All Questions
39,699
questions
4
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1
answer
343
views
What exactly was Adam and Chava's sin?
Bereshit 2:9-10 tells about HaShem Elohim made to spring up every tree (in Gan Eden) pleasing to the sight, and tov for food and the Etz HaChayim (Tree of Life) also in the midst of Gan Eden, and the ...
CommunityBot
- 1
1
vote
0
answers
11
views
Do angels still manifest themselves as humans and appear to us unknowingly?
Do angels still manifest themselves as humans and appear to us unknowingly? Do the rabbinic sources have something to say about this?
- 267
29
votes
2
answers
576
views
+50
What happened to the Yeshivas Shem v'Aiver?
What happened to the Yeshiva of Shem v'Aiver and all who learnt there?
- 329
0
votes
0
answers
23
views
How to interpret statements of Rabbonim on the nature of reality
I know that some people tend to take more or less everything that a Rav says as the absolute truth, but throughout the ages, different Rabbonim have expressed a variety of opinions, which can, in many ...
- 2,186
2
votes
0
answers
66
views
Why is the "eilah" tree so special?
After the battle for Dinah, Yaakov Avinu tells those with him to bury their idols under the "eilah" tree.
Bereishis (35:4) - וַיִּתְּנוּ אֶל־יַעֲקֹב אֵת כָּל־אֱלֹהֵי הַנֵּכָר אֲשֶׁר ...
- 13.8k
0
votes
0
answers
18
views
Change in the denotation of commentaries in חושן משפט from the rest of שלחן ערוך
In all ד' חלקי שלחן ערוך structurally there are 2 main commentaries put on the page, one the inside, and one on the outside. Besides for חושן משפט, always, the commentary placed on the inside has its ...
- 965
2
votes
2
answers
166
views
metaphors and myths
According to the Rambam, certain parts of the Torah are to be understood metaphorically. While this approach works well in cases where we can imagine that the "first listeners" understood it ...
CommunityBot
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3
votes
0
answers
30
views
Relativistic Zmanim
Physicists have conclusively proven that if a spaceship leaves Earth and travels fast enough, then turns around and comes back, a person in the spaceship experiences a much shorter time than people on ...
- 2,186
3
votes
0
answers
26
views
Are there some humans in history who are an exception to the idea of free will?
We all talk about the idea that God has an ultimate plan and that we are all existing within that plan.
That said, humans have free will as we are judged by our actions due to this free will.
My ...
- 965
0
votes
0
answers
31
views
Are only Jews the sons of Israel? [closed]
Is being a son of Israel limited only to those whose mothers are known to be Jewish?
Is one no longer a son of Israel if he is cut from the nation? If not, is there then a possibility of return after ...
- 85
2
votes
1
answer
230
views
What's the simple meaning, per Rashi, of the "upper waters", and where are they?
B"H
In the simple meaning of the verse of "He separated between the water that is below the sky (/beginning of "outer space"/"firmamemt") to the water that is above it&...
- 47.8k
1
vote
1
answer
48
views
Does someone get punished for unknowingly committing a sin or unknowingly hurting a person?
Does someone get punished for unknowingly committing a sin or unknowingly hurting a person? Please provide sources, thanks.
- 131k
8
votes
2
answers
124
views
Why is Shekalim in Moed?
Maseches Shekalim is the fourth Masechta in Seder Moed. While it opens up with the fact that the Beis HaMikdash treasurers would collect the Shekalim every Adar, the rest of the Masechta talks about ...
- 47.9k
-1
votes
0
answers
65
views
Neshama Transfer/Copy - what happens to the higher parts of the soul? [duplicate]
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan writes in his essay Immortality and the Soul that the Neshomo is effectively the data of our "memories, thought patterns and personality traits" and discusses the idea of ...
- 2,186
2
votes
2
answers
43
views
Chasam Sofer Biography
Does anybody have any recommendations for a Biography about the Chasam Sofer? I'm really interested in learning more about him and the events in his life that may have influenced his writings.
- 41.8k
2
votes
2
answers
49
views
Sefer on the chagim/moadei Hashana
Looking for a sefer that discusses the energy that's in the world at every time period throughout the Jewish calendar (so each month and each chag). Which sefer can I turn to for this info? Ideally ...
- 1,882
8
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Status of food fried with oil that was previously used for meat
If one used oil to fry meat and the next day used the same oil to fry something pareve (eg. french fries), is the pareve food considered 'meat'? Is there any differences between Sefardic and ...
- 343
3
votes
1
answer
114
views
Coherent reading of beraishis creation
I’m trying to make sense of the creation story in beraishis but there are so many things left unclear or unsaid. What are some sources that lay it out clearly when each thing was created and what was ...
CommunityBot
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1
vote
0
answers
72
views
Groom entrance song - what are some key genres, artists, and songs to help select in the Mizrachi/Sefardi area? [closed]
I'm getting married soon, bezrat HaShem. But I need suggestions for a song to play when I approach the chuppa. I'm British Sefardi (daati), she's Israeli Ethiopian (Beta Yisrael), I'd like something ...
- 1,882
2
votes
1
answer
72
views
What happened to Torah she be al peh in the generations before Yoshiyahu HaMelech?
I get the impression from learning about Yoshiyahu HaMelech that the country as a whole almost entirely forgot about the Torah altogether in the previous generations, until he discovered the Sefer ...
- 1,882
3
votes
1
answer
74
views
Gematria of Person's Name
Kol Hator states that a person has multiple gematrios that are important to him, such as one's name, one's name plus father's name, name plus father's and mother's name, etc, etc.
My question is, ...
- 1,882
2
votes
2
answers
318
views
+100
ashkenazi style melodies to mizrachi birkat hamazon?
My wife has an Ashkenazi background and loved singing Birkat Hamazon at the shabbat table with an American Ashkenazi melody (similar to http://www.chabad.org/multimedia/media_cdo/aid/692733/jewish/...
- 73.6k
1
vote
1
answer
93
views
Chanukah: The Hellenistic Jews defaming the Beis HaMikdash
The Baal HaMaor on Avodah Zahara 52b writes a somewhat radical interpretation on the Chanukah-story. He explains that the people that entered the Beis HaMikdash, and thus impurifying the Beis ...
- 3,513
6
votes
1
answer
128
views
+50
Must we say that Rabbah was mistaken, and why?
The Gemara (Berachos 61b) tells us, that Rabbah claimed to be a Beinoni, to which Abaye responded that if he were to be a Beinoni, then everyone else would be less than that (G-d forbid) - but does ...
- 1,882
2
votes
1
answer
90
views
+50
Does the fact that G-d rewards and punishes show that there must be free will?
From the Rambam (Hilchos Teshuvah 5:4) it seems that if not for the concept of free choice, there would be no concept of reward and punishment.
The question is: even if there would be no concept of ...
- 51
3
votes
0
answers
55
views
Pidyon Peter chamor on c section born donkeys
Does the mitzvah of Pidyon Peter Chamor (redeeming the firstborn donkey), apply if the donkey was born through C section (caesarean section)? Or does the Halakha not consider that is birth for the ...
- 840
15
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Are Samaritans viewed as adherents of Judaism?
In Judaism, particularly from an Orthodox perspective, are Samaritans seen as fellow Jews? Sometimes I see their religion referred to as 'Samaritanism', sometimes as Judaism.
Also, is it halachically ...
1
vote
1
answer
86
views
Choosing a minhag based on ancestry
To roughly which year does a Jew, who does not descend from any mixed marriage, need to analyze his patrilineal ancestry to find out the minhag of your family?
Also taking into account that many ...
- 97.4k
1
vote
1
answer
86
views
Caution against a person belittling himself
BH
I heard someone say that a person should never say "I am this [negative character trait]" or "I am that [negative character trait]" because Chas ve Shalom Hashem can bring that ...
- 1,193
7
votes
1
answer
160
views
Why is the end of Tehillim 60 the same as the end of Tehillim 108?
The last eight verses of Tehillim 60 and Tehillim 108 are virtually identical. Why is this so?
Tehillim 60:7-14
לְ֭מַעַן יֵחָלְצ֣וּן יְדִידֶ֑יךָ הוֹשִׁ֖יעָה יְמִֽינְךָ֣ ועננו [וַעֲנֵֽנִי׃]
...
- 24.9k
5
votes
1
answer
91
views
Question on Rashi, Bereishis 9:12
In P. Noach (Gen. 9:12) in reference to the phenomenon of the post-deluge rainbow, following Noach's exit from the teivah, the verse states:
וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֱלֹהִ֗ים זֹ֤את אֽוֹת־הַבְּרִית֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֲנִ֣י ...
- 1,193
3
votes
2
answers
210
views
Why did Yehuda/Shelah need Yibum with Tamar? She had a Chazaka
Why did Yehuda/Shelah have to Yibum, after all Tamar already has 2 of her husbands die, and even though we pasken chazakah happens after three times we pasken you only need 2 times for a danger?
- 2,525
0
votes
2
answers
47
views
מוטות עץ שברת. כי באמרו ככה אשבור וכו׳ מעל צואר כל הגוים הרי הוא כאלו שבר כל המוטות: what's the translation to this metzudat dovid?
This is from Yirmiyahu 28:13. מוטות עץ שברת. כי באמרו ככה אשבור וכו׳ מעל צואר כל הגוים הרי הוא כאלו שבר כל המוטות:
What's the translation to the above text? I'm having trouble translating it.
CommunityBot
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0
votes
2
answers
248
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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 ...
4
votes
5
answers
237
views
Let's Kill Hitler
There is a popular moral question - if you had access to a time machine that was capable of allowing you to do so, should you go back in time and kill Hitler when he was a child, before he had a ...
- 7,202
3
votes
2
answers
1k
views
What was the name of Yiftach's (Jephthah's) daughter?
Do we have any sources for the name of Yiftach/Jephthah's daughter in Shoftim?
- 24.9k
0
votes
1
answer
56
views
Cleaning clothes before Passover?
Does one have to clean all their dirty clothes before Pesach (on the principle of being careful to washout all the chametz from their house)? What is the general Halakha for your clothing collections (...
- 2,226
3
votes
3
answers
231
views
Why are some royal mothers omitted from scripture?
One of the differences between the account of the Davidic kings and the non-Davidic kings in scripture is the inclusion of mothers for most of the Davidic kings. None of the non-Davidic kings have ...
CommunityBot
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8
votes
3
answers
2k
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Any hope for people who say, "I will sin then repent, sin then repent"?
One who says, ‘I will sin, then repent; I will sin, then repent’ is not permitted to repent.
(Masechet Yoma 85b)
What happens to somebody who says to himself, "I will sin then repent, sin then ...
- 384
4
votes
0
answers
200
views
+50
Photo restoration and Halacha
According to Halacha Is it permissible to post a tzniut picture of a women on a restoration page for people to colourise the picture? Does it depend on if the woman consents, doesn’t consent, or is ...
- 840
1
vote
1
answer
63
views
Modern/ legible edition of Chik’kei Lev
Is anyone aware of a modern edition, or transcription, of Rabbi Chaim Palaggi’s responsa Chik’kei Lev? The only edition I can find on Otzar and on HebrewBooks is a scan that’s barely legible. And it ...
- 2,133
2
votes
1
answer
74
views
Kabbalah/chasiduss explanation of theodicy
Are there any kabbalistic or hasidic explanations given to the question of theodicy? Beyond “rational”/philosophical explanations, are there any mystical reasons given to why bad things happen? If so, ...
- 230
4
votes
2
answers
173
views
What is the connection between Pharaoh's butler's cups and Arba Kosos?
The Daas Zekeinim (Shemos 12:8) writes
ד"א כנגד ד' כוסות שאמר שר המשקים ליוסף - Yet another interpretation
about why we drink four cups of wine on the night of the seder. It is
a reminder of the ...
- 13.8k
1
vote
0
answers
42
views
What daf and exact quote is this talking about in the Rashash
BH
The Rashash on the Tosfot daf 7B dibur hamaskil VeIbait Eima brings support from a different Gemara somewhere in Brachot. What’s the exact source and lashon of this? Like where is it? In my Gemara ...
- 755
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votes
1
answer
54
views
Respecting parents
I believe the two sources for the mitzvah of respecting one's parents stem from these two verses:
Honor your father and mother. Shemos 20:12
You should fear your mother and father. Vayikra 19:3
My ...
- 474
2
votes
1
answer
1k
views
How does a Jewish community recognize a Jewish person they hadn't seen ever before?
Let's say there is a Jewish community where everybody knows each other, for example in a city. Let's say a new Jewish person arrives and manifests their will to get integrated with them. Nobody knows ...
- 2,361
1
vote
0
answers
54
views
Asking for a zimmun
Why are there various different ways of reciting zimmun before birkat hamazon — why isn't there one set formula?
- 2,186
1
vote
0
answers
58
views
Sources for Halachic opinions influenced by kabbalah
Is there a source (like a book, website, etc.) that has a list of halachic opinions/rulings based on kabbalah and/or the Zohar? I’m asking because I am looking more into Halachic methodology and I ...
- 840
1
vote
2
answers
181
views
Talking to other people inside a bracha
A bracha always starts and/or ends with ברוך אתה ה'. However, in a few selected brachos, we also talk to other people in the second person in the middle of the bracha.
Examples:
The bracha in a ...
CommunityBot
- 1
2
votes
0
answers
42
views
Menorah Placement [closed]
I am living in a college dorm where we are not allowed to have open flames in our dorm. However, we are allowed to have flames in our floor lounge (with no windows). Should I light my Chanukah candles ...
- 21