15
votes
Accepted
Why a burning bush?
The midrash in Sh'mot Rabbah (2:5) offers some explanations:
Why fire? To inspire him with courage so that when he comes to Sinai later he is not afraid of the fire.1
Why a thornbush? R' Yehoshua b....
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8
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Why "Hamotzi Lechem" instead of "Hamotzi Chitah"?
The Bach in O.C. Siman 167 has a nice explanation of this.
He starts by pointing out that the word "hamotzi" is the preferred word for the blessing, even though the word "motzi" would suffice, ...
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8
votes
Is it still prohibited to raise sheep/goats in Eretz Yisrael?
Welcome to Mi Yodeya!
This very broad article deals with the issue well.
The main source he quotes is Shulchan Aruch Choshen Mishpat, 409:1.
אין מגדלים בהמה דקה בארץ ישראל מפני שדרכם לרעות בשדות של ...
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6
votes
Why "Hamotzi Lechem" instead of "Hamotzi Chitah"?
In Psalms 104.14 it is written "Lehotzi lechem min ha'aretz" צְמִיחַ חָצִיר, לַבְּהֵמָה, וְעֵשֶׂב, לַעֲבֹדַת הָאָדָם;
לְהוֹצִיא לֶחֶם, מִן-הָאָרֶץ. I have always assumed that this was the source of ...
- 731
6
votes
Climate and growing season in Iron Age Israel and Judah
I won't answer the question as stated. Instead I will address one premise of the question, which is actually very common with this type of question.
The question assumes that Pesach is supposed to be ...
- 3,463
5
votes
Why a burning bush?
Rashi says God appeared in a thornbush to show He was sharing the Jews' pain.
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5
votes
How do you maximize your aravot's period of freshness?
I was just referred to "How to keep your aravos fresh throughout sukkos: The definitive guide for frustrated palm-frond wavers", an apparently anonymous document describing a series of nine ...
- 47.8k
5
votes
In what way are hybrid plants/trees prohibited?
The prohibition not to sow your field with a mixture of seeds is called Kilayim.
PracticalHalacha describes how it prohibits from planting two species of fruit or vegetable plants (and trees) ...
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5
votes
Black seed (Nigella Sativa) - "קצח" in talmud
Ketzach - assuming that this name refers to the same plant in question - is mentioned in the Talmud twice as a cure for heart disease:
"He who is in the habit of taking black cumin will not ...
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5
votes
Who named trees and plants?
Philo (Midrashei Philon 2:19) posits, that Adam also named the entire plant world, along with the mineral world.
See also Abarbanel (Breishis) who asks your question:
השאלה הי"ז. באמרו וייצר ה' ...
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4
votes
What species of esrog do people use?
I know of 4 types or varieties commonly used.
The Chazon Ish esrogs (Halpern, Lefkowitz) and similarly the Braverman esrogs (associated with Mahril Diskin) decend from the esrogim that used to grow ...
- 1,703
4
votes
Accepted
(How) Are these aravos kosher?
Small serations are kosher, large ones are not. See Halachipedia's entry on aravos.
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4
votes
Plants before the Sun in the Order of Creation
Ralbag has two explanations of the order of creation that can address this. The first explanation is that everything existed at once. The sequence delineated in Genesis is just the order in which they ...
- 49.1k
4
votes
Accepted
Why "Hamotzi Lechem" instead of "Hamotzi Chitah"?
Neither the question, nor the seven answers so far, mention what is probably the most relevant Talmudic passage to this issue. The Talmud, in discussing the blessing for olive oil, states the ...
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4
votes
Accepted
Which plants are not subject to peah, leket, and shichecha?
Mishna Peah Chapter 1, Mishna 4:
כלל אמרו בפאה. כל שהוא אוכל, ונשמר, וגידוליו מן הארץ, ולקיטתו כאחת, ומכניסו לקיום, חייב בפאה. והתבואה והקטניות (1) בכלל הזה.
First principle, fruits ...
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3
votes
Why "Hamotzi Lechem" instead of "Hamotzi Chitah"?
Unfortunately, I don't remember where I heard this, but I heard that the apparently-incongruous wording of the blessing is there to make us realize that even though bread is only edible thanks to a ...
- 47.8k
3
votes
What happened to Canaan during the famine after Yaakov et al went down to Egypt?
A couple of Mefarshim address this question (link here):
Radak suggests that the Kena'anim went elsewhere (and presumably paid with their belongings, as they had no money left).
Netziv suggests that ...
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3
votes
G'dolim or Rabbis Owning Pets
My Chabad Rabbi told me that the Lubavitcher Rebbe bought his wife a dog to cheer her up because she was sad that she couldn't have a baby.
- 945
3
votes
Accepted
Why do we put out greenery on Shavuos?
I'm giving a Shiur on this on the second night of Shavuos. Here are my notes: (I hope none of you will be at my Shiur. If you do, please don't spoil anything)
The Rama brings down that the Minhag is ...
- 5,365
3
votes
How did plants survive the Mabul?
Ralbag explains that Noah brought seeds with him on the ark to replant the world afterwards, and he provides three reasons why the Torah doesn't mention this:
וראוי שתדע שמיני הצמחים אשר יתכן הפסדם ...
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3
votes
Property border trees and Peah
Peah has to be designated by the owner. It also doesn't have to be in the corner of the field, but it does have to be at the end of the owner's harvest. (Peah 1:3)
Also, even if it is designated, ...
- 9,116
3
votes
What resources can help me understand agriculture for Zeraim?
The Koren Steinsaltz HaMishna HaMivueret is an excellent Mishna set which is "also accompanied by helpful illustrations, maps, photos, and charts to aid understanding and bring the Mishna into ...
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3
votes
What can be done with the terumos and maasros?
You have four options
Give it to a Kohen who will burn it for warmth or feed it to his pets
Bury it
Put it into a dedicated compost pot (not mixed with other compost) and discard it once it has ...
- 47.9k
3
votes
Accepted
Pushing a buggy on grass on Shabbos
Rabbi David Ribiat in The 39 Melachos, Volume 2, in Choraish says as follows:
"Pushing a carriage or stroller on bare soil (even soft earth) is
similarly permissible even if a distinct wheel-...
- 139k
3
votes
Accepted
Weed killer on Shabbat
The gemara in Moed Katan 2b discusses whether weeding is considered plowing or sowing
It was stated that the amora’im disputed the following question:
With regard to one who weeds or one who waters ...
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2
votes
Why did Noach plant a vineyard?
The Shelah HaKadosh writes in parshas Noach that Noach planted a vineyard because he wanted to repair (the Zohar vol 1, 73a says "to understand") the sin commited by Adam, but instead, he failed to do ...
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G'dolim or Rabbis Owning Pets
The last Lubavitcher Rebbe had a German Shepherd guard dog. Source.
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2
votes
How do you maximize your aravot's period of freshness?
I was in a shul hoshana raba one year and after davening a guy showed everyone his aravos and they were fresh like they were just picked. He said all you need to do is put a little water in the bottom ...
2
votes
Plants before the Sun in the Order of Creation
On the initial premise of plants requiring the sun for photosynthesis, and it certainly is the best light for developing plants, this site reports how scientists developed plants WITHOUT anything but ...
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2
votes
will there be plants and animals in olam haba?
The Leshem writes that any object, including inanimate objects, which were part of bringing about a kiddush Hashem or a revelation of Hashem's presence in the world, will exist in the eternal Olam ...
- 58.3k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible