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2 answers
Why didn't Yehoshua give a good report immediately?
When the spies returned from scouting the land and gave their report of mighty opponents, 13:30 tells us that Caleb silenced the crowd and argued for going into the land, and then 13:31 says "the men who went with him" argued otherwise. It is only…
Monica Cellio
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17
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4 answers
Did people ever place actual physical stumbling blocks before the blind?
I know that the prohibition against placing stumbling blocks before the blind has been understood to be a prohibition against misleading or causing people to sin, but the simple meaning of the text is to not put an actual physical stumbling block in…
Charles Koppelman
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17
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Who is worthy of reciting the blessing "שנתן מחכמתו לבשר ודם" on?
On whom does one recite the blessing "שנתן מחכמתו לבשר ודם" (the blessing recited on non-Jewish scientists)?
Does he have to be a Ph.D? Does he have to have inventions to his name?
Did he have to learn in a prestigious college (like MIT)?
Can he…
ertert3terte
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17
votes
3 answers
Can a kohen be a mamzer?
A friend and I were discussing this. Generally speaking, it seems that it should be impossible for a person to be a kohen (rather than a chalal) and also a mamzer, because the set of women whom a kohen is forbidden to marry, and by whom his children…
Alex
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17
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4 answers
Would a baalat teshuva need a get from each previous sexual relationship?
Would a baalat teshuva need a get from each previous sexual relationship? In light of the idea that marriage can be contracted solely through bi'ah/public knowledge of the couple's relationship (as discussed here and here), would a woman who has had…
SAH
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17
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6 answers
Does Judaism consider virginity to be a virtue?
Wikipedia outlines the attitudes of various cultures towards virginity including:
Judaism
In Judaism, sex is not considered to be sinful. Though premarital sex is disapproved, there is no requirement for a female to be a virgin at her marriage, and…
Jon Ericson
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17
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Teaching Written Torah to Christians
There is an idea mentioned by the Rambam, but not in the Mishneh Torah as I recall, that it is permissible to teach Wrtitten Torah to Christians because they accept it as Divine and don't study it in a strictly academic/detached way. Where does he,…
Yirmeyahu
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17
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5 answers
What is a good mussar/personal growth sefer for women?
Most mussar sefarim are very oriented towards men, with lessons on things such as how to treat your wife, the dangers of pursuing women, or the importance of learning. Also, many sefarim I've seen written for women are very generic and watered down…
Yaakov Kuperman
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Why, in double parshiyos, are the aliyos not simply combined in pairs?
Consider for example the double parshah Vayakhel-Pekudei. The aliyos from the two individual parshiyos are combined as follows: 2, 3, 1, 2, 1, 2, 3. (Meaning: the first two aliyos are combined into one, then the next three are combined into the next…
Alex
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17
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What was daily life like for Jewish women living in al-Andalus in the 10th/11th centuries?
The emir of Al-Andalus (approximately the Iberian peninsula) declared himself a new caliph, breaking off from the caliphate in the east, circa 950 CE. I have read that the next couple hundred years were particularly good -- as European medieval…
Monica Cellio
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17
votes
5 answers
How do we erase the memory of Amalek?
What does "erase the memory of Amalek" (Deut. 25:19) mean? Does it not contradict the obligation (Deut. 25:17) to remember them every year?
Am Haaretz Gamur Mideoraysa
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17
votes
2 answers
Why don't we use a translator during Torah reading?
Outside of the Teimanim I am not aware of any other segments of Judaism that still employ a meturgamen (translator) during kriat ha'torah. Why has this practice fallen into disuse?
none
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17
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Am I yotzei bikur cholim by visiting someone's Facebook page?
Since people increasingly live their lives online can I be yotzei the mitzvah of bikur cholim by visting the choleh's Facebook page?
This question is Purim Torah and is not intended to be taken completely seriously. See the Purim Torah policy.
none
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17
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7 answers
How would Har Sinai without the Torah have been enough?
In the Hagada of Peasach it says "even if he brought us to Har Sinai but didn't give us the Torah it would have been enough." What would be the purpose of going to Har Sinai if we didn't get the Torah? How would that be enough?
shlomo
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17
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1 answer
Kibud Av v'Ach?
As I understand it there is an obligation (See Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 240:22) to honor an older brother similar to that of honoring one's father. Since the obligation to honor one's father can have strong implications, in what way (if any) is the…
Yirmeyahu
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