KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Ramban On The Torah | 33 | Teruma, by Rav Eli Weber

How can we explain the order of the parashot? What is the purpose of the Mishkan?

Mishpatim | A Thought on the Parasha, by Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky, followed by Q+A with the overseas talmidim

Rabbi Aharon Lopiansky is the Rosh HaYeshiva of the Yeshiva of Greater Washington – Tiferes Gedaliah, accepting the position in July of 2014. He studied and received rabbinic ordination from the Mir Yeshiva of Jerusalem. In Israel, Rabbi Lopiansky taught at Aish HaTorah from 1983-1990, and then taught at the Mir for five years before assuming the post of Rosh Yeshiva of the Yeshiva Gedolah of YGW in 1995.

Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with our overseas talmidim.

Mishpatim | The Hebrew Maidservant and Marital Obligations, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

Why does האמה העבריה serve as the source for a husband's obligations towards his wife?

The second entry into the Law Code (Parashat Mishpatim) is the law of the Hebrew maid - האמה העבריה. In a surprising twist, the rules governing her proper treatment serve as the basis for the Torah's mandated obligations of husband to wife. We explore the text and attendant Midrash Halakha, in both Mekhiltot and both Talmudim, continuing with a survey of the Rishonim. After a brief tangential excursus about the methodology of P'shat study of legal passages, we revisit the five verses that make up this Parasha and propose a novel reading of the text with several surprising results.

Source sheet >>

Ramban On The Torah | 32 | Mishpatim, by Rav Eli Weber

Why are the judges called "Elohim"? What is the meaning of "An eye for an eye"? Why does the Torah protect the Gerim specifically?

Ramban On The Torah | 31 | Yitro, by Rav Eli Weber

Is there "mukdam and meuchar" in the Torah? What is the mitzva in the pasuk "Anochi Hashem E-lokecha"? Did God tell us all ten commandments or only the first two?

Israel at War: New Identities, Equilibriums and Dynamics

In this episode, Rabbanit Esti Rosenberg continues her conversation with her mother Dr. Tovah Lichtenstein. Their discussion is centered around the hostages and how we as a people can best connect to the pain of their families and help secure their release. They address the question of what it means to be a religious Israeli today and how the different parts of our identity inform our connections. Finally, they close with thoughts on what it will mean to establish new equilibriums and dynamics within a family structure and setting as soldiers begin to come home after months away on the front. *This podcast was created thanks to the Arev Fund's generous support.

Israel at War: Milchemet Mitzva

In this episode, Rabbanlt Esti Rosenberg sits down with her mother, Dr. Tovah Lichtenstein, to discuss their feelings and thoughts surrounding the current war, Swords of Iron. They share their personal perspectives on what this war is about, the mix of emotions that people in Israel are experiencing and how the routine of daily life during these challenging times is being balanced and navigated. They also address some of the different realities and effects of this war from past wars in Israel and how as a country and a nation we can prepare ourselves to move forward from here in the best ways possible. *This podcast was created thanks to the Arev Fund's generous support.

Yitro | How Did We Get to the 6th of Sivan? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

How did Shavuot become Chag Matan Toratenu?

Our annual celebration of Matan Torah, on חג השבועות, has long been a conundrum. The festival is noted several times in each of the four chumashim that contain legal codes; it is called יום הביכורים, חג הקציר and חג השבועות - but at no point is it associated with a commemoration or anniversary of מתן תורה. How did the date - ו' סיון - become identified as the day of the Revelation at Sinai? Surprisingly, the answer may lie in a careful reading of the story of the מן and discerning the relationship between the מן, the שבת and מתן תורה. After presenting this novel approach to explaining the rabbinic assumption of ו' בסיון as זמן מתן תורתינו, we share a passage from the Book of Jubilees (part of the library of the Apocrypha) which seems to point to a connection between "the feast of weeks" and the covenant at Sinai.

Source sheet >>

Asseret HaDibrot: False Testimony | Coveting, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

Fifth of 5 shiuirim on what is arguably the single most important "unit" on mitzvot and values anywhere in the Torah!

Individually they are all fascinating and important - and as a unit you can really appreciate them.

Asseret HaDibrot: Adultery | Kidnappping, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

Fourth of 5 shiuirim on what is arguably the single most important "unit" on mitzvot and values anywhere in the Torah!

Individually they are all fascinating and important - and as a unit you can really appreciate them.