KMTT - the Torah Podcast

Kiddush: Principles and Practical Applications, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb 2nd part in a series on The Sanctity of Shabbat, combining questions of both philosophy and halakha. Shiur given to the weekly women's group in Kehilat Ha'Ela.

Archaeology, Epistemology and Orthodoxy, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom How far can we, as traditional Jews, dig below the earth to discover meaning in Tanakh? This lecture was given at Century Village, Boca Raton FL as part of a Scholar-In-Residence weekend. Although the central topic was the positive role of archaeology and related disciplines in aiding our understanding of Tanakh, broader issues such as the reliability of sources, the breadth of informational sources we are willing to gain from in our study of Torah and other related topics. Source sheet >>

Shemot | The Mystery Behind Moshe's Name, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Is "Moshe" a Hebrew name or an Egyptian name? We explore the first 10 verses of Shemot 2, detailing the birth of the baby who would prove to be the agent of salvation - his being hidden in the reeds of the Nile, the role of his sister and the princess in saving him and his naming. We review the passage carefully, noting each unusual twist in the text, including unexpected additions and surprising omissions from the story. Along with numerous methodological parenthetic observations, we analyze the Egyptian and/or Hebrew meaning of the name of this baby who ultimately leads Bnei Yisrael from Egypt to Sinai to the east banks of the Jordan. This shiur was given in memory of החבר יחיאל at the Young Israel of Hollywood. Source sheet >>

Q+A with Rav Asher Weiss 2nd half of a special shiur with Rav Asher Weiss, given to the Bnei Chul, following the Old City Shabbaton, motzaei Shabbat Parashat Shemot 5784

Swords of Iron | Divrei Chizuk, by Rav Asher Weiss Motzaei Shabbat Parashat Shemot 5784, given to Bnei Chul following the Old City Shabbaton

The Magic and Meaning of Shabbat, by Rav Dovid Gottlieb First part in a series on The Sanctity of Shabbat, combining questions of both philosophy and halakha. Shiur given to the weekly women's group in Kehilat Ha'Ela.

Shemot | "The Midwives of the Hebrews - And Their Houses?" by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom Who built houses for the midwives? And why? In the opening chapter of Sefer Shemot, we are informed about Pharaoh's plan to have the newborn Hebrew male children killed - or are they newborns? This is to be carried out by two Hebrew midwives - or are they Egyptian midwives of the Hebrews? These two, due to their fear of God, refuse Pharaoh's orders and God rewards them by having the nation increase in size. We are then told that since they feared God, "he made houses for them" - ויעש להם בתים. Who made houses? What type of houses? For whom? And to what end? The opinions about each of these unspecified words range broadly among the classic commentators - and we survey that range, explaining the methodological approach of each, with a brief interlude regarding the broader issue of the approach to a text and its impact on its understanding. We then propose a slightly nuanced explanation, based on a combination of insights of several Rishonim as well as the literary structure of the pericope. Source sheet >>

Ramban On The Torah | 27 | Shemot, by Rav Eli Weber An introduction to Sefer Shemot and the beginning of Moshe's journey to become a prophet

All It Takes to Change History Are Men and Women of Moral Courage, by Rav Moshe Taragin Sichat Mussar for Shemot

Vayechi | "My Father's Blessings Increased": Birkat Yosef and Birkat Yehuda, by Rav Yitzchak Etshalom What did Yaakov mean when he said "The blessings of your father surged higher than the blessings of my parents..." (49:15 - if that's what הורי means...) The penultimate scene in Sefer Bereishit, undoubtedly one of the most dramatic and impactful to the future nation is the gathering of Yaakov's sons around his bed as he blesses each of them and alerts them as to what will befall them "at the end of days". Notably, nearly all of the brothers are given short (1-2 verse) blessings which are singular in focus. Yehuda and Yosef, however, are given much lengthier (5 verses each) blessings, each oriented to a range of blessings and roles. A careful look at these two heptads, which at first blush seem to be of different aims, proves that they not only share significant focal points, but that both of them seem to be anchored in the blessings that Yaakov himself received from Yitzchak. We explore the entire "blessing-scene" with an eye towards linking these two brothers' ברכות to the ברכות that Yaakov himself was granted. Source sheet >>