12 votes

Who is rich in matters of courtship?

See the Talmud’s elaboration on 49b: על מנת שאני עשיר אין אומרים כרבי אלעזר בן חרסום וכרבי אלעזר בן עזריה אלא כל שבני עירו מכבדים אותו מפני עושרו ‘On condition that I am wealthy,’ we do not say, ...
Alex's user avatar
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11 votes
Accepted

Is making someone believe you came to see him, while you were really there anyway, allowed?

This seems practically identical to a problem posed in Chullin 94b: Mar Zutra the son of Rabbi Nahman was once going from Sikara to Mahuza, while Raba and Rabbi Safra were going to Sikara; and ...
RonP's user avatar
  • 1,936
8 votes
Accepted

The truth does not depend on popular opinion?

Thanks to Google, YouTube (please see only the video description - I cannot vouch for the video's actual content) and finally Chabad.org, I found the original statement in Moreh Nevukhim 2:151: כל ...
Lee's user avatar
  • 7,462
7 votes

If we cannot be absolutely certain that Judaism is true/the truth, how can we impose on others in its name?

People cannot be ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN they love their children. Ask a psychologist about things lurking in unconscious parts of our minds because we won't admit ugly truths to ourselves. We certainly ...
Micha Berger's user avatar
  • 9,638
6 votes
Accepted

Is there a problem with lying?

See Gemara BM 23b For Rab Judah said in the name of Samuel: In the following three matters learned men do conceal the truth: In matters of a tractate {they ask know you this Massechet at your ...
kouty's user avatar
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6 votes
Accepted

Where can I obtain the sefer “Titen Emes L'Yaakov”?

The book in question is probably from the contemporary, R. Yaakov Chizkiah Fisch. The full book is online here.
Oliver's user avatar
  • 12k
6 votes

Is there a concept of "peer review" in Rabbinical Judaism?

Some of the disagreements in earlier answers seem to stem from different understandings of peer review. From the definition stated in the question, it seems totally reasonable to think of ...
Menachem's user avatar
  • 171
5 votes

The tradition of a Gezeira Shava

Rashi (Ketubot 57a:) already acknowledges that in certain types of disputes one party is of necessity lying (or,to soften the implication, saying something untrue (possibly unwittingly)): דכי פליגי ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 49.2k
5 votes

Forced/unlikely answers are usually true

The Mishneh Halakhot (Vol. II: 24) explains: יותר טוב לישב דברי הראשונים ז"ל אפילו בדוחק גדול מלאמר דנעלמה מהם גמרא מפורשת בכמה מקומות בש"ס ועיין בח"ס ריש כתובות שכתב רוב מהתרוצים הדחוקים אמתיים הם ...
mevaqesh's user avatar
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4 votes
Accepted

Is there a problem of גניבת דעת (deception) when one is served a food and he dislikes the taste, and he says "This tastes delicious!"?

Telling the truth is very important as the Torah writes "distance yourself from a lie" (Shemot 23:7). The parameters of telling the truth vary though and there are four types of circumstances where ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 51.6k
4 votes

Is there a problem with lying?

Generally, you should not lie. Sotah 42a makes it clear that those who lie (shakranim) do not merit the divine presence. Who are these shakranim? dafyomi.co.il translates it as follows: SHAKRANIM (...
RonP's user avatar
  • 1,936
4 votes

Why doesn't Yaakov ( תתן אמת ליעקב) object to his mother's plan on the grounds that it does not reflect truth?

There are a few answers to this question. One is that in essence, Eisov was the one who was doing the initial tricking here. He would have been receiving the brochos because (1) Eisav had been ...
Schmerel's user avatar
  • 5,160
3 votes
Accepted

What is the first (or any) explicit source for Yaakov being epitome for "truth"?

Thought certainly not the first source for the idea, Rabbenu Bachya (Bereishis 25:27) is a source who writes: ועוד יש להתבונן שהיה ראוי לומר יעקב איש אמת כיון שמדתו אמת - Furthermore, actually ...
NJM's user avatar
  • 14.2k
3 votes

Is lying about the blessings of Hashem considered a sin?

A Jew should tell the truth, as the Torah writes (Shemot 23:7): "stay away from falsehood". There is a small list of situations where one might "dance around the truth" to e.g., promote peace, ...
mbloch's user avatar
  • 51.6k
3 votes

Is there a concept of "peer review" in Rabbinical Judaism?

More than 50% of mishnayos have multiple tanaim disagreeing. That's peer review. R' Meir says something, R' Yehuda reviews it and says something else. When nobody disagrees explicitly, the ...
Heshy's user avatar
  • 9,136
3 votes

Is there a concept of "peer review" in Rabbinical Judaism?

Just being published in the Talmud is a form of Peer Review. Not everything that Rabbi Akiva ever said has been written & published, only the things that his peers felt were valuable. And everyone ...
Lages's user avatar
  • 1,124
3 votes

G-d and the serpent, what happened?

Hashem said: וּמֵעֵ֗ץ הַדַּ֙עַת֙ ט֣וֹב וָרָ֔ע לֹ֥א תֹאכַ֖ל מִמֶּ֑נּוּ כִּ֗י בְּי֛וֹם אֲכׇלְךָ֥ מִמֶּ֖נּוּ מ֥וֹת תָּמֽוּת Translation (according to the traditional nikud and cantillation): And from ...
Dov F's user avatar
  • 6,413
3 votes

Are "clickbait" links permissible?

[As usual] I'd like to point out, that the problem with גניבת דעת or הונאה is two-fold: [A sort of] "damaging" your fellow Jew, which stems from "לא תגנובו" and similar to it (ריטב"א חולין צד, א) ...
Al Berko's user avatar
  • 25.9k
3 votes
Accepted

Forced/unlikely answers are usually true

This was written by Chassam Sofer in a responsum to R. Moshe Gluga (dayan of Zelem/Deutschkreutz) relating to a prior correspondence they had regarding a question posed by the latter. R. Sofer ...
Oliver's user avatar
  • 12k
3 votes

What does "shoresh neshama" mean

It translates as "root of a soul". The soul is divided into 3 parts, nefesh, ruach and neshama, and within each of these are 613 spiritual "limbs" and "tendons". There ...
Rabbi Kaii's user avatar
  • 9,451
2 votes

If we cannot be absolutely certain that Judaism is true/the truth, how can we impose on others in its name?

The answer to this OP IMHO, is to be found in Talmud Kiddushin 80a. The name of the "sugya" (topic) is "Soklin v'Sorfin al Ha'Chazakos" ("We stone and burn the accused because of a [strong] ...
David Kenner's user avatar
  • 10.8k
2 votes

Were the Jews first to institute monogamy (a ban on polygamy)

I don't think that you can infer your conclusion from his text. All he said (at least from the page you linked to) is that other nations begin to imitate us after the Cherem. That statement doesn't ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70.4k
2 votes

How is it that the Talmud can make historical mistakes?

I will only address your question about the history, not other scientific inconsistencies in the Talmud. [Strangely] The Jewish nation didn't have a tradition of writing things down. Think about it - ...
Al Berko's user avatar
  • 25.9k
2 votes

Why doesn't Yaakov ( תתן אמת ליעקב) object to his mother's plan on the grounds that it does not reflect truth?

In an ironic turn of events Rabbi Yaakov Kaminetzky addresses this in his Emes Liyaakov. He answers that truth and lies are not the black and white as we see them. Truth is what something should be ...
user6591's user avatar
  • 33.6k
2 votes

Who is rich in matters of courtship?

The opinion of the Aruch Hashulchan (EH 38:94) regarding this matter is that rich is a fluctuating term which is determined per the locale. וזהו ידוע שבעיר קטנה נקרא עשיר בסכום קטן ובעיר גדולה לא ...
Dr. Shmuel's user avatar
2 votes

Who spoke the truth?

https://www.sefaria.org/Job.42.7?ven=The_Koren_Jerusalem_Bible&lang=bi&with=Rashi&lang2=en Anytime you'd like the Jewish perspective on a Bible verse, please start with the Jerusalem ...
Shalom's user avatar
  • 133k
2 votes

What does "shoresh neshama" mean

Refer to the Nefesh HaChaim who explains the "root of the soul" as follows: וכ''ה הענין בג' הבחי' נר''ן של האדם. כי כל בחי' מדבר שבקדושה כלול מעשר בחי' פרטים. שהם הי''ס שלו. והבחי' העליונה ...
Dov's user avatar
  • 32.6k
1 vote

Question about degrees of honesty

I found something of interest this Shabbat. In Mesilat Yesharim, the Ramchal explains the trait of what he calls "cleanliness", which is basically a level where someone no longer sins, even ...
Rabbi Kaii's user avatar
  • 9,451
1 vote

Is there a concept of "peer review" in Rabbinical Judaism?

Peer-review as we know it today was quite impossible in the past. Also in science is is very recent. For Halachic decisions, the basic "peer-review" in Judaism is the Beis Din, and in the past all ...
simyou's user avatar
  • 1,837
1 vote
Accepted

When the truth comes out about what happened in the past, should we judge them for it?

If they have repented and are no longer doing the things they have repented of, then you are supposed to treat them as if their sins never happened. This is one of the most difficult things that a ...
Aaron's user avatar
  • 10.8k

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