Questions tagged [rabbis]
Questions about the lives and personalities of Jewish religious authorities.
601 questions
8
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1
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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&...
- 3,692
2
votes
1
answer
112
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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 ...
- 11.2k
4
votes
1
answer
658
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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 ...
- 300
6
votes
1
answer
389
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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 ...
- 15.3k
4
votes
0
answers
50
views
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 ...
- 69
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0
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98
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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?
- 493
1
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1
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211
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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?
- 1,257
4
votes
1
answer
126
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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 ...
- 11.2k
4
votes
2
answers
343
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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 ...
- 2,335
1
vote
1
answer
55
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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?
- 207
2
votes
0
answers
56
views
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?...
- 46.6k
1
vote
0
answers
63
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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.
- 11
0
votes
0
answers
27
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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 ...
- 780
1
vote
1
answer
111
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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 ...
- 14.7k
1
vote
2
answers
179
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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 ...
- 1,527
2
votes
1
answer
60
views
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.
...
- 11.2k
1
vote
0
answers
64
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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 ...
- 207
0
votes
1
answer
101
views
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 ...
- 2,799
1
vote
1
answer
72
views
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?
- 1,527
3
votes
0
answers
30
views
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 "...
- 23.4k
4
votes
0
answers
51
views
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 ...
- 41
2
votes
0
answers
42
views
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 ...
- 1,413
2
votes
1
answer
128
views
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 ...
- 91
1
vote
0
answers
32
views
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?
- 1,527
0
votes
1
answer
35
views
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?
- 1,527
0
votes
0
answers
39
views
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)
- 1,527
2
votes
1
answer
133
views
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 ...
- 1,527
3
votes
2
answers
161
views
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 ...
- 41
1
vote
3
answers
388
views
Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu’s writings
Is there a source online for halachic writings of Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu zt’’l? He was a Sephardic chief rabbi, did he publish any books of Halacha or responsa?
- 4,532
0
votes
0
answers
35
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R. Shlomo Klonitsky-Kline's dictionary of synonyms and homonyms
According to the Hebrew Wikipedia article on R. Shlomo Klonitsky-Kline it is said that he composed a dictionary of Hebrew synonyms and homonyms titled מלון דקדוקי (CMIIW, all of them related to Torah ...
- 7,084
2
votes
2
answers
208
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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!
- 101
2
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1
answer
56
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Where to find David Lau’s writings
Does the community here know where one could find any Halacha or responsa writings from Ashkenazi Israeli Chief Rabbi David Baruch Lau?
- 4,532
2
votes
1
answer
177
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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 ...
- 4,532
1
vote
0
answers
145
views
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 ...
1
vote
1
answer
89
views
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 ...
- 1,527
1
vote
1
answer
111
views
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 ...
0
votes
2
answers
151
views
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 ...
- 1,062
-2
votes
2
answers
402
views
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, ...
- 1,062
1
vote
0
answers
307
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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 (...
- 1,062
0
votes
1
answer
72
views
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
- 303
0
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1
answer
152
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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 ...
- 3,271
3
votes
2
answers
302
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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 ...
- 4,047
1
vote
1
answer
234
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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 ...
- 1,413
2
votes
0
answers
117
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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 ...
- 733
0
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0
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74
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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 ...
- 1,062
0
votes
0
answers
38
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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 ...
- 133
3
votes
1
answer
129
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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 ...
- 11.2k
4
votes
0
answers
211
views
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 ...
1
vote
1
answer
251
views
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, ...
- 273
0
votes
0
answers
98
views
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 ...
