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Unanswered Questions

264 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
3 votes
0 answers
52 views

Is it Parashat or Parshat in construct form?

In construct form, is it parashat ______ or parshat _________ in naming Torah portions? How did authoritative grammar mavens bring it down?
1 vote
0 answers
40 views

The soft hey of Bemidbar 15:31

Seems it wants to assume the possessive dagesh in the hey. What do we do with this form grammatically? Ty All!
0 votes
0 answers
53 views

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 ...
0 votes
0 answers
68 views

Mispronouncing a Sh'wa

Based on the answer to the post on the nature of the Sh'wa, there is a dikduk question regarding modern reading of the Torah. Would exchanging the sh'wa na' (mobile) and sh'wa nach (quiescent) be ...
2 votes
0 answers
59 views

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 ...
2 votes
0 answers
49 views

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 ...
1 vote
0 answers
49 views

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 ...
0 votes
0 answers
77 views

Differences in nikkud between Ashkenazi Hebrew (or Yiddish?) and "Standard" Hebrew words

I have an interest in Judaism through the prism of Yiddish (specially Hasidic) culture. I'm more proficient in Yiddish but I'm slowly absorbing a bit of Hebrew. Looking through texts edited by Hasidic ...
0 votes
0 answers
33 views

What is the criteria for doubling the verse "ויהי נועם" in the Tefila?

There are cases, usually after "יהי רצון" (May there be a desire), that double the verse "ויהי נעם ה' אלקינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו. ". On the other hand, ...
0 votes
1 answer
126 views

Patach read as kholam!

This is a grammatical/ pronunciation question that I'd appreciate to get help with. Sometimes patach is read as kholam. Example: writen as vayashav read as vayashouv[Bereshit 37,29]. Can anyone ...
5 votes
0 answers
84 views

מִזְבֵּחַ marked with פשטא and accentuated מלרע?

It is my understanding that the absolute noun מִזְבֵּחַ is never marked with just one פשטא (and accentuated מלרע) but always שני פשטין (and accentuated מלעיל), the latter in accordance with its proper ...
0 votes
0 answers
39 views

How would you explain/translate "the ways of Yisrael Saba"?

How would you explain/translate "the ways of Yisrael Saba"? Something like 'ancient traditional values or practices'? Is there a source for this phrase?
2 votes
0 answers
71 views

Meaning of יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית

What is the meaning and kavana for יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁית - "Maker of Bereshit" - eg. in מודים דרבנן and עלינו לשבח ? Especially, in light of the point made by Ramban in Bereshit 1:1 where the ...
6 votes
0 answers
85 views

Is ראשית really in construct?

There are those who translate בראשית (from Gen 1:1) as "In the beginning of...", saying that ראשית must be in construct form (smikhut). Perhaps most famously, Rashi writes: שֶׁאֵין לְךָ ...
3 votes
0 answers
63 views

What is the name of this city

In parsha chukat, we have the following Pasuk: וְלֹא־נָתַ֨ן סִיחֹ֣ן אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל֮ עֲבֹ֣ר בִּגְבֻלוֹ֒ וַיֶּאֱסֹ֨ף סִיחֹ֜ן אֶת־כָּל־עַמּ֗וֹ וַיֵּצֵ֞א לִקְרַ֤את יִשְׂרָאֵל֙ הַמִּדְבָּ֔רָה וַיָּבֹ֖א ...

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