Unanswered Questions
202 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
194
views
Finding a chiddush of the Brisker Rov
This question has a bit of an introduction to it.
Rav Shlomo Lorincz wrote a biography of the Chazon Ish, the Brisker Rov and Rav Shach, called במחיצתם (translated by Yonason Rosenblum as “In Their ...
7
votes
1
answer
571
views
Eliyahu HaNavi's role in Moshiach's arrival according to the Rambam
The Rambam says in Hilchos Malachim 12:2:
There are some Sages who say that Elijah's coming will precede the coming of the Mashiach. All these and similar matters cannot be definitely known by man ...
7
votes
0
answers
184
views
Why does Mishneh Torah have Shem uMalchut for Yishtabach?
I was looking into the Seder haTefillot as well as other siddurim based on it, and something always bothered me about Birkat Yishtabach, which as most of you know "closes" the Pesuqei deZimra section ...
5
votes
0
answers
73
views
(Why) did God take away free will from the sons of Eli?
In 1 Shmuel 2:25 it indicates that the sons of Eli don't repent for their sins because God wanted to kill them
וְלֹ֤א יִשְׁמְעוּ֙ לְק֣וֹל אֲבִיהֶ֔ם כִּֽי־חָפֵ֥ץ ה' לַהֲמִיתָֽם
But [the sons of Eli] ...
5
votes
0
answers
199
views
Proof of Hashem via Talmud/Amora/Tanna
Does anyone know of the places where a Tanna/Amora offers a proof for the existence of Hashem.
ie: Bereshit Rabbah 39:1 Avraham Avinu passes a castle on fire (see below)
Is there perhaps a list, or a ...
5
votes
0
answers
81
views
What if one chos vishalom accidentally kills someone right before techias hameisim?
B"H
The Rambam in Hilchos rotzeiach 7:9-12 discuss how one who accidentally kills someone and is exiled to a city of refuge never leaves, until the Kohen Gadol passes away.
The question is, what ...
5
votes
0
answers
137
views
Does G-d's overt presence invalidate one's free choice?
It is frequently claimed that the reason for the current Haster Panim (lack of G-d's overt presence in the physical world) is that it is necessary for the existence of our free choice. I.e, if G-d's ...
5
votes
0
answers
107
views
Capital Punishment and Kares simultaneously
I always understood that if a person does something that warrants capital punishment, and there are witnesses who warned them against the crime, that's all they are punished with. If it was done ...
5
votes
0
answers
78
views
Why is the format for referencing books sometimes backwards?
The Rambam is usually reference in the following way: פרק א׳ מהלכות ק״ש הלכה ט׳ - chapter 1 from from hilchos kerias shma, halacha 9.
Why is it referenced this way? Why not the way many ...
5
votes
0
answers
182
views
Maimonides on the purpose of animals?
In the intro to his commentary to Mishnayot the Rambam writes
אך על דרך כלל יש לדעת, שכל הנמצאים שתחת גלגל הירח נמצאו בשביל האדם
לבדו. וכל
מיני החיות, יש מהם למאכלו, כצאן ובקר וזולתם, ויש ...
5
votes
0
answers
291
views
Understanding the Zohar's Anthropomorphism of God
Unlike the Rambam's now-conventional ideas against anthropomorphizing God, there are kabbalistic texts studied today which seem to espouse completely antithetical ideas.
I am familiar with the ...
5
votes
0
answers
176
views
Are there communities that follow the Rambam?
At one point, many Sefardic communities followed the Mishneh Torah. As time went on, it seems that the sefardim accepted the Beit Yosef.
Besides for Yemenites, were there any communities that, until ...
4
votes
1
answer
95
views
Rambam’s source for crown of Priesthood
In Mishnei Torah Hilchot Talmud Torah chapter 3 Halacha 1 the Rambam writes:
בִּשְׁלשָׁה כְּתָרִים נִכְתְּרוּ יִשְׂרָאֵל. כֶּתֶר תּוֹרָה וְכֶתֶר
כְּהֻנָּה וְכֶתֶר מַלְכוּת. כֶּתֶר כְּהֻנָּה זָכָה ...
4
votes
0
answers
46
views
Why did the Rambam single out Ribui?
In Sefer HaMitzvos, Shoresh 2, the Rambam says that anything derived using Rabbi Yishmael's 13 principles of derivation, or a Ribui (extraneous wording which tells us to include new laws), does not ...