Worthwhile reading ? Jewish customs by R Dr Zvi Ron. Deeply researched in both halachic and secular scholarship, my general take is that one needs both in order to understand the likely evolution of many minhagim. Apparently historical realia make a difference and it?s not so bad to incorporate general societal expressions into minhagiam (eg […]
I?ve been looking into the statement Rav Tanna Upalig. One place where it's an issue is beitza 9a. Lots of questions in general, but the one specific one I?d be interested in hearing people?s opinions on is the comment (there) by both Rashi and Tosfot that Rav was the greatest in his generation modified by […]
R Micha posted - if you need to lie mipenei darkei shalom, it is better to avoid lying overtly and rather communicate obliquely which 'allows' the other person to reach their own misunderstanding. for example - "Anokhi. Eisav bekhorekha" knowing Yitzchaq would assume Yaaqov was saying "Anoki Eisav bererekha". (As per Rashi.) Or "Kalah na'ah […]
. In the few years that I've been learning Chumash with Onkelos, I've become fascinated with his translation style, and I have many conjectures which would be a lot easier to research if I had the right tools. For example, consider the Aramaic word "rav" (resh beis), or, with the definite article, "raba" (resh beis […]
On Sat, Dec 07, 2024 at 07:42:06PM +0200, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > Anyone know of any sources which discuss why certain zmirot are associated > friday night while others are associated with shabbat day? Some of them may simply be because of the word "yom". While "Yom Zeh Mechubad" may refer to the […]
On Wed, Dec 04, 2024 at 07:28:24PM -0500, Akiva Miller via Avodah wrote: > Sometimes, a person will defend himself by saying, "No, I didn't lie; I > just left out some things." > Bereshis 31:20 seems to disagree: Because Yaakov failed to tell Lavan that > he was leaving, it *does* count as Geneivas […]
On Tue, Nov 26, 2024 at 06:37:41AM +0200, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > 2 According to chizkia a shuddering animal after shechita is no longer > living but not yet dead. Does this indeterminate status have any > implications for the human definition of death? Schrodinger's cat? Martin Gardner are two kinds of three […]
On Wed, Nov 20, 2024 at 06:35:06AM +0200, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote: > R H Schacter and R A Weiss speak of pikuach nefesh as including > non-immediate threats to life. Is there a materiality standard or does any > decrease in life expectancy qualify? When it comes to smoking and "shomer pesa'im Hashem" […]
A fixed shaliach tzibur historically was to be (at least aspirationally) ?most fit, greatest in learning and good deeds? (see S?A OC 581:1). Nowadays when the shatz is no longer motzi anyone (me-with the exception of the whole tzibur in R? YBS?s conception of tfilat hatzibbur), we?re not so picky (see AH?S 53:21 and MB […]
An interesting question came up in our Rambam Chabura (see hilchot mamrim 6:6) concerning a wife?s responsibilities to her husband and her parents. I?ve done some research on the issue, but I?m curious as to what people think the source of a wife?s responsibility to her husband is (as expressed by the statement ??????? ???????? […]