Jewish Texts
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The Incident of Benjamin and the Concubine
Why did the Israelite army go to war against all of the tribe of Benjamin when only some were responsible for the rape of the Levite’s concubine. After going to war they killed everybody in all of Benjamin’s territory –…
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Drowning of Armies
I read a quote in a book that ran something like this, “The work of my hands is being drowned in the sea, and you want to sing songs?!” This quote was attributed simply to the Talmud without further information.…
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Date the Torah was Written
What was the approximate year that Moshe transcribed the Torah? The Jewish date was 2448 and the Secular date was 1312 BCE. One opinion in the Talmud says he wrote it partially during the forty days he was in with…
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Questions About Noah’s Ark
Shalom! I was watching a special on the Discovery channel. They made the claim that Noah’s ark would have sank under it’s own weight. There was a brief discussion about accepting that G–d held the ark together. Would you please…
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How did all the animals fit in Noah’s Ark?
How did all the animals fit into the Teyva (lit. box, known as Noah’s Ark)? Answer: Is it clear that there wasn’t enough room? The ark was really big. But if you’re right and there wasn’t, maybe it was miraculous.…
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Family of Moses in History
What happened to Moses family after they reached Israel – his sons and wife? Were they able to enter into Israel? Was his bloodline traced through history or at least until the time of the Romans? Answer: I’m afraid I…
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Development of the Jewish Texts
I have always been interested in learning how our holy books are derived from the Tanach (Five Books of Moses, Prophets, and Writings)Â down. Please help or contact me if my inquiry is too generalized. Answer: Here’s an overview that…
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Understanding Tum’ah (Spiritual Uncleanliness)
My son is studying for his Bar Mitzvah and his Torah portion is Leviticus 14:1-15:33. He is having trouble understanding the meaning of being unclean as it relates to the men’s and women’s discharges and other bodily functions. How can…
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Spiritual Recovery From Birth
Why does the Torah say (See Leviticus 12:1-5) that for a mother to recover from the impurity of birth it takes twice as long for a girl than it does for a boy? Answer: Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra says that…