Jewish History Uncensored

   In this episode, we examine Kissinger's youth more carefully based on a documentary produced by people in the KAJ community. We also look at the challenge of morality.   We also look at R Shnuer Zalman of Liozna's part in the machlokes between the Chassidim and the Misnagdim. What affect did R Shneur Zalman have on this machlokes? When did he become one of the primary figures in the machlokes?...

Henry Kissinger was one of the most important American diplomats of the twentieth century. He aroused very strong feelings and opinions in many circles. Why is this true? What is his key legacy? What lessons can we learn about life from Kissinger and his legacy? Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the...

In this week's episode we take a deeper look at how to properly understand R Chaim Voluzhin's comments on the issue of Torah Lishma. We also discuss how to synthesize the comments we saw from the Vilna Gaon with R Chaim Voluzhin's presentation Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering the key issues. Click ...

Many assume that R Chaim Volozhin completely argues with the Tanya about how to understand Torah Lishma. In this episode, we take a closer look at the issue. We specifically look at a number of statements from the Vilna Gaon in Mishley that discuss the issue. How does this affect how we understand R Chaim Volozhin's comments on the issue?   We also take a closer look at the custom of wearing hats...

  In this episode we take a deeper look at the potential benefits of proper Torah learning. How does this have the potential to give us the tools to deal with the challenges of maintaining commitment in our times?    We also look at how there are parallelisms between Tanya and Nefesh HaChaim in their understanding of high level Avodas Hashem.    We also examine if there is a connection between the...

 In this episode we look at how Tanya understands the process of learning Torah and how this is connected to Dveikus.  According to the Tanya, how do we understand the ideal of focusing on Dveikus when learning Torah? According to Tanya is there a connection between the process of understanding a sugya and Dveikus?   We also look at the Ramchal's statements about this issue.  Is Tanya closer to th...

In this episode, we start  looking at the famed machlokes between the Tanya and Nefesh HaChaim about Torah Lishma. In order to properly understand R Chaim Volozhin's approach it is necessary to understand what place, 'Avodas Hashem', plays in the Misnagdic world. How important did the Vilna Gaon and R Chaim Volozhin think this was? We similarly examine the famed statement of R Yisroel Salanter on...

Most of this episode looks at the basic challenge of translation. The beginning of the episode has some important insights into the issues we have discussed about the Gaza war.    We examine why the challenge of translation is even more difficult when translating from Hebrew to English. We also examine the major English translations of the last hundred years. Which translation is the best? What fl...

 In this episode we more carefully examine why Israel is calling this a war. We take a look at one of the basic parts of politics, compromise.  Is compromise a necessary evil, or is it a standard part of national cohesion and cooperation?    We also look at the basic challenge of understanding the news and how to properly relate to news. What are the basic challenges in relating to the news? Nach...

In this week's episode we look at how to understand The Gaza War. What lessons can we learn from this war? What is the difference between this and the Yom Kippur War? What major factor will play a significant part in determining how long this war goes on for? Is this part of the War of Gog? What tools do we have to cope better with the difficulties of the situation? Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstei...

In this week's episode we look at the recent documentary about Spinoza. Spinoza made the news a couple of times in the last couple of years because of this documentary. What level tool of knowledge is a documentary? What are the limits of a documentary in general? How does this documentary do in terms of the limits of a documentary?  Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We lea...

In this week's episode we take a deeper look at how the Vilna Gaon understands Tzadikim, Banonim and Reshaim. How much of a difference is there between the Vilna Gaon and Tanya on this topic? We also look at the basic advise and recommendations the Vilna Gaon has for us on these topics.  Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine...

  In the first half of this episode we look at some of the legends that people say about the famed confrontation between the Vilna Gaon and R Menachem Mendel of Vitebsk and the R Shnuer Zalman of Liozna. Is it possible that the Vilna Gaon challenged R Menachem Mendel to a debate?    In the second half of the episode we go back to look more at the Vilna Gaon's definition of Tzadikim, Banonim, and R...

In this week's episode, we look at some of the key events of this year, the tumult of the reforming of the Israeli Supreme Court and the advances of AI. What lessons can we learn from these events? How can we use these lessons to improve or ability to relate to Rosh HaShana? Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur...

In this week's episode, we take look at the Tanya's distinction between the level of Banoni and the level of Tzadik. Is there a practical way to know who is has a soul that is the level of Tzadik? Why is it that people are so interested in this? We start looking at the Vilna Gaon's statements in Mishley on these issues. Was the Vilna Gaon directly responding to the Tanya? Where does he agree with...

In this episode we look at the issue of how to define the term, 'Banoni'. Tanya has a well known and fascinating way to define the term. In order to understand the issue better, we examine the different places in Shas that this term is used and also look at how the term was classically defined. We specifically take a deep look at the sugya of, 'The three Books of Rosh HaShana'. Is there any relati...

In this episode we take a deeper look at how the Tanya explains the importance of doing a mitzva properly. We also look at the response of R Chaim Volozhin to this. We also take a practical look at when a person should be adding on extras to their mitzva performance. Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp. We learn a perek a day five days a week, with a nine minute shiur covering...

In this week's episode we look at how the Tanya explains the importance of doing a mitzva lishma. We also look at why there is more interest in what are called, 'pnimius of Torah', today than there was in the past. How is authority and duty viewed today? How did it used to be viewed in the past? How does this affect our commitment to Torah? We also look at what is called Neo Chassidus. Why has thi...

In this episode we discuss the statement found in many contemporary publications that call Tanya, Chassidic Philosophy. Is this an accurate description of Tanya? What is the basic difference between how people in the Chassidic world and people in the Litvish world will try to improve their fulfillment of mitzvas? How does this relate to the basic differences between the Besht and the Gaon? Nach Yo...

In this episode we look some of the basic issues that Tanya discusses. We similarly look at how commonly are the Tanya's statements included in general discussion of these issues. One of the Vilna Gaon's greatest historical legacies is the primacy of the sugya. How does the Vilna Gaon define the sugya? Should the Tanya be included in the sugya in the issues he discusses? Nach Yomi:   Join R' Witte...

 In this episode we look at some of the key reasons we have difficulty relating to Tisha b'Av. We also look at why we find the Kinos so difficult to relate and even to say. We also look at some tools we can employ to better relate to both Tisha b'Av and the Kinos.    This is the link to the Kinos shiurim in Rabbi Menachem Spira's shul in Passaic:    https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/16Xv10Gm0...

In the episode, we look at how contemporary Chassidic groups have reacted to the AI advances. Why have the American Chassidic groups reacted and not the Israeli ones? We continue looking at R Shnuer Zalman development as a leader. What was one of his deepest hesitations to becoming a Chassidic leader? What important innovations did he come up with? Is there a way to document his success as a leade...

In this episode we look at the process of R Shnuer Zalman of Liozna becoming the founder of what is called today Chabad Chassidus. When did R Shneur Zalman actually found a Chassidus? Did this happen immediately after the petira of the Maggid of Mezritch? What caused R Shnuer Zalman to become a Chassidic Rebbe? How long of a process was it? Nach Yomi:   Join R' Wittenstein's Nach Yomi on WhatsApp....

In this episode we take a different look at the way AI is different from human intelligence and how this creates a challenge for us at a very basic level. We also look at how AI is affecting the economy and office work and how this will probably affect productivity. We conclude by examining one of the key issues here in terms of our attitude to AI and how this fits into the greater picture of Avod...

In this episode, we look at how the advances in AI will affect us in a deep way.  Is there any ways that AI has similarity to kishuf?  One of AI's greatest strengths is its ability to produce a clear and convincing presentation. How will this ability complicate life? How is this related to the basic core definition of what defines man as man? We also look at  how a clear presentation without deep...