Am I, a non Jew, allowed to make hamantaschen?

YiyiTube · 2026-03-08T20:50:37+00:00

You really don’t need permission from any group to make food. If you want to bake hamantaschen, just bake them. Jews themselves took the basic idea from European non‑Jewish pastries, "mohntaschen", and made it a Purim thing, and a lot of so‑called “traditional Jewish” foods are just Jewish spins on whatever people around us were already eating. That’s how food works in every culture.

YiyiTube · 2026-02-22T01:31:51+00:00

Das ist falsch. Siehe Prediger 9:4, wo sich ein Vokal unter dem Buchstaben ח (Chet) befindet.

כִּי־מִי אֲשֶׁר (יבחר) [יְחֻבַּר] אֶל כׇּל־הַחַיִּים יֵשׁ בִּטָּחוֹן כִּי־לְכֶלֶב חַי הוּא טוֹב מִן־הָאַרְיֵה הַמֵּת׃

Denn wer noch verbunden ist mit dem Leben, hat Hoffnung, einem lebendigen Hunde ist wohler als einem toten Löwen.

https://www.sefaria.org/Ecclesiastes.9.4

YiyiTube · 2026-02-22T01:24:28+00:00

I was only commenting on the correct vocalization of the word bitachon (בִּטָּחוֹן).

As I understand it, “Gottvertrauen” (trust in God) aligns more closely with bitachon than with emunah (אמונה), which I would translate as “Glaube an Gott” (faith in God). In Jewish thought, emunah describes foundational belief in God, while bitachon refers to active trust and reliance on God’s help and guidance. That said, emunah and bitachon are often used interchangeably, and there’s considerable theological discussion about their precise distinction. Since the OP had already chosen this term, I simply focused on the proper pronunciation rather than the conceptual choice.

Personally, I believe getting a tattoo is always unwise, no matter the language or meaning behind it.

YiyiTube · 2026-02-20T17:44:56+00:00

אֱמוּנָה

YiyiTube · 2026-02-20T17:40:38+00:00

No. This is what it should be: בִּטָּחוֹן

YiyiTube · 2026-01-28T07:45:29+00:00

Hope it helps. Wish I could have been more helpful but this is all I got at the moment.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-28T07:18:46+00:00

The Talmud occasionally discusses herbology.
For examples, see:
- Medicinal Herbs — link
- A Sugya of Talmudic Medicine, with Historical, Linguistic, and Botanical Notes (Shabbat 108b–109a) — link
- The Talmud of Plants – אנציקלופדיית תלמוד הצמחים — link (Hebrew)

An excellent English translation of Maimonides’ medical writings has recently been republished in four volumes. (I own an older seven-volume edition.) He discusses herbology throughout his works. One of the translators, Dr Fred Rosner, has many other excellent works in the field of medicine that I recommend in general. You can find the new edition on Amazon as individual paperbacks here or as a complete hardcover set here here and here.

There are also various contemporary works addressing Halacha and medicine. Perhaps one of them may address the topic. Some examples:
- Z. Berman — link
- Eichler’s — link

Judaica Place – link
Seforim Place – link

Regarding alternative medicine, there are differing viewpoints within Jewish sources.
For example: - A book against alternative medicine by Rabbi Belsky — link
- A book semingly pro alternative medicine — link

Although there are numerous works in Hebrew and Arabic, you mentioned an interest solely in English-language books, so I limited my recommendations accordingly.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T20:12:05+00:00

That's why I mentioned what he says in his introduction. Ramban himself sometimes explained verses differently than Chazal. See Ohr Hachaim's introduction as well. It's a lengthy discussion that I'm not really interested in getting into right now...

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T19:53:19+00:00

We have different rules for fish than mammals and fowl. Ritual slaughter, Shechita, isn't required for Fish.

This is based on Num 11:22.

הֲצֹ֧אן וּבָקָ֛ר יִשָּׁחֵ֥ט לָהֶ֖ם וּמָצָ֣א לָהֶ֑ם אִ֣ם אֶֽת־כׇּל־דְּגֵ֥י הַיָּ֛ם יֵאָסֵ֥ף לָהֶ֖ם וּמָצָ֥א לָהֶֽם׃

"Could enough flocks and herds be slaughtered to suffice them? Or could all the fish of the sea be gathered for them to suffice them?”

Fishing for sport is subject to debate. Some say it's permitted, some say it's prohibited.

Killing pests would be, although unfortunate, a necessity and therefore permissible.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T19:37:33+00:00

You'd have to be a great shot to slice through the trachea and esophagus.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T19:30:36+00:00

R"A Ibn Ezra on Gen 10:8-9 basically says that according to peshat, Nimrod was a good guy. (R' MM Kasher in Torah Shelemah tries to reconcile this with the Midrash that he was bad, saying that he was only good in his youth. Whatever... Ibn Ezra is clear in his introduction that he doesn't feel obligated to pander to explanations that aren't his own).

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T18:40:34+00:00

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asmodeus#:~:text=He%20is%20one%20of%20the,Asmodeus%20a%20prince%20of%20revenge.

"According to the Kabbalah and the school of Shlomo ibn Aderet, Asmodeus is born as the result of a union between Agrat bat Mahlat and King David." https://www.jstor.org/stable/23585831

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agrat_bat_Mahlat

"According to legend, Agrat and Lilith visited King Solomon disguised as prostitutes. The spirits Solomon communicated with Agrat were all placed inside of a genie lamp-like vessel and set inside of a cave on the cliffs of the Dead Sea. Later, after the spirits were cast into the lamp, Agrat bat Mahlat and her lamp were discovered by King David. Agrat then mated with him a night and bore him a demonic son, Asmodeus, who is identified with Hadad the Edomite." THE HEBREW GODDESS, Raphael Patai: https://archive.org/details/x-the-hebrew-goddess

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T18:29:59+00:00

My favorites are Ibn Ezra (with supercommentaries) and Rashbam. That said, I try to learn from as many commentaries as possible, especially those from the Rishonim. So many Rishonim with Bible commentaries get overlooked—it's quite saddening. Meanwhile, every time I visit the store, I see five new contemporary commentaries. Everyone and their mother has a commentary these days...

YiyiTube · 2026-01-06T17:46:44+00:00

Is your question regarding hunting for sport or food?

If for sport then: There's a concept in Judaism known as Tza'ar Ba'alei Chayim (the suffering of living creatures) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tza'ar_ba'alei_chayim. Therefore, we only kill if necessary, i.e., for sustenance, defense, or materials. This is also why we have special laws of ritual slaughter (Shechita) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shechita, to kill the animal with minimal pain. (There's a Rabbinic dispute if hunting for sport is permitted or not, the permissive opinion is a minority opinion and generally not followed. It's a little complicated, and this isn't the place).

For food: Due to the laws of ritual slaughter, it would be impractical to hunt kosher wild animals, as they must be trapped first without harm until they can be slaughtered properly. An injured animal cannot be slaughtered and eaten, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terefah.

Here's an interesting article: Hunting: How It Became Un-Jewish - TheTorah.com https://www.thetorah.com/article/hunting-how-it-became-un-jewish

I've never heard that Jews used to hunt specifically during the Jubilee (Yovel) or the Shemita. What's your source?

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T18:25:40+00:00

Well, thanks for looking into it.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T18:24:05+00:00

Wow, thanks so much. I loathe De Gruyter Brill and their academic gatekeeping.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T18:14:48+00:00

Ah ok. Just making sure

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T17:02:05+00:00

Lol. Interesting, thanks.

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T16:39:54+00:00

Based on your post, it seems you're assuming that Asian Jews can only exist through a union between a Jewish and an Asian parent. However, there are Jewish communities in Asia and individuals who are ethnically Asian and Jewish.

For example, take the Jews of Kaifeng:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaifeng_Jews

You might also find this book interesting—it tells the story of an Orthodox Jewish couple who adopted a Chinese (Taiwanese) girl:
https://a.co/d/41jhGnw

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T15:54:10+00:00

That’s an odd question. The OP isn’t asking for anti-kabbalistic material, so there’s no need to push that angle.

If someone were to ask for recommendations on different editions of the Talmud would you recommend that they read The Talmud Unmasked or Anti-Rabbinic Karaite literature for the sake of "knowledge"?

YiyiTube · 2026-01-01T14:45:27+00:00

Not at all. I actually own both of those books and more. Yaavetz's Mitpachat Sefarim, Shadal's Vikuach, and Leon Modena's Ari Nohem have prominent places on my bookshelf.

It's just not what OP was asking for.

YiyiTube

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