Rabbi Moses Hidary hosts classes every Monday night at 8:00 PM, temporarily on Tuesday nights for the next 3 weeks at West Deal Shul.

This class continues Shaar HaBitachon Perek 4 in the Chovot HaLevavot, focusing on where bitachon and hishtadlut intersect in the context of earning a livelihood. Rabbi Hidary reviews last week's teaching on physical safety, explaining that one may not put oneself in danger under the pretense of trusting God, both because the act itself is forbidden and because surviving recklessness costs one heavily in heavenly merit. The class then moves into the obligation to pursue basic parnassah through appropriate effort, using the analogy of a farmer who must plow, plant, and water before trusting God to bring the harvest, illustrating that one's actions are the condition for receiving blessing, not the cause of it. A key theme is the proper mindset during and after success: one must not become overconfident in a particular avenue of income or attribute results to one's own skill, but rather thank Hashem who determines how much any person will receive regardless of the means. The class closes with the Chovot HaLevavot's teaching on gratitude versus flattery, warning that excessive deference to human benefactors reveals a misunderstanding of who truly provides, and concludes with encouragement to keep working diligently in a spiritually and personally fitting vocation while trusting that Hashem will never abandon those who rely on Him.

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(0:00) Introduction & recap of last week

(0:51) Two reasons to avoid recklessness

(1:20) Egypt & Pharaoh: who gets punished?

(4:20) Bitachon & parnassah: the balance

(7:06) Effort doesn't cause the result

(8:37) The Slurpee analogy explained

(11:45) The farmer analogy: plow and trust

(16:35) Craftsmen & merchants: work + faith

(20:36) Don't be overconfident in your method

(23:33) Thank Hashem, not your own skill

(28:53) Astonishment: A gives B, then boasts

(32:15) Gratitude vs. flattery & idolizing donors

(35:15) What if basics aren't coming in?

(36:10) Keep working in a fitting vocation

(37:27) Closing pasuk: Hashem is a stronghold

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Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes every day at 6:50 AM sharp at West Deal Shul.

This class covers Berachot 18a, focusing on who is exempt from mitzvot when dealing with a deceased person. The Gemara establishes that both the shomer, the person guarding the body, and the avel, the relative responsible for burial, are exempt from mitzvot like Shema, prayer, and tefillin, regardless of whether they are actively watching the body. The class explores the four-amot rule for reciting Shema near a corpse, the halacha of taking shifts so both individuals can fulfill their obligations, and a dispute between Tana Kama and Ben Azai about whether two people may simultaneously leave a body unguarded on a boat. The Gemara then discusses the prohibition of treating bones or a Sefer Torah disrespectfully during transport, with an exception made when there is fear of robbery or ransom, illustrated by a deeply moving story from the Holocaust. The class concludes with the concept of lo'eg la'rash, the prohibition of mocking the dead by ignoring a funeral procession, and the reward of accompanying the deceased as an act of pure, selfless chesed.

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(0:00) Intro: Who is exempt from mitzvot

(0:37) Shomer vs. relative: who is patur

(1:42) Both shomer and relative are exempt

(2:43) Taking shifts to fulfill mitzvot

(3:34) Tefillin in a cemetery: lo'eg la'rash

(5:28) Covering bread: lo'eg analogy

(7:10) Four amot rule near a body

(9:01) Two people guarding: taking turns

(10:08) Hidush: partial-day exemption

(11:34) Ben Azai: praying on a boat

(12:00) Tanah Kama vs. Ben Azai: rats

(13:31) Transporting a body by plane / El Al

(15:06) El Al, Shabbat, and Israeli law

(18:40) Transporting bones: rules of kavod

(21:03) Same law applies to a Sefer Torah

(23:09) Warsaw Ghetto: Torah parchment story

(24:50) Sapir Cohen: Tehillim in captivity

(25:28) Lo'eg la'rash: accompanying a funeral

(28:08) Reward for accompanying the dead

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Rabbi Joseph Dana hosts classes every day at 6:50 AM at West Deal Shul.

This class covers Berachot 17b, beginning with the Mishnah's rule that an onen — one whose deceased relative awaits burial — is exempt from mitzvot when the body is in front of him. The Gemara raises a contradiction from a Braita discussing eating near a dead body, which implies the exemption applies even when the mourner is not physically beside the body. Rav Papa and Rav Ashi offer two approaches to resolve this: Rav Papa limits the exemption to the case where the mourner is still in the room, while Rav Ashi reinterprets 'in front of him' to mean the responsibility of burial rests upon him, drawing a proof from Avraham Avinu's words at Sarah's burial. The class concludes by distinguishing between two independent exemptions — that of the onen (relative) and that of the shomer (one guarding the body) — establishing that each carries its own exemption from mitzvot regardless of whether the other condition is met.

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(0:00) Intro: Mito Mutal Lefanav

(1:04) Gemara: Body Must Be Present?

(1:55) Braita: Eating Near the Dead

(5:46) Onen: Prohibitions & Berachot

(6:38) Machlokes: Rashi vs. Rishonim

(15:48) Onen on Shabbat

(16:56) Rashbag's Opinion

(20:00) Tishmish HaMitah: The Difference

(21:29) Contradiction: Braita vs. Mishnah

(24:29) Rav Papa's Answer

(26:04) Rav Ashi's Answer

(27:59) Proof from Avraham & Sarah

(30:52) Shomer: Exempt from Mitzvot?

(32:22) Two Separate Exemptions

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Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes every day at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

The class begins with a Mishnah from Masechet Sukkah discussing the customs of doubling Hallel, concluding that both practices are valid based on local minhag, while the opening beracha for Hallel is obligatory as a halacha. The Gemara then explores the principle of ober l'asiyatan, that blessings must precede the performance of a mitzvah, citing three biblical sources to explain why the word ober, meaning to pass, is used to connote before. A practical application is discussed regarding Shabbat candle lighting, where Ashkenazim light before blessing while Sephardim generally bless first per Shulchan Aruch. The class then returns to the topic of Hallel doubling, identifying that the prevalent custom follows Rabbi Elazar ben Berata, who doubled from the words Odecha onward, and Rabbi Hanon notes this reflects the community's current practice. The class concludes with a rich Midrash describing a future feast in the time of Mashiach, where Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov each humbly decline to lead Birkat HaMazon due to flaws among their descendants, leaving the question open of who ultimately leads.

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Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes every day at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

In this class, Rabbi Ike Hanon examines Pirkei Avot 2:9, where Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai asks his five students to identify the best and worst paths a person can follow. Each student offers a different answer centered on interpersonal character traits — a good eye, a good friend, a good neighbor, and a good heart — except for Rabbi Shimon, who says the best path is anticipating the future and the worst is borrowing without repaying, which seems out of place. Rabbi Hanon explores two commentaries to resolve this: Rabbeinu Ovadia explains it in terms of spiritual cost-benefit analysis, while the Maharal offers a more satisfying reading — that Rabbi Shimon is also speaking about interpersonal relationships, teaching that a person who looks ahead understands that kindness and integrity pay long-term dividends in how others relate to him. Ultimately, Rabban Yochanan ben Zakkai crowns Lev Tov, a good heart, as the most encompassing answer, since it includes all the others. Rabbi Hanon closes by connecting these lessons to Sefirat HaOmer and the importance of working on our Ben Adam L'Chaveiro relationships during this period.

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(0:00) Introduction to the Mishnah

(0:09) Rabban Yochanan's Five Students

(0:18) The Question: The Proper Path

(0:27) The Five Answers Explained

(1:04) Lev Tov Is All-Encompassing

(1:22) Rabbi Shimon's Answer Stands Out

(1:45) The Negative Path Question

(2:01) The Five Negative Answers

(2:10) Rabbi Shimon's Odd Negative Answer

(3:10) Rabbeinu Ovadia's Explanation

(4:05) The Maharal's Explanation

(5:16) All Answers Are Ben Adam L'Chaveiro

(6:06) Lev Tov Encompasses Everything

(6:31) Connection to Sefirat HaOmer

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Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

The class opens with a teaching from Rav Yehuda in the name of Shmuel that Yosef gathered all the gold and silver in the world and brought it to Egypt, which the Jewish people then took with them at the Exodus. The Gemara then traces the remarkable journey of this wealth through history — from Rehoboam to Shishak, to Kush, back to Asa, through Aram, Jehoshaphat, Ahaz, Sennacherib, Hezekiah, Zedekiah, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and finally Rome — showing that the wealth of the world has always rightfully belonged to the Jewish people. The class then discusses Yosef's three personal hidden treasures: one found by Korach, one by Antoninus, and one still hidden for the righteous in the future. Rabbi Hanon draws out the moral lesson that Korach's immense wealth, symbolized by 300 white mules carrying the keys to his treasuries, corrupted him and fueled his rebellion against Moshe and Aaron, paralleling the story of Haman. The class concludes with a Midrashic reading of the doubled verses in Hallel, attributing each phrase to a different figure in the story of David HaMelech being chosen as king.

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(0:00) Yosef gathered world's wealth

(1:55) Jews took Egypt's wealth at Exodus

(4:21) Wealth transfers through history

(12:12) Yosef's three hidden treasures

(16:03) Korach's wealth from Yosef's treasure

(19:14) Lesson of wealth corrupting Korach

(21:46) Who said each verse of Hallel

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Rabbi Albert Setton hosts classes every Saturday at 7:00 AM at West Deal Shul.

This series of classes covers the first eighteen Mishnayot of Perek Gimel of Pirkei Avot, tracing a unified theme of living a meaningful and God-centered life. The classes open with Akavya ben Mehalalel's call for humility, awareness of mortality, and accountability before God, and continue through discussions on the fear of government, the sanctity of Torah study whether alone or in groups, and the dangers of wasting time on idle matters. Rabbi Akiva's teachings receive extended attention, including his concept of boundaries in life, the precious identity of every human being as created in God's image, and the dual privilege of the Jewish people as both Bnei Makom and recipients of the Torah. The tension between wisdom and action recurs throughout, with the parable of a tree's roots and branches illustrating that Torah knowledge must translate into deeds to have lasting impact. The classes conclude with the open-store parable about accountability, and a summary of paired dependencies such as Torah and Derech Eretz, wisdom and fear of God, and understanding and applied knowledge.

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(0:00) Intro: Perek 3 begins

(0:06) Mishnah 1: Akavya ben Mehalalel

(1:10) Mishnah 2: Fear of government

(2:49) Mishnah 3: Moshav Leitzim vs. Torah

(4:39) Mishnah 4: Torah at the table

(6:01) Day 16: Mishnah 5 – Wasted time

(7:42) Mishnah 6: Yoke of Torah

(9:06) Mishnah 7: Groups learning Torah

(9:53) Mishnah 8: Give back to Hashem

(10:42) Stopping Torah to admire scenery

(12:00) Day 17: Forgetting Torah learning

(14:06) Mishnah 9: Fear before wisdom

(15:52) Actions greater than wisdom

(16:45) Mishnah 10: People's approval

(17:29) Wasting the day away

(18:19) Day 18: Why Chazal use extremes

(20:50) Mishnah 11: No Chelek L'Olam Haba

(22:06) Six things that forfeit Olam Haba

(25:01) Day 19: Kal LaRosh v'Noach

(27:46) Rabbi Akiva: Sechok and boundaries

(29:10) Four fences: Torah, Neder, Maaser

(31:43) Siyag L'Chochma: silence

(32:06) Day 20: Mishnah 14 – Tzelem Elokim

(34:06) Yisrael called children of Hashem

(35:35) Klei Chemdah: the Torah as gift

(37:01) Day 21: Hakol Tzafui, free will

(37:40) Rov HaMaaseh: quantity of actions

(39:00) The open store parable

(40:54) Mishnah 17: Torah and Derech Eretz

(42:06) Tree parable: roots vs. branches

(43:06) Mishnah 18: Tekufot and Gematriot

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Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

Rabbi Ike Hanon explores Pirkei Avot 1:14, the famous Mishnah of Hillel HaZaken: 'If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And when I am for myself, what am I?' He explains that the first phrase teaches that Torah and mitzvot cannot be fulfilled by proxy — each person must recognize the unique and irreplaceable value of their own service to Hashem. Rabbi Hanon illustrates this through a story of Hillel going to the bathhouse, teaching that caring for one's body is a mitzvah rooted in the principle of tzelem Elohim, the divine image in which all humans are created. He then brings a striking halachic point from Choshen Mishpat, highlighted through a story about the Netziv, that a person who lacks self-respect is disqualified from giving testimony, because self-respect is the foundation of moral accountability. The class concludes with the classic Hasidic teaching of keeping two slips in one's pockets — 'the world was created for me' and 'I am but dust and ashes' — capturing Hillel's dual message of essential self-worth paired with genuine humility.

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Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes Monday through Friday at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

This class covers the Gemara in Pesachim 118b-119a, focusing on a series of Midrashim describing the end of days, when various nations will attempt to gain favor with the Jewish people. The Gemara critiques Rome for its violence against the Jewish people and its culture of bribery, while also noting that the Jewish people's desire to assimilate among the nations has historically led to their exile and dispersal by Hashem. A vivid teaching describes Rome's immense wealth — 365 markets, towers, and staircases each holding enough food for the entire world — all of which will ultimately be transferred to the righteous Torah scholars who sit constantly before Hashem. The class concludes with two uplifting teachings about Hashem's mercy: that Hashem, unlike human rulers, is joyful when defeated through prayer (LamNatzeach), and that Hashem's hand reaches beneath the wings of the holy angels to protect and embrace those who do Teshuvah from the attribute of strict justice.

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Rabbi Ike Hanon hosts classes every day at 6:10 AM at West Deal Shul.

Rabbi Ike Hanon opens with a brief halachic discussion on Birkat Ha'Ilanot, clarifying that according to Shulchan Aruch one may recite the blessing as long as fruits have not yet grown, even after the month of Nisan, though the Kabbalistic preference is to recite it during Nisan. He then turns to the opening Mishnah of Pirkei Avot, which states that Moshe received the Torah 'from Sinai,' raising the question of why the Torah is attributed to a mountain rather than to Hashem directly. He presents the Hamoadia's answer that the blessing came in the merit of Har Sinai's humility, which mirrored Moshe Rabbeinu's own defining trait of anava. Rabbi Hanon then offers his own chidush, rooted in a Midrash connecting 'mountains' to the Avot, suggesting that Moshe received the Torah 'from the mountains' — meaning from the merit and tradition of Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. He concludes that the chain of mesora recorded in Pirkei Avot does not begin at Har Sinai but traces back even further to the Avot, the true giants upon whose shoulders Moshe stood.

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