12
votes
Accepted
Getting body piercings
The original question as well as @SAH challenge seem to imply that the Torah forbids piercings. This belief is possibly coming from the prohibition of tatoos as the prohibition to injure oneself. But ...
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12
votes
Accepted
Why was it improper to stick out a thumb in the Temple?
The Mishnah there is describing how certain jobs in the Basis Hamikdash would be appointed if there were multiple Kohanim vying for the same job. The Kohanim would form a circle around the supervisor, ...
- 6,753
8
votes
Accepted
Is there a listing of all 248 members of the human body?
They are listed in the Mishna Seder Taharoth, Ohaloth 1:8
A link to an english translation online has been provided by WAF here
30 feet 30 each foot (6 each toe)
10 ankle 10 each ...
- 2,087
8
votes
Accepted
Which ancient cults would cut out the hearts of live animals and offer them as sacrifices?
A possible answer:
Rambam on the mishnah states that this was done as part of worship of Baalim. The city of Baalbek, which was originally a Baal center of worship, eventually became a center of ...
- 24.9k
7
votes
Accepted
Can one light Chanukah candles with ear wax?
No, one cannot.
Mythbusters determined experimentally that earwax candles are not effective:
The skin cells, hair, fatty acids and cholesterol contained in earwax combust quickly and at different ...
- 47.8k
6
votes
Is it forbidden for a noachide (Non-Jew) to be circumcised?
According to Rambam (Hilkhot Milah 3:7), not only is it permissible for a gentile to circumcise himself, it is a mitsvah!
As he writes in a responsum (ed. Blau # 148), this is in the category of eino ...
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6
votes
What was the size of the כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר?
The Bartenura on that verse says that the כָּתְנוֹת עוֹר covered their entire body - I guess like a long robe.
He explains that this is the reason the fig leaves needed to be replaced, because they ...
- 42.8k
6
votes
Accepted
Connection Between Liver & Honor?
Shemot 7:14 says:
וַיֹּ֤אמֶר ה' אֶל־משֶׁ֔ה כָּבֵ֖ד לֵ֣ב פַּרְעֹ֑ה מֵאֵ֖ן לְשַׁלַּ֥ח
הָעָֽם
The Lord said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is heavy; he has refused to
let the people out.
The ...
- 1,335
5
votes
Are women allowed to see another woman's private area?
Concur with mbloch's answer -- if one is viewing them licentiously that's a different discussion -- just wanted to bring a stronger proof. Basically, it used to be everyone of the same gender went to ...
- 131k
5
votes
Accepted
How did Pinchas kill Zimri? (technically)
While I might normally put these as comments, I think this can warrant an answer.
Firstly, it is possible that even with piercing just their sexual organs, they may have died from blood loss from the ...
- 20.9k
5
votes
Why does the Torah say a woman has "sperm" or "seed"?
What a word in the Torah means is best determined not by the most frequently-used English translation of that word but by examining how that word is used in context in the Torah or possibly in ...
- 47.8k
4
votes
Woman with 2 wombs in regards to pidyon haben
the mishna in bechoros states that a child born after a ceaserian birth does not require pidyon (this is codified as halcha). gemara explains that although he is considered the opener of the womb, he ...
- 1,149
4
votes
Eye contact with makom bris?
The Tamlud (Shabbat 118b) mentions 1 (or possibly 2) Tannaim who claimed to have never looked (הסתכל) at their "makom bris". This is presented as a rare act of extreme piety, and there is no technical ...
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4
votes
Accepted
How to deal with back pain
The most important thing that I would recommend is not leaning over sefarim for three sedarim. Sitting is the new smoking, as they say. Why not try standing up and using a shtender every so often? Or ...
- 18.8k
4
votes
How does this list add up to 248 bones?
it seems that sometimes parts of one bone are counted separately (maybe because they are counted at a certain stage of development (from wikipedia "270 bones at birth, which decreases to 206 bones by ...
- 7,466
4
votes
Why not cover yourself when saying a b'racha in a Mikveh?
Interestingly enough the Shulchan Aruch in Yoreh De'ah and Remo both feel the same way you do.
See סימן ר - אימתי תעשה ברכת הטבילה, ובו סעיף אחד where it says:
א: כְּשֶׁפּוֹשֶׁטֶת מַלְבּוּשֶׁיהָ, ...
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4
votes
How did Pinchas kill Zimri? (technically)
My understanding of that comment was always that the spear went straight through the middle of both Zimri and Cozbi dorsoventrally. Along that path, it would pierce first Zimri's internal organs, then ...
- 47.8k
4
votes
Is writing on your body acceptable?
Although it's not clear what kind of writing you are asking about, I will assume you mean writing with a surface-level demarcation like a pen, marker, etc. without penetrating the skin. In that case, ...
- 13.8k
4
votes
Any sources that the human body is a Menorah?
It seems that the Alshich suggests this as well, saying in fact that the ears represent the outer branches, the eyes represent the next 2 branches, then the nostrils, and finally the mouth.
I saw ...
- 3,569
4
votes
Proper placement of Shel Yad
Quote for https://www.hasofer.com/html/tefillinposition.html:
Lowest point for tefillin begins where the biceps muscle starts to elevate and is normally bulged. The tefillin must never pass below this ...
3
votes
Getting body piercings
Several Mishnayoth and Gemaroth are linked to the question. Through these texts that we will discover the Halacha.
The first appears in Mishna (Baba Kama Chapter 8 Mishna 5)
"הַחוֹבֵל בְּעַצְמוֹ, ...
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3
votes
Are women allowed to see another woman's private area?
Seeing another woman's private area is not technically prohibited - and bikini pictures even less. It is hard to source a negative but extensive research didn't uncover(!) sources forbidding it.
...
- 47.9k
3
votes
Is tearing the hymen something that should be avoided
Rabbi Yitzḥak said: All of those women from the household of Rabbi Yehuda HaNasi who break their hymens are named Tamar by nickname.- Yevamot.34b see Rashi there it seems it might be positive behavior ...
- 251
3
votes
Can one rip off dead skin on shabbat?
It is a tolada (corollary) of gozez (shearing). See, e.g., DailyHalacha.com:
The Gemara addresses the related issue of cuticles – pieces of skin around the nail that become detached. The rule ...
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3
votes
What is the Luz Bone?
The Lubavitcher Rebbe in Reshimos V. 7 said that it's an argument between the Arizal and the Aruch:
The Arizal (In Likkutei Torah to Shoftim (in Nach)) says that it's where the knot of the Tefillin ...
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3
votes
What is the Luz Bone?
The luz bone is a small bone located towards the top of the spinal column. In Judaism it is taught that this is the bone that one is rebuilt from and resurrected in the End of Days.
It is a matter ...
- 18.5k
3
votes
Body Parallels to the Mishkan
Midrash Hagadol, (Terumah):
אמר לו לא כשם שאתה סבור, אלא עשה אתה כשנברא העולם וכשנתחתם גופך כך עשה
המשכן, וכך היה המשכן דומה לגופו של אדם
...And this is the reason why the mishkan resembles the world ...
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3
votes
Was every commandment on the Tablets inscribed with a different finger of G-d?
R. Ishmael is quoted in Pirke Rebbi Eliezer (ch. 48) saying (allegorically) that God used His middle finger to inscribe the commandments.
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