Welcome to the Judaism community on Codidact!
Will you help us build our community of learners? Drop into our study hall, ask questions, help others with answers to their questions, share a d'var torah if you're so inclined, invite your friends, and join us in building this community together. Not an ask-the-rabbi service, just people at all levels learning together.
Activity for manassehkatz
| Type | On... | Excerpt | Status | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Answer | — |
A: Tevillas Keilim on Used things As I understand it, the Tevilah requirement comes in when: A vessel for use with preparing or eating food is manufactured by a non-Jew A vessel for use with preparing or eating food is owned by a non-Jew Manufactured by a Jew, sold to a non-Jew, sold to a Jew - requires Tevilah Manufactur... (more) |
— | 5 months ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Halacha applied differently dependent on the situation Anecdotally, if people know you're a Baal Koreh, they will often let you - or ask you to - Layn your Aliyah. Many years ago I used to help a Sephardi Minyan (I am 100% Ashkenazi) with anything from one Aliyah to the whole Parasha, planned in advance each week, until they eventually had enough people ... (more) |
— | 5 months ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Tzidkat'cha in the presence of a mourner during the week,one does not say tachanun in the house of a mourner (or, if the mourner must daven in shul, in the shul). (Emphasis added to the key phrase.) Except, that's not the case, at least in my Shul. A Chassan during the week of Sheva Brachos, or a same-day Bris (father, Sandek or Mohel... (more) |
— | 10 months ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Why is Pesach in the singular? Shavuos is about the weeks. That's the easy one. Sukkos is about more than one Sukkah. Not just that we need to build more than one to celebrate the holiday, but because Vayikra 23:43 refers to the Sukkos (plural) that the Jews lived in. Pesach is singular because it refers not only to the sacr... (more) |
— | 11 months ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Why two types of maror? One possible reason, but I have no source for it being a requirement in any way, is that we have two different categories of Maror. One is things like horseradish - immediately and unequivocally bitter. The other is things like romaine lettuce - bitter after a while but not obviously bitter. This ... (more) |
— | 11 months ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Worshipping outdoors in the COVID era, issues and options Fortunately, I live in an area that has had an active Eruv for the last few years. For the first few months of the pandemic, this was actually not much of an issue. Local regulations prohibited group religious gatherings, indoors or out. When regulations loosened a bit to allow small gatherings, indo... (more) |
— | almost 2 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: At what distance does a zman change? The amount that matters varies depending on the particular Zman, the time of year and location on this planet and on your specific concerns. For a simple example, the circumference of the Earth is 24,901 miles. Which means if you move 0.2882 miles = 1,521 feet (if I did the math correctly), your lo... (more) |
— | over 2 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How does a firstborn know to wash the kohen's hands? I have seen this a few times. Really quite simple. Just like the Gabbai will, unless he knows everyone, ask "Is there a Cohen?" or "Is there a Levi?" when it comes to Layning, he will do the same, if needed, for Duchening. Either "Is there a Cohen?" to find out if there will be any Duchening, or "Is ... (more) |
— | over 2 years ago |
| Question | — |
Blessing on Salt The Bracha on salt, as listed in Mishneh Torah, Blessings 8:8 is Shehakol. I have found confirmation in modern generally accepted Halachic sources. According to Mishneh Torah, Blessings 8:7 spices normally have no Bracha at all, before or after, as they are not food. Salt seems to be in the sam... (more) |
— | over 2 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: For starting Shabbat, is sunset astronomical or visible? TL;DR Shabbos starts at the generally accepted astronomical definition of sunset, and the 18 minutes is before that time. There are a few separate issues here: Halachically, when is "Shkias Hachamah" == Sunset? Sunset is actually a relatively universally agreed upon time. A quick look at MyZ... (more) |
— | over 2 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Why do we dwell in booths every day during Sukkot, but we don't have to eat matzah every day during Pesach? It is actually very much the same thing, at least ignoring the "sleep in Sukkah" part which most people don't do these days for a variety of reasons, especially outside of Israel. Basically, with both Sukkah and Matzah the rule is: First night - required. So we must eat in the Sukkah on the fi... (more) |
— | over 2 years ago |
| Question | — |
Respect for the names of Hashem and avoiding Shaimos TL;DR Is Shaimos an issue to be concerned about in posts, and if so, what policy should we set? This question contains (at the moment) a name of God in Hebrew that is considered Shaimos, requiring proper burial of any printed copies and not trash/recycling. There are different opinions as to what ... (more) |
— | almost 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How does agency work for selling chameitz? My LOR was extremely resistant to the idea of a strictly online "no physical Kinyan" sale until last year. We came up with a form (the only option last year, this year he allowed people to contact him to do a traditional Kinyan if desired) stating name, address(es), some other specific questions a... (more) |
— | about 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Why aren't we required to eat matzah every day during Pesach? As noted by others, there are many (both historical and current) people who make a point of eating Matzah on every day of Pesach based on the Pasuk. In addition, depending on location and the day of the week that Pesach starts, there are between 2 and 5 days (out of 7 or 8) when Matzah is, arguably, ... (more) |
— | about 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Can one fulfill the obligation of megillah on Purim via Zoom? The first statement matches what I have heard this year from numerous sources, both Ashkenazi and Sephardi. I have heard a number of the items below from Rabbi Dovid Rosenbaum of Young Israel Shomrai Emunah. Any discrepancies from his actual Psak are my own fault. And of course, CYLOR. In my Ra... (more) |
— | about 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Codidact Holidays and Liturgy Based on the statements of Ben Zoom-a, who received much כבוד Covid for teaching during the world-wide plague: As with Purim, a fast is required first. In this case, 3 Tishrei, as one of the key trigger events occurred right before Rosh Hashanah and was revealed to the world right after Rosh Hasha... (more) |
— | about 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: (When) can halacha with a stated reason be revisited in light of new information? Note: I have references for many of these things, but Friday morning stream-of-consciousness at the moment. References later if I get a chance. There are a lot of different issues here, though all generally related in the "How should/could/does Halachah change over time?" sense. Yom Tov Sheni ... (more) |
— | about 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Disposing of a Christian bible written in Hebrew? My understanding is that even an actual Sefer Torah - i.e., full text, written on parchment, etc. - written by an apostate (Jew or non-Jew with the "wrong" intentions) is not Sheimos. This would certainly include any printed Hebrew text that was printed by or on behalf of missionaries, so "given it b... (more) |
— | over 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What exactly is "cooking"? Generally speaking, cooking - including Bishul but also Afiah (baking) and other variants - is about "improving food through the application of heat". The key words include: Improving - e.g., if a food is fully cooked and then gets burnt/overcooked, that is not intrinsically Bishul Food - it ge... (more) |
— | over 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Why did Yaakov propose his payment scheme? Yaakov didn't come up with the scheme on his own. If he had done so, it would have required relying on a miracle without any expectation of one - he would have been better off working for "normal" wages. Rather, he had a prophetic dream first, as recounted in Genesis 31:10. He only tells the story... (more) |
— | over 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What does a beginning shofar blower need to know to correctly make the sounds? My Rabbi approved the following post: https://wp.yise.org/shofar/ which includes some basic Halachos and a short video by Craig Simon. Craig blew all over the neighborhood today (as did others - there were more than 40 "not during Davening" shofar blowings in the neighborhood!), including aroun... (more) |
— | over 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Seeking advice as a chazzan in training Nusach and Minhagim This may seem trivially obvious - basically pick from Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Nusach Sephard, Chabad, and a few others. But you may find a Shul that has more than one (mine has Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Nussach Sephard, though constitutionally (and the most Minyanim) Ashkenazi). The... (more) |
— | over 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Can a woman blow the shofar during Elul for herself? Can anyone? Official rabbinical guidance from my Shul Young Israel Shomrai Emunah of Greater Washington: > One of the most cherished practices in this time of year is the blowing of shofar in shul during the month of Elul. In these very strange times we have been doing many things differently than we would l... (more) |
— | over 3 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Avinu Malkeinu as part of Tachanun Looking from the practical Halacha, Avinu Malkenu is clearly linked to, if not an actual part of, Tachanun. On Taanis Esther, which usually takes place on the day before Purim, Avinu Malkenu is not said at Mincha, matching the skipping of Tachanun as on most afternoons prior to a no-Tachanun day. ... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What is our policy regarding using non-English languages in a post? My opinion: > 1. Should we allow users to write questions in non-English languages? No. The primary language of the site should be English, so each question should be substantially English for the functional question. It may depend upon Hebrew (Aramaic, etc.) text for part of the question, but ... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What is the mission of this community? You should visit Judaism.Codidact if you want To learn more about Judaism, including answers to your current questions and answers to the questions you didn't even know to ask. You should hang around Judaism.Codidact if you want To help yourself and help others expand your knowledge of J... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How will Judaism Codidact be better than Mi Yodeya? I am a middle-of-the-road SE user. Not anywhere near the top, never a moderator, etc. But also stuck around long enough with some specific communities to have (I think) some productive and positive impact. Mi Yodeya was never one of my main sites - I mainly participate(d) on DIY/Home Improvement a... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Why does everyone talk during pesukei d’zimra? In my Shul, most Minyanim are kept relatively quiet during Davening when strictly required, which generally means from Baruch Sheamar through the end of the silent Shemoneh Esrei. That is not to say there aren't some problems, and also some talking later in the Davening when inappropriate even if not... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: When (if ever) can you read a non-standard haftarah, and how far afield can it go? More than a comment, less than an answer... Two data points: "New" Haftarah The Haftarah portions for Shabbos, Yom Tov, Fast Days, etc. were all set hundreds of years ago. There are some variations between Ashkenazi, Sephardi, Chabad, etc. though most weeks everyone agrees. However, there has ... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: How does one pray Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur alone? Davening by yourself is, relatively speaking, the easy part. I am sure there are others who will come up with more specifics, but people have had to do that, at times, for a variety of reasons: illness stuck in a place with only a few other Jews (or none at all) due to military, business or oth... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Where did Bnei Yisroel get slaves in the desert? From the battle with Midian alone, Bamidbar 31:35, there were 32,000 captured as slaves. That was only some of the women - they actually captured many more and Moshe commanded them to kill the men and the women who had been involved in sin with the Jews, as described in Bamidbar 25:1. (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Sefaria linking is now installed This is a test to see if the Sefaria linking works. @ArtOfCode says just make things that look like references. So I suppose Genesis 1:1 should give me the first Pasuk of the Torah. Let's see... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Dictionary/Encyclopedia of Terms How about a Wiki-style Dictionary or Encyclopedia of Jewish terms? This could either be a Category or maybe part of Community-specific Help. Instead of each reference to a Jewish/Hebrew/Aramaic/etc. term either being left unlinked (requiring those who don't know the terms to spend a lot of extra t... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: When to gather the Tzitzis > B. Gather the Tzitzis while saying the Pasuk of וַהֲבִיאֵנוּ לְשָׁלוֹם Why? Because the next words are מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפות הָאָרֶץ "from the four corners of the Earth". We connect "four corners" of this phrase with the "four corners" of the Tzitzis, which are often called אַרְבַּע כַּנְפות fro... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Does a Shochet need to have his knife checked by a Rabbi? If not, why not? Mishneh Torah, Talmud Torah, 6:14 lists 24 reasons for excommunication. # 20 is: > טַבָּח שֶׁלֹּא בָּדַק סַכִּינוֹ לִפְנֵי חָכָם >A Shochet who does not have his knife checked by a wise man. (generally translated as a Rabbi) I know I heard somewhere recently that nowadays most Shocheti... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: Can a woman blow the shofar during Elul for herself? Can anyone? I would posit that there is no obligation of Shofar during Elul. It is a longstanding custom, but there are none of the hallmarks of an obligation, even Rabbinic: No ברכה (blessing) associated with it No calling out of the notes, as is required on Rosh Hashanah Extreme leniency (at least in m... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: "Jews not Judaism" I don't see these types of questions as being that different from the others. They're not Halacha or Gemara, but there is still plenty of overlap. There are questions about the Rambam about his Seforim and Halacha and Hashkafa but also about his life - and all those things are connected. Jewish histo... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Answer | — |
A: What language(s) should we use for tags? Having tags in English is important not just for non-Jews but also for Jews who don't read Hebrew well (or at all). But having Hebrew most definitely adds a nice flavor to the site. My recommendation is to have all tags be either English-only or English+Hebrew in a consistent format. For example, ... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |
| Question | — |
Categories - Divrei Torah, Purim Torah One of the key features of Codidact is Categories. There has been some discussion elsewhere, but now that the community is up & running, Meta is the place to talk about this. Two suggestions I know of so far: Divrei Torah I think this should be Post only (i.e., like Q without the A) but allow ... (more) |
— | almost 4 years ago |