Mi Yodeya Weekly Newsletter - Wednesday, July 30, 2014

Top new questions this week: Why was שמאי holding a ruler? The Bavli, Shabas 31 amud 1, has two stories in which a gentile came to Shamay asking to be converted to Judaism, upon which Shamay "pushed him with the construction cubit in his hand". Rashi explains … agada-stories-legends architecture-design maseches-shabbos tannaim   asked by msh210 10 votes answered by YEZ 8 votes Source that those without a genuine need soliciting charity is a good thing Judaism 101 says (and I have heard it many times): Judaism acknowledges that many people who ask for charity have no genuine need. In fact, the Talmud suggests that this is a good thing: if all … sources-mekorot talmud-gemara tzedakah-charity gezel-stealing bein-adam-lachavero   asked by Yishai 9 votes answered by sam 13 votes Was the Shamir worm used for the second Beis Hamikdash? Shlomo Hamelech used a 'Shamir' worm to quarry and cut the stones for the first Beis Hamikdash. Did they still have this worm for the second Beis Hamikdash? If not, how were the stones cut (as no … history beis-hamikdash architecture-design bugs   asked by user5303 9 votes answered by Zvi 9 votes How long must clothes be worn before the 9 days for them to count as not fresh? I've only read "short period" as a time given for how long to wear clothes you're planning on putting on during the 9 days. Is there anything more specific than that? Is there an efficient and … halacha clothing tisha-bav nine-days cleaning   asked by Echad-Ani-Yodeya 7 votes answered by Shokhet 6 votes status of owned land after Moshiach comes what will be the status of owned property in Israel when Moshiach comes. Will a person's apartment remain his? or perhaps the land will be redivided. eretz-yisrael messiah real-estate latid-lavo-future   asked by ray 7 votes Differences between Bat Kol and prophecy A bat kol, lit. a 'daughter of a voice', is understood by Marcus Jastrow as a divine voice, a substitute for prophecy. The instance of a bat kol occurs many times in the Talmud1. There are sources … talmud-gemara mishna nevua-prophecy tosefta   asked by Baby Seal 6 votes Volunteering for certain harm During the Fukushima nuclear disaster elderly people volunteered to work in high radiation environments to fix the problem, because they felt less concerned about dying. Either they were more … halacha pikuachnefesh-danger-life   asked by Yishai 6 votes answered by user6591 3 votes Greatest hits from previous weeks: Why did nobody succeed the Lubavitcher Rebbe? The late Lubavitcher Rebbe Menachem Mendel Schneerson zt"l had no successor as the rebbe of Chabad-Lubavitch. Why is this? Was it simply because he had no children? If so, why was nobody else … history rabbis chabad chassidic-rebbe   asked by Daniel 11 votes answered by Alex 11 votes Do religious Jews generally believe the serpent of Gan Eden was Satan? Upon reading the recent CNN article, That Actually Isn't In The Bible, one not-really-in-the-Bible misconception they cite is the idea that serpent in the Garden of Eden was the Satan. The article … parshanut-torah-comment theology parashat-bereishit creation   asked by Judah Himango 11 votes answered by jake 14 votes Can you answer these? How do מושב יקרו and שכינת עזו work in the Oleinu prayer? I would like to understand in the Oleinu prayer what is meant by (1) מושב יקרו Artscroll translates as "the seat of His homage" and (2) שכינת עזו Artscroll translates as "His powerful presence" … tefilla theology aleinu-leshabeiach   asked by Avrohom Yitzchok 3 votes Whale-yeast Beer This article describes a beer created with yeast from fossilised remains of an ancient whale. From what I understand, the yeast imparts certain characteristics to the beer other than alcohol content. … halacha kashrut-kosher liquor-beer non-kosher-species   asked by Noach mi Frankfurt 3 votes 'Removal of the evil inclination is like removal of the soul' I saw recently (here) in the name of the Chazon Ish that 'removal of the evil inclination removes the soul'. Is there a written source for this (either in the writings of the Chazon Ish or elsewhere)? … sources-mekorot soul acharonim evil-inclination   asked by Matt 2 votes

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