The Tefilah Podcast

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In tonight's tefilah shiur (11/9/20 at YBT) we analyzed the mishnah's statement that "one should only daven from a state of submissiveness." We learned the Gemara in light of the context of the pesukim it cited and arrived at three possibilities for the type of submissiveness that the halacha requires. ---------- מקורות...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! We ended off last time with a bunch of questions on the (now obsolete) Hiskabdu Mechubadim Kedoshim. Tonight (10/26/20 at YBT) we attempted to answer those questions on behalf of the Rambam. We realize that these answers don't work according to most of the other Rishonim and Achronim, but we think that this approach is at least a reas...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! Before we analyzed Asher Yatzar (i.e. the "prayer after using the bathroom") we thought it would be prudent to learn Hiskabdu Mechubadim (i.e. the "prayer before using the bathroom"). In this shiur (given on 10/19/20 at YBT) we learned through the main source, raised the major questions and problems, and then gave a rud...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is Part 2 of our analysis (given on 9/24/20 at YBT) of the first bakashah that we add into the amidah during the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah, in which we answer the questions we raised yesterday. ---------- מקורות: ספר אבודרהם סדר תפלת ראש השנה ר"י בר יקר סדר תפלת ראש השנה מלאכי ג:יג-כא רד"ק מלאכי ג:יג-כא יחזקאל יח:כא-לב ישעיהו מח:...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This is Part 1 of our analysis of the first bakashah we add into the amidah during the Aseres Ymei Teshuvah (given on 9/23/20 at YBT), in which we raise our questions on this addition. ---------- מקורות: אבודרהם - סדר תפילות ראש השנה ר"י בר יקר - סדר תפילות ראש השנה מלאכי ג:יג-כא רד"ק - מלאכי ג:יג-כא  ---------- If you have quest...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! This morning (9/17/20 at YBT) we set out to finish our analysis of Birkas ha'Mapil. Instead we discussed the three objectives of berachos in general, defining ahavas Hashem and yiras Hashem in the process, then showed how the theory of ha'Mapil aims to fulfill those objectives. We concluded (for today) with a theory about how Rav...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! We continue series of "feature-length" shiurim on Tefilah (given on 9/16/20 at YBT) with a review of the Abudirham on Birkas ha'Mapil and an attempt at identifying the unified theme of the berachah. ---------- מקורות: ספר אבודרהם סדר קריאת שמע לפני המטה ---------- If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! We continue our series of "feature-length" shiurim on Tefilah (given on 9/10/20 at YBT) with a first read-through of the Abudirham on Birkas ha'Mapil. Next time we'll try arriving at a unified theory of what the berachah is supposed to accomplish. ---------- מקורות: תלמוד בבלי מסכת ברכות דף ס עמוד ב ברכת המפיל (נוסח אשכ...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! We begin our series of "feature-length" shiurim on Tefilah (given on 9/9/20 at YBT) with the first of the Birchos ha'Shachar: Birkas ha'Mapil. We begin by examining three versions of the berachah and noting their differences. Tomorrow we will delve into the Abudirham's commentary. ---------- מקורות: תלמוד בבלי מסכת...

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text! In this YBT Sunday Shiur (given on 5/24/20) I set out to accomplish three objectives: (1) to present a brief overview of the nature of tefilah , (2) to briefly outline my patented "MMMMM!" method of attaining kavanah in tefilah , and (3) to apply this method to the berachah of Refaeinu in the Shemoneh Esrei . ---------- If you ha...