21
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
Talmud Sukkah 53A:
חסידים ואנשי מעשה כו': ת"ר יש מהן אומרים אשרי ילדותנו שלא ביישה את זקנותנו אלו חסידים ואנשי מעשה ויש מהן אומרים אשרי זקנותנו שכפרה את ילדותנו אלו בעלי תשובה אלו ואלו אומרים אשרי ...
- 5,292
15
votes
Accepted
Where does Chassam Soffer say Hillel needed a job
You may be referring to the Chidushei Chasam Sofer on Bava Basra 57b. The gemara there states as follows:
בעא מיניה ר' יוחנן מרבי בנאה... שלחן של ת"ח כיצד שני שלישי גדיל ושליש גלאי ועליו קערות ...
- 16.8k
15
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
What happened happened and the Torah approach is not to dwell on it, but rather focus on improving going forward. Regarding sins from the past, the Rambam writes (Hilchot Teshuva 1:3)
Teshuvah [...
- 44.7k
12
votes
Are you yoitze the Mitzva of Pirya Verivya with children born out of wedlock
Aruch Hashulchan 1:17:
Even if he has a son and daughter from an unmarried woman whom he did not marry with chupa and kidushin…, nonetheless he has fulfilled the command of p'ru urvu… for, after ...
- 73.6k
11
votes
Accepted
Name two kids the same name?
Pischei Teshuva Y.D. 116:6 quotes Adnei Paz as permitting it, but then quotes the Adnei Paz's corrigenda as indicating that it should not be done for reasons of Ein HaRah (if both are alive) or ...
- 31.7k
11
votes
Are you yoitze the Mitzva of Pirya Verivya with children born out of wedlock
The Rema in Even Ha'Ezer 1:6 writes that one fulfills the mitzvah of p'ru u'revu with a child who is a mamzer, which by definition is out of wedlock:
היה הבן ממזר... קים המצוה
If the child is a ...
- 57.9k
10
votes
Accepted
What does it mean for atheists to raise their children 'Jewish'?
Being "Raised Jewish" in this context means that, to the degree that there is any religious experience in the home, it is of Jewish origin. So if they go to a house of worship, it will be a synagogue. ...
- 31.7k
10
votes
Name two kids the same name?
Rashi Kesuvos 89b - Mar Keshisha Umar Yenika says that Rav Chisda had two sons and both had the same name.
- 138k
10
votes
What did Amram and Yocheved do to merit raising leaders of Moshe, Aharon, and Miriam?
Firstly, there is a fascinating philosophical point that relates to this question. Maharal (Gur Aryeh to Shemot 1:15) points out that neither Yocheved, nor Amram's names were mentioned prior to Moshe'...
- 20.8k
9
votes
Can a single-parent father be exempt from time-bound mitzvot?
As someone in this category, I would like to remind everyone that this is what psak is for. One cannot be exempted from commandments, a competent rabbi familiar with a single-parent father's ...
- 4,731
9
votes
List of people who lose a child in תנ"ך
Adam and Eve (Genesis 4:25):* their son Cain killed their other son Abel
Terah (Genesis 11:28): his son Haran died in his lifetime
Judah (Genesis 38:7,10):* his sons Er and Onan died after marrying ...
8
votes
Accepted
Was Baal worshiped via child sacrifice?
The prophet Jeremiah (19:5) clearly identifies the baal as one of the gods to which the Caananites offered their children:
וּבָנוּ אֶת בָּמוֹת הַבַּעַל לִשְׂרֹף אֶת
בְּנֵיהֶם בָּאֵשׁ עֹלוֹת ...
- 2,620
8
votes
Accepted
Halachic sources for not using the first names of your parents?
Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 240:2 (based on a number of earlier sources) says:
אֵיזֶה מוֹרָא, לֹא יַעֲמֹד בִּמְקוֹמוֹ הַמְיֻחָד לוֹ לַעֲמֹד שָׁם בְּסוֹד זְקֵנִים עִם חֲבֵרָיו, אוֹ מָקוֹם הַמְיֻחָד ...
- 20.8k
8
votes
Accepted
Crying when reading about Aaron's sons' deaths
Mishnah Berurah 621:2 quotes this idea in the name of the Zohar. (I believe the relevant piece of Zohar is to be found in Vol. III 57b.)
- 40.3k
8
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
There is nothing that does not come from G-d - even evil has a kernel of good. This is why evil is referred to as a klipah, a shell - it separates holiness from G-d but the holiness is still there, ...
- 181
7
votes
Accepted
Promised to name son Shimon - now husband is Shimon?
I finally found the Sefer Lulei Toratcha stories with Rav Shach on the parsha.Parshas Matos 30:4.
Rav Shach answered that she should name the child Shmayah since it is similar to the name Shimon and ...
- 40.3k
7
votes
Accepted
Can a parent "victim" forgive a child due the death penalty?
The Sheiltot (R. Achai Gaon, 8th c.) says that although a parent can forgo his honor, he cannot forgo the prohibition against striking and cursing. שאלתות (פ׳ משפטים סוף סא): האב שמחל על כבודו, כבודו ...
- 14.1k
7
votes
Accepted
How do I explain my heritage to my son? (as someone who has left Judaism at a young age)
Since your wife is not Jewish, as you mention in the comments, your son is also not considered Jewish per halacha. That doesn't mean that you can't tell your son a bit about his Jewish ancestry. ...
- 24.5k
7
votes
Is there anything in the Tanakh or Talmud about a woman that raises her children alone?
Chiram, the craftsman who designed much of the first Beis Hamikdash, was the son of a widow (1 Melachim 7:14).
The woman from Tzorfas who hosted Eliyahu was a widow with a son (1 Melachim 17:9-24), ...
- 1,657
7
votes
what is the source that a parent carries the sins of their children when the children are minors?
One of the places that this is mentioned in, is in Bereshit Raba 63:10
אָמַר רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר צָרִיךְ אָדָם לְהִטָּפֵל בִּבְנוֹ עַד י"ג
שָׁנָה, מִיכָּן וָאֵילָךְ צָרִיךְ שֶׁיֹּאמַר בָּרוּךְ ...
- 3,839
7
votes
Naming your baby - does the name influence the child?
The earliest source that a name has an intrinsic influence on the child is the Midrash Tanchuma:
זכור ימות עולם בינו שנות דור ודור: לעולם יבדוק אדם בשמות לקרוא לבנו
הראוי להיות צדיק, כי לפעמים ...
- 7,669
7
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
I think there is maybe something by Rambam about not seeing yourself as either good or bad, but just thinking of acting rightly in the very next moment. So, the present is everything.
A similar idea ...
- 97
6
votes
How can I make my Judaism more enjoyable?
I changed my views on how I see Judaism. I find Judaism exciting and interesting because I went to a completely new place with it. If you can find a Jewish practice that gets you excited then go and ...
- 71
6
votes
Name two kids the same name?
King David had two pairs of sons with the same name. See 1-Chronicles 3:6-8.
But Rashi there explains that the older sons died and he later named his new-born sons after them.
- 1,334
6
votes
Is there anything in the Tanakh or Talmud about a woman that raises her children alone?
It may be worth investigating Tzipora, the wife of Moshe Rabbeinu. She raised their sons without him between the time that he returned to Egypt at God's command and when Yitro brought her and the boys ...
- 47.4k
6
votes
If a woman has only had 1 partner since her last period (i.e not three months) is that sufficient to determine the father?
There is a wealth of material in this issue in the mamzerus responsa beginning from around the period of the Noda B'Yehuda. Basically, the Talmud states clearly that a woman may continue to have her ...
- 57.9k
6
votes
Accepted
Marriage of a Cohen to a woman with a non-Jewish father: Are the sons Cohanim?
Based on Yevamot 44a to 45b
The settings are as follows.
First, there are opinions in the Gemara Yevamot 44b that even for Shimeon Hatimni he is Mamzer, as it is a forbidden affair where Kiddushin ...
- 22.5k
6
votes
Should a child wash his hands before eating on Yom Kippur?
The Shulchan Aruch (OC 613:1) stresses that only bathing/washing for pleasure is prohibited on Yom Kippur. Elsewhere (Kesef Mishneh, Laws of Prayer 7:8) he quotes the Ran (R. Nissim) who states that ...
- 11.9k
6
votes
Stealing in the House of your parents?
The concept of stealing from one's parents does exist.
We see it by Ben-Sorer, who only qualifies once he steals from his parents. (Sanhedrin Mishna 8:3 - אֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה בֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה, עַד ...
- 42.5k
6
votes
Are there situations where a child is permitted to refer to their parent by their first name?
There are instances where a child can use their parent's name.
According to the Radvaz, Hilchos Mamrim 6:3, s.v. אבל, a child may use their parent's name, even in their parent's presence (and ...
- 57.9k
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