Questions tagged [tanach]
An acronym of "Torah" (Five Books of Moses), "Neviim" (Prophets), and "Kesuvim" (Writings). The three books together form the "Written Torah".
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Are there any cases in the Tanakh where the form of the word could ambiguously have either the root יָרֵא (fear) or רָאָה (see)?
Abijah originally asked this question in Biblical Hermeneutics (https://hermeneutics.stackexchange.com/questions/52502/translating-forms-of-yirah-as-fear-or-seeing). Abijah stated how the question ...
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Shaul's genealogy compared to David's genealogy
David's full genealogy is outlined in both in Ruth 4:18-24 (although without Yehudah here) and in Divrei Hayamim 1:2:3-15:
Yehudah-Peretz-Chetzron-Ram-Aminadav-Nachshon-Salma-Boaz-Oved-Yishai-David.
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published list of where people in tanach flew
an example of this is when avishai says the shem hameforash to make dovid hover in the air when urpah/her son (not golias) are trying to kill him by throwing him in the air and making him land on a ...
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Why in Sidra Ki Tavo G-d is intended to curse the source - trees and not the product (oil and wine)
In Sidra Ki Tavo, Book of Deuteronomy 28:39-40. It is mentioned that if the sons of Israel won't obey G-d commands and Mitzvot they will get punishments.
כְּרָמִים תִּטַּע, וְעָבָדְתָּ; וְיַיִן לֹא-...
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Who payed for the money that Joseph returned to his brothers?
It is known that at the first time Joseph ask to return the money that his brother paid for the grains to their bags. Joseph was a leader of the Egypt nation. The money he got for the grains belongs ...
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Why didn't Abraham try to persuade Sodom people to repent and regret for their sins?
It is known that Abraham was strong spiritually and physically. He won the war of the four kings. He was afraid of nothing but G-d. It is also known that Abraham tried to ask for mercy and tried to ...
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Why did Rachel cooperated with Lea in deceiving Jacob?
Rachel is considered one of Jewish mothers and known in her holiness. Why did she cooperate with Lea and gave her the signs without informing Jacob. Moreover, she knew how eager (spiritually) Jacob to ...
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Why did Jacob keep working for Lavan 7 additional years and didn't resign and divorce Lea
After the rotten lie of Lavan to Jacob and replacing Lea with Rachel. Why did Jacob keep working for additional 7 years? Didn't he understand that he couldn't trust Lavan and he could lie him again ...
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Why did Abraham forced his slave Eliezer to swear him about finding Itzhak shidduch
It is known that Abraham forces Eliezer to swear him about finding Itzhak Shidduch. Why did he need to force him to swear. Let's assume that Eliezer would have brought the wrong Shidduch, Abraham and ...
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How did Amram (Mose's father) marry Yochevet his aunt?
It is known that according to Halacha it is forbidden to marry your aunt. How come that Amram (Mose's father) married his aunt - Yochevet. As mentioned in Exodus 6:20:
וַיִּקַּח עַמְרָם אֶת-יוֹכֶבֶד ...
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Why the Jews didn't take the Egyptians' property in darkness plague
It is known that Jews took the vast majority of Egyptians' property was collected on the sea edge. Why didn't they take their property in dark plague? Why did they have to loan their property and did ...
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Why was Jacob afraid from the fight with Esav
It is well known the all Jacob's sons had incredible mental, spiritual and physical strength. Just to mention a few: Shimon and Levi killed all the men in Schem, Judah and the rest of the brothers ...
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Hatzlelponi and Tzelelponit
In Bamidbar Rabbah 10:5 it says that Shimshon's mother was called Hatzlelponi:
"אִמֵּיהּ דְּשִׁמְשׁוֹן הַצְלֶלְפּוֹנִי שְׁמָהּ, וְהִיא מְיֻחֶסֶת עַל שֵׁבֶט יְהוּדָה, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברי הימים א ד, ...
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Did the prophets deal with another divine being?
Hosea 1:7
וְאֶת־בֵּ֤ית יְהוּדָה֙ אֲרַחֵ֔ם וְהֽוֹשַׁעְתִּ֖ים בַּיהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֑ם וְלֹ֣א אֽוֹשִׁיעֵ֗ם בְּקֶ֤שֶׁת וּבְחֶ֙רֶב֙ וּבְמִלְחָמָ֔ה בְּסוּסִ֖ים וּבְפָרָשִֽׁים׃
But I will accept the House ...
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Why didn't Adam divorce from Eve?
Following the sin of Eve, in which she tried to 'poison' Adam spiritually with the fruit and she misled him, Why didn't Adam divorce her? Moreover, he intimated with her and bore two children?
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Definiton of Selicha in Tanakh vs. Rabbinic Interpretation
As is par for the course this time of year I'm thinking a lot about the idea of "selicha", coming right off the tails of Yom Kippur and selichot. I'm conflicted about the idea of forgiveness/...
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Tanach with out trup and nikudos
Where can I get a tanach without nikudos and trop in book form. It should be the whole tanach and not just the haftoras. It can be side by side with nikudos and trop like a tikun or just straight text....
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How would you convince a hozer beshe'ela of the truth of Judaism? [duplicate]
As adherents of the Jewish faith, what would you do to convince someone לחזור בתשובה? not merely a Jew espousing secular lifestyle, but one that is agnostic and that does not believe the Tanakh is the ...
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Is a trinitarian-like view of God found in the Tanakh and held in Judaism? [closed]
Is a triune quality to God's nature, like the Trinity as espoused in Christianity, a foreign teaching as far as Judaism is concerned? Or is such a belief held (or have been historically held) by Jews?
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Do any Jewish sources give a non-literal interpretation of the census in Bamidbar?
Are there any classical commentators that state that "elef" didn't literally mean 1 thousand, or something else to that effect, that would result in a smaller number? I am reading Ani Maamin ...
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Religious origin of Yiddish expression
My father used to say "Nem di oygn in di hent," literally "Take your eyes in your hands." This was meant as a warning to be careful. I wonder if there is a religious source for ...
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Where in the Tanakh is it derived that females are to cover their heads when praying?
Where in the Tanakh is it extrapolated that females are to cover their heads or hair when praying or reciting the name of HaShem?
I form this question upon reading the following: Women and girls ...
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Where in the Tanakh is the subject of head-covering or hair-covering for females taught or hinted?
Where in the Tanakh is the subject of head-covering or hair-covering for females taught or hinted?
(I have researched MiYodeya and the similar questions or answers are based on non-Tanakh passages. I ...
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Should one learn Navi daily, even if its in place of Gemara?
When learning Torah, it is very common to do the weekly Parsha, daf yomi, etc. However, I recently became interested in learning Neviim. This, of course, is not a generally daily-studied aspect of the ...
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Do we know what Avodah means?
Parallel to this.
The root ayin-vet-dalet seems to have three separate uses according to the Even Shoshan:
as a noun, eved means A) a person who is owned by another or who is forced to work for ...
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Does the fact that “Elohim” is plural indicate that parts of the Tanakh hearken from a pre-Jewish polytheistic culture?
(disclaimer, I am a gentile and don't know how to type in square script)
My question applies to the whole Tanakh, but I'm specifically curious about Genesis. Translating strictly literally (ie, ...
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Has a Scriptural index been compiled on Radak's 'Michlul'?
While not in a current position to browse the the end of any modern printings of Michlul, I have been interested to know if any of them contain indices which enable easy searching for any verse ...
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What is the most-shared name in the Torah? In Tanach?
A previous question noted that there are three distinct individuals named Amihud mentioned in the Torah, and at least one more in Divrei Hayamim. When I noticed this phenomenon in the Torah, it made ...
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Am Yisrael Genealogy
I'm looking for a family tree that collects all of the genealogical records of Am Yisrael in the Tanach and also shows who was in the same generation as whom (for example, if I remember correctly, ...
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What variations are there in the Jewish canon?
Most Jewish communities have the 24 books of the Tanakh as canon, but the Ethiopian Jewish canon varies somewhat, including, e.g., the Book of Judith and the Book of Jubilees.
Are there any other ...
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Masoretic v Septuagint
Having come across some claims, and some websites, there seems to be a disagreement between the Masoretic and Septuagint scrolls/texts and that one is more or less reliable than the other.
Are there ...
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Why is Bat-sheva called Bat-shua?
Why is Bat-sheva bat Eliam called Bat-shua bat Amiel in Divrei Hayamim 1:3:5?
The commentaries Sefaria brings merely state that the names (both Bat-sheva/Bat-shua and Eliam/Amiel) are interchangeable, ...
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Where can I download a full PDF of Tanakh?
I want to read about Judaism, and one of the best sources is to read Torah.
But as I searched, I realized it's not a single book. Rather it's a collection of 24 books and is categorized in pentateuch, ...
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May one memorize large swaths of Tanach?
It feels like a waste to memorize Keats or Cavafy when I can memorize Torah; however, I learned in yeshiva that one may not memorize psukim. What are the sources for this?
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Is there precedence in Jewish history for translating Psalm XXII 17 “they pierced my hands and my feet”? [closed]
According to Alexander Harkavy's Jewish translation of the Tanakh called "The Holy Scriptures" (first published 1916, reprinted 1936 & 1951) the ending of Psalm XXII 17 reads "they ...
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Is Shechem in the time of Avimelech (son of Gidon the Judge) made of jewish people?
Gidon married a Pilegesh (second wife) from Shechem. Was she Jewish? She bore him a son Avimelech. He convinced the people of Shechem to agree that he should become king. Were the people of Shechem ...
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Is the Aleppo Codex hekdesh?
Every 10 or so pages of the Keter, the words קדש לה' לא ימכר ולא יגאל are written across the top. These words are based on Vayikra 27:28, which discusses hekdesh.
Does that mean somebody actually ...
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Why not to Eli?
I wasn't quite sure on how to word the Title. My question is on Nach in Shmuel Alef, where in Perek 2 a Prophet, either Elkanah or as the Ralbag says it was Pinchas, they tell Eli, that because of ...
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How Should I Understand Gemaras Where People Quote Pesukim that Were not yet Written at the Time the Story Takes Place?
In various places in Talmud Bavli, there are stories told that take place during the times of Torah or Neviim where people in the story quote verses from prophetic books that did not yet exist at the ...
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Moses at fault for spies?
Looking to better understand if, per the sources, Moses was at fault for sending spies, especially as it relates to sending them on a seemingly military mission.
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Hebrew Ben Chayyim Second Rabbinic Bible is missing Joshua 6:9 to 7:1
I have a copy of the Hebrew Ben Chayyim Second Rabbinic Bible which was scanned and in the book of Joshua it is missing Joshua 6:9 to 7:1.
It is obviously a mistake and not intentional because the ...
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Biblical personality prepared wicks of Menorah
Is there a source that mentions a person from Nach who prepared the wicks of the Menorah? I thought it was Elkana but can’t find a source to say it was him. Could it be a different person?
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Verse in Isaiah 42:7 is referring to whom?
I was asked to clarify whether the question was referring to the "agent" or "patient", and the answer is that I was asking about the agent, not the patient. In other words, I was asking whether the ...
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Names of Moshiach
One of the more well-known appellations in תנ"ך that describes משיח is צמח (Zach 3:8, 6:12; Isaiah 4:2; Jeremiah 23:6), with the English definition a variation of "Branch" (capitalized as refers to ...
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According to Rashi by Avraham's prayer for Sodom he reasoned that there were 8 righteous being saved. How would Ham be considered righteous?
According to Rashi on Genesis 18:32, Abraham reasoned that 8 righteous people weren't enough to save the world so that's the limit. However given what we know about Ham (cited here and other places), ...
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Translating Ramban on Dovid Hamelech's birth/ancestry
I am trying to learn this with a friend but I am having trouble translating - any help would be great! Does anyone know according to Ramban what is the miracle involved in the birth of Dovid Hamelech/...
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Why is Yiftach's sacrifice of his kin looked at so negatively, while Chana's “sacrifice” of kin so positively?
According to the commentaries (who include the Ralbag, Radak, Ibn Ezra and Abarbanel) who say Yiftach didn't literally kill his daughter but rather made more of a spiritual "sacrifice", where she ...
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Why didn’t Yehuda (or Shelah) perform Chaliza for Tamar?
In (פרשת וישב (פרק לח we have the story of Yehuda marrying off Er to Tamar and then perform a pre-מתן תורה version of יבום with Onan, who also subsequently dies.
Which left Yehuda’s third son,Shelah,...
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The latest date in Tanach
As far as I can tell, the latest date mentioned in Tanach is in Nechemiah 13:6:
כִּ֡י בִּשְׁנַת֩ שְׁלֹשִׁ֨ים וּשְׁתַּ֜יִם לְאַרְתַּחְשַׁ֤סְתְּא מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל֙ בָּ֣אתִי אֶל־הַמֶּ֔לֶךְ
for in ...
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What are the rabbinic (hebrew) words that could equate to “Anti-Torah”?
What are the rabbinic (hebrew) words that could equate to "Anti-Torah"?
I am hoping there is only one. In English, I would say the word "Anti-Torah" equates to "lawless" or "lawlessness".
When I ...
