Unanswered Questions
499 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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What is the source for Bitachon in the Torah?
The Chovos Halevovos's fourth שער, section, is on Bitachon. Since his sefer is "Duties of the heart", he clearly considers this a required "duty". Unlike some other areas, he does ...
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Why do the Sages often believe that the word רוב mean "majority," when it clearly means "a lot"?
It seems clear that the word רוב in biblical Hebrew means "a large amount." For example, Bereshit 48:16
וְיִדְגּוּ לָרֹב בְּקֶרֶב הָאָרֶץ may they teem into multitudes in the midst of the ...
- 23.4k
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Origin of the Conservation of Biblical Personalities principle
There is a discussion on this site which is defined by a principle of Conservation of Biblical Personalities, when the midrash or aggadeta would quote various persons under the same name. Rabbi Tzvi-...
- 9,564
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What kingdom was Melchizedek the king of?
Practically all commentators learn that Salem was Jerusalem, as it says (Gen 14.18): "And King Melchizedek of Salem brought out bread and wine; he was a priest of God Most High."
What do we ...
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3 days: Avraham's journey vs. Israelite's "journey"
Are there any sources connecting the 3 days Avraham walked to Har Hamoria (Bereshit 22:4) in the test of the Akeda, to the "3 days journey into the desert" Moshe asked King Pharaoh to grant ...
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Status of "extra" mitzvot
When the Jews are exiled to Babel, God commands Jeremiah to tell the Jews some instructions regarding their behavior in exile (Jeremiah 29:4-9):
"Thus said GOD of Hosts, the God of Israel, to ...
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Source for Hiddush on Parashat Bereshit
It says in Parashat Bereshit:
וַיְבָ֣רֶךְ אֹתָם֮ אֱלֹהִים֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר לָהֶ֜ם אֱלֹהִ֗ים פְּר֥וּ וּרְב֛וּ וּמִלְא֥וּ אֶת־הָאָ֖רֶץ וְכִבְשֻׁ֑הָ וּרְד֞וּ בִּדְגַ֤ת הַיָּם֙ וּבְע֣וֹף הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וּבְכׇל־...
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Who are the lulav and the hadasim?
There is a popular midrash that the four species on Sukkos represent four kinds of people. I usually see it in the form where the smell corresponds to mitzvos and the taste corresponds to Torah ...
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Where do we learn out that Nimrod tried to make himself into a deity?
I've always vaguely remembered the conventional story of Nimrod declaring himself a god and Avraham challenging him to change the course of the sun, etc. But after doing some active digging, it seems ...
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Are there Rabbinical commentaries on the symbolism of the altar fire revived by Nehemiah?
I gather that 2 Maccabees is outside the canon, but surely Rabbinical commentators were aware of it. With the goal of parsing out some of the symbolism seen in the following verses 1:23-28 (...
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Why "tilling and tending" of Eden are not considered commandments?
"God settled the Human in the garden of Eden, to til it and tend it." That preceded his introduction to its plants and trees and the commandments to withdraw from eating from them.
Was Adam ...
- 28k
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Egyptian priests as closet monotheists, and Joseph’s Pharaoh as a Canaanite?
An exceptionally rare 1936 book by Rev Dr Izak Goller, called First Chapter, includes the following:
A powerful shepherd king of Canaan had invaded and conquered Egypt,
and one of his descendants ...
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Was the concept "Arich Anpin" was influenced by Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 3:12 and Midrash Tanchuma Pekudei 3:16?
Was the concept "Arich Anpin" (Keter,Hokhmah,Binah) was influenced by Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer 3:12 and Midrash Tanchuma Pekudei 3:16?
Pirke DeRabbi Eliezer 3:12 - There (in the north) is the ...
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The term "divine presence" and "divine spirit" were used interchangeably?
Babylonian Talmud Sotah 11a:5 and Shemot Rabbah 1:28 depicts same scenery where divine wisdom in mishley is identified with Divine Presence. But in Babylonian Talmud Sotah 11a:5, it is written: "...
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Relationship between the imagery of Messiah in Targum Jerusalem Exodus 12:42 and Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer 30:13
In Targum Jerusalem Exodus 12:42 the Messiah is depicted as coming from midst of Rome. And Pirkei De Rabbi Eliezer 30:13 portrays Messiah as coming from Edom (Isaiah 63:1). Was the imagery of Messiah ...
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