Tanakh
Torah, Prophets, and Writings — the Hebrew Bible and its teachings.
334 questions answered
What is the Ana BeKoach prayer?
The Ana BeKoach (אָנָּא בְּכֹחַ) is one of the most mystically significant prayers in Jewish liturgy, a seven-line poem that serves as a kabbalistic medita...
How much more is a Jew obligated to pay to support business in their community?
There is no fixed monetary percentage or multiplier that a Jew is obligated to pay extra to support local Jewish commerce. Rather, the Torah and halachic t...
Can a married couple engage in oral sex?
This question touches on the halacha of tashmish hamita (marital intimacy), which is addressed directly in Talmudic and post-Talmudic sources. The mainstre...
What are the restrictions on the 17th of Tammuz?
The 17th of Tammuz (Shiva Asar b'Tammuz) is a communal fast day on which eating and drinking are forbidden from dawn (alot hashachar) until nightfall. It m...
Who were the holiest mamzers
The Holiest Mamzerim (Illegitimate Children) in Torah Tradition The Torah tradition preserves remarkable figures who were either identified as mamzerim (בַ...
What does judaism say about oral sex
This is a topic discussed in halachic literature with nuance and respect for the sanctity of marriage. Judaism generally permits sexual intimacy between husband
Eating meat on shabbat during the nine days
Eating meat and drinking wine on Shabbat during the Nine Days is permitted — in fact, it is considered a mitzvah (religious obligation) to honor Shabbat with me
Can I work on Tisha b’av
Working on Tisha b'Av (the Ninth of Av) is governed by local custom (minhag), but universally, Torah scholars refrain from work the entire day, and anyone who d
What are the jewish customs for the month of Elul?
The month of Elul (אלול) is the final month of the Jewish year and serves as a 40-day period of preparation and teshuva (repentance) leading up to Rosh Hashanah
Does 63 have a numerical equivalent and meaning in Hebrew?
The number 63 has deep significance in Jewish mystical tradition. In gematria (the system of assigning numerical values to Hebrew letters), 63 is most famo...
What is jewish prayer before surgery?
Jewish prayer before surgery draws on the tradition of tefillah (prayer) and bakkashah (petition) before moments of danger or need. The primary text recite...
When camping, is an eruv required and why?
Eruv When Camping: Is One Required? When camping on Shabbat, the need for an eruv (a halachic enclosure or boundary) depends on the type of camping situati...
Why do we wait 6 hours between milk and meat
The custom of waiting 6 hours between eating meat and then dairy is rooted in a Talmudic ruling later codified in Jewish law, based on the Torah's prohibit...
Can I shave during the three weeks
Shaving during the Three Weeks (Shloshet HaShavuot — the mourning period from 17 Tammuz to Tisha B'Av) is subject to a significant dispute between Ashkenazic an
What is hebrew blessing for planting a tree?
There is no single standardized bracha (blessing) specifically for the act of planting a tree in traditional Jewish law, though there are related blessings...
What is prayer for lighting shiva candle?
The traditional practice is to light a candle (or ner, נר) in the house of mourning during shiva (the seven-day mourning period), but there is no formal bl...
Would the Torah approve of AI?
Artificial intelligence doesn't appear in the Torah explicitly, but Jewish tradition offers rich frameworks for evaluating transformative technologies. The Tora
Does the torah say you can kill all your enemies?
The Torah does not grant blanket permission to kill all enemies. Jewish law has a highly nuanced framework governing when killing is permitted, prohibited,...
Can women pray at the kotel?
Women can pray at the Western Wall (Kotel), and this is both halachically permitted and historically practiced. The question of how they may pray — and in...
Kabbalah
Kabbalah: The Jewish Mystical Tradition Kabbalah (קַבָּלָה, literally "receiving" or "that which has been received") is the esoteric, mystical dimension of...
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 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 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
How many wives did Shlomo HaMelech have?
King Solomon (Shlomo HaMelech) had 700 wives and 300 concubines, for a total of 1,000 women in his household. This is stated explicitly in the Book of King...
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")...
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 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...
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