All Questions

Chabad's article explains the “halachic hour” like this: The hour has a special meaning in Jewish law. "The third hour of the day" doesn't mean 3:00 a.m., or three sixty-minute hours after ...

There is a discussion in the talmud/halacha about if a plant grows between an upper floor and lower floor, who does the plant belong to. [I don't have the source, I only heard part of a class in ...

Does the בְ in לֹֽא־תַעֲנֶ֥ה בְרֵעֲךָ֖ עֵ֥ד שָֽׁקֶר only mean against or can it mean about with the idea of claiming the innocence of a guilty person as well as accusing an innocent person? Or, maybe ...

In my edition of the Aruch Hashulchan, there is often a paragraph that has Rashi script written inside brackets (see pic). What is the Rashi script? Is it the mechaber or someone/something else? I ...

Is it permissible to read gedolim books in the bathroom or is it forbidden? Would it change the Halacha based off what the contents of the book are? For example, some of these books just contain ...

Is it Lashon Hara (or any other aveirah) to imitate a rav. It’s a common thing in yeshivos (at least the ones I’ve been involved in) that some bachrim imitate the rebbes mannerisms and way of speaking ...

I know that it is a meat food, but what does it look like? (שולחן ערוך יורה דעה צד, 8) I didn't find any explanations about it from Google.

What do the rabbis of old say about the number 42, or the meanings thereof, when it appears in the various passages of the TaNaCH? My question is inspired from the forty two Locations in our Parashat ...

If a Jew made early Shabbos, I see the mechaber in OC 263:17 says that one may ask a Jew to do melacha for him (assuming he did not accept Shabbos yet). Would the same hold true of asking a non-Jew to ...

In 1st Chronicles 4:17, a man from the tribe of Yehudah by the name of Ezrah is listed as follows: And the sons of Ezrah: Jether, and Mered, and Epher, and Jalon. And she bore Miriam, and Shammai, ...

Good afternoon, I'm attempting to understand the "Thirty-Two Rules of Elezer B. Jose Ha-Gelili" and have come to the 5th rule and have a question; 1. Summary of Problem In reading the ...

In Tehillim 115:6 it is written: הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם שָׁ֭מַיִם לַה וְ֝הָאָ֗רֶץ נָתַ֥ן לִבְנֵי־אָדָֽם Translation: “⁦The heavens belong to the LORD, but the earth He gave over to man.” (Source: Sefaria) In ...

I am aware that Sotah 27b and Rashi do not not regard these verses as self-contradictory, although they point to the apparent contradiction. The verses in English: The LORD spoke to Moses in the ...

When counting the number of the Israelites in Bamidbar 1 Moshe only counts those who are twenty and above which somehow seems to be the age of responsibility. After having refused to enter Canaan all ...

Is the mitzvah of paas shachris a chiyuv or is it halachically permissable for someone to not eat breakfast every morning? If it is a chiyuv what is the best way and also what is the simplest way to ...

There is a well-known machlokes among Tanaim if דברה תורה בלשון בני אדם. I want to know if there is a final psak on this machlokes, especially according to Rashi. Does Rashi ever say which way to ...

We have a principle in which if someone benefits from something, they say a birkat hanehenin, a bracha thanking god for the pleasure he received. If he does not say a birkat hanehenin, it is ...

The gemara in Sukka 4 speaks of Dofen Akuma (literally a "bent wall"). How does this halacha look/work?

במדבר לא יא says: וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־כׇּל־הַשָּׁלָ֔ל וְאֵ֖ת כׇּל־הַמַּלְק֑וֹחַ בָּאָדָ֖ם וּבַבְּהֵמָֽה They gathered all the spoil and all the booty, man and beast, במדבר לא יב says: וַיָּבִ֡אוּ אֶל־...

When listing who will settle in land on the east of the Jordan river, Moshe adds in part of the tribe of Menashe, but Bamidbar 32:33 identifies the group as coming from the tribe of "Menashe ben ...

Bamidbar 35 discusses the cities that are to be given to the Leviem, and says that in addition to the 6 cities of refuge they are to be given 42 cities. Numbers 35:6 וְאֵ֣ת הֶֽעָרִ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר ...

The beginning of Sukkah (4a/4b) describes different scenarios where platforms are built alongside the three walls of the Sukkah. I am having a very tough time picturing how they are built and ...

And conversely, do scholars see any evidence that Plato was familiar with the Torah and incorporated any of it in his philosophy?

Generally הודעת בעל דין כמאה עדים דמי, MiGzeiras Hakosuv. However, in a case of שחב לאחרים, where his admission to debt or the like would cause others some loss, the baal din still has Neemonus, ...

Are there any sources (from any period in time as long as they come from a respectable source please) that demonstrates the need to educate one's child in the importance of cleanliness and personal ...

Was there any minimum/maximum requirements for space between each individual family, the tribes, the Tabernacle and the place around the Tabernacle?

Hashem says to Avraham in Bereshit 15:18: בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא כָּרַ֧ת יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־אַבְרָ֖ם בְּרִ֣ית לֵאמֹ֑ר לְזַרְעֲךָ֗ נָתַ֙תִּי֙ אֶת־הָאָ֣רֶץ הַזֹּ֔את מִנְּהַ֣ר מִצְרַ֔יִם עַד־הַנָּהָ֥ר הַגָּדֹ֖ל ...

Rashi in Genesis 48:7 אקברה שם. וְלֹא הוֹלַכְתִּיהָ אֲפִלּוּ לְבֵית לֶחֶם לְהַכְנִיסָהּ לָאָרֶץ, וְיָדַעְתִּי שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּלִבְּךָ עָלַי; אֲבָל דַּע לְךָ שֶׁעַל פִּי הַדִּבּוּר קְבַרְתִּיהָ שָׁם, ...

Does the concept "Shevua Shechal Bo" come up within the context of halacha or hashkafa in any area other than the the week leading up to Tisha B'Av? It just seems like a unique measure for a ...

A few questions in regards to the Bnei Machir ben Menashe; In Numbers 32:39-40 וַיֵּ֨לְכ֜וּ בְּנֵ֨י מָכִ֧יר בֶּן־מְנַשֶּׁ֛ה גִּלְעָ֖דָה וַֽיִּלְכְּדֻ֑הָ וַיּ֖וֹרֶשׁ אֶת־הָאֱמֹרִ֥י אֲשֶׁר־בָּֽהּ׃ The ...

There is a mitzvah to populate the world, pru urvu. For most mitzvot, there is a bracha we say before we do it. So why do we not say a bracha before sex? Also, whenever one benefits from anything, he ...

The Hebrew names of the Chumashim are usually referred to as בראשית שמות ויקרא etc. but the English names do not correlate with these names literally. The English names are Exodus, Numbers etc not ...

Question relates to apartment in Israel with maksan - מחסן (store room) on a different floor than the apartment.

According to this article many commentators starting from the time of Rebbeynu Saadia Gaon through the time of the Alter Rebbi used the pesukim in the book of Daniel to calculate when the end of days ...

On Simchas Torah only 6 people are called up to the Torah for Vezos Habracha [unless they repeat the aliyahs to give everyone one etc.] the question is, in all chumasheem that I'm aware of, Vezos ...

For men wishing to immerse ion Erev Shabbos, is there a benefit to going to a Mikvah that was made for purposes of tevilah, vs. using a standard pool?

This week is the somewhat rare Shabbat Rosh Chodesh Av. When that happens, we always read the section containing Numbers 33:38 about Aharon's death on Rosh Chodesh Av. In most communities this week a ...

The top answer to this question states that l’chatchila one should not write in a sefer torah. What about a Gemara? Would one be allowed to use a pencil in it? What if it’s directly on the words like ...

I heard in a Shiur that the Medresh says that the reason we were enslaved in Egypt was to bring national unity. Does anyone know where the Medresh says that? Thanks.

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 ...

Why shouldn't a person in their year of avelus be a shaliach tzibbur on shabbos or yom tov or yomim noraim?

The passuk reads: לֹ֣א מֵֽרֻבְּכֶ֞ם מִכׇּל־הָֽעַמִּ֗ים חָשַׁ֧ק יְהֹוָ֛ה בָּכֶ֖ם וַיִּבְחַ֣ר בָּכֶ֑ם כִּֽי־אַתֶּ֥ם הַמְעַ֖ט מִכׇּל־הָעַמִּֽים׃ It is not because you are the most numerous of peoples ...

IIRC, the word ברא applies exclusively to God's process of creation throughout the scriptures (see ברא on Sefaria). The word בריא is used to denote health (actually fat in cattle, like "...

Naturally, I would think to learn part I of Alei Shur first, but having read a few (ableit brief) online summaries, it almost seems like perhaps Part II is more relevant to someone who is not ...

Can a Chosson lead the bentching excluding the Sheva Brachos? I ask this because I understand that other people lead but let’s say the Chosson was in a restaurant and wanted to make a minyan for Sheva ...

Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 60:13-14 states that one should say the bracha of Mishaneh Habrios when seeing, among other things, an exceptionally dark-skinned or light-skinned person. The notes in the ...

I was wondering if anyone knows of an English translation of Alei Shur by Rabbi Wolbe? I have yet to find one.

If its past normal shkia, yet before Rabeinu Tam's shkia, can one still put on Rabeinu Tam's Tefillin, even though Tefillin isn't supposed to be put on at night in general, since one is anyways ...

In terms of why they are not all one body of text, what is the difference between Mishna, Baraisa, and Tosefta?

Many kiruv/outreach Rabbis, in an attempt to prove the veracity of the Torah, will base their claim on the concept of National Revelation. Part of that proof, they say, is that the Torah states that ...