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Q&A Did the urim v'tummim require binary questions?

It is not that binary questions were required but that the answers could very easily be misunderstood. For example, the question that Eli asked about Chana (Shmuels mother) is a example. The answer...

posted 3y ago by sabbahillel‭  ·  edited 3y ago by sabbahillel‭

Answer
#2: Post edited by user avatar sabbahillel‭ · 2021-08-24T02:12:06Z (about 3 years ago)
  • It is not that binary questions where required but that the answers could very easily be misunderstood. For example, the question that Eli asked about Chana (Shmuels mother) is a example. The answer consisted of the letters הוכרש which he read as שכורה (drunk) when it actually was כְשָׂרָה (like Sara Imeinu) or כְשֵׁרָה (Kosher). This inverted the meaning entirely. The question needed to be asked very carefuly in order to make sure that the answer was undersdtood properly.
  • Indeed in the case of Pilegesh Begiv'ah, the initial question was asked in the wrong way and Judah lost the first battle.
  • It is not that binary questions were required but that the answers could very easily be misunderstood. For example, the question that Eli asked about Chana (Shmuels mother) is a example. The answer consisted of the letters הכרש which he read as שִׁכֹּרָה (drunk) when it actually was כְּשָׂרָה (like Sara Imeinu) or כְּשֵׁרָה (Kosher). This inverted the meaning entirely. The question needed to be asked very carefuly in order to make sure that the answer was understood properly.
  • Indeed in the case of Pilegesh Begiv'ah, the initial question was asked in the wrong way and Judah lost the first battle.
#1: Initial revision by user avatar sabbahillel‭ · 2021-08-24T02:09:37Z (about 3 years ago)
It is not that binary questions where required but that the answers could very easily be misunderstood. For example, the question that Eli asked about Chana (Shmuels mother) is a example. The answer consisted of the letters הוכרש which he read as שכורה (drunk) when it actually was כְשָׂרָה (like Sara Imeinu) or כְשֵׁרָה (Kosher). This inverted the meaning entirely. The question needed to be asked very carefuly in order to make sure that the answer was undersdtood properly.

Indeed in the case of Pilegesh Begiv'ah, the initial question was asked in the wrong way and Judah lost the first battle.