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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Man in the Image of G-d
What is the meaning of the concept that man was created "in the image of G-d"? Adam was distinguished from all the other created things in this world by his power of speech (see Targum on Gen. 2:7: "The man…
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G-d is One
How do we know that G-d is One? The unity of G-d is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism. The Biblical source for this principle is the first verse of the Shema (Deut. 6:4). The Moslems too believe that…
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The Perfection of the World
Was the world perfect when it was created? Some commentators relate the word BARA ("created") to the two-letter stem B"R, which has the connotations of clarity (B’RURAH) and choiceness (B’REIRAH). This supports the idea that the world was created in…
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Cleaving to G-d
How does one "cleave" to G-d? The Torah (Deut. 11:20) speaks about "cleaving" to G-d, but the Talmud (Kesubos 111b, Sotah 14a) points out that this isn’t possible in a literal sense; rather, it means that one should "imitate" G-d…
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The Jews as the Chosen People
Where does it say that the Jews are the chosen people? The chosenness of the Jewish people is found in many Biblical verses; a few examples are Ex. 19:5-6, Deut.4:37 and 7:7, and Isaiah 45:4.
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Black People in the Torah
Does the Torah mention black people? The Torah speaks about Ethiopians (Kushites), but doesn’t explicitly mention their skin color. Kush was a son of Ham, one of Noah’s sons.
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The Fruit that Adam and Eve Ate
What was the “fruit” that Adam and Eve ate? The Talmud (Berachos 40a; Sanhedrin 70a-b) records three opinions about it. According to R.Meir, it was grapes; according to R.Yehudah, wheat; according to R.Nehemiah, figs. The idea that it was an…
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The Bodies of Tzadikim Decaying
Do the bodies of the righteous (tzadikim) decay? Moses took Joseph’s bones out of Egypt; does this mean that his body had decayed? The statement about the bodies of tzadikim is found in the Midrash Tanchuma, where it says that…
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The Four Families in Zechariah
Who are the four families listed in Zechariah 12:12-13? Rashi on Zechariah 12:12-13 points to 2 Samuel 5:14, which lists four sons born to David in Jerusalem: Shamua (called “Shimei” in Zechariah), Shovav (not mentioned in Zechariah), Nathan, and Solomon.…