Mi Yodeya Weekly Newsletter - Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Top new questions this week: When the רא״ש refers to "הגאון", who is he referring to? A friend posted on Facebook the following question, and I couldn't solve it based on any context, so I thought I'd bring it here. When the רא״ש refers to "הגאון", who is he referring to? Is there ... rabbis historical-figures rishonim geonim rabbeinu-asher   asked by Seth J 6 votes answered by sam 5 votes Neder not specified What is if someone took a neder on himself, and said eg. "i will not eat potatos anymore," but his intention was only for a certain Kind of potatos. Are now all potatos forbidden to him (as the person ... halacha nedarim-shevuot intent-accident-purposely   asked by yosef 6 votes answered by Double AA 6 votes Is it a sin to joke about sinning? For instance, to joke about committing suicide or something less extreme like eating non-kosher. My inclination is towards saying that it is forbidden since it might desensitize one to the idea ... halacha sin humor joke   asked by Echad-Ani-Yodeya 5 votes answered by hazoriz -2 votes Mashiach in year 6000? I have heard in various discussions that we have an idea that mashiach will come at the latest by year 6000. Is this a normative belief? Furthermore, is this a belief that is understood literally by ... hashkafah-philosophy calendar messiah messianic-redemption   asked by andrewmh20 5 votes answered by ShamanSTK 4 votes Why isn't wearing two belts a problem with protecting clothing? As per Shulchan Aruch OC 301:13, one is not allowed to wear/carry a garment whose sole purpose is to protect other clothing that he is wearing ("אצולי טינוף"), though if those also protect the wearer ... halacha shabbat clothing hotzaa-carrying-reshuyot mishnah-berurah   asked by Shokhet 4 votes Is there a concept of "bitul beshishim" with regards to fish? Years ago, some brands of Worcestershire sauce as well as a few salad dressings were marked "OU fish". This meant that one was not allowed to use this sauce on a piece of meat or have it on the same ... hechsher-certification fish bitul-batel-null   asked by DanF 4 votes answered by Shalom 5 votes Shomer Negiyah- negated by Mikvah? If a woman in an unmarried relationship goes to Mikvah, does that allow for freedom of touching in any way, besides for actual intercourse or spilling of seed in vain, between said couple (both ... halacha marriage mikvah-ritual-bath niddah negia   asked by user11820 4 votes Greatest hits from previous weeks: Do religious Jews generally believe the serpent of Garden of 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 14 votes answered by jake 17 votes Why does it seem like Jewish texts are never translated? I'm a Stack Exchange user on many other sites and every once in a while I will see a question on this site that sparks my interest in the hot questions. The only two things I know about Judaism ... jewish-books targum-translation   asked by Sidney 15 votes answered by msh210 15 votes Can you answer these? Source for story about the Maskilim's play mocking what the "orchei hamilchama" would look like according to chazal Does anyone know of a reliable source for the story about how the Maskilim made a play to mock what a milchama would look like according to the torah/chazal, in which they depicted only the Chofetz ... sources-mekorot army-military-war heterodox performance-entertainment story-identification   asked by Hillel 3 votes Davening in which Beis Medrash? Must one pray in the Beis Medrash he learns or in any Beis Medrash (and the practical difference would be if there's an advantage in the other Beis Medrash, such as if it's further away and there's ... halacha tefilla synagogue   asked by Shmuel Brin 2 votes Is there a chazakah (halachic presumption) that an Eruv is down after a blizzard? I remember, I was once at shul Friday night, and it was just starting to snow and it was predicted to be a huge blizzard. The Rabbi got up and announced that tomorrow people should work under the ... halacha sources-mekorot halacha-theory snow   asked by Tzafnas Paneach 4 votes

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