WebYeshiva.Org: Recent Episodes
webyeshiva
WebYeshiva.org, the world’s first fully interactive online Torah study program, was founded in 2007 by Rabbi Chaim Brovender with the goal of making Torah accessible to every Jew around the world. WebYeshiva.org a dynamic schedule of around-the-clock Torah study, providing live, interactive classes to students of all levels and backgrounds in a wide variety of topics. Our outstanding Rabbis and teachers join you from around the globe in your home, office, or on-the-go to replicate the nurturing spirituality of a conventional yeshiva and bring Jews from all over the world together.
This week we will detail which disqualifications (pesulei avodah – disqualifications of the sacrificial service) invalidate the Temple service—such as a zar (non-kohen), tamei (ritually impure), onen (a mourner on the day of burial), tevul-yom (one who immersed in a mikveh that day but must wait until nightfall), mechusar begadim (lacking the proper priestly garments), or sh’tuyei yayin (a kohen who drank wine)—deriving each from verses and showing how they apply in the Mikdash but not on a bamah (private altar). The Gemara further clarifies laws of priestly garments (too few, extra, torn, or soiled), belt placement, and chatzitzah (a barrier between the garments and the body), and then transitions to the requirement of kidush yadayim v’raglayim (sanctifying the hands and feet with water), including whether it lapses overnight and the mechanics of the kiyor (laver).
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-zevachim/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This week we will learn that certain sacrifices (notably chatat and pesach) are invalid if offered shelo lishman (not for its own sake), deriving this from scriptural links to shelamim and exploring when a Pesach defaults to a shelamim. The Gemara then probes whether improper intent in one avodah (service) (e.g., shechita) for another avodah (e.g., zerikah) disqualifies, and analyzes the principles of dichuy (permanent rejection of a korban).
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-zevachim/
As we begin Seder Kodshim with Masechet Zevachim, we will enter the world of sacrifices of the Temple. We will learn about the differences between different sacrifices and how they were used to worship God in the Temple.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-zevachim/
This week we will discuss the liability of the Sanhedrin and the community when an erroneous ruling is issued, focusing on whether communal or individual offerings are required. The sugyot analyze the roles of individuals, the king, and the High Priest in such cases, clarifying when they bring special offerings and how their status affects responsibility.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-horayot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Celebrating Rabbi Ebner's Life and Torah (September 14, 2026)Convened by Talmidei Yeshivat Hamivtar and WebYeshiva.org. Speakers: R. Jeffrey Saks, R. Chaim Brovender, R. Yitzchak Blau, R. Todd Berman, and Mrs. Shulamith Teitz Ebner, with remembrances from talmidim from throughout the decades.
As Masechet Horayot comes to a close join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he hosts Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein and Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz, WebYeshiva’s Daf Yomi teachers, for personal reflections on teaching Seder Nezikim.
Masechet Horayot deals with the laws of unintentionally performed sins—based on errant rulings by leading authorities and actions of entire communities—and the types of sin-offerings (korbanot) required as atonement. Chapter 2 begins by focusing on the anointed priest (Kohen HaGadol) and the Nasi (king), exploring when and what offerings they bring if they err in judgment and they follow their mistaken rulings.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-horayot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
As we conclude Masechet Avoda Zara we will learn about yayin nesech mixed with permitted wine or with water. The Gemara also discusses how to kasher a winepress that was used by an idolater. And finally, we will learn how to kasher various utensils.
Mazal tov on finishing Masechet Avoda Zara!
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will learn about mixtures and nullification. The Gemara explores cases where forbidden wine mixes with permitted wine, or other forbidden things mix with permissible things. Principles like noten ta’am (whether the forbidden taste is noticeable) and batel b’shishim (nullification in sixty) are discussed, along with whether wine carries stricter rules. There is also consideration of vessels used by non-Jews and whether absorbed wine makes them prohibited.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Dovid finally becomes king over the entire nation. What will his kingdom look like? In tonight’s class we will see how he tries to balance politics, wars and making sure Gd is the centerfold of it all!
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week, we will continue to focus on yayin nesech (wine libated for idolatry), the extent of contact that makes wine forbidden, and whether a gentile merely touching or moving wine is enough. The Gemara then continues with cases of gentile contact with wine, like dripping, pouring, or shaking, and explores whether sealed containers protect wine from becoming prohibited.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will learn about the worship of specific pagan gods. The Gemara also teaches the laws of objects used tangentially for idolatry. We will then learn how an idolater or a Jew can nullify an idol.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week the Gemara discusses objects associated with idolatry, including the prohibition of deriving benefit from ornaments or accessories of idols. We will also learn how one can nullify an idol. We will then learn how to identify prohibited trees used for idol worship and how to nullify them.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Since we didn’t get far in last weeks shiur, this week we are picking up where we left off of Avner joining Dovids side and heading out of palace with the claim that he will be able to bring the entire nation to Dovid!
Will he succeed? Is Dovid about to take the throne over the entire Nation? We will hopefully see tonight!
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This week we will delve into the prohibitions surrounding food prepared by non-Jews, such as bishul akum (cooked food), cheese, and wine, with concerns about intermarriage and idol worship influencing the enactments. We will also learn about Kashering utensils that have been used for forbidden foods. We will then begin the third chapter and discuss the difference between idols and statues of idolaters.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Daf 29–35 of Masechet Avoda Zara explore the permissibility of benefiting from various items associated with idol worship, particularly food and drink. The Gemara discusses detailed laws regarding wine touched or owned by non-Jews, vinegar, cheese, pottery, and leather flasks, explaining which cases are forbidden and which are permitted due to concerns of intermarriage or idolatry.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This week we will focus on prohibitions related to benefiting from or facilitating idolatry through animals and commerce. We will learn whether a Jew may allow an idolater to care for his animal, concerned that the animal may be used for idolatrous purposes. The chapter then expands to broader economic interactions—such as renting property, teaching trades, and selling items—that might enable or support idol worship, with the underlying goal of distancing Jews from participation or complicity in avoda zara.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will explore restrictions on transacting with idolaters around their festivals—including buying, selling, lending, or renting—to prevent benefiting their idolatrous worship, with differing views on whether prohibition applies only before or also during the festivals. We will also learn about the tragic death of Rabbi Chananya ben Tradyon.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week, we will explore the significance of time and dates associated with idolatrous festivals. Due to concerns about strengthening idol worship, business dealings with idolaters before and during their holidays are prohibited. We will also learn of the special relationship Antoninus had with Rebbi. The Gemara also teaches about Unkelous, the famous convert.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Once IshBoshet fell out of Avner’s good graces, he is told he will lose the kingdom. Avner will quickly turn on him to throw his support to Dovid. But will this guarantee Dovid the empire? And how will Dovids supporters take to the idea of letting Avner join them?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This week we will begin Masechet Avoda Zara by discussing the future judgment of the nations of the world, where they attempt to justify themselves before God by claiming to have supported Torah study. Their claims are refuted, revealing that their motivations were self-serving, and the unique value of Torah and mitzvot—especially Shabbat—is emphasized. We will also explore the prohibition of engaging in commerce with idolaters before their festivals and introduce foundational principles for avoiding any support or association with idolatry.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-avodah-zara/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Now that Shaul is dead can Dovid take the throne? Will people support him or did Shaul turn too many people against him believing Dovd was a rebel? And if they won’t accept Dovid, who will be the leader of this shattered nation? We will get to see how all the challenges unfold.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
We will delve deeper into shevuat ha’pikadon (oath of collateral), analyzing cases where a person denies receiving a deposit or loan and then falsely swears, including the number of claims and oaths required for liability. The Gemara distinguishes between monetary and non-monetary oaths, examines the role of multiple claimants and defendants, and discusses the precise language needed to create an obligation. The final dapim shift focus to shevuat ha’eidut (oath of witnesses) again, especially in scenarios involving partial admissions, coercion, and complex witness dynamics, all contributing to the broader understanding of when and how oaths carry legal and sacrificial consequences.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he explores the special ‘Al Tira’ prayer and how it teaches us to spiritually wrestle with fear, and harness our faith in times of danger.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/faith-fear-and-prayer-in-times-of-danger/
We saw that Dovid was saved by not having to fight with the Plishtim against the Jewish People. Tonight we will learn a story where Hashem’s “hand” is more hidden but is most definitely protecting Dovid from tragic mistakes-and reminds us that chessed doesn’t always feel good in the moment.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week we will continue discussing the laws of shevuat ha’edut (the oath regarding testimony), focusing on who is obligated, when one is liable, and which types of testimony are excluded—such as testimony by women, relatives, or invalid witnesses. The Gemara also explores shevuat ha’pikadon (an oath denying having received a deposit), including cases where the oath is made falsely and what conditions create liability for sacrifice.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Now that Dovid is living with the Plishtim, Shaul is no longer willing to chase after him. But a major war is brewing from the Plishtim against the Jews. The last few prakim of Shmuel alef will “ping pong” the perspectives and situations of Dovid and Shaul and how the war will change both of their lives.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week, we will learn the concept of a vain oath and what a person would be liable for. The 4th chapter deals with an oath made by someone who may have information that can help a litigant in court. We will learn who can be made to swear and by whom, and if they lie, they are liable to bring a sacrifice.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will continue to learn the various categories of oaths (shevuot), distinguishing between oaths regarding past or future actions and exploring liability for violating them, even unintentionally. The Gemara examines the interplay between oaths and other prohibitions, such as korbanot and mitzvot, and how an oath cannot override a pre-existing Torah obligation.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
We will jump back into the lives of Dovid and Shaul. We will learn about their next encounter where again Shaul will be chasing to kill Dovid but Dovid will have the upper hand and again choose the “high road” to prove his loyalty to Shaul. But it will be a breaking point for Dovid of how long he can keep repeating this cycle and come out unscathed….
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for a special Yom Yerushalayim shiur. From a personal perspective and based on current events, where does the Jewish People’s relationship with Jerusalem stand?
This week, we will explore key halakhic discussions related to tumah (impurity) and the Temple. The Gemara delves into the laws of entry to the Azarah (Temple courtyard) while in a state of impurity, the distinctions between various kinds of tumah, and the obligations for korbanot (offerings) brought for transgressions, especially those involving uncertainty (safek). It also analyzes comparisons between impurity and other prohibitions, discusses when awareness of impurity is significant, and introduces foundational principles for determining liability in cases of doubt.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
After Dovid is able to escape from Shaul yet again he hides in the caves on Ein Gedi. Shaul will continue to chase him for the next many months. Tonight we will watch their encounter in Ein Gedi, and get to meet Avigayil, who will become the second of Dovid’s wives.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week the Gemara explores distinctions between intentional and unintentional oaths, oaths related to past versus future actions, and how liability is incurred depending on awareness and intent. It also delves into the Torah sources for these laws, linking them to broader concepts like atonement, sacrifices, and the precision of language in legal contexts.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Shaul concerns and fears are now overtaking him and he can no longer hold them in. He is taking more of a stance with his servants of “if you’re not with me, you’re against me” which motivates Doeg to tell Shaul where he last saw Dovid. Tonight we will see the ramifications of that incident and how far Shaul is willing to go to kill Dovid.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Masechet Shvuot begins with an unusual feature: it doesn’t open with a direct definition of “shevuot” (oaths), but instead with a statement that lists different legal categories that the tractate will cover, including tumah (impurity), bi’at mikdash (entering the Temple in a state of impurity), yediot hatumah (knowledge of impurity), and various types of oaths (shevuot). The Mishna explains that some of these cases involve two that are actually four—referring to the idea that the Torah mentions two, and the Rabbis derive an additional two.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-shevuot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
After Shaul tries to ambush Dovid outside his home and Dovid is able to escape, Dovid still has doubts if he is guilty of any crimes. He runs to Yonatan and together they came up with a plan. In tonight’s shiur we will see the actualization of that plan and what Dovid will have to do when he learns how Shaul truly feels about him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This week we will focus on the laws of malkot (lashes), detailing when a person receives lashes, how many, and for which transgressions. It explains how lashes are administered, the physical requirements of the transgressor, and how this punishment serves as atonement—cleansing the sinner spiritually. The chapter ends with a powerful and uplifting aggadic passage where Rabbi Akiva and other sages see a fox emerging from the ruins of the Temple, and while the others weep, Rabbi Akiva laughs—expressing hope and faith that just as the prophecies of destruction were fulfilled, so too will the prophecies of redemption.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-makkot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for a special Yom HaAtzmaut shiur as he reflects on where the Jewish People and the State of Israel are holding 77 years after declaring independence.
This week we will explore the laws of ir miklat (cities of refuge), discussing who is eligible to flee there, how long they stay, and the symbolic role of the Kohen Gadol’s death in ending their exile. We will then begin the third chapter of Masechet Makot and learn who gets the punishment of lashes and why.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-makkot/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This week we will begin Masechet Makkot by examining cases where false witnesses (eidim zomemim) are liable for punishment, including when their false testimony could not have possibly been true, and debates whether they receive the punishment they intended to inflict or not. In the second chapter, the Gemara explores distinctions between different types of murderers—intentional vs. unintentional—and elaborates on the legal process that determines who goes to a city of refuge (ir miklat).
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-makkot/
This week we will begin with discussions about King David’s sin with Batsheva and the consequences of his actions, followed by reflections on repentance and divine justice. The later pages focus on the downfall of the wicked kings of Israel and the rebellion of Korach, culminating in a broader conversation about false prophets, rebellious cities, and how the Torah guides dealing with internal threats to the spiritual and moral fabric of the nation.
Kol Hakavod for finishing Masechet Sanhedrin!
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Tragic 20th Century Haggadot: In this class, I speak about 20th century rewritten haggadot that were responses to the time when they were written:
The Hitler Haggadah, written in 1943 by an anonymous author during the Allied liberation of North Africa through Operation Torch.
A Survivors’ Haggadah, created in 1946 by Holocaust survivors in displaced persons camps near Munich, Germany.
The Haggadah of Freedom, written by survivors and families of October 7, 2023
Tonight, our final in a series on the Maggid portion of the Haggadah, we will explore the notion how a Voice carries lifeforce to its listeners, and how the Voice is cut into expressions of sounds, letters and speech, dibbur, that transfer meanings to a person's inner being. These meanings trigger memories that activate feelings that prompt actions.
All of this communication is to bring us to express our deepest truth, and Rebbe Nachman says most people don't believe in their prayers. How does this tie into the famous advice of many teachers, "To teach Torah we believe in what we say." So too the Maggid, and so too every Jew in prayer.
Nirtzah is the last step along the way on Seder night, but is it the end of the Seder? Join Rabbanit Fran Miller as she explores how nirtzah can be a stepping stone to endless telling of the Passover story.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
When it comes to the Haggadah read on Seder Night, Maggid is the longest section encompassing many important and inspiring depths and wonders about Yetziat Mitzrayim. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he explores telling the Passover story, as presented in the Haggadah.
From ushering in Pesach in the synagogue to singing late at night, reciting Hallel is a major part of the experience. Join Rabbi Yitzhak Zuriel as he explores Hallel on Seder night.
Sometimes doing something everyday, as easy as it may seem, may pose a challenge including what to do if you miss a night. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischmanas he reviews the laws of counting the Omer and explores the deeper meaning of the forty nine day lead up to Matan Torah.
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Makat bechorot, the killing of the first born across Egypt, was what finally got Pharaoh to open the gates of Mitzrayim to B’nei Yisrael. JoinIlana Goldstein Saks and explore Rashi’s unique understanding of the event and it’s connection to the korban Pesach.
“Eliyahu, come on in!” What’s the origin of the idea that Eliyahu the Prophet shows up at every Seder around the time of Barech? And is that really why we pour an extra cup of wine and open the door? Join Rabbi Uri Cohen in exploring the development of a popular tradition.
When it comes to the Haggadah read on Seder Night, Maggid is the longest section encompassing many important and inspiring depths and wonders about Yetziat Mitzrayim. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he explores telling the Passover story, as presented in the Haggadah.
This week we will discuss various aggadic and halachic topics, including the dangers of scoffing at Torah, the fate of different biblical figures in the World to Come, and stories about the downfall of wicked individuals like Nebuchadnezzar and Bilaam. The Gemara explores the tension between divine justice and mercy, illustrating how even great scholars can be led astray by arrogance or improper influence. The section also includes vivid narratives about the power of repentance, the consequences of sin, and the ultimate redemption of Israel.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Tzafun, in many ways, ties the start of the Seder to it’s end. Join Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz as she explores how the bread of affliction is truly that which brings hope and the ultimate redemption.
The Maxwell House Haggadah is the most popular haggadah in history, with over 60 million printed, and another million copies every year. For Americans, it is the epitome of what a haggadah should be.
So how did a Tennessee coffee company come to produce the greatest haggadah of all time?
In this class I answer these questions and more:
How did Maxwell House coffee come to be associated with a Haggadah?
How has the Maxwell House Haggadah changed over the years?
How do different editions of the Maxwell House Haggadah reflect the changing dynamic in American Jewry?
We will look further into the patterns and paradigms of Maggid, the recitation of the Haggada on Leil haSeder. We have seen many allusions to the ideas of contraction and expansion in the story of the Jewish people, and its significance for the individual. Tonight we will look for the allusions that lead us to the Unity, the receiving the Torah and becoming a nation. Surprises are always on the way.
Most of us eagerly await Shulchan Orech, but what is it we’re waiting for? Join Mrs. Sarah Rudolph explore everyone’s favorite part of the Pesach seder and see what makes this meal different from all other meals.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
When it comes to the Haggadah read on Seder Night, Maggid is the longest section encompassing many important and inspiring depths and wonders about Yetziat Mitzrayim. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he explores telling the Passover story, as presented in the Haggadah.
Sometimes it’s hard for kids under 12 or 13 to sit still at the table for long periods of time and Seder night can be the ultimate test. Join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he explores a parent’s chinuch obligations for children under bar or bat mitzvah age. If they are not obligated in certain mitzvot, what should shape their experience? How much should a parent push them to participate in the Haggadah?
For many Ashkenazim, the Pesach custom of Kitniyot (legumes and a bunch of other foods) involves (1) not eating them and (2) complaining instead. Does it have to be this way? Join Rabbi Uri Cohen as he reevaluates the meaning of the Kitniyot custom and recommends some practical leniencies.
Korech, otherwise known as the Hillel sandwich, is a brief step on the way to eating the Seder meal, but it has great significance and pays homage to the long tradition of various Talmudic opinions. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischmanas he explores the fascinating message of korech, and how a personality like Hillel was able to make this custom last.
What is the reason we eat marror on Seder night? Isn’t it enough to tell how bitter life was in Egypt? Join Sepha Kirshblum as she explores marror from the Torah’s vantage point and how we are supposed to understand its significance for all time.
When it comes to the Haggadah read on Seder Night, Maggid is the longest section encompassing many important and inspiring depths and wonders about Yetziat Mitzrayim. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he explores telling the Passover story, as presented in the Haggadah.
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Why is this night different from all other nights? One reason is we eat matzah for the first time. Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores Motzi Matzah, and why matzah -eating it, seeing it, talking about it, and more is such a significant part of Seder night.
This week we will discuss the Messianic era, the resurrection of the dead, and the rewards for the righteous. The Gemara describes the unique qualities of the Messiah, debates who will merit resurrection, and emphasizes the importance of Torah study and good deeds. The section also explores the nature of ultimate redemption, contrasting those who prepare for the future world with those who neglect spiritual growth.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
The Birds’ Head Haggadah: In this class we look at the earliest illuminated haggadah, known as The Birds’ Head Haggadah, because many of the people in the illustrations appear to have birds’ heads.
We will address a number of issues, including
Why do most of the people in the Haggadah not have human heads?
Why do they have birds’ heads?
Why do some of them wear funny hats?
What is the historical context of this Haggadah?
Tonight on our exploration of Maggid, the recitation of the Hagadah on the Night of Passover, we will begin with a deep story of the Baal Shem Tom, and try to understand the connection of the story to the nature and essence of Matzah, and its place in the history of Jewish people. This is a story that never ends.
Rachtzah is the ritual washing of the hands before saying the Hamotzi blessing. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischmanas he explores the added significance to this custom on Seder night.
When it comes to the Haggadah read on Seder Night, Maggid is the longest section encompassing many important and inspiring depths and wonders about Yetziat Mitzrayim. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he explores telling the Passover story, as presented in the Haggadah.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Yachatz, breaking the middle matzah is a simple act, as half is put away for the afikoman. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischmanas he opens up the depths of this fourth step of the Seder.
Why is Karpass the first food we eat during the Seder and what does it symbolize in terms of meaning and practice? Join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he explores the world of Karpass.
Is urchatz technical or symbolic? Join Rabbi Gidon Rothstein as he explores why tonight of all nights we wash before eating a vegetable, and what it does or doesn’t have to do with the Seder.
When Seder night occurs on a Saturday night, the biggest issue regarding how to prepare is how to deal with chametz on the preceding Shabbat. Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the rules for eating chametz at Shabbat meals, how to destroy or dispose of any leftover chametz in it’s proper time, and more.
The first step of the Pesach Seder and the Haggadah, and in some ways the introduction to the journey out of Egypt, is Kaddesh. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he explores Kiddush Seder night.
The Oldest Haggadot: We look at some of the oldest haggadot, from the Cairo Geniza, from Rav Sa’adia Gaon and from Rambam, and see how various parts of the seder have changed over time, and especially the difference between the Babylonian traditions and the Israeli traditions.
Welcome to our erev Pesach zman of casses, focusing on the ‘Maggid’ of the Hagadah of Peasach. Each week we will explore the nature of this role, this effort and expresion woven by the Sages into a multi-layered experience of ritual guidance, historical perspective, family interactive and group praise of Hashem.
The simple surface of the story the Maggid tells is anything but simple.
Can the hot water urn used all year long be used on Pesach if it never touched chametz? What about the coffee grinder or french press, the electric mixer, the hot plate, the cuisinart, the non-chametz sandwich maker? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores issues surrounding using year round appliances that didn’t contain chametz, on Pesach.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the issues involved when inviting non-Jews to the Pesach Seder including: Non-Jews handling or touching wine and grape juice at the Passover Seder; teaching Torah to non-Jews at the Passover Seder, a non-Jewish helper who might happen to be there, and more.
This week we will discuss the rebellious elder (zaken mamre), parental dishonor, and the authority of the High Court. The Gemara examines judicial power, witness credibility, and those who lose their share in the World to Come. We will also explore the topics of resurrection, national revival through Ezekiel’s dry bones, and debates on the afterlife.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
As Shaul’s fear of Dovid grows, his desire to kill him intensifies. We watch how the people who love Dovid will take extreme measures to protect him even if it means manipulating or lying to their own father.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week we will discuss the distinctions between intentional and unintentional murder, cases of indirect killing, and the requirements for execution. We will explore specific transgressions warranting the death penalty, such as striking or cursing a parent, the rebellious son (ben sorer u’moreh), and certain sexual offenses, detailing the conditions under which punishment applies. The Gemara also examines the methods of execution, the role of the court, and broader principles of justice in Torah law.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh YeshivaRabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
As Dovid becomes more beloved by everyone he meets, Shaul feels more and more threatened. He will start looking for more and more creative ways to get Dovid killed, hoping that if he “takes out” the competition maybe he can keep the throne.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
This class is about the addition for Rosh Chodesh and Festivals, Ya’aleh veyavo.
I try to answer these questions:
Why do we only say Ya’aleh veyavo on Rosh Chodesh and Festivals, but not on Shabbat or Chanukah or Purim?
Why is there such a long thesaurus of words at the introduction of the prayer?
What is the connection between remembrance and Rosh Chodesh or Festivals?
I spend quite a bit of time going through the Vilna Gaon’s commentary on Ya’aleh veyavo, where he shows the connection between the words of the blessing and the seven heavens.
For the original course page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will discuss various cases of self-defense, capital punishment, and rebellious behavior. THe Gemara explores the concept of rodef (a pursuer), allowing lethal force to stop someone attempting murder or severe harm, and the laws regarding a ben sorer u’moreh (rebellious son), whose extreme disobedience and gluttony are seen as indicators of a dangerous future.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh YeshivaRabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
In last week’s shiur we met Dovid for the first time, but we didn’t get to know him much more than his physical description. Tonight we learn the famous story of his fight with Goliat and his passion for Gd and His honor. This story will not only be an introduction to getting to know Dovid but will literally be the paradigm of who he is and what drives him in so many scenes through the sefer.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week will begin learning about the rebellious son. We will learn what makes him rebellious and why he is punished even though he is a minor.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh YeshivaRabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
After seeing the mistakes Shaul made as king we can now have a better understanding of what Hashem is looking for in the next one. In tonight’s shiur we will see the choosing of Dovid and what Hashem highlights about him in the pshat. We will then get to see Shaul meet him for the first time and how their relationship begins to develop.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
This week we will learn about the prohibition of Idolatry, what actions are prohibited and what punishment one gets if he transgresses. We will learn the different types of worship for different pagan gods.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh YeshivaRabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
David’s journey to kingship found him in various situations which allowed him to gain invaluable experience for his eventual time on the throne. Join Sepha Kirshblum as she explores the emotional side of this journey and how it made him the leader he needed to be.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/king-davids-diaries/
Rabbi Saadia Gaon’s sefer Emunot V’Deot (Book of Beliefs and Opinions) innovated the genre of Jewish philosophy. Long before Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi and the Rambam, R. Saadia paved the road for viewing Jewish principles through a lens of classic Greek philosophy, the science of his time, and is justifiably where Jewish philosophy begins. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores this important, monumental work, tracing the differences in approach between R. Saadia and those who came after him.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/emunot-vdeot-the-first-book-of-jewish-philosophy/
Concluding meditation: This is the final section of the Amida, after the conclusion of the 19 blessings.
In this class I will answer some of these questions:
Who wrote this prayer?
Why is this prayer in the singular, not plural?
Why is the focus on speaking evil (lashon hara)?
What is the relationship between sacrifices and prayers?
For the original course page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will continue learning about the other 3 types of capital punishment that the Sanhedrin was able to carry out. The Gemara teaches which sins were punished by which type of death. Each death was carried out as mercifully as possible.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh YeshivaRabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Blessing of Peace: This class is about the final blessing of the Amida, the blessing of peace.
Why are there two forms of this blessing, “Sim Shalom” and “Shalom Rav”?
Why does it follow Birkat Cohanim?
Why is this the last blessing?
Why do we say “peace on us” even when praying alone?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
Birkat Cohanim part 2: This is the second shiur on Birkat Cohanim. In it, I address:
How do the Cohanim give the blessing?
Why do Levi’im wash the hands of the Cohanim?
What does the Shaliach Tzibbur do?
What does the congregation do?
How sure does he have to be that he is a Cohen?
Can non-Cohanim give the blessing?
When do we recite the Priestly Blessing — daily? On festivals?
Other uses of the Priestly Blessing
For the original course page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
Birkat Cohanim part 1: This is the first of a two-part shiur on the Priestly Blessing, Birkat Cohanim. In it, we look at:
The importance of Birkat Cohanim
The verses relating to the Priestly Blessing
The reason this blessing comes between thanksgiving and peace
Who is blessed in this blessing
How should the cohanim conduct themselves while giving the blessing
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week the Gemara describes the process of stoning a person. The person is pushed off a structure by one of the witnesses that convicted him. If he doesn't die from the fall, the second witness throws a heavy stone off the structure. The body is hanged for a moment and then buried right away.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Al Hanisim: In a pre-Chanukah special, this class will look at the Al Hanisim prayer, added on Chanukah and Purim (but we will focus on the Chanukah one this time and leave the Purim one for a few months)
Who was “the Hasmonean”?
How did the Greeks make the Jews “forget Your Torah”?
I understand why it is miraculous to deliver the strong into the hand of the week, and the numerous into the hands of the few, but why does purity, righteous or diligent students affect success in war?
Why does the prayer not mention that the menorah burned for eight days?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will finish the fourth chapter and learn the entire fifth chapter of Masechet Sanhedrin. We will learn how a court of 23 judges capital cases. We will also learn how the court questioned witnesses with 2 types of questions.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will learn when a litigant can bring evidence to overturn the verdict. The Gemara teaches 10 differences between a monetary case and a capital case.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Hoda’ah (Thanksgiving)-In this class we will look at the 18th blessing of the Shemoneh Esrei (Amida).
We will answer some of these questions:
What is the connection between sacrifice and thanksgiving?
What does “Modim” mean?
Why do we bow during Modim?
Why does the congregation recite something different only for this blessing?
Why is that called Modim d’Rabbanan?
Why do we thank God for being able to thank God?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will learn how courts of 3 judges are set up. We will also learn that each litigant has the right to disqualify the other's judge or witnesses. The Gemara also teaches which people are disqualified to be judges and witnesses.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Tefillah and Avoda-In this class we will look at the 16th and 17th blessings of the Shemoneh Esrei (Amida).
I investigate the relationship between prayer and sacrifices and also answer the following questions (and more)
Why do we need a prayer about prayer? Isn’t it redundant?
Did they pray for the sacrifices when the Temple stood?
Did they pray when the Temple stood?
Why do we end the prayer “Return the Shechina to Zion” if the Divine Presence never left the Western Wall?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week, we will learn about the Great Sanhedrin, which consisted of 71 elders. We will also learn specific laws that apply to the High Priest and a King. We will learn the entire second chapter of Masechet Sanhedrin this week.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Jerusalem/Mashiach-n this class we will look at the 14th and 15th blessings of the Shemoneh Esrei (Amida).
I answer these questions and more:
Both blessings refer to Mashiach. Why are they two separate berachot?
Why were the Men of the Great Assembly praying for Jerusalem if they had just returned to Jerusalem?
Are we supposed to act on this prayer and rebuild Jerusalem ourselves?
Who is the Messiah?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week, we will learn that we need three judges to extend a month or make a leap year. We will also learn the reasons for making a year a leap year. The Gemara teaches that 3 judges are needed to give ordination (semicha) to a Rabbi.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Tzadikim (‘the righteous’)-Some of the questions we will consider as we learn about the 13th blessing of the Amida (Shemoneh Esrei):
What is the difference between the pious, the elders and the remnant of the scholars?
Why are converts explicitly mentioned – are they not included in the other categories of righteous?
If we are praying for the righteous, why do we include ourselves?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
As we begin Masechet Sanhedrin, we will learn how many judges are needed for every type of court case. Monetary cases need 3 judges, and capital cases need 23 judges. We will also learn about the Great Sanhedrin which was comprised of 71 judges.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-sanhedrin/
Against Heretics: In this class the blessing which begins Velamalshinim…
Some of the questions I’ll attempt to answer:
- Why was there a need for this extra blessing?
- Who was Shmuel Hakatan and why was he the only one who could write this text?
- When we say this prayer nowadays, who are we talking about?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
For our last class in Masechet Bava Batra, we will learn that the lender must write a new document if a loan is partially paid back. The Masechet ends by discussing guarantors who sign loan documents and who is responsible for paying back the loan.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
As Bava Batra comes to a close and we are on the cusp of starting Masechet Sanhedrin, join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he hosts Rabbi Dr. Gidon Rothstein and Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz, WebYeshiva’s Daf Yomi teachers, for personal reflections on teaching daf yomi.
Ingathering and Justice: In this class we cover the next two blessings of the Amida — ingathering of the exiles and establishing courts and justice
We attempt to answer these and other questions:
- If the prayers were established by the Men of the Great Assembly at the beginning of the Second Temple period, why did they ask for ingathering of exiles?
- We already asked for redemption in an earlier blessing. Why do we repeat it?
- Why do we ask for God to rule over us alone? Do we not want a king or mashiach?
- If we want God to rule over us, why do we need judges?
- Why does the prayer say, “Remove sorrow and sighing from us”?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will continue to learn about how contracts were written. We will see that certain areas of the document can have blank spaces whereas other areas cannot. We will also learn how we interpret discrepancies in the document as well.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Prosperity: In this class we discuss the following issues:
Why our prayers for rain are based on the agricultural cycle of ancient Iraq.
How we ended up with December 5th outside Israel.
What do people in the southern hemisphere do?
Why do people in Israel still wait two weeks, when there are no longer thousands of people who have to return on foot to Babylon after visiting the Temple for the festival?
* And what should we do it we do not need rain from December 5 until Pesach?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week, we will learn that if a father and a son die around the same time and we don’t know who died first, we split the estate between both their heirs or the estate remains in the possession of whoever had it at the time of death. The same is true for a husband and wife and a man and his mother. We will then begin the last chapter of Baba Batra by learning about two different types of documents.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Refuah: This class is about the blessing of healing, in the Shemoneh Esrei (Amida).
In it, I attempt to answer some of the following questions:
- If it is God’s will that someone should be ill, why pray for God to heal them?
- Is this prayer for everyone, for myself or for specific people?
- Why do we mention the mother’s name when praying for the sick?
- How sick must someone be before we should pray for them?
- Should we pray for someone on their deathbed to recover? What if they signed a DNR?
- If we believe that prayer is effective, is there any need to go to a doctor?
- If prayer is effective, why did the Talmud give cures for certain diseases?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will learn that is a person is on their deathbed, and they give away all their possessions, if they recover, they can retract the gift they gave. But if they retained ownership of some of their estate, the gift is permanent and can't be retracted even if the person recovers.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week, we will learn that when a father dies and leaves older sons and younger sons, they split the estate’s gain. If they want, they can divide the estate at the beginning, and then each son keeps his own gain. We will also learn about the concept of Shushvinut (like a groomsman), when a friend of the groom brings a gift to the wedding, the groom is obligated to reciprocate the gift at the friend’s wedding.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
This week we will learn that when a person is on their deathbed, their statements are taken seriously. Therefore, if they say “Give my estate to Reuven”, we listen to him and it doesn’t need to be written in a contract. We will also learn that a father can give his land to his son and retain rights to the produce while he is alive.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Geulah: In this episode the prayer for redemption is not for the ultimate messianic redemption — because we pray for that later in the amida. Rather it is for personal redemption and national redemption while in exile.
In this class we look at some examples of suffering and redemption from suffering, to gain a deeper understanding of the blessing of redemption — geulah
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
we will learn that a person has the right to gift his possessions to whomever he chooses. But he can only bequeath his inheritance to those who are eligible to inherit him. A father is believed to say that someone is his son and that he is the firstborn.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
This week we will learn that the firstborn son gets a double portion of his father’s estate. He gets double of whatever we in his father’s possession when he died.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Selichah: In this episode the sixth blessing of the Amida is for atonement. We ask “Selach Lanu” — forgive us our Father. In this class I ask the following questions, and answer some of them: Why do we switch between “Our Father” and “Our King”? What is the difference between “sinned” and “transgressed”? Repentance on Yom Kippur takes a whole month and an entire day. How can we sincerely ask for repentance three times a day?
Why do we recite this prayer even in maariv immediately after Yom Kippur? Why is it in the plural? How can I atone for someone else’s sins?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5785/
Teshuvah: In this episode the fifth blessing is for repentance. However, the blessing raises several deep theological questions.
In this class, we will attempt to answer some of the following questions: Why does the blessing say “cause us to return” to the Torah, rather than “come to the Torah”? Why does it say “bring us near” and not bring us all the way? And most fundamentally, Repentance is up to us, not God. Doesn’t this entire blessing contradict the concept of free will?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will learn in what order family members inherit their father’s estate. We will then learn the story of the Daughters of Tzlofchad and how they inherited their father’s portion in the Land of Israel.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Da’at: In this episode we move from sacred to profane (in the words of Rav Kook, based on the Talmud), from kedusha to chol. We look at the importance of knowledge to distinguish between holy and profane, between Shabbat and weekday.
The Talmud connects knowledge to the creation of fire (reminiscent of Prometheus, the fire-giver who’s name means “forethought.”) Knowledge means morality, knowing right from wrong. And it leads to the ultimate knowledge of Gd.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will learn that when a person sells a field “with its borders”, he means approximately. Therefore, if he errs in his measurement by less than a sixth, it's a valid sale. If it's more than a sixth, the buyer must pay for the extra land or return it. We will then begin Chapter 8 which discusses the laws of inheritance. We will learn who takes precedence over whom when a family member passes away to that land.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
The Yamim Noraim, the High Holidays, start with Rosh Hashanah and end with Sukkot. Initially, while the focus of our prayers the month preceding Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are on teshuvah, the Hoshanat prayers of Sukkot go back to temple times and focus on protecting the natural world from humans to plants, and so on.
Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores the significance of Hoshanot in the Beit Hamikdash as אנא ה הושיעה נא would be said while surrounding the altar and how that translates to our practice of Hoshanot today.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/hoshanot-in-depth/
Kedushat ha-Shem: In this episode when reciting the kedusha prayer, should we look upwards or downwards? Eyes open or closed? Where is G-d’s “place”? And what is holiness anyway?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we will learn about someone who owns a cistern on someone else's property. He has the right to access it during the day but not at night. If someone has a public path through his field, he cannot decide to move that path. If he does, he loses the rights to the original and new paths. We will also learn how people were buried in the time of the Mishna and Gemara and what rights people had to that land.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Join Rabbi Dovid Ebner for this special Yeshivat Hamivtar alumni series: A close reading of selected chapters covering all 5 sections of Rambam’s Sefer HaMada (Book of Knowledge). The goals are pedagogical in terms of actually plumbing the depths of Rambam’s thought through a close reading of the text. For example, what does it mean to command the love of God or of our fellow man… or what is the ideal of human character and how can it be accomplished. The course is not a discussion group – it is, rather, an attempt to understand what Rambam maintains by weighing and analyzing his words carefully and precisely
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rambam-with-rabbi-ebner/
This week we will learn that when a person buys produce, he accepts a certain percentage of impurities in the sale. When the buyer says he wants to buy wine for cooking, he is really telling the seller that it must last for a long time. If a person sells wine and later on it is spoiled, the seller isn’t responsible
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Gevurot: In this episode the second blessing describes God as God of nature and the One who resurrects the dead. In this class we look at the relationship between rain (nature) and resurrection. And consider whether the prime focus of this prayer was initially against the belief of the Sadducees.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
Join Rabbi Dovid Ebner for this special Yeshivat Hamivtar alumni series: A close reading of selected chapters covering all 5 sections of Rambam’s Sefer HaMada (Book of Knowledge). The goals are pedagogical in terms of actually plumbing the depths of Rambam’s thought through a close reading of the text. For example, what does it mean to command the love of God or of our fellow man… or what is the ideal of human character and how can it be accomplished. The course is not a discussion group – it is, rather, an attempt to understand what Rambam maintains by weighing and analyzing his words carefully and precisely
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rambam-with-rabbi-ebner/
Join Rabbi Dovid Ebner for this special Yeshivat Hamivtar alumni series: A close reading of selected chapters covering all 5 sections of Rambam’s Sefer HaMada (Book of Knowledge). The goals are pedagogical in terms of actually plumbing the depths of Rambam’s thought through a close reading of the text. For example, what does it mean to command the love of God or of our fellow man… or what is the ideal of human character and how can it be accomplished. The course is not a discussion group – it is, rather, an attempt to understand what Rambam maintains by weighing and analyzing his words carefully and precisely
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rambam-with-rabbi-ebner/
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Avot: In this episode focuses on Avot, the first blessing of the Amida. We look at why we begin with the patriarchs, how they received blessings from God, and how each of them perceived God in his own way.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
Is it really prohibited to sleep during Rosh Hashanah? Does the prohibition apply to both days? Is there room for any leniency? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores sleeping on Judgement Day.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/sleeping-on-rosh-hashanah-day/
This week we will learn when a sale is final and when the buyer or the seller can change their minds. We will also learn about the mitzvah of having accurate measuring tools and the prohibition of owning and using false weights and measurements.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
In this 4-part series, Rabbi Johnny Solomon will teach us about the process of planning, researching, preparing and delivering a shiur. He will share a number of ‘pro-tips’ about how to plan the pace of a shiur, where to find relevant sources, and how to ensure that a shiur leaves an impact on its listeners.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/how-to-design-and-deliver-a-shiur/
Teshuvah according to Rabbi Nachman is a continuing evolution of returning ever-closer to Hashem. Each effort elevates the soul, and even when we fall, the power is restored when we return again. Join Rabbi Avraham Shiraas he explores Rabbi Nachman’s teshuva, a process of refining our intentions until, with much merit, we may serve God for His Sake, and by doing so, as Rebbe Meir Baal HaNess says in Pirke Avot. Cpt.6, “All the world was for his sake.”
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/kabbalah-of-teshuvah-in-elul/
Why do we stand for the Amida? What is the order of the 18 blessings? In this episode Why do we stand for the Shemoneh Esrei prayer (which is called “Amida” — standing prayer)? When do we bow? How do we bow?
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
The Yamim Noraim, the High Holidays, start with Rosh Hashanah and end with Sukkot. Initially, while the focus of our prayers the month preceding Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are on teshuvah, the Hoshanat prayers of Sukkot go back to temple times and focus on protecting the natural world from humans to plants, and so on.
Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores the significance of Hoshanot in the Beit Hamikdash as אנא ה הושיעה נא would be said while surrounding the altar and how that translates to our practice of Hoshanot today.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/hoshanot-in-depth/
This week we will learn that when one buys 2 trees, you don’t get the rights to the land under the trees. Therefore, if the tree dies, you can’t plant another tree. But if you buy 3 trees, you get the rights to the land between the 3 trees. Therefore, if one of the trees dies, you can plant another tree on the land. We will also learn how to finalize a sale of a movable object using one of the acquisition actions.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
In this 4-part series, Rabbi Johnny Solomon will teach us about the process of planning, researching, preparing and delivering a shiur. He will share a number of ‘pro-tips’ about how to plan the pace of a shiur, where to find relevant sources, and how to ensure that a shiur leaves an impact on its listeners.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/how-to-design-and-deliver-a-shiur/
In this 4-part series, Rabbi Johnny Solomon will teach us about the process of planning, researching, preparing and delivering a shiur. He will share a number of ‘pro-tips’ about how to plan the pace of a shiur, where to find relevant sources, and how to ensure that a shiur leaves an impact on its listeners.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/how-to-design-and-deliver-a-shiur/
Introduction to Jewish prayer and shemoneh esrei: In this episode we look at the origins of set prayer and the history and evolution of the text of the Amida, or Shemoneh Esrei.
We trace the history of a set text from the Men of the Great Assembly to Rabban Gamliel and Yavneh, and look at sources that state there were 17, 18 or 19 blessings in the Amida.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-shemoneh-esrei-in-depth/
This week we begin the fifth chapter of Bava Batra. We will discuss the sale of a ship and what is included and not included in the sale. We will then learn many stories, some quite fantastical about the depths of the sea and the creatures that can be found there.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
The Yamim Noraim, the High Holidays, start with Rosh Hashanah and end with Sukkot. Initially, while the focus of our prayers the month preceding Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur are on teshuvah, the Hoshanat prayers of Sukkot go back to temple times and focus on protecting the natural world from humans to plants, and so on.
Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores the significance of Hoshanot in the Beit Hamikdash as אנא ה הושיעה נא would be said while surrounding the altar and how that translates to our practice of Hoshanot today.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/hoshanot-in-depth/
In this 4-part series, Rabbi Johnny Solomon will teach us about the process of planning, researching, preparing and delivering a shiur. He will share a number of ‘pro-tips’ about how to plan the pace of a shiur, where to find relevant sources, and how to ensure that a shiur leaves an impact on its listeners.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/how-to-design-and-deliver-a-shiur/
Teshuvah according to Rabbi Nachman is a continuing evolution of returning ever-closer to Hashem. Each effort elevates the soul, and even when we fall, the power is restored when we return again. Join Rabbi Avraham Shiraas he explores Rabbi Nachman’s teshuva, a process of refining our intentions until, with much merit, we may serve God for His Sake, and by doing so, as Rebbe Meir Baal HaNess says in Pirke Avot. Cpt.6, “All the world was for his sake.”
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/kabbalah-of-teshuvah-in-elul/
The Amida prayer for both Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are very different from the regular weekday or Shabbat prayer during the year. Join Rabbi David Sedley as he explores important highlights from each, including the congregation’s participation in the Chazan’s repetition.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-high-holiday-amida/
Does Kol Nidrei really release you from any vows or oaths you may have made during the year? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores how Kol Nidrei works and what, exactly, it accomplishes.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/kol-nidrei/
Is it really prohibited to sleep during Rosh Hashanah? Does the prohibition apply to both days? Is there room for any leniency? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores sleeping on Judgement Day.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/sleeping-on-rosh-hashanah-day/
Where can one build a sukkah? How high can it be? How low? Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores the halachot regarding how to build a kosher sukkah.
For the original course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/how-to-build-a-sukkah/
Shabbat and Yom Tov are one and the same but very different. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores the fundamental differences and why those ideas are so important to the spiritual experiences we make place for in this world.
This week we will learn what is included in the sale of a house, courtyard, city, bathhouse, olive press, and field. This is when there were no other details enumerated in the contract. Objects essential to the thing being sold are generally included in the sale, whereas non-essential objects aren’t included.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
This week we will learn that one can make a Chazaka on permanent objects, not temporary ones. The Gemara also teaches when someone can put in a window that looks into public or shared spaces. We will then begin the 4th chapter which discusses what is included in the sale of a house or a field.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
WebYeshiva.org is thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Dear Rav Johnny’ which is a new podcast produced by Rabbi Johnny Solomon for WebYeshiva!
Rav Johnny will be responding to questions sent to him or those he previously discussed with his spiritual coaching clients on issues relating to faith, halacha and spirituality. In Episode 2 of ‘Dear Rav Johnny’ we address the delicate and difficult question of whether it is ever permitted to pray for a quick and pain free death of a loved one who is very sick and whose medical prognosis is dire and irretrievable.
We hope this new series inspires you. And if you relate to any of the issues addressed in ‘Dear Rav Johnny,’ book a single or series of VirtualRabbi sessions at webyeshiva.org/about-virtual-rabbi.
Lastly, if you have any thoughts and feedback about what was discussed in this or any future episode, or if you also have a question about faith, religion or spirituality which you’d like Rav Johnny to address in ‘Dear Rav Johnny’, please write to him at ravjohnny@webyeshiva.org
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn that if a person has permission to be on property, he can’t create a Chazaka on it. We will also learn that if a person has an item that is normally rented out, he is not believed when he says it’s his. The Gemara will then discuss pairs of witnesses that testify that a person was on a property for 3 years.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
This week we will learn that a craftsman can’t create a Chazaka on an item he was asked to repair because he had permission from the owner to take possession of the item. A sharecropper is also not able to create a Chazaka on land he has permission to farm. We will also learn that if a person is forced to make a sale, the sale is valid.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will continue to discuss how a person can establish a Chazaka (ownership) of land without producing a sales document. If he worked the land for 3 years and the owner didn’t claim that the land was his, the occupant can stay on the land. However, if the owner was in another region of Israel or out of the country, the occupant can’t create a chazaka. The occupant must also claim that he bought the land or that he received it as a gift.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
This week we will learn many scenarios when the owner of the property accuses the occupant of the property of being on his land. If the occupant can prove that he has been on the land or worked the land for 3 years without a claim from the owner, he can keep the land.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn that a person must distance things that can potentially harm their neighbors. A dovecote must be at least 50 amot from a city to ensure that the birds don't eat from the city. We will also learn that one must distance certain things from a city either to beautify the city or to prevent foul orders. We will then begin the third chapter of Bava Batra which deals with the laws of Chazaka, ownership of property.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
WebYeshiva.org is thrilled to announce the launch of ‘Dear Rav Johnny’ which is a new podcast produced by Rabbi Johnny Solomon for WebYeshiva!
Rav Johnny will be responding to questions sent to him or those he previously discussed with his spiritual coaching clients on issues relating to faith, halacha and spirituality. In this first episode of ‘Dear Rav Johnny’, Rav Johnny responds to a question from Chana about struggling with prayer and not feeling spiritually connected.
We hope this new series inspires you. And if you relate to any of the issues addressed in ‘Dear Rav Johnny,’ book a single or series of VirtualRabbi sessions at webyeshiva.org/about-virtual-rabbi.
Lastly, if you have any thoughts and feedback about what was discussed in this or any future episode, or if you also have a question about faith, religion or spirituality which you’d like Rav Johnny to address in ‘Dear Rav Johnny’, please write to him at ravjohnny@webyeshiva.org
This week we will learn some background to the Book of Job. We will then begin the second chapter of Bava Batra and learn about distancing potential damage from our neighbor's property. We will learn what objects cause damage and how far they must be from the border of our neighbor's property.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra
This week we will learn about the greatness of giving charity, how to give it properly and what rewards it brings to those who give it. We will also learn about 2 partners or neighbors who need to divide their property. Each one must receive a minimum area for the split to be legal.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
This week we will begin with an introduction to Masechet Bava Batra. We will learn the law that neighbors must build a wall between their properties to prevent looking into each other’s courtyards. We will learn who needs to pay for what expenses and the specifications for this wall. We will also learn about communal responsibilities to a city and what taxes and charities one must contribute.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-1-week-at-a-time-bava-batra/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn that a lender cannot enter the borrower's home to take a security for the loan. Rather, he must wait outside for the borrower to bring it out. If the borrower is poor, the lender must return the security item every day so he can use it. We will then learn the last chapter of Bava Metzia which deals with the rights and responsibilities of people living or using shared space.
Mazal tov on finishing Bava Metzia!
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Why” is probably the most Jewish question you’ll hear Jews ask. In this series with Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman explore a new topic in Judaism each week and answer the big question: Why do Jews do it?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/why/
This week we will learn that if you leased a field and natural causes destroyed the crop, the tenant farmer can deduct from the fee. We will also learn the law of Bar Metzrah, the law of a neighbor’s first right to buy adjacent property to his field. The Gemara will also discuss the law that one must pay his workers on the day they finish working, and not delay the payment.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn about the responsibilities of a borrower and a lender. We will also learn that if a person rents a house, the landlord has certain responsibilities to maintain the house for the renter. We will then begin the ninth chapter and learn the rights and responsibilities of someone who leases a field.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
This week we will learn that a worker can eat from the produce he is picking, even if the value is more than his wage. We will then learn about the four types of custodians and their unique levels of responsibility for the items they are watching.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will continue to learn about the lives of Rebbi and Rabbi Chiya. We will also learn about Avraham and the 3 angels. Additionally, we will discuss the workers’ right to eat from the produce they are harvesting.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
This week we will learn that if you change the conditions of a rental agreement, you are liable for any damage that was caused due to the change. We will also define the level of responsibility a craftsman has for the item he crafted. We will also begin the seventh chapter and learn about the guidelines for hiring workers to work for you.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn about selling produce and the current market value. One may not set the price for produce till the market price is established. If you make a deal to sell produce, you must have it in stock or be able to acquire it in the market. After finishing the chapter on interest, we will begin the sixth chapter and learn about hiring workers and the laws between the employer and the employees.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will continue exploring the laws of interest. A borrower can’t rent property from the lender at a lower cost because this is seen as interest on the loan he took. We will learn about different business deals that are permitted and others that are forbidden due to interest payments.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
From Galut to Geula, from darkness to light. This year we mark Yom HaAtzmaut in the context of the State of Israel and Jewish People as a whole being transformed due to October 7. Join Rabbi Leo Dee (with an introduction by Rabbi Chaim Brovender) as he discusses his personal journey alongside the national journey and what this all means for us as Jews and Jewish educators.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn the concept of Ona’a for speech and the power of words. A person is not allowed to wrong someone through speech. We will learn the famous story of the “coiled serpent” oven. We will then begin the fifth chapter and learn about the prohibition of charging and paying interest.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
This week we will learn about price freud, Ona’a. Ona’a is put in place to protect the buyer and the seller. If either loses more than a sixth, the sale is invalid and the money must be returned.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn about cases where money is deposited at a moneychanger and when he has the right to use the money and when he can't. If a Shomer, guardian, misappropriated the item he is watching, he is responsible for any damage the item incurs. This week we will begin the fourth chapter of Baba Metziah and learn about the laws of acquisition. We will learn when a sale is final and when one or both parties can renege on the deal.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he discusses Nirtzah, the final point of the Seder night. How did it develop and what is the purpose of the songs many of us sing to conclude the evening? And is that truly the end of the Seder?
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
When we say Hallel on a regular morning during shacharit, it’s always completed as a unit from start to finish. Join Rabbi David Sedley and discover why on Seder night it starts in one place, is paused, and completed later.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How many cups of wine should be drunk on Seder night – 4 or 5? And if 5, should we be drinking the 5th cup, or is it meant for Eliyahu HaNavi? Alternatively, perhaps the 5th cup of wine represents our return to Israel? In this shiur with Rabbi Johnny Solomon we will review a wide range of sources about the 5th cup of wine and explain why some people insist on it, and why some do not.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
When it comes to kitniyot (legumes and other foods such as corn, rice, sesame seeds and more) and the range of opinions in today’s world, you may ask yourself ‘What should i do? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as as he explores this minhag and why the concept of custom sometimes overshadows halacha.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores what makes birkat hamazon on Seder night special.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
We often think of Tzafun as simply finding the afikomen, a piece of matzah put away earlier in the night that brings us full circle. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores how tzafun goes even deeper and actually brings us to a hidden place where all can be revealed.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Many of us get stressed as we prepare for Pesach, and even with all the preparation, we often feel that we should have done more to prepare for Pesach. Beyond this, Pesach is a time when families try to get together, which means that in addition to the practical and financial worries around Pesach, we are often also juggling different family dynamics. In this Pesach Spiritual Coaching Workshop with Rabbi Johnny Solomon we will learn and discuss a number of spiritual teachings, and through doing so, we will develop some strategies to overcome the stresses and strains of Pesach.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn how a person needs to guard an item that was deposited by him for safekeeping. The Gemara teaches that one is not allowed to use or even move an item that was deposited for one’s benefit but may be able to move it for the benefit of the item.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
The moment everyone has been waiting for… Time to eat! Is shulchan orech just a regular festive dinner, a break from the rigorous Seder programming? Join Shira Selter and learn about the uniqueness of this meal, reminiscent of the Korban Pesach eaten in the Mikdash.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Why are numbers and counting so prominent during the Pesach Seder? Some customs even sing a song at the end of the night counting elements of our tradition. Join Rabbi David Sedley as he explores the relationship between the Seder and numbers and how all this counting enhances the main mitzvah of telling the Pesach story.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Has any other sandwich had so much written about it? The Tannaitic majority disagreed with Hillel’s idea of a sandwich at the seder, yet we still eat one – and we do so even though we’ve already had its ingredients separately! Join Mrs. Sarah Rudolph and explore the Talmudic and Biblical sources behind this practice. What is the meaning behind this sandwich, its halachic persistence, and its relationship to the rabbi who invented it?
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Is there more to cleaning for Pesach than just cleaning for Pesach? In this shiur with Rabbi Johnny Solomon we will explain how the halachot of cleaning and kashering for Pesach helps us better understand the Pesach story.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How bitter must the bitter herb be? How much is necessary to fulfill the mitzvah? What if your marror became inedible? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink for a halachic survey of everything you need to know about marror.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
The Maharal of Prague was one of the greatest and most original thinkers in Jewish history. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores the Maharal’s commentary to the Pesach Seder on why matzah is eaten at the Seder meal.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How can glass be kashered? What is the status of glass regarding kashering for Pesach? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he learns the halahot that may or may not let you use your Bubbie’s goblets Seder night.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Motzi Matzah, eating matzah for the first time each Pesach, is one of the highlights of the Seder. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he reflects on this special mitzvah, including what we should be thinking as we are eating it.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
On Seder night we wash not once but twice, one without a bracha and one with. Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores halachic issues that may arise from urchatz to rachtzah.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
If one finds holy scrolls, one needs to unroll them and read from them every 30 days to maintain them till he can return them. This week the Gemara will define what a lost object is, and how we know it is really lost and not just placed there by the owner. We will then start the third chapter and begin our discussion about the 4 types of custodians and their responsibilities to the objects they are watching.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Why are numbers and counting so prominent during the Pesach Seder? Some customs even sing a song at the end of the night counting elements of our tradition. Join Rabbi David Sedley as he explores the relationship between the Seder and numbers and how all this counting enhances the main mitzvah of telling the Pesach story.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Join Rabbi Dovid Ebner for this special Yeshivat Hamivtar alumni shiur as he teaches the Sfat Emet on Maggid.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
The Pesach Seder is a transition from the brokenness of slavery to the wholesome feeling of freedom. Join Rabbi Yitzhak Zuriel as he explores breaking the middle matzah and its symbolism for breaking out of mitzrayim. Why do we do it? What is its source? What meanings have been offered for this custom?
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How does a person who cannot eat gluten fulfill the mitzvah of eating matzah on Pesach? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores this special miztvah and people who have gluten sensitivities or are celiac.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
One of the stages of the Passover Seder is karpass, dipping a small piece of vegetable in salt water and eating it. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he tries to understand this puzzling miztvah and why it’s an important step in whetting our appetite for telling the Pesach story.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Why do we wash our hands before Karpas? We will present two very different answers to this question, and discuss their impact on Urchatz customs. Join Rabbi Uri Cohen in exploring this enigmatic Seder step.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
What is the significance of starting the Seder with Kaddesh? In this shiur with Rabbi Johnny Solomon we will explore the theological significance of the Kiddush and how Kaddesh is itself part of the story of the Exodus.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
Telling the story of Yetziat Mitzrayim is one of the longest mitzvot you can perform with some people continue doing it all night long! Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he discusses this special mitzvah in context to the seder, our daily prayers, and more.
Access our full pre-Pesach Seder 2024 special program schedule HERE.
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn that if you find the following things, you must announce that you have found them and return them to their owner: produce in a vessel or just a vessel, money in a purse or just a purse, and piles of produce or money. All these things have a unique identifying marker (siman) that the owner can prove that it belongs to him.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn that if you find a court document on the street, you can return it to the party mentioned in the document. But if you find a divorce document or an emancipation document, you can not return it to the wife or the slave.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
Even though the Jewish People come out on top, saved from Haman’s decree, Megillat Ester does not portray one of its main characters, Mordechai as a fighter. On the contrary, his actions were more behind the scenes, subdued. Join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he explores lessons from Mordechai’s personality. What can we learn from this quiet, introverted and highly sensitive Jew?
When Esther is unsure of what to do and afraid, Mordechai says to her, “Perhaps for the sake of a time like this you came to royalty.” Our lives may be 120 years but there are certain moments in time particularly made for our benefit and some actions we may take which are for the greater good. Join Rabbi Johnny Solomon as he reflects on how Megillat Esther can help us explore our mission and purpose in life.
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will continue discussing various cases of found objects and how one can acquire them. If someone asks his friend to pick up an object for him, can the friend acquire it for himself? Can a person acquire an animal that is running through his field? All this and more….
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
Masechet Bava Metzia deals with civil laws, particularly lost and found items, different types of custodians, sales and acquisitions. As we begin the Masechet, we will learn the case of 2 people who found a garment and both claim they found it first. Who do we believe? Who gets what? This and more in the first week’s daf…
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-metzia/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week, as we finish Masechet Bava Kama, we will learn about different cases involving an owner’s despair about his lost or stolen object. We will also learn that if a person ruins his own property to save his friend’s property, he is compensated for either his time or his lost property.
Congratulations on finishing Masechet Bava Kama!
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week will continue learning about a thief who swears falsely that he didn't steal an item or a collateral that he was holding on to. If he later admits to his crime, he not only pays back the item, but he must pay an addition fifth of the value and bring an Asham sacrifice. If the person he stole from was a convert who didn't have any living relatives, the money was given to the Kohen who was working in the Temple on the day he arrives to bring his sacrifice.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn that if someone gave wool to a dyer, and it was dyed the wrong color or in an inferior way, the dyer must pay back the value of the wool. We will also learn that if a person stole an item and then swore falsely that he didn’t steal it, he must return the item directly to the owner, pay an additional fifth, and bring an Asham sacrifice.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn that even if a person pays for embarrassment, God doesn’t forgive the person till they ask for forgiveness. We will also learn that if a person steals wood and then makes it into a utensil, he acquires the object and only pays back the value of the item he stole.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we continue discussing the 5 payments a person makes if he injured another person. One needs to pay for the actual damage, the pain inflicted, medical bills, unemployment, and the embarrassment one experienced due to the injury. The Gemara explains each of these 5 payments and how they are determined.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn about a thief who stole an animal and then sold it but retained some ownership. He is liable to pay double the value but not 4 or 5 times the value. We will then learn about decrees made at different times in Jewish history to help settle the land and to make society more attuned to communal needs.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn about a person who stole an animal and then killed it or sold it. If there are witnesses that testify to this, the thief must pay 4 or 5 times the value of the animal. If he sold it on Shabbat or killed it on Yom Kippur, he still pays 4 or 5 times the value. If a set of witnesses say he stole an animal but only 1 witness says he killed or sold it, the thief only pays double the value and not 4 or 5 times.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will start the 7th chapter of Baba Kama. In this chapter, we will learn the penalty for stealing. If a person steals an item, he must pay twice the value. If a person steals an ox or a sheep and then sells it or slaughters it, he needs to pay back the owner 5 times or 4 times its value. If a person steals a stolen item from the thief, they do not have to pay double.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn about the liability one has to guard his fire. One is liable for anything that gets burned in someone else’s property, even scorched earth and stones. If a person lit a fire on his property and it crossed a river or a road, one isn’t liable for those damages.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
This week, we will learn that if a person accidentally injures a pregnant woman and causes her to miscarry, he must pay an extra penalty to her husband or his heirs. We will then learn the parameters of liabilities when damage is caused by a pit in the public domain.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
This week we will learn that if an ox meant to kill an animal but killed a person instead, the ox isn’t killed but the owner does need to pay Kofer. We will also learn that if a potter places his pots in someone’s courtyard without permission, and the owner of the courtyard breaks them, he is exempt from reimbursing the potter. If someone was injured by the pots. the potter is liable to pay for damages.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will compare the liability for one’s ox’s damage versus one’s responsibility for the damage he causes himself. The Gemara teaches that the burden of proof is on the damaged party. We will also learn how an ox becomes forewarned (Muad).
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn a person’s liability if one puts objects in the public domain. Is the person responsible for paying for damages to property or is the person also liable to pay for any injuries to another person? What if you had permission to place the objects there in the first place?
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
This week we will outline when an animal causes damage through normal behavior as compared to damage from abnormal behavior, and what the payment would be for each. We will also learn that an animal, after behaving aggressively three times becomes “Muad” (warned), but it can revert to its “Tam” (innocent) status.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
This week we will learn the difference between a Tam (innocent) ox and a Muad (warned) ox. The payment of damages is based on the nature of the animal that did the damage. We are also going to learn the parameters of Regel (foot) which include damage done by normal animal behavior. We will then learn about Shen (tooth) which includes damage done while the animal is receiving benefit.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history/
This week we will learn about different people who are owed money and what type of land they can collect from (superior, average, poor). We will also learn that if you have the responsibility to guard something, and it does damage, you are liable to pay for that damage. The Gemara will also list types of damages that one is exempt from reimbursing.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
How did advances in technology and major world events affect the way Jews lived halachically? Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he tours important moments and crossroads in time and what the great sages thought about their new realities.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/halacha-through-the-lens-of-history
Welcome to Baba Kama and Seder Nizikin. In this Masechet we are going to learn about damages that are caused by a person or their property. We will also learn the liability and consequences of these damages. This week we will learn about the four main categories of damagers.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-bava-kama/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
In this final lesson, we will continue to discuss who is able to marry a Cohen. We will also learn about the consequences of the child born from a prohibited relationship. We will end this Masechet discussing the prohibition of secluding with someone who is prohibited to you and what are proper and improper trades one should pursue.
Mazal tov on finishing Masechet Kiddushin!
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn about determining the status of offspring based on who their parents are and their relationship to one another. We will also learn about Ezra and those who returned to Zion with him and the subsequent consequences.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5784/
This week we will learn about betrothals that include conditions or stipulations. We will see when they are valid and when the conditions need to be fulfilled. We will then learn about cases where a father accepts betrothal for his daughter, but he doesn’t remember which daughter and the subsequent ramifications.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
The Jewish People are living through one of the most difficult times since the founding of the State of Israel in 1948. Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender, with our WebYeshiva faculty Rabbi Daniel Korobkin, Rabbi Gidon Rothstein, Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, and Rabbanit Tamara Spitz as they provide inspirational words of Torah to help strengthen us at this time.
This is a special gathering of the worldwide WebYeshiva community and anyone who wishes to join the live, interactive session.
For the original event page please visit HERE
This week we will learn about items that have sanctity and if one can use them to betroth a woman. We will then continue learning about items that are forbidden to benefit from and therefore are invalid for betrothal. And finally, we will learn about items that not everyone can benefit from and if they can be used to betroth a woman.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
This week we will learn the law if a man betrothes a woman by telling her he will give her one thing, but it turns out that he gives her something else. Or if he misleads her into thinking he is one thing (rich, poor, Cohen, Levi) but he isn’t. We will also learn if a man can use a stolen object to betroth a woman.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
This week we will learn that if one does good deeds, one is rewarded in this world and in the next. Conversely, if one does evil deeds, one will be punished. We will learn the reward for learning Torah. We will begin the second chapter of Kiddushin which discusses who can do kiddushin and who can accept kiddushin.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
This week we will continue learning about the commandment to honor and fear one’s parents. We will also learn that this applies to one’s teachers and Torah scholars as well. We will then learn about other commandments women are exempt from because they are time-bound positive commandments.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5783/
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/rabbi-brovender-parsha-shiur-5783/
This week we will learn how different objects are acquired according to Jewish Law. There are many forms of proprietary acts that one can do in order to transfer ownership. Every type of object requires a particular form of action. We will then learn about parents’ and children’s obligations to one another and the different obligations of men and women.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
The Foundation Stone (אבן השתיה) is believed to be the point for which creation of the world took off. It is also believed to be the place of the Kodesh HaKodeshim, the spot where the Kohen Gadol entered on Yom Kippur. Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores its place in Jewish tradition and it’s significance during the Yamim Noraim. For the course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-foundation-stone-of-creation/
From early in the world’s history we already see there are various elements of teshuva that provide a chance to return to the straight path. Join Sepha Kirshblum as she explores stories from Sefer Bereshit that are major examples of the teshuva process and creative ways to learn from them in the lead up to and after the Yamim Noraim. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/varieties-of-teshuva/
Why is it preferable to pray with a community? When is it proper to pray in private? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the different halachic opinions.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/communal-prayer/
This week we will learn how a Jewish slave and maidservant go free. We will also learn about the Jewish slave who decides to stay on with his master after his allotted time. The Gemara also teaches about a non-Jewish slave, how he is bought, and how he goes free. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/daf-yomi-one-week-at-a-time-kiddushin/
From early in the world’s history we already see there are various elements of teshuva that provide a chance to return to the straight path. Join Sepha Kirshblum as she explores stories from Sefer Bereshit that are major examples of the teshuva process and creative ways to learn from them in the lead up to and after the Yamim Noraim. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/varieties-of-teshuva/
Why is it preferable to pray with a community? When is it proper to pray in private? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the different halachic opinions.
For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/communal-prayer/
From early in the world’s history we already see there are various elements of teshuva that provide a chance to return to the straight path. Join Sepha Kirshblum as she explores stories from Sefer Bereshit that are major examples of the teshuva process and creative ways to learn from them in the lead up to and after the Yamim Noraim. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/varieties-of-teshuva/
The Foundation Stone (אבן השתיה) is believed to be the point for which creation of the world took off. It is also believed to be the place of the Kodesh HaKodeshim, the spot where the Kohen Gadol entered on Yom Kippur. Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores its place in Jewish tradition and it’s significance during the Yamim Noraim. For the course page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/the-foundation-stone-of-creation/
The Foundation Stone (אבן השתיה) is believed to be the point for which creation of the world took off. It is also believed to be the place of the Kodesh HaKodeshim, the spot where the Kohen Gadol entered on Yom Kippur. Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores its place in Jewish tradition and it’s significance during the Yamim Noraim. For the course page please visithttps://webyeshiva.org/course/the-foundation-stone-of-creation/
From early in the world’s history we already see there are various elements of teshuva that provide a chance to return to the straight path. Join Sepha Kirshblum as she explores stories from Sefer Bereshit that are major examples of the teshuva process and creative ways to learn from them in the lead up to and after the Yamim Noraim. For more info or to visit the main shiur page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/varieties-of-teshuva/
The Foundation Stone (אבן השתיה) is believed to be the point for which creation of the world took off. It is also believed to be the place of the Kodesh HaKodeshim, the spot where the Kohen Gadol entered on Yom Kippur. Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores its place in Jewish tradition and it’s significance during the Yamim Noraim. For the course page please visit https://webyeshiva.org/course/the-foundation-stone-of-creation/
This week we will learn the reasons behind each opinion for how much money needs to be given in order to betroth a woman. We will also learn how a man can betroth a woman with a document or have relations with her. We will then learn how a Jewish man or woman can be sold into slavery and how they are set free.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
As we start a new Masechet, we will introduce some key concepts of Kiddushin (betrothal). The Gemara teaches that there are 3 ways a woman can be betrothed: money, a document, and sexual relations. We will learn the parameters of each of these mechanisms.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week, as we finish the last chapter, we will learn what Gets (Gittin) are invalid and if they can be used anyway. We will learn about a case of 2 Gets (Gittin) written on the same parchment and if it’s valid or not. We will also learn the power of rumors and if they are valid sources of information. The Masechet ends by describing what are valid grounds for divorce.
Hadran Alach Masechet Gittin!
This week we will learn what constitutes a personal domain and how it affects giving a Get. We will learn what makes a Get invalid and if the woman uses it to get remarried, there are serious consequences. We will begin the last chapter of Gittin and learn that the Get must completely sever the marriage.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about stipulations or conditions that the husband can make when he gives his wife the Get. We will see when they are valid and when they aren't. This week we will begin the eighth chapter of Gittin and learn that the Get must be placed in the wife's hand, but they may be other ways the husband can give her the Get...
We are going to continue learning about agents who are told to write and deliver a Get, or to accept the Get. If the husband tells the agent to give the Get in a certain city, he must do so, even if he meets the wife in another town. We will also learn at what moment are they considered divorced, This has practical implications if a woman is married to a Cohen and can only eat Teruma if they are married.
We will continue to discuss different examples of decrees made for the betterment of society (Darchei Shalom). These include who gets the first Aliya when reading the Torah, who has the right to irrigate their land first, and when is it considered stealing when biblically it isn’t. We will begin the 6th chapter and learn about agency and divorce. Who can send an agent and what is their role?
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about the laws pertaining to someone in charge of the property of orphans and his responsibilities on their behalf. We will also learn about “damaging” someone else’s property in a way that can’t be detected by sight (ie. making it ritually impure). The Gemara will also describe many terrible stories of the time period of the destruction of the Temple.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will continue to learn about decrees made for the betterment of society. One may only redeem captives up to their value and not more so as to not encourage kidnapping. One can buy sacred Jewish objects from Idolaters up to their value and not more so as to not encourage theft.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we are going to learn laws pertaining to Canaanite slaves. We will learn when and how they can be set free. We will also see that they can be used as collateral for loans.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn that if an agent who is bringing a Get from within Israel gets sick, he can appoint another agent in his place. If he is bringing the Get from outside of Israel, he can only appoint another agent in court. We will also learn that the husband can cancel the agency either by himself or with another agent. But he may not say that the Get is invalid on its own.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn that anyone can write a Get, even if they don’t have the mental capacity. We will also learn that anyone can be an agent to bring a Get from another location except for people without the mental capacity to do so. The third chapter of Gitin begins by explaining that the Get must be written for a specific husband and wife. However, some parts of the Get may be written in advance as long as certain parts are left blank to be filled in later
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
If a person brought a Get from outside Israel to Israel, they must say that they saw it being written and signed. The second chapter begins with numerous cases of partial statements made by the person who brought the Get. We will also learn about the importance of the date on the Get. If the Get was written during the day and then signed at night (the next day according to Jewish law), there is a disagreement if it is a valid Get.
This week we will learn that if the agent bringing the Get didn’t see the document written and signed, the court needs to authenticate the signatures. The Gemara compares a women’s divorce document, Get, to an emancipation document of a slave in many ways. We will learn if a man can retract the Get that he sent to his wife if she hasn’t received it yet.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
We will begin with a brief introduction to Masechet Gittin. The first Mishna describes a case of an agent bringing a Get (document of divorce) from one place to another. There are certain requirements that the agent must fulfill based on where the agent is coming from and where the agent is delivering the Get to.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion
This week we will learn what the Jewish people did before going out to battle. A special Cohen would address the army and send home certain groups of people. We will learn who these people are and why they couldn’t go to war. We will then complete the Masechet by learning about a ritual that was done if a dead body was found between two cities
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will continue learning about the miraculous crossing of the Jordan River. We will then learn about the Priestly Blessings, the blessings of the High Priest, and the Hakhel ceremony.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn how many witnesses one needs to make the woman drink the bitter waters and how many can disqualify her from drinking the water. The first Mishna in the 7th chapter enumerates things that can be said in any language and things that must be recited in Hebrew. The Sota ceremony must be done in a language that the woman understands and doesn’t need to be conducted in Hebrew.
Do you like coffee? Do you love coffee? What are the halachic considerations when making it on Shabbat? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explains the issues. Join and you may end up with a nicer brew Shabbos morning.
This week we will learn that if the Sota woman has merit, her punishment can be delayed. However, not everyone agrees that this is correct. We will then learn the fourth chapter which deals with women who cannot drink the bitter water and don’t get their ketubah money when they get divorced.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he reflects on his years living in the State of Israel and discusses Israel at 75.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
After finishing the first chapter of Masechet Sotah, we will learn about the Sotah ceremony in the Temple this week. The ceremony is meant to pressure the woman to admit her guilt, if she is really guilty, or give her the opportunity to clear her name if she is innocent.
This week the Gemara discusses the steps the husband takes to bring his wife to the Temple as a Sota. When they arrive there is a very degrading ceremony meant to pressure the woman to confess. The Gemara describes what happens if she is innocent and what the consequences are if she is guilty. The Mishna then teaches the concept of a Measure for a Measure, for bad actions, and for good actions.
As we start a new Masechet, we will learn who is considered a Sota, a woman suspected of adultery. The first Mishna teaches us that to do the Sota ceremony in the Temple, the husband needed to warn his wife, in front of witnesses not to seclude with a particular man. Then she is seen secluding with that man. The Gemara will explain what constitutes “seclusion”.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about a Nazir who is uncertain if he came in contact with impurity and if he is a Metzora (leper). Each of these cases obligates him to shave, but only if there is certainty about his status. The Gemara proposes several solutions for this case. The last chapter of Masechet Nazir deals with who can be a Nazir and in what situations. We will finish this Masechet discovering if Shmuel the Prophet was a Nazir or not.
What is freedom? What about redemption? Join Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he provides a unique and creative view of the overall Pesach Seder.
1 sandwich, 2 times saying Hallel and 2 times washing hands, 3 matzot, 4 cups of wine and 4 sons, 5 books to the Torah, 6 items on the seder plate, 7 days celebrating, 8 -it’s beyond the natural realm, 9 months of pregnancy to tell a child the Pesach story, 10 plagues, and infinite ways to tell the story of leaving Mitzrayim. Join Rabbi Avraham Shira as he explores numbers in the Haggadah.
Everyone loves Nirtzah! The last step of the Seder is an intriguing combination of serious and silly. What does “Nirtzah” mean, anyway? And what’s the deal with the goat? Join Rabbi Uri Cohen as he explores Nirtzah and its songs.
We all know the simple story of how Benei Yisrael left Mitzrayim. What we might not understand is the level of strength and compassion that the Jewish people expressed as they left Egypt. Join Rabbi Dovid Schoonmaker as he presents a new look at how Klal Yisrael left Egypt.
We continue to learn about things that make a Nazir impure enough to shave and restart his count. We will also learn about things that convey impurity, but don’t cause a Nazir to shave. We will then learn about the uncertainty that arises with 2 Nazirs and only one became impure.
What is the reason we recline at the seder? How important is it? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the practical halachic applications regarding leaning back, leaning to the side, or even lying down at the Pesach seder.
Hallel on seder night can be one of the highlights of the Seder as we sing our way to freedom. Join Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz as she explores the deep message in it being spread out throughout the evening
We may say Birkat Hamazon hundreds of times throughout the year; is it any different when it’s part of the Pesach seder? Join Mrs. Sarah Rudolph as she explores ways of relating this night’s Grace After Meals directly to Pesach itself.
The final checking for chametz ceremony can be a fulfilling and spiritual culmination of the cleaning for chametz ordeal. Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the important practical halachic issues during the final hours before Seder night.
The last thing we do at the seder before birkat hamazon is eating a little more matzah. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores the reasons why taste of the matzah is the last thing we should take with us upon leaving Mitzrayim.
The Pesach Seder meal, Shulchan Orech, isn’t just special because of Bubbie’s kneidlach or her macaroons. It’s the meal of redemption, of freedom. Join Rabbanit Fran Miller as she explores the deep message in sitting together and fulfilling the mitzvah of this festive gathering.
At Korech the Haggadah makes a point of having us make a sandwich with matzah that includes maror mixed with or dipped in charoset. Join Shira Selter as she explores this important step as we make our way into the festive meal.
Remembering the bitter helps us appreciate the sweetness. Where does the bitter begin, where does it end? Join Rabbi Amihai Zippor as he explores ideas about maror which can bring depth to our seder today.
1 sandwich, 2 times saying Hallel and 2 times washing hands, 3 matzot, 4 cups of wine and 4 sons, 5 books to the Torah, 6 items on the seder plate, 7 days celebrating, 8 -it’s beyond the natural realm, 9 months of pregnancy to tell a child the Pesach story, 10 plagues, and infinite ways to tell the story of leaving Mitzrayim. Join Rabbi Avraham Shira as he explores numbers in the Haggadah.
At Motzi Matzah when we eat the matzah for the first time at our Pesach seder, what are we supposed to be thinking? Join Rabbanit Fran Miller as she explores what matzah represents. Is it the bread of our affliction, lechem oni, or bread of our freedom.
Observant Jews perform ritual washing of the hands often and especially before eating a meal. What makes it so significant at the seder to warrant it being highlighted alongside things like matzah and maror? Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores washing hands with a bracha at the seder.
Telling the Pesach story may be one of the most important parts of Seder night. Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the practical halachic applications of Maggid.
Unlike most other chagim and shabbatot where we would place two loves of bread on the table, on Pesach we place three matzot on the table with one set to be divided in two. Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores the world of Yachatz -breaking the middle matzah.
At this point in the seder we eat something to which we say the bracha ‘Borei P’ri HaAdama‘. It could be a potato, parsley, pineapple, or banana. Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin as he explores the deeper meaning of karpas and grounding ourselves before leaving Mitzrayim.
Urchatz is the second step in the Pesach Seder but it may bring up the first question of the night: Why do it? Join Rabbi David Sedley as he explores washing the hands without a bracha.
The korban Pesach is a fascinating topic both historically and halachically. Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores the special sacrifice commanded to Israel as they were leaving Egypt.
How is this Kiddish during Kaddesh different from other Kiddushes? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink for a practical guide to Kiddush at the Seder.
What is freedom? What about redemption? Join Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he provides a unique and creative view of the overall Pesach Seder.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about the 3 prohibitions of the Nazir. Each one has an aspect that is more stringent than the others. We will also learn about the shaving process at the end of the Nazir period and in the middle, if the Nazir becomes impure.
Marking the Rav's 120th birthday & upcoming 30th Yahrzeit with two special online conversations.
On Sunday, March 5 WebYeshiva and TRADITION marked the 120th birthday of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l and his upcoming 30th Yahrzeit with two special online conversations. The second was:
The Rav’s Enduring Legacy – Dr. Tovah Lichtenstein in conversation with Rabbi Jeffrey Saks
Dr. Tovah Lichtenstein, the daughter of Rabbi Soloveitchik and Dr. Tonya Soloveitchik, taught and practiced social work in Israel where she has lived since 1971. Jeffrey Saks is the founding director of ATID and its WebYeshiva program and editor of TRADITION.
For part 1 with Rabbi Chaim Brovender in conversation with Mrs. Mali Brofsky please CLICK HERE.
Marking the Rav's 120th birthday & upcoming 30th Yahrzeit with two special online conversations.
On Sunday, March 5 WebYeshiva and TRADITION marked the 120th birthday of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik zt”l and his upcoming 30th Yahrzeit with two special online conversations. The first was:
The Rav’s Students Across Generations – Rabbi Chaim Brovender in conversation with Mrs. Mali Brofsky
Rabbi Chaim Brovender is the founder and Rosh Yeshiva of WebYeshiva. He studied in the Rav’s shiur in the 1960s before arriving on Aliya and founding various institutions of Torah learning. (He served as editorial assistant to TRADITION at the time of the publication of “The Lonely Man of Faith.”) Mrs. Mali Brofsky, MSW, a senior faculty member at Michlelet Mevasseret Yerushalayim, runs a clinical social work practice and is an editorial board member of TRADITION.
For part 1 with Rabbi Chaim Brovender in conversation with Mrs. Mali Brofsky pleaseCLICK HERE.
This week we will learn the concept of "the taste of forbidden food is prohibited" and how it relates to Nazir. We will learn the number of grapes or grape products a Nazir eats to become liable. The Gemara teaches how the Nazir shaves his head at the end of the Nazir period (thirty days).
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
As part of the concluding ceremony, a Nazir needs to buy 3 animals for sacrifices in the Temple. If a person set aside funds for these sacrifices, and then subsequently dies, his son can use these funds, under very specific conditions, for his own sacrifices. We will then learn the entire fifth chapter that deals with accidental sanctification.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about a woman who takes on the vow of Nazir and then her husband revokes her vow. The Gemara discusses different time periods in which the husband revokes the vow and its practical implications. If a person sets aside money or animals for their Nazir sacrifices and then they died, the Gemara explains what happens to the money or animals.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about the details of a thirty-day Nezirut. Does one shave on day 30 or on day 31? We will also learn that if a Nazir becomes impure, they lose a certain number of days from their count (7, 30, or all of it). The fourth chapter begins by teaching us of a case of a person who took it upon themselves to be a Nazir and their friend says “me too”. We will learn the status of each of these people.
This week we will learn all of Chapter 2 of Masechet Nazir. We will learn different statements that can or can’t make a person a Nazir. If someone hears a person take upon themselves to be a Nazir and then says “Me Too”, what do they mean? we will also learn about consecutive and concurrent Nazir periods.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn where the concept of Nazir comes from in the Torah and learn about the different types of Nazir that exist. We will learn if one can take upon oneself a partial Nazir status. We will also learn about the minimum and "maximum" time a person can become a Nazir.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
As we finish Masechet Nedarim this week, we will learn about cases the husband or the father can’t revoke a woman’s vow. We will learn about specific instances where a woman’s vow goes into effect right away. The Gemara ends with discussing times when a woman is believed in her accusations against her husband and other times she isn’t believed. We will finish our discussion of Masechet Nedarim with an understanding of the power of words and a sensitivity to how we wield them.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn the law if a husband is silent about his wife’s vow. Does his silence signify confirmation or is he trying to distress her? We will also learn what type of vows a husband or father can revoke.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will continue learning about the ability of the father and the husband-to-be to revoke the woman's vows. This must be done together and on the same day that they heard about the vow. We will learn what happens if one of the men dies. We will also learn about a similar case of a woman who is waiting to do yibum and who has the ability to revoke her vows.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn the ninth chapter of Masechet Nedarim. We will learn the concept of "finding an opening (Petach)" to annul a vow. We will see what constitutes a proper Petach and what can't be used as a Petach. We will then begin the tenth chapter and learn that a girl's father or husband can revoke her vow (if it affects him).
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about vows that have set time limits. The Gemara interprets nuances in language that can be used in vows.
This week we are going to continue learning how the Mishna and Gemara interpret different vows. The Gemara teaches that we generally go according to the way people speak. We will also learn that vows prohibiting general categories of items, will prohibit specific things as well.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Rabbis (ordained at Hamivtar or elsewhere) working in the pulpit, education, communal work or elsewhere joined Rabbi Chaim Brovender for a special online Chanuka shiur and Q&A session.
We will continue to learn about inclusions and exceptions to a vow prohibiting someone from benefiting from someone else. We will learn the entire fifth chapter of Nedarim this week. The Gemara teaches about partners that vow to not benefit from each other and the subsequent ramifications. Lastly, we will begin the sixth chapter with defining what one means when taking particular vows.
This week we will learn if a teacher of Torah is allowed to receive payment for his teaching. The Gemara continues explaining permissible acts that one can do for someone who is forbidden to get benefit from them. We will also learn about the great importance of visiting the sick.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will continue discussing the power of the spoken word. When someone makes a vow against benefiting from a specific group of people, the Gemara interprets the vow in particular ways. The Mishna and the Gemara give many examples of types of vows and how we interpret their meanings. We will also learn about the legal ramifications of vowing against deriving benefit from a specific person.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will focus on four types of vows that are automatically void. These include vows meant to motivate someone to do something, vows that are exaggerated, unintentional vows, and vows whose consequences are out of our control. The Gemara explains and gives several examples for each type of vow.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn the proper format to create a vow or an oath and the difference between the two. One can prohibit one’s mouth from speaking to another person or feet from walking with another person. We will learn how vows are more stringent than oaths in some ways and how oaths are more stringent than vows in other ways.
This week we will learn that it is permissible to take a vow to fulfill a mitzvah. The Gemara explains that if a person dreamt that they were excommunicated, they need ten people to release them from the excommunication. The Gemara then describes different words or terms that can be used to crate a vow.
This week we will learn what a Neder (vow) is and how one can obligate or prohibit something to themselves. The Gemara describes different ways one can make a vow and if partial declarations are valid. We will also learn about the prohibition of not delaying a mitzvah.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about people owing money to others and their responsibility to pay it back. We will also learn about several cases where there is a discrepancy between the two parties about who owes whom money. We will finish the Masechet with the topic of sanctity and the importance of living and being buried in Israel.
This week we will learn what happens when a court makes a mistake on the valuation of property. We will also learn who gets her Ketuva payment when she gets divorced and who doesn’t. Chapter twelve deals with husbands who promise to support their stepdaughters and the consequences of that promise.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn how we divide a limited estate between surviving wives each with a different Ketuva value. We will also learn about a widow’s financial relationship with the orphans. The Gemara also teaches that a widow has the right to sell part of the estate to support herself and for her Ketuva.
This week we will learn about loans, oaths, and inheritance. The Gemara teaches when the orphans can make their mother swear that she didn’t misappropriate any of the estate funds. We will also learn when the court can make the woman swear that her husband didn’t pay her any of her ketuva. The Mishna teaches that when a man dies, his heirs must pay back his debts before collecting their inheritance.
This week we will learn that the Sages can force a man to divorce his wife if he develops a significant defect or has an extremely smelly profession if the wife says she can’t handle it. The next chapter deals with property that the wife brings into the marriage (called Nichsei Melog). The wife has rights to the property and the husband has the right to use the produce of the property.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about a husband or wife that takes vows that affect their spouse and the consequences of their actions. We will also learn about various activities that cause a woman to forfeit her Ketuva.
In this informational session, learn the basics of the Halacha Mastery Program, a tuition based in-depth online track of study covering the major areas of practical halacha. It is designed for men and women who hope to understand the the development of halacha and learn to answer their own practical halachic questions
Participants include students in college, doctors, professors, professionals in many fields and retires, -all of whom, for one reason or another, are not able to learn in a traditional brick and mortar yeshiva.
To qualify for this program applicants must be shomer shabbat (living a halachic lifestyle). If you are interested but have questions, please join us for this special open house to discuss the program with the teachers and their upcoming new courses starting this fall.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we are going to learn about the “rebellious wife”, why she is called rebellious and what are the consequences of her actions. We will learn about the husband’s obligation to support his wife and what are the minimum quantities of items that he needs to provide her with. We will learn the sixth chapter in its entirety and learn the laws and customs of a woman’s dowery.
The High Holiday prayers can often create long services and streamlining the synagogue service so not to offend the congregation is an important consideration. Halacha itself prohibits delaying or unnecessarily prolonging the synagogue service (טירחא דציבורא) or offending the honor or dignity of the congregation (כבוד הציבור). Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and survey the primary sources to understand what is permitted, what is prohibited, and why.
The High Holiday prayers can often create long services and streamlining the synagogue service so not to offend the congregation is an important consideration. Halacha itself prohibits delaying or unnecessarily prolonging the synagogue service (טירחא דציבורא) or offending the honor or dignity of the congregation (כבוד הציבור). Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and survey the primary sources to understand what is permitted, what is prohibited, and why.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn if a woman can forgo her Ketuva and what happens if she loses her Ketuva. We will learn how, in the time of the Mishna, a couple became betrothed and then had a year to prepare for the wedding. The Gemara will also teach the actions a wife must do for her husband, and if she brings a maid into the marriage, which actions she is still required to perform.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn what happens to the estate when a father dies. Is there a difference between how the sons are supported and how the daughters are supported? What happens to the widow? We will also learn about various responsibilities the husband has to the wife.
The fourth chapter continues discussing the maiden who is seduced or raped. We will learn what payments are made and to whom they are paid. We will also learn about a husband who accuses his wife of not being a virgin and what the consequences are if he is telling the truth or lying. The Gemara lists the father's rights from his daughter and his obligations to her.
This week we will continue discussing the cases of rape and seduction and when the perpetrator must pay the fine of fifty shekel and when he is exempt from paying the fine. We will learn about the additional payments he must pay including compensation for her embarrassment, depreciation, and suffering.
This week we will finish the second chapter of Masechet Ketuvot that discusses who’s testimony is believed in court. The third chapter deals with a man who violates or seduces a young girl and the consequences of his actions. We will continue learning key principles of Jewish law.
What was life like before the destruction of the First Temple? What was the state of the people and the commonwealth? Join tour guide Rabbi Alan Haber as he explores the reality of Israel prior to the destruction of God’s House.
Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores several important kinot and selections from Eicha in the lead up towards Mincha on Tisha B’Av.
This week we will learn which testimony is believed and which testimony isn’t. The Gemara described women testifying that they were married and then divorced, or captured but remained pure. We also have the case of men testifying that they are Kohanim, priests, and if they are believed.
In this shiur, our last of the summer series, we will attempt to find the prayer of Yehoshua at Gilgal: what was it?
We will also zoom out and sum up what we have learned in this series of shiurim, and see how it can apply to our own prayers today.
This week we will continue learning key concepts of the Talmud, We will understand the concept of majority and when we follow it. After completing the first chapter, we will begin the second chapter with a discussion of “he said, she said” and who we believe in a court of law. We will also discuss how one behaves before a bride and what one should say.
In this shiur, we will examine in depth selected comments of the classical meforshim to answer the questions:
Did Aharon and Pinhas actually pray, in the accounts referred to by the piyut in selihot?
What might have been the actual prayers of Aharon and Pinhas in their respective moments of crisis? What exactly were they wishing for?
This shiur is dedicated by Charles Neuman in memory of his father Monroe Neuman – Menahem ben Mordechai z”l.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about the seven blessings, Sheva Brachot, recited at the wedding and for a week after the wedding. The Gemara tells us that some women get 200 zuz for their Ketuva and others get 100 zuz. We will learn several cases where a husband came to court and claimed that his wife wasn’t a virgin on the wedding night, and what the court’s response was to the couple.
In the previous shiur, we discussed at length the verses that tell us about the prayer of Moshe at Har Sinai following חטא העגל, but we did not finish seeing the comments of Rashi and Ramban, that can very much clarify what was actually happening.
We will then move on to the next prayer mentioned in the piyut of selihot: that of Aharon with the firepan of incense. No prayer is explicitly mentioned in the account brought in Parshat Korach. We will discuss the verses that tell the story, and try to understand what exactly might have been his prayer with the help of the perspectives of the classical commentators.
Food: Sharing as Caring
Food, Memory, and the Seder
Seudat Mitzvah: When Does a Meal Become a Mitzvah?
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
In our previous shiurim we saw that for many of the spiritual heroes whose names appear in the piyut in selihot (and about their prayers at times of distress we have speculated), the Torah does not explicitly document the text of their prayers to G-d.
This is definitely not the case with Moshe Rabeinu! The Torah contains several texts of prayers of Moshe at various times.
But when we come to the prayer of Moshe at Horev (Har Sinai), it’s a little confusing. To which prayer exactly are we referring? And what is Moshe really asking for?
We will delve into the verses in Shemot and Devarim, and with the help of a couple of the classical commentators, we will try to answer these questions.
Women in the books of the Prophets seem to have a different and more visible role than in the Chumash itself. They are not always named but their wisdom is clear. Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores their stories and their impact on the greater story that is the history of Israel.
Women in the books of the Prophets seem to have a different and more visible role than in the Chumash itself. They are not always named but their wisdom is clear. Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores their stories and their impact on the greater story that is the history of Israel.
As we begin a new Masechet, we will review the concept of the Ketuva, its obligations, and its purpose. We will learn the proper day of the week for a wedding and why. We will also learn several fundamental concepts in the laws of Shabbat, as they pertain to a wedding performed on Friday.
How Do We Make Our Table Hashem’s Table? (Shulchan Domeh LeMizbe’ach)
Part 1: Bein Adam LaChaveiro
Part 2: Bein Adam LeAtzmo
Part 3: Minhagim
In this shiur we will try from the verses in Beresheet to understand what would have been Yosef’s prayer from his prison cell. Then we will move on to the account of the entire nation of Israel with their backs to Yam Suf and seeing Par’o and his army approaching. Who prayed, and what did they pray?
This week we will learn the entire thirteenth chapter of Yevamot. We will be learning about the orphaned minor girl whose mother or brother married her off. She has the ability to annul the marriage. This is called Mi’un and she has the right to do this as long as she is a minor.
Women in the books of the Prophets seem to have a different and more visible role than in the Chumash itself. They are not always named but their wisdom is clear. Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores their stories and their impact on the greater story that is the history of Israel
Berakhot and the Attitude of Gratitude
Food and Family on Shabbat
Mayim Acharonim as Preparation for Birkat HaMazon
This week we will learn the entire thirteenth chapter of Yevamot. We will be learning about the orphaned minor girl whose mother or brother married her off. She has the ability to annul the marriage. This is called Mi’un and she has the right to do this as long as she is a minor.
How We Gain By Keeping Kosher: Two Approaches
Eating LeSheim Shamayim
Why Do We Cover the Challahs for Kiddush?
Plus parsha recipes for Behaalotekha AND Shlach!
The Torah does not explicitly tell us what were the prayers of Avraham and Yitzhak at Har HaMoriah. Yet in selichot we make a clear reference to the fact that their prayers at the time of the Akeidah were answered. What were their prayers? And how were they answered? We will do some sleuthing and thinking to try to find out.
In this first shiur of the series, we will begin by discussing the basic view of the Torah regarding prayer and whether it is something expected of us, or an act based on our own initiation as humans in relationship with G-d. To do this we will study the views of the Rambam and the Ramban on this subject. I have posted the sources here.
Women in the books of the Prophets seem to have a different and more visible role than in the Chumash itself. They are not always named but their wisdom is clear. Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores their stories and their impact on the greater story that is the history of Israel
Women in the books of the Prophets seem to have a different and more visible role than in the Chumash itself. They are not always named but their wisdom is clear. Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores their stories and their impact on the greater story that is the history of Israel.
This week we continue discussing cases of children who were mixed at birth and what happens when they grow up and their brothers need to do yibum for them. We will also learn about a woman who doesn’t know if her child is from her first or second marriage, and how we relate to his lineage. We will then learn the entire twelfth chapter and learn all the laws of the Chalitza ceremony.
This week we will learn about the consequences of the case of a woman who goes abroad, it is said that she died and her husband marries her sister, and then she returns. We will also learn about a minor, a boy over nine who does Yibum, and whether it works or not. We will begin the eleventh chapter of Yevamot and learn about converts and their relatives.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn when an Israelite woman can eat Teruma, which is normally only eaten by Priests. And we will see when that right is taken away. We will begin the tenth chapter of Yevamot and discuss a case of Aguna, when a woman is bound to her husband who may or may not be dead.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will discuss various types of eunuchs and if they have the ability to do Chalitza or Yibum. We will also learn about the Hermaphrodite and the Tumtum and if they can do Chalitza and if their spouses can eat Teruma. The ninth chapter discusses different relationships where the wife can be forbidden or permitted to marry the husband, but can also be prohibited or permitted to his brother, the Yavam.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week, we will learn about the laws pertaining to a Jewish male who can’t be circumcised for health reasons. The Gemara also teaches various male injuries that prevent him from being able to marry specific Jewish women. We will then learn about numerous nations that are or are not allowed to convert to Judaism (in the time of the Bible).
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
We will continue the discussion on the mitzvah of “Pru u’rvu”, procreation, and learn who is obligated. This week we will learn the entire seventh chapter of Yivamot that deals with property brought into a marriage by the wife. We will try and understand who owns it and who is responsible for it and the halachic consequences.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we are going to learn about who a High Priest and regular Priest can marry. What are the consequences if they marry someone forbidden to them? We will learn about the commandment to procreate and its parameters. The Gemara also teaches about the virtues of a good wife and the effect of a bad wife.
In this Medical Ethics & Halacha course (https://bit.ly/MedicalEthicsAndHalacha) Rabbi Dovid Fink will cover an in-depth analysis of halachic sources regarding a number of contemporary medical issues, including: Alternative medicine; Fertility (In-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, birth control, abortion); End of life (Do-Not-Resuscitate, euthanasia); Shabbat (leniencies that apply to critical and non-critical conditions). For each topic we will study the primary texts of the leading poskim.
In this sample from the course he will discuss Abortion and halacha. TO JOIN THE HALACHA MASTERY PROGRAM OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM PLEASE VISIT https://bit.ly/HalachaMasteryProgram
In this Medical Ethics & Halacha course (https://bit.ly/MedicalEthicsAndHalacha) Rabbi Dovid Fink will cover an in-depth analysis of halachic sources regarding a number of contemporary medical issues, including: Alternative medicine; Fertility (In-vitro fertilization, artificial insemination, birth control, abortion); End of life (Do-Not-Resuscitate, euthanasia); Shabbat (leniencies that apply to critical and non-critical conditions). For each topic we will study the primary texts of the leading poskim.
In this sample from the course he will discuss Abortion and halacha. TO JOIN THE HALACHA MASTERY PROGRAM OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROGRAM PLEASE VISIT https://bit.ly/HalachaMasteryProgram
This week we will continue our conversation about the power of Maamar and Get in relation to Yibum and Chalitza. We will finish the fifth chapter of Yevamot and start learning the sixth. In this chapter we will explore the various ways a man can perform Yibum.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week the Gemara describes different prohibited relationships that the resulting child is considered a Mamzer. This has ramifications on who the child can marry in the future. We will also learn about the laws of Jewish Conversion. Who can convert and how the conversion process works.
This week we will learn about Inheritance in Jewish Law and how it relates to Yibum. The Gemara will discuss several cases where we are unsure of the child's father is the deceased brother or the living brother, and now they are arguing over the inheritance. We will also learn that one needs to wait three months before performing Yibum or Chalitza.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn various scenarios that begin with three brothers, two of which marry two sisters. We will see what the third brother is obligated to do if one or more of the brothers die. We will also learn some fundamental halachic principles dealing with two or more prohibitions that occur either simultaneously or one after the other.
A cat ate a goat bought for two zuzim. A dog bit the cat, a stick hit the dog, a fire burned the stick, water put out the fire, an ox drank the water, and so on. Join Rabbi David Sedley as he explores the historical and allegorical explanations of this final song of the Seder, Chad Gadya.
Join Mrs. Sarah Rudolph as she explores Hallel during the Seder. Why does it seem divided in two and what are the additions to it on Seder night? Why when it comes to Hallel why is this night different from other nights?
Tucked away at the end of birkat hamazon and just before Hallel is the peculiar custom of opening the door for Eliyahu Hanavi, Elijah the Prophet. Don’t open the door to strangers! Join Rabbi Amihai Zippor and explore why this prophet, more than all the others, has a place at our annual Seder tables.
On Seder night we hide the matzah. Why? From whom is it hidden and what does hiding it symbolize? This is even more interesting if one remembers that Joseph was called in Egyptian – ‘צפנת פענח’ -the one who reveals or deciphers. Is there a connection between the words and the subjects? Join Rabbanit Yafit Clymer as she explores these and other questions about הצפון/Tzafun on Seder night.
Shulchan Orech is the part of the seder where we partake in the festive meal but that doesn’t mean the focus shifts elsewhere. Join Rabbi Gidon Rothstein as he discusses what we should eat, how we should eat it, and how much we should eat. What makes this holiday meal different from all other holiday meals, the rest of the Seder aside?
This week the Gemara will introduce us to numerous cases with numerous brothers who marry numerous sisters and then some of the brothers die. The Gemara will explain who needs to do what to each widow. We will learn about the concept of Zika, a bond between the brother and the widow, and how strong that bond is. We will be finishing the second chapter or Yevamot and we will begin the third chapter.
In Korech, Hillel tells us to make a sandwich of matzah and marror to commemorate the korban Pesach in the Beit Hamikdash. Join Mrs. Fran Miller and learn the significance of this sandwich including how our seder changed today in the absence of the Temple.
Join Rabbanit Dr. Tamara Spitz as she explores the topic of marror from the Mishna to modern times.
What are the halachic implications of motzi matzah, making the blessing for bread over matztah? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he discusses this and also, what to keep in mind when eating matzah on Seder night.
On most festive occasions we only wash once. On Seder night we wash twice. Join Rabbi Dr. Stuart Fischman as he explores the oddity of doing נטילת ידים twice, once before כרפס and once before מוציא מצה
Join Rabbi Daniel Korobkin live from the Beth Avraham Yosef of Toronto (“The BAYT”) Congregation as he presents a unique perspective on bedikat and biur chametz, the checking for and burning of chametz prior to Pesach.
How can we make sure that Pesach cleaning doesn’t become the stuff of nightmares? Much of what people assume is necessary isn’t based on halakhah. Join Rabbi Uri Cohen as he explores primary sources and provides contemporary tips to make your cleaning less tense but no less halakhic.
Why is this night different from all others? How does the once-a-year mitzva of telling the Exodus story differ from the day-in-day-out obligation to remember the Exodus?How does the uniqueness of telling about Yetziat Mitzrayim impact the rest of the Passover Seder? Join Rabbi Jeffrey Saks as we explore these and other questions through the teachings of Rabbi Soloveitchik.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Can plastic utensils or those made from other new materials like pyrex and aluminum be kashered for Pesach? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he learns the classical sources in search of the practical implications.
After finishing the first chapter, we will begin the second chapter of Masechet Yevamot. We will learn about a brother who is born after his older brother dies and leaves a widow. The Gemara teaches that this brother is exempt from doing Yibum. We will also learn about secondary forbidden relationships that the Rabbis decreed are also exempt from Yibum.
Yachatz is the point in the seder where we break the middle matza in two. Join Ilana Goldstein Saks as she explores the dual nature and meaning of this poorest, and richest, of breads.
The halachot of karpas are fascinating. Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores what karpas means and what we must keep in mind at this point in the seder.
Rabbi Daniel Korobkin is senior Rabbi of Beth Avraham Yosef of Toronto. Rabbi Korobkin teaches a popular Moreh Nevukhim series on WebYeshiva, and he is the author of a new translation of the classic philosophic work The Kuzari: In Defense of the Despised Faith.
In this episode we’ll be chatting about his father, Leonard z”l who sadly passed away in April of 2021. This discussion is based on an interview Rabbi Korobkin did with his father in 2020, for Father's Day. His father had a very interesting career working as a lawyer for some of the biggest names in the music industry but what makes his story even more interesting is that he did this while maintaining a lifestyle as an Orthodox Jew.
Learn Moreh Nevukhim weekly with Rabbi Korobkin HERE
Join Rabbi Yehoshua Geller as he explores Urchatz at the Passover Seder. He will first discuss the topic and origins of washing before dipping vegetables in general and how this is relates to the need for asking questions on Seder night.
Join Rabbanit Shira Mirvis as she explores kadesh, the first point in the Pesach Seder.
Why is this night so different from other nights that it gets its own order of events? Join Rabbi Chaim Brovender as he introduces the Pesach Seder.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will continue learning about the 15 women that are prohibited to do Yibum or Chalitza due to familial relationships. Not only are they forbidden from doing Yibum and Chalitza but so are their co-wives. The next Mishna teaches that there are 6 women who are closer to the man than the original 15. These 6 women are also forbidden to him but their co-wives are permitted to do Yibum or Chalitza.
This week we will begin learning Masechet Yevamot. We will learn about the mitzvah of Yibum, Levirate Marriage, and who needs to fulfill this mitzvah. The Masechet begins by teaching us who is exempt from Yibum and why. We will learn several fundamental Talmudic principles in this week’s review.
Join Rabbi Chaim Brovender for a special Purim shiur on ‘zachor et amalek,’ the mitzvah to remember what amalek did to us.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This we will continue learning about the world of purity and impurity. We will learn how and when vessels are purified. The Gemara relates who is trusted and believed about their vessels and who isn’t. This Masechet ends by describing how they used to purify all the Temple vessels after each holiday and which vessels didn’t need to be purified.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
The Gemara continues discussing details of the Heavenly Chariot, Ma’ase Merkava. We will learn the famous story of the four Sages that entered the Pardes, orchard, and what happened to each of them. We learn what sacrifices are allowed to be brought on Festival days and why. We will then delve into the world of Purity and Impurity in Jewish Law.
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
In preparation for Daf Yomi Yevamotand Daf Yomi Yevamot: One Week at a Time, join Rabbi Gidon Rothstein for a halachic overview of chalitzah and special guest Leah Moses Wittmer as she discusses her personal story of having to perform the chalitzah ceremony.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about the 3 sacrifices that must be brought when coming to Jerusalem for the Festival and from what funds one may buy these animals. We will also learn what happens if you don’t bring these sacrifices on the first day of the Festival. The second chapter of Chagigah deals with what subjects may be learned in a group or may only be learned one on one.
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Masechet Chagiga discusses the mitzvah of Aliya L'Regel, going up to the Temple in Jerusalem during the 3 festivals of the year. When a person goes to the Temple, one must bring various sacrifices. The first Mishna teaches who is obligated and who is exempt from going to the Temple and why.
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
We continue to learn about the mourning rituals and customs. We will also learn about the different stages of the mourning process and the customs that are connected to each stage. The Masechet ends by discussing the departing of the soul from the body.
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
The third chapter of Moed Katan explains that people in extenuating circumstances can get haircuts and shave on Chol HaMoed. We will also learn what a mourner and leper are not allowed to do. The Gemara then describes people who have been excommunicated and what the ramifications are for different levels of excommunication. We will also learn what scrolls or documents may or may not be written on Chol HaMoed.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about how the priests checked and diagnosed Tzaraat and if they were allowed to do this on Chol HaMoed (Intermediary Days of the Festival). We will learn what activities one can do in order to bury someone on Chol HaMoed. The Gemara teaches us that we can’t have wedding on Chol HaMoed because we don’t fix celebrations. The second chapter begins by discussing the activities that are prohibited for a mourner and on Chol HaMoed.
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
The Book of Shemot takes us on a transformative journey from slavery in Egypt to an encounter with God at Har Sinai to the building of the Mishkan. Along the way, we witness the ups and downs, twists and turns, rivalries and epiphanies that contribute to the emergence of Am Yisrael as an independent entity with a newfound identity. At the helm stands, of course, Moshe Rabbeinu, whose own process of maturation develops alongside his people.
In this class with Rabbanit Yafit Clymer we delve into the text and centuries of commentary to follow the parallel trajectories of a nation and its leader. We will explore the major ideas, characters, motifs and patterns in this foundational sefer and learn valuable lessons about the Torah’s notions of leadership, law, society, freedom and, ultimately, how it all ties into our relationship with God
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will start Moed Katan. We will start with an overview of the Masechet and understand some of the central themes that will be discussed over the next few weeks. We will learn what activities are permitted on Chol HaMOed and during the Shemita year, specifically watering different types of fields. We will also learn about fixing water cisterns and about marking graves on Chol Hamoed.
Class description
Tropes of Immortality
Aging Too Would Need to Be Overcome (including Struldbrugs in Gulliver’s Travels)
Pro:
You Could Be a Repository of Memory
You Could Learn a Huge Amount (including Cinderella in Fables)
You Could Try Everything (including Hob Gadling in The Sandman)
Neutral
Con:
You Would Have No Incentive (including “If We Were Vampires”)
You Would Watch Everyone Die
You Would Hold Back the Next Generation
You Wouldn’t Really Be Alive (including Tuck Everlasting)
The Real Immortality That We Believe in and Pray For
Class description
Not Good to Be Alone — Torah
Not Good to Be Alone — Today
Being Alone (including The Martian)
Hating Being Alone (including Frankenstein)
Being Lonely — Physical, Psychological
Being Lonely — Existential, Ontological
Positives of Loneliness (including Leonard Cohen’s Book of Mercy)
Everyone is Lonely (including “Message in a Bottle”)
Compensating With Community (including “Piano Man”)
God’s Loneliness
Class description
Fear Can Be Good (including Inside Out and The New Batman Adventures)
But It’s Usually Bad
Pachad vs. Yirah
Don’t Make Yourself Afraid
The Appeal of Horror (including Stephen King)
Overcoming Fear with Laughter (including Boggarts)
Face Your Fears! (including Divergent, Dune, and Defending Your Life)
Fictional Fantasies (including High School Musical)
Frum Fantasies
Impatience in Jewish History
Impatience Today: How Did We Get Here? (including Credit Cards and Amazon Prime)
What's Wrong With Impatience, Anyway?
Class description
A Time for Everything: “Turn! Turn! Turn!”
We’re Like Dust: “Dust in the Wind”
The Sun Stays the Same: “Time”
Have Fun, But There’s a Price to Pay: “Somewhere Along the Line”
The Bottom Line is to Fear God: “Meaningless”
Everything is Fleeting: “Leaves That Are Green”
Appreciate the Time You Have With Your Loved Ones: “Do You Realize??”
Class description
What’s Worse Than Being in Galut? Getting Used to It
Antisemitism and Bambi the Book
Intermarriage and Fiddler on the Roof
Assimilation is Like Being a Fish Out of Water
Assimilation and The Little Mermaid Giving Up Her Voice
The Four Children and Four Generations in America
Class description
The Yetzer is Necessary: A Star Trek Episode
A Special Drug Can Amplify the Yetzer: Dr. Jekyll and Captain America
The Yetzer Hara is on the Side of Good: Willy Wonka and the Zohar
The Psychology of the Yetzer Hara: The Screwtape Letters
Appendix:
What Does Charlie Do to Deserve Winning the Chocolate Factory?
Class description
What If Mashiach Were Right Here?
God’s Multiple Images
A Voice Customized to You
Anthropomorphism is Necessary
Visual Representation of God, Though, Is Never Allowed
We Can Still Learn Much From Portrayals of God:
Tzimtzum
La-Shem Ha’aretz Umloa’ah
Tzaddik Ve-Ra Lo
Ein Tzayar K’Elokeinu
Grappling With How to Portray God
A Form Customized to You
Bruce Almighty
Oh, God!
Class description
Darth Vader: The Greatest Villain Ever to Do Teshuvah
Nineveh = The Empire
Ebenezer Scrooge: The Most Famous Jerk-to-Nice-Guy
Phil Connors: Stuck in Groundhog Day Until He Changes
Class description
The Middah of Sticking to It
Schulz’s Monumental Achievement
The Football Joke and the Middah of Naivete
Unrequited Love
It’s Dark and Bleak
Survival: Jewish Strategies
Survival: Peanuts Strategies
Charlie Brown
Snoopy
The Cartoonist and the Rabbi
Class description
A Torah Approach to Female Beauty
Barbie’s Materialism
The Body Image Problem
Is Barbie Part of The Problem? Yes
Why Does Barbie Look Like That, Anyway?
Is Barbie Part of The Problem? No
This Doll Was Innovative: A Woman, Not a Baby
A Woman’s Independence According to Halakhah
A Woman’s Independence According to Handler
Class description
Some Good Middot and Lessons in the Series
Acceptance of Death
Alchemy
Christianity
Should We Be Worried About Kishuf?
Class description
Is There Judaism in “The Matrix”?
What’s Real? Thinking About It in Pop Culture
And How Do You Know What’s Real and True?
Wake Up!
Insights Into Geulah and Mashiach
Class description
Masks on Purim
Masks Can Be Liberating
Two Types of Secret Identities
Deciding Who You Are
Batman Vs. Bruce Wayne
Why Superman’s Secret Identity is Safe
He’s Really Superman
He’s Really Clark Kent
Both Identities Are Essential
We All Wear Masks
Class description
The Heroism of Self-Control
The Heroism of Helping Others
The Value of Never Giving Up
Reading Superheroes as an Adult
The Great Burden
Chasid vs. Kovesh et Yitzro
Superman as Chasid
Superman as Survivor
Batman as Kovesh et Yitzro
Batman vs. Superman
Class description
The Value of Stories
The Appeal of Fantasy
Should Adults Read Children’s Books?
How Did Fantasy Become a Children’s Thing?
Actually, (Almost) All Fiction is Fantasy
Az előadás során a modern genetikai vizsgálatok és a zsidóság igazolásának a kapcsolatáról fogunk beszélni.
Class description
Az előadásban a legfrissebb responzumokkal fogunk foglalkozni, melyek az elmúlt hónapokban születtek, a koronavírussal kapcsolatos háláchikus kérdésekre.
Class description
A mesterségesen előállított hús ehető-e tejjel? És ha nem kóser állatból nyertük az első sejteket? Ha állati vérre van szükség az előállításhoz, akkor is lehet majd fogyasztani?
Ezekre és hasonló kérdésekre keressük a választ a sorozat második előadásán.
Class description
Az előadássorozat első részében a XXI. századi új vásárlási szokásokkal és annak vallásjogi konzekvenciáival foglalkozunk.
Class description
Mindenkit várunk szeretettel ma este 21:00-kor! A sorozat utolsó előadásán a “techélet” – a ciceszrojtok kék szálának kapcsán arról beszélünk, hogyan befolyásolják a háláchát, a zsidó vallásjogot a modern tudományos felfedezések.
Class description
Ma este folytatjuk a két héttel ezelőtti témát: Ki a bölcs, és ki a gólem? Személyiségfejlesztés 7 lépcsőben Hogyan kapcsolódik ez Chanukához?
Class description
Hogyan befolyásolhatja az etikai tanítás a valláshoz való viszonyt? Mi volt a kiváltó oka az első “eretnek” mozgalomnak? Ezeket a kérdéseket fogjuk tárgyalni, ahogy tovább folytatjuk az Atyák traktátusának tanításait.
Class description
Folytatjuk az előző héten tanult misnát. Generációnkénti paradigmaváltásokról beszélünk, illetve arról, mitől lesz valaki jó vezető, és mire figyeljenek a bírók és tanítók. A handout ugyanaz, mint előző héten.
Class description
Milyen személyiség kell a Tóra és a hagyomány láncolatába való bekapcsolódáshoz? Miért fontos a Szináj-hegyi kinyilatkoztatás ismerete az etikához? Mitől lesz valaki jó vezető? Mire figyeljenek a bírók és tanítók? A mai előadás magyar idő szerint este 22:00-kor kezdődik.
A mai előadás során a klasszikus zsidó etikai tanítások eredetéről beszélünk. Mi is az a Misna, és mi is az az Ávot traktátus? Mi a Maszóra, és hogyan jutott el hozzánk ez a tanítás?
Class description
Ma is nagy szeretettel várunk mindenkit az esti előadáson. A mai téma: Demokrácia és háláchá – kompatibilis-e a kettő? Mi a zsidóság szerint az ideális társadalmi berendezkedés?
Class description
Nagy szeretettel várunk mindenkit ma este 21:00-kor! A Templom-hegy: szabad-e felmenni? Az előző héten ünnepeltük Jeruzsálem újraegyesítésének 50-ik évfordulóját. Ez alkalomból megnézzük, milyen gyakorlati halachikus vonzatai vannak a Siratófal és a Templom-hegy meglátogatásának.
Class description
Nagy szeretettel várok mindenkit ma este 20:00-kor! (Az időpont sajnos nem helyesen jelenik meg a webszájton, de már korábban be lehet jelentkezni.) FIGYELEM! Az előadás május 14-én európai idő szerint 20:00-kor kezdődik! A többi előadás időpontja 21:00-kor lesz. Beolvadni vagy kitűnni? Az első alkalommal arról fogunk beszélni, hogy napjainkban milyen követelményeket állít a vallásjog és a tradíció a zsidó öltözködésmódról, a fejfedő viseletéről, a zsidó név használatáról, és egyéb ezzekkel kapcsolatos dolgokról. Szeretettel várjuk Önöket vasárnap este 20:00-kor.
Class description
Egy rövid kitérő erejéig kilépünk a Pirké Ávot által megadott mederből, és a Hákárát Hátov, a hála szerepéről beszélünk a zsidó etikában.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Is it permitted to rely on astrology to guide our lives? Can we use astral forces to heal sickness and disease? How can we distinguish between prohibited superstition and permitted wisdom? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great rabbis from the Talmud through the modern authorities.
Our miniseries on riding bicycles on Shabbat (and Yom Tov) begins tomorrow (Monday).
Source materials are available through the links both in WORD format and pdf.
In class we will translate and explain these sources.
Defining We will begin our survey of rabbinic attitudes toward fun by examining the place of fun during mourning. These sources will illuminate the rabbis’ basic understanding of what fun is. Then we will be able to proceed to the role of fun in everyday life.
Defining We will begin our survey of rabbinic attitudes toward fun by examining the place of fun during mourning. These sources will illuminate the rabbis’ basic understanding of what fun is. Then we will be able to proceed to the role of fun in everyday life.
Defining We will begin our survey of rabbinic attitudes toward fun by examining the place of fun during mourning. These sources will illuminate the rabbis’ basic understanding of what fun is. Then we will be able to proceed to the role of fun in everyday life.
Some may say the world is your “oyster” but does Judaism put limits on fun? What is the role of leisure time and activities according to classical Torah sources? Where is the room for fun in a spiritual life? How does the tension between spirituality and “enjoyment” (popularly defined) play out in the synagogue vs. home, or on Shabbat vs. weekdays? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great poskim about leisure activities, games, sports, vacation travel, secular literature, and more.
Some may say the world is your “oyster” but does Judaism put limits on fun? What is the role of leisure time and activities according to classical Torah sources? Where is the room for fun in a spiritual life? How does the tension between spirituality and “enjoyment” (popularly defined) play out in the synagogue vs. home, or on Shabbat vs. weekdays? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great poskim about leisure activities, games, sports, vacation travel, secular literature, and more.
Some may say the world is your “oyster” but does Judaism put limits on fun? What is the role of leisure time and activities according to classical Torah sources? Where is the room for fun in a spiritual life? How does the tension between spirituality and “enjoyment” (popularly defined) play out in the synagogue vs. home, or on Shabbat vs. weekdays? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great poskim about leisure activities, games, sports, vacation travel, secular literature, and more.
Some may say the world is your “oyster” but does Judaism put limits on fun? What is the role of leisure time and activities according to classical Torah sources? Where is the room for fun in a spiritual life? How does the tension between spirituality and “enjoyment” (popularly defined) play out in the synagogue vs. home, or on Shabbat vs. weekdays? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink and study the opinions of the great poskim about leisure activities, games, sports, vacation travel, secular literature, and more.
The first class (24 July) dealt with the basic leniencies that apply to cross dressing.
Are women permitted to wear clothing usually worn by men (like trousers)?Are men permitted to engage in practices usually associated with women (like coloring their hair)? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the halachot which answer these questions.
Are women permitted to wear clothing usually worn by men (like trousers)?Are men permitted to engage in practices usually associated with women (like coloring their hair)? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he explores the halachot which answer these questions.
In this series we will survey the views of the principle poskim regarding photocopying copyrighted texts, copying copyrighted digital texts, songs, and software, and downloading pirated material from the internet.
In this series we will survey the views of the principle poskim regarding photocopying copyrighted texts, copying copyrighted digital texts, songs, and software, and downloading pirated material from the internet.
In this series we will survey the views of the principle poskim regarding photocopying copyrighted texts, copying copyrighted digital texts, songs, and software, and downloading pirated material from the internet.
This evening (Wednesday) is our first class on casting mystical lotteries to decide what to do or what not to do.
The Gaon of Vilna is credited with establishing the method of casting the lottery, and we will examine the sources dealing with this with a view to understanding how the lottery works and what its capabilities are.
The Gaon of Vilna is credited with establishing the method of casting the lottery, and we will examine the sources dealing with this with a view to understanding how the lottery works and what its capabilities are.
The Gaon of Vilna is credited with establishing the method of casting the lottery, and we will examine the sources dealing with this with a view to understanding how the lottery works and what its capabilities are.
A simple reading of the Biblical verses prohibiting bugs implies that any and all foods containing bugs are prohibited. More careful analysis of the sources leads to more lenient conclusions. In this course with Rabbi Dovid Fink we will examine the opinions of the great sages of the Talmud down through today’s principle poskim with the goal of understanding the main opinions on what to do about bugs and food.
Is exercise (jogging, calisthenics, kettlebell, etc.) permitted on Shabbat and Yom Tov?
If not, what is the precise definition of the prohibition? What exactly is prohibited and why?
Is exercise (jogging, calisthenics, kettlebell, etc.) permitted on Shabbat and Yom Tov?
If not, what is the precise definition of the prohibition? What exactly is prohibited and why?
According to some authorities, glass is non-absorbent and therefore can be used for both milk and meat, for both kosher and non-kosher foods.
Others disagree, holding that glass absorbs and cannot be kashered.
We will survey the opinions of the leading authorities through the generations.
According to some authorities, glass is non-absorbent and therefore can be used for both milk and meat, for both kosher and non-kosher foods.
Others disagree, holding that glass absorbs and cannot be kashered.
We will survey the opinions of the leading authorities through the generations.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachic sources and opinions regarding the obligation of women and men to cover their heads.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachic sources and opinions regarding the obligation of women and men to cover their heads.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachic sources and opinions regarding the obligation of women and men to cover their heads.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachic sources and opinions regarding the obligation of women and men to cover their heads.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachic sources and opinions regarding the obligation of women and men to cover their heads.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachic sources and opinions regarding the obligation of women and men to cover their heads.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the correlation between clocks becoming common in daily life and how that affected Jewish communal prayer.
Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the correlation between clocks becoming common in daily life and how that affected Jewish communal prayer.
Most poskim prohibit gelatin made from non-kosher animal parts. Some permit it.
In this class we will survey the opinions and the reasons on both sides of the issue.
Survey of the opinions of the poskim regarding gelatin, glycerin, and related substances.
Concerts? Zemirot? What are the parameters? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachot of Kol Isha. In this course we will learn from the sources down through today’s leading poskim.
Concerts? Zemirot? What are the parameters? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachot of Kol Isha. In this course we will learn from the sources down through today’s leading poskim.
Concerts? Zemirot? What are the parameters? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachot of Kol Isha. In this course we will learn from the sources down through today’s leading poskim.
Concerts? Zemirot? What are the parameters? Join Rabbi Dovid Fink as he surveys the halachot of Kol Isha. In this course we will learn from the sources down through today’s leading poskim.
Sources regarding the use of LEDs on Shabbat and Yom Tov are attached.
In class we will translate and explain these sources.
Class description
In this lesson we will cover the concept of a Shoteh, which appears frequently in the Mishna and Gemara. What does it mean and how do we apply its meaning for practical use in our time?
Class description
In this session we will cover the term שוטה לדבר אחד (the concept of a Shoteh for a specific issue), a condition when someone’s personality is not totally taken over by his mental condition.
Class description
In this session we will cover the concept of choleh she-yesh bo sakana (a person in danger because of their condition), discussing what mental conditions define a person as being in life-threatening danger.
In this session we will cover the concept of safek pikuach nefesh, situations where one’s mental condition casts doubt as to whether he is in a life-threatening situation.
Having covered issues related to choleh she-yesh bo sakana, this session will cover choleh she-ein bo sakana, people with mental conditions which are not life-threatening.
In this session we will discuss the concept of depression in both Halachic history and ruling. Are the views and rulings of the great sages compatible with mental health conditions and situations of today?
Taking everything we have learned up till now into consideration, in this session we will discuss what the proper communal and halachic response should be to Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
In this session we will discuss how certain cases of PTSD offer different kinds of thinking when it comes to their relationship with halacha.
In this session we will cover how halachic treats anorexia, primarily with regards to halachic fasting.
In this session we will cover religious scrupulosity and how it must be handled within the context of obsessive compulsive disorder.
In this final session, we will cover halachic questions that have to do with the anxiety disorder agoraphobia and touch on a few outstanding questions regarding other mental health issues.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
We will continue to learn about the laws of Torah reading. We will also learn the laws for the Blessings of the Priests. After finishing the third chapter, we will learn the fourth and final chapter of Masechet Megillah. This chapter deals with the sanctity of the Shul, Beit Kneset. We will also learn the special Torah readings for each Festival in the Jewish Calendar. We will finish the Masechet together!
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn the entire second chapter of Masechet Megillah. This chapter deals with the laws of reading the Megillah and how one fulfills their obligation. We will also learn about the order of the blessings in the silent Amida and its significance. We will learn who may or may not read the Megillah and when it must be read. The third chapter discusses the number of Torah portions, Aliyot, we read on various days in the Jewish calendar.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will be learning Megilat Ester, the Book of Esther, in depth. The Gemara quotes numerous verses and explains the hidden meaning behind these verses. Who was King Achashverosh? Evil Haman? Righteous Mordechai? Queen Esther? Where did they come from and what motivated them thought the narrative?
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
The holiday of Purim is celebrated on the 14th of Adar. Walled cities from the time of Joshua celebrate it on the 15th of Adar. Masechect Megillah starts off teaching about the different dates one can read the Book of Esther (Megillat Esther) based on the size of the city. When we have a leap year, we add an additional month of Adar (like this year). The gemara discusses which is the “real” Adar. When do we observe Purim? We will begin the section of the “Ein Bein”s. This portion of the gemara compares similar concepts and highlights their similarities and differences.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will learn about the national involvement in the Temple service, including Priests, Levites, and Israel. These were called Maamadot. We will also learn about the tragic events that befell the Jewish Nation on the 17th of Tamuz and the 9th of Av. We will end the Masechet discussing the festive day of Tu B’Av (15th of Av).
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
The third chapter of Masechet Taanit describes numerous reasons the Rabbis would institute a fast: famine, locusts, wild animals, invaders or a plague. We will learn many famous stories of Sages who prayed for rain and were answered because of their special relationship with G-d or because of their righteousness. We will hear about a Sage who spoke with Elijah the Prophet in the market and about someone who falls asleep and wakes up 70 years later.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
This week we will continue learning about the 3 sets of fast days they would institute when it didn’t rain in Israel by a certain date. The second chapter of Masechet Taanit begins by describing how they brought the Ark out into the street during these fast days. We will learn how they added 6 blessings to the Amida, making it a total of 24 blessings. We will also learn about the special minor holidays listed in Megilat Taanit, when it is forbidden to fast or eulogize on those days.
This week we will learn all about the greatness and miraculous nature of rain. We will see how rainfall is linked to our deeds and the deeds of the righteous among us. We will learn about the 3 great leaders in the desert and what the Jewish People merited on their behalf. The Gemara teaches what date we need to start asking for rain, and what happens if it doesn't rain by a certain date.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Twenty:
Urban Legend:
“On Tu BiShvat, you’re supposed to eat dried fruit!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“A Sephardic rabbi discovered the long-lost Talmud Yerushalmi on Kodashim!”
Street Torah:
“Chanukah presents are just a variation of the older custom of Chanukah gelt!”
Factitious Fiction:
The Rabbi Small Mysteries:
“Judaism doesn’t believe in an afterlife or petitionary prayer!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“Eating fish with meat is dangerous!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Mishnah Berurah says women don’t have to light Chanukah candles, because they’re not as important as men!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
“Sufganiyah” (Chanukah donut) is related to “sponge.”
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
The overarching theme of Masechet Taanit is Rain. Rain, especially in Israel, is integral to the health and growth of the country’s produce. Unlike other countries, Israel is almost completely dependent on rain fall for a successful crop. The first Mishna teaches us when in the year and where in our prayers do we remember and ask for rain. We will learn about the different types of rain and when in the year they are beneficial for the harvest.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Nineteen:
Urban Legend:
“A pomegranate has 613 seeds!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“The Maharal’s Haggadah commentary was discovered in the Royal Library of Metz!”
Street Torah:
“If women do a zimmun of their own, men should walk out!”
Factitious Fiction:
The Red Tent:
“All the Matriarchs worshipped goddesses. Harsh monotheism is only for males!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“Lice don’t reproduce, but are produced by spontaneous generation!”
Misunderstood Text:
“Rashi blames Dinah for going out and getting raped!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Rav Eliyahu Dessler’s mussar includes practical tips from Dale Carnegie.
Join Rosh Yeshiva Rabbi Chaim Brovender for his weekly shiur on the parshat hashavua and come away with creative insights into the weekly Torah portion.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Eighteen:
Urban Legend:
“The Magen David is an ancient Jewish symbol!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“Eldad Ha-Dani was a medieval traveler from beyond the Sambatyon!”
Street Torah:
“Women lighting Shabbat candles should have one for each family member!”
Factitious Fiction:
The Frisco Kid: “Even to save your life, you can’t travel on Shabbat – that is, until sunset!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“If a niddah looks at a mirror, blood-red drops appear!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Torah says charging interest to Jews is a sin, but charging interest to non-Jews is a mitzvah!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Some use the Targum Yonatan to answer the question of who’s the mom in egg donation and surrogacy.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Seventeen:
Urban Legend:
“If a child intermarries, the parents are supposed to sit shiva!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“Rabbi Mordechai Kaplan led an Orthodox congregation until he lost his faith!”
Street Torah:
“You can kasher a knife by sticking it in the ground!”
Factitious Fiction:
The Last of the Just: “Being a Jew is to suffer, and being a lamedvovnik is to be martyred!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“The ten tribes still exist, but they’re beyond the Sambatyon River!”
Misunderstood Text:
“A man using an Orthodox prayerbook thanks God that he isn’t a woman!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Yeshiva University wanted to honor its oldest living alumnus, but it would have been too embarrassing.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Sixteen:
Urban Legend:
“Singing Tehillat Hashem after Shir HaMa’alot is an anti-Zionist thing!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“The Besamim Rosh is by the Rosh but it wasn’t published until the 1700s!”
Street Torah:
“You’re not allowed to marry someone who has the same name as your parent!”
Factitious Fiction:
The Ten Commandments (1956): “Moses received the ten commandments in private!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“An eighth-month baby isn’t viable!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Kuzari says converts can’t be prophets, which is racist!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
The traditional prayer for the government has a concealed, subversive message.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Fifteen:
Urban Legend:
“Orthodox Jews serve men before women!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“The Radziner Rebbe reinstituted the original tekhelet!”
Street Torah:
“Following the law of the land isn’t required in the Land of Israel!”
Factitious Fiction:
The Merchant of Venice: “A Jew can demand a pound of flesh for defaulting on a loan!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“The redemption will involve flying miraculously to the Land of Israel!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Gemara says that people doing mitzvot can’t get hurt!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
The fifth Lubavitcher Rebbe went to therapy with Sigmund Freud.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Fourteen:
Urban Legend:
“Newlyweds should have sheva berakhot every day of the first week!”
Frauds, Fakes, Forgeries:
“A pious rabbi found and published the long-lost rishon, the Sefer HaEshkol!”
Street Torah:
“A mourner in the first year should walk out for Yizkor!”
Factitious Fiction:
Nurses TV show: “Orthodox Jews can’t accept transplants from non-Jews!”
People Thought the Darndest Things!:
“A woman can get pregnant by taking a bath!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Gemara says that the only wisdom for women is the spindle!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Rabbis have discussed when exactly to say “L’chaim.”
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Thirteen:
Urban Legend:
“Adam and Chavah sinned by eating an apple!”
An Unlikely Story:
“93 Bais Yaakov girls killed themselves so the Nazis wouldn’t get them!”
Street Torah:
“The Second Beit HaMikdash was destroyed only because of sinat chinam!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘helpmate’ is a reasonable translation of ‘ezer kenegdo’!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“World War I started on Tisha B’Av!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Rambam says girls and women are too dumb to be taught texts!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Elvis Presley was a Shabbos goy for his Orthodox neighbors. But according to his mom, he was in fact halakhically Jewish.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Twelve:
Urban Legend:
“You can fulfill Seudah Shlishit with Divrei Torah instead of food!”
An Unlikely Story:
“The Chofetz Chaim’s grandchildren refused to use his Kiddush cup, since it wasn’t big enough for the Chazon Ish!”
Street Torah:
“A woman shouldn’t make Havdalah, and certainly shouldn’t drink the wine!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘cholent’ is from the Yiddish for when you eat it: ‘shul ende’!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Rashi’s daughters put on tefillin!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Gemara says we shouldn’t save the life of a non-Jew on Shabbat!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
A strange statement in the Shulchan Arukh is the result of meddling printers who didn’t cover all their tracks.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Eleven:
Urban Legend:
“Mordechai was Esther’s uncle!”
An Unlikely Story:
“Rabbi Akiva Eiger naively called a regular Jew the leader of world Jewry!”
Street Torah:
“The entire Zohar was written by Rav Shimon bar Yochai!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word “baal” means a husband because “baal” actually means an owner!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Targum Yonatan on the Torah was written by Yonatan ben Uziel!”
Misunderstood Text:
“Kiddushin is a kinyan, which means the groom is buying the bride!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
People don’t realize that the broken Vav in Parashat Pinchas is supposed to be there.
Class description
Here are the topics for Session Ten:
Urban Legend:
“We say ‘Migdol’ in Birkat HaMazon on Shabbat because of a misunderstanding!”
An Unlikely Story:
“The Sha’agat Aryeh was crushed to death by a bookcase!”
Street Torah:
“A Chanukah menorah is disqualified if the candles are at different heights!”
Folk Etymology:
“The letters on a dreidel stand for ‘Nes gadol hayah sham’!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“The Maccabees played dreidel to cover up for learning Torah!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The third Beit HaMikdash will not have animal korbanot, according to the Rambam and Rav Kook!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Hebrew U makes millions a year because Albert Einstein was ahead of his time.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“During Birkat Kohanim, don’t look or you’ll go blind!”
An Unlikely Story:
“The Chofetz Chaim woke up his daughter to go pay a tailor in the middle of the night!”
Street Torah:
“Women are exempt from positive time-bound mitzvot because they’re too busy taking care of their children!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘afikoman’ means dessert in Greek!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“The Netziv closed the Volozhin Yeshiva rather than allow any secular studies!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Gemara says ‘Woe to someone whose children are girls’!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
A prominent rabbi gave haskamot to books that he himself had published anonymously.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“Mishlo’ach manot need to be two foods that have two different berakhot!”
An Unlikely Story:
“Simon & Garfunkel got the tune for ‘Scarborough Fair’ from ‘Dror Yikra’!”
Street Torah:
“Women aren’t allowed to touch (or look at) a Sefer Torah!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘hamantasch’ means that Haman became weak (tash)!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Moshe Rabbeinu’s portrait showed that his natural inclination was to be a bad person!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The halakhah requires us to judge people favorably all the time!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Rabbi Yisrael Salanter’s list of 13 middot is adapted from Benjamin Franklin.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“We don’t eat giraffes because we don’t know where to shecht them!”
An Unlikely Story:
“Rav Gustman was impressed by the milkman – Rav Aharon Lichtenstein!”
Street Torah:
“Saying ‘Jesus’ is not allowed!”
Folk Etymology:
“The Satmar sect of Chassidim is from a town whose name means St. Mary!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Rashi’s pregnant mother was saved when the shul wall miraculously moved!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The halakhah says a woman shouldn’t wear tefillin because she doesn’t have a clean body!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
The “I’m really Amish” story actually happened – with a well-known Chassid.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“Eliyahu’s cup at the seder is called that because he shows up and drinks from it!”
An Unlikely Story:
“There’s an orange on the seder plate (of liberal Jews) because a man once yelled, ‘A woman belongs on the bimah like an orange belongs on a seder plate’!”
Street Torah:
“Tzara’at was a punishment for Lashon HaRa only!”
Folk Etymology:
“The anointing oil included k’neh bosem, which is clearly cannabis!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Jewish life shifted from Babylonia to Spain because of the four captive rabbis!”
Misunderstood Text:
“Mitzvot in the Torah are all meant to be Lekhat’chilah!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Rabbis have discussed what berakhah the Jews would have said on manna.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“Some Orthodox Jews have sex through a hole in a sheet!”
An Unlikely Story:
“When Rav Preil’s daughters sang zemirot, Rav Baruch Ber walked out!”
Street Torah:
“You have to be forty in order to learn Kabbalah!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘teiku’ stands for ‘Tishbi yitaretz kushyot ve’ibayot’ (Eliyahu will resolve all difficulties)!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Ellis Island officials made my family change their last name!”
Misunderstood Text:
“A midrash says that the first woman was Lilith, but she was too feminist for Adam!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
176 is the length of the longest parashah, the longest perek of Tehillim, and the longest masekhet.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“The Gemara starts with Daf Bet in order to teach us an important lesson!”
An Unlikely Story:
“When Rav Moshe Feinstein found out that he drank non-Cholov Yisroel milk, he made himself throw up!”
Street Torah:
“If a Sefer Torah falls, everyone has to fast for forty days!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘abracadabra’ comes from the Aramaic for ‘I will create as I speak’!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“The Rambam was Saladin’s doctor!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Gemara says that you have to eat meat on Yom Tov!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
The spread of Shavuot all-night learning is associated with the spread of coffee.
Class description
Urban Legend:
“Chazal say that if you make three shiddukhim, you’ll go to Olam HaBa!”
An Unlikely Story:
“The location of the Beit HaMikdash is because of a beautiful story about two brothers!”
Street Torah:
“Covering your head with your hand is no substitute for a yarmulke!”
Folk Etymology:
“The word ‘yarmulke’ comes from the Aramaic ‘yerei malka,’ fear of God!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Rashi wrote in Rashi script!”
Misunderstood Text:
“The Gemara says that women are feeble-minded!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
In Raiders of the Lost Ark, Belloq recites part of “Brikh Sh’mei.”
Class description
Urban Legend:
“A Kohen must marry a virgin!”
An Unlikely Story:
“The Maharal made a golem!”
Street Torah:
“When Rivkah met Eliezer and married Yitzchak, she was three years old!”
Folk Etymology:
“The name ‘MarCheshvan’ means the month is bitter because it has no holidays!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“The Menorah is hidden in the Vatican!”
Misunderstood Text:
“A midrash says that in the future, pigs will become kosher!”
Stranger Than Fiction:
Rabbis have discussed whether a golem can count in a minyan.
Urban Legend:
“If you have a tattoo, you can’t get buried in a Jewish cemetery!”
An Unlikely Story:
“The Chofetz Chaim had an encounter from which he learned that you shouldn’t say Lashon HaRa even about yourself!”
Street Torah:
“Reclining at the Seder is to the left, because if you lean right you could choke!”
Folk Etymology:
“The phrase ‘bubbe mysehs’ is the Yiddish equivalent of ‘old wives’ tales’!”
Don’t Know Much About History:
“Jewish slaves built the pyramids!”
Misunderstood Text:
Pirkei Avot says “Don’t talk too much with a woman”!
Stranger Than Fiction:
A teacher accused a girl of lying when she said her father had composed Al HaNissim.