11 votes
Accepted

Things that come from the heart

The source is Moshe Ibn Ezra (1055-1140, not to be confused with the better known R. Avraham Ibn Ezra), in his sefer Shirat Yisroel. The footnote in the edition linked here1 says that his source was ...
robev's user avatar
  • 19.6k
10 votes

Are there examples in Tanach of 3 or more parties having an ongoing conversation?

In Jeremiah 26 there is a conversation involving six different named parties: Jeremiah speaks to the nation, the priests and the prophets The nation, the priests, and the prophets respond The princes ...
b a's user avatar
  • 24k
8 votes

talking after washing

The Talmud (Berakhot 42a) states that there are three things done immediately. One of them is: תכף לנטילת ידים ברכה Immediately [after] washing one's hand, blessing. The Tur (OH 166) writes ...
mevaqesh's user avatar
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8 votes
Accepted

Earliest Sources To Avoid Pronouncing the Name 'Samael'

Rav Shmuel Vital (17th century) in the siddur חמדת ישראל says this. גם צריך להזהר מאד שלא להזכיר בפיו שם סמא"ל וזהו סוד מש"ה אלהים אחרים לא תזכירו וכו' ובפרט בלילה שאז היא שליטתו וממשלתו.ולא עוד ...
Y K's user avatar
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8 votes
Accepted

Using hebrew as a day-to-day language

Is there an argument against this prohibition? It contradicts an explicit Gemara in Shabbat 40b: "והאמר אביי "דברים של חול מותר לאומרן בלשון קודש, של קודש אסור לאומרן בלשון חול To which Rashi ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
8 votes
Accepted

What happens with the blessings if a mute is called for a Torah aliyah?

Peri Megadim (OC 140 MZ 2) writes that perhaps if the mute is an extremely important person ("אדם חשוב גדול הדור") we can be lenient to allow others to say the blessing for him through Shomea' KeOneh, ...
Double AA's user avatar
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8 votes
Accepted

Reading Shna'yim mikrah vi'echad targum aloud

R. Moshe Sternbauch addresses this in his Teshuvot V'hanahagot (Vol. IV #73): והנה לכאורה פשוט דתרגום אונקלוס צריך לקרוא בפיו דוקא ולא מספיק בהרהור, ולפ"ז אולי גם כשלומד רש"י לתרגום הדין כן, שיש ...
mevaqesh's user avatar
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8 votes
Accepted

Does Jewish law have a clear position on freedom of speech?

One who blasphemes G-d is executed. Mishne Torah, Avodas Kochavim, 2:7 A Jewish king may execute someone for speaking against him (rebellion against the monarch). Mishneh Torah, Melachim 3:8 One who ...
Benyomin Walters's user avatar
7 votes

the aggadic concept of a finite number of words to speak

Derech Pikudecha (Bnei Yisoschor)- page 162 - paragraph starting with Gimel says that one has a limit on the amount of words in his lifetime and if he speaks too much is shortening his life. קיבלנו ...
Gershon Gold's user avatar
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 ...
josh waxman's user avatar
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6 votes
Accepted

Is it forbidden to count Jewish people without uttering any words?

The OU quotes "the Kaf Hachaim (13:10) writes that one is permitted to count Jewish People in one’s mind (b’machshava), as long as he does not count them audibly." This is referring to the ...
NJM's user avatar
  • 13.8k
6 votes

How to approach saying divrei torah at the shabbos table

By talking about something really interesting that applies to your crowd. Know your audience is rule #1. NOTE Some people will tune out easily when hearing a regular scholarly vort on the Parshah or ...
David Kenner's user avatar
  • 10.7k
6 votes

Things that come from the heart

This site says the source is a mystery. Despite the fact that it is oft cited as "Chazal say", neither the Mishanah nor Talmud cite this phrase anywhere. The writer surmises: that the phrase is an ...
DanF's user avatar
  • 70.1k
6 votes

5th part of the shulchan aruch

According to Jewish historian Joseph Telushkin in his A Code of Jewish Ethics, Volume 1, this description is attributed to Rabbi Chaim Soloveitchik, an early twentieth century Rabbi. The story is ...
Chaim's user avatar
  • 4,313
6 votes
Accepted

Don't have to articulate hataras nedarim?

The barebone Halacha is in Yoreh De'ah 228 - סימן רכח - דיני התרת נדרים - where it says that all that the 3 people need to say is מֻתָּר לָךְ - preferably thrice. So I'm not sure what the others ...
Danny Schoemann's user avatar
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 ...
Monica Cellio's user avatar
6 votes

Not verbally spelling Hashem's names

Chayei Adam 5:27 writes the following (emphasis mine): ההוגה השם באותיותיו אין לו חלק לע"הב דהיינו שקורא השם בנקודותיו כמו שהוא נקוד היו"ד בשב"א והה"א בחולם והוא"ו בקמץ (ול&...
Salmononius2's user avatar
  • 6,753
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 ...
Alex's user avatar
  • 49.1k
6 votes

Saying the right thing then saying the wrong thing toch kedai dibur

Halichos Shlomo quotes Reb Shlomo Zalman Aurbach's handwritten tshuva as saying it seems that the person has fulfilled his obligation with the first counting. This is found in chapter 11 halacha 5. ...
user6591's user avatar
  • 33.4k
5 votes

How does a mute get married?

In writing or in sign language. You are talking about someone that can hear and understand. For the Din of Cheresh (which imply inability to be Chayav bemitsvot) is a man who cannot speaking nor ...
kouty's user avatar
  • 22.7k
5 votes

How to approach saying divrei torah at the shabbos table

When everyone has to stop what they are doing in the meal and briefly be quiet for a dvar torah, it gives the impression that torah is apart from normal living. How do you avoid the presentation of ...
msh210's user avatar
  • 73.5k
5 votes

How to approach saying divrei torah at the shabbos table

Here's an approach that I've found to be generally successful, when I've deployed it at my own table. Topic of interest As both previous answers indicated, and as multiple answers to this related ...
Isaac Moses's user avatar
  • 47.8k
5 votes
Accepted

Where does the Talmud reference the pronunciation of guttural letters?

I can think of a few comparisons of the sound of Aleph to the sound of Ayin: The sound of Aleph is slight, and the letter is therefore sometimes omitted from spelling. Ex 10:21 Rashi, citing Isaiah ...
Chaim's user avatar
  • 2,217
5 votes
Accepted

Is there a proper greeting for the Three Weeks and Tisha B'av?

Based on (O.C. 554:21) אֵין שְׁאֵלַת שָׁלוֹם לַחֲבֵרוֹ בְּתִשְׁעָה בְּאָב, וְהֶדְיוֹטוֹת שֶׁאֵינָם יוֹדְעִים וְנוֹתְנִים שָׁלוֹם, מְשִׁיבִים לָהֶם בְּשָׂפָה רָפָה וּבְכֹבֶד רֹאשׁ, Rav Ari Enkin ...
NJM's user avatar
  • 13.8k
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 ...
b a's user avatar
  • 24k
5 votes
Accepted

Let the young ones speak first?

This is the rule for capital cases so as to be extra sure every possible leniency is considered before executing someone. See Mishna Sanhedrin 4:2 with commentaries.
Double AA's user avatar
  • 97.4k
5 votes

Are there examples in Tanach of 3 or more parties having an ongoing conversation?

I believe the conversation in Gen. 34:6-18 between Shechem, Chamor and the Benai Yaakov fits the criteria. I have included the text along with notes in brackets indicating each party. Then Shechem’...
rikitikitembo's user avatar
5 votes

Is there a source in the Torah for the belief that words a person speaks can change the course of their life for better or worse?

The Gemara in Kesubos 8B, Berachos 19A and 60A states that a person should not say something bad will happen as it is considered "opening your mouth to the Satan" which can cause the thing ...
Chatzkel's user avatar
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4 votes
Accepted

Where are Jews forbidden to speak the name of God

The Mishnah in Sanhedrin 10 (1) lists those who have no share in the World to Come. Included in these according to Abba Shaul is someone who utters the Divine Name as it is spelled. See Rambam's ...
Avrohom Yitzchok's user avatar
4 votes

Talking in shul

The Rambam (Hilchos Deos Perek 6:7) says that if one is told to be quiet and they rebuke the person telling them to be quiet they are subject to certain punishments including being barred from ...
Josh's user avatar
  • 356

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