Question
BSD. I think there is a Midrash that teaches us that the 70 souls going into Mitzrayim did not include the wives of the sons of Yaakov Avinu. Does anyone know anything about this? Does the count include the wives? Can someone please tell me who are counted in the 70 souls? Thanks

Question
I just read what was sent to me as a Midrash Chanuka. It told the story about Matityahu's daughter Hanna who was getting ready to marry and at her wedding she undressed and scolded her brothers and others for them being more concerned about seeing her naked than worrying about her impending rape by the Greek governor that night, as was custom. Did this really happen? Thanks

Question
Are the 2 Chira's brought down in Tanach the same person? I'm referring to the Chira mentioned in Parshas Vayeishev who Yehuda befriended and the second Chira who's mentioned in Sefer Melachim towards the beginning. Thanks, Allan

Question
Hi again Rabbi. Thanks for quickly answering my post. This is a followup to your answer to my question about Jews having (supposedly) 50% DNA of ancient Canaanites. You said that that was because Canaan and Shem are very closely related (that Canaan's father was the brother of Shem), through Noach, so they would share DNA. But wouldn't that mean (since everyone is related to each other through Shem, Cham, or Yafet, and has a combination of all three) that everyone would have extremely similar DNA? Most people today don't have a lot of Canaan's DNA even though he was everyone's "uncle" or "brother" nation. Please clarify. Thanks again, and may God give you blessings.

Question
Hello again, Rabbi(s). I have heard that a 2020 study proves that Jews are descended from Canaanites. They say that -- consistent across various Jewish and even Arabic groups -- Jews' DNA originates from Canaanite samples in ancient sites. Biblically, Canaan is Cham's son, whereas Yisrael and Yishmael (Arabs) are Shem's descendants. In your tradition, is there an explanation for these findings? Thank you.   https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/ancient-cultures/ancient-near-eastern-world/jews-and-arabs-descended-from-canaanites/ https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/history/2020/05/dna-from-biblical-canaanites-lives-modern-arabs-jews

Question
In most English translations of Zechariah 3:9, it says, “I will remove the iniquity of that land…” My question is about the article “that.” Is there a clear distinction in scriptural Hebrew between articles such as “a,” “the,” “this,” and “that?” Would it be incorrect to translate the verse as “the land,” rather than “that land?”