by Joel Rich
If something isn’t “mkubal”, even though it has significant mkorot, when does it become yuhara to do it? Four recent discussions I’ve had: saying al naharot bavel before birchat hamazon during the week, saying kriat shema with trop, putting on tallit and tfilin outside shul and saying hareini kaparat mishkavo for a parent in the first year after their death. Any thoughts?
Some give and take recently in the commentator on the Stern College Talmud program. My take – show me a vision/mission statement and then we can evaluate programming v aspirations.
- Rabbi J Weider-Kosher Money
Materialism is overwhelming the MO community practically and hashkafically. Conspicuous consumption and lack of a tzniut lifestyle need to be addressed (by Rabbis who go on expensive Pesach programs?) Possible approaches discussed.
- Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky-5777 Responding to Cynics or Positive Messaging (Klal Perspectives Panel with R’ Moshe Hauer, R’ Yitzchok Adlerstein & Moshe Bane – AJOP 2017)
Cynicism is not good. Discussion includes whether we should: “oversell” Judaism (or as R YBS taught-religion isn’t there to make life easy), teach only emuna pshuta, encourag questions, admit we don’t know some things, admit we don’t have all the answers, and use leitzanut (this part was worth the whole thing – it’s at the end in the Q &A – I’d love to hear folks’ reaction to it)
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Haircuts on Friday Erev Rosh Chodesh During Sefirah
Introduction to shaving and haircutting during sefira (R YBS vs the world) followed by application for shaving (Thursday or Friday) for shabbat rosh chodesh. (me-so why the custom at YU not to follow R’ YBS?)
- Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky- -5775 Torah & Economics #1 (Tikvah Fellowships)
Halacha’s “civil law” is theological as well as practical. Do we have an obligation to bring it into general society? (me-7 mitzvot include batei dinim, should they see Jewish halacha as a paradigm?) The drive to accumulate is triggered by what those around you have and it’s embedded in human nature. There is a free-market reality but there’s also the right (me-obligation?) for (chazal, melech, community) to regulate the market. (me-very important point made herein – it’s easy to cherry pick mamarei chazal to make a point but one needs to look at the entire corpus to extrapolate general rules (me-and sometimes “chazal” don’t speak in one voice.)
- Rabbi Pinny Rosenthal-What is the difference between Kosher and Kosher Certified?
Kiruv level presentation discussing the link between kashrut and kedusha. It’s all about mindfulness (me-probably true of life in general)
- Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman-Supermarkets After Pesach Part 2
Review of the technical objections and possible responses to the efficacy of supermarkets selling their chometz before Pesach – and then continuing to sell chometz during Pesach. The final result may well turn on the posek’s judgement of the net community (and individual) gain/loss.
- Rabbi Keith Flaks B’simcha-Does everyone have Hashgacha Pratit
Is hashgacha pratit a function of your level of perfection (connection with HKBH) or is it always 100% for everyone?
- Rabbi Yoni Levin-Artificial Intelligence and Halacha
Using AI for school work is cheating (see R MFo n stolen regents exams) but it’s OK for drafting a speech. It’s no good for psak for a number of reasons (no connections, no context nor any hashrat shechina).
- Rabbi Daniel Stein-Bridging the Personality Gap in Avodas Hashem
CBT (halivavot nimshachim achar hapeulot) means we can reduce our cognitive dissonance b improving ourselves.
- Rav Soloveitchik -Yom Haatzmaut 1968 יום העצמאות תשכ”ח (English with English and Hebrew subtitles)
Perhaps the founding of the State of Israel was Jewish destiny playing out when it was most needed
- Yair Lichtman-Rocket Halakhic Man: Can Mitzvot be Kept in Outer Space?
What does our hashkafa have to say about investing in space travel? What do we do about mitzvot that are earth/time dependent? Most responses are based on prior responsa regarding halachic times at the poles.
- Rav Asher Weiss- חלב עכו”ם
Is chalav akum a gezeira (unchanging according to most authorities) or a chashash (function of time and place)? A number of differences flow from this question. Governmental regulation is an acceptable leniency if needed but else why should you reply on leniency? (me- how about cost tradeoffs and why don’t we apply this approach to all cases where there is a more stringent opinion?)
- 5775 Torah & Economics #2a (Tikvah Fellowships)
Examples of chazal’s market interventions (onaah, staple prices). They only work if everyone signs on (and you don’t care that suppliers are hurt by them).
- Rabbi Moshe Walter-Origins of the Siddur
Siddur history from Anshei Knesse Hagedola, Gemara, R Amram Gaon, R Sayda Gaon, Rambam, and the Avudraham. Then on to the minhag Ashkenaz siddur – Machzor Vitri, Chasidei Ashkenaz (R Yehuda haChasid, Rokeach) Maharil. There were ge nerally strong feelings – don’t mess with Anshei Knesset Hagdola text –it’s infused with meaning.
- Rabbi Moshe Walter–The Making of a Minhag – Familial Minhagim and Communal Minhagim
Community minhag is near untouchable, family minhag not so much if you have a good reason.
- Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky-5777 Leadership (Klal Perspectives Panel with R’ Moshe Hauer, R’ Yitzchok Adlerstein & Moshe Bane – AJOP 2017)
Leadership is about taking responsibility, it’s important to give people opportunities to lead. Does orthodoxy tend to develop followers rather than leaders? What is Orthodoxy’s responsibility to the broader Jewish community in building leadership? Interesting proposition – all non-Orthodox movements of the last two centuries were formed to attack the Orthodox world? (I guess it depends on how you define attack)
- Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky- Mental Health Professionals (March 11, 2019)
Social workers and rabbis (or psychology and halacha) don’t always play well together. Examples include dealing with parents, OCD and liberal western society mores.
- Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky-Modern Orthodoxy (Hebrew Academy)
The Rambam and R SR Hirsch as examples of ‘modern” orthodox. It’s all about avodat hashem ( me – amen).
- Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz-Parshat Shemini: The Sin of Nadav & Avihu
Nadav and Avihu’s “sin” of eish zara was due to antinomian tendencies. This eish zara could be something narcissistic or something that is for great tzaddikim but it’s certainly not for us.
- Rabbi Moshe Walter–The Dialogue Between the Rabbi and the Questioner in the Halachic Process
Up to gaonic times, “responsa” were an individual face-to-face communication. As the community dispersed, respona became written communications and lost some of the subjective factors (e.g financial considerations, background of participants (individuals and communities), emotional impact and religious bent). You need a relationship with your rav.
- Ari Wasserman-Rabbi Dovid Kaplan – Mrs. Elisheva Liss –Mrs. Miriam Levitan – Rabbi Nesanel (“Tani”) Lauer – Mrs. Bella Beer-4/15/23 – Shiur 415 – Is it good or bad that many young men don’t have a “plan” for parnassah? Should they have one?
Everyone (boys, girls, parents) should have a plan for parnasa and life. Advice and examples provided.
- Rabbi Zev Smith-Unanswered Tefilos, Is that Possible?
Why do we pray? Are we saying HKBH doesn’t know better? Prayer is a mitzvah which gives chizuk and emuna and we become better people through it. HKBH requires us to ask for our needs. Why are prayers not always answered? They are!
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Why Don’t Women Say Tachanun?
Why don’t women say tachanun? Because they don’t! (maybe since it’s rshut, and they never accepted it?)
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-Making Proper Choices: Small Decisions Significant Outcomes
Chizuk to college students – small details and decisions are important bein adam lchaveiro and lamakon. Surround yourself with positive influences!
- Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky–Honesty in Business – Why Such A Challenge (With Q and A) (Chicago – Kollel Ateres Ami, 5779)
Yetzer hara for financial gain can be internalized into one’s sechel which is a big challenge.
- Rabbi Moshe Walter–I had a Dream:real or Imaginary – A Halachic Response
Dream, dream dream (HT Everly Bros). The gemara seems to have varying views on how seriously to take dreams; how did early authorities reconcile them? (me-why can’t we assume that sometimes chazal had different opinions on such matters?) What responses are required vs permitted? Later authorities seem more laid-back about dreams.
- Rabbi Moshe Walter–The Runaway Train- Triage Decisions in Halachah
Trolleyology and triage summary – most poskim take a shev val taaseh approach (v the CI divert the arrow possibility).
- Rabbi Shlomo Zuckier-The Halakhic Status of Yom HaAtzma’ut
What are the classic halachic triggers for hallel on a day of being saved/gaining sovereignty? What are current yom haatzmaut practices?
- Rabbi Eliav Silverman-Honoring Ones Rebbe After Death – In Memory of Rav Lichtenstein zt”l
Is there kavod rav post-death? If so, how is it expressed and how does it stack up to kavod av?
- Rabbi Weinreb-Tfilla Chabura
The story of R Akiva and his students is likely about death and resilience during the rebellion against Rome.
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