KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Teruma | And I will dwell among the children of Israel, by Rav Eli Weber Melakhim I 5: 26-32 - 6: 1-13 Between the Mishkan and the Mikdash.

Shabbat Zakhor | And Shaul smote Amalek, by Rav Eli Weber Zakhor | Shmuel I 15:2-34 What caused Shaul's downfall?

Megillat Esther | Esther's Brilliant Plan, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why do we need to hear so many details of the Persian court in Esther 1 and 2 - when the plot only begins in chapter 3?  The first two chapters of Esther seem superfluous to the critical part of the plot - the decree to kill Mordekhai's nation and the successful stratagem that defeated it. Why does the reader need to hear about the Persian Emperor's "glory" and extended coronation party, and about the excessive preening and primping involved in getting the young maidens ready for their "night with the king"? We explore the psychological profiles that each chapter gives us about Achashverosh and Esther, respectively, and then the profile that chapter 3 and 5 give us about Haman; without which we wouldn't be able to understand Esther's brilliant strategy that outfoxed our two enemies and opened the door to national salvation.

Mishpatim | "That everyone should set free their slaves", by Rav Eli Weber Yirmiyahu 34:8 - 34:22 To be an eved only of Hashem.

Mishpatim | The Beloved Wife of the "Nirtza", by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Parashat Mishpatim opens up with legislation regarding the "Hebrew slave", who is really more of an indentured servant. In this passage, the master may "assign" a woman to the servant, but when his six-year term of servitude is complete, he leaves her when he goes free. If he chooses to stay due to his love for his master - and his wife and their children - he may refuse to leave, have his ear publicly pierced and remain a slave "forever". The Halakha understands that "forever" means until the Yovel - but where does that leave the wife and children that the slave loves so dearly? Inspired by Rashbam's broad approach to exegesis, we examine all three passages about the עבד עברי - here, in ויקרא and in דברים - and identify the distinct circumstances that inform them and propose a distinction between the passage in our Parasha and that in דברים to help resolve some of the difficulties in these פרשיות. Source sheet >>

Yitro | Kadosh Kadosh Kadosh, by Rav Eli Weber Yeshayahu 6:1 - 7:6 Is God immanent or transcendental? 

Yitro | Reliving Sinai, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In his farewell speech, Moshe continually refers to the day of Matan Torah as יום הקהל, and even recalls Hashem's command הקהל לי את העם - to gather all of the people. This historic experience and the obligation to always remember it and to transmit it to the next generation seems to be the impetus for the Mitzva of Hakhel - to gather everyone for a public reading of the Torah "that they will learn to fear Hashem..." (Devarim 31). But this practice, although modestly revived about 140 years ago, was not activated for hundreds of years - yet, it seems that there was a more local and regular practice which was, at least partially, formulated in order to maintain the memory of the Stand at Sinai. We explore the Eretz Yisrael tradition of completing the Torah over 3 and a half years - or twice in a seven-year span, and explore its relationship to Hakhel and, ultimately, to a weekly (at least) reexperiencing of Sinai.

Beshalach | And Devorah sang, by Rav Eli Weber Shoftim 4:4 - 5:31. Why did Yael kill Sisera?

Beshalach | Miriam's Role in the Song at the Sea, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom The introductory line to the Song at the Sea (Shemot 15:1) is enigmatic on several counts. First of all, why is Moshe listed separately - and the verb ישיר is in the singular - if all of the people sang? Furthermore, how would they all know what to say/sing? We review the various Tannaitic opinions addressing these questions and Moshe's role in the paean. Furthermore, we explore the purpose and added praise which Miriam's actions brought about - if the women had already "sung" with all of Bnei Yisrael, what did they accomplish by singing again by themselves?

Bo | But fear not thou O my servant Yaakov, by Rav Eli Weber Yirmiyahu 46:13 - 46:28. Gratitude in the face of tragedy.

Va'era | And all the inhabitants of Miżrayim shall know that I am God, by Rav Eli Weber Yechezkel 28:25 - 29:21 Why do we need 10 makkot?

Vaera | The Makkot Curriculum, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom A paideia for Pharaoh. How many Makkot were there? We inevitably approach our study of Parashat Va'era with an assumption of 10 Makkot (plagues) with which Hashem smote and 'judged" the Egyptians. However, that number does not appear in the Torah's record of the events and other presentations of the Exodus story in Tanakh highlight only some of these plagues, ending up with a smaller number - and the Midrash famously expands this number by a factor of up to 50, seeing 5 sub-plagues within each one. We look back at the structure of the plagues, following Hashem's directives to Moshe regarding warning - or not warning - Pharaoh before each one and discern a clear pattern which opens up an additional perspective on the purpose of these plagues and their role as didactic, beyond the punitive. Source sheet >>

Shemot | And In that Day a Great Shofar Shall be Sounded, by Rav Eli Weber Yeshayahu 27:6-28:13. On geula and materialism. 

Shemot | What were the ערי המסכנות? And Why Does It Matter?  by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the meaning and significance of the ערי המסכנות which בני ישראל were forced to build?  The first labor forced upon the Hebrews in Egypt was a labor tax, forcing them to build ערי מסכנות. We explore the possible meanings of this unusual phrase, set it in apposition to the later back-breaking work to which they were subjected and the significance of this type of work, considering the storied history of Yaakov's progeny in Egypt. Source sheet >>

Thoughts for Asara B'Tevet 5786, by Rav Moshe Taragin Was the Translation of Torah Tragic? Was the Holocaust a Historical Shift? When the Narrative Changes. Preserving Halakha and Masorah. The Dangers of Hyper-Preservationism in Charedi Culture

Vayechi | David's Last Words: Moral Complexity and Leadership, by Rav Eli Weber Understanding moral complexity reveals the Haftara's deepest wisdom about leadership and ethics. I Melakhim 2:1 - 2:12 This shiur examines the Haftara for Parshat Vayechi, which parallels King David's final charge to his son Shlomo with Yaakov's blessings to his children. The Haftara divides into two contrasting sections that seem almost contradictory, religious wisdom followed by orders to kill!

Vayechi | Yaakov's Deathbed Charge, Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What is the rationale behind the sequence of Yaakov's deathbed blessings?  In the final scene of Yaakov's storied life, he lies in his bed surrounded by all twelve of his sons - for the first time, named שבטי ישראל - the "tribes of Israel". He then imparts (blessings?) (prophecies?) (assignments?) to each of them in an unusual sequence and with an imbalanced emphasis towards two of his sons. We explore possibilities of Yaakov's intent in his final moments and suggest a far-reaching vision that our patriarch has - and which speaks to a seemingly irreparable tear in the fabric of the family...which helps us understand an inscrutable line in our Haggada. All that and more... Source sheet >>  

Vayigash | 5786 | And I Will Make Them One Nation, by Rav Eli Weber Yechezkel 37: 15-28 How do we create unity?

Vayigash | "And Yosef Could No Longer Restrain Himself", by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why does the text add the phrase לכל הנצבים עליו when defining Yosef's inability to restrain his outburst?  When Yosef is finally ready to reveal his identity to his brothers, the text uses a rare word - להתאפק - and tells us that ולא יכל יוסף להתאפק לכל הנצבים עליו. This latter phrase is enigmatic and the Rishonim take a number of varied approaches to explain the role of the bystanders in his decision to empty the room before "the big reveal". We survey these approaches and suggest two more - one based on the well-known article by R. Yoel Bin-Nun about Yosef's thinking during this entire episode - and another, new approach to this specific phrase, which curiously leads us to the latter-day story which is heavily reliant on the Yosef-in-Egypt narrative - Megilat Esther, pitting Yosef's ויתאפק against that of Haman. Source sheet >>

Mitzvat Chanuka | A Fresh Look at the "Beraitot" of Chanuka, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why is "Sugyat Chanuka" the only place in the Bavli where a Mitzva is presented with a tiered system of fulfillment?  (BT Shabbat 21b) Most students are familiar with the Beraitot defining the Mitzvah of Ner Chanuka, found near the beginning of the 2nd chapter of Masekhet Shabbat - including the tri-level performance schedule (basic, 'Mehadrin' and 'Mehadrin min haMehadrin'). We analyze this Beraita and the attendant discussion, identifying difficulties in the text along the way and then share the approach taken by several contemporary scholars as to the background of the discussion and thereby arriving at a solution to the conundrum of this multi-layered Sugya. Source sheet >>

Vayeshev | 5786 | For Three Transgressions of Yisrael, by Rav Eli Weber Amos 2:6 - 3:8 How does God communicate with us?

Vayeshev | The Apocrypha and the Midrash, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Is there anything legitimately "Jewish" about apocryphal Midrashim?  We are accustomed to thinking of the Apocrypha (the "hidden" or "buried" writings of the 3rd century BCE through the first century CE) as external to our Rabbinic tradition and to reflecting purely sectarian approaches and interpretations. Yet - we sometimes find a common thread between the interpretive approaches taken in these somewhat esoteric books and those found in our "mainstream" Midrashic literature. We examine an unusual passage in the apocryphal "Testament of Judah" and find a curious commonality appearing nearly a millennium later in Midrash Bereishit Rabbati. Source sheet >>

Two Giants, One Vision: The Legacy of Rav Aharon Lichtenstein and Rav Yehuda Amital, by Rabbi Michael Rosensweig Our overseas talmidim were zocheh to Rabbi Rosensweig, '73,  telling them about his time at Gush with stories of Rav Lichtenstein zt"l and Rav Amital zt"l. The shiur examines how Yeshivat Har Etzion benefited from two contrasting gedolim: Rav Amital's passionate decisiveness and transformative honesty, and Rav Lichtenstein's analytical depth and measured deliberation. Like Yaakov Avinu who synthesized Avraham and Yitzchak's qualities, these leaders offered diverse role models united by integrity and mutual respect. Their complementary approaches demonstrated that Torah leadership can embrace different styles while maintaining shared values and unwavering commitment to truth. Rabbi Rosensweig is a Rosh Yeshiva at RIETS of YU and the Rosh Kollel of the Beren Kollel Elyon.

Vayishlach | 5786 | Thus says the Lord God Concerning Edom, by Rav Eli Weber What was Esav's plan? Who is Edom?

Vayishlach | Hegemonism or Conquest? by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom ולזרעך נתתי את הארץ - What was at the core of Yaakov's dispute with his sons after the massacre of Sh'khem?  Continuously throughout Sefer Bereishit, our Patriarchs are promised by Hashem that their descendants will be "given" the Land - but there is no indication of how that gift will be given, of how that "inheritance" will be achieved. We explore what may have been the perspective of our Avot in that regard - and how and why it changed by the time we arrived in Mitzrayim. Source sheet >>

Vayetze | Back to Gerar (The Parenthetic Statement), by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom How do we explain the references to Avraham having passed away in Beresheet 26 if, as proposed, this narrative cycle took place before Yaakov and Esav were born (i.e. well before Avraham passed on).  As a follow-up to our shiur about Gerar and my argument that the events described in Bereishit 26:1-33 took place during the twenty years of Yitzchak and Rivka's childlessness, several thoughtful and pointed challenges were raised by podcast listeners and participants in the shiur. By surveying and classifying the various types of parenthetic statements in Biblical narrative, we respond to these challenges and, thereby, explain two anomalous verses (v. 15 and v. 18) in the Gerar narrative. Source sheet >>  

And Thou Knowest No God but Me | Vayetze | 5786, by Rav Eli Weber Hoshea 12:13-14:10. On the difficulties in the Jews' relationship with God

Yet I Love Yaakov. And I Hated Esav | Toldot | 5786, by Rav Eli Weber Malachi 1:1-2:7. How should we worship God?

Toldot | The Gerar Conundrum, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What happened during Yitzchak and Rivka's twenty years of childlessness?  In reading through the presentation of Yitzchak's life in Parashat Toldot, there seems to be a disconnect between the opening narratives of the birth and early years of Yaakov and Esav, and the subsequent narrative cycle of Yitzchak and Rivka in Gerar (chapter 26:1-33). We propose what at first seems to be a revolutionary explanation for the puzzles this sequencing raises - but, on further reflection, note that it is built upon an approach that is well-anchored in rabbinic sources. Source sheet >>

Chayei Sara | Ketura and the Sons of the East, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why Ketura? As the story of Avraham's life comes to a close, we are informed that at some point (perhaps after Sara died), he took another wife - Ketura and, as the straightforward reading indicates, he also took several concubines. He had children with all of these and sent the sons of his concubines away - to the east - with gifts. We aren't told where he directed Ketura's six sons and their progeny to go. More intriguing is the story itself - why did he marry again, and have so many more children - only to send them away? We explore several points in Avraham's life, informed by the opening charge to him (Bereishit 12:1-3) and how his understanding of this charge evolved over time. Source sheet >>

Now King David was Old | Haftara | Chayei Sara | 5786, by Rav Eli Weber Rav Eli Weber begins a new series of shiurim, "This Week's Haftara". What is the legacy of David HaMelekh?

Lekh Lekha | Avraham's Early Years: The Genesis of Midrashic Visions, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What are the sources of the well-known Midrashim about Avraham's early years? There are numerous Midrashim that explore the early years of Avraham, attempting to explain his selection as the progenitor of a great nation and the source of blessing for "all of the families of the earth." Some of these Midrashim portray Avraham as a philosopher, arriving at his belief in one God through observation and contemplation. Others describe him as more of an intuitive believer, imbued with a deep sense of God from his youngest years. Exploring passages from the proto-Midrashic literature found in the Apocrypha, we find that each of these approaches can be found in this literature. We also discuss these sources, their likely provenance and their impact on the literature of the Midrash with which we are familiar. Source sheet >>

Noach | "My Covenant", by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What Berit is Hashem referring to before the Flood?  In Hashem's instructions to Noach regarding the construction of the Ark, He prefaces the command that Noach, his family and the representatives of the animal kingdom all enter the Ark with an odd phrase - "I will fulfill My covenant with you" - והקימותי את בריתי אתך - to which ברית is this alluding? The Rishonim are divided on its referent; by exploring Beritot in the Torah and a telling passage in Yirmiyahu, we propose a new understanding of this enigmatic phrase which, in turn, illuminates the role for which Avraham was later chosen. Source sheet >>

Leil Hoshana Rabba 5786 | Should You Make a Berakha on Seeing the Freed Hostages, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb IY"H they will be released in the morning, Hoshana Rabba. 

Thoughts About the Coming Week and The Release of our Hostages, by Rav Moshe Taragin

Sukkot | Zman Simchatenu, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Sukkot and the simcha of second chances, in the words of the Alei Shur. Source sheet >>

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (12): How To Free Ourselves from Our Fears, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Most people are beset by many fears: fear of dying, fear of poverty, fear of loneliness, etc. Surprisingly, if we internalize one specific  - and big - fear of Heaven we can free ourselves from all of our other fears.

The Glory of "Teshuva Gedola", Shabbat Shuva 5786, derasha by Rav Moshe Taragin

Nitzavim | The Devarim "Revolution", by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What are we to make of Moshe's "Teshuva speech" in Devarim 30:1-10? The "Parashat haTeshuva" (Devarim 30:1-10) seems to double back on itself, introducing Teshuva and then - introducing it again. Based loosely on a wonderful shiur by Rav Baruch Gigi, Rosh Yeshivat Har Etzion, we analyze the difference between the obeisance directed in Sefer Shemot-Bamidbar as opposed to the emotional attachment between HKBH and Knesset Yisrael introduced by Moshe in his grand speech of Sefer Devarim. Using this dichotomy to suggest two different sets of consequences of "non-compliance" (or "Divine disappointment"), we propose reading the two segments of Parashat haTeshuva as first and foremost addressing the core relationship with HKBH and only after that relating to the practical commitment to Mitzvot.

Sefer Yonah | Chapter 3, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why did the king of Nineveh respond so quickly and so forcefully to Yonah's declaration?  As we continue our study of Sefer Yonah, we note the many peculiarities of the narrative in chapter 3. In only 10 verses, it tells us of Yonah's immensely successful prophetic mission to Nineveh, where his simple cry elicits immediate fasting, mourning and (apparently) heartfelt repentance on the part of the Ninevites. We note the striking parallels between the first narrative - on the boat - and this one and how in each case, the foreign audience (sailors, Ninevites) serve as helpful background players and throughout the story, the real character is Yonah himself. Some of the questions that we have raised will be addressed in the final installment of this mini-series.

Sefer Yonah | Overview, Introduction and Chapter 1, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom In this opening shiur of a three-part series, we explore the historic background of both Yonah and the Assyrian Empire and its impending conquest of Samaria. We then analyze the first chapter of the story - Yonah on the boat - looking for textual and literary clues to understand the underlying message of the story. More to come...

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 39 | Ki Tavo, by Rav Eli Weber How do we show gratitude to Hashem? How do we deal with failure in Avodat Hashem?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (11): Appreciating Our Dual Relationship With Hashem, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb What is the basis of our relationship with Hashem - what we inherit from our parents or something more personal? What does sin do to that relationship and how does teshuva repair the relationship?

Ki Tetze | 5785 | Sha'atnez, by Rav Tzvi Chaim Kaye The issur appears twice in the Torah; what does the word itself mean?! And what processes are required to create a violation of this mitzva. This and more...

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 38 | Ki Tetze, by Rav Eli Weber What is behind the order of the parshiot? What does the Torah say about the ethics of war? 

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (10): The Secret Power that Makes Teshuva Possible, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb What is it that allows us to achieve atonement for our sins - what happened to "do the crime, do the time"?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (9): Deciding to Repent Even When the Temptation of Sin Remains, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb What's the thought process  of a person who decides to repent for a sin even though he/she is still tempted by that sin?

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (8): Mourning Our Lost Selves and the Emotions of Repentance, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Eighth in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva.  What are the primary emotions associated with teshuva and how do they motivate us to repent?

Shoftim | 5785 | Appointing a King, by Rav Tzvi Chaim Kaye Is it an option or a commandment? 

Ramban on the Torah | 5785 | 37 | Shoftim, by Rav Eli Weber What is the role of the magistrate in the Torah? 

Rav Soloveitchik on Teshuva (7): Appreciating the Different Motivations for Repentance, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb Seventh in a series of mini-shiurim on R Soloveitchik's approach to Teshuva based on his famous and incredible sefer Al HaTeshuva.  Sometimes we're moved emotionally to change direction, and other times our motivations are more intellectual - does it matter why we chose to change? In what sense can sin be compared to illness or disease?