Torah Q&A
3130 answered questions with cited sources from the Sefaria library.
Mamzerut: Disclosure Obligations and Safek Mamzer Status
Mamzerut: Disclosure Obligations and Safek Mamzer Status A mamzer (ממזר, a child born of a biblically prohibited union such as adultery or incest) faces se...
A Hindu scholar claims that Brahman and the Kabbalistic Ein Sof are identical concepts. Present the strongest Jewish sources supporting this claim.
Is Ein Sof Identical to Brahman? The Strongest Jewish Sources for the Comparison The claim that the Kabbalistic Ein Sof (אֵין סוֹף, "Infinite/Without End")...
What is the different minchag of either one hole or two holes in a Tallit Katan
The custom of one hole vs. two holes in a Tallit Katan (small four-cornered garment) is a fascinating dispute rooted in how we understand the construction of th
What is the Hamotzi (blessing over bread)?
The Hamotzi (HaMotzi, "Who brings forth") is the berakhah (blessing) recited before eating bread made from one of the five grains. The full text is: "Baruc...
Can you feed your kids hot dogs on Tisha B'Av?
The question of feeding children on Tisha B'Av touches on the halachic distinction between adults, who are obligated to fast, and minors, who are generally not.
What is the Jewish prayer for protection?
Jewish tradition contains several prayers and texts used for divine protection, with the most central being Psalm 91 (Tehillim, chapter 91), known as the "...
What is the Shehecheyanu blessing?
The Shehecheyanu (שֶׁהֶחֱיָנוּ) is one of Judaism's most beloved blessings, recited to express gratitude to God for enabling us to reach a significant or j...
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...
Can one water plants on Tisha baav
Watering plants on Tisha B'Av is generally permitted, as it does not fall under any of the five prohibited activities of the fast day. However, there are nuance
What is Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals)?
Birkat HaMazon (Grace After Meals) is the set of blessings recited after eating a meal that included bread. It is a Torah-level commandment (mitzvah d'orai...
What is the meaning of amidah?
The word Amidah (עֲמִידָה) literally means "standing," derived from the Hebrew root amd (עמד), referring to the act of standing in prayer. It is the centra...
What is jewish blessing door frame?
The Jewish "blessing on the door frame" refers to the mezuzah (מְזוּזָה), a parchment scroll containing handwritten Torah passages that is affixed to the d...
What are the rules of passover kosher?
Passover Kosher Laws (Kashrut shel Pesach) Passover has its own unique set of dietary laws that go significantly beyond year-round kashrut (kosher law). Th...
What is jewish red string prayer?
The red string (chut adom) practice in Judaism involves tying a red string around the left wrist as a protective amulet against the ayin hara (evil eye), o...
How many hebrew letters are in the Torah
The Torah contains 304,805 letters — this is the traditionally accepted count, preserved and transmitted by the Masoretes (Ba'alei HaMasorah), the great textual
What is the Mincha (afternoon) prayer?
What is the Mincha (Afternoon) Prayer? Tefillat Mincha (תְּפִלַּת מִנְחָה — the Afternoon Prayer) is one of the three daily prayers of Jewish tradition, re...
What is meaning of prayer in hebrew?
The Hebrew word for prayer is tefillah (תְּפִלָּה), derived from the root פ-ל-ל (p-l-l), which carries the meaning of self-judgment, self-examination, or t...
What is the Halacha regarding monetary retribution for a broken engagement
Broken engagements (shidduchin) and monetary retribution is a nuanced area of Halacha that blends rabbinic enactments, local custom, and contractual law. In bri
Can you find me a source that simcha is holiness
The connection between simcha (joy) and holiness is a profound theme in Torah literature, supported by multiple classical sources. Most directly, Rav Kook in Sh
What are the Sukkot prayers?
Sukkot Prayers: A Comprehensive Guide The prayers of Sukkot (Chag HaSukkot — the Festival of Booths) follow the standard Yom Tov (festival) liturgy with se...
Everything about a bar mitzvah boy going up to the Torah for the first time
The Bar Mitzvah Boy's First Aliyah to the Torah When a boy turns 13 and becomes a bar mitzvah (son of the commandment), one of the most significant ritual momen
What is mincha service english and hebrew?
The Mincha service (מִנְחָה, literally "gift" or "offering") is the Jewish afternoon prayer service, one of the three daily prayer services (Shacharit, Min...
What is chabad mourner's kaddish?
Chabad mourner's kaddish follows the same essential text as all Jewish mourning kaddish prayers but incorporates the unique Chabad-Lubavitch nusach (liturg...
What are the rules of israelite sabbath?
The Sabbath (Shabbat) is the cornerstone of Jewish observance, commanded directly by God in the Torah and elaborated extensively by rabbinic tradition. At...
What is blessing for mikvah immersion?
The blessing recited before immersing in a mikvah (ritual bath) is: "Baruch Atah Hashem, Eloheinu Melech haolam, asher kid'shanu b'mitzvotav v'tzivanu al h...
What is the Kaddish prayer?
The Kaddish (קַדִּישׁ) is one of Judaism's most recognized and important prayers, a doxology — a declaration of praise to God — written primarily in Aramai...
What is jewish prayer for peace oseh shalom?
Oseh Shalom (עֹשֶׂה שָׁלוֹם), meaning "He who makes peace," is one of the most beloved and recognizable phrases in Jewish liturgy, appearing as a concludin...
What is yom hashishi prayer?
The Yom HaShishi prayer refers to the paragraph beginning with the words "Yom HaShishi" (יוֹם הַשִּׁשִּׁי — "the sixth day") that is recited on Friday nigh...
What is the blessing in hebrew?
The question "what is the blessing" is broad, so I'll address the most fundamental Jewish blessing — the core Birkat HaTorah (blessing over Torah), which a...
Halacha on settling the land
The mitzvah (commandment) of settling the Land of Israel — known as Yishuv Eretz Yisrael — is one of the most debated topics in halachic literature, touching on