Questions tagged [rabbis]
Questions about the lives and personalities of Jewish religious authorities.
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Lashon harah about someone who leads people astray
Is it lashon harah to publicly criticize or attack those who you perceive as misleading people/leading people astray? For example, Rabbi Natan Slifkin has a blog in which he’s publicly criticized ...
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I don’t know if I accept my mother's conversion [closed]
My parents were married before I was born and my father had my mother convert before they got married. The place of my mother's conversion was Conservative I would say and it took my mother 2 years to ...
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Is it possible to have prophecy and visions from the sitra achra?
BH
Is it possible the that the vision the person is receiving coming from a source of impurity or sitra achra or is this just called sitra achra and yetzer hara? Like are there levels to this that is ...
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Identity of Rabbi in Baba Bathra 14b
Who is R. Johanan in Baba Bathra 14b? Is this Johanan ben Zakkai or
Johanan bar Napcha? And how would we know? There seem to be a mixture
of tannaitic and amoraic sources in the gemara.
Many kind ...
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Is there a special term for a King who is also a Rabbi?
I'm looking for whether there is a specific term or a title for a King who also happens to be a Rabbi/Chief Rabbi. In other words, both the religious authority and the political authority.
Just as an ...
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Why do we follow matrilineal descent of Judaism when there's evidence to suggest that it used to be patrilineal? How to resolve the contradiction?
According to the contemporary scholarship, even though modern Orthodox Judaism follows matrilineal descent, there is evidence to suggest that this was a shift that occurred during the second century, ...
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Is this idea (dictation model of Torah) by Rambam heretical/blasphemous/idolatrous?
Rabbi David Bigman in his article The Dictation Model of Torah Revelation
convincingly argues that the idea of Torah being entirely dictated to Moses, and then preserved over the generations (...
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Hesped on satmar rov and connection to Parshas noach
Does anyone know where I could find reb hutners hesped on the satmar rav and specifically the connection he makes to the lion by Parshas noach
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Picture of Rav Elchonon Wasserman on boat [closed]
Heard in a shiur that there’s a picture of Rav Elchonon Wasserman on a ship looking out to the sea facing Europe, after leaving America and going to Europe knowing that Hitler was in power and he ...
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Position of gedolim on AI chatbots
I have heard that some gedolim have recently expressed special opposition to Artificial Intelligence (in contrast to whatever their attitudes are for internet in general). Which gedolim have spoken in ...
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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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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—...
- 8,874
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answer
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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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