KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Matot | "Do Not Bring Us Across the Jordan" - When Did Bnei Yisrael Learn of Moshe's Fate? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Examining several of the interactions between Bnei Yisrael and Moshe after the decree  ( Bamidbar 20 ) that he was not to lead them into the Land gives us the impression that Bnei Yisrael were unaware of that Divine fiat - which leads us to inquire: When did Bnei Yisrael learn that t...

Megillat Eikha 4 - Chapter 3, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Frustrated in his attempts to get the city to turn inwards, to find solace in God's everlasting kindness and to have the courage to look inwards, repair her ways and commit to turn back to God's ways, the mekonen shares his own painful story of abandonment, desolation and darkness - and his realization that turning his fortunes around was up t...

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #11 The Trumpet Call and Lessons to Learn, by Rav Gidon Rothstein Blowing the chatzotzerot - why are they one mitzva for both good and sad occasions, and what is that meant to teach us?

Pinchas | כצאן אשר אין להם רעה Moshe's Demand that Hashem Appoint a Successor, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The most popular verse in the entire canon - וידבר ה' אל משה לאמר - is inverted one time, in the middle of פרשת פנחס. After the census and the assignation of the Land division, Hashem tells Moshe to prepare to "be gathered to his people" but Moshe resists and "commands" Hashem to appoint a succe...

Megillat Eikha 3 - Chapter 2, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom As the desolate city burrows deeper into her isolation, she reflects on the loss of Divine protection and the frightening turnabout where God has aimed His arrows at her heart, conspiring against her and following through on that anger. She cannot find solace, but the mekonen adjures her to arise, weep at night and beseech God - but to no avai...

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #10 Overconfidence and the Destruction of Two Temples, by Rav Gidon Rothstein In Yirmiyahu and in the Gemara, we see people too sure of their way of averting destruction; we can hope to learn from them to look more carefully and tread where Hashem wants.

Special sicha. Rav Yosef Blau,  mashgiach ruchani at RIETS, honored us with a short dvar Torah on the parasha, followed by an open conversation with the bnei chul at yeshiva, discussing the complexity of the founding Roshei Yeshiva and the Rav zt'l. Introduced by Rav Eli Weber.

Balak | Making Sense of Bilam's Blessings, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In engaging in the study of the curses-turned-blessings of the wizard Bilam, we typically approach our task with two assumptions. First - that Balak's aim in hiring Bilam was to eradicate Am Yisrael. Second - that each of Bil'ams curses-turned-blessings stands alone, as he had no way to know that Balak would ask him to try again f...

Megillat Eikha 2 - Chapter 1, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The bereaved widow, abandoned by all of her friends and separated from her children, cries out in the pain of her desolation. This first chapter of Eikhah is a dialogue between the mekonen (Yirmiyahu) and the city, giving the eternal readership both first person as well as eyewitness perspectives on the fundamental devastation felt in Yehudah...

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #9 Fasts with Lessons, 10 Tevet and 17 Tammuz, by Rav Gidon Rothstein The fasts of 10 Tevet and 17 Tammuz are more than historical: they point to fundamental errors of the past that we can avoid for the future.

Megillat Eikha 1 - Introduction, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Introducing some of the unique features of the structure of Eikha, which speak directly to its message. Why is Eikha in Tanakh?

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #8 Tokhacha and the Ideal Jewish Society, by Rav Gidon Rothstein The mitzva of remonstration, where we do it, where we don't, and its value for a Jewish society.

Parashat Korach with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - "Va'Yikach Korach" - What Did He Take? #2 - Contemporary Commentators - "The Common Sense Rebellion" - R. Soloveitchik's Timeless Message #3 - Sparks of Mussar - Korach's Lust for Power: A Penetrating Insight from the Steipler #4 - Machshava / Jewish Thought - Rejecting "Cancel Culture": The Torah's Approach to Machlokes #5 - Ha...

Korach | Three Books: Three Perspectives, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The setting of Parashat Korach raises broader issues about the chronological sequencing of the Torah's narrative; ibn Ezra maintains that Korach's rebellion took place significantly before the "sin of the scouts" story, which precedes it in Bamidbar. We use this observation to explore a larger and broader issue of the Torah's purpo...

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #7 The Active Voice of God in an Ideal Jewish State, by Rav Gidon Rothstein The prophet's word of God, his right to call for temporary changes to Torah and/or random actions, and the Choshen Mishpat, show us that an ideal Jewish nation has continuing direct contact with Hashem's expressed Will.

Shelach | Of Spies and Scouts, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The central story in Parashat Shelach is the "Meraglim" - even though they are never called "spies" in the narrative. Their job, to "scout" (לתור) the land, the selection of important people and the representative nature of the mission (one from each "civilian" tribe) indicates that the mission was not intended for military reconnaissance; ye...

Parashat Shelach with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - The Sin of the Spies - What Sin?? #2 - Modern Commentators - Kalev and the Virtue of Religious Struggle #3 - Machshava / Jewish Thought - Appreciating the Centrality and Importance of Eretz Yisrael #4 - Sparks of Chasidus - The Essence of Emunah: A Powerful Derasha from the Eish Kodesh #5 - Halacha from the Parsha - Uman, Meron...

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #6 The Role of the Beit HaMikdash in a Jewish Nation, by Rav Gidon Rothstein In this sixth installment, we will discuss three views of the Beit HaMikdash and its role in a fully realized Jewish nation.

Parashat Behaalotekha with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - The Jewish People Miss Free Fish?!?! #2 - Contemporary Commentators - The Inverted Nuns: Rabbi Lamm's "Knockout Derasha" #3 - Machshava / Jewish Thought - Ani Maamin: What Made Moshe and His Prophecy Unique? #4 - Sparks of Mussar - For the Love of Mitzvos: An Inspiring Message from R. Moshe Feinstsein #5 - Halacha from the Parsha - The MITZVAH to...

Beha'alotekha | Those Memorable Cornets, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The command to fashion two silver cornets  ( Bamidbar 10:1-10 ) is puzzling - are they to be made for utilitarian goals or for commemorative (זכרון) purposes? We explore the material, fashioning, timely (desert) uses as well as the eternal (in the Land) opportunities for blasting the cornets and propose a connection between the two...

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #5 Wiping out Amalek or Not? by Rabbi Gidon Rothstein In this fifth installment, we will discuss why wiping out Amalek should come before building the Beit HaMikdash, why Amalek is so bad, and what they are supposed to mean to us?

The Development of Sefirat HaOmer, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The Mitzva of "Sefirat ha'Omer" does not appear in Tannaitic literature and only seems to emerge at the end of the Amoraic era (4th generation). Indeed, it isn't at all clear why the command to "reckon" 7 weeks to arrive at Shavuot would have to be done out loud. Based on the research of Prof. David Henshke, we share his observations abou...

Parashat Naso with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - Judaism's Approach to Physical Pleasure #2 - Contemporary Commentators - The Rewards and Risks of the Birkas Kohanim #3 - Midrash - Unified Diversity - Appreciating the Gifts of the Nesiim #4 - Sparks of Chassidus - Separating In Order to Connect: A Profound Insight from the Sefas Emes #5 - Halacha from the Parsha - Mysterious Min...

Appreciating the Beauty of Yerushalayim, special shiur, english adaptation of hebrew drasha given on Yom Yerushalayim 5782, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

From Redemption to Consolation: Between Pesach and 9BeAv. Our Best Strategies for Bi'at Ha-Go'el. #4 Why a King? by Rabbi Gidon Rothstein In this fourth installment, we will discuss what is challenging in the commandment to make a king, the reasons the Torah would want us to have a king, and how we can make ourselves more ready for one.