Podcasts about geonim

Pesach | Birkat HaShir (1), by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Why do we almost finish the Berakhah after Hallel at the Seder - then abruptly switch to Hallel haGadol and Nishmat? Our common practice is to read the Hallel over the fourth cup of wine, after which we nearly finish the blessing customarily recited after Hallel - but without a "signature" (חתימה). We then recite Psalm 136 and נשמת כל חי which we read to its conclusion - "מלך א-ל חי העולמים". This odd mix of a double-conclusion to Hallel is the result of several confusing sugyot. We assess the sources, including the key rulings of the Geonim and Rishonim and follow them through to today's common practice.

J.J. and Dr. Eliav Grossman bravely explore a new (old) frontier in Jewish thought. The mysterious time between the closing of the Babylonian Talmud and the rise of the Geonim. Follow us on Twitter (X) @JewishIdeas_Pod to see the realization of Ahad Ha'Am's pessimistic prophesies. Please rate and review the the show in the podcast app of your choice!We welcome all complaints and compliments at podcasts@torahinmotion.orgFor more information visit torahinmotion.org/podcastsEliav Grossman is a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Jewish Studies at Vanderbilt University. He studies Jews and Judaism in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages, and his research explores rabbinic literature as it developed from the product of a narrow class of provincial elites to the dominant cultural idiom for Jews across the eastern Mediterranean. Eliav's dissertation, “The New Mishnah: Rabbinic Literature between Late Antiquity and Early Islam,” investigates an eclectic corpus of texts that have been neglected in modern scholarship but that share a defining feature: imitation of the Mishnah, the foundational text of the classical rabbinic corpus. Eliav's research interests extend beyond antiquity and encompass medieval liturgical poetry, early modern intellectual history, and the history of 20th century Jewish scholarship. His scholarly writings have appeared in Jewish Studies Quarterly and Aramaic Studies, and he has written and lectured for many popular audiences. He has been awarded a Harold W. Dodds Honorific Fellowship and the Association for Jewish Studies Dissertation Completion Fellowship (honorary). Prior to beginning his studies at Princeton, Eliav completed a B.A. in Philosophy and Religion at Columbia University, an MPhil in Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at Cambridge University, and another MPhil in Political Thought and Intellectual History, also at Cambridge.

Have any questions, insights, or feedback? Send me a text!Length: 1 hour 13 minutesSynopsis: This morning (12/6/24), in our tefilah-focused Machshavah Lab series for women, we continued our exploration of the nusach ha'tefilah. After reviewing what we covered in Part 1, we busted what I call "The Big Nusach Myth" about "the original nusach" and how all the nuschaos we have today came about. We examined sources from Geonim, Rishonim, Acharonim, and academics. This insight led to a number of questions (and maybe a few cans of worms) which, בג"ה, we'll examine in the upcoming installments.-----מקורות:רמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר אהבה, הלכות תפלה וברכת כהנים פרק אשם הלכות קריאת שמע א:זשם א:ה-וDaniel Sperber - On Changes in Jewish LiturgyY. Heinemann – Ha-Tefillah ha-Yehudit, pp.79-80שד"ל - מבוא למחזור בני רומארשב"א - חידושים על מסכת ברכות דף יא עמוד ארס"ג - הקדמה לסידור רס"גרשב"א - שו"ת א:תע,תעגמאירי - ברכות דף יא עמוד א-----This week's Torah content has been generously sponsored by Ann, a dedicated supporter of the Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund. Thank you, Ann, for your ongoing contribution, which enables me to make my Torah available and accessible to everyone!-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissInstagram: instagram.com/rabbischneeweiss/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comOld Blog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/WhatsApp Content Hub (where I post all my content and announce my public classes): https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

We are now on our 6th pasuk of the pesukim of Shofarot . And it's talking about the shofar that we blow. It's from Tehilim 81,4 תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ׃ Blow in the month the Shofar, on the covering of the holiday. The midrash explains that this is one of the hints to blowing the shofar on Rosh Hashanah. It's called the month ( where there's a holiday) when the moon is covered . On other holidays, like Sukkot and Pesach (that are on the 15 th of the month) the moon is very open; and on Shavuot, you see some of the moon. But on first day of the month, you don't see a moon at all. So bakeseh , when the moon is covered, b'chodesh refers to when the new moon is covered , that's when we blow the shofar. The midrash says on this pasuk that on Rosh Hashanah, it doesn't say Tiku shofar b'chodesh/blow the shofar in the month, but rather it says Tiku B'chodesh shofar. The words chodesh and shofar need to be explained in a midrashic approach. Chodesh means chiddush , and shofar means le'sha'per is to beautify. Shifra was the name of the midwife Yocheved because she was mishaperet / she beautified , she cleaned up. So there are two things that we need to do on Rosh Hashanah, Shifru and chidshu . What's the difference? Chidshu means there's certain things that you have to totally renew. This is teshuva . We have to totally renew our acts. We have to stop the bad things we're doing and renew our acts. Rav Wolbe says that's the segula of Rosh Hashanah. At the beginning of a new year, you have the chance to renew yourself and renew your deeds. That's one aspect of Rosh Hashanah. I'm a new person, I'm born again. Adam HaRishon was created,I'm created. And I could start fresh and new. The other aspect is the good things that I'm doing already, that I don't need to do new, but that I can make better . I can smooth them out. I can shine them up. What do these two activities of Chidshu and Shifru do? The midrash continues and says, if you do that, then shofar Teku bachodesh shofar, What does that mean? Just like the shofar is a tube that you blow into on one side and it comes out the other, So too, I am going to have all the complaints against the Jewish people go in through one side and out the other, like the famous saying, In one ear and out the other. The power of the shofar is that we do both these things, we renew and we beautify . That's why we're supposed to be thinking about Teshuva at the time when the shofar blows. This is an important lesson within our shofar pesukim . Rashi, in the sefer Pardes HaGadol, chapter 170 quotes from the Geonim that cite this pasuk as a source that we can't fast on Rosh Hashana, which is called Yom Chaggenu . It's our holiday. Why is it a holiday? We talked about this before, but we'll quote a Seforno in Vayikra 23, 24 that explains that it's a holiday because we're celebrating that He's our king, and when we celebrate that He is our king, He will tilt towards kindness and we will have a good judgment. And he quotes a pasuk in Yeshaya 33, 22 Ki Hashem Shoftenu/God is our judge/Hashem Mechokekenu/He gives us our rules . Hashem Malkenu/Hashem is our King, Hu Yoshienu/He will save us. And that is the holiday. It's a holiday because we're celebrating Hashem's Kingdom and therefore we're going to get a good judgment. He's going to save us. I once saw that there's a custom to sing, especially on Rosh Hashanah after Musaf, En Kelokenu , because on Rosh Hashanah, En Kadonenu/ There's no one like our boss, En Kamalkenu/ There's nobody like our King . En Kemoshi'eno/There's no one like our Savior. And that goes back to this pasuk Hashem Malkeno/ God is my king, Hu Yoshieno/He will save me. On Rosh Hashanah, God is saving us. We don't realize what's going on. On Rosh Hashanah. Its like you just got pulled out of a fiery furnace. You were saved from Gaza. It's feeling of those hostages. That's the feeling of Hu Yoshienu. God is saving us on Rosh Hashanah. We have to celebrate that. It's a great day. Miracles are happening on Rosh Hashanah. And that's a holiday. תִּקְע֣וּ בַחֹ֣דֶשׁ שׁוֹפָ֑ר בַּ֝כֵּ֗סֶה לְי֣וֹם חַגֵּֽנוּ But what makes this holiday happen? What empowers the shofar? Chidshu Shifru - Renew our deeds, beautify our deeds, and celebrate Hashem as our kingdom.

The very different biographies of  Hai Gaon and Maimonides

It is customary to blow one hundred and one Shofar sounds on each of the two days of Rosh Hashanah. We blow thirty Shofar sounds before the Musaf service, and then, according to our community's custom, thirty sounds are blown during the silent Amida prayer of Musaf. Another thirty sounds are blown during the Hazan's repetition of the Amida, and then, during the Kaddish Titkabal following Musaf, we sound another ten Shofar blasts, bringing the total to one hundred. It is then customary to sound a long "Teru'a Gedola," for a total of one hundred and one. Why do we blow so many Shofar sounds, beyond that which the Torah strictly requires? The Gemara raises this question in Masechet Rosh Hashanah (16), and it answers that the additional Shofar sounds serve to "confound the Satan." Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Ben Yishak, France, 1040-1105) explains that when the Satan sees the Jewish people's great love for Misvot, to the point where we blow additional Shofar sounds on Rosh Hashanah, he is silenced. His ability to prosecute against us as we stand judgment before God is severely hampered by our display of love and zeal toward the Misvot. Tosefot (commentaries by the French and German schools of Medieval Talmudists) explain differently, noting that the Satan is also the "Mal'ach Ha'mavet" (angel of death). Based on a comment in the Talmud Yerushalmi, Tosefot write that the angel of death will one day be eliminated, as indicated in the verse (Yeshayahu 25:8), "Bila Ha'mavet La'nesah" ("He shall eliminate death for eternity"). We are also told (Yeshayahu 27:13) that on that day, a great Shofar will be sounded. Thus, when we sound the Shofar after having already fulfilled the Misva of Shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah, the Satan begins worrying that perhaps this is the Shofar blast that heralds the time of the final redemption, when he will be eliminated. This fear that Satan experiences hinders his ability to prosecute against us in the Heavenly Tribunal. The Abudarham (Rabbi David Abudarham, 14th century, Spain) cites a Midrash that offers a different explanation of the one hundred Shofar sounds, namely, that it brings to mind the event of Akedat Yishak (the binding of Yishak upon the altar). The Midrash relates that when Sara heard that her son was bound upon the altar prepared to be slaughtered as a sacrifice, she wailed one hundred times. By sounding one hundred Shofar blasts, we bring to mind Sara's anguish at the time of the Akeda, hoping that in this merit God will atone for our sins and grant us a favorable sentence. Others explain that the one hundred sounds are reminiscent of the one hundred wailings cried by the mother of the Canaanite general Sisera. The general's mother wept bitterly one hundred times as she waited in vain for her son to return from his battle against Beneh Yisrael, during which he had been killed. We commemorate her weeping by sounding the Shofar one hundred times on Rosh Hashanah. (At first glance, it seems difficult to understand why Sisera's mother's weeping should assume significance on Rosh Hashanah, though this is a subject for a separate discussion.) We find in Halachic literature some discussion concerning the propriety of the one hundred and first sound that we blow, the "Teru'a Gedola" sounded after the one hundred sounds. The Re'avya (Rabbi Eliezer Ben Yoel Halevi, Germany, 1140-1225), in Siman 541, mentions this custom and expresses his strong disapproval (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He notes that generally speaking, making sounds with an instrument is forbidden on Shabbat and Yom Tob, and sounding the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is permitted only for the purpose of fulfilling the Halachic obligation. Therefore, once the required Shofar sounds have been blown, it is forbidden to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah any further. A number of works cite the Rosh Yosef as going so far as to claim that blowing a one hundred and first sound constitutes "Hilul Yom Tob" – a desecration of the holiday. It is clear, however, that these authorities who disapprove of this practice were unaware of the writings of the Geonim, which explicitly record the observance of this custom in the two main Yeshivot of Babylonia, and explain that this, too, serves to confound the Satan. A number of Geonim (specifically Rav Amram Gaon and Rav Hai Gaon) addressed the question of whether the custom was for the one hundred and first sound to be blown publicly or only privately by certain individuals, but, in any event, such a custom most certainly existed. In light of this account, it seems very difficult to reject this custom and consider it a "desecration" of Yom Tob. Accordingly, Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Hazon Ovadia (Laws of Shofar), codifies this practice, and writes that the one hundred and first sound of the Shofar is blown in order to confound the Satan. One must ensure, however, not to sound the Shofar after having blown or heard the customary one hundred and one sounds. Of course, if one did not hear all the sounds he may and should certainly blow the sounds he missed, and it is of course permissible to blow the Shofar on behalf of somebody who did not hear the Shofar blowing. One may not, however, blow the Shofar needlessly once he has blown or heard the one hundred and one sounds. Summary: The accepted custom is to blow one hundred Shofar sounds on Rosh Hashanah, plus an additional "Teru'a Gedola" after these hundred sounds. One may not blow the Shofar unnecessarily once he has heard or blown the one hundred and one sounds.

The custom in many communities, including ours, is to allow reciting the Arbit prayer early, before sundown, during the summer months, especially on Friday night. How exactly does this work, and under what circumstances is this permitted? The primary source of this discussion is the Mishna in Masechet Berachot which brings a famous dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and the other Sages in identifying the point at which one can no longer recite Minha, and can already recite Arbit. According to the majority opinion, this point is sundown. This means that one may recite Minha until sundown, and may not recite Arbit before sundown. Rabbi Yehuda, however, maintains that this transition occurs earlier, at the time known as Pelag Ha'minha. This view is more stringent in that it requires reciting Minha before Pelag Ha'minha, but more lenient in that it allows reciting Arbit already at Pelag Ha'minha. The Gemara, interestingly enough, concludes that one is able to choose which view to follow in this regard. If one wishes, he can follow the view permitting the recitation of Minha until sundown and requiring the recitation of Arbit after sundown, or the view requiring the recitation of Minha before Pelag Ha'minha and allowing the recitation of Arbit already at Pelag Ha'miha. The Shulhan Aruch brings the Gemara's conclusion as the Halacha (Orah Haim 233:1), but he adds that the custom is to follow the majority opinion, which permits reciting Minha until sunset, but requires reciting Arbit only from sunset. As such, the Shulhan Aruch writes, one should not recite Arbit before sunset, except in a She'at Ha'dahak – situations of dire need. Many communities, however, including ours, do not follow this custom mentioned by the Shulhan Aruch, and permit reciting Arbit before sundown. According to our custom, it is acceptable, even Le'hatehila (optimally), to recite Arbit before sundown, as long as it is recited after Pelag Ha'minha. The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) adds a crucially important point, noting that one must ensure not recite both Minha and Arbit in an inherently self-contradictory manner. If one recites both Minha and Arbit within the period between Pelag Ha'minha and sundown, then he is following neither Rabbi Yehuda nor the majority opinion. According to Rabbi Yehuda, he is reciting Minha later the final time for Minha, and according to the majority opinion, he is reciting Arbit before the earliest time for Arbit. Therefore, one who wishes to recite Arbit before sundown must ensure to recite Minha that day before Pelag Ha'minha. However, many synagogues – including synagogues in our community – have the practice of reciting both Minha and Arbit within the period between Pelag Ha'minha and sunset. This practice is based upon the custom mentioned by the Magen Abraham (Rav Abraham Gombiner, 1633-1683), who explains (233:6) that a synagogue is allowed to recite both prayers within this period, due to the concern that people would not return to the synagogue for Arbit. Since people might not return after sundown for Arbit, a special dispensation was made for congregations allowing them to recite both Minha and Arbit between Pelag Ha'minha and sundown, despite the inherent contradiction of such a practice. Significantly, Rav Yisrael Yaakov Algazi (Turkey-Jerusalem, 1680-1757), in his work Shalmeh Sibur, writes that this was the practice of the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria, Safed, 1534-1572). This custom was also observed in Baghdad, as mentioned by the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim, 1833-1909), in Parashat Vayakhel (Shana Alef, 7). It must be emphasized, however, that this practice is acceptable only when praying together with a Minyan. If one prays privately, and he wishes to recite Arbit before sundown, he must ensure to recite Minha before Pelag Ha'miha. The Ben Ish Hai makes an exception for women, who, due to their obligations in the home, are very busy and thus less flexible when it comes to their prayer schedule. Just as Halacha permits a congregation to recite both Minha and Arbit in the period between Pelag Ha'minha and sunset due to the difficulty involved in forcing the congregants to return after sundown, the Ben Ish Hai similarly permits women to recite both prayers during this period. There is some discussion as to whether there is perhaps greater room for leniency on Friday afternoon. The Shulhan Aruch, who – as we saw earlier – generally discourages reciting Arbit before sunset, writes (267:2) that it is permissible to recite Arbit earlier on Friday night. The Magen Abraham explains this ruling based on the Gemara's teaching that the evening Arbit prayer corresponds to the placing of animal sacrifices on the altar in the Bet Ha'mikdash. Although no sacrifices were slaughtered in the Bet Ha'mikdash at night, the sacrifices which had been slaughtered during the day would be placed on the altar at night to be burned, and our evening Arbit service corresponds to that stage of the sacrificial offerings. On Friday night, however, it was forbidden in the Bet Ha'mikdash to place on the altar the sacrifices which had been slaughtered on Friday; this had to be done before sundown. Correspondingly, the Magen Abraham explains, we recite Arbit earlier on Friday evening than we do during the week. Would there be greater room for leniency on Friday according to our custom, which permits reciting Arbit before sundown even during the week, but requires when praying privately not to recite both Minha and Arbit in the period between Pelag Ha'minha and sunset? A number of Poskim cite the Peneh Yehoshua (Rav Yaakov Yehoshua Falk, Germany, 1680-1756) as claiming that one may, indeed, be lenient on Friday night, and recite both Minha and Arbit during this period, even when praying in private. He contends that on Friday night, once one accepts Shabbat, he establishes that Halachic "night" has begun. And thus, even if one recited Minha after Pelag Ha'minha, following the majority view, by accepting Shabbat he begins the nighttime even though the sun has not set, even according to the majority view. The Peneh Yehoshua's position is cited by the Magen Abraham, who writes that one should not rely on this leniency. However, the Aruch Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908) writes (233:3) that one may, indeed, rely on this view, and recite Minha and Arbit between the period of Pelag Ha'minha and sundown on Friday night, even when praying privately. In practice, one should not rely on this leniency, and so if one prays privately, and he wishes to recite Arbit before sundown, even on Friday night, then he must recite Minha before Pelag Ha'minha. Rav Yisrael Bitan (contemporary) writes that an exception may be made if one forgot on Friday to recite Minha before Pelag Ha'minha, and forcing his family to wait for him to recite Arbit after sundown would cause a great deal of inconvenience, and thus compromise Shalom Bayit (marital harmony). In the summertime, waiting until sundown to recite Arbit on Friday night means delaying the meal until a very late hour, which could make the family unhappy, and therefore, in the interest in maintaining peace and joy in the home, one may rely on the Aruch Ha'shulhan's ruling if he forgot to recite Minha before Pelag Ha'minha on Friday. It must be emphasized that even though Arbit may be recited early, as discussed, the Torah obligation to recite the nighttime Shema may be fulfilled only after Set Ha'kochabim (nightfall), defined as either 72 minutes after sundown (according to Rabbenu Tam) or 40 minutes after sundown (according to the Geonim). Therefore, even when one is allowed to recite Arbit early, he must remember to repeat Shema later at night, after dark. This applies as well to Sefirat Ha'omer. Summary: According to our community's custom, one may, if he so wishes, recite Arbit before sundown, as early as Pelag Ha'minha. However, if one is praying privately, and he wishes to recite Arbit before sundown, he must ensure to recite Minha before Pelag Ha'minha. This is in contrast to a Minyan, which is permitted to recite both Minha and Arbit in between Pelag Ha'miha and sunset. Women may also recite Minha and Arbit within this period, if their schedules do not allow reciting Minha before Pelag Ha'minha. On Friday, if a man is praying privately and he forgot to recite Minha before Pelag Ha'minha, he may recite Arbit before sundown if waiting until sundown to begin Arbit would cause his family great inconvenience. It must be emphasized that if one recites Arbit before Set Ha'kochabim (nightfall), he must repeat Keriat Shema (and count the Omer) after Set Ha'kochabim.

Source Sheet:  ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FN86253bMbOADfXwkyq53FtxOPagkpknBGDctZy7bdA/⁠ This episode continues our discussion of the Rishonim's "Most Interesting Man in the World," by focusing on the writings - both lost and found - of Rabbi Shmuel ibn Naghrila, known as Shmuel ha-Nagid. We talk some halakhic positions, his attitude towards the Geonim, and various aspects of his thought that is cited by later Rishonim and that can be discerned from his gorgeous poetry. For more sheets and other info check out ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sites.google.com/view/rishonim⁠⁠⁠⁠ Do you want to send me some suggestions? Criticism or corrections? Comments or questions? Contact me at ⁠⁠⁠therishonim@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠

The Halacha of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda" establishes that one does not fulfill the obligation of Kiddush unless he has a "meal" after Kiddush. As we've discussed in earlier editions of Daily Halacha, one fulfills this requirement with a Ke'zayit of bread, or, as the Hid"a (Rav Haim Yosef David Azulai, 1724-1806) notes in Birkeh Yosef, a Ke'zayit of "Mezonot" food, such as cakes and the like which are made from the five principal grains. The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 273:5), based on the position of the Geonim, rules that drinking a Rebi'it of wine also suffices for "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda." The Halachic authorities address the question of whether rice suffices for this requirement. On the one hand, the Beracha over rice is "Mezonot," and it provides satiation like other "Mezonot" foods. In fact, the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) cites a view which maintains that although we recite "Boreh Nefashot" after eating rice, one who recited "Al Ha'mihya" fulfills his obligation. Thus, rice shares several properties with standard "Mezonot" food. On the other hand, as noted by Hacham Ovadia Yosef, there are two important distinctions between rice and other "Mezonot" foods. Namely, it is not one of the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael, and it can never yield an obligation of Birkat Ha'mazon. One who eats a very large quantity of other "Mezonot" foods is required to recite Birkat Ha'mazon, which is not the case when one eats a large quantity of rice. In light of these distinctions, Hacham Ovadia ruled that it does not suffice to eat rice after Kiddush. Although the Kaf Ha'haim (Rav Yaakob Haim Sofer, Baghdad-Israel, 1870-1939) ruled that eating rice fulfills the requirement of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda," Hacham Ovadia disagrees, and rules that rice does not suffice. The Magen Abraham (Rav Abraham Gombiner, Poland, 1637-1682) ruled that one can fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda" by eating dates. Unlike other fruits, he says, dates provides satiation, and therefore if one recited Birkat Ha'mazon after eating dates, he has fulfilled his obligation of Beracha Aharona. Moreover, dates are included among the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael. As such, the Magen Abraham writes, they suffice for the requirement of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda." Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, disagrees. He cites the Tosefet Shabbat who observed that the Gemara does not describe dates as providing satiation. The Gemara says that dates are "Zayni" – nourishing – but not satiating. And, the Shulhan Aruch explicitly rules that fruits do not suffice for "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda," without making an exception for dates. Therefore, eating dates does not suffice for the requirement of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda." Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998), in Or Le'sion, discusses the question of whether eating noodles suffices for this requirement. Noodles differ from other "Mezonot" foods in that they are boiled, not baked, and, as such, eating a large quantity of noodles does not require one to recite Birkat Ha'mazon. Nevertheless, Hacham Bension concludes that one may eat noodles to fulfill the requirement of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda," because their Beracha is "Mezonot" and they are made from grains included among the seven special species of Eretz Yisrael. As mentioned in an earlier edition of Daily Halacha, when a Berit is performed in the synagogue after services on Shabbat, the one who recites the Beracha over wine – usually the Rabbi – should have in mind to fulfill the Kiddush obligation with this Beracha. He should then ensure to drink a Rebi'it of wine. The Ben Ish Hai mentions that this was the practice in Baghdad. If food is served after the Berit, then the Rabbi should have in mind that his recitation of the Beracha should fulfill the Kiddush obligation for the congregation, as well, and they must then eat a Ke'zayit of bread or of "Mezonot" food. Hacham Bension notes that this practice is acceptable despite the prohibition of "En Osin Misvot Habilot Habilot" – that we do not group Misvot together into a single act. Firstly, he explains, there is no actual requirement to have a cup of wine at a Berit Mila, so strictly speaking, there is only one Misva involved (Kiddush). Secondly, the Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) maintained that the rule of "En Osin Misvot Habilot Habilot" applies only when performing two Biblical commands, and neither the cup of wine at Berit Mila nor the cup of wine for Kiddush is a Biblical requirement. Summary: Kiddush must be recited in the context of eating, and thus one must eat after Kiddush either a Ke'zayit of bread or of "Mezonot" food. It also suffices to drink a Rebi'it of wine. Although the Beracha of "Mezonot" is recited over rice, eating rice does not suffice to fulfill this requirement.

We continue in Pesukei Bitachon starting with the letter Vav , Yeshaya 32,18. We're talking about the future, and we have a very important lesson. וְיָשַׁ֥ב עַמִּ֖י בִּנְוֵ֣ה שָׁל֑וֹם וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙ מִבְטַחִ֔ים וּבִמְנוּחֹ֖ת שַׁאֲנַנּֽוֹת׃ My Nation will dwell in the abode of peace (which the Abarbanel says refers to Yerushalayim) and in dwellings of reliance, peace of mind, serenity and calmness. On this description of the future, Rav Saadia Gaon, one of the Geonim , who came before the Rishonim , in his sefer Emunot V'Deot , 10th essay, letter 16, quotes our pasuk to tell us that Olam Haba is dwellings of reliance with peaceful serenity . That is Olam Haba -a picture of serenity, whatever serenity means to you, whether it's sitting in front of a Gemara or looking at a beautiful sunset. Whatever gives you the most calming, relaxing feeling, that is what Olam Haba will be. Rav Saadia Gaon asks what it is about the hustle and bustle of life that takes us out of ourselves, whereas calmness and serenity bring us Menuchat Nefesh . He explains that God made us this way, to remember the calm and serenity that Olam Haba will have and to become endeared by it. God made it so that we naturally feel good when we walk through a garden. When you walk through the Botanical Gardens, there's something about nature that suddenly calms you. You're supposed to think, “Ahh, I love nature. I'm looking forward to that future Garden of Eden. I love calm relaxation. That's dear to me. I'm looking forward to that in Olam Haba. The real, ultimate calm and serenity is Olam Haba. We use the term rest in peace based on pesukim . There's rest and calm. The Hovot Halevavot, in his first chapter of Shaar Bitachon, says the essence of bitachon is Menuchat Nefesh, which is translated as peace of mind, but it means, menucha/serenity , calm to the nefesh . The essence of Bitachon is feeling calm and relaxed, whatever that picture is for you, whether sitting on the beach with a perfect breeze, watching the sunset, being in the mountains in a waterfall…or whatever it may be. That is what bitachon is supposed to get you to. And what that means is that bitachon is only possible in Olam Haba. Olam Haba is just me and Hashem, without any interference or disturbance- just calm relaxation. So, what we're really asking with bitachon, is to be have an Olam Haba lifestyle in this world. That's why it's almost impossible to have full bitachon here- because of all the interferences. That's why the ultimate bitachon, the rabbis tell us, is rooted in the concept of En Od Milevado/There is nothing else but God, which is really Olam Haba , which is the Garden of Eden before the snake comes in. The snake destroys our bitachon. He's anti- bitachon. He tells you, “ You could be a creator. Eat from the tree.” The ultimate, perfect world is the world of Adam and Chava without the snake, in the Garden of Eden. That's what we're trying to get to with bitachon in this world. Bitachon is other-earthly. The sefer Batei Midrashot , citing a Midrash called Otiot Rabbi Akiva, quotes our pasuk, וְיָשַׁ֥ב עַמִּ֖י בִּנְוֵ֣ה שָׁל֑וֹם / My nation will dwell in an abode of peace, and it explains every step of the way. It says, וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙ מִבְטַחִ֔ים /dwellings of reliance means there's no Satan, וּבִמְנוּחֹ֖ת שַׁאֲנַנּֽוֹת / in serene peace of mind means no angel of death or Yetzer Hara. What allows us to be in that perfect bitachon status is a world without anything but Hashem. It's unbelievable to think about the pasuk, to read and study it וְיָשַׁ֥ב עַמִּ֖י בִּנְוֵ֣ה שָׁל֑וֹם וּֽבְמִשְׁכְּנוֹת֙ מִבְטַחִ֔ים וּבִמְנוּחֹ֖ת שַׁאֲנַנּֽוֹת My nation is going to be Yerushalayim, which will be known as the abode of peace . Part of the word Yerushalayim is shalem , which is shalom . Peace is really shelemut / perfection . So, I will be in Yerushalayim, the dwelling of peace; I will be in a dwelling of reliance and serenity and peace . That's what I'm trying to get to down here in this world. I'm trying to get to Olam Haba in Olam Hazeh . That's why Shabbat is also about bitachon - because Shabbat is Me'en Olam Haba. What an unbelievable thought that Rav Saadia Gaon is telling us. For all the people going on vacation, every time you're in a relaxing situation, sitting in total relaxation and calm, think to yourself, ‘ This is just a mashal. This is just an example of Menucha of Olam Haba, ' and that menucha comes through bitachon . Have a wonderful day.

Tehilim in the days of the Geonim. Put out the fire. תהילים בזמן הגאונים. בירה דולקת חפץ חיים. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/yisroel/support

Dating back to the time of the Geonim, scholars and poets composed Azharot, poetic enumerations of the mitzvot. They were traditionally read in communities on Shavuot, a custom that continues today in some Sephardic communities. We will explore this fascinating liturgical phenomenon and their mixed reception throughout the ages. Focusing on the Azharot of Solomon ibn Gabirol, we will survey this masterful poem's structure and methodology and learn a traditional melody for these Azharot.

Chanuka | Ner Chanuka and the Enumeration of the 613 Mitzvot, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom How did the Geonim justify including the Mitzva of Ner Chanuka in their enumeration of the 613 Mitzvot?  Following the famous homily of R. Samlai (BT Makkot 23b) that Moshe received and conveyed 613 Mitzvot, interest was only sparked in the post-Talmudic era as to the makeup of that list. The earliest proposals, including that of R. Shimon Kaeira (Halakhot Gedolot), included a number of Mitzvot that we commonly view as Rabbinic in provenance, notably (for purposes of our shiur), lighting Ner Chanuka. The inclusion of these Mitzvot in a number of lists from the Geonic era motivated Rambam to define, in no uncertain terms, his approach that only Mitzvot that are explicit in the Torah ought to be reckoned on this list. We explore several formulations that include Ner Chanuka (and, inter alii, Mikra Megilla) and, with the help of several lesser known passages authored by R. Saadia Gaon, come to a new understanding of the source and significance of Ner Chanuka (and Mikra Megilla) within the larger rubric of the Mitzvot. Source sheet >>

This article explores the evolution of Jewish philosophy throughout history, its interaction with other religions, and the significant figures who have shaped its development. From the Geonim of 10th century Babylonian academies to the modern-day religious naturalism of Rabbi Mordecai Kaplan, this article provides an in-depth look at the rich tapestry of Jewish philosophy and its evolution throughout history. source:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_philosophy

The Bet Yosef records a practice, which originates from the Geonim, to recite a Beracha over a cup of wine as part of the Berit Mila ceremony. This is indeed the accepted practice today. Several different reasons have been offered to explain the purpose of the cup of wine. Some suggested a comparison between a Berit Mila and a wedding, on the basis of which a cup of wine is required at a Berit Mila just as it is under the Hupa (canopy) at a wedding. Others explain the cup of wine as serving simply as "Hibub Misva" – an expression of our love and affection for this special Misva of circumcision.An interesting question arises concerning the Beracha over the wine at a Berit Mila that takes place in the synagogue on Shabbat morning. Can one fulfill his obligation of Kiddush by listening to this Beracha? Can the Beracha recited over the wine at a Berit Mila function both as the Beracha for the Berit and the Beracha for Kiddush, or does it relate only to the Berit Mila ceremony?The Halacha in such a case is that one may, indeed, fulfill his Kiddush obligation through the Beracha recited at the Berit Mila in such a case. Therefore, the person who recites the Beracha of "Boreh Peri Ha'gefen" over the wine at the Berit should first announce to everyone in attendance that he has in mind for them to fulfill their Kiddush obligation through his recitation of Kiddush. Of course, they, too, must have this intention as they hear his Kiddush, listen attentively to his Beracha, and recite "Amen." Furthermore, if this Beracha fulfills the requirement of Kiddush, the person who recites the Beracha must ensure to drink the minimum required amount for fulfilling the obligation.Moreover, the Halachic principle of "En Kiddush Ela Be'makom Se'uda" teaches that one must eat at least a small meal in the location where he recites or hears Kiddush. Hence, if one wishes to fulfill his obligation of Kiddush through the Beracha recited over the wine at a Berit, he must ensure to eat at least a Ke'zayit of "Mezonot" food in that room, for otherwise he does not fulfill his obligation.Summary: If a Berit Mila is held in the synagogue on Shabbat morning, one can fulfill his obligation of Kiddush by listening to the Beracha over the cup of wine at the Berit. Both the one reciting the Kiddush and the others must have this in mind as the Beracha is recited, and the one reciting the Kiddush must drink the minimum required amount of wine. Furthermore, everyone must eat at least a Ke'zayit of "Mezonot" food in the room where the Beracha was recited.See Shut Hazon Obadya, helek 1, page 127. Also, see Soba Semahot, page 76.

The Halachic sources address the possibility of using "Hamar Medina" – literally, "the country's beverage" – for Kiddush and Habdala under certain circumstances. Before discussing when precisely this is allowed, it is important to first define the term and understand to which beverages it refers. According to several Halachic authorities, including Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) and Hacham Ovadia Yosef, the term "Hamar Medina" refers to an intoxicating beverage that is commonly drunk for enjoyment, and not just used to quench thirst. The word "Hamar" comes from the word "Hamra" – "wine" – and thus must resemble wine in that it has intoxicating properties. One common example would be beer. Here in the United States, whisky and scotch would certainly fall under the category of "Hamar Medina." In Israel, beverages like arak and cognac would qualify.There are three views among the early Halachic authorities as to when one may use "Hamar Medina" for Kiddush. At one extreme, the Geonim maintained that one who does not have wine may use "Hamar Medina" for Kiddush both on Friday night and on Shabbat morning. At the other extreme, the Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) maintained that "Hamar Medina" may never be used for Kiddush, neither on Friday night nor on Shabbat morning. In between these two extremes, the Rosh (Rabbenu Asher Ben Yehiel, 1250-1327) maintained that one who does not have wine may use "Hamar Medina" on Shabbat morning, but at night, it is preferable to recite Kiddush over bread. The reason, the Rosh explains, is that if one recites Kiddush over bread on Shabbat morning, it will not be discernible that he recites Kiddush, since there is no Kiddush text on Shabbat morning besides the Beracha over the wine. If one recites Kiddush over bread on Shabbat, all he recites is "Ha'mosi," which does not appear as Kiddush. Therefore, in such a case, when one does not have wine on Shabbat morning, it is preferable to use "Hamar Medina." On Friday night, however, when Kiddush includes a special Beracha ("Mekadesh Ha'Shabbat"), it is preferable to recite Kiddush over bread rather than use "Hamar Medina."The Shulhan Aruch (272:9) cites all three views, and expresses his approval of the Rosh's opinion, describing it as "Dibreh Ta'am" ("reasonable words"). Thus, according to the Shulhan Aruch, one who does not have wine or grape juice on Friday night should recite Kiddush over bread, and one who does not have wine or grape juice on Shabbat morning should recite Kiddush over "Hamar Medina."Many people in our community have the practice of reciting Kiddush over scotch or whiskey on Shabbat morning. This practice is questionable, for two reasons. First, as we have seen, one who has access to wine must use wine for Kiddush according to all opinions. In our society, of course, wine and grape juice are readily available and not particularly expensive, and there is thus no reason to use a different beverage. Of course, if it happens that on one occasion, for some reason, one was unable to obtain wine, or if he is unable to drink wine, then he may use a different beverage, but this is not generally the case in today's day and age. Secondly, Kiddush must be recited over a "Rebi'it" – approximately 3.3 ounces – and one must drink the amount of "Melo Lugmav" – approximately 1.7 ounces. Most people cannot drink this amount of scotch or whiskey in one shot.To justify this practice, we might suggest that the people who make Kiddush on these beverages rely on the view cited by the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) that one who prefers "Hamar Medina" may use it for Kiddush even if wine is available. Since many people prefer to drink scotch or whiskey rather than wine, they may, according to this view, use scotch or whiskey for Kiddush. It should be noted, however, that Hacham Ovadia Yosef does not follow this opinion. It is also possible that this practice originated among Syrian Jews back in Syria, where wine was expensive and difficult for many people to obtain. Even so, this does not justify the use of other beverages nowadays, when wine is easily accessible. As for the difficulty in drinking the minimum required amount of scotch or whiskey, there is an opinion among the Poskim that it suffices for a "Melo Lugmav" to be drunk collectively by all the people participating in the Kiddush. Therefore, even though the one reciting Kiddush cannot drink 1.7 ounces of scotch, if everybody collectively drinks this amount, this should suffice according to one opinion. However, the Shulhan Aruch is ambivalent about this view, as is Hacham Ovadia Yosef.Therefore, if, after the fact, somebody recited Kiddush over scotch or whiskey, and everybody collectively drank 1.7 ounces, they have fulfilled their obligation, but this should not be done. Kiddush should be recited specifically over wine or grape juice, except in the rare instances where wine is unavailable or cannot be used for some other reason.This applies to Habdala, as well. One should use wine or grape juice, and other beverages may be used only if one cannot drink wine or does not have access to wine. One should not recite Habdala over bread. Interestingly, there were some prominent Rabbis who were known to use beverages such as tea, coffee or milk for Habdala, but as mentioned earlier, both Hacham Bension Abba Shaul and Hacham Ovadia Yosef maintained that the term "Hamar Medina" refers specifically to intoxicating beverages. In their view, one who recites Habdala over a non-alcoholic beverage (other than grape juice) recites a Beracha Le'batala (Beracha in vain).Summary: Kiddush on Friday night and Shabbat morning must be recited specifically over wine or grape juice. If one does not have access to wine or grape juice, or is unable to drink wine or grape juice, then on Friday night he should recite Kiddush over bread, and on Shabbat day he should recite Kiddush over a different alcoholic beverage, such as beer, scotch or whiskey. One who does not have wine or grape juice for Habdala should use a different alcoholic beverage.

The Gemara establishes the famous rule of "En Kiddush Ela Bi'mkom Se'uda" – Kiddush must be recited in the framework of a meal. Meaning, if one did not eat after reciting Kiddush, then he has not fulfilled the obligation of Kiddush, because he did not recite Kiddush in the framework of a meal. The Shulhan Aruch (Orah Haim 273) writes that one must eat "Tekef," or "immediately" after Kiddush. Clearly, this cannot mean the moment Kiddush is finished, because it takes some time to get up from the table, perform Netilat Yadayim, and so on. Moreover, the Gemara mentions a case of people who recited Kiddush in the basement and then ate the meal on the rooftop. Quite obviously, they could not have started their meal immediately after Kiddush. The Rama (Rav Moshe Isserles of Cracow, 1525-1572) therefore explains that it suffices if one had in mind when he recited Kiddush to begin the meal right away, or if one started the meal right away, even if he had not intended to do so. One does not fulfill the Misva only if he intended at the time he recited Kiddush to delay the meal, and he indeed delayed the meal.The question, however, remains, how long of a delay disqualifies the Kiddush?This issue is subject to a debate among the Halachic authorities. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998) ruled that an intended delay of a half-hour disqualifies one's Kiddush. He claims that in other contexts in Halacha the period of 30 minutes is considered "Samuch" – "near" – and thus if the Sages required eating one's meal shortly after Kiddush, this must mean that the meal should begin within a half-hour of Kiddush. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, argues, and maintains that the meal must start within 72 minutes of Kiddush, as 72 minutes is the duration of "Ikul" – the process of digestion. What precisely must one eat to be considered to have eaten a "meal" after Kiddush?The Shulhan Aruch maintains that after Kiddush one must eat either a Ke'zayit of bread, or a Ke'zayit of "Mezonot" food made from one of the five principal grains. Although the Shilteh Gibborim (Rav Yehoshua Boaz, 16th century) ruled that one may also eat fruits, the Shulhan Aruch does not accept this view. Therefore, if a person attends a Kiddush in the synagogue, after hearing the recitation of Kiddush he must ensure to eat at least a Ke'zayit of bread or of "Mezonot" food (such as cake, cookies or crackers). If he only eats fruit or has a drink, he has not fulfilled his obligation. He will thus be considered as having eaten before Kiddush, which is forbidden, and will not allowed to eat when he gets home until he recites Kiddush.The Shulhan Aruch also cites the opinion of the Geonim that it suffices to drink a Rebi'it – approximately 3.2 ounces – of wine. The Lebush (Rav Mordechai Yaffe, 1530-1612) understood this to mean that one must drink a Rebi'it in addition to the amount which he is required to drink for the Misva of Kiddush (a cheekful). This is also the view of the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909), in Parashat Bereshit. Others, however, including the Aruch Ha'shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908) and Hacham Ovadia Yosef, disagree. They note that a Rebi'it suffices to require the recitation of a Beracha Aharona, and there is thus no reason to require drinking any more than this amount. Therefore, if one recited Kiddush, and instead of drinking only the minimum required amount of wine he drank a full Rebi'it, he has fulfilled the requirement of "Kiddush Bi'mkom Se'uda" even if he does not eat any bread or "Mezonot" food. It must be emphasized, however, that the people who heard Kiddush must still eat, even if the person who recited Kiddush drinks a Rebi'it of wine.Rav Yosef Shalom Elyashiv (Israel, 1910-2012) ruled that although drinking a Rebi'it of wine suffices for this requirement, it does not suffice to drink a Rebi'it of grape juice. Since grape juice does not have the satiating effect that wine has, a Rebi'it of grape juice does not qualify as a "Se'uda" with respect to this Halacha. Hacham Ovadia Yosef, however, disagrees, and maintains that since grape juice indeed provides some degree of satiation, a Rebi'it of grape juice may be considered a "Se'uda" with respect to the Kiddush obligation.Summary: In order to fulfill the obligation of Kiddush, one must eat a Ke'zayit of bread or "Mezonot" food, or drink a Rebi'it of wine or grape juice, immediately after Kiddush. If one recited Kiddush without the intention of eating within a period of 30 minutes (or, according to some opinions, 72 minutes) after Kiddush, and he indeed did not eat within that time, then he has not fulfilled his obligation.

The Shulhan Aruch rules that one must drink a "Melo Lugmav" – a cheekful – of the wine in the Kiddush cup. This is equivalent to the majority of a Rebi'it (3.2 ounces), or approximately 1.7 ounces.According to the Shulhan Aruch, the Mekadesh – the person who recited Kiddush – should be the one to drink the wine. The Geonim were of the opinion that if the Mekadesh does not drink the Kiddush wine, then nobody who heard Kiddush fulfills the obligation. Out of concern for this opinion, the Mekadesh should be the one to drink. Therefore, people who are together for Kiddush should ensure to appoint for Kiddush somebody who is able to drink the wine. Sometimes, people want to give this honor to an elderly man who cannot drink wine. This should not be done, as the Mekadesh should drink the wine.If, however, for whatever reason, the person who recited Kiddush is unable to drink, then the cup should be given to somebody else to drink. If nobody is able to drink the required amount of wine, then it suffices if everybody drinks a small amount, as long as between everybody the required amount is drunk. This is the ruling of Rabbi Moshe Ha'levi (Israel, 1961-2001), in his Menuhat Ahaba, and of Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1923-1998). They add, however, that if the people know from the outset that nobody can drink the complete amount, they should recite Kiddush over bread rather than recite Kiddush on wine and have everybody take a small sip.There is a debate among the Halachic authorities as to whether the Misva is fulfilled if the wine is drunk by somebody who was not participating in the Kiddush – such as if he had already recited Kiddush earlier – but happens to be present. The Shulhan Aruch writes that "Ehad Min Ha'mesubin" ("one of the people at the meal") may drink the wine, and the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) understood this to refer only to those who heard Kiddush to fulfill their obligation. If somebody who did not hear Kiddush to fulfill the Misva drinks the wine, the Misva is not fulfilled. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul, however, disagrees, and maintains that it suffices for anybody to drink the wine, even a person who did not hear the Kiddush to fulfill his obligation.The person who recites Kiddush should hold the cup with his right hand. Hacham Bension Abba Shaul maintained that even a left-handed person should hold the cup with his right hand, if he can without spilling, in accordance with the position of the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria of Safed, 1534-1572). This is also the view of Hacham Ovadia Yosef, who noted that the Shulhan Aruch's position on this matter is unclear, and therefore a left-handed person should follow the Arizal's view and hold the Kiddush cup in his right hand.Although the Misva is fulfilled even if just one person drinks a "Melo Lugmav" of the Kiddush wine, nevertheless, it is a Misva for everyone to drink some wine from the Kiddush cup.Summary: Kiddush should be recited by somebody who is able to drink the minimum required amount (1.7 ounces). Nevertheless, if the person who recited Kiddush is unable to drink this amount, somebody else can drink this amount. If nobody present is able to drink this amount, Kiddush should be recited over bread. If, however, Kiddush was recited over wine and nobody can drink the required amount, it suffices if they all drink a small amount such that between all of them they drink the required amount. The one who recites Kiddush should hold the cup in his right hand during the recitation, even if he is left-handed. It is a Misva for everyone to drink some wine from the Kiddush cup.

#214.** With Tisha B'Av approaching, check out Aleph Beta's collection of inspiring Tisha B'Av videos. Rabbi David Fohrman, founder of Aleph Beta, explores some of the most beloved Tisha B'Av texts to discover the deeper meaning and relevance of the day. And for a limited time only, our listeners get $18 off an annual Aleph Beta membership, which will give you access to all the Tisha b'av videos plus hundreds more on parsha and the other holidays. Go to Aleph Beta and enter coupon code SEFORIM23 for $18 off an annual premium membership.**** Check out the all new Seforimchatter Forum: https://forum.seforimchatter.com/"**To support the podcast or to sponsor an episode: https://seforimchatter.com/support-seforimchatter/ or email seforimchatter@gmail.com (Zelle/QP this email address)**With Prof. John Hosler discussing Jerusalem from the 7th to 13th centuryWe discussed the conquest of 614, the story of Jewish ransom/killing and truth/falsity of it, liberation in 630 by Emperor Heraclius, Islam and the history of Sunni & Shia and the impact on Jerusalem, the Jews of Jeruslam during the time of the Geonim,  the Turkish conquest, the first crusade in 1098 - 1099 and the conquest of Jerusalem, reconquest by Saladin the Merciful, Richard the Lionheart and the third crusade, Jerusalem at the end of the 13th century and Ramban's testimony, and much moreTo purchase, "Jerusalem: Seven Centuries of War and Peace": https://amzn.to/44cbS6U

Rabbi Moshe Maimon

Sourcesheet link: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kLWjTHPxmD1NDESzpElZlS88TUbFxJYGN7CRLyzekLs/edit This episode will discuss: The Geonim as heads of an intellectual empire The uneven but inexorable decline of the Geonic hegemony  Periodization: how do we know when an era is over? How Rishonim came to replace the Geonim  The story of “the four captives” The city of Kairouan and its scholars Two “founders' fathers”: R. Hushiel, father of R. Hananel, and R. Yaakov, father of R. Nissim Gaon

Source Sheet: ⁠https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SNyNnVdFnZCoBTyuwf8ocJfCeTRGE7-t8pM-uW0TTpM/edit?usp=share_link This episode will discuss: Transitions between the Amoraim, Savoraim, and Geonim The Iggeres (Letter or Epistle) of R. Sherira Gaon Compilation of the Gemara by Amoraim and Savoraim The three “C”s of Talmudic commentary Literary output - and literary lacuna - of the Geonim  Teaching and transmitting Torah in person and through texts  For more source sheets and other info check out ⁠https://sites.google.com/view/rishonim⁠  Do you want to send me some suggestions? Criticism or corrections? Comments or questions? Contact me at therishonim@gmail.com 

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. The sefer Yafei LaLev by Rav Yitzchak Palagi, son of Rav Chaim Palagi, brings many novel thoughts about Shabbat. He teaches the following: Yehoshua overtook the 31 kings that were in Eretz Yisrael. Each one of those kings correspond to a different negative force in the world. Every week, we are given the power to overcome these negative forces with the power of the 31 hours of Shabbat. From Chatzot on Friday to Shabbat is 6 hours; Shabbat itself has 24 hours; and an additional hour after Shabbat, when there is a continuation of Kedushat Shabbat, equals 31 hours. These 31 hours of Kedusha have the power to knock out those 31 negative forces. Therefore, it is ideal to eat Melaveh Malka in the hour after Shabbat, which has the power to knock out that additional force. Rav Palagi teaches that every Friday afternoon at Chatzot, Hashem sits on the כסא של רחמים , His throne of mercy. In our tefillos we say, קל מלך יושב על כסא רחמים . The numerical value of קל is 31, hinting to the fact that the King sits on his chair of mercy for 31 hours, connecting to the 31 hours of Shabbat. This is why we say in our Shabbat prayers: ביום השביעי נתעלה וישב על כסא כבודו , On Shabbat day, G-d sits on His throne of glory . This, too, takes place during the 31 hour period of Kedusha. We know that one should be careful not to get angry on Shabbat, as it says לא תבערו אש בכל מושבותיכם ביום השבת , do not ignite a fire in your dwellings on Shabbat. On the most basic level, this refers to Shabbat. However, Rav Palagi extends this idea to mean that one should not get angry during the 31 hours of Kedusha. The numerical value of לא in לא תבערו אש is 31. The Gemara teaches that the Satan tries to get us angry on Erev Shabbat, when we are preparing for Shabbat. Rav Palagi is teaching that a person must be careful with their anger from Chatzot on Friday until 1 hour after Shabbat, because whenever there is a force of Kedusha, there is also a force of tuma to counteract it. In these 31 holy hours, we have the ability to connect to HaKadosh Baruch Hu's rachamim . Rather than get angry, we should sing zemirot on Shabbat. ואתה קדוש יושב תהילות ישראל , G-d is holy. He dwells in the songs of the Jewish people. The Tosafot in Sanhedrin quotes from the Geonim to explain why they only said Kedusha on Shabbat in Eretz Yisrael. The angels lost a wing and only had 6 wings- the seventh wing was given to the Jewish people on Shabbat, and therefore they sang praise to Hashem. Because the Jewish people sing praise to Hashem, G-d dwells within them. The final letters of the words קדוש יושב תהילות spell Shabbat. Shabbat is the time that G-d sits on His throne, because of the תהילות ישראל . I don't have a source for singing songs on Erev Shabbat, but there is definitely a custom to sing on Motzei Shabbat. During these 31 special hours, G-d is sitting on His throne of mercy. At this holy time, we shouldn't get angry, and then we will be able to knock out these negative forces- it is a time of song. Have a Shabbat Shalom.

Length: 49 minutesSynopsis: This morning (1/6/22), in our Friday Q&A, we took up five questions: (1) What do we hold about the authorship of the "wisdom literature" in Tanach? (2) How do you know if you're using your time wisely? (3) Are food forests feasible? (4) What's the deal with matrilineal descent? (5) Why don't we focus on the Geonim as much as the Rishonim? -----מקורות:משלי כה:ארש"ירלב"גשד"למצודת דודר"י אבן כספי פירוש ראשוןרש"י - משלי ל:א, לא:אRabbi Israel Chait, Discussion: D-165: Proper Allocation of Time for Learningרמב"ם - משנה תורה: ספר זרעים, הלכות כלאים א:א,גרמב"ם - משנה תורה: הקדמה לח-מArtscroll Rishonim book, "The Four Captives" -----The Torah content for this week has been sponsored by Sarah and Moshe Eisen, with the following message: "Dedicated in honor of Popo, who shined bright and brought joy to so many of us. And to Rabbi Matt Schneeweiss who shared her with us and continues to share thoughts, insights, and Torah."-----If you have questions, comments, or feedback, I would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.-----If you've gained from what you've learned here, please consider contributing to my Patreon at www.patreon.com/rabbischneeweiss. Alternatively, if you would like to make a direct contribution to the "Rabbi Schneeweiss Torah Content Fund," my Venmo is @Matt-Schneeweiss, and my Zelle and PayPal are mattschneeweiss at gmail.com. Even a small contribution goes a long way to covering the costs of my podcasts, and will provide me with the financial freedom to produce even more Torah content for you.If you would like to sponsor a day's or a week's worth of content, or if you are interested in enlisting my services as a teacher or tutor, you can reach me at rabbischneeweiss at gmail.com. Thank you to my listeners for listening, thank you to my readers for reading, and thank you to my supporters for supporting my efforts to make Torah ideas available and accessible to everyone.-----Substack: rabbischneeweiss.substack.com/Patreon: patreon.com/rabbischneeweissYouTube Channel: youtube.com/rabbischneeweissBlog: kolhaseridim.blogspot.com/"The Stoic Jew" Podcast: thestoicjew.buzzsprout.com"The Mishlei Podcast": mishlei.buzzsprout.com"Rambam Bekius" Podcast: rambambekius.buzzsprout.com"Machshavah Lab" Podcast: machshavahlab.buzzsprout.com"The Tefilah Podcast": tefilah.buzzsprout.comWhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/GEB1EPIAarsELfHWuI2k0HAmazon Wishlist: amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/Y72CSP86S24W?ref_=wl_sharel

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The Torah in Parashat Kedoshim (19:13) commands, “Lo Tigzol” – “You shall not steal,” which the Sages understood as referring to robbery perpetrated openly. Whereas the term “Geneba” denotes stealing stealthily, by secretly seizing somebody else's property (such as burglarizing a home in the middle of the night), “Gezela” refers to brazenly confronting a person and grabbing his possession, such as in the case of armed robbery. The Sefer Ha'hinuch writes that the reason behind this prohibition is clear and obvious, as theft is something which we all intuitively recognize as evil and a behavior which can lead to the complete breakdown of society. The Rambam writes that the prohibition of “Gezela” applies to stealing at least a “Shaveh Peruta” – the value of the smallest unit of Talmudic currency. Stealing less than this amount is still forbidden, though, by virtue of the principle of “Hasi Shiur,” which proscribes even violating partial amounts of Torah prohibitions. It is forbidden to steal from both Jews and gentiles, and even from idol-worshippers. The specific prohibition of “Lo Ta'ashok,” which forbids withholding money from those to whom one is indebted (such as for a loan or for work performed), also applies even to withholding payment from gentiles. Moreover, one is not allowed to steal even from dangerous evildoers whom Halacha permits to eliminate (such as those who cooperate with hostile governments against the Jewish community). One might have thought that since these people are allowed to be killed, their property should be treated as ownerless and allowed to be taken. In truth, however, their money may not be taken, because such people may have deserving inheritors, whose inheritance rights must be respected. Secondly, the Sefer Ha'hinuch writes, irrespective of the inheritors, the Torah does not want people to accustom themselves to stealing. Therefore, even if, in principle, the money of these evildoers is indeed permissible to be taken, this would not be allowed, for people might then get into the habit of taking money and possessions which do not belong to them. The Torah requires a thief who stole an object to return the object to its owner. However, the Sages enacted a provision called “Takanat Ha'shabin” (“provision for the penitent ones”), which allows a thief to pay the value of the object instead of returning it. This provision was enacted out of the concern that thieves might be deterred from repenting and making amends if they needed to return the actual object that they stole. If, for example, a thief stole a beam which he then used in constructing a building, he is not likely to repent for his crime if this necessitates dismantling the building in order to return the beam. The Sages therefore instituted that the thief can keep the beam, and simply pay the victim the value of the beam which he stole. If a thief stole something in an inhabited area, he cannot return it to the victim out in the open area, where it is not protected, without the victim's consent. The victim has the right to insist that the object be returned in the town, where it is easier to guard. If the thief ignores the victim's demand, and returns it out in the open, then he bears responsibility for the object if it is lost or damaged. If a person stole from a store and is too ashamed to repay what he stole, he may return to the store and overpay for a different piece of merchandise. If, for example, he stole an item worth $100, he can go back to the store and pay the shopkeeper $110 for a $10 product, and thereby fulfill his obligation. If a thief died before returning what he stole, his inheritors are required to pay the victim from the real estate which they received as part of the inheritance. If the thief had no real estate, then the inheritors are not required to repay the victim from the Metaltelin (moveable property) which they inherit. However, the Geonim enacted that the victim receives what he is owed from the inherited Metaltelin if the thief did not leave behind any real estate. If a person is known to be a thief, then it is forbidden to derive benefit from any of his possessions, as they are all suspected of being stolen goods. Needless to say, this prohibition applies in all places, in all times, and to both males and females. One who transgresses this prohibition and steals something belonging to his fellow does not receive Malkut, because he can and should simply return what he stole, or pay its value. This prohibition falls under the category of “Lav Ha'nitak La'aseh” – a prohibition which can be “rectified” through the performance of an associated affirmative command, in this case, returning the stolen object. Violations of such prohibitions are not punishable by Malkut, as the violator returns the object or pays its value, instead. If a thief falsely denied his crime on oath, and then confesses his wrongdoing, he must return the object and pay a 20 percent penalty. In addition, he must bring a special Korban Asham (guilt offering) for atonement. This prohibition reminds us of how careful we must be when it comes to other people's property, that we are expected to conduct our financial dealings with impeccable honesty, and never take anything which does not rightfully belong to us.

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"At this time, we have been beset by additional difficulties, everyone feels [financial] pressure, the wisdom of our Sages has become lost, and the comprehension of our men of understanding has become hidden. Therefore, those explanations, laws, and responsa which the Geonim composed and considered to be fully explained material have become difficult to grasp in our age, and only a select few comprehend these matters in the proper way." - Moses Maimonides, 1180ce A little over a year ago I wandered into a local watch shop because there was a bent pin on my watch band that had been driving me crazy, snagging on sleeves and the like, for more than five years. for some reason, as I walked through the mall, I noticed the watch shop and thought, I should get this pin replaced. That simple spur of the moment decision started me on a path that has provided me with answers to questions that I had, and even to questions that I didn't know that I had. So many times I have wondered to myself, why am I doing this? It applies to so much more than just faith, but in the end, it is my faith that is teaching me about my own purpose in both life and in this very show... --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/plausibly-live/message

This third instalment of David's overview series of Jewish History explores the years between 500 and 1000 CE, known as the period of the Geonim. In this talk, David discusses: · The geonim, including who they were and the significance of their spiritual authority  · The political leadership of the Reish Galuta · The great … Continue reading "#112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3)" The post #112 Jewish History in Six Chapters (3) first appeared on David Solomon. Related posts: #111 Jewish History in Six Chapters (2) #33 The Geonic Period: Jewish History of the 6th to 10th Centuries (part 3) #31 The Geonic Period: Jewish History of the 6th to 10th Centuries (part 1)

Maran, in Shulchan Aruch Yoreh De'ah, chapter 247 tells us, “ Whoever has mercy on the poor, God has mercy on them. A person should realize that he is constantly asking God for parnasa. And just like he's asking God to listen to him and his cries, so too, he should listen to the cries of the poor. ” This is a famous concept-The way you act is the way God acts with you. The Sefer Reshit Hochma (in the chapter on humility) quotes the Geonim (who came before the Rishonim like Rashi, Tosafot and Rambam) that the Gemara in Masechet Rosh Hashana tells us that God taught Moshe Rabbenu how to say the 13 Attributes of Mercy. (Rav Yochanan says that if the pasuk didn't tell us, we couldn't even say these words) Hashem, so to say, wrapped Himself in a talit like a hazan , and showed Moshe Rabbenu how to say the 13 Attributes, and He told him, “ As long as the Jewish people act with this approach in front of Me, I will forgive and answer them.” The Geonim point out that they see people that have said the 13 Attributes and aren't answered. But they answer that we must look carefully at the words of Hashem. It's not enough to just say the words… you have act or do. To “do in front of Me,” doesn't just mean to wrap yourself in a talit . It means a person has to act like Hashem. If God is El Rachum V'Hanun, God of mercy and compassion, we also have to be merciful and compassionate. As it says, “ The way God is, is the way you have to be,” in all 13 Middot as well. So when you act with those 13 attributes, God will act to you with those 13 attributes. The Maggid of Dubno, in his sefer Mishleh Yaakov, on Parashat Emor, adds some depth to this with a mashal : There was a poor man who went around collecting. His parents had been great people, that people knew, so in the merit of his parents, he was given nice donations. But then, due to his difficult situation, he looked so bad and pale, that when he knocked on doors, the people no longer recognize him. He then cried out, because no one had mercy on him. He says that the nimshal is that as long as we have mercy, As it says in Gemarah in Masechet Yevamot (79,a) “ If you have mercy on people you are from the seed of Abraham Avinu ,” you're acting like Abraham, who was a man of kindness. So if we don't act with kindness, God says, I don't recognize you. And then he can't arouse the merit of our forefathers, because He doesn't recognize us, because we aren't acting like Abraham, Yitzhak and Yaakov. So in order for us to arouse mercy in others, we ourselves have to act that way. That is another reason for Ahavat Yisrael. ,

It is customary to blow one hundred and one Shofar sounds on each of the two days of Rosh Hashanah. We blow thirty Shofar sounds before the Musaf service, and then, according to our community's custom, thirty sounds are blown during the silent Amida prayer of Musaf. Another thirty sounds are blown during the Hazan's repetition of the Amida, and then, during the Kaddish Titkabal following Musaf, we sound another ten Shofar blasts, bringing the total to one hundred. It is then customary to sound a long "Teru'a Gedola," for a total of one hundred and one.Why do we blow so many Shofar sounds, beyond that which the Torah strictly requires?The Gemara raises this question in Masechet Rosh Hashanah (16), and it answers that the additional Shofar sounds serve to "confound the Satan." Rashi (Rabbi Shlomo Ben Yishak, France, 1040-1105) explains that when the Satan sees the Jewish people's great love for Misvot, to the point where we blow additional Shofar sounds on Rosh Hashanah, he is silenced. His ability to prosecute against us as we stand judgment before God is severely hampered by our display of love and zeal toward the Misvot.Tosefot (commentaries by the French and German schools of Medieval Talmudists) explain differently, noting that the Satan is also the "Mal'ach Ha'mavet" (angel of death). Based on a comment in the Talmud Yerushalmi, Tosefot write that the angel of death will one day be eliminated, as indicated in the verse (Yeshayahu 25:8), "Bila Ha'mavet La'nesah" ("He shall eliminate death for eternity"). We are also told (Yeshayahu 27:13) that on that day, a great Shofar will be sounded. Thus, when we sound the Shofar after having already fulfilled the Misva of Shofar blowing on Rosh Hashanah, the Satan begins worrying that perhaps this is the Shofar blast that heralds the time of the final redemption, when he will be eliminated. This fear that Satan experiences hinders his ability to prosecute against us in the Heavenly Tribunal.The Abudarham (Rabbi David Abudarham, 14th century, Spain) cites a Midrash that offers a different explanation of the one hundred Shofar sounds, namely, that it brings to mind the event of Akedat Yishak (the binding of Yishak upon the altar). The Midrash relates that when Sara heard that her son was bound upon the altar prepared to be slaughtered as a sacrifice, she wailed one hundred times. By sounding one hundred Shofar blasts, we bring to mind Sara's anguish at the time of the Akeda, hoping that in this merit God will atone for our sins and grant us a favorable sentence.Others explain that the one hundred sounds are reminiscent of the one hundred wailings cried by the mother of the Canaanite general Sisera. The general's mother wept bitterly one hundred times as she waited in vain for her son to return from his battle against Beneh Yisrael, during which he had been killed. We commemorate her weeping by sounding the Shofar one hundred times on Rosh Hashanah. (At first glance, it seems difficult to understand why Sisera's mother's weeping should assume significance on Rosh Hashanah, though this is a subject for a separate discussion.)We find in Halachic literature some discussion concerning the propriety of the one hundred and first sound that we blow, the "Teru'a Gedola" sounded after the one hundred sounds. The Re'avya (Rabbi Eliezer Ben Yoel Halevi, Germany, 1140-1225), in Siman 541, mentions this custom and expresses his strong disapproval (listen to audio recording for precise citation). He notes that generally speaking, making sounds with an instrument is forbidden on Shabbat and Yom Tob, and sounding the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah is permitted only for the purpose of fulfilling the Halachic obligation. Therefore, once the required Shofar sounds have been blown, it is forbidden to blow the Shofar on Rosh Hashanah any further. A number of works cite the Rosh Yosef as going so far as to claim that blowing a one hundred and first sound constitutes "Hilul Yom Tob" – a desecration of the holiday.It is clear, however, that these authorities who disapprove of this practice were unaware of the writings of the Geonim, which explicitly record the observance of this custom in the two main Yeshivot of Babylonia, and explain that this, too, serves to confound the Satan. A number of Geonim (specifically Rav Amram Gaon and Rav Hai Gaon) addressed the question of whether the custom was for the one hundred and first sound to be blown publicly or only privately by certain individuals, but, in any event, such a custom most certainly existed. In light of this account, it seems very difficult to reject this custom and consider it a "desecration" of Yom Tob.Accordingly, Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in his work Hazon Ovadia (Laws of Shofar), codifies this practice, and writes that the one hundred and first sound of the Shofar is blown in order to confound the Satan.One must ensure, however, not to sound the Shofar after having blown or heard the customary one hundred and one sounds. Of course, if one did not hear all the sounds he may and should certainly blow the sounds he missed, and it is of course permissible to blow the Shofar on behalf of somebody who did not hear the Shofar blowing. One may not, however, blow the Shofar needlessly once he has blown or heard the one hundred and one sounds.Summary: The accepted custom is to blow one hundred Shofar sounds on Rosh Hashanah, plus an additional "Teru'a Gedola" after these hundred sounds. One may not blow the Shofar unnecessarily once he has heard or blown the one hundred and one sounds.

The Geonim's lien on movable properties: what's the point? (Malveh V'loveh 11:11) Rabbi Eli Nosson Silberberg

The Geonim's lien on movable properties: Practical Application (Malveh V'loveh 11:11) Rabbi Eli Nosson Silberberg

The Halachot of how to put on a Tallit are outlined in Shulchan Aruch, Siman 8. There, Maran, based on his opinion in the Bet Yosef, does not require wrapping the Tallit in a manner known as "Atifat Yishmaelim," the way Arabs wrap their headdress. The Geonim disagreed and required "Atifat Yishmaelim," which entails first putting the Tallit over the head and then gathering the ends and throwing them over the shoulders. The accepted custom is to take into account the opinion of the Geonim and do "Atifat Yishmaelim."However, there is a common misconception as to how exactly to wrap like "Atifat Yishmaelim." Many people mistakenly think that the Tallit should be worn over the head, covering the entire face. This is clearly not the way Arabs wear their Kufiyahs. They wouldn’t be able to see anything. Rather, "Atifat Yishamelim" requires placing the Tallit over the head and wrapping it around the bottom of the face at the level of the chin, leaving the face uncovered. The Poskim say that one should leave the Tallit covering his head in such a fashion for at least the time it takes to walk four Amot, which is equivalent to three seconds. The question arises whether one may answer Kaddish while in the middle of wrapping the Tallit. This touches on a general principle, by which if someone has already recited the Beracha on a Misva, but not yet begun to perform the act of the Misva, answering Kaddish would be a "fatal interruption." However, if one already began the act of the Misva and is now involved in completing the Misva, he may answer the Kaddish. Therefore, if he has not yet even put the Tallit on his head, he may not answer, but if he already has placed it on his head and is now involved in wrapping "Atifat Yishmaelim," he may answer.There is a major disagreement as to how exactly to wrap the Tallit. The Shalmeh Sibbur )R.Yisrael Yaakov Algazi, 1680-1757, Turkey-Jerusalem) holds that first, a person wraps his head together with his entire body in the Tallit, and then he gathers it and wraps it around his head and shoulders. The Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim of Baghdad, 1833-1909) held that from the beginning, the Tallit is gathered together around the head and neck, and only then is it released to cover the entire body. While both opinions are considered legitimate, Hacham Ovadia would put on his Tallit in accordance with the Ben Ish Hai.Hacham Ovadia points out that according to the practice of the Ben Ish Hai, those who have the custom to recite the Pesukim of "Ma Yakar…Yirvayun B’Deshen… etc." should not do so until after they release the Tallit to cover the body. Until that point, one is still performing the initial act of the Misva and may not interrupt with these "extra" Pesukim, whereas answering Kaddish is permitted, as it is a critical Tefila. Hacham Ovadia himself would not verbalize these Pesukim at all. Rather, he would think them while wrapping the Tallit around his head, and naturally this would not be an interruption of the Misva. However, according to the method prescribed by the Shalmeh Sibbur, where the tallit is first wrapped around the body, reciting the Pesukim would not be an interruption during the wrapping of the head, because the prime act of the Misva has already been performed.SUMMARYThe Tallit should be put on like "Atifat Yishmaelim," which means to cover the head and wrap the Tallit up to the chin, for at least three seconds. One may answer Kaddish while wrapping the Tallit, as long as he already put it around his head.

#63.With Prof. Yerachmiel (Robert) Brody discussing the Geonim of BabyloniaWe discuss the period of the Savaro'im, position of Gaon and what it meant and included, where the name comes from, the Yeshivos of Bavel (Pumpidisa & Sura), the yarchei kallah, famous Geonim & writings, Rav Sa'adyah Gaon, and much more.To purchase "The Geonim of Babylonia and the Shaping of Medieval Jewish Culture": https://www.amazon.com/Geonim-Babylonia-Shaping-Medieval-Culture/dp/030018932X/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&qid=1614521595&refinements=p_27%3ARobert+Brody&s=books&sr=1-2

Altona, last of the autonomous coercive communities

In this class we discuss the opinion of the Geonim and the Shulchan Aruch

The Hasid in the role of Rosh Yeshivah and Maggid Shiur. Pilpul as fun!

On Shabbat morning, after completing the Torah reading, before the Maftir reading, Kaddish is recited. This is generally done after seven Aliyot – the minimum amount of Aliyot called to the Torah on Shabbat morning. A congregation may, however, call more than seven Aliyot on Shabbat morning, in which case the Kaddish is recited after the final Aliya, before the Maftir, the Aliya which repeats the last several verses of the Parasha.However, according to Sephardic practice, which follows the view of the Ribash (1326-1408), there are occasions when a second Kaddish is recited after the Maftir reading. This happens on a Shabbat when a special Maftir is recited, such as on Shabbat Rosh Hodesh, or on Yom Tob, when the Maftir reading is the section that deals with the special sacrifice brought on that holiday. On a normal Shabbat, the last verses of the Parasha are repeated only because it would be disrespectful to the Torah scroll for somebody to be called to read the Haftara, the section from the Prophets, without also reading from the Sefer Torah. Since there is no actual requirement to read the Maftir section on an ordinary Shabbat, a Kaddish is not needed after the reading of Maftir. However, on a Shabbat when a special Maftir is read, the Maftir reading fulfills a specific requirement. The special occasion obligates the reading of these verses. As such, on these occasions, the Maftir reading constitutes an independent Torah reading, such that a separate Kaddish is recited.The concept underlying this practice is that each section of the prayer service is concluded with the recitation of Kaddish. This is indicated in a responsum of the Geonim stating that Kaddish is recited after Pesukeh De’zimra; after the section of Shema, Amida and Vidui; and then after Kiddusha De’sidra (Ashreh and U’ba Le’sion). Each section is concluded with Kaddish, and thus, by the same token, each Torah reading is concluded with Kaddish. (This point is made by Rav Natan Ben-Senor, in Ner Sion.)This applies, as mentioned, on Shabbat Rosh Hodesh and on Yom Tob. One Kaddish is recited after the reading from the first Sefer Torah, and then a second Kaddish is read after the Maftir reading from the second Sefer Torah. If Rosh Hodesh Tebet falls on Shabbat, then three Sifreh Torah are read, as special sections are read for Rosh Hodesh and also for Hanukah. In such a case, if seven Aliyot were called to the first Sefer Torah, then three Kadishim are recited – one after the reading from each Sefer Torah. If only six Aliyot are called to the first Sefer Torah, then two Kaddishim are recited – one after the reading of the Rosh Hodesh section from the second Sefer Torah, and another after the reading of the Hanukah section from the third Sefer Torah.On Simhat Torah, too, we read from three Sifreh Torah. From the first, we read the final Parasha of the Torah, Parashat Ve’zot Ha’beracha; from the second, we read the first section of Parashat Bereshit; and from the third, we read the Maftir, the section that deals with the special sacrifice offered on the holiday. Two Kaddishim are recited – one after the reading of Parashat Bereshit from the second Sefer Torah, and another after the reading of the Maftir. Kaddish is not recited after reading the first Sefer Torah so as not to make an interruption between the reading of the final Parasha of the Torah and the reading of the first Parasha. The Rabbis teach that such an interruption gives Satan the opportunity to prosecute against us, and so we proceed immediately from the reading of Parashat Ve’zot Ha’beracha to the reading of Parashat Beresheet, without interrupting even for the recitation of Kaddish.Ashkenazim, following the ruling of the Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933), abide by a different view, and never recite a second Kaddish after the Maftir. The practice of the Sepharadim, however, follows the ruling of the Ribash, as discussed.Hacham Bension Abba Shaul (Israel, 1924-1998), in Or Le’sion (vol. 2), rules that even if a congregation has only one Sefer Torah on a Shabbat when a special Maftir is read, a second Kaddish is recited after the Maftir reading. A second Kaddish is recited on these special occasions not because a second Sefer Torah is read, but because the Maftir reading constitutes a separate requirement. Therefore, it makes no difference whether the special Maftir is read from a different Sefer Torah or from the same Sefer Torah as the rest of the day’s reading.It should be noted that when the Torah is read at Minha, such as on Shabbat afternoon, Kaddish is not recited after the Torah reading. The reason is that Kaddish is recited right after the Torah reading, once the Torah is returned to the ark, before the Amida, and this Kaddish covers the Torah reading, as well. This applies even on Yom Kippur, when a Haftara is read after the Torah reading at Minha (the Book of Yona). The Haftara is considered an extension of the Torah reading, and there is therefore no need to recite Kaddish after the Torah reading.Summary: On a regular Shabbat, when the Maftir reading merely repeats the last several verses of the Torah portion, Kaddish is recited only after the completion of the Torah portion, and is not repeated after Maftir. However, according to Sephardic practice, when a special section is read for Maftir, such as Shabbat Rosh Hodesh, or on Yom Tob, an additional Kaddish is recited after Maftir. This applies even if a congregation has only one Sefer Torah and the Maftir is read from the same scroll as the rest of the reading.

The Rishonim debate the question of whether one recites the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" each time he enters the Sukka, or only when he sits down to a meal. The Rambam (Rav Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204), in Hilchot Sukka (6:6), writes that a person recites the Beracha when he enters the Sukka, before he sits down. The Rambam makes no mention of eating in this context, indicating that the Beracha is not linked at all to eating a meal. The Maggid Mishneh commentary (by Rav Vidal of Tolosa, Spain, late 14th century) notes that this ruling follows the view of the Geonim, including Rav Hai Gaon (11th century), as well as the view of the Rif (Rav Yishak of Fez, Morocco, 1013-1103). According to this opinion, one can recite the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" many times throughout the day on Sukkot, as each time he enters the Sukka, he recites this Beracha. The Maggid Mishneh adds one qualification to this view, however, stating that one recites this Beracha only if he had left the Sukka for a significant period, such that he had "Heseh Ha’da’at" ("distraction") from the Sukka. If he left the Sukka just to get something from the house, for example, then even according to this view, he does not recite the Beracha when he returns to the Sukka.Rabbenu Tam (France, 1100-1171), however, disagreed. He ruled that although the Misva of Sukka requires one to do in the Sukka everything he normally does in his home, nevertheless, the Beracha was instituted only for when one eats a meal in the Sukka. The Shulhan Aruch (639:8), surprisingly, does not bring the ruling of the Rambam and the Rif, as we would have expected. Instead, he writes that the accepted custom is in accordance with Rabbenu Tam’s position, to recite a Beracha over the Misva of Sukka only when beginning a meal. The Taz (Rav David Segal, 1586-1667) explains Rabbenu Tam’s view by positing that eating constitutes the "Ikar" – the primary fulfillment of the Misva, whereas other activities are the "Tafel" (subordinate component). Although one is required to perform all his activities in the Sukka, the primary obligation is to eat in the Sukka. As such, the Beracha over eating covers the other activities which one performs in the Sukka. The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) clarifies that although one might perform some activities after entering the Sukka before sitting down to eat, nevertheless, the Beracha covers those activities retroactively after it is recited. However, the Mishna Berura adds that one should recite the Beracha and sit as soon as he can after entering the Sukka.The Taz’s understanding of Rabbenu Tam’s position could yield a number of interesting conclusions. First, the Taz boldly asserts that if one is not eating one day of Sukkot – for example, he dreamt a frightening dream, and thus observes a fast the next day – he recites the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" when he enters the Sukka, even though he is not eating. Since Rabbenu Tam’s view is based on the fact that the Beracha recited over eating in the Sukka covers other activities, one who is not eating throughout the day must the recite the Beracha when he enters the Sukka. Other Poskim, however, dispute this ruling, and understand that according to Rabbenu Tam, the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" was instituted only over eating in the Sukka.Another example of how this question may affect the Halacha is a case addressed by the Hayeh Adam (Rav Abraham Danzig, Vilna, 1748-1820), of a person who leaves his Sukka and then returns in between meals. For example, a person left the Sukka after breakfast, returned in the afternoon, and will be going to recite Minha in the synagogue before supper. In such a case, the Hayeh Adam writes, the person must recite the Beracha over the period he spends in the Sukka in between meals. Since no Beracha is recited over eating during this interim period, this period spent in the Sukka is not covered by a Beracha, and the person must therefore recite a Beracha upon entering the Sukka, according to Rabbenu Tam. In practice, this is not the accepted custom. Nevertheless, Rav Natan Ben Senor (contemporary) recommends that if a person does spend time in the Sukka in between meals, he should preferably try to eat bread so he can recite the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" and satisfy all opinions.In Sha’ar Ha’siyun, the Mishna Berura brings those who maintain that even according to Rabbenu Tam, one would recite a Beracha when he visits somebody else’s Sukka, even if he does not eat. The reason behind this distinction is the concept of "Teshbu Ke’en Taduru" – that the Torah requires treating the Sukka like one’s home. Just as a person generally eats meals at home, but eats light snacks elsewhere, similarly, Halacha requires eating one’s meals – defined as a Ke’besa (the volume of an egg) of bread – in the Sukka, but permits eating light snacks outside the Sukka. However, it is not all that common when visiting someone to eat a formal meal. Therefore, according to this view, even Rabbenu Tam would agree that if a person visits somebody, he recites a Beracha even if he does not eat, because in this instance, the "Ikar" is specifically not eating a meal, but simply being present in the Sukka. This view is brought also by the Aruch Ha’shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908). It is told that Rav Aharon Kotler (1891-1962) was once in somebody’s Sukka when a guest arrived, took a fruit, recited "Boreh Peri Ha’etz" and then recited "Le’sheb Ba’Sukka." Rav Kotler commended the fellow for reciting the Beracha, in accordance with this view brought by the Sha’ar Ha’siyun.Nevertheless, the commonly accepted practice is not to recite the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" unless one eats a Ka’besa of bread (or of "Mezonot" food, as will be explained in a different installment of Daily Halacha), even when visiting somebody else’s Sukka. This is the ruling of Hacham Ovadia Yosef, in Hazon Ovadia.Summary: Although one is required to perform all his activities in the Sukka during Sukkot, the accepted custom is to recite the Beracha of "Le’sheb Ba’sukka" only before sitting down to a meal. (The precise definition of a "meal" with respect to this Halacha will be discussed in a separate installment.)

The Babylonian Geonim were the successors of the Rabbis of the Talmudic era, and were the pre-eminent Rabbinic authorities between the 7th and 11th centuries. On the death of Rav Hai Gaon -- the last of the Geonim -- in 1038, the centre of gravity of the Jewish world shifted westward. The major Jewish communities in Europe and North Africa each wished to be seen as the true inheritors of Geonic authority. In this episode, Gavin and Jordan discuss the lines of evidence each community used to support its claims to pre-eminence, and the dangers of an over-emphasis on inherited tradition. Original article at http://www.kotzkblog.com/2020/06/281-shift-from-babylonia-to-west-and.html

Determining the time for starting Shabbat is relatively simple – as we know, we begin Shabbat 18 minutes before sunset, in fulfillment of the requirement of Tosefet Shabbat (adding time onto Shabbat). The time for ending Shabbat, however, is less clear. The Gemara instructs that Shabbat ends when three medium-sized stars are visible in the sky. Later Rabbis figured that since people nowadays cannot distinguish between the stars of different sizes, we should wait until the sighting of three small stars. Of course, this does not help much, either, because most of us cannot identify small stars, and, besides, in many places the stars are not visible because of artificial lighting, and on some nights the stars are not visible because of cloud cover.The standard custom follows the view of the Vilna Gaon (Rav Eliyahu of Vilna, 1720-1797), based on the Geonim, that the period of Ben Ha’shemashot (Halachic "twilight") begins after what we call sunset – when the entire sun dips below the horizon – and Shabbat ends after Ben He’shemashot. In Israel, where it becomes dark rather quickly after sundown, Ben Ha’shemashot is presumed to be approximately 20 minutes, whereas here in Tri-State Area, the period of Ben Ha’shemashot ranges from 40 to 50 minutes, depending on the time of year. Rav Moshe Feinstein (Russia-New York, 1895-1986) maintained that in this area, it is preferable to wait until 50 minutes after sunset all year round. Some people end Shabbat 35 minutes after sunset, but this practice is incorrect, as it follows the custom observed in Halab (Aleppo, Syria), where it becomes dark sooner after sunset than it does here in our area.According to the accepted custom, then, Shabbat ends some 40-50 minutes after sunset, depending on the time of year.The Shulhan Aruch (Yoreh De’a 261), however, follows a different opinion regarding the conclusion of the Halachic day. He accepts the position of Rabbenu Tam (Rav Yaakob Tam, France, 1100-1171), who ruled that the point which we call sunset begins the onset of Halachic sunset, which concludes only 58.5 minutes later. Only then does the 13.5-minute period of Ben Ha’shemashot begin, such that the onset of Halachic night does not occur until 72 minutes after sunset. The Shulhan Aruch rules that one can begin Shabbat anytime on Friday evening until close to one hour after sunset (though several minutes must be added for Tosefet Shabbat). This would mean that if, in the summertime, the sun sets at 8:28pm, one may accept Shabbat as late as 9:20pm or so.Of course, common practice does not follow this opinion, and requires accepting Shabbat before sunset, just as common practice does not follow this opinion with regard to the end of Shabbat, and does not require waiting until 72 minutes after sunset to end Shabbat. However, Hacham Ovadia Yosef writes (in Yabia Omer, vol. 2, and in Yalkut Yosef) that it is proper for those who are meticulous in their Halachic observance to follow this stringency when it comes to ending Shabbat. Violating Shabbat constitutes a capital offense, and Hacham Ovadia counts no fewer than 30 Rishonim (Medieval sages) who agree with Rabbenu Tam’s understanding of the conclusion of the Halachic day. And so, although common practice follows the Geonim’s view, those who seek to be meticulous in their Halachic observance should follow Rabbenu Tam’s view, and end Shabbat only 72 minutes after sundown. Hacham Ovadia writes that this applies primarily to acts which are forbidden on Shabbat by force of Torah law. Due the special gravity of Shabbat desecration, these acts should, preferably, not be performed until 72 minutes after sundown. When it comes to acts that are forbidden only Mi’de’rabbanan (by force of Rabbinic enactment), there is greater room to permit ending Shabbat 40-50 minutes after sundown.Hacham Ovadia notes that a number of prominent Poskim made an effort to impress upon people the importance of delaying the end of Shabbat until 72 minutes after sundown. Some, such as Rav Haim Abulafia and Rav Shmuel Laniado imposed a Herem (edict of excommunication) upon those who ended Shabbat earlier. Hacham Ovadia said that he would not go that far in enforcing this policy, but he does encourage people to follow this opinion of Rabbenu Tam and many other Rishonim. Other prominent Rabbis who urged people to adhere to this ruling include Hacham Eliyahu Shama Ha’levi (Chief Rabbi of Aleppo, d. 1814), Rav Yosef Haim Sonnenfeld (1848-1932), and Rav Isser Zalman Meltzer (1870-1953).Rav Yaakob Paragi (17th century), a Rabbi in Egypt, wrote in a responsum that he tried for 50 years to convince his community to end Shabbat according to the view of Rabbenu Tam, but not even his wife followed this practice. He finally decided to give up, until he was told in a dream that this is an important matter that is worth continuing to advocate for. Hacham Shalom Mesas (Morocco-Jerusalem, 1909-2003), interestingly enough, disagreed with Hacham Ovadia in this regard, insisting that it is perfectly legitimate to follow the widely-accepted custom, and that there was no need to urge people to follow the stringent view of Rabbenu Tam. But Hacham Ovadia countered that since so many Rishonim agreed with Rabbenu Tam, and we are dealing with the possibility of Shabbat desecration, stringency on this matter should be encouraged.(There is a separate question as to whether Rabbenu Tam’s view requires waiting 72 minutes, or if perhaps he requires waiting longer during the summer months. Hacham Ovadia seems to imply that in the summertime, Rabbenu Tam requires waiting as much as 90 minutes after sunset. This issue, however, requires a separate discussion.)Summary: The accepted custom is to end Shabbat in the Tri-State Area around 40-50 minutes after sunset. Although this is an acceptable practice, it is proper to refrain at least from activities which are forbidden on Shabbat on the level of Torah law until 72 minutes after sunset.

Aggadeta: Rabbi Benzion Meir Chai Uziel - Twin Sisters: Aggadah and Halachah (Part 2) - Class 12 Class highlights: Our rabbis cursed preachers who used Aggadah to show off; those who reveal the secrets of creation to disparage their Creator; Torah is supposed to give us a wondrous name among the nations, though the way some teach Aggadeta accomplishes the exact opposite; the importance of verifying Halachic concepts with those not yet tainted by incorrect Jewish opinions; the Geonim teach that we must learn how to accept certain Aggadot while rejecting others; explaining to the King of Kuzar why our Chachamim intentionally recorded unusual teachings of Aggadah; and more! (6/25/2020) — The Shiviti Night Kollel is expanding with a brand-new Talmud Track! Join us as we delve into the non-Halachic segments of the Talmud, otherwise known as Aggadeta! — Google Classroom Please email info@shiviti.org if you wish to join the Google Classroom. Please do not join the Classroom out of curiosity as inactive members will be removed. — Rabbi Yonatan Halevy's official YouTube channel! Subscribe for the newest audio and video coming out of Shiviti/Kehillat Shaar HaShamayim!

The custom in many communities, including ours, is to allow reciting the Arbit prayer early, before sundown, during the summer months, especially on Friday night. How exactly does this work, and under what circumstances is this permitted?The primary source of this discussion is the Mishna in Masechet Berachot which brings a famous dispute between Rabbi Yehuda and the other Sages in identifying the point at which one can no longer recite Minha, and can already recite Arbit. According to the majority opinion, this point is sundown. This means that one may recite Minha until sundown, and may not recite Arbit before sundown. Rabbi Yehuda, however, maintains that this transition occurs earlier, at the time known as Pelag Ha’minha. This view is more stringent in that it requires reciting Minha before Pelag Ha’minha, but more lenient in that it allows reciting Arbit already at Pelag Ha’minha.The Gemara, interestingly enough, concludes that one is able to choose which view to follow in this regard. If one wishes, he can follow the view permitting the recitation of Minha until sundown and requiring the recitation of Arbit after sundown, or the view requiring the recitation of Minha before Pelag Ha’minha and allowing the recitation of Arbit already at Pelag Ha’miha.The Shulhan Aruch brings the Gemara’s conclusion as the Halacha (Orah Haim 233:1), but he adds that the custom is to follow the majority opinion, which permits reciting Minha until sunset, but requires reciting Arbit only from sunset. As such, the Shulhan Aruch writes, one should not recite Arbit before sunset, except in a She’at Ha’dahak – situations of dire need.Many communities, however, including ours, do not follow this custom mentioned by the Shulhan Aruch, and permit reciting Arbit before sundown. According to our custom, it is acceptable, even Le’hatehila (optimally), to recite Arbit before sundown, as long as it is recited after Pelag Ha’minha.The Mishna Berura (Rav Yisrael Meir Kagan of Radin, 1839-1933) adds a crucially important point, noting that one must ensure not recite both Minha and Arbit in an inherently self-contradictory manner. If one recites both Minha and Arbit within the period between Pelag Ha’minha and sundown, then he is following neither Rabbi Yehuda nor the majority opinion. According to Rabbi Yehuda, he is reciting Minha later the final time for Minha, and according to the majority opinion, he is reciting Arbit before the earliest time for Arbit. Therefore, one who wishes to recite Arbit before sundown must ensure to recite Minha that day before Pelag Ha’minha.However, many synagogues – including synagogues in our community – have the practice of reciting both Minha and Arbit within the period between Pelag Ha’minha and sunset. This practice is based upon the custom mentioned by the Magen Abraham (Rav Abraham Gombiner, 1633-1683), who explains (233:6) that a synagogue is allowed to recite both prayers within this period, due to the concern that people would not return to the synagogue for Arbit. Since people might not return after sundown for Arbit, a special dispensation was made for congregations allowing them to recite both Minha and Arbit between Pelag Ha’minha and sundown, despite the inherent contradiction of such a practice. Significantly, Rav Yisrael Yaakov Algazi (Turkey-Jerusalem, 1680-1757), in his work Shalmeh Sibur, writes that this was the practice of the Arizal (Rav Yishak Luria, Safed, 1534-1572). This custom was also observed in Baghdad, as mentioned by the Ben Ish Hai (Rav Yosef Haim, 1833-1909), in Parashat Vayakhel (Shana Alef, 7).It must be emphasized, however, that this practice is acceptable only when praying together with a Minyan. If one prays privately, and he wishes to recite Arbit before sundown, he must ensure to recite Minha before Pelag Ha’miha.The Ben Ish Hai makes an exception for women, who, due to their obligations in the home, are very busy and thus less flexible when it comes to their prayer schedule. Just as Halacha permits a congregation to recite both Minha and Arbit in the period between Pelag Ha’minha and sunset due to the difficulty involved in forcing the congregants to return after sundown, the Ben Ish Hai similarly permits women to recite both prayers during this period.There is some discussion as to whether there is perhaps greater room for leniency on Friday afternoon. The Shulhan Aruch, who – as we saw earlier – generally discourages reciting Arbit before sunset, writes (267:2) that it is permissible to recite Arbit earlier on Friday night. The Magen Abraham explains this ruling based on the Gemara’s teaching that the evening Arbit prayer corresponds to the placing of animal sacrifices on the altar in the Bet Ha’mikdash. Although no sacrifices were slaughtered in the Bet Ha’mikdash at night, the sacrifices which had been slaughtered during the day would be placed on the altar at night to be burned, and our evening Arbit service corresponds to that stage of the sacrificial offerings. On Friday night, however, it was forbidden in the Bet Ha’mikdash to place on the altar the sacrifices which had been slaughtered on Friday; this had to be done before sundown. Correspondingly, the Magen Abraham explains, we recite Arbit earlier on Friday evening than we do during the week.Would there be greater room for leniency on Friday according to our custom, which permits reciting Arbit before sundown even during the week, but requires when praying privately not to recite both Minha and Arbit in the period between Pelag Ha’minha and sunset?A number of Poskim cite the Peneh Yehoshua (Rav Yaakov Yehoshua Falk, Germany, 1680-1756) as claiming that one may, indeed, be lenient on Friday night, and recite both Minha and Arbit during this period, even when praying in private. He contends that on Friday night, once one accepts Shabbat, he establishes that Halachic "night" has begun. And thus, even if one recited Minha after Pelag Ha’minha, following the majority view, by accepting Shabbat he begins the nighttime even though the sun has not set, even according to the majority view. The Peneh Yehoshua’s position is cited by the Magen Abraham, who writes that one should not rely on this leniency. However, the Aruch Ha’shulhan (Rav Yechiel Michel Epstein of Nevarduk, 1829-1908) writes (233:3) that one may, indeed, rely on this view, and recite Minha and Arbit between the period of Pelag Ha’minha and sundown on Friday night, even when praying privately.In practice, one should not rely on this leniency, and so if one prays privately, and he wishes to recite Arbit before sundown, even on Friday night, then he must recite Minha before Pelag Ha’minha.Rav Yisrael Bitan (contemporary) writes that an exception may be made if one forgot on Friday to recite Minha before Pelag Ha’minha, and forcing his family to wait for him to recite Arbit after sundown would cause a great deal of inconvenience, and thus compromise Shalom Bayit (marital harmony). In the summertime, waiting until sundown to recite Arbit on Friday night means delaying the meal until a very late hour, which could make the family unhappy, and therefore, in the interest in maintaining peace and joy in the home, one may rely on the Aruch Ha’shulhan’s ruling if he forgot to recite Minha before Pelag Ha’minha on Friday. It must be emphasized that even though Arbit may be recited early, as discussed, the Torah obligation to recite the nighttime Shema may be fulfilled only after Set Ha’kochabim (nightfall), defined as either 72 minutes after sundown (according to Rabbenu Tam) or 40 minutes after sundown (according to the Geonim). Therefore, even when one is allowed to recite Arbit early, he must remember to repeat Shema later at night, after dark. This applies as well to Sefirat Ha’omer.Summary: According to our community’s custom, one may, if he so wishes, recite Arbit before sundown, as early as Pelag Ha’minha. However, if one is praying privately, and he wishes to recite Arbit before sundown, he must ensure to recite Minha before Pelag Ha’minha. This is in contrast to a Minyan, which is permitted to recite both Minha and Arbit in between Pelag Ha’miha and sunset. Women may also recite Minha and Arbit within this period, if their schedules do not allow reciting Minha before Pelag Ha’minha. On Friday, if a man is praying privately and he forgot to recite Minha before Pelag Ha’minha, he may recite Arbit before sundown if waiting until sundown to begin Arbit would cause his family great inconvenience. It must be emphasized that if one recites Arbit before Set Ha’kochabim (nightfall), he must repeat Keriat Shema (and count the Omer) after Set Ha’kochabim.

How did the Babylonian Talmud become a fixed, closed book, the most influential one in the Jewish world? In this episode, we discuss the final layers of interpretation and editing that made it into the Talmud. We’ll also see how the influence of the Geonim, the heads of the Babylonian academies, together with immigration, spread the authority of the Babylonian Talmud to even far-flung Jewish communities. Lastly, we reflect on how the process of interpreting the Talmud continues through the medieval period and into our own day.Credits:Produced by Rabbi Tim BernardCover art: Rabbi Tim BernardTheme music: Stock media provided by u19_studios / Pond5

The history of the Geonic Rabbinate. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mendelp/support

The Special Shabbat Kedushah During the musaf prayer service on Shabbat, we recite a special kedushah prayer, which is lengthier than, and considerably different from, the standard weekday kedushah . This is true in both the Ashkenazic and Sephardic traditions, notwithstanding the differences between the text of the kedushah in these traditions. The Kolbo explains that the difference between the texts of the weekday kedushah and the special Shabbat kedushah reflects a fundamental difference between these recitations. On weekdays, we say that we recite the kedushah כנועם שיח סוד שרפי קודש – like the beautiful words of the angels, who sing kedushah in the heavens. This means that the primary kedushah is sung by the angels, and we merely follow their example. On Shabbat, however, we recite our own kedushah , so-to-speak. We are not just mimicking the kedushah of the angels, but rather reciting a kedushah prayer that is all our own. The Seventh Wing The Kolbo develops this idea further by noting the Midrash's comment that the angels all have six wings, and each wing is used to sing on each day of the week. On Shabbat, the angels wonder how they will sing praise to Hashem, as they do not have a seventh wing with which to sing on this day. Hashem tells them that they do not need a seventh wing on Shabbat, because on this day, Am Yisrael is the “wing”; we are the ones assigned the task of singing praise to Hashem on Shabbat. Shabbat is our special day, when we assume the role assigned by the angels the rest of the week, and we sing the primary songs of praise on this day. The Kolbo cites in this context the pasuk in Yeshayahu (24:16), מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו – “We have heard songs from the corner [or ‘wing'] of the Earth.” This means that on Shabbat, the primary songs of praise are heard not in the heavens, but rather from the Earth, where Am Yisrael assumes the role of the כנף – the wing in charge of singing praise to G-d. (Interestingly, the Torat Haim commentary to Masechet Sanhedrin explains on this basis the famous comment of the Midrash that each day of the week has a “partner,” and the partner of the seventh day, Shabbat, is the Jewish People. The conventional understanding is that each pair of days are partners of one another, and Shabbat, the seventh, is left without a partner, so Am Yisrael is assigned as its partner. The Torat Haim , however, explains that each day of the week has an angel's wing associated with it, which is responsible for singing Hashem's praises on that day, but the “wing” of Shabbat is not in the heavens, but here on Earth, as Am Yisrael assumes this role on Shabbat.) This role results in our assuming a unique stature of importance on Shabbat, which exceeds even that of the angels. Moshe Rabbenu tells Beneh Yisrael in Sefer Devarim, את ה' האמרת היום...וה' האמירך היום – “You have elevated Hashem today…and Hashem has elevated you today.” The Or Zarua (2:4) explains the word היום (“today”) in this pasuk as referring to Shabbat. On Shabbat, we “elevate” Hashem through our beautiful songs of praise, and as a result of this role which we fill, Hashem “elevates” us to a lofty stature high above the stature of the heavenly angels. שמע ישראל Somewhat mysteriously, the special kedushah recited during the Shabbat musaf prayer includes the pasuk , שמע ישראל ה' אלוקינו ה' אחד . Why is this verse added to the kedushah on Shabbat? How is this relevant to kedushah ? The common reason given for the inclusion of this pasuk , as the Kolbo and others explain (citing Rav Sar Shalom, one of the Geonim ), is that there was a period when the authorities forbade the Jews from reciting שמע ישראל , and guards were posted in the synagogues on Shabbat to enforce this edict. In order not to miss this important mitzvah , communities inserted the recitation of שמע ישראל in the kedushah of musaf , as the guards left the synagogues by that late stage in the service. The Rabbis decided to maintain this custom even after the edict was lifted as a commemoration of this miracle. There may, however, also be a deeper connection between שמע ישראל and the kedushah of musaf . The Gemara in Masechet Hagigah (3a) discusses the aforementioned verse in Sefer Devarim – את ה' האמרת...וה' האמירך – and explains it to mean that we “elevate” G-d through our recitation of שמע ישראל , and He “elevates” us by declaring, ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ – “Who is like Your nation, Yisrael, a singular nation on Earth.” It emerges, then, that the special “song” with which we give praise to Hashem on Shabbat, when we take over this responsibility from the angels, is the pasuk of שמע ישראל . Therefore, we insert this pasuk into the kedushah on Shabbat, which reflects the special status we attain on Shabbat, when we assume the role of singing praise, primarily through the verse of שמע ישראל . Moreover, the Gemara in Masechet Hulin observes that Am Yisrael are, in a sense, greater than the angels, as demonstrated by the different praises we give to Hashem. The angels, when they sing praise, declare, קדוש קדוש קדוש ה' , uttering G-d's Name after reciting three words, whereas we sing praise by declaring, שמע ישראל ה' – uttering G-d's Name after just two words. And thus the pasuk of שמע ישראל expresses Am Yisrael 's special stature which exceeds that of the angels, and which is underscored specifically on Shabbat. Appropriately, then, we add the pasuk of שמע ישראל in our Shabbat musaf prayer. The notion that Am Yisrael rises to a special stature through Shabbat observance is highlighted by a passage in the Midrash cited by Tosafot , commenting on the Gemara in Hagigah. The Midrash comments that Am Yisrael and Hashem proclaim the greatness of Shabbat; Am Yisrael and Shabbat proclaim the greatness of Hashem; and Shabbat and Hashem proclaim the greatness of Am Yisrael . Tosafot comment that for this reason we recite in our Minhah prayer on Shabbat, ומי כעמך ישראל גוי אחד בארץ – Hashem's declaration of the Jewish People's singularity. When we observe Shabbat and use it as a time for praising Hashem, He, in turn, praises us, and proclaims our unique stature, which exceeds even that of the angels. Waiting for the Tzadik Earlier, we cited the pasuk from Sefer Yeshayahu that is understood as an allusion to Am Yisrael 's role as the “wing” that gives praise on Shabbat: מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו – “We have heard songs from the corner of the Earth.” This pasuk concludes with the words, צבי לצדיק – “yearning for the tzadik .” The Hid”a, citing one of the famous Kabbalists, explains this phrase based on a comment of the Midrash ( Yalkut Shimoni , Lech-Lecha) regarding the five special letters that appear differently when they are situated at the end of the word. The letters מ,נ,צ,פ,כ have a different form when they appear at the end of the word – ם,ן,ץ,ף,ך . The Midrash comments that all these letters are associated with a form of גאולה (redemption), and it cites pesukim in which each letter appears twice within a phrase. The letter כ' appears twice in the phrase ל ך -ל ך (Bereshit 12:1); מ' appears twice in כי עצמת ממ נו (Bereshit 26:16); נ' appears in הציל נ י נ א (Bereshit 32:12); פ' in פ קד פ קדתי (Shemot 3:16); and צ' in צ מח שמו ומתחתיו י צ מח (Zecharyah 6:12). These pairs, the Midrash explains, allude to the “double” quality of these letters, that they have two different forms in which they are written. Now the first three of these pesukim refer to Hashem's assistance to the patriarchs, and the fourth refers to the Exodus from Egypt . These four are all redemptions that have already occurred. The fifth, however, the pasuk associated with the letter tzadik ( צ' ), speaks of the final redemption for which we still yearn. Accordingly, the phrase צבי לצדיק has been explained to mean that we yearn for the tzadik , for the fulfillment of the pasuk צ מח שמו ומתחתיו י צ מח , when our final redemption will unfold. This will happen in the merit of מכנף הארץ זמירות שמענו , our utilizing Shabbat as a time to give praise to Hashem, fulfilling the role assigned to us to serve as the “wing,” the instrument of praise, on this special day. Appropriately, then, after we recite שמע ישראל in the kedushah on Shabbat, we add a prayer for redemption: והוא יושיענו ויגאלנו . We ask that in the merit of our proclaiming שמע ישראל , our fulfilling our role of giving praise to Hashem on Shabbat, He should bring us our long-awaited redemption, speedily and in our days, אמן .

This week we take a look at Semicha (ordination). How it began, what it was needed for, and when did it end. An exciting journey through history! Listen now! Show Notes and Links Click here for an article in Hebrew with the letters from the Geonim. Please take the survey to help me help you! […] The post Pinchas – Ending Ordination – Episode 35 appeared first on Torah Discoveries.

The advent of Islam in the seventh century brought profound economic changes to the Middle East and to the Jews living there. The Talmud, written in and for an agrarian society, was in many ways ill-equipped for the new economy. In the early Islamic period, the Babylonian Geonim made accommodations through their responsa, through occasional taqqanot, and especially by applying the concept that custom can be a source of law. Not previously noticed, in the Mishneh Torah Maimonides made his own efforts to update the halakha through codification. Mark R. Cohen's new book Maimonides and the Merchants suggests that, like the Geonim before him, Maimonides wished to provide Jewish merchants an alternative and comparable forum to the Islamic legal system and thereby shore up an important cornerstone of communal autonomy.

The geonic period, politics and power, and R Yitzhak al-Fassi

The geonic period, politics and power, and R Yitzhak al-Fassi

The Geonic Era spanned for more than 400 years. During this time, the great Yeshivas in Babylon, Sura and Pumpedisa, were universally recognized as the epicenter of Jewish life. Its heads, known as Geonim, together with the political leader of the nation, the Reish Galusa, led the people with great skill. In this episode we look […]

The story of the Geonim takes shape at about the same time as the Islamic Empire overruns much of the world, bringing the majority of Jews under their rule. Under the relatively tolerant rule of the Caliphate, the Jewish world flourished and an entire epoch of Torah greatness blossomed. During this period, the Talmud calcified its status […]

**To receive Rabbi Ovadia's daily email, please email Rabbiovadia613@gmail.com w/ name, location & intro.**The focus of the program will be on the development and methodology of Halakha, and providing participants with tools of critical thinking and analysis, so they will be able to decide Halakha in their own, whether for personal or communal purposes. With that goal in mind, courses will cover the full spectrum of rabbinic literature including: Tanakh, Mishna, Talmud, Midrash, the writings of the Geonim and Rishonim, the Shulhan Arukh and its commentaries, and finally modern Halakhic decisors. Also covered in course work will be the place of philosophical, psychological and Kabbalistic thought on the Halakhic process.Each subject will be examined with its relationship to the Halakhic process and with its context within the Jewish world at the time of its creation or publication. Thus, for example, we will deal with the question of the role of Midrash in Halakha, or with the question of the status of the Shulhan Arukh and whether it was globally accepted.In the first session of the first course we discuss the differences between the first two chapters of Beresheet and what they come to teach us. Also discussed is Rashi's commentary on the Torah and how authoritative it is.

**To receive Rabbi Ovadia's daily email, please email Rabbiovadia613@gmail.com w/ name, location & intro.**The focus of the program will be on the development and methodology of Halakha, and providing participants with tools of critical thinking and analysis, so they will be able to decide Halakha in their own, whether for personal or communal purposes. With that goal in mind, courses will cover the full spectrum of rabbinic literature including: Tanakh, Mishna, Talmud, Midrash, the writings of the Geonim and Rishonim, the Shulhan Arukh and its commentaries, and finally modern Halakhic decisors. Also covered in course work will be the place of philosophical, psychological and Kabbalistic thought on the Halakhic process.Each subject will be examined with its relationship to the Halakhic process and with its context within the Jewish world at the time of its creation or publication. Thus, for example, we will deal with the question of the role of Midrash in Halakha, or with the question of the status of the Shulhan Arukh and whether it was globally accepted.In the first session of the first course we discuss the differences between the first two chapters of Beresheet and what they come to teach us. Also discussed is Rashi's commentary on the Torah and how authoritative it is.