Agra Di'Kallah (42) - Behaalosecha 5784 - The Levi Within, Shema of the Future and Lighting the Menorah with a Steady Hand - Jun 20, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

History of Yeshivot in Eastern Europe - June 10 - Jun 10, 2024 -By Rakeffet-Rothkoff, Rabbi Dr. Aaron

Volozhin Yeshiva. Haskalah Publications. Not all Volozhin Students Were on the Same Level. Bialik in the Yeshiva. How He Lived in Two Worlds. Bialik's Oneg Shabbat & Poetry. Shutting Down Roads is Not Acceptable. The Rav on Matan Torah. - Jun 9, 2024 -By Rakeffet-Rothkoff, Rabbi Dr. Aaron

Agra Di'Kallah (38) - Bechukosai 5784 - Staying on Task: Body and Soul - May 30, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Volozhin Yeshiva. A Moving Description of the More Emotional Aspects of the Members of the Yeshiva Discussed Along With a Description of Bialik in the Yeshiva. Camaraderie and Kinship But Also Machloket and Romance. Abba Blusher's Memoir as a Source. - Jun 3, 2024 - Hovevei Zion Kattowitz Conference of 1884. Intense Torah learning in Sochatchov. אב…

R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 13:150-153: How to Bring Russian Jews in Moscow Closer to Torah and Mitzvot. The Danger of Relying on Emotion in Making Decisions. An Evaluation of Conversion-גרות. The Greater Importance of Chukim over Mishpatim. - Jun 2, 2024 - Lighting Shabbat נרות before plag. Rabbis should've encouraged aliyah in 1884. Religi…

Agra Di'Kallah (37) - Behar 5784 - The Cleansing of Sinai and Shemitta: Back to Gan Eden - May 24, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

The 30th Day Memorial for Menachem Nussbaum, a Dear Friend of Rav Aaron Rakeffet for Over 80 Years. (Hebrew) — אזכרה לרגל שלושים של מנחם נוסבאום, חברו היקר של הרב אהרון רקפת למעלה מ-80 שנה. (בעִברִית) - May 29, 2024 - This memorial took place at the Ohel Rivka Synagogue in Jerusalem, on May 29th, 2024. The two speakers were Rabbi Moshe Shai and Rab…

Volozhin Yeshiva. R' Chaim Soloveitchik. Descriptions of the Various Ways R' Chaim Was so Unique. Other Gedolim in His Time. R' Chaim's Attraction to Chassidut. - May 27, 2024 - R' Norman Lamm: The yeshiva as a cave. R' Lessin: as Noah's ark. Dr. Belkin never visited Israel. R' Yaakov Kamenetsky's 4 gedolei hador: אור שמח, R' David Friedman of Karl…

Lag Baomer 5784 - “You're A Jew Just Like Me”: Connected to Rebbe Shimon zy"a and Worthy of Shabbos - May 25, 2024 - Motzei Shabbos Hilula d'Rebbe Shimon Zy"a @ Beth Abraham (Bergenfield) with ZushaBy Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Munkatcher Rebbe's Curses. R' Elya Svei's Attack on Aish Hatorah. Cohen Marrying a Convert. R' Moshe Sternbuch on Inviting Non-Observant to Shabbat Meals. Severely Restricting Divorce. R' Menashe Klein-Mishneh Halachot on Kiruv of Soviet Jewry. - May 26, 2024 - Munkatcher Rebbe: Letters of בר קמצא to curse Bundists & Belzers. Widower lighting Shabb…

Lag BaOmer 5784 - Rebbe Shimon Bar Yochai zy"a: Unifier of Worlds - May 21, 2024 - לע"נ נחמן דניאל בן אריה צבי (Donny Morris A"H)By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Agra Di'Kallah (36) - Emor 5784 - Remember Your Roots: With the Humility and Respect of Aharon HaKohen - May 16, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Volozhin Yeshiva. Comparing R' Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin (Netziv) and R' Chaim Soloveitchik. Descriptions of the Various Ways R' Chaim Was so Unique and How Others Related to Him - May 20, 2024 - President Biden. How widower should light נרות שבת before plag. Disposable aluminum pans. Osher Ad. Rav Noah Weinberg on honoring non-observant supporter…

Kashering Dishes. Munkatcher Rebbe. R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 7:223: How Should Newly Observant Children Relate to Their Less-Observant Parents, Focusing on Eating in Their Home. - May 19, 2024 - R' Moshe David Tendler: Kasher inherited dishes in self-cleaning oven. Widower, lighting Shabbat candles before Plag Minchah: A solution. Wearing…

R' Menashe Klein: Mishneh Halakhot 17:190: Munkatch Rebbe Cursed Jews Publicly Whose Views He Disagreed With. 7:223: Children of Non-Observant Parents Become Observant. Children of Observant Parents Think They are Frumer and Boycott Their Parents. - May 12, 2024 - Cotton seed oil. Checking rice in IDF. R' Moshe Feinstein on learning mishnayot durin…

Agra Di'Kallah (35) - Kedoshim 5784 - Hashem is Ready When We Are - May 8, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Agra Di'Kallah (34) - Acharei Mos 5784 - Staying Grounded, Precise Punishments and the Need for All Mitzvos - May 2, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Some thoughts and ideas on the famous story of the Oven of Akhnai, which appears in tomorrow's Daf (Bava Metzia 59)

Agra Di'Kallah (33) - Tazria and Metzora 5784 - Healing the Spiritual Illness at the Source - Apr 15, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

Agra Di'Kallah (32) - Shemini 5784 - Peeling Back the Layers to Reveal the King Within - Apr 4, 2024 -By Weinberg, Rabbi Moshe Tzvi

An idea developed by the Ketav Sofer on Megillat Esther resonates with something that appeared in Daf Yomi a few days ago and with the life and legacy of Senator Joe Lieberman. The idea of the Ketav Sofer appears here: https://www.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14083&pgnum=337 The idea that emerges on Bava Metzia 32b is here: Rashi s.v. אי אמרת …

Radbaz, R. David Ibn Abu Zimra, addresses the question of what constitutes 'overpaying' to ransom a Jewish captive. This episode gets into the economic and political realities of the 16th century in the Mediterranean basin, including the burgeoning slave trade, and the resulting attention to the great mitzvah of pidyon shevuyim, ransoming captives.…

Two of the greatest rabbis of the Bavli Jewish community in recent centuries address the status of a new type of fruit that arrived from the Far East. Is it a kosher etrog? The question is addressed in two responsa, one by R. Abdullah Somekh and one by his student, R. Yosef Hayyim, both of Baghdad. Link to the responsum: https://www.hebrewbooks.org…

We generally think of confession and penance as either a private matter between a person and God, or as a matter between the perpetrator and victim of a wrong. But not that long ago there were forms of penance that were very public. What's the idea behind them, and what can they teach us about social healing today? We will be studying and discussin…

The episode begins with some updates. First, an introduction to the "Book Journey" that I will begin next week. Sign up link:https://18forty.org/bookjourney/This is an outgrowth of the 18forty podcast episode in which R. David Bashevkin and I discussed the vision and reality of a Jewish polity governed by Halakhah. Here's a link to the episode:http…

On the conversation about Rome between Rashi, R. Yehuda, and R. Yosi

In this episode we look at several other passages from the Babylonian Talmud that oddly, anachronistically, and in contrast to sources from Eretz Yisrael, are set in Yavneh. We propose that the Bavli wanted to "bundle" these passages together so that we read them in light of one another. And what does that yield? That the Bavli envisioned the rabbi…

Rabbi Shimon bar Yohai (Rashbi) is one of the most evocative figures in Jewish history. Not only is he one of the greatest tanna'im and a primary disciple of Rabbi Akiva, but he is credited with composing the Zohar during the thirteen years that he lived in a cave, hiding from the Romans. In this series, we will look not only at the famous aggadot …

Some people use lettuce, and some use horseradish. But which is the "real" marror? Both? One or the other? In this episode we look at how two different sages, living a century apart, addressed this issue. It also gives us some insight into the personalities of these two great sages. The texts that we will study can be found here: Chacham Tzvi #120:…

Hakham Zvi #93 and She'elat Yaavetz 2:82 address the question of whether a golem - an artificial human, a manmade man - may be counted for a minyan. This seems like a really strange question, but it actually gets to some of the major philosophical issues of the 18th century. If God is compared to a Divine Clockmaker, does that mean that humans are …

According to a well-known narrative, the Bnei Yisrael did not change their names, language, or dress in Egypt. Elsewhere I have written about the origins and iterations of this and related ideas. See: https://www.academia.edu/28574595/_They_did_not_Change_their_Names_their_Language_or_their_Dress_The_Life_cycle_of_a_Peculiar_Midrashic_Variant. An i…

Recently there has been a lot of discussion about the origins of the people of Israel and who are the "real" descendants of the tribes of Israel. In this episode, we look at a responsum from the 1500s that indirectly addresses questions about how we "know" who is a Jew or Israelite. The question of how we know things is crucial for understanding th…

This episode is a bit of an experiment, to see if a recorded shiur with a little intro "works" as a podcast, as a millennial Twitter follower suggests. The topic is the teshuvah of Chavos Yair on the recitation of Kaddish by women, and it's an attempt to understand that particular responsum in its context. It is not intended practically. Here is a …

In honor of Thanksgiving, a short episode on why the great Jewish unconscious deemed turkey kosher (and Ashkenazim treated corn as kitniyot). Funny enough, it's the same reason

An approach to what we are trying to accomplish on Yom Kippur, weaving together themes from the two goats offered in the Temple, Moshe's argument to God to spare the people of Israel, Yitzchak Avinu's selection of Yaakov over Esav, and some basic ideas about labor, unions, and negotiation. This is an elaboration of something I said in my conversati…

Some more insights into how Elul became Elllluuuuullll, after some great listener feedback.

There's no doubt that Elul has a certain feel, a certain vibe. But if you look at classical sources, there's no mention of Elul being a time for introspection or repentance or, really, anything. How did it get to be the way it is?

Why do we answer אמן to our own recitation of the third berakhah of Birkat Hamazon? The answer is halakhic and has to do with the structuring of berakhot in series. Ashkenazim and Sephardim have slightly different approaches. But according to all, Birkat Hamazon doesn't really follow the rules. To understand what's going on behind the halakhah, we …

There was an entire section of our conversation that I forgot to publish. This was supposed to be part of the first episode with Prof. Saiman. I've added the recordings to that episode and also posted it as a "standalone" episode for people who already listened.

In this episode we discuss observances - specifically pilgrimages to the grave of Reb Shayale of Kerestir and other kivrei tzadikim in far-flung places, as well as schlissel challah, which are observed during this time of year - and consider the factors that may drive the significant surge in their popularity. I am joined once again by Prof. Chaim …

In this episode we delve into the murky origins of the Ashkenazic custom to avoid Pesach and offer what I think is the most compelling explanation. We also get into some other customs that originate in Medieval Ashkenaz. Finally, we offer some thoughts on the relationship between Ha Lachma Anya, Yachatz, and the Afikoman, concluding with some specu…

In this episode we delve into R. Chaim Kanievsky's treatise on tattoos, called Patshegen HaKetav, as an example of how he thought, organized, and wrote. Along the way, we get a bit sidetracked by halakhic questions pertaining to tattoos and even suggest a "mekor" for the mistaken belief that someone with a tattoo cannot be buried in a Jewish cemete…

On what made R. Chaim Kanievsky unique. And on the social leadership role that he held - or that was foisted upon him - in his later years.

In this final episode of the series on Peninei Halakha we get into the meat of the current controversy and its roots. We also discuss "wholesale" vs. "retail" Halakha and the importance of this distinction.

In this episode, I discuss three genres of halakhic writing: codes, commentaries ("nosei Kelim"), and responsa (teshuvot). Each genre has specific objectives and goals. After a discussion of commentaries, I begin the discussion of codes vs. responsa by looking at the rulings of Rav Melamed and Rav Asher Weiss on a particular issue, one that is the …

For Rav Melamed, the Torah is the blueprint for an ideal Jewish society in Eretz Yisrael. The details of halakha fit into a broader vision of that ideal society, and sometimes seemingly disparate areas of halakha work together in surprising ways.

Rav Eliezer Melamed has recently been criticized harshly by leading rabbis from the right wing of Religious Zionism. This affords an opportunity to introduce Rav Melamed and his ongoing magnum opus, Peninei Halakha. In this first episode, I detail who he is, what the Peninei Halakha project is, and where it fits in the history of halakha. The upsho…

Episode 10: We discuss an interesting phenomenon: Sometimes, the punishment that the Torah prescribes for sexual transgressions are not commensurate with the rhetorical severity ascribed to those same transgressions. This tendency becomes even more pronounced in the Neviim and Chazal. I cannot provide a reason for this gap, but I find that it can j…