Jewish History
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Micah
What is known about the prophet Micah? Micah was a (slightly later) contemporary of Isaiah. The dates of his birth and death aren’t known, but according to the Seder Olam (Ch. 20) he was the last of four prophets (Hosea,…
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Rabbi Akiva
When did Rabbi Akiva live? According to tradition, Rabbi Akiva lived for 120 years. If he died shortly after the Bar Kokhva rebellion, he lived to about 135 C.E., so if he was 120 at that time he would have…
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Rabbi Chalafta ben Dosa
When did Rabbi Chalafta ben Dosa live? He was one of the later Tannaim (sages of the Mishnah). In one place in the Talmud (Bava Metzia 94a, where he is called “Abba Chalafta”) he is quoted as transmitting a tradition…
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Maimonides
Why is Maimonides so highly regarded? Moses ben Maimon was born in Cordova, Spain in 1135, into an old Rabbinical family. Because of religious persecution, the family moved several times, finally settling in Egypt, where Maimonides became head of the…
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Ephrayim and Menasheh
Why did Jacob favor Ephrayim, the younger son, over Menasheh, the younger son, when he blessed Joseph’s children? Rashi (on Gen. 48:19) explains that Jacob knew that Joshua, Moses’ successor, would be descendend from Ephrayim. It should also be pointed…
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Who Was Pinchas?
Who was Pinchas? Answer: Pinchas was the grandson of Aaron (the son of Eleazar), and became high priest in the time of Joshua; his deeds are described in Num. 25:7-13, 31:6 and Joshua Chs. 22-24. The name was used afterwards…
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Daniel as a Prophet
Was Daniel a prophet? Daniel is a borderline case. The Talmud in Megillah 15a says that he prophesied. In Sanhedrin 93b he is said to have been greater than the last prophets (Hagai, Zechariah, and Malachi) because he was able…
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Creation of the Angels
When were the angels created? According to the Midrash (Gen. Rabbah 11:9), the angels were created on the second day.
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People before Adam
Were there people before Adam? The Talmud (Chagigah 14a; Avos de-Rabbi Noson 31:3) speaks about “974 generations” before the world was created, but it explains that the people who would have lived in those “generations” were in fact not physically…