23
votes
Accepted
Why should Bochurim learn Gemara in Aramaic?
I don't see it as a "punishment" any more than one is punished by having to read Shakespeare in his Elizabethan English, rather than in an "updated" text. It's not because the language is sacred, it's ...
- 18.7k
12
votes
Accepted
What is "okinta"?
אוקימתא (from להקים - to put up) is putting a statement in a specific more elaborate way.
In short, when there are two (or more) contradicting sources that bring seemingly opposite opinions, Ukimta ...
- 25.4k
11
votes
Why should Bochurim learn Gemara in Aramaic?
According to Tiferes Yisroel the gemara was redacted multiple times by Ravina and Rav Ashi. The reformatted the words to make them more contemporary. The Masechtos they didn't get around to have ...
- 33k
11
votes
Accepted
Is the letter Aleph (א) also a word that means "to teach, inculcate"?
Indeed it does!
One source in Tanach that illustrates this is Iyov 33:33:
אִם־אַ֭יִן אַתָּ֥ה שְֽׁמַֽע־לִ֑י הַ֝חֲרֵ֗שׁ וַאֲאַלֶּפְךָ֥ חׇכְמָֽה׃
If not, hearken thou unto me; Hold thy peace, and I will ...
- 20.8k
11
votes
Accepted
Aramaic in a baraisa
According to Dr. Michael Higger in Otzar Habaraitot, vol. 8 (my translation):
"And so we should also note that in a few places we find that the Talmud, when writing "and it was taught in a ...
- 23.6k
10
votes
Accepted
Is there a feminine equivalent of Zt"l?
If you search Google for "Mrs. * ZT-L", you'll find many instances of this honorific used for couples, and a few for women. Here are some examples of it used for women by various Jewish news or public ...
- 47.4k
10
votes
In what language did Adam name the animals?
Biblical Hebrew. The verse says that Adam named Eve a "woman" (ishah) because she was created from man (ish). Noting the fact that the two words, in Hebrew, actually are related, Rashi (to that verse) ...
- 33.8k
10
votes
Accepted
What is the difference between a takana and a gezera?
The following taxonomy of kinds of halachic ruling was culled from the Rambam, Hilkhos Mamrim ch. 2, and includes thoughts learned at a shi’ur given by R’ Yonasan Sachs (who was then of RIETS, now of ...
- 9,175
9
votes
Accepted
Meaning of the (Hebrew?) abbreviation Ka"H
It's a Yiddish abbreviation for Kein Ayin Hora - or in Hebrew Bli Ayin Hara.
Simply stated without the evil eye; we're not discussing [something] in order to get [it] punished due to our jealousy.
- 42.4k
9
votes
Accepted
What Egyptian/Greek text was Ibn Ezra consulting for his commentary on the name "Moshe"?
The ibn Ezra is almost certainly referring to the Nabatean Agriculture, a work that was widely cited by many rishonim (medieval authorities), most notably the Rambam. (Ibn Ezra appears to have ...
- 5,545
8
votes
Why should Bochurim learn Gemara in Aramaic?
Aramaic is actually one of the biblical languages (Daniel, Ezra/Nehemia) and even has words in the Pentateuch (e.g. "ygar sahadutha" by the treaty of Lavan and Yaakov). The Maharal interprets the ...
- 17.5k
8
votes
Is there a feminine equivalent of Zt"l?
There are several instances in rabbinic literature where the rabbinic author mentions a deceased female relative and uses the appellation "zatzal". Here are two examples:
R. Moshe Sofer ...
- 48.7k
8
votes
הָהֵ֔ם and הָאֵ֑לֶּה difference
אֵלֶּה is a demonstrative pronoun, the plural of the singular demonstrative pronouns זֶה and זֹאת (masculine and feminine respectively). הָאֵלֶּה is the same word, but with the definite article ...
- 23.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Source of appellation "Shimshon HaGibor"
The phrase 'Shimshon Hagibor' goes back to the 12th century in northern france in the peirush on Genesis 49 17a peirush identified with 'Rabeinu Tam' [Published by Avraham Shoshana 2017]. It appears ...
- 96
7
votes
Why is Jeremiah 10:11 written in Aramaic?
Radak says that the verse (except the initial "tell them thus") is what Jeremiah was telling the Jews outside Israel to tell the Gentiles there — which would of course be in Aramaic. And the "tell ...
- 73.6k
7
votes
In what language did Adam name the animals?
The Midrash Rabba (Bamidbar 19:3) tells us the story of Adam naming the animals:
ויחכם מכל האדם, מאדם הראשון, מה היתה חכמתו את מוצא כשבקש הקב"ה לבראות את האדם נמלך במלאכי השרת, אמר להם נעשה אדם ...
- 4,293
7
votes
Accepted
Why do we consider Eisav's nachas goyish if Eisav was a Jew?
The question is predicated on a joke which you missed or which wasn't properly explained.
One of the grandsons of Esav was named Nachas, as we see in Bereishit 36:13:
וְאֵלֶּה בְּנֵי רְעוּאֵל, נַחַת ...
- 20.3k
7
votes
Is there a Jewish midrash that parallels Christian tradition regarding Shavuot
Deuteronomy (33:2) states:
וַיֹּאמַר, ה' מִסִּינַי בָּא וְזָרַח מִשֵּׂעִיר לָמוֹ--הוֹפִיעַ מֵהַר פָּארָן, וְאָתָה מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ; מִימִינוֹ, אשדת (אֵשׁ דָּת) לָמוֹ.
And he said: The LORD ...
- 35.2k
7
votes
Why is the colour כחול ('blue') not mentioned in Tanach?
In fact it is mentioned according to the Ramban Bereishis 49: 12 the word חכלילי means כחל. Also the word כחלת is mentioned in Yecezkel 23:40 which means painting of the eyes. Rashi:כחלת. מין צבע ...
- 40.3k
6
votes
Why should Bochurim learn Gemara in Aramaic?
I am rather surprised at the answers here.
There is nothing wrong with learning gemoro in English. But the fact is, it was written in Aramaic. Anyone who has learned meforshim will tell you that each ...
- 323
6
votes
Accepted
Meaning of abbreviation tblch"t / tblch"a
See p. 322 of this Google book. The Hebrew abbrevaiation is יבדל"א for males and תבדל"א for females.
Loose transliteration - TiBadel/YiBadel Lecha'im Arukhim meaning "May s/he live long, on the ...
- 69.6k
6
votes
Why the Sanhedrin has a Greek name?
The book - The Great Sanhedrin (Sidney B. Hoenig) suggests that the original term was Bais Din Hagadol, which is a Hebrew term. However, he notes that due to Greek influence the term synedrion was ...
- 40.3k
6
votes
Accepted
How is כֹּרֵת בְּרִית interpreted as "make" instead of "cut"?
Rashi to Genesis 15:10 explains that it was the custom of those making a covenant to split an animal into pieces, and to then pass between the pieces.
Rashi also refers us to Jeremiah 34:18-19 where ...
- 40.2k
5
votes
Accepted
Are we allowed to work on a world language?
The simple reading of the Tower of Babel is not that it was a punishment but rather that Hashem was not happy about it and so He mixed up their languages so that they can't work together.
The Drush ...
- 4,926
5
votes
Is there a feminine equivalent of Zt"l?
Following @ Isaac Moses, I searched for Rebbetzen * zt-l and found:
Rebbetzin Kanievsky ZTL in the yeshivaworld.com
Rebbetzin Bluma ZTL in matzav.com
Rebbetzin Vichna Kaplan ztl in linkapeida-...
- 46.6k
5
votes
Why is the mitzvah called "Shiluach haken"?
R. Yeruham Fischel Perla (Negative commandments, §137) explains that since it is forbidden to take any of the birds until the mother is sent away the term "שילוח הקן" implies sending [of the mother ...
- 11.9k
5
votes
'עם' & 'את' based words in the story of Lot and Avram
According to HaKtav v'HaKabala (Genesis 13:14) when Lot was good (as in 12:4), and in that sense similar to Avraham, the term אתו 'ito' is used, indicating that the two things are similar. When Lot ...
- 35.2k
5
votes
What is the difference between the roots א-מ-ן and ב-ט-ח? Between Emunah and Bitachon?
This is a big question. One could write a book on the topic! (wait, the Chazon Ish actually did, and so did R Avigdor Miller).
But in a simple way (taken from Ben Tzion Shafier here) emunah is the ...
- 44.6k
5
votes
Accepted
Why does Hillel's teachings change to Aramaic in Ethics of the Fathers?
SEE TOSFOS YOM_TOV on this mishnah HERE.
והא דאמר בלשון תרגום עיין סוף מכילתין: - See my comments on 5:22 for
why this mishna uses Aramaic.
He sends to his comments HERE
הפוך בה והפוך בה וכו'
...
- 6,889
5
votes
Accepted
You shall not have any other gods
R' Samson Raphael Hirsch's translation1 of this verse is similar to the convention you cite:
Thou shalt have no other God before My Presence.
However, R' Hirsch's commentary on this verse does ...
- 47.4k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible