations pop up? Which one is more authoritative and why is it more prevalent in Nach vs the Torah?
Thanks
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Which source shows the Gamorrahs for each pasuk in the Chumash?
Just the other day in a Shul somebody was trying to tell me about a sefer which for each pasuk in the Chumash gives the places in the Talmud where that pasuk is discussed. I wish I’d paid more ...
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List of Aliyos with Different Stopping Points
Have noticed some Aliyos that seem to be different Mesoros where they should end.
For example
Bereishis Chamishi - From 4:19 - some go until 4:22, others until 4:26 (end of Perek)
Terumah Sheini - ...
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Rishonim/Achronim time period differentiation
When was the end of the Rishonim time period and the start of the achronim time period? Who, what, why, and how did this come about? What caused this abrupt change in deemed mental and halachot ...
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Can one change his minhag to another (equally stringent) minhag?
This has probably been asked before, but I couldn't find the question:
Can one change his minhag to another, equally stringent, minhag (without doing hataras nedarim)? So for example: if one ties his ...
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Where is the rule of mesorah for birds derived from
I’m curious in Halacha how our sages derived the requirement that for a bird to be kosher it had to have a mesorah?
In Tanakh it doesn’t clearly say this so where does this requirement come from?
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Is there an Ashkenazi equivalent to the Rambam's introduction to the MT?
In the Rambam's introduction to the Mishneh Torah, he claims he received a direct transmission of the true rabbinic tradition from the academies of Babylonia to him and traces it.
For Ashkenazim, is ...
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Why mention the number of words in parshat mieketz
Why does Parshat Miketz conclude by specifying the total number of words in the parsha, whereas other parshas typically only indicate the number of pesukim?
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Simanim at the end of the Parshah
Does anyone have any coherent history of and/or source for the siman for the amount of pesukim in each parshah?
(I’m sure it’s been asked here before, but I was unable to find anything while searching ...
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Best variety of esrog
What is the best variety of esrog to use for the Mitzvah? Why, and what is this halachic opinion based on?
I know there is not one consensus answer for this, but there are a variety of halachic ...
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What are the peculiarities of a school or company of the prophets לַהֲקַ֚ת הַנְּבִיאִים֙ (1 Samuel 19:20)?
What are the peculiarities of a school or company of the prophets לַהֲקַ֚ת הַנְּבִיאִים֙ (I Samuel 19:20)?
What did one learn in a school of the prophets?
How did one become a student in a school of ...
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Is Vayelech misnumbered
Why is the siman for Parshat Vayelech listed as 70 if it only has 30 pesukim?
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How do I know if a midrash is accepted?
I have found many different types of midrashic works. Some are, as far as I can tell, accepted as being authoritative. Meaning they were written (compiled?) by the sages in roughly the Talmudic era. ...
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Is the aleph bet of Ben sira canonical? [closed]
Is אלפא ביתא אחרת לבן סירא (excluding the passages brought in the gemara) in the sefer אוצר מדרשים part of the jewish mesorah?
Specifically this passage:
כתיב עושה גדולות עד אין חקר ונפלאות עד אין ...
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Transmission of Kabbalah - what happened after Shlomo Hamelech?
According to Brit Menucha, the chain of transmission of Kabbalah from Adam to Shlomo ends with his sons putting the knowledge in the geniza of the Beit Hamikdash.
After that, there seem to be 2 ...
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Chain of Transmission between Nachum and Rabbi Meyasha
In the Mishnah Peah 2:6, the text seems to suggest that Nachum the scribe received teachings from Rabbi Meyasha:
"אָמַר נַחוּם הַלַּבְלָר, מְקֻבָּל אֲנִי מֵרַבִּי מְיָאשָׁא שקבל מאבא,
..."
...
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If we have full copies of the Torah in an unchanged form (Dead Sea Scrolls), why don’t we revert our Torah scrolls back?
We have found very old Torah scrolls, which were named the Dead Sea Scrolls. These scrolls are some of the oldest Torah scrolls out there; however, there are some discrepancies between these ancient ...
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How do we know that The Hebrew Bible of today is substantially the same as the original writings?
The Bible was written over a period of 1600 years, Torah was written 3500 years ago.
There are few claims that it could change over the period of time.
So how do we know that The Hebrew Bible of ...
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When did R’ Hillel make the calendar?
I noticed that the Sefer HaChinukh (§4) attributes the calendar to Rabbi Hillel II, whom the mechaber says was the son of Rabbi Yehudah HaNasi. I have never before encountered the idea that Rabbi ...
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Rambam controversy
I don’t like that I have to ask this but I haven’t heard of this before and would like some information on it.
If one holds, for example, that the Rambam literally holds that demons don’t exist, ...
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Does Rabbinic Literature misunderstand the infinitive absolute?
The infinitive absolute is a conjugation classified generally by a qametz under the first consonant, and a holem or holem - vav by the second. According to the Cambridge Introduction to Biblical ...
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Na Nach Nachma Nachman Meuman
What is the background of the "Na Nach" movement within the greater Breslav chasidus?
Are they accepted within mainstream Breslav?
Is their belief system (something to do with finding a note ...
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