Torah Q&A
3130 answered questions with cited sources from the Sefaria library.
Who was Jesus according to jewish tradition
According to Jewish tradition, Jesus (referred to in rabbinic literature as Yeshu ha-Notzri, יֵשׁוּ הַנּוֹצְרִי) was a Jewish man from the Second Temple pe...
What is the Ana BeKoach prayer?
The Ana BeKoach (אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ) is one of the most mystically significant prayers in Jewish liturgy, a seven-line poem that serves as a kabbalistic medita...
How much more is a Jew obligated to pay to support business in their community?
There is no fixed monetary percentage or multiplier that a Jew is obligated to pay extra to support local Jewish commerce. Rather, the Torah and halachic t...
Can a married couple engage in oral sex?
This question touches on the halacha of tashmish hamita (marital intimacy), which is addressed directly in Talmudic and post-Talmudic sources. The mainstre...
What are the restrictions on the 17th of Tammuz?
The 17th of Tammuz (Shiva Asar b'Tammuz) is a communal fast day on which eating and drinking are forbidden from dawn (alot hashachar) until nightfall. It m...
Who were the holiest mamzers
The Holiest Mamzerim (Illegitimate Children) in Torah Tradition The Torah tradition preserves remarkable figures who were either identified as mamzerim (בַ...
What does judaism say about oral sex
This is a topic discussed in halachic literature with nuance and respect for the sanctity of marriage. Judaism generally permits sexual intimacy between husband
Does yishmael overtake edom at the end of days?
The relationship between Yishmael (Ishmael, representing the Arab/Muslim world in rabbinic typology) and Edom (representing Rome and later Christendom/Western c
Eating meat on shabbat during the nine days
Eating meat and drinking wine on Shabbat during the Nine Days is permitted — in fact, it is considered a mitzvah (religious obligation) to honor Shabbat with me
Tu'baAv
Tu B'Av — The Jewish Day of Love and Joy Tu B'Av (ט״ו באב, the 15th of Av) is one of the most joyous days on the Jewish calendar, celebrated as a day of love, r
What does the Torah say about Jesus?
The Torah itself — meaning the Five Books of Moses, and more broadly the Hebrew Bible (Tanakh) — does not mention Jesus by name, as Jesus lived approximate...
What are the jewish customs for the month of Elul?
The month of Elul (אלול) is the final month of the Jewish year and serves as a 40-day period of preparation and teshuva (repentance) leading up to Rosh Hashanah
Can I work on Tisha b’av
Working on Tisha b'Av (the Ninth of Av) is governed by local custom (minhag), but universally, Torah scholars refrain from work the entire day, and anyone who d
Did the Jewish people have a presence in the land of Israel over the past 2000 years.
The Jewish people maintained a continuous religious and communal presence in the Land of Israel (Eretz Yisrael) throughout the past 2,000 years, though in...
Does 63 have a numerical equivalent and meaning in Hebrew?
The number 63 has deep significance in Jewish mystical tradition. In gematria (the system of assigning numerical values to Hebrew letters), 63 is most famo...
Proves that god exists
The question of God's existence is one of the most profound in all of human thought. Jewish tradition does not rely on a single "proof" but offers a rich c...
What is jewish prayer before surgery?
Jewish prayer before surgery draws on the tradition of tefillah (prayer) and bakkashah (petition) before moments of danger or need. The primary text recite...
Since the time of Moshe, observant Jews have served in the military. On what basis do the chareidim today want to be exempted from service?
The question of Chareidi exemption from military service is one of the most contested issues in contemporary Israeli society. The Chareidi position rests on sev
When camping, is an eruv required and why?
Eruv When Camping: Is One Required? When camping on Shabbat, the need for an eruv (a halachic enclosure or boundary) depends on the type of camping situati...
Why do we wait 6 hours between milk and meat
The custom of waiting 6 hours between eating meat and then dairy is rooted in a Talmudic ruling later codified in Jewish law, based on the Torah's prohibit...
What is prayer for lighting shiva candle?
The traditional practice is to light a candle (or ner, נר) in the house of mourning during shiva (the seven-day mourning period), but there is no formal bl...
What is hebrew blessing for planting a tree?
There is no single standardized bracha (blessing) specifically for the act of planting a tree in traditional Jewish law, though there are related blessings...
Would the Torah approve of AI?
Artificial intelligence doesn't appear in the Torah explicitly, but Jewish tradition offers rich frameworks for evaluating transformative technologies. The Tora
Can I shave during the three weeks
Shaving during the Three Weeks (Shloshet HaShavuot — the mourning period from 17 Tammuz to Tisha B'Av) is subject to a significant dispute between Ashkenazic an
Does the torah say you can kill all your enemies?
The Torah does not grant blanket permission to kill all enemies. Jewish law has a highly nuanced framework governing when killing is permitted, prohibited,...
Can I do tevilat keilim on erev Tisha baav
Tevilat Keilim on Erev Tisha B'Av Tevilat keilim (immersing vessels) on Erev Tisha B'Av is generally permitted, though there are some nuances worth knowing. Yes
Can women pray at the kotel?
Women can pray at the Western Wall (Kotel), and this is both halachically permitted and historically practiced. The question of how they may pray — and in...
Kabbalah
Kabbalah: The Jewish Mystical Tradition Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה, literally "receiving" or "that which has been received") is the esoteric, mystical dimension of...
Who was responsible for writing the Zohar and was it only one person
Who Wrote the Zohar? The authorship of the Zohar is one of the most debated questions in Jewish intellectual history. The traditional view attributes the Zohar
What is the stance on homosexuality in the torah
The Torah explicitly prohibits male homosexual intercourse in two verses in Leviticus, classifying it as to'evah (תּוֹעֵבָה — abomination/abhorrence). This...