All Questions

Bamidbor 27, 15 &16 יִפְקֹ֣ד יְהוָ֔ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י הָרוּחֹ֖ת לְכָל־בָּשָׂ֑ר אִ֖ישׁ עַל־הָעֵדָֽה׃ “Let the LORD, Source of the breath of all flesh, appoint someone over the community" Moshe ...

I’ve a question, G-d created the heavens and the earth, but in order to do so did He usd an 'agent’? The spirit of G-d hovering above the face of the waters is explained as the spirit of Moshiach. The ...

If steam from a cholent pot condensed on the cover and then the liquid from the cover fell onto a pareve container, is the container now meat?

I’ve a question regards Genesis 1. It starts with the famous words “Bereshit bara Elohim...(בראשית ברא אלהים)”, followed by the words that the Ruach Elohim (רוח אלהים) was present. And from this point ...

Although I have seen paragraphs here and there in various books explaining the torah hashkafa on specific values (i.e. Rav Kook, Rav Illowy, Lord Sacks on slavery), I have yet to seen a book that ...

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 ...

I was reading a Dvar Torah by a prominent Rosh Yeshiva where he stated that Chazal say that the connection between the end of Sefer Vayikra: אלה המצות אשר צוה יהוה את־משה אל־בני ישראל בהר סיני These ...

The Book of Judges says: The Children of [the Tribe of] Dan erected graven images [idols] for themselves; and Jonathan son of Gershom son of Menashe [וִ֠יהוֹנָתָן בֶּן־גֵּרְשֹׁ֨ם בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֜ה], ...

I'm aware that the Torah says the serpent spoke to Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:1) and Balaam's ass spoke to him on his journey to see Balak (Numbers 22:28). Are there any other instances of animals ...

The torah and other Jewish literature make clear that "challah" is a catch all that describes a normal bread that is often used in offerings, or portions of it are given as sacrifices or as ...

Rav Shalom Arush is the author of an extensive book series on emunah, marriage, parnasa, etc. which many readers here - including myself - have found helpful. However, I heard that some distinguished ...

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 ...

I found that abroad (out of Israel) there is an intense usage of the word Chaplaincy. Does it mean Rabbanut in Hebrew? Are there Rabbis that call themselves Chaplaincy? Does this word come from ...

The Acropolis with its Parthenon is Greece's #1 tourist attraction. Are there any halachic issues with touring the ruins of pagan temples?

As a young child, the Kotzker Rebbe is quoted as asking how Klal Yisroel in the Wilderness were able to fulfill the mitzva of tzedaka if they had everything they needed with the manna. However, they ...

I am a historical fiction writer, and it's very important to me to get details right. I am currently working on a story idea set in Colonial New York around the time of the Revolution. At that time, ...

Modern society accepts the axiom that all men are created equal with the unalienable rights of life, liberty and happiness. We abhor both chattel and indentured slavery, genocide and unprovoked ...

I can't find examples of gravestones (matsevot) with both parents' names in Hebrew. For a kohen, the options seem to be Ploni ben Almoni ha-kohen v'Almonit which I don't especially like, as it makes ...

When the World to Come is in full effect (messianic age, beis hamikdash, resurrection of dead), will current real estate owners in Israe need to relinquish their rights to the property for it to be ...

There is a fundamental Machlokes Rishonim whether when the Gemara says that there is no Chiyuv of Tzitzis at night, is that referring to the Gavra or to the Cheftza. The question now is: a person puts ...

Can I wash my heavy wool talis together with the silver Atora,what happens if I won’t remove the Atora? I will appreciate if anyone can assist me,thank you!

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 ...

What does the name Pinchas mean? Is it Hebrew, is it Egyptian, is it a Nubian name? In the Hebrew how does it translate to Brass/Copper Mouth when the last letter in the name is a samech and not a ...

The Midrash tells a strange story: When Moses said to Jethro, "Give me your daughter Tzipporah as a wife", Jethro answered, "If you do what I ask of you, I will give her to you as a ...

Greetings fellow seeker of Truth, After reading through the first couple of pages of Michael Leitmann and David Brushin rendition of the Zohar, I realized that entire sections are missing and huge ...

We are told by the Gemoro Sanhedrin 72A (brought by Rashi on Devorim 21:18) that the Ben Sorer is killed because the Torah foresees that he will eventually kill somebody. However the Rambam rules (...

My name is David, I speak German as my mother tongue and I am interested in comparative linguistics. German and Yiddish are very closely related. Have you heard of Balador Alast? He has an entire ...

For people who don't use electricity on Shabbos, what do you do with the freezer light? With the fridge, it's easier because I can just tape the notch that controls the light, but with the freezer, it'...

There is a Rema on Even HaEzer 23:5 that looks troubling to me. The Siman there is discussing the prohibition of spilling seed, and this particular halacha is that if a woman has “some sort of closure ...

I am part of the Chevra Kadisha in a town with a small Jewish community and so the Metim don’t always have people to sit Shmirah the whole time until the funeral so I try to spend as much time as ...

כִּ֤י לֹא־נַ֙חַשׁ֙ בְּיַעֲקֹ֔ב וְלֹא־קֶ֖סֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל כָּעֵ֗ת יֵאָמֵ֤ר לְיַעֲקֹב֙ וּלְיִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל מַה־פָּ֖עַל אֵֽל׃ ‏ Bamidbar 23:23 The word פעל is mile'eil (according to R' Breuer's conclusion ...

The Artscroll elucidated Mishnah (Oholot 4:1) contains a footnote referring to Mikdash David, Kuntres Tohorot 3:4 (d'h והנה זה). Can anyone help me find a copy of this source?

Throughout Chumash, the Ramba"n goes after the ibn Ezra. The Ramba"n says in his introduction to the Chumash that his attitude toward the ibn Ezra is "תוכחה גלויה ואהבה מסותרת". In ...

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 ...

I was disappointed that Rashi does not comment on the passage: Lev 18:22 JPS You shall not lie down with a male, as with a woman: this is an abomination. Is this discussed in Torah or the prophets ...

Why wasn't Miriam's body taken to Eretz Yisrael for burial when she died? In her merit, the well followed B'Nei Yisrael in the desert. She saved Moshe by taking care of him as a baby in the Nile River....

If a Jew who doesn’t keep kosher eats a meal (like non-kosher beef), is it permissible, forbidden or necessary to say some sort of brachot before and after eating? My initial guess would be no since ...

I found the book Ma'ayan HaChochmah in many editions, all of which are attributed to Moshe Rabbeinu. Here are some examples: 1, 2, 3, 4. What is the history of this book? Is it unanimous that it was ...

We are enjoined to study the "Torah". Joshua told Israel: לֹֽא־יָמ֡וּשׁ סֵפֶר֩ הַתּוֹרָ֨ה הַזֶּ֜ה מִפִּ֗יךָ וְהָגִ֤יתָ בּוֹ֙ יוֹמָ֣ם וָלַ֔יְלָה Let not this Book of the Torah cease from ...

Is there a Breslov Kollel in Ramat Beit Shemesh? Or a chassidus style kollel that focuses on Gemara and Halacha as well as Chassidus (breslov)?

Rav Eytan Feiner mentioned that the Baal Haturim wrote his commentary on Chumash in one night as a gift for his father. Although there are noting the commentary being written in one night, are there ...

According to the CDC, up to 45 million get sick and 60,000 die from influenza in the US each year, including hundreds of children. Why is the annual flu not considered safek pikuach nefesh and demand ...

I’ll expand the question in the title. Suppose someone is being annoyed by somebody else or has certain doubts about how to proceed regarding somebody else’s behavior and is looking for advice. Not ...

Are we Jews obligated to study the Zohar in particular, or at we at liberty to ignore it completely? (I mean ignore it as part of one's systematic studies. We obviously never totally ignore it. Our ...

Did Rashi (specifically in Na"ch) himself write the Devri Hamaschil that shows what part of the Pasuk Rashi is coming to explain (as part of his Perush; Or was that put in later by The Printers? ...

If I take off my shel Rosh and shel yad, then a few hours later put on my shel yad only - what bracha do I make?

I wonder if a gentile converts to Judaism and has no Jewish family background at all then is that person considered a Jew? Are there any sects in Judaism that have this restriction? Any citations or ...

Say I wanted to learn with an elder fellow (80s) who's always Been irreligious his entire life. What should I learn with him to bring him to Religion. Keep in mind: He can read Hebrew, he believes in ...

As per the teaching of the Besht I’ve been really meditating on the letters as I daven but I realized that the true shapes of letters as they are written in a Torah or mezuzah which includes the tagim ...

The Gemara Berachos (7a) writes וְאֵימַת רָתַח? אָמַר אַבַּיֵי: בְּהָנָךְ תְּלָת שָׁעֵי קַמָּיָיתָא כִּי חִיוָּרָא כַּרְבַּלְתָּא דְתַרְנְגוֹלָא וְקָאֵי אַחַד כַּרְעָא. The Gemara asks: When is the ...