Who Wrote Psalms?
Question: Who are the authors of psalms? Answer: The Talmud (Bava Basra 14b) mentions ten people, in addition to David, who authored Psalms: Adam, Melchizedek, Abraham, Moses, Heiman, Yedusun, Asaf,...
View ArticleThe Blessing of the Kohain (Priest)
Question: It is known that the kohanim (Priests) in the temple used to bless the people by holding their hands in a specific position. 1. Could you please explain more on the meaning of it? 2. Why was...
View ArticleSeven-Armed Menorah
Question: When is the seven-armed Menorah used? Answer: The Menorah that G-d commanded Moses to construct for the Tabernacle had 7 arms. This was used in Temple as well. The menorah that we use to...
View ArticleThe Blessing of the Kohain (Priest)
Question: It is known that the kohanim (Priests) in the temple used to bless the people by holding their hands in a specific position. 1. Could you please explain more on the meaning of it? 2. Why was...
View ArticleSeven-Armed Menorah
Question: When is the seven-armed Menorah used? Answer: The Menorah that G-d commanded Moses to construct for the Tabernacle had 7 arms. This was used in Temple as well. The menorah that we use to...
View ArticleHatarat Nedarim - Annulment of Vows
Question: What is Hatarat Nedarim? Why is it prayed so many times? What is the importance of this prayer, what do we learn from it? What happens with the promises that we are sure we did but not...
View ArticleThe Sages Eternal Decrees
Question: When the Sages ruled not to take medicine on Shabbat, because you may come to grind it, although this is done in some circles, most of the time people do not grind their own medicine. Why...
View ArticleRosh Hashana and Simchat Torah
Question: If Rosh Hashana is the beginning of the year and the time of Adam’s birth why do we not start the cycle of reading the Torah until Simchat Torah? Shouldn’t Simchat Torah and Rosh Hashana...
View ArticleGhosts and Psychopomps
Question: I was reading about psychopomps, or ones that guide souls to heaven, and read that the only ones were Abraham, Sariel, Gabriel, Lailah, and either Elijah or Sandolphon. Three questions arose:...
View ArticleReading the Torah With Your Own Assumptions
Question: The story of how Hagar was sent out is terrible. With only one thing of water, in the desert, with a child? If that happened today, it would be considered abusive, right? Also, the story of...
View ArticleHow Could Jacob Steal the Blessings?
Question: What is the rational for the means justifying the ends with regard to Jacob stealing Esau's blessing from their father Isaac. Why does the conspiracy between Jacob and Rebekah toward Isaac,...
View ArticleAge of Isaac and Rebecca
Question: How old were Isaac and Rebekah when Jacob and Esau were born - 63 and 23 years? Answer: The verse (Gen. 25:26) explicitly records Isaac's age at the birth of his two sons to be 60 years old....
View ArticleThe Importance of the First Born
Question: What is the importance of the first born? Answer: The first born have been important since earliest times; Abel sacrificed the first born of his flock (Gen.4:4), G-d smote the Egyptian first...
View ArticleThe Importance of the First Born
Question: What is the importance of the first born? Answer: The first born have been important since earliest times; Abel sacrificed the first born of his flock (Gen.4:4), G-d smote the Egyptian...
View ArticleThe Status of Women: the Image of G-d, and the World to Come
Question: I am having a crisis. I used to believe men and women are different but equal in Judaism but then apparently there are these sources that say otherwise [questioner linked to an external blog...
View ArticleThe Early Pharaohs
Question: What were the names of the Pharaohs in the times of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses? Answer: According to a legend cited by Ginsburg, the Pharaoh in Abraham’s time was named Rakyon, and he is...
View ArticleWhat is a Tzadik?
Question: I’ve learned that only Joseph and Noah are called Tzaddikim – the term for “righteous.”, in the entire Torah. What is the similarity in the way they completed their missions for Hashem that...
View ArticleThe Importance of the First Born
Question: What is the importance of the first born? Answer: The first born have been important since earliest times; Abel sacrificed the first born of his flock (Gen.4:4), G-d smote the Egyptian first...
View ArticleThe Early Pharaohs
Question: What were the names of the Pharaohs in the times of Abraham, Joseph, and Moses? Answer: According to a legend cited by Ginsburg, the Pharaoh in Abraham's time was named Rakyon, and he is said...
View ArticleBilaam’s Prophecy
Question: I am studying the Torah portion of Balak and I am struck by the beautiful imagery that follows the familiar "Mah Tovu" (Numbers 24:5). But since these words were uttered by the false prophet,...
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