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1500 questions
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How will the next Sanhedrin function if we lost the original Semicha?
Many functions of the Sanhedrin require the group of rabbis descended from an unbroken chain of Semicha from the time of Moshe.
For example I read in Eliyahu Ki Tov's Sefer Hatoda'ah that sanctification of the new moon (Rosh Hodesh) is only done by…
DanF
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Voice-activated electronics on Shabbat
Does using a voice-activated device constitute a melacha?
For example, Siri on an iphone
or, a even a voice-activated light-switch.
Does it make a difference if the computer doesn't take direct commands but instead understands what you want when you…
zaq
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Shul Ravs: What is job outlook like and how much do they make
How much do Shul Rabbis get paid? Are there job opportunities in smaller communities out of New York, for people looking to go into the Rabbinate?
S-B
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(Why) May a Beit Din refuse to bury a body in order to coerce a man into giving a divorce?
I read recently of a case where a Rabbi (I assume as head of a Beit Din) instructed a Jewish burial society not to bury the body of a woman who is the mother of a man who refuses to give his wife a get (bill of divorce). This was done in order to…
rikitikitembo
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14
votes
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Nose Job in Halacha
Is a nose job allowed Hallachicly? Not all cosmetic surgeries, but rhinoplasty in particular, as I heard that rhinoplasty is allowed because we see by a Kohen that having an abnormally long nose is a disqualification for serving in the Beis…
simchastorah
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14
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3 answers
Simple Sukkah plans using dimensional lumber from Home Depot?
I'm planning to build a sukkah using dimensional lumber from Home Depot for the frame and some tarp for the sides. It should be big enough to fit 2 adults and 2 small kids, but generally as small as possible.
I would like to know if there are any…
haimg
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Does a pot that cooked food with a bug in it need to be kashered afterward?
If one were cooking a pot of pasta or a soup and later found a bug or many bugs in the pasta or soup, would the pot need to be re-kashered after it was thoroughly cleaned?
Amichai
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Is it inappropriate to say Baruch Dayan Haemes on a Ben Noach? Why or why not?
Is it inappropriate to say Baruch Dayan Haemes on a Ben Noach? What about someone who may have been an oved avoda zarah? Someone who is definitely such?
I'm asking because I've seen such discussion online regarding Steve Jobs' death.
I'm not judging…
Moshe
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14
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Does Torah inerrancy extend to the prophets and the writings?
Most Orthodox Jewish scholars hold that the Torah is 100% factually accurate (see previous question). I believe this is generally understood to refer specifically to the five books of Moses. What do scholars believe regarding the books of the…
Tal Fishman
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Avinu Malkeinu - middle verses said out loud by Chazan
Why do we repeat out loud the verses of Avinu Malkeinu - from Hachzireinu B'Teshuva until Kosveinu B'Sefer Slicha U'Mechila? Why only these verses? Why not others?
Gershon Gold
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14
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What are we celebrating on Lag B'Omer?
To the best of my knowledge we celebrate on Lag B'Omer as this is the day the students of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying. This reason seems incomprehensible. The reason they stopped dying was because there was no one left.
Imagine someone has eleven…
Gershon Gold
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14
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2 answers
How do I say vidui in Selichos in a meaningful way?
We say vidui three times in selichos. Many words are uttered in a relatively short time. How can we do this in a meaningful way that is not "vidui peh"?
I have heard tell of one of the gedolei Torah that in the vidui of everyday Tachanun, he said…
Avrohom Yitzchok
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14
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Half Jew half Gentile
I always thought it was a misconception to be "half-Jewish". Usually the speaker means one of their parents are Jewish, making them either fully Jewish or fully Gentile.
However, I saw today that the Minchas Chinuch (Kometz HaMincha #347) suggests…
robev
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14
votes
6 answers
What should I use for Mishna study?
I'm new to Mishna study, and I want to participate in a communal effort to study Mishna. I picked out a section to study, and now I need to find a convenient resource to learn from. I don't necessarily have time to make a comprehensive study of all…
Isaac Moses
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PTIJ: What is the inyan of the Konami code in Uncle Moishy's song?
The Konami code, represented as ↑↑↓↓← → ← →BA is clearly referenced in Uncle Moishy's famous song Hashem is Here Hashem is There which asserts that Hashem is "located" in the following places
Up, up, down, down,
Right, left, and all around!
I…
rikitikitembo
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