Unanswered Questions
420 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
15
votes
1
answer
396
views
Is the obligation for Gentiles to establish a system of courts communal or individual?
One of the seven laws of Noah for gentiles is to set up a system of courts.
Is the obligation to set up a system of courts a communal obligation on Gentile communities, or does every single Gentile ...
CommunityBot
- 1
10
votes
2
answers
208
views
Counting Sefirah in a made up language
Can one fulfill the mitzvah of counting the Omer by counting in a language that only he/she understands? What if a few people understand? An entire goup?
- 2,013
9
votes
0
answers
152
views
Eliezer's daughter and descendants
Medrash Rabah Parshas Chayai Sara 59:9 says that Eliezer had a daughter and was hoping that she would marry Yitzchak. Avraham told him you are cursed (come from a cursed family) and my son is blessed. ...
- 73.9k
9
votes
1
answer
443
views
Reincarnations - Let's work out how many one would need to be personally obligated in all 613 Mitzvot in the superset
In a nutshell, the Arizal says (Shaar Gilgulim Ch. 16) we are reincarnated in order that every Jew gets a chance to experience all 613 mitzvot as a chiyuv (personal obligation) at least once. My ...
- 14.7k
9
votes
1
answer
2k
views
Honorific for a non-Jew
My question is somewhat simple: is there an honorific for particularly righteous, deceased non-Jews? Related: is זכרונו לברכה ever used for non-Jews? I don't recall ever having seen this.
EDIT: I ...
- 1
8
votes
0
answers
179
views
Mitzvos from the 613 that are not included in the Ten Commandments
The Chasam Sofer to parshas Nasso says (Toras Moshe I, ד"ה ושמו שמי) that it is known that even though the Ten Commandments contain all the 613 mitzvos (see Rashi and here), the three mitzvos that ...
- 979
8
votes
0
answers
276
views
Can one trust gentile sources for trope systems?
Learning the trope systems for specific Sephardic or Mizrahi communities isn't the most easy since many of the melodies have mixed in together (creating something like the Yerushalmi), or just a lack ...
- 11.8k
7
votes
0
answers
66
views
Why does Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer only connect certain berachos of Shemoneh Esrei to events in Tanach?
According to Pirkei d'Rebbi Eliezer:
The first beracha of Shemoneh Esrei, "Blessed are You, Hashem, Protector of Avraham," refers to Hashem's protecting Avraham during the war with the four kings (ch....
- 17.9k
7
votes
0
answers
244
views
eBay Judaica auctions
I occasionally check eBay for assorted items; this is typically for the science half of my life, but I sometimes find Judaica which probably should not be sold there. For example, I know that in the ...
- 73.9k
7
votes
0
answers
462
views
After-death care of a non-Jewish relative
If a Jew has been entrusted with the after-death care of a non-Jewish relative, what should be done? Specifically, if the non-Jewish relative requested to be cremated after death, can or should a Jew ...
CommunityBot
- 1
7
votes
1
answer
274
views
Source that Og told Sarah about the Akeidah, and thus she died
Someone recently told me that they were taught as a child that Og was the one who told Sarah about the Akeidah, causing her death. I always understood it as the Satan. Indeed, that's what Midrash ...
- 20.2k
6
votes
0
answers
133
views
Operating a mechanical calculator on Shabbos
Are mechanical calculators Mukzte on Shabbos? Would it be considered a form of measuring?
Mechanical calculators have no electric parts. Everything is purely mechanical:
If it is considered measuring,...
- 3,907
6
votes
0
answers
71
views
Earliest source for teaching Torah in secret to hide from the Romans
A number of online sources (such as this article by Rabbi Ari Enkin, or this article by Rabbi Yair Hoffman) mention the tradition that rabbonim used to go out into the woods and teach Torah while ...
- 28k
6
votes
0
answers
194
views
How does a non jew inherit his father?
The gemarra in Kiddushin 17b says that a non Jew inherits his father. My question is according to the Achronim1 who say the concept of "rov" doesn't apply to non Jews, how can a non Jew know who their ...
- 20.2k
6
votes
0
answers
119
views
Why isn't imitating Hashem's traits a constant mitzvah?
In the introduction to Sefer HaChinuch, the author delineates what he feels are six constant mitzvos from the 613.
מששה מצות מהן שחיובן תמידי לא יפסק מעל האדם אפי' רגע בכל ימיו. ואלו הם. א' להאמין ...
- 20.2k