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1500 questions
17
votes
2 answers
What is the significance of bears in Judaism? Why has Dov (or Dov Ber) been such a common Jewish name?
I understand, to some extent at least, why lions are an important symbol in Judaism. After all, in the beginning of the Shulchan Aruch we are told we should rise like a lion to serve our Creator, and lions are often mentioned positively in Tanakh.…
Kordovero
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17
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2 answers
Where did the sing-song chant that Jews often use while contrasting points come from?
I am having a very hard time coming up with a good way to describe the phenomenon that I am thinking of, but many people will recognize it. I am talking about the kind of singing rhythm that people use when contrasting two different points. Usually…
Daniel
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17
votes
3 answers
Where can I find responses to biblical criticism?
Where can I find well documented source material by strictly orthodox Rabbis or scholars which directly address most (or all) of the major themes of academic biblical criticism such as, but not limited to:
the documentary hypothesis
Entire torah…
user2110
17
votes
6 answers
Why were the Israelites not circumcised in the desert?
Genesis 21:4 (JPS) And Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him.
Starting with Abraham, the Israelite men were circumcised and a boy at the eighth day after birth. It was commanded again in the desert…
Mawia
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17
votes
3 answers
Why does the Torah not record the passing of Leah?
The Torah records the passing of all the patriarchs and matriarchs:
Sarah - Bereishis 23:1-2
Avraham - Bereishis 25:8-9
Rochel - Bereishis 35:19
Yitzchak - Bereishis 35:29
Then Rivkah is not mentioned explicitly, but Rashi explains that this is not…
Binyomin Trager
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17
votes
6 answers
Non-Jews learning or being taught Torah
I read on Mi Yodeya, and elsewhere on the Internet, that the Gemara (Chagigah 13a) says that Jews can't teach Torah to gentiles, and that according to Tosefot (Chagigah 13a sv. ein) this is because the Torah belongs to the Jewish people as part of…
Annelise
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17
votes
6 answers
May a Jew be a Freemason?
According to what I've been told by several people who have inquired of "practicing" (is that the right word?) Freemasons, and supported by Wikipedia, "Freemasonry explicitly and openly states that it is neither a religion nor a substitute for one.…
Seth J
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17
votes
3 answers
Using Post-its on Shabbos
Is one permitted on Shabbos to use post-it notes or adhesive page flags to mark content in a book for future reference after Shabbos? Would there be an issue with the adhesive or leaving the page flags in the book for an extended period of time (but…
J-Lu
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17
votes
5 answers
Why is the wicked son sanctioned for doing what the wise son does?
In the Passover Hagada we're told about the four sons.
The second one is called wicked because he asks, "What is this service to you?!" ("מה העבודה הזאת לכם?") (emphasis mine), while the first one is wise because he asks, "What are the testimonies,…
Nathan Fellman
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17
votes
4 answers
Kashrus status of turkeys
From what I have heard there were those that did not eat turkey (such as Rabbi Yaakov Kamenetzky Zatzal) due to a question whether we have a Mesorah as to the Kashrus of this bird. I know that many people do eat turkey, myself included. What are the…
Gershon Gold
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17
votes
2 answers
Mikvah - Non Jewish Husband
Can a woman use a Mikvah if her Husband is not Jewish (She is currently on the road to becoming a BT)
Devorah
17
votes
1 answer
Why do we open the ark for important prayers?
What is the origin of the custom of opening the ark for important prayers (not connected with the need to take out the Torah scroll)?
Avrohom Yitzchok
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17
votes
1 answer
Is it ok for spouses to touch in public?
Are spouses allowed to touch one another in public (when the wife is not a niddah) or is this a violation of tzniut? I am asking specifically regarding touch that is not in any way sexual or even affectionate.
user1668
17
votes
4 answers
Promised to name son Shimon - now husband is Shimon?
A woman who desperately wanted to get married traveled to Meron, the burial place of Rebbi Shimon bar Yochai, and vowed that if she found her match, she would name her first son Shimon in his merit. She indeed got married shortly thereafter, but her…
sam
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17
votes
5 answers
What is the Gorel Hagra?
What is it?
How is it performed?
May one perform it?
And, if so, when may it be used?
yydl
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