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Rabbi Drew Kaplan’s Textual Insights

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Who Indirectly Quoted Rabbi Meir? [Megillah 12a]

By Rabbi Drew
February 22, 2019 2

Having been alerted yesterday to a curious text, I began to investigate it. The text, as printed in the Vilna…

Epistemological Considerations of Rabbi Zera’s Reportage [Niddah 66a]

By Rabbi Drew
February 21, 2019 0

In my recent consideration of etiological possibilities for Jewesses enstringing upon themselves (Niddah 66a), I now turn to discuss some…

Er & Onan’s Deaths and Reasons: Early Jewish Exegetical Approaches to Genesis 38:7-10

By Rabbi Drew
February 20, 2019 0

In 2005, I composed the following essay, which has sat proverbially collecting dust amongst my digital files. I hereby present…

Some Possibilities of Why Jewesses Enstringed Upon Themselves Concerning Menstrual Impurity Around the Turn of the Fourth Century CE (Niddah 66a)

By Rabbi Drew
February 13, 2019 1

A significant text that occurs in the area of menstrual impurity in Jewish law (Halakhah) is the following reportage of…

The Travels of Rabban Gamaliel’s Sons in the Tosefta

By Rabbi Drew
February 7, 2019 0

In the beginning of Mishnah Berakhot, we come across a scene in which Rabban Gamaliel’s sons return home past midnight…

Drinking on Purim [Megillah 7b]

By Rabbi Drew
January 30, 2019 1

Introduction One of the more familiar aspects of Purim practices is getting drunk, with Purim being one of the most…

Storing Beer in Jugs that Had Been Gentile-Owned [AZ 33b]

By Rabbi Drew
January 29, 2019 1

A huge concern for the rabbis was the consumption of gentile wine, as it could be used in libations, which…

The Amoraic Prohibition Against Gentile Beer? [AZ 31b]

By Rabbi Drew
January 28, 2019 3

A curious text emerges on Avodah Zarah 31b: אתמר מפני מה אסרו שכר של גוים רמי בר חמא אמר רבי…

The Beginnings of the Post-Shulhan Arukh Debate Over the Ratio of Nullifying Libated Wine [YD 134:5]

By Rabbi Drew
January 16, 2019 1

A fascinating wine-related dispute breaks out over Rabbi Yosef Karo’s (1488-1575) statement (שו”ע יו”ד קל”ד:ה): מה יהא במים ויהא בהם…

Considering the Nullification of Wine: An Experiment [YD 134:5]

By Rabbi Drew
January 3, 2019 4

I recently came across a rather curious text in the Shulhan Arukh (YD 134:5): מה יהא במים ויהא בהם כדי לבטל…

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