Audio RoundupLatest Essays
Audio Roundup 2025:33
by Joel Rich
From hakira:
In your experience, does emunah require more than pure rationality?
R. Schachter: Yes. just as rationality is enough for the fact that George Washington was the president of the United States. It is basic history.
Similarly, our people know this (the ikkarei emunah) from our historica historical tradition. The experiential aspect (as discussed above), of ley-da of hitabrut , makes one’s emunah even stronger. But even without the historical tradition, rationality alone is sufficient
Thoughts?
Times of Israel Blog
https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/at-what-cost-healing-from-internal-fissures-and-failure/ At what cost?
Healing from internal fissures and failure
2 snips
And then, October 7th. Like millions of others, I was thrust into visceral, unrelenting shock. It wasn’t just the tangible fear of terrorists breaking down my door; it was the collapse of my entire self-narrative. My ideology, my choices, the very framework through which I made sense of the world — all of it shattered overnight. I felt alienated, estranged from myself, as if a part of me no longer belonged, as if something fundamental no longer fit. I felt betrayed by my own naïve convictions.
There is a rent in the fabric of our national narrative that no amount of patching will repair. We need to acknowledge the losses, and not rush to mend them. We have no choice but to face the unbearable truth of what has changed.
So today, I sit among the remnants of my shattered ideology and the ruins of my naïve dreams. Today, I allow myself to be broken. Today, I cry. Today, I mourn. Today, I refuse to let go of the images of the burning children and emaciated hostages. Today I reflect on our moral imperatives so that history will not return to haunt us in the future.
Tomorrow, we begin again.
Me- Maybe it’s the weight of age, but to me it’s a continuation of a national narrative that has ups and downs spiraling towards the eternal people’s fulfilling their destiny. If you have a chance to read the piece, please comment.
- Rabbi Dovid Miller-Halacha and Morality: The View of the Rav R ybs differentiated between halacha (naaseh vnishma= uniform definitions) and morality (zeh keili vanveihu = based on the individual). Examples discussed (eg bet hillel and shamai on zachar et yom hashabbat – it is about being prepared for the future (beit shammai) or not fearing an uncertain future (beit hillel?). R ybs felt there is no generalized psak in these cases of morality, rather it’s dependent on the individual’s “feeling” (TBD what is the source of the differences). R y salanter felt there could be psak in these cases r dessler is somewhat unclear.
- Rabbi Yosie Levine-Our Enduring Relationship with the Dead: Yahrzeit in Halakhah and History Review of yahrtzeit sources and practices. Is it for the benefit of the living or the dead? It’s really about how much we miss the person.
- Rabbi Howard Apfel-Personal Chumrahs, Does One Size Fit All Life is about balance. Accepting chumrot requires seeking a balance of yira and ahava, not being OCD, and knowing what level you’re on.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Building and Guarding the Beis Hamikdash How does the machloket concerning the focus of the bet mikdash between the Rambam (karbanot) and the Ramban (hasharat shechina) inform on the miztva (mitzot) of making keilim for the bet Mikdash? Bottom line – cherish kdusha and HKBH will send more of it.
- Host: Ari Wasserman,Rabbi Dovid Ostroff,Mrs. Chani Juravel.Rabbi Anthony Manning,with Rabbi Larry Rothwachs-8/9/25 – Shiur 523 – Tznius Standards: Clear Halacha or Personal Interpretation? What’s Required and Why It’s Being Ignored Tzniut is a broad positive life concept and should be taught as such rather than as a bunch of got-yas. Thoughtful messaging is crucial.
- Rabbi Shay Schachter-Facing the Ruins: Denialism and the Failure to Internalize the Abstract It’s not so easy to internalize the message HKBH sends us since we’re often in denial (eg us jewry and secular university choices).
- Rabbi Moshe Kurtz-Unpacking the Igros: Rav Moshe’s Messiah Mentality Interesting question – how does/should halacha reflect the anticipation/probability/possibility of moshiach coming? (me-there are gemaras that deal with contingencies eg cohain gadol’s wife dying before yom kippur) (me-is there a disconnect between vaf al pi sheyitmameah and our actions? Our thoughts?)
- Rabbi Michael Taubes-Spiritual Resistance During Tragic Times: Recent Past and Present Stories of spiritual resistance from the shoa and gaza.
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Churban Aggadata 5785 Q&A including: YU kolel stipend for non-smicha students (need to encourage) (me-who allocates community resources?), bug checking standards (at what cost), burial in israel (give tzedakah instead), developing ahavas torah, and, relationships with rabbeim (important).
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Rabbi Lebowitz Q&A with CBY Kollel Discussion of specific active choices to make in order to capitalize on the positive inertia generated by ncsy kolel.
- Rabbi Jeffrey Saks-The First Jewish Grandfather Symposium of generations – nuff said!
- R’ Shraga Kallus-Talmud Torah The Only Commodity Insights into the hashkafa of talmud torah based on the halachot of talmud torah.
- Rabbi Moshe Benovitz,Rabbi Shai Kaminetzky-NCSY Kollel Yom Iyun – Tefillah: How to Make Davening More Inspiring and Productive Tips on how to make tfila more meaningful (hint – it has to be part of a prayerful life.)
- Rabbi Roy Feldman-The Meaning of Kiddush Is kiddush (zachor et yom hashabbat) more about individual preparation for shabbat or a historical affirmation of creation? Nakfa minas explored including early acceptance of shabbat and sitting or standing for kiddush.
- Rav Asher Weiss– ונשמרתם מאוד לנפשותיכם Is protecting one’s life (vnishmartem) a mitzvah duraita or drabanan? How much sakana is one allowed to bear? Is it defined situationally or objectively?
- Rabbi Aryeh Lebowitz-Answering YUr Shailos 2.3 Q&A including: common shabbat issues such as: early shabbat ( kriat shma and eating bread); tosefet shabbat; borer, using only cold water; minhagim where all ten are not physically (me-spiritually? 😊) on the same level (problem)l; going into a conservative synagogue building (marat ayin?); individual vs community minhag; struggling with emuna and tfila (sources of struggle usually are personal challenges or gaavah); hard to connect (tips-feel need, focus), proceeding when not all-in (slow and steady); how to return when feeling far (sometimes need to hit rock bottom); remember HKBH loves you; and, maintaining a spiritual life with all the distractions.
- Rabbi Howard Apfel-Ayin Hora Some see (pun intended) ayin hara as a human directed spiritual damage. R kook and r ybs saw it as a warp in the universal soul fabric which only attaches to those who define themselves through how others see them.
- Rabbi Mark Wildes-Judaism and Happiness Happiness is focusing on others and extending yourself to them.
- Rabbi Michael Taubes-Parshas VaEschanan “Should a Mezuzah be Enclosed in a Case?” Mzuza related issues discussed including who, where, materials, wrapping and hiddur.
- Rabbi Elchanan Adler-Lo Tenasu: What Does It Mean to Test Hashem? How do we understand not testing HKBH? Is it about ein somchin al hanes, not doing al minat lkabel pras, or not testing a navi? Are tzedeka/maser ksafim an exception to this rule?
- R’ Zev Smith-Am… Teffillah Insights into the importance of tfila and how to do it.
- Rabbi Moshe Sokoloff-Eating In Shul- Part 2 What if any are the exceptions to the rule of not eating in a shul? If mitzva eating is one, what constitutes a mitzvah for this purpose?
- R’ Lopinsky-Nesias Ol from Afar – Our Achrayos to Acheinu Bnei Yisroel The world is a complicated place. We (chareidim) must continually be nosai ol with all klal yisrael, pray for all klal yisrael (especially those who don’t pray), admire those who do fight and maintain our educational philosophy (separatism).
- R’ Lopinsky-Achdus When We Don’t Agree (with Q&A) We must try to see the other side as long as it’s a valid opinion (me-therin lies the rub). Both sides of the chareidi draft debate are being moser nefesh for what they believe.
- R’ Lopinsky-We Will Always Be Different (with Q&A) – Aish Gesher 5784 Q&A including: HKBH ensures we will be a nation separate from others, each generation has its own challenges, gun control), learning emuna, balancing differing priorities, dealing with emotional challenges and kiruv message will penetrate the Jewish heart.
- R’ Lopinsky-Redeeming Hostages in Halacha Review of the gemaras dealing with pidyon shvuyim, how does tosfot reconcile them and what’s the practical psak. Remember though that rules of war are different.
- עת צרה היא ליעקב וממנה יושע – The Torah outlook and our responsibility (Headlines) How should “we” understand what happened in gaza and how should ”we” react to it? Be nosei ol, try to feel the pain of others and change a bit (me-and practically pitch in?)
- R’ Shraga Kallus-Contemporary Issues That All Need To Know Q&A including: drinking coffee during psukei dzimra (no), microblading (tattoo?), walking out during tehilim for the matzav (don’t), first responders putting selves in safek sakana (OK), lending money to finance church construction (OK), taking nerdarim (don’t), Emunah vs bitachon, checking non-smelly diapers when about to do mitzvah (not required), automatic stock sales on shabbat (avoid), contact solution on shabbat (OK), schnitzel w/DE soy milk (bidieved), pesach programs with Israelis in chu”l (two days), Jewish music today (problem) and post pesach chametz purchase returns (TBD).
- Rabbi Moshe Kurtz-82. Rabbi Dr. Norman Lamm’s Halachic Heroism – Feat. R. Dr. Tzvi Sinensky Biographies of R lamm and discussion of his approach to halacha and hashkafa. Specific discussion of a tshuva allowing non shomer shabbat cohanim to duchen as well as his definition of torah umada.
- Rabbi Moshe Kurtz-81. A Psak Heard Round the World: Are We Facing Jerusalem or the Congo? – Feat. R. Yosef Weisenfeld Review of the mateh moshe’s professional journey in the usa and his tshuva on which way to face (both in shul construction and on an individual basis)(the whole great circle thing).
Please direct any informal comments to [email protected].