Shemuel #89 - 18:25-30 - 100 Philistine Orlot? - Mar 4, 2021 - King Shaul demands a dowry of 100 Philistine foreskins, and King David doubles it. What is behind the demand? And why does Dovid go through with it?

Esther, Week 18: Authorship, Taxes, and Popularity - Mar 2, 2021 - Who wrote the Book of Esther, and why does that matter? Why do we highlight Achashverosh's new tax in Chapter 10? And why does the megillah take a shot at Mordechai, saying he was beloved to "most of his brethren"?

Legal Ethics: Conflicts of Interest, and Boundaries - Mar 1, 2021 - Three issues: (1) In Judaism and in secular law, does Facebook friendship create a conflict of interest? If there is a conflict, does disclosure and consent by parties help? If there is no conflict, is there a need to disclose the relationship? (2) Is the "conflicting out" practice of interviewing lawyers or experts in order to disqualify them for the other side acceptable? (3) How should a lawyer set boundaries in client relationships?

Ketuvot 7a - Initial relations on Shabbat: The Conclusion - Feb 28, 2021 - Wrapping up the debate about initial relations on Shabbat, and discussing the appropriate use of the term "horaah" - is a stringency due to doubt actually a halachic ruling?

Shemitah: Extraterrestrial Cultivation 2 - Greenhouses - Feb 25, 2021 - Part 2 addresses planting in pots during shemitah, and which sorts of pots are considered connected to the ground and which are not. Leads in to the Chazon Ish's leniency to permit planting in pots indoors during shemitah. Part 3 will need to address the application to greenhouses, side notes regarding indoor plants in shemitah, and the related hydroponic issue.

Samson, Week 4: Faith and Betrayal and Faith - Feb 24, 2021 - Samson as a role model for faith, even after he has betrayed G-d and G-d has rejected him. Geared toward a group including people who lack strong background in Torah text study. Technical troubles during the shiur may make listening difficult; sorry.

Shoftim 21:13-25 - Yes, that really happened - Feb 23, 2021 - The end of the book of Shoftim - kidnapping wives to enable the tribe of Binyamin to survive.

Esther, Week 17: War and Peace and Celebrations - Feb 23, 2021 - Was the Jews' war really a massacre? How did they knew whom to attack, if "no one stood before them"? How did they produce a same-day census of the dead? And why did the Jews spontaneously celebrate by sending portions of food to each other, before Mordechai/Esther ever said anything about doing so?

Ketuvot 7a - Initial relations on Shabbat and Yom Tov - Feb 21, 2021 - May one have initial relations on Shabbat? May one have initial relations on Yom Tov? Explaining a bit about the Yom Tov license for melachah under "ochel nefesh" and "mitoch".

Shemitah: Extraterrestrial Cultivation 1 - Greenhouses - Feb 19, 2021 - Do the laws of shemitah apply to cultivation in a shelter or in a solid pot?