by Joel Rich
Interesting magen avraham (O”C 144:7) concerning rollin a sefer torah if you took out the wrong one. Even though kavod honor hatzibur would say to take out the torah which is already at the right spot rather than roll the one you took out to the right spot, the MA says “in a beit knesset which has less people (than the beit mikdash on yom kippur) mistama (possibly, likely, apparently) they waive their honor. How do you understand this mistama? Is it a best estimate of what survey would reveal? (if so why not just ask), a projection of what chazal assume people would do if they knew what chazal wanted of them? A descriptive explanation rather than a prescriptive case? Something else?
The WSJ had an article concerning Americans not going back to house of worship post covid even though they still felt connected to religion. It occurs to me that had covid not occurred, these folks would still be attending (think newton’s law). My anecdotal observation of the jewish community is that there was more of a snapback to pre covid material standards (eg smachot) than to spiritual standards (eg synagogue attendance). Thoughts?
- Rabbi Netanel Wiederblank-The Nature of Birkas HaMazon and the Proper Order for Bracha Rishona A concise guide to brichat hanehenin on foods, what’s the algorithm for which bracha to make first?
- Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff-Showers in Halacha Halachic showering – which body parts get washed first? Can you think about torah/listen to an mp3 in the shower? TBC
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Parshat Ekev: Even Balabatim Have To… Learning is the main thing to be done any time you have free time (me-TBD). (Chazaara is important and you should have a plan to know all of torah. If you need a vacation go to eretz yisrael. Remember your every action should be lshem shamahim!n
- Rabbi Michael Rosensweig-ירושלים לא נתחלקה לשבטים Yerushalayim is the corporate headquarters of the jewsish people. Its not just that all the jewish people are shayach to it but that it belongs to all the jewish people.
- Rabbi Yitzchak Blau-How to Study Aggada (Part 3) Differing opinions as to whether agada can be used as a halachic source (me-authorial intent?). Seems likely that it can be at least a meta-halachic source (me – RA Weiss on sources regarding technology questions and which chazal didn’t (consciously) foresee)
- Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz-Q&A for JIntership Summer Program Ohr Somayach Q and a including: adam and eve pre-sin (hard to understand), raising kids non-frum so they can get schar of tshuva (bad idea), reward/punishment, need to find meaning in this life, different types of tshuva, role of jews and non-jews in this world, religion and science, and using psychedelics for religious experiences.
- Rabbi Dani Rapp-When is it Appropriate to be Machmir? Chumrot are appropriate when there’s something that’s intrinsically problematic, or halacha that might be subject to future change, or cases of maarit ayin. Not so much if you will be casting aspersions on earlier generations by your action.
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Reb Yid!!! Where Are Your Rabbeinu Tam Tefillin? Arguments for and against wearing rabbeinu tam’s tfilin. If you do wear them, when should you put them on? Do you make a bracha
- Ari Wasserman,Rabbi Dr. Yitzchak Breitowitz,Mr. Yitzy Mittel ,Mr. Eli Sarfaty, Rabbi Mayer Twersky,Dr. Shloimie Zimmerman,Rabbi Zevulun Schwartzman-8/5/23 – Shiur 430 – LGBTQ+ and “Pride Parades” – How is it impacting us? Should we explain it to our children? The family centered culture of our community makes being single (especially divorced) very challenging and we need to do more outreach to singles.
- Sori Zahler,Rabbi Yitzchok Reichma,.”Sori” – an older single -7/22/23 – Shiur 428 –TISHA B’AV All year round – The plight of mature singles and divorcees in our community The whole world has gone crazy. We love every individual but can’t validate sinful movements. Educating our children in these matters is a challenge.
- Rabbi Yona Reiss-Jews and Tattoos What exactly is involved in the prohibition to tatoo? How permanent must it be, what must it look like (letters?pictures?), and how must it be applied (for torah and/or rabbinical transgressions)? Also covered – Must they be removed and can they be applied for medical/psychological purposes?
- Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz-Inviting an Irreligious Relative for Shabbos Which actions qualify as lifne iver and which as msaye a? Does msayea apply to a non-jew mumar or rasha. What about application shelo bshaat maaseh?
Explores positions of r moshe and r SZA on inviting someone on shabbat for kiruv purposes
- Rabbi Ari Kahn-Free Will – An introduction to the World of Teshuva Thoughts from the rambam’s hilchot tshuva focused on leida (to know or believe in HKBH).R YBS’s approach is to live your life as if HKBH is with you at all times.
What does it mean to be a tzadik like moshe? Remember you are what you value!
- Rabbi Aryeh Leibowitz-Rashi, the Tosafists, and the Ashkenazic Derech HaLimud Understanding the biographies, approaches, and lineages of rashi, the baalei tosfot, and their heirs.
- Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz-Birkat Hamazon & Birkas HaTorah Brachot are about showering appreciation. How might this differ between brichat hotorah and birchat hanehenin as far as bracha rishona v achrona.
- שיעור כללי – מסכת ברכות | הרב משה ליכטנשטיין | מבנה התפילה ומשמעותו Insights into the nature of tfila – bakasha, shevach (more general), hodaah (more specific to you) and being lfnei hashem (coming in, being there, and leaving). We need t o understand the possible differences between nusach and maamad hatfila.
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-Restoring the Sanctity of the Shidduch Process and Jewish Marriages Shidduchim are worthy of our attention and efforts. The message of tu bav /yom kipur is the importance of focusing on the right things in a shidduch and having bitachon. A general message is to avoid curiosity as an obsession and limit social media (and be tzanua)
- Rabbi Dovid Orlofsky-Live in Flatbush 3 with R’ Yitzchok Frankel R Orlofsky interviews r y finkel mostly about r m feinstein including: stories (true and false), chalav yisrael, hair covering, and miscellaneous psakim.
Materialism is rampant and making aliyah can be difficult and some folks have an achrayus to stay in the US (me-interesting, difficulty in a mitzvah as a ptur.
Also of interest – aguda’s central principle is that there are gedolim we gott o (eg no gedolim says it’s ok to go up to har Habayit), I wondered – are there any gedolim who say (publicly) that it’s OK to have a podcast and website?
- Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff-Showers in Halacha- Part 2 Can one sing psukim (really ever) or speak torah in the shower? Do you have to wash when leaving the bathroom?
- הרב אליקים קרומביין | הגר”א ותלמידיו | שיעור ראשון First in a series. The gra was both hyperrational and hidden. How did he become so influential? He was a maayan in torah but also embodied anivut and tzidkut. His talmidim viewed him as the figure through whom HKBH implemented an inflection point in history.
- ספרי מניין המצוות של הראשונים: מגמות חינוכיות | שיעור 1 | הרב אליקים קרומביין | בית מדרש חי Chronological history of the monei mitzva genre. The smak’s goal was to write something practical for the masses and to make sure it was distributed. He was very pragmatic.
- ממשבר למפנה | הרב אליקים קרומביין | הגר”א ותלמידיו – שיעור שני The success of chassidut caused a great soul searching in the mitnagdic community. The gra’s “back to basics “ “ (girsaot, arguing with earlier authorities) began a path which his students continued to revitalize mitnagdut.
- ספרי מניין המצוות של הראשונים: מגמות חינוכיות | שיעור 2 | הרב אליקים קרומביין | בית מדרש חי The introduction to the smak made clear his education program as he encouraged set-time group learning with production of materials at community expense. Perhaps this was needed in order to disseminate the halachic explosion of the baalei tosfot.
Rabbeinu yona had a mitzva list in the shaarei tshuva while the sma viewed the issue of the day to be lack of knowledge, rabbeinu yona viewed it as a lack of awareness (to be addressed by musar).
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Kashering In Halachah – My Oven Is Treif! Do You Have A Blowtorch? Koshering items discussion including: koshering or tvila which comes first?, microwaves, ovens, meat to milk (pescah and all year round) and new type of glass.
- Rabbi Dr. Jason Weiner -Changing a name for repentance or to heal the sick Changing names in order to change one’s destiny – when and how is it done? The rationalists’ approach is to change oneself (rambam) along with the name.
- Rabbi Aryeh Leibowitz-Three Themes in the Rambam’s Moreh Nevuchim The rambam in the moreh says that man’s essence is the intellect, not the body. We aspire to a relationship with HKBH where objective emet rules (not subjective tov). The rambam’s belief that hasgacha pratit is a function of our relationship with HKBH is rejected by many. Our goal is always to be involved with HKBH.
- Rabbi Dani Rapp-Using Microphones and Hearing Aids on Shabbos Focus on the hashmaat kol issue and r moshe’s differentiation between microphones and hearing aids.
- המיזם הספרותי של תלמידי הגר”א | הרב אליקים קרומביין | הגר”א ותלמידיו – שיעור שלישי In pursuing his musar mission rabbein yona both expanded the individual mitzobt and reinforced the importance of “mitzvot kalot”
- Rav Asher Weiss-ענין תולעים זעירים Exactly what size/type bugs require checking in food and what checking needs to be done?
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Mazal Tov, It’s A Baby, Now What? New baby shailot including: making a bracha (which, when how long do you get, boy v girl), names (shalom bayit is key) and shabbat shailot (making baby food, using baby wipes)
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