Unanswered Questions
384 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
8
votes
2
answers
379
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Whence "בחזקת בשרי"?
Besides the main categories of meat, dairy, and pareve (non-meat, non-dairy) foods, two special subcategories of pareve foods are relevant to halacha (e.g. Yore Dea 93): pareve food cooked using clean ...
8
votes
1
answer
277
views
Why do books say "ספר" on them?
Why do Jewish books often say "ספר" on the spine, cover, or cover page?
The word is synonymous with "book" in modern Hebrew, and some closely related concept like "document" or "scroll" in Tana"ch. ...
7
votes
0
answers
97
views
Is there a connection between the two times 7 cows, ears and years that Yaakov worked for his wives?
Is there any connection or relationship between the seven fat & seven lean cows, the seven beautiful and seven parched ears of grain that Pharaoh dreamt and Yosef interpreted, and the seven years ...
7
votes
0
answers
49
views
Is Nehemiah's description of Abraham's events out of order?
In Nechemia 9, we read a recap of God's interaction with Avraham:
אֲשֶׁ֤ר בָּחַ֙רְתָּ֙ בְּאַבְרָ֔ם וְהוֹצֵאת֖וֹ מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֑ים וְשַׂ֥מְתָּ שְּׁמ֖וֹ אַבְרָהָֽם׃
וּמָצָ֣אתָ אֶת־לְבָבוֹ֮ נֶאֱמָ֣ן ...
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 ...
7
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0
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2k
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Saying "Elokim" when not referring to Hashem
People often say "Elokim" instead of "Elohim" when speaking in order to avoid taking God's name in vain. I have observed, however, that some people always substitute the word "...
7
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0
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318
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Source for not referring to Chanuka lights as a "menora"
Following up on this question about the use of the words "menora" or "chanukiya" to refer to Chanuka lights:
I find it interesting that the use of "chanukiya," popularized in 1897 through a secular ...
7
votes
0
answers
319
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Hazi"v La"kh: what's behind the division?
The Talmud (Rosh Hashana 31a) tells us that the Haazinu song (Devarim 32) was sung weekly in the Temple and divided into six segments, given by the mnemonic HaZIV LaKh הזיו לך (where each letter is ...
6
votes
0
answers
109
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Why don't we say "please" (that often)?
The week day Shmoneh Esrei prayer has a series of requests during which we ask Hashem for many of our needs. In my siddur (Tefilla Hashalem) there is a subtle change made in the texts of 1 of the ...
6
votes
0
answers
1k
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Multiple characters with the same name in the bible
In the Bible most of the names are unique, especially for the main characters.
As far as I know there is only one Abraham and only one Moses etc.
There are some names that appear more than once like ...
6
votes
0
answers
201
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Difference Between Shamayim and Rakia
In parshas Berashis, the words Shamayim and Rakia keep on coming up. someone asked me what is the difference between the 2, and I had no idea.
6
votes
0
answers
95
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Significant drop in the age of having first child after the Flood
There is a significant drop in the age of having first child after the Flood. Shem begot Arpachshad already two years after the Flood, when he was 100. Arpachshad begot his first child when only 35. ...
6
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0
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227
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Good resource for learning vowel pronunciation
In trying to improve my leyning, I'm trying to get the finer points of vowel pronunciation down.
What is a good resource to learn, e.g., the difference between a patach and chataf-patach or a ...
6
votes
0
answers
375
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Ma Inyan Shmitta Eitzel Har Sinai?
Rashi says
What does the subject of Shemittah have with Mount Sinai? Were not all the commandments stated from Sinai? However, [this teaches us that] just as with Shemittah, its general principles ...
5
votes
0
answers
71
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How does Esau react to Yaakov not coming to Seir (Beraishis 33 (14))?
In Beraishis 33 (14) Yaakov says he will meet up with Esau again in Seir. Rashi points out:
Therefore he did not go to Seir. But when will he go? In the days of
the Messiah.
Is there any comment on ...