KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Female Wartime Leadership: Devora HaNevia and Her Message Why was a woman chosen to lead Bnei Yisrael at a time of war? Devora Hanevia (and the other women in the story) bring a message that is very relevant to us right now. To uncover this message, though, we need to read the story carefully and pay attention to the geography of Eretz Yisrael. Shiur given to GPATS students at Stern College, Nov 1...

Swords of Iron | Maintaining Unity after the War, by Rav Alan Haber '86 Discussion on the challenge of maintaining our blessed newly-found unity after the war is over. Given at the Synagogue of the Suburban Torah Center in Livingston, NJ, Nov 14, 2023

Nichum Aveilim: What - and What Not - to Do at a Shiva Visit, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb An halakhic shiur given on Nov 22, 2023 at Kehillat HaEla (Ramat Beit Shemesh).  In addition to the dedications mentioned by Rav Gottlieb, we add Alon Shevut's latest tragedy, may this be for an iluy neshama for Eitan Dov Rosensweig, ben Uzi veChagit, HY"D.

Vayetze | Who Knew What and When - Revisited, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Was Rachel aware that she was Yaakov's promised bride?  Continuing our inquiry from last year's shiur, we explore the description of Lavan's "deception" of Yaakov regarding his marriage to (Rahel) Leah then Rahel and explore what each of the players in this dramatic sequence may have known or believed about the dramatic and met...

Ramban On The Torah | 21 | Vayetze, by Rav Eli Weber

Lessons Learned from 6 Weeks at War, by Rav Dovid Gottlie "I am in love with the Jewish people." A sicha given Motzaei Shabbat Parashat Toldot 5784, Nov 18, 2023, at Beit Midrash Torani Leumi Melavah Malka in Beit Shemesh

Aging and the Aging Parent (3): Kibbud Av vaEim Dilemmas (2), by Rav Dovid Gottlieb An halakhic shiur given on Nov 12, 2023 at Kehillat HaEla (Ramat Beit Shemesh).  Taking care of a parent and what halakhot are entailed in that role reversal situation. Part 2. What are the child's financial responsibilities. Are there things a child may not physically do for their aging parents. Source sheet >> 

Aging and the Aging Parent (2): Kibbud Av vaEim Dilemmas (1), by Rav Dovid Gottlieb An halakhic shiur given on Oct 26, 2023 at Kehillat HaEla (Ramat Beit Shemesh). Taking care of a parent and what halakhot are entailed in that role reversal situation. Part 1. To what extent are we allowed to delegate those responsibilities? Source sheet >>

Aging and the Aging Parent (1): The Challenges and Blessings of Old Age, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb An hashkafic shiur given on Oct 26, 2023 at Kehillat HaEla (Ramat Beit Shemesh). People get older. It beats the alternative.  Source sheet >>

Toldot | The Riddle of Esav's Wives, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In Parashat Toldot, we are told about Esav's first two wives - Yehudit and Basemat, both Hittites. We learn that his parents are embittered by these wives - but not why. At the end of the story, after Yaakov flees, Esav, realizing that his father doesn't approve of his wives, takes a third wife, a daughter of Yishmael. Two oddities prov...

Ramban On The Torah | 20 | Toldot, by Rav Eli Weber Was Yitzchak rich or poor? Did the ancestors keep all the Torah? And did Yitzchak really want to give the blessing to Esav?

Ramban On The Torah | 19 | Chayei Sara, by Rav Eli Weber

Chayei Sara | The Abrahamic Dialogues, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What are we to make of the last words we hear from Avraham - his oath administered to his slave?  After sharing several methodologic observations about the way that we ought to read Tanakh narratives, we explore every dialogue in which Avraham took part - whether with Hashem, with family members, with kings, with the landed gentry of...

On Kiddush Hashem | Are people killed defending, or in attacks against Jews, considered Kedoshim, by Rabbi Michael Taubes '77, Rosh Yeshiva at The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy/Yeshiva University High School for Boys in New York, and  also the spiritual leader of Congregation  Zichron  Mordechai in Teaneck, New Jersey, delivering regular Shiurim and lectures both there and at the  Beis   Medrash...

Pidyon Shevuyim: the Great Mitzva to Free Hostages, by Rabbi Michael Taubes '77, Rosh Yeshiva at The Marsha Stern Talmudical Academy/Yeshiva University High School for Boys in New York, and also the spiritual leader of Congregation  Zichron  Mordechai in Teaneck, New Jersey, delivering regular Shiurim and lectures both there and at the  Beis   Medrash  of Bergen County, housed in Teaneck's Congreg...

Vayera | Who Were Those Three "Men"? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Who were the three visitors to Avraham?  Parashat Vayera opens with a familiar scene - Avraham's hospitality lavishly presented to three strangers, whom the text refers to as אנשים - "men". Yet, these three seem to know things that mortals shouldn't know and, at several points during the conversations which ensue, God's own voice is hea...

Ramban On The Torah | 18 | Vayera, by Rav Eli Weber

Lekh Lekha | The Land that I Will Show You, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom How was Avraham supposed to understand the directive to go to the "land that I will show you"?  When God commanded Avraham to leave his family and all that he knew, He directed him to go to "The Land that I will show you"; but how was Avraham to know where to go? How was he going to be "shown" the Land? Deciphering this enigmatic...

"Korim Li Am Yisrael": The Unprecedented Achdus Sweeping the Jewish World, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Delivered as part of a "Night of Chizuk" in Beit Shemesh Many thanks to R Rosner for hosting (Nofei HaShemesh) and to R Goldberg and R Gibber for joining us from Boca Raton. Thanks as well to Kehilat Eretz Chemdah in Yerushalayim for their incredible help in organizing the event. שנשמע בשורות טובות

Chizzuk for our Current Situation, "We are in a new world."  Sicha with our Overseas Talmidim, October 15th, 2023 by Rabbi Leo Dee, whose wife and two daughters HY"D were murdered by Palestinian terrorists in April.

Ramban On The Torah | 17 | Lekh Lekha, by Rav Eli Weber

During these challenging and uncertain times, a short inspirational lesson followed by the recitation of tehillim.  We thank the OU for including our Rosh Yeshiva, Harav Mosheh Lichtenstein, in their Daily Tehillim and Chizuk Call; to join the daily call, click here >>

Noach's Altar, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why was Hashem's reaction to Noach's offerings so...tepid?  In the immediate aftermath of the flood, three consecutive events are recorded. Noah builds an altar and offers mammals and birds to God at which God seems to be pleased and internally commits to never again destroying the earth. God then presents an essential legal/moral code to Noah and then God c...

Ramban On The Torah | 16 | Noach, by Rav Eli Weber

Divrei Chizuk, by Dr. Jacob Freedman, Psychiatrist and Trauma Specialist Special address to our Bnei Chul talmidim, during "Milchemet Charvot Barzel"