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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 35.4k
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 ...
- 1,723
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 ...
- 42.8k
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, ...
- 97.4k
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 ...
- 35.4k
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 ...
- 902
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 ...
- 139k
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 ...
- 20.4k
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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 42.8k
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 ...
- 56.4k
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&...
- 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
...
- 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.
...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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 ...
- 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.
- 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’...
- 13.6k
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 ...
- 10.6k
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 ...
- 47.2k
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 ...
- 356
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