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.
-
Writing Divine Names
What special regulations apply to writing Divine Names in a Torah scroll? The Talmud in Gittin 54b gives several rulings about the writing of Divine Names. More details are given in Soferim 5:6: After dipping his pen, the scribe shouldn't…
-
Men Thanking G-d for Not Being a Woman
Why does a Jewish man think G-d every morning for not making him a woman? Jewish men thank G-d for many things on arising every morning. In particular, they thank G-d for giving them the opportunity to serve Him by…
-
Birthdays
What is the Jewish significance of a person's birthday? Special birthdays, such as the day when a person legally becomes an adult (12 for girls, 13 for boys), have significance in Jewish law, and it is also customary to celebrate…
-
Magic and Witchcraft
What is the Jewish attitude toward witchcraft? Witchcraft and magic are forbidden by the Torah, and in some cases they carry the death penalty; see Ex.22:18 and Lev.20:27.
-
Leaven
What is the spirtual significance of leaven? Leaven is forbidden on Passover to remind us that our ancestors left Egypt in a hurry and didn't have time for their dough to rise (Ex.12:34,39). In addition, leaven has become symbolic of…
-
Basic Values and Morality, Basics of Judaism, Rosh HaShanah, The Calendar and Holidays (incl. Sabbath)
Rosh Ha-Shanah in the Torah
Why doesn't the Torah mention Rosh Ha-Shanah? Probably the term Rosh Ha-Shanah isn't used in the Torah because it would be ambiguous; as the Mishnah (Rosh Ha-Shanah 1:1) tells us, there are several different New Years. Celebrations on the first…
-
The Jewish New Year
When is the Jewish New Year? In the Jewish calendar there are several "new years", some of them only of agricultural significance. The two main New Years are the one in the Spring, which the Torah calls "the first of…
-
Using a Shofar to Play Music
Is it permitted to use a shofar to play music? The Talmud (Rosh Ha-Shanah 33b) says that a person who blows the shofar just to make music does not fulfill the obligation (of hearing the shofar on Rosh Ha-Shanah). This…
-
"Sabbaths"
Why does the Torah (in Lev. Ch. 23) refer only to the festivals of the seventh month as "sabbaths"? The same types of work are prohibited on all the holidays; the Torah defines it, in connection with Passover, in Ex.12:16.…