Classes by Mordechai Dinerman

By Mordechai DinermanArts Books

Classes by Mordechai Dinerman episodes

May 22, 2024 The Masada Martyrs: Halachic Perspectives on History’s Hardest Choices
How does a halachic mind interpret the harrowing events at Masada, where Jewish rebels chose death at their own hands over surrender? In this class, we delve into this question, exploring not only the tragic case at Masada but also similar ethical dilemmas faced by Jews during the Middle Ages when confronted with forced conversions under Christian rule. The complexities of these historic moments offer deep insights into the moral and spiritual struggles that have shaped Jewish resilience and identity.
The Masada Martyrs: Halachic Perspectives on History’s Hardest Choices
1 hr 13 min
May 15, 2024 Grain Matters: Navigating the Chadash Predicament Across the Centuries
Throughout history, Jewish communities have thrived in diverse locales, each presenting unique agricultural schedules. While adhering to the prohibition against eating chadash proved feasible in some regions, in others, it posed significant obstacles to daily life. This class delves into the strategies employed by the Ashkenazi rishonim and the legendary Acharonim of Poland, exploring five approaches to justify non-compliance, particularly in circumstances where adherence would be exceptionally challenging.
Grain Matters: Navigating the Chadash Predicament Across the Centuries
1 hr 9 min
May 08, 2024 The Frankist Blood Libel
In 1759, a clandestine faction of Shabetai Tzvi’s followers in Poland committed a startling act: they collectively converted to Christianity while simultaneously accusing Jews of the age-old fabrication of using blood in matzah production. Despite the longstanding existence of the blood libel, this marked the first instance where the accusation was made by citing and distorting Talmudic and halachic sources. In this class, we examine the specific passages they employed and learn the response of the Jewish leadership during that era. As Ber of Bolochov, the chronicler of this event, emphasized, recording this narrative was essential to ensure that future generations would understand the suffering and trials of their ancestors and how it was notably worse when it emanated from within the Jewish community.
The Frankist Blood Libel
1 hr 5 min
April 10, 2024 The Kittsee Haggadah
The Kittsee Haggadah
The library of Agudas Chasidei Chabad houses a remarkable manuscript crafted in 1760 by the talented scribe and artist Chaim ben Asher Anshel of Kittsee, near present-day Bratislava. We’ll trace the journey of this Haggadah from its creation to its acquisition by the Frierdiker Rebbe. Opening this manuscript, we’ll examine its layout, artwork, nusach, and style of nikud, seeking to uncover the influences that shaped Chaim ben Asher’s masterpiece through a comparative analysis with other Haggadahs of that period.
To purchase a facsimile of the Kittzee Haggadah:
https://store.kehotonline.com/prodinfo.asp?number=HP-HAGG.KITZEE
To view it online, visit the following link and insert card number “1950”:
https://chabadlibrary.org/catalog/index.php?catalog=mscatalog
Additional Links:
Kittzee Haggadah 1748, Gross Collection
https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990000632400205171-1,FL54685621
Kittzee Haggadah 1768, Hebrew Union College
https://mss.huc.edu/phpviewer/index.php?path=MS_451
Kittzee Haggadah 1769, Jewish Museum London
https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990001792760205171-1,FL28179029
Kittzee Haggadah 1771, Hungarian Academy of Sciences
https://www.nli.org.il/en/discover/manuscripts/hebrew-manuscripts/viewerpage?vid=MANUSCRIPTS#d=[[PNX_MANUSCRIPTS990001920270205171-1,FL59161404
Kittzee Haggadah 1772, JTS Library
https://digitalcollections.jtsa.edu/islandora/object/jts%3A62343#page/41/mode/1up
Amsterdam 1695
https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990013798840205171/NLI#modal-downloadModal
Prague 1713
https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990013798850205171/NLI
Offenbach 1721
https://www.hebrewbooks.org/4923
Frankfurt 1724
https://www.nli.org.il/en/books/NNL_ALEPH990010665310205171/NLI
59 min
April 08, 2024 The Printers’ Clash: The Battle Over Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, Venice 1550
In the year 1550, two non-Jewish printers published competing editions of Rambam’s Mishneh Torah. One of them partnered with an esteemed rabbi from Padua, who, in his quest for support, turned to Rabbi Moshe Isserlis. Rama’s response along with a careful examination of the printed volumes unveil the details of this dispute. Rama’s scholarly answer also sheds light on various areas of commercial Halachah as well as the Noahide laws.
The Printers’ Clash: The Battle Over Rambam’s Mishneh Torah, Venice 1550
1 hr 7 min
March 20, 2024 Seduction and Sacrifice: From the Purim Story to the Responsa Literature
There have been tragic instances where Jewish women felt compelled to take drastic measures to save the lives of their fellow Jews. When rabbis were presented with these real-life cases, they turned to the story of Esther for inspiration and guidance.
Seduction and Sacrifice: From the Purim Story to the Responsa Literature
58 min
March 13, 2024 Scrolls, Scribes, and Shortcuts: An Incomplete Megilah in the Cairo Geniza
Today, we explore enigmatic Megilahs, where the absence of the text eclipses the written word. We’ll learn that this peculiar phenomenon is just a fragment of a larger tendency reflected in the Geniza to produce incomplete texts. We shall unravel the motivations behind this practice, reminding us of the formidable challenges in reproducing sacred texts by scribal hand.

Links:
First Megilah image:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-AS-00044-00005/1

Second Megilah image:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-NS-00286-00043/1

Third Megilah image:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-NS-00286-00043/1

First Chumash image
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-A-00043-00004/2

Second Chumash image:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-A-00043-00013/2

First Tehilim image:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-NS-00281-00131/2

Second Tehilim image:
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-AS-00039-00186/2

Final Megilah Image
https://cudl.lib.cam.ac.uk/view/MS-TS-AS-00041-00207/1
Scrolls, Scribes, and Shortcuts: An Incomplete Megilah in the Cairo Geniza

1 hr 7 min
December 27, 2023 Lost Scrolls, Lost Souls: A Spanish Jew’s Plea to Rediscover Tanach | Favorite Episodes
Tunisian Jews used to refer to Tanach with a very odd name, and few understood why. Fortunately, illuminated medieval Jewish manuscripts can help solve this mystery. They bring us back to the 14th century, where we find Rabbi Yitzchak ben Moshe Halevi fervently contending that there has been a neglect of studying Tanach and that this is akin to abandoning the sacred Beis Hamikdash.

Lost Scrolls, Lost Souls: A Spanish Jew’s Plea to Rediscover Tanach | Favorite Episodes

1 hr 3 min
December 19, 2023 The Scandalous History of Aleinu
When we examine medieval manuscripts that feature Aleinu, we uncover intriguing instances of censorship within this ancient prayer. What motivated these textual alterations, and can they be linked to a specific historical event? Delving into this subject unveils a significant episode from the year 1390, shedding light on the numerous amendments and erasures made to the text. These changes continue to influence various minhagim to the present day.

Relevant links:

Michael Machzor
https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/b3f2d1d5-ff07-4a6e-87ea-281c41957925/surfaces/2df6a671-c677-4e7d-a5df-e722f28f4c60/#

Esslingen Machzor
https://digitalcollections.jtsa.edu/islandora/object/jts%3A2173#page/43/mode/1up

Tripartite Machzor
https://digital.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/objects/9e481d9a-06e6-41e8-ae36-a58d445a1ffa/surfaces/f6ca5ba3-7c09-4b1f-a288-3d3c052e65e9/#

Machzor from the Rhineland
https://bibliophilly.library.upenn.edu/viewer.php?id=CAJS%20Rar%20Ms%20382#page/489/mode/1up

Worms Machzor
https://www.nli.org.il/he/manuscripts/NNL_ALEPH000044560/NLI?volumeItem=2#$FL21059450
The Scandalous History of Aleinu - New Episode

1 hr 7 min
December 12, 2023 The Meaning of Dreaming: Talmudic Perspectives | Favorite Episodes
Favorite Episodes
Are our dreams significant? Do they have predictive value? Should we pay heed to their warnings? The Talmud seems to offer contradictory teachings on this subject, and this will lead us toward two classic approaches to this matter.
The Meaning of Dreaming: Talmudic Perspectives
1 hr 3 min