Chanuka | The Evolution of a Berakha, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

What is the meaning of the phrase "bayamim hahem bazeman hazeh" - both in birkat hanisim and al hanisim?

The well-known and familiarly sung 2nd Berakha that accompanies the lighting of the Ner Chanuka is praise for God Who has wrought great miracles for our ancestors...בימים ההם בזמן הזה - "in those days at this time". These last four words were not always included in the berakha and in some versions, there was a conjuctive letter "vav" - בימים ההם ובזמן הזה that carries a different meaning. We trace the development of this berakha, propose its genesis and earliest sources and then, following the changes in wording, suggest that the earlier formulation reflected a distinct appreciation for the holiday of Chanuka (and much the same may be said about Purim). This shiur was given in memory of Mrs. Shirley Jungreis - שולמית בת משה העניך ז"ל.

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Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 9: Misleading Rather than Lying, by Rav Gidon Rothstein

Situations where we are allowed to mislead others, deliberately speak in a way they will take one way, when we secretly mean something else.

Eight for 8 Days of Chanuka, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb

1: The Centrality of the Jewish Home. 2: Mehadrin and Living a Life of Religious Aspiration 3: "Naaseh Nes L'Shoshanim:" Why Are We Compared to Roses? 4: The Power of Preparation 5: The Secular vs Sacred View of Money 6: Spiritual Gevurah - The Secret Weapon that Defeated the Greeks 7: The Deeper Reason Why We Add a Candle Each Night 8: Celebrating Our Salvation and Not the Death of the Greeks

Chanuka, Bein Mizrach leMaarav, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The famous Beraita which details the various standards of fulfillment of the Mitzva of Ner Chanuka (BT Shabbat 21b) is, on careful inspection, challenging and replete with both inherent and contextual difficulties. A careful examination of other relevant sugyot relating to מצות הדלקת נר חנוכה reveal that there was an essential difference in both practice and approach to this Mitzva between the Bavli practice and that maintained in Eretz Yisrael. By carefully reexamining that popular Beraita, we can discern a "Bavli layer" and an "Eretz Yisrael" layer which, once successfully woven together, present us with the unified hierarchy of practices. This shiur was given in memory of Mrs. Evelyn Graber z"l

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Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 8: Staying Far from Untruth, by Rav Gidon Rothstein

How far we are required to go to be sure we are involved in truth and not falsehood, or even approaching falsehood.

Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 7: Rounding Out R. Yonah's Liars, by Rav Gidon Rothstein

Liars with no specific profit, what they do wrong, with some exceptions, starting a discussion of where truth is necessary and where it can be bent.

Vayishlach | Rachel's Tragic Death: Why Did It Have To Happen? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The dramatic event of the birth of Binyamin, the only child of Yaakov to be born in the Land (according to the Sifri, in his own land), was e'er marred by the death, while birthing him, of the beloved Rachel. Rachel, buried on the road, weeping for her children to return, becomes the sentinel and lighthouse for all of Bnei Yisrael as a result - but why, indeed, did she die at this point? Was it the not unexpected result of a formerly barren woman having a second child (note that neither Sarah nor Rikvah seemed to try that after the long-awaited pregnancies) - or is there more that the Torah subtly communicates through the various responses of Yaakov to this and other tragedies throughout his elder years? Stay tuned...

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Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 6: Rabbenu Yonah's Most Serious Liars, by Rav Gidon Rothstein

Starting Rabbenu Yonah's second group who will not greet the Divine, liars. The first three groups, whom we will see this time, all damage others with their lies.

Vayetze | Who Knew What, When? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom

The famous deception of Yaakov on his wedding night, in which Leah was brought in to his chambers in the guise of Rachel, is a well-known component of the complex and unpleasant history between Yaakov and his father-in-law, Lavan. The famous Midrashic motif of the סימנין - the code that Yaakov and Rachel shared and which she subsequently revealed to her older sister to save her from being shamed, is a beloved and vital trope. Yet, a reassessment of the narrative itself, informed by a later testy conversation between the two sisters about who the "real" wife of Yaakov is tells a different story. Noting what is said and, more significantly, what is not said, opens up surprisingly different take on the story.

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Rabbenu Yonah's Four Kitot 5: Last Discussion of Moshav Leitzim, by Rav Gidon Rothstein

Closing up our analysis of leitzim, with a few examples of how responsa brought up the concern.