Rabbi Azriel Schreiber
855 answers
Whenever possible, JewishAnswers.org tries to include the name of the author on every post. However, at certain times, we make significant changes to the answers posted. In that case, we will often sign the post with our generic “pen name” – Rabbi Azriel Schreiber. This “pen name” may also be used when a writer declines to have his name published.
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The Beis Av
Who wrote the Beis Av? The author of the Beis Av (teshuvos) and the Darash Av (derashos) was R. Avraham Aharon Yudelvitz (1850-1930). He served as Rabbi in many European communities, including Manchester, and finally in New York and Bayonne,…
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The Ghetto
What is the origin of the term "Ghetto"? In 1516 a neighborhood of Venice near an iron foundry (Italian "ghetto") was enclosed by walls and declared to be the only part of the city where Jews were allowed to live.
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Herod's Temple
Was Herod's Temple the Third Temple? Herod completely rebuilt the Temple, but it was still regarded as the Second Temple.
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Shoes
What kind of shoes did the priests (kohanim) wear in the Temple? They went barefoot; see Talmud, Zevachim 24a, and Rambam, Hilchos Bias Mikdash Ch.5.
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Levites
What is a Levite? A Levite is a descendant (in the male line) of Jacob's son Levi.
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Amen
What does "Amen" mean? It's an expression of agreement or affirmation ("so be it"); see Num.5:22 and Deut. Ch.27. It's related to the word "emunah", which means "faith" or "belief".
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The Red Sea
Is the "Red Sea" red? The name "Red Sea" may be a mispronunciation for "Reed sea". In the Torah it's always called "yam suf", never "yam adom", and "suf" means "reeds" (Ex. 2:3).
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Self-Mutilation
What is the Jewish view on self-mutilation? There is a difference of opinion in the Talmud (Bava Kama 91a) as to whether deliberate self-injury is permitted, but the accepted view is that it is forbidden. This can be derived from…
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The Khazars
What was the name of the Caspian king who converted to Judaism in the early middle ages? King Bulan of the Khazars converted to Judaism around the year 750.