Thoughts for Asara B'Tevet 5786
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Thoughts for Asara B'Tevet 5786, by Rav Moshe Taragin Was the Translation of Torah Tragic? Was the Holocaust a Historical Shift? When the Narrative Changes. Preserving Halakha and Masorah. The Dangers of Hyper-Preservationism in Charedi Culture
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Vayechi | David's Last Words: Moral Complexity and Leadership
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayechi | David's Last Words: Moral Complexity and Leadership, by Rav Eli Weber Understanding moral complexity reveals the Haftara's deepest wisdom about leadership and ethics. I Melakhim 2:1 - 2:12 This shiur examines the Haftara for Parshat Vayechi, which parallels King David's final charge to his son Shlomo with Yaakov's blessings to his children. The Haftara divides into two contrasting sections that seem almost contradictory, religious wisdom followed by orders to kill!
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Vayechi | Yaakov's Deathbed Charge
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayechi | Yaakov's Deathbed Charge, Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the rationale behind the sequence of Yaakov's deathbed blessings? In the final scene of Yaakov's storied life, he lies in his bed surrounded by all twelve of his sons - for the first time, named שבטי ישראל - the "tribes of Israel". He then imparts (blessings?) (prophecies?) (assignments?) to each of them in an unusual sequence and with an imbalanced emphasis towards two of his sons. We explore possibilities of Yaakov's intent in his final moments and suggest a far-reaching vision that our patriarch has - and which...
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Vayigash | 5786 | And I Will Make Them One Nation
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayigash | 5786 | And I Will Make Them One Nation, by Rav Eli Weber Yechezkel 37: 15-28 How do we create unity?
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Vayigash | "And Yosef Could No Longer Restrain Himself"
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayigash | "And Yosef Could No Longer Restrain Himself", by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why does the text add the phrase לכל הנצבים עליו when defining Yosef's inability to restrain his outburst? When Yosef is finally ready to reveal his identity to his brothers, the text uses a rare word - להתאפק - and tells us that ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו. This latter phrase is enigmatic and the Rishonim take a number of varied approaches to explain the role of the bystanders in his decision to empty the room before "the big reveal". We survey these...
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Mitzvat Chanuka | A Fresh Look at the "Beraitot" of Chanuka
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Mitzvat Chanuka | A Fresh Look at the "Beraitot" of Chanuka, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is "Sugyat Chanuka" the only place in the Bavli where a Mitzva is presented with a tiered system of fulfillment? (BT Shabbat 21b) Most students are familiar with the Beraitot defining the Mitzvah of Ner Chanuka, found near the beginning of the 2nd chapter of Masekhet Shabbat - including the tri-level performance schedule (basic, 'Mehadrin' and 'Mehadrin min haMehadrin'). We analyze this Beraita and the attendant discussion, identifying difficulties in the text along the way and then share the...
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Vayeshev 5786 | For Three Transgressions of Yisrael
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayeshev | 5786 | For Three Transgressions of Yisrael, by Rav Eli Weber Amos 2:6 - 3:8 How does God communicate with us?
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Vayeshev | The Apocrypha and the Midrash
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayeshev | The Apocrypha and the Midrash, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Is there anything legitimately "Jewish" about apocryphal Midrashim? We are accustomed to thinking of the Apocrypha (the "hidden" or "buried" writings of the 3rd century BCE through the first century CE) as external to our Rabbinic tradition and to reflecting purely sectarian approaches and interpretations. Yet - we sometimes find a common thread between the interpretive approaches taken in these somewhat esoteric books and those found in our "mainstream" Midrashic literature. We examine an unusual passage in the...
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Two Giants, One Vision: The Legacy of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and Rav Yehuda Amital zt"l
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Two Giants, One Vision: The Legacy of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and Rav Yehuda Amital, by Rabbi Michael Rosensweig Our overseas talmidim were zocheh to Rabbi Rosensweig, '73, telling them about his time at Gush with stories of Rav Lichtenstein zt"l and Rav Amital zt"l. The shiur examines how Yeshivat Har Etzion benefited from two contrasting gedolim: Rav Amital's passionate decisiveness and transformative honesty, and Rav Lichtenstein's analytical depth and measured deliberation. Like Yaakov Avinu who synthesized Avraham and Yitzchak's qualities, these leaders offered diverse role models...
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Vayishlach | 5786 | Thus says the Lord God Concerning Edom
KMTT - the Torah Podcast
Vayishlach | 5786 | Thus says the Lord God Concerning Edom, by Rav Eli Weber What was Esav's plan? Who is Edom?
info_outlineSukkot | Zman Simchatenu, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb
Sukkot and the simcha of second chances, in the words of the Alei Shur.