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 World as a Narrow Bridge
What is the origin of the statement that the world is like a narrow bridge? The comparison of the world to a bridge isn’t in the Bible; in fact, the word “gesher” isn’t Biblical Hebrew. An early comparison of the…
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The Tachanun
What is the origin of Tachanun? Basically, Tachanun is a prayer said by an individual after the Shemoneh Esreh. Such a prayer was known in Talmudic times, when it was called “nefilas apayim” because it was said lying face down.…
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The Tree of Knowledge
When Adam and Eve were forbidden to eat from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, does this mean that they were forbidden to study and gain knowledge? “Knowledge of good and evil” isn’t synonymous with “knowledge”. Adam could…
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The Tenufah Offering
What is a "wave offering" (tenufah)? According to the Talmud (Menachos 62a), a tenufah was moved back and forth, up and down, to symbolize the fact that it is being offered to the Ruler of the entire world.
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Rabbi Yitzchak Abohav
Who was Rabbi Yitzchak Abohav? There were several Spanish Rabbis named Yitzchak Abohav. The best known, who lived around 1400-1450, wrote the popular work Menoras Ha-Maor, a collection of Talmudic and Midrashic passages on ethical topics.
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Rabbenu Chananel
Who was Rabbenu Chananel? He lived in Kairowan (Tunisia) in the first half of the 1000’s. He is best known for his commentary on the Talmud, based on the commentaries of the last Babylonian Geonim, but also making extensive use…
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Rabbi Maimon ben Yosef
What is the history of Maimonides’ father, Rabbi Maimon ben Yosef? R. Maimon was a dayan (judge) in Cordova, Spain in the mid-1100’s. He composed commentaries on the Torah and Talmud and a book on the laws of prayer, only…
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The Sons of G-d and the Daughters of Men
In Gen. 6:2, who were the “Sons of God” who took wives from the daughters of men? Answer: The commentators on Gen. Ch.6 differ as to whether the “sons of elohim” referred to in v.2 were (fallen) angels (e.g., Job…
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Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz
In Isaiah 8:3, why was the prophet told to call his son Maher-Shalal-Hash-Baz? The prophets were sometimes told to call attention to what was going to happen. Isaiah was told to call his newborn son by a name that means…