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.
-
Impurity after Giving Birth
Why is the period of impurity after giving birth to a girl twice as long as for a boy? The commentaries say that carrying and giving birth to a girl has a greater effect on the mother, from which it…
-
Cremation and Embalming
Can a Jew be cremated? Can he be embalmed? The Torah requires burial; see Deut.21:23, which tells us that even executed criminals must be buried. Disposing of a body in any other way, including cremation, is regarded as desecration of…
-
The Arabs and the Jews
Why do the Arabs hate the Jews? The Arabs’ ancestor Ishmael didn’t hate them; when Abraham was buried, he gave precedence to Isaac (Gen.25:9). But Mohammed had serious clashes with the Jews in Arabia, probably because they wouldn’t accept him…
-
The Commandments and the Land
Why do many of the Commandments apply only in the Land of Israel? Many passages in the Torah begin “When you come to the Land…”, implying that those Commandments are applicable ony in the Land. This is particularly true for…
-
The State of Israel
How was the State of Israel created? Palestine was part of the Turkish empire until World War 1, and was then given to the British as a protectorate. In 1947 the United Nations voted to partition it into two states,…
-
The Size of the Land
What is the extent of the Holy Land? The maximum extent of the Holy Land is from the Nile to the Euphrates and from the Mediterranean Sea to the desert; this was the land that G-d promised to Abraham (see…
-
Animal Tithes
When and how were animal tithes given? A general principle about tithes is that each year’s “crops” must be tithed separately. This is true for the animal tithe, just as it is for agricultural tithes. Thus there must be a…
-
Challah
What is Challah? The word “Challah” in the Torah means “loaf” (of bread). In the Talmud, the word specifically refers to the dough-offering (Num.15:17-21).
-
Capital Punishment
Does the Torah allow capital punishment? Four death penalties – stoning, burning, beheading, and strangling – are prescribed for various major sins (Mishnah Sanhedrin 7:1). Administration of these penalties was rare because a person could be executed (or flogged) only…