Jewish Texts
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Was Abraham Jewish?
Was Abraham a Jew? Answer: Hi! “Was Abraham a Jewâ€? is an interesting question, and one that may be impossible to answer. It comes down to definitions. He wasn’t a party to the covenant made at Mount Sinai, and thus…
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Why only 24 books in the Bible?
Why was it determined by the Rabbis that the 24 books of the Bible only include those books and not more?Why weren’t other holy books, written later in time, included in the Bible ? Answer: The Bible (Tanach) isn’t a…
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Did the Patriarchs Know the Torah and Observe It?
I’ve read that Jacob, Joseph, and his brothers were observing and studying the Torah. Wasn’t the Torah given to Moses after their time? Answer: Excellent question. The source of this is the Talmud (Tractate Yoma 28b) that writes that Abraham…
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Who Wrote Psalms?
Who wrote the book of Psalms? Was it entirely written by King David? Answer: The Talmud (Oral Teachings of Torah that were eventually written down around 1800 years ago) teaches that King David composed and compiled the Psalms. Those Psalms…
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Pharaoh or King of Egypt?
Throughout the Torah Portion of Shemos, Pharaoh is referred to as “Pharaoh” and other times as “the king of Egypt”. The contrast is most noticeable in ch.5: 1-5: 5:1 – Moses & Aaron said to Pharaoh… 5:2 – Pharaoh replied…
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Who Was Aviatar?
I keep meeting people in Israel with the name Aviatar. Who was Aviatar in Jewish history? everytime I search the internet I get information about the new movie Avatar. Answer: Evyatar (or Abiathar in English) was the Kohen Gadol (High…
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Sabbath of Creation – Why No “Evening” and “Morning”?
In Gen 2:1-3. There is no evening and morning as in the other six days. Would it be right to say the sabbath has no ending? Answer: Hi! That is a really interesting way to look at it. I guess…
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Hebrew Words That Sound Alike
The verbs “to call” and “to read” are spelled exactly the same in modern Hebrew: לקרו×?. My question is whether in the Torah this verb is also used with the same two meanings? I wonder if this is a pure…
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Unicorns in the Talmud
What does the Talmud tell us about unicorns? Answer: Thank you for your excellent question. There are several references in the Talmud and other Torah literature that may be interpreted as unicorns. The Talmud in Zevachim 113b mentions an animal…