Latest Essays
by R. Eliezer Simcha Weisz In international politics, we see the same worrying thing happen over and over again: large global powers sit safely across the ocean. They live in a comfortable and false sense of security, far away from the danger. From there, they try to force artificial peace agreements on Israel—the frontline state that acts as a wall against those who want to destroy us. Human leaders suffer from strategic blindness. They look…
by R. Gidon Rothstein Parshat Chukkat With no premeditation, the five comments I chose from Chukkat, a very full parsha, focus on two incidents only. Next year, God willing, when I try to weave something from all the comments we’ve seen, we’ll get a fuller picture of the parsha. For now, we get what we get and we don’t get upset. When We Know We’re Redeemed The beginning of chapter twenty speaks of the entire…
by R. Daniel Mann Question: I had a meal at the end of Rosh Chodesh that required an Al Hamichya and had to leave before finishing for Ma’ariv. When I returned and finished the meal, should I have mentioned Rosh Chodesh in Al Hamichya? Answer: There are several points of machloket/safek that impact this topic. The concept of mentioning me’ein hameora (=mehm – about the special day) in a beracha acharona (classically, in Birkat Hamazon)…
by Joel Rich I was recently listening to a sheer on schar psiot which was discussing what level of tiebreaker is it? Should you walk to a farther shul even though the closer one has other benefits such as more intense prayer or quieter congregants? I find it interesting that there was no discussion of what you would do with the time saved by going to a closer one. How much weight should you give…
by R. Gidon Rothstein Starting at Daf 42, Chullin has an extended conversation about terefah, what wounds make it impossible for an animal to be kosher to eat. Unfortunately, the Gemara gives contradictory indications of whether these wounds are fatal or not, and whether advances in medical science affect this list. The Mishnah on 42a seems to make terefah a question of scientific fact, says its list covers wounds that kill (within a year, for…
by Joel Rich Aveilut 5786 https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1172493 shiur 1 (340:1-15) Kriah on the meit is d’rabanan and is done at ytziat neshama or the funeral. Who does the actual cutting, on which begadim, and where on the beged? Tearing for 2nd degree relatives, rasha, rebbi, talmid chacham, and parent rules discussed. When and how can the tear be sewn. https://www.yutorah.org/lectures/lecture.cfm/1172788 shiur 2 (340:15-39) Kriah topics including do kriah and avelut share the same timing, differences…