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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Why are there no high priests today?
What happened in history so that there are no-longer high priests?
If succession for the role is by descendant of Aaron, what conditions prevent a new high priest from existing.
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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 ...
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1answer
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Why are only 4 Persian kings mentioned?
Daniel 11:2
And now, I shall tell you the truth. Behold, three more kings will arise in Persia, and the fourth one will become very wealthy. And when he becomes strong with his wealth, he will ...
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Why is the name “Tre Asar” in Aramaic?
All the books of Tanach are either named after a person, or are given a Hebrew name, except for Tre Asar, which is Aramaic. One would have expected the Hebrew title Shinem Asar, and indeed it is ...
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Bible commentaries [duplicate]
I have begun to research biblical commentaries (for the first time ever) like Ben Asher and Rashi, and am asking what would be the other commentators worth reading? I have a big list I can choose from ...
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Why was Joseph allowed to imprison Shimon?
Why was Joseph allowed to imprison Shimon? That seems to transgress theft (both the Ten Commandments and/or the Noahide laws)?
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Was Jeremiah alive during the rebuilding of the temple?
Was Jeremiah alive during the rebuilding of the temple? Please cite your sources.
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All explicit dates in Tanakh
What are all the dates mentioned in Tanakh?
This question seeks all dates that are explicitly mentioned in the verses. No chronological extrapolation or exposition allowed here.
The date could be ...
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Should the blood of the Olah be burned or poured out?
Shalom. I’ve just noticed that Devarim 12:27 says that the blood of the Olah should be burnt on the altar. However Vayikra 1:5 says that the blood should be dashed against all sides of the altar. Has ...
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What's the maximal ordinal day of the month to be mentioned in the Torah?
Out of the 30 days of the month, what's the maximal ordinal day of the month to be mentioned in the Torah? (especially in the first five books)
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Does ehad mean “one” or “first” when used together with “rishon”?
How should ehad be translated in this phrase and why?
אַחַ֛ד הַשָּׂרִ֥ים הָרִאשֹׁנִ֖ים
This is the Context:
וְשַׂ֣ר׀ מַלְכ֣וּת פָּרַ֗ס עֹמֵ֤ד לְנֶגְדִּי֙ עֶשְׂרִ֣ים וְאֶחָ֣ד י֔וֹם וְהִנֵּ֣ה ...
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How does one Choose Life when Death has been decreed?
I’ve been thinking about Moshe up on Mt. Nebo and a question came to mind. If Death has been decreed, how does one continue to choose Life? Surely if one wishes to be obedient to G-d then one must in ...
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What is the standard (book) on using different parts of the Tanakh to interpret its verses?
I have been reading some of the Torah commentaries in Mikraot Gedolot and I have noticed there are a lot of references to latter parts of the Tanakh to interpret earlier parts.
I am interested in ...
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What are the original twenty books of the Tanach
I was asked to identify the original 20 books of the Tanach as they appear in the Masoretic Text but everything I found listed 24 books.
I understand that the collective name for the original books ...
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Jeremiah 29:6 - encouragement of intermarriage? [closed]
It is written to take wives and husbands, and then in the next verse to think of the welfare of the city where the Jews reside. Is it possible to see from here an encouragement of mixed marriage?
I ...
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Where can I find how many roots the author needs to compose for each book of the Tenach
For example: I am reading now the book of Joshua in Hebrew. It looks to me quite simple language. The author uses often the same terms. Poetry and wisdom-litterature is much more complex. My ...
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How was a covenant a Chok?
Divrei Hayamim 1, 16 quotes tehillim 105 (or vice versa) which reads
זָכַ֣ר לְעוֹלָ֣ם בְּרִית֑וֹ דָּבָ֥ר צִ֝וָּ֗ה לְאֶ֣לֶף דּֽוֹר׃
He is ever mindful of His covenant, the promise He gave for a ...
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Samson and Hercules [closed]
I have recently heard of the notion that Samson and his story had roots in older stories and these same stories also started Hercules and that they are both based on myths. Is there any source to this ...
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HaGra about Rambam's position concerning the status of pilagshim taken by Jewish commoners
I am an Italian noahide.
My question expresses a purely intellectual curiosity, concerning the Jews and not the Gentiles.
As we know Rambam states in Hilchot Melachim 4: 4:
“A commoner is ...
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Supernatural occurrences in Tanakh not condoned by G-d
What examples do we have in Tanakh of non-righteous individuals being able to "tap into" the supernatural realm?
By "tap into", I am referring to any indication that even non-righteous individuals ...
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what is a good summary of each book of tanach?
What is the basic one line summary of each book in the Tanach? It would be very convenient. Thanks for your effort!
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Does the Tanach ever use letters for numbers?
Does the Tanach ever use letters for numbers?
For example it says אַרְבָּעָה מְלָכִים i.e. 4/four kings.. but it doesn't say it as
ד מְלָכִים it uses the word for four (arba/arbaah), but not the ...
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Did the invention of the printing press change Judaism? [closed]
Before 1440 and the invention of the printing press, most Jewish people would not have had their own personal Tanakh. So I would assume the only place they would see one would be in a synagogue read ...
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Action of decimation of the city of Shechem admonished in Vayehi?
In Parashat Vayeshlach (34:30) Yaakov admonishes Shimon and Levi, not for their destruction of Shechem, rather for the degradation of the hitherto tenuous relationship between he and the inhabitants ...
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Why does Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer only connect certain berachos of Shemoneh Esrei to events in Tanach?
According to Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer:
The first beracha of Shemoneh Esrei, "Blessed are You, Hashem, Protector of Avraham," refers to Hashem's protecting Avraham during the war with the four kings (ch....
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Two gender switches in one Posuk “וַיְהִי בְשָׁלֵם סֻכּוֹ וּמְעוֹנָתוֹ בְצִיּוֹן”
וַיְהִי בְשָׁלֵם סֻכּוֹ וּמְעוֹנָתוֹ בְצִיּוֹן׃
Salem became His abode; Zion, His den. (Tehhilim 76.3)
In the same Posuk סוכה becomes masculine (סוכו) and מעון becomes feminine (מעונתו). In proper ...
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Pesukim in Chumash where Rashi adds in extra words or switches order
I have been trying to remember examples in chumash where Rashi uses dikduk rules to significantly change the order of words or add words to a passuk so that it has another meaning.
What are some ...
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Are there two or more prophets who have the same name?
Are there any examples of two different prophets who have the same name?
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What is the total number of Pesukim in Tanach? [duplicate]
What is the total number of Pesukim in Tanach?
This question addresses the Torah, but I have yet to find an answer for Tanach (at least, in the Jewish tradition - the answer for Christians is easily ...
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Does the Tanach tell us 36 times to love the stranger?
If you Google "love the stranger 36 times" you get 93,100,000 returns. Indeed, I've been hearing this line for ages:
"36 times in the Tanach God tells us to love the stranger." [Bava Metzia 59b]
...
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How many ‘Watches’ were there in an ancient Hebrew day?
A few mentions in the scriptures point to the existence of night and morning ‘watches,’ a notable example being Gideon’s arrival at the Midian camp in the middle watch. (Judges 7:19)
Another example ...
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Are there any debates about the presence of entire words in Scripture?
Besides for the odd letter, such as an extra Vov or Yud, what Scriptual verses that we would find in Tanach today, were once or still debated by Halachic Authorities as to what is the correct text. Or ...
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Hashem Elokim in Torah
In the second chapter of Bereishit, God is referred to as "Hashem Elokim". As far as I know, this seems to be a rare phenomenon. (Note, it is pretty common to have 2 names of God next to each other ...
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The Battle of Gog and Magog
Very little is known about The Battle of Gog and Magog, it is shroud in mystery and countless debates. The prophet Ezekiel (chapters 38-39) describes the battle and the prophet Zachariya (chapter 14) ...
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Do scriptures mention the presence of the Egyptians in the Holy Land after Yehoshua's conquer?
Archaeological sources (only an example) mention such presence/influence in the time of the conquer which gradually faded before David's Kingdom.
Is it mentioned anywhere in the Nac"h that the ...
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How Many vav Hahipuchs in each of the 24 books of Tenach
How Many vav Hahipuchs (Conversive vav) are in each of the 24 books of Tenach compared with the number of letters / verses in that book. As far as I know they are only in Tenach rather than Mishna or ...
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Nechemiah 13 changes Hashem to Elokim
Nechemia 13:1 reads
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נִקְרָ֛א בְּסֵ֥פֶר מֹשֶׁ֖ה בְּאָזְנֵ֣י הָעָ֑ם וְנִמְצָא֙ כָּת֣וּב בּ֔וֹ אֲ֠שֶׁר לֹא־יָב֨וֹא עַמֹּנִ֧י וּמֹאָבִ֛י בִּקְהַ֥ל הָאֱלֹהִ֖ים עַד־עוֹלָֽם
This verse ...
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Difference between תא and לשכה
Middos 4:3 uses the term תאים to refer to the 38 chambers in the Beis HaMikdash.
I was surprised to see this usage, as the term לשכה appears 29 times in Mishnayos, plus another 12 in the plural, ...
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seven days in a week [closed]
Is there any proof apart from the bible and creation that a week has seven days. Like is there proof from the planets. And if not why does the whole world even those who had never seen the bible count ...
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If “not in Heaven” how could Nac"h be the source of Halacha?
As the Gemmorah states (Temura 16a), the idea of "Not in Heaven" traces back to Moses' death and Yehoshua was the first asked to use it and he refused, referring to that verse.
Nevertheless, from ...
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Did David Hamelech reference his mother's name in Tehillim?
I'm pretty sure I heard this at Shul:
Someone asked R' Zilberstein if he's allowed to publicly praise his living mother, if she doesn't want to be honored. So I think R' Zilvberstein answered that ...
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What is 1,530 a reference to?
In his commentary to Genesis 7:12, R. Isaiah of Trani (the Elder) writes:
וכן במניין ישראל אלף וחמש מאות ושלשים ואי אפשר דבר זה שלא היה אחד מהם יתר או חסר אלא כן דרך המקראות לתפוש מניין שלם ואפי' ...
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Are there any instances in Tanach of Lashon Hara said purely for non-constructive purposes?
I can think of several said with proper intentions - for instance, Miriam (Bamidbar ch. 12) wasn’t trying to harm Moshe with her speech; likewise those who told Gedaliah that he was to be killed by ...
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Chizkiyahu and Messengers from Bavel
I’m looking at Yeshayahu 39 and Melachim 2 20.
What was so bad about Chizkiyahu showing his treasures to the king of Bavel?
If it was so bad, why was he not punished personally? It seems unfair to ...
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What verses in Na"ch describe the details of Jewish calendar like Kidush HaChodesh and Ibbur Hashanah?
The Gemmorah in Jerusalem Rosh Hashana 6a explains the process of adopting the Babylonian names instead of Biblical ones.
דא"ר חנינה שמות חדשים עלו בידם מבבל
R'Hanina said: the names of the ...
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Why are many conversations in Tanach between two parties exclusively
Inspired by a comment on this question it seems the vast majority, if not the entirety, of conversations in Tanach are between two and only two parties. I would like to understand conceptually why ...
