All Questions

So, I just saw a news article purporting that Israel's "top rabbi" claims to know members of the Thirty Six Tzaddikim as well as the Messiah, and that he claims the Messiah will be revealed shortly. ...

I am looking for an English-speaking kollel for either morning or afternoon in Yerushalayim for a young married American with a yeshiva background. Any recommendations would be helpful. Thank you.

The Talmud, in Sanhedrin 56a-b, gives the Noahide laws, applicable to all mankind: Our Rabbis taught: Seven precepts were the sons of Noah commanded: To establish courts of justice; and refrain ...

I would like to know what the halachic boundaries of Jerusalem are today in terms of where one would be obligated in the mitzvot of Shushan Purim.

I really like the kind of atara for a tallis that has rows of metal squares (like this). On this link, it is called an "Ateret Chatan" and the description says "A popular addition to a tallis for a ...

Although the Shulchan Aruch YD (116:5) writes ולא יתן תבשיל ולא משקים תחת המטה מפני שרוח רעה שורה עליהם - don't put cooked food or drinks under the bed due to ruach ra'ah does that issue ...

Do shorts in general need to be checked for shatnez? It would be nice if you provide a Sephardic posek

Is there a specific law that forbids Jews from proselytizing or was it just a custom that became the norm because unlike other major religions Jews believe that members of other faiths can fulfill God'...

There are only around 20 million Jews out of a population of 7.6 billion. Of those 20 million maybe 10% (2 million) are Torah observant. According to the Torah one of the purposes of the Jewish People ...

What are some Minhagim that men are accustomed or unaccustomed to do on the day of the their wedding? Can you please list the minhag with its source, thanks.

Are there any recent (post holocaust) stories of a Jew who chose to sacrifice his life in order to be meKadesh HaShem? Are there any modern day Jewish martyrs (not including the many Jews who were ...

According to Mishnah Berurah 11:15, the mechaber writes: "Yesh omrim that one must make a point of hanging the tzitzis to the length of the talis". MB 73 writes this is l’chatchila, but b’diavad, ...

Being that it is forbidden to marry siblings may conjoined twins marry? Are they considered siblings or one person?

I understand there was a little fence in Bayit Sheni called "HaSoreg"/"The Grille" which was meant to warn away gentiles and tme'im from entering the Chayil part of Har Habayit (according to the ...

I know of Rav Morgenstern. Are there others?

We read in Teshuvot haRashba Meyuchas LehaRamban No. 284: (….) “And also in regard to the words of the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon), of Blessed Memory, they are not intended to forbid the ...

Are there cases where a rishon expresses that he argues with a gaon, tana or amorah and holds his stance anyways?

There seems to be a stress on humility in Judaism. Downplaying the self or understating personal qualities seems to be proper. However in the gemara (Sukkah 45b) there is a statement (and ...

In most situations a boy becomes a Bar Mitzvah and there are certain practices to mark that occasion which take place on the upcoming Shabbos. Those may include some or all of the following: getting ...

Rashi to Chulin 8 amud 2 takes the unusual step of mentioning the practical halacha that he derived from the g'mara. He says that, because the g'mara came to no conclusion about what to do with an ...

The Bavli, Chulin 8 amud 1: איבעיא להו ליבן שפוד והכה בו משום שחין נדון או משום מכוה נדון As explained by Rashi, the g'mara is asking as follows: Suppose someone heated a spit and hit someone with ...

Which is correct? Mesirut nefesh or mesirat nefesh? I have always used mesirut, but see mesirat also.

We read in Yerushalmi- Avodah Zarah 3:1 18a (English translation by Rabbi Jacob Neusner): [A] All images are prohibited. [B] "Because they are worshipped once a year", the words of R. Meir ...

Do you know of online an English translation of Rav Yosef Karo's Kesef Mishneh? Unless I'm mistaken, it is a fundamental work to better understand the Mishneh Torah.

I've noticed that some editions of Sefer Hachinuch (such as R. Chavel's edition based on the 1523 Venice edition) split Parashat Mishpatim into two sections. The first starts from the beginning of ...

When eating a bread meal one makes the decision to end the meal, clears the table but then decides to continue eating. Question: Does this constitute Hesech HaDaas? And if so, when saying a bracha ...

I'm currently on teshuva path and right now I'm trying to learn some zemirot for shabbat table. Would anyone please help me identify the first one on this youtube video? https://www.youtube.com/watch?...

The Gemara Yoma quoted below enumerates five words in verses of the Pentateuque for which it's not clear, according to Issi Ben Yehuda if they are attached to the previous words or to the next words. ...

Rashi, on Shemot 21:6 that talks about an Eved-Ivri extending his servitude, writes: What is the reason that the ear had to be pierced rather than any other limb of the servant’s body? Rabban ...

A synagogue wanted to expand. The Wardens approached the neighbour who had land adjoining which would be suitable and asked if the synagogue could acquire the land. The neighbour refused. The ...

The Talmud in Barachot 43a states the following: אמר ליה רב חסדא לרב יצחק האי משחא דאפרסמון מאי מברכין עלויה א"ל הכי אמר רב יהודה בורא שמן ארצנו א"ל בר מיניה דר' יהודה דחביבא ליה ארץ ישראל לכולי ...

As far as I know, it was forbidden to sit in the Azara unless you were a king descended from David. So it seems the Kohanim must have been forced to stand while eating their portions of the Kodshei ...

Is it permissible to use a lock pick on shabbos? Obviously an electronic one would be prohibited. what are the possible prohibitions?

Many stores sell Kosher food products, and many stores also sell dishes. Are there stores that sell kashered dishes? Is it a requirement that the stores have Jewish ownership, to prevent the need for ...

The following passuk in Vayikra 11:24 stipulates וּלְאֵ֖לֶּה תִּטַּמָּ֑אוּ כָּל־הַנֹּגֵ֥עַ בְּנִבְלָתָ֖ם יִטְמָ֥א עַד־הָעָֽרֶב׃‏ And the following shall make you unclean—whoever touches their ...

Can a Microwave be used to Kasher other dishes? For example, to Kasher a metal bowl it could be filled with water and placed on a platter in the microwave for an extended period of time. The water in ...

I was reading today's weekly portion and it caught my eyes (Shemot 18:6): וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֔ה אֲנִ֛י חֹֽתֶנְךָ֥ יִתְר֖וֹ בָּ֣א אֵלֶ֑יךָ וְאִ֨שְׁתְּךָ֔ וּשְׁנֵ֥י בָנֶ֖יהָ עִמָּֽהּ׃ And he ...

I’am an Italian noahide. Rambam states in his Sefer Hamitzvot (English translation by Rabbi Berel Bell): “The 233rd mitzvah is that a person is commanded to marry his amah ivriyah. Either her ...

Is describing how someone looks loshon hara if the attributes are commonly perceived as negative?

I am an Italian noahide. My question expresses a purely intellectual curiosity, concerning the Jews and not the Gentiles. As we know Rambam states in Hilchot Melachim 4: 4: “A commoner is ...

I was having a discussion with someone about whether we have an actual obligation in the 7 Mitzvot Derabanan. The conclusion we came to was that we are obligated in them because in the past, the ...

On one hand having good middot is the Mitzva of holachta bdrachav. And the mitzvah of ledavka bo is to connect to Talmidai chachomim But I see that ledavka bo is also explained as having good middot (...

What's the meaning of the name "Miriam"/"מרים"? I thought it might be from the root "מרי", which means "rebellion", in which case the name means "their rebellion", which might reflect Miriam/Puah and ...

Is there a special reason why people cut the Chalah on Shabbos in diagonal slices

What is the halacha on proselytizing? If a Jew tries to convince a non-Jew to become Jewish, is he breaking any commandments or rabbinic decrees? Sources, please. (I know there is evidence we used ...

My question is, Hashem ontologically speaking, His Being, is a singular, yichud in all respects. So does this conception stop at Ein Sof, or even before Ein Sof? And once the ohr proceeds forth from ...

This might sound incredible ludicrous but please bear with me - after all a fellow Jew once told me how the Shulchan Aruch in a passage described how and when proper defecation should occur (feel free ...

Related to this question on werewolves and subsequent answers. Also to these posts by Rabbi Slifkin. I know this is an odd subject, but apparently, Rabbeinu Ephraim ben Shimshon, one of the Tosafists,...

I'm familiar with Karaism, and as I understand it, Karaites are not considered "Jews" by Rabbinic Jews, at least not in the traditional sense. What is the perspective of the Rabbinic Jewish community ...

Disclaimer: To my own surprise the Q&A field didn't wield any sufficient results (or I used bad/inappropriate keywords). If you link me to a page where this question got already answered and dealt ...