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In this episode, Rabbi Jeffrey Saks delves into the intriguing world of Chalitza, a Jewish law procedure for dissolving a levirate marriage, through the lens of the Maharsham's Responsum (1:14). This complex case involves a hot air balloon ride, obscure texts, and an exclusive revelation about the Nobel laureate Shai Agnon's potential influence from this case. Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the founding director of ATID – The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education, in Jerusalem, and its WebYeshiva.org program. He is the Editor of the journal Tradition, Director of Research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem, and teaches at Midreshet Amudim. A three-time graduate of Yeshiva University (BA, MA, Semicha), Rabbi Saks has published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature and served as Series Editor of The S.Y. Agnon Library at The Toby Press.
What does it feel like when we feel commanded? How does it relate to anxiety and fulfillment? And would the world be better if rabbis had pointy sticks? My conversation with Rabbi Saks opened up many paths, questions, and thoughts. Take a few minutes and join us for a thought provoking conversation. Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the founding director of ATID – The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education and its WebYeshiva.org program. He is the Editor of the Tradition journal. Rabbi Saks is the Series Editor of The S.Y. Agnon Library at The Toby Press, and Director of Research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem. He edited Wisdom From All My Teachers: Challenges and Initiatives in Contemporary Torah Education (Urim); To Mourn a Child: Jewish Responses to Neonatal and Childhood Death (OU Press); and authored Spiritualizing Halakhic Education (Mandel Foundation). He has published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature.
Shmuel Yosef Agnon is one of the masters of modern Hebrew fiction, who helped to spark the revival of modern Hebrew literature in Israel and around the world. His work is not only beloved, but also profound, laden with many allusions to the vast canon of traditional Jewish text that shaped his literary imagination: one hears in Agnon's work echoes of the siddur, the Hebrew Bible, and an astonishing array of rabbinic literature. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature in 1966. Yesterday, Tikvah released a five-part, online video course introducing students to S.Y. Agnon's short stories, novels, and anthologies—writing that strengthened the Jewish people in those pivotal 20th-century years when the state of Israel was reborn. The course is taught by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, director of research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem, series editor of the S.Y. Agnon Library at the Toby Press, editor of the journal Tradition, and the founding director of the Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education – ATID. This week, we bring you the audio from the first episode of Rabbi Saks's forthcoming video course on the writings of Shay Agnon. To register for the course, go to tikvahfund.org/agnon. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble.
In episode 82 we speak with and learn a lot from Rabbi Ari Saks. Rabbi Saks talks to us about the cultural myths that couples face in their interfaith relationships. Particularly that interfaith relationships will inevitably lead to divorce and separation. We ask the question if interfaith relationships mean it's MORE likely or LESS likely for a couple to divorce? Rabbi Saks challenges that idea by teaching that differences can actually lead to a deeper relationship rather than division. Currently, Rabbi Saks is focusing his efforts on reaching out to interfaith families, primarily through his recently launched podcast “Interfaithing: Why families can embrace two faiths under one roof.” The podcast can be found on all podcast platforms. Rabbi Saks is also developing unique, online Adult Education curricula including “Torah Teachings for Jewish Grandparents of Interfaith Families” and “How Israel Should be Taught on College Campuses.” Finally, Rabbi Saks serves Torat Yisrael, a Conservative congregation in Rhode Island, on a part-time basis and serves pastoral needs for unaffiliated families in the Philadelphia area.
Happy New Year from Reflecting Light! Rather than rushing into the new year with resolutions, Mandy discusses greeting the new year with a sense of shabbat, rest, or a pause. Join us as she explores clues from the Gospel of Mark that exemplify how the Lord found rest and solace.
Rabbi Jeffrey Sacks is the co-founder of WebYeshiva.org, the leading online source for free Torah content with over 60 hours of new classes per week, the editor of RCA's Tradition Journal and one of the leading authorities on S.Y. Agnon. Join Rabbi Matanky as he talks with Rabbi Saks about all three of these major ventures and the impact they have had on his life and on world Jewry.
Following the success of our Koren in the Wild episode with Nachliel Selevan, we took the streets once again! Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, editor-in-chief of the Toby Press' S.Y. Agnon Library, was kind enough to give us a private tour of Beit Agnon - The Agnon House in Jerusalem where he also serves as director. S.Y. Agnon, born Shmuel Yosef Czaczkes, was recognized as a prodigy at a young age in his hometown of Buczacz in Galicia (modern-day Western Ukraine). He left home as a young man to resettle in Jaffa in 1908 where he lived a secular life as a writer in pre-state Israel. In search of some "real-life experience," he relocated to Germany in 1912 where, in 1924 he lost his home and library to fire and he took this as a sign that it was time to return to the Holy land with his family, this time settling in Jerusalem where he became a central figure in Israel's blossoming literary scene. Agnon's stories and poems explore themes of a people at a crossroads between the old world and the new. His writing earned him Israel's first Nobel Prize (and only prize for literature) in 1966. We concluded our tour with Rabbi Saks by sitting down for a conversation in Agnon's study, surrounded by his collection of more than 9,000, to talk about Agnon's legacy as a writing, Zionist figure, and religious Jew. Rabbi Saks extolls the religious value of studying Agnon's works, and we made a fascinating discovery in amongst the many, many volumes on the shelves. ________________________________________________________________ Useful Links: https://korenpub.com/collections/the-agnon-library https://agnonhouse.org.il/english/ www.korenpub.com | | | Get 10% off your next order from www.korenpub.com with code PODCAST at checkout. If you would like to contact us you can reach us on social media @KorenPublishers or via email, podcast@korenpub.com | | | This episode of the Koren Podcast is sponsored by WebYeshiva.org Sign-up for their free, live, and fully interactive online courses and classes, or apply to the advanced Halacha Mastery Program for men and women. Choose from over 20 hours of interactive weekly shiurim in Tanakh, Gemara, Halacha, Jewish thought, and more, taught by their amazing teachers – or access thousands of hours of archived courses. WebYeshiva.org continues the decades-long work by Rabbi Brovender as a pioneer of Torah learning for everyone, everywhere. Visit WebYeshiva.org today. Log in and learn. | | | The Koren Podcast was written and hosted by Aryeh Grossman and Alex Drucker and is edited and produced by Alex Drucker. The Koren Podcast is part of the Koren Podcast Network, a division of Koren Publishers Jerusalem. We are grateful to Rabbi Jeffrey Saks and Agnon House for graciously hosting us for this week's episode.
In this episode, I discuss Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik's essay 'Halakhic Man' with Rabbi Jeffrey Saks of ATID and webyeshiva.org. We discuss how the concept of the 'Halakhic Man' differs from the 'Scientific Man' and the 'Religious Man' as well as the other major themes in this work. Rabbi Saks also ran on online course on Halakhic Man which can be found here https://www.webyeshiva.org/course/halakhic-man/
Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970) was born in Buczacz, Eastern Galicia (now part of Ukraine). Yiddish was the language of his home, and Hebrew the language of the Bible and the Talmud which he studied formally until the age of nine. His knowledge of German literature came from his mother, and his love of the teachings of Maimonides and the Hassidim came from his father. In 1908 he left for Palestine, where, except for an extended stay in Germany from 1912 to 1924, he lived until his death. Agnon began writing stories when he was quite young. His first major publication, Hakhnasat Kalah (The Bridal Canopy), 1922, re-creates the golden age of Hassidism, and his apocalyptic novel, Oreach Nata Lalun (A Guest for the Night), 1939, depicts the ruin of Galicia after WWI. Much of Agnon’s other writing is set in Palestine. Israel’s early pioneers are portrayed in his epic Temol Shilshom (Only Yesterday), 1945, considered his greatest work, and in the surreal stories of Sefer Hamaasim (The Book of Deeds), 1932. Agnon also published work on the Jewish holy days Yamin Noraim (Days of Awe), 1938, on the giving of the Torah, Atem Reitem (Present at Sinai), 1959, and on the gathering of Hassidic lore, Sifreihem Shel Tzadikim (Books of the Righteous) and Sippurei HaBesht (Stories of the Baal Shem Tov), 1960-1961. Considered one of the greatest Hebrew writers, in 1966, Agnon was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the Director of Research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem and served as the Series Editor of The S.Y. Agnon Library at The Toby Press, now complete in 15 volumes. He is the founding director of The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education, in Jerusalem, and its WebYeshiva.org program. Rabbi Saks was recently appointed as Editor of Tradition, the premier journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published in English. After earning his BA, MA, and rabbinic degrees from Yeshiva University, Rabbi Saks moved to Israel and has served on the faculties of several high schools and yeshivot, edited several books, and published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature. Rabbi Saks lives in Efrat with his wife Ilana Goldstein Saks and their four children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970) was born in Buczacz, Eastern Galicia (now part of Ukraine). Yiddish was the language of his home, and Hebrew the language of the Bible and the Talmud which he studied formally until the age of nine. His knowledge of German literature came from his mother, and his love of the teachings of Maimonides and the Hassidim came from his father. In 1908 he left for Palestine, where, except for an extended stay in Germany from 1912 to 1924, he lived until his death. Agnon began writing stories when he was quite young. His first major publication, Hakhnasat Kalah (The Bridal Canopy), 1922, re-creates the golden age of Hassidism, and his apocalyptic novel, Oreach Nata Lalun (A Guest for the Night), 1939, depicts the ruin of Galicia after WWI. Much of Agnon’s other writing is set in Palestine. Israel’s early pioneers are portrayed in his epic Temol Shilshom (Only Yesterday), 1945, considered his greatest work, and in the surreal stories of Sefer Hamaasim (The Book of Deeds), 1932. Agnon also published work on the Jewish holy days Yamin Noraim (Days of Awe), 1938, on the giving of the Torah, Atem Reitem (Present at Sinai), 1959, and on the gathering of Hassidic lore, Sifreihem Shel Tzadikim (Books of the Righteous) and Sippurei HaBesht (Stories of the Baal Shem Tov), 1960-1961. Considered one of the greatest Hebrew writers, in 1966, Agnon was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the Director of Research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem and served as the Series Editor of The S.Y. Agnon Library at The Toby Press, now complete in 15 volumes. He is the founding director of The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education, in Jerusalem, and its WebYeshiva.org program. Rabbi Saks was recently appointed as Editor of Tradition, the premier journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published in English. After earning his BA, MA, and rabbinic degrees from Yeshiva University, Rabbi Saks moved to Israel and has served on the faculties of several high schools and yeshivot, edited several books, and published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature. Rabbi Saks lives in Efrat with his wife Ilana Goldstein Saks and their four children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970) was born in Buczacz, Eastern Galicia (now part of Ukraine). Yiddish was the language of his home, and Hebrew the language of the Bible and the Talmud which he studied formally until the age of nine. His knowledge of German literature came from his mother, and his love of the teachings of Maimonides and the Hassidim came from his father. In 1908 he left for Palestine, where, except for an extended stay in Germany from 1912 to 1924, he lived until his death. Agnon began writing stories when he was quite young. His first major publication, Hakhnasat Kalah (The Bridal Canopy), 1922, re-creates the golden age of Hassidism, and his apocalyptic novel, Oreach Nata Lalun (A Guest for the Night), 1939, depicts the ruin of Galicia after WWI. Much of Agnon’s other writing is set in Palestine. Israel’s early pioneers are portrayed in his epic Temol Shilshom (Only Yesterday), 1945, considered his greatest work, and in the surreal stories of Sefer Hamaasim (The Book of Deeds), 1932. Agnon also published work on the Jewish holy days Yamin Noraim (Days of Awe), 1938, on the giving of the Torah, Atem Reitem (Present at Sinai), 1959, and on the gathering of Hassidic lore, Sifreihem Shel Tzadikim (Books of the Righteous) and Sippurei HaBesht (Stories of the Baal Shem Tov), 1960-1961. Considered one of the greatest Hebrew writers, in 1966, Agnon was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the Director of Research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem and served as the Series Editor of The S.Y. Agnon Library at The Toby Press, now complete in 15 volumes. He is the founding director of The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education, in Jerusalem, and its WebYeshiva.org program. Rabbi Saks was recently appointed as Editor of Tradition, the premier journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published in English. After earning his BA, MA, and rabbinic degrees from Yeshiva University, Rabbi Saks moved to Israel and has served on the faculties of several high schools and yeshivot, edited several books, and published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature. Rabbi Saks lives in Efrat with his wife Ilana Goldstein Saks and their four children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shmuel Yosef Agnon (1888-1970) was born in Buczacz, Eastern Galicia (now part of Ukraine). Yiddish was the language of his home, and Hebrew the language of the Bible and the Talmud which he studied formally until the age of nine. His knowledge of German literature came from his mother, and his love of the teachings of Maimonides and the Hassidim came from his father. In 1908 he left for Palestine, where, except for an extended stay in Germany from 1912 to 1924, he lived until his death. Agnon began writing stories when he was quite young. His first major publication, Hakhnasat Kalah (The Bridal Canopy), 1922, re-creates the golden age of Hassidism, and his apocalyptic novel, Oreach Nata Lalun (A Guest for the Night), 1939, depicts the ruin of Galicia after WWI. Much of Agnon’s other writing is set in Palestine. Israel’s early pioneers are portrayed in his epic Temol Shilshom (Only Yesterday), 1945, considered his greatest work, and in the surreal stories of Sefer Hamaasim (The Book of Deeds), 1932. Agnon also published work on the Jewish holy days Yamin Noraim (Days of Awe), 1938, on the giving of the Torah, Atem Reitem (Present at Sinai), 1959, and on the gathering of Hassidic lore, Sifreihem Shel Tzadikim (Books of the Righteous) and Sippurei HaBesht (Stories of the Baal Shem Tov), 1960-1961. Considered one of the greatest Hebrew writers, in 1966, Agnon was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature. Rabbi Jeffrey Saks is the Director of Research at the Agnon House in Jerusalem and served as the Series Editor of The S.Y. Agnon Library at The Toby Press, now complete in 15 volumes. He is the founding director of The Academy for Torah Initiatives and Directions in Jewish Education, in Jerusalem, and its WebYeshiva.org program. Rabbi Saks was recently appointed as Editor of Tradition, the premier journal of Orthodox Jewish thought published in English. After earning his BA, MA, and rabbinic degrees from Yeshiva University, Rabbi Saks moved to Israel and has served on the faculties of several high schools and yeshivot, edited several books, and published widely on Jewish thought, education, and literature. Rabbi Saks lives in Efrat with his wife Ilana Goldstein Saks and their four children. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Shmuel Yosef Agnon was one of the giants of modern Hebrew literature. His short stories, novels, and anthologies reflected and shaped the national spirit of the Jewish people in an age that witnessed the rise of Zionism, the founding of Israel, and the horror of the Holocaust. In 1966, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first—and to this day the only—Hebrew writer to receive the honor. In this podcast, Tikvah’s Alan Rubenstein is joined by Rabbi Jeffrey Saks, one of the world’s most renowned scholars of Agnon, to discuss his life, work, and legacy. Rabbi Saks, the founding director of ATID, recently completed his work assembling the S.Y. Agnon Library—a collection of over a dozen English translations of Agnon’s writings—for the Toby Press. Rubenstein and Saks use two essays to frame their discussion: "S. Y. Agnon—The Last Hebrew Classic?" by Gershom Scholem (later published in Commentary as "Reflections on S.Y. Agnon") and "Agnon’s Shaking Bridge and the Theology of Culture" by Rabbi Saks. They discuss the differences between Agnon’s real life and his literary persona, the distinct features that make him such a unique Jewish writer, and the perils of reading Agnon both in Hebrew and in translation. Musical selections in this podcast are drawn from the Quintet for Clarinet and Strings, op. 31a, composed by Paul Ben-Haim and performed by the ARC Ensemble as well as “Baruch Habah,” performed by the choir of Congregation Shearith Israel.
Rabbi Saks talks with Rabbi Dr. Barry Kislowicz about his new book "Parenting in Perspective: Timeless Wisdom, Modern Applications" (Maggid Books, 2016) - http://a.co/1et1lpz
Rabbi Saks talks with Rabbi Dr. Barry Kislowicz about his new book "Parenting in Perspective: Timeless Wisdom, Modern Applications" (Maggid Books, 2016) - http://a.co/1et1lpz
Rabbi Saks talks with Michael Haruni, developer, translator and photographer of the new Siddur Nehalel about his conception for the integration of text and image to create a tool for kavvana. Visit www.nehalel.com for sample pages and more information about this important new siddur.
Rabbi Saks talks with Michael Haruni, developer, translator and photographer of the new Siddur Nehalel about his conception for the integration of text and image to create a tool for kavvana. Visit www.nehalel.com for sample pages and more information about this important new siddur.
Rabbi Saks discusses Rav Moshe Weinberger's new edition, translation and elucidation of Rav Kook's "Orot HaTeshuvah" entitled "Song of Teshuvah" with the book's translator and adaptor Yaacov Dovid Shulman.
Rabbi Saks discusses Rav Moshe Weinberger's new edition, translation and elucidation of Rav Kook's "Orot HaTeshuvah" entitled "Song of Teshuvah" with the book's translator and adaptor Yaacov Dovid Shulman.