@TRiG Just FTR the names aren't the same. They both contain different guttural sounds that don't make it to translation, and in different places in the word. The man is Noah' and the woman is No'ah.
But that case probably isn't as interesting to a secular audience, as it's a suit not for land but for the ability to fulfill the divine command to offer a paschal lamb/kid.
@Scimonster I had a moment like that two Purims ago. I was riding on the light rail in Jerusalem when suddenly two yeshiva boys started playing Purim songs on their instruments and the entire train car was loudly singing "ad d' ad d'lo yada while some clearly non-Jewish tourists looked in in confusement
Is this off-topic because it's asking for a translation of Hebrew or on-topic because it's about a specific Judaism-related product? — Daniel19 secs ago
@Daniel I'm torn and interested in discussing this.
"Here's an ad for a kiddush cup, written in Yiddish. Is the cup silver or stainless steel?" - on topic?
"Here's a description of an edition of Megilat Esther, written in Hebrew. Is this edition hardcover or softcover?" - on topic?
"Here's a description of a matza oven, written in English, but I'm having trouble making out what the telephone number on it is, because of the unusual font. Can you decipher it?" - on topic?
I don't like it, but I'm not sure what line it crosses.
@IsaacMoses My initial reaction was "close" and I was halfway through the vote-to-close dialog when it occurred to me that maybe this shouldn't be closed after-all
@IsaacMoses @Daniel I'm torn too. Issac's examples, and some facets of the question on main, highlight matters that are tangential to the Jewish purpose of the item -- a matzah oven's validity isn't affected by gas vs. electric, a kiddush cup's isn't by silver vs. stainless steel, etc. But the question of "can I use this to make matzah for Pesach" seems to underlie the question, and that's where I'm less sure.
I mean, "how can I make matzah per halacha?" would be on-topic, "can I use this style of device to do so?" would be, and now we're into "can I use this specific device to do so?".
@MonicaCellio @IsaacMoses Perhaps this is one of those cases that is on the borderline? And I think our practice for things on the borderline is to leave open?
A produce-recommendation question, on the other hand, asking for recommendations of devices that could be used to produce Yemenite matza, affordably, would be on-topic.
@IsaacMoses I'm surprised at you. This is exactly the kind of question that usually I argue to close and you and @msh210 argue to keep open. (You two usually win.)
@DoubleAA Can you bring up a particularly egregious example?
Like I said, I'm having trouble putting a finger on what, in particular, is bothering me about this one over other "help me implement Judaism" questions. I think it may have to do with the fact that there's no expertise involved.
@DoubleAA OK, so my answers (top-scoring, in each case) to that Meta question and the one it's a dupe of both point to a standard like "Is there something about the question that makes it that a community of Judaism experts will be more likely to address this than the general public?"
... and in both Meta answers, I describe how I'd apply that principle to various questions in this category. I'm having trouble applying it favorably to the question at hand, although I guess the possibility that there's Judaism lingo in there, as @Daniel pointed out, does the trick.
Maybe the current question should be edited to ask that more directly: here's a product description; can I use this to bake matzah per halacha? (Note: haven't checked for effect on answers.)
@MonicaCellio It's got an answer that straight-up translates the ad, so unless we consider the present question close-worthy (in which case the answer is delete-worthy), that's an unfair edit.
@IsaacMoses, @DoubleAA, all, I'm unclear on whether our standard is ~"Is there something about this question that makes a community of Judaism experts more likely to address this than the general public?" (as Isaac mentions from Meta) or the broader ~"Is this a question of general knowledge as it relates directly to Judaism?" (as implied by the list of on-topic topics). If the former, we get into what @Daniel mentioned, "But there could have been technical halachic words in there". [continued]
But if the latter, then I think it's on-topic, period. But it's a low-quality question in that it's simply asking for a translation, and of a text that's only Judaism-related and not Judaism proper (if that makes sense at all). We may need (I'm thinking aloud here, and not trying to pin down precise criteria) higher quality standards for lower-topicality questions. That would require not only a delineation (at least approximate) of such standards but also [continued]
a 'lower-topicality' definition. Anyone have ideas along these lines? Or in favor of or opposed to it? Pinging also @MonicaCellio.
Higher quality standards for lower-topicality questions may also get rid of things like yodeya.com/q/34227
meta.judaism.stackexchange.com/a/3738 seems to say that the first possibility I mention (Judaism experts are likelier to address) is the correct interpretation of the second possibility I mention (relates directly to Judaism) -- which would mean that the former is the one to abide by. But then we should probably edit our on-topic-topic list.
@MonicaCellio I wouldn't have answered the question if I was sure it was closure-worthy. If the result of our discussion is that the question should be either closed or edited, I'd be fine deleting my answer if that would allow the question to be edited into shape. I guess the OP got the information he needed anyway.
@msh210 I'm not quite sure I understand what higher quality standards for lower-topicality questions would be intended to accomplish. What do quality standards have to do with topicality?
@Daniel I didn't mean to suggest that you would answer a question you thought close-worthy. I meant that an edit to the question would affect your answer, and that kind of edit wouldn't be ok without your buy-in. (All that said, I don't know if we should do anything -- I was just raising a possibility.)
@MonicaCellio Well if the question can be saved by editing, then it's fine with me. But if the question is off-topic as-is I'm not sure an edit will fix it. I don't really think "Can I use this product to bake matzah according to halacha?" is a good question. Why would you think you maybe couldn't?
