14
votes
Accepted
Why is the Frankel Rambam divided unusually? Madda-Ahava and Avoda-Korbanot
I wrote to Hotzaat Shabsi Frankel with this inquiry, and they responded that the unusual numbering is due to a misguided guess at how many volumes the set would ultimately be:
Thanks for your ...
- 4,419
9
votes
Accepted
Why is public reading of the haftarah not required to be from parchment?
You aren't the first person to wonder about this. The Levush wrote "All my days I wondered why I never saw in any place the practice to write the Haftarot like a proper book as we do for Esther" (OC ...
- 100k
7
votes
Quadrant based layout for the Yerushalmi
The reference is to the pages of the Venice printing of the Talmud Yerushalmi (5283/1523). Each folio is divided into four columns, two on each side of the page, and these are the numbers of the amud (...
- 25.3k
6
votes
Why did Ralbag's commentary to Leviticus take so much longer than the other books of the Torah?
A couple of speculative suggestions:
1) Neema H. Adlerblum writes the following in Chapter Two of A Study of Gersonides in his Proper Perspective:
He writes somewhere that he could not go on with ...
- 49.9k
5
votes
Accepted
Can i write the letter "t" without worrying that I'm making a cross?
Rav Moshe(Igros Moshe YD 1:69) was asked about selling stamps with a cross on it . Rav Moshe brought proof from a Tosfos in Shabbas 149 . He explains that only when the cross is made for the name of ...
- 42.5k
5
votes
Opening bottle on Shabbos where it will destroy letters on cap
The Kitzur Shulchan Aruch in 80:64 - סימן פ - קצת ממלאכות האסורות בשבת
- writes:
סעיף סד' סְפָרִים, שֶׁעַל חֻדֵּי הַגִּלְיוֹנוֹת מִבַּחוּץ נִכְתְּבוּ אוֹתִיּוֹת, יֵשׁ אוֹסְרִין לְפָתְחָן אוֹ ...
- 44.1k
5
votes
When did David Hamelech write Tehillim?
David HaMelech wasn't the sole author of psalms — the earliest mention of someone reciting psalms is found in bava batra 14b (on the bottom); which says that king David compiled psalms from a number ...
- 2,090
4
votes
Accepted
Is it permitted to use a thermochromic cup on Shabbos?
In sefer Shu"t Yad Dodi page 149:30 Reb Dovid Feinstein was asked about using the magic cup on shabbos ,and he his response was it is permitted to use such a cup.
Text of responsa:
- 42.5k
4
votes
Rashi script in certain seforim
See Teshuvos Ha-Rema (R. Moshe Isserles), 34:
ועיקר ספרים שלנו כתובים או נדפסים בכתב שאינו אשורי, והוא מטעם שאנו
כותבים תורה שבעל פה כמו שפסקו הפוסקים ואיתא בגמרא מטעם דעת לעשות
לה' הפרו תורתך,...
- 14.6k
4
votes
Accepted
Writing with dry erase marker on Shabbos, is it permitted?
It is forbidden to write, even temporarily on Shabbos. R Jack Abramowitz from OU writes
Koseiv [writing] involves creating any meaningful letter or symbol.
It doesn’t have to be with ink on paper....
- 53.7k
4
votes
Accepted
Extending the Leg of a Letter to Remove Sheimos
This is prohibited as erasing God's name. If you wrote יה as God's name and then want to follow it up with ודה to make the name יהודה, that is prohibited (Soferim 5:2, Keset Hasofer 12:3). Your case ...
- 100k
4
votes
Accepted
What do these different formatting elements of Hebrew texts mean in Sefaria?
Trying to parse texts whose format you don't understand sounds like a recipe for disaster. Complicating the matter, Sefaria's library includes texts from many different eras, with different formatting ...
- 10.6k
3
votes
Metal Kulmus for Sifrei Kodesh?
The Rama writes that some say to use a reed and not a feather. The Taz explains, that by a Get there is a halacha that it should not be written using metal because it might engrave the words, and ...
- 6,183
3
votes
Can you take and post pictures of people online without their permission?
Rav Moshe Heinemann answered in a shiur,
If you just photograph someone else, and won’t show the picture to
others, then I don’t see a way for someone to be makpid – he’s
standing there for ...
- 14.6k
3
votes
Bereishit 31:53 "chol"
I believe the answer is in your question itself. You wrote: “the side of the page is usually for notes about reading/pronunciation...”. I believe that is exactly what the side note is saying. When ...
- 1,025
2
votes
Saying Tanach by Heart
According to Rabbenu Hayyim Paltiel (Numbers 28:9) verses cited in prayer on Shabbat or even Rosh Hodesh are sufficiently frequent to not have the problem. Verses cited only on the holidays, are ...
- 35.9k
2
votes
Why are there colored splotches on the pages on many Jewish texts?
I have always heard that these blotches make it to where one cannot see the "stains" that are left on the sides of pages from the oil on one's fingers.
- 19k
2
votes
Why is a "classicly" printed Sefer Torah not kosher?
Yisrael Kleinhendler has a very interesting article on the "silk-screen sefer Torah" in Hakirah (vol. 19, Summer 2015). He writes (p. 219) about some of the issues halachic authorities had regarding ...
- 53.7k
2
votes
What justifies the rules for a mezuzah to be kosher?
In short
Doesn't such a scroll still fulfil the purposes of serving as a reminder?
No
And doesn't it fulfill just as well the biblical requirement to have
those words on one's doorpost?
No
...
- 43.4k
2
votes
Rashi script in certain seforim
Many years ago I saw [a copy of?] the first [dated] printed Sefer. It was the Rashi on the Torah.(It was published in Italy in 1475) It was typeset in what we call Rashi Script. I postulate that that ...
2
votes
Tweeting on Shabbat: d'oraita or d'rabbanan violation?
I will not deal with the issue you had with Safek Pikuach Nefesh as not enough details were given. I will deal mainly with the issues of Kosev relating to an electronic screen.
The recent Poskim have ...
- 1,171
2
votes
Which Mesivta volumes contain appendixes?
Rosh Hashana Vol. 1, pictures regarding astronomy.
Megillah Vol. 1, chart of 70 year diaspora and Megillah timeline chart
Yevamos Vol. 1-6, charts of relationships.
2
votes
Magnetic Word Games On Shabbos
Playing scrabble on Shabbos is a point of contention, and when magnetic, it makes it additionally troublesome. The full breakdown is as follows:
It is worth noting, building on your point mentioned ...
- 33.9k
2
votes
Accepted
Magnetic Word Games On Shabbos
“Shulchan Shlomo” (Shabbos, Vol. III, Siman 340, note 35) records an oral ruling by Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach, that one may take plain letters and put them together to form words. This is not ...
- 5,172
2
votes
Typically how long it takes to finish one page/chapter of the Hebrew bible?
Don't think it works that way. The recording isn't the issue. At various times in his life, the prophet received prophecy and wrote it down. It wasn't up to him when or if he would receive more. For ...
- 3,869
2
votes
Accepted
Invisible ink on Shabbat and Yom tov
R Yirmiyohu Kaganoff answers your question here
There is no Torah violation in writing with ink that will disappear
within a few hours. This halacha has major ramifications when dealing
with the ...
- 53.7k
1
vote
How does "Elokim" ("אלקים") solve the problem?
Sometimes אל doesn’t refer to God at all; it just means these.
For example, Dev. 19:11
הערים האל
So, I think you need not worry. However, in the time of need, you’d be able to say Ekokim, I ...
- 681
1
vote
How does "Elokim" ("אלקים") solve the problem?
There is a minhag (which is not backed by Halachah at all, that I know of,) where some people will not say "ginger ale"; but instead say "ginger kale" for fear of mentioning "ale" which sounds like ...
- 11k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible