Questions tagged [rabbis]
Questions about the lives and personalities of Jewish religious authorities.
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Reconiciling Statements Rav Cook made about other Religions
The introduction to the book "Abraham Isaac Kook - The Lights of Penitence, Lights of Holiness, The Moral Principles, Essays, Letters, and Poems", states that Rav Cook was positive toward ...
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Why are mezuzot always mounted on the right side of the doorway?
I have read plenty regarding the debate on what direction and angle the mezuzah should be mounted. That said, I have never heard a clear explanation as to why we always mount them on the right side of ...
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Did R Aaron Feldman and R Lichtenstein ever meet before the latter's death? [closed]
R Lichtenstein and R Feldman had a dialog in Jewish Action: https://jewishaction.com/letters/dear_reb_aharon/
I'm wondering if they ever actually followed through on their stated desire to meet, and ...
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Who was Rambam responding to when he argued for free will against the idea that everything is pre-destined/pre-determined? Did any thinkers believe it
It is well known that Rambam advocated against the ideas that everything is pre-destined and pre-determined and that he believed in (absolute) free will for humanity. The fact that he felt that it was ...
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fathers chair gadol hador
I was quite curious on what happens if a rabbi comes to your house and lets say your fathers chair was there and it would be nice for the rabbi to have it. If your father is not there, are u able to ...
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Who wrote the comments published within Avnei Miluim?
The classic sefer Avnei Miluim (written by R' Aryeh Leib HaKohein) was published with many comments and annotations, although they are not credited.
I have heard various opinions on who the anonymous ...
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How did Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan write so many books? [closed]
Aryeh Kaplan wrote some 50+ books in the span of a decade or so. Obviously he was remarkably talented at writing, but I'm just curious how exactly was this possible. He's often quoted as saying in the ...
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Who is Rabbi Koryah?
I have been reading up on Midrash Rabbah Bereshit 19:3 concerning Adam's location whilst Chava is speaking to the snake.
When it says that Adam had previously had sex with Chava and was now sleeping, ...
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Which famous Rabbi had lifelong stomach pain?
I recently heard a shiur that quoted a famous rabbi (I think an Acharon) who talked about having stomach pain every day of his life, and studying torah was the only thing that gave him any joy. Does ...
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Story source: rabbi sweeping streets, take pride in your work?
I once heard a story that when a European gadol first came to America he had to take a job as a street sweeper and "nobody ever swept the streets as well as he did." The message of the story ...
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What does it mean when you read a certain Rabbi said in the name of another Rabbi?
I'm a Roman Catholic wading through the Midrash of Tehillim. What does it mean when you read a certain Rabbi said in the name of another Rabbi?
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Rabbi Yaakov of Krozh's book
Rabbi Yitzchak Hertzog zt"l in his short essay (in Hebrew) "למידותיו של חזקיהו מלך יהודה" (On the Traits of Chizkiyahu King of Yehudah), published in the Sinai Jubilee Volume, pp. 27-28 ...
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LOR Questions family planning
One of the most common questions Rabbis tend to get is about contraception. Specifically a discussion about family planning, and how long one can use contraception for. Before the man has fulfilled ...
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Usage of אמר מר and גופא [duplicate]
The Gemora sometimes wants to discuss a side point from a previous text. It will introduce this as אמר מר or גופא for example the first page of Brachos says: אֲמַר מָר: ״מִשָּׁעָה שֶׁהַכֹּהֲנִים ...
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Shiurim by Rav Dovid Feinstein Zt"l
Does anyone know where I can find recorded shiurim by Rav Dovid Feinstein?
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In specifics what oral tradition did the Sadducees believe in
Judaism today took the view of the Pharsies and not the Sadducees, do we know what the Sadducees believed in?
What we know- they reject some sort of oral tradition. Yet according to the sources (the ...
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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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What Talmudic sages played musical instruments?
What sages of the Talmud mentioned playing or knowing to play various musical instruments?
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Does Hashem have authority over the decisions of the Rabbis?
Shalom Rabbi,
I am seeking assistance with a question that arose during my Torah study.
In this Gemara, a Torah scholar named Aher spoke to a child with a stutter. The man Aher thought the child ...
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Who is "Mar" ("The Master") in the Bavli?
Throughout the Bavli, but (based on a Sefaria search) never in the Mishnah, the Tosefta, or the Yerushalmi, we find the phrase "amar Mar" (אמר מר) without any other identifier (in contrast ...
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Did Solomon worship pagan idols?
1 Kings 11:5-7 indicate that Solomon sought after the pagan gods. The Gemara states that these verses don't mean that Solomon himself worshipped idols, but rather that his wives did.
Is there any ...
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Evidence for the divine inspiration of the Torah
What evidence is there that the Torah was divinely inspired? Historical evidence, prophecies, etc, for example.
Further reading on this topic would be appreciated.
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Who was Nasi and who was Av Bais Din?
The third zug was Shimon ben Shetach and Yehuda ben Tabai. Wondering who from these two sages was the Nasi and who was the Av Bais Din?
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Is it wrong to have bad thoughts if you feel bad about them?
What is the sentiment on having bad unholy thoughts though I know they are wrong and feeling bad about them. For example if I interact with say a street sweeper and think 'I am superior to you' though ...
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Are the stories in the Midrashim and Targumim meant to be historical? [duplicate]
The Midrashim and Targumim contain stories meant to further elaborate on the accounts in the Hebrew Bible. Are these stories meant to be historically accurate?
Further reading on this issue would be ...
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Shimush in Hilchos Niddah
Which Rabbanim or Bottei Horaah offer shimush in Hilchos Niddah?
I’m looking for a more formal program where you can sign up and there’s a schedule, testing certification etc.
Or, a private Rav who ...
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Who was Rabbi Matzliach of the Upper Galilee?
In this question, it is brought that three halachic responsa by the Rif, originally written in Arabic, were translated for the Ramah of Fano into Hebrew. The Ramah stated that the translation was done ...
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Source for Rava's first name
According to Wikipedia and Encyclopedia.com, Rava's real first name was Abba and "Rava" is a portmanteau of R' Abba. However, both claims are sourceless (Encyclopedia.com refers to Eruvin ...
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Was the Talmud written with diacritcs?
This might sound like a strange question, but was the Talmud written with diacritics? The MT today is written with critical marks that were added in the middle of the first millennium. But the Talmud ...
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Rabbinical testing in Volozhin
I heard once (can't remember where) that in Volozhin, the students preferred to be tested for the rabbinate by Reb Chaim of Brisk and not the Netziv, because the Netziv didn't give very hard tests. In ...
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The qualifiers given by the Meiri
Following this post, quoting several qualifierss given by the Meiri to the Rabanim whose opinions he reports, I am interested to know if we have an exhaustive list, because some of are not reported in ...
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Biography of Rabbi Yisrael Yitzchak (Yishai) Chassidah [closed]
Author of the Jewish Encyclopedia of Biblical Personalities - Ishei Tanakh.
I am having great difficulty finding any information on the Rav. Is he alive? Does he have other works? Any shiurim/books on ...
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What were the first rabbinic reactions to the rise of Islam?
Practically, all Jewish second-Temple diaspora in the 7th and 8th centuries fell under the rule of Islam. How did rabbis respond to the new sister religion? Did they attribute any special qualities, ...
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Community of R' Menachem Elon
Rabbi Menachem Elon is described all over the web as an "Orthodox Rabbi." However, while he seems to be very respected in the academic world, I have been unable to find a single record of R' ...
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What is the reason behind the Meiri intentionally replacing the names of Rabbis?
The Meiri in his writings gives each Rabbi whom he quotes an alternative name, based on the main contribution that particular rabbinic authority made. Why does he do so, for it seems he goes against ...
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What's the story behind the Sages killing Rav Acha Bar Yaakov?
Bava Kamma 40a:
Rav Acha Bar Yaakov is a great man.
Bava Basra 14a:
"רַב הוּנָא כְּתַב שִׁבְעִין סִפְרֵי דְּאוֹרָיְיתָא וְלָא אִיתְרְמִי לֵיהּ אֶלָּא חַד
רַב אַחָא בַּר יַעֲקֹב כְּתַב חַד ...
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R' Elazar Shach's polemic against Chabad [closed]
There are numerous reports that the late R. Elazar Shach fought a bitter battle against Chabad, even using harsh language in his campaign. If these reports are true, I wonder why this rabbi was so ...
user19234
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Church fathers and the Rabbis
I’m wondering if there is any evidence in Jewish writings of correspondence/the mentioning of church fathers. I would assume that the interactions would have happened in the time of the late tanaaim/...
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Do Medieval Rabbis speak about the Black Plague?
I was wondering if any Rabbis in the Medieval times wrote anything about the Black Plague.
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Rabbinical authority (2)
Part 2 of the question: Rabbinical Authority:
I am delving into the concept of the rabbinical authority based on the following pasuk "If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a ...
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Rabbinical authority
I am delving into the concept of the rabbinical authority based on the following pasuk
"If a case is too baffling for you to decide, be it a controversy over
homicide, civil law, or assault—...
- 6,904
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Did Rabbi Yehudah ben Bateira not come for the Regel?
The gemara in Pesachim 3b brings a story in which Rabbi Yehudah ben Bateira discovers that an Aramean non-Jew is eating from the Korban Pesach in Yerushalayim. He tricks him into outing him to the ...
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Looking for picture of "tzadikkim in sukkah"
I recently saw a noy-sukkah, it was a picture of many tzaddikim (chasidic rebbis and litvish gedolim) gathered around a table in a large sukkah, with the head of the table empty (I gather it's ...
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Understanding "Shimon ben Shataḥ restored the Torah to its former glory."
"... ויהרגו כל חכמי ישראל והיה העולם משתומם עד שבא שמעון בן שטח והחזיר את התורה ליושנה."
"... and all the Sages of the Jewish people were killed. And the world was desolate of Torah ...
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Do any Jewish commentators or any targum or midrash see Haggai 2:7 as a reference to the messiah?
Haggai 2:7 speaks about the coming of "the desired of nations". Christians say this is a reference to the messiah. But I'm wondering if any of the sages - the commentaries or targum or ...
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What rabbis openly allowed/promoted wearing wigs?
When discussing wigs as a means of covering women's hair, I only heard that rabbis recognized them only aposteriori.
What prominent rabbis publicly allowed their use apriori?
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The difference between the ordination of the 70 elders and that of Joshua?
In the process of the ordination of the elders, God executed the procedure without Moses' assistance:
"וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֶל־מֹשֶׁה אֶסְפָה־לִּי שִׁבְעִים אִישׁ ... וְלָקַחְתָּ אֹתָם אֶל־אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד ...
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Did Pharisee Semichah tradition (rabbinic ordination) include tests?
IIRC, God commanded Moses to ordain Joshuah, so the latter hadn't had to pass any exams. The next 20 generations were all [considered] prophets, so I guess they had divine revelations also.
The ...
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Are there testimonies of passing the "complete oral tradition"?
The unbroken passage of the Oral Torah as a whole is the foundation stone of Rabbinic Judaism.
Of course, there are many mentions of rabbis learning from other rabbis, for example, the beginning of ...
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Ark of the Covenant
During the journey a man named Uzza touched the Ark of the Covenant to support it and fell dead on the spot (2 Samuel 6:1-8, 1 Chronicles 13:9-10). Here are two questions: 1. Why does God kill for ...
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