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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What did the animals eat before Adam prayed for the trees to grow?
We learn in chullin 60b that the trees and herbage only began to sprout on the third day and that they only grew fully when Adam prayed for the rain (Genesis 2:5). If none of the plant life grew yet, ...
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Why did David’s music relieve the Kings illness?
Why did David’s Harp playing bring relief to king Saul from his mental illness?
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English translation of the Tanakh with transliterated Hebrew [duplicate]
I'm looking for an English translation of the Tanakh that includes the Hebrew, the English and transliterated Hebrew.
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Infertile man in TANACH: Boaz
I'm writing a paper about Ruth and I found a midrash that describes Boaz as being an infertile man (Ruth Rabba 6:2). From Ruth's prayer, he is allowed to conceives.There are others that put the ...
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Are you allowed to recite a verse from Tanach by heart while reviewing Mishnayos?
According to those who hold that it is forbidden to recite a verse from Tanach by heart even for yourself, would it be permitted if he is quoting it from a Mishnah while reviewing it by heart?
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Are Jews allowed to destroy the fruit trees and give bad water to cattle if they're fighting a war outside/unrelated to the Holy Land & Mesopotamia?
Deuteronomy 20:19,20 (NIV) states:
When you lay siege to a city for a long time, fighting against it to capture it, do not destroy its trees by putting an ax to them, because you can eat their fruit. ...
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Is profiting off of a war allowed in Judaism? Like for example, is it allowed in Judaism to sell equipment to both sides?
Historically, Jews often lived in regions where it wasn't uncommon for a war to occur. I imagine some shrewd businessmen took advantage of this to profit by doing things like selling equipment or ...
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Is mixing features of an animal and a human in art forbidden in Judaism (e.g., is making a sculpture or a drawing of a sphinx or similar forbidden)?
Recently, I've heard someone claim that mixing human and animal features when creating an artistic feature constitutes an element of idolatrous cultures and can bring harmful spirits or something ...
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Apparently "above-ground mausoleums" are forbidden for burying the dead in Judaism, but what about underground mausoleums or underground tombs?
According to this relatively short article on the Chabad.org website, it seems that "above-ground mausoleums" are forbidden for burying the dead, but what about underground mausoleums or ...
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Do we know how Rabbi Moshe Feinstein felt about Malbim's commentary on Nach?
Igros Moshe OCI:157 says one can make a siyum on any book of Tanach "provided it was studied with our Rishonim; not those latter-day commentaries who make up new stuff and show contempt for the ...
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Does the Tanakh teach some will suffer eternal conscious torment?
Many identifying as Christians teach that sinners will suffer eternal conscious torment, but I'm wondering what the Jewish view is. Is there an argument from the Tanakh that some will undergo eternal ...
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Why are the Niqqud different for the name of God sometimes? [duplicate]
Through my research of the Tanakh, I have observed that the tetragrammaton appears with varying niqqud in different locations. Additionally, I have noted that the niqqud used may differ but produce a ...
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What is the meaning of Genesis 28:14?
I love this forum because I learn too much with all you. One of the most enigmatic psukim in my view is Bereshit 28:14:
וְהָיָ֤ה זַרְעֲךָ֙ כַּעֲפַ֣ר הָאָ֔רֶץ וּפָרַצְתָּ֛ יָ֥מָּה וָקֵ֖דְמָה וְצָפֹ֣נָה ...
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what's a source for a ḥolam ḥaser dot floating onto alef?
In BHS, and in many fonts, a ḥolam ḥaser dot floats forward onto the upper right of alef if that alef is not functioning as a consonant. Probably one of the most common cases of this is vayomer. E.g., ...
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Where can I find Torah, Tanakh, siddur in Arabic?
I'm Arabic convert and I'm looking for books like the Tanakh or a siddur or anything similar in the Arabic language.
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Genesis 32:33 a law or a custom?
It is mentioned in The Tanach that Jacob fought with an angel who could not beat him. At the end of the fight, the angel strikes a nerve in Jacob's leg, causing him to limp. The verse then states: &...
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Is there any mention to someone wearing tefillin in Tanach? [duplicate]
Aside from the passages in Shmah, are there any accounts discussing or of Jews wearing tefillin in tanach?
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Any digitized text that marks the shva na?
Does anyone know of any downloadable digitized text that marks the 'shva na's?
For now, I am looking specifically for a text of Megilas Ester. But I would appreciate all of Tanach and also the siddur.
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Enigmatic interpretation of Mishlei 4:23 - "More than all that you guard, guard your heart, For it is the source of life."
Mishlei 4:23:
מִֽכׇּל־מִ֭שְׁמָר נְצֹ֣ר לִבֶּ֑ךָ כִּֽי־מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ תּוֹצְא֥וֹת
חַיִּֽים׃
More than all that you guard, guard your heart*, For it is the source
of life.
The basic understanding of this ...
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Death as a key flaw in existence -- where is this from?
I recall learning at one point the idea to effect: Death is the key imperfection in human existence
What are the sources under this?
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Why is this verse 15.16 mentioned in both Joshua and Judges?
I have two questions. The first is why is there a repeat of the posuk, one in Joshua and one in Judges?
The second question is: According to Rashi this was only mentioned here to mention the division ...
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How did Moshe know the name of Hashem to kill the Egyptian?
We find in Parshas Shemos that Moshe killed the Egyptian with the name of G-d. Where did Moshe know this from? After all he grew up in Pharaohs palace....
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Taking the Torah metaphorically
Many people interpret things in Tanach as metaphorical sometimes. For instance, Rambam’s whole reading of Bereshit is an allegory. The Gemara says that Iyov may never have happened. Basically like all ...
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Are there any sefarim about Melech David
Today we named our son David at the Brit Mila and I realized I wanted to learn more about King David. Outside of Tehilim and Shmuel I&II (which are understandably the core sources), does anyone ...
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Touching A Tanach Before Netilat Yadayim
Can one touch a Tanach, not Torah scroll, before doing netilat yadayim?
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A Meta reason for the two spellings of Binyomin
The word בנימן is spelt בנימין when he is born, this spelling is used around ten times. Otherwise, it is spelt with one י, why is this? I am not looking for a pshat answer. I am looking for a Drosh or ...
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Does Ramban's 8th principle require holding the Masoretic Text to be perfectly preserved? [duplicate]
If Rambam's 8th principle is accepted, is it neccessary to hold that the Masoretic Text is perfectly preserved, and superior to the Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint in all cases where there are ...
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Where is Nimrod written about outside Genesis, Chronicles, and Micah? In particular, is he described anywhere as mighty, strong, vigorous, etc?
I am ultimately interested in finding out why Greek scribes translated the Hebrew works as "mighty hunter" in Genesis and Chronicles for the Septuagint. The original Hebrew in those books do ...
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Examples of prophecies that didn't and cannot come to pass?
Are there any examples of prophecies recorded by established Jewish prophets in Tanach which were about a specific time and/or a specific people and did not come to pass, and subsequently cannot come ...
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Do any poskim discourage Bible study?
The Torah is traditionally seen as being comprised of a Written Torah - the Bible - and an Oral Torah - all other traditions that comprise the covenant between God and Israel. For millennia Jewish ...
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Texts from Tanakh on Oral Torah
I understand that the Oral Torah is the interpretation of Torah that has been passed down to help us interpret and apply it, like a "fence around the Torah".
משֶׁה קִבֵּל תּוֹרָה מִסִּינַי, ...
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Why is Proverbs 22:6 omitted in the Septuagint?
Why is Proverbs 22:6 omitted in the Septuagint?
I don't see anything offensive about Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and even when he is old, he will not depart from it.&...
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How did the Tannaim/Amoraim learn Tanach?
Where the question is coming from:
An absolute essential requirement for any Tanna/Amora would be to have the whole of Tanach at their fingertips. Maybe not photographically memorized, but they should ...
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Why didn't the Tana'im or Amoa'im write a commentary on Tanach?
To the best of my knowledge the first time we have a verse by verse pshat (ie simple or basic authorial intent meaning) commentary on Tanach is from the Geonic period (even if the commentary is not on ...
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English Tanakh with as much commentary as possible
I am looking for a Tanakh Sefer (or set) which has as much commentary as possible. I’m basically looking for one place where I can study without opening a thousand other seforim.
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What happened to those books?
Because some of the books mentioned in the Tanach are not found there today, such as the book of Jasher, the book of the Acts of Solomon, the book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel and Judah, ...
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Who wrote Rashi on Chronicles I & II, Nehemiah, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes?
The Wikipedia page on Rashi says as follows:
Rashi wrote commentaries on all the books of Tanakh except Chronicles I & II, Nehemiah, Ruth, Song of Songs, and Ecclesiastes. Scholars believe that ...
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Are these points mentioned anywhere in the Tanach regarding the Messiah?
There was some debate on another question about whether there is an opinion that the Messiah has already come or not. That resulted in comments by James Read pointing out these four things that have ...
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Is there a division of the books of the Prophets and Scriptures, similar to the weekly division of the chapters of the Torah? [duplicate]
The Torah is divided into chapters for a weekly yearly reading cycle. Is there a similar division in the books of the Prophets and Scriptures for the convenience of their additional reading and study?
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What is the spiritual / mystical significance of the Northern vs Southern kingdoms?
The events in the Torah are often given spiritual or mystical meanings. For example, Yaakov and Eisav represent the spiritual and physical natures of man.
However when it comes to the Prophets, we don'...
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The importance of every word in Nach
When we learn the Torah, we work off the assumption that as the Torah is directly from Hashem, every word and even letter is there for a reason, and a lot of commentary and even Halacha is based on ...
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Possible causes of divine judgement of losing one's memory, measure for measure?
This is definitely not to imply that anyone who gets Alzheimer's or has memory issues is being judged for sin. Who knows the ways of Hashem in every situation? But in some cases, we see in Tanakh that ...
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Is the prophet "like moses" in Deut 18 always understood specifically not in the sense of the "prophet like Moses" in Deut 34:10?
Is the prophet "like moses" in Deut 18 always understood specifically not in the sense of the "prophet like Moses" in Deut 34:10?
Deut 18:18 "נָבִיא אָקִים לָהֶם מִקֶּרֶב ...
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Goren Arvana/Ornan as the Location of the Temple
The last chapter of Samuel (24) describes King David's sin of counting the Jewish people and the resulting epidemic in which 70,000 Jews were killed. At the end of the account, the prophet describes ...
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Source of the expression בית עולמים referring to the temple
Where does the term בית עולמים come from in reference to the Temple?
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Catholic interested in learning about Judaism ✡️ & learning Hebrew to better understand the difference between the Bible & the Torah 🙏
I don’t know much about the Jewish Faith. During my younger years I attended Catholic School until 10th grade. Recently I have become stronger Spiritually, I’ve always had a strong curiousity about ...
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Who are the Lions of Ariel?
Who are the Ariel lions described in 2 Samuel 23.20 - 1 Chronicles 11.22 killed by Benaiah? Men, giants or temples?
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Verse corresponding to name [duplicate]
I have checked other posts about this topic, but I can't find my answer:
I am writing a storyboard for a short film, and the main character is 'Binyamin ben Yosef.' Throughout the film, he memorizes ...
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Did two and half tribes settled across the Jordan bring Bikkurim?
Two and half tribes (Reuben, Gad and half of Manasseh) were settled on the other side of Jordan and according to Rabbi Yose the Galilean fruits from across the Jordan were not allowed
Bikkurim 1:10
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Are there any compliations of ancient/medieval Jewish comments on Scripture?
Is there any book or website where I can look up ancient/medieval Jewish teaching on any given verse in the Tanach to see what the Talmud, Midrash, Rashi, etc. says about the verse? Something akin to ...
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