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Unanswered Questions

571 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
3 votes
0 answers
80 views

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 ...
1 vote
0 answers
60 views

Why isn't Tefillin stressed more spiritually than physically

The Torah says in Deuteronomy 6:8 "וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ " but why is the main emphasis in our culture nowadays about the physical Tefillin?...
0 votes
0 answers
76 views

Why should one be immediately replaced if he messed up during the brocho of heretics?

B"H The Rambam laws of Tefillah chapter 10 halacha 3 writes ג שְׁלִיחַ צִבּוּר שֶׁטָּעָה וְנִבְהַל וְלֹא יָדַע מֵהֵיכָן יַתְחִיל וְשָׁהָה שָׁעָה יַעֲמֹד אַחֵר תַּחְתָּיו. וְאִם טָעָה בְּבִרְכַּת ...
1 vote
1 answer
181 views

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 ...
1 vote
0 answers
99 views

Is encouraging aliyah to Israel a mitzvah?

Thank God we have a Jewish State. The Rambam notes the importance of living in Israel "even in a city of majority gentiles, and shouldn't live in a city outside of Israel even with a majority of ...
2 votes
0 answers
122 views

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.
1 vote
0 answers
51 views

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 ...
2 votes
0 answers
51 views

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 (...
0 votes
0 answers
78 views

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 ...
2 votes
1 answer
112 views

Do non-Jews follow the solar calendar or the lunar calendar for Halachic purposes?

The Gemara (Sukkah 29a) says that the nations of the world base their calendar on the sun, as opposed to the Jewish people, who base it on the moon, and the Mechilta De’Rabbi Yishmael says on the ...
2 votes
0 answers
80 views

Animals in the Ark of Noach: a metaphor for the nations of the world

In Parshas Noach (Bereishis 6:19-20), we read the instruction G-d gave Noach to build an ark, and together with his family, to put in animals: וּמִכׇּל־הָ֠חַ֠י מִֽכׇּל־בָּשָׂ֞ר שְׁנַ֧יִם מִכֹּ֛ל ...
0 votes
0 answers
48 views

Can a Noachide innovate practices that he considers non-religious but potentially of a supernatural nature?

Is it permissible for a Gentile to spend certain days of the week in a specific manner, in order to attain supernatural benefits such as from planetary rays which he might consider to be scientific ...
0 votes
0 answers
35 views

Can Noachides say the name of God as the word 'Tetragrammaton' or say the names of the the four letters in Hebrew?

I ask because I found that there is a Muslim false prophet who goes by the name "Hashem" and G-d is very generic. If I wish to be specific as a Gentile am I permitted to say the word "...
1 vote
0 answers
65 views

Are Noahide males allowed to shave and beautify themselves without being overly effeminate?

I wish to know if Noachide males are allowed to shave, remain clean shaven and use skin moisturizers etc or is that an abomination to HaShem. Also are there any rules on how a Noachide should dress? I ...
0 votes
0 answers
50 views

Source of Chofetz Chaim’s Statement on Every Nation Having Translated Bibles and Believing in the Revelation at Mount Sina

In the Sefer Taharas Yisroel (chapter 1), the Chofetz Chaim claims that all nations (in his time) believed in the revelation at Mount Sinai recorded in the Bible and had copies of the Bible in their ...

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