23
votes
Accepted
Differences between RaMbaM and RaMbaN's mitzvah count
The following is just my understanding of the sources, and if there are any mistakes (ex: in the Ramban's reasons to disagree with the Rambam, the titles given to mitzvos, etc.), please point them out ...
- 18.2k
23
votes
Accepted
Why do people keep saying 12 tribes of Israel when there are 13?
Jacob had twelve sons, and on spiritual matters, we count those twelve. With Levi as one and Joseph as one. (That's for instance what you'd find on the High Priest's decision breastplate.)
On ...
- 126k
20
votes
Why isn't the Kabbalistic doctrine of Sefirot considered Shittuf if the Christian Trinity is?
The straightforward answer to this question is that whereas the Christians are discussing what Hashem is made up of, the Kabbalists are discussing the ways in which He chose to reveal Himself.
Just ...
- 4,603
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
...
- 7,343
14
votes
Why is every 3rd plague (of the 10 brought on Pharoah) unannounced?
The Maharal (Chapter 56 of Gevuros Hashem) points out that the plagues follow a pattern, split into units of 3 - the first of each group (plagues 1, 4, and 7) are preceded by a warning to Pharaoh ...
- 57.3k
12
votes
Why does the tribe of Gad have an unusual population count in Bamidbar 1?
I actually saw a dvar torah this week that claimed that the tribe of Gad showed that the others were actually exact by a miracle in Mail Jewish (quoted below). See the quote from Rav Chaim Kanievsky ...
- 41.8k
12
votes
How many words are there in Tanach?
There are 304,805 letters in the Torah.
There are 79,976 words in the Torah.
There are 5,888 or 5,845 verses in the Torah.
Bereishit (Genesis)
12 Sidrot
50 Chapters
1,534 Verses
Shmot (Exodus)...
12
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Rashi raises this question, and answers (probably based on the Midrash 94:9) that the 33rd is Yocheved, who wasn't born until they got to Egypt.
Ibn Ezra (on verse 23) rejects this explanation, and ...
- 6,375
11
votes
Accepted
What are these marks with the numbers designating the Jewish years on this calendar?
They are a Gershayim, a Hebrew diacritic used in a number of ways, but generally to indicate that a certain set of letters does not spell a word in the ordinary sense. In this case, it is used to ...
- 95.1k
11
votes
Accepted
Was Avrohom really born in 1948?
For example, the posuk (5:32) says that Noach begot Sheim (Chom and Yefes) when he was 500 so I added 500 on to 1056 and got 1556.
But it doesn't say what order they were born in. Rashi later on (10:...
- 95.1k
11
votes
What are Rav Shlomo Zalman Auerbach's Three Threes?
Reb Shlomo Zalman in Halichos Shlomo Hilchos Pesach Perek 13 Footnote 11 says;
There are 3 things that people say you need to do 3 times, however there is no mekor to any of them:
A child needs to ...
- 4,311
10
votes
Seven Brochos at a Wedding
Bavli Ketubbot 8a:
לוי איקלע לבי רבי בהלוליה דר"ש בריה בריך חמש רב אסי איקלע לבי רב אשי בהלוליה דמר בריה בריך שית...רב אשי איקלע לבי רב כהנא יומא קמא בריך כולהו מכאן ואילך אי איכא פנים חדשות ...
- 95.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Why not count 50 days of the omer instead of 49?
For a start, the words before the ones you mention are:
שֶׁבַע שַׁבָּתוֹת, תְּמִימֹת תִּהְיֶינָה
Seven complete weeks are only 49 days.
Secondly, we see other times in Chumash that a number means ...
- 42k
10
votes
Accepted
Are you yotzei yedei chovah if you forgot to bow during shemoneh esrei?
Even if you purposefully didn't bow, you still fulfilled your obligation (Rambam Tefillah 5:1).
- 95.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Why no number of p'sukim for P'kude?
Aharon Ahrend has a detailed article in Rabbi Mordechai Breuer's Festschrift (vol. 1 p. 157) titled "The Mneumotechnical Notes of the Numbers of Verses in the Torah Portions" where he goes through the ...
- 95.1k
10
votes
Accepted
Chamisha Va-arba'im Ushlosh Meyot - mi yodeya?
Ezra 2:34 & Nechemia 7:36 both have the same verse.
בני יריחו שלש מאות ארבעים וחמשה
- 137k
10
votes
Chatzi - mi yodeya?
Yom Tov is regarded as Chatzi L'Hashem and Chatzi lachem (half for Hashem and half for you) - Refer to Gemoro Beitzah 15b
- 19.8k
9
votes
Why do people keep saying 12 tribes of Israel when there are 13?
The Torah lists off the names of the tribes in multiple places. Every time, there are 12: either because Levi is counted, and Yosef is counted as one tribe, or because Levi is not counted, and in ...
- 21.4k
9
votes
Accepted
38 years or 40 years in the desert?
The first Rashi in Parshat Masei mentions that Israel had 14 journeys during the first year until they arrived at Ritmah (which is Kadesh Barne'a). Then they wandered for 38 years where they had 20 ...
- 24.3k
9
votes
Accepted
How do you know when to make Chacham Harazim if you can't count Jews?
The Halacha is that you are not allowed to count people. But you could count noses, or shirts, or left shoes, or ... (source: Magen Avraham O.C. 156 - 4th wide line of right column here).
- 57.3k
9
votes
40 consecutive days of prayer at the Western Wall
According to Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (quoted here), there is no basis at all in Judaism for this practice ("אין בזה שום עניין"). He says every prayer at the Kotel is accepted.
- 95.1k
9
votes
Why no number of p'sukim for P'kude?
From Chabad.org this question was once asked by Rabbi Alexander-Sender Yudasin to the Lubavitcher Rabbi Zatzal. The Rabbi said that perhaps since the Siman was = the words "בלי כל" the original Siman ...
- 137k
9
votes
Accepted
Is it true that every 50th letter of the Hebrew Pentateuch text spells the word "Torah"?
The effect was among many found by Rabbi Dov Weismandel in Prague in the 1950s. It was his discoveries that motivated all the Torah Code stuff, but he made no claims about finding meaning from these ...
- 8,660
9
votes
Counting error in Genesis 46:15?
Rashi addresses this issue and says the following (quoted from Sefaria)
שלשים ושלש THIRTY THREE — But in the enumeration above you will find only thirty-two. The one whose name is omitted is ...
- 4,215
9
votes
How many Shevah Brachos se'udahs do I have to make?
You have to make as many as will make the couple happy. There is no obligation to have a fixed number of meals, but there is an obligation for the couple to be happy (or to make the couple happy (ShA ...
- 95.1k
9
votes
Chatzi - mi yodeya?
Machatzit hashekel (half a shekel) for counting Yisrael in the desert and payment for the hekdesh (money for the Temple).
- 20.2k
9
votes
Shlish - mi yodeya?
The Gemoro in Kiddushin 30a writes:
לעולם ישלש אדם שנותיו שליש במקרא שליש במשנה שליש בתלמוד
A person should always divide his years into three parts: A third for Torah, a third for Mishna, and a ...
- 19.8k
8
votes
Shisha - mi yodeya?
6 are the number of steps taken by the bearers of the Ark between each sacrificing of an ox and fatling in the bringing of the Ark to the city of David.
Shmuel II 6:13
וַיְהִי, כִּי צָעֲדוּ ...
- 57.3k
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