14
votes
Accepted
First use of modern names for books of Torah
Sefer B'Reshit: the Yerushalmi (Sotah 1:10) already refers to it as Sefer B'reshit. This is also found in the Zohar (Raya Mehemna Vol. II Parashat Mishpatim 119b).
Sefer Sh'mot: The Midrash Lekah Tov (...
- 36k
11
votes
Accepted
How to suggest a kosher restaurant for a meeting?
In most cases, when this sort of thing comes up I say something like: "I have some dietary restrictions and wouldn't be able to eat there; could we meet at $other_restaurant instead?".
For someone ...
- 57k
11
votes
Accepted
What's the Jewish attitude towards work and unionizing?
We do not glorify poverty, but we do view work as ennobling. G-d could have poof! given the people a Tabernacle in the desert, but the process of everyone working together to build one (and it was ...
- 136k
10
votes
Accepted
Is it better to say a blessing quietly or loudly?
The basic obligation is only to recite blessings loud enough that you can hear them, as brought by the Rambam in Mishnah Torah, Hilchos Berachos, Chapter One, the beginning of Paragraph Seven:
כל ...
- 286
9
votes
Why do we use the masculine form in a Shabbat greeting?
With respect to your friend, the fact that shabbat pluralises as shabbatot is itself insufficient for demonstrating that it's a feminine word. Lots of masculine words take that plural - such as אבות, ...
- 19.1k
7
votes
Accepted
What does LAYT stand for?
Kitzur.co.il has the entry
לאי"ט
standing for
לאורך ימים טובים
LAYT will be the transliteration into English.
Idiomatic Translation - "for a long and good life"
(I normally write LOY”T.)
- 48.7k
7
votes
On what social issues were the rabbis ahead of their times?
R Ken Spiro has a wonderful book on this topic: Worldperfect, the Jewish impact on civilization (a similar book by a non-Jewish author is The gifts of the Jews: how a tribe of desert nomads changed ...
- 54k
7
votes
When is it acceptable to be impolite or rude
No it is never ok to be rude. As Jews, we have to set the standard and example for others.
Indeed, this was the difference between Yaakov and Eisav. The Zohar on Parshas Toldos writes:
וַיַּעַשׂ גַּם ...
- 34.5k
6
votes
Accepted
When did shuckling begin?
Based on: On the Mainline, the OU.
The History
To summarize, we see a negative portrayal of swaying during study in the 11th century in a poem of R. Shemuel HaNagid. [i] We find more positive ...
- 36k
6
votes
Accepted
Is there a salutation/greeting recognizing the last day of Channukah for my Jewish friends?
Welcome to Mi Yodeya, and thanks for your efforts to show respect for your Jewish friends.
I'm not aware of any special greeting for the last day of Chanuka, in particular. "Happy Chanuka" is the ...
- 48.6k
6
votes
What is the best way to correct someone who has unwittingly violated halacha in public?
I have been corrected on several occasions, so I can describe what worked better or worse for me. I've tried to apply this when I'm doing the correcting (doesn't happen often), and so far it has ...
- 57k
6
votes
History of chattan & kallah classes
Based on the book "Halachos of Niddah" by Rabbi Shimon D. Eider (first published in 1981), the origin of the modern Chassan and Kallah classes began shortly after the Holocaust. Historically, mothers ...
- 6,943
6
votes
Greeting other people (Jews and Non-Jews alike)
A Talmudic passage that may be relevant here:
Berachot 17a
מרגלא בפומיה דאביי לעולם יהא אדם ערום ביראה מענה רך משיב חמה ומרבה
שלום עם אחיו ועם קרוביו ועם כל אדם ואפילו עם נכרי בשוק כדי שיהא אהוב
...
- 50.3k
5
votes
Standard engagement timeframe in modern Orthodox and Yishivish circles
From my experience the average engagement period in the Yeshivish circles is 2 - 4 months. Although I know of cases where the wedding was in as short as 4 -5 weeks and others where it was as much as 6 ...
- 140k
5
votes
Title to use when addressing a rav
The Shulchan Aruch (in Yore De'ah סימן רמב - שלא להורות בפני הרב, ודין רב שמחל על כבודו) discusses greeting one's Rav - and mentions that one doesn't greet him as one does any other person, and ...
- 44.7k
5
votes
Accepted
What age is the kapoteh donned in Chabad circles?
From the wedding day onward.
Discussed in the book Mazal Tov by Rabbi Nissan Dovid Dubov on page 64
169. After the Kabbolas Ponim the chosson prepares for the chuppah in the following way.
170. The ...
- 4,685
5
votes
Greeting other people (Jews and Non-Jews alike)
In addition to the previous answer, here are two more sources that address the topic of greeting people:
וא"ר חלבו אמר רב הונא כל שיודע בחברו שהוא רגיל ליתן לו שלום יקדים לו שלום שנאמר בקש שלום ...
- 25.9k
5
votes
Why ask guest to make kiddush?
The reason many prefer to make their own Kiddush rather than be yotzei from the host is because of the dictum מצוה בו יותר מבשלוחו - it is preferable to perform a Mitzvah personally [based on ...
- 11.2k
5
votes
When is it acceptable to be impolite or rude
The Ramban advises in his Iggeres Haramban (Sefaria translation taken from here):
Accustom yourself to always speak all of your words calmly, to every
man and at every time. In doing so you will ...
- 522
4
votes
On what social issues were the rabbis ahead of their times?
Chazal set up a publicly funded school system around the first century of the common era (Bava Basra 21:1). They strongly condemned any city that did not fund a school for its children (Eicha Rabba ...
- 5,420
4
votes
Accepted
Hospitalized - visit by my Rabbi
Of course, the situation depends entirely on how the two of you feel like handling it.
However, this may help:
One source for covering the cross is based upon the ruling of the Kaf HaChaim 113:27 ...
- 11k
4
votes
Is there such a thing as "too Orthodox"?
Yes. One is "too Orthodox" when one judges others for shortcomings other than sheer evil; when one hates people (for the group they belong to); when one no longer feels or acts like a part of humanity;...
- 20.2k
4
votes
Should Jewish men be courteous to women in public?
From time to time I hear Gedolim remembered for their ordinary courtesy to women that they happened to encounter. Here's such an article:
"She went on to explain that when Rabbi (Yaakov) Kamenetsky ...
- 2,335
4
votes
Accepted
Is Hashem polite?
One cannot define God as being either polite or un-polite, both attributes would limit Him and he is by definition unlimited. We only know and understand God through His Torah and the laws (halachot) ...
- 54k
4
votes
Greeting other people (Jews and Non-Jews alike)
Here are two more relevant sources from Pirkei Avot
Pirkei Avot 1:15
Shammai says, "Make your Torah fixed, say little and do much, and
greet (receive) every person with a pleasant countenance."
...
- 54k
4
votes
Why do people respond "Gam L'mar"?
It once happened that Rav Huna was girded (his belt was) with a piece
of straw and was standing before Rav. Rav said to him: What is this?
Why are you dressed in this way? He said to him: I had no ...
- 11k
4
votes
Accepted
Asking the husband about the wife אַיֵּה שָׂרָה אִשְׁתֶּךָ - what are the views of contemporary poskim?
In his sefer Chut Shani on Even HaEzer Siman 21, Rabbi Nissim Karelitz writes (page 59, note 16) the straight halacha that asking a woman how she is doing is forbidden even if you ask by means of the ...
- 9,948
4
votes
What official position did Moses have acc. to Torah?
Rambam writes that Moses had the halachic status of king (Mishnah Torah Beis Habechirah 6:11):
אֵין מוֹסִיפִין עַל הָעִיר אוֹ עַל הָעֲזָרוֹת אֶלָּא עַל פִּי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְעַל פִּי נָבִיא וּבְאוּרִים ...
- 6,535
4
votes
Accepted
Appropriate bat mitzvah gift from non-jew
In the circles in which I travel (American, generally modern/centrist Orthodox), there aren't any particular restrictions on acceptable gifts for a Bat/Bar Mitzva. The types of gifts I've seen most ...
- 48.6k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible