Kosher Kops 4a: Use of Force - Feb 26, 2020 - When is police use of force justified? Is a police officer protected from liability for harm he causes due to errors in judgment? Does a police officer receive the benefit of the doubt in court? Why/why not? Geared toward a group including people without extensive background in Torah text study.

Shoftim 10:11-11:3 - Divine Rebuke and Repentance; Meet Yiftach - Feb 25, 2020 - A harsh Divine rebuke seems to lead to Jewish repentance and re-connection with G-d - but not necessarily. And is Yiftach good or bad? Does it matter?

Yeshayah, Week 48a: 33:6 - Six Orders of Mishnah, Six Questions for Olam HaBa - Feb 25, 2020 - What connects Yeshayah 33:6 with the lessons of Reish Lakish and Rava regarding the six orders of Mishnah and the questions of Olam HaBa - and the importance of Yirat Hashem?

Yeshayah, Week 48b: Chapters 34-35 - Prelude to the Assyrian Invasion - Feb 25, 2020 - Predicting the fall of the nations, and particularly Edom/Rome, in a Messianic time - along with the resurgence of Israel and the healing of the ill.

Bava Metzia, Perek 6: Mekach Taut, Part 2 - Feb 21, 2020 - Understanding the Rambam's view of defects which rendering a purchase a "mekach taut" - distinguishing between visible, testable and non-testable defects. (Cut off the second half of the shiur, which is available in better form in my Onaah shiurim.)

Two Types of Eved, and Freedom for a Tooth or Eye - Feb 20, 2020 - Expanded version of a parshah shiur from last year. Why is an eved kenaani freed for loss of a body part, and an eved ivri not? Ideas from Kli Yakar, Or haChaim and a midrash, and a fourth approach analyzing the two tiers of slavery envisioned by the Torah. [Note from the shiur: the eved kenaani is freed for any of 24 body parts, not only tooth/eye. See Hilchot Avadim 5:4.]

Shemuel #54 - 15:10-15 - Divine Regret, Shemuel's Pain and Shaul's Confidence - Feb 20, 2020 - Hashem tells Shemuel that Shaul's reign is over, and Shemuel grieves. And what is Shaul's "yad", and where does he establish it?

Kosher Kops 3: Use of Force - Feb 19, 2020 - When is police use of force justified? Is a police officer protected from liability for harm he causes due to errors in judgment? (And a bit of an added note re preservation of law and preservation of the peace, from Shemuel I 13-14: Yonatan's trial and exoneration or pardon.) Geared toward a group including people without extensive background in Torah text study.

Shoftim 10:1-10 - Tola, Yair and an Introduction to Shoftim - Feb 18, 2020 - What do we learn from the brief accounts of Tola and Yair's periods of shoftim? And what does Amon represent for us?

Yeshayah, Week 47a: Chapters 30-32 - Interesting Lines - Feb 18, 2020 - Wrapping up our look at these chapters by highlighting particular passages which have been used in interesting ways in midrash and beyond.