Questions tagged [technology]
Questions about how Judaism interacts with technological innovations.
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Designing a Robot that could write a Sefer Torah
I watched a video on YouTube titled "I sent robot forgeries to a handwriting expert." I was wondering if would it be technologically possible to design a robot that could write a Sefer Torah....
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Are we forbidden from striving to develop biotech that can make us immortal since that would essentially be like biting off from the Tree of Life?
In the recent years, there has been a lot of talk and investment in the biotech space regarding life extension, with some saying that the eventual goal is to make us live forever. However, to strive ...
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Intelligent machines and their Halachic status
Given the recent advances in machine learning, such as the OpenAI GPT-3 (e.g. chatbot), it is not unreasonable to expect that artificial general intelligence (AGI) will be achieved in the foreseeable ...
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Is there a kashrut issue with vacuum sealers
Food does not directly touch the machine, but air (or a little liquid) from the food is drawn into the machine—-never from the machine to the food. Food is kept in a plastic bag (usually outside the ...
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Online Torah Scroll [closed]
Shalom! Is there such a thing as an online virtual simulation of a Sefer Torah that could be rolled, unrolled, and read from? (For a novelty I suppose) That would be so interesting. Is this idea ...
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If dairy and meat come from the same Star Trek replicator, would it be Kosher? [closed]
Apologies for my limited understanding of Judaism, but as far as I am aware, Jewish dietary laws prohibit mixtures of meat and milk. I remember a friend's housemate requiring a second sink and set of ...
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May a Jew deliver non-Kosher food to another Jew? [duplicate]
With the increase in usage of food delivery services such as instacart or uber eats many people now have their food delivered to them. I would like to know if any contemporary authorities discuss the ...
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What tool did Raban Gamliel use to determine how close his ship was to the port?
In Mishna Eruvin 4:2, Raban Gamliel tells his colleagues "I looked out from our ship just before it got dark, and determined we were already within 2000 amot of the harbor."
Bartenura says ...
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Was linseed (flaxseed) oil in common use in time of the Mishna/Gemara?
Go to any location 200+ years old in America, and they'll tell you all about the value of linseed (flax seed) for paint. Which makes me wonder, was it a "thing" in the time of the Talmud? ...
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Kol Isha specifically from/of a woman? [duplicate]
I have been reviewing the questions related to Kol Isha (including links about parrots, men with feminine voices, radio recordings and Siri singing) but I was asked whether halacha has dealt with ...
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Revisiting cryonics and halaha
I thought it would be interesting to revisit the halachic permissibility of cryonics. This previous answer mentions a view that requires >50% chance of the preserved person being brought back to ...
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Giving a divorce (get) written on a tablet screen
Can a person divorce his wife by giving her a get written on a tablet screen?
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Digital piracy of difficult to acquire products
The following discusses copying an item that is being sold by its creator (https://torah.org/learning/honesty-class64/)
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein ztl said that it’s not permitted to copy any item that is ...
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Were there rabbinic objections when grave digging went from manually-powered to machine?
There are lots of responsa when matza-baking machines were introduced instead of everyone doing it by hand. When power machinery came up to make grave-digging faster/easier, did any rabbis object that ...
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Cryptocurrency and Ribbis - Celsius Network
With the rising popularity of DeFi (Decentralized Finance) and cryptocurrencies I am wondering about the interest bearing wallets such as Celsius that will give returns for holding or staking coins.
...
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Watching a virtual church service
The prohibition I have read about regarding churches centers around going "into" a church (see Q and A's here, for example).
Is the underlying prohibition about being present in the church, ...
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Leaving a phone perpetually on on the Sabbath
I have never been sufficiently religious to understand everything on this site without help from friends or family, but a question was asked by a non-Jewish friend that I was unable to answer, so I'm ...
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Best App to Track your Mikvah Dates
Looking for the best period tracker and mikvah (לוח מקווה) calendar to simplify my mikvah calculations. It should be available on Android phone and able to send reminders and notifications about ...
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Egg donation within a family
If a woman were to donate her eggs to a family member who, unfortunately, could not conceive on her own, would that invoke considerations of halachic incest if the man who would fertilize the egg ...
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Tele-kovod?/ How do halochos of kovod and hidur (honor/ respect) apply virtually?
Must one stand for a Rabbi present by video conference?
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G-ds name online [duplicate]
On a google doc during an assignment with friends who do not understand the intricacies of Judaism, someone wrote g-d's names pronunciation, I did not realize what I was doing and deleted it, was this ...
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Microphones on Shabbat
What is the Halacha re LISTENING to someone speaking in a microphone on Shabbat.
For example if I walk into a room and someone is lecturing/speaking on a microphone an I permitted to listen
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Is there any prohibition on using tracing chips under the skin?
With the advance on technology, ethical discussions are being raised regarding implants under one's skin, like a parent, worried about the whereabouts of their kids, or companies thinking about the ...
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What are the halachot for programming shemot hakodesh?
What are the halachot for programming shemot hakodesh?
Must special care or actions be taken in a codebase which handles the names of HaShem?
Does a program written to generate shemot need to be ...
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Do decentralized arbitration markets satisfy mitzvah to set up courts?
Do decentralized arbitration markets like Aragon satisfy the noahide mitzvah to set up courts?
Context: Aragon is a decentralized arbitration market, rather than being tied to any one nation-state it ...
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May one use a measuring device on Yom Tov?
I think I have heard that one should not measure or weigh things on Shabbat.
However, I wonder if this rule applies to Yom Tov related food needs, e.g., can one stick a food thermometer into meat to ...
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If you're not overweight, can you still use a food scale and an app to count calories during Chol Ha'moed?
Background
During Chol Ha'moed, more food may be available than usual. The research literature suggests that, when there's a lot of food variety available in our homes, we're more likely to overeat. ...
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What is the status of professional video game players?
A friend remarked to me that playing video games professionally today is the equivalent of professional gamblers in the times of the talmud, specifically in that both are not involved in "Yishuvo shel ...
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Would teleportation be allowed? [closed]
Suppose 'teleportation' like the transporter in star trek - where you are disassembled atom by atom, and reassembled in another location - becomes a reality. It will then likely become the most ...
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What makes a smart phone "kosher"?
I have to admit that my phone is far smarter than me, and I am not "with it". So, I was surprised when a neighbor who is sending his kid to Israel told me that her kid needs a special "kosher" smart ...
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Artificial Intelligence writing Divrei Torah
There have been a number of artificial intelligence machine learning systems over the last few years which have been given samples of artwork and music and have produced new creative works. I haven't ...
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Automation on Shabbos (Artificial Intelligence etc)
I know there has been plenty of halachic literature written about automation on Shabbos as far as timeswitches, eBay bids etc go, but are there any authoritative sources for halacha about artificial ...
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Using hearing aids on the sabbath?
I know a little bit about Judaism and a fair amount about hearing aids. I have been asked about the rules regarding the usage of hearing aids on the sabbath and I have no idea. In particular, the ...
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How to make a personal siddur/birchon/bentsher as a wedding present
I'm looking for a convenient software that allows me to create and design a personal siddur/birchon/bentcher to give as a wedding present. In particular, I would like to have a convenient way to ...
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Old fashioned telephone vs. Uber App on Shabbos
From Rabbi Moshe Heinemann:
Riding to the Hospital
A woman need not spend Shabbos/Yom Tov at a
location close to the hospital or arrive at the hospital before labor
starts to avoid riding on ...
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Can a genetically modified pig be kosher, if gestated in a kosher animal? [duplicate]
This answer says that a pig that was genetically modified to chew it's cud would not be kosher if gestated in a pig. For clarification, would it be kosher if it was gestated in a cow or other kosher ...
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May an electrolarynx be used on Shabbat and Yom Tov?
From this site:
An electronic larynx (electrolarynx), is a battery operated machine that produces sound for you to create a voice. There are many different makes and types, but they are usually about ...
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Is grinder biohacking permissible?
Grinder biohacking involves implanting DIY cybernetics or chemicals into one’s own body which ostensibly give one superhuman abilities. For example, some companies sell implantable NFC/RFID chips to ...
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Can you buy chametz during Pesach that will be delivered after Pesach?
As an example, during Hol Hamo'ed Pesach, could you buy chametz online knowing that it will arrive after Pesach?
My assumption is that it would be OK, as the buyer doesn't actually own the product ...
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Reverse Osmosis Water machine -- possible kosher issues?
There’s a machine at a local store near me that has a reverse osmosis water machine. I don't think there is a hecsher on the machine, but it's just water. Is there any possible kosher issues with it, ...
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Is light in a fridge on Shabbat "melacha shein tzricha legufo"?
I remember learning that when I open a fridge door on Shabbat and the light turns on that would be under the category of melacha shein tzricha legufo?
Can anyone please provide a source?
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Can an artificial intelligence serve as a judge and/or posek? [duplicate]
If the vast corpus of halachic material including information on how sources are weighed and how halacha has been decided through the ages was compiled and processed through an artificial intelligence ...
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How does one put on tefillin with a prosthetic?
Assuming that prosthetic limbs are not considered part of one's body:
How would someone put on Tefillin if r"l his non-dominant arm was replaced by a prosthetic from the shoulder?
Would the ...
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A widow using her deceased husbands semen to conceive?
If a husband has some of his semen frozen/saved and then dies, what halachic and hashkafic issues have to be addressed when deciding if his widow is allowed to/can/should use that semen to become ...
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What modern devices are susceptible to impurity?
I'm especially interested in computing devices like laptops/smartphones and vehicles like cars and trains.
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Could "Panim Chadashot" be fulfilled by FaceTime/ Skype?
In Maseches Kesuvos 7b we learn about the requirement of "panim chadashot" (lit: new faces) for every day of sheva brachos (codified in Even Ha'Ezer 62:7).
Could the requirement of panim chadashot be ...
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Would Emoji halachically be considered a language?
While admittedly close to Purim, this is NOT a Purim Torah. 😂
Pretty much all of us know about emojis, as they're virtually everywhere nowadays. Emojis are increasingly being used as proof in court- ...
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Is it permissible to use the "Tahor" bedikah app?
Tahor App is a Miami-based organization which created an app to allow women to "anonymously send pictures of their Bedikah cloths to a Rabbi with Tahor app’s Rabbinically approved technology."
May ...
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Is one allowed to audio/ video record someone without their knowledge or consent?
In American law, when it comes to recording a telephone call, 38 states allow "one party consent" - namely, as long as one person is ok with recording the call (i.e., you) the other party doesn't ...
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Talking to Alexa on Shabbos [duplicate]
What prohibition would talking to a virtual assistant like Alexa, Siri or Google on Shabbos fall under?
"Alexa, turn on the lights"
"Alexa, play Zemiros"
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