Mishlei, Week 5: Authorship, and the Simplicity Problem - Feb 7, 2023 - Wrapping up the idea of non-Solomonic authorship, and suggesting that Mishlei may be a response to non-Jewish Wisdom Literature. And starting on the simplicity problem: How do we understand a book of Tanach describing the world as a place of fair reward and punishment, and offering relatively simple advice?

Ketuvot b'iyun #5 Part 2: Petach patuach, taanat damim and the six stories - Feb 3, 2023 - פתח פתוח מצאתי vs טענת דמים regarding undermining תוספת כתובה. The six cases which seem to undermine the credibility of both פתח פתוח מצאתי and טענת דמים. Influence of the gemara's stories on a beit din's practical psak. Specific points expanding on Rav Nachman whipping the chatan (for libel, immorality or disrespect to the beit din) and Rabban Gamliel (III)'s barrel test.

Parshah Questions: Beshalach 5783 - Testing 1-2-3 - Feb 2, 2023 - A quick look at questions on the parshah. Parshat Beshalach: How is sending the Jews manna every day a "test"? And what would be the point of testing the Jews?

Shemuel #150 - Chapter 30:7-14 - Permission to Pursue Amalek? - Feb 2, 2023 - Dovid pursues Amalek to recover the families of Tziklag - but does he ask permission from Hashem first? Why would he? And how many groups didn't go with Dovid, and why? And who is the mysterious Egyptian they encounter?

Icons of Moroccan Jewry 4a: The Baba Sali, Part 2 - Feb 1, 2023 - The life of the Baba Sali (primarily the Moroccan years), the Kadosh and the Rebbe, and major themes in his life and impact. Geared toward a group including people who lack strong background in Torah text study.

Icons of Moroccan Jewry 4b: Rabbi Shalom Messas - Feb 1, 2023 - A too-brief look at the life of Rabbi Shalom Messas, and a look at his ideals - particularly his communal leadership and his insistence (against Rav Ovadia Yosef) that Moroccan Jews retain their nusach and minhagim. Geared toward a group including people who lack strong background in Torah text study.

Mishlei, Week 4: Human Wisdom? - Jan 31, 2023 - Is Mishlei Divine wisdom or human wisdom? The argument for human wisdom - challenges to attribution to Shlomo, the identities of Agur and Lemuel, similarities to Wisdom Literature (particularly Amenemope), and responses to all of the above.

Ketuvot b'iyun #5 Part 1: The claim of petach patuach - Jan 27, 2023 - Brief review of ketubah as biblical, rabbinic or both. The relationship between the claim of petach patuach and the claim of lack of blood. May one claim petach patuch if there is blood? And issues surrounding the chazakah that a man would not go to the trouble of marriage in order to destroy it with a false claim of petach patuach.

Parshah Questions: Bo 5783 - This Is Your Time - Jan 26, 2023 - A quick look at questions on the parshah. Parshat Bo: Why does Hashem tell Moshe and Aharon that this is Rosh Chodesh for you, and Nisan is the first month for you? What is the emphasis on "for you"? Two technical approaches, and two deeper ideas.

Giants Of #12: Rav Hai Gaon, Part 1 - Jan 26, 2023 - Rav Hai Gaon's biography, his leadership, and his major impact on our masorah. Note: The history is more overview than granular, and certainly not academic.