Jewish History
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Entering The Promised Land
When did Joshua enter Canaan? The Israelites entered Canaan in 2448 (1272 B.C.E.).
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Solomon's Throne
What was Solomon's throne like? Solomon's throne is briefly described in 2 Chronicles 9:17-18. It is described in detail in the Targum Sheni on Esther 1:2 and in various Midrashim.
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The SeMaK
Who wrote the SEMAK? R.Yitzchak b.Yosef of Corbeil was a student and son-in-law of R.Yechiel of Paris. His book Amudei Golah, also known as the Sefer Mitzvos Katan (abbreviated "SEMAK"), gave a concise treatment of the mitzvos that are currently…
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The Beis Av
Who wrote the Beis Av? The author of the Beis Av (teshuvos) and the Darash Av (derashos) was R. Avraham Aharon Yudelvitz (1850-1930). He served as Rabbi in many European communities, including Manchester, and finally in New York and Bayonne,…
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The Ghetto
What is the origin of the term "Ghetto"? In 1516 a neighborhood of Venice near an iron foundry (Italian "ghetto") was enclosed by walls and declared to be the only part of the city where Jews were allowed to live.
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The Khazars
What was the name of the Caspian king who converted to Judaism in the early middle ages? King Bulan of the Khazars converted to Judaism around the year 750.
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Nimrod's Death
Who killed Nimrod? According to the Targum Yonasan (on Gen.25:27) and the Midrash Bereishis Rabbah (on Gen.27:15), Nimrod was killed by Esau.
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The Golden Calf
When the Jews worshipped an idol at Mount Sinai, why did they choose to worship a golden calf? The calf symbolized Egypt; see Jeremiah 46:20.
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Elijah's Ravens
Why did G-d choose ravens, which are unclean birds, to feed Elijah? The raven has a reputation for harshness and cruelty. By choosing ravens to bring food to Elijah, G-d was demonstrating that even unkind creatures can perform kind acts,…