by Joel Rich
There’s a halacha I’ve heard stated many times that it’s better to stay in bed all day on yom kippur in order to be able to complete the fast rather than to go to shul (tfila btzibur et al) and have to have even a small break (ie shiurim). How would you analyze a similar question on tzom gedalya?
To a maggid shiur:
Just a few thoughts on your recent AI/psak discussion.
There are some things that I think he touched upon but I think could be sharpened in the discussion.
In its current format ChatGPT will not have all the data on the poseik because it will only include written responses not any of the discussions that led up to those and not ones that were oral.
A more basic issue in the whole meta-physical context is what is consciousness or sentience, how do we know the ChatGPT will not have hashraat shechina.
There’s also a longer-term issue concerning the joint AI/human component. Once radiologists stop looking at thousands of scans in detail, and only look at the questionable ones with ChatGPT, will they eventually lose their ability to read scans much as I think many people have lost the ability to navigate because they have Waze in their cars.
I think your concerns about getting ahead of the curve are really well founded I can only imagine what the world will look like when you’re my age
- Rabbi Jonathan Ziring-A Conversation about AI and Psak Rabbis need to be thinking about AI by going back to basics concerning what exactly is psak (process and results) and what exactly is AI (and what will it be???)
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-Our Reliance on Heavenly Opinions in Halacha: Torah Lo Bashamayim Hi Discussion (but no real conclusions) on how we deal with lo bashamayim hi, sod hashem lyerav and bat kols.
- Rabbi Shraga Kallus-Shabbosdika Rosh Hashanah What is the kashkafic significance of the first day of rosh hashana falling on shabbat? In any event, rosh hashana is a time to choose ruchniyut and exert maximum effort to be part of malchiyot.
- Rabbi Moshe Taragin-The Moral Journey of the 13 Middot of Hashem Understanding the nature of the 13 midot will trigger change in you as part of your moral journey.
- Rabbi Michael Rosensweig,Rabbi Strauchler Chaim,rRabbi Daniel Fridman,Rabbi Elliot Schrier-Introducing מימיני מיכאל: Rabbi Michael Rosensweig in Conversation with Talmidim Q&A including: vidui as a transcendent/emotional process, balancing giving shiurim vs writing, and vidui as a maaseh mitzvah which expands the kiyum mitzvah.
- Rabbi Michael Rosensweig-Preparing for Teshuva with the Rambam The Rambam’s general contribution is not fully appreciated because of his universal acceptance. hilchot tshuva, never having been codified before, is a great example. Where he placed it (in mada) speaks to its centrality. He saw tshuva from a transformational perspective (beyond the individual sin).
- Rabbi Yitzchak Breitowitz-The Origin of Reciting Selichos Our notions of rosh hashana themes are not seen in Tanach. What do outside sources tell us about how it was observed? Examples include two days rosh hashana in eretz yisrael and the authorship of unetana tokef.
- Rabbi Michael Rosensweig ,Professor Smadar Rosensweig-Q&A About the Rambam’s Hilchot Teshuva Q&A including: bat sheva and uriah, tshuva of yom kippur is equivalent to the vidui of the rest of the year, tshuva in the midbar, and dovid hamelech as a paradigm of tshuva.
- Rabbi Tanchum Cohen-Exploring Elul: History, Minhagim and Hashkafa Discussion of Elul practices including slichot priorities
- Rabbi Dr. Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff-History of Yeshivot in Eastern Europe – September 11 Main topic is Yeshiva Chachmei Lublin with many digressions along the way.
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-The Origin of The 39 Melachos of Shabbos and Their Fundamental Principles Introduction to the 39 mlachot – what is the generating source? What are some of the basic concepts?
- Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman-Berachos Livatala Part 2 Starts with a recap of the first shiur and then moves on to applications for bracha achrona, birchat hamitzvot and the question of whether a din that is supported by a svara is considered duraita?
- Rabbi Eliav Silverman-Why We Don’t Blow Shofar When Rosh Hashana Falls on Shabbat There are four sources (Bavli, Yerushalmi, Psikta, Sifra) for not blowing shofar when rosh hashana falls on shabbat. What are the nakfa minas between them?
- Rabbi Moshe Shulman–KOHELET! The Sphinx of Scriptures (Part 4) In the introductory portion of Kohelet, each of the three voices (either than the yirei hashem) realize that their individual narratives won’t bring them joy. TBC
- Rabbi Dovid Miller-Shiur Klali- Hilchot Rosh HaShana Review of rosh hashana practices (eg preparation, tfilot…) starting from erev rosh hashana through the whole two days.
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-Omitting Avinu Malkeinu on Rosh Hashanah That Falls on Shabbos Why aren’t personal requests allowed on Shabbat and why do there appear to be exceptions? Maybe we would allow some in an “emergency” (eg avinu malkeinu during the yamim noraim).
- Rabbi Daniel Z. Feldman-Berachos Livatala part 1 What’s included in the prohibition of lo tisa – just oaths or any use of HKBH’s name? How does a bracha sheina tzricha differ from a bracha lvatala? How do we evaluate lo tisa vs safeik bracha lhakel?
- Rabbi Mayer E. Twersky-Al Hateshuvah: The Relationship Between Teshuva and Free Will RYBS’s classic analysis of the Rambam’s differentiating tshuva on acts v on ethical characteristics. Also provides insights on how to make such changes.
- Rav Asher Weiss-ראש השנה שחל להיות בשבת Classic question – if one blew shofar on rosh hashana when it falls out on shabbat, would they get credit for a mitzvah duraita? While this is a subset of a more general question (can you get a kiyum duraita while violating a drabanan), you may get different answers in different situations (ie what is the nature of the entanglement of the drabanan and duraita?).
It’s a great kavod shamayim to listen to the rabbis (and in our case, not blow the shofar on shabbat).
- Simi Peters-The Prophet Yona and Maftir Yona (Part 4) The description of Ninveh is a city out of control and ripe for tshuva but their tshuva was not real/sincere. Yona was looking for din but the theme of the sefer is rachamim.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Ten Minute Halacha – Some Points About Tefilah During Yamim Noraim Insights from R HS (R YBS) on rosh hashana tfilot including: priorities in slichot, piyyutim in the amida, forgetting certain insertions, answering amen at the appropriate time, tkiot in the silent amida, and the shatz going korim.
- Rabbi Hershel Schachter-Hanhagos of Rav Soloveitchik on Yamim Noraim Way too many yamim noraim practices of R YBS for me to summarize. Listen here for details.
- Rabbi Yoni Rabinovitch-“I Forgive You” When I Don’t, Group WhatsApp Texts, and Other Mechilah Matters Some mechila topics including: blast email requests, asking in cases where it will hurt the recipient and when can you refuse to be mochel.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Teshuva for Machsheves Ha’Chet What’s your status if you purposely did an act that you thought was a transgression but turned out not to be? What if you enabled someone to do so (is it lfnei iver)?
Make sure you keep your priorities straight, think of others, and maximize your accomplishments according to your potential.
- Rabbi Avishai David-The Warmth and Radiance of Gedolei Yisroel Entertaining stories including: thick schach, dfanot, canvas, mats and maamad.
- Rabbi Michael Taubes-Reciting Oseh HaShalom from Rosh HaShanah Through Yom Kippur Oseh hashalom appears in certain historical siddur texts year-round. While there are good reasons not to change the traditional hamivareich for the yamim tovim, most authorities (not RYBS) would say to continue your personal tradition.
- Rabbi Tanchum Cohen-Tzom Gedalya: Learning the Tragic Backstory, Exploring the Special Avoda and Focus Fasts are generally focused on the self-awareness that you have free will to improve yourself (tshuva). The additional message of tzom gedalia is to stay away from kina and kaas, another is to be aware of the future implications of current events.
- Rabbi Eliav Silverman-Does Teshuvah Need to be Accepted? Does tshuva need to be accepted or is it just a reality? It may depend on the specific prohibition whether it’s myira or mahava or is it based on other factors? What are the nakfa minas?
- Rabbi Ephraim Kanarfogel-Sparks of History: The Tosafot Who were the baalei tosfot, where did they live, what was their approach and what do we have of their works? Interesting discussion of manuscripts we have (not a lot) and how the texts evolved over time.
- titleDescription
Please direct any informal comments to [email protected].
