Weekly topic challenge: call for proposals

Question

This is the call for proposals for the weekly topic challenge.

What is it?

There's a single topic that people think about during the week and come up with good questions on.

How does it work?

• Please post your proposals as questions on this meta site.
  • Each such question should
    • be tagged topic-challenge-proposal and discussion;
    • explain the topic;
    • optionally, link to existing questions or tags on the topic; and
    • optionally, argue for its adoption.
  • Answers to such a question can argue for or against its topic's adoption.
  • Note that topics proposed (using the old method) in answers below have been re-proposed using the new method outlined above. Answers below will be ignored.
• Upvote topics you'd like to see; downvote those you wouldn't.
• Each week, probably Sunday or Monday, I will choose from among the proposed topics, and the challenge will begin: thinking of and posting good questions in the main site on that topic. (In choosing from among the proposed topics, I will take the votes and seasonality into consideration.)

What do I win?

An Internet with more good questions and answers on an interesting topic.

Who came up with this idea, anyway?

Isaac Moses did.

How can I be notified of new challenges?

• Check back on Meta from time to time, particularly on Sunday or Monday, to see if there's a newly edited weekly-topic-challenge post.
• Check Meta's weekly-topic-challenge tag to see only the posts in the challenge (with the current challenge at the top of the list), or check Meta's featured tag to see all meta posts announcing currently-relevant site features and events (including the current challenge).
• To see just the current challenge, use this search.
• If you use a blog-reader or otherwise follow RSS feeds, you can add the feeds for weekly-topic-challenge or featured to your reader and automatically get updates soon after they're posted.

Answer 1

Selected as the weekly topic challenge for Vayera 5772:

I propose Shabbat songs as a challenge topic.

I suspect that people often come up with curious things about the content, form, etc. of songs they sing on Shabbat and then forget about them by the time Shabbat is over. If this is the challenge topic, people may think about the songs a bit more over Shabbat, deliberately note any curiosities, and post interesting questions when Shabbat is over.

We currently have only six questions tagged both song-poetry and shabbat, indicating that this is a topic that we don't have too much coverage of yet.

Answer 2

Selected as the weekly topic challenge for Chaye Sara 5772.

I propose Navi as a topic it is a highly ignored aspect of torah in alot of circles

(sidebar maybe the Challenges should go for 2 weeks not one as to give people more time.

Answer 3

Selected as the weekly topic challenge for Lech-l'cha 5772.

For Lech Lcha I propose the topic of aliya-laaretz... there is currently only 1 question on that topic, and it's appropriate for this weeks parsha.

Answer 4

Chosen as the weekly topic challenge for Vayetze 5772.

I propose Shidduchim as a topic.

The process of finding and marrying a spouce is a major part of many people's lives and is laden with many kinds of issues of Halacha, Minhag, Hashkafa, and Mussar. It's also a process that has gone through interesting changes over time.

The shidduchim-dating tag currently has 8 questions.

Answer 5

Chosen as the weekly theme challenge for Vayishlach 5772.

I proposed asked by children as a topic.

Children frequently ask questions, and at least some of the time, adults don't immediately know [all] the answers and have to either look them up or just give up (e.g.). This challenge topic could spur people to notice when they hear children asking interesting questions or prompting interesting discussions, and could also spur people to recall questions they had when they were children.

Answer 6

Chosen as the weekly topic challenge for Tol'dos 5772.

I propose "ribbis" as a topic. There are currently five questions tagged lending-interest-ribbis, and considering the complexity of the relevant halachos, there's surely room for a lot more.

Answer 7

Chosen as the weekly topic challenge for Vaychi 5772.

Ikkarei Emunah - Fundamentals of Belief.

What beliefs are required, addressing challenges to them, different views on them...

Answer 8

Used, Sh'mos 5772:

I propose Korbanot as a topic. This is a topic that is under-discussed and not well understood among today's Jews for something that constitutes so many of the 613 mitzvot.

We currently have 14 posts tagged korban. I'm 100% sure that there are plenty more question people have about the workings of the mikdash and korbanot.

Answer 9

Used, Vaera 5772:

I propose midrashim as a topic.

As discussed here, and reiterated many times all over the site, many midrashim and aggadot are not to be taken literally.

Now, many midrashim are quite famous, either because they are quoted by famous commentators or because they appear in the Talmud or perhaps for other reasons. I think it would be interesting to discuss the implications and interpretations of various well-known and perhaps lesser-known midrashim and aggadot, as well as their motivations from the text and impact on later commentators and other factors.

Answer 10

Used, B'shalach 5772:

I propose light as a theme. This could include the light of creation, the Chanukah and Shabbat lights, and perhaps the light Yisrael brings to the nations, among others.

Answer 11

Chosen as the weekly topic challenge for Vayeshev 5772.

In preparation for the upcoming holiday, I propose Chanukah as a topic.

Answer 12

I propose book division as a topic. Questions about dividing books into sections, chapters, parashiyos, aliyos, verses, paragraphs, pages, etc. I suspect there can be many more good questions on this; here are some we have already:

• Does one do aliya-ending notes when reading Torah in private?
• Stops in the Sidrah Leyning - Rishon, Sheni etc
• The beginning of Maftir in Krias HaTorah on Pesach
• Who divided the Tehillim into days?
• Seven aliyot for V'zot Habracha?
• Division of Mishnayos in Pirkei Avos / Meseches Avos
• Rambam placement of Hilchos Megilla vaChanukah

Answer 13

Chosen as the weekly topic challenge for Miketz 5772.

I propose Commentaries as a topic.

This site is full of quotes and explanations from an abundance of commentaries on Tanach, Mishna, Gemara, Halacha, etc. Each of these commentaries displays a specific style, was written in a specific historical context, and with a specific set of goals in mind. The authors were often fascinating personalities, some more famous than others.

There are currently two questions tagged "commentaries" on the main site. (Rashi seems to have his own tag.) I think it would be interesting to discuss the various aspects of well-known and even obscure commentaries.

Answer 14

Chosen as the weekly topic for Vayigash 5772:

I propose violence as a topic.

It's not very pleasant, but it's certainly a theme that comes up in many different ways in Halacha and Agada, and one that comes up in people's minds frequently as well, unfortunately, thanks to various types of unfortunate current events. The only tags I can think of immediately that are related, murder and army-military-war, currently have only eleven and five questions, respectively.

Answer 15

Used, Bo 5772:

I propose "Kishuf", or "Magic" as a weekly topic. Naturally, this would include questions about "sheidim" ("demons") as well, since they are frequently associated with, and employed in the use of, magic.

Currently, there are 5 questions in the sorcery-magic-kishuf tag,
and 2 in the newly-created sheidim-demons tag.

Answer 16

I propose colors as a topic. We have but fifteen questions currently tagged color, and I suspect that it's something about which people can think of many more good Jewish-life-and-learning questions.

Answer 17

I propose trees as a topic, preferably to be used during the week leading up to or following TU Bishvat (which happens to be a Wednesday this year).

There are currently 12 questions in the trees tag.

Answer 18

I propose Unusual Blessings as a topic. Many people are unaware of many of the blessings that Chazal gave us to give praise to Hashem. As the gemara in Bava Kamma 30a says, "He who wants to become pious should study the laws of Blessings."

The questions I'm thinking of are not "What is the blessing on seeing a destroyed House of Avodah Zarah?" but rather "Do the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans count as separate for the purposes of the 30 day break between sightings necessarily to warrant a new blessing?"

I'm confident that if people look through the list of blessings they will find some detail they hadn't thought of before to ask about. This will help raise awareness of the different blessings available and should provide for interesting discussion.

Answer 19

I propose Practical Kabbalah or "Kabbalah Maasis" as a topic.

This refers to the use of the knowledge of Kabbalah and the inner workings of creation, as well as the names of G-d and their permutations to perform things that defy the laws of nature. Famous examples include R' Yochanan and Resh Lakish creating cows and Rava, R' Eliyahu Baal Shem, and the Maharal creating golems. Other common applications are "Kameas" (or amulets) and healing the sick.

Currently no tag and therefore no questions exist for this topic.
As pointed out to me by @msh210. there does already exist (at least ;-)) one such question.

Score: kabbalah-maasis = 1

Answer 20

I propose "brerah" as a topic.

It would encourage more abstract gemara/halacha related questions on the site.

Answer 21

I propose questions relating to Rashi as a topic.

Answer 22

I propose questions relating to Pirkei Avot as a topic.