34
votes
Does Judaism consider women inferior?
This is a fair question. You are far from the only person who feels this way.
As an Orthodox woman who respects the traditional prohibition on Talmud study for women, as well as the many other Jewish ...
- 19.3k
31
votes
Does Judaism consider women inferior?
In addition, women are exempt and even discouraged from a large number of mitzvas that are central to Jewish practice, such as praying three times a day and laying tefillin.
This is close to ...
- 95.3k
17
votes
Accepted
How to explain to friends/family that one will not attend an intermarriage
Like many things in life, this will obviously depend on the specific situation. For example, if the relevant people understand your lifestyle and why you would be sensitive to this issue before it ...
- 57.4k
14
votes
Accepted
Source that those without a genuine need soliciting charity is a good thing
Its a gemara in Kesuvos 68a its a statement of Rav Elazar :
דאמר רבי אלעזר בואו ונחזיק טובה לרמאין שאלמלא הן היינו חוטאין [- שאנו מעלימין עין מן העניים אבל עכשיו הרמאים גורמים לנו - רש"י] בכל ...
- 39.7k
10
votes
Accepted
Is this aphorism about gentiles as problematic as it seems?
The Rambam in Hilchos Issurei Biah 12:6 holds there is an issue kares,see the chapter in detail. See also the Shulchan Aruch Even Haezer 16 with the meforshim who hold its not only a Rabbinic ...
- 39.7k
8
votes
Accepted
Emotional distress with the overly sensitive
The Gemara in Bava Metzia (59a), in dealing with the prohibition of causing anguish - Onas Devarim, says that it is imperative to speak to ones wife nicely, for they cry very easily.
אמר רב לעולם ...
- 15.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Scrutinising the legitimacy/cause of a charity collector
This is a very interesting and difficult question not addressed directly by any of the many sources I consulted. So here are a few relevant sources I collected on the topic.
It emerges that you do ...
- 43.5k
5
votes
What to say to someone on a yahrzeit
The most common expression I have heard - "May the neshama have an aliyah".
The concept is that while the physical body remains in the earth, the dead person's neshama (soul) should rise to Gan Eden,...
- 68.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Public Shaming: Cardinal Sin?
The Rambam is of the opposite opinion. Although he brings the concept of such a person not having a portion in the world to come, he mentions nothing about it being a fourth exception to יהרג ואל ...
- 31.3k
5
votes
embarassing an anonymous person online
Answering this as a logical question would seem to include lifnei ivar lo siten michshol which also includes "blessing" a deaf person who would not hear you.
Vayikra 19:14
לֹֽא־תְקַלֵּ֣ל חֵרֵ֔שׁ ...
- 41.9k
5
votes
What to say to someone on a yahrzeit
In Britain (certainly in Scotland) many ashkenazim say "you should have a long life" (not said as some kind of irony when being said to the one commemorating the yahrzeit but said in recognition of ...
5
votes
Accepted
How to start loving someone after they become Jewish
You have asked some good general questions, here, SAH. But, within this, I have to ask - or rather, I think YOU have to ask yourself - if you may be judging her too harshly. Pirkei Avot states that ...
- 68.8k
5
votes
Title to use when addressing a rav
The Shulchan Aruch (in Yore De'ah סימן רמב - שלא להורות בפני הרב, ודין רב שמחל על כבודו) discusses greeting one's Rav - and mentions that one doesn't greet him as one does any other person, and ...
- 42k
5
votes
Is treating others decently more important than keeping Shabbos?
See the commentary of the רא"ש - Rosh, on Mishna Peah 1:1 -פאה פרק א' משנה א'
.
כי הקדוש ברוך הוא חפץ יותר במצות שיעשה בהם גם רצון הבריות מבמצות שבין
אדם לקונו:
Hashem prefers those mitzvos ...
- 6,779
4
votes
How to explain to friends/family that one will not attend an intermarriage
Recommendation: just send your regrets that you will not be able to attend. Explaining your issue will only cause hurt feelings, for no good reason.
More generally, I see only a few options.
Decline ...
- 151
4
votes
Minimum Requirement of Love your Neighbor
Most Rishonim hold that the obligation to love a fellow Jew does not demand a person to feel a specific emotion. Rather, it asks of a Jew specific actions. A Jew must act towards his fellow with care, ...
- 5,212
4
votes
Does Judaism consider women inferior?
B"H
A user left the following very apt comment on my previous answer:
You say that women have an important role in Judaism, but of course
the question was not whether women have a role at all, ...
- 19.3k
4
votes
Accepted
Should you prompt someone to ask you for mechila before Yom Kippur?
It would seem that you should prompt the wrongdoer, or else wholeheartedly forgive them.
The Kizur Shulchan Aruch in סימן קלא - דיני ערב יום כפור says:
וְאַדְרַבָּה, אִם הַחוֹטֵא אֵינוֹ מִתְעוֹרֵר ...
- 42k
4
votes
Keeping your own community's dinim vs. yuhara
This is not a complete answer, but...
There is an interesting responsum of R. Sherira Gaon. The question posed to him was what one should do in a place where people don't wear tefillin. Specifically, ...
- 47.9k
4
votes
Is P'ru Ur'vu a Mitzvah Bein Adom l'Chaveiro?
Let's stick with Sefer HaChinuch 1, explaining the goal of this Mitzvah:
משרשי מצוה זו, כדי שיהיה העולם מישב , שהשם ברוך הוא חפץ בישובו, כדכתיב: (ישעיהו מה יח) לא תהו בראה לשבת יצרה. (גיטין מא, ב ...
- 24.6k
3
votes
If I hate myself, how can I love my fellow Jew like I love myself?
Practise it via the version of Hillel the Elder:
"That which is hateful to yourself, do not do to your fellow man".
Having taken that on board, perhaps address your self-hatred with his other maxims:...
- 3,008
3
votes
LOR and sinat chinam or lashon hara
I would suggest sending a message to the Chabad headquarters.
Contact Us
Lubavitch World Headquarters
770 Eastern Parkway
Brooklyn, New York 11213
Phone: 718 774.4000
Fax 718 774.2718
...
- 41.9k
3
votes
If someone didn't appease their fellow, what do they say in Ashamnu?
Rambam lists confession as an aspect of t'shuva (Yad, T'shuva chapter 2) and possibly of independent value (chapter 1). He notes that t'shuva is insufficient for interpersonal sins and one must ...
- 73.5k
3
votes
What are the sources that a husband may beat his wife?
source that the husband can beat her through bais din
if you are looking for him hitting himself see @Double AA's answer
משנה תורה - ספר נשים - הלכות אישות - פרק כא - י
כָּל אִשָּׁה שֶׁתִּמָּנַע ...
- 7,144
3
votes
Did people ever place actual physical stumbling blocks before the blind?
While the rules were written in the way that they were for a reason, that reason doesn't necessarily mean that people actually placed stumbling blocks before the blind, that could just be a concise ...
- 21.4k
3
votes
What to say to someone on a yahrzeit
Some say in Yiddish
די נשמה זול האבען אן עלייה
May the neshama have an aliyah
- 15.1k
3
votes
How to respond to an insincere apology
There is a prayer that is found in many Siddurim before the bedtime Shema. You may have seen it, SAH. I took it from this site. Excerpts:
Prayer of Forgiveness by Rabbi Yitsḥak Luria z”l, from the ...
- 68.8k
3
votes
Accepted
Don't disparage the entirety of another person
This sefer cites it in the name of the Divrei Yechezkel of Shinova (R' Yechezkel Shraga Halberstam, 1813-1898, son of R' Chaim of Tzanz):
Edit (by author of question) - Thank you so much! With your ...
- 7,352
3
votes
Is there a source that says that anyone who embarrases or hurts someone verbally loses their mitzvos?
Orchot Tzadikim The Gate of Humility
כי ליום הדין מראים מצוות להרבה בני אדם שלא עשו אותן המצוות ויאמרו הלא לא עשינו זה וישיבו להם אותם שסיפרו עליכם רע הם עשו אלו המצוות ונוטלים אותן מהם ונותנים לכם ...
- 47.9k
3
votes
Is there a source that says that anyone who embarrases or hurts someone verbally loses their mitzvos?
The idea that one who talks loshon hora about another loses his own zechusim is quoted by the Chafetz Chaim in Shemiras Halahon (Shaar Zechira Ch. 7):
בא וראה עוד כמה גדול ענש העון המר הזה, שבדברי ...
- 7,321
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