All Questions
Tagged with midrash hashkafah-philosophy
17
questions
3
votes
1
answer
36
views
Midrashim that explore the exact meaning of "tov" in Genesis 1?
It's no secret that "good," in English as well as in Hebrew, is rather polysemous: on the one hand, it can mark the degree to which a given thing satisfies its purpose or relevant ideal (as ...
- 31
0
votes
0
answers
35
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1000th generation, and creating the world out of Rachamim
I recently saw in a (Chassidic) sefer that the concept of "Hashem intended to make the world out of justice, but saw that it wouldn't last, so made it out of mercy" (Rashi on Bereshit) means ...
- 11.5k
0
votes
3
answers
389
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Preserving the planet - Is damage irreversible according to this midrash?
The medrash in kohelet rabah 7:13
says to not destroy the planet on grounds that there's no one who will be able to repair the damages.
Is this an endorsement for Jews to be concerned with climate ...
- 2,020
0
votes
1
answer
320
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Men's response to women's teshuka - source and explanations
I am looking for what I thought was a gemara I learned a long time ago somewhere in moed but can't find now (I am still fairly sure it is there but it might very well not be). It effectively stated ...
- 11.5k
1
vote
3
answers
148
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What is the significance of demanding that a Jew write on the horn of an ox that they have no portion in the G-d of Israel?
In reflecting over the concepts of Hanukkah there seem, at first glance, to be many contradictory and conflicting messages.
In the blessing related to Hanukkah we acknowledge, thank and praise G-d for ...
- 15.5k
3
votes
4
answers
119
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If there were people before/during Avraham's life that recognised Hashem, why was Avraham chosen specifically?
We know that Shem lived during the life of Avraham Avinu, described as Malki Tzedek.
Why is Avraham considered the first to spread ethical monotheism (concluding in G-d choosing him) if it's known ...
- 357
1
vote
2
answers
374
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Origin of אין משיבין על ההגדה
What is the original source for the phrase: "אין משיבין על ההגדה" (or: "אין משיבין באגדה", "אין משיבין על דברי אגדה" etc. - which I believe is generally used to mean that it is inappropriate to derive ...
- 17.8k
2
votes
3
answers
2k
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What is the Luz Bone?
What is the Luz bone? What is the source of this concept?
I saw it referred to in the Mishneh Berurah - 300:2
Wikipedia quotes from Medrash Rabah 28:3.
I know the basic description given.
If it ...
- 6,836
2
votes
0
answers
65
views
A name adding to our development into who we are/become?
In Bereshit 2:19 Adam gets the honorable task to name the animals. The Midrash Genesis/Bereshit Raba 17:4 tells us that the first man, Adam, looked into the essence and nature of every creature and ...
- 99
1
vote
1
answer
226
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Midrashic(?) Proof from Design story about overturned inkwell
I believe I read years ago about an instance where a rabbi presented a heretic with a well written poem that he claimed had actually formed accidentally when he overturned his inkwell. I though I had ...
- 17.8k
23
votes
3
answers
4k
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Is belief in Midrashim optional?
The Ramban in Sefer Havikuach (page 32, the bottom of the first column ) asserts with regard to Midrash:
מי שיאמין בו טוב. ומי שלא יאמין בו לא יזיק
Whoever believes in it, good, he who does not ...
- 267
4
votes
2
answers
184
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Why should God punish the firstborn of another nation that was in Egypt?
The Pasuk describes the victims of the plague of the firstborn as follows:
It came to pass at midnight, and the Lord smote every firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who ...
- 6,836
9
votes
1
answer
170
views
Was there sentient life with free will in the worlds that G-d destroyed before making our world?
The midrash at B'reshis Rabba 3:7 states that G-d created a number of worlds and destroyed them before the creation of our world. Is the Midrash implying that the earlier worlds included sentient ...
- 16.1k
1
vote
0
answers
100
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Did the ancient Rabbanim believe that the spirits of the dead walked the Earth?
In the Midrashim I noticed that Rabbanim keep mentioning events in which the Rabbi would be walking along and come across a man doing some task and it would turn out to be the spirit of a dead man who ...
- 492
6
votes
5
answers
540
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How did Abraham conclude that the world must have a master?
Abraham is said to have arrived at the existence of Gd in Gen Rabah 39:
אמר רבי יצחק משל לאחד שהיה עובר ממקום למקום וראה בירה אחת דולקת אמר
תאמר שהבירה זו בלא מנהיג הציץ עליו בעל הבירה אמר לו אני הוא ...
- 8,260