| 1575 | |
The Yamim Nora’im and its Liturgy (Part 3) | |
The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 3) | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 3) | |
The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 3) | |
1576 | |
| |
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µ
| 1573 | |
The Yamim Nora’im and its Liturgy (Part 2) | |
The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 2) | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 2) | |
The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 2) | |
1574 | |
| |
|
µ
| 1570 | |
The Yamim Nora’im and its Liturgy (Part 1) | |
The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 1) | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 1) | |
The Yamim Nora'im and its Liturgy (Part 1) | |
1571 | |
| |
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µ
| 1592 | |
Tisha B’Av Through the Ages: How Did the Crusades Become Associated with Tisha B’Av? | |
Tisha B'Av Through the Ages: How Did the Crusades Become Associated with Tisha B'Av? | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Tisha B'Av Through the Ages: How Did the Crusades Become Associated with Tisha B'Av? | |
Tisha B'Av Through the Ages: How Did the Crusades Become Associated with Tisha B'Av? | |
1593 | |
| |
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µ
| 1590 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History – Part 3 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 3 | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 3 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 3 | |
1591 | |
| |
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µ
| 1588 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History – Part 2 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 2 | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 2 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 2 | |
1589 | |
| |
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µ
| 1586 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History – Part 1 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 1 | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 1 | |
Snapshots of American Jewish History - Part 1 | |
1587 | |
| |
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µ
| 1584 | |
Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus: Forming the Rabbinic Tradition | |
Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus: Forming the Rabbinic Tradition | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus: Forming the Rabbinic Tradition | |
Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Eliezer Ben Hyrcanus: Forming the Rabbinic Tradition | |
1585 | |
| |
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µ
| 1582 | |
Josephus: The “Jewish” Historian | |
Josephus: The "Jewish" Historian | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Josephus: The "Jewish" Historian | |
Josephus: The "Jewish" Historian | |
1583 | |
| |
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µ
| 1580 | |
The Apocrypha: Judith and Susanna | |
The Apocrypha: Judith and Susanna | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: The Apocrypha: Judith and Susanna | |
The Apocrypha: Judith and Susanna | |
1581 | |
| |
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µ
| 1577 | |
Grape Juice at the Seder: Jewish Tradition Reacts to Prohibition | |
Grape Juice at the Seder: Jewish Tradition Reacts to Prohibition | |
Torah in Motion Lecture: Grape Juice at the Seder: Jewish Tradition Reacts to Prohibition | |
Grape Juice at the Seder: Jewish Tradition Reacts to Prohibition | |
1578 | |
| |
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| 1564 | |
Rav Moshe Feinstein and Feminism | |
Rav Moshe Feinstein and Feminism | |
In this lecture, we will explore Rabbi Feinstein’s reaction to the Orthodox feminist movement in the 1970s. His reaction reflects a traditional rabbinic approach to changes in synagogue practice. In addition, we will examine a responsum whether a woman can serve as a mashgiach. | |
Rabbi Feinstein’s reaction to the Orthodox feminist movement in the 1970s. | |
1567 | |
| |
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µ
| 1562 | |
Rabbi Feinstein on Conversions in America | |
Conversions in America | |
In this lecture we will explore Rabbi Feinstein’s attitude towards the Conservative movement through an analysis of a responsum addressing whether to allow the use of the Orthodox Mikveh for a Conservative conversion.
| |
Rabbi Feinstein's responsum on conversions. | |
1563 | |
| |
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| 1556 | |
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Stealing from the Government | |
Rabbi Moshe Feinstein and Stealing from the Government | |
In this lecture, we will study two responsa of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein; the first addresses his opposition to the practice of inflated the number of students in the yeshiva in order to receive additional governmental aid. The second looks at his opposition to stealing the Regents exams. Rav Moshe expresses a patriotic ethical position on both these issues but he maintains a defense of the yeshiva and the ethical behavior of its leaders. | |
In this lecture, we will study two responsa of Rabbi Moshe Feinstein | |
1560 | |
| |
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| 1552 | |
The Satmar Rav – Rav Yoel Teitelbaum | |
Rav Yoel Teitelbaum - The Satmar Rav | |
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In this lecture,Rabbi Mintz presents the remarkable history of the Satmar Rav. | |
1553 | |
| |
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µ
| 1550 | |
Henrietta Szold | |
Henrietta Szold -U.S. Jewish Zionist leader and founder of Hadassah, the Women's Zionist Organization of America. | |
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In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz discusses the life and accomplishments of Henrietta Szold | |
1551 | |
| |
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µ
| 1547 | |
Justice Benjamin Cardozo | |
Benjamin Cardozo - Zionist and Supreme Court Justice | |
Benjamin Nathan Cardozo (May 24, 1870 – July 9, 1938) was an American lawyer and jurist who served as an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. A member of a distinguished Sephardic Jewish family, Cardozo enjoyed an unblemished personal reputation. | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz discusses the biography of Benjamin Cardozo and his impact both in the judicial and Jewish world. | |
1548 | |
| |
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µ
| 1528 | |
Harry Fischel: Orthodox Jewish Philanthropists | |
Harry Fischel: Orthodox Jewish Philanthropists | |
The history of Orthodox philanthropy in America revolves around a few leading figures who created many of the Jewish institutions and organizations. Harry Fischel came to American with no money in his pocket and he created a successful career and a leading role in New York Jewish philanthropy. His story is a model for all subsequent Orthodox philanthropists. | |
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1530 | |
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| 1531 | |
Emma Goldman: A Pioneer Jewish Woman’s Activist - | |
Emma Goldman: A Pioneer Jewish Woman's Activist | |
The history of radical political activists is a fascinating one. In many respects, Emma Goldman was the creator of this model. Join us as we explore her amazing life and analyze the role of Judaism played in her activism. | |
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1532 | |
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µ
| 1536 | |
Arthur Ochs and The New York Times | |
Arthur Ochs and The New York Times | |
Who founded The New York Times? Who created the ideology and the political approach of the paper? What is the Jewish influence on The Times? Join us as we explore the biography of Adolph Ochs and the beginning of The New Times tradition. | |
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1537 | |
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| 1534 | |
Rabbi Milton Steinberg: Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue and Author of As a Driven Leaf | |
Rabbi Milton Steinberg: Rabbi of Park Avenue Synagogue and Author of As a Driven Leaf | |
Join us as we discover the life and thought of the author of As a Driven Leaf, Rabbi Steinberg was a leading rabbi and scholar in the middle of the twentieth century and was a model for the rabbis of the following generation . | |
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1535 | |
| |
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µ
| 1522 | |
Robert Moses and the “Building” of The West Side | |
Robert Moses and the “Building” of The West Side | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz explores the biography of Robert Moses and examines the history of the West Side Highways and the Cross Bronx Expressway. Was Robert Moses a great builder, a destroyer or a little of both? | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz explores the biography of Robert Moses and examines the history of the West Side Highways and the Cross Bronx Expressway. Was Robert Moses a great builder, a destroyer or a little of both? | |
1523 | |
| |
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| 1513 | |
The Zabars: An Interview with Saul Zabar | |
The Zabars: An Interview with Saul Zabar | |
I had the honor to interview Saul Zabar. This interview was the topic of my lecture on “The Zabars. | |
I had the honor to interview Saul Zabar. This interview was the topic of my lecture on “The Zabars. | |
1516 | |
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| 1520 | |
Leonard Bernstein and West Side Story | |
Leonard Bernstein and West Side Story | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz discusses the biography of Leonard Bernstein, the role of Judaism in his life and the connection of West Side Story to the history of Hell’s Kitchen and the Upper West Side. | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz discusses the biography of Leonard Bernstein, the role of Judaism in his life and the connection of West Side Story to the history of Hell’s Kitchen and the Upper West Side. | |
1521 | |
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| 1518 | |
The Rabbis of the Upper West Side: Rabbi Leo Jung | |
The Rabbis: Rabbi Leo Jung | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz explores the biography and impact of Rabbi Leo Jung, rabbi of The Jewish Center from 1922-1987. | |
In this lecture, Rabbi Mintz explores the biography and impact of Rabbi Leo Jung, rabbi of The Jewish Center from 1922-1987. | |
1519 | |
| |
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| 1500 | |
Jewish Comedy | |
Jewish Comedy | |
In this lecture we will explore the history and evolution of Jewish humor in America. We will begin with Jack Benny and travel through the Borscht Belt and Mel Brooks. We will conclude by viewing several scenes from Curb Your Enthusiasm. What does the evolution of Jewish humor say about the American Jewish community? | |
In this lecture we will explore the history and evolution of Jewish humor in America. | |
1501 | |
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| 1498 | |
Yiddish Films | |
Yiddish Films | |
Yiddish films have been produced in American since the beginning of the twentieth century. These films reflect the feelings of nostalgia and longing for the Old Country that many Jewish immigrants from Eastern Europe felt. We will explore the history of Yiddish films in America and how the evolution of these films reflects the comfort level of American Jews in American culture and society. | |
In this lecture will explore the history of Yiddish films in America and how the evolution of these films reflects the comfort level of American Jews in American culture and society. | |
1499 | |
| |
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| 1495 | |
Holocaust Films | |
Holocaust Films | |
In this lecture, we will trace three different periods in the history of Holocaust films; first, the period during and immediately after the Second World War, second, the 1980s and 1990s and finally, the present day. How have Holocaust films changes and what does this phenomenon teach us about how the Holocaust is both perceived and represented throughout the decades? | |
In this lecture, we will trace three different periods in the history of Holocaust films | |
1496 | |
| |
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| 1493 | |
How the Nazis Infiltrated Hollywood | |
How the Nazis Infiltrated Hollywood | |
In this lecture, we will explore the ways in which the Nazis tried to influence American movies during the 1930s in order to make sure that they did not portray Nazi Germany in a negative light. And, how did all this change with the beginning of The Second World War in September, 1939. | |
In this lecture, we will explore the ways in which the Nazis tried to influence American movies during the 1930s in order to make sure that they did not portray Nazi Germany in a negative light. | |
1497 | |
| |
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µ
| 1485 | |
Jewish Scenes in the Movies | |
Jewish Scenes in the Movies | |
In this lecture, we will look at several films with scenes of Jewish themes. We will begin with a discussion of the 1950s during which several movies edited out any Jewish them. Beginning in the 1960s, movies like The Pawnbroker showed Jewish and Holocaust scenes. We will conclude with scenes from Annie Hall and A Serious Man. | |
In this lecture, we will look at several films with scenes of Jewish themes. | |
1486 | |
| |
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| 1483 | |
Jewish Actors | |
Jewish Actors | |
This lecture will examine four Jewish actors; John Garfield, Groucho Marx, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. Each one of these actors represent a key moment in the history of Jews in America and Jewish actors in film. Join us as we recreate their eras and their films. | |
This lecture will examine four Jewish actors; John Garfield, Groucho Marx, Dustin Hoffman and Barbra Streisand. | |
1484 | |
| |
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| 1478 | |
The World War II Era and Jewish Hollywood | |
The World War II Era and Jewish Hollywood | |
This lecture will explore the World War II era in Hollywood through a study of the four films; The Life of Emile Zola (1937), Casablanca (1042), Crossfire (1947) and Gentleman’s Agreement (1947). These films, produced at the different stages of this period, each reflect the struggles of the Jews in Hollywood regarding their Jewish identity. How did they address the evils of Hitler? How did they respond to the aftermath of the War when Americans tended to be more sympathetic to the Jews? | |
This lecture will explore the World War II era in Hollywood through a study of the four films | |
1481 | |
1482 | |
|
µ
| 1477 | |
Jews and the Founding of Hollywood | |
Jews and the Founding of Hollywood | |
In this lecture, we will explore the early days of Hollywood. How did immigrant Eastern European Jews find their way to Hollywood and the foreign world of film production and distribution? What it their Jewish upbringing and values or was it a reaction to the Judaism of their parents? We will look at the lives of two of these early founders of Hollywood; Louis B. Mayer and the Warner Brothers. | |
In this lecture, we will explore the early days of Hollywood | |
1487 | |
| |
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| 1473 | |
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: The Spies | |
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg: The Spies | |
Julius and Ethel Rosenberg were sent to the electric chair in 1953 for espionage for sending military secrets to the Russians. How could this Jewish couple got into so much trouble? We will explore the background of the case and the attempts to have the verdict overturned. | |
How could this Jewish couple got into so much trouble? We will explore the background of the case and the attempts to have the verdict overturned. | |
1474 | |
| |
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µ
| 1469 | |
Arnold Rothstein: The Gangster | |
Arnold Rothstein: The Gangster | |
Arnold Rothstein was the most well-known gambler and bookmaker of the 1910s and 20s. He was the mastermind of the 1919 Black Sox Scandal. In this lecture, we will explore the place of Arnold Rothstein in American History and in the History of Jews in America. | |
In this lecture, we will explore the place of Arnold Rothstein in American History and in the History of Jews in America. | |
1471 | |
| |
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| 1465 | |
Samuel Bronfman: The Bootlegger | |
Samuel Bronfman: The Bootlegger | |
Samuel Bronfman is one of the most successful Jews of the twentieth century. We will explore his background as an immigrant to Western Canada and his emergence during Prohibition. How did his experience as an immigrant and as a “bootlegger” impact his subsequent rise to power and prominence? | |
Samuel Bronfman is one of the most successful Jews of the twentieth century. | |
1466 | |
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| 1460 | |
Shabbat Hagadol 2017 | |
Shabbat Hagadol 2017 | |
Please enjoy the drasha and I join Sharon in wishing you and your families a chag kasher ve-sameach. | |
Please enjoy the drasha and I join Sharon in wishing you and your families a chag kasher ve-sameach. | |
1461 | |
1462 | |
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| 1453 | |
The Leo Frank Carse | |
The Leo Frank Carse | |
Leo Frank was found guilty of murdering a young 13 year old at his pencil factory in Atlanta. He was subsequently lynched by a mob of supporters of Mary Phagan. What role did Frank's Judaism have in his conviction and lynching? Was he convicted because he was a Jew? In this lecture, we will examine the relevant documents to gain greater insight and understanding into this critical question. | |
What role did Frank's Judaism have in his conviction and lynching? Was he convicted because he was a Jew? In this lecture, we will examine the relevant documents to gain greater insight and understanding into this critical question. | |
1455 | |
1454 | |
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| 1456 | |
The Role of the Jews in the Triangle Shirt Waist Fire of 1911 | |
Jews in the Triangle Shirt Waist Fire | |
The Triangle Fire of 1911 killed 145 employees mostly young Jewish immigrant girls who worked in the factory. Who were these girls? Who were the owners of the factory? And, who was the lawyer who achieved an acquittal for the owners? The story and the role of the Jews in the tale highlights the complicated and important role of the Jews in the history of New York City. | |
The story and the role of the Jews in the tale highlights the complicated and important role of the Jews in the history of New York City. | |
1458 | |
1457 | |
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| 1449 | |
Could A Jew Get a Fair Trial in Seventeenth Century Poland? | |
Seventeenth Century Poland | |
In this lecture, we will explore the interactions of the Jews in a southern Polish town in the first half of the 1600s. We will examine several court cases, some in which the Jews are mistreated and others in which the Jews are given equal treatment to the non-Jews. What is the difference in the cases? What does it tell us about the condition of the Jews in early modern Poland? | |
In this lecture, we will explore the interactions of the Jews in a southern Polish town in the first half of the 1600s. | |
1450 | |
1451 | |
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| 1445 | |
Inquisition Trial of 1341 in Aragon: The Fate of Early Converts to Christianity | |
Iquisition Trial of 1341 in Aragon | |
In this lecture, we will examine the story of Peter, a Jewish convert to Christianity in Aragon in 1341. He returns to Judaism several weeks after his initial conversion. What happens next is unbelievable and teaches us much about the relationship between Judaism and Christianity during this period. | |
In this lecture, we will examine the story of Peter, a Jewish convert to Christianity in Aragon in 1341. | |
1448 | |
1447 | |
|
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| 1437 | |
Principle 13: Resurrection of the Dead | |
Resurrection of the Dead | |
Rambam lists Resurrection of the Dead as his final principle. However, he does not elaborate on this concept. In his gloss on the Mishneh Torah, Raavad suggests that Rambam believes that Resurrection will only be for the souls and that this is an unacceptable idea in Judaism. Rambam defends himself against these type of claims in his Essay on Resurrection. In this lecture, we will explore Rambam's true understanding of this principle. | |
In this lecture, we will explore Rambam's true understanding of this principle. | |
1441 | |
1438 | |
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| 1434 | |
Principle 12: The Messiah | |
The Messiah | |
Rambam writes that every Jew must believe in the Messiah. What and who is the Messiah? Rambam doesn't say. In this lecture, we will explore the history of the idea of the Messiah and how it has been understood in the modern age. | |
In this lecture, we will explore the history of the idea of the Messiah and how it has been understood in the modern age. | |
1435 | |
1436 | |
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| 1431 | |
Principle 11: Reward and Punishment | |
Reward and Punishment | |
Rambam presents the principle of reward and punishment. Although he explains this principle in its tradition fashion, in his elaborate commentary on the Mishna, Rambam redefines the idea of reward and punishment in a spiritual manner saying that a belief in physical reward is merely like giving candy to a child. This interpretation was very controversial in the medieval period. In addition, we will explore the understanding of the second paragraph of Shema. | |
Rambam presents the principle of reward and punishment. | |
1432 | |
1433 | |
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| 1427 | |
The Work of My Hands is Drowning in the Sea: The Drowned or the Saved? | |
Shabbat Hagadol 2016 | |
Sharon joins me in wishing you and your families a chag kasher ve-sameach. | |
Sharon joins me in wishing you and your families a chag kasher ve-sameach. | |
1428 | |
1429 | |
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| 1422 | |
Principle 9: The Eternity of the Torah | |
Principle 9: The Eternity of the Torah | |
Rambam argues that every word of the Torah is eternal and can never be changed. This lecture will explore different midrashic traditions that claim that laws in the Torah will be null and void in the time to come, either the Messianic period or the era of the Resurrection. How does Rambam's view reconcile with these traditions? Why was Rambam so insistent? | |
This lecture will explore different midrashic traditions that claim that laws in the Torah will be null and void in the time to come, either the Messianic period or the era of the Resurrection. | |
1425 | |
1424 | |
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| 1419 | |
Principle 8: Did God Write the Entire Torah? | |
Principle 8: Did God Write the Entire Torah | |
Rambam writes that anyone who rejects the belief that God dictated the entire Torah including the Oral Torah to Moshe is a heretic. How can we explain this extreme position of Rambam? The Talmud has explicit examples of different texts of the Torah. Yet, Rambam rejects any variant. We will explore the possibility that Rambam's view is the result of his anti-Muslem polemic. | |
Rambam writes that anyone who rejects the belief that God dictated the entire Torah including the Oral Torah to Moshe is a heretic. How can we explain this extreme position of Rambam? | |
1421 | |
1420 | |
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| 1415 | |
Principle 7: The Prophecy of Moshe | |
Principle 7: The Prophecy of Moshe | |
The Torah describes Moshe as "there will never be another prophet like Moshe." Rambam understand this to me an that Moshe was the perfect prophet and a super-human person, equal to the angels. In this lecture, we will try to understand Rambam's position and to present a position that disagrees with Rambam's description of Moshe. | |
In this lecture, we will try to understand Rambam's position and to present a position that disagrees with Rambam's description of Moshe. | |
1416 | |
1417 | |
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| 1411 | |
Principle 6: Prophecy | |
Principle 6: Prophecy | |
In this lecture, we will trace the history of the concept of prophecy. Who is worthy to prophecy? What is the prophetic experience? And, does prophecy exist even in the modern world? The answers to these questions will allow us to understand the history of Jewish religious leadership throughout the centuries. | |
In this lecture, we will trace the history of the concept of prophecy. Who is worthy to prophecy? What is the prophetic experience? | |
1412 | |
1413 | |
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| 1406 | |
Principle 5: Can We Pray to Angels? | |
Principle 5: Can We Pray to Angels? | |
Rambam clearly prohibits prayer to angles. In this lecture, we will examine a talmudic text that describes a prayer to angels that was recited upon entering the bathroom. What does this say about belief in angles and the permissibly of prayer to angle? Is there a rabbinic view that disagrees with Rambam? | |
In this lecture, we will examine a talmudic text that describes a prayer to angels that was recited upon entering the bathroom. | |
1408 | |
1407 | |
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| 1399 | |
Principle 4: Was There a World Before Our World | |
Was There a World Before Our World | |
Rambam writes that God created the world creation ex nihilo, from nothing. This lecture will explore whether this view was universally accepted by Greek philosophers and by Jewish thinkers. Then, this lecture will examine the theory of evolution and whether evolution can be reconciled with the Torah's description of creation. The opinions will be surprising. | |
Rambam writes that God created the world creation ex nihilo, from nothing. This lecture will explore whether this view was universally accepted by Greek philosophers and by Jewish thinkers. | |
1401 | |
1400 | |
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| 1395 | |
Principle 3: Does God Have Human Form? | |
Does God Have Human Form? | |
Rambam claims that anyone who believes that God has a human form is a heretic. This lecture will explore the other opinions throughout Jewish history. Many of these views believed that God had a human. From the Midrash to medieval rabbis to pre-modern Jewish thinkers, the idea that God had a form was widespread. How did Rambam explain all the Midrashim and even verses in Chumash that describe God in human terms? | |
Rambam claims that anyone who believes that God has a human form is a heretic. This lecture will explore the other opinions throughout Jewish history. | |
1397 | |
1396 | |
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| 1393 | |
Principle 2: Is Christianity Idolatry? | |
Is Christianity Idolatry? | |
This lecture will explore the history of Jewish approaches to Christianity. According to Rambam, God is One. Does Christianity violate this principle? We will examine the position of Rambam, Meiri and Tosafot. | |
This lecture will explore the history of Jewish approaches to Christianity. According to Rambam, God is One. Does Christianity violate this principle? | |
1394 | |
1398 | |
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| 1390 | |
Principle 1: What Does It Mean to Believe in God? | |
What Does It Mean to Believe in God | |
This lecture will introduce the question of the Thirteen Principles of faith. Does any Jewish scholar disagree with Rambam's formulation or his claim that one who rejects even one principle is a heretic. The lecture will continue to explore the idea of belief in God. Why do Jews believe? We conclude with a study of Halevi and ibn Paquda on the reasons for belief in God. | |
The lecture will continue to explore the idea of belief in God. Why do Jews believe? We conclude with a study of Halevi and ibn Paquda on the reasons for belief in God. | |
1392 | |
1391 | |
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| 1385 | |
The History of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Rabbinical Seminary of Yeshiva University | |
Rabbinical Seminary of Yeshiva University | |
RIETS, as it is commonly known, was founded at the end of the nineteenth century to train Russian and Polish immigrants for the American rabbinate. While the majority of the day was spent studying Talmud, the knowledge of the "language of the land" was included in the curriculum. The role of secular studies became a contentious issue and the resolution of this issue lies at the heart of the creation of Yeshiva College and then Yeshiva University. | |
The role of secular studies became a contentious issue and the resolution of this issue lies at the heart of the creation of Yeshiva College and then Yeshiva University. | |
1386 | |
1387 | |
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| 1380 | |
The Jewish Theological Seminary | |
The Jewish Theological Seminary | |
JTS was founded in 1886 as a reaction to the Pittsburgh Platform of the Reform movement. The Seminary struggled in its early years to distinguish itself from both HUC and the Lower East Side Orthodox Jews. In 1902 Solomon Schechter joined the Seminary as president and established it as a major academic institution. In 1972, JTS began to debate the ordination of women which was finally approved in 1983. This marked the legacy of Gerson Cohen as president and strengthened the Seminary as the rabbinic institution of the Conservative movement. | |
JTS was founded in 1886 as a reaction to the Pittsburgh Platform of the Reform movement. The Seminary struggled in its early years to distinguish itself from both HUC and the Lower East Side Orthodox Jews. | |
1384 | |
1383 | |
|
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| 1376 | |
Hebrew Union College | |
Hebrew Union College | |
Hebrew Union College was founded in Cincinnati in 1875 by Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise. It was envisioned as the rabbinical seminary for all American Jews, regardless of denomination. Following the infamous Treifah Banquet in 1883, HUC split from traditional Judaism and continued as the Reform rabbinical seminary. This lecture will provide three snapshots of the history and religious culture of this institution. | |
This lecture will provide three snapshots of the history and religious culture of this institution. | |
1382 | |
1381 | |
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| 1371 | |
Ha Lachma Ania: The Prayer of the Diaspora. | |
Ha Lachma Ania | |
It gives me great pleasure to once again share with you my Shabbat Ha-Gadol drasha that was delivered at Kehilat Rayim Ahuvim. The title of the drasha was "Ha Lachma Ania: The Prayer of the Diaspora." | |
It gives me great pleasure to once again share with you my Shabbat Ha-Gadol drasha that was delivered at Kehilat Rayim Ahuvim. | |
1372 | |
1373 | |
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| 1349 | |
Does the State of Israel Impact Our manner of Commemoration of Tragedies? | |
Does the State of Israel Impact Our manner of Commemoration of Tragedies? | |
Following the Six Day War, there was a rabbinic debate whether it was appropriate the alter the text of Nahem, recited on Tisha Bav, to reflect the new realities. This debate reflected two views about the ability to alter traditional liturgy and whether a historical event can impact the manner in which we pray. This debate continues to this day | |
Following the Six Day War, there was a rabbinic debate whether it was appropriate the alter the text of Nahem, recited on Tisha Bav... | |
1351 | |
1350 | |
|
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| 1354 | |
The Establishment of Yom Ha-Shoah: How Do We Commemorate the Holocaust | |
The Establishment of Yom Ha-Shoah | |
Yom Ha-Shoah was established by the Israeli Knesset in 1951 to be observed every year on the 27th day of Nissan. The decision to observe Yom Ha-Shoah on this date and in this way reflects the question of how to remember Jewish tragedies. Specifically, it raises the important question whether the commemoration of the Holocaust should follow the tradition mode of Jewish commemoration of tragedies or whether the uniqueness of the Holocaust should render a different type of memorial. | |
Yom Ha-Shoah was established by the Israeli Knesset in 1951 to be observed every year on the 27th day of Nissan. | |
1356 | |
1355 | |
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| 1341 | |
Orthodox Response to the Enlightenment | |
Orthodox Response to the Enlightenment | |
The study of scientific Judaism created a challenge for Orthodox Judaism in Germany in the second half of the nineteenth century. This lecture will present three different rabbinic responses to this challenge; the approach of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the response of the members of the Hildesheimer Seminary inn Berlin and the reaction of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook. | |
This lecture will present three different rabbinic responses to this challenge; the approach of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the response of the members of the Hildesheimer Seminary inn Berlin and the reaction of Rabbi Abraham Isaac Hakohen Kook. | |
1342 | |
1343 | |
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| 1345 | |
Poland 1648-49: How Did the Rabbis Respond to the Destruction of Jewish Poland? | |
Poland 1648-49 | |
In this lecture, we will explore how the rabbinic community responded to the massacres of 1648/49. Through the establishment of a communal fast day on the 20th of Sivan and the writing of selichot, we can learn much about their understanding of the massacres in Poland and their appreciation of the continuum of Jewish tragedies throughout the ages. | |
In this lecture, we will explore how the rabbinic community responded to the massacres of 1648/49. | |
1347 | |
1346 | |
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| 1335 | |
The Conversion of Shabbetai Zvi to Islam | |
Shabbetai Zvi on Islam | |
Shabbetai Tzvi was the most famous false messiah in Jewish history. He declared himself messiah in the mid-seventeenth century and almost half of world Jewry believed in him. How did his followers react when he converted to Islam? The answer tells us much about Shabbatai Tzvi and how Jews react to internal crisis. | |
Shabbetai Tzvi was the most famous false messiah in Jewish history. He declared himself messiah in the mid-seventeenth century and almost half of world Jewry believed in him. How did his followers react when he converted to Islam? The answer tells us much about Shabbatai Tzvi and how Jews react to internal crisis. | |
1338 | |
1337 | |
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| 1331 | |
The Rabbinic Reaction to the Spanish Expulsion | |
The Rabbinic Reaction to the Spanish Expulsion | |
The Jews were expelled from Spain in 1492. Most historians argue that close to 200,000 left Spain on the days surrounding July 31, 1492. This lecture will explore the reasons for the Expulsion given by the Jews in the generation following the Expulsion. Did they relay on the traditional explanation that tragedy is the result of sin? Did they praise martyrdom? Or, did they create their own brand of responses? | |
This lecture will explore the reasons for the Expulsion given by the Jews in the generation following the Expulsion. | |
1333 | |
1332 | |
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| 1328 | |
The Reaction to the Black Death | |
The Reaction to the Black Death | |
The Black Death killed between 30%-60% of European population the middle of the fourteenth century. For the Jews, however, it was a "double plague". The Jews were killed together with everyone else and they were murdered by Christians who blamed them for the outbreak of the plague in Europe. This lecture will explore if and how the plague was memorialized by European Jewry through an analysis of relevant ritual and historical material. | |
This lecture will explore if and how the plague was memorialized by European Jewry through an analysis of relevant ritual and historical material. | |
1330 | |
1329 | |
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| 1325 | |
Reaction to the Crusades | |
Reaction to the Crusades | |
In 1096, the Crusaders entered Jewish cities in Germany and offered the Jews the choice of conversion to Christianity or death. Some chose conversion but many Jews chose death. The Hebrew Crusade Chronicles address the question how bad things could happen to the righteous Jews of Germany. The answer reflects the creativity of the Hebrew chroniclers and establishes an important model for future generations. | |
In 1096, the Crusaders entered Jewish cities in Germany and offered the Jews the choice of conversion to Christianity or death. | |
1326 | |
1327 | |
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| 1321 | |
Destruction of the Temple | |
Destruction of the Temple | |
This lecture will lay the foundation for the analysis of how Jewish thinkers addressed Jewish crisis and tragedy throughout the centuries. We will study selections from Eichah Rabbati and explore how the rabbis explained the past, present and future as it related to the tragedies of the first two centuries CE. | |
This lecture will lay the foundation for the analysis of how Jewish thinkers addressed Jewish crisis and tragedy throughout the centuries. | |
1323 | |
1322 | |
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| 1317 | |
The Etz Hayim Translation | |
The Etz Hayim Translation | |
The Conservative movement published the Etz Hayim translation of the Torah in 2002. With its introduction by the Chancellor of JTS, Ismar Schorsch, the Etz Hayim became the accepted synagogue Chumash of the Conservative movement. This lecture will explore the unique aspects of this translation and compare it wit the Orthodox Artscroll translation. Is this Etz Hayim translation really revolutionary or controversial within the traditional community? | |
This lecture will explore the unique aspects of this translation and compare it wit the Orthodox Artscroll translation. Is this Etz Hayim translation really revolutionary or controversial within the traditional community? | |
1319 | |
1318 | |
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| 1313 | |
The Artscroll Translation | |
The Artscroll Translation | |
The Artscrolll series was begun in 1976 with a translation of Megillat Esther. In 1993, the Stone Chumash was published in one large volume. This lecture will explore the goal of this translation and anthology and compare it to the earlier English translations. | |
This lecture will explore the goal of the Artscrolll translation of Megillat Esther and anthology and compare it to the earlier English translations. | |
1314 | |
1315 | |
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| 1310 | |
The Jewish publication Society Translations | |
The Jewish publication Society Translations | |
In 1917, JPS completed a translation of the entire Bible. This translation became the standard English translation for the American Jewish community for the next 50 years. In 1962, JPS completed a revised translation of the Torah. This translation was a more scholarly and "Jewish" translation. This lecture will explore the history of these translations and the importance of the translations in the history of American Jewish culture. | |
This lecture will explore the history of the JPS translations and the importance of the translations in the history of American Jewish culture. | |
1311 | |
1312 | |
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| 1305 | |
The Choreography of the Haggadah: The Role of the Greek Chorus | |
The Choreography of the Haggadah | |
I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a recording of my Shabbat Ha-Gadol Drasha entitled "The Choreography of the Haggadah: The Role of the Greek Chorus." | |
I wanted to take this opportunity to share with you a recording of my Shabbat Ha-Gadol Drasha entitled "The Choreography of the Haggadah: The Role of the Greek Chorus." | |
1307 | |
1306 | |
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| 1299 | |
Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann: Berlin, 1900 | |
Rabbi David Zvi Hoffmann: Berlin, 1900 | |
David Zvi Hoffmann served as professor of Talmud and then Rector of the Hildesheimer Seminary in Berlin for close to 50 years. He developed a bold approach to talmudic study. yet, he was very traditional in his interpretation of Mosaic origins of the Bible rejecting the Documentary Hypothesis in his Commentary on Vayikra and a separate work dedicated to disproving Graf and Wellhausen. This lecture will attempt to explain the complex set of factors that led Hoffmann to his understanding of the origins of both Biblical and talmudic law. | |
This lecture will attempt to explain the complex set of factors that led Hoffmann to his understanding of the origins of both Biblical and talmudic law. | |
1301 | |
1300 | |
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| 1291 | |
Rabbi Meir Leibush Malbim: Bucharest, 1850 | |
Rabbi Meir Leibush Malbim: Bucharest, 1850 | |
Malbim was born in Poland and served as a rabbi in several communities prior to being selected as the rabbi of Bucharest in 1858. In Bucharest, he met with resistance from the local Reform movement which eventually led to his removal from the position by the Romanian government. His experience in Bucharest shaped his Biblical commentary which attempted to refute the Reform by defending and supporting rabbinic statements and traditions. | |
Malbim was born in Poland and served as a rabbi in several communities prior to being selected as the rabbi of Bucharest in 1858. In Bucharest, he met with resistance... | |
1293 | |
1292 | |
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| 1286 | |
Shadal and the Unity of the Book of Isaiah | |
Shadal and the Unity of the Book of Isaiah | |
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, there were both German and Jewish scholars who began to claim that the second half of the Book of Isaiah was written by a different prophet. Shadal addresses this issue in a fascinating letter in which he argues that this issue is not only about the authorship of these chapter. Rather, to reject the unity of Isaiah is to reject the tenets of Orthodoxy. This view is relevant to the modern debates about the limits of Orthodoxy today. | |
At the beginning of the eighteenth century, there were both German and Jewish scholars who began to claim that the second half of the Book of Isaiah... | |
1288 | |
1289 | |
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| 1283 | |
Samuel David Luzzatto: Italy, 1850 | |
Samuel David Luzzatto: Italy, 1850 | |
S.D. Luzzatto (Shadal) was one of the premier Jewish Biblical commentators of the first half of the nineteenth century. This lecture will explore his method of exegesis including his willingness to engage scholarly discussion of textual emendations and human involvement in Biblical miracles. How did Shadal integrate the world of Western Enlightenment with traditional Jewish Biblical studies? | |
This lecture will explore S.D. Luzzatto's method of exegesis including his willingness to engage scholarly discussion of textual emendations and human involvement in Biblical miracles. | |
1285 | |
1284 | |
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| 1279 | |
Rabbi Ephraim of Lunshits: Poland, 1600 | |
Rabbi Ephraim of Lunshits: Poland, 1600 | |
Rabbi Ephraim of Lunshits lived during a period of great intellectual Torah learning in Poland. In this environment, Rabbi Ephraim was the most famous preacher, traveling from town to town and fair to fair. In this lecture we will examine his sermons and try to decipher a pattern to his use of the Biblical texts and the message that he was trying to impart to the community. His approach to the Bible was not novel, yet it reflected much. | |
In this lecture we will examine his sermons and try to decipher a pattern to his use of the Biblical texts and the message that he was trying to impart to the community. | |
1281 | |
1280 | |
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| 1274 | |
The Rabbis of Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah/The National Synagogue, Washington, DC | |
The Rabbis of Ohev Sholom Talmud Torah | |
In this lecture and accompanying Powerpoint, the history of Ohev Sholom Congregation in Washington, DC is brought to life through a careful study of the biographies and contributions of the three rabbis who have served the synagogue since 1936, Rabbi Yehoshua Klavan, Rabbi Hillel Klavan and Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld. | |
In his lecture the history of Ohev Sholom Congregation in Washington, DC is brought to life. | |
1275 | |
1277 | |
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| 1269 | |
Rashi on Tehillim | |
Rashi on Tehillim | |
In this lecture we will compare Rashi's commentary on Chumash with his commentary on Tehillim. How does he respond differently to the Christian arguments in these two places? How does this difference possible reflect the historical impact of the Crusades on Rashi | |
In this lecture we will compare Rashi's commentary on Chumash with his commentary on Tehillim. | |
1270 | |
1271 | |
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| 1266 | |
Ramban’s Attitude Towards Midrash | |
Ramban's Attitude Towards Midrash | |
In this lecture, we will study Ramban's view on Midrash as reflected in his remarks at the Disputation of 1263 and in his Commentary on the Chumash. Was Ramban telling the truth when he told Pablo Christiani that he did not believe the Midrash? We will explore the rabbinic tradition about the veracity of Midrash and Ramban's own commentary to answer this question. | |
In this lecture, we will study Ramban's view on Midrash as reflected in his remarks at the Disputation of 1263 and in his Commentary on the Chumash. | |
1268 | |
1267 | |
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| 1263 | |
The Ibn Ezra’s Response to the Karaite Challenge | |
The Ibn Ezra's Response to the Karaite Challenge | |
Ibn Ezra wrote the most famous medieval Biblical commentary to come out of Muslim Spain. This lecture will explore the lack of anti-Islam polemic in the writings of the ibn Ezra and the reasons for this phenomenon. Then, we will study commentaries which address the Karaites and their Biblical commentary. How does ibn Ezra react to the Karaite commentary and how does it differ form the approach of the Rashbam to Christianity? | |
This lecture will explore the lack of anti-Islam polemic in the writings of the ibn Ezra and the reasons for this phenomenon. | |
1265 | |
1264 | |
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| 1259 | |
How Did Christian Biblical Commentary Influence the Torah Commentary of Rashbam | |
How Did Christian Biblical Commentary Influence the Torah Commentary of Rashbam | |
Rashbam, the grandson of Rashi, wrote a Torah commentary that followed in the path of his grandfather’s commentary. Yet, unlike his grandfather, Rashbam explicitly addresses his polemical involvement with Christians as part of his commentary. Did Rashbam also communicate with Christians and discuss Biblical exegesis? We will explore at least one instance in which Rashbam’s explanation is quoted by Hugh of St. Victor. How does Rashbam’s approach shed light on Rashi’s view of Christian Biblical commentary? | |
We will explore at least one instance in which Rashbam’s explanation is quoted by Hugh of St. Victor. How does Rashbam’s approach shed light on Rashi’s view of Christian Biblical commentary? | |
1261 | |
1260 | |
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| 1256 | |
Was Rashi Responding to Christianity in his Torah Commentary? | |
Was Rashi Responding to Christianity in his Torah Commentary? | |
In this lecture we will explore three examples of Rashi's commentary on the book of Breishit. Is Rashi responding to Christian theology in his commentary or is he merely offering an internal Jewish interpretation of the text? This question has important ramifications in understanding the purpose and role of Rashi's commentary in his generation and for all time. | |
In this lecture we will explore three examples of Rashi's commentary on the book of Breishit | |
1257 | |
1258 | |
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| 1250 | |
Shabbat Shuva 2013: White as Snow: Why is White the Color of Yom Kippur | |
Shabbat Shuva 2013: White as Snow | |
The title of the drasha was "White as Snow: Why is White the Color of Yom Kippur?" I hope you will enjoy the shiur and that it will provide some insight as we prepare for Yom Kippur. | |
The title of the drasha was "White as Snow: Why is White the Color of Yom Kippur?" I hope you will enjoy the shiur and that it will provide some insight as we prepare for Yom Kippur. | |
1252 | |
1251 | |
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| 1245 | |
Sanhedrin 75: The Lovesick Man | |
The Lovesick Man | |
The story of the Lovesick Man is a prime example of a rabbinic narrative that deals with a question of Jewish law. What is the role of narrative in such a case? Can law be derived from a story? Does the Talmud intend the reader to derive a law from this story or is the legal narrative merely a tool in order to make a larger societal or moral point? This lecture will explore the relationship of halakhah and aggadah and how the interplay between the two is crucial for an understanding of this story. | |
This lecture will explore the relationship of halakhah and aggadah and how the interplay between the two is crucial for an understanding of this story. | |
1246 | |
1247 | |
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| 1241 | |
Shabbat 33b: Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Cave | |
Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the Cave | |
The story of the Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai in the cave appears in both the Babylonian and Palestinian Talmuds. This lecture will examine each of these versions in an effort to determine the structure and meaning of this story. The Babylonian Talmud's emphasis on the study of Torah reflects its general focus on the importance of Torah study. Does the lack of Torah study in the Palestinian version serve as the foundation for the tradition of Rabbi Shimon as the creator of the Jewish mystical tradition? | |
This lecture will examine each of these versions in an effort to determine the structure and meaning of this story. | |
1242 | |
1243 | |
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| 1235 | |
Avodah Zarah 17/18: The Rabbis vs. Rome | |
The Rabbis vs. Rome | |
The Talmud narrates two stories about the rabbinic response to the persecutions in Roman Palestine in the second century CE. Each of these stories focuses on the martyrdom of Rabbi Hanina ben Teradyon and contrasts his behavior with the behavior of ore of his contemporaries. The lecture will examine the narrative elements of each story and the characters described in each one as a model for the possible responses to the an oppressive ruling authority. | |
The lecture will examine the narrative elements of each story and the characters described in each one as a model for the possible responses to the an oppressive ruling authority. | |
1237 | |
1236 | |
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| 1230 | |
Asher Ge’alanu: The Two Forms of Freedom in the Jewish Calendar | |
The Two Forms of Freedom in the Jewish Calendar | |
The moment of eating the matzah and marror is one of the great highlights of the Jewish calendar. Why is that moment preceded by the recitation of a long and seemingly misplaced bracha? This lecture will explore the rabbinic interpretations for the insertion of "asher ge'alanu" at this point in the Haggadah and will evaluate this bracha in light of two experiences of Jewish freedom as they are expressed in Jewish history and liturgy. | |
The moment of eating the matzah and marror is one of the great highlights of the Jewish calendar. | |
1231 | |
1232 | |
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| 1223 | |
Should Jews Immigrate to America: The Attitude of Eastern European Rabbis | |
Should Jews Immigrate to America | |
Between 1881 and 1924 over two million Jews immigrated to America, mainly from Eastern Europe. This lecture will explore how the Eastern European rabbinate addressed this issue; did they approve or disapprove of this phenomenon? We will examine the wrings of Rabbi Moshe Weinberger, a rabbi who immigrated to New York in 1880 and wrote about his experinces in 1887. We will also look at the writings of the famed Chafetz Chaim on the subject. How did he react to the powers of modernity that led to the desire to immigrate to America? | |
This lecture will explore how the Eastern European rabbinate addressed this issue; did they approve or disapprove of this phenomenon? | |
1225 | |
1224 | |
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| 1227 | |
The Controversy of 1864 | |
The Controversy of 1864 | |
In 1864, Rabbi Bernard Illowy of New Orleans write a letter to Der Israelit asking for assistance on the following issue. A Jewish man married a non-Jewish woman and they had a son. The boy was not Jewish but the parents wanted to have the son circumcised in infancy to facilitate a possible conversion when he reaches maturity. Rabbi Illowy forbade this practice. The rabbinic community in Germany disagreed whether to circumcize the boy. This issue reflected both a halakhic disagreement and two view son the best way to preserve the vitality of Orthodoxy in Germany at the time. | |
In 1864, Rabbi Bernard Illowy of New Orleans write a letter to Der Israelit asking for assistance on the following issue. | |
1228 | |
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| 1219 | |
The Civil War and Europe’s Changing View of American Judaism | |
The Civil War and Europe's Changing View of American Judaism | |
This lecture will explore the manner in which European Jews viewed American Jewry in the years preceeding and during the Civil War and the effect on this attitude of General Grant's edict to expel the Jews from the Department of Tennessee in 1862. We will study the views of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch in Frankfurt who called General Grant "a thousand times worse than Haman." In addition, we will read two entries from the Hebrew Russian newspaper Ha-Maggid and their reporting of American democracy and General Grant's edict. I acknowledge Rabbi Zev Eleff, who is responsible for many of the insights and themes discussed in this lecture. I look forward to his upcoming article that expands this to discussion to the Jews of England, France and Eastern Europe. | |
This lecture will explore the manner in which European Jews viewed American Jewry in the years preceeding and during the Civil War. | |
1220 | |
1221 | |
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| 1215 | |
Rabbi Zevi Hirsch Kalischer: Zionism as a Response to Modernity | |
Zionism as a Response to Modernity | |
Rabbi Kalsicher served a rabbi in a small town in Prussia in the first half of the nineteenth century. He was the founder of modern active messianism as expressed in the desire to renew sacrifices thereby leading to the bringing of the Messiah. This lecture will explore the origins of this philosophy and the reactions to his activity. How was this debate a reaction to the challenges of modernity during this period? | |
This lecture will explore the origins of this philosophy and the reactions to his activity. How was this debate a reaction to the challenges of modernity during this period? | |
1217 | |
1216 | |
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| 1211 | |
The Education of Young Women in Nineteenth Century Russia | |
The Education of Young Women in Nineteenth Century Russia | |
This lecture will explore the establishment of private Jewish schools for girls in Vilna and St. Petersburg in the 1800s. What was the background that led to the creation of these schools? What was the curriculum and the manner of fund raising? Most importantly, what role did these schools play in the modernization of the Russian Jewish communities? | |
This lecture will explore the establishment of private Jewish schools for girls in Vilna and St. Petersburg in the 1800s. | |
1239 | |
1213 | |
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| 1204 | |
Uncovering a Rabbinic Forgery: The Besamim Rosh | |
Uncovering a Rabbinic Forgery | |
The Responsa volume Besamim Rosh was published in 1793 by Rabbi Saul Berlin, a respected rabbinic scholar, and claimed to contain responsa written by the famed early fourteenth century rabbinic authority, Rabbenu Asher. Rabbis at the time of its publication argued that it was a forgery and this is the accepted view in the rabbinic and scholarly communities to this day. Why did Rabbi Saul Berlin publish this volume? How could this volume still be studied and quoted in respected rabbinic circles? | |
The Responsa volume Besamim Rosh was published in 1793 by Rabbi Saul Berlin, a respected rabbinic scholar, and claimed to contain responsa... | |
1209 | |
1205 | |
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| 1198 | |
The Delayed Burial Controversy – 1772 | |
The Delayed Burial Controversy | |
In 1772, the Duke of Mecklenburg issued an edict requiring the Jews to wait three days after death prior to burial in order to prevent the premature burial of a live person. The Jewish community approached Rabbi Yaakov Emden and Moses Mendelssohn. Emden and Mendelssohn disagreed about the role of medical evidence in a halakhic ruling and the definition and delineation of halakhic tradition. Their dispute reflects two approaches to Orthodoxy that defined traditional Judaism at the end of the eighteenth century and are prevalent until today. | |
In 1772, the Duke of Mecklenburg issued an edict requiring the Jews to wait three days after death prior to burial in order to prevent the premature burial of a live person. | |
1199 | |
1200 | |
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| 1194 | |
Jews and the Seventeenth Century Polish Fairs: The Interplay of Halkahah and Relaity | |
Jews and the Seventeenth Century Polish Fairs | |
Many of the Jews of Poland in the sixteenth and seventeenth century relied on trading non-kosher wine in order to make a living. This lecture will explore the interplay between the rabbis and the community regarding deriving profit from non-kosher wine which the rabbis had declared to be forbidden. How did the rabbis address the fact that Jews at the fairs and in everyday life were trading in non-kosher wine? Furthermore, how does this interplay reflect the realities about Jewish life in Poland at this time? | |
This lecture will explore the interplay between the rabbis and the community regarding deriving profit from non-kosher wine which the rabbis had declared to be forbidden. | |
1196 | |
1195 | |
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| 1190 | |
The End of the Rabbinic Herem in Hamburg 1731-1781 | |
The End of the Rabbinic Herem in Hamburg | |
The Rabbinic ban or herem was utilized by the Jewish communities until the beginning of the nineteenth century to punish those Jews who violated Jewish law and communal practice. This lecture will explore the beginning of the breakdown of the effectiveness of the herem through the study of two cases in Hamburg in which Jews challenged the authority of the Rabbinic court by presenting their case to the Hamburg Senate. What were the factors in the delicate balance between the Jewish community in Hamburg and the local authorities and how did this relationship set the groundwork for the integration of the Jewish community into the larger general population? | |
This lecture will explore the beginning of the breakdown of the effectiveness of the herem through the study of two cases in Hamburg in which Jews challenged the authority of the Rabbinic court by presenting their case to the Hamburg Senate. | |
1192 | |
1191 | |
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| 1184 | |
Private Minyanim in Galicia, 1789-1848 | |
Private Minyanim in Galicia | |
This lecture will explore the stablishment of private minyanim in Lemberg, Galicia under the Habsburg rule. These minyanim were authorized by government officials and were not under the jurisdiction of the Jewish community. Why was the government interested in these minyanim? What do this minyanim tell us about the evolving Jewish community in Galicia at the time? | |
This lecture will explore the stablishment of private minyanim in Lemberg, Galicia under the Habsburg rule. | |
1186 | |
1185 | |
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| 1091 | |
Hesder Yeshivot | |
Hesder Yeshivot | |
Today there are almost 70 Hesder Yeshivot in Israel which combine yeshiva learning and army service. Although there is a debate about the exact origins of the Hesder movement, the idea of integrating learning and service in the IDF originated 10-20 years after the founding of the State of Israel. This lecture will explore the challenges and criticisms of the Hesder movement especially within certain segments of the Religious Zionist community. It will conclude with an explanation of the challenges and benefits of Hesder written by Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein. | |
This lecture will explore the challenges and criticisms of the Hesder movement especially within certain segments of the Religious Zionist community. | |
632 | |
742 | |
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| 1115 | |
Mercaz Ha-Rav | |
Mercaz Ha-Rav | |
In 1921, Rabbi Abraham Isaac Ha-Kohen Kook was appointed the first Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi of Modern Israel. In that same year, he founded Mercaz Ha-Rav which he designed as the "Universal Yeshiva" to which students would come from around the world and after six years of study would return to provide rabbinic leadership for their communities. This lecture will explain several aspects of this yeshiva including the proposal to merge Mercaz with the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. We will also explore Rabbi Kook's legacy and discuss why his legacy and his yeshiva developed as they did. | |
This lecture will explain several aspects of this yeshiva including the proposal to merge Mercaz with the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary. | |
661 | |
767 | |
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| 1156 | |
The Development of the Ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi Yeshivot | |
Ultra-Orthodox Ashkenazi Yeshivot | |
This lecture will survey the history of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. How did this traditional community react to the introduction of schools that taught secular subjects? How did this community respond to the relocation of the Slabodka Yeshiva to the Land of Israel and how does this reaction still resonate in the Israeli Orthodox community today? | |
This lecture will survey the history of the Ashkenazi community in Jerusalem in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. | |
709 | |
808 | |
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| 1089 | |
Hazon Ish and the Development of “Charedi Halakhah” in Israel | |
Hazon Ish and Charedi Halakhah | |
Hazon Ish is considered the "grandfather of the Charedi movement in Israel". This lecture will explore the fascinating biography of Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz from his early life in Lithuania through his years as the rabbinic authority in Bnei Brak, Israel. We will analyze his approach to halakhic decision making which differed from the traditional Lithuanian approach and set the standard for the halakhic approach of the Israeli Charedim. In addition, we will study the background and significance of the meeting between Hazon Ish and Prime Minister Ben Gurion regarding National Service for Orthodox women in Israel and the precedent it set for the relationship between the Israeli government and the Charedi leadership. | |
This lecture will explore the fascinating biography of Rabbi Avraham Yeshaya Karelitz from his early life in Lithuania through his years as the rabbinic authority in Bnei Brak, Israel. | |
630 | |
740 | |
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| 1064 | |
Non-Hasidic Approaches to Halakhah: Arukh Ha-Shulhan and Mishneh Brurah | |
Non-Hasidic Approaches to Halakhah | |
The end of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries brought many modernizations to the Jewish comunities of Eastern Europe. How did the halakhic works address these innovations and cahnges in reality? This lecture will explore the approaches of Arukh Ha-Shulhan and Mishneh Brurah to halakhic codification during this period. The works focused on the changes in society as well as the fact that halakhah was no longer only the property of the rabbinic elite. These two codes set the stage for the contemporary attitude towards halakhah. | |
This lecture will explore the approaches of Arukh Ha-Shulhan and Mishneh Brurah to halakhic codification during this period. | |
597 | |
715 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Aruch_Hashulchan.mp3] |
µ
| 1087 | |
The Approach of Hasidim to Halakhah | |
The Approach of Hasidim to Halakhah | |
The Misnagdim criticized he Hasidim as rejectors of the traditional halakhah. This lecture will explore the Hasidic attitude to halakhah and evaluate whether the Misnagdim were correct. We will explore the Shulhan Arukh of Rabbi Shneur Zalman of Lyady and several halakhic decisions of the nineteenth century Hasidim. How did the Hasidim balance their separatist views with the need to be pragmatic? | |
This lecture will explore the Hasidic attitude to halakhah and evaluate whether the Misnagdim were correct. | |
628 | |
738 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Hasidim_on_Halakha.mp3] |
µ
| 1136 | |
The Battles of the Polish Rabbis Regarding the Methods of Codification | |
Polish Rabbis Regarding the Methods of Codification | |
This lecture will explore the process by which the Rema's commentary on the Shulhan Arukh was accepted throughout Poland. We will examine the alternative codes of Rabbi Solomon Luria and Rabbi Mordechai Jaffe and explain why these codes were not considered authoritative. Then, we will analyze the battle between the authors of the Shach and the Taz and evaluate how their battle for supremacy served to solidify the position of the Rema in Poland. | |
This lecture will explore the process by which the Rema's commentary on the Shulhan Arukh was accepted throughout Poland. | |
687 | |
788 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Rema.mp3] |
µ
| 1061 | |
The Acceptance of the Shulhan Arukh and the Invention of Printing | |
The Acceptance of the Shulhan Arukh | |
The Shulhan Arukh was first printed in Venice in 1564. The lecture will explore whether the code of Rabbi Joseph Caro was immediately accepted as authoritative among the Jews of the Spanish diaspora and the role that this code played in the unification of these Jews in the century following the expulsion from Spain. The code of Rabbi Moses Isserles was printed alongside the Shulhan Arukh for the first time in Cracow in 1569-71. We will explore the role of printing in the opposition in Ashkenaz to this code and the innovation of the Rema to the history of codification. | |
This lecture will explore whether the code of Rabbi Joseph Caro was immediately accepted as authoritative among the Jews of the Spanish diaspora. | |
594 | |
712 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Acceptance_of_ShA.mp3] |
µ
| 1147 | |
The Shulhan Arukh and the End of an Era in Jewish Law | |
The Shulhan Arukh and the End of an Era in Jewish Law | |
Rabbi Joseph Caro and Rabbi Moshe Isserles brought an end to the ear of codification in Jewish history. This lecture will explore the journey of each of these great rabbinic scholars through their lengthy commentaries on the Tur to their concise codes in the Shulhan Arukh. Why did both Rabbis Caro and Isserles choose to later their styles from the lengthy code to the more simplified one? What is the major difference between their approaches to halakhah? Why was the Shulhan Arukh with the notes of the Rama accepted as the authoritative code of Jewish law? Why didn't Jewish history and the Jewish people choose the Mishneh Torah of the Rambam or the Tur of Rabbi Jacob ben Asher? | |
This lecture will explore the journey of each of these great rabbinic scholars through their lengthy commentaries on the Tur to their concise codes in the Shulhan Arukh. | |
700 | |
799 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Shulhan_Aruch.mp3] |
µ
| 1150 | |
The Tur and the Merging of the Franco-German and Spanish Traditions | |
The Tur & the Franco-German and Spanish Traditions | |
When Rabbenu Asher, the leading rabbinic authority left Germany for Toledo in 1302, it brought an end to the creative rabbinic tradition in Germany. Rabbenu Asher was accepted in Spain. Yet, his outlook and much of his rabbinic work reflects his German heriatge. His son, Rabbi Jacob, integrated the Franco-German and Spanish traditions in his Code entitled Arba Turim. Although he chose a codification approach of compilation of various opinions rather than the rejection and ignoring of other opinions practiced by Rambam, Rabbi Jacob introduced a practical aspect to his Code. This was reflected in the exclusion of certain non-practical material and the organization philosophy of the work. The Tur was widely accepted within the Jewish community and was the second Jewish book printed. | |
When Rabbenu Asher, the leading rabbinic authority left Germany for Toledo in 1302, it brought an end to the creative rabbinic tradition in Germany. | |
703 | |
802 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Tur.mp3] |
µ
| 1132 | |
The Rambam’s Mishneh Torah | |
The Rambam's Mishneh Torah | |
The Rambam writes in the Introduction to his Mishneh Torah that his work will replace all rabbinic literature so that each Jewish library needs only a Tanach and a Mishneh Torah. When confronted regarding the arrogance of this statement by his colleagues, he retreats and explains that this was not really his intention. Yet, the Rambam took a bold and creative approach to Jewish law and rabbinic literature in his Mishneh Torah. This lecture will explore the history of the Mishneh Torah and the rabbinic reaction to it. Finally, we will study a section of the work and attempt to identify its unique characteristics. | |
This lecture will explore the history of the Mishneh Torah and the rabbinic reaction to it. | |
683 | |
784 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Rambam.mp3] |
µ
| 1133 | |
The Traditions of Ramban and Christian Spain | |
The Traditions of Ramban and Christian Spain | |
This lecture will explore the transition from the Gaonic tradition of the Moslem period to the rabbinic tradition of the Ramban in Christian Spain. In what ways did the Ramban integrate the traditions of the Gaonim and his predecessors in Moslem Spain with the approach of Tosafot and the Franco/German school of rabbinic teaching? Why is the position of the Ramban as a transitional figure from the traditions of the Moslem world to the approach of the Christian world a significant moment in the development of Jewish law in the medieval period? | |
This lecture will explore the transition from the Gaonic tradition of the Moslem period to the rabbinic tradition of the Ramban in Christian Spain. | |
684 | |
785 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Ramban.mp3] |
µ
| 1065 | |
The Contributions of Rashi and Tosafot | |
The Contributions of Rashi and Tosafot | |
This lecture will explore the transmission of Jewish learning and halakhah in Franco-Germany in the eleventh through thirteenth centuries. Rashi's commentary on the entire Talmud served to make the Talmud the authoritative text in Ashkenaz and to make the gemara "user-friendly." Tosafot introduced the study and reconciliation of the entire Talmud. This method, known as dialectic, became the norm in the study of Talmud and halakhah. Yet, it was not without its opponents. We will explore the reasons for Tosafot's innovation and the basis of the opposition in developing the halakhic tradition in Franco-Germany. | |
This lecture will explore the transmission of Jewish learning and halakhah in Franco-Germany in the eleventh through thirteenth centuries. | |
598 | |
716 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Ashkenaz.mp3] |
µ
| 1131 | |
From Kletzk to Lakewood: The Yeshiva Moves to America | |
From Kletzk to Lakewood: The Yeshiva Moves to America | |
This lecture will focus on the biography of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, the rosh yeshiva in Kletzk, Lithuania who escaped to the United States in 1941 and established the yeshiva in Lakewood, NJ. We will explore the story of each of these yeshiva and the reasons for the success of each one. Finally, we will examine the manner in which Rabbi Kotler was able to establish a yeshiva in America that rejected all the elements that he believed were dangerous in American and American Jewish culture. | |
This lecture will focus on the biography of Rabbi Aharon Kotler, the rosh yeshiva in Kletzk, Lithuania who escaped to the United States in 1941 and established the yeshiva in Lakewood, NJ. | |
682 | |
783 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Rabbi_Kotler.mp3] |
µ
| 1148 | |
Slobodka: The Mussar Yeshiva | |
Slobodka: The Mussar Yeshiva | |
The Slobodka Yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel in 1882 in a suburb of Kovno. This yeshiva integrated the tradition study of gemara with the emphasis on mussar. Rabbi Finkel was a follower of Rabbi Israel Salanter, the founder of the mussar movement. Yet, Rabbi Finkel emphasized the Gadlut Ha-Adam, the greatness and potential of people. This potential was realized in Slobodka through the traditional study of gemara and the inclusion of mussar. The yeshiva of Slobodka moved to Hebron in 1924 and then to Jerusalem after the Arab massacre in 1929. Many of the great roshei yeshiva of the twentieth century were students of Rabbi Finkel. | |
The Slobodka Yeshiva was founded by Rabbi Nosson Zvi Finkel in 1882 in a suburb of Kovno. | |
701 | |
800 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Slobodka.mp3] |
µ
| 1073 | |
The Closing of Volozhyn | |
The Closing of Volozhyn | |
The Volozhyn yeshiva continued to prosper throughout the second half of the nineteenth century under the leadership of the Netziv. At the same time, the Jewish Enlightenment began to gain strength in Lithuania and the Netziv was pressured to formally introduce secular studies into the yeshiva. Although he personally had a laissez-faire attitude towards the study of secular studies by the students in Volozhyn, he opposed the introduction of these studies into the yeshiva curriculum. Eventually, the Netziv relented to teach secular studies in the evenings and he often had to force students to leave their learning to attend these classes. Finally, in February, 1892, the Russian authorities closed down the yeshiva, This lecture will also evaluate other factors that impacted the yeshiva in its final years. | |
This lecture will also evaluate other factors that impacted the yeshiva in its final years. | |
609 | |
724 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Closing_of_Volozhyn.mp3] |
µ
| 1152 | |
Volozhyn: The Beginning of the Yeshiva Movement | |
Volozhyn: The Beginning of the Yeshiva Movement | |
Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn founded the yeshiva in his hometown in 1802. What made this yeshiva special? How did it combat the forces of Hasidism and the lack of Torah study at the time? This lecture will utilize primary sources to present a taste of the Volozyn Yeshiva in its early days and to appreciate the unique approach to Torah study and to yeshiva administration that was introduced by Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn. | |
This lecture will utilize primary sources to present a taste of the Volozyn Yeshiva in its early days and to appreciate the unique approach to Torah study and to yeshiva administration that was introduced by Rabbi Haim of Volozhyn. | |
705 | |
804 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Volozhyn_Part_I.mp3] |
µ
| 1075 | |
The Function of Dayenu in the Haggadah | |
The Function of Dayenu in the Haggadah | |
The Function of Dayenu in the Haggadah | |
The Function of Dayenu in the Haggadah. | |
614 | |
726 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Dayenu.mp3] |
µ
| 1078 | |
The Editing of the Babylonian Talmud: How Did This Event Create the Framework for Jewish Law and Study? | |
The Editing of the Babylonian Talmud | |
According to Jewish tradition, the Babylonian Talmud was edited in the fifth century CE by Ravina and Rav Ashi. This lecture will explore this tradition. Are there any Jewish or Persian sources that verify this tradition? Why was the Talmud compiled at this juncture of history? In conclusion, the editing of the Talmud and its subsequent transcription reflected the expansion of the Jewish community from Babylonia to North Africa and Spain. Finally, this lecture will examine the movement of the Babylonian Talmud to Germany and France and the origins of the traditions of Rashi and Tosafot. | |
This lecture will explore this tradition. | |
618 | |
729 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Editing_the_Talmud.mp3] |
µ
| 1153 | |
The Western Diaspora: What Was the Nature of Judaism Outside of Babylonia? | |
The Western Diaspora | |
Jews entered the western diaspora as far west as Rome following the destruction of the Temple in 70 CE and the Bar Kokhba Revolt in 132 CE, sent as slaves to all parts of the Roman Empire. There is almost no communication between the Jews of the western diaspora and the Jews of Babylonia. This lecture will explore whether the rabbinic tradition was practiced in the western diaspora or whether they practiced a non-rabbinic form of Judaism during this period studying relevant Jewish and non-Jewish sources. | |
This lecture will explore whether the rabbinic tradition was practiced in the western diaspora or whether they practiced a non-rabbinic form of Judaism during this period studying relevant Jewish and non-Jewish sources. | |
706 | |
805 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Western_Diapora.mp3] |
µ
| 1069 | |
How Did the Jews of Persia in the Talmudic Period Interpret the Book of Esther? | |
Jews of Persia & the Book of Esther? | |
The Tractate Megillah's interpretation of the Book of Esther is the only full length midrashic analysis of a Biblical book in the entire Talmud. How was this analysis influenced by the Jew's interaction with Persian society and culture? Did the Persian Jews interpret the Book of Esther in a special manner because it was a book about their ancestry in Persia? This lecture will study specific examples in the Talmud's interpretation of Esther and parallel sources in Persian and Christian literature. | |
This lecture will study specific examples in the Talmud's interpretation of Esther and parallel sources in Persian and Christian literature. | |
603 | |
720 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Book_of_Esther.mp3] |
µ
| 1158 | |
Did Zoroastrian Religious Practices Influence Babylonian Rabbinic Practice? | |
Zoroastrian Religious | |
The dominant religion in Persian society during the Talmudic period was Zoroastrianism. This lecture will evaluate the Babylonian Jewish attitude to this religious and compare it to the Jewish attitude to Christianity. In addition, we will explore the possible influence of Zoroastrian practice on rabbinic practice through the study of rabbinic and Zoroastrian sources on two legal issues that were addressed by both religious cultures. | |
This lecture will evaluate the Babylonian Jewish attitude to this religious and compare it to the Jewish attitude to Christianity. | |
711 | |
810 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Zoroastrian.mp3] |
µ
| 1123 | |
Did Persian Culture Influence the Babylonian Talmud? | |
Did Persian Culture Influence the Babylonian Talmud? | |
This lecture will provide the background for the Jewish experience in Persia which began during the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. The Jews flourished under Parthian culture and then under Sassanian rule. The influence of Persian culture on Babylonian rabbinic tradition will be explored through the utilization of two sources. the first addresses the role of lineage in rabbinic and Persian culture. the second, examines whether the rabbis dealt with Jews in cosmopolitan cities in Persia differently than they dealt with Jews from more provincial Babylonian towns. | |
This lecture will provide the background for the Jewish experience in Persia which began during the Babylonian exile following the destruction of the First Temple in 586 BCE. | |
673 | |
775 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Persian_Culture.mp3] |
µ
| 1155 | |
The Importance of Yavneh | |
The Importance of Yavneh | |
With the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 CE, the rabbinic period begins. What happened to the earlier halakhic traditions of the Sadducees and the Dead Sea sects? Traditional scholarship claims that these traditions were lost or rejected. However, recent studies have shown that some of these earlier opinions were incorporated into the pluralistic halakhic community that was created at Yavneh. This lecture will explore this tradition and evaluate why not all views were accepted into the rabbinic discourse. | |
This lecture will explore this tradition and evaluate why not all views were accepted into the rabbinic discourse. | |
708 | |
807 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Yavneh.mp3] |
µ
| 1140 | |
The Sadducees | |
The Sadducees | |
Following the Hasmonean victory in 164 BCE, the members of the Hasmonean family assumed the kingship and high priesthood in Jerusalem. They allied themselves with the Pharisees and the reigning priests, the Sadducees, were forced to battle for their position of leadership. This lecture will explore three halakhic disputes between the Sadducees and the Pharisees and analyze these disputes from a socio-religious context and in terms of their importance in the development of Jewish law. What role did the Sadducees and their halakhic interpretations have on the later rabbinic interpretation of the law? | |
This lecture will explore three halakhic disputes between the Sadducees and the Pharisees and analyze these disputes from a socio-religious context and in terms of their importance in the development of Jewish law. | |
692 | |
792 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Sadducees.mp3] |
µ
| 1085 | |
Halakhah at Qumran | |
Halakhah at Qumran | |
The legal scrolls of Qumran, written in the first century BCE, have been the subject of much scholarly interest over the past thirty years. This lecture will explore the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document and analyze their content. Did these scrolls contain interpretive material similar to rabbinic exegesis? Did these scrolls contain laws that were similar to later rabbinic law? If so, what does this material teach us about the innovations of the rabbis. Did the rabbis institute a new system or was their system of exegesis already found among the Jews of Qumran? | |
This lecture will explore the Temple Scroll and the Damascus Document and analyze their content. | |
626 | |
736 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Halakhah_at_Qumran.mp3] |
µ
| 1104 | |
Halacha and the Book of Jubilees | |
Halacha and the Book of Jubilees | |
The Book of Jubilees was written by a Jewish author in the second century BCE. It contains a retelling of the first portion of the Torah complete with an elaborate description of the observance of the laws of the Torah by the people in the story. This lecture will study the use of halacha in the Book of Jubilees and explore the importance of this work in the history of halacha. Did the rabbis actually reflect an unbroken chain of the tradition of does the Book of Jubilees express an alternative halachic tradition? | |
This lecture will study the use of halacha in the Book of Jubilees and explore the importance of this work in the history of halacha. | |
649 | |
755 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jubilees.mp3] |
µ
| 1079 | |
The End of Prophecy | |
The End of Prophecy | |
The Talmud records that prophecy ended during the Persian period around the year 500 BCE. Josephus also claims that prophecy ceased at this time. This lecture will explore the meaning of this tradition. Were there any prophets after this period? What is the significance of the end of prophecy for the history of Jewish law? How did the end of prophecy alter the role of Jewish leadership? | |
This lecture will explore the meaning of this tradition. | |
619 | |
730 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/End_of_Prophecy.mp3] |
µ
| 1144 | |
Why Do We Steal the Prayers of the Angels on Yom Kippur? | |
Why Do We Steal the Prayers of the Angels on Yom Kippur? | |
The tradition to recite the line of "boruch shem kevod" aloud on Yom Kippur is one of the dramatic highlights of the Yom Kippur service. This shiur will explore two sources, one from the Midrash and one from the Talmud, for the recitation of this line as an integral part of the daily Shema. The differences between these two sources point to two approaches regarding the reason for saying "boruch shem kevod" out loud. Are we given permission to recite the prayer of the angels on Yom Kippur or is this prayer a human prayer that has a special significance on Yom Kippur? Join me as we untangle this well-known yet curious custom. | |
This shiur will explore two sources, one from the Midrash and one from the Talmud, for the recitation of this line as an integral part of the daily Shema. | |
696 | |
796 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Shabbat_Shuva_2010.mp3] |
µ
| 1097 | |
The Dating of the Texts of the Torah: Are There Certain Verses That Could Not Have Been Written by Moshe? | |
The Dating of the Texts of the Torah | |
The Talmud argued that anyone who does not believe that the entire Torah was written by Moshe is considered as ridiculing God. Yet, there are several verses in the Torah that appear to have been written at a period later than Moshe's time. This lecture will explore the commentary of the ibn Ezra on a number of these verses and will examine two super commentaries on the ibn Ezra that attempt to reconcile the ibn Ezra's commentary with the traditional view of Moshe's authorship of the Torah. Finally, we will analyze the Song of the Sea as another potential chapter that was written after Moshe's time. | |
This lecture will explore the commentary of the ibn Ezra on a number of these verses and will examine two super commentaries on the ibn Ezra that attempt to reconcile the ibn Ezra's commentary with the traditional view of Moshe's authorship of the Torah. | |
638 | |
748 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Ibn_Ezra_and_Text_of_Torah.mp3] |
µ
| 1149 | |
Establishing the Correct Text of the Torah: Is Our Torah Text the Same Text that was Given to Moshe? | |
Establishing the Correct Text of the Torah | |
Orthodox theology today teaches that the text of the Torah that we have today is exactly the same text of the Torah that was given by God to Moshe on Mt. Sinai. Is this really true? This ecture will examine the evolution of the history of the Torah text beginning with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls, continuing through the talmudic period and culminating in the creation of the first Rabbinic Bible in 1525 in Venice. The story of the text of the Torah contains many twists and turns and may have some surprising conclusions. | |
This lecture will examine the evolution of the history of the Torah text beginning with the Septuagint and the Dead Sea Scrolls. | |
702 | |
801 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Textual_Criticism.mp3] |
µ
| 1124 | |
The Written and Oral Torah: Did the Rabbis Base Their Tradition on the Literal Meaning of the Written Torah? | |
The Written and Oral Torah | |
While Jewish tradition has always emphasized the sanctity of the Biblical text, the rabbinic tradition, that often contradicts the literal meaning of the Torah, has defined religious practice and observance throughout the ages. This lecture will explore four explanations for the relationship between the rabbinic interpolation of the Biblical texts and their literal meaning. Each explanation reflects the tension between the religious obligation to observe the law while at the same time the need to respect the sanctity of the Biblical text. | |
This lecture will explore four explanations for the relationship between the rabbinic interpolation of the Biblical texts and their literal meaning. | |
675 | |
776 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Peshat_and_derash.mp3] |
µ
| 1176 | |
Persian Period Second Temple | |
Persian Period Second Temple | |
| |
| |
674 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Persian_Period_Second_Temple.mp3] |
µ
| 1172 | |
Messianism | |
Messianism | |
| |
| |
664 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Messianism.mp3] |
µ
| 1171 | |
Judaism & Rome Emergence of Christianity | |
Judaism & Rome Emergence of Christianity | |
| |
| |
650 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Judaism_Rome_Emergence_of_Christianity.mp3] |
µ
| 1169 | |
Jewish Christian Medieval | |
Jewish Christian Medieval | |
| |
| |
642 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jewish_Christian_Medieval.mp3] |
µ
| 1161 | |
Christian Persecution Part 1 | |
Christian Persecution Part 1 | |
| |
| |
608 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Christian_Persecution_Part_1.mp3] |
µ
| 1175 | |
Period of Prophets | |
Period of Prophets | |
| |
| |
672 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Period_of_Prophets.mp3] |
µ
| 1159 | |
Bar Kochba Revolt | |
Bar Kochba Revolt | |
| |
| |
600 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Bar_Kochba_Revolt.mp3] |
µ
| 1174 | |
New Settlements in the Hapsburg Empire | |
New Settlements in the Hapsburg Empire | |
| |
| |
670 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/New_Settlements_in_the_Hapsburg_Empire.mp3] |
µ
| 1170 | |
Jewish Christian Polemics | |
Jewish Christian Polemics | |
| |
| |
643 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jewish_Christian_Polemics.mp3] |
µ
| 1173 | |
Modern Orthodoxy | |
Modern Orthodoxy | |
| |
| |
668 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Modern_Orthodoxy.mp3] |
µ
| 1165 | |
Economic Changes | |
Economic Changes | |
| |
| |
617 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Economic_Changes.mp3] |
µ
| 1086 | |
Hasidism Comes to America | |
Hasidism Comes to America | |
At the beginning of the twentieth-century, scholars believed that Hasidism had no future. Yet, in spite of the pogroms and the destruction of European Jewry during the Holocaust, Hasidism has flourished in the last decades. This lecture will explore the Hasidic dynasties of Boyan and Bobov and analyze the reasons for their success in America. In addition, we will explore the culture of American Hasidism and how they have incorporated American values to allow their isolated brand of Hasidism to flourish. | |
This lecture will explore the Hasidic dynasties of Boyan and Bobov and analyze the reasons for their success in America. | |
627 | |
737 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Hasidic_Prayer.mp3] |
µ
| 1088 | |
Hasidic Prayer | |
Hasidic Prayer | |
In 1772, the members of the Vilna community issued a ban against the Hasidism. They criticized the nature of Hasidic prayer including their use of the Siddur of the Ari and their choice to pray in small minyanim. This lecture will explore the debate between the leaders of the Hasidim and the Misnagdim concerning the practices of Hasidic prayer, Finally, we will explore the responsum of the Rabbi Ezekiel Landau concerning the recitation of le-shem yichud prior to the performance of mitzvot. What were the social and political issues that drove this debate concerning Hasidic prayer? | |
This lecture will explore the debate between the leaders of the Hasidim and the Misnagdim concerning the practices of Hasidic prayer. | |
629 | |
739 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Hasidism_Comes_to_America.mp3] |
µ
| 1128 | |
Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin and the Beginning of Modern Hasidism | |
Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin & the Beginning of Modern Hasidism | |
The lecture begins with an analysis of the origins of the opposition of the Vilna community to Hasidism in 1772. What role did this play in the growth of the Hasidic movement? The lecture continues with a biographical survey of the life of Rabbi Israel of Ruzhin, the founder of the Ruzhiner dynasty. What was his power of leadership? Why was he so successful? The lecture will explore the political, personal and communal influence of this Hasidic leader who was the most influential Hasid of the first half of the nineteenth century. | |
The lecture will explore the political, personal and communal influence of this Hasidic leader who was the most influential Hasid of the first half of the nineteenth century. | |
679 | |
780 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/R._Israel_of_Ruzhin.mp3] |
µ
| 1099 | |
The Origins of Hasidism: Was It a Religious Revolution | |
The Origins of Hasidism | |
Hasidism began in southern Poland in the middle of the eighteenth century. The founding of Hasdism is attributed to the Baal Shem Tov who lived in Podolia from 1700?-1760. This lecture will explore the origins of the Hasidic movement and the role of the Baal Shem Tov. Was he a charismatic anti-establishment leader or was this image of the Baal Shem Tov shaped later on as a reaction ot the growth of the movement and its search for a founding figure? | |
This lecture will explore the origins of the Hasidic movement and the role of the Baal Shem Tov. | |
644 | |
750 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jewish_History_2010_spring_origins_of_hasidism.mp3] |
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| 1105 | |
Kabbalat Shabbat | |
Kabbalat Shabbat | |
The Kabbalat Shabbat service incorporates several different elements. While in its essence it represents the acceptance of Shabbat with the recitation of the special Shabbat Psalm, the Kabbalists of Safed in the sixteenth century introduced the recitation of Lecha Dodi and the six introductory chapters of Tehillim. This lecture will examine the history of the Kabbalists in Safed and it will study the structure and themes of Lecha Dodi. Finally, it will trace the debate concerning the acceptance of Lecha Dodi in different communities. | |
This lecture will examine the history of the Kabbalists in Safed and it will study the structure and themes of Lecha Dodi. | |
651 | |
756 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Kabbalat_Shabbat.mp3] |
µ
| 1160 | |
Rabbi Jacob Emden and Moses Mendelssohn: The Burial Controversy of 1772 | |
Rabbi Jacob Emden and Moses Mendelssohn | |
The Jewish tradition of burial on the day of death was opposed by the German Enlightenment which feared that people were being buried alive. This lecture will explore the edict passed by the Duke of Mecklenburg in 1772 requiring the Jews to delay burial for three days. The Jews petitioned Rabbi Emden and Mendelssohn to offer opinions on this edict. Their debate highlighted the challenge of integrating the scientific and medical advances of the Enlightenment into Jewish practice and law. | |
This lecture will explore the edict passed by the Duke of Mecklenburg in 1772 requiring the Jews to delay burial for three days. | |
604 | |
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[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Burial_Controversy.mp3] |
µ
| 1080 | |
The Evening Service | |
The Evening Service | |
The gemara relates a dispute between Rabban Gamliel and Rabbi Yehoshua regarding whether the obligation to daven maariv each night is compulsory of voluntary. This lecture will study the ramifications of this dispute through an analysis of the texts of the maariv service and a historical survey whether Jews actually davened maariv. In what ways did this uncertainty about maariv reflect itself in the liturgy and traditions of the evening service? | |
This lecture will study the ramifications of this dispute through an analysis of the texts of the maariv service and a historical survey whether Jews actually davened maariv. | |
620 | |
731 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Evening_Servce.mp3] |
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| 1146 | |
The Structure of the Shemoneh Esreh | |
The Structure of the Shemoneh Esreh | |
The Talmud explains that the structure of the shemoneh esreh is divided into three parts, praise, petition and thanksgiving. This lecture will explore this division and study the structure of the shemoneh esreh as a unit and as the main part of the daily service. Was the shemoneh esreh a reaction to the destruction of the Temple? Does its theme revolve around a broader topic? Is it merely a random combination of ideas and themes? In this lecture, we will try to make sense of the shemoneh esreh. | |
this lecture, we will try to make sense of the shemoneh esreh. | |
699 | |
798 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Shmoneh_Esreh.mp3] |
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| 1178 | |
The Shema and Its Blessings | |
The Shema and Its Blessings | |
The Shema is recited in the morning and evening services and is surrounded by various blessings. This lecture will explore the relationship between the Shema and its accompanying blessings. What is the central theme of the Shema and how do the blessing highlight this theme? The sources will include rabbinic material that traces the recitation of the Shema from the Temple period through the rabbinic period. | |
This lecture will explore the relationship between the Shema and its accompanying blessings. | |
698 | |
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[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Shema_and_Its_Blessings.mp3] |
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| 1121 | |
The Morning Blessings | |
The Morning Blessings | |
The daily synagogue service begins with the public recitation of a group of blessings describing regular morning practices. They also include† three blessings distinguishing Jewish men from Gentiles, slaves and women. This lecture will analyze the evolution of these blessings from their private recitation in the home to their prime role as the beginning of the daily service. The opinions of the Rambam, Rashi and the Provencal rabbis will be considered | |
This lecture will analyze the evolution of these blessings from their private recitation in the home to their prime role as the beginning of the daily service. | |
669 | |
773 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Morning_Blessings.mp3] |
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| 1125 | |
Twentieth-Century Philosophies of Prayer | |
Twentieth-Century Philosophies of Prayer | |
The Enlightenment created many changes in the Reform Prayerbook. Yet, it also played a role in redefining the approaches and philosophies of prayer. This lecture will study four nineteenth and twentieth century commentators and philosophers and examine how they address the meaning of prayer in an age of rationalism that is often centered on the individual rather than God. | |
This lecture will study four nineteenth and twentieth century commentators and philosophers and examine how they address the meaning of prayer in an age of rationalism that is often centered on the individual rather than God. | |
676 | |
777 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Philosophies_of_Prayer.mp3] |
µ
| 1077 | |
The Siddurim of the Different Denominations | |
The Siddurim of the Different Denominations | |
Beginning with the creation of the Reform movement at the beginning of the nineteenth century in Germany, the Siddur has been used to identify many of the ideological beliefs of each of the movements. This lecture will study the history of the Reform innovations in the Siddur and compare the modern day Conservative and Reform siddurim with a brief reference to the new Modern Orthodox Koren Siddur. | |
This lecture will study the history of the Reform innovations in the Siddur and compare the modern day Conservative and Reform siddurim with a brief reference to the new Modern Orthodox Koren Siddur. | |
616 | |
728 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Different_Siddurim.mp3] |
µ
| 1094 | |
History of Rabbinic Prayer | |
History of Rabbinic Prayer | |
Following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE, the rabbis in Yavneh sought to address the lack of a Temple and the service that was performed in it. This lecture will address the role of the synagogue following the destruction and the introduction of the Amidah during this period. Did the rabbis attempt to replace the Temple or did they recognize that the Temple could not be replaced and the synagogue and communal prayer were introduced as different modes of service? | |
This lecture will address the role of the synagogue following the destruction and the introduction of the Amidah during this period. | |
635 | |
745 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/History_of_Rabbinic_Prayer.mp3] |
µ
| 1095 | |
The History of the Synagogue | |
The History of the Synagogue | |
The synagogue became a place of Jewish prayer following the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. What was the role of the synagogue prior to the destruction? What does this role teach us about communal Jewish prayer prior to the desrtuction of the Temple? This lecture will examine several sources that describe synagogues in Israel and in the diaspora and analyze the role of these synagogues in the Jewish world of the time. | |
This lecture will examine several sources that describe synagogues in Israel and in the diaspora and analyze the role of these synagogues in the Jewish world of the time. | |
636 | |
746 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/History_of_the_Synagogue.mp3] |
µ
| 1168 | |
The Origins of Jewish Prayer | |
The Origins of Jewish Prayer | |
The Talmud writes that the Amidah was instituted in Yavneh at the end of the first century CE. Did the Jews participate in communal prayer during the Temple period? Was communal prayer always a part of Jewish tradition or was it merely a consolation prize following the destruction of the Temple? This lecture will analyze several mishnaic sources and a source from the apocrypha that address this issue. | |
This lecture will analyze several mishnaic sources and a source from the apocrypha that address this issue. | |
641 | |
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[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Introduction_to_Prayer.mp3] |
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| 1134 | |
Are American Modern Orthodox Jews Obligated to Follow the Psak of Rav Eliyashiv? | |
American Modern Orthodox Jews & Rav Eliyashiv? | |
Recently, Rav Eliyashiv, the posek of the Lithuanian Yeshiva community in Israel has issue several piskei halakha prohibiting going onto the Temple Mount, wearing Crocs on Yom Kippur and using Shabbat Elevators. Is the America Modern Orthodox community bound by these decisions? This lecture will explore this topic through the lens of the tradition sources ans the analysis of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein. | |
This lecture will explore this topic through the lens of the tradition sources ans the analysis of Rabbi Aharon Lichtenstein. | |
685 | |
786 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Rav_Eliyashiv.mp3] |
µ
| 1166 | |
Extra-Legal Material | |
Extra-Legal Material | |
This lecture will explore the role of extra-legal material in the decision-making of a posek. While this issue is very broad and includes changes in nature and economic considerations, this lecture will focus on whether the posek has to consider changes in behavior or societal change. We will analyze sources from the gemara and the commentaries on a wide variety of issues. | |
this lecture will focus on whether the posek has to consider changes in behavior or societal change. | |
621 | |
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[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Extra_Legal_Material.mp3] |
µ
| 1111 | |
The Limits of a Posek’s Authority | |
The Limits of a Posek's Authority | |
This lecture will explore the limits of the decision-making process. Does the judge or posek have complete freedom to determine the halakhah or are there certain limits to his freedom of pesak? We will explore the relevant gemara and commentaries followed by an analysis of the reaction to the process of codification of the Rambam, Tur and Shulchan Aruch. | |
This lecture will explore the limits of the decision-making process. | |
657 | |
762 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Limits_of_Posek_s_Authority.mp3] |
µ
| 1139 | |
The Role of Precedent in Halakhic Decision-Making | |
The Role of Precedent in Halakhic Decision-Making | |
What is the role of precedent in halakhic decision-making? Should the rabbis consider the previous decisions on a topic? Is he bound by these earlier decisions? This shiur will explore the sources on this topic which present a surprisingly expansive view of the rights of the posek in determining halakhis decisions | |
This shiur will explore the sources on this topic which present a surprisingly expansive view of the rights of the posek in determining halakhis decisions | |
691 | |
791 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Role_of_Precedent.mp3] |
µ
| 1109 | |
Can You Shop Around for Leniencies? | |
Can You Shop Around for Leniencies? | |
This shiur will explore the source material that discusses the issue of asking multiple rabbis the same question in order to receive a "satisfactory" response. The sources will span the gemara, rishonim, aharonim and contemporary poskim and will address both the conceptual and practical aspects of this issue. Finally, the shiur will analyze whether the categories that were expressed by the earlier sources are still relevant today. | |
This shiur will explore the source material that discusses the issue of asking multiple rabbis the same question in order to receive a "satisfactory" response. | |
655 | |
760 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Klalei_Horaah_4.mp3] |
µ
| 1108 | |
Following Your Posek | |
Following Your Posek | |
This lecture will explore the authority of an individual's posek and the posek of the community. Can a person or a community follow a posek even if he is a minority opinion? Does the authority of the posek apply even in today's society? The source material traces this issue through the rishonim to modern day poskim. | |
This lecture will explore the authority of an individual's posek and the posek of the community. | |
654 | |
759 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Klalei_Horaah_3.mp3] |
µ
| 1107 | |
The Role of the Minority Opinion | |
The Role of the Minority Opinion | |
In this shiur we will analyze the role of the minority opinion. Can a rabbi rely on this opinion? If so, what are the limitations of this ability to rely on a minority opinion? Is the minority opinion ever considered "right"? We will trace this question from the Mishna through the rishonim and the poskim. | |
In this shiur we will analyze the role of the minority opinion. Can a rabbi rely on this opinion? | |
653 | |
758 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Klalei_Horaah_2.mp3] |
µ
| 1092 | |
History: Halakhic Decision Making in the Rabbinic Period | |
Halakhic Decision Making in the Rabbinic Period | |
The lecture will introduce the basic outline of decision making during the rabbinic period. How were decisions reached in the time of the Sanhedrin? Was the mishnah written as a book of law? How did the gemara transform the mishnah into a book of practical law? This lecture will explore the development of the earliest rules of decision making and the extra-halakhic considerations that help to determine the halakhah. | |
This lecture will explore the development of the earliest rules of decision making and the extra-halakhic considerations that help to determine the halakhah. | |
633 | |
743 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/History_of_Halakhic_Decison_Making.mp3] |
µ
| 1102 | |
The Jews of Brooklyn | |
The Jews of Brooklyn | |
Jews arrived in Brooklyn at the end of the of the nineteenth century with the completion of the Brooklyn and Williamsburg Bridges. The community quickly grew and developed and eventually spread to other neighborhoods in Brooklyn. This lecture will explore the development of both the Eastern European and Syrian communities in Brooklyn with an emphasis on the unique nature of each of these communities and their attitudes towards assimilating into American society and culture. | |
This lecture will explore the development of both the Eastern European and Syrian communities in Brooklyn. | |
647 | |
753 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jews_of_Brooklyn.mp3] |
µ
| 1101 | |
The Jews of Boston | |
The Jews of Boston | |
The Jews arrived in Boston in the middle of the nineteenth century. This community consisted of mainly Polish Jews and grew significantly in the last decades of the century. The Jews experienced both the anti-Semitism of Boston as well as the intellectual openness of the city. This lecture will highlight the roles of Louis Brandies and Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik in the creation of an American Judaism that reflected the unique place of Boston in the American Jewish experience. | |
This lecture will highlight the roles of Louis Brandies and Rabbi Joseph B. | |
646 | |
752 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jews_of_Boston.mp3] |
µ
| 1100 | |
The Jews of Cincinnati | |
The Jews of Cincinnati | |
Cincinnati was one of the most important American cities in the second half of the nineteenth century. Its Jewish community evolved around the opportunities that the city provided. Rabbi Isaac Mayer Wise founded Hebrew Union College which began as the first rabbinical school in America and soon developed as the center of American Reform. The Eastern European Jews also created a vibrant Orthodox community in Cincinnati | |
Cincinnati was one of the most important American cities in the second half of the nineteenth century | |
645 | |
751 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jews_in_Cincinnati.mp3] |
µ
| 1071 | |
The Jews of Charleston, South Carolina | |
The Jews of Charleston | |
While the first Jews to arrive in America came to New Amsterdam in 1654, in the early decades of the United States, the largest Jewish community was in Charleston, SC. This lecture will study the history and the culture of this early American Jewish community. Charleston was also the home of the first Reform congregation in America. We will explore how that congregation came to be and why American Reform began in Charleston. | |
This lecture will study the history and the culture of this early American Jewish community. | |
606 | |
722 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Charleston_SC.mp3] |
µ
| 1137 | |
Resurrection of the Dead: Will It Really Take Place? | |
Resurrection of the Dead | |
Resurrection of the Dead is one of the fundamental principles of Judaism. It has been included in the daily amidah and is considered by the Mishna as a pre-requisite for entry into the World to Come. This lecture will explore the various views of Jewish scholars concerning the exact nature of this phenomenon. Will the body and soul be reunited? Is this resurrection only for the soul? The main text will be the writings of the Rambam and the debate that these writings created on this issue. | |
This lecture will explore the various views of Jewish scholars concerning the exact nature of this phenomenon. | |
689 | |
789 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Resurrection_of_the_Dead.mp3] |
µ
| 1117 | |
The Messiah: Who is He and What Will He Accomplish? | |
The Messiah: Who is He & What Will He Accomplish? | |
The messiah is one of the foundations of Jewish belief. The twelfth article of faith delineates the belief in the messiah and this has become both a religious and popular principle of Jewish belief. What was the Rambam's definition of the messiah and the messianic age? In this lecture, we will explore the three places in which the Rambam discusses the messiah. in his Commentary on the Mishna, the Mishneh Torah and the Epistle to Yemen. We will attempt to reconcile the conflicts between these descriptions and to develop the Rambam's view of messiah. | |
this lecture, we will explore the three places in which the Rambam discusses the messiah. in his Commentary on the Mishna, the Mishneh Torah and the Epistle to Yemen. | |
663 | |
769 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Messiah.mp3] |
µ
| 1138 | |
Reward and Punishment: What Does This Concept Really Mean? | |
Reward and Punishment | |
Reward and Punishment is the most basic principle of Judaism. How has it been explained in the Talmud? How do the rabbis address the question of theodicy (why bad things happen to good people)? This lecture will focus on analyzing the Rambam's novel and potentially problematic interpretation of this principle of faith through the study of selections from his Commentary on the Mishnah, Moreh Nebuchim and Mishneh Torah. | |
This lecture will focus on analyzing the Rambam's novel and potentially problematic interpretation of this principle of faith through the study of selections from his Commentary on the Mishnah, Moreh Nebuchim and Mishneh Torah. | |
690 | |
790 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Reward_and_Punsihment.mp3] |
µ
| 1063 | |
Only God is be Worshiped: The Role of Angels in Jewish Thought | |
Only God is be Worshiped | |
The Fifth Principle of the Rambam includes the prohibition to pray to God through intermediaries such as angels. This lecture will explore the history of the Jewish attitude towards praying to angels. While this issue has been a matter of dispute among philosophers and rabbis, the prevalent view has accepted the fact that we use angels as an intermediary to God. How can this view be reconciled with the Rambam's opinion? Is it OK to disagree with the Rambam on matters of theology? | |
This lecture will explore the history of the Jewish attitude towards praying to angels | |
596 | |
714 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Angels.mp3] |
µ
| 1093 | |
The History of Jewish Theology: Must a Jew Believe Anything? | |
The History of Jewish Theology | |
The Bible has been studied through the eyes of traditional rabbinic commentaries throughout the centuries. In the last two hundred years, Biblical scholars have claimed that the Bible was authored by multiple authors long after he events that are described. This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. We will also explore how contemporary Orthodox scholars have addressed the Documentary Hypothesis. | |
This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. | |
634 | |
744 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/History_of_Jewish_Theology.mp3] |
µ
| 1143 | |
The History of the Bible II: The Book of Devarim | |
The History of the Bible II: The Book of Devarim | |
The Book of Devarim poses serious questions for both traditional commentators and Bible Scholars. Devarim begins with the statement that "these are the words of Moshe". Did God dictate these words to Moshe or did Moshe write these words on his own? This lecture will explore the ways in which the traditional commentators address this issue. It will also present the view of the Bible Scholars who claim that the Book of Devarim was composed at a later date. | |
This lecture will explore the ways in which the traditional commentators address this issue. | |
695 | |
795 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Sefer_Devarim.mp3] |
µ
| 1154 | |
The History of the Bible I: What Really Happened at Sinai? | |
The History of the Bible I | |
The Bible has been studied through the eyes of traditional rabbinic commentaries throughout the centuries. In the last two hundred years, Biblical scholars have claimed that the Bible was authored by multiple authors long after he events that are described. This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. We will also explore how contemporary Orthodox scholars have addressed the Documentary Hypothesis. | |
This lecture will examine the story of Sinai and will compare the reading of the chapters in the Book of Shemot as explained through the eyes of the traditional commentaries and through the eyes of the modern Biblical scholars. | |
707 | |
806 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/WhatHappenedatSinai.mp3] |
µ
| 1062 | |
Aleppo 1900 | |
Aleppo 1900 | |
The Jews have lived in Syria since the Biblical period. There is a legend that associates the Arabic name for Aleppo, Halab, with Abraham milking his cows and giving the milk to the poor of Aleppo. The history of the Jews of Aleppo in the first half of the twentieth century is a rich and fascinating one. This lecture will explore this history with a focus on the rabbinic tradition that developed in Aleppo during this period. | |
This lecture will explore this history with a focus on the rabbinic tradition that developed in Aleppo during this period. | |
595 | |
713 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Aleppo_1900.mp3] |
µ
| 1113 | |
London 1935 | |
London 1935 | |
Jews have lived in England for over one thousand years. However, they were expelled in 1290 and not readmitted until 1655. This lecture will explore the Jewish community in London at the beginning of the twentieth century. We will focus on the career of Chief Rabbi Joseph H. Hertz and his attempt to unite the British and immigrant Jewish communities and his attempt to improve the reputation of the Jews amongthe non-Jews in England. | |
This lecture will explore the Jewish community in London at the beginning of the twentieth century. | |
659 | |
765 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/London_1935.mp3] |
µ
| 1118 | |
Metz 1895 | |
Metz 1895 | |
The Jews have lived in Alsace since the early medieval period. However, the relationship of the Jews to Alsace underwent many changes as the region oscillated between French and German rule. In 1871, Alsace was conquered by the German and the Alsatian Jews were faced with the difficult decision of whether to switch their allegiance to the Germans. Initially, the Jews remained patriotic to the French. However, following the Dreyfus Affair in the 1890's where Alfred Dreyfus was criticized as a both a Jew and an Alsatian, the Jews began to express allegiance to the German cause. This lecture will explore the issue of these conflicting allegiances and their implication for the history of the Jews in Modern Europe. | |
This lecture will explore the issue of these conflicting allegiances and their implication for the history of the Jews in Modern Europe. | |
665 | |
770 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Metz_1895.mp3] |
µ
| 1068 | |
World of Our Grandparents: Part II – Berlin 1920 | |
World of Our Grandparents: Part II | |
The Jewish community of Berlin following World War I consisted of both German Jews and Eastern European Jews. Each of these communities played an important role in the development of the Jewish community during the short lived democratic Weimar Republic. This lecture will explore the importance of each of these communities and the both the friction and cooperation that existed among the Jews of Berlin during this period. | |
This lecture will explore the importance of each of these communities and the both the friction and cooperation that existed among the Jews of Berlin during this period. | |
602 | |
719 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Berlin_1920.mp3] |
µ
| 1126 | |
Prayer and the Sinner: Le-Hitpallel im Ha-Avaryanim | |
Prayer and the Sinner | |
The Kol Nidrei service begins with a declaration permitting the "sinners" to participate in the Yom Kippur service. What is the origin of this declaration? How was it utilized throughout history? What is the definition of a "sinner" as it relates to Jewish prayer? What is the relevance of this declaration today? Do we attempt to include everyone in the service or are there certain types of people who areexcluded from the service? | |
The Kol Nidrei service begins with a declaration permitting the "sinners" to participate in the Yom Kippur service. | |
677 | |
778 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Prayer_and_the_Sinner.mp3] |
µ
| 1119 | |
Prayer and the Sick: Mi Sheberach Le-Cholim | |
Prayer and the Sick: Mi Sheberach Le-Cholim | |
The tradition to recite a special prayer to honor specific members of the community dates to the Geonic period over a thousand years ago. This custom was expanded during the medieval period to pray for members of the community who were ill or found themselves in specific danger. The rabbis addressed this special prayer and its appropriateness to be recited during the service and on Shabbat. This lecture will explore the history of this Mi Sheberach le-Cholim. | |
This lecture will explore the history of this Mi Sheberach le-Cholim. | |
666 | |
771 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Mi_Sheberach.mp3] |
µ
| 1106 | |
Prayer and the Dead: Kaddish | |
Prayer and the Dead: Kaddish | |
Mourner's Kaddish has become the most emotionally charged prayer in the Jewish Liturgy. What is the history of Kaddish and how did it achieve this central place in the prayer service? We will explore the evolution of the Kaddish and the different customs that were practiced in specific communities. We will also see how Kaddish has been utilized in the State of Israel and during the Holocaust. | |
We will explore the evolution of the Kaddish and the different customs that were practiced in specific communities. | |
652 | |
757 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Kaddish.mp3] |
µ
| 1151 | |
Prayer and the Enemy: VeLamalshinim | |
Prayer and the Enemy: VeLamalshinim | |
In the period following the destruction of the Second Temple, Jewish prayer began to take shape. The Daily Amidah was instituted and an additional bracha was added rejected the heretics. There is scholarly debate about whom this bracha refers which most suggestions centering around the early Christians who had broken away from Judaism. This lecture will explore this material and analyze how this bracha has been interpreted throughout the centuries. | |
This lecture will explore this material and analyze how this bracha has been interpreted throughout the centuries. | |
704 | |
803 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Velamalshinim.mp3] |
µ
| 1127 | |
Prayer and the “Other” | |
Prayer and the "Other" | |
Prayer and Women: Shelo Asani Ishah. The Talmud requires that men recite recite a daily blessing each day thanking God that they "were not created a woman". How has this brachah been understood throughout the centuries? How did women respond to this brachah and how did the rabbis react to the women's innovation? | |
Prayer and Women: Shelo Asani Ishah. The Talmud requires that men recite recite a daily blessing each day thanking God that they "were not created a woman". | |
678 | |
779 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Prayer_and_Women.mp3] |
µ
| 1081 | |
Forbidden Foods: Bishul Akum and Stam Yavnam | |
Forbidden Foods: Bishul Akum and Stam Yavnam | |
The Talmud records that that certain foods prepared by non-Jews are not allowed to be eaten, even though the ingredients are kosher, due the risk of assimilation and intermarriage. Do these laws apply today/ This lecture will explore the evolution of these laws and their application in modern times where assimilation and intermarriage remain a serious concern. | |
This lecture will explore the evolution of these laws and their application in modern times where assimilation and intermarriage remain a serious concern. | |
622 | |
732 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Forbidden_Foods.mp3] |
µ
| 1070 | |
Business Ethics: Can a Jew cheat a Non-Jew? | |
Business Ethics | |
The distinction that halacha places between the manner in which a Jew is obligated to interact with other Jews and how he is obligated to interact with non-Jews in business dealings has been a point of contention throughout the centuries. Jew have been called upon to explain these distinctions and to resolve the ethical difficulties raised by these issues. In this lecture, we will explore two instances of this distinction. the rules of the lost object of a non-Jew and the law of a non-Jew's mistake in business. We will analyze the basic parameters of these laws and see how these ethical problems were addressed by traditional Jewish scholars throughout the ages. | |
this lecture, we will explore two instances of this distinction. the rules of the lost object of a non-Jew and the law of a non-Jew's mistake in business. | |
605 | |
721 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Business_Ethics_and_the_Non_Jew.mp3] |
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| 1141 | |
Medical Ethics: Can a Jew save a Non-Jew on Shabbat? | |
Medical Ethics: Can a Jew save a Non-Jew on Shabbat? | |
The attempt to reconcile Western morality and halakhah has become an important issue within the Jewish community. Is it possible that halakhah collides with general moral principles? This issue lays at the foundation of the question whether a Jew is allowed to violate Shabbat in order to save a Non-Jew. This lecture will explore both the halakhic and moral background of this issue and attempt to explain the relationship between halakhah and morality in this instance. | |
This lecture will explore both the halakhic and moral background of this issue and attempt to explain the relationship between halakhah and morality in this instance. | |
693 | |
793 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Saving_Non_Jews_on_Shabbat.mp3] |
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| 1098 | |
How should Jews Deal with Intermarried Jews? | |
How should Jews Deal with Intermarried Jews? | |
The question of how the Jewish community deals with intermarried Jews is the most difficult problem facing the Jewish community today. This lecture will analyze this issue through the halakhic and sociological evaluation of the question whether an intermarried Jew can be counted toward a minyan. This will be discussed by comparing this question with the similar question whether a Shabbat violator can be counted toward a minyan. | |
This lecture will analyze this issue through the halakhic and sociological evaluation of the question whether an intermarried Jew can be counted toward a minyan. | |
639 | |
749 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Intermarried.mp3] |
µ
| 1076 | |
The History Of Jewish-Christian Dialogue | |
The History Of Jewish-Christian Dialogue | |
The History of Jewish-Christian Dialogue Description: Jews and Christians have engaged in religious dialogue and debate for the past two thousand years. In the medieval period this debate was initiated by the Christians and the Jews were left to defend their religious and their interpretations of the Torah. In 1965 the Catholic Church passed the document of Nostra Aetate which called for a reconsideration of the Church's relationship with the Jews. There were various opinions within the Jewish community how to respond to this new initiative. | |
Jews and Christians have engaged in religious dialogue and debate for the past two thousand years. | |
615 | |
727 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Dialogue.mp3] |
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| 1103 | |
The History of the Jews of Hungary | |
The History of the Jews of Hungary | |
The Jews have lived in Hungary for over a thousand years. This lecture will focus on the Jewish experience in Hungary on the eve of the emancipation from the Habsburg Empire in the 1860s. It was during this period that the Ultra-Orthodox disciples of the Hatam Sofer made several decisions that served to distinguish them not only fro the Reform but also fro the Neo-Orthodox, lead in Hungary at this time by Rabbi Esriel Hildesheimer. This lecture will explore this decisions and their impact in determining the future of Hungarian Jewry. | |
This lecture will explore this decisions and their impact in determining the future of Hungarian Jewry. | |
648 | |
754 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Jews_of_Hungary.mp3] |
µ
| 1110 | |
The History of the Jews of Latvia | |
The History of the Jews of Latvia | |
Jews have lived in Latvia since the early sixteenth century. The community developed and grew in the nineteenth century as Easter Latvia became part of the Pale of Settlement and Western Latvia remained outside the Pale. This lecture will compare the history of the Jews of Riga and its German influence with the history of the Jews of Dvinsk which was included in the Pale. | |
This lecture will compare the history of the Jews of Riga and its German influence with the history of the Jews of Dvinsk which was included in the Pale. | |
656 | |
761 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/latvia.mp3] |
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| 1112 | |
The History of the Jews of Lithuania | |
The History of the Jews of Lithuania | |
This lecture focuses on the role of the Vilna Gaon in the shaping of the religious personality of Lithuanian Jewry in the second half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. The influence of the Gaon impacted on the development of the early haskalah in Lithuania and led to the condemnation of the Hasidim by the Vilna community. The Gaon's influence extended past his death in 1797 and created the environment that led to the founding of the Volozhin yeshiva in 1802. | |
This lecture focuses on the role of the Vilna Gaon in the shaping of the religious personality of Lithuanian Jewry in the second half of the eighteenth century and the beginning of the nineteenth century. | |
658 | |
763 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Lithuania.mp3] |
µ
| 1083 | |
The History of the Jews of Galicia | |
The History of the Jews of Galicia | |
Galicia was an important center of Jewish culture and religion throughout the nineteenth and early twentieth century. It was the home to Hasidim and Maskilim, to traditional learning and financial and political success among the Jews. But, it was also the home of much Jewish poverty and suffering. This lecture will explore the history of the Jews of Galicia and how the historical study of these communities has changed in recent years. | |
This lecture will explore the history of the Jews of Galicia and how the historical study of these communities has changed in recent years. | |
624 | |
734 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/galicia.mp3] |
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| 1072 | |
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow and Internet Responsa | |
Rabbi Yuval Cherlow and the Internet | |
The age of technology has introduced new and innovative ways to spread all types of information including halakhah. Rabbi Yuval Cherlow, the rosh yeshiva of the hesder yeshiva in Petach Tikva, has been one of the pioneers in the area of answering halakhic questions on the internet. In this class we will study some of the teshuvot exploring the various unique aspects of interent teshuvot including the question of anonymity and the ability to spread the answers instantaneously to a wide audience. We will focus on both personal questions as well as questions relating to the recent disengagement from Gaza. | |
The age of technology has introduced new and innovative ways to spread all types of information including halakhah. | |
607 | |
723 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/cherlow.mp3] |
µ
| 1090 | |
Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin: The Forgotten American Posek | |
Rabbi Yosef Eliyahu Henkin | |
Rabbi Henkin lived on the Lower East Side for over 50 years during which time he gained the reputation as "the rabbi's rabbi". His rabbinic responsa address many of the pressing issues confronting the Orthodox community during this period. In this class we will study three teshuvot by Rabbi Henkin. the first dealing with the permissibility of davenig in a non-mechitzah shul, the second concerning the validity of the Manhattan eruv and finally the issue of whether civil marriages and Reform marriages are recognized by the halakhah as marriages that would require a get if terminated. | |
In this class we will study three teshuvot by Rabbi Henkin | |
631 | |
741 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/henkin.mp3] |
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| 1084 | |
Rabbi Tobias Geffen and the Coca Cola Teshuvah | |
Rabbi Tobias Geffen and the Coca Cola Teshuvah | |
In the early 1930's Rabbi Tobias Geffen, the Orthodox rabbi in Atlanta, received some inquiries from colleagues whether Coca Cola was kosher. The "secret formula" complicated the process, yet Rabbi Geffen was to gain the trust of the Coca Cola executives and they shared the ingredients with him.Rabbi Geffen discovered that one ingredient contained non-kosher animal fat and another ingredient contained traces of chametz. Surprisingly, Rabbi Geffen was able to convince Coca Cola to change these two ingredients and Coke has been kosher for Pesach and year-round ever since. The manner in which Rabbi Geffen gained access to Coke is traced through his personal letters of correspondence found in the archives of the American Jewish Historical Society. | |
In the early 1930's Rabbi Tobias Geffen, the Orthodox rabbi in Atlanta, received some inquiries from colleagues whether Coca Cola was kosher. | |
625 | |
735 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Geffen_and_Coca_Cola.mp3] |
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| 1082 | |
The Reform Responsa of Rabbi Solomon Freehof | |
The Reform Responsa of Rabbi Solomon Freehof | |
Solomon Freehof created the genre or responsa literature within the Reform movement. Raised in an Orthodox family in Baltimore,he studied at Hebrew Union College and served as a Reform rabbi in Chicago and Pittsburgh for almost 50 years. He authored eight volumes of Reform Responsa. His responsa are written in the traditional rabbinic style complete with scholarly traditional sources. However, he believed that halakhah was merely a guide and not the sole decisor of practice among Reform Jews. He felt that that community's interest must be taken intoaccount when deciding issue of practice and ritual. Freehof died in 1990 at the age of 98 but his responsa remain an important part of the Reform movement to this day. | |
Solomon Freehof created the genre or responsa literature within the Reform movement. | |
623 | |
733 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/freehof.mp3] |
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| 1114 | |
The Responsa of Prof Louis Ginzberg | |
The Responsa of Prof Louis Ginzberg | |
Louis Ginzberg came to the United States in 1902 and spent 51 years at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as a leading talmudic. He also wote numerous responsa on a variety of topics. This class will explore a selection of these teshuvot,all collected and published by Rabbi David Golinkin. They include teshuvot on the topics of how to deal with the new siddur ofMordechai Kaplan, whether one can listen to the radio on Shabbat and whether one is permitted to make kiddush on grape juice during Prohibition. Ginzberg's teshuvot contine to be a model for the teshuvot of the Law Committe of the Rabbinical Assembly to this day. | |
Louis Ginzberg came to the United States in 1902 and spent 51 years at The Jewish Theological Seminary of America as a leading talmudic. | |
660 | |
766 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Louis_Ginzberg.mp3] |
µ
| 1130 | |
Rabbi Hayyim Hirschensohn: The Rabbi of Hoboken | |
Rabbi Hayyim Hirschensohn: The Rabbi of Hoboken | |
Rabbi Hirschensohn came to the United States in 1903 and served as the rabbi of Hoboken for over thirty years. His volumes of responsa reflect an attempt to integrate his experience in America with his commitment to halakha and to the creation of a State of Israel in Palestine. While his approach was controversial in some rabbinic circles during his lifetime, one wonders whether he would have been accepted as an Orthodox rabbi today. | |
Rabbi Hirschensohn came to the United States in 1903 and served as the rabbi of Hoboken for over thirty years. | |
681 | |
782 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Rabbi_Hirschensohn.mp3] |
µ
| 1120 | |
The Teshuvot of the Modern Orthodox | |
The Teshuvot of the Modern Orthodox | |
The Modern Orthodox movement has developed in the United States over the past forty years. The movement has experienced great success in building communities. However, the Modern Orthodox community has generally not been in the forefront of the halakhic decision making process. In this class, we will study several examples of Modern Orthodox teshuvot and attempt to both present the methodology of these teshuvot and explain why Modern Orthodoxy has ceded this aspect of the process to others. | |
In this class, we will study several examples of Modern Orthodox teshuvot and attempt to both present the methodology of these teshuvot and explain why Modern Orthodoxy has ceded this aspect of the process to others. | |
667 | |
772 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Modern_Orthodox_Teshuvot.mp3] |
µ
| 1074 | |
Teshuvot of the Conservative Movement | |
Teshuvot of the Conservative Movement | |
The Conservative movement has created a literature of teshuvot that address critical issues for the movement. In this class, we will explore the methodology of these teshuvot and study three examples. Ordination of Women, Driving on Shabbat and the Permissibility of "Non-Kosher" Wine. | |
In this class, we will explore the methodology of these teshuvot and study three examples. | |
612 | |
725 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Conservative_Teshuvot.mp3] |
µ
| 1129 | |
The Responsa of Rav Moshe Feinstein | |
The Responsa of Rav Moshe Feinstein | |
Rav Moshe Feinstein was the leading halachik authority for the Ashkenazic community of the United States during the second half of the twentieth century. His teshuvot are collected in the eight volume set of Iggerot Moshe. In this class, we will study and analyze three teshuvot of Rav Feinstein. the first dealing with participation in a conference with Catholics, the second dealing with the permissibility of teaching in a Conservative Hebrew school and the final teshuva addressing the proper conduct for a Jewish doctor on Shabbat. | |
this class, we will study and analyze three teshuvot of Rav Feinstein. | |
680 | |
781 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Rabbi_Feinstein.mp3] |
µ
| 1096 | |
Holocaust Responsa | |
Holocaust Responsa | |
Jewish law has responded to life and death situations throughout Jewish History. During the Nazi era, the rabbis were faced with tragic situations that required their insight and decision. This class will study three teshuvot from this period. the first, addressing the Nazi prohibition against shechitah, the second, reflecting a life and death question that was asked in Auschwitz and finally a question that was raised in the DP camps immediately following the liberation from the death camps. These questions and the responses of the rabbis attest to the power and relevance of Jewish law in all situations. | |
This class will study three teshuvot from this period. | |
637 | |
747 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Holocaust_Responsa.mp3] |
µ
| 1177 | |
The Orthodox Response to the Reform Movement | |
The Orthodox Response to the Reform Movement | |
In the early nineteenth century, the Reform movement began in Germany. It soon spread to Hungary and created a serious challenge to the Orthodox rabbinate which struggled to define legitimate Orthodoxy and to decide how to view these reformers in a legal framework. One of the leading Orthodox rabbis in Hungary who dealt with with this issue was Rabbi Moshe Schick. In this class, we will study and evaluate Rabbi Schicks' teshuvot on this topic and analyze his seemingly contradictory views on this subject. | |
In this class, we will study and evaluate Rabbi Schicks' teshuvot on this topic and analyze his seemingly contradictory views on this subject. | |
688 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Response_to_Reform.mp3] |
µ
| 1164 | |
Are the Conversos Jewish: The Ashkenazic and Sephardic Approaches | |
Are the Conversos Jewish | |
The Crusades in Germany in 1096 and the Spanish riots of 1391 created tragic situations for the Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity. How did the rabbis in each country address the problem of these Conversos? Were they to be considered Jews even after they had converted? This lecture will explore two responsa. one written by Rashi and the other by the Rivash, the leading halakhic authority in Algiers in the fifteenth century who had escaped from Spain in 1391 after being forced to convert to Christianity. | |
This lecture will explore two responsa. one written by Rashi and the other by the Rivash, the leading halakhic authority in Algiers in the fifteenth century who had escaped from Spain in 1391 after being forced to convert to Christianity. | |
613 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Conversos.mp3] |
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| 1163 | |
Codification Part II | |
Codification Part II | |
This class will analyze and compare the treatment of the Laws of Visiting the Sick as they are described in the Rambam, Tur and Shulchan Aruch. We will also discuss the reaction of the rabbinic community to the Shulchan Aruch and explain why there has not been a complete code written since that time. Finally, we will introduce the topic of Responsa Literature and define the difference between codes and case law. | |
This class will analyze and compare the treatment of the Laws of Visiting the Sick as they are described in the Rambam, Tur and Shulchan Aruch. | |
611 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Codification_Part_II.mp3] |
µ
| 1162 | |
Codification Part I | |
Codification Part I | |
The challenge facing the rabbinic community following the redaction of the gemara in the sixth century was how to transform the gemara into a usable and useful code for the people. Jewish codifiers have taken different approaches to the issue ranging from the narrow code of the Rambam to the expansive code of the Tur. Rabbi Joseph Caro grappled with this issue as he decided to compose the Shulchan Aruch at the end of his life. This lecture will address the history of codification and its importance in the history of Jewish law. | |
This lecture will address the history of codification and its importance in the history of Jewish law. | |
610 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Codification_Part_I.mp3] |
µ
| 1167 | |
Introduction to Jewish Law | |
Introduction to Jewish Law | |
The process of Jewish law has developed and evolved over the past three thousand years. According to Jewish tradition, the Written Torah was accompanied by an Oral Torah. This Oral Torah was written down in two phases. the first phase was the writing of the Mishna at the end of the second century CE, the second phase was the writing of the Gemara in the sixth century CE. How did the decision to write the Oral Torah affect the evolution of Jewish law? How has Jewish history addressed legal issues since the writing of the Oral Torah? | |
The process of Jewish law has developed and evolved over the past three thousand years. | |
640 | |
| |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Introduction_to_Jewish_Law.mp3] |
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| 1157 | |
Messianic Zionism | |
Messianic Zionism | |
The belief that the State of Israel reflects the beginning of the fulfillment of the messianic dream has come to define a religious and political movement in Israel today. This lecture will examine the origins of this belief and how it developed since 1948 as well as the religious opposition to this idea. | |
This lecture will examine the origins of this belief and how it developed since 1948 as well as the religious opposition to this idea. | |
710 | |
809 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Zionism.mp3] |
µ
| 1145 | |
The Messianism of Shabbetai Zevi | |
The Messianism of Shabbetai Zevi | |
The messianic movement that developed around the charismatic personality of Shaabbetai Zevi in the seventh century included Jews from throughout the world. This lecture will explore the reasons that Jews were attracted to Shabbetai Zevi and how the Jews dealt with his apostacy and his death. | |
This lecture will explore the reasons that Jews were attracted to Shabbetai Zevi and how the Jews dealt with his apostacy and his death. | |
697 | |
797 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/shabbetai_Tzvi.mp3] |
µ
| 1142 | |
Secular Messianism of Nineteenth Century Enlightenment | |
Secular Messianism of Nineteenth Century Enlightenment | |
The belief in a personal messiah created a difficulty for the Jewish community in Central Europe during the Enlightenment when this belief was being rejected by the European Humanists. This lecture will explore how the Jews responded to this crisis and how both the Reform and Orthodox movements redefined their views of the personal messiah. | |
This lecture will explore how the Jews responded to this crisis and how both the Reform and Orthodox movements redefined their views of the personal messiah. | |
694 | |
794 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/secular_mess.mp3] |
µ
| 1135 | |
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav | |
Rabbi Nachman of Bratslav | |
The messianism of Rabbi Nachman is one of the most fascinating stories in Jewish history. A great grandson of the founder of Hasidism who was born in 1772, he grew to become a major force within the Hasidic movement. His charisma and Torah knowledge attracted many followers. His messianism and the continued belief of his followers is one of the mysteries of Jewish history that has yet to be solved. | |
The messianism of Rabbi Nachman is one of the most fascinating stories in Jewish history. A great grandson of the founder of Hasidism who was born in 1772, he grew to become a major force within the Hasidic movement. | |
686 | |
787 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/RavNachmanI.mp3] |
µ
| 1122 | |
Origins of Hasidism | |
Origins of Hasidism | |
| |
| |
671 | |
774 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Origins_of_Hasidism.mp3] |
µ
| 1116 | |
Messianic Speculation during the Middle Ages | |
Messianic Speculation during the Middle Ages | |
The tension between the desire to predict the date of the arrival of messiah and the risks involved with such predictions has confronted Judaism throughout the centuries. This lecture will explore the history of messianic speculation and the opposition to this movement and explain the rationale for each approach. | |
This lecture will explore the history of messianic speculation and the opposition to this movement and explain the rationale for each approach. | |
662 | |
768 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/mess_speculation.mp3] |
µ
| 1067 | |
The Messianism of Bar Kokhba | |
The Messianism of Bar Kokhba | |
The messianic movement that developed around Kokhba in the second century CE reflects a critical moment in the early history of Jewish messianism. The ability of rabbis to promote this messianism and how they dealt with his defeat has established an important model throughout Jewish history. | |
The messianic movement that developed around Bar Kokhba in the second century CE reflects a critical moment in the early history of Jewish messianism. | |
601 | |
718 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/barkokhba.mp3] |
µ
| 1066 | |
The Messiah of Baghdad | |
The Messiah of Baghdad | |
The messianic movement that developed around Bar Kokhba in the second century CE reflects a critical moment in the early history of Jewish messianism. The ability of rabbis to promote this messianism and how they dealt with his defeat has established an important model throughout Jewish history. | |
The messianic movement that developed around Bar Kokhba in the second century CE reflects a critical moment in the early history of Jewish messianism. | |
599 | |
717 | |
[audio:http://www.rabbimintz.com/wp-content/uploads/Baghdad_Messiah.mp3] |
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