Jewish Texts
-
Jabez and Making “Deals” with God
What do we know about the man Jabez (Chronicles I 4:9-10)? What can we learn from him? Christians are making a big deal about him, is there anything to their discussions? Answer: Jabez is simply a story of human triumph…
-
King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba
Did King Solomon marry the Queen of Sheba and was she a black woman? Answer: Where Sheba was from is a matter of contention. Abarbanel maintains it was Yemen, while Meam Loez argues it was Ethiopia, which would support the…
-
Did The Jews Trade Goods In The Desert?
If the route which we traveled through the desert was barren, then how did the livestock feed? Where did so much wood come from for the sacrifices in the Tabernacle? Was there some sort of trading going on? Answer: Thank…
-
Names, Soul-Mates, and the Nature of Marriage
Can I know if my wife is my soul-mate? Her first name is Denise and her mother’s first name is Rebbecca. My first name is Steve and my mother’s first name is Freida. Answer: First, a serious relationship like marriage…
-
The Preservation of the Tribes of Judah and Benjamin
What were the merits of Benjamin, so that his tribe, in addition to Judah’s, was preserved into modern times? Answer: Thank you for your interesting question! I think it’s important to point out that all the tribes were preserved. The…
-
Reading Jesus and the Cross into Torah
My next door neighbor is a Christian, and constantly reads Jesus and the cross into the Torah. Lately she’s asking me about the significance of the Jews in Egypt putting the blood of the Paschal lamb in three places –…
-
An Eye for an Eye – Part II
Could you please give me the true meaning of an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, etc (see Exodus 21:23-25), as recorded in Jewish law and tradition? Answer: The Talmud (Bava Kama 83b – which offers a…
-
The Fate of Queen Vashti
Was Vashti banished or was she murdered? Answer: The book of Esther (1:19) only says that Vashti should “no longer come in to the king”, which might mean being banished or whatever. Our sages explain, though (see Rashi on that…
-
Census Discrepancies
In Exodus 30:11-16 there is a census taken, and the number of men over the age of 20 were counted at 603,550 (as specified ibid 38:26). Now, in Numbers 1:46 we see that another census was taken several months later,…