KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 11: Lying for Peace and Quoting a More Accepted Authority, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Lies for peace and fabricating a quote!

Sheva Berakhot: Six, Five, Three or One? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom We are all familiar with "Sheva Berakhot", such that we even refer to the festive meals during the week of celebration as "Sheva Berakhot" A closer look at the sources tests our numbering - and may reveal something more fundamental about these Berakhot and their place at the Chuppa, as well as at the festive meals. Given in honor of...

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 10: Bending or Breaking the Truth for Peace, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Situations when we may say what is not strictly true, and perhaps even untrue; what justifies it and what consequences does it bring.

A Different Type of Gadol: Hesped for Harav Chaim Meir Druckman zt"l

Chanuka | The Evolution of a Berakha, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the meaning of the phrase "bayamim hahem bazeman hazeh" - both in birkat hanisim and al hanisim? The well-known and familiarly sung 2nd Berakha that accompanies the lighting of the Ner Chanuka is praise for God Who has wrought great miracles for our ancestors...בימים ההם בזמן הזה - "in those days at this time". These last four...

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 9: Misleading Rather than Lying, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Situations where we are allowed to mislead others, deliberately speak in a way they will take one way, when we secretly mean something else.

Eight for 8 Days of Chanuka, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb 1: The Centrality of the Jewish Home. 2: Mehadrin and Living a Life of Religious Aspiration 3: "Naaseh Nes L'Shoshanim:" Why Are We Compared to Roses? 4: The Power of Preparation 5: The Secular vs Sacred View of Money 6: Spiritual Gevurah - The Secret Weapon that Defeated the Greeks 7: The Deeper Reason Why We Add a Candle Each Night 8: Celebratin...

Chanuka, Bein Mizrach leMaarav, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The famous Beraita which details the various standards of fulfillment of the Mitzva of Ner Chanuka (BT Shabbat 21b) is, on careful inspection, challenging and replete with both inherent and contextual difficulties. A careful examination of other relevant sugyot relating to מצות הדלקת נר חנוכה reveal that there was an essential difference in...

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 8: Staying Far from Untruth, by Rav Gidon Rothstein How far we are required to go to be sure we are involved in truth and not falsehood, or even approaching falsehood.

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 7: Rounding Out R. Yonah's Liars, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Liars with no specific profit, what they do wrong, with some exceptions, starting a discussion of where truth is necessary and where it can be bent.

Vayishlach | Rachel's Tragic Death: Why Did It Have To Happen? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The dramatic event of the birth of Binyamin, the only child of Yaakov to be born in the Land (according to the Sifri, in his own land), was e'er marred by the death, while birthing him, of the beloved Rachel. Rachel, buried on the road, weeping for her children to return, becomes the sentinel and lighthouse for...

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 6: Rabbenu Yonah's Most Serious Liars, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Starting Rabbenu Yonah's second group who will not greet the Divine, liars. The first three groups, whom we will see this time, all damage others with their lies.

Vayetze | Who Knew What, When? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The famous deception of Yaakov on his wedding night, in which Leah was brought in to his chambers in the guise of Rachel, is a well-known component of the complex and unpleasant history between Yaakov and his father-in-law, Lavan. The famous Midrashic motif of the סימנין - the code that Yaakov and Rachel shared and which she subsequently reve...

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 5: Last Discussion of Moshav Leitzim, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Closing up our analysis of leitzim, with a few examples of how responsa brought up the concern.

Toldot | Why "Beersheva"? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What does "Beersheva" mean? Well of an oath? (If so, which oath) Well of the seven? (seven of what?)  Seventh well? We first encounter the town of Beersheva in the stories of Avraham; he is in that area when Hagar is exiled from his encampment, and then again when Avimelekh approaches him to make a treaty. In spite of the repeated "seven" in that...

A Conversation About Covenants | Rabbi Gavriel Rosen featuring Rabbi Lord Sacks zt"l,  special commemorative marking Rav Sacks's second yahrzeit

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 4: Moshav Leitzim in Avot and Shulchan Arukh, by Rav Gidon Rothstein A further way to understand leitzim in general, from Pirkei Avot and the Shulchan Arukh.

Chayei Sara | What's The Matter With Canaanite Girls? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom When Avraham's days are nigh, he summons his chief slave and administers an oath that he not take a Canaanite girl as a wife for Yitzhak - "from the Canaanites among whom I reside". This motif reappears - perhaps - when Esav marries two Hittite women and again when Yehudah (possibly) marries a Canaanite girl. By looking...

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 3: Other Views of Leitzim, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Expanding our understanding of what qualifies as a letz, as someone who does not value life and people enough.

Vayera | Kesut Einayim - Unraveling a Biblical Enigma, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In the aftermath of Sarah's safe return after being taken into the court of Avimelekh, the latter adds to his appeasement offering by making a puzzling statement to Sarah: He points out that he has given 1000 silver pieces to Avraham (surprising as it wasn't mentioned in 20:15 as part of the mollification gift) and tha...

Mental Health and Halacha - What Kinds of She'elot Arise, special sicha for the Overseas Students, with Rav Yoni Rosensweig Rabbi of the Netzach Menashe community of Beit Shemesh, and founder of Maaglei Nefesh, a center for halacha, community and mental health. Recently published a book in hebrew, נפשי בשאלתי - הלכות בריאות הנפש, Koren Publishers.

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot: How Not to Lose the Divine Presence #2 by Rav Gidon Rothstein This is Week Two, Defining a Letz . What's a Letz? Defining the category from its five types, seeing what all leitzim share.

Lekh Lekha | Vayikra BeShem Hashem: Avraham's Altars Upon his arrival in the Land, Avra(ha)m builds a מזבח; he then builds another one where he sets up his camp and there, he "calls out Hashem's Name"; he sets up another מזבח when he settles in חברון and then, again, calls out in Hashem's name at Beer Sheva, without building a מזבח. How are we to understand the purpose of these altars - which are...

BRAND NEW SERIES, Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot - How Not to Lose the Divine Presence by Rav Gidon Rothstein This is Week One, The Four Groups who do not Greet the Divine . This shiur will lay out the broad parameters of four groups the Gemara says will not merit the Divine Presence, and the meaning of that consequence.

Noach | The Rainbow and the Covenant, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Who are the parties to the first Berit, symbolized by the rainbow?  The first ברית made in the Tanakh is between God and...? (People? Animals? The Earth?) in the immediate aftermath of the cataclysmic flood. The rainbow is presented as the "sign of the Berit", which is there so that God will "remember" His commitment to never again des...