KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Special sicha with Rav Aharon Lopiansky, a dvar Torah for Parashat Vayechi as well as a Question & Answer session with the Overseas Talmidim. Dec 13, 2021. Rabbi Lopiansky is the Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington. Rav Lopiansky has written a number of seforim in both Hebrew and English as well as a Siddur mefurash. We thank him for taking the time to address our students.

Vayigash | Of Farmers and Ranchers, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In the Egyptian narratives, there are several references to תועבת מצרים For Egyptians to break bread with Hebrews is considered an "abomination", as well as the status of shepherds - and the sheep themselves are called that by Moshe. What is the "abomination" here and what is behind it? We survey the approaches of the Rishonim and, build...

Miketz | Dreams and Interpretations, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom An inquiry into the development of Yosef's dreams. There are three dream-sets in the Yosef narrative; two that he dreams, two that he interprets while in prison and the two dreams of Pharaoh. While we assume that Yosef's awareness of the meaning of his dreams was a constant, it is possible that each dream-experience enhanced his art as...

Parashat Vayeshev with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentaries - Who Sold Yosef? It's Not As Simple As You Might Think #2 - Contemporary Commentaries - What Can We Learn from Esav's Children? An Amazing Teaching from the Oznayim Le'Torah #3 - Sparks of Chassidus - Being True To Yourself - A Beautiful Teaching from the Sefas Emes #4 - Sparks of Musar - The Hardest Thing in Life: Admitting Mi...

Vayeshev | Yosef's Dreams by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Yosef's Dreams begin the narrative cycle we refer to as "the Yosef Story" - and these dreams impact through his life and career. What are we to make of these dreams? Are they prophetic (as he seems to believe) or are they psychologically propelled (as his brothers and, perhaps, father apparently think)? What are the "stars" as opposed to the "shea...

Vayishlach | Revisiting Shkhem, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The "rape of Dina" and the bloody aftermath, which comprise all of chapter 34 and the middle of Parashat Vayishlach, is replete with difficulties which make the conventional understanding of Dina's rape and abduction and of Yaakov's silence as well as his response to Shimon and Levi difficult to explain. By analyzing the terms used to descri...

The Inner Beauty of Chanukah, shiur by Rav Dovid Gottlieb, part 1 of a 2-part series on Chanukah, given to the weekly women's group in Kehilat Ha'Ela

Parashat Vayishlach with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentaries - Shimon and Levi Slaughter Shechem: Righteous Justice or Unethical Vengeance? #2 - Contemporary Commentaries - The Greatness of Yaakov: Rav Kook's Fascinating Interpretation #3 - Sparks of Chassidus - Yaakov and the True Source of Humility: The Incredible Insight of the Sefas Emes #4 - Sparks of Musar - Harnessing the Potent...

Vayishlach: ויאבק איש עמו - The Mysterious Wrestling Match, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Yaakov's encounter with the mysterious "man" which lasts until dawn, is "a mystery, wrapped in an enigma, folded into a conundrum" - we survey four of the classic Rishonim with their widely divergent takes on this momentous episode and discuss the vantage points from which they started and which led to each unique...

Empathy: Learning About Ourselves By Connecting With Others, the second of a 2-part series on Mitzvot and Middot Bein Adam LeChaveiro, given as part of the weekly women's shiur in Kehilat Ha'Ela, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

Parashat Vayetze with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - Did Yaakov Really Place a Condition on His Commitment to Hashem? #2 - Contemporary Commentators - Torah Study as the Foundation of our Professional Lives #3 - Sparks of Musar - Yaakov's Dream and The Limitless Capacity for Human Greatness #4 - Midrash - Appreciating Greatness  

Chesed - The Gift of Giving, the first of a 2-part series on Mitzvot and Middot Bein Adam LeChaveiro, given as part of the weekly women's shiur in Kehilat Ha'Ela, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb  

Vayetze | The "Duda'im" Story: A Janus Narrative? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In the midst of the "birth narrative" of Yaakov's family in Haran, the Torah interjects a brief story about Reuven's collecting דודאים (mandrakes) and bringing them to Leah, his mother. Rachel desires them and agrees to give up her night of intimacy with Yaakov in order to get these valuable (?) flowers. The narrative is od...

Parashat Toldot with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - Why Did Yitzchok Want to Bless Esav and not Yaakov? #2 - Contemporary Commentators - Yaakov's Moral Dilemma #3 - Sparks of Musar - How We Spend Our "Free Time" Defines Us #4 - Sparks of Chassidus - The Greatest Gift is a Relationship With Hashem #5 - Halacha from the Parsha - Is a Blind Person Obligated in Mitzvos?  

Birkat HaMazon - Why, What, Where and When Part 2, given as part of the weekly women's shiur in Kehilat Ha'Ela, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

Toldot | Your Curse, My Son, Be Upon Me, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What did Rivka mean? When Yaakov expressed concern over his being caught by his father when trying to gain Esav's blessing, he said והבאתי עלי קללה ולא ברכה - "I may bring upon myself a curse instead of a blessing". Rivka's response to assuage his concern: עלי קללתך בני is a mysterious phrase, with a wide range of exegetical approac...

Birkat HaMazon - Why, What, Where and When Part 1, given as part of the weekly women's shiur in Kehilat Ha'Ela, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

Shabbat Candles, Why, Who, What and When Part 2, given as part of the weekly women's shiur in Kehilat Ha'Ela, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

Parashat Chayei Sara 5782 with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - Avraham's Marriage Advice: Bad Midos Are Worse Than Avodah Zara #2 - Contemporary Commentators - "Ger ve'Toshav": The Dual Identity of the Jew #3 - Sparks of Chassidus - What's Truly Important in Life? A Powerful Insight from the Tolna Rebbe #4 - Sparks of Mussar - Calm Under Fire: Learning From Avraham's Inspiring Exa...

Chayei Sara | Place your Hand under my Thigh - Solving a Bereishit Riddle, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom When Avraham prepares to send his slave to find a wife for Yitzhak, he makes a curious demand of him: "Put your hand under my thigh" either as a prefatory act to an oath or as part of the oath itself. This request/demand appears in only one other place in Tanakh - when Yaakov has Yosef put his hand...

Thoughts about Rabbi Lord Jonathan Sacks - based on the Netziv's profile of Sara Imenu, by Rav Moshe Taragin For more in tribute to Rabbi Jonathan Sacks zt"l >>

Parashat Vayera 5782 with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - What Event Led to Akeidas Yitzhak? #2 - Sparks of Chassidus - The Secret to Avraham's Success: A Remarkable Insight from the Kozhnitzer Maggid #3 - Contemporary Commentators - The True Beneficiary of Our Chessed: A Powerful Chiddush from Rav Nissan Alpert #4 - Sparks of Mussar - Sara's Laughter And Our (non)Belief in Mashia...

Vayera | "If There Are Fifty": Why Fifty, Why Ten...Why Not One?, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Avraham's famous negotiations with God to spare the city of Sodom are perhaps the most gallant confrontational stand any human has taken against God - yet the power of the scene eclipse some of the oddities of the give-and-take. Why does Avraham start his negotiations with "If there are 50 innocent people......

Parashat Lekh Lekha with Rav Dovid Gottlieb #1 - Classical Commentators - Did Avraham Sin By Leaving Eretz Yisroel and Putting Sarah in Danger? #2 - Sparks of Chassidus - Why Was Avraham Chosen? An Inspiring Insight from the Sefas Emes #3 - Sparks of Mussar - Overcoming Life's Challenges #4 - Contemporary Commentators - What Does it Mean to be "Tamim"? A Fascinating Explanation from the Beis HaLev...

Lekh Lekha | Who is Avraham's Future, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom When we are first introduced to Avra(ha)m, he is married to Sara(i)h - and the first thing we learn about her is that she is barren. Yet, Hashem commands Avraham to go to K'naan where He will make him into a great nation. The apparent incongruity of the command and the reality shape one of the two journeys in Avraham's life - and the e...