Unanswered Questions
220 questions with no upvoted or accepted answers
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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 ...
- 5,020
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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 ...
- 1,346
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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 ...
- 101k
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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 ...
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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 ...
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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, ...
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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?
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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 ...
- 101k
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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 ...
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Blend words (Portmanteaus) in Torah
I came across a "portmanteau" in Midrash Tanchuma, Ki Tisa 5:
בַּכּוֹשָׁרוֹת (from Tehillim 68:7)
Which is a combination of בָּכֵי
and שִׁירָה, as Hashem's matching of people, against ...
- 28k
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Why does Shulchan Aruch not use the term חלף
A knife that is used for Shechita is also called a חלף. Why doesn't the Smach and Shulchan Aruch use this word and instead use the regular term סכין שחיטה?
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Rashi and the Pun
A long time ago, I was in someone's house and they had a book about the life of Rashi. In it was a great story, which I will summarise to the best of my memory:
Rashi was travelling Europe and in a ...
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Why is a נשר - eagle considered שקץ - a detestable thing when its symbol is used on many holy things
The word "שקץ" is described by R. Samson Rafael Hirsch as follows, "...the prohibition against eating (an eagle, or other similar birds) is termed שקץ, such eating is antithetical to ...
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Megillas Esther Online text Shiur ideally with Rashi's commentary
Looking for a Megillas Esther text shiur with Rashi's commentary similar to Rabbi Gordon from Chabad.org for Chumash.
He goes through each Pasuk and then explains Rashi's commentary inside but for ...
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Can you jinx someone?
Since I was a child it was common that when two people would say the same thing at the same time one would call out "jinx" (sometimes followed by, "you have to buy me a soda!"). ...
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