Rabbi Joe’s Torat Tel Aviv

The celebration of 250 years of American independence is an opportunity for us to reflect on what America has meant for the Jewish story. We look at a wide range of sources from poems to the letters of confused immigrants seeking advice to the responsa of the greatest American poskim to see what Rav Moshe Feinstein called Malkhut shel Hesed a kingdom of kindness has meant for the Jews The Bintel B...

When Hashem first encourages Moshe to assume his role as leader Moshe protests, lo ish devarim anokhi - I am not a man of words. Yet in the final weeks of his life, words pour out of Moshe as he gives the people his advice and guidance for the future - elah hedevarim asher dibber Moshe - these are the words that Moshe spoke. Drawing on a beautiful essay of Avivah Zornberg, we will argue that the u...

Bilam, hired to curse, but destined to bless. What were the natures of his powers? When the gemara debates whether he was a wizard or a prophet, what is being suggested about his character? Along the way we will examine an intriguing parallel between Bilam and Avraham, and in particular a cluster of midrashim around the akeida that may have been inspired by, and an oblique commentary on, the story...

In tonight's THINK we look in depth at the story of the ma'apilim, the lesser-known, lesser-studied sequel to the story of the spies - of the group who decided to risk everything to enter the land (even after God had decreed that they would die in the desert) and ended up paying the ultimate price. Our class examines this tragic and strange story - and charts how in the 19th and 20th centuries the...

In our second class exploring the work Nahalat Yosef, a beautiful commentary on Megillat Rut written in Tel Aviv by Rav Y.Z. Lipovitz, we examine the opening lines of the megillah and explore the character of Elimelekh. Although the verses themselves are sparse in detail, Rav Lipovitz, drawing on classical midrash and commentaries, paints a portrait of Elimelekh as a potentially transformative lea...

ln 1923 a young man named Rabbi Yosef Zev Lipovitz moved to Tel Aviv. He had been one of the leading lights at the great yeshiva of Slobodka. He was a  quiet man and did not seek out fame or publicity. Instead he and his wife opened a small pension, a hotel restaurant, on Lillenblum St, where, for the next 35 years, their front room became a gathering place for anyone in Tel Aviv, from famous jour...

  This Yom HaShoah, our JLIC TLV comunity had the immense privilege to hear from Rav Elchanan Guttman - rav of the Bet Yaakov Yosef synagogue in Tel Aviv The shul was founded by Rav Guttman's grandfather, Rav Tzvi Guttman, and named for his two sons Yaakov and Yosef who were murdered in front of him after they were taken from their home in Bucharest in 1940.    Rav Elchanan Guttman tells the movin...

After the seeming ultimate triumph at Har Carmel in the previous shiur and chapter, Eliyahu finds himself in the depths of despair as Izevel still seeks his life and journeys to Har Horev (Sinai) where Hashem teaches the ultimate lesson of how a prophet should act - not through fire and noise but through the thin small voice From here (at around the 40 minute mark) we move to consider why it is El...

Gathering the people to Har Carmel, Eliyahu attempts to force the wavering people to believe with an irrefutable demonstration of God's power, challenging the prophets of the Ba'al to the ultimate win-all lose-all contest One of the greatest stories in Tanakh and one of the most remarkable chapters in the history of Jewish faith - an episode which appears to recreate the revelatory experience of H...

After three years of hiding as a fugitive, Eliyahu is commanded by God to appear before Achav (Melakhim I 18:1) and potentially bring an end to the drought On the way to appearing before Achav, Eliyahu meets Ovadyahu - a man who has risked everything for the sake of Hashem and his prophets, but who has gone about doing so in a way totally different from that of Eliyahu Tonight's class provides a s...

For tonight's Miklat Torah, Benji Jones shares insights into Parshat HaChodesh and the significance of the Torah's emphasis on counting the months.

When you're in the miklat tonight - or even if you're not! - hear some beautiful Torah from Dani Jacobson on the parshiyot of Vayakhel Pekudei as they conclude the multiple themes of Shemot

This THINK we begin a new course on Eliyahu HaNavi - Elijah the larger than life prophet. Eliyahu has a role in Jewish folklore and imagination unlike any other Biblical character. He features at havdala, visits each brit mila and is a central character on Seder night. Over the course of our study we will discover the original Biblical Eliyahu, the many lessons of his story and understand why he c...

Rabbi Joe Wolfson opens a short series of Torah reflections from Tel Aviv during the current conflict - words of Torah that can help frame our moment or offer us a respite and escape from the stresses of the moment. offering spiritual perspective beyond the news and daily stress. Today's piece reflects on a potential existential parallel between the Jews of Shushan and Israel and shares a beautifu...

Purim is often described as the festival of finding faith within the darkness. This was our claim in last week's THINK. Yet we do not need to look to ancient Persia 2,500 years ago to discover an instance of Jews recommitting to their faith and their people in the most trying of circumstances - in fact we have experienced it within our very recent lifetimes in the testimonies of many hostages who...

It's Adar so let's learn Megillat Esther! At tonight's THINK we share an approach based on an essay by Rav Yoel bin Nun noting how so many critical elements of the megillah are the opposite of what we would expect to find in a book of Tanakh - and that this may explain the megillah's most important contribution to our understanding of the history and the possibility of finding God and meaningful J...

The Rambam and the Raivid differ as to whether a child, in extreme circumstances confronted with unreasonable demands by their parents, may run away. Their dispute appears to reflect different readings of the story of Rav Assi leaving his mother and her outrageous demands to go and live in Israel. We read this difficult story closely and suggest interpretations of relevance to everyone in their re...

In tonight's class we move from kibbud av v'em as a lofty ideal to a challenging reality exploring a short Talmudic story about how a child is to cope with conflicting demands from the parents and reflecting on the difference between halacha (law) and agadda (reality) Source sheet here

In the second part of our series on the mitzva of honouring parents we consider a remarkable passage in the Talmud Yerushalmi that approaches the mitzva from multiple angles and raises the question of whether care for one's parents should be viewed as 'repaying the debt' for everything that they have done for the child Source sheet here

We begin a four part series on Kibbud Av v'Em , the mitzva of honouring one's parents.  Where to start? One of the most beautiful yet challenging and complex parts of our lives and an area of Torah which we often don't critically examine past a young age. The material is fascinating and nuanced -  accessible Gemara with a blend of halacha / aggada / midrash and Tanakh.  Tonight's class begins with...

The first two-thirds of Mosheh's life all take place within the four chapters of Shemot. What were the experiences that affected the young Mosheh, and why does Hashem choose him as his agent of liberation? What does Mosheh do for all those many years in Midyan? And if it is justice that drives Mosheh why is he so hesitant to return to Egypt when offered?  Source sheet here THINK is sponsored by Dr...

A little chassidish immigrant boy in late 19th century Paris related the story of Rachel's death and afterlife with such passion that he changed Max Nordau's life forever A drash for Vayehi told on Sderot Nordau in Tel Aviv

THIS EPISODE IS OUR ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE PODCAST - THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO HAS LISTENED, SHARED AND COMMENTED! In this week's THINK we examine the long and heroic journeys of both Yosef and Yehuda as they arrive at an acceptance of the wrongs that have been done to them - Yosef towards brothers and Yehuda towards his father. From this vantage point we then consider the intriguing concept of...

Yosef had a dream and told his brothers... and then they sought to kill him?! That escalated quickly! How does a brother, even one that one deeply dislikes, become someone that you are willing to kill or sell? In this week's THINK we focus on a number of small details in the story of the sale of Yosef that give terrifying insight into the ways in which siblings can cease to see one another as huma...

This week Rabbi Joe had the pleasure of being a guest once again on the Matan podcast joining Yosefa Fogel Wruble for a conversation about the haftara of Parshat Vayeshev taken from the prophet Amos. You can listen to the consistently excellent Matan parsha podcast at https://www.matan.org.il/en/matan-podcast/ ----- In this conversation with R. Joe Wolfson, we explore Amos’ rebuke of the opulent a...