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 Sacrifice of Isaac
Is there any commentary that suggests that Abraham actually DID sacrifice Isaac? In the story of the sacrifice, Abraham seems to come down from the mount and return to his land alone. There is in fact one view that Isaac…
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The Tabernacle in Shiloh
Why did Joshua establish a religious center at Shiloh? The Tabernacle was set up in Shiloh in Joshua’s time; see Joshua 18:1. That verse speaks only of the "Tent" (Ohel Moed), but the Tabernacle (Mishkan) is surely also meant (see…
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Shiloh
What does the name Shiloh mean? The name might be related to the word “Shalvah”, which means peace; or it might be from the root Sha-al (to ask), suggesting that it was a place where an oracle was consulted.
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Jewish Sources on Jesus
What do the Jewish sources tell us about Jesus? A person named Yeshu ha-Notzri (Jesus the Nazarene?) is mentioned several times in the Talmud, but the content of these references is not consistent with the story of Jesus as told…
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Y-H-V-H and SH-A-D-AI
What is the meaning of Ex. 6:3, "I revealed Myself to Abraham,Isaac, and Jacob as E-L SH-A-D-AI, and didn’t make Myself knownto them by My Name Y-H-V-H"? The commentators explain that the Name Y-H-V-H implies that G-d keeps His promises,…
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The 72-Letter Name of G-d
What is the 72-letter Name of G-d? A Divine Name that has the numerical value 72 is obtained by spelling out the four letters of the Tetragrammaton: Yud (=20), He (=15), Vav (=22), He (=15) (G. Scholem, Kabbalah, p.172), where…
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The Translation of the Torah into Greek
What is the story about the translation of the Torah into Greek? Ptolemy Philadelphus II (285-244 B.C.E.), one of a dynasty of Ptolemies who ruled Egypt (including Eretz Yisroel), asked the High Priest to send him 72 elders of Israel,…
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The Number of Words in the Torah
How many words are there in the Torah? Various numbers are given in various sources, ranging from 79,856 to 79,980. These numbers all date from before the availability of a computerized text; a computer count should settle the issue.
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Diversity
Does Judaism value diversity? A blessing is recited on seeing a large group of people, because "their faces aren't alike and their minds aren't alike" (Talmud, Berachos 58a).