Audio Roundup

by Joel Rich

From R’ Ron Eisenman of Passaic, what narrative would you supply to explain the correlated towns and generations?:

Yom Tov is over and the in-laws and out-laws have all gone home.
The children went back to Lakewood and maybe the parents went back to
the Woodmere and maybe no one went back anywhere as everyone was home.

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From R’ Aviner, is the implication that if you work at it you will see he was right?

Earth as the Center of the Solar System
Q: Rabbi Nachman of Breslov held firmly that the sun revolves around the earth. How can we understand this?
A: It is indeed difficult to understand.

———

• Rav Nissan Kaplan-Tzav

  A must listen for those who think that the reports of Chareidi Yeshivot/chinuch antipathy towards the government of Israel is overstated. I can’t bring myself to describe the call to action.
  The main theme of the shiur is mussar – Amaleik’s strength being its ability to sow doubt in our minds and encourage us to procrastinate which will keep us from accomplishing our tasks.

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics-Course Introduction (7:46)

  The types of ethical questions that will be dealt with in the course – resource allocation, moral status of animals, climate change.

• Rabbi Nosson Rich -ishna Berura Yomi: Hilchos Hanhagas Haboker Siman 1-2

  Ask a poseik when to hold ‘em and when to fold them (in terms of practices{minhagim) to defend and when the practices might be considered yuhara [arrogance]). Then some detail on getting up in the A.M. and washing.

• Uncommon Knowledge: Yuval Levin and the development of right and left in politics

  Edmund Burke and Thomas Payne and their political philosophies. While they both agreed on the correctness of the American revolution, Payne looked at it as a real revolution, Burke as an averted one (i.e. Americans kept the rights they should have had [me – sounds like R’Slifkin on M.O. being not revolutionary]).
  Burke built his theory on what he saw in practice (it’s a complex world) whereas Payne thought the theory of justice was plain and simple. Burke was focused on the tzibur (community), Payne on the yachid (individual).

• Steven Savitsky -Interview with YU Basketball Coach Dr. Jonathan Halpert

  Nice shout out to Stuie Poloner and Larry Schiffman, two of the finest ball players and college gentlemen I have had the pleasure of knowing.
  Discusses grand themes in Dr. Halpert’s coaching career – Kiddush Hashem for the team, the school and the Jewish people. For some reason, no mention of the captain of his first YU team (oh wait, that was a rebuilding year ).

• Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik -Shvuos and Bechukosai

  Shavuot is a function of the counting of the Omor, not of the date.
  Analysis of the atzeret (stopping) nature of both Shmini Atzeret and Shavuot, both of which have no separate mitzvah (like matzah, etc.)
  Some thoughts on tshuva.

• Rabbi Ari Kahn -The Holy and Delicate Constitution of the Land of Israel

  While the beginning of Kedoshim seems to subsume many (if not all) of the Ten Commandments, its real focus is on what the Land of Israel cannot organically tolerate from its inhabitants, even non-Jews.

• Rabbi Ari Kahn -שהחיינו על שיר השירים

  History of “minhag” to make a bracha when reading Shir Hashirim (from a Klaf on Shabbat Chol Hamoel Pesach). Focus on the GRA’s position.

• Rav Asher Weiss-Kedoshim

  Topic is chameitz sheavar alav ha pesach (status after Pesach of chametz owned by a Jew during Pesach)- some interesting situations and psak. Raises another of my favorite issues,.when there currently exists a factual doubt, what length do you have to go to resolve the doubt(depending on which factors)?

• Rabbi Zvi Ron -Pre-Chazal Jewish Philosophy

  Aristoblus, Aritis and Philo were all Jewish philosophers of some type – They reacted to Greek philosophy and thus dealt with issues such as anthropomorphism, mitzvoth as metaphor/allegory and proof of God’s existence from design.

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics-Reasoning in Ethics (13:41)

  How to think about Ethics. One approach to defining ethics is “Guiding one’s conduct by reason and doing what there are best reasons for doing, while giving equal weight to all those affected by one’s decision”. Hume disagreed and thought reason is subservient to desires. Kant thought reason could be totally objective. [me – once you define this “axiom”, it pretty much defines the results.]

• Rabbi Zvi Ron -The Minhag of Upsherin – Rav Zvi Ron

  Earliest Jewish traces of this practice appear in 1500’s with people doing it at Nebi Samuel. Turns out many cultures (especially Moslem) have similar practices, maybe driven the concern for the comparative weakness/susceptibility of baby boys.

• Rav Zvi Ron -Jewish Philosophy during the time of the Geonim

  Major focus on R’Sadia Gaon and the issues dealt with in Emunot V’deiot. He was the first really frum philosopher.

• Rabbi Nosson Rich -ishna Berura Yomi: Hilchos Hanhagas Haboker Siman 1-3

  Prayers and passages remembering the Mikdash (temple). Saying fewer prayers with kavannah (concentration) is better than saying more prayers without it. Good information on Karbanot and various other appropriate additions. (As usual, lots of information packed into a short time period!).

• Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank -Ore la-Goyim: What is our responsibility to the world?

  What is our relationship with non-bnai brit based on bchirat Yisrael (“Choseness”)? There are differing approaches ranging from complete responsibility (like an older brother) to none at all (I am a rock, I am an Island). R’Wiederblank presents a middle ground.

• Steven Savitsky -What to Make of the Mazinka Dance?

  A close friend once asked me (he knows my interests too well) for background on the muzinka for a dvar Torah at a vort. I told him IMHO there was no halachic source, most likely a harmless European folk custom since no Rabbis had called it Chukat Haakum.
  Turns out it’s a Ukranian custom (the cause of the current crisis?)

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics–Subjectivism (4:25)

  Relativism/Subjectivism – Are ethics a matter of taste (not really subject to debate)? If so, why do we talk about them so much?
  Ethical Culture Rationalism – Ethics are neither individual taste nor a universal given but culturally determined.
  He rejects both of these.

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics–Cultural Relativism (14:13)

  Descriptive vs. Normative relativism and problems with both as an underlying ethical philosophy.

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics-Objectivism (19:38)

  So rejecting the other approaches already mentioned, he analyzes Kant, the categorical imperative and some refinements to deal with challenges to the universality criteria.

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics–Religion and Ethics (9:08)

  If you’re religious, is it good because God said so or God said so because it’s good? (Is there an ethic outside of Halacha?)
  He rejects the former (as in so if God said kill your son, would anyone believe it’s good?) [me – yes?]

• Rav Benny Eisner-Machshava (Rav Kook)

  Religious Zionist musings.

• Peter Singer-Practical Ethics–Religion and Ethics (9:08)

  Lol – Bible can’t be the total basis of ethics because we all pick and choose (with the possible exception of an “ultra-Orthodox Jewish person”. [me – apparently he buys the chareidi anti-MO line ]).
  In a democracy you need to have public discourse across religious lines – it can have religion involved but must engage non-believers. (IIUC meaning you can’t say “this is right because God told us so”.)

• Rabbi Nosson Rich -ishna Berura Yomi: Hilchos Hanhagas Haboker Siman 1-4

  Karbanot should only be said during the day. Discussion of how much our saying of Karbanot should follow the rules of bringing Karbanot (e.g., must you stand when saying them?). Interesting question – is it better to skip part of Karbanot or of psukei d’zimra if you are late?

• Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz –By Way Of Introduction – Sha’arei Yosher

  History of R’Shimon Shkop (some YU time!) and Telzer derech. Each person should focus on the good of the tzibbur but should also take care of themselves. View ourselves as HKB”H’s fiduciary agents and work hard in Torah.

• Rosh Hayeshiva Harav Mordechai Greenberg, shlita -Different approaches in Halacha

  Psak in modern times. Torah must be a torat chaim. Examples from R’Kook.

• Rabbi Moshe Taragin -Sunday Night Mussar @ the Gush : Emor/2014

  Some important insights on the difference between just caring about your own (i.e., Orthodox in U.S.) vs. all your relatives (i.e., all of klal Israel). Lessons from the Karbanot including don’t be overly aggressive and be frum in all places and times in your life.

• Rabbi Allen Schwartz -Learning Shmuel Bet in an Hour

  One hour summary was great for those of us not well grounded in Mach (still some difficult stories!).

• רב אשר וייס – פ׳ אמור – המלבים פני חברו ברבים

  Lessons from Sfirah and R’Akiva – treat your comrades with love and honor.

• Rabbi Nosson Rich -Mishna Berura Yomi: Hilchos Hanhagas Haboker 2-2 and 3-1

  How to get dressed properly (feel free to self-report how closely you follow this!). List of actions that cause learning to be forgotten.Is the list Kabbalistic or science of the times based? That would make a difference in modern applications. Then some clothing and shoes rules.

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