Talmud
The Babylonian and Jerusalem Talmud — Oral Torah discussions and rulings.
148 questions answered
What is zman krias shema?
Zman Krias Shema (זְמַן קְרִיאַת שְׁמַע — the time for reciting Shema) refers to the halachically mandated time window within which one must recite the She...
What is the Hallel prayer?
Hallel is a collection of Psalms (113–118) recited as a liturgical prayer of praise and thanksgiving to God, sung on major Jewish holidays and occasions of...
Herod
Herod was one of the most complex and morally paradoxical figures in late Second Temple Jewish history. Though remembered as a ruthless, illegitimate ruler who
What’s the deal with anal sex
The halachic status of anal sex within marriage has been a subject of significant rabbinic debate throughout Jewish history. The mainstream position, as ruled b
Is one allowed according to Jewish law to do in vitro fertilization of an egg so that one will have a boy?
IVF for the purpose of selecting a male child touches on several intersecting halachic issues — the mitzvah of pru u'rvu (procreation), the permissibility of IV
אם במקום 10 הדברות היה כתוב מתכון לביף וולינגטון על לוחות הברית איך זה היה נכתב?
שאלה מעניינת ומשעשעת! 😄 אמנם זו שאלה הומוריסטית, אבל אפשר להשיב עליה ברוח לימודית ומשעשעת גם יחד! --- 📜 מתכון לביף וולינגטון — בסגנון לוחות הברית בהתבסס...
What is the Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim)?
The Priestly Blessing (Birkat Kohanim, בִּרְכַּת כֹּהֲנִים) is a three-verse biblical blessing commanded by God to be recited by the Kohanim (priests) over...
Is there any source that would encourage preparing a dish or food for shabbos that we should refrain from eating on weekdays?
Yes, there is a direct Talmudic and halachic basis for this practice. The principle of Shammai the Elder — saving the best food specifically for Shabbat — is we
How are the Hebrew words for nothing and for the eyes related?
What a beautiful and penetrating question! This is a perfect example of how Hebrew etymology (shorashim — root words) reveals profound theological and philosoph
What are all of the sources that one can wear glasses on Shabbat without an eruv?
The question of wearing glasses on Shabbat without an eruv (a halachic boundary enabling carrying) touches on whether glasses constitute a "burden" (masa) or a
What is a good systematic way to learn mishnaic and or Talmudic aramaic as a language, not as the collection of words.?
Learning Mishnaic Hebrew and Talmudic Aramaic as Living Languages Your framing of this question is exactly right and reflects genuine linguistic sophistication.
Are today's tattoos the same as prohibited in the Torah
The Torah prohibits tattoos (kote'vet ka'aka' — כְּתֹבֶת קַעֲקַע), and the overwhelming consensus of halachic authorities holds that modern tattoos fall squarel
Can a clothes line tied to a tree be used on Shabbat?
The use of a clothesline tied to a tree on Shabbat involves two distinct halachic concerns: using a tree on Shabbat, and the laws of eruv (enclosure) and carryi
Does it say that a Rebbe has to go with his talmud when he travels to Israel
The idea that a Rebbe must accompany his student when traveling to Israel is a fascinating topic rooted in Talmudic tradition. The Talmud in Ketubot 111a discus
Maharsha on haguiga 12b
The Maharsha (Rabbi Shmuel Eidels, 1555–1631) on Chagigah 12b addresses the famous Talmudic discussion about the creation of heaven and earth — specifically the
What is the relationship between the myth of the prodigal son and the Baal tshuvah?
The parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32) and the Jewish concept of the ba'al teshuva (penitent/returnee) share extraordinarily deep thematic parallels —
The argument about the ox can also be stated that when the ox is in the private space of the owner, it is more subject to his responsibility while in the public it is less responsible so it could be in the public is actually less severe than the private is an alternative form of this argument
This is an exceptionally sharp observation, and you have just independently reconstructed one of the most important debates in Talmudic legal theory. What you h
Who is metatron?
Metatron is one of the most exalted and mysterious angelic figures in Jewish tradition, identified in rabbinic and kabbalistic literature as the highest of all
Shalom chèr ami d'étude. Peux tu me parler de סֶרַח בַּת אָשֵׁ ? Qui était cet femme ? Connaissait elle Moshé ?
סֶרַח בַּת אָשֵׁר — Sérah, fille d'Asher Sérah bat Asher est l'une des figures les plus mystérieuses et fascinantes de toute la Torah. Elle apparaît brièvement
When does Rav ovadia Yosef prohibit laundry during three weeks - nine days period
The laws of laundry during the Three Weeks and Nine Days, according to Rav Ovadia Yosef, follow a more lenient Sephardic approach than Ashkenazic practice. Rav
Can you explain according to orthodox sources why people say that a woman isn’t allowed to masturbate because she isn’t spilling seed the same way a man is
This is an important halachic question that deserves a careful, nuanced answer. The short answer is: the claim that women face no prohibition is an oversimplifi
O que é idolatria?
Avodah zarah (idolatria) é a adoração de qualquer ser, objeto ou força que não seja o único Deus verdadeiro — o Criador do universo. É uma das proibições mais f
Thought experiment: Imagine you are a resident of the World to Come. Speaking exclusively from your perspective in the World to Come, do the lake of fire, Gehenna, and the second death exist or not? Did they ever exist?
What a profound and philosophically rich question! Let me engage with this thought experiment while grounding it in authentic Jewish tradition. --- From th...
Why does the Torah consider a woman who is divorce from her husband subsequently married to another man and once again divorced or he dies she can’t go back to the first husband the Torah calls this toeuvah. Why
Excellent question — this touches on one of the more challenging chukim (divine statutes) in the Torah, one that has generated significant rabbinic and philosop
Mammon and the Theology of Free Choice
Mammon and the Theology of Free Choice You have identified something profound. Mammon (מָמוֹן) — typically translated as "wealth" or "material gain" — functions
Puedo prender fuego en shabat
¿Se puede prender fuego en Shabat? No, está prohibido encender fuego en Shabat. Esta es una de las prohibiciones más explícitas de toda la Torah, mencionada dir
How does Judaism treat the modern concept of an ensuring power of attorney? Given by someone when they are healthy, but the later, when they are declared unfit, seemingly disagrees with what the appointed attorney decides.
An enduring (durable) power of attorney — where someone designates an agent while competent, with authority continuing even after incapacity — has significant p
Touching the leaves of a small estrog tree on Shabbat
Touching the leaves of an etrog (citron) tree on Shabbat is primarily governed by the laws of muktzeh (items set aside/forbidden to handle on Shabbat) as they a
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