Shiurim Categories: Torah

OU-JLIC Founding Director, Rabbi Menachem Schrader, speaks about the the essence of the mitzvah of zechirat yetziat mitzrayim according to the Ramban.

Rav Schrader’s Mekorot Ketubot Ketubot 2

OU-JLIC at Yale's Rabbi Noah Cheses provides a guide to Pesach laws and preparation.

Here are Rabbi Schrader's Perushei Breishit in Hebrew and in English.

Here are Rabbi Schrader's Mekorot for Masechet Berachot, attached.

Here are Rabbi Schrader's Mekorot for Masechet Ketubot, attached.

Here are Rabbi Schrader's Mekorot for Masechet Shabbat, attached.

Check out Rabbi Aaron Greenberg’s Shiur on the Kosher Kitchen on KosherTube: Kosher Kitchen

The Mishkan is a microcosm of the universe. In Kedushah, we quote the angels in prasing Hashem, stating “Kadosh kadosh kadosh Hashem Tsvakot mlo chol haaretz kvodo.” From the angels’ perspective, Hashem’s extreme holiness results in the whole of the universe filling up with his glory. We also say this praise several times daily, quoting the angels. Yet we do […]

by Rabbi Ben Greenberg JLIC @ Harvard Hillel 1. Talmud Bavli, Shabbat 23a אשה ודאי מדליקה, דאמר רבי יהושע בן לוי: נשים חייבות בנר חנוכה, שאף הן היו באותו הנס A woman definitely lights as R. Yehoshua ben Levi said: Women are obligated in Chanukah lighting, for they too were within the miracle. 2. Rashi, […]

by Rabbi Rothstein

Genesis 8:21-22 בראשית פרק ח And the Lord smelled the pleasant aroma, and the Lord said to Himself, “I will no longer curse the earth because of man, for the imagination of man’s heart is evil from his youth, and I will no longer smite all living things as I have done. So long as […]

Practical Shabbat Halakha שמות פרק לא 12. The Lord spoke to Moses, saying: 13. “And you, speak to the children of Israel and say: ‘Only keep My Sabbaths! For it is a sign between Me and you for your generations, to know that I, the Lord, make you holy. 14. Therefore, keep the Sabbath, for […]

I. “The Daf” See Pesachim 2a II. Going Inside Mishnah in Tractate Pesachim 2a תלמוד בבלי מסכת פסחים דף ב עמוד א משנה. אור לארבעה עשר בודקין את החמץ לאור הנר. כל מקום שאין מכניסין בו חמץ – אין צריך בדיקה. ובמה אמרו שתי שורות במרתף – מקום שמכניסין בו חמץ, בית שמאי אומרים: שתי […]

Shiur by Rabbi Elliot Kaplowitz, 11/18/08 Download source sheet heref

By Shira Klayman, Sophomore

Special article from the Mitzpeh, the UMD Jewish Student Newspaper on the Mitzvah of Orlah, by Rabbi Eli Kohl.

When looking at the calendar this week, Nadav laughed and said, ?Abba, it?s Cow Shabbat!?

Mishna is after power to inflict capital punishment is gone. Discussion is theoretical. Is this rabbinic approval of development of situation where capital...

Source and Reason for Bishul Akum Eng is R. Brofsky The gemara (Avoda Zara 37B - 40A), after attempting to attribute the prohibition of bishul akum to a biblical source, concludes that bishul akum is prohibited "mi-derabbanan ve-kra esmachta be-alma" (the prohibition was legislated by the rabbis, but they made a textual connection in the Torah to support their enactment in the Torah)...

MISHNAH. THE FOLLOWING ARTICLES OF HEATHENS ARE PROHIBITED BUT THE PROHIBITION DOES NOT EXTEND TO ALL USE OF THEM:13 MILK WHICH A HEATHEN MILKED WITHOUT AN ISRAELITE WATCHING HIM, THEIR BREAD...

How to look at life, based on Megilat Esther. By Ben Goldberg, freshman

Towards the end of JRR Tolkien?s Lord of the Rings trilogy, there is an apocalyptic showdown between the forces of good and evil...

What did Betzalel do to deserve the great honor of "Cheif Architect" of the Mishkan? By Zev Schramm With special thanks to Rabbi Ari Kahn

In the laws of Torah Reading (Code of Jewish Law, Way of Life 147:1), R. Moshe Isserles, the famed Ashkenazic rabbi and Halachic decisor, comments that one should not use an ?old? item in order to cover...

What's the connection between the sin of the Golden Calf and building the Mishkan? By Jessie Leader, freshman

In the yeshiva in Israel where I did much of my Rabbinical studies, there was also a yeshiva program for young men who had just graduated high school. Needless to say...

It's not the same as playing with legos! By Yael Goldberg, freshman

The significance of the clothing of the Kohein Gadol By Rafi Karkowsky, senior

What's with the mitzvah to be happy during Adar? Where does this mitzvah come from, and what can we learn from it? Why is this commandment emphasized so much in Talmudic and Rabbinic sources? By Shira Klayman, sophomore

A teacher of mine once gave us a photocopy from an obscure publication from the early 1950?s. Out of sheer laziness (or, peace of mind) he neglected to trim off a small (unrelated) d?var Torah on the margin of the page. Out of boredom (or, restless curiosity)...

How can we find meaning in the seemingly dry, boring, descriptions of the vessels of the Temple? By Noam Heller, junior

The Ra?avad (R. Avraham ibn Daud, 13th c.) was one of Provence?s great Jewish scholars. In the introduction to his book Ba?alei Nefesh (which is about the relationship between a husband and wife) he describes the motivation for...

Article by: Shifra Baronofsky Gender and Education is a very sensitive topic within Judaism. From the time of the Talmud in the early first millennium until only a few decades ago...

D'vrei torah by: Shifra Baronofsky Rabbi Kaminetsky says Revenge. Though the Torah warns us against acting on our emotions, it's hard to control the desire. In fact...

D'vrei torah by: Hannah Grossman This week's parsha, Mikeitz, meaning "the end" continues the story of Yoseph's time in Egypt by beginning with "the end" of his imprisonment. When Pharaoh dreams of seven....

Yosef's tests of faith while in Egypt are lessons for us in overcoming our own personal tests of faith. By Tuvi Felt Hakohen, senior

My favorite image of OJ Simpson is a commercial he did for Hertz. Some poor woman has forgotten her ID at the checkout counterand is getting on the plane. OJ sprints broken-field through ...

Life of Pi is a beautiful and well-crafted story, with strong overtones of Hemingway's Old Man and the Sea. But it also reminds me of the story of our sidra this week, the story of Noach and the Mabbul, the Flood or Deluge.

Wednesday is the holiday of Hoshana Rabba, an obscure and little-recognized moment in the Jewish calendar. Few people are aware that it is one of the holiest days of the year -- a day akin to Yom Kippur. It is the last day of Sukkot and it is the day on which the land of Israel is judged for water.

On Simchat Torah, we read the verse "The Torah was commanded to us by Moshe, a morasha (inheritance) to the congregation of Yaakov." It is interesting that the Torah uses the word morasha and not yerusha (which also means inheritance).... by Rivka Weiss, sophomore