Tell me something I don't know (Jewish!)

gingertop

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 12:38 pm

Thanks sub and proudmomma! There are so many cool facts about Jewish history and heritage, I feel it's a shame to get bogged down in this thread with controversies that are very hard to resolve.

Laiya

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 12:40 pm

leah233 wrote:

I'm not saying he made up the source in itself.

I'm saying he found a previously unknown manuscript of unknown authorship and unknown veracity and claimed or at least implied it was a mainstream Jewish opinion in medieval times(and possibly even today). That is seriously bending the truth.

I will also say that having previously done google searches and fact checking on some of Slifkins claims I really don't find him to be a reliable source of information. At all.

So you are saying that he is bending the truth by stating that there was ever a Jewish belief that Binyamin was a werewolf?

leah233

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 12:48 pm

Laiya wrote:

So you are saying that he is bending the truth by stating that there was ever a Jewish belief that Binyamin was a werewolf?

Yes.

It's possible there were Jewish people who believed it. You can find people who believe anything.

However claiming that there was ever a mainstream Torah based Jewish belief that Binyamin was a werewolf who ate his mother at birth is bending the truth.

You need better evidence than a manuscript of unknow authorship which was hidden for 800 years that only recently resurfaced to truthfully make such a claim/accusation

Laiya

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 1:15 pm

leah233 wrote:

Maybe. Did he say it was a mainstream source? What did the rest of the document say?
I didn't read his book, I'm just asking.

Laiya

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 1:18 pm

When the Enlightenment movement spread to Hungary, "regular" frum shuls had signs up that said, Status Quo. Because from outer appearances, you couldn't always tell which type of shul it was.

giselle

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 3:19 pm

leah233 wrote:

Please don’t form your opinion based on my three line summary. Although obviously you already have an opinion about Rabbi Slifkin, so it doesn’t really matter what anyone says. He is explaining how even though one “unknown author” said it is so, we don’t currently believe that kind of stuff. So you agree with the conclusion - no mainstream opinions hold that Binyamin was a werewolf (unless you consider Rabbi Wallerstein mainstream, although that might have been about Esav being a vampire, I don’t recall).

Marathon

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 3:52 pm

The whole Golem thing is made up. Rabbi Loeb wrote a book about it making up this whole story to make money

Last edited by Marathon on Thu, Jul 11 2019, 4:01 pm; edited 1 time in total

Marathon

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 4:00 pm

sirel wrote:

Quote:

And talking of Jewish colors, the blue stripes on the Israeli flag is meant to represent tcheiles. (In most flags, blue represents justice, prosperity, good fortune)

This goes with something I recently learned- the Israeli flag is supposed to look like a tallis.

The tallis was originally blue and white striped. it was changed to black and white striped (for most people) because they were against the zionistic movement

sub

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 4:12 pm

Marathon wrote:

The whole Golem thing is made up. Rabbi Loeb wrote a book about it making up this whole story to make money

Who is rabbi loeb?
How do you know this?

leah233

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 4:13 pm

gingertop wrote:

I really wanted a lighter thread, without controversy.

I guess I should just give up.

I'll rectify (?) my part in this

Peacocks are mentioned in the Torah (Sefer Iyov)

The sign that stood outside the Beis HaMikdash telling non-Jews to wait there for a Kohen if they are bringing a Korbon is still in existence (or at least an ancient copy of it)

The inquisition didn't originate start in Spain and didn't initially target Jews

paperflowers

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 4:21 pm

Marathon wrote:

The whole Golem thing is made up. Rabbi Loeb wrote a book about it making up this whole story to make money

True, but I thought it was historical fiction by Marcus Lehmann. Who is this Rabbi Loeb? There have been various golem like legends, and the one about the maharal was a story that was accepted as fact for a while.

I still wouldn’t go in the attic though.

paperflowers

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 7:54 pm

The Persians invented the idea of a postal system. So when Achashveiros sent out all those letters upon letters with messengers he was taking advantage of a new and exciting method of communication.

lech lecha08

Thu, Jul 11 2019, 9:10 pm

paperflowers wrote:

She means the Maharal, Moreinu Ha-Rav Loew. there are different spellings of his name, Loew, Lowy, Loeb.

JoyInTheMorning

Fri, Jul 12 2019, 12:49 am

mommy3b2c wrote:

There is an opinion that the nachash was a Neanderthal and he was trying to seduce Chava.

This is in Rav Shimshon Refael Hirsch's commentary.

Emotional

Fri, Jul 12 2019, 4:25 am

leah233 wrote:

The sign that stood outside the Beis HaMikdash telling non-Jews to wait there for a Kohen if they are bringing a Korbon is still in existence (or at least an ancient copy of it)

Where is this sign now?

paperflowers

Fri, Jul 12 2019, 4:38 am

Emotional wrote:

Where is this sign now?

Probably Israel Antiquities Authority has it. It’s true and super cool. Source: I learned about it in a history class taught by an archeologist.

Forrealx

Fri, Jul 12 2019, 5:56 am

At the beginning of last century the Jewish community used to live very very close to the ''red light district'' in Amsterdam. It happened that people were harassing the jewish kids the harlots would have said ''Ey if you want the blow of some steam go to us instead of annoying those children!''

DrMom

Fri, Jul 12 2019, 5:59 am

paperflowers wrote:

Probably Israel Antiquities Authority has it. It’s true and super cool. Source: I learned about it in a history class taught by an archeologist.

Please share if you have more detailed information.

This sounds like a very significant artifact. I'd love to see it in whatever museum it is located in.