Simply Deep

The Gemara in Kiddushin 30b provides guidance for one whose desires are aroused—drag yourself to the Beis Midrash. We analyze why and how this works.

Two statements in the Gemara in Kiddushin 30b about the yetzer hara: (1) Even it's Creator calls it rah—evil; (2) it's always renewing, strengthening, and trying to kill you.

The Gemara in Kiddushin 30b likens the yetzer hara to a wound inflicted by a father and the Torah to a bandage the father provides to protect the son from damage due to the wound.

Aharon Fischbein asked why the order Tzaraas is presented in the Torah (person, clothes, house) is the opposite of the order that the Rambam (Tumaas Tzaraas 16:10) and the Midrash Vvayikra Rabba 17:4) say occurs to a sinner. Rashi (Vayikra 14:36) says that when the Torah allows a person to remove his possessions from his house before the kohen declares it tamei with Tzaraas, this is merely to prot...

Rashi (Vayikra 10:5) references Sanhedrin 52a which cites a machlokes whether Nadav and Avihu’s entire body was burnt or only their insides. The reverse machlokes applies to the adas Korach. This episode analyzes these two types of deaths.

Rashi tells us the rewards that Aharon and his sons received for their silence after Nadav and Avihu’s punishment with death—Parshos of the Torah were taught through them. This episode analyzes the greatness of this silence and the appropriateness of this reward.

At times, people incorrectly depict Chazal as being petty or small-minded—and they often cite stories from the Gemara that seem to support this perspective. One such Gemara is Brachos 27b which depicts Rabban Gamliel (the Nasi) putting Rabbi Yehoshua in place for arguing with him, the other Rabbanan demoting Rabban Gamliel for this mistreatment, and the ensuing events (like Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria...

The Torah (Shemos 2:23) tells us that Pharaoh died and the Jews cried out to Hashem from their work. Rashi cites a Midrash that says Pharaoh didn’t actually die but got Tzaraas and was trying to heal himself by washing in the blood of Jewish babies. What do we do we midrashim like this that seem to totally go against pshat? This episode provides a general methodology and applies it to this case.

This episode analyzes the part of the haggada that says we must view ourselves as if we left Egypt. How so? We derive two answers to this question from a careful reading of this paragraph. We also discuss some nice tidbits from the Rav.

At times, people incorrectly depict Chazal as being petty or small-minded—and they often cite stories from the Gemara that seem to support this perspective. One such Gemara is Brachos 27b which depicts Rabban Gamliel (the Nasi) putting Rabbi Yehoshua in place for arguing with him, the other Rabbanan demoting Rabban Gamliel for this mistreatment, and the ensuing events (like Rabbi Elazar ben Azaria...

This episode analyzes these parts of the haggada and their significance.

The Gemara in Gittin 52a discusses a story of the Satan causing two people to fight every Friday night. While Rabbi Meir helped them make peace, he ultimately heard the Satan’s final response. This episode analyzes this story while providing some insight into peacemaking and psychotherapy.

The Ramban (Shemos 31:2) explains how Hashem miraculously “made” Betzalel—one man who had the combination of the practical wisdom to make the Mishkan and philosophical wisdom to understand its ideas. This episode explores the significance of this miracle.

Rashi (Shmos 37:1) explains why the Torah singles out Betzalel’s making the Aron: because he devoted himself more fully than all others. This episode discusses the meaning of this Rashi and the lesson we can learn from it.

Rashi (Esther 1:12, based on the Gemara Megilla 12b) says that Vashti was asked to come out naked on Shabbos because she demanded that the Jewish women would work naked on Shabbos.

What lessons are we supposed to learn from reading the Megilla?

Which of the four tokefs (strengths) much you read about: Achashverosh, Mordechai, Haman, or the nes? Why not all four? This episode analyzes this machlokes.

This is the first of a three part shiur discussing the machlokes tanaim about how much of the Megilla one must read to be yotzei. This sugya is a mix of Halacha and Hashkafa/megillah.

While the Megilla (9:26) tells us why it’s called Purim (because of Haman’s lottery), this explanation seems unsatisfying. After all, it’s based on a seemingly inconsequential element of the action-packed Purim story. This episode discusses the significance of the name Purim and derives a lesson that’s applicable to politics in our day and age.

Rashi (Shemos 26:9) says that the covering of the Mishkan is reminiscent of the veil of a modest bride. Rashi (26:13) also says that the covering of the covering of the Mishkan teaches that a person should take care of beautiful things. This episode analyzes these Rashis and elucidates basic ideas about the beauty of the Mishkan.

The Torah in Shemos 24:6 describes Moshe putting half of the blood of the korbanos on the mizbeach and the other half on the people. Rashi is bothered: Who split the blood??? He answers that a malach came and split it. This episode analyzes why there’s any need for a malach to do something as mundane as splitting the blood. In doing so, we discuss ideas about a covenant between Hashem and man.

Rashi (Shemos 22:25) says that just like Hashem returns your nefesh daily, so too you should return the poor person’s collateral daily. This episode analyzes this strange analogy.

The first passuk in Yisro describes what Yisro heard that caused him to come to the Jews in the desert. The Rashis on this passuk add alot to the pshat in the passuk. This episode analyzes these Rashis.

While people often learn lessons from Hashem hardening Pharaoh’s heart, this shiur focuses more on the lessons to be learnt from Pharaoh hardening his own heart. It also discusses the confusing issue of who hardened Pharaoh’s heart after Barad.

Even though the passuk (Shmos 18:13) says Moshe judged from morning until evening, Rashi says that this isn’t literal but is teaching us a lesson. Namely, someone who judges a true din, even for one moment, it’s as if he is involved in Torah all day and it’s as if he’s a partner with Hashem in Creation (where it often says, “and it was evening, and it was morning, day x.”)