Questions tagged [rabbis]
Questions about the lives and personalities of Jewish religious authorities.
601 questions
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Are there any female teachers in the Torah? [closed]
Are there any female teachers in the Torah?
What does the Torah or Talmud say about female teachers?
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Who is the רא״ח?
The Mogein Avrohom in 580:5 says:
בכ"ח בכסלו - במגילת תענית כתב בשבעה בכסליו ובה"ג כתב בשמונה ובכל בו כתב בחמשה וכתב בשל"ה דאף המחמיר להתענות בכולן לא יתענה בחנוכה, עיין רא"ח ח&...
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Do any Poskim still respond with full teshuvos/responsa?
It seems like until recently, it wasn't very hard to get a comprehensive teshuva to a shaila one had. Sefarim like Igros Moshe, Shevet Haleivi, Minchas Yitzchak, Tzitz Eliezer etc. are compilations of ...
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How does one 'learn' how to paskin?
When a person goes through smicha (in order to become a Rabbi) they learn (at least) the laws of kashrus. Depending on the program this can include more or less amounts of information (more or less ...
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How would a person become a rabbi around 1 CE?
Given the general illiteracy, the lack of public libraries, the high cost of Torah copies and writing materials, how would a person become a rabbi in 1 CE?
Given the costs and reading/writing ...
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Which rabbi said "if a horse had the mind of Kant ..."?
I recall hearing in yeshiva that one great rabbi -- I think one of the baalei mussar? once said:
If a horse had the mind of Kant, it would author volume after volume of great philosphical works -- ...
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Please explain the end of Tosefta Eduyot
At the end of Tosefta Eduyot 3:4 it states:
One who has students, they call him rabbi. When his students were
forgotten, they called him rabban. When both of these are forgotten,
they call him by his ...
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Is there a halakhic basis for the position of Chief Rabbi of a country whose authority must be acknowledged by all Jewish citizens?
Wikipedia lists 39 countries which have one or more Chief Rabbis, counting the United Kingdom and Commonwealth as one rabbinate. Israel is the only country in which the Ashkenazi and Sephardic Chief ...
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List of Techelet Wearers
I was looking online for a list of people famous for deciding or influencing halacha, who currently wear Ptil Techelet Techelet ("Murex")
However I could not find one.
Does such a list exist? If not,...
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What was the relationship between R' Azriel Hildesheimer and R' Samson Raphael Hirsch and how do they differ? [closed]
They were contemporaries and similar in many ways.
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Are there any Rishonim buried in England and France
Do we know of any of the burial places of Rishonim around France and England? I know Rabbi Yisrael Meir Gabbai has found some but are there any tools to source ancient Jewish cemeteries e.g. a map?
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Is it permissible for a rabbi to publicly criticize and insult other rabbis who he finds to be misguiding the community and misrepresenting Judaism?
I've seen certain rabbis do this to other rabbis and even encourage their students and followers to do the same. Is this allowed in Judaism?
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Is there a publicly-searchable database of RCA members (or other way to find out if a given rabbi is a member)?
Is there a way to find out whether a particular rabbi is a member of the Rabbinical Council of America? Is there a searchable database of members, or some other method?
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Did the Arizal's daughter marry the son of R' Yosef Karo?
Is there any source [historical, academic, mystical] that the Arizal's daughter married the son of R' Yosef Karo, author of Shulchan Aruch?
I see this mentioned in this article (unsourced), and ...
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Is there any reason to suppose that "Reish Lakish" means something like "chief of the bandits"?
I feel like I've heard this many times over the years. In the last couple of days I've shopped the question around, and everyone seems to have heard the theory that because of his colorful past, Reish ...
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Does one have to be Jewish to be a rabbi
In terms of what we call semicha today, does one have to be Jewish to receive or hold it? Is it simply an indicator of learning (like an academic degree) which could be reached by anyone?
Knowing ...
CommunityBot
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What are the limitations of the principle "Not in Heaven"?
A similar question was closed, but I'm going to elaborate on it:
It is universally accepted that after the principle was accepted (B"M 59b) in times of R' Eliezer, the Rabbis have the power to rule ...
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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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"Asseh Lecha Rav" and location
When choosing a personal rabbi, should it be according to the location (same neighborhood/city/country) according to the Mara De'Atra principle?
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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)...
CommunityBot
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Who was R. Hanina of Rome?
Rashbam to Bava Batra 30a (s.v. mi lo amrinan) quotes an halakhic ruling from "the Commentaries of R. Hanina of Rome".
Do we know who this R. Hanina is, and what work Rashbam is quoting from?...
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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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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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When did Negiah become part of Halakha [duplicate]
שלום
I am trying to find out around what time Negiah was implemented into Halakha.
In no way I am not trying to disrespect Halakha, I am only trying to understand it in a deeper way.
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Difference between and meaning of "rav" and "rabbi" [duplicate]
B"H
The terms Rav (רב) and Rabbi (רבי) appear in front of different people in the Gemara.
What is the difference between the two terms? I heard from a source I don't remember that Rabbi with the ...
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Why does the Gemara often mention that certain Amoraim were asleep?
I've noticed that in the Gemara you often see a pattern where two people are discussing an issue in front of an Amorah (e.g R' Yirmiyah) while he was asleep. After their discussion he wakes up and ...
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Does the Talmud continue to use extra Tanachic sources?
I'm trying to draw an analogy between the written and the oral Torah. After the Mishna was signed, the Sages continued to use extra-Mishnaic sources forever (Toseftah, Midrashim, etc).
After the 24 ...
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Why did the Teshuvos Avnei Yashfei quote Rav Elyashiv anonymously?
Rav Yisrael Pesach Feinhandler, author of the Teshuvos Avnei Yashfei, often quotes the psak halacha of a "Gaon Echad" who was eventually revealed to be Rav Elyashiv.
Why didn't he write in ...
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What are the laws of workers
BH
Hi I know that there are certain laws of avadim (slaves) for example how a Jew should be merciful, etc, when having avadim, although now that slavery is highly not accepted around most areas of the ...
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Why is it necessary to ask a Rabbi?
In various places on this site, including the FAQ, we have the following disclaimer:
Like Wikipedia, this site makes no guarantee of validity, and does not offer professional (particularly rabbinic)...
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Anyone know the name of this Rabbi? [closed]
I found this rebbe card and I'm not sure who it is? thank you so much in advance!
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Does a Rabbi have an obligation towards his students
I am looking for sources/responsa that deal with a Rabbi's moral obligation towards his students - eg. a moral imperative for him to stay with his talmidim, or to continue his relationship.
...
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Can one cite divrei torah in the name of a rabbi who has gone astray?
In the most recent issue of Jewish Action, there is a brief interview with R. Herschel Schachter about "Halacha and the Fallen Rabbi". The final question is:
JA: Can we/should we continue ...
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Asse lekha Rav for a convert
Chalom,
How to apply Asse lekha Rav for a convert who is considered as his own rabbi
The sponsoring rabbi who teach him only during the conversion process
The local rabbi even he does not feel ...
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Chacham or "rabbi" vs Classical Semichah?
When does it matter if a rabbi is actually a rabbi with classical semichah miMoshe vs just a chacham who went through a program, of one caliber or another(or not), and got a certification, of one ...
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Is it true there was a sage on his death bed and said I wish I used up all my money?
BH
Is it true that there was a sage on his death bed who said I wish I used up all my money?
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Examples of Rabbis who had strong disagreements and were amicable
I'm looking for examples of Rabbis who had a serious disagreement and were nevertheless very kind and thoughtful towards each other.
The main reason I'm asking for examples is to illustrate what a ...
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Source for imagining a rabbinic author before you
Whatever the original/straightforward meaning of this verse might be, some have understood the phrase " וְהָי֥וּ עֵינֶ֖יךָ רֹא֥וֹת אֶת־מוֹרֶֽיךָ" (Yeshayah 30) to be instructive, that "...
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Who is Rabbi Shmuel ben Elqanah Mi-Altona?
He wrote Meqom Shmouel (מקום שמואל), a book of Responsa that contains a lot of materials and discussions from the Rishonim, especially the Rambam. I assume that this is the Aharonim period, the pdf ...
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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 ...
CommunityBot
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Is there a specific reason for why the Breslov never adopted a new head Rabbi after the death of Rabbi Nachman?
I've read that the Breslov haven't had a head Rebbe of the movement since Rebbe Nachman passed away. I was curious if there was a specific reason for why a new leader was never chosen and if there has ...
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Sefaria and Rabbinic Endorsements
Sefaria is a popular Web site with various translations of holy texts. Are any rabbinic authorities on record as endorsing or forbidding it?
Translations can be subjective. It is inevitable that one's ...
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Do the Rabbis determine the laws of nature
A Rabbi has the power of Torah to affect the physical existence. The Gemora Yerushalmi brings a case were a girl lost her virginity after she turned three. Later, the Beis Din determined that that ...
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Is there any cautions against a person in Torah when someone lies [duplicate]
BH
Are there cautions against a person in Torah if someone lies like if a potential shiduch or even close acquaintance lies?
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Does it say anywhere in Halacha that a person shouldn’t eat where others Arnt eating?
BH
Does it say anywhere that a person shouldn’t eat where others are eating so they won’t feel hungry while the person is eating?
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Is there a Halacha that says that you shouldn’t stretch in public?
BH
Is there a consept in Halacha that says that a person shouldn't stretch in public(ie. to keep it together in public)
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Who was the first ordained rabbi to live in the USA?
Who was the first ordained rabbi to live in the USA? What was his position?
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Teshuvah still possible when Mashiach comes or not? [duplicate]
BH
I heard when Mashiach comes we will be indefinitely doing teshuvah forever.
From another place I heard that when Mashiach comes teshuvah will be closed and no more teshuvah will be possible (I ...
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Does Halacha require everyone to have a particular, specific Rabbi? [duplicate]
Is every person required to have one particular rabbi to consult? Why or why not? What are the sources?
If one does have a rabbi, are those rabbi’s positions and rulings binding? Can one consult ...
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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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