Question: Dear rav, Do you have a way to locate a Jewish timeline, which might help me? Best regards, Answer: Thank you for your question. There are such cards available…. Read more »
Category: Bible study questions – Tanach
How was it fair to punish the generation of the flood?
Question: If we believe there is no morality without Torah, then how was it fair to punish the whole world for larceny and immorality? What else could be expected of… Read more »
A question (Doubt) from torah
Question: Shalom, I heard once from a rabbi who says that Lili was actually Chavah’s daughter with Narash, and that after the separation of Adam and Chavah, he had a… Read more »
Identity of unnamed prophet in 1 kings 2013
Question: Any research on the identity of the unnamed prophet in 1 kings 20:13 who spoke to Ahab Answer: In Rashi’s commentary on that verse he writes that it was… Read more »
Why should we not take revenge?
Question: May you, kindly, explain to me why we should NOT seek vengeance and keep grudges, as specified for us not to do, in Leviticus 19:18? Todah Rabah. Answer: You… Read more »
Question about archeological dating pre-Flood or pre-Dor HaFlagah
Question: Shalom Kavod Harav, I have a question about archaeological dating (which, as we know, is notoriously imprecise & often just the archaeologist’s best guess colored by the archeologist’s own… Read more »
Tachas yereichi
Question: I’m not sure if this question is one for your site (and if so, I apologize), but in last week’s sedra according to Rashi, Eliezer put his hand to… Read more »
Not telling seller the value- Eisav and Yackov
Question: If your buying something very valuable but the seller doesn’t know do you need to inform him first? I’m also thinking about the sale of the bechora from Eisav… Read more »
Parshas noach
Question: After the Kabul noach sent a dove which brought back a branch from a tree. 1)How was there a tree, didnt the Kabul destroy even 3 tefachim of the… Read more »
Have you ever heard that Hashem led Avraham Avinu with a cloud during the day and a fire a night?
Question: Did you ever hear that in Parshas Lech Lecha when Hashem told Avraham Avinu to go to Eretz Yisroel, Hashem led Avraham with a cloud during the day and… Read more »
Was there an opinion that the Jewish calendar was always calculated and not done by witnesses?
Question: Hello if you look at Rabbeinu Bachaye on the pasuk Hachodesh hazeh lachem- He seems to bring down an opinion by Rabbeinu Chananel that the Jewish calendar was always… Read more »
Tower of Babel and various Civilizations
Question: This question pertains to Parshat Noach. If according to our tradition, human kind, for the first time in existence, began to spread from the Middle East area after the… Read more »
Continents moving?
Question: How did the animals spread out over the world after the flood (How did land animals cross the water) (i guess this is also a question how they all… Read more »
Bishvil Yisroel- If the world was made for the Jews does that mean that the gentiles have no role?
Question: Dear Rav, When Rashi in Bereishis says that the world was created for Yisroel, does that mean that the gentiles have no real role in this world? Thank you… Read more »
Husband obligation to feed his wife and mazal.
Question: How seriously should one take the tos and tos harosh in kesuvos daf 2b(at the top) D”H “matziah..”- in which they say that a wife is a “field” of… Read more »
Divrei Hayamim 1 chapter 20
Question: Please see Divrei Hayamim 1 20:3 Was this genocide? If so, was King David justified? Answer: See Ralbag who explains that the reason that David did this was to… Read more »
Chomer of Eirusin
Question: Why is the onesh of znus with an arusah (Sekilah) more chamur than with a nessuah (checek)? Answer: Rashi in Sanhedrin 50a D:H Al Korcach says that the reason… Read more »
Avrohom giving the malachim meat and milk
Question: BS”D Shalom, In Bereshit 18:8, It says that Avraham gave milk and meat to visitors, there are Midrash that tells us that Avraham compressed the laws, and how he… Read more »
Mesora Chasieros and Yesieros
Question: The gemara says that we’re not bekiim in chasieros and yesieros. How does this fit with the understanding that we have an unbroken mesora? Maybe this makes the kasha… Read more »
weekly parsha
Question: Thank you. Please help. About koshering and ovens and pottery. What does more details about that i mean hidden meaning. How oven looked like that times and pottery? Why… Read more »
mekubalim
Question: shalom aleichem. having also university background i asked myself about the etymology of mekubalim. what it means exactly. do you have an approach to explain the term mukubalim in… Read more »
Meguilah 13a, Goyim who do not worship other gods are then Jews?
Question: In the treaty of meguilah 13a says that all who leave idolatry are yehudin, And also in the comment: Daf Shevui to Megillah This midrash is connected to a… Read more »
Shnayim mikra
Question: Do I have to speak out the targum if I’m using English translation? Answer: It is controversial if one can be yotza targum by reading an English translation. The… Read more »
Distortion of Torah
Question: I READ THIS THE OTHER DAY. IS THIS IN LINE WITH AUTHENTIC TORAH JUDAISM OR A DISTORTION OF THE TRUTH. “The Bible is an inherently political document. The story… Read more »
Septuagint
Question: Why was the translation of the Torah into 70 languages considered a such a calamity, if Moshe explained the Torah to the yidden in 70 languages, before they entered… Read more »
Foreign language in Torah
Question: What does it mean when it says that certain words in the Torah come from foreign languages? For example, in Vaeschanan, Rashi on the word Totafos. Answer: The words… Read more »
Yaakov Avinu and Shechem
Question: After Shimon and Levi killed all the men of Shchem, Yaakov Avinu was afraid and he said, “I will be annihilated.” Why is this not considered “opening one’s mouth… Read more »
אֵלִיָּהוּ
Question: peace, was אֵלִיָּהוּ ha’navi married at all? the catholics claim, that he was not. but i don’t know if that is true indeed. sincerely, Answer: According to one opinion,… Read more »
Questions of Faith
Question: Hello, I had a few questions I wanted to know if you can help me with. 1) It has long bothered me why there is no corroborating historical account… Read more »
Did the jews travel in ships to Bavel
Question: Please see Yeshayahu 43:14 with Targum Yonasan and Rashi. Is it saying that the Jews went to Bavel in ships? If so, do we find this elsewhere in Tenach… Read more »
tree of life and tree of knowledge
Question: what is tree of life and tree of knowledge ? how to understand it ? 2) why who created all put angel to protect tree of life? after Answer:… Read more »
How Many vav Hahipuchs in each of the 24 books of Tenach
Question: How Many vav Hahipuchs (Conversive vav) are in each of the 24 books of Tenach compared with the number of letters / verses in that book. As far as… Read more »
G-d’s name in Nechemiah 13
Question: Please see Nechemiah 13:1. This verse quotes Devorim 23:4. Why change Hashem to Ha-Elokim? Similarly, why does Verse 2 substitute elokeinu for Hashem elokecha. Answer: Two interesting point, but… Read more »
Kesubos 110 – Living in a city
Question: On Kesubos 110b Rabbi Yose ben Chanina uses Nechemiah 11:2 to show that living in a city is difficult. Given the circumstances of Yerushalayim in the days of Nechemiah,… Read more »
Accepting non jewish contributions to jewish buildings
Question: Quoting Nechemiah 2:8, Arachin 6a discusses what contributions can be accepted from a gentile towards a jewish building. The verse is talking about the gates of the castle belonging… Read more »
Embarassing Sinners in Sefer Ezra
Question: Please see Ezra 10:2. Many jews had not intermarried, but Shechaniah had not. However, he said “we have sinned” in order to avoid embarrassing the sinners? Shechaniah learnt this… Read more »
Ezra and Malachi.
Question: On Megillah 15a, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Korchah says that Malachi was Ezra. The sages disagree saying Malachi was a different person. Rav Nachman says Malachi was probably Ezra as… Read more »
The return from Bavel and Temurah 15b
Question: There were 42360 returnees (Ezra 2:64). Yirmiyahu 52:30 says 4600 people were exiled with Tzidkiyahu. Melachim 2 24:14 says 10000 were exiled with Yehoyachin. How can Temurah 15b say… Read more »
Were the jews so few in number
Question: Please see 7:7. How can Moshe say the jews were the fewest? There were 601730 men between 20 and 60. That’s quite a large population. For the jews to… Read more »
What was first 2nd Beis Hamikdosh or Purim?
Question: Did the events of Purim take place before or after the 2nd Beis Hamikdosh. Rashi following Seder Olam says Purim was first. Pirkei D’Rabbi Eliezer 49 says Achashveirosh was… Read more »
Origins of Mankind
Question: Hello, I am trying to understand how the we reconcile the flood and that all humankind around now descend from Noach and his son’s with the fact that there… Read more »
Chalifin and Chiliyon
Question: Bava Metzia 47a/b uses Rus 4:7 verse in a discussion about transferring ownership by exchange. This is called chalifin (eg using a shoe). The Gemoro is unclear whether the… Read more »
Large Samech in Bemidbar 13:30
Question: The mesorah records that the samekh in 13:30 is large (see marginal note in Artscroll and elsewhere). Yet none of the printed editions which I have consulted actually conform… Read more »
Korach’s Mishkan
Question: Please see Bemidbar 16:27. Why is Korach’s dwelling called a Mishkan rather than an ohel or bayis? Answer: You are bringing up an interesting point. A possible answer may… Read more »
Dimensions of Israel
Question: On Bemidbar 13:25, Oznayim Latorah says that Israel measures 400 parsahs by 400 parsahs. Does this mean that it’s a square? It doesn’t look that way on a map…. Read more »
What did the Leviim do when not officiating in the Beis Hamikdosh
Question: 8:18 Chizkuni says that Leviim didn’t own land, so they would be free to concentrate on their tasks in the Temple. If they ploughed soil, their hands would be… Read more »
What did God Give Moses at Sinai
Question: It seems there is a debate as to what Moses got from God at Sinai. Everyone would agree that he got the 10 commandments and the Oral Torah. But… Read more »
Is Tumah Real of just symbolic?
Question: When the Torah speaks of someone becoming tomei, I always thought it was “real” in that a spiritual, albeit non-tangible entity descends or appears to make the person spiritually… Read more »
Naamnan’s jewish slave girl.
Question: In Melachim 2 chapter 5 Naaman’s wife’s jewish slave girl gets Naaman to go to Elisha. Do we know if Elisha knew of her and tried to free her… Read more »
Chaggai’s Tests to the Kohanim
Question: I’m looking at Chaggai 2:12. It seems that G-d decided that his questions to the Kohanim should be recorded for posterity. Why did G-d not make the question clear… Read more »