Questions tagged [safek]
for questions about cases of doubt or uncertainty
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Safek echad baguf safek echad beta'arovet
What is safek beguf safek beta'arovet? Specifically, what is the the safek beguf? Also, How does it relate to safek sefeka?
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When do we say safek d'rabanan lekula? [duplicate]
There is a concept that in matters of doubt that pertain to derabanans we pasken lekula. I have seen this applied to doubts in realia as well as halachik doubts (eg machlokes). Nevertheless, it is ...
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According to the Rishonim who hold a Bracha Levatala is forbidden Min Hatorah, why do we need a category of Safek Brachot Lehakel?
If a Bracha Levatala (blessing in vain) is forbidden from Torah Law, why do we need a special category of Safek Brachot Lehakel?
Almost all Brachot are Derabanan, and how could we do a safek mitzvah ...
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Does one Make a Bracha on Tzitzis during Bein Hashmashos?
There is a fundamental Machlokes Rishonim whether when the Gemara says that there is no Chiyuv of Tzitzis at night, is that referring to the Gavra or to the Cheftza.
The question now is: a person puts ...
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Sfek Sfeka for a Bar Mitzvah
Suppose a boy was born Bein Hashemashos. Since this is a period of "maybe it's still day, maybe it's already night," seemingly the doubt would translate into "maybe he was born on day 1,...
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Why do we have an explicit rule of Safek Brachos Lehakel if we already have a greater encompassing rule of Safek D'Rabanan L'kulah?
I understand that Safek brachos lehakel might simply be a corollary of Safek D'rabana L'kulah, however I assume there is some nafka minah between the two. The only reason we would have safek brachos ...
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Repeating doubtful phrases: What order?
Current practice in many Ashkenazi synagogues includes the following:
On shabbat zachor, repetition of (at least part of) Devarim 25:19, due to a doubt over whether the zayin of זכר is vowelized with ...
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Does the 16th of Shevat have any halachic effects?
For most Torah holidays, we keep two days outside Israel out of doubt.
Tu bishvat is a day with Biblical effects (though I wouldn't go so far as to say it's a Biblical "holiday", or a Rabbinic one ...
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Does adding a different liquid to a pre-existing drink require a new Shehakol?
Suppose one makes a "shehakol" on the water, and doesn't have in mind any other drinks.
When there's a third of the glass left, the person refills the glass with seltzer/soda (the glass is now 1/3 ...
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When did two days of Rosh Hodesh begin and the concept of "doubt"?
I'm trying to understand the historical workings of Rosh Hodesh prior to Sanhedrin.
I assume that the entire concept of having possibly 2 days Rosh Hodesh was related to the timing of when witnesses ...
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Why are doubtful nega'im (generally) pure? (Nega'im 5:1)
Nega'im 5:1 teaches that all cases of doubtful nega'im are to be ruled pure, with two exceptions:
A case where it is unclear whether white hairs in a nega' appeared before or after the nega' itself.
...
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How can we be lenient in a case of mixed up teruma?
The Mishna (Terumot 7:5) says:
שְׁתֵּי קֻפּוֹת, אַחַת שֶׁל תְּרוּמָה וְאַחַת שֶׁל חֻלִּין, שֶׁנָּפְלָה סְאָה תְרוּמָה לְתוֹךְ אַחַת מֵהֶן וְאֵין יָדוּעַ לְאֵיזוֹ מֵהֶן נָפְלָה, הֲרֵי אֲנִי אוֹמֵר, ...
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Why does the servant register on a Pesach by himself?
Pesachim 8:2:
הָאוֹמֵר לְעַבְדּוֹ, צֵא וּשְׁחֹט עָלַי אֶת הַפֶּסַח, שָׁחַט גְּדִי, יֹאכַל. שָׁחַט טָלֶה, יֹאכַל. שָׁחַט גְּדִי וְטָלֶה, יֹאכַל מִן הָרִאשׁוֹן.
שָׁכַח מָה אָמַר לוֹ רַבּוֹ, כֵּיצַד ...
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Has anyone tried out the Har Hakarmel bein hashemashos climb according to various Rishonim?
The Gemara on Shabbos 35a says:
אמר רבי חנינא: הרוצה לידע שיעורו של רבי נחמיה יניח חמה בראש הכרמל, וירד ויטבול בים ויעלה, וזהו שיעורו של רבי נחמיה.
Anyone who wants to know the shiur of R' Nechemia'...
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Why is the principle of faith about Moshiach constructed as a rhetorical argument?
Why is the 12th principle of faith in the Ani Maamin poem about Moshiach constructed rhetorically - on a circumstantial situation "even if / in spite of that!"? In other words, the author says "I ...
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Are crayons allowed?
If a non-toxic (but also non-food) wax crayon is known/suspected to contain both meat (e.g. stearic acid; see e.g. here) and milk (e.g. dairy-derived palmitic acid), may one use it or does it qualify ...
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What happens if one isn’t sure if ten Jews are watching? [duplicate]
The Gemara (Sanhedrin 74a-b) rules that if ten Jews are present when a non-Jew threatens a Jew to perform any sin - even to dress like a non-Jew - on pain of death, the Jew is obligated to give up his ...
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Safek in Pidyon haBen [closed]
When a fatherless child with a living mother that knows he was a firstborn but does not know whether his father did the Pidyon on him.
When an orphan whose both parents died when he was a toddler, ...
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why do kohanim make a bracha on birkat kohanim if they are safek kohanim?
If Kohanim nowadays are safek kohanim how can they make a bracha on Birkat kohanim isn't the rule "safek brachot le'hakel"?
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How do we know the maternal line is pure?
This question may seem abstract and strange, but it is genuine.
We obviously don't have ketubot of every marriage and certificates of every conversion, but yet, our assumption is that the Jewish ...
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What is a Safek Muchlat? (i.e. unsure if he's a full-fledged Metzora)
The Mishna in Nazir 8:2 (Daf 59b and various other times in tractate Nazir) discusses a person who may or may not be a Metzora that is supposed to be sent out of the city walls.
To quote with the ...
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Sages that questioned the existence of Hashem
While I'm sure there are individuals that perhaps struggled with their belief in Hashem and His "existence" were there ever any great chachamim (sages) from the throughout the generations that perhaps ...
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why no sfeika deyoma for sfiras haomer? [duplicate]
Most or all Jewish holidays have an extra day in the Diaspora, to accomodate for sfeike deyoma, so why do we not count two numbers each day of sfira?
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What is the status of those who need to undergo geyur lechumra?
What is the status of one who needs to undergo a giyur lechumra, but have yet to undergo the actual process? Can they be counted in a minyan? Are they considered Jewish? Can they serve as eydim? FoR: ...
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Shabbat after losing track of time
I have been reviewing the laws of what to do if one loses track of the days and doesn't know what day is shabbat. The laws are summarized here. Is there any repercussion in terms of his life after he ...
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Practical suggestions for choosing between different nuschaot in the Torah
Unfortunately, it's not hard to find places in the Torah, and even more so in Nach, where we have a doubt about either the trop or the nekudot. (Or, more rarely, letters, but those are generally the ...
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How to deal with uncertainties in the Torah that lead to a change in meaning?
In Vayikra 14:19, there are different versions of the trop, and unlike most of them, this difference causes a change in the meaning of the words:
וְכִפֶּ֕ר עַל־הַמִּטַּהֵ֖ר מִטֻּמְאָת֑וֹ
(zakef-gadol,...
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Why is a safek d'oraisa lechumra and a safek d'rabbanan lekula?
It is an established principle that when in doubt regarding a Torah law we rule stringently, whereas when in doubt regarding a Rabbinic law we rule leniently. Why is this the case? Why aren't we ...
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Doubt about Zemanim
There are several things that cannot be performed before Shekiah, and several things that cannot be done after. (For instance, one cannot daven Mincha after Shekiah.)
What if one is unsure if Shekiah ...
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Why do you need a chazakah and a sefeik sefeikah in Demai 1:1?
Maseches Demai opens up by addressing the "leniencies of Demai." As the Bartenura there explains, these lenient items are those which are essentially garbage - foods that people typically wouldn't eat ...
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Why is one who touched doubtful Tumah in a public domain considered Tahor?
The source that doubtful Tumah in a private domain is Tamei is the Gemara in Sotah (28b - see there for translation):
מה ת"ל והיא נטמאה והיא לא נטמאה אם נטמאה למה שותה אם לא נטמאה למה משקה מגיד לך ...
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Safek Leket Leket vs. Hamotzi Mechaveiro
On the one hand, the Mishnah (Pe'ah 4:11) records that doubtful leket goes to the poor. (Yes, I am aware that R' Meir says that. The Tosfos Yom Tov holds that everyone holds of that in principle and ...
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Probabilities vs תמים ? Weather forecast etc
There is an issur to ask astrologers (Pess. 113; Shul.Ar. YD 179,1). And Rashi says (Dev. 13, 18) התהלך עמו בתמימות ותצפה לו ולא תחקור אחר העתידות
So, is then a problem to
...compute probabilities?
...
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Holding like the majority opinion for a d'oraita?
In cases where there is a discussion among the Rishonim/Acharonim as to whether something is forbidden from the Torah (d'oraita), is it acceptable to go in accordance with those that deem it ...
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Sefeikos and Mathematical Modelling
I heard from a colleague that there exists a Sefer where the conclusions of Chazal on the status of certain Sefeikos can be represented in the form of probability models1.
Could anyone verify if ...
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Are there restrictions to whom a foundling may marry?
Are there any restrictions to whom a foundling may marry?
For example, is a male foundling not allowed to marry a divorcee, because he may be a Cohen?
Or is he allowed to marry anyone he wants (i.e....
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Baby boy born bein hashmashot when you don't know what day it is
Extreme hypothetical here...
We know (MT Hilchot Mila 1:9) that mila on the (definite) 8th day is doche Shabbat. If the baby is born bein hashmashot, when we're not sure what day it is, it cannot be ...
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Is it wrong to hang a Mezuzah diagonally?
I heard we're supposed to hang a mezuzah the same way as the door bolts.
The door bolt is either horizontal or vertical. I know that the strong debate over whether it should be vertically or ...
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Do we assume a Bris or Pidyon has been done?
If I adopt a 3 year old whose paperwork indicates that both parents were Jewish (but I cannot contact them or get further information about their religiosity) and he was an only child, do I assume ...
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Should the bracha for toiveling be repeated for subsequent immersions in a toiveling "session"?
If one is immersing multiple kelim in a toiveling "session" does the bracha need to be repeated for each immersion or can the bracha be said once at the start? Also, if one is toiveling a kli that is ...
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How can a man give a woman a gift without getting himself into a safek kiddushin?
According to jewish law a women is betrothed to a man when the man gives the woman a gift worth more than a prutah and recites the words "you are betrothed to me through this object".
How can a man ...
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"Halachikly Complicated" Foods (Safek Bracha)
Over the Shabbos meal we discussed the idea of sending "Halachikly Complicated" Mishloach Manos. "Halachikly Complicated" meaning foods that cannot be eaten because we have a safek what their bracha ...
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Can possibly "meaty" rice be used in sushi rolls?
I know that there is a prohibition to eat meat and fish together. But, I'm not sure if this prohibition applies to these two actual items or to other items that may have touched one of these two.
For ...
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חזקה מעיקרא vs ספק
I am in the middle of מחלוקת with someone as to, if I originally had a חזקה and now there's a ספק to whether that status is still true, whether I maintain that original status or my status changes to ...
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if we have safek dioraisa l'chumrah, why do we need safek d'rabanan l'kulah? [closed]
If we already know safek dioraisa l'chumrah, why do we need safek d'rabanan l'kulah?
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Not knowing a Halacha
If a person has a halachic שאלה and is in a situation where he cannot ask or find out the halacha (for example, he must decide what to do immediately, traveling with a dead phone), what should he do ?
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What should I do if I don't know whether I'm in a pikuach nefesh situation?
Suppose I find myself in a situation where I am not sure whether my life is sufficiently in danger to warrant halachot of pikuach nefesh to come into play. What should I do in this case? Am I supposed ...
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Zephaniah 2:3 -- the use of אוּלַי meaning "perhaps"
In Zephaniah 2:3 the word אוּלַי (oo-layee) means "perhaps". I have not otherwise really seen The G-D of the Bible so indifferent (though maybe that's the wrong word). Can someone help me understand ...
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Is the concept of Safek D'oraisa l'chumra relevant when dealing with a machlokes d'oraisa / d'rabbanan? [duplicate]
There are cases where Rishonim disagree as to whether a particular law is from the Torah or a Rabbinical decree. In such cases, must one be strict due to the possible violation of a Torah prohibition?
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logic behind kol kavua k'mechtza al mechtze
there is a principle in halacha regarding doubts that if something is separated from a kavua (fixed place) it is treated as 50/50% chance even if the permitted is the majority.
but if it is found in ...
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