14
votes
Accepted
In Bamidbar 4:3 they had to be 30 yrs old; in Bamidbar 8:24 they were 25 yrs old; why?
Chullin 24a (citing Sifrei Beha'alotekha 62) notes this contradiction in starting age and reconciles it by saying that Levites entered training at 25 and began to serve at 30. This restriction ...
- 56.2k
14
votes
What is the greatest age difference between a married couple in Tanach?
Based on certain midrashim and assuming they're compatible, Naamah was Noach's wife and was born, at the latest, in 129. Noach was born in 1056. That makes her at least 927 years (+/- rounding ...
- 9,037
13
votes
Accepted
Who was older, Miriam or Aaron?
Tosafot Bechorot 4a:
דלא היה אהרן בכור דמרים גדולה ממנו ג' שנים כדאמר במדרש [ריש פ' שמות] כמו שהיה אהרן גדול ממשה ג' שנים
Aharon was not the firstborn, because Miriam was three years older ...
- 40.3k
12
votes
Accepted
Was Avrohom really born in 1948?
For example, the posuk (5:32) says that Noach begot Sheim (Chom and Yefes) when he was 500 so I added 500 on to 1056 and got 1556.
But it doesn't say what order they were born in. Rashi later on (10:...
- 96.3k
11
votes
Accepted
What age were Leah and Rachel when they got married
The Seder Olam Rabba (ed. Leiner) states (ch. 2) that they were twins and were both 22 when they got married:
נמצאו רחל ולאה נשאו בנות כ"ב כ"ב, שהיו תאומות
Thus, Rachel and Leah were both ...
- 35.2k
10
votes
Accepted
Hundred like seventy and seventy like five
The question here seems to be based on a problem with the translation.
The text of the Rashi in question is:
בן ק' כבן ע' ובן ע' כבן ה' בלא חטא
There is nothing there about "strength".
Rashi ...
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9
votes
Accepted
Which rabbinic or mishnaic source is quoted as having stated that men are to be married at nineteen and fathers at twenty-four?
Most likely, you're thinking of Yehuda ben Teima in Avot 5:21, which is of the form you describe, though with a different particular list:
הוּא הָיָה אוֹמֵר, בֶּן חָמֵשׁ שָׁנִים לַמִּקְרָא, בֶּן ...
- 47.4k
8
votes
Marrying a wife that is older than you?
In Ish HaAshkolos, there is a story of an 11 year old Rabbi Weissmandel. His father brought him to Rabbi Dushinsky to receive a blessing.
While he was there, someone asked the young 11 year old if ...
- 391
7
votes
Waiting to do teshuvah until 20
The implication of the last mishna in Yoma is that the answer is no:
האומר, אחטא ואשוב, אחטא ואשוב, אין מספיקין בידו לעשות תשובה.
One who says, "I will sin, and then repent, I will sin, and then ...
- 17.5k
7
votes
Who was the old man talking to Rabbi Akiva's wife
Tosfos in Chullin 6a cites an opinion that ההוא סבא refers to Eliyahu Hanavi and rejects this assertion. This opinion is apparently found earlier among the Gaonim but is also debated.
In נדרים נ ע"א ...
- 7,470
6
votes
What age were Leah and Rachel when they got married
Seder Olam Rabbah 2 calculates that they were twins and married Yaakov at 22.
I don’t follow the math, myself. It seems to just throw out there that Rachel was 36 when she died; since Yaakov married ...
- 33.8k
6
votes
In Bamidbar 4:3 they had to be 30 yrs old; in Bamidbar 8:24 they were 25 yrs old; why?
The Ibn Ezra (8:24) reconciles these contradictory verses by proposing that the age of twenty five was appropriate only for the work of the tent (עבודת אוהל) whereas thirty was appropriate for ...
- 2,620
6
votes
Accepted
How old was Shaul when he became king?
As mentioned, according to the pure Tanach, he was one year old. The Mefarshim don't really think this is meant to be interpreted factually, and so they have a number of ways to explain this, see ...
- 20.8k
6
votes
Accepted
If somebody is over 60 and does an aveirah for which the punishment is misah biyedei shamayim, what happens?
We see from the following Gemora, that between 60 and 80 if someone dies suddenly - [without being sick for three days - תוספות שבת כה. ד"ה וכרת], it is somewhat of a Kares.
Moed Katan 28a:
רב ...
- 6,068
5
votes
Marrying a wife that is older than you?
When the Torah describes the yibum process, the following verse appears:
Deuteronomy 25:8
וְקָרְאוּ לוֹ זִקְנֵי עִירוֹ וְדִבְּרוּ אֵלָיו וְעָמַד וְאָמַר לֹא חָפַצְתִּי לְקַחְתָּהּ
Then the elders of ...
- 48.7k
5
votes
What do you say on a person's 120th birthday?
According to Rabbi Shurkin in his Meged Givas Olam, some great rabbis he studied under were against the idea that one can only live to one hundred and twenty years.
He cited an incident where Reb ...
- 33k
5
votes
Is Sarah old and withered, or young and attractive when Abimelech captures her?
Rashbam on Genesis 18:12:1:
עדנה - יתעדן הבשר ויתפשטו הקמטין.
Sefaria translation:
עדנה, a form of the skin becoming elastic and the wrinkles
straightening out.
This concept is supported by
...
- 69.6k
5
votes
From where do we know that after 70 years old we cannot complain about the death's age
One vision of the average lifespan is recorded in Psalm 90:10
The days of our years because of them are seventy years, and if with increase, eighty years; but their pride is toil and pain, for it ...
- 37.4k
5
votes
Accepted
Adam's physical maturity when created
Bereishit_Rabbah.14.7
... אמר רבי יוחנן: אדם וחוה כבני עשרים שנה נבראו ...
Rabbi Yohanan said Adam and Eve were created as 20 year olds
See Did Adam and Eve have bellybuttons, fingerprints or ridge ...
- 7,398
5
votes
Accepted
The proper age for a boy to start dating
According to the Minchas Chinuch (or perhaps it is the Sefer Hachinuch), the mitzva of פרו ורבו only applies at the age of 18, as in the mishna in Avos 5:22. The Gemara in Kidushin 30a is somewhat ...
- 999
5
votes
Accepted
What age is the kapoteh donned in Chabad circles?
From the wedding day onward.
Discussed in the book Mazal Tov by Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov on page 64
169. After the Kabbolas Ponim the chosson prepares for the chuppah in the following way.
170. The ...
- 4,121
5
votes
How old was Mordechai in the Megillah?
Second Version of Ibn Ezra on Esther 2:6 Calculates that Mordechai was at more than 90 years old when Achashveros married Esther.
11 years of Tzidkiyahu's kingship, after Yehoyachin (together with ...
- 43.4k
5
votes
What age was Avraham's name change?
It seems clear from Bereishit 17:1-5 that he was 99 years old.
- 40.3k
5
votes
Accepted
Did Shem's physical body (or) Shem's teachings remain alive 600 years?
There are a number of sources that point to the fact that Shem did indeed live a long life and also lived to see some of the personalities that you mention above.
Firstly by way of introduction, the ...
- 25.4k
5
votes
Is there an age difference limit for marriages in halakha?
There is no age gap explicitly mentioned in halacha. However, there is a general depreciation in The Talmud for marrying two people of significantly different ages.
"Who marries his daughter to ...
- 167
4
votes
Accepted
Why would God forsake us when we are old?
ט אַל-תַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי, לְעֵת זִקְנָה; כִּכְלוֹת כֹּחִי, אַל-תַּעַזְבֵנִי
9 Cast me not off in the time of old age; when my strength faileth,
forsake me not.
י כִּי-אָמְרוּ אוֹיְבַי לִי;...
- 42.7k
4
votes
What was the birth year of Korach?
Magid Meisharim in Shmos (Parsha) says that Korach was born when Moshe slay the Mitzri. There is close to Ten opinions as to how old Moshe was at that time (see Toras Shleimah ibid.)
Based on classic ...
- 61
4
votes
Who aside for Avraham and Adam in the torah died prematurely before their destined years?
Yaakov because of his complaint to Par'o about why he looked so haggard and old (Vayigash 47:9). Yosef died at 110 (Vayigash 50:26 the first of the brothers to die) because of the strains of being the ...
- 42.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Lambs offered for sacrifice
Both were used, depending on the sacrifice.
Leviticus 22:27 is pretty clear:
When an ox, sheep or goat is born, it must stay with its mother for seven days; from day eight and on, it will be ...
- 129k
4
votes
How old was Moshe at the splitting of the sea?
Moshe Rabbeinu turned 80 on 7 Adar before the Exodus and the splitting of the Sea was 22 Nisan (The next month)
Shmos Va'eira 7:7
וּמשֶׁה בֶּן שְׁמֹנִים שָׁנָה וְאַהֲרֹן בֶּן שָׁלשׁ וּשְׁמֹנִים ...
- 42.7k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible