Rabbi David Lapin's Matmonim Daf Yomi Series

In doing, our bias should be to action. In judging our bias should be to caution. When it comes to errors in judgement, fear of the full consequences of error is crucial.  Source Sheet

Leadership has a level of responsibility beyond anything of the individual. However, their responsibility doesn't relieve the individual of his own accountability. We examine the balance between individual and leadership responsibility for errorSource Sheet

We express our true identities not by what we do but by what we refuse to do. What we do not do defines our boundaries, and our boundaries define our identities – as individuals, families, communities, nations and faiths. Source Sheet

How does the law of bittul - nullification (when something forbidden gets mixed with something permitted, if the quantities are small enough so that there is no felt experience of the forbidden substance, then it is nullified) work? Does the mixture take on the identity of the dominant, permitted substance, or does it retain its identity but may be ignored halachikly because its effect is not experienced?Source Sheet

Choices that are not motivated by any extrinsic factors are different from those that are made in response to an extrinsic eventSource Sheet

When managing people, it is essential to clarify the degree of their authority, ownership and responsibility Source Sheet

“We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are.” – Anaïs NinSource Sheet

When a religious person is careful about certain areas of halacha but not about others, it doesn't necessarily signify hypocrisy, it is more likely simply inconsistency, something we are all somewhat guilty of.Source Sheet

Sometimes two objects that look identical are defined differently. How does the Torah view these two objects, as similar or different?Source Sheet

The purpose of debate is not only to persuade others but also to reinforce our own ideas and beliefsSource Sheet

One who does not keep the Shabbat does not allow the space and the time to explore their soul. They deny its existence, much like the idol worshipper denies the existence of an inner spiritual world. Source Sheet

Disgust is often an instinctual reaction to something that repels us. But disgust can also be a conscious choice we make that is a reinforcement of our values Source Sheet

Some prohibitions (especially Rabbinic prohibitions) attach to the action of an individual. Others attach to the object. In the case of Avodah Zarah the object is so contaminated that even Rabbinic Prohibition can attach to the object. Source Sheet

We have an example of how the great Poskim solve human and social problems within the guardrails of Halacha by fully understanding the context of the circumstanceSource Sheet

Every choice we make entails a cost, a sacrifice. Some choices are made from an inner place of fear, others from a deeper place, from a place of soul, of Emunah. These are the choices that are transformationalSource Sheet

We explore how the differences between hands and feet extend beyond physiology and even halacha, to kabbalistic ideas as well Source Sheet

Medicine plays a critical role in health care – but there are other factors too, and science goes far beyond what we know in any given ageSource Sheet

Leadership greatness entails the combination of character and wisdom.Source Sheet

Defiling that which is holy, corrupting that which is authentic, is one of the most serious transgressionsSource Sheet

Seeing to the essence of things and discerning the differences between that which appears similarSource Sheet

The negative force of idolatry contained in an object cannot be transferred but it can contaminate other objects. Destroying the contaminated object can at times destroy the negative force in its entiretySource Sheet

Parents are obligated to do their best in how they raise their children. But if their children turn out bad, how responsible are they?Source Sheet

The source of idolatry is neither in the object of service, nor in the subject serving it. The source is in a corrupted value system.Source Sheet

There is so much sanctity in the words of torah that even thinking about them in inappropriate places is forbiddenSource Sheet

One can be attached to an object or to its commercial value. In the same way one can be attached to an idea embedded in that object. Idolatry is an added layer of value embedded in a worshipped objectSource Sheet

There is a widely held assumption that if one is forbidden to benefit from a certain object, it has no value and therefore is not subject to the laws of ownership. However, probing more deeply we discover ownership is not determined by one's rights to an object but rather by one's responsibility for it.Source Sheet

Unlike other faiths, the Torah does not bifurcate the spiritual and the material, they are fused into one.Source Sheet

Intimacy is not only about who is in the inner, intimate circle; it is also about who is not. Boundaries create social intimacy  Source Sheet

Truth and reputation are not always loving siblings. There are times when truthfulness can impair reputation thereby reducing an individual's future effectiveness. But sometimes we have to listen tour reputation and challenge our inner beings and deeper motivationsSource Sheet

Faithfulness to tradition assures authenticity. Innovation avoids rigidity and fundamentalism. How do we balance the two? Source Sheet

To be a nation of learners, as we are, we need first and foremost to be a nation of teachers. Teaching is not just a means of enabling the next generation with the knowledge and skills they need, teaching is also a form of learning by which the teacher can access higher levels of understanding than he would merely as a scholar.Source Sheet

Time has a diluting effect both on memories and on the impact of events and even materials.Source Sheet

Wine is a vehicle both of social connection and of connection to Hashem. Dilution of Jewish society through intermarriage dilutes our relationship to Hashem as well.Source Sheet

Have we paid too high a price for the release of our hostages or is no price too high?Source Sheet

In some areas we are expected to master and overcome our natural urges. But there are areas, the areas of basic human character, where virtue is innate – we simply need to nurture and develop it. Source Sheet

When using Hashem as a strategy to gain trust which is then broken, the transgression is not just monetary, but one of faith as well Source Sheet

We need to be mindful not only of what we say but also of what our words imply, even if not saidSource Sheet

The synthesis of empathy and grace applies to Hashem uniquelySource Sheet

How much we remember or whether we remember at all, depends on the responsibility we have to remember and the degree to which we are intentional about rememberingSource Sheet

The Torah goes much further than requiring us to not be judgmental. The Torah wants us to make positive assumptions about the actions and intentions of others wherever possible. This is both a law, and a strategy for successful relationshipsSource Sheet

Everything we see is a perspective, not the Truth." – Marcus Aurelius. Is this true according to Torah? Source Sheet

Being human means being conscious and aware not only of what we do but also of the consequences of what we doSource Sheet

Life is seldom black and white. Even in matters of moral values, there are times we need to prioritize one value over others. In Halacha is also nuanced and at times we must prioritize one halacha over another. How we prioritize values and halacha is a skill we develop through the learning of Gemara.Source Sheet

A thought that is articulated carries with it a powerful energy that a thought alone lacks. A written thought carries a similar energy, but lacks the communication nuances that the oral word hasSource Sheet

There is a qualitative difference between things we cannot do because they go against our nature or against the laws of nature, and things we can do but may not. However, is this difference in our minds or is it a difference in reality?  Source Sheet

We assume that a clear imperative of the Torah carries the highest moral authority. Yet this may not be so: rational human logic carries an even higher authority and underpins the authority of the TorahSource Sheet

Forging G-d's “signature” to authenticate a lie undermines the very essence of TruthSource Sheet

As in the case of Nedarim, in Shevuot the precise meaning of the language used is critically important. Nevertheless, Abaye teaches us, context can provide a very different interpretation of an individual's intentionSource Sheet

The stakes in Halacha are high. The consequences of committing an aveira (wrongdoing), even in error, are serious. However, Halacha magnificently builds mechanisms to avoid people developing OCD over the fear of possibly having committed an aveira.Source Sheet

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