Most Popular
1500 questions
132
votes
4 answers
Implications of Samoa skipping a Friday
This week, the island of Samoa is switching time zones, causing it to skip from Thursday directly to Saturday. Out of simple curiosity, what implications might this have on any Jews on the island? Since one cannot "jump" into the middle of…
ESultanik
- 1,371
- 1
- 8
- 8
97
votes
4 answers
Does "reputation scoring" make "the Torah a crown to magnify yourself with"?
Is "reputation scoring" against the spirit of Pirkei Ovos 4 (5) "Rabbi Tzaddok would say: Do not make the Torah a crown to magnify yourself with, ...."
Avrohom Yitzchok
- 47,518
- 8
- 47
- 131
77
votes
13 answers
Why is it necessary to ask a Rabbi?
In various places on this site, including the FAQ, we have the following disclaimer:
Like Wikipedia, this site makes no guarantee of validity, and does not offer professional (particularly rabbinic) advice. Treat information from this site like it…
Isaac Moses
- 48,026
- 13
- 119
- 333
73
votes
5 answers
What is the halachic source for objection to gay (civil) marriage?
New York State is considering legalizing gay (civil) marriages, so tonight on our answering machine we received a message urging us to pray that it doesn't pass because gay civil marriages were, you know, a To'evah, etc. etc.
Whereas it's pretty…
Joel Spolsky
- 1,398
- 1
- 8
- 19
65
votes
9 answers
Did any Achronim comment on the American Revolutionary or Civil Wars?
I've heard that for instance, in the 1800s, the American rabbis in the South were pro-slavery, and the American rabbis in the North opposed to it. But what were the views towards America of the more-famous "Acharonim", rabbis from (in this case)…
Shalom
- 132,602
- 8
- 193
- 489
61
votes
8 answers
How do we know that the civil Saturday is the correct Shabbat?
Disclaimer: I am not a religious Jew, this question is only out of curiosity.
I understand that observant Jews observe Shabbat from Friday night to Saturday. And from this question and this it seems that it is important that this happens on the…
Fitri
- 711
- 5
- 3
58
votes
21 answers
Is Christianity Avodah Zara?
It is commonly accepted that Islam is not Avodah Zarah (idolatry) since Islam has a clear monotheistic theology with a belief in Allah that parallels our view of "kail" or Hashem. It is even permissible for Jews to enter and pray (Jewish prayer)…
Aaron Greenberg
- 2,309
- 1
- 19
- 13
56
votes
5 answers
Were slave-related commandments observed in America?
Since there was slavery in the Americas between their discovery and 1865, do we know of any Jewish slave-owners there who observed slavery-related laws of Judaism?
Lev
- 1,565
- 2
- 12
- 16
56
votes
28 answers
About what were rabbis ahead of the times?
I have heard claims that experts in the world of Torah were significantly ahead of their counterparts in the world of natural science (or mathematics, or psychology, or…) in that they knew X (some fact) centuries before the scientists/whatever did.…
msh210
- 73,729
- 12
- 120
- 359
54
votes
15 answers
How do we know that God exists?
Simple enough question, and very much related to the topic.
According to traditional Jewish sources, on what basis should people believe that there's a God?
shoosh
- 639
- 5
- 6
52
votes
7 answers
Does the Torah discuss aliens?
Does the Torah discuss extra-terrestrial life and/or civilizations?
Do any Torah sources exist which discuss what these hypothetical beings would be like and their status/nature? (eg. Would they be similar to gentiles vis-à-vis their obligation in…
ertert3terte
- 40,485
- 7
- 96
- 205
52
votes
5 answers
Are sea sponges kosher?
The sea sponge is scientifically classified as an animal (kingdom Animalia), therefore maybe it would be considered unkosher, as seafood. On the other hand, its phylum Porifera is distinct and primitive, containing the only non-microscopic animals…
Avi
- 964
- 8
- 9
51
votes
16 answers
Reason behind pinky during hagba
Why do people lift their pinkies during Hagba?
cookie monster
- 4,541
- 1
- 24
- 43
50
votes
8 answers
Can a Jew lose their Jewish Status?
Can a Jew lose their status as being a Jew by performing any action (example: performing idolatry, disavowing core beliefs, converting to another religion, etc)? Or once a person is a Jew then they keep this status no matter what?
And if a person…
Yaakov Ellis
- 5,225
- 26
- 42
50
votes
8 answers
What is the point of having a rapist marry the woman he raped?
Deuteronomy 22:28-29 (JPS)
28 If a man find a damsel that is a virgin, that is not betrothed, and lay hold on her, and lie with her, and they be found; 29 then the man that lay with her shall give unto the damsel's father fifty shekels of silver,…
El'endia Starman
- 959
- 8
- 16