Becoming Ma'aminim - Jun 20, 2025 - Derashah for Parshat Shelach 5785. The fatal flaw of the Meraglim and their generation: an inability to trust Hashem or each other. We are not always supposed to trust, but we should be מאמינים by default.

Shoftim Mini-Shiur Part 109: 17:8-13 - The Levi is Hired - Jun 20, 2025 - A daily mini-shiur delivered via Whatsapp, on the book of Shoftim, in the merit of the soldiers of the IDF, as well as the hostages and the wounded. Michah hires the Levi. Why does the Levi sound like Moshe in many ways? To join the Whatsapp, go to http://tiny.cc/washoftim.

Shoftim Mini-Shiur Part 108: 18:7-8 - A Levi from Yehudah - Jun 19, 2025 - A daily mini-shiur delivered via Whatsapp, on the book of Shoftim, in the merit of the soldiers of the IDF, as well as the hostages and the wounded. More on the background of Pesel Michah. And how is a Levi from Yehudah? To join the Whatsapp, go to http://tiny.cc/washoftim.

Makkot 24b - Jun 17, 2025 - Rabbi Akiva and the Sages on seeing foxes in the Kodesh Kodashim (Holy of Holies) - wasn't Rabbi Akiva completely warping Yeshayah's references to Uriah and Zecharyah as well as offering an illogical argument?

Halachah in Healthcare Settings 38: Nishmat Avraham to OC 328 (17)-(18) - Jun 18, 2025 - A chabura on practical medical halachah, building from the sources toward the conclusions of the Nishmat Avraham. The Nishmat Avraham on Orach Chaim 328 (17)-(18) - surgery for a dangerously ill patient where the surgery could wait, stitching an episiotomy close to the end of Shabbat, treating pain for a dangerously ill patient on Shabbat, violating Shabbat twice where the first one was justified. Final shiur in this series.

Practical Medical Halachah Whatsapp #39 - Grounds for Birth Control, Part 3 - Jun 17, 2025 - A weekly 5-10 minute Medical Halachah Whatsapp. This installment: Where there is justification for not pursuing children, what are the acceptable ways to achieve that? Part 3 of 3. Note: Please consult your doctor for medical advice, and your halachic authority for halachic advice. To sign up for the whatsapp go to http://tiny.cc/wamedical

Shoftim Mini-Shiur Part 107: 17:1-6 - The Birth of Michah's Idol - Jun 17, 2025 - A daily mini-shiur delivered via Whatsapp, on the book of Shoftim, in the merit of the soldiers of the IDF, as well as the hostages and the wounded. The odd story of the 1100 silver coins used to make a statue - or idol - for Michah. To join the Whatsapp, go to http://tiny.cc/washoftim.

Fourteen Centuries #48: Twin Revolutions, Part 2 - Jun 15, 2025 - Twin revolutions: The 10th century shift to writing running commentaries to gemara, and the 11th/12th century shift to writing dialectic Tosafot. Why did Rabbeinu Gershom and Rabbeinu Chananel start write running commentaries? And why did the generations after Rashi shift to the dialectical style of Tosafot? Note: The history is more overview than granular, and certainly not academic.

Shoftim Mini-Shiur Part 106: 17 - The Last Two Stories - Jun 15, 2025 - A daily mini-shiur delivered via Whatsapp, on the book of Shoftim, in the merit of the soldiers of the IDF, as well as the hostages and the wounded. Did the stories of Pesel Michah and Pilegesh b'Givah happen at the end of the period of the Shoftim, or earlier? And if they didn't happen at the end, why are they recorded here? To join the Whatsapp, go to http://tiny.cc/washoftim.

A War of Teruah Has Arrived - Jun 13, 2025 - Derashah for Parshat Behaalotcha 5784. Seeing in the teruah of war both tears and exultation, as explained by Ramban and applied by Rav Ben Zion Firer.