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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Where Noah Built the Ark
Where did Noah build the ark? There doesn’t seem to be anything in the sources about the place where the ark was built. It couldn’t have been in Eretz Yisroel, because there was no flood there.
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Tola ben Puah
Who was Tola ben Puah? He was a judge from the tribe of Yissachar (Judges 10:1) who ruled Israel for 23 years after the reigns of Gideon and his son Avimelech (ending in 2726). The Midrash tells us nothing about…
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The Word of G-d
What can G-d’s Word be compared to? G-d’s Word is compared to a light (Psalms 119:105); it is also compared to a fire and a sledgehammer (Jeremiah 23:29).
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The Torah as the Source of Truth
Where does it say in the Bible that the Torah is a source of truth? Here are some Biblical quotes that refer to Torah as a source of truth: Malachi 2:6: “Torah of truth was in his mouth”; Psalms 119:142:…
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Redeeming First Born Males
Why do only male first born have to be redeemed? The sanctification of the first born (which is why they require redemption) can be regarded as a consequence of the Tenth Plague in Egypt, which killed all the Egyptian male…
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Redeeming First Born Donkeys
Why do first born donkeys have to be redeemed, but not firstborn of other nonkosher animals? It would seem that the laws of the first born should apply to all unclean animal species, not just to donkeys (see Num. 18:15);…
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Neutering Pets
Is neutering of pets forbidden? The Biblical prohibition of neutering (Lev. 22:24) applies to all species. The Talmudic sages disagreed as to whether it applies to both males and females (Tosefta Makkos 5:6). The accepted view is that "indirect" methods…
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Ephraim as the First Born
Why in Jeremiah 31:9 is Ephrayim referred to as G-d’s first born? Ephrayim wasn’t even Joseph’s first born; his brother Menasheh was. But in Ch.31 Jeremiah is prophesying that the Northern kingdom (the Kingdom of Israel) would return from exile…
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Physical Contact Between Men and Women
Where can I find information about the laws that regulate physical contact (negiah) between men and women? There is a book on the topic, called The Magic Touch, written by Gila Manolson, and published by Feldheim. The term “negiah” seems…