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Traditionally, the human heart was considered the residence of the animated soul and numerous Biblical passages refer to that ancient belief: "You shall love the LORD your God with all your ...

The first several chapters of Mishneh Torah (ch.3-4) include some pseudo-scientific (Aristotelian?) passages, seemingly unrelated to practical Halacha, for example, "The celestial spheres are ...

This is something that I have heard and been taught many times, but I can't find it sourced anywhere. I do see this concept quoted often in various articles (via Google searches). The question on this ...

The Torah writes (Bereshit 18:2) [Abraham] saw three men standing near him Rashi comments right after (on 18:4) כַּסָּבוּר שֶׁהֵם עַרְבִיִּים which can be translated "[Abraham] thought they ...

Leviticus 11:26 even every living thing which divides the hoof, and is not cloven footed, and does not bring up the cud, they are unclean to you; anyone who touches them shall be unclean. What's the ...

There seems to be a Segulah to help a woman who is having trouble having a child. The Segulah is to form a group of 40 women (or more) who will say Tefilas Chana (Perek Aleph and Perek Bais in the ...

In the Aaronic blessings, should פָּנָיו be pronounced as PANAIW or PANAW? The yod can't be redundant right?

In regards to shaving/haircutting prohibition during the three weeks and/or sefira does this include hair on a mole on the face?

In the Birchat Hachodesh recited on the Shabbat before a Rosh Chodesh, in the final paragraph, there are a series of (what seem to be) requests for the upcoming month. I have seen in various ...

Or if my premise is wrong, please correct me? Guns, Germs, & Steel talks about early domesticated crops of the Fertile Crescent. No surprise that he quickly mentions wheat, barley, olives, dates, ...

Shemita (the prohibition to work the land every seventh year) is today observed in Israel as a rabbinic commandment. It will become again observed biblically when the majority of Jews will live in ...

A person who converts loses his halachic connections to his family (see the gemara at the bottom of Yevamot 48b as well as Yevamot 98a). What happens to "filial mitzvot" (e.g., filial ...

If I give a non Jew a ride, is that considered a chesed? I’m sure it’s considered a kiddush hashem but is there a mitzvah of chesed? Should one go out of his way to find these mitzvos of chesed, like ...

Initially, God breathed a soul into Adam through his nostrils (Gen 2.7). So we definitely know that breathing (נשימה) is linked somehow to the soul (נשמה). We require breathing to survive and without ...

On the middle shabbat of the ‘Three Weeks’, Ashkenazi and Sefaradi practice is to read a haftarah starting from Jeremiah 2:4. What happens in the (somewhat rare) case that this shabbat is also Rosh ...

In This answer one user says (on the topic of Judaism): the only reason why one should ever have sex is to have children with their spouse However another user disputes this I was wondering which ...

I'm aware that generally speaking the Machatzis Hashekel as well as the Ashel Avraham (Pri Migadim) act as perushim on the Magen Avraham. In fact, the Pri migadim has a perush on the TA"Z called ...

The original amidah had 3 introductory blessings and 3 concluding blessings surrounding a body of 12 blessings, which the later tannaim made 13 by adding an extra blessing. We have a similar situation ...

Traditional meforshim of Yechezkel 1 (for example, the Malbim) explain that the three often-mentioned classes of angels (ofanim, chayos and seraphim) correspond to the notions of the 3 lower worlds (...

I am looking for a source for the quote below. I assume it is the Mishneh Torah but have no basis for such belief. The quote (roughly translated by a non-Jewish “quotes” website) is: One should see ...

In the famous phrase from Belshatzar's feast in Daniel 5, "mene mene tekal u'farsin", the word "mene" is explained by Daniel to refer to Hashem having numbered Belshatzar's days as ...

There's a concept of שכר מצוות בהאי עלמא ליכא, there is no reward for mitzvos in this world (Kiddushin 39b). Much has been written on what this means and why it's true, but I found a innovative idea ...

Isaiah 2:3 Many peoples shall come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For ...

Didn't the generation that died in the desert forfeit their portion because they sinned and that's why they died and only the new generation born later inherited the land of Israel? And even if the ...

The Shulchan Aruch OC (648:2) writes אתרוג שניקב נקב מפולש כל שהוא פסול ושאינו מפולש אם היה כאיסר פסול ואם חסר כל שהוא פסול ויש אומרים דגם בנקב מפולש בעינן חסרון משהו ושאינו מפולש בחסרון כאיסר - An ...

I'm looking for perokim of mishnayos that have the fewest words. (I've been able to find, via this helpful forum!, which perokim have the fewest mishnayos, but I'm looking for the perokim with the ...

Almost all of Numbers chap. 30 deals with annulation or confirmation of vows. Basically, Nazirite and Vows look the same: somebody invents a trade-off between a desired benefit and a consented ...

How many, and which, melachot of shabbos are explicitly mentioned in the Chumash? For example, I know the Chumash mentions not making a fire; is this the only example of such or are there more which ...

In Devarim 3:9 it says that the Tzidonim would call Mt. Chermon "Sirion" and the Amorim would call it "Snir". However, when Yechezkel laments the fall of Tzor, which is in Tzidon, ...

A company called "Thin Slim Foods" makes a product called "Zero Net Carb Bread" under the Kosher Miami hechsher. It has the form and texture of bread and is made from ingredients ...

Must one close the bathroom door before saying Asher Yatzar? Or May one say it even with it open? Assume for this case that you’d be facing the door (if that affects the answer at all.)

Let say someone has gentile students who are doing well, and they are not idolators. Is it permissible to praise and recognize their good deeds?

What is safek beguf safek beta'arovet? Specifically, what is the the safek beguf? Also, How does it relate to safek sefeka?

Was there a double portion of Mon on Erev Yom Kippur Sholem, UK

I'm looking for a chassidic Torah commentary on the level of pshat or a chassidic commentary easy to read?

The “Process of Tshuvah” requires that one must sincerely promise never to repeat the sin(s) again. I hope to apologize sincerely and do Tshuvah properly, however, I can’t promise I will never repeat ...

Leaving aside related concepts that might stem from this conversation such as veganism or animal rights...The more I read Tanakh the more it seems to me that the Torah and Tanakh as a whole view ...

While reading this week's Torah and Haftarah portions Pinchas (פִּינְחָס‎) & Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah), I began to wonder if Yirimiyahu HaNabi was of the line of Pinchas HaKohen. Outside of both ...

How old was Eliyahu when he was taken to Paradise?

Maimonides says in Avodat Kochavim, Chapter Eight: It is permitted to derive benefit from anything that has not been manipulated by man or that was not made by man, even though it was worshiped [as a ...

When is was time for Eliyahu to depart this world, why did G-d choose for him to depart from the eastern side of the Jordan River and not from Israel?

Someone found out that their grandmother, who passed away 7 years ago, didn't have anyone that said kaddish for her for the year after her passing. Is there any inyun now to say kaddish for a year (...

When is a second bris milah required? Is it possible to require a second milah after masturbating for some time?

The Gmara says : שמואל כתב ספרו והכתיב (שמואל א כח, ג) ושמואל מת דאסקיה גד החוזה ונתן הנביא (Baba Batra 15:1), that is Shmuel, Gad and Nathan wrote the book of Shmuel. However, in Shmuel 1 27:6 it ...

It seems to be obvious that all the Tanah' is prophecy, or at least "Ruach' Hakodesh". However, we see that the Gmara try to prove that Esther was written by Ruach' Hakodesh; but why there ...

It is a common Hindu meditative practice to chant Om, which is the sound of the universe. Would doing so then transgress mitzvah 35 in Sefer Hamitzvot that prohibits chanting incantations which would ...

I have heard a lot of people say, if you do the right thing you will never lose out even in this world. Is there a source for this?

This is when he was going there with his student Elisha, when he was to be taken alive to heaven.

There is a mitzvah, or at least a strong minhag, to eat warm food at one's Shabbos day meal. What about when traveling? Must one arrange to always have warm food on Shabbos while traveling, or is this ...

Leviticus 11:5-6 5 And the rock badger, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. 6 And the hare, because it chews the cud but does not part the hoof, is unclean to you. ...