9
votes
Accepted
What’s the source for this midrash?
Shabbat 30b:
What did David do? Every Shabbat he would sit and learn all day long to protect himself from the Angel of Death. On that day on which the Angel of Death was supposed to put his soul to ...
- 2,161
8
votes
Accepted
Who is Rabbi Koryah?
Coincidentally, I happened to research this just last summer. There are two sages that can be identified by this name, one a tanna and the other an amorah:
The tanna Rabbi Chelbo of Koreya:
This sage ...
- 24.8k
7
votes
Accepted
Medrash about Adam originally not having fingers
This idea, it is said, comes from the Midrash Avkir (מדרש אבכיר).
The Paaneach Raza, Rabbi Yitzchak bar Yehudah HaLevi, quotes from it in his commentary to Bereishis 5:29. The Paaneach Raza says that ...
- 8,512
6
votes
Medrash about Adam originally not having fingers
Yalkut Reuveni says Noach was the first person born with fingers:
- 2,161
5
votes
Source on the life of Shlomo Hamelech
I haven't seen a biography, but I would recommend Artscroll's brilliant Ishei HaTanach by Yishai Chasidah which spends considerable time (fifteen and a half pages) on Shlomo Hamelech and is fully ...
- 29.8k
5
votes
Accepted
What’s the deal with צרויה?
In the commentary by the anonymous student of Rasag to Divrei Hayamim 1:2:16 he writes:
""and their sisters Tzruyah and Avigail" - And Tzruyah's husband was S'rayah, and not S'rayah ...
- 24.8k
5
votes
Accepted
Being MeChadesh Torah saves lives
The verse in Shoftim 5:8 states:
יִבְחַר֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים חֲדָשִׁ֔ים אָ֖ז לָחֶ֣ם שְׁעָרִ֑ים מָגֵ֤ן אִם־יֵֽרָאֶה֙ וָרֹ֔מַח בְּאַרְבָּעִ֥ים אֶ֖לֶף בְּיִשְׂרָאֵֽל
When they chose new gods, war came to their ...
- 29.8k
4
votes
Why did Batya stretch out her hand?
For those that choose not to take the Midrash literally, Rabbi Chaim Shmulevitz in his Sichos Mussar states that her hand did not actually stretch all those Amos. Rather it means that for the daughter ...
- 700
4
votes
Accepted
G-d traveling 18,000 worlds
In Yechezkel 48:35, the prophet says:
It shall be round about eighteen thousand measures: and the name of the city from that day shall be, The L-rd is there.
The Tosafos Yom Tov (Tzuras Habayis, 80:...
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4
votes
Source for Ancient Prohibition against Writing Prayers?
Looks to me like the reference has a typo. It should say Tosefta Shabbat 14:3:
כותבי ברכות כשורפי תורה
Those who write down blessings [i.e. prayers] are like those who burn the Torah.
- 41.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Meaning of this midrash
Artscroll brings in an explanation from Olelos Efrayim (§547)
The "ship" is the person in his passage through this world (as above,
73a note 21 (Ch. 51). Rabbah states that during his ...
- 47.5k
4
votes
What is HaAshmurah HaRishona in the Mishnah
Refer to the Bartenura on that Mishnah:
עד סוף האשמורה הראשונה – The first third of the night (is the end of the first “watch”), as the night is divided into three watches, and from then onwards is ...
- 8,512
4
votes
attack against Persia (Iran) in the Acharis HaYomim
I saw it in Pesikta Rabbasi 36:1:
אמר רבי יצחק שנה שמלך המשיח נגלה בו כל מלכי האומות העולם מתגרים זה בזה מלך פרס מתגרה במלך ערביא והולך מלך ערביא לאדום ליטול עצה מהם (והחזיר) [וחוזר] מלך פרס (והחריב) ...
- 29.8k
3
votes
Language of midrash?
Modern Hebrew wouldn't be enough. There isn't a Mishnaic Hebrew-English dictionary, but Jastrow's Talmudic Aramaic-English dictionary, Bar-Asher's Mishnaic dictionary (תורת הצורות של לשון המשנה), and ...
- 565
3
votes
Why pray for Y'hoshua and not Kalev?
Maskil l'David explains that Moshe prayed for Yehoshua so people wouldn't assume he had sent Yehoshua to die so Moshe can lead them into Israel.
Rav Eliezer Ben-David explains that Yehoshua was going ...
- 314
3
votes
Order of events in parashas Bereishis
What a wonderful and high gain question!
The creation of man, meaning Adam HaRishon, was on the morning of the sixth day of the six days of Creation (Bereshit 1:26-31). (The creation of Adam HaRishon ...
- 14.2k
3
votes
Hashem wrapped Himself in Light
I liked @MauriceMizrahi’s explanation!
I found another explanation:
The Midrash quotes the pasuk in Tehillim 104:2 as a proof that Hashem surrounded Himself with light,”עֹֽטֶה־א֭וֹר כַּשַּׂלְמָ֑ה ...
- 1,586
3
votes
What does it mean when you read a certain Rabbi said in the name of another Rabbi?
Welcome. In Rabbinic literature (as in many other places) it's important to give sources. Passing off someone else's ideas as your own is unethical. Giving your source also allows the listener to ...
- 1,539
3
votes
Accepted
What is Midrash Panim Acheirim and Midrash Abba Gourion?
According to M. B. Lerner, 'The Works of Aggadic Midrash and the Esther Midrashim', in: S. Safrai et al (eds.), The Literature of the Jewish People in the Period of the Second Temple and the Talmud, ...
- 24.8k
3
votes
Accepted
What’s the source for this midrash about Pharaoh?
Midrash Tanchuma Vaera 5:
When they finally stood before Pharaoh, he said: “What do you desire?”
Moses replied: The God of the Hebrews has sent me to you to say: Let
My people go that they may serve ...
- 2,161
3
votes
Accepted
Eretz Yisroel as G-ds palace
There are several instances.
Firstly, note Rabbeinu Bachaye on Devarim 32:43 on the words "וְכִפֶּ֥ר אַדְמָת֖וֹ עַמּֽוֹ" - "And atone His people’s land" writes:
וכפר אדמתו עמו. ...
- 29.8k
2
votes
Canaanite wives of the Bnei Ya'akov (Sefer HaYashar)
Assuming Sefer Hayashar's tradition is the correct one,1 I will suggest that Yaakov and Lavan's oath extended to their descendants as well, meaning that the brothers couldn't cross the Gilad and ...
- 24.8k
2
votes
In Judaism, must נְבִיאִים Neviim feel happiness in order לְהִנָּבֵא to prophesy?
thanks for the great question. There are so many avenues with which to tackle it, but I think your main kasha is how can happiness coexist with sadness, or anger etc?
Chassidut1,2 has an answer to ...
- 7,047
2
votes
In Judaism, must נְבִיאִים Neviim feel happiness in order לְהִנָּבֵא to prophesy?
Rabbi Reissman in a recent shiur was trying to answer an old question of his. Baruch Ben Naria (in the Mechilta end of hakdama to parshas Bo) requested prophecy at the time of the churban. Hashem ...
- 33.3k
2
votes
Looking for medrash regarding briyas ha'adam
Thank you @Avrah who said Bereshes Rabbah 8:10:
אמר רבי הושעיא, בשעה שברא הקדוש ברוך הוא אדם הראשון טעו מלאכי השרת
ובקשו לומר לפניו קדוש. משל למלך ואפרכוס שהיו בקרוכין, והיו בני המדינה
מבקשין לומר ...
- 627
2
votes
Source on the life of Shlomo Hamelech
Also not a biography, but the sefer Nachalas Shimon by R' Shimon Krasner has brilliant breakdowns of the actions of figures in Neviim Rishonim, as seen through Chazal up until the more recent ...
- 8,036
2
votes
Does one have to take a Midrash/Aggadah literally?
I am surprised that the Vilna Gaon hasn't been quoted. In the name of covering all bases, then:
ואע"פ כו'. הרמב"ם וכ"כ בפי' המשנה לפ"ד דעבודת כוכבים אבל כל הבאים
אחריו חלקו עליו ...
- 7,047
2
votes
Did any rabbis say that Adam and Eve did not have sexual intercourse in the garden?
In general, Torah views intimacy between husband and wife as holy of holies, unlike the general teachings of Christianity which view them as sinful and a necessary evil. In light of that, there are a ...
- 7,047
2
votes
New rivers that will spring during The World to Come?
In Joel 4:18, we read something familiair:
and a fountain shall issue from the house of the Lord, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
This is the river, Yechezkel prophesied about in chapter 47:
...
- 8,512
2
votes
When is a Talmudic statement considerd aggadah?
To narrowly answer your question: Halacha teaches laws, and Aggada is everything else. The Aggada of the Talmud is collected in the work Ein Yaakov. The author/compiler explains in his introduction ...
- 8,036
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