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Unanswered Questions

188 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
10 votes
1 answer
432 views

Who authored the 13 Ani Maamin's?

The Rambam in his Hakdama to his Pirush on Perek Chelek in Mesechtas Sanhedrin mentions the points of belief a Jew must have. To the best of my knowledge these are the basis of the well-known ...
7 votes
0 answers
103 views

Why does An'im Zemiros have two רs?

The song beginning אנעים זמירות (also named Shir HaKavod), which is popularly sung in shuls on Shabbos and/or Yom Tov and/or Yamim Noraim, basically follows a letter-scheme, with one verse for each ...
6 votes
0 answers
69 views

Recommended changes to the text of selichos when you say them at the "wrong" time

Some of the piyutim in selichos assume that you're saying them at the ideal time - before Amud Hashachar (for example, at the end of selicha #70 שחרנוך קדם עמוד השחר). Many people don't make it at ...
6 votes
0 answers
89 views

Why is it forbidden to eat after the Qorban Pesah?

The Mishnah (Pesahim 10:8) states (Hebrew, English): אין מפטירין אחר הפסח אפיקומן They may not add an afikoman after the Pesach offering. The commentators (e.g. Bartenura) explain that this is to ...
6 votes
1 answer
706 views

May one order food from Amazon Prime after Pesach?

May one order chametz from a publically-traded company (Amazon) which may have had food pass through any number of distributers on the way? The service in question is Amazon Prime Pantry.
6 votes
0 answers
111 views

Why are there only 8 Martyrs in the Tisha b'av kinnos

The kinna on Tisha b'av says there are 10 Martyrs, but only 8 are named. In the Yom Kippur version, however, all 10 are mentioned. Why are 2 missing from Tisha b'av?
6 votes
0 answers
126 views

May a nutrition scientist perform research on chametz as part of his job on Hol Hamo'ed Pesach?

For this question, I am interested only in the aspect of handling the chametz and "benefitting" from it on Hol Hamo'ed, not any problems, possibly of going to work. (Let's assume that if the worker ...
6 votes
0 answers
71 views

Badikas Chamatz in courtyards of cities today

Shulchan Aruch HaRav says: קרקעית החצר אין צריך בדיקה לפי שעורבין ושאר עופות מצויין שם והם אוכלים כל חמץ שנופל ואפילו אם ידוע לו שיש שם בחצר ודאי חמץ אין צריך ליטלו משם בשעת בדיקת ליל י"ד ואפילו ...
6 votes
0 answers
397 views

Why did Israeli sportsmen keep their hats on during their national anthem?

Last year I was at the international softball tournament and I noticed that players from Israel took off their baseball caps during the other teams anthems (as is common courtesy), but kept them ...
6 votes
1 answer
292 views

Piyutim in the Scroll

The Shulchan Aruch (OC 139:4) discusses the potential issue that a listener might think that the blessings for an aliya are actually written in the Torah scroll. Different suggestions are offered for ...
5 votes
0 answers
55 views

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 ...
5 votes
0 answers
572 views

Can you eat foods during Passover, if you already opened and ate from the package before Passover?

Let's say that a person opens a jar of pickles that is kosher for Passover, and eats from it during the week before Passover starts. Can the jar still be used during Passover?
5 votes
0 answers
137 views

Is it necessary to include Seder HaAvodah in the Musaf Repetition on Yom Kippur?

As far as I understand, piyyutim (poetic additions to/replacements for certain brachot in public prayer) are optional/only a minhag, and that omitting all of them wouldn't be a problem. On the other ...
5 votes
0 answers
473 views

Can you buy chametz during Pesach that will be delivered after Pesach?

As an example, during Hol Hamo'ed Pesach, could you buy chametz online knowing that it will arrive after Pesach? My assumption is that it would be OK, as the buyer doesn't actually own the product ...
5 votes
0 answers
124 views

Eating matzah on the second day of erev Pesach

I don't have all the sources and grounding for the various suppositions I am going to present so I apologize -- I fear I can't put this question into proper words: We refrain from eating matzah (at ...

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