ברכת השיר (part 1) YUTORAH: R' Yitzchak Etshalom -- Recent Shiurim podcast

34:32

Psalm 132: קומה ה' למנוחתך - May 21, 2025 - In this first part of a two-part shiur, we examine the longest of the שירי המעלה - Psalm 132. This psalm, evidently devoted to the city of Yerushalayim and the Divine choice of both the place and the Davidic line, is especially appropriate as we prepare to celebrate the 58th anniversary of the reunification of Yerushalayim under Jewish sovereignty. Noting that the psalm speaks in different voices, we note numerous related texts in Tanakh that may have either been inspired by, or been the inspiration for our psalm. קומה ה' למנוחתך, אתה וארון עוזך. And, indeed, may we soon see a fulfillment of the promise ואויביו אלביש בשת, ועליו יציץ נזרו.…

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Kaddish and the Idea of Jewish Nationalism 40:49

1 day ago40:49

40:49

Kaddish and the Idea of Jewish Nationalism - May 18, 2025 - What is the meaning of Kaddish and why does it require a quorum? How does the impetus for a public declaration shed light on the idea of לאומיות ישראלית - Jewish Nationalism? This talk was given at the annual Karen and Ariel Avrech z"l Memorial Lecture at Young Israel of Century City. יהי זכרם ברוך.…

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Vayyikra 16: זבח השלמים (part 4) 33:39

8 days ago33:39

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Vayyikra 16: זבח השלמים (part 4) - May 14, 2025 - As we conclude our analysis of זבח השלמים (for now), we continue the line of inquiry begun in the last shiur, to wit: the prohibitions of חלב ודם are part of a larger scope of prohibitions that are denied due to their sanctity, as we find with Shaatnez, which is prohibited yet utilized in the Mishkan, of a piece with the prohibitions of using the Incense or Anointing Oil for personal use. We follow this line and analyze the textual nuances of Parashat Tzitzit and its close association with the story of the "Meraglim".…

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Vayyikra 15: זבח השלמים (part 3) 33:38

15 days ago33:38

33:38

Vayyikra 15: זבח השלמים (part 3) - May 7, 2025 - In our continued analysis of the שלמים, we note that the prohibition of eating חֵלֶב appears, along with the prohibition of eating דם, within the context of זבח השלמים and follows the declaration that כל חֵלֶב לשם (all חֵלֶב belongs to God). This leads us to exploring the broader notion that some ritual prohibitions are not generated by the unseemliness of engaging with them, rather by the propriety of benefiting from that which rightly belongs to the מזבח - or, to put it more bluntly, is "God's own". We see this approach in the stern commands to avoid using the "oil of anointment" or the "incense" for personal use. In both of those cases, just as with חֵלֶב ודם, the punishment for intentionally using it for personal enjoyment is כרת. This is the first of a two-part analysis.…

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בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון: Shiur in honor of Yom ha'Atzma'ut - Psalm 126 39:23

22 days ago39:23

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בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון: Shiur in honor of Yom ha'Atzma'ut - Psalm 126 - Apr 30, 2025 - Since those miraculous days of 1948, there have been several proposals to amend the National Anthem with the recitation of Psalm 126 - בשוב ה' את שיבת ציון; famously, Menachem Begin read the entire Psalm in the Rose Garden before signing the Camp David Accords in 1979. The sense of seeing ancient prophecies fulfilled in our day and before our eyes is a powerful one, and this psalm uniquely captures that feeling of הגדיל ה' לעשות עמנו. We examine the psalm, first discussing the issue of authorship and period of the composition of Tehillim and then the method used to study Biblical poetry, specifically Tehillim. Barukh Hashem, in our day, we are experiencing the רינה of the harvesters, sadly mixed with the דמעה of the sowers.…

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Vayyikra 14: זבח השלמים (part 2) 33:10

29 days ago33:10

33:10

Vayyikra 14: זבח השלמים (part 2) - Apr 23, 2025 - Continuing our study of Sefer Vayyikra, we pick up our discussion of the Korban Shelamim (זבח השלמים). Noting the few special circumstances where either a שלמים was offered (e.g. Yitro's visit) or mandated (e.g. on Har Eval or for a Nazi upon the successful completion of his Nezirut), we propose a broad explanation for the type of feast that would exemplify the intent of a שלמים and use that explanation to revisit all of those instances where it is called for.…

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ברכת השיר (part 2) - נשמת כל חי 35:15

6 weeks ago35:15

35:15

ברכת השיר (part 2) - נשמת כל חי - Apr 9, 2025 - As we discussed in the previous shiur, the liturgical poem "Nishmat Kol Hai" is quite ancient and predates the era of the פייטנים. It is mentioned by R. Yohanan as the "Birkat haShir" which is to accompany the fourth (or fifth?) cup at the Seder. After reviewing some of the Halakhic considerations regarding its recitation - including a quick survey of the main approaches among the ראשונים regarding what is said over the fourth cup and if there is a fifth cup, we turn to the text itself and analyze it, line by line, seeing its development from a hymn about personal thanksgiving to a national-historic song of praise to an eschatological vision of universal acknowledgement of God's glory. I then suggest why this was an appropriate poem to be added to the Seder and, from there, to be instituted as the culmination of Psukei d'Zimra - what Haza"l referred to as "the daily Hallel" (הלל שבכל יום).…

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ברכת השיר (part 1) 38:22

7 weeks ago38:22

38:22

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Introduction to Midrash Arami Oved Avi 33:04

8 weeks ago33:04

33:04

Introduction to Midrash Arami Oved Avi - Mar 26, 2025 - As the Mishnah (Pesahim 10:4) codifies, the core text to be used in telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is Devarim 26:5-8 - "Arami Oved Avi" which, in 4 short verses, retells the story of the exile, servitude, pleas for deliverance and miraculous Exodus. We examine the earliest sources of the Midrash and demonstrate how our traditional Haggadah-text of this Midrash is a combination of several Midrashic strains - all brought together in a powerful and evocative style to help all participants to (potentially) reexperience Yetziat Mitzrayim, as it occurs בכל דור ודור - in every generation.…

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From Disgrace to Praise: A Reassessment 29:06

9 weeks ago29:06