The Maggid of Melbourne

Pardes North America Presents: A Shot of Torah with Rabbi Dr. Levi CooperPraying for Rain During Shmitta: Episode 3: Water Cisterns, Trees, and the Needy With no great rivers coursing through the Land of Israel, we are heavily dependent … Read the rest The post Praying for Rain During Shmitta: Episode 3: Water Cisterns, Trees, and the Needy first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading...

Pardes North America Presents: A Shot of Torah with Rabbi Dr. Levi CooperPraying for Rain During Shmitta: Episode 2 – For the Sake of Non Jews and Sinners With no great rivers coursing through the Land of Israel, we … Read the rest The post Praying for Rain During Shmitta: Episode 2 – For the Sake of Non Jews and Sinners first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Praying for Rain Du...

Pardes North America Presents: A Shot of Torah with Rabbi Dr. Levi CooperPraying for Rain During Shmitta: Episode 1 – A Land Flowing but Not with Water With no great rivers coursing through the Land of Israel, we are … Read the rest The post Praying for Rain During Shmitta: Episode 1 – A Land Flowing but Not with Water first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Praying for Rain Duri...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 10: Zur Hadassa It’s now time for part ten – the final podcast in what has been a fantastic mini-series. We have traveled through various lands and different eras: What a journey! The Maggid of Melbourne … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 10: Zur Hadassa first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 10: Zur Hadassa at Elm...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 9: Tel Aviv Radio Part nine of this series takes us to Tel Aviv, and to the radio program of Rabbi Hayim David Halevi (1924-1998), where he grappled with one of the toughest philosophical questions on … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 9: Tel Aviv Radio first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 9: Tel Aviv Radio at El...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 8: Jerusalem Repentance The early twentieth century saw an unexpected suggestion appear in the writings of Chief Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak Hakohen Kook (1865-1935). The Maggid of Melbourne shares this passage, suggesting that R. Kook’s suggestion may … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 8: Jerusalem Repentance first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue read...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 7: Cologne Codes In the fourteenth century, the term “Hoshen Mishpat” [Breastplate of Judgement] took on a fascinating new meaning. Levi looks at the innovation, seeking the source for inspiration and pondering its impact. Subscribe to … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 7: Cologne Codes first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hoshen Mis...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 6: Provençal Metaphors  Turning to Biblical commentators on Ezra 2:63 and Nehemiah 7:65, Levi considers how they understood the longing for the return of the Urim and the Thummim. The Maggid of Melbourne ponders how this … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 6: Provençal Metaphors first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hoshen Mishpat Ques...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 5: Egyptian Experiences Moving further back in time, Levi shares the perhaps uncharacteristic words of Maimonides (1138-1204), as he explains the process of answering questions with the Hoshen Mishpat [Breastplate of Judgement]. These words bespeak an … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 5: Egyptian Experiences first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 4: Spanish Lights Backtracking to medieval Spain, Levi looks at how Nahmanides (1194-1270) understood the mechanics of the Hoshen Mishpat [Breastplate of Judgement] – a truly fascinating approach considering the power of electricity was yet to … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 4: Spanish Lights first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The H...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 3: Italian Lottery The twentieth-century biblical scholar Umberto Cassuto (1883-1951) had an interesting take on how the Urim and the Thummim – an element of the Hoshen Mishpat [Breastplate of Judgement] – worked. Levi considers the … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 3: Italian Lottery first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hoshen Mish...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 2: Israel Expatriates Levi considers whether the longing for a priestly vestment may be linked to the collective memory of Djerban Jewry. Recounting competing narratives of this unique Jewish community, the Maggid of Melbourne is left … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 2: Israel Expatriates first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hoshen...

The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 1: Djerban Yearning Can we claim that in life-threatening situations, cases that would be considered pikuah nefesh, political agreements can be set aside? Or perhaps, even in such cases, political promises should be honoured? Subscribe to … Read the rest The post The Hoshen Mishpat Quest 1: Djerban Yearning first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading The Hosh...

This Covid Life: Tools for answering Halakhic questions What tools are at the disposal of Jewish law jurists as they grapple with the question: Is there a halakhic obligation to vaccinate? The Maggid of Melbourne maps out the possibilities. Subscribe … Read the rest The post This Covid Life Episode 5: Tools for answering Halakhic questions first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading...

This Covid Life: The Realm of Jewish Law Is there a halakhic obligation to vaccinate? Levi discusses a preliminary question: Is this even the province of Jewish law, or perhaps it is a medical question that is beyond the expertise … Read the rest The post This Covid Life Episode 4: The Realm of Jewish Law first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading This Covid Life Episode 4: The Real...

This Covid Life: Bless the beginning, bless the end Levi continues the theme of blessings over vaccinations, asking why should we recite a blessing over the Corona vaccine when we do not recite such a blessing over other inoculations? The … Read the rest The post This Covid Life Episode 3: Bless the beginning, bless the end first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading This Covid Life...

This Covid Life: Vaccination on Shabbat Are you allowed to receive the vaccination on Shabbat? What are some of the variables that need to be considered, and what are the tensions inherent in the very question? Join the Maggid of … Read the rest The post This Covid Life Episode 2: Vaccination on Shabbat first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading This Covid Life Episode 2: Vaccinatio...

This Covid Life: Rabbi, is there a blessing on vaccination? Levi addresses the pertinent question of what blessing should be recited when receiving the Corona vaccine. Beyond the COVID-19 relevance, the questions press us to consider who we should thank.… Read the rest The post This Covid Life Episode 1: Rabbi, is there a blessing on vaccination? first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue r...

Laws of Government 12: Never Tell a Lie? Are politicians permitted to avoid telling the truth? Perhaps lying for the sake of peace is permitted, or is even recommended? What are our expectations for truth-telling from our leaders? Subscribe to … Read the rest The post Laws of Government: Never Tell a Lie? first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Laws of Government: Never Tell a Li...

Kickstart your Torah routine with Pardes Daily! For the month of Elul, traditionally a time when Jews prepare for the upcoming new year, Pardes Daily will be offering three Rosh Hashanah themed daily learning tracks featuring beloved Pardes Faculty. After … Read the rest The post Download the New Pardes Daily App first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Download the New Pardes Dai...

The Mystery of the Book of Life In 1817 a slender – almost forgotten – volume was published in the famous Hasidic town of Mezhibuz. The sixteenth-century work was entitled Sefer Ha-Hayim (The Book of Life) and had been penned … Read the rest The post *Coronavirus Special* The Mystery of the Book of Life first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading *Coronavirus Special* The Mystery of...

A Shot of Torah: *Coronavirus Special* Fasting during a pandemic Should we fast on 17th Tammuz as a plague rages around us? Levi shares how he dealt with this question in his community in Zur Hadassa. Subscribe to the Hasidic … Read the rest The post A Shot of Torah: *Coronavirus Special* Fasting during a pandemic first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading A Shot of Torah: *Coronavi...

Korah and Spiritual Spaces What did Korah really want? Levi Cooper looks at the notion of sacred spaces, drawing a lesson that is relevant as we continue to battle Covid-19. Subscribe to the Hasidic Lore Newsletter CreditsRabbi Levi Cooper … Read the rest The post *Coronavirus Special* Korah and Spiritual Spaces first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading *Coronavirus Special* Korah...

Laws of Government 11: Agreements under false pretencesThis podcast is sponsored by Dr. Jonah R. Schrag in honor of his daughter Sarah. Sarah attended the Year Program in 2014-2015 and fondly remembers the inspirational teachings of Levi Cooper.  What … Read the rest The post Laws of Government: Agreements under false pretences first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Laws of Gove...

Laws of Government 10: Legally breaking political promises Perhaps there are cases where a Court of Jewish Law might rule that a party or individual need not honour a political agreement? Levi considers scenarios from the rich corpus of Jewish … Read the rest The post Laws of Government: Legally breaking political promises first appeared on Elmad Online Learning. Continue reading Laws of Governmen...