New Series of Shiurim

Beginning next week I will be giving a new series of shiurim on WebYeshiva entitled "Who Wrote the Commentaries on the Talmud." The shiurim are broadcast live at 10:00pm (Israel time) on Wednesdays, and all shiurim are recorded and available for download by the day after the shiur. Previous series of shiurim that I have given on WebYeshiva are available via this link. Participants must register to join these classes, but all classes are free. So go ahead and sign up!

Here are the topics and personalities I will attempt to cover over the next 7 weeks. Anyone who has any interesting sources, or insights is welcome to contact me and share them. For me, these shiurim are learning as much as teaching, and I very much look forward to learning and teaching these classes.


Jan 16: History of Talmud
• We will look at the history of the Talmud, who were its authors, when was it first written down (and why) and the history of the various printings of the Talmud, and the geography of a page of Talmud.

Jan 23: What’s on the Page?
• We will look at the small commentaries and notes on the page of the Talmud - what they do, who wrote them, and why they are there. These include Torah Or, Ein Mishpat Ner Mitzvah and Masoret ha-Shas, Gilyon HaShas of Rabbi Akiva Eiger, and Hagahot HaBach

Jan 30: Rabbeinu Gershom
• Rabbeinu Gershom is the founder of Ashkenazi Torah scholarship. Better known for his "decrees" than his Talmudic commentary, he was hugely influential on everyone who came after him. We will look at his life, his works, and his long-lasting influence on Ashkanazi (and world) Jewry.

Feb 6: Tosefot/Rabbeinu Tam/R”I
• The school of Tosefot, founded by Rashi's grandsons and great-grandsons, has shaped all future Talmud study. We will look at the personalities who shaped Tosefot, primarily Rabbeinu Tam and R"I (Rabbeinu Yitzchak). And we will try to examine the task that Tosefot set themselves in their Talmudic commentary.

Feb 13: Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel (Rosh)
• Rabbeinu Asher ben Yechiel (the Rosh) was the bridge between Ashkenazi and Sefardi halachic practice and custom. His halachic commentary on the Talmud is one of the three 'pillars' on which all later halacha is built. His life story is also the story of antisemtism and persecution. We will also look at the famous forgery “Besamim Rosh”, falsely attributed to the Rosh.

Feb 20: Mordechai ben Hillel
• The commentary of Rabbi Mordechai ben Hillel (known simply as 'Mordechai') is printed at the back of the Talmud. He was one of the most influential Ashkenazi halachicists, whose influence reached as far as Italy. He died a martyrs death at the age of 48 in the Rintfleisch Massacres. We will also look at the Mordechai’s teacher, Rabbi Meir (Maharam) of Rotenberg, who was kidnapped and eventually died in prison refusing to allow the Jewish community to ransom him.

Feb 27: Rabbi Shmuel Eidels (Maharsha)
• The commentary of Rabbi Shmuel Eidels (Maharsha) is printed at the back of the Talmud. (Virtually) uniquely he writes on both the halachic and the aggadic (non-halachic) portions of the Talmud. His life story casts light on 16th century Polish Jewry. We will look at both his life and his commentary.

Three weeks

This shiur is for a refuah shleima of Ayala Pamela bat Leah. May she get well very soon!

This is basically a repeat of a shiur I gave a few years ago (on a Shabbat, so it wasnt't recorded) so you can read more about it here.

I claim that one of the important (often overlooked) causes of the destruction of the Beis HaMikdash was the lack of rebuke. The righteous people let the wicked people do their own thing and never protested. Rabbis sat idly by while Bar Kamtza was thrown out of the feast - that was the harshest blow and the ultimate reason that Bar Kamtza went to the Romans.

When we see someone behaving in a way that is unacceptable (whether religiously, or even in general human descency - like in the case of Bar Kamtza) we have a duty to stand up and say something. Obviously it must be said in a way which will be heard, and in a way that will distance the person (not like Yehoshua ben Perachiya who pushed away Jesus with two hands).

Rebuke - tochecha - is one of the most difficult mitzvot to do, but perhaps one of the most important mitzvot in the Torah. When people stand by and allow terrible things to happen they become as guilty as the perpetrators.

Here is the audio:
Rebuke - Three Weeks
(Right click and then 'download as')


And here are the pdf source sheets for download:
Rebuke Source Sheets

Ralbag (Gersonides)

Rabbi Levi ben Gershom is not only the most studied Rishon in academia (after Rambam) but is also one of the most unique and interesting Rishonim (in a world when many were very interesting and unique). His views on science and Torah are both relevant (and speak to me) and dated (and only of historical interest).

It is itneresting that Rav Moshe Feinstein wrote a haskama to a reprinting of Ralbag's commentary on Chumash. Does that mean that Rav Moshe approves of people learning Ralbag (who has many shitot that would not be considered mainstream (or even acceptable) today.

When the Navi tells us that Yehoshua stopped the sun - what does that really mean?
What is the purpose of Torah? Does Torah help us to discover truths of science? Would G-d lie to us?

These are all issues that I discuss in the shiur. And (I'm still debating in my head whether this should be part of the shiur or not) I end with Ralbag's views on women - which are not very nice (and certainly not PC - even compared to other medieval Jewish writers who were not necessarily feminists).

Let me know what you think. I am enjoying discovering these new sources. I hope you are too.


Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).
Ralbag - Scientist, philosopher and Rabbi
(Right click and then 'download as')
Ralbag Source Sheets

Moshe Taku

This shiur was supposed to be about Rav Moshe Taku, but is really about the Maimonidean Controversy, and the relationship between philosophy and religion. I show that there were really three different approaches to the issues (and conflicts) of philosophy and religion. Rambam tries to make Judaism fit with Aristotle (or his version of it which also incorporated some Plato/Plotinus). He reinterprets pesukim and Chazal to fit with philosophy. The French who put him in cherem (instigated by Shlomo Montpellier, who it seems turned out to be a bad egg) rejected any use of philosophy, and stuck to the Divine text of Torah and Talmud. And some of the Spanish and Provencal Rabbis had an 'in between' view, where philospohy was utilised if it fit with the mesorah and was compelling. But it was rejected if it contradicted fundamentals of Torah.

In this shiur I spend quite a bit of time looking at the exchange of letters between Rav David Kimche (Radak) and Rav Yehuda Alfakhar. Which I found very interesting.



Here is the shiur:
Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).
Moshe Taku and Maimonidean Controversy
(Right click and then 'download as')
Moshe Taku Source Sheets

Shem Tov ibn Falaquera

This shiur is about Shem Tov ibn Falaquera (though there are many different ways of spelling his last name).

Here is what Jewish Virtual Library says about ibn Falaquera:

Shem Tov b. Joseph ibn Falaquera (c. 1225–c. 1295), translator and author of many works devoted largely to ethics and psychology, also wrote Moreh ha-Moreh, a commentary on Maimonides' Guide. In this commentary he corrects Ibn Tibbon's translation of the Guide on the basis of the Arabic original, and he cites parallel passages from the works of Islamic philosophers, particularly from Averroes. In his Iggeret ha-Vikku'aḥ, a dialogue between a philosopher and an opponent of philosophy, he justifies the study of philosophy. In his Sefer ha-Nefesh he follows Avicenna, but in his encyclopedic work De'ot ha-Pilosofim he follows Averroes. He translated and condensed Ibn Gabirol's Mekor Ḥayyim from Arabic into Hebrew.

If you want to hear what I have to say about him, click on the links.


Here is the shiur:
Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).
Shem Tov ibn Falaquera
(Right click and then 'download as')
Shem Tov ibn Falaquera Source Sheets

Torah Moves to Spain

For the last two weeks I have spoken about Kairouan and the Torah that was taught there. At some point the Muhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifslims in Tunisia became too fundamental, and Torah moved to Spain. Rav Yitzchak Alfasi moved to Spain and while there one of his pupils was Rabbi Yehuda HaLevi.

In this shiur I go off on a tangent about the so-called 'Kuzari Principle' which I think is exactly the OPPOSITE of the real Kuzari, who argues against rational proofs of G-d and Torah. (If anything 'proofs' of Torah should be associated with Avraham ibn Daud). I give my views on Kuzari and reasons for belief (and there is quite a lot of discussion as people disagree with what I say). When I was looking for information about the Kuzari Principle I found that Micha Berger had beaten me to it (again!). He writes here in a much nicer and better way than me, so make sure you have a look at it.

I look briefly at Rabbi Shlomo ibn Gabirol, and explain that he brought neo-Platonism to Christian Europe. But Avraham ibn Daud really does not rate him highly as a philosopher (though apparently he was good enough as a poet).

The person I really wanted to speak about was Rabbi Avraham ibn Daud, author of Sefer HaKaballah and Emunah Ramah (which was written as an attack on Kuzari). But I ran out of time. Suffice it to say that he was a hardcore Aristotelian who said things that Rambam did not say explicitly, and who builds his Judaism firmly on the bedrock of philosophy.

I have time for a short discussion on the idea of whether Jewish souls are intrinsically 'better' than non-Jewish souls. I think that Kuzari is the first source to say such a thing (Rashi and Tosefot do not agree to it - I don't think), but ibn Daud disagrees and claims that all human souls are on the same level.


Here is the shiur:

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

ibn Gabirol, ibn Daud and Yehuda HaLevi

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ibn Gabirol, ibn Daud and Yehuda HaLevi source sheet

Rabbeinu Chananel

This shiur is really about the Rabbis of Kairouan and the codification of the Talmud. Having never heard of Kairouan at all until very recently it amazes me how many famous Rabbis lived there or learnt there.

I have also wondered for many years about what made the Talmud a binding text on all of Yisrael. We know that Ravina and Rav Ashi were the end of the Amoraim, but they were not the last Rabbis to add to the Talmud. At what stage (and why) did it switch from a fluid, oral, 'text' to a written text which was accepted by all of Yisrael?

I think the answer may be something to do with Kairouan and the story of the Four Captives (even though I recognise that the story is probably not a 'true' on - in the sense of having happened as written. But it may allude to a true principle about the Talmud).

As well as Rabbeinu Chananel this shiur mentions Rabbeinu Nissim, and their student, Rav Yitzchak Alfasi.

Also in this shiur - why learning 'Rif Yomi' is possibly more important for you than learning 'daf yomi'. (Though I also know that daf yomi has a lot of advantages that are nothing to do with the learning and the Torah).

Here is the shiur:

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Rabbeinu Chananel

(Right click and then 'download as')

Rabbeinu Chananel source sheet

Rabbi Yitzchak Yisraeli

I gave a shiur last night about Rabbi Yitzchak (ben Shlomo) Yisraeli. He is possibly the first Rishon (because he was a contemporary of Rav Saadiah Gaon, so he is really before the era of the Rishonim. He also lived to the age of 100, so he really spanned the transition from Gaonim to Rishonim (832-932).

The reason I have started giving a series on history is not because I know anything about it, but because the Talmud tells us that when we tell over the Torah of someone else their lips move in the grave. In other words, we keep the memory of someone alive through learning about them and what they said. So I have picked a dozen Rishonim that I have never heard of (a couple I hadn't heard about until a few years ago, so that also counts) - people who are never studied in Yeshivot, and have to rely on those outside the Yeshiva to keep them 'alive'.

It is also important for me to understand that Jewish 'hashkafa' has changed radically throughout the ages, based on time, place and temperament of each Rabbi. Unlike halacha, there is no 'psak' or even 'masorah' of hashkafa. Therefore we see that the Aristotelians argued with the Platonists, and they both argued with the Neoplatonists etc.

Yitzchak Yisraeli was one of the most respected philosophers and doctors in the medieval world. His books were still being used 500 years later! He is cited by many authorities, both Jewish and non-Jewish.

So, here is my attempt at casting a bit of light on this unknown (to me) historical figure, his influence and thought. As you will hear from the shiur, neither history nor philosophy are my strong points. If anyone can correct me (or better still - point me in the direction of a book which will explain neoplatonism and the differences between that and Aristoteliansim) I would very much appreciate it.

Here is the shiur:

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Rabbi Yitzchak Yisraeli

(Right click and then 'download as')

Rabbi Yitzchak Yisraeli source sheet

Acharei Mot

I kind of cheated here, because in Israel we read Acharei Mot last week, but outside of Israel it will be read this coming week, so it is still relevant (and I didn't give a shiur last week because of Yom HaAtzma'ut).

In this shiur I try to understand the position of Rabbi Abahu, who seems to hold that G-d has the ability to manifest in physical form.
He also seems to be excluding Christianity theologically from Jewish belief.
And I expain why I don't think Rambam can have a neat explanation for Rabbi Abahu (as opposed to all the other statements of Chazal and p'sukim which he can explain).


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Acharei Mot

(Right click and then 'download as')

Acharei Mot

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Rav Tzadok on the Hagaddah

Here are some of Rav Tzadok's ideas on the hagaddah. He discusses why we have 4 cups of wine, but only 3 matzot. What does it mean to remember the exodus from Egypt and how does 'bread of poverty' taste like manna.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Rav Tzadok on Hagaddah 01

(Right click and then 'download as')

Rav Tzadok on Hagaddah 01

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Rav Tzadok on Purim

Last week I said I was going to speak this week about the historical context of Purim. I think it is important to understand the context to get the real meaning of Purim. But I failed to keep my promise. It was too difficult for me (and Micha Berger suggested that a shiur should be meaningful, not history - which is a fair point).

So instead I take an idea of Rav Tzadok and develop it. He points out that unlike Shabbat (which is sanctified by G-d) and festivals/Rosh Chodesh (which is sanctified by Yisrael) Purim was chosen (and thus sanctified) by Haman and his lottery.

He discusses the meaning of lottery, and explains that someone who perceives G-d as acting randomly with the world will in return have G-d act with him in that way. (This is similar to someone who does not believe in the resurection of the dead who will therefore miss out on the resurrection of the dead.)

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Rav Tzadok on Purim

(Right click and then 'download as')

Rav Tzadok on Purim

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Parshat Tetzaveh - Aharon and Kiruv

This shiur is based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

This shiur is dedicated anonymously.

Parshat Tetzaveh is basically a listing of the various garments worn by the Cohanim and the Cohen Gadol.

Rav Tzadok asks three questions on Parshat Tetzaveh:
1. Why is Moshe's name missing from this parsha?
2. Why is the golden altar listed in this parsha, rather than in the previous parsha which dealt with all the other vessels of the Mishkan?
3. Why are there references to lighting the menorah at both the beginning and end of this parsha?

He explains that this is the parsha of Aharon. Aharon has the ability to bring out the Oral Torah in every Jew through his love for every Jew and his understanding of their soul and essence.

With this Rav Tzadok explains the unity of the parsha. He also connects it to the snake in the Garden of Eden, Amalek, and Eliyahu HaNavi on Mount Carmel.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Tetzaveh - Aharon and Kiruv

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat Tetzaveh - Aharon and Kiruv

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Mishpatim - Naaseh veNishma

This shiur is also based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

May this shiur be a Refuah Shleima for Shiri bat Gila.

Mishpatim contains not only many of the civil laws which guide us as a nation, but also the continuation of Maamad Har Sinai and the Giving of the Torah. At the end of the parsha the Jewish people utter the famous words "Naaseh veNishma" ("We Will Do and We Will Listen"). The Talmud praises them for giving precedence to action over understanding, comparing it to an apple tree that produces fruit before leaves.

(Tosefot notes that 'apple' in this context means 'etrog' - this allows me a digression to speak about the etrog as the fruit of the Garden of Eden and whether there was any cross-fertilisation of ideas between the 'Golden Apple' which is the etrog, and the 'Golden Apple of Discord' which brought strife to the world and ultimately led to the Trojan War.)

Rav Tzadok discusses whether action is more important than understanding (which he calls 'chochma' or 'freec choice') or the other way round. It turns out that both are true - one is in the realm of 'action' and the other in the realm of 'chochma/bechira'

This is very similar to an idea of Rav Dessler in Strive for Truth, though Rav Dessler frames it in terms of psychology and predeterminism.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Mishpatim - Naaseh veNishma

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat Mishpatim - Naaseh veNishma

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Parshat Beshalach - Amalek and Theology

This shiur is also based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

May this shiur be a Refuah Shleima for Shiri bat Gila.

Rav Tzadok says that remembering what Amalek did to us is really about remembering the sin that we committed which led to Amalek coming. But the Torah does not specify what the sin was.

By way of contrast, the Torah tells us

Remember, do not forget, how you angered G-d, your G-d, in the desert. From the day that you left Egypt until you reached this place, you have been rebellious against G-d.

. This is explicit and according to Rav Tzadok is a warning never to trust ourselves against the yetzer hara. No matter how close we are to G-d or how great His revelation to us, we must always continue to wage war against the evil inclination.

According to Rav Tzadok the sin which brought Amalek was a mistake in theology. The Zohar says that the people weren't questioning whether G-d was with them (they were surrounded by the Clouds of Glory) but whether it was YHVH or Ayin - which aspect of G-d was leading them. They asked questions that were beyond them, and this gave Amalek the chance to attack.

The reason the Torah does not explicitly state their sin is because it is not a sin of action, but of trying to understand things that they were not allowed to ask. The sin is one that cannot be stated explicitly.


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Beshalach - Amalek and Theology

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat Beshalach - Amalek and Theology

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Rosh Chodesh - the Power of Renewal

This shiur is also based on the writings of Rav Tzadok HaCohen.

The shiur is sponsored in memory of Irena bat Ilia Brezner. May her soul be bound in the bonds of Eternal Life.

This week is a new beginning for my Tuesday night women's shiur - we have moved to a new home in Armon HaNetziv. Contact me for details if you would like to come.

This parsha is also a new beginning - it contains the first mitzvah that was given to the Jewish people - kiddush hachodesh (sanctifying the new month).
This shiur was also given on Rosh Chodesh (new month) of Shevat, which (according to Beit Shammai) is the New Year for trees.

So lots of beginnings, and a shiur on the power of renewal and the importance of stumbling and falling in order to begin again and to grow.


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Bo - Renewal

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Parshat Bo - Renewal

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

VaEra - Derech Eretz

This week (and hopefully in coming weeks) I'm using Rav Tzadok HaCohen as the basis for the shiur.

The parsha begins with G-d telling Moshe that He only appeared to the Avot as E-l Shaddai, but He will appear to Moshe as YHVH.

The problem is that G-d appeared many times to the Avot with the name YHVH. Furthermore, He only appeared twice with the name E-l Shaddai (and never to Yitzchak).

Rav Tzadok explains that it refers to the fundamentally different relationship with G-d that the Avot had - based on Derech Eretz, compared to Moshe Rabbeinu's - based on Torah.

He discusses the meanings of the names, and the way in which the Avot kept the Torah. He explains the meaning of the concept "derech eretz kadma la-Torah" (derech eretz preceded the Torah). Derech eretz is a concept that non-Jews accept as much as Jews, and in some cases Jews can/should learn from non-Jews.

I end with a quote from Rav Kook (who was influenced by the writings of Rav Tzadok) about derech eretz (of the Zionists who built the land and State of Israel) and recognition of its importance for those who learn Torah.

If only more people in Ramat Beit Shemesh and other places would realise the importance of derech eretz and making a positive contribution to the world!

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat VaEra- Derech Eretz preceded the Torah

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Parshat VaEra- Derech Eretz preceded the Torah

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Parshat Vayeshev - The Poor Person

I'm sorry - I forgot to put this shiur on the web last week. So you will either have to listen to last week's parsha now (I think it is still kosher if you listen before Tuesday) or you will have to wait until next year to listen to it.

This shiur is fairly simple, but gives a different view of the parsha. I look at Rabbeinu Bachaye's introduction to the parsha, where he describes four categories of poor people. Then with some help from the audience (audience participation is always a good thing) we try to read these four categories of poor people back into the whole parsha, and come out with a theme of loss and redemption as the central idea of the parsha.


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Vayeshev - Rabbeinu Bachaye and the Poor Person

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Parshat Vayeshev - Rabbeinu Bachaye source sheet

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Parshat Vayishlach - the Divine Within

I gave this shiur last night in Jerusalem. Happy Birthday Michael and thank you for hosting the shiur.

This shiur is in part a continuation of last week's shiur on angels. Only this time we examine 'Who is G-d'?

Who did Yaakov wrestle with? All the Rishonim (without exception as far as I could tell) say it was an angel. Yet this appears to contradict the simple reading of the Chumash, and ignores several Midrashim.

Is there a p'shat reading of the text? How are we to understand the statements of Chazal that equate Yaakov/Yisrael/Yeshurun with G-d?

I also bring two kabbalistic Rishonim (there are not so many Rishonim who wrote on kabbalah). However I completely failed to understand what they said, so even though I think the message is valid, profound and true, please ignore my misinterpretation of the Recanati and Avodat HaKodesh. I will try to have a better understanding before my shiur tonight on WebYeshiva.


I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Vayishlach - The Divine Within

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Parshat Vayishlach - The Divine Within - source sheet

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Parshat Chayei Sarah - Superstition

Here is a shiur I gave this week to a group in Katamon. It is similar, but different, to the shiur I gave last night on WebYeshiva

I begin with Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and look at Eliezer's quest to find a wife for Yitzchak. He asks G-d for a sign to help him find a suitable woman. Is it permissible for Jews to rely on signs and omens? Do we view them as help from G-d, involving Him in our lives, or are they considered forbidden Emorite (idolatrous?) practices?

We look at four different approaches in the Rishonim, grouped geographically. Each has a different answer to that question:
Ashkenaz (Rashi/Tosefot)
Cataolonia (Rabbeinu Nissim)
Spain/Egypt (Rambam)
Provence (Raavad, Radak, Baal HaMaor and Meiri)

And the answer I didn't give in the shiur - what should we do today - here is the Shulchan Aruch:

Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah 179:4

בית תינוק ואשה אף על פי שאין ניחוש יש סימן. הגה: ... יש אומרים דאדם מותר לעשות לו סינן בדבר שיבא לעתיד כמו שעשה אליעזר עבד אברהם או יהונתן ויש אוסרין וההולך בתום ובוטח בה' חסד יסובבנו.
A house, a child or a wife, even though they are not divination, can be a sign. [Rema:… Some say that a person is permitted to make for himself a sign for something that will happen in the future, like Eliezer and Yonatan did. Others forbid this. Someone who walks whole-heartedly and trusts in G-d will be surrounded with kindness.

Nedarim 32a
אמר רבי יצחק כל המתמים עצמו הקב"ה מתמים עמו שנאמר (שמואל ב כב) עם חסיד תתחסד עם גבר תמים תתמם ... אמר רבי כל המנחש לו נחש... משום מדה כנגד מדה תני אהבה בריה דרבי זירא כל אדם שאינו מנחש מכניסין אותו במחיצה שאפי' מלאכי השרת אין יכולין ליכנס בתוכה.
Rabbi Yitzchak said: Anyone who acts whole-heartedly G-d acts with him whole-heartedly, as the verse says, “With a kind person He will act kindly; with a whole-hearted person He will act whole-heartedly” (II Shmuel 22:26). Rebbi said: Anyone who divines, is subject to divination… he gets what he deserves. Ahava son of Rebbi Zeira taught: Anyone who does not use divination is brought within a curtain that even the angels are not permitted to enter.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Chayei Sarah - Superstition

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat Chayei Sarah - Superstition - source sheet

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.

Vayera - What is Faith?

I gave a shiur tonight(I know it is not Tuesday, but we can pretend, though the shiur may have to be renamed the 'Sunday night shiur' quite soon - thanks Yonit for hosting).

The shiur is on Vayera and the definition of faith. Do we arrive at faith/belief through rational investigation, or by accepting unquestioningly? It seems that both approaches are considered 'Jewish'. How do I know which is right for me? And why has it changed in recent times?

In passing I also discuss Douglas Adams and Richard Dawkins (why can't all atheists also be comedians - Tim Minchin and Terry Pratchett get extra credit for not taking themselves too seriously), and kiruv techniques to prove G-d.

I look forward to your comments.

Here is the audio shiur (and the pdf sheets to download if you want).

Parshat Vayera - What is Faith?

(Right click and then 'download as')

Parshat Vayera - Faith - source sheet

Your feedback is welcome and appreciated. I would love to continue giving a shiur to this group on a weekly basis, but to do that I would need some kind of sponsorship. If anyone is interested in sponsoring a shiur (either l'ilui nishmat someone, or just for no reason) please contact me.