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 Stories in Genesis
Why does the Torah include the stories in Genesis? As Rashi says in his commentary on Gen. 1:1, the Torah could have begun with the first commandment that was given to the Jews (Ex. 12:1-20); but the earlier parts were…
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Tikkun Olam
What does Tikkun Olam mean? The halachic concept of Tikkun Olam is first mentioned in the Mishnah (Gittin, Chs. 4-5) in relation to Takkanos (Rabbinic ordinances) that were made for the good of society. The phrase "le-takken olam" also occurs…
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The Immortality of Adam
Was Adam immortal until he sinned? The Tree of Life wasn’t explicitly forbidden to Adam (see Gen. 2:16-17), but according to Gen. 3:22, after Adam ate from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, G-d expelled him from the…
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Animal Sacrifices Atoning for Sin
Does the Jewish religion require animal sacrifices to atone for sin? Animal sacrifices, on the Day of Atonement and other occasions, were an important means of atoning for sin when the Temple existed. But the principal method of atonement for…
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Hatred of Snakes
Why do people dislike snakes? Gen. 3:15 tells us that (most) people dislike snakes because of the snake’s successful temptation of Eve.
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Non-Levite Kohanim
Were the Kohanim ever non-Levites? Was Samuel a Kohen? Before the Torah was given, the first-born served as priests; thus in those days each family had its own priest, who was not a Levite unless the family was from the…
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Treating Non-Jews as Idolators
Must we treat non-Jews the way the Talmud tells us to treat idolators? According to Tosafos (Avodah Zarah 2a, s.v. Asur), the non-Jews whom we live among (i.e., the Christians) are not idol worshippers. The Muslims are definitely not idolators.
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A Man Walking Between Two Women
Where does it say that a man should not walk between two women? The source is Talmud Pesachim 111a, which lists persons of the opposite sex (i.e., a man shouldn’t pass between two women or vice versa), dogs, palm trees,…
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BESHERT
Is a person’s mate really destined (beshert)? The Talmud (Moed Katan 18b; Sotah 2a) tells us that G-d personally chooses matches for people. A match that G-d has chosen is certainly “destined”, even if it does not actually come about…