19
votes
Why does it seem like Jewish texts are never translated?
There's no sin in translating Jewish texts (nowadays, at least). I have no source for saying so, but there's evidence in the vast amount of Jewish literature that has been translated into various ...
- 73.9k
18
votes
Meaning of the phrase "all Holy Scripture defile the hands."
I have no time to read the article - and therefore do not endorse anything they write.
The Rabbis instituted that Holy Books like a Sefer Torah would defile the hands.
Why?
Because people would ...
- 42.7k
17
votes
Accepted
How many halachot are detailed in the Mishneh Torah?
According to Mechon Mamre:
TL;DR
TOTAL - 16,818 (+ 104)
Hamada` - 725
Ahavah - 730 (+ 63)
Zemanim - 1,738 (+ 41)
Nashim - 1,207
Qedushah - 1,140
Hafla'ah - 820
Zera`im - 1,582
`Avodah - 1,537
...
- 7,403
14
votes
Sefaria and Rabbinic Endorsements
"Sefaria is one of my favorite things in the entire contemporary Jewish world. It is taking cutting-edge technology and doing something very spiritual by it. What it is doing is opening up the ...
- 474
12
votes
Accepted
Chumash with Shoresh highlighted
I have a (paper) book called אמרי מדריך that seems to be what you're looking for. It highlights the shoresh, showing the other letters in outline, and it includes letters from the shoresh which were ...
- 56.4k
12
votes
Accepted
Problem with Likkutei Maharil
Prof. Yedidya Alter Dinri records in his Hakhmei Ashkenaz B'Shilhi Y'mei HaBeynayim (pp. 278-9) as cited by R. Yisrael Peles in Yeshurun (20 p. 890) that many Aharonim held that Likkutei Maharil (aka ...
- 35.4k
11
votes
Did any Achronim comment on the American Revolutionary or Civil Wars?
R. Hayyim Joseph David Azulai twice refers to the American Revolution in his diary. Both times he is talking about the negative effect the war was having on the finances of Jews in Amsterdam who had ...
- 48.9k
11
votes
Accepted
Why is Az Yashir printed smaller in the tikun korim?
In a standard Torah scroll they are indeed the same height as the rest of the columns, but they are wider than the regular columns. To keep the proportions right and have it fit on one page, it looks ...
- 96.9k
11
votes
Accepted
Where can the Tosafot of Rabbi Samson of Sens be found?
Tosafot Shants are printed in the margins of Eduyot in the standard Vilna edition of the Talmud (counterintuitively, it isn't usually printed in editions of the Mishna). You can read it online here. ...
- 24k
11
votes
Accepted
Does the Talmud continue to use extra Tanachic sources?
As @TamirEvan stated in the comments, Ben-Sira appears a few times in the Talmud, for example:
Sanhedrin 100b:
"The verse states: “All the days of the poor are terrible” (Proverbs 15:15). The ...
- 24.3k
10
votes
Why does it seem like Jewish texts are never translated?
As mentioned above, there aren't any general prohibitions (per se) on translating Jewish texts into the vernacular, be it English, French, Russian, Yiddish, etc.
Regarding Text on This Site
Many ...
- 3,884
10
votes
Accepted
Is there a topic index for Igrot Moshe?
There is a very popular sefer called Yad Moshe which is an index for Igros Moshe. See here.
- 216
10
votes
What is a "Chosson Shas"?
Generally speaking, a Chosson Shas is a set of larger Gemarahs - a couple of inches taller and wider than the typical full-sized Gemarah you would find in your shul. The type is thus bigger and easier ...
- 6,427
10
votes
The New Artscroll Mishnayos: Product Recommendation
I have learned the entire Mishna based on the Yad Avraham series in English. I also own much of the newer Schottenstein Edition of the Mishna. Here are a few thoughts
I found the introductions to ...
- 45.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Sefer on Chazal, Geonim and Later Acharonim
On Chazal there is a series of books by R Binyamin Lau on Jewish sages (from Koren), vol 1 on the Second Temple period, vol 2 on Yavne to Bar Kochba, vol 3 on the Galilean period, vol 4 on the period ...
- 45.6k
9
votes
On What Subjects Does One Say Birchas HaTorah?
The Gemara in Maseches Berachos (11b) clearly tells us what types of learning require a blessing.
א"ר יהודה אמר שמואל השכים לשנות עד שלא קרא ק"ש צריך לברך משקרא ק"ש א"צ לברך שכבר נפטר באהבה רבה אמר ...
- 48.9k
9
votes
Where can I buy inexpensive seforim online?
If you want used, also try ebay. There are a few Judaica sellers on there and you can get stuff relative inexpensively. This seller is the biggest.
- 6,956
9
votes
Is it mentioned in the Talmud that Moses time traveled into the distant future
Masechet Menachos 29b states that Moshe Rabeinu was allowed to sit in the bais medrash of Rabbi Akivah, but could not follow the learning there.
They told that when Moses went above to receive the ...
- 42.8k
9
votes
Accepted
What's controversial about Chemdat HaYamim?
The work deals with laws and customs, particularly relating to the holidays. It is strongly associated with Sabbatianism and was attributed by R. Yaakov Emden (e.g. in his Torat HaK'naot, Altona, 1752,...
- 35.4k
9
votes
Accepted
Are women allowed to write a commentary on a book of Tanakh in orthodox Judaism?
Women are indeed able to teach and write commentaries on Tanakh. There are many such examples. One of the most famous is Nechama Leibowitz who taught Torah for more than 55 years and was awarded the ...
- 45.6k
9
votes
Accepted
Is there an online resource like Jewish Encyclopedia available that is more up to date?
The Encyclopedia Judaica, first published in 1971-1972, and updated as recently as 2007, is a bit more recent than Jewish Encyclopedia. While it isn't available online, many of its articles are ...
- 24k
9
votes
Does the Talmud continue to use extra Tanachic sources?
Adding to @Harel13's answer, three points:
The Gemara in Yevamot 86b says the following:
אמר רב חסדא בתחלה לא היו מעמידים שוטרי' אלא מן הלוים שנאמר (דברי הימים ב יט, יא) ושוטרים הלוים לפניכם עכשיו ...
- 3,162
9
votes
Synopsis of Kerem Yehoshua
I found this book yesterday in my yeshiva's library. It seems like an interesting book. In any case, the book describes his technique at length, but there's one specific chapter called "סדר ...
- 24.3k
9
votes
Is there a master list(s) of Middot?
The Sefer Orchos Tzaddikim speaks about the following character traits:
גאוה - Pride/Arrogance
ענוה - Humility
בושה - Shame
עזות - Brazenness
אהבה - Love
שנאה - Hate
רחמים - Mercy
אכזריות - Cruelty
...
- 27.3k
9
votes
Are there seforim printed by North African sefardi achronim of the last 250 years
There are several.
Rav Moshe Kalfon HaKohen (1874-1950) - Born in Djerba, Tunisia. Most famous for his Shu"t Shoel VeNishaal and series on Shulchan Aruch entitled Brit
Kehunah
Chacham Avraham ...
- 27.3k
8
votes
What's a good beginner-friendly collection of aggadah in English?
I think Legends of the Jews by Prof. Louis Ginzberg is the classic work of aggadah. It follows the order of the Torah, and appears in 7 volumes. The first 4 volumes are the actual aggadot, the next ...
- 48.9k
8
votes
Accepted
Where are the Mishnas in the Talmud?
I didn't find a good source for this information, so we (at Sefaria.org) analyzed our text, did some pattern recognition, corrected by hand, double checked, and came up with an authoritative mapping ...
- 777
8
votes
English version of SHULCHAN ARUCH
It took several years from the OP but I am pleased to announce that Sefaria has posted most of the original-by-Señor-Yosef-Karo Shulchan Aruch in English: https://www.sefaria.org/texts/Halakhah/...
- 4,933
8
votes
Accepted
Is there a relationship between the Sma"g and the Sma"k?
The Sma"k (written by Isaac ben Joseph of Corbeil) is an abridged version of the Sma"g (written by Moses ben Jacob of Coucy) including additional agaddic and ethical material. Cited here for instance.
...
- 45.6k
8
votes
Accepted
Where can I find Chovoth haLevavoth in Arabic?
Hovos HaLevavos / Kitab ul-Hidayah ila Fara'idh il-Qulub, as edited by the scholoar A S Yahuda, is available here:
https://archive.org/details/alhidjailfarida00yahugoog
A S Yahuda's edition is in ...
- 4,881
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