Unanswered Questions
546 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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Why do we have different names today than in ancient Judaism?
There are definitely exceptions, but for the most part, it seems that from the Beis Hamikdash period up until the era of the Rishonim, the traditional names we use today were relatively uncommon (such ...
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Are there any open-source Talmud?
I would like to partially mark the tzures hadaf of mesechta Makkos, print it out for others, and put it on-line. But I do not want to worry about copyright laws. Does anyone know where I can download ...
- 5,587
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Is there a gemara that explains why our forefathers' prayers were answered right away?
I think I remember a gemara that says the reason why our fathers were answered right away as opposed to us is because they knew G-d's name. I am searching for it but I have not found it yet.
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Seeking to find a quote from Rashba on Kidushin
ולולא פירוש רש"י היו דברי התנאיים והאמוראים סתומות ולא היו ניתנים
להבנה
Were it nor for Rashi's commentary, Shas would remain a closed book to
us all.
I heard that the Rashba says the above in ...
- 5,019
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Isn’t ״צרות לבבי הרחיבו״ an oxymoron?
In Tehillim 25:17, David says:
צָר֣וֹת לְבָבִ֣י הִרְחִ֑יבוּ מִ֝מְּצוּקוֹתַ֗י הוֹצִיאֵֽנִי׃
My deep distress increases; deliver me from my straits.
The root ״צר״ literally translates as “narrow”. Its ...
- 1,356
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Did Jacob prostrate himself before Joseph?
The Gemara in Berachot 55 learns from Joseph's dream that there is no dream without meaningless components; as he had dreamed of the sun, the moon and eleven stars bowing before him, yet Rachel (...
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Is one allowed to consult oil and egg demons?
On one hand, the Gemara Sanhedrin 101a states:
And one may not consult the words of demons on Shabbat. Rabbi Yosei says: Even during the week it is prohibited to consult demons. Rav Huna said: The ...
- 5,096
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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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What do Jews call the deuterocannonical books?
In theory, the Christian “Old Testament” is the same as the Jewish Bible, or at least the same texts in a different order, but in fact there are a few different versions of the Old Testament. The ...
- 101k
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Origins/Information sought for the words דּוֹק and חֶלֶד, which appear in אַדִּיר וְנָאוֹר - translated as "Heaven and Earth"? (RH/YK Machzor)
I've never seen דּוֹק וָחֶלֶד before except in this prayer. Looking them up hasn't been particularly useful - I can't find a second source that defines דּוֹק as heaven (and can't find any uses in ...
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Are you allowed to make liquid nitrogen ice cream on Yom Tov
Liquid nitrogen is a liquid version of nitrogen gas and hence very cold. This ice cream involves sugar, chocolate syrup, milk --liquid nitrogen is poured in as one stirs vigorously. When all have ...
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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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Why is תא שמע used for both Attempted Challenges & Proofs?
Why does the Gemara use תא שמע for both Attempted Challenges & Attempted Proofs?
It can get especially confusing.
Take Bava Basra 94b-95a for example, which is discussing Rav Huna of the previous ...
CommunityBot
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Origins of the diagrams in Rashi, Rashbam or Tosefos
In Bava Basra 62 there are some diagrams/illustrations in the commentaries Rashbam and Tosefos, related to the topic of borders of fields, as well as in many other places in the Talmud.
My question is,...
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Why is "וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ" not a standalone verse and preceded by "לֹא־תִקֹּם וְלֹא־תִטֹּר"?
In Lev 19.18: "לֹא־תִקֹּם וְלֹא־תִטֹּר ... וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ",
Why "love thy fellow" is an "aftermath", an "elaboration" on "don't avenge or ...
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