Shemos: From Vigilante to Lawgiver
A post on Facebook by Jeremy Phillips raised the question of why Hashem chose a vigilante to be His lawgiver. He got me thinking. Hashem even lauds Moshe’s vigilantism in the Torah when he...
by admin · Published December 24, 2021 – כ׳ בטבת תשפ״ב · Last modified January 6, 2022
A post on Facebook by Jeremy Phillips raised the question of why Hashem chose a vigilante to be His lawgiver. He got me thinking. Hashem even lauds Moshe’s vigilantism in the Torah when he...
by Micha Berger · Published November 29, 2021 – כ״ה בכסלו תשפ״ב · Last modified November 29, 2021
Any exploration of the Aruch HaShulchan must first consider this question: Is halacha a set of rules that we follow or the system by which we reach those rulings?
There are two kinds of medrash (which should technically be called “midrash” to be grammatically correct). Midrashei Aggada are non-halakhic statements, those of mussar, Jewish thought, Qabbalah, and the like. The thought is usually...
The following is based on an article by Rav Mordechai Yehuah Leiv Zaks in no. 27 vol. 6 (1953) of HaPardeis. (H/T Eruv Online blog.) All of our community eiruvin rely on Rashi’s opinion...
by Micha Berger · Published February 24, 2021 – י״ב באדר תשפ״א · Last modified February 24, 2021
Let’s just look at Ben Zoma (Avos 4:1): אֵיזֶהוּ עָשִׁיר? הַשָּׂמֵחַ בְּחֶלְקוֹ. Who is wealthy? Someone who is sameiach, happy, with their lot. Ben Zoma isn’t arguing for complacency. Look at his prooftext: שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר:...
by Micha Berger · Published December 18, 2020 – ג׳ בטבת תשפ״א · Last modified December 18, 2020
Rashi writes on Bamidbar 30:2: “Zeh haDavar — This is the Idea“: Moshe gave nevu’ah with “Koh amar Hashem — Like this said Hashem, ‘Like in the middle of the night’” (Shemos 11, about...
by Micha Berger · Published September 17, 2020 – כ״ח באלול תש״פ · Last modified September 17, 2020
There is a new, slightly enlarged, version of my reader for Aseres Yemei Tehuvah for 5781, suitable for putting that wandering mind to work while in shul. Contents: Spiritual Planning………………………………………………………… 1 9/11 and How...
Other-Focused O / Other-Focused Orthodoxy / Ta`amei haMitzvos
by Micha Berger · Published June 23, 2020 – א׳ בתמוז תש״פ · Last modified June 23, 2020
Rav Shimon Shkop gives a very inter-personal view of Judaism, writing that the we were made “וְחַיֵּי עולָם נָטַע בְּתוכֵנוּ — and eternal life was planted among us” (quoting the berakhah‘s description of the...
by Micha Berger · Published April 7, 2020 – י״ג בניסן תש״פ · Last modified April 7, 2020
I think many discussions of the gemara about rice not producing chameitz head in the wrong direction. The definition of chameitz isn’t entirely scientific. After all, if you mix wheat flour with 100% apple...
by Micha Berger · Published April 2, 2020 – ח׳ בניסן תש״פ · Last modified April 2, 2020
I was very “into” Rav Hirsch’s worldview as a bachur. The symbol system explains so much. Don’t mix meat and milk because for an animal, the only creativity is procreativity, it’s in who it...
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